Mercenary on the Winds

ENEMY PHASE TURN 7! Cyro balked at the woman's threat. "Your girlbeast is parts for weapons and armor! I'm afraid for you my wounds have healed, and I won't make the same mistake twice-- try me and I shall make sure that you don't get back up, feline." The man holding Kise could only blink at the Kitsune shifted from crazed, to... crazed in a different sort of fashion as a pink haired woman appeared to shout at them along with an axe wielding clouded. The sub-commander was engaged in barbs with the gun-touting feline, "Tch. I'm moving on ahead, sub-commander. Be well. I imagine that the Commander won't be too far behind. We'll get out of this yet." The man took a wad of cloth, and nearly punched it into Kise's yapping jaws, "And you can shut up!" "You're going to regret what you're about to do once they get a tome in my hHhnghnrrhgh!!" "A beautiful sound. You two, slow them down!" I will enjoy extracting your essence the most when this is all over, petulant child. Elsewhere in the compound, a group of wagons, and riders were slowly arriving. "Come on! Where the hell is the caravan?! They needed to be here yesterday; these beasts are proving more difficult than was expected. Tell everyone to gather what they can, and that we're getting the hell out of here! Clear the pad for the prisoners! Then we move!" The sword wielding man turned to the riders who were just now arriving, "There you fucking are. You all can join me in clearing our path; we're to grab what we can, and then flee, this place is a lost cause. However, that doesn't mean we can't gut more of the half-breeds for attempting! With me!" Krauser took Lani's blows, almost grinning the whole time. He felt the pain, but these strikes felt proper, right. This was an opponent he could fight. Not one that he needed to fear like Luthier or Cyro. The feline stood to his attack, and then called for him come again. Krauser grinned, "You're... strong. A challenge... I will win, I will crush you... You made... him do this... But... I don't care anymore... I want to fight, I want to crush..." Krauser looked at Lani with a manic look in his eyes, "I want to kill you." Krauser began to charge forward, when he felt healing light radiate across his body. Krauser turned, "No! This battle! THIS PREY IS MINE! MINE ALONE!" The behemoth turned, and slammed the healer away, and in the same motion charged for Lani, "I will have no regrets!" Krauser throws an Steel Chakram! [15, 95] He throws the Chakram, and it connects again nearly breaking Lani's guard! 16 damage! Lani grits her teeth, and strikes back! [78, 29], [91, 11] Lani's first strike unbalanced, the man, and with a floor breaking stomp, she pulled her greatsword back around with the chain, and launched the man with every bit of power that she could muster, halting him in his tracks. Slowly, the man rose to his feet again, "You... are mine..." Critical! Combined for 52 damage! First HP bar broken! Lani gains 81 EXP, and +3 Sword EXP! Lani reaches level 10! 45 8 43 78 70 30 62 79 +HP, Str, Def! Fighter 6 throws a Hand Axe at Versaris! Does he know? I don't think he does. 0 chance to hit! Cav 4 engages Ren with his Javelin! [71, 76] The Javelin pierces the cleric's body for 13 damage! PLAYER PHASE TURN 8! Update: Enemy's Caravan has arrived! Some Enemies will prioritize fleeing towards the Caravan!

Nyx engages Archer 2! [82, 78] Her arrow nails the man through the cracks in the wall for 21 damage! Archer 2 notches a counter! [16, 92] Archer 2's arrow connects, nearly knocking Nyx off her feet! 11 damage! Nyx finishes the combat! [40, 76] The second arrow finishes the job, taking the air out of the man's body! 21 damage! Archer 2 felled! Nyx gains 30 EXP, and +3 Bow EXP! Lucretia heals Miria using her Mend staff, and heals 14 HP! Lucretia gains 17 EXP, and +3 Staff EXP! Versaris slaps a Mage! He died. [34, 87] He dead. 28 damage! Mage 6 felled! Versaris gains 18 EXP, and +2 Sword EXP! Syta? Heals Lani for all of her missing HP (19 HP) Syta gains 15 EXP, and +2 Weapon EXP! In the dark of the night, Syndra attacks Archer 6 with Flux! [84, 78] The dark magic, clutches at the archer, but he hangs on! 17 damage! Archer 6 returns the favor! [67, 68] The man fires an arrow, and for a moment it seems like it was going to crash into the wall, but ricochets just enough that it manages to connect! 17 damage! Syndra finishes! [10, 1] [48] Syndra found herself infuriated by the luck of the archer, and reached for greater power within herself. The sphere of gravity crushing the man, leaving what was supposed to be a man, but was something rather unrecognizable. Critical! 51 damage! Archer 6 felled! Syndra gains 34 EXP, and +3 Dark EXP! Renais calls for all of her magic to get Aly back up! Renais uses her Mend, and her healing bonus to perfectly heal Aly to full! (36 HP!) Renais gains 28 EXP, and +3 Staff EXP! Ullr throws a Chakram at Bow Armor 2! [84, 13] Ullr only needed the one; it clattered into the man, causing him to stagger, and then eventually, collapse from the repeated beating. 13 damage! Bow Armor 2 felled! Ullr gains 30 EXP, and +2 Bow EXP! Alvira engages Fighter 7 with hatred, and malice, and also regular Ice! For this fight, Alvira gains crit boost! +15 Crit! [59, 5] Alvira conjures ice, and with all of her being, she launches the ice into the man, flinging him into the wall, and she simply carried the ice, and continued to push, growing the block into a large chunk, and simply... crushing the man until he was no more. Critical. 72 damage! Fighter 7 deleted! Alvira gains 34 EXP! Alvira reaches level 9! 33 76 38 4 22 7 63 3 +HP, Mag, Skl, Spd, Luck, Res! Ferid walked up, slowly, and downsmashed the door, removing it off its hinges without much difficulty. Jeremiah moves to 7, 16 and switches to the Astranagant. "I gave you a chance to run. Instead you try to attack a woman harboring a child. I should have simply followed through." Jeremiah turned over his shoulder as he heard Alvira's roars of fury, and the brutal smashing of ice. Jeremiah drew the white blade, "You're lucky that it's me handling you, and not her." [38, 11], [20] Astra Activates, and Critical! A series of strikes fell instantly on the man, almost blowing him backwards, not that he knew what had happened, nor could he. 84 damage! Myrm 2 felled!

Ichika's frustration with Luce was still on display, even if Luce had done fantastic during the fight they had still been... obtuse. That was to be expected but what followed wasn't, "Huh?" Ichika was praising her magic, apologizing and bowing her head all at once. Alouette could feel the blush coming across her face, surprised that it was the first thing mentioned--a rarity to be sure. Alouette turned away, and crossed her arms, "It's... not all that impressive. Our enemies simply weren't prepared for magic." That's a terrible excuse and you know it, Alouette. Anyone with even a fraction of forethought would know to come prepare for magefighters. "In any case, you performed expertly, as well as the others. I was simply finishing those you all softened up. Even still just doing that, and I'm a little drained while the rest of you appear fine. Thank you for the compliment, and the apologies. But it's hardly as impressive as you say." Alouette half-heartedly huffed, inwardly quite pleased to be complimented for her magic first. But it wasn't so simple to just accept it at face value. Alouette fiddled with her glove, then her harness, and then her hair.

The young man hopped out of the carriage, and bowed his head, apologizing for almost attacking her. Alouette's pout lessened, and then sighed, it wasn't so impossible to understand why he would have attacked. "It's fine... I'm just bad with surprises. Lindt, is it? I'll keep that in mind." Lindt made his way to the gate, and disappeared inside the town, leaving Alouette to wander behind him. The spike in anxiety wasn't doing wonders for her energy after a fight she hadn't been expecting to have, but it wouldn't be too bad. She could find Lorelei, and find a place to rest for a bit, before guiding her around. Well, no, that wasn't completely true. Eve--who's hair was still pink--was calling to assemble the group that dealt with the attackers. She mentioned food, their charges, and payment, two of which Alouette was interested in. She could use some food, and if Lorelei was already safe than all the better. Though, it sounded like their arrival had been planned, or foreseen. Alouette put her hands on her hips, after wiping some sweat from her brow--warmth and a fight were not an enjoyable combination. "Not the way I expected to meet again, Miss Eva... so what is this about?"

