Scene #8062: Siege of Orleans 2: Dragon Witch Boogaloo

Owner	Pose
Ritsuka Fujimaru	This isn't the Orleans of Jeanne d'Arc's time. This is a twisted one, a countryside marked by a war against wyverns rather than man. Anti-air ballistae lay dormant, and the wasteland of scorched armor and dragon bones are once again being stirred by the movement of wyverns scraping their talons against the dirt. Leading them is a single figure clad in black armor, a great white banner fluttering in the air above her head. Jeanne peers at a city in the distance, spying a potentially nice target for turning into kindling, and she orders her forces... To wait. She knows there's going to be people here. She's expecting them, even, and she's raring for a fight to get her blood pumping.
Kale Hearthward	<East-1 to Boots-1, confirm those coordinates, please. We're seeing a wasteland, not a populated area.> <That's... no, this is the right spot, I've got visual, my expectations were off. Stay hot, just in case, we're not too far from a city, it looks like. Starting my approach.> Kale arrives, via air, coming in for an easy landing from on high. "d'Arc." "Do I want to know what it is you're plotting? Or should I say, do I need to know?" He perches on a convenient bit of ruined architecture, bird-like, and reaches back to put a hand on the hilt of one of his swords.
Captain Hook	France. William Hook has never been to France. He's plundered the City of Lights, Paris, but he's never been to France - that was but a fleeting dream he can only sometimes remember, a moment in an endless despair where all the days ran grey. That Paris was a place of lights and romance and wonder from which he liberated great treasures. This is not Paris. This is the French countryside. It's not bad, all things told. Hook can appreciate a good countryside. Rolling hills. Pleasant forests. Granted, the dragons raining fire are somewhat less of a pleasing spectacle but they are a spectacle, and William Hook always appreciates a good spectacle. He just sort of stolls up behind the black-clad figure. He has no hostility to him. He's not here to fight her. "Goodness but I appreciate style, madamoiselle," Hook says. His coat settles around his shoulders like a cape as he stops next to her. "Fire and brimstone, fairy-tale beasts behind a Saint with just rage brought back to life by magic...like something out of a dream." "Speaking of something out of a dream...my name is Captain William Hook." His eye locks onto hers. His smile widens. "And I have a proposition for you, if you care to listen." He takes off his hat in the presence of a Saint, folding it against his chest with his hook hand. "I'm something of a collector. A terribly greedy man. I'm sure you can understand. A burning need to pursue a passion single-mindedly. An urge to follow what you most desire." "I make a habit of working with the unaffiliated, despite my Concord leanings. I enjoy plundering. I enjoy deals. I offer what they need, and I get what I want - treasure, raiding, and so on." He waves his hat to the side with his hook hand. "So, my offer is thus!" "I can provide you magical energy. I am a man who lived his life in a dream, after all - and I have my own plans thusly going forward to regain even more of it." "In exchange, you help me from time to time, and allow me to come along with you on your raids to claim what I can." "A fair deal?"
Staren	Well, Staren's curiousity is piqued at least! Who is this new voice on the radio? She approaches the army on hovercycle, waving, which she hopes will be interepreted as showing desire to talk rather than to fight. If allowed, she lands near Jeanne and dismounts. She's swapped to a black version of her coat and is carrying some kind staff with two blades at one end, greebled with wires and small gemstones, certainly magical judging from appearance and possibly configured to fire some sort of ranged attack between the blades. "Hey. Nice to meet you, I'm Staren Wiremu. What's your deal?" She looks over at Kale, and smiles and waves cheekily. And Hook's here! Her eyes widen slightly as she listens curiously to the plan, and then looks to Jeanne for her collective response to everyone here.
