Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
oathshackledbird) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
towerofanimus2013-11-15 04:27 pm
oathshackledbird) wrote in towerofanimus2013-11-15 04:27 pm
Angels Fall [Closed/Open]
Characters: Sephiroth (neverbeamemory ), Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (oathshackledbird ), Cu Chulainn (puppy_lancer ), Waver Velvet (fionnuisce ), Suzaku Kururugi (swordofzero ), Patrick Dawn (bashfulshifter ), Veronica Madaraki (stitchedupbodyguard ), Ryoji Mochizuki (notsogrimreaper ), Naoya Toudou (imperialsun ), AU Sephiroth (pinnaculum ), Asagi (irreverence ) and anyone who wants to visited a locked up Sephiroth in the second prompt.
Setting: Floor 62 (Fight)-Closed and Floor 43 (Incarceration)-Open
Format: Beginning in prose. Pick your poison after that.
Summary: Months ago, Sephiroth took control of Ryoji and made him fight Diarmuid and Yukiko. That fight culminated with Sephiroth forcing Ryoji to kill himself in front of them. Diarmuid swore there would be consequences for these actions, but held back because of a shaky truce made between Waver and Sephiroth in the interests of moving the collar fluid research along as fast and smoothly as possible. That truce has been broken, and Diarmuid has learned some very disturbing information about Sephiroth's past. For better or for worse, the time for waiting is at an end.
Warnings: Sephiroth is a warning to himself as he will not be holding back. There will also be language, likely mentions of forced suicide, mind control, violence, blood, injury, and death. This will be updated if needed as the fight progresses.
Floor 62 (Fight)-Closed, Friday 11/15:
This had all started months ago when Sephiroth had discovered that he could manipulate and control Ryoji's mind after the boy made the mistake of insulting him. At first he had only played with Ryoji, shifting his emotions and causing him to act in ways he never would toward those he cared about. However, that hadn't been enough and soon things escalated, culminating when he first forced Ryoji to fight his adoptive father, Diarmuid and his good friend, Yukiko, and then made him kill himself in front of them. The actions were not only a violation of Ryoji's very self, but of his rights as a human being, something Diarmuid swore there would be consequences for. In the Tower, though, things are rarely that easy and after 'speaking' with Sephiroth at the Midsummer's party that Cu Chulainn had thrown, Diarmuid realized that just killing Sephiroth in retaliation would have no effect on the man. In fact, he would probably be pleased. As a result of this realization, Diarmuid put off his revenge, searching for a way to make it matter. His revenge would be further put off when Waver and Sephiroth declared a shaky truce so that everyone's energies could be focused on what was more important--the collar fluid.
To say that Diarmuid didn't like Sephiroth working with something so important to the whole Tower would be an understatement, but he was well aware of how much more important the research was to them all than any individual hatreds they had. That was why he let things lie and did his best to avoid causing problems.
Then, Sephiroth broke the truce. Not only did he break the truce, Diarmuid realized as he was nursing his wounds and fixing the minor damages to the printing press afterward, Sephiroth was up to something. Sephiroth could have all too easily killed him, Diarmuid had learned from Reno. He could have as easily as breathing destroyed the whole section of library they were fighting in. Instead, not only had Sephiroth left Diarmuid alive after knocking him out, he had only fought using Diarmuid's own stolen sword.
Why? The obvious conclusion in Diarmuid's mind was that he was hiding something. Something big. Something that left him not wanting to draw attention to himself. Something that probably meant bad things for everyone in the Tower. And that was why this confrontation couldn't wait any longer. It was no longer just about revenge for what Sephiroth had done to Ryoji.
It was about protecting them all and making sure what happened on Reno's world, didn't happen here.
That was why, after talking to those closest to him and securing their help and the help of a few of their friends, Diarmuid had sent Sephiroth a letter asking him to meet him. The letter itself was simple, only enough to get the man to actually come as opposed to ignoring him. It held no lies, but it held no details either, leaving plenty of space for wrong assumptions. Wrong assumptions that Diarmuid was counting on.
Was it dishonorable? Well, Diarmuid had said Sephiroth brought out the worst in him and this was just another example of how true that was. But, it had to be done. In Diarmuid's mind, there was no other choice. If he must sacrifice his honor to protect his family and everyone else in the Tower, he would do it.
At least, it was his choice this time to take these dishonorable actions instead of being forced to do them by another's hand.
As Diarmuid enters the floor, his eyes immediately scan it, and he is pleased to see that aside from the one who is supposed to be there, no others are on it. That will soon change when his friends join him, but for now he has asked them to wait before entering. He wants to make sure he isn't walking them into a trap, especially after what the younger Sephiroth had told him about the elder's suspicious not long ago.
Sephiroth has his stolen sword, which Diarmuid is glad for since part of him had not expected the man to bring it. The same part that had wondered if he would actually come at all.
"So you are less of a coward than I thought..." Diarmuid's voice is cold and detached, much like his expression, and he plans on keeping himself that way. There will not be a repeat of his loss of control in the Library.