Sia quickly hurried her way down the hall, hair still glistening as she hadn't really taken the time to dry it after washing herself down. As they approached the city, she had gone to the pool for her exercise, and to calm her jitters. The reality of the mission was starting to dawn on her, and they were so very close now. She'd been on her way out when the message hit her communicator, and she hurriedly showered, and got her things on. Moments later, she found herself on the bridge, "May I have a status report, XO? What's happened?" She fixed her hat as she spoke. Nerves had to be shelved for the time being, and if this were to be combat, it wouldn't be anything different than what she experienced under Admiral Erichtonius. Amy hopped up as the order came on the intercom. She'd been tinkering with Kazue's machine, modifying it ever so slightly, but that was coming to an end as they needed to be prepared. She pulled her jumpsuit halfway on, struggling a bit with the zipper over her chest, before throwing her hands up, and just holding it to her shoulder as she moved to meet with the other engineers to receive their orders. Never a dull moment, huh? Just how I like it, I guess...

Alouette barely saw the web as it flew past her head, but she reacted as she normally would to having something shot at her; a jump, and then a flicker of her magic, as she peered back around the corner of the carriage as the man started speaking. She took note of his differences, the slightest of shivers going up her spine as she realized that whatever he's shot as her was weblike, "I, called out to make sure that something like that didn't happen..." Alouette puffed her cheeks before sighing, "Yes, we handled the attackers out here; they're gone and you won't have to worry about them anymore." She kept her eyes on the man, making sure that he wasn't going to try to... whatever he had done as she opened the door. "My name is Alouette, I was..." She paused a moment, "I was with my princess from Phantasma when this all occurred, and I should move to find her. If you're alright, then I shouldn't keep you any longer." The slightest of huffs left her lips as she moved to turn to go, and search for Lorelei. Her anxiety was spiked by the missed projectile, so probably best to keep the conversation light.

Ren heals Lani for 14 HP! Ren gains 12 EXP, and +2 Staff EXP! ENEMY PHASE TURN 6! The man weathered Kise's struggling, and began dragging her towards her destination. Once outside, he came upon Cyro, "Sub-Commander? Where's the Commander? I have the Kitsune, I'm to take her to the caravans, right?" "... The commander has fled. There is someone here strong enough to make even him afraid. They are not affiliated with the Tigers, it seems, but I have no idea who they are, however--" "He flees!? But he seemed so sure of himself! So confident! Where could he be going!? And why!? Hahahaha~! LUTHIIIIIIIIEEEEEEERRRRRRR!" Kise's voice shouted out into the facility, trying to resonate with his ears, a cackle following, "why are you running awaaayyyy~!" "Ugh, what is wrong with her? All these wounds and she still prattles on... Silence her, somehow. We've enough to deal with, but, yes. The caravans. Put a muzzle on that thing, would you?" " There once was a man with white hair... For this fox, he didn't spare a care He thought little of his foes didn't stay on his toes his life, none of them would spare~ Ehehehehahahahah~!" Cyro narrowed his eyes at the raving beast, looking back towards the Tigers. "Muzzle, now." "Someone who's got the commander afraid?...You see all sorts of things in this line of work, and somehow I can still be surprise--" The crazed kitsune seemed to devolve into a fit of madness--if the rest of it wasn't already termed as such. "Maybe we should have just sent this one with the commander... Muzzle, working on it. What about you?" "I shall escort you and kill all the Tigers that attempt to stop us. Their commander, along with a few that managed to luckily wound Luthier, are approaching... Do not take them lightly." "Your head will look gorgeous upon a spear, little boy... You're so confident, despite your commander's fear. He's much more of a man than you, what chance do you think you havmghnfh..." Cyro slammed a hand against the fox's mouth, her eyes narrowing further, watching him. "Be SILENT. You are nothing but parts and you will regret this outburst when we-- AUGH!" He recoiled his hand as sharp teeth sunk onto his fingers, Kise licking the blood off her lips. "We shall see who regrets things in but a few moments... Little boy." "GAG HER. NOW! I don't care how!" "Damned monster." The man took his sword, and bashed Kise across the back of the neck. "I'll do what I can. But if Luthier's running spooked, whatever's coming has to be a piece of work." "Let us pray we do not find out." "Aye... You. You're with me as well." He gestured to the soldier, "Come with me." Myrm 2 bristles at Jeremiah's nonchalance, and rushes after Miredy, and tries to strike! [9, 11] The man's Levin Sword sparked with magic... but it did little to trouble the Lamia protecting the child! 5 damage! Miredy armed with the thunder tome strikes back! [86, 86], [12, 81] Miredy's first attack was wide, but her 2nd sent the man backwards, and he remained standing, but only just! 21 damage! Miredy gains 8 EXP, and +1 Anima EXP! Bow Armor 2 engages Ullr with his Shining Bow! [68, 65] The man fired an arrow tipped in horrible magic, and it impacted the wolf, its magic beginning to work through his body. 21 damage! Ullr remains standing, and counters! [44, 78], [62, 28] Ullr threw two of the chakrams, doing real damage to the man who dared bring the bow to this fight! 20 damage! Ullr gains 10 EXP, and +2 Brawling EXP! Krauser looked back to see... the woman from the night before taunting him all of the sudden. He didn't take note of her changes; a dead woman with different hair was a dead woman all the same. He roared, and targeted the first thing he could see... the feline with the large sword. "Die. You all. Die." Krauser engages Lani! [18 47] Krauser throws a chakram at Lani, and even through her strong guard, the chakram forced her back, the object thrown with a frightening amount of force! 16 damage! Lani counters! [69, 76], [32, 34] Lani kept her composure, and struck back equally as hard! 24 damage! Lani gains 18 EXP, and +2 Sword EXP! Priest 4 sees the danger, and rushes to heal Krauser! Krauser returns to full HP! Thief 1 moves to the top chest, and find an Instructor's Manual! Reinforcements have arrived! PLAYER PHASE TURN 7!

Lani continues her rampage, and engage Shaman 1! [38, 96] Lani deftly wields her chained greatsword and deals a crunching blow from range! 20 damage! Shaman 1 counters! [7, 54] The dark magic swirls around Lani trying to crush her being dealing 16 damage! Lani finishes! [61, 38] Lani's second strike crushes the Shaman underneath, leaving her the last one standing. 20 damage! Shaman 1 felled! Lani gains 26 EXP, and +3 Sword EXP! Tasha roars into combat against Bow Armor 3! [12] Eye of the Tiger activates! [13] Tasha brandishes her axe, and with a mighty roar, she struck so cleanly, that it was like the man's armor was intended to part the way it had. The steel cleaved through everything, including the floor where the man stood, leaving a clean cut into the floor as the two halves of the man fell to one side. Critical! 78 damage! Tasha gains 22 EXP, and +2 Axe EXP! The mage flinched, and Jeremiah had already swung his blade, casting the furious windstorm that sent the man packing, and collected the tome from his corpse. Jeremiah looked over to the swordsman that was with him, "Make your decision. I have things to take care of. Leave, or die trying, those are your options." Jeremiah walked past the man, catching up with Miredy, and handing her the tome, "I told you I'd find something." Jeremiah looked at Jane, and smiled at her, before moving on ahead. The girl simply burrowed closer to the lamia. Jeremiah moves to 6, 14!

