[PP-F10] Why Don't You Love Me Again? (Calrex, Rebekah)

[Calrex 0]

ID: 34765
Battle Dice: 2 (Accuracy +3) = 5 (Disregarded Due to Item Switch)
Grand Blade Equipped (1 Energy Recovered)

Calrex gave a nod to Azide and Rebekah as both confirmed that the figure standing before them was not the real Oikawa. He gave a small sigh to calm himself as he reached back, drawing the Grand Blade from its sheath, "If that's the case then, it might be just another figment that the game created to try and mess with us. Nonetheless, that means its a construct of this world. Let's eliminate it."

Going into his sword fighting stance he trained his sword on the false Oikawa, coiling the muscles in his legs. At the same time he noticed that the figure's Stun effect had worn off, "Be alert guys. It looks like he...or it...is able to move again."

HP List
Azide: 101/101
Calrex: 165/165
Rebekah 122/122

Oikawa(?) 187/200 (Stun End)

Edited October 20, 2015 by Calrex

[Azide 0]

Too slow. The words flashed across his mind like a bolt of lightning, casting long shadows over every nook and cranny in the turbulent chambers of his inner sanctum. More scream than a shout, they were too loud, to striking for him to identify the speaker. Had the voice been his own, or had it been one of the others? As Oikawa tore forward, he thought he had seen the young man's lips move, but he hadn't been sure. 

Instinctively, Azide reached for Quantum Slicer, only be left grasping at empty air in the heat of the moment. Even the heat soon drained away as a sharp pain gripped his abdomen, and even before his eyes lowered to confirm his suspicions, the feeling of cold steel had been a dead giveaway on its own. His eyes were grey, like the blade which had been embedded in his side, but lacking in all of its luster. With an empty stare, his gaze met the still eyes of his assailant. Whatever this was attacking him, it was intent on taking his life; whether or not he was armed seemed beside the point, and the point had been driven into him without mercy.

Azide moved a hand to clutch the blade while it lay immobile within him, only to receive a nasty gash across his fingers and palm as a result. He staggered back, realizing that he did not have the energy to grip the rapier adequately- it had been a grave miscalculation on his part. Deadened eyes drifted upward to behold a yellow health bar- a sight he hadn't seen since his earliest days outside of the Town of Beginnings. Azide pressed his good hand feebly against the entry wound, his breathing heavy and grave. If he were to meet his end today, would it wash his hands clean of his travesties? 

ID: 34776 | MD: 10 (Crit +2) 

50 (Base) + 2 (MD 10) = 52 DMG

Azide | 49/101 HP (-52) | 3/24 EN (+1 regen)
Calrex | 165/165 HP | 36/40 EN
Rebekah | 122/122 HP | 27/28 EN

Oikawa(?) | 187/200 HP

[Rebekah 0]

The girl watched as the impostor struck Azide dealing close to half of his health. She was still wondering why he was still standing there when he could be standing back, as he did not need to be on the front line without any energy. It was going to be a problem, that they were going to have to figure out. After all, the boss was quite strong, and she knew that she was going to land an over-radiation move. It was the move that she had practiced over and over on mobs, and the girl was confident in her spins or twirls. Whatever that thing was, it was not Oikawa.

ID: 35336 | BD: 10
DMG: [10+2]x[1]x[13]=156

Azide | 49/101 HP (-52) | 3/24 EN
Calrex | 165/165 HP | 36/40 EN
Rebekah | 122/122 HP | 15/28 EN

??? | 31/200 HP

Edited October 16, 2015 by Rebekah

[Calrex 0]

ID: 35598
Battle Dice: 10 (Accuracy +3) = 13 (+2 Damage)
Loot Dice: 18 (Search and Detect +2) = 20 (Do we get anything?)
Sword Art <<Vorpal Strike>> Activated (5 Energy Used / 1 Recovered / 33 Remaining)

Seeing that the false Oikawa was on its last legs Calrex gave a small sigh before bringing his arm back, "I'll end this..."

