[Floor 6/PP] Greetings. Are you here to hurt me?

[Jinx 0]

Alisea Dariem looked around with her single eye, and frowned. She had found herself on this floor…although if she was honest with herself, she had no idea what floor she was on. How did he get here again? She had been looking for something, although she honestly couldn’t remember what she had been looking for.

The girl had found herself as a lake near a waterfall, and had sat herself down because it had been pretty to look at. She had, by mistake, fallen asleep and had completely lost all sense of direction. It had left her sleepy, and not to her awareness, extremely vulnerable.

The girl had no idea several players had been stalking her, and seeing the girl alone, she had become their target.

Unaware of the eyes, the girl was sitting by the waterside of the lake, slowly swirling her finger through the water, with her earmuffs sitting on the ground next to her eyepatch. Sitting alone, away from civilization, the girl felt relaxed enough to  fully disarm herself given her dulled mind.

@Mishiro

[Mishiro 0]

 

October 21, 2025

 

Quote

From: Claude

I know you're competent enough on your own already, but take care of yourself, okay? You can ping me with your location if something bad happens.

 

Also, Leah said we're having something good for dinner tonight! (ﾉ´ヮ`)ﾉ*: ･ﾟ

 

 

Mishiro carefully assessed her surroundings with her Search vision turned on. There were a few players spread out in a semi-circle around a clearing in the distance - perhaps a party preparing to take on a strong mob - and no materials in sight. Her gray gaze swept through the area once more, before she decided that the area was clear and no mobs were around to surprise her. 

 

She didn't see any materials she could gather, so she moved deeper into the forest.

 

She circled around the group of players. Mishiro didn't want to interfere with their material gathering or their combat and she didn't have any reason to approach them anyway, so she distanced herself from them. The sound of a rushing waterfall reached her ears and it piqued her interest. Had she perhaps stumbled upon the place players called the Waterfall of the Sage? Though it was outside of the safe zone, many have said it was a nice place to meditate and feel calm. Driven by curiosity, she approached the waterfall, located in the same clearing the players were surrounding. Roman (or Claude in-game) told her earlier that he hadn't visited that area yet, so she felt a bit proud of herself for finding it before her higher-leveled companion did.

 

It was when she reached the edge of the clearing, her Search vision still on, that she abruptly stopped and concealed herself behind a tree, activating stealth. The group of players she had sensed earlier wasn't surrounding a strong mob whilst preparing for battle and waiting for the apt moment to strike, a strategy she knew everyone (the people who cared about leveling up, anyway) was familiar with. They were surrounding another player, a small white-haired girl sleeping next to the lake created by the waterfall. She was alone and seemed to have fallen asleep while meditating.

 

It was suspicious. If they were the player's friends, they would have been by her side already. Not sneaking around like they were. But she didn't want to misunderstand things.

 

Mishiro pinged Roman with her location. She moved out from underneath the tree's shade, effectively dropping her stealth, and confidently approached the girl as if she knew her well, and stopped at her side. Without any protective armor equipped, she looked fragile. Like she wasn't meant to be here. In comparison, Mishiro had her heavy armor consisting of dark iron plates interlocked together with cloth and mesh, and gloves and combat boots of the same color and material. She had Roman's white coat, three sizes larger than hers, thrown over her shoulders for decency. Gently, she shook the girl's shoulder. "Hey, wake up," she prompted. "You're outside the safe zone, aren't you? I don't think you should be sleeping out here."

 

Then she stood and placed herself between the girl and the group of players she had detected. She could still see them hiding behind the bushes with her Search vision. "Please reveal yourselves!" Mishiro called out to the hidden players. She had no weapon equipped so to the players, she looked more like a tank, which was not as threatening as a DPS. Well little did they know, her weapon skill was Martial Arts. She tucked her hands behind her and relaxed her guard. "And tell us your intentions. I do hope this is just a misunderstanding."

 

Quote

From: Claude

Activate stealth and stay where you are. I'm coming for you.

 

 

Spoiler

ID: 108620 | LD: 5 (fail)

 

[ooc: all combat will be rp. no actual stats will be involved since mishiro is still level one and doesn't even have her martial arts skill yet.]

Edited November 14, 2018 by Mishiro

[Jinx 0]

The girl had fallen asleep while being at the lake. She couldn’t remember finding the lake, but it was pretty so the girl had spent some time staring into the water, before the urge to sleep overran her and…she just hit the ground. Unaware of the danger she was in, or the potential at least. Falling asleep outside a safe zone, oblivious to the fact she could have been killed.

She had been having a..rather weird dream, right as she felt something grab at her shoulder. The girl shifted, unhappy about being woken up, and turned to look at the person who had interrupted her nap! However, without her eyepatch on, she opened both her eyes. Crimson on her right eye, and bright yellow in her left.

“Hmmmm….?” She asked, still half asleep as she looked at the other girl “..w-why did you wake me up? I was having a good nap…” The girl whined, sitting up despite her desire to lie back down and take a nap. That’s when the stranger did something weird. She turned her back to her and…yell out at the trees? Alisea didn’t understand…and maybe this girl was crazy?

But as she demanded they reveal themselves, three people exited from the trees. All of them were wearing black light armour, some that looked like rags, or a cloak depending on the look they were trying to get. None of them had an orange marker however, but each carried a weapon on them.