He released the fox, and was on him, both with insults, and with fists that hit him about as hard as a child might have. Still, it startled him a little, and he lashed out with his blade, cutting into her leg, which quieted her... if only for a moment. "Would you shut up?" The man was curt and to the point, and not overly amused with her struggling. "Come on." Ahem. A H H E L L L L L L L L L! Syta's wayward fox returns to the fray, awakened from her slumber to grant her Distorted Invocation! Syta? Attacks Shaman 2! [7, 100] The dark magic that Syta threw was far more powerful than the last causing the Shaman to be launched backwards, and rendered unconscious! 21 damage, and Shaman 2 felled. Syta gains 38 EXP, and +2 Dark EXP! Syta reaches Level 7! 46 25 18 7 35 8 58 74 +HP, Str, Mag, Skl, Spd, Lck! Renais heals Sari using her Mend staff for 28 HP! Renais gains 24 EXP, and +3 Staff EXP! Miria engages Cav 1 [56, 67], and [71, 55] Miria cleaned up her attacks from earlier, and threw two blades of wind at the approaching cavalier, knocking him off his horse, and finishing him off! 20 damage! Cav 1 felled! 30 EXP, and +3 Sword EXP! Tanya mrows! Tanya cannot miss or crit, so I'm not bothering with an RN. Tanya gains 42 EXP, and +2 Lance EXP!

Ferid introduces Fighter 5 to his Axereaver! [25, 39] The unusual weapon worked as intended, opening the fighter up, and then dispatching him with ease! 39 damage! Fighter 5 felled! Ferid gains 5 EXP, and +4 Lance EXP! ENEMY PHASE TURN 5! The door to the cells opened, and the large man walked in as Kise's complaints of stimulation echoed out in the hall. The man walked in front of the cell, "You. Shut up, and get up." He quickly undid the lock to the cell, and started to move to undo her restraints. "Got to get you ready for transport. Make this easy will you?" He turned across the hall, "That goes for all of you too. More people will be back for you, but you'll be moving. I'm sure that you can hear the fighting outside." The two people across the way, one clouded--an older man--, and one human simply looked at one another. In truth, having to hear Luthier's work, and the sheer... nonchalance with which Kise acted had spooked the pair into silence. The feline simply nodded out of fear, while the human didn't respond and continued to stare at the wall. "Suit yourself. If you get killed before you get to where you're supposed to go, it's not my fault." The figure turned, a tired, bruised, feminine face looked at the man, "Then I'd finally be free." Kise will be accosted, and will move on Enemy Phase with the Hero! If he escapes, Kise will leave the party! Luthier looked as Alriana simply charged after him, carving her way through an unsuspecting dark mage. With his wounds healed, and more of the tigers barking at him, he thought to make an example of her. His magic flared, and grew, the spell in his hand glowing much brighter than the Auras he had before. "Commander! Sub-Commander!" Luthier paused a moment, as he turned over his shoulder to see one of their men running towards them. "Speak quickly, I have trash to obliterate." "S-sir. I know that you're aware that we're being attacked from both sides, but... Someone also led an attack through the catacombs. He and a pink haired woman." "Then deal with them! I have no time to be fixing the mistakes of failures such as yourself!" "Sir. The man was wearing a green jacket, and had a blindingly white sword. He cut through most Janus's corp without breaking a sweat. We can't handle someone of that--Sir?" Luthier's eyes had nearly bulged out of his head, "... ... ...You said that he wore a green jacket, and had a white sword...? He... No... No that can't be... It wouldn't be... Did he have dark hair? Tell me. Tell me right now." "...Yes, sir. He had dark hair along with all that I mentioned. He's a swordsman unlike any I've seen before..." "...Haha... Hahaha... Ridiculous. Absolutely ridiculous. Why? Why? Why is he here? Why is the Moonless Arbitrator here?! Why is he here of all times?!" Luthier's spell had dropped, his hands shivering for real as he thought of the demon approaching him. The white blade that carved through so many of his subordinates, and then his spell without any difficulty at all. The bored, yet furious look in the man's eyes as he seemed to appear and vanish from sight in an instant. "...Cyro. T-There is a change of plans. I, I must go and collect our research, and the important items, but you and I are leaving. We are abandoning this place. If he is here, then all is lost." The man put his head into his hands, "Haha... Fuck. Fuck!" He turned back to the messenger, "Where is he? Tell me where he is. Now." "He's... probably in the basement with the cells by now... He'll be a bit longer." "Excellent. Tell me the others to salvage what they can and to flee to the caravans. You do not understand. That man symbolizes the end for us all. Take whatever these mercenaries do, and multiply it by thousands. No, no, no, no... Cyro, assume command for the moment. I must... go and prepare for our escape." Luthier hadn't even bothered to hide his terror at the news, his voice almost as loud as it could be, his skin almost turning pale--a far cry from his tanned grin--and visibly flustered. He didn't even spare the Tigers chasing a second look, before bolting to the stairs. "Wh-What?" Cyro had never seen Luthier like this, glancing back at the Tigers, then towards his boss, already leaving! "I, wh-what!? Luthier!" It was like he'd seen the worst ghost of his lifetime. Cyro had no idea who this man was, but if he was strong enough to scare off Luthier, then they stood no chance. "... Hold the Tigers back," he said to the soldier that had just arrived, turning towards the cells. "I shall make sure that the prisoners on this side are removed. That fox is too much of a prize to lose, even if we lose the rest." "Yes, sir!" Luthier is retreating! Cyro assumes command for the time being, and gains +1 Authority star! Gunner 3 takes aim at Tasha, realizing that she's holding the same weapon that he is! [97, 99] In his haste to get rounds down field, he fired almost incredibly far off target that it more impressive than actually hitting. Miss! Tasha returns fire! [2] Eye of the Tiger Activates! [33] [6] Eye of the Tiger Activates [80] Since nailing Luthier with the first shot of her rifle, Natalya almost seemed to be moving faster, reacting to movements with pinpoint efficiency. She didn't bother moving when the man fired at her, already knowing that he was going to miss her, and simply lined up her shot. Her first shot was a shot that took the man's hand from his rifle, sending it, and several fingers clattering to the floor, and the 2nd, catching the man falling backwards, was between the eyes. 50 damage in total! Gunner 3 felled! Natalya gains 22 EXP, and +3 Gun EXP (And my goddamn heart, holy shit) Bow Armor 3 engages the Lizard that his gunner partner didn't seem to pick up on! [34, 57] The man took aim, and drew back as far as he could, and let loose a killer arrow into Alriana's side. The heal had brought her back to lucidity, enough to see the object of her rage and hatred fleeing with his tail between his legs, only to have a crunching arrow thrown into her side, and after Luthier's blast, and her beast filled rampage, she finally slid into unconscious. 20 damage! Alriana is downed! Alriana rolls a 7! -2 to Res for this map, and the next! Shaman 2 decides to try his luck with Syta! [33, 57] The Earthen Magics compress around Syta dealing 17 damage! Syta counters! [56, 31] Not to be outdone, Syta returns one gravity based spell with another, dealing 12 damage! Syta gains 14 EXP, and +1 Dark EXP! Cav 1 charges Miria with his Steel Lance! [27, 97] The sharpened steel pierces Miria's golden armor and deals 13 damage! Miria counters! [84, 10], and [79, 8] Miria's first attack is parried wide, but she corrects, and hits her second for 10 damage! Miria gains 12 EXP, and +1 Sword EXP! Cav 2 also joins the fray! [84, 91] But their blade of wind is just off the mark! Miss! Miria counters that as well! [53, 66] Miria makes no mistake, and nails Cav 2 for 9 damage! Miria gains 12 EXP, and +1 Sword EXP! Miria reaches B rank Swords! Miria also reaches level 9! 27 19 24 12 42 48 72 16 +HP, Str, Skl, Spd! Mage 4 engages Jeremiah! Delayed Casuality Activates! [65, 14] [70] Before the Mage can open the book and attack, the Mage found themselves rended by a tempest of wind, it was over so quickly that the man couldn't be sure of what happened, other than that he was not long for this world. Critical! 156 damage! Thief 2 opens a Chest that contains... a Barrier Staff! Krauser was about to charge in when he heard Luthier's voice from somewhere. He turned to see his commander... fleeing? From what? What would have the man darting away? Krauser stays put in confusion. Other enemies adjust their positions... A large number of reinforcements will arrive on the following turn. Be ready. Mastery Update: Rout All Enemies within 5 Turns of Luthier's retreat! Cyro is exempt from this count!