Floor 43 (Incarceration)-Open, 11/16 to 11/20:
Floor 43 is often called the prison floor by those in the Tower because it is filled with cells. Cells that strip a person of their powers and can only be unlocked from the outside. They are a great tool for keeping those who cause problems from causing them as long as a person can get the troublemaker into one to begin with. That task is a little easier when the person who needs to be locked up just died in a fight and has almost two hours of sleep paralysis and numbness to wait through. Since there is really no other way a person can get someone as strong as Sephiroth into one of those cells, it shouldn't be too surprising that someone from the fight yesterday has taken advantage of Sephiroth's death and moved him into one of the cells. It is there he stays, watched over by a loose guard of people. Every so often, though, there is a break in the guard which allows people the chance totaunt talk to Sephiroth for a short time.
(OOC: Please do not attempt to free Sephiroth in this prompt as he will be getting let out in a separate log. Thanks!)
Section Links:
Fight-Floor 62
Incarceration-Floor 43
neverbeamemory ), Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (oathshackledbird ), Cu Chulainn (puppy_lancer ), Waver Velvet (fionnuisce ), Suzaku Kururugi (swordofzero ), Patrick Dawn (bashfulshifter ), Veronica Madaraki (stitchedupbodyguard ), Ryoji Mochizuki (notsogrimreaper ), Naoya Toudou (imperialsun ), AU Sephiroth (pinnaculum ), Asagi (irreverence ) and anyone who wants to visited a locked up Sephiroth in the second prompt.Setting: Floor 62 (Fight)-Closed and Floor 43 (Incarceration)-Open
Format: Beginning in prose. Pick your poison after that.
Summary: Months ago, Sephiroth took control of Ryoji and made him fight Diarmuid and Yukiko. That fight culminated with Sephiroth forcing Ryoji to kill himself in front of them. Diarmuid swore there would be consequences for these actions, but held back because of a shaky truce made between Waver and Sephiroth in the interests of moving the collar fluid research along as fast and smoothly as possible. That truce has been broken, and Diarmuid has learned some very disturbing information about Sephiroth's past. For better or for worse, the time for waiting is at an end.
Warnings: Sephiroth is a warning to himself as he will not be holding back. There will also be language, likely mentions of forced suicide, mind control, violence, blood, injury, and death. This will be updated if needed as the fight progresses.
Floor 62 (Fight)-Closed, Friday 11/15:
This had all started months ago when Sephiroth had discovered that he could manipulate and control Ryoji's mind after the boy made the mistake of insulting him. At first he had only played with Ryoji, shifting his emotions and causing him to act in ways he never would toward those he cared about. However, that hadn't been enough and soon things escalated, culminating when he first forced Ryoji to fight his adoptive father, Diarmuid and his good friend, Yukiko, and then made him kill himself in front of them. The actions were not only a violation of Ryoji's very self, but of his rights as a human being, something Diarmuid swore there would be consequences for. In the Tower, though, things are rarely that easy and after 'speaking' with Sephiroth at the Midsummer's party that Cu Chulainn had thrown, Diarmuid realized that just killing Sephiroth in retaliation would have no effect on the man. In fact, he would probably be pleased. As a result of this realization, Diarmuid put off his revenge, searching for a way to make it matter. His revenge would be further put off when Waver and Sephiroth declared a shaky truce so that everyone's energies could be focused on what was more important--the collar fluid.
To say that Diarmuid didn't like Sephiroth working with something so important to the whole Tower would be an understatement, but he was well aware of how much more important the research was to them all than any individual hatreds they had. That was why he let things lie and did his best to avoid causing problems.
Then, Sephiroth broke the truce. Not only did he break the truce, Diarmuid realized as he was nursing his wounds and fixing the minor damages to the printing press afterward, Sephiroth was up to something. Sephiroth could have all too easily killed him, Diarmuid had learned from Reno. He could have as easily as breathing destroyed the whole section of library they were fighting in. Instead, not only had Sephiroth left Diarmuid alive after knocking him out, he had only fought using Diarmuid's own stolen sword.
Why? The obvious conclusion in Diarmuid's mind was that he was hiding something. Something big. Something that left him not wanting to draw attention to himself. Something that probably meant bad things for everyone in the Tower. And that was why this confrontation couldn't wait any longer. It was no longer just about revenge for what Sephiroth had done to Ryoji.
It was about protecting them all and making sure what happened on Reno's world, didn't happen here.
That was why, after talking to those closest to him and securing their help and the help of a few of their friends, Diarmuid had sent Sephiroth a letter asking him to meet him. The letter itself was simple, only enough to get the man to actually come as opposed to ignoring him. It held no lies, but it held no details either, leaving plenty of space for wrong assumptions. Wrong assumptions that Diarmuid was counting on.
Was it dishonorable? Well, Diarmuid had said Sephiroth brought out the worst in him and this was just another example of how true that was. But, it had to be done. In Diarmuid's mind, there was no other choice. If he must sacrifice his honor to protect his family and everyone else in the Tower, he would do it.
At least, it was his choice this time to take these dishonorable actions instead of being forced to do them by another's hand.
As Diarmuid enters the floor, his eyes immediately scan it, and he is pleased to see that aside from the one who is supposed to be there, no others are on it. That will soon change when his friends join him, but for now he has asked them to wait before entering. He wants to make sure he isn't walking them into a trap, especially after what the younger Sephiroth had told him about the elder's suspicious not long ago.