“Our intentions? The better question is who do you think you are, coming in and interrupting our hunt?” Demanded the leader, a large male with dark cropped hair “The only misunderstanding is the part where you come in…This has nothing to do with you Tank, get outta here. This is your only chance”. From her scouting before, Misiro would know that only half of the players had revealed themselves, the other three remaining hidden in the trees.

Alisea frowned as the people came out of the words, and slowly moved to grab her earmuffs and eyepatch, but didn’t put them on just yet. She didn’t understand what was going on, where those players…watching her nap? Why would they do that, it didn’t make sense. She didn’t recognise them, so why…?

[Mishiro 0]

Mishiro did not like where this was going.

 

Out of their hiding places, only half of the group came forward and the rest remained hidden, counting on the assumption that she hadn't detected them yet. She didn't want to think about it but perhaps they were positioning themselves for a surprise attack once a fight started and everything dissolved into chaos. The three who had emerged from the trees all seemed to be DPS players, with their light armor and dangerous-looking weapons. The man who had responded to her question rudely asked her to leave, but she remained standing protectively in front of the white-haired girl. "Ojou-san," she said, addressing the girl who had yet to compose herself and get up. Clearly, she hadn't fully grasped the situation yet. "Do you know these people? They were watching you while you slept earlier."

 

She was ready for anything. Had been since she decided to go out in the open. But at the same time, she didn't want the situation to escalate. Their weapons were out, intentions clear, but their cursors were still green. They were about to travel down a path that was difficult to come back from but they could still turn back. And if she ran away now, she'd be leaving the girl to a cruel fate. "There are no mobs to be hunted here," Mishiro spoke loudly, addressing the man who seemed to be their leader. "And if the target of your hunt is the girl behind me, then please reconsider! You have nothing to gain from this aside from a tarnished reputation and bloodied hands. Whatever wrong she may have done to you can't be resolved with her death. So, please turn back." 

[Jinx 0]

Ojou-san. Alisea frowned, her mind may have been dulled, but she knew languages like the back of her hand. Young Lady, formal connotations. Alisea looked at the other girl, and slowly dragged herself to her feet, looking at the people who had emerged out of the trees. She looked over the people before her with both of her eyes, and while there was a slight throbbing pain in the back of her mind, she pushed past it and shook her head.

“None of them…wait…why were they watching me sleep?” Part of the reason was she couldn’t see their faces, not properly, her eyes were still adjusting to being awake, and otherwise her answer would have been very different on if she knew the people standing in front of her. However, when Mishiro started to yell, Jinx flinched heavily. Sharp sounds she could somewhat handle, but loud noises were the quickest way to crippling the girl with sensory overload. Alisea grabbed her ears and put her hands over them, but in the same move, dropped her eyepatch and earmuffs onto the ground, scrunching her eyes shut.

“Oh, we know there ain’t no mobs here little missy. We’re here for the girl you stand in front of, our quarrel ain’t with you. That one behind you ain’t know her place in this world, and if you wanna stand up to us…I guess you don’t neither” The tall boy took a step forwards, and shifted his weapon. If Mishiro’s eyes were sharp, she’d see a coffin tattoo on the boys wrist. The sign of a Laughing Coffin. The boy was a new recruit, and he had to prove himself by bloodying his hands. “Now get out of the way. One idiot girl ain’t stopping us from our prize” The boy grinned darkly as he brandished his dagger.

Alisea slowly opened her eyes and looked around, and felt two separate waves of panic run through her. The first was that she had overheard them, and didn’t understand why they were wanting to kill her, and the fact this stranger may die for her! And on top of that, she couldn’t see her Eyepatch and earmuffs! Despite the items being at her feet, the girl felt a panic attack starting to set in as her breathing accelerated and she started looking around, clearly panicked.

  

[Mishiro 0]

Once she had finished speaking, she felt movement from behind her and she turned her head to see the girl covering her ears with her eyes tightly shut. Two items fell to the ground...an eyepatch and a set of earmuffs? and Mishiro ignored them in favor of comforting the girl. "Ojou-san," she said, her voice quiet and gentle this time. But it also held a tinge of fear, as she heard the boy confirming their intentions behind her. There were six of them. And they were all out to kill a person, because what, she was ignorant of her place in the world? To Mishiro, ignorance was a crime - not in legal terms - and it almost contributed to the fall of a democratic government once, but it most certainly was not punishable by death. 

 

"Tch." Quickly, she swooped down and grabbed the items the girl had dropped, thrusting it in her hands. They were willing to kill just for that? She couldn't accept it. Wouldn't. They were people, too. Don't they know the value of one life? "Ojou-san, please keep your eyes open and run away when you have the cha--"

 

 She snapped her head in the direction of the three when she heard a twig snap. The boy stepped forward and the two behind him shifted into battle-ready positions. She tensed as he took a step forward and her mind ran through the possibilities. It was not just her life at stake, there was also the white-haired girl behind her to factor in. Retreating was out of the question. They were approximately two kilometers away from the nearest safe zone, and her heavy armor was not necessarily designed for speed. Against players with an EVA stat, they would catch up to her in seconds. And battling in the forest as opposed to battling in a clearing would put her at a disadvantage against stealth players. Then, should she ask the girl to run away? Now that she thought about it, she couldn't. There were six. Three could easily split off from the group and chase after her. "Change of plans. Please equip whatever armor or weapon you have, stay behind me, and avoid attacks as best as you can. Do you understand?"