Rhongomyniad	With wyverns sighted, soldiers scurry along the battlements surrounding Paris. Ballistae are loaded and swung up, men shouting orders and updates amidst the clatter of armor and weapons. Amidst them is the Lion King, wreathed in resplendant fur-lined cloak and shining armor; the lion-themed helm completely obscuring her face, save for the gleaming green points of her otherworldly eyes deep within the shadows cast by the visor. Her head turns slightly, "Captain. Do not go on the offensive; focus all fire on wyverns that directly threaten the city or her defenses only." Stepping forward onto a parapet of mismatched, whitewashed stone, she promptly descends to ground level. Moments later, the King of Knights is easily spotted approaching the position held by the Dragon Witch. Her right hand reaches out, producing a spike of golden light. As she grasps her fingers around it, metal straps manifest, braiding around the glowing core until it forms the distinctive shape of the Divine Lance. This weapon she twirls once, planting point-down in the scorched soil just as she halts. "Should you wish to parlay, I will listen. If you only bring strife, than leave these lands. They are under my protection."
Blemishine	Last time was...suburban Quebec. This time, it's a genuine warzone in the rolling lands of France. Marred by the leftovers of war. Siege weapons, equipment, remains...it's a foreboding sight. A genuine battlefield. One that's going to see battle again today, like it or not. And Kale isn't the only familiar face from before! There's another knight clad in white, still bearing an errant bandage or two in what isn't covered by pristinely-repaired armor as she makes her way out at a steady walk. There's a frown on her face, though one not as strained as before - after all, everything isn't awash in flames. Yet. Her blade is sheathed at her side, and her shield rests on the arm hanging at her side. Upon entering speaking range, Blemishine gives the King of Knights a glance first, and then the rest of the assembled - lingering on Hook and his offer for a moment - and then finally, Jeanne herself. There's a small sound from her throat before she speaks up. "Miss Jeanne. Are you here to let your hatred run rampant all over the land again? Or is it just to draw all of us here? ...Both?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru	An arrival! Jeanne pushes off her wyvern with a light grunt as she looks up at Kale during his landing. She smirks like a smug asshole when he does, of course. "Hearthward. So good to see you again. I'm waiting to have a proper fight first before I start burning everything right over there." She gestures at the city in the distance. "Calisthenics. Some cardio. Really feel burn in before..." Wait. She already used a fire pun. "... Things really get heated up." Screw it. She can use two. Hook's unfamiliar voice comes from behind her, and Jeanne's guard still remains about as not-up as it was with Kale when he just stands beside her. His praise manages to get another grin. "Jeanne d'Arc, Dragon Witch. Charmed. What did you have in mind, esteemed pirate?" Apparently, she's heard of the legend! Perhaps even read about it. She listens to his deal, his promises of magical energy in exchange for her aid at times and aiding her in stirring the pot. "You seek to become a Master, then. How forward of you. The last person that tried to do that..." She stops. Who was her Master again? Who summoned her? It's been far too long, and... Did she even get their name before she killed them? "... Oh right. I did kill them. A useless simpering coward, if I'm remembering them correctly." She doesn't remember them at all, but she won't admit to it yet. "I'll consider it. Are you as strong as the stories say you are?" Jeanne asks Hook, turning to the next person to address her... "Ah. Speaking of simpering cowards. You're the one that's been talking too much." Jeanne scowls as she stares at Staren for all of a few moments, then looks towards Kale, Hook, Rhongomyniad, and then Blemishine. "Is she with you? Because I might ust have to kill all of you out of principle if she is." Rhongomyniad is up next! The Lion King and her reinforcements have Jeanne narrowing her eyes as well, the hand on her sword clenching just a bit more tightly as a considerably more wild smile crosses her face once again. "So you're the Tower, hm? Quite impressive, that spear of yours... So sorry, but your domain is going to be a crater soon once I'm done with this place. I do hope your defenders had good last meals, because..." She's actually drawing a blank there. On to the next person before anyone notices! Coincidentally, it's another familiar face: Blemishine. That, strangely enough, has Jeanne grinning once more. "You again. Either you're brave, or you're a dumbass. Both, maybe, but I'll give you credit for showing up twice. I'm afraid you've caught me red-handed, because..." She flicks her fingers together for dramatic effect, drawing a small spark into the air. "Why not both? France needs to burn, England needs to burn, and fighting all of you at once... Well. That just saves us time, doesn't it? Besides..." Jeanne flicks her fingers again, and her wyverns take to the air, staring at the gathered soldiers, but not swooping in to attack just yet. "You were distracted in our last fight. Let's make this one more memorable, shall we?"