Sephiroth has his stolen sword, which Diarmuid is glad for since part of him had not expected the man to bring it. The same part that had wondered if he would actually come at all.
"So you are less of a coward than I thought..." Diarmuid's voice is cold and detached, much like his expression, and he plans on keeping himself that way. There will not be a repeat of his loss of control in the Library.
Floor 43 (Incarceration)-Open, 11/16 to 11/20:
Floor 43 is often called the prison floor by those in the Tower because it is filled with cells. Cells that strip a person of their powers and can only be unlocked from the outside. They are a great tool for keeping those who cause problems from causing them as long as a person can get the troublemaker into one to begin with. That task is a little easier when the person who needs to be locked up just died in a fight and has almost two hours of sleep paralysis and numbness to wait through. Since there is really no other way a person can get someone as strong as Sephiroth into one of those cells, it shouldn't be too surprising that someone from the fight yesterday has taken advantage of Sephiroth's death and moved him into one of the cells. It is there he stays, watched over by a loose guard of people. Every so often, though, there is a break in the guard which allows people the chance to
(OOC: Please do not attempt to free Sephiroth in this prompt as he will be getting let out in a separate log. Thanks!)
Section Links:
Fight-Floor 62
Incarceration-Floor 43
no subject
It's impossible to not notice Thanatos when it's on the approach though, and it's with a disgruntled noise that he slashes in a final uppercut towards Asagi - following with a single pulse of his will psychically to propel her a distance away, necessary for him to turn and deal with the monster just as it makes it's first swing at him.
Sephiroth blocks two-handed, holds Masamune steady and then arches to parry before going even more on the evasive in his battle with Thanatos. He recalls from before, that it is easier to dodge around and pick at this form with small, piercing thrusts of the very tip of Masamune, rather than engaging him in a fight which relied more on strength - which was hemorrhaging almost like some of his deeper gashes at this point. And so this fight starts to lean more into a stab-and-retreat until Sephiroth sees an opening he can go for.]
no subject
Unfortunately, the thing that seemed to do the most damage to Sephiroth is also the one that leaves Ryoji the most exposed. He has to charge that Megidola to use it again, and for those few seconds when he's casting that spell, he's open. Hopefully the explosion will catch Sephiroth before he catches Ryoji.]
no subject
But he'd have been a fool to miss the way that Ryoji leaves himself open while he's charging that Megidola. That blast had caused sufficient damage to stun him off of the back of Gae Bolg that it had given Rick the window to come and chew at his booted foot. In short, couldn't be allowed. Sephiroth takes a sharp breath inwards and then moves throwing all of his prowess into speed this time.
The slash is low, but quickly makes itself known for it's brutality. It sweeps a curved line across the bottom of Ryoji's abdomen, deep enough to threaten gutting him in one swift motion. Masamune then comes free and is swung around and up to paint a similar - vertical line up towards his chest. The maneuver is followed by both a telekinetic pulse backwards and a quick fireball.
Sephiroth takes a beat longer to observe, to make sure that the beast simply doesn't just get back up - before promptly turning and resetting his stance towards the triad of Waver, with Diarmuid at his feet and Lancer somewhere nearby as well. Asagi would surely be dashing back to to engage him if he lingered where he was and so Sephiroth fought still-healing slashes, pulsing bruises to straighten himself up into somewhat of a salute with his weapon before charging directly at them.
He holds stubbornly onto that speed he'd conjured to deal the lethal attack to Ryoji and dashes with boots hardly touching the sand back into range. Sephiroth slashes again and again at the Volumen Hydragyrum specifically, leaving no break in his attack and sparing no iota of his speed. Sephiroth wouldn't stop, if the great mercurial shield was passed he'd cleave into whomever was unfortunately the other side of it.]
no subject
He's knocked down by the telekinetic pulse, so he avoids the fireball, but that only ensures that he'll die from bleeding out instead of burns. He turns his head to the rest of the group, watching them even as his vision starts to blur. He probably won't be loud enough to be heard, but...]
Everyone... k-keep fighting. You can still s-stop him... sorry I couldn't...
[He trails off to silence, his breathing ragged. Everything feels numb now, so it's only a matter of time before his breathing stops completely, and his body eventually shuts down... but until that moment, he's hoping for their safety, and hoping no one else will be harmed before the battle is over. He can always ask them tomorrow, can't he?
He coughs up a bit of the blood in his lungs, smiles weakly, and passes out.]
no subject
Then the girl falls and everything slows down. Even though time slows down, as injured as Diarmuid is, he hasn't got the strength to move to save her. He doesn't EVEN KNOW HER NAME, and now she's laying in the sand bleeding to death because he isn't strong enough to protect anyone. Not anyone.
Was he ever strong enough?
The world stops when Ryoji falls, a cry forcing its way from Diarmuid's bloodied lips. He actually starts to his feet, but again his strength fails, and he falls back into a crouch, white hot pain lancing through his body and clouding his eyes so that he doesn't see Veronica crawl away from the fight or the younger Sephiroth go to help her.