 

The boy took another step forward and he brandished his dagger with a sinister smile. "I'm telling you to stop. I ask you again, what do you have to gain from this?" She stepped in front of the girl. Then she saw it. Tattooed on his wrist.

 

The emblem of the Laughing Coffin, a guild of player-killers. Part of its initiation was said to be player kill.

 

A wave of fear washed over her and she tensed. All of them? She couldn't confirm that. The two behind him hadn't taken any other actions yet. Was it safe to assume they were all new to this? Not really. She'd heard of some orange guilds having green players whose designated roles were to spy for them or to lure other unsuspecting, green players into their traps. "You're making a mistake. Please turn back when you can." Mishiro didn't assume a battle stance. Not yet. She still had the advantage of them mistaking her for a slow-moving tank. Most probably, they wouldn't be using their best attacks on her to gauge her MIT, Defensive Paralyze, and Thorns. But what if they had the offensive version of Paralyze? Then that simply meant she would have to dodge their attacks until she was sure. All of them.

 

Mishiro swallowed her fear and faced them.

[Jinx 0]

Alisea panic for the loss of her earmuffs and headphones, one that was starting to become more fearful than the risk of being murdered, was quickly resolved as the other girl shoved them into her hands. She calmed down straight away, and placed the items on her person. She looked at the other girl with her single eye, and in those few moments, didn’t understand. This girl was a stranger, someone who’d she’d never seen before today. And yet, she was willing to put herself between danger and herself. And acted as if they knew one another….Hell, she was willing to die to…le her run away?

‘Listen here little’ one. Sometimes, you get a choice. Run or fight. You’ll be hella scared, maybe even wanna cry. But you stand, and you fight the good’em one. Remember, when it comes to a fight, be the one to decide what happens’

Alisea Dariem froze. She knew that person who had said that to her, years ago in the real world. A good friend of hers, and she looked at the back of the other girl. John was right, it seemed…even now, scared. This girl was fighting the good fight, for her sake. It was her job to return the favour. As the girl, and the assassins talked, the girl quickly put her armour on.

The lead assassin let out a loud laugh, and the two standing near him walked forwards also “We outnumber ya’ three to one. That idiot behind you can’t help you none…Now if you wanna die so badly, let me help you out!” The boy used his Charge ability, and in seconds, he was about to make a clean strike against Mishiro, his dagger about to connect with her…Only for a silver shield to intercept the strike, and the boys HP dropped slightly. He leapt backwards in surprise.

“Who decided you were going to kill her?” The girl stepped forwards, speaking in Japanese, and everyone would see that Jinx was a tank. Heavy plated black armour with a multitude of coloured trimmings, a large shield that damages her attackers, and even a rapier blade in her hand. Her single red eye looking at the people in front of her as she stood beside Mishiro “She has made the brave decision to save another, and you’re going to try and kill the person who has decided to save my life? I hate being rude, but I hate….i hate to be rude. But if you try and hurt us…I’ll have no choice but to do the same back” Jinx takes a step forwards, and glanced at Mishiro with a bright and innocent smile “I know you asked me to stay behind you, but trust me. They can’t deal any damage to me”

Turning back to face the assassins, they seemed to falter at seeing they were against two people, not one. The ‘easy’ target they had in mind was how armoured and active in the fight.

“Damn, idiot girls” The lead assassin shook his head, and glanced behind him before focusing his attention on the people in front of him “Even if she’s up, we’re gunna kill both of ya. Run while you have the chance” He said right as he, and the two behind him, charged forwards.

[Mishiro 0]

All attempts to reason with the leader of the three failed. The man hadn't paused to consider her questions nor heard out her pleas. Now, as he took another step forward, Mishiro wondered, could she have done this in a better way? Guessed something - some code of sorts - that they lived by and appealed to it with her words, perhaps? She already knew she wasn't the best at communicating, so she found it difficult to accept that these players were so far gone that all reasoning would fail on them. Still, there was one thing wrong with their leader's words. 

 

"You are mistaken. I don't plan to die here."

 

The leader <<Charged>> forward. It was a reckless attack, and he was completely open to a counter. An attack one would expect to use against a tank without a weapon skill. She still had an advantage. I'm sorry for this. Maybe I'll talk to you again once the fight's over. At the last moment, Mishiro dropped into a fighting stance - left foot forward, heels off the ground, legs slightly bent, and her fists raised in front of her - and prepared to duck underneath his attack and land a punch on his gut. The long sleeves of her white coat fell back as she raised her fists, revealing the black gloves she had worn underneath which were now surrounded with the telltale glow of an activated Sword Art.

 

Then there was a large, silver shield. And a resounding clang as the boy's dagger connected with metal.