Her spell landed, so far she hadn't missed a single one, and was doing quite a bit of damage all things considered. Her stamina was holding out, and beside the opening salvo, she wasn't having to push her circuits. She expected that to change with the armored leader, who chucked a spear at Eve only for it to fly past her harmlessly. But the aura about her seemed to fade, Alouette started to prepare when she noticed that Luce was gone all of the sudden, and then, so was the armored man. An explosion of light, and the man just... toppled over. She blinked, the only person who that could have been was Luce, but nothing they'd shown so far was equivalent to that blast. Eve's assistant took out the fleeing mage, and with that it seemed over. Alouette put a hand to her chest, and took a deep breath to slow her breathing and pounding heart, and then immediately moved for the cart they hadn't checked during the fighting. "Are you alright... over here? The fighting is over and done with... it's safe now." Lucky me... I don't think I'd have much energy if I had to attack that man. Now then... Eve and Luce... they know each other... odd.

Nyx shoots at Priest 2, maliciously this time. [85, 90], and [3, 93] Nyx feathered Priest 2 not giving him the chance to care for any of his allies. 36 Damage. Priest 2 felled! Nyx gains 34 EXP, and +3 Bow EXP! Syta, Ren, and Renais all heal their respective targets! (Syta to Lani, Ren to Tanya, and Renais to Aly) Syta heals Lani to full HP! (12 HP) Ren heals Tanya to full HP! (11 HP) Tanya is back to standing! Renais heals Aly using Staff Technician Mend, and heals Aly for 18 HP! Syta gains 11 EXP, and +2 Staff EXP Ren gains 11 EXP, and +2 Staff EXP Ren reaches level 8! 26 41 61 57 38 62 1 9 +HP, Spd, Def, Res Renais gains 19 EXP, and +3 Staff EXP Marigold attacks the Bow Armor! [37, 36], [90, 45] Marigold's relentless assault brings the Bow armor low! 38 damage! Bow Armor 1 felled! Marigold gains 38 EXP, and +3 Axe EXP! Marigold reaches level 8! 37 66 42 7 50 22 57 78 +HP, Str, Skl, Spd, Luck! Aegean steadies herself, and attacks Lance Armor 1! [59, 68], [75, 27] With renewed purpose, Aegean threw her axes at the armor, letting the first open her target up, and throwing the 2nd one as hard as she could to finish the job. It worked better than she could have hoped for and the man crashed to the floor. Critical! 92 damage in total! Lance Armor 1 Felled! Aegean gains 30 EXP, and +3 Axe EXP! Jeremiah glanced at the arriving defenders, "Just keep moving forward. I'll hold the rear, find Alvira's friends, and remain with them." Jeremiah chuckled as the 2nd dragon--Tamrir's son--was quickly addressed by Lucretia. As long as he was working with Alvira at this point in time, there was no need to worry about him, but once this all finished... Jeremiah to 6, 12, Tempest Blade Equipped.

Jane tilted her head at the newcomers for a moment before quickly bolting over to Miredy, taking a tight hold of whatever she could, with a sniffle. She looked over at Alvira, and nodded before burrowing closer to Miredy. Jeremiah stepped past the both of them, "I'll be sure to acquire something for you shortly, Miredy." He kept his affable tone, but there was a dull look in Jeremiah's eyes. Only Lucretia of those here would have known what that meant. "We need to get moving. There are catacombs beneath this place; where the Underground actually hides--true to their name--there are many more people here, and with this assault, we'll be seeing more of them soon." Jeremiah flicked out the green magical blade, and drew the white one still situated at his side. "I intend to make sure that everyone here is freed. Underground and captive alike. The only difference being is that the Underground will be set free from this life of theirs." ENEMY PHASE TURN 4! Luthier staggered back into the other room glaring at the nearest healer, "You. Heal me. Now." The man hurried over wordlessly, not even finding the will to ask what happened. He hadn't planned on revealing the tail to them like that, but it appeared to have shaken the faulty foundation that the Rhapsodia stood upon. Also his own. He grimaced as the healing magic started to work. The Tigers stood no chance against him if he took them seriously. He knew that, they knew that, and still he made the same mistake twice. Again, he remained alive, and so he wouldn't be making the same mistake again. Finally, down the stairs came Cyro, "There you are. You and I have ingrates to crush. Prepare yourself for when I am healed. We will go back in there, and obliterate them. All of them." Luthier's voice was even, cold, focused. The joy at seeing the Rhapsodia broken down, or hearing what must have been the mermaid from before wore off far too quickly. All that was left was quiet, focused, rage. "Yes, of... Of course. Luthier...?" Cyro was coming down the stairs, the sounds of shouting echoing through the fort, and then the sight of Luthier, wounded, grievously, and without any of his natural whimsy. "What... Ahem, mm. What happened?" He had to ask, even if he was lashed out at. If they could hurt Luthier this badly, he stood no chance. "Luck is a skill that the Tigers have in abundance, and I was foolish. Any man can be broken down by a thousand cuts from even the smallest blade. A mistake I will not be making again. They are capable, but nothing that cannot be dealt with--they traded perhaps their two most competent fighters for a mere chance at slowing me down. Then the commander caught me unawares... brilliantly, but unawares." Luthier rolled his shoulders as his wounds vanished under the healing light. "I assume that this is not the only place that the Tigers have struck? There are fewer of them here than I remember seeing at the compound." Luck, you say? ... Well, yes, I suppose I do believe that. They were dispatched by you quite easily in our assault and we didn't flee until the Evokers freed themselves. Right. Luck. Ugh, luck... Cyro shook his head quickly and stopped thinking about things, nodding. "There was some commotion, and I freed Krauser as per your orders. He'll see to it, or die trying. I came to find you after that, to clarify my orders... What would you have me do, Luthier? If all you ask of me is to join you in crushing these interlopers, I will happily introduce them to my thunder magic." "Yes, that is the primary goal for the moment. If the Tigers have come to rescue their friends, then failure to reclaim them is a victory in my eyes. We'll kill whoever dares press, but I want to see off the caravans. We will retreat from this place and relocate to one of the other bases." Luthier let his magic flare again. "You need not worry by the way. By the time we are done with them, there will be nothing left for me to experiment with. You won't have to hear that with you abhor." Cyro flinched, but tried to play it off with a smile. "Have I made myself so obvious?" A small chuckle left him, but he pressed past the awkward moment with a flare of his own magic, a far cry from Luthier's, but more than enough to put any of these mongrels down. "Very well. Let us clean up." Cleric 3 heals Luthier back to full HP! Sword Armor 2 approaches Aegean with his Monster Blade brandished! [20, 76] The man swung the blade, and it rended through Aegean's body, and the corrosive magic began to wreak havoc on her. She staggered, fueled by the rage that Luthier had instilled in her, but it was not enough to keep the woman standing... on it's own, as her necklace flashed with magical energy, and the foul magic coursing through her was replaced by warm, familiar magic. 22 damage! Aegean hangs on at 1 HP! Aegean musters everything she has in left to counter! [80, 92], [12, 23] Aegean swung with all her might to bat away the awful sword, and then when Aegean found her open, she swung for the stars, taking the man's armor, and chin as high as she could possibly manage. She stumbled hard after the strike, but in the end, it was her standing, and the swordsman, crumpled. Critical! Total of 92 damage! Sword Armor 2 felled! Aegean gains 30 EXP, and +3 Axe EXP! As soon as Jeremiah took a step, the necklace around his neck flashed. Jeremiah flinched, and turned to the east, his face hardening as he did. That couldn't have been... Aegean. Hold on, just a moment longer... Jeremiah's grip on his blades tightened. Not a single one of them would be leaving today. Lance Armor 3 acknowledges Luthier's order, and rushes Aly! [86, 46] The man's spear dug into the pillar which Aly used for cover, and found himself struggling to pull it out. Miss! Aly viciously counters! [99, 93] [66], and [13, 45] [96] Aly's first strike was to knock the man off balance, the 2nd, a savage strike to the throat that ended any hope of survival. Critical! 52 damage total! Lance Armor 3 felled! Aly gains 22 EXP, and +3 Hidden EXP! Sword Armor 3 tries to down the beast from range! [70, 93] The blade of wind easily misses, leaving Aly in prime position for an attack! Miss! Aly counters! [46, 38] [92] Aly didn't need the 2nd blade, tossing the first one so well, that it landed in his forehead, sending him backwards. Critical! 39 damage total! Sword Armor 3 felled! Aly gains 22 EXP, and +2 Hidden EXP! 78 2 46 99 63 41 17 7 +Str, Spd, Def, Res Fighter 3 tries his luck at distance with Ferid! [100, 65] The man throws his axe, but forgot to hang onto the weapon, sending it careening up into the air harmlessly. Miss! Ferid sighs, and fires twice. [4, 54], [65, 43] Two shots, one dead man. 60 damage! Fighter 3 felled! Ferid gains 5 EXP, and +6 Gun EXP Fighter 4 believes that he is cooler than Fighter 3! [25, 40] Fighter 4 gets his axe on target actually, connecting with the elusive wolf for 8 damage! Ferid sighs, and fires again. [52, 56], [44, 86] Four shots, two dead men! 64 damage! Fighter 4 felled! Ferid gains 5 EXP, and +6 Gun EXP. Krauser finally acquired his weapons, and no sooner had he gotten them situated, he roared. His time had come. He was free. Free to live or die. Free to crush. Free to kill. Free to be killed. He ran out of the room, and scanned for the nearest enemy, eyes falling on the one who had scorched his face, the one who began his failure. "You. Die. Kill. I will kill." Thief one opened a chest... and inside was an Angelic Robe! (Items that are stolen from chests will be reclaimed on the death of the thief, no matter how many items they have pilfered) PLAYER PHASE TURN 5! Enemy Reinforcements have arrived, and more are on their way! Aly immediately charges in to attack Shaman 1! [11, 51] [41] Aly barrels her way into the Shaman, and hacks away at the man, long after the first strike did him in. Critical! 63 damage! Aly gains 18 EXP, and +2 Hidden EXP! Aly reaches B rank hidden! Edit: I forgot to tally EXP for Renais rescuing Versaris. Renais gains 40 EXP, and +3 Staff EXP Renais reaches level 9! 35 9 38 89 44 48 54 43 +HP, Str, Mag, Speed, Res!

