View source for 5537/Soliloquy of Reproach: Release, Part I

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2017/10/27
|Location=Windknight's Lot <WKL>
|Synopsis=The group gathers to rescue Erina Pendleton from Magnus, and to end the incubus's danger. The group splits up -- some of them making a ruckus at the front, while others take a back route. The team at the front tangles with a dangerous Weapon Master, toughest of the Giant Brothers. The team sneaking in the back way confronts Magnus... and his treachery! Disguising himself as Erina, Magnus attempts to rend Jonathan Joestar's soul. He is stopped by Alucard... who takes the attack in Jonathan's place. Now Magnus has Erina AND Alucard, and he invites the group to try to stop him now that all the pieces of his plan are in place.
|Thanks=Jonathan Joestar's player, for letting me mess with him like this.
|Cast of Characters=1128, 972, 707, 1100, 1107, 1084, 571, 1011
|Tinyplot=Soliloquy of Reproach
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There have been strange lights coming from the ruined castle at Windknight's Lot. The townsfolk can probably feel that air again, that feeling that something horrible has invaded their town, yet again. Not to mention there's the little issue of Erina Pendleton being missing. Which those gathering here tonight will know the reasons behind!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Magnus himself has holed up in that ruined castle, with Erina, having kidnapped her while the others went to see to stopping 'Alucard'... who wasn't really Alucard at all. Magnus had played his hand well, and used a brainwashed and disguised servant from Alucard's past to distract from kidnapping Erina.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;His conditions for her release? Alucard was to raise Castlevania again, and claim the title of its Dark Lord. An absolute last resort, but Alucard filed away the possibility, should everything go horrendously bad.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard had chosen to skip over the town completely in his trip here, merely flying over it in his bat form rather than attempting to navigate it. After what had been done in his guise, he was almost certain the remaining townspeople would come after him with pitchforks and torches. And they wouldn't be in the wrong either, Alucard felt. They'd been through enough. It was times like this when he understood why his mother had stopped him from hurting people to rescue her from burning -- SOMEONE had to pay, to give them peace of mind.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The castle itself looks largely unchanged, but there are eerie lights in windows, and frightening sounds -- groans and growls mostly, and the odd bit of cackling. Looks like Magnus has brought friends. Is the desire for a Dark Lord so strong? Strong enough that all manner of frightening things would join him so quickly?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For his part, Alucard isn't about to just rush the place. That would be foolish. So instead, he waits on the pathway to the castle, on the other side of the village. They need to present a united force if this is to be won without costing Erina her life.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''<br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Reimu had merely flown off at a rather frighteningly fast pace. Her body had left afterimages merely from the speeds she flew at. The four orbs were also orbiting her body as well. She began to grit her teeth on the way there though. <br> <br> $t "I hate situations like these!" She shouted out." <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Honestly, if it wasn't for Jonathan's fiance, she would have finished this already but sadly, she had to follow after everyone else instead. This is the one time where flying forward just wouldn't work. <br> <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:'''<br>There are times to be considerate of the times, the place, and the people along your way from point A to point B. And there are times to throw tact and consideration to the wind and just GO FAST.<br><br>When the incubus who worked for your ally's evil old man has been setting up a frame job to push the aforementioned ally into going evil, and has another ally's betrothed as a hostage, it is not particularly a time to emphasize being a good visitor - particularly when that's the slow option. So Xiaomu is, at this moment, hunkered over her lightcycle and pouring on all the speed she can safely manage; the limits of her being careful about creating an uproar are defined by 'go around as much of Windknight's Lot as possible instead of barreling down the main street' - and even then, if the choice is between 'road' versus 'edge of a mountain,' she's taking the freakin' road and just trusting her reaction time so she won't run over anyone.<br><br>She *would* go all the way up to the castle itself if it weren't for Alucard waiting where he is; instead, the lightcycle pops a truly epic wheelie, nearly angling up to a true vertical orientation - sharp enough that it looks like it might fall over and land on its topside, and on top of Xiaomu ...<br><br>But instead, the sage fox dismounts and the lightcycle derezzes, reverting to a wireframe which retracts and shrinks into baton shape, and she just catches the 'baton' as it falls into her free hand. "So glad I didn't use a lot of ammo or grenades at the crypt. We got a plan of attack, or is the plan just 'attack'?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:'''<br>Leyanne roars up the path on her bike. She's taken a very brief detour home to raid her armoury; with a hostage in danger, her minigun is now a liability, not the undead-slaughtering bullet hose of usefulness she'd indended it to be; this is a hostage situation.<br><br>And so it is that Windnight's Lot, if not already awake, got roused by the wake-the-dead roar of Leyanne's Harley Davidson red-lining through the town to catch up to the others. She slews the bike to a halt, showering Alucard's boots with gravel, and then hops off the bike to unstow and... put on her gun..