The Grand Blade lit alight with a yellow pulsing aura as he activated <<Vorpal Strike>>, leaping forward in almost an instant as his blade pierced into the mob's chest area. Each pulse of the aura seemed to slam into the creature, adding damage to the attack as Calrex completed his movement, standing in front of the fake version of one of his close friends, "Don't use this form ever again..."

Extracting his sword the shadow dissipated into crystals as he gave a small sigh, sheathing the Grand Blade before turning back to the others, "Oikawa's disappeared, not gone rogue. He's got a better head on his shoulder than to go doing something so rash, especially against Azide. I have a feeling I might not seem him for a long time once again, but I hope that's he's still alright. He'll always be someone I can count on, and one of the few people I would trust with my life, the bearer of the Citrine Badge..."

Shaking his head to break out of his thoughts he completed his short walk back over, "Alright, that's done and over with. We'd best get moving back towards the settlement. There's no telling what else might be around to try and mess with our heads."

HP List
Azide | 49/101 HP (-52) | 3/24 EN
Calrex | 165/165 HP | 33/40 EN
Rebekah | 122/122 HP | 15/28 EN

??? | -19/200 HP (10 DMG * 5 Art = 50 DMG)

Edited October 20, 2015 by Calrex

[Azide 0]

The phantom fiend moved back, leaving Azide gasping for air, as if he were standing under a very cold shower. With knees ready to buckle, and less than half a bar of health, it was a welcome sight when both Rebekah and Calrex stepped in to continue the fight against their lokian foe. An elaborate series of spins, twirls and thrusts on the part of the former struck the false figure too many times to count in such a brief span of time, looking more akin to ballet than swordsmanship. It was a far cry from Calrex's response, choosing to follow up the intricate routine with a single gliding thrust that seemed to reach beyond even the length of of his blade.

As the blue-haired swordsman came to a halt, Azide looked on as a golden column of light at the end of the implanted blade ebbed and surged while it lay firmly embedded inside the doppelganger. A stern warning was uttered by the Aquamarine Knight shortly before the blade was swiftly removed in its entirety, granting finality to what had been a most unpleasant experience. Just before the figure had shattered, Azide thought he'd seen that devilish grin twitch, as though it had been trying to speak through gritted teeth.

In front of the all, the swirling vortex known only as the void continued to bathe them all in its pale light. For that moment, the entire world was nothing more than contrasting shades of red, and the sight ahead of him lay at the center of it all.

Nostrils flared, veins bulging, each breath hot enough to burn; Azide tore at the air with a swipe of his hand, all five fingers of a single hand a blur as he navigated through the menu. An instant later, a white and glowing rapier phased into his hand, his fingers wrapping around its grip until his knuckles became white. Azide spun once, and with a grunt equal parts exhausted and spiteful, let the blade fly. And fly it did- straight into the dark abyss, where it disappeared in a flash of white. His heart pounded away inside his chest for what seemed like a few dozen times, but couldn't have been any more than a few seconds when the rapier was flung back unceremoniously from out the darkness. Still spinning, the slender weapon struck the ground in such a way that it snapped in half upon impact. Each fragment landed within half a meter of the rapier's brother forge, Quantum Slicer, before shattering in unison.

The world went blurry, and he felt as if he were a little child, eyes closed and spinning faster and faster on the balls of his feet- only, he couldn't stop. It was as he'd been left to dangle from the end of a string, and condemned to endure the violent aftermath of a tightly wound cord as it was suddenly released. His eyes unfocused, and his legs felt like jelly left out for too long in the sun, until they failed entirely. "I guess I should've used that little adrenaline rush to get back to town, instead of doing what I did..." remarked Azide, blinking slowly as he gazed at the roof of the cavern. "Go figure..." he sighed. It was a welcome change of pace, the cold cave floor- at least to his throbbing head, which still radiated heat and the frustrations of five months un-vented.

-1 Gauss' Law Rapier

Edited October 21, 2015 by Azide

[Rebekah 0]

The girl had gotten lost once already tonight, and knew that it was not going to happen a second time. It was easy to disappear especially if she had accidentally walked to a nearby dungeon or labyrinth where she could not send messages for help. Rebekah had an idea where the town was, which was the direction that they had walked from, but knew not to take any chances until one of them started leading the way. It was not fun getting lost, and it was not something that she had wanted to do once again, as it was quite embarrassing to be bailed out, especially since she could not read any map data properly in the dark. If it was in the morning, it would have been fine, but she was going to have to wait.