Aegean moves to Archer 4 with her Hand Axe, and a single mission on her mind. [87, 15] Aegean's archer rampage continued, and with a single toss of her axe, she threw the man backwards, his body meeting the ground with a crunch. Critical! 84 Damage! Aegean gains 34 EXP, and +2 Axe EXP! Aegean reaches Level 8! 21 57 22 13 5 91 67 67 +HP, Str, Mag, Skl, Speed! Lani goes GGG on Archer 1 with the Iron Greatsword! [57, 2] Archer 1 will not become light, but instead will become fodder for the moss that will grow on this castle when all is said and done. Critical! 72 Damage! Lani gains 26 EXP, and +2 Sword EXP! With his sudden encounter with the Hozt child complete, the Underground was next to follow. There was another cell that had yet to open, and it had gotten quiet following the clash. Jeremiah swiftly moved to the cell to see who was inside, and upon scanning the room, Jeremiah saw someone trying to hide against the wall. An uncomfortably small body, "...There's no way." Jeremiah uttered the words before he could catch himself; he was dealing with the Underground, there was no depth that they wouldn't reach if given the opportunity. Jeremiah quickly broke the door down, and quietly stepped inside. "...Hey. It's alright now. I'm not going to hurt you; I'm not with the Underground. Could you... tell me your name? I'm Jeremiah, and I'm from Lufiria." The child seemed to move tighter to the wall, only barely reacted when Jeremiah revealed his allegiance. The child turned slightly to look at Jeremiah, sniffling, "...J-Jane." Jeremiah looked the child over, it didn't look like she'd been hurt, just frightened. Being clouded it was also possible that she was frightened by humans, and those passed as humans. Seems like it's a good thing that the Lamia and Alvira are both down here then... Might need their assistance if I'm right about that. A small relief, but then that begged the question of why was she here? She was a rarer clouded from the looks of it too; her many eyes giving it away. "...Did they bring you here alone?" She sniffled again, and nodded, "...They... took me from... mama... I, I wanna... find mama..." Jeremiah closed his eyes, and exhaled a breath, "...We'll find your mother, okay? First, we're going to get you out of here. I need you to stay close to me for the moment. There's a pink haired lady outside who will take care of any injuries you might have, and a red haired dragon and lamia who will help protect you, Jane. You're safe now." "D-dragon?" Jane turned to fully face Jeremiah for a moment, before quickly shrinking back. Jeremiah blinked, and then sighed, that made his decision simple. "Lucretia, Alvira, there's a child in here. A clouded child. She's talking to me, but it's clear that she's not comfortable with me. She may be a little more open with clouded, and monsters, so I may have to leave this to you, and... Miss Lamia, as I have neglected to get your name." Jeremiah smiled at Jane, "You can trust the two of them, and me to make sure that you get out of here okay."

Luthier didn't spare Versaris a single glance as he approached Alriana. "If you really are his protege, then you would know to shut your mouth. You survived by luck and the whim of fate alone, boy. This thing survived of her own merit. Something you cannot boast. I will kill you in a moment. First, I must--" Luthier raised his hand and finally saw what exactly the mother tiger was holding in her arms, pointing at him. "...Fuc--" Luthier found himself thrown backwards as his other shoulder exploded with searing, burning pain. He slammed hard on the ground, the air involutarily ejected from his lungs. Grounded while the lizard and the false protege still stood. Luthier had but a single moment, he once again raised a hand and released a blinding flash of light. He couldn't let the tiger fire once more, or the lizard to advance. He needed to buy himself a moment, they were getting rather lucky but luck was a facet of combat that he had to account for. "I'll return in a moment. By the time, I return, make sure that these fools are dead. Or I will add you all to the body count." Luthier staggered away to begin treating himself, when... a voice rang out. Luthier turned to watch the elf warped away by the Rhapsodia's magic. She demanded to know where the Kitsune was, her Mikoto. Luthier simply returned her glare, "Tell me something, Rhapsodia. You watched your best fighters nearly die in order to wound me. You watched the kitsune--far beyond your friends here--fall to me. Do you believe this to be a victory? That you get to live a moment longer? Show me who else can face my magic." He smiled, "Mikoto couldn't. She's dead by the way. Gone, and replaced by a monster. She'll be leaving you shortly." Luthier pulled an oddly familiar looking tail out of thin air, "I'm sure you recognize this? Thank you for granting me time with her. Thank you for being so weak that even with the sacrifices required for you to stand against me, that you can't fathom where you stand." Luthier turned and staggered away, his wounds... slowly healing themselves, they'd only earned themselves a moment and they would regret being here for any longer than that. Cyro was due to arrive as well, this fight was hardly over, and the Tigers were hardly winning. Luthier will retreat for now! He has not left the map! Elsewhere, a lone man dashed through the lower levels of the compound. He needed to find either the subcommander or Luthier himself. He'd been lucky that the pair was more interested in getting to the compound then exploring. The pink and blue haired woman paled in comparison to the sheer horrifying carnage that the green jacketed man had wrought. He needed to inform them; by now he was in the compound.