What he does see, after cutting down his son, is Sephiroth heading straight for the one he loves the most in the Tower. What he does see is that Volumen Hydragyrum is still cutting a path through the sands and, as a result, is not at full strength and no longer a guaranteed defense for them both, let alone Waver himself.
To be honest, the decision is an easy one for Diarmuid to make. Even if he is more than willing to sacrifice himself for Waver, there is more to it than that. He can no longer fight. Waver can.
As long as he is still alive to do it.
The world bursts into motion again as Diarmuid forces himself to his feet moving between Waver and Sephiroth just in time to take Masamune though the chest. He has no idea if he has stopped the blade from striking Waver considering how long it is. He can only hope he has.
More blood spills from his lips followed by...a bitter laugh.]
Always the heart. Always the heart.
[Diarmuid's head suddenly flies up. At the same time, he uses the last of his strength to will Gae Dearg back into existence and puts it straight through Sephiroth's shoulder. The spear doesn't remain manifest for long--Diarmuid doesn't have the strength--but it is long enough and a bloody hole is left as it vanishes again.
Perhaps, though, even more startling than the sudden attack is the change that comes over Diarmuid. His eyes slit, golden and white becoming stained with blood. Most frighteningly is the dark, edged tone that fills his voice as he continues speaking. It is a tone that Cu Chulainn will remember from April and a tone Waver will remember from memories once witnessed in a nightmare.]
What is the darkness going to do when I finally excise that weakness? What will you do then?
[Diarmuid draws a shaky breath, the sound weak and wet. For a moment it seems he will try to say more, but a tremor runs through him and he falls back against Waver. His eyes flutter before finally falling shut. As the world fades away, lost in a swirl of red and black rage, Diarmuid forces one last thing through his bond to Waver. That message is free of rage and free of pain. It is simply...
I'm sorry.]
no subject
[But he could worry about morality later and check up on the casualties tomorrow. If he wanted to at least disable Sephiroth, he had to concentrate on finishing the magic circle. The magus didn't even flinch at Sephiroth's attacks being met strike for strike by what little of his shield wasn't engraving lines in the sand. But as Sephiroth moved, Waver realized there was a problem. For a moment it seemed his Mystic Code was slowing down, but that wasn't the case--Sephiroth was moving faster than it could keep up. Waver hadn't even known that was possible.]
[The next thing he saw was blood-- a lot of it, and not entirely his own. Sephiroth's sword had struck through Diarmuid's chest into the arm Waver had raised in a useless reflex, but any possibility of a mortal injury had been halted.]
You... [Whatever Waver was going to try to say trailed off shakily at Diarmuid's own words, spoken in a voice that very frankly terrified the magus beyond comprehension. For a few seconds Waver was aware of a strange sense of detachment that came over him; for a moment he moved automatically, lowering Diarmuid to the ground with an expression of wordless shock. But the pain in his arm began to set in, and with it came an unfamiliar sentiment; genuine rage and hatred not unlike that which Diarmuid was often so conflicted over. Green eyes burned with something hateful and murderous...and perhaps something not fully stable at the moment.]
Scalp--!
[With a snarled activation word the shield turned to a mass of bladed tendrils, spinning and slashing and lashing out at any part of Sephiroth they could reach to drive him back. If he could just buy enough time to finish the damned circle, this would all be over.]
[Hangups about murder? Morality? Fuck it. Fuck all of it. Waver's clothes and hands were stained with the blood of the only friend he'd ever known, and therefore Sephiroth was going to die, by his hand, right now.]
no subject
[Cu Chulainn had rushed to Diarmuid's side at the end of the Gae Bolg explosion. And there, he had tried to apply his dwindling prana into healing his brother's wounds. That is the reason he had not intervened to save anyone. And that is the reason he is too slow to stop Diarmuid.]
[Even after that, he cannot move. The blood trickling from Diarmuid's eyes reminds him too much of that time in April. It chills him, making him unconsciously recoil, fearing that his brother will curse him again. He only remembers to move again once Waver has laid Diarmuid on the ground.]
Brother!
[He screams, scrambling over to Diarmuid's side.]
Bother, stay still! You'll be alright! I'll heal you!
[He starts trying to piece together his runes, though using them makes his head spin. He knows that it will likely take the rest of his prana, dooming him to die of prana drain.]
[But his brother's life is worth that.]
[As he sketches out the runes with one hand, he grabs Diarmuid's hand with the other. Diarmuid feels so cold it makes his heart skip a beat. But he won't admit that his brother might already be gone. Even if they were arguing just a little while before, he doesn't want Diarmuid to die.]
SORRY FOR THE FOREVER LATE
Something snapped inside of him, like the blood that splattered on his coat.
He wished he could have had a clearer picture, but at this point it was simply do or die - and he was not going to let anyone else go down on his watch. The figure standing behind him cast Tarukaja on him again before disappearing in a flash of light, and he begins to walk forward as bluish energy seems to seep out of him in a raging storm. Slowly. Calmly.]
Stand aside.