 

It was a surprising turn of events. The girl who had been hyperventilating behind her was now standing beside her with her shield raised to defend both of them from attacks. Mishiro watched her as she finally spoke to the three assassins in a strong voice devoid of the fear she had earlier. The boy took a step backward with his HP lower than before, stunned at the girl's sudden show of bravery. Meanwhile, the white-haired girl was undamaged. It was now two against three. Still unfavorable, but they had a better chance. The girl turned to speak to her and despite her doubt and confusion, Mishiro managed a smile. "I can see that. We'll fight together, then."

 

The three's attitude had changed. One glanced at the bushes behind them, where three other players were in hiding. A display of reluctance, as they realized this fight wasn't as easy as they thought it would be. Would they retreat? Mishiro hoped they would. She really didn't want to fight. She didn't like conflict. And the possibility of her dying...she didn't want that to happen yet. But they didn't retreat. In any other situation, she would have admired their determination. The leader taunted them again, and together, they charged forward with their blades glowing red.

 

They still didn't know her build was combat-oriented. Thus, the leader and one accomplice aimed their attacks at their initial target, the girl with the shield. One player keeping one step behind the other. She knew that tactic. One attacks the front. The other takes advantage of the former's distraction and gets behind the player's back, where they had no shield to defend. "Watch your back," she advised simply.

 

Another - also a dagger user - split from the two and went for her. She didn't know how high his DMG stat was. But she was sure, with the light armor he was wearing, that he wouldn't have much MIT or Thorns to counter her attacks. Thus, while he didn't have his guard up against counterattacks, it was best to land the first hit. Mishiro left the protection of the shield and lunged at the player. She defected his swipe with her left hand, and while he was still in striking distance, she spun and delivered a strong kick to the side of his jaw. The player's head snapped up and he stumbled backward. "You," he hissed, holding onto his cheek. "You're not a--"

 

Mishiro regained her balance and sprung forward, landing another solid strike on his jaw with her fist. Then she shoved him backward and glanced at his HP. Approximately 73 percent. The orange color of a violator bled into the player's cursor. She breathed deeply and faced him with her fists raised in front of her. "Final warning. Please turn back and retreat before either of us get hurt." Her gaze flickered to the players hiding in the bushes. "If you want, we can protect you from them as long as it's necessary."

Edited November 14, 2018 by Mishiro

[Jinx 0]

Jinx hated this, hated that they wanted her dead. And hated that she knew the assassins, knew what they were doing. But most of all, what she hated. Was that this other girl had become involved in this conflict. It wasn’t her fight, and yet, here she was. The feeling didn’t sit well inside the girls chest as she took several steps forwards, intercepting her two attackers. Her sharp mind knew the reality, she could survive being outnumbered. The other girl, she had no idea.

Her two attacks swung at her with their daggers, and while their attacks did connect with the girls shield and her HP did drop a little, the two assassins came off worse for wear. The Thorns, as well as her extremely high mitigation level, meant a simple fact. The assassins couldn’t’ actually hurt her. It was something she had learnt from another player. A front liner who had help teach her how a tank fought. Not through power, but a war of attrition. She could out-sustain them.

“T-the hell boss? I thought you said she was an easy target!” Called out one of the assassins to the leader, who simply looked back at his ally “She should have been. Normally she’s asleep, that other girl woke her up. But stay firm, we can take her. We’ve got the numbers!”

Alisea let out a sigh “Reaver, I know that you’re scared” The girl said to the assassin leader “But I will not die here, nor allow the other girl to die. If you decide to commit to this fight, it will not end well for you” The girl had lowered her guard for just a moment, and the other assassin tried to strike her from behind. The blow managed to land, but did only a single point of damage as she turns around, and sighs “Please don’t ever strike me from behind again…I ask you fight me head on”

The two assassins looked at one another, before the leader, Reaver, called out to the assassin striking out against Mishiro “You can take that girl right? This white-haired tank won’t last long” Despite his yelling, his voice faltered at the end. His show of confidence was merely that, a show, as inside, he felt worried.

[Mishiro 0]

The assassin facing against Mishiro laughed. It was a laughter filled with amusement and when he looked at her, he had a smug grin. "Of course I can, boss! This one won't last long either." He took a step back and his dagger glowed, indicating the activation of a Sword Art. Then, quieter so that only she could hear amidst the clanging of metal from behind them,"I don't need sympathy. Not from a foolish woman like you." Then he pointed his weapon, glowing an angry red, at her with another laugh. "Pity. If we had met under different circumstances, I would've had fun showing you the real world."

 

She didn't have the time to process what he said. She barely heard it, but she had a strong feeling that Roman would've beat him up if he was around. Mishiro tightened her guard and attempted to dodge his incoming barrage of attacks. It failed. With his lighter armor, he was much faster than her. He slashed horizontally through her gloved arms, leaving a long red line, and momentarily lowered his guard for another attack. But he was close enough. Opening! Her gloves glowed and she thrust her dominant hand forward, aiming for his eyes.

 

Only for him to catch her arm mid-jab and deliver a powerful high kick to the side of her head.

 

She was knocked sideways from the force of the blow but didn't fall to the ground. She balanced herself precariously on her feet and looked at him through her blurring vision. Inside her chest, she felt her heartbeat speed up and her breaths grow frantic, contracted. There was that fear she had been burying. Not now. She took a deep breath and forced herself to think straight. A dagger skill, but also skill points invested in the Martial Arts skill...? Now she'd have to defend against two different fighting styles and somehow anticipate which one he was going to use. Mishiro let out a long, shaky breath and raised her fists.