They started the night with Oikawa, and now they have Azide. They had gain one but lost the other.

Rebekah | 122/122 HP | 16/28 EN

[Calrex 0]

"Geezes, that worn out?"

Calrex looked over as Azide collapsed onto the floor's...floor. Kneeling over he picked up the player's wrist as he pulled him back up into a one-arm carry, transferring the fellow brunette's arm to the same side as he started slowly walking towards the settlement, "Rebekah, we're over here. Stick close. I should be able to easily get us back into Yomi without problems."

Giving a calming breath he activated his <<Reveal>> skill as the environment began transparent as he looked around. There were not any monsters in their vicinity, much to their luck. "We should be alright for the trip back, but geezes even with all of my skills Azide is still like a dead weight. Did he go boneless on me or something?"

Edited October 23, 2015 by Calrex

[Azide 0]

The second blade which Oikawa had forged for him was no more- shattered in a fit of recklessness, and in an act of pointless defiance; the void seemed to care about his thrown sword about as much as a whale might care about the beating of a fly's wings against its back. But the first still remained, lying lifelessly against the cold floor. "You don't know the half of it..." he mumbled to the blue-haired man, his vision fading in and out as he looked at the grounded rapier. He reached out at the blade he had dropped in the previous scuffle, but to no avail- it lay too far beyond his range. "Do me a favor, Calrex?" he asked, his gaze faltering as he gestured to Quantum Slicer. 

Already, he was too weak to stand even on his own two legs- it was despicable; and now, he couldn't even pick up his own sword. Loathe was the word to describe the feeling- the one that came from needing to ask for more of his comrade's assistance. Already, Calrex supported him very literally, and he had the nerve to ask him for another favor. And yet, if it were true that Oikawa had disappeared, then the object now held its own sentimentality.

Wishing he were already back in the old laboratory, he glanced sidelong at Rebekah through the veil of darkness. "It's hard to put it into words, but I guess it would be easiest for me just to say that I'm glad you're safe," said Azide in a low voice, unable to glimpse her expression in the faint light. He blew away the wispy strands of hair which had drooped over his eyes, before continuing. "I haven't had the heart to check my friendlist lately, knowing how grim the situation with Yamato looked- even before my disappearance." Azide rubbed at his neck, feeling as if the words had choked him on their way up. 

He looked away, hanging his head as the hand at his side rolled into a feeble fist. "There wasn't a day that went by where I hadn't thought about you and Crozeph, knowing what you were up against." The participation rate of the last raid had not exactly inspired confidence in him- in fact, they'd done more to inspire just the opposite. "Five months leaves a lot of time to miss a bunch; you, Crozeph, and Oikawa, for starters. Xanatos, with all of his righteous justice... hell, I even thought of X..."

[Rebekah 0]

Thankfully, Calrex had called out to her, and let her know where they were headed, or else she would have been super lost. She quickly hurried over to where his voice was, making sure to stay close enough not to get lost.

The next thing that she had been not expecting was for Azide to talk about that last boss fight. For Rebekah, that was not as big as a problem as she had originally thought. "What has happened has happened. There is no changing the past. I have never blamed anyone before over missing a boss raid, and that boss raid was not even close. Mari and I easily could have handled it ourselves, even without both Shark and Crozeph's help in that raid. If I disliked people for bailing, there was Zelrius' and friends who would have been number one on that list," Rebekah spoke.

She knew that there were only a few long veterans of this game left, as many were either burnt out from their short time at the top to continue moving forward.

[Calrex 0]

"Hm? Oh right, yeah let me grab that."

Gently setting Azide down on the ground he went back over and retrieved the single blade that stood out against the darkness, bringing it over to Azide as he hoisted the young man by the arm back over his shoulder. Grasping the Quantum Slicer in the same hand he was holding the brunette's wrist he continued moving back towards Yomi, "You must have really been out of it to have X passing into your thoughts all of a sudden, heh. But Rebekah's right, what's done is done. All we can do now is continue forward with that we have remaining."