[His voice sounds distorted, with an echo of someone else speaking at the same time as him. Above him, cloth shifts and move until a new figure emerges, towering over him, sword in hand. He never brings out Kamakura Gongoro. Never. And even then, he's only the soldier to stand in front. In the back, he can feel one of his other selves pacing gleefully back and forth, waiting for that moment when he'll be unleashed...]
I don't know what's happening, but stop this madness!
[Perhaps a last ditch attempt, or just utter madness on his part, he was going to try the peaceful solution before unleashing his own version of hell.]
no subject
[Asagi is, for the moment, more preoccupied with Cu Chulainn's insistence in trying to heal Diarmuid, who she can very well tell is already gone. So much so, that she doesn't bother to pursue Sephiroth again for the moment past a glancing blow as he retreats. She only spares Naoya a passing glance, momentarily intrigued by the power he's displaying before returning to herself and setting her attention on Lancer once again, and she pushes past Naoya with a warning of-]
So move it or lose it nerd!
[Then she's at Cu Chulainn's side, pulling his hands away from Diarmuid and shaking him a little to try and get his attention back to the present- even as a few of the spears of her hair try and give Sephiroth reason to be wary.]
Stop. You can't help, and you're not doing the rest of us any good if you die, idiot.
[Another shake, followed by a firm slamming of her forehead against his, eyes narrowed and lips pulled into a grimace.]
Are you listening to me?
no subject
W-what do you mean? I'm listening. Just let me save Diarmuid first.
[Slowly, realization seems to dawn upon him.]
Are you saying that...that he's gone? He...
[For a second, it seems that he's ready to cry. Then, his eyes blaze with anger.]
...I'll kill him! Sephiroth! I'll tear you to pieces!
no subject
[Even as she watches him get angry, she grabs his shoulders and digs her claws in, just a little, and slams her forehead against his again.
She's lucky she's so sturdy, otherwise she's sure she'd have a concussion.]
Cu Chulainn. Getting angry won't do you any good at this point.
[But she still turns her gaze toward Sephiroth, eyes narrowing. Because it might not be personal, but it is for Lancer- and that's good enough for her. She squeezes his arms again, and then slides a hand down to squeeze one of his, red eyes bright.]
Now come with me- we'll rip him apart together.
no subject
He rushed forwards but he was too late, he was always too late and he saw the sword hit Ryoji.
Suzaku didn't manage to get to his side before the boy slipped away. Even though he had known that the likelihood of most people dying in this attempt to bring down Sephiroth was likely and even though he knew that Ryoji would just reappear the next day didn't help. He felt his heart lurch and anger boil to the surface. He had failed to protect him, what was worse he had probably distracted him, made him think he was safe and then abandoned him.
He looked up from the body, knowing that Diarmuid would not be taking this well. What he saw instead was Sephiroth running towards them. Suzaku tried to move but his eyes flashed red again and he stayed still.
Sephiroth's sword went through Diarmuid, this time being frozen in place had nothing to do with Geass and more to do with shock, Diarmuid's anger shook him, but not so much as his death. Suzaku had seen enough death, that even from this distance he knew his friend wasn't merely unconscious.
Suzaku let out a cry of rage, of pain and took out his gun. Not caring about saving bullets now, rushing towards him, shooting until he was too close them bringing his sword up to cut and slice and stab. Not caring about tactics or sense, just wanted revenge for the death of his friend, the death of his brother.
He couldn't die, it was about the only edge he had in this fight and so he was going to use that to his advantage, and throw all his strength at Sephiroth.]
no subject
Passing through shield and sure to cleave Waver in two on impact. It's only then there is a whoosh of movement registered and it's Diarmuid all of a sudden there in between the two of them. Masamune halted mid-swing by the sheer amount of meat it's had to cleave through - stuck mid-way through the Servant's torso. It's as Diarmuid spews forth more blood and words that Sephiroth steps back to slowly draw the great length out of his opponent.
The sudden movement of Diarmuid's head being forced back up catches Sephiroth's attention again for the second before there is a more immediate problem - the sudden appearance of a spear through Sephiroth's right shoulder, cracking silver armor; which falls to the floor instantly. Sephiroth froze in his retreat, breath taken and held for those few moments when he could see a terrifying hell in Diarmuid's face. He would value this glimpse into the Servant's darkness later; though he does manage a momentary smirk, before the injury left in Gae Dearg's wake is all of a sudden a large, empty gushing hole in his shoulder which robbed his right arm of all sensation and movement.
Masamune in left-hand Sephiroth stumbles back and away into his right-sided injury, very nearly crashing to that knee under the crippling agony now penetrated through his shattered shoulder joint. He swings with the momentum of the swoon back around though and resets his stance to be heavily left-side dominant. No choice now but to wield his sword left handed. His cells scream at him metaphysically, pull at his consciousness before he forces himself above the increasing dire need to regenerate.
There is the vague recognition of Naoya's appearance on the battlefield, and the over-large Persona behind him but under the immediate counter-attack between Suzaku and Waver's Volumen Hydragyrum Sephiroth is much too occupied concentrating with everything he has on deflecting what he can; one-handed. Bullets lace up his back afresh as Suzaku races back in, and Volumen Hydragyrum slices lines wherever it can get around his defense - forcing the retreat back towards the magic circle. He's quickly turning into a lacerated mess of blood and leather, leaving a easily traceable trail in the sand.