 

She couldn't. One quick look at her HP bar showed that it had ticked down to 80%, and beneath it...was the icon of a <<Stunned>> effect. 

 

Dagger. Martial Arts. Stun. Roman's complaint from a year ago about a Sword Art that he couldn't use without getting the MA skill first. No. He didn't have points in the Martial Arts skill, though he certainly possessed it. The Sword Art he used belonged in the Dagger's SA list.

 

The assassin switched his grip on his dagger and he activated the dagger's most destructive weapon skill: a bladed whirlwind with her in its reach. Why couldn't she move? She gritted her teeth and attempted to regain control of her body. The first slash left a long red cut that ran across her neck. Not here. Not now. She wouldn't let this happen. The second and the third, against her chest. Her HP was steadily ticking down, the assassin's DMG stat was much higher than the MIT she had equipped. Fourth, fifth, and sixth. She didn't like this. She couldn't even bring her arms up to defend herself. She didn't like this feeling of helplessness, the same thing she had felt on that day. So, even if it meant hurting someone, she had to--

 

The whirlwind stopped, revealing the assassin's triumphant grin. The seventh hit was a thrust aimed for the gap between the armor on her midsection. 

 

The Stun wore off

 

"--Move."

 

She deflected his attack with a roundhouse kick then planted her foot on the ground in front of her. She used her momentum from the kick to spin so that she was facing him again and lunged forward and punched him on the gut. 

 

Unnamed Assassin -- 61%; Mishiro -- 47%

[Jinx 0]

The two assassins turned their attention back to Alisea, who gave them a hard look. Even with a single eye, she had long since become an expert at doing everything a normal person does without proper depth perception, after all, years of practise...made perfection.

The pair of assassins ducked and dived, hacking and slashing at the girl who simply stood her ground. Hell, she never even raised the Rapier in her right hand to strike them back. And yet, despite the assassins being the only ones on the offense, the tales of the hP bars was a very different one.

Alisea was sitting at around 75% of her hp, while Reaver and Spect, the two Laughing Coffin trainees, had been chipped down to around 50% each. The boys gave each other a panicked look as it dawned on them, they didn’t have the damage to kill their intended target!

“Have you finally realized the truth?” She asks them softly as she takes a solid step towards them despite her small frame “I will not die here, for I decide that. You may outnumber me, but a simple fact is this. My numbers are higher than yours” The girl raised her weapon, and both the assassins took a step backwards, fearing the Rapier that she had equipped. Alisea let out a sad smile “See? You take this fight, and yet, are scared….I’ll give you this chance to flee, while I go help the other girl”

Alisea turned to face the girl who had come to save her, and felt something sharp in her chest that was no weapon as she realized. The other girl was in more danger than she was! Thankfully, he had his back to her, and she took a few short strides until she was right behind the boy who was trying to kill Mishiro.

“If I was to be your target, I ask this of you now. Stay focused on the task at hand” She says, before making a wide-strike with her weapon and catching the assassin completely off-guard. Oddly, as her blow connected, the assassin simply slumped to the ground as a yellow lightning bolt appeared near his HP bar. Paralyzed. A sad look was on the girls face as she looked at the boy at her feet “I’ll make the same offer…please flee before anything escalates”

 

[Embers 0]

“I’m not a complete idiot Rowan, I know I saw them come this way” The red-haired girl growled as she continued to hunt forwards. She had been following rumours of Laughing Coffin, namely a wave of new recruits for the org. Embers had started to take things into her own hands, and this was the start of it. After killing an assassin who had tried to kill her, Embers realized she had a taste for blood when it suited her, and killing murders suited her all too well.

Rowan gave the girl a beady eye look, he had to. Rowan was, after all, Embers Familiar. A white-tailed hawk who she had claimed some time ago. Preening his feathers on the girls shoulder, the hawk hadn’t bothered to fly around and be helpful! After all….

Embers raw instincts took over, she could smell battle! Leaping up into one of the nearby trees, the tall girl climbed around until she saw it. A fight, between a white-haired girl, a grey haired girl, who were going up against…Embers could only grin as she spotted THREE Laughing Coffin assassins out in the open, although, her animal instincts told her that there were others nearby. Up in the trees, invisible to anyone who wasn’t looking up, the girl waited…After all, waiting was just part of behind a hunter. And Embers was one of the best.

[Mishiro 0]

Mishiro backed away from the paralyzed player and a blue crystal - a Performer craft made by a certain purple-haired girl - materialized between her fingers. The soothing sound of a violin reached her ears as she activated it, bringing not only her HP up but also the white-haired tank's. Then when the effect was over, her hand clenched into a fist, shattering the crystal between her fingers and her palm. She brought her fists up in a defensive stance, and the dust from the crystal fell softly to the ground like snowflakes. Standing back-to-back with the tank, she kept careful watch of her surroundings as the other player negotiated with the boy she had been facing earlier.