Eventually seeing the gates come into close range Calrex gave a small sigh of relief, "Nonetheless, it's good to have you back."

Setting him down so that he could sit on a rock he rested the Quantum Slicer into Azide's hands as he stepped back to give him some breathing room, putting his hands back into his jacket pockets.

 

Edited October 23, 2015 by Calrex

[Azide 0]

So, this was how the fearsome Yamato had measured up? Taken down nothing more than a handful of people, no more difficult than a resilient mob in the field. From the sound of things, he had not been the only no-show in the already-small party; neither the names of Daeron or RyujinSealord had been mentioned by the blonde. And while it might normally be difficult to tell whether her rhetoric was earnest or just talk, he felt as if he could take Rebekah of all people at face value when she claimed that half of the final party had not even been a necessity. In the end, there had been nothing to worry about- all of this had come about for nothing. 

Quantum Slicer glimmered as it caught a trace of faint light, and he heard the metallic blade scrape lightly against the floor as it was lifted from the ground. Soon, Azide found himself leaning against Calrex once again as he shuffled alongside the fellow swordsman. "Admittedly, not among my prouder moments. Reminiscing about X and his antics, that is," he added, a slight curl of his lips hinting towards a thin smile that was not quite there.

Echoing the sentiments of his former guildmate, Calrex continued, seconding the idea that he should simply look towards the future. As a whole, the words had held a certain pragmatism- a rationality that he could get behind, rather than teary-eyed expressions of forgiveness. He had not known exactly what to expect, but their reactions were acceptable- the apologies had been more for himself than anything. Azide nodded solemnly, wondering if either of the two could even see the gesture, but he decided that it wasn't really important.

He took a deep breath as Calrex lowered him onto large rock, flicking weary eyes over his shoulder to catch sight of the muffled lights in the distance. Not finished just yet, he set his sights back to the glinting rapier in his hands, its slender length splayed out across open palms. Azide stared blankly at the object as he tilted it up and down, making the blade shine for just a brief instant as it caught the light. After some time, he sent the sword to his inventory, and rested the flats of his hands against his knees. 

"It's good to be back. But it looks like I'm back to square one," he remarked, catching his first clear glimpse of the two around him. His eyes lingered as they crossed an emblem which floated by the girl's name; it was a blue shield he'd spotted many times before- the insignia of the Azure Brigade. Turning to Calrex, he gave a measured nod of his head. "Once we get going again, I think I'll be good to make it back the rest of the way on my own power." He felt his hands scrunch against the fabric of his trousers as they gripped his knees a little tighter. "But thanks for all of the help- really."

[Rebekah 0]

As she waited for them to catch their breaths, she knew that he was eventually going to notice that Azure Brigade next to her name. Even though she was not wearing the signature cloak that each of them had, but that would not have mattered in the pitch dark. It had been a long time since his disappearance, and since then Zel had reached out to her asking to help rebuild his guild. After all, she was guildless at the time, and had nothing else to do, and while she did not need any protection, it was nice to be in one, just so it would give her the motivation to stay on top of specific things. The girl then turned towards Calrex, and asked, "Which way are we headed?" as it felt that he was the unofficial leader of the group at the moment, with her being completely lost today, and Azide a bit struggling to walk on his own.

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a nod as he listened to Azide assure him he could get back on his own strength after resting a short period, "Take as much time as you guys need. I'll keep watch for now. The Night Vision and Reveal skills don't wear me down at all, so it'll be easy for us to avoid any unwanted encounters."

Giving a small sigh of relief he took a step back before addressing Rebekah, "I think our best course of action is to head back towards Yomi. Wandering further into the field zones would be potentially too dangerous in our current situation."