He mistimes a step in the sand and just about manages to turn in time to meet Suzaku's bladed attack with a block, growling loudly as he forces his whole body weight and his dwindling telekinetic power against it - anything to force Suzaku back away from him. To buy his body time to at least stem bleeding, this being most important for preserving and readjusting his power output.
That done, Sephiroth does drop to one knee on his right side. Breathing heavy and with his right shoulder curled inwards - left fist in the sand still around his weapon. He swoons but still his body begins to catch up, the blood stops gushing from his shoulder at least and Sephiroth looks up to meet Naoya's gaze dead on. He can see the power coming from this one, it will have to be dealt with quickly.]
What's this- [He grunts and spits a mouthful of blood into the sand and gets his weight underneath him, pushing up to his feet. He'll still have to fight one-handed but the green Materia flares up dangerously in the hilt of his weapon, he's scraping every last ounce of power that he has. It would be important to keep this newcomer at a distance.] -a latecomer?
[He wastes no time in launching a volley of three fireballs at Naoya.]
no subject
...Yeah. I am.
[His voice is back to its normal pitch, and he doesn't get to say much more as the fireballs hit him. The persona behind hims disappears just as the entire area bursts into heat, the flames growing as each fireball hits, melting the sand into glass.
Then, a sudden shift as they begin to whirlwind together, dissipating to reveal him again standing there, a cloud of steam rising from above him. A quick change from the sea of his mind switched his persona for another, as succubus took the blunt of the hit and absorbed it. He switches back to Kamakura Gongoro again.]
Persona.
[The creature silently raises it's hand and a torrent of bullet-like projectiles of the Sonic bullet attack are flung towards his foe's direction. Yet even now, Naoya only means to disarm him, and remove that elongated blade from his hand.]
no subject
Had Sephiroth been sure of his footing on the sand he'd have charged right in then and there to take whatever advantage he could cleave. As it was, distracting deep rooted throbbing at his mess of a right shoulder held Sephiroth in a defensive position.
All things considered in his one-handed defense, he did quite well in turning Masamune into the Sonic projectiles - knocking some harmlessly away, blocking some entirely but the impacts of the heavy attack shook the blade out of his grasp, the end of the torrent flicking the great sword up into the air and a fair distance away. The blue-handled sword landing harmlessly in the sand several feet away.
No weapon or Materia left to use, Sephiroth now only had the remains of his telekinesis to play with. He bit his lip and crouched in a deep squat, forcing the momentum up and forwards - extending in a desperate kinetic wave of energy towards Naoya. Sephiroth stumbled forwards with the effort but managed to catch his balance, charging forwards towards Naoya in an attempted shoulder barge with his good side.]
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In annoyance, he wipes it away, letting it color his already colored shirt even farther.]
Kamakura Gongoro!
[Naoya had always been an avid video game player. Despite his best intentions, even now his mind was acting in accordance to those strange rules laid out by his favorite RPGs. If this guy was an issue with his friends, there had to be some dark energy to him (logically), so when push came to shove, he chose for his Persona to unleash the Makouha, a holy/expel type of spell.
The creature advanced to meet Sethiroth as he charged, attempting to have him connect with him instead of Naoya. Gongoro's left hand moved in a series of incantations before two whitish circle appeared around its intended target. White cards with engravings of holy protection upon them attached themselves to him like a bad plague.
His foe may not have heard it, but the pacing voice inside of Naoya was growing louder with each hit that connected.]
Let ME have some fun too!
Just one look is all you'll need, into those eyes of his, and he'll be gone!
Sure it's a risk, but that's half the fun!
You haven't gotten to do that yet, self, this is the perfect time! It's quick and harmless right?
Come on me...
[...he couldn't deny that that feeling was swelling up in him as he looked at Ryoji's lifeless body again.
...the self capable of demonic cruelty was hard to ignore, once it made himself known.]
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Let's go.
[Like Lancer, Sephiroth is currently unarmed. On top of that, persistent attacks seem to have finally worn him down. Lancer doesn't even think about summoning Gae Bolg as he barrels into Sephiroth, more or less trying to body slam him.]
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Ngggghhhh [Sephiroth cries out for the first time in the entire fight as the power burned him both from the inside out and from the surface inwards. Cutting off sharply the race of his cells to regenerate. He was left momentarily stunned, strongly swaying from one side to the other. Threatening to keel over onto his heavier injured right side-
-A flurry of blue is registered as Lancer barrels low into him, taking him clean off of his feet. It knocks the wind out of him when his back connects with the beach and he struggles to draw that first breath.
It's only an instant later that he hissed that first inhale in, as the first of Asagi's blades effortlessly slid through the entire meat of a thigh and into the ground. Similar sharp stabs of pain followed at wrists, at shoulders; renewing the agony in the hole that Gae Daerg had left before. Each stab echoed with a sharp intake of breath as the sky above started to turn. Sephiroth turns his head frantically to each pinning blade as he finds himself unable to move. His telekinetic power finally losing the energy with which he might have wrenched himself free, even now. He meets Agasi and Lancer's gazes with flaring green orbs, angrily, almost daring them to let him free again.]