 

Three in the bushes. One being handled by the shielder. And the two other assassins rethinking their decision. She could see them looking at her, then at the three concealed players, then back at her and the shielder. Their attitude was certainly different from before, when they thought the battle was a sure win. They were likely to retreat. "Please leave now, and let's all forget this ever happened," Mishiro requested, lowering her guard slightly to show that she didn't intend to attack if they choose to retreat.

 

That was her mistake. The leader, the one who had done most of the talking for the group, realized something very important. That despite facing off against only one of them, Mishiro's HP had quickly dipped down below the 50% threshold. She had the damage. But she didn't have the defense.

 

"Ya know what?" The leader loosened his guard and so did she. He grinned and his dagger glowed a bright red. "Boss said one kill for all three of us would be enough."

 

Her eyes widened. Curses! She spun and dodged the first hit. She deflected the other, and the Sword Art's indicative glow died down. Then when she went in to retaliate, he let her. Her fist connected with his jaw. He brought his hand down and stabbed her in the shoulder. They were both in the yellow zone, but one already had a clear advantage over the other.

 

The <<Stunned>> status effect appeared above her half-depleted HP bar and her legs gave out from underneath her. He stood over her with a triumphant grin. In his right hand, the dagger glowed again. She caught her breath and, with much difficulty, tilted her head up to look at him. Her fists clenched against the ground and the glow of a Sword Art repeatedly lit up and died as she tried to activate it. No. Tears of frustration pricked at her eyes. This can't be it. This can't be it. This can't be it.

 

"Told ya you shouldn't have gotten yourself involved." The lead assassin raised his dagger. "Stupid, righteous kids like you are always all talk in the end."

 

The red blade never met its mark. A player dressed in black with their appearance concealed underneath a hood rammed against the assassin's side. They stopped, switched their grip on their silver dagger, and slipped under the assassin's guard, burying their dagger up to its hilt on his chest. They withdrew and shoved the leader away roughly, and Mishiro thought they said something that was too quiet to hear.

 

The assassin's HP was in the red zone. The cloaked player turned to her and she saw their face under the hood. "Aniki...?"

[Jinx 0]

The girl had thought that would retreat…Maybe they would realize she was too much of a threat for them to handle. But what she had not expected was they would actively target the other girl! She knew the other girl was weaker than her, easier to kill then herself. And it seemed the assassins knew!

The girl, in her panic, attempted to use her Howl ability to get the players focused on her! “No! I am the target!” And it took her many moments to realize that Howl did NOT work on players! By the time she realized that, the other girl’s HP was well into the red and showed no time to slowing down. Jinx moved, as quickly as her small frame allowed, but before she arrived, another cloaked figure arrived and…protected her!?

Her mind didn’t, couldn’t, linger on the action. Instead, she simply ran            past them and knelt down in front of the hurt girl, whose names, she realized, she didn’t know! “I’m, so sorry…this is all my fault you’re hurt..if I hadn’t been so much of a burden…” The girl was close to tears, her single eye swelling as she had completely turned her back onto the assassins.

 

The three assassins gave each other looks. Reaver, Scrpy and Mano. This was NOT the fight they had planned for, and while they had orange markers now, they’d failed to claim a single kill. Three on Three, and the new arrived, and the tank had created a wall between them and a weak girl. They wouldn’t be able to get past! The three boys made a quick decision, with Reaver and Scrip both sprinting away leaving Mano, the one who had started to fight Mishiro at the start, alone on the battlefield.

“T-the hell? Cowards!” He yelled at them, right as the other three emerged from the bushes. All of them had orange markers, fully-fledged members of Laughing Coffin. The middle one started talking, and despite the assassins robes, her voice was calming and playful

“You are failures, all three of you. And after I clean up this mess, we will need a serious talk” He says to the failed assassins before looking at the group they had attacked “You have my applogise, if I knew these people would have been such failures, I’d of done this myself. I hate incomplete jobs after all…” The girl reached onto her back and pulled out a large two-handed Claymore “I hope you feel no anger towards us…It was simply business”

[Embers 0]

The two assassins, running away, stopped a short distance away from the fight

“The hell was that! I thought you SAID she was easy. Now they’re gunna kick our asses, or kill us”

“Chill out bro, we’ll…figure something out. We didn’t kill no one, so our markers will turn green soon…Then, we’ll…I dunno”

“Die?” Suggested Embers as she landed from the tree she had been standing on, her Scythe pulled out as both boys went completely silent from fear. Armed in her black armour and Scythe, she truly looked like death. “After your failures to kill, I honestly can’t decide if killing you is worth the energy. But…then again, law of the jungle is rather simple…You’re weak, you die”

Both of the boys grabbed their weapons, and without saying a word, tried to fight the Scythe-Wielding girl.

Embers laughed, and swung her weapon, forcing both of them back! She grinned, cockily, as she licked her lips as if begging them for a fight. However, when they ran away, The girl made no attempt to pursue them. 

“If you’re a weak wolf…bow down to your alpha” she said to herself as she started to walk forwards, towards the remaining three Pkers. The remaining three people who needed to die for their actions.  

[Mishiro 0]

"Shiro? Hey. Stand up, take deep breaths. Calm down." He grasped her hand and helped her up. As soon as they made contact, her HP began to regenerate. First Aid. Right. She took a deep breath and looked at him. They were gone. Two of them were, fleeing into the woods as soon as they realized they no longer had strength in numbers. Her heart wasn't beating so fast anymore. "Which ones are on our side?"