Captain Hook	"Hmmm," Hook observes thoughtfully as he places his hat firmly back on his head, "I don't remember King Arthur holding sway over France. Then again, I don't remember King Arthur being quite so..." He purses his lips firmly. "Robust," he decides finally. "Speaking of robust, I don't believe I've had the pleasure of meeting you!" He says cheerfully at Blemishine, "I make it a habit to remember beautiful women and handsome men alike. Captain William Hook, at your service." "Incidental to pleasure - Mr. Hearthward, we must take tea again sometime." Jeanne asks him a question. Hook spreads his arms. "I am." "Though I am not quite that man from the legends, I am nonetheless a man who is worthy of the name Hook. I've slain the crocodile that stole my hand and made of it a clock that goes tick-tock. While I am not personally Blackbeard's bo'sun, I've no doubt that he would recognize me nonetheless. I have scourged and raided lands for as long as I can remember. I don't know how long - nor does it matter." "Now, if you want a demonstration..." Hook smiles cheerfully. "Unfortunately, my assistance in this matter is contingent on you agreeing to my terms. I don't work for free." "Nor have I any intentions fighting alongside them. It would prove only that I'm capable of teamwork - which, to be perfectly honest..." He clucks his tongue. "I'm a Captain. Of course I am." "To that end!" Hook drops a treasure chest on the ground. "Allow me instead to demonstrate my worth in another manner!" He kicks it. The chest opens. There's a flare of light. Suddenly, the Eiffel fucking Tower is sitting above them, all lit up like the World's Fair. Oh. When he said he plundered Paris... Hook leans against it with a broad smile. "Let me instead provide a suitable arena for the lot of you with my many, many treasures. Much more fun for me. And, as I'm aiding no one, it doesn't require any payment."
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Hook summons the Eiffel Tower. Jeanne doesn't know how to react to it, and she has to squint just to see past that initial flare of light but she is definitely staring at- "... A giant metal penis. That's a very... Symbol of something." She keeps squinting at all the lights, then turns back to Hook. "You do have a flair for the dramatic, I'll give you that. Just don't complain if I end up burning most of it down by the time we're done here!" The battle lines have thus been drawn, and Jeanne springs into motion rather quickly. She's not one to just go for a sucker punch, though, as she actually leaps backwards a good ten feet or so to land in the classic 'I'm going to charge at you and swing' pose. Broad sword in the front, banner against the shoulder, leaning forward to make it easier to sprint forward, and then does exactly that, launching herself into the crowd with a sudden burst of speed before swinging both of her weapons in a wide arc with flames trailing behind them. A straightforward approach, aimed at scattering them with a flashy burst of flame right from the start!
Kale Hearthward	"Wiremu isn't with us," says Kale, quickly. He draws his sword. "So... it's really just burning to burn, I see," he comments, as he faces down her and her dragons. With his free hand, he reaches down to tap at a communicator on his belt. <Signal confirmed, East-Actual ready to approach and perform docking maneuvers- wait, is that the Eiffel Tower?> Kale looks up. "... How." He doesn't have much time to think about it - because Jeanne's coming in with her dragons. He doesn't react quite in time, and gets more than a little bit burned. "Gah!" The boots kick off, and he chases after her - activating his sword as he goes. "Okay, definitely need to pull out the new tricks for this one," he says to himself as he chases, his sword leaving a sharp trail of blades - if he can get ahead of her, he'll try to cut her off with his blade trail, figuratively and literally!