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Instead of rushing back into the battle Suzaku made his way to Waver's side, to where Diarmuid lay. He closed his eyes for only a second but then nodded at Waver, stood protectively next to him, before shooting at Sephiroth once more, sword in the other hand, ready to deflect any attacks that came towards Waver to harm or distract him.]
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[For one to activate Magic Circuits required a deep concentration and the visualizing of a specific image. That image varied from one magus to another: the stab of a knife, squeeze of a trigger, strike of a match...specifics didn't matter. To consciously awaken and concentrate prana flow through Magic Circuits, what was needed was a vision of sudden and sharp change. Considering he'd grown up in rainy London, the trigger he'd learned as a child was very simple and obvious. And even through the haze of rage and hatred, Waver could easily visualize it--a crack of thunder breaking through a storm. Fitting, considering a storm was just about what he was at this point.]
[Waver possessed fifteen Magic Circuits; below even the average. But the moment he'd closed his eyes and envisioned that trigger, the air close to him sparked with what comparatively little energy he had. A slight wind kicked up as Waver threw forward his right arm, palm out towards Sephiroth. Volumen Hydragyrum dropped entirely, into a puddle of mercury where the shield had been and laying itself within the lines it had been engraving.]
Shatter! Arise as the tides and descend as the torrent!
[At the magus' forceful declaration, the lines now inlaid with mercury took on a faint pale green glow. It was more obvious now they formed a large circle holding a several-pointed star and arcane runes scattered around the round border of the sigil. Whatever it was, the light was rapidly becoming bright enough not to be ignored. Untied black hair blew in the wind that crackled with energy, which grew more intense as he continued to speak.]
Life, become my shield. Life, become my blade.
Through my hands shalt thou be a crushing force.
[Every part of him felt as though he was on fire. Yet that was nothing which concerned Waver as he braced his outstretched arm by holding his own wrist. A magus' active circuits increased their body temperature; and more than that, they hurt. For a human body, the circuits were not a natural existence. On occasion Waver had derisively compared them to damaged nerves, which wasn't far from the truth. But today it didn't matter. Let them ache and burn all they wanted; the pain he usually hated kept him focused enough. Five lines. Just two more and he'll be fucking dead like he deserves. Don't think of anything but him and don't lose focus. Just kill him like he killed everyone else.]
[As he had spoken the previous two lines, the ocean a distance away had begin to stir. The water's surface curved downward, beginning to swirl like a vortex might have been forming. No sooner had it done that did it reverse its motion, part of the water rising to the air as though some awakening creature from the depths was pushing it upwards.]
In my hands lie the basics of all creation.
[Color was rapidly leaving his face as Waver expended prana far above his usual level of magecraft. This wasn't something an ordinary magus would need a five-line aria to accomplish, but for Waver it was a huge risk to his own prana reserves. Killing Diarmuid had been a mistake on many levels. In doing so Sephiroth had given Waver the chance to redirect the (by no means small) amount of magical energy that a contract with a Servant took from him. And now all of it was moving through his circuits and Magic Crest directly to that circle...and to the still-rising column of ocean.]
By those hands shall it be turned to ruin!
[The column rose high into the air as a spiral of water, then bent and arched downwards like a massive serpent. White noise of the pounding and rushing ocean filled the air, overpowering even the sound of cracking green energy illuminating the circle. In a moment it descended not unlike a tornado formed of water in the place of wind, and all of it was brought down from the skies upon Sephiroth himself.]
[The assault was rendered largely harmless to the others; he'd targeted Sephiroth, and Sephiroth alone suffered the worst of it. Once the water crashed to the ground it seemed to lose most of its destructive force, sinking into the ground or retreating back into the ocean it had risen from. Provided no one hated getting considerably wet, he'd been careful to see to it none of the others still alive would be harmed.]
[Once the ritual was done and his last resort completed, the light and energy vanished like it had been cut off, Waver himself dropping to his knees at Suzaku's side and doing all he could not to pass out. Exerting so much prana in one shot with a gaping wound in his arm was not the wisest action.]
[Then again, at that point, he might have been hoping it would overexert him to the point of death.]
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There's a strange sort of anger building inside him...perhaps due to the fact he's had lost so many friends the last few months, Ryoji and the other's deaths seems pointless, and even then, just the deadline hovering over their heads giving them so little precious time. It's foolish that they are fighting against each other...which is why it has to end now. Much to the pleasure of someone else..]
He's still breathing despite that attack!
Quite a tenacious little shit, that one.
Of course he's nearly down for the count now, but...maybe you don't want him to suffer anymore.
Maybe you want to make it quick. Oh sure, you could use that sword of his on him or your own, but...tch! You couldn't swing that blade well. This is a far better option.
[Relenting is far easier than he thought it would be.]
You're right. Let's go.