<br><br>She's got to put the gun on because it's mounted on a steadicam-style harness that lends Leyanne a more than passing resemblence to a smartgunner from a certain sci-fi horror franchise, once it's all strapped into place. Today's gun is a Bushmaster, a longer, heavier, single-barrled autocannon. One with a much slower rate of fire than the rotary minigun, allowing Leyanne to, in theory at least, avoid hitting anything too important.<br><br>"I thought I should bring something a a little more precise. Hope I didn't slow everyone down too much..."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:'''<br>Even sprinting at his top speed, and with a headstart, Jonathan was still only the third person to arrive. The path that connected Windknight's Lot to the Castle was fairly direct, but, there was in fact another entrance. An unintended one created the year previous, a hole in the wall of The Chamber of Dragon Decapitation. "As many of you who wish to should charge the main entrance." Jonathan suggests. The menacing feeling projected by the Castle, the awful noises -- yes, it was almost identical to its previous inhabitants. Jonathan's fists found themselves clenched so tightly that the leather began to creak. "I'm going to go around and use the entrance I did previously, across the ravine and through The Chamber of Dragon Decapitation. If this Magnus has his attention on a frontal assault, it'll make breaking into the throne room easier."<br><br>Those who choose to look in that direction can see a single broken breastplate in perfectly lively foilage, exuding a peculiar warmth, and a lake so shallow it would only go up to your heels, the backdrop of a whole garden of perfectly bloomed flowers. Odd, considering the time of year.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:'''<br>Seras Victoria's brought MUCH MUCH MORE FIREPOWER this time. She's sporting two huge cannons, one clutched under each arm, and is dashing for the meeting place as if each weighed nothing. Long chains of ammo dangle from each... the shells are HUGE. What are these weapons meant to take down, anyways?!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When she finally does come to a halt near the others... her eyes are set on the castle quickly, after glancing around at who else has come.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But instead of the usual greeting... she blinks a few times... and shuffles over to stand next to the distant Alucard.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What are we likely to FIND in here...? It's a spooky-looking old castle with an angry wizard throwing around black magic!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maaka wastes no time in driving for Windknight's Lot. There was this 'OH SHIT!' moment where everyone hightailed it towards the castle, and Maaka was first in line to lead the charge. Her motorcycle tears across rough terrain, the cyborg putting everything into getting there soon as humanly possible.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She grits her teeth, knowing the stakes at hand are too great to afford wasting any time or effort if Erina is to be rescued safely. She's made it a point of pride to hunt down monsters like Magnus, who hide behind innocents like shields or demand ransom. Bringing destruction on those who prey on the weak certainly gives her purpose.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She hops off the bike, and draws her SCAR-H, removing her helmet as she begins to take point.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:'''<br> Things aren't looking great for a peaceful resolution. Magnus not only took a hostage, but openly mocked everyone over the radio. Tempers will be flaring, and to be honest, when he's wondering whether Magnus deserves mercy. Even so, he's got to be there, to give the demon every chance he can to give up his goal of Alucard claiming the castle--and to redeem himself. So, with his thin lips pulled into a frown, he arrives at the castle. He's brought relatively little. save for his gun and his St. Jude medallion. As a precaution, he begins burning blood, increasing his strength and speed--better to have them and not need them. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Alright, Alucard. I'll put on a little glamour, sneak in with you and run interference on anything Magnus throws your way. He's gonna realize you're missing anyway--better you have a little backup."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard does serve as a good place to gather. He's standing far enough from the castle that Magnus shouldn't feel threatened by his presence, but close enough that they can make the final push without much trouble. He's dressed in black, but he has his hood down, so his hair and pale skin will stand out enough to see him. "My apologies," he offers to Reimu in response to her shout. "Had I been faster in discerning the one responsible, we might not be here now."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Xiaomu's arrival gets Alucard to take a step back, not wanting to be in the way of her cycle. But her question also gets an answer. "For now? I will try to determine where he is holding her. Would you feel comfortable drawing his attention to the front while I found another entrance to the place?"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard nods to Leyanne, not seeming to mind the spray of gravel. "That is appreciated," he replies. "Miss Erina's safety is paramount; it would not do to harm her ourselves in the attempt to rescue her."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard nods to Jonathan's words. "That was my thought as well," he agrees. "Magnus is fairly showy. I have doubts that he will allow the bigger distraction to go unchallenged. This will give a smaller group the chance to find another way in." A pause, and he ducks his head to Jonathan. "...Will you allow me to accompany you?" he requests. "I may be able to assist you if the path is difficult.