Rhongomyniad	No parlay at all, it would seem. The Dragon Witch makes plain her aggressive inclination, and to that, Rhongomyniad lowers her head slightly. The glow of her eyes is gone behind the crest of her helm's visor, only that which reflects off the edges can be seen, "I see. Very well." The Divine Lance is pulled from the ground and lifted to point, "I am Rhongomyniad, the Tower that Shines at the End of the World. My station as King of England is immaterial to my guardianship of this Orleans; and as you choose to bring chaos, I shall oppose you." And not alone it would seem, with Kale and Blemishine and apparently Staren pressed into the defense as well. The Eiffel Tower is pulled out of a box, prompting the King to take one step back. Her free hand raises, fingertips up, when flames encroach on her. She is briefly engulfed before a wall of stone and brick rises up before her, diverting the flames. No sooner does the flame gout end that the stone pillar recedes back into the ground. Magic bursts behind the King, hurling her forward just as the stone has dropped. She draws back the Lance, aligning it with her body as she surges forward, leaning into a thrust as she draws near, wordless save a sound of effort.
Blemishine	"I've heard I'm both of those a lot, actually...maybe one more than the other." Blemishine comments in a slightly lighter tone than previously, though there's not exactly any real cheer in it at all. Reaching a hand down towards the large, ornate sword resting as her side, the tenseness in her posture is perfectly visible, and a frown begins forming. "And maybe I am. I'm not silly enough to think anything has changed since last time. But I don't think I'd be able to live with myself knowing what you're doing and not doing a thing about it." The wyverns ready themselves, and the blonde-haired girl swings her blade out into a readied position - the answer to 'making this memorable' doesn't come with words, but the look in her eye sure says that she's fully commited towards this fight. She /is/ about to comment towards Staren, looking as if she's figuring out what to say to that, when-- Oh. That is the whole ass Eiffel Tower. She's never seen it before! It's big. Really big. "Heeeeeeeeh!? Where the heck did that even come from, Mr. Hook!?" No amount of determination can prepare her for /that/ suddenly showing up, but she remembers it very quickly the moment Jeanne gets her stance and running start into their ranks, flames roaring out in all directions. She twists on her heel, stomps the other one back down, and raises her shield up to protect her otherwise uncovered face from the wash of heat storming past her. Scorching and ashes are really, really obvious on mostly white armor. But she's apparently set on not losing ground as Jeanne wants, buckling through it and stepping in to close the gap. Her weapon is prepped for a stab, light beginning to build...! But it's a feint. The radiance abruptly dies down, only to instead surge up from within her shield as she brings it around in a heavy bash to batter Jeanne back and away, a point-blank burst of blinding luminance being released right in her face at the moment of impact. If she's not careful, she won't be seeing much but the burning afterimage of the light for the next minute. It's even brighter than the lights of the Tower! The Eiffel Tower, probably not the other Tower. You know, the one at the ends of the earth.
Staren	> Jeanne d'Arc, Dragon Witch. Staren's eyes widen in recognition. She has at least heard of Joan of Arc. Well, she can certainly understand why she'd have a grudge against some folks... > Speaking of simpering cowards. What. Staren's taken aback at this. She's never even met Jeanne, has she?! > The Eiffel Tower!? Staren looks up at it. Aren't they more of fighting around it than on it, though? > A giant metal-- Staren snrks. She can't help it, the absurdity of all of this gets a brief humorous reaction before-- > And then the actual boss fight begins! Staren tries to juke out of the way -- Jeanne's sword hits an invisible field that feels like plate armor, but doesn't lose much momentum as it slices through and hits Staren's coat, cutting it slightly, burning it, and sending a bruised Staren flying across the ground with a cry of pain! Her flight enchantment rights her before she actually hits the ground, though, and arrests her movement. "Tch. Whatever. Neither of us is a stranger to unexpected hate. Guess I brought the right weapon after all, though..." She levels the polearm-thing at Jeanne like she's aiming a minigun, and the blades fold back. An aura of electric-blue light shines softly where Staren's hands touch the staff, and motes of similar-colored energy are sucked into the staff from around Staren, traveling through wires into the diamonds and lighting them up like a progress bar. The glow drains out of the diamonds and into the fire opals at the end of the staff over a split second, and then Staren's clothes billow out behind her as if from a backblast as A BIG FUCKOFF BEAM OF PURE WHITE LIGHT slightly wider than Staren is tall shoots out, straight for Jeanne, the edges of the beam flickering and pulsing as over the course of about five seconds. The original version of the spell she based this enchantment on is famous for only targeting certain kinds of spirits and its effectiveness on them, but Staren's modified it into a more general magic blast that adds one more scorched streak across the wyvern-ravaged countryside!