The bluenette made note of the blue shield representing the Azure Brigade Rebekah bore as her guild symbol in her stats, although he had definitely seen it in the past, "Guess it's no surprise. I'm sure Zelrius is trying to gather as many powerful people into the Brigade as possible to try and maintain their ranks and power. It would make sense he would scout a frontliner like Rebekah. I have yet to participate in a floor boss battle, but I remember being a part of AB, even if it was for a short period of time."

Scanning around the area the Ultramarine Knight confirmed there were no further threats at the moment as he gave a calming exhale, "Although I have a feeling that I've done a lot more as a solo player than I have as a brigadier in the Azure Brigade or a Rook in Absolute Pin, although that viewpoint might be skewed."

[Azide 0]

Azide shook his head as he rose from the rock. Even just the simple act of standing made it feel as if the whole world was spinning beneath his feet- but it was pointless to stick around out here any longer. Besides, he could still hear them here... But even still, he forced himself to look up at Calrex and Rebekah, in spite of the dazed look that was almost certainly dulling his own two eyes. "I'm fine- and besides, there'll be plenty of time for me to rest up after I've gone home to a proper bed," said the young man. In all fairness, he supposed that a 'proper bed' was something absent from even the shop which doubled as a makeshift home, unless one counted a mat on the floor in the backroom. Still, it would be nice to have a blanket again, or even just a few pillows.

"By the way," he began. For one reason or another, he couldn't shake a certain nagging feeling. He figured that he should've been joyous- elated beyond all imagination. Hadn't he spent a whole five months wandering blindly through the darkness? And now here he was, about to finally return home. "I'm not sure if either of you were fully aware of this, but your eyesight never quite adapts to the darkness in this world. At least, not to the level that it might back in our own. You can consider me a firsthand witness in that regard," added Azide. All things considered, he felt as if he should at least be, at the most basic level, happy. So why was he not? He shrugged, as his lips twitched to form a bitter smile. "So if you ever get the bright idea to take an extended vacation to this place, then I have only a single piece of advice to offer: don't."

[Rebekah 0]

Rebekah knew what he was referring to, the girl had almost become a liability in the last raid because she did not spend the time to obtain night vision, or whatever the skill was. That would have helped a bit, and as well as today, but she was focusing on maximizing her potential first, and she did not consider the skill important. Even right now, she was thinking about the difference the skill would have made, and her answer was it could have. In the long run, that did not make any difference, as they all escaped relatively unharmed.

Azide's comment about taking an extended vacation from the place hit her really hard, after all, many players she knew have often gone on vacations, that she has not seen today. The girl knew that if she was going to do one, she was not going to hide in the wilderness. "Don't worry, If I was ever going to take an extended vacation, I would be stuck inside the house that I would buy one day, or be in an inn. As much as I like to be in the wilderness, I would also like to escape and return home one day," Rebekah spoke. Of course, she had been active for the last year and bit, and had no plans on leaving or disappearing anytime soon.

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a small laugh at Azide's joking comment about vacationing on this floor, "I think there's only a handful of people that would actually enjoy wandering around on this floor, and I'm not one of them." 

Putting his hands into his jacket pockets he gave a small sigh as he persisted both his <<Night Vision>> and <<Reveal>> skills so that he could still stand watch over the two while Azide recovered. Giving a calming breath he kept his hands in his jacket pockets. The tenth floor was certainly consistent with the eerie vide of the underground cavern theme. Even with his vision skills the feel of the area gave him some level of creeps.

"Yeah, I'd like to get home as well."

"Of course I need to make sure Teayre does as well. That's my number one priority. I don't know why, but recently I've been starting to think that my life is lesser compared to hers. I guess that idea of having had a good life so far compared to her might be contributing to that. I just hope it doesn't eventually get the better of me."

[Azide 0]

"Home?" repeated Azide. The words left his lips in a way which did not imply a genuine question, nor did the falter of his eyes indicate a want for clarification. Of course, a slight tone and a disoriented expression were well within the norm for somebody in his own condition; he was under no expectation that these lapses would provoke any undue questions. "It's been so long now," the young man continued, bringing a hand to nurse his temple with its cool touch. His fingers eased forward, sliding into his hair, and he lifted his chin so that its ridge once again ran roughly parallel with the ground below. "In the other world, it only took a few weeks or months for a place to really feel like home. And yet I've been here for nearly two years..." he trailed off, and brushed aside the cascading strands.