 

Mishiro had questions of her own. Why was he concealing his appearance with a cloak she'd never seen him use before? Where was the rest of his squad? Why was he so calm? It was almost like he was used to this. She swallowed, and discarded that possibility. It couldn't be. He would have told her. He told her everything. "The...the white-haired girl with the shield. I was going to protect her."

 

She wasn't doing very well with that. Had the girl not been an experienced(?) tank, both of them would have died by now. Mishiro's build was made for attacking, not protecting. She looked down and saw the shielder tearfully apologizing for her incompetence. She saw that there was still one standing behind the oblivious female player. The battle wasn't over - four were still standing - and self-pity wasn't going to get them anywhere. "It's fine. What matters is that we're both safe now." Mishiro reached down, took the girl's hand in hers, and pulled her up.

 

Were they?

 

"What about the player in the trees?" Roman asked. He looked in Embers's general direction with his eyes holding the telltale glow of an activated Search Vision.

 

"Who?"

 

He kept watching. Then he turned to Mishiro. "She's on our side. Shiro, use your Teleport Crystal. You with the shield, do you have one, too?" He was speaking calmly, but his green gaze seemed to hold...something different. He turned to the side before she could see. "You two, retreat. This...isn't something you should be involved with."

 

But where was his squad? Her hand went to the blue crystal hanging from her belt, concealed by the large white coat she wore over her armor. She brushed her iron-covered fingers over its cold surface, then let go. She was scared, but she wasn't going to run from this. She was already in this mess, right from the moment she decided to help the shielder. "She doesn't have a crystal. And even if she has, I'm staying." 

 

He didn't have time to argue. He nodded and summoned the interface with his offhand. The three players that had been simply observing earlier finally stepped out of their hiding place and into the clearing. They were clearly stronger...and, she hated to admit it, they were dedicated killers. Orange cursors floated above their heads. The woman in the middle, the leader? wielded a large sword. 

 

Roman pulled his hood down and placed himself between the two girls and the group of player killers. Dust from a shattered crystal fell softly to the ground and Mishiro looked up to see that her HP had been restored back to full. And below her green bar, was his username Claude, and then Jinx. "Jinx?" Mishiro called out to the shielder. "I'll take the one that fought me earlier. Can you keep the other two's attention on you in the meantime?"

 

She thought she heard Roman exchange a few words with his opponent before he charged. Their blades clashed. Mishiro turned to face the boy who had fought her earlier and brought her fists up. "You're in the yellow, and I'm in the green. The outcome of this battle is already decided. Please surrender."

 

"Come at me, then!" The boy jeered. "I'm not like those two cowards."

 

She bounded forward and they exchanged blows. 

 

[ooc: by some magical ability of telepathy, mishiro was able to discern that jinx doesn't have a crystal. jk, she actually has a reasoning for this, just don't want to put it down and make the post longer than it is]

[Jinx 0]

The girl felt the guilt running through her. This was all her damn fault that everyone was now fighting…If she wasn’t such a burden, none of this would be happening! If she had been focused, maybe she’d of seen the attackers coming and been prepared. All of this wouldn’t have happened if she hadn’t been a useless burden like her parents…no, how everyone saw her as!

The girl was only dragged out of this mental game of beating herself up when someone…the girl, said her name…Well, her alias. She looked up at the other girl, and heard her asking for her help. Something…inside of her rose up, and she nodded her head. She had a job, maybe, if she did that, she could be useful.

“…i-I can do that…I promise, I’ve got it” The said, standing up and looking at her charges. The two assassins standing nearby, both holding long swords. In those moments, the girls mind become alive and she charged forwards! She only had a few minutes, but…she could be sharp! She needed to be sharp!

The two assassins backed away at first, and Alisea managed to take them to their own ‘part’ of the fight. “If you choose this f-…!” The girl was cut off by one of the assassins charging in and landing a blow on her chest, catching the tank off-guard as some of her Hp went down. Jinx gritted her teeth, and raised her shield. This fight…was going to hurt, and not just for her attackers!

[Embers 0]

Embers finally arrived at the fight, and had to admit, this wasn’t what she was expecting to witness. It was 4 against three. Normally Laughing Coffin always has a clear number advantage, however here…they only had a single man up? What a farse, whoever was in charge of this hunting trip deserved to…Embers shook her head! Dammit, she had to stop thinking like that. She was only killing Because she had to, not because she wanted to!

“Remember idiot, you’re a hunter. Not a murderer” she said to herself as she leaned up against a nearby tree, her Scythe on her back as she made a decision. She’d sit back and watch, and see if these people really could fight against this assassination attempt. If they survived, not only did it mean she wouldn’t need to step in, but also, these sheep would have a chance…After all, when your back is to the wall. You have no choice but to bare your teeth, and become a wolf…

[Mishiro 0]

Her fist connected with the underside of his jaw and his dagger flashed out from its sheath and left a long, red line across her neck. She inhaled - a strangled gasp - and her leg snapped up to kick him in the chest. He was forced to back away. Her hands automatically went to her neck. Gauging the depth of the wound. She expected blood, pain, the loss of her ability to breath. Then she looked up at her HP, still in the green zone, and was reminded that this was a game. A death game, but a game no less. It didn't matter where he cut her.