Captain Hook	"I stole it," Hook says cheerfully to Blemishine and Kale, as if that explains literally anything. He's still standing roughly near Jeanne when the fight breaks out. When Kale and the King and Blemishine come in, Hook demonstrates quite a remarkable degree of 'just not being there.' Since he's not the main target he has no problem using his Concord Grappling Hook (tm) to go up the Tower using its many overhangs, stopping only long enough to rest his feet on Blemishine's shoulders. He lands off to the side with a wink and turns away from the flare of light. The bleedover from Staren's blast would have caught him if not for his ridiculous ability to just...deflect ranged attacks. His blade flicks out backwards and cleaves off the outside of the beam, sending it splintering into the sky in pieces. He whistles cheerfully. Then he kicks his foot and drops the Arc de Triomphe. Just, right there. Over them. Oh, he's fucking with maneuverability. Removing side-to-side motion. Like an asshole.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	The Jewel of Paris, Hook calls it. To Jeanne, it's hideous. It's so... Crude. Phallic, even! "France built /that/? How crude and... Geh. Seriously?" She says in disbelief, grimacing when Hook confirms it. She isn't the only one that's baffled and/or vaguely put off by the giant steel eyesore, at least, but it does provide a nice backdrop to the battle as Jeanne squares off against... Lingering blades? She's not sure what she's looking at, and it takes until she's already moved through several of the blades to realize that they're cutting her in several places at once. "What kind of...? I don't remember seeing you use this last time!" Jeanne shouts at Kale once she finally realizes what's going on, twisting herself sideways into a sort of somersault to get away from the others before the bleeding can build up too quickly and destroy too much of her cape. "The King of England claiming dominion over Orleans? Hah! This is the perfect time for us to fight, then, oh Tower! I am Jeanne d'Arc, Dragon Witch of Orleans, Scourge of France and Ruiner of England! Oppose me with all your might, then, and we'll see just how great your shine is!" Jeanne's already getting into it. Flipping her sword around to prepare for Rhongomyniad's blow, she moves forward into the attack, trusting her ability to evade the blow at the last second so she can return one of her own. Her trust is misplaced, then, as the lance comes in faster than expected and, combined with Blemishine's blinding radiance (literal), throws her guard way off. That lets the Lance strike true, slamming hard into Jeanne's shoulder and sending her skidding backwards several yards before she digs her feet in to arrest her movement. "That's what I was hoping for... Fight harder! Make this a fight worthy of everyone here!" She bellows with both madness and renewed vigor, swinging her banner forward and conjuring small sparks beneath Rhongomyniad and Blemishine. Before anything happens with those, however, Jeanne gets blasted by a massive beam of white light courtesy of Staren, and that takes her off her feet momentarily before hurtling through the hair several more yards and landing somewhat awkwardly with the bottom of her banner chewing through the dirt to stop herself once more. "Haha... Hah! Careful with that. You don't want to accidentally destroy the Tower's precious city yourself, do you?" She taunts despite the visible smoking of her cape, letting some of that madness well up again just in time for the Arc de Triomphe to materialize around the combat area. "Oh. Oh yes, this is more like it. The only thing that would make this more perfect..." Grinning wildly once again, Jeanne's stance shifts with her sword and banner both held together, parallel to the ground as if she's preparing to stab someone right in front of her. "... Is a silhouette filter!" Jeanne might be more modernized than she lets on, but her spears are still just as magical as she conjures an entire array of them behind her. With so little room to move, there's nowhere else to fire them but straight forward, apparently intending to skewer the group with a massive volley of explosive javelins!