Another cast of magic, another aggressor downed; fortunately none of them were trying to harm the other civilians. Another deep breath, combat at this pace was wearing on her, but good pacing with her tomes was allowing her to keep pace with everyone else. After a moment or two, Eve--Alouette vaguely remembered that being her name--acknowledged both her, and Luce. It seemed like Luce and Eve knew each other from somewhere, and that Eve was almost... expecting her to be here? Before she could ask questions, Eve was gone, in a flash, moving far faster than any normal person should be able to move. There was that aura of magic about her, which had to be the cause of it all. Alouette shook her head, she couldn't focus on that right now, she needed to focus on the people in front of her. Ichika and Luce seemed to be handling things with aplomb, she needed to support them as she could. The nearest archer looked like an easy finish, but better not to overdo it, Alouette turned to the swordsmen, "I'll soften the nearest archer, finish them off, alright?" Alouette moves to 10, 5, and tome casts Light at Archer 3!

Versaris rushes Luthier! Luthier activates Vantage! [32, 45] Luthier's attack connects, as was expected however... Versaris revealed his innate magic, revealing himself to not be an elf and giving him one opening on his vastly superior foe. 29 damage! For this battle only, Versaris gains 1 stack of Miracle+, and cannot die in this fight unless criticaled. Versaris launches his only attack! [66, 10] Versaris connects, lodging his sword in the man's side for 23 damage! Luthier finishes the combat! [31, 71] Luthier launches another spell, but Versaris's magic is barely able to keep him lucid. Barely. Versaris gains 25 EXP, and +1 Sword EXP! On Versaris's call, Alriana rushes Luthier! For this battle only, and only with Luthier, Alriana directly activates Inner Beast! Luthier activates Vantage! [94, 78] The blast of light magic was horrifyingly strong, and Aly's momentum was the only real thing continuing to propel her towards her target! 33 damage! Aly will now be in Beast after combat. Armor Purge activates! Alriana musters every last bit of energy in her body to strike at Luthier! [66, 41] Alriana's blade struck true. Piercing right through the man's shoulder--the same shoulder that Elisa had pierced with the stolen spear. Luthier let out a shriek of pain, before kicking Alriana away. "Gah... A-again?! You strike me again?!" The man fell to a knee grasping his shoulder. "No... No, we're not quite done here this time you, insufferable ingrate! " Luthier torn the knife from his shoulder, and made his way back to his feet. "If you thought... for even a moment... that was enough... Hehe... You have no idea what I've endured, and will continue to endure..." Luthier turned his eyes on Alriana, almost glowing in his rage, "I said I would unmake you... I will do more than that. I had hoped that you both might live to see how worthless you really are; a shame that you turned out to be more than I expected. Now you burn." First HP bar broken! Luthier regains his lost stats from the assault the night before! +5 Mag, Skl, and Res! Alriana gains 88 EXP, and +2 Hidden EXP! Alriana reaches level 10! 68 58 79 27 21 83 77 65 +HP, Skl, Spd! Ullr strikes at Soldier 1! [73, 27], and [87, 67] Ullr's fists were heavy, but it didn't stop them from striking true on the rushing soldier, stopping them cold! 30 damage! Soldier 1 Felled! Ullr gains 30 EXP, and +3 Brawling Ullr reaches level 9! 14 39 100 80 14 65 42 59 +HP, Str, Spd, Res! Syta heals the downed Tanya! Syta heals Tanya for 13 HP, but not enough to bring her back into the fight! Syta gains 11 EXP, and +2 weapon EXP! Lucretia moves to assist Alvira with her wounds using the Mend Staff! Lucretia fully heals Alvira, 24 HP! Lucretia gains 22 EXP, and +3 staff EXP! Marigold swings on Fighter 1! [25, 97] Marigold's axe is bigger than Fighter 1's, and she proved it by simply, bonking him really hard. 35 Damage! Fighter 1 felled! Marigold gains 34 EXP, and +2 Axe EXP! As soon as the man was dispatched, Jeremiah let his eyes fall on the red haired dragon in the distance. Even from here, it was clear to him who exactly was in front of him. It was honestly the last place he expected one of the Hozt to be, but given what they had done; it was oddly fitting. Still instead of running, the dragon seemed relieved to see him. "...Took so long? You're talking as if you've been waiting for my arrival, or have you, Miss Hozt? It seems like introductions won't be--" Jeremiah looked over to the side, and took a single step forward, as the door he was in front of came crashing down. "Necessary." His green eyes peered at Alvira, "What is one of the Hozt doing here in this place?" Jeremiah then turned towards the newly freed arrival, "And you... General Noire is not a name I've heard used for me, but I can't say that it's inaccurate. I am away from home because my duties dictate as such; they've brought me here, and it seems like that's exactly where I'm needed right now." Jeremiah's eyes turned elsewhere, "...Troubling. You're not here by yourself, are you, Ms. Hozt?"

Lani charges in against Monk 1! [11, 82] The light mage thought he would have had a chance in the large open space, thinking to move back, and let the sword go wide, except it was only as it was in motion that he realized that the sword was quite long, and the feline wielding it was also quite sizeable. His dodge, in other words, was woefully inadequate, and he was put down in a single strike. 26 damage! Monk 1 felled! Lani gains 30 EXP, and +2 Sword EXP Renais heals Tasha with her Mend Staff! Renais heals Tasha for 22 HP! Renais gains 21 EXP, and +3 Staff EXP! Ferid engages Merc 1! [53, 74] Ferid's spear was far too fast, and too strong for the underground rank and file, and simply added another notch to its bounty. 39 damage! Merc 1 felled! Ferid gains 5 EXP, and +4 Lance EXP! ENEMY PHASE TURN 3! Luthier chuckled as out of the corner of his eye, the famed tiger herself seemed to appear, "Ah, it appears that everyone wants a front seat to your demise, boy. I must congratulate you on your arrival, but now I will be your gateway to the abyss. Advance, all of you, I'll crush the threatening ones. But first... Miss Belrose, I'm afraid you'll be going nowhere. Please remain where you are!" Luthier advances to 27, 18 and Casts Freeze on Syndra with 94% chance of connecting! [45] Murky, frigid magic swirled around Syndra, and she could feel her energy being taken from her. Her body would not move any further than it already had... Syndra is now Frozen for 1 turn! "Now then... We can resume however you would like, boy." Luthier's voice dropped, "Come try me." At Luthier's command, most of his units began to move! Fighter 1 chucks a hand axe at Cinead! [46, 33] The axe plunges into the blaze, connecting with Cinead for 13 damage! Archer 1 charges at Tanya over the sword wielding Feline brandishing his Shortbow! [52, 3] The archer charged in close, and drew his arrow back cleaner than perhaps he ever had, scanning for just that one shot. One wrong movement from the other armored feline, and the man loosed the arrow, and... right between the plates, the arrow struck home, knocking Tanya to the ground in a single shot. Critical! 24 damage, and Tanya has been downed! The man turned to look at Lani with a sneer, "Now just imagine what that would have been with a pure weapon. You'll learn how things go around here, half-breed!" Archer 3 got bold after watching his partner perform so well, and charged Lani! [25, 35] The man notched an arrow, and fired, but it had far less of an effect on Lani, who returned the favor with a crushing blow! 4 damage! [44. 80] Lani's sword crushes the man, and bow in a single strike, leaving nothing on her next victim to focus on! 25 damage! Archer 3 felled! Lani gains 30 EXP, and +2 Sword EXP! Lani reaches level 9! 12 19 46 42 75 95 26 69 +HP, Str, Def! Gunner 1 engages Lani as well! [25, 82] The man's revolver hit Lani in the side, but like the arrow before it, Lani continued to engage! 7 damage! Lani counters! [50, 81], [76, 56] Lani unleashed two brutal slashes, the first taking the man's firing arm, and the 2nd taking the man's life! 44 damage total! Gunner 1 felled! Lani gains 34 EXP, and +3 Sword EXP! The soldier watched as two men went down, and barely even scratched the aggressor, making her boast seem more and more pointed. He had no chance against her, not like this at least; he needed support. The man turned, and began heading back to the cell chambers! Soldier 4 will call Enemy Reinforcements early! Elsewhere, two horse riding men arrive behind the Western group. One man yawned, "I hate late transfers... why the heck do I have to be the one on detail..." "Shut! Up!" A loud, and clearly frustrated feminine voice shouted. "You've been complaining for the past hour! Shut up before someone hears you, and gets us both in trouble!" The man looked over at his companion, "Fucking hell Sharla... I think more people would hear you than me." "You're driving me insane! No wonder that I--" She looked ahead, and noticed that there was no one in the clearing. "What the hell?" She looked further on, and noticed... bodies. "Oh fuck... Nistel, Nistel look. The guards they're--" "Yeah, yeah I see... Turn around and go alert the guys, I think someone's got some bright ideas tonight..." Finally, up the stairs from the basement levels came a vastly more prepared man, two high quality weapons strapped across his back. Apparently they'd come under attack, just his luck, that he'd be here when someone got antsy. Whatever. He was passed an order earlier to prepare himself to get ready to transport one of their captives, a Kitsune, or something like that; he didn't know and didn't care, it was money. Enemy Reinforcements have arrived! PLAYER PHASE TURN 4!