 

"What? Where'd all that spunk from earlier go, princess?"

 

His taunts - clearly a tactic made to provoke her to attack hastily - hardly affected her. Mishiro frowned. Cheap move. Seasoned fighters in martial arts tournaments never even stoop as low as to employ this tactic. This boy was hardly a fighter yet he was acting as if he was better than her. It was...bothersome.

 

He reversed his grip on his dagger and went for her chest. The weapon's blade had turned red and yellow electricity sparked on his boots. It was the dagger's strongest Stun. He was repeating his tactics, with the false assumption that his speed would make up for it. Beginner's mistake. She moved close - too close for him to strike her - and brought her iron-plated arms up to block his blade. It struck against metal and her HP ticked down by a small percent. What a stupid combat system. The player stepped to the side, preparing another attack, but was quickly interrupted by a strong high kick she had aimed at the temple. The recruit's health dropped down, barely hanging on to its yellow status.

 

"Sorry." Mishiro's hand clenched into a fist and she punched him straight in the gut. He gagged and made a choking sound, then slumped against her. His health dropped well into the red. "Now, please leave."

 

One down.

 

She gently lowered him to the ground and, as promised earlier, ran over to where Jinx was engaged with two other assassins. All three were still in the green. However, Jinx's health was going down a lot more than when the shielder had faced against the first three. These opponents were stronger. 

 

"Shiro!" She looked over and saw Roman parry an attack - just barely. He pressed his hand against the flat of his dagger's blade from where the lead assassin's large sword was pressing down on it and for a few moments, it was a contest of which one was stronger. If his weapon broke or if he lost, she'd cut him in half. But the winner was already determined from the start. His build wasn't made for power nor protection. It was made for the backline. "Ngh. F*uck!" He let go and the two broke apart. The large blade slammed against the ground. And when he turned around, she saw the long, red line that ran down his face and chest. Somewhere in the middle of the fight, his hood had been pulled off and there was a rip through one of his high collars, the one that bore the squad emblem. After that exchanged, his health was well into the yellow. Still, he extended a glowing hand to her and gasped, "Shiro. Boost."

 

The madman was wasting his energy on giving her an attack boost! Mishiro felt anger and the more overwhelming concern for his safety surge within her. Finish your fight before supporting your teammates, stupid! was what she wanted to say. But there was no time to argue. Jinx's HP was ticking down. The shielder's opponents weren't stopping with their attacks. Roman's opponent was charging a new attack. Mishiro grit her teeth and clapped her hand against his, the DMG buff passing over onto her. "I'll help you later!"

 

And she'd do it quick.

 

She bounded towards the two assassins, going as fast as her legs could carry her. Her gloves lit up, made brighter with Roman's DMG buff. "Please step back, Jinx." She stopped in front of one, used the momentum from her run to pivot herself into a spin, and her leg snapped up to kick him in the face. She didn't apologize. Her fists were still glowing brightly as she brought her knee up and landed a hit on him right...there. The assassin made a strangled sound and she heard something, a weapon, clatter to the ground. She grabbed their arm, turned, and threw them over her shoulder. 

 

The assassin landed on the ground,<<Stunned>>, with their health halfway into the yellow. 

 

Mishiro didn't apologize for that either.

[Jinx 0]

Two against one….Crap! The girl tried not to look it, but her HP was starting to take a serious hit! She could maybe beat them if she had help…But the others had more important things to worry about her the burden that was her life…But if she was to die here…she’d make it a fight!

She swung her Rapier at one of the assassins, landing a blow right as one snuck a strike into her back! She saw her HP hit the yellow, and fear bit into her chest! She wasn’t doing nearly rhe damage she’d of hoped, and if this continued….

She’d die.

She gritted her teeth, and considered calling for help…Right as help appeared for her in the form of the girl..Mishiro. The girl, single-handedly, dismantled the assassin who had been assaulting her. She lowever her shield, a shocked look on her face “I…I…T-thank you” She was unsure what else to say if she was honest with herself. She’d of died if not for this girl, what did one say to someone like that?  However, in those moments, the girl had forgotten about the other assassin, whose blade struck the Tank player across the neck, and applied a Paralyzed debuff. The silver-haired tank player hit the ground with a shocked look on her face, but struggled to find any words as a wave of panic overran her. 

 

The lead assassin swung her Claymore at the newly arrived boy with gritted teeth. This entire mission had gone to hell in a hand-basket, and all because of this newbies! Had they not scouted their damn target before picking the silver-haired girl?! Now she was stuck cleaning up their mess! With another wide swing of her weapon, she took a large step back, disengaging from the dagger-user who had come out of no where. She looked at her two allies, her ‘seconds’, only to see them on the ground.

“Damn…Useless idiots! Not a single one of them scouted their opponent properly, and now this entire operation is buggered” The girl took a large step back. Her HP was well into the Green, but, outnumbered…was it worth staying? She hated the idea of leaving a job unfinished, and yet, staying would cause only more complications “Well, this has just been a lovely meeting. But with the recruits having run away, I think my work here is done…What you say, we go about this civilised and part ways no?”