Kale Hearthward	<Boots-1, making approach on your seven. Maintain altitude and prepare for docking.> "And now - prepare to be amazed by Galian ingenuity!" Kale turns, gesturing with his sword. "Breathlink mode, ON!" <Aborting docking procedure. Approach vector blocked by the Arc de Triomphe.> <Blocked by the -what-.> "Damnit, Hook! You're ruining my moment!" Overhead, a ship flies by - a jet-powered VTOL, staying out of the splash range of the dragons and the spells. On closer examination, it appears vaguely bird-like, with stylized feather markings on the wings and tailfin, and a birdish masthead. And then Kale gets skewered by an explosive javelin, trapped as he is between a rock and a pyromaniac. "Ack- damnit, Hook!" He drops a bit - singed, bleeding, and not in a terribly good mood. "Fine - I don't need the Breathlink - I can take you down just fine on my own!" He goes after her again, trying to stay on the offensive, swinging at her, trying to cut her off yet again.
Rhongomyniad	"Dominion? Perhaps. Guardianship, most certainly," the King of Knights' response is rather calm despite the flame and magic surrounding her. She throws her feet out after the lance's impact, arresting her motion with a burst of mana and landing solidly at almost the exact same time the Arc de Triomphe manifests. Her posture straightens, the Divine Lance drawing up and then swinging out to one side to cast of motes of golden light. The metal strapping surrounding its glowing core shifts, exposing the interior slightly. "I again offer you an opportunity to depart," though it becomes immediately clear this is a fool's errand. The first of many explosive harpoons is knocked aside by the Lance; a second as well. With no room to maneuver, the King is eventually struck and blasted clear. Her landing is solid, bouncing once on her back in a clatter of metal and flipping over, sliding to a halt on both hands and one knee. The Divine Lance digs into the ground several meters away. Smoldering, the Lion King rises to her feet once more. As she approaches the discarded Lance, her right hand lifts. A square traces itself in gold light around Jeanne's feet, several meters to a side. As soon as the corners touch, the scorched earth flashes to white, tightly interlaced brickwork. A heartbeat later, the entire platform surges upward, Dragon Witch and all, in a clear attempt to smash her against the inner surface of the Arc de Triomphe itself.
Staren	> You don't want to accidentally destroy the Tower's precious city yourself, do you? Staren's at least a little mad at Rhongomyniad, but the people don't deserve her ire. Actually, a LOT of them probably are exactly the type of person who would hurt Staren if they had power and she didn't. ...Maybe even most of them. ...But not all of them. "Tch. I'm not that careless. What of you then? Did all of them make the choice to burn you?" And then suddenly, the Arc de Triomphe appears all around her, just as Jeanne fills everywhere with spears! She braces for impact, a sphere of force forming around her as the spears fly into it and explode, shattering it and driving her back, her feet leaving furrows in the ground until she loses her footing and tumbles in an obviously unintentional backflip before her flight magic stabilizes her again. "Right back at you!" She holds out a hand imperiously, and mini-missiles warp in over her shoulders, a dozen all launching at once instead of the usual ripple-fire as they shoot towards Jeanne and airburst, shaped-charge warheads detonating into lances of high-energy physics! ....This would probably be more effective if Hook wasn't about to change the stage again...