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"An incubus," Alucard clarifies, to Seras's words of a 'wizard'. "Their kind are well-versed in magical arts, particularly those that cloud the senses. And it seems that he has brought other demons with him. As I expected him to do. I can smell the scent of Castlevania's demons. Expect to encounter resistance on the way in."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maaka's arrival gets a greeting, "Thank you for coming." And he ducks his head in a small bow. "My apologies for this. I do blame myself, but for now all we can do is try to salvage the situation as best as we can."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard greets Rizzo as well, with a nod. To the suggestion, he notes, "He will indeed. Magnus is proud, but not stupid. You do seem to operate more quietly. It seems Sir Joestar knows another way into the castle. If he has no objections, we may use this route." Another look to Jonathan, in question.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Brainwashing is a bitch, don't sweat it." Maaka says, clapping Alucard on the arm firmly. She nods to Rizzo's suggestion, when he brings up the option of a stealthier entrance. "I'm no stranger to stealthy insertions myself, I'll go that route too if there's no objection to it." She says, slinging her rifle as she begins to search her coat's pockets to check for a suppressor. There's one for her .45, luckily, as she takes note of that.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:'''<br>Leyanne Mace grins to Xiaomu, Maaka, and Seras. She peers at Seras a moment longer. "Honey. I have got to get the number of your armourer." She decides. "So, I'm with the front door team. Stealth isn't my thing too much, especially not with Crocodile here." She hefts the gun on its servo-harness. She grins, moving to where the front door team are gathering.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Reimu begins to nod and answers politely, "It's perfectly fine. Misunderstandings happen all the time in my line of work. However, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go for the front entrance since I'm certain you guys can handle stealth better than me." <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; The young maiden begins to smile as the four orbs arrange themselves parallel to her body. Two of them were on her left and right sides. Without a word, she flew off to the front entrance of the castle. As she begins to fly forth, the four orbs begin to glow for a moment. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:'''<br>"A-an incubus." Seras gulps. She's read up on this since before. And the idea makes her nervous indeed. The Draculina's lips are pressed tightly together and she tightens her grip on the twin Harkonnen cannons...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"N-... no use being stealthy for me. I'll go through the front with Xiaomu and make a distraction!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:'''<br>"I ... don't suppose I mind."<br><br>Jonathan didn't explicitly trust Alucard, but given the situation, they had no choice but to work together. As well, he hadn't exactly done anything deserving of hostility. Perhaps, much like Seras or even that Constable that would be coming with them, he could be given a measure of trust. Jonathan could do that much, at least. A nod is given to those present, as Jonathan begins to walk off the beaten path. "Good luck, everyone."<br><br>With the group splitting up, heeding Jonathan and Alucard's suggestion, it was time for him to enter the same way he had one year prior. It honestly brought up bad memories, just like it had during his last visit several months ago. The place that Zeppeli had been killed ... it still felt like yesterday. Surrounding foilage, dry and dying leaves were gathered quickly in preperation. "We'll be entering from the left side of the grounds, this means we'll have an advantage in how this incubus has fortified himself. His personality might be similar, but he's no Dio. He can't raise an infinite amount of minions to assist him, that means his coverage of the castle will either by weak in power but widely spread, or tightly formed pockets for a more formidable squad of goons. I suspect the latter."<br><br>Lightning crackled at his fingertips as he breathed in so deeply that his chest seemed to expand. The yellow sparks hardened each leaf, and made them stick to one another. The end result was a sort of hang glider that seemed to stick to Jonathan's fingers, holding his weight even when he jumped off the edge of the cliff seperating them from the actual door leading into the Chamber, and the hole in the wall below it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:'''<br>So, some go loud, some go sneaky, and somewhere in between them, Magnus is gonna go down. At least that's how Xiaomu is hoping things will play out. She personally wants to wreck that incubus's face until it stops being attractive no matter *how* hard he shapeshifts, so going in as part of the big flashy noisy distraction sounds really good right now.<br><br>The sgae fox glances at Seras as they make their way towards the front door - Xiaomu at least is moving as quickly as she can, so as to keep up with the flying miko. "You worried that he'll try to seduce you in mid-battle or something?" she asks mildly. "With this many supernatural types on our team, I guarantee *somebody* won't fall victim to any whammy he tries to deploy on us. And he probably doesn't have as thick a book of tricks as most of us do, either - most youkai I've dealt with just stick to what they're good at and don't try to flesh out their repertoire; it's the ones who *do* diversify that can cause real trouble."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Rizzo eyes the route that Jonathan points out. "Think you could give me a lift?" Malkavians are hardly the most physical of Caine's children. Even pumped all the way up, he couldn't make a jump of that size. Jonathan's glider isn't an option either--someting about that power makes him uncomfortable even at a distance, and it messed up Lyudmil's mug plenty. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Fortunately for Alucard, Rizzo is exactly as light as he looks. Rail thin, even, perhaps enough to draw question to his health, whether before his siring or otherwise. Should he choose to carry the younger vampire across, he'll notice also the man tenses, as if locked in a battle with some sort of animal fear. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Upon landing, Rizzo relaxes visibly. Producing a Zippo lighter from his coat and shoving a slightly bent cigarrete between his lips, he thrusts the box towards Alucard in a silent offer.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard nods to each person's choice of team. It seems he has no disagreements. To Jonathan, though, he ducks his head in a bow. "Thank you." Perhaps on some level he realizes that this a lot for Jonathan. He has very good reasons to distrust vampires, and yet he has three of them along on this. Two of them in close proximity to himself.<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maaka gets a look, one that... well, it's not a smile. Alucard doesn't do that very often. But the glint in his eyes is softer as he looks to her following the clap on his shoulder. "Yes. I only curse my own inaction. But there will be time for regrets later." Hopefully.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard bids to the group at large, "Be careful, all of you. Not only for Miss Erina's sake, but for your own as well. I do not wish to lose anyone here." That said, he heads the direction that Jonathan leads.<br><br>FRONT TEAM:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The team heading up front can hear a laugh growing from the castle as they near it. Magnus's voice broadcasts from the structure. "So there you are~," he sing-songs. "I haven't had much time to prepare for your arrival, but I simply MUST entertain my guests!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The door opens of its own accord, and there in the broken foyer is a golden-armored knight. The knight is MASSIVE, easily ten feet tall, and built slimly yet powerfully. And it positively BRISTLING with weapons! There's a double-bladed gurkha in each hand, a warhammer on its back, and enough daggers shealth in its belt to look vaguely like a porcupine pelt is being worn as a belt! Magnus voice speaks up again, from somewhere else in the castle. "Ah, here are your playmates, Weapon Master. Do amuse yourself. But play nicely, won't you? The young master may require their services after you've amused yourself with them."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The voice that comes from the knight seems to echo, not just in the foyer, but in the helmet being worn. "With pleasure, Master Magnus!" The knight begins to spin the double-bladed knives in each hand. These weapons look dangerous, as if a pair of curved gurkha knives had been joined together at their pommels. This knight wields two of these combined weapons, spinning them so quickly their shapes blur into a circle of glinting metal.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>STEALTH TEAM:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard nods to Jonathan's observation. "Magnus's minions are limited by those remaining that he could coax or beguile to assist him," he confirms. "Likely most of the castle will be unguarded, save for where he has placed Miss Erina, the front entrance, and what other side entrances he has become aware of."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's worth it to note that Alucard views the water with distaste, but once he realizes it's only a few inches deep, his expression returns to the normal stoic one. Alucard pauses, blinking slightly as Jonathan creates a hang-glider out of leaves. But he also flinches a bit at that lightning. He remembers how much it hurts!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For himself and Rizzo's purposes, Alucard gets a running start... and then jumps. His arc looks like it's going to take them both right down into the canyon below, disturbingly enough. But at the height of his jump, his cloak seems to take the shape of a great pair of wings -- feathered, oddly enough -- and flaps once, giving him a bit of extra height before returning to normal.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's just enough to land them both safely on that platform, and he releases his hold on Rizzo as soon as he's certain it's safe to do so. Alucard raises a hand in offer to the cigarette. "No thank you," he says quietly.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The door is still open, and everything looks quiet, unchanged from the last time Jonathan visited this place. Perhaps Magnus hasn't discovered this particular entrance after all, and they will be able to make entry into the castle unnoticed. Could it really be that easy?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;STEALTH TEAM<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"We'll fix that soon." is all Maaka says, before she follows Joestar, swapping from her SCAR to her sidearm, threading on a suppressor to her .45 pistol as she covers corners, trying to keep the team from being caught off-guard. Jumping down the canyon isn't an issue, as she leaps and throws a grapple out so she can rappel down until she's at a height she can survive the landing of. She lands in a 3-point stance on the platform, before she enters the doorway with her pistol held out, moving quickly and silently despite her heavy boots.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Reimu merely smiles as she looks at the massive knight. The four orbs immediately arrange themselves in front of her body before promptly emitting a large, rapid fire assault of violet talismans. They seem to spread out like shotgun shells but the knight's massive body will only make it easier for the shots to hit. Immediately afterwards, she shifts upwards and follows it up with throwing out two large blue, rotating talismans. Afterwards, they break apart into a large cluster of smaller blue talismans and home in directly on the enormous knight. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:'''<br>Leyanne Mace peers at the weapon master a moment, hanging back with the group. As Reimu's talismans make their attack, Leyanne plants her feet firmly and swings her gun around to bear. She looks over at the weapon-master, her cannon's pack whirring loudly as Leyanne unlocks the safety. Rounds slide down the armoured feedway and into her 25mm cannon, which clicks into the locked position as the mouse centres her crosshairs across the creature's helm.<br><br>"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" Leyanne warns. "I'm gonna try and keep distance so I can fire over the top of you. Reimu, don't drop too low. Everyone else, don't jump!"<br>And thenshe opens fire. It's loud, and the recoil is enough to push even Leyanne back, limiting her to five round bursts before she's got to take a few steps back to avoid falling over.<br><br>Should the explosive rounds hit, even if they do nothing else, they're going to make the poor knight's head ring like a gong, and he's going to have some nasty dents to beat out of it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:'''<br>"Who said we're anything else's playmates?" Xiaomu snarks openly at Magnus and the Weapon Master. "Far as I'm concerned, you're nothing but a plate of hors d'oeuvres before we hit the main buffet! Granted, it's nice that you brought your own can openers, saves us the trouble of looking -"<br><br>She may be prattling on at the moment, letting the 'knight' have it with both barrels of withering but witty repartee, but the sage fox isn't *just* running her mouth. She leans casually on her staff ... and ice begins forming along the floor. A lot of it, underneath and in front of the Weapon Master's feet.<br><br>One of two things is meant to happen: either the big knight gets his feet frozen in place on the floor - in which case he can't continue advancing to menace them - or the floor will freeze into an ice slick, and with her allies pouring on the heavy firepower, the Weapon Master is liable to lose his balance and get knocked over.<br><br>Granted, if the latter is what happens, the ice slick will probably get smashed under the knight's weight - but knocking him down in the first place is the point. Or, as mentioned, freezing him in his tracks in the most literal sense imaginable.<br><br>"- for that matter, where *is* the kitchen? I'm gonna get hungry if this takes too long," Xiaomu finishes, seemingly without a care in the world.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:'''<br> With the offer of a cigarette refused, Rizzo puts them away and focuses his mind. A focusing of his mind, and he sort of... fades into the background. It's time to let the plot advance without him necessarily being a part of it--this'd be the part in the book where the narrative focus is off him. John liked those moments, when he could feel the author's gaze off of him. When he used Obfuscate to escape the notice of others? It was one of the few moments he could enjoy relative freedom. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Under the effects of Obfuscate, Rizzo adopts a villanous posture (because that's probably what's normal arround here) and pretends to patrol the premises, doing some recon for Alucard. Anything he can do to get them to Erina faster is more and more fights avoided, more chances they can get through this without having to hurt someone potentially just acting under Magnus' mental influence.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:'''<br>Being asked THAT outright brings an unwitting flush to Seras' face, one that's quickly tamped down by a scowl. "I don't know what a demon would do!" She spits out. Well it's not as if she hasn't had ONE bad experience with something of that nature already.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seras has no trouble keeping pace with Xiaomu's dashing and Reimu's flight, her own legs carrying her onwards with gale-like speed!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... and straight through the open door.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Responding to the armory of weapons, she deftly spins her own out into the ready!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Giant knight... okay, that's something straightforward!" It helps that she operates at DISTANCE.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Because Seras just takes aim for the knight's head and BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Huge explosive shells go straight for that helmet.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:'''<br>The Chamber of Dragon Decapitation looks as quiet as it was the last time he'd been here. The leaf-glider lay abandoned, as he looks around the room. The same broken chains. And Tarkus' armor lay discarded in the corner, the vampiric giant having been disintergrated by his Hamon. And so here it sat, untouched ever since. "This way. It won't be the longest walk, but we can cut across one of the connecting bridges to get closer to the Throne Room."<br><br>His leather boots make subtle noises as he ascends the small stairwell out of the chamber, which from all the chains and neck-locks hanging from the ceiling, looked very much like a torture room. Strangely, most of the neck-locks appeared to have shoulder pauldrons identical to the ones Jonathan used as armor. Perhaps this is where he obtained them.<br><br>Each step Jonathan took was taken with such righteous purpose that if you applied a narrative perspective, it was hard to imagine the focus being anywhere but on his advance. It was just the kind of prescence the large man had when he was on a mission.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>FRONT TEAM:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reimu's shots home in on the golden knight! However, it uses those spinning double-blades to deflect some of the shots, even if it can't deflect them all. Those that don't hit, don't smoke as though hitting the unholy targets of before. Also while the height of the knight definitely does make it a bigger target, its slim build also means that it's remarkably agile for being ten feet tall. So while the shots do home, the giant leaps around a handful of them. Those that hit, though, definitely seem to be doing damage, as the sound of a grunt echoes with each one.