"Diana, and Jin..." Sia looked over at Bonner, "Perhaps we'll have to pay them a visit together, Bonner. I expect that everything will be fine, but more information is always better than not. The ambassador is good news as well; if he's the same Virion that I'm aware of then he'll be knowledgable on CEN protocol--he's a former strategist for CEN, and quite a good one." A short lived strategist, but one who did fantastic work when he was a part of CEN. A Callistan native who returned to Callisto to become the ambassador for the Callistan people, and was well regarded because of it. With all three diplomats, hopefully things would go smoothly, and Sia wouldn't have minded a chance to meet the ambassador herself. The blueprints that flashed by reminded Sia just how far ahead technologically they were here. They could expect to see mostly Gen 1 units, as well as workers, with a couple CEN-2 units sprinkled in, so if it came down to it, hardware wouldn't be an issue. It would be the composure of her pilots, and their cohesion, and a glance over them brought a few concerns to Sia's mind. Louise seemed to have found something to calm herself down; being reprimanded had bothered her, but she was doing better now. Esther had been glaring at her though, so perhaps there was something there to look into. "We'll discuss the pilots who will be on that detail once we arrive. At this point in time, are there any further questions regarding the information that we do have? I admit that is a little frustrating to have such limited information, but it is what we signed up for, and we can't expect much more than that."

Alvira rushes out of her cell to blindside Soldier 6! [32, 51], [15, 17] Alvira throws her ice, almost uncaring of her mounting exhaustion, and connects two blocks to the man's face, the first disorienting him, and the 2nd knocking him off his feet, and unconscious! 40 damage! Soldier 6 felled! Alvira gains 30 EXP! Cin approaches Gunner 2 and just looms over them. [16, 25], [91, 57] Two blazing punches rendered the gunner unconscious, clothing singed where Cin's fists had connected! 26 damage! Gunner 2 felled! Cin gains 30 EXP, and +3 Brawling "Seems like I was right then." Jeremiah paid little mind to the man shouting at them instead scanning the area, and raising an eyebrow as what looked to be a red haired dragon started throwing ice at one of the guards. A very familiar looking dragon, but that would have to wait for a moment. Lucretia started moving towards the dragon taking note of her injuries. "Hey, hold it you bit--" Before the man could charge to swing his sword, Jeremiah was suddenly in front of him. "Wh-what? When did you...?" "That's far enough I'm afraid. You could have used your last words on something more meaningful." Jeremiah engages Merc 8! [13] Jeremiah activates Astra! [2, 27] With a single glimmer of Jeremiah's sword, the man found his sword arm removed, and then his sight, as he slid to the floor wordlessly. Critical! 60 damage! Jeremiah turned to the woman beating her cell door, eyes widening, "A lamia?? Are you alright?" Marigold commits Warcrimes! (Authors' Note: Warcrime assumes that we are at war, and we are not) [19, 51] With another chop, the underground's healer was no longer a healer. 35 damage! Priest 1 Felled! Marigold gains 38 EXP, and +2 Axe EXP! Ullr engages Mage 2! [57, 1] Ullr was not having the mage's bullshit right now, the wolf cocked one fist back, and swung for the stars, just to see how close he could get the mage to the ceiling. He got pretty far I gotta say. Critical! 51 damage! Mage 1 felled! Ullr gains 30 EXP, and +2 brawling EXP! Miria marches over to Fighter 2, steel sword in hand! [12, 42] Her slash connects for 19 damage! Fighter 2 tries to fight back! [57, 34] He swings, only to have Miria catch the man's axe with her sword, and knock him aside! Miss! Miria finishes up! [36, 6] Miria goes in to finish up, and makes sure to vent, cutting right through the fighter's axe, and then him, leaving him for dead. Critical! 60 damage! Fighter 2 Felled! Miria gains 30 EXP, and +3 Sword EXP! Syndra turns her anger on Merc 4! [19, 10] Syndra called forth a harsh blizzard, one perhaps more powerful than she had expected to, and it washed over the man who attacked Nyx. When the spell finished, the man was incased in ice from head to toe, and a moment later, the ice broke. Critical! 60 damage! Merc 4 felled! Syndra gains 38 EXP, and +2 Anima EXP! Syndra reaches level 7! 55 48 25 27 7 87 60 18 +HP, Mag, Skl, Spd, Res! Gean swings on Archer 5! [98, 8] Gean did not like that the archer targeted her mother, and took her axe through the bow, and then the man's spine as she swung as hard as she could. The man crumpled instantly, and rag dolled to the side along with his bisected bow. Critical! 75 damage! Archer 5 felled! Aegean gains 34 EXP, and +2 Axe EXP! "Oh? You have some bark to you now? You crumpled so easily to me before, why would this be any different? And yes, false protégé, because anyone trained by that man would actually be capable of keeping up with me. He is a demon. He walked through one of my spells, when you relied on the power of the Evokers to bring you here. Do you actually expect me to believe that you, someone who fought against the Princess of Lufiria, is actually affiliated with him? You all need to craft better lies." Luthier waved his hand, and released a flash of his magic, "And no, I don't believe I'm getting a repeat of last time, boy. A repeat would imply that you live again, and as I said before, the Ladies Candialia are not here to save you again. But come, come, maybe there's something I haven't seen from you yet."

The magical feeling continued to approach as the handled the major group, and then Ichika warded off the axe men with a shocking amount of ease. Thank goodness that there are capable combatants here... If not for the fighters she was alongside, this would be much more difficult. She was relying on her natural talents, not any skill when it came to combat; these people seemed to know what they were doing. There was some shouting from the gate, and from the two wagons nearest to the gate, a number of hidden combatants entered the fray, but the magical sensation also approached. Off the top of the wall, dropped two women, one she didn't recognize, and one that she recognized twice--first as the woman that had helped her escaped eight years ago, and second as the magical signature from that day. The only difference was that her hair had lightened into a bright pink. The other woman was off in a flash towards one of the mages, and that was more than enough to prove where the new arrivals stood. "We need... to finish off this group, and then link up with the new... arrivals!" A little winded, but this was her first real combat situation, and she was managing as best she could. Alouette to 7,3 and tome cast fire on Brigand 2!

Alouette took a breath as she loosed her first spell, fortunately for her, tome casting was much less strenuous on her, but casting directly afforded her a lot more control over the spell. Luce spun their way over to her, "Yes, I'll be fine. My circuits can handle this much, but you're certainly correct that those axes are far too much for me. No need to worry about me in that regard, focus on the battlefield." There were many things Alouette was, a talented mage, quick on her feet, but she was fairly prone to injury, and those axes would hurt, best to stay out of range. Mmm... they paid much more attention to what I said than I thought... There's a little more than meets to eye to them... Hopefully I don't have to push it, I can probably manage one more of those. But enough what-ifs, there's things to be done right now. With Luce's magic reinvigorating her, Alouette moved to attack the swordsman attacking the healer! Alouette moves to 5, 1 and tome casts fire on Merc 1!