Blemishine	Jeanne being forced - and then blasted - away is good! Well, mostly other than the part where the good Captain's daring moves catch her by surprise more than anything, her eyes briefly going up at him dextrously landing on her shoulders before dramatically heading off again. "Uwah...! That was actually--really smooth!?" As an avid fan of fantastical storybooks and the heroes within, she can tell immediately - that really is just the kind of effortlessly casual, show-off move you'd find in one. Must just be her feeling. A feeling that gets shelved, as her face quickly shifts back to wide-eyed shock as another landmark comes hurtling down to box them in at the sides, the massive Arc only allowing for escape forward and back. "Ah...!" Her gaze snaps back to Jeanne, just as she's preparing those familiar magical spears. She remembers those very well. "Miss Jeanne...!" It's hard to tell if that's an exclamation in response to her demand to fight harder, or the mention of a silhouette filter, but the Kurantan knight nevertheless is forced to move. Blocking them head-on doesn't do any good, so...! She gets to display the speed that her equine traits must give, as despite her armor, Blemishine is swift in the way she weaves and twists from side to side between the barrage. Several glancing blows are picked up, but-- Leaping out of the way of another, she lands nearby one of the Arc's inner walls and keeps on going to sprint several meters up, getting over most of the barrage of spears...before kicking off! She spins through the air once, before descending from right above Jeanne - her blade coming down in a heavy vertical slash carrying all of her momentum and the force of gravity! "Got you!"
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Hook's Arc-summoning maneuver ends up being a boon to Jeanne and a hampering element for Kale. Under other circumstances, she might actually be annoyed at not being able to see what one of her opponents would be able to do under ideal circumstances, but the yelling and the irritation has her laughing. "Oh, come on now! Did you think breathing on me a little would make that much of a difference?!" She may not know what Breathlink is, but that won't stop her from trying to rile Kale up. When he comes in with those lingering slashes again, Jeanne is mentally prepared to defend against them, but physically... Not so much. Her speed isn't quite enough to contend with his as multiple slashes hit their mark and cleave off bits of armor and (vaguely magical) flesh alike in eerily glowing wounds while the weird lingering effects restrict her movements. As she steps back to avoid getting sliced up again, she inadvertently finds herself stepping right into Rhongomyniad's square. It launches the Avenger right at the ceiling of the Arc, and it flattens her against it momentarily before she's able to comprehend what's going on and start pushing back. "Hah... So that's your specialty... Creating towers out of nothing? A little on the nose, don't you think?" Jeanne might be stretching a bit there. It does prove that she's probably not benefitting as much from the closed fighting area as much as she initially thought, though, as the strain from trying to push herself out of that trap causes more of her wounds to become more visible even with the glowing lights from the Eiffel Tower outside. "I'll depart when I'm good and ready!" That moment might be sooner rather than later as Blemishine uses the terrain to her own advantage as well, zipping all over the place in ways that Jeanne actually has trouble keeping up with. It's only at the last moment that she realizes where the attack is coming from, bringing her own blade up to meet Blemishine's briefly and divert it just enough that it only carves into most of her shoulder rather than straight into her chest. That distraction is enough for Staren's mini missiles come hurtling towards her from all angles, and Jeanne's only defense against those is to detonate them a few inches away from herself with a hastily-conjured wall of flames. It's better than having them explode via direct impact, at least, but the repeated blasts leave her armor smoking again while she starts focusing her mana into a more explosive attack... For later. It doesn't come yet, but there's certainly something big coming that Blemishine and Rhongomyniad in particular might notice from recent experience and literally being similar beings, respectively. For now, however, Jeanne's attacks come as forcefulloy and fiercely as those from before. With Blemishine and Kale at close range, she starts trying to confound them with rapid slashes from her sword and strange twirling strikes and thrusts from her banner that hide her actual movements along with flames that follow each attack. Rhongomyniad and Staren, meanwhile, are assaulted with those sparks that Jeanne had tried to engulf the Tower and the Knight with earlier. Those sparks, on contact, erupt into great plumes of fire that could easily swallow them up with their sheer size!