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Further, it keeps the knight from moving while Leyanne and Seras unload on it. Exposive shots from both clang off the helm, knocking the creature into a clear stumbling posture. Xiaomu's ice further complicates things, and the giant flails a bit, trying to keep is footing. But the ice is just too much with its balance upset, and it falls onto its back.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Though it's worth it to note that the armor and helm both look unscorched by the fiery explosions from Leyanne's rounds. But there ARE a lot of dents, and the knight seems disoriented, as it doesn't immediately try to get to its feet.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>STEALTH TEAM:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rizzo's Obfuscation seems to be working, though there aren't many things in this part of the castle. Magnus seems to have left it mostly unguarded. A few imps roam around here -- tiny little red, blue, purple, or green miniature demons with wings like bats -- but little else. They don't seem to notice Rizzo. Though he can hear voices further in. Mostly demonic cackling and the snarling of something monstrous.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;On the other hand, Jonathan's lifeforce can probably be sensed by some of the beings here; he does sort of BURN with life energy. Because of that, Alucard's remaining reasonably close to Jonathan, hopefully to defend him if something should attack him. Though not close enough to make the man uncomfortable.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once the whole group gets into the castle itself, those imps will definitely see Jonathan, Maaka, and Alucard. "Imps. Quickly. Fell them before they can flee and alert more threatening beasts. Do not let them behind you." They're reasonably weak and fall easily.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maaka does her best to avoid being spotted. She doesn't have her STALKER suit, with the fancy gadgets that's affixed to it, but she's accustomed to being sneaky all the same. Creeping around warzones or musty castles, she's no stranger to being unnoticed when she needs to be. Once she spies the imps, the cyborg takes aim and begins to fire on them with suppressed cracks of her .45 pistol echoing mildly. It's a lot quieter than if she were going loud, that's for sure.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She does get aggressive, sprinting towards the nearest imp, shoulder checking it as she puts the pistol to its head, and fires point-blank.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:'''<br>"Please, don't get up!" Xiaomu calls out mockingly as the Weapon Master goes down, hard enough to bounce her up into the air a little from where she's standing some dozen or so feet away. "We'd just have to knock you back down again ... but seriously -"<br><br>She fishes a grenade out of her vest while she's talking, then yanks the pin and tosses the grenade underhand towards the giant knight ... actually, right up in between its presently-sprawled legs.<br><br>"- just don't get up at all."<br><br><span class="fg_r bg_n ++ r">*BOOM!*</span> The grenade goes off, conventional explosive accentuated - maybe outright amplified - by the fire-element magic which had been woven into the grenade's construction. The result is a serious fireball - emphasis on the *fire*. Gods alone know what that kind of heat and shock will do to the Weapon Master's lower body, especially if the grenade went off as close to the crotch as Xiaomu was aiming it.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Reimu blinks for a moment, but then she immediately seems to get a guick idea in her mind. She chuckles for a moment before her eyebrows furl downward. At that point, she throws out a large barrage of evil-penetration needles, before quickly throwing out the same blue talismans one more time. As the blue talismans break apart into homing talismans, she promptly poses with her left arm in the air before turning to the Weapon Master with her arms spread out. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Spirit Sign: Fantasy Orb" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; A large barrage of homing shots, all of which appear to be a tad stronger than usual judging by how they seem to be rainbow colored materialize and force themselves directly to the Weapon Master. They will certainly burst upon impact. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:'''<br> Rizzo spots the imps, stepping around them. Just keep walking like this, hunched over and predatory. Maaka's working on some of them. And when he passes the last one, he reaches down. A finger flicks into the imp's temple with the force of a swung ball-peen hammer. Hopefully that knocks it out, but he's all too ready for the notion that something down the hallway will observe this act and break the glamour. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; To that end, he draws his revolver. They had those in this time period, didn't they? Hoo boy. Hopefully they did, otherwise the illuaion ia in even /more/ danger. Quickening his pace a little, he tries to duck out of sight of the imps. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Now--what's around the corner? And do they see through the illusion?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:'''<br>With three elite warriors pounding on it, the Knight goes down! Seras... is a little amazed at this. The freakish magical displays confound her, but she's more or less gotten used to that sort of thing by now. Still.... that their opponent took all that, but is only JUST DENTED A LOT has her incredibly concerned.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"What does it take to bring it down...? Is it still alive?" ... And is leaving it like this okay?