[To those who were standing there, it just sounded like Naoya was speaking to himself. Without thinking, he was already advancing towards where the foe had been pinned down, just a few footsteps away. Those few little steps almost seem like an eternity, each one weighing heavily upon him, as he decided his next course of action. He didn't want to do this...yet a stronger part of him did. It would be over quick, that's the important part. The form behind him faded, as the bluish glow overtook the Persona user again, this time switching to another figure, the power behind it almost radiating like wildfire, making Naoya's hair snap upwards, the wet strands sending droplets of water into the sky. Chains clanked as a thin, winged fallen angel took to the skies behind him, towering nearly three times his height. Ruins etched all over his body began to glow as it laughed.]
Hahahaha! I've been waiting for this!
[The voice was distorted in a deeper, booming voice, and the Persona certainly looked nothing like him, but it unmistakably sounded like Naoya himself. It's not a side of him that he wants others to see, especially behind that cool quiet, controlled facade. Yet now that a friend has been harmed, the metaphorical chains that kept him back were broken. He took two more steps and stood been the two people who have him pinned down, and Sephiroth himself. For a second, he closed his eyes.]
You two. Whatever you do, don't look at me.
[...And as much as he hated to think about it, he was all too happy to do this. He sighed, breathing in and out the sea air slowly.]
I'll be fast, I promise.
[That's was said to Sephiroth himself. If it's a promise to end his suffering, or just to make himself feel better, he didn't even know anymore. It's just two words he has to say. It's not a spell he's particularly proud of, something that he was glad was lost in the later Wild Card users.]
Hell Eyes.
[It's his turn to sound distorted as he suddenly snapped his eyes open, the red iris made even more evident in a strange hellish glow he could never see himself. But he knew Sephiroth could hear it now; the screams of everyone he had killed in the past, the swirling of reality and the abyssal darkness that threatened to carry him off to the underworld as black energy swirled around both them. There was a reason that spell had such a small area of usage; it was horrific...and deadly. Naoya held out a single hand open, their eyes never parting. He could now almost sense the other's heartbeat.
Lucifer mimicked the gestures above him, its own eyes glowing bright red.
Then both their hands suddenly closed together in a united, crushing movement.]
Sleep now. We'll see you come back soon enough. Sweet dreams.
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Sephiroth could feel something charging on the air the whole time, it was as if his extra-sensory perception had been flayed was having a salted breeze blown over it. He couldn't quite pin-point where it was coming from but knew it was from emanating from Waver's general direction. He felt the wind pick up, blowing some sand over him from the beach on which he was pinned. Settling salt into fresher wounds and intensifying Sephiroth's attempts to wrench himself free.
A line of mercury near to his head then flared up to a crackling green energy that mirrored Sephiroth's own vibrant green eyes. He could smell more salt on the air and rolled his head back towards the ocean as far as he could to try and get some idea of what was in store for-
-It might as well have been a wall of water made of a thousand tiny needles, hitting all at once with unimaginable impact force. Sephiroth hadn't much time to even take a breath to hold before the salt water slammed into him from the sky. It peeled back ripped leather of his clothing and tore it more, the salt water ripping at a similar fashion to his skin underneath. Invading half-open wounds with rushing salt, ripping his eyelids and mouth open with the force as if it would fill him up completely. He stopped moving as it all sunk harmlessly into the sand around him, only a slight dip of a crater in his shape betraying the violent force with which the water-tornado had been unleashed on him.
For a few moments, he was dead. Unmoving not even to breathe as the pulse sounding in the blackness of his unconscious went on overdrive. Aching his ears and all around the inside of every fiber of his body. Then he coughed and an alarming amount of salt water was expelled from his mouth, instantly turned with his head to the side. Indeed Sephiroth drew breaths with salt-rubbed on the inside of lungs, a terrible wheezing sound coming from him as red-raw eyelids stirred and squinted open.
He could hear the sounds of talking nearby, wondered idly how they had managed to remain unharmed by the water before Hell Eyes was cast. Sephiroth's eyes shot open, rimmed with a reflection of the red in both Naoya's and Lucifer's eyes - glaring shocked and fearfully up into the sky of the early evening. It was like before at the hands of the child phantoms, except more intense, more deafening. He arched his back wildly to try to get away from the screams, wanting to press his hands to his head before the pitch, the power of them started to make his brain bleed. The black stained swirling of reality whirlpooling around his broken and pinned frame removing him from the scene of the beach entirely. He cried out, loud, guttural sounds of defiance heavily laced with internal anguish as he flung his head from side to side, tried to gain purchase from his broken body.
By the time Naoya was at the point of being able to sense his heartbeat Sephiroth's was racing wildly, uncontrollably, panic-stricken and straining from the over-exertion. With only a clap, the thundering organ was crushed and the blood erupted thickly from around the envisioned hands. Like a puppet with it's strings cut, Sephiroth's salt-water saturated body stopped moving, his head flopped to the side and the first streams of blood came out of his mouth and nose. The redness that had taken over the color of his vibrant eyes faded away, and took with it that otherworldly Mako-green gleam as they continued to stare forwards, lifeless.]
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Well...that was interesting. [The voice seemed amused as Lucifer disappeared behind him.]
It'd done. Now...
[He stopped to look at the others, his eyes back to their normal deep reddish color, not carrying the dangers should someone cross gazes with him.]
Can someone tell me what happened?
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[He gets up, steps away from the corpse, and squeezes some water out of his hair.]
We fought and killed this guy. That's what.
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