The swordsman went down rather easily, but there was little time to be impressed by something she already knew that she was capable of. She still felt fine after that, so there was still work to be done. It seemed like they weren't too well versed in having to handle a strong mage, so her talents would be widely applicable here, so long as she didn't dip too far--burning out now would be a problem given how tight everything seemed to be. Before she could turn her sights on her next target, Alouette turned north as a familiar pulse of magic overtook her. She recognized it, but didn't quite remember why, and didn't have the time to dwell on it as two more swordsman broke into their lines, "I'll handle that one!" Is that help arriving, or... Alouette pulled out one of her tomes, and half went through the incantation, already sure that she wasn't going to mess up. Alouette moves to 6, 3 and engages Merc 2 with her Fire tome!

Lani rushes towards the mostly failed door, and with a swing of her massive sword, the door that probably would have broken from a stiff breeze was thrown off of it's hinges, and a good distance into the large room. A man with a light tome whirled towards Lani, "Shit! They're already inside! Alert the boss! Get everyone up here!" ENEMY PHASE TURN 2! The man that Luthier had sent to inform Cyro also caught the glimpse of the door being thrown off it's hinges, brandishing his own weapon in response, "You there! Inform the Sub-Commander that Luthier has ordered his involvement, and to release Krauser! Also, rally everyone you can! Send people to grab the contraband, and tell everyone else to get up here and push these fools back!" The monk nodded, and turned on his heels rushing into the main room where Cyro was waiting, "Sub-Commander! It's bad! We're under attack, and the commander is asking for your involvement, and to--" The man jumped as Krauser howled, pulling against his restraints. "KILL! I must! I must! Kill! It's them, it's them, it's them--" "...You're being asked to let Krauser free." Cyro sighed, slowly closing his book. "Am I being asked by Luthier? Anyone else can stuff it. I don't care how much the brute rattles his chains." "Yes, Sub-Commander. Luthier asked for his release... Though, with him like this... I suspect he may kill our own. Perhaps it is best to have him on standby of some sort?" "Hmmm... Maybe you should let him down, then?" Cyro smirked. He had no interest in Luthier's torture methods, but seeing these incompetents flail about against each other was somewhat amusing. "I wouldn't want to get hurt if I'm needed later." The man blanched at Cyro's smirk before taking a look up at Krauser, and backing off. "...Then I believe that there is merit and leaving him up there for now, sir. But the commander did request your involvement at least." "Hahhh..." Cyro picked himself up, brushed off his cloak, then blasted Krauser's constraints with a quick jolt of concentrated electricity, shattering the parts holding him up. "Off with you then, big guy. Go and kill those Tigers. Maybe get the one that burnt your pretty face?" The shock destroyed Krauser's restraints, and he fell to the ground, and landed with a loud thud. He slowly stood up to his full height, and then let out an enraged scream before looking up at Cyro, "...I will kill. All of them. All of them. All of them." He looked at the other man, who shrank even further to the side, before hurrying for one of the stairs below, disappearing from sight. The hulking man lurched, "...Weapons. Crush them. Crush them. Or die trying. Failed once. Not again. Not again." Amidst the crazed look in Krauser's eyes, there was one of single minded, devoted purpose. "Good luck. I suppose I'll go meet with the boss..." Cyro didn't really want to. Luthier was going to tie up these fools and then take his time picking them apart, then tell him all about it. And I'll just have to smile and nod... I truly hate this life. Maybe I can get transferred. Both Cyro, and Krauser are now mobile, Cyro will begin moving immediately, and Krauser will begin movement the following turn! Elsewhere, the door above in front of Versaris, and his small contingent opened, "Ahhh! Well, well! I can't believe that this night would be going so well for me!" Luthier stepped into view, with a powerful flash of magic. "The white lizard from before which means that I'm sure the false protégé can't be too far behind, the Envy Empress reborn, and the woman responsible for bringing us all together! I couldn't ask for a better group to welcome to our humble abode! Though, I must say that I did expect the both of you to die, but I suppose that explains why I can't feel the Evokers amongst you. Coming here without your guardian angels... I guess you really must have rung them dry!" Luthier smiled, and then waved his hand, "But, that's over and done with now. You came back, which means that you simply die now. As for you, Ms. Belrose. Your father expects that you'll be returned in short order. Struggle, and you'll be the downfall of all the Tigers present. Surrender yourself, and perhaps I can guarantee the rest of your friends' lives." While Luthier speaks, Merc 4 engages Nyx! [23, 21] The sneaky attack connects dealing 9 damage to Nyx! Archer 5 understand that Tasha is the leader here, and draws his shining bow on her! [25, 75] The shimmering arrow ignored Tasha's armor, hitting her with the monster effective magic dealing 22 damage! Merc 1 looks between Ferid, and Ullr, and hedges his bet with Ullr! Azure Wolf Aura Activates! [4, 83] The man's sword rakes across Ullr's torso, dealing 8 damage! Ullr counters! [25, 69] Ullr rockets a punch into the man's own torso, breaking them apart, and dealing twice the damage he took with 16! Ullr gains 10 EXP, and +1 Brawling EXP! Mage 2 follows up on Ullr! [34, 35] Ullr takes a nasty shock from the man's Elthunder dealing 14 damage! Priest 1 moves to heal Soldier 5 back to full health! Gunner 2 sweeps in, loads his weapon, and points at the inflamed dragon approaching! [67, 79] The gun fires, and the shot is wide! Miss! The soldier feels the healing magic of the cleric, but the gaze from that... thing that appeared out of the shadows and cleaved his partner in twain, and then the flaming dragon, and now the golden suited knight... The man threw his spear to the ground, and ran for the stairs, "Heeeeeeeeeeeeeelp! We're undeeeeeer attaaaaaaack!" Cin, Miria, and Marigold all gain 25 EXP! Marigold reaches level 7! 66 4 23 55 11 10 100 28 +Str, Spd, Lck! Other forces move into position, and the sounds of footsteps come from below. Reinforcements arrive, and more are on their way! PLAYER PHASE TURN 3! One of the mercenaries move to menace the woman batting at the cage with her tail, when he heard something behind him. He expected it to be their reinforcements; there were quite a few of them here, and more on the way because of the transfer, so when he saw an extremely attractive pink haired woman come up the stairs, followed by an equally attractive raven haired man with an emerald green jacket over his shoulders, his alarm bells went off. "Hey! Who the hell are you two!? Where did you come from?!"

Miria engages Soldier 5! [85, 43], [9, 50] The first blade of wind found itself neatly parried away, but Miria's quick follow up found its mark for a total of 9 damage! Miria gains 10 EXP, and +1 Sword EXP! Tasha roars into combat with Soldier 3! For the duration of the map, Tasha gains Virtuoso effect! +20 to Skill activation rates! [33] Eye of the Tiger procs! [96] No critical, but the the sheer force behind Natalya's axe was enough to crumple stone, crushing everything beneath the head of the axe. Soldier 3, and the floor he stood upon were now red rubble. Soldier 3 felled! Natalya gained 18 EXP, and +2 Axe EXP! Ferid brandishes his spear against Merc 3! [37, 12, 8] Ferid's lance disappeared from the frame of view of Merc 3, he was unsure if he had seen it at all, or even felt it before his eyes started fading to black. All he could remember was the gleam of the man's eyes. All he could do was slump to the ground. Life so thoroughly extinguished that the man didn't even know when he had died. Moonhowl activates, and Critical! 129 damage! Merc 3 felled! Ferid gains 5 EXP, and +4 Lance EXP!