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's really not sure. And as such, she brandishes her weapons and points it at the giant's legs!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Surrender or we will keep this up!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:'''<br>The small devils were taken with a narrowed eye. Jonathan drew his blade as Alucard explained what they were, their resemblance to what most religious texts would describe as the physical manifestation of demons not going unnoticed. None the less, Jonathan Used the length of his sword and his own height to attack them in the air, with powerful slashes and attempts at grabbing their pitchforks to hold them in place for stabbing attacks.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1100|Leyanne Mace (1100)}} has posed:'''<br>Leyanne Mace growls quietly and keeps her cannon pointed at the creature. "Surrender? I'm not entirely sure it knows the meaning of the word. It... smells wrong. Evil." She shrugs, and then resumes attacking its head, circling around a little to make sure she can still keep her angle without getting anyone in danger.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>FRONT TEAM:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Xiaomu's grenade goes off, lifting the knight's lower body and sort of sending it flopping over its upper body. But the fire doesn't seem to have done too much. The sheer force of the explosion seems to have hurt it more. And Reimu's rainbow-colored shots explode against the still-prone knight, sending it rolling. NOW the shots smoke as they spark off the armor! And from the screech, it sounds like it hurts.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Seras's amazement gets a laugh from the Weapon Master, and it pulls itself to its knees. "Please do, little one! A fight can only be only exciting when it is against a worthy opponent. SHOW ME your worth!" And then it flings both of its double-Gurkha! Mostly at Seras, but anybody standing too close might get hit, since both are being thrown.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Leyanne's shots impact the chest and knock it back down. But not for long. Instead, it kicks up to its feet in a way that nothing that big should be capable of and pulls the hammer from its back. Roaring loudly, the Weapon Master leaps up and tries to slam the head of the massive hammer into the floor to cause a shockwave.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>STEALTH TEAM:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The imps are barely fight-capable, preferring to try to sneak up on the group than engage them directly. They're also small enough that Maaka's shots should disable them in one or two hits. Particularly if she can pull off a headshot against the annoying little fleas.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rizzo's not noticed, so the imp is easily rendered unconscious, with a quiet little screech. Kind of sounds like a bat-chicken, humorously. And Jonathan's blade is easily able to take these things apart, particularly if he's holding onto their tiny little tridents to attack. They burst into a small poof of smoke when killed.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard uses magic to disable what he can -- that same spell he used versus Jonathan. "Soul Steal!" It won't kill them en masse, but it will definitely weaken a group.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rizzo may be the first to hear it, since he's going on ahead. A woman's voice, and it's coming towards them. Running feet -- small feet. Rustling cloth. Labored breathing. Someone is heading their way.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:972|Reimu Hakurei (972)}} has posed:'''<br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Alright, just shut up and stay down already! I wasted a bomb on you!" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; From there, she decides to bring out an entirely old style of fighting. She extends her hand outward and swings her gohei. This creates a barrier in front of one of the double-Gurkha. The barrier looks just like a large blue talisman as well. Afterwards, she extends her hand forward. <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; "Holy Relic: Yin-Yang Sanctifier Orb" <br> <br> &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; From her hand comes forth a giant, blue Yin Yang Orb the size of a boulder! The orb is actually pretty close in size to the knight while managing to be much wider than it as well. The giant orb moves forward as it spins through the air toward the knight at a slightly slower pace than the other projectiles, but considering that this is a sanctifier orb, exposed contact with it will lead to further damage. <br> <br>

:'''{{#var:571|Alexis Maaka (571)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;STEALTH TEAM: Maaka sees John take off after something, and she offhandedly fires one more time before she sprints towards the vampire, following him as she holsters her sidearm. "What do you hear?" she asks, swiftly moving as she tries to see down the pathway, to determine who it is herself.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:707|Xiaomu (707)}} has posed:'''<br>Oh, that's not even fair, thinks Xiaomu. Fire grenade against a big METAL enemy, that should have done extra damage - and yet the giant lump is still fighting, not even showing any signs of lingering pain after that grenade went off.<br><br>She is, somewhat noticeably, no longer snarking - and when the hammer comes down, while she's plenty far away from it to not get driven into the floor like a tent peg, the impact DOES fling her off her feet for a moment. The landing is awkward and undignified, but the sage fox scrambles back to her feet in a hurry.<br><br>And when she does, she's got a handgun in each hand - Silver in her left hand, the Roc's Icebrand in the right. Suffice to say that the difference between them is a lot clearer when she opens fire: the Roc's Icebrand delivers bullets of elemental ice magic. The other handgun, though, is currently loaded with a mix of anti-spirit and anti-vampire rounds; she's not quite sure what the Weapon Master qualifies as, but she ought to be doing *some* serious damage.