A breathy laugh followed, so dry that it would've crumbled had it been more tangible. He straightened his coat and tugged inward the unbuttoned flaps, easing the fabric more snugly against his body. "In any case, let's get back to Yomi first, if nothing else." His eyes flitted over to glimpse the fuzzy lights ahead- the lanterns which hung within the sinister city itself. Still, he couldn't quite shake the feeling that things were not quite right. Or perhaps, it was that things were not quite as he'd expected- and it left him with a chill.

[Rebekah 0]

The town was up ahead, while she did not usually enjoy spending time in the towns, tonight was different. Never had she gotten this lost before, and it was rare for her to lose her sense of direction especially when she did things herself. The girl knew that she was going to have to come back here one day to get over this feeling, but she too wanted to return home. However, she knew that she was not in a rush as the other two, so she walked behind them slowly while waiting for them to approach the town. The dim lights in the distance guided them to the town, so she had nothing to worry about, especially about getting lost tonight. It was hard to remember that they been here for two years, and they have only cleared a handful of floors, granted their pace had picked up rapidly. After all, in the last twelve months they had only cleared a 4 floors, but there was a renewed sense of optimism and speed now. But Rebekah wondered how long that would last.

"How far did we exactly chase out of town to find Azide?" Rebekah wondered, as it felt like they were never that far away from the town, but she would not have gotten lost with these lights in the distance.

Edited November 19, 2015 by Rebekah

[Calrex 0]

Calrex gave a nod as his two teammates began to make their way back towards the settlement of Yomi. While he was more than capable of spending an extended period of time on the tenth floor, it was something he would prefer not to do. "Home...it really has been a while since any of us saw i. To be honest I wonder how my apartment even looks now, or if I still even own it. I can't pay rent for it after all. I guess at least being with Teayre feels like home here."

As he heard Rebekah speak he gave a friendly smile, "I think we chased him close to where Tartarus is located, so it's a good thing we found him when we did. Any further and it's possible we would have come under further attack, more than just that Oikawa illusion we encountered."

He put his hands into his jacket pockets as he gave a small sigh of relief seeing the city starting to come into his <<Night Vision>> enhanced field of view, "We shouldn't be far now. Just a little bit further and we'll be through the settlement's gates and back in the safe zone."

[Azide 0]

What had become of Oikawa? It was the sort of question which lingered, especially as he replayed the events of the day in his head. Though he hadn't gotten a closer look at the so-called 'Oikawa' until the second time around, he could have sworn that the player's initial appearance had seen him dressed with noticeably different equipment. True, it'd been quite dark, and so his eyes could not be entirely trusted no matter what he thought he had seen- and that was before considering the questionable state of mind that he had been in at the time. But even then, he was confident that in Oikawa's first appearance, the young man had not been garbed in the white which he had later flaunted. Perhaps more incriminatingly, he had recognized the voice of the former apparition, while the latter had not uttered so much as a single word.

Around that point, the gates of Yomi came into the view of even those without <<Night Vision>>, and he allowed himself a single sigh. "Thank you again- both of you," said Azide, as he turned around slowly. "It's been a long past couple of months, but I'd like to think that I'm here to stay this time around." Placing his hands into his pockets, he lowered his gaze briefly, before returning it to meet the two standing in front of him. Unsurprisingly, he felt as if there were more that he should say, to make up for half a year of unannounced isolation. But nothing came to mind, and it didn't help that the voices had not quite abandoned him just yet.

"We'll have to catch up sometime soon. Maybe pay a visit to the old Starlight Cafe," he remarked. In the distance, something between a howl and a roar pierced the illusion of silence, and he winced. "But in the meantime, I hope that you don't mind if I get a little rest first," he continued. "Or maybe a little more than a little..."

He dipped his head slightly and turned, making his way slowly towards the teleportation gate at the center of the town.

---

Topic Complete

+266 col to Azide, Calrex and Rebekah

+1 SP to Azide, Calrex and Rebekah