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1107|Jonathan Joestar (1107)}} has posed:'''<br>Jonathan finds these small, annoying things much easier to take down than the supernatural monsters he was used to dealing with, stabs, flourishing jousts and stiff chops rendering the tiny demons into naught but puffs of smoke.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Faintly, he heard..steps.<br><br>His finely sharpened senses could tell something was coming, but as to what, he was unable to discern. He holds his sword defensively in front of himself.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1084|Seras Victoria (1084)}} has posed:'''<br>IT TALKS! THIS... well, she wasn't sure it could. So this gets her eyes going wide... but her instincts warn her just in the nick of time. With a yelp Seras dives sideways. It doesn't quite protect her though... the weapons slash some nasty-as-hell deep wounds into her arms and legs, certainly cutting into muscle. The vampire girl screams and topples into a rolling mess that only manages a few blood-splashy somersaults before her oversized weapons clang into the ground and bring her slamming both feet to the ground.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's clearly fighting AGONY to raise her weapons, even as the wounds slowly heal and lukewarm blood drips from wounds that should honestly be GUSHING it...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Have it... your way then!!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;This time when she levels both weapons at the warrior, she DOES NOT STOP FIRING!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1011|John Rizzo (1011)}} has posed:'''<br> Rizzo hears the sound of someone coming. The imps don't raise any alarms, and he still feels Malkav's gift upon him, covering him like a veil. He'd like to believe the person coming towards them is Erina, having escaped from Magnus' clutches. That'd be ideal--it'd preclude the need for any fight against the incubus, and perhaps, with a little more luck, Jonathan might even be talked out of violence. <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; But it's too suspicious, too good to be true. Once, his lack of foresight put someone in danger, but this time he's ready. The vampire continues to sneak through the castle posing as one of Magnus' minions, but as he walks he activates a discipline. Peering straight ahead, he tries to survey the aura of any incoming individuals and discern for himself whether they're mortal or not.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>FRONT TEAM:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reimu's orb strikes with its holy power and throwns the giant into a wall -- probably cracking the stone. It catches the Weapon Master between the wall and itself, damaging it further as it refuses to relent. It holds the Giant in place for the rest of the group, too. Xiaomu's ice shots freeze its armor over well, and the anti-spirit rounds pierce its armor easily; and Seras just UNLOADING on the bastich... just DEVASTATES the area it's standing in. Including the wall it's been held to by Reimu's orb.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the smoke clears, the giant's armor is still there, though scattered around as if it had fallen off and then been scattered by the Elites' deadly volley. The Giant itself? Nowhere to be found. Its weapons remain, however, leaving doubts that it's coming back.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:1128|Alucard Tepes (1128)}} has posed:'''<br>STEALTH TEAM:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Rizzo can see it in her aura -- worry. Fear. Anxiety. And a little bit of anger, too, but far eclipsed by the other emotions. And as she comes closer? It seems Rizzo's hopes may be coming true...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's Erina! Her wrists are bruised, and there's a clear mark where something has hit her in the face. Rizzo may note, though -- there's something off about her, though, on a deeper level than just her physical appearance. Which is bad enough, she looks like she's been smacked around a little. But she appears dark, somehow, on the deeper level that Rizzo's looking at.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Jonathan!" Erina declares. "Oh, I'm so glad to see you! Come, let's leave this horrible place!" She runs towards Jonathan, arms outstretched, as if to embrace him. But there's something off about the one hand. It's held in an oddly 'clawed' pose...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Alucard suddenly exclaims, "Joestar! Move, quickly!" Sure enough, as Alucard calls out a warning, 'Erina' swings that hand down, fingers still clawed. But instead of Jonathan as its target... Alucard doesn't wait for Jonathan to react. He doesn't question the instinct, doesn't hesitate. He leaps between Jonathan and 'Erina' as the hand swings down.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The claws seem to pass through him more than just physically. Those sensitive to such things might see it -- it's his spirit that's been clawed. He emits a cry of pain, reacting as though he's been physically struck. And then he crumples. 'Erina' grabs him by the back of his cloak and begins to literally float backwards.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her form blurs and... guess who? Yup, it's Magnus. Magnus smirks. "Well, that wasn't QUITE how I saw that happening. But I'll not look a gift horse in the mouth," he declares. "Come, then. Follow me to your death, if you wish to save your beloved. You will all make ideal sacrifices for the rise of the new Dark Lord."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then his form blurs again, and he disappears.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;With Alucard.<br> <br>
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