Rhongomyniad	"It is but a side benefit," Rhongomyniad comments when Jeanne criticizes her ability. The King of Knights wrenches her discarded lance free, the metal straps rustling and then unraveling to expose the weapon's glowing core, "The Tower that Shines at the End of the World is nothing so literal, nor anything so clearly built by human hands. What you witness here is merely an extension of myself, coloring the fractal interior of the Lance's manifestation into the glistening walls of Camelot." The Lance, now a spear of pure divine light, is swung aside in an arc of glittering motes. In the sky, the puffy clouds darken and gather as if a storm were gathering. No lightning flashes, but something golden gleams through the gaps of those roiling dark clouds. "Light, may you be released from the ends of the World. Split the heavens and tether the earth, anchor of the Storm." The Lance is raised, its glistening core glowing with greater and greater intensity. "Rhongomyniad." The clouds split at that moment, a bolt of golden light descending upon and through the Eiffel Tower; upon and through the Arc de Triomphe. Striking the ground as a meteor of light with a thundrous explosion.
Blemishine	As the missiles come in, Blemishine circles around towards the opposite side of the Dragon Witch so as to avoid being entirely caught in the fallout of the attack, or in the flames used to detonate them. "Mngh...!" Her eyes briefly dart down to the ground, and then immediately back up. Right, Rhongomyniad is...'unfurling the lance'. White bricks, like shining castle walls. She needs to watch for more of those appearing if she doesn't want to get caught up in it. Multitasking focus is easier said than done though, with the barrage of flaming attacks that come in towards the close range combatants - AKA her and Kale. Her sword and shield are both put to use in meeting each attack she can't maneuver out of the way of, the loud clashing of metal striking into metal echoing through the half-enclosed walls of the Arc. The waves of flame are harder to defend against while also meeting blade and banner, though. They further singe armor, which is swiftly becoming a mixture of soot-stained black and heated red that'll take some time to cool down, though it's fine as long as her face isn't taking the brunt. Said face's expression is only growing more strained and terse by the second, though. This sensation...she's going to do it again! The same as before...or something just as bad! Mid-melee, she shouts at the top of her lungs. "Everyone, watch out! Something big is coming--!" As much as she'd love to go into detail, she's more occupied deflecting Jeanne's sword from piercing through her, before bringing her own back. The guard sparkles and glints, before radiance bursts around the rest of the weapon and resolves into a shimmering edge humming around the physical blade. Blemishine slashes low, very intentionally planning to cut deeply into Jeanne's leg and leave a wound that'll limit her range of movement. And immediately after, make a retreating backhop, and then another, to get clear of both their opponent and the descending, eradicating bolt of light.
Staren	Staren cackled at the Arc messing up Kale's... whatever he was going to do, but now she's the one dealing with a confined space. Explosive spears came for her, and now sparks, and she tries her best to dodge with her flight magic, but it's no good -- the moment one spark catches her, she's sent tumbling and the others collide with her. Another forcefield, covering her body like transparent glassy plate armor, is visible, but the sparks blow it away piece by peace, and then burn away parts of her coat, burning swaths of flesh underneath as she screams before her medical micromachines can pump her full of pain drugs. She's so tired. It hurts so much. Not the burns, though they do, the attacks from every direction. Why does Jeanne hate her? She wrote off Lilian and Ishirou as yanking her chain for years, but why are even people in the Concord looking for reasons to see her as the worst? > ...you're trying to solve it in the wrong way. One that'll tear you apart. > the solution isn't just to accept being hated. > I don't think you can really survive being hated by everybody and liked by nobody. Most people can't. Even the ones who can, it hurts. Her knuckles whiten. It does hurt. Being hated by nearly everyone wasn't the plan, but it's what she gets. She won't give them the satisfaction of seeing her fail again. She raises her free arm and fires little comet-shaped flame projectiles from the vambrace's plasma cannon as she flies backwards, trying to get out of the confining area of the Arc de Triomphe while giving Jeanne something to defend against. Then she sends another wave of missiles -- these don't try to spear her, they just release tremendous amounts of heat, turning the air for meters around to plasma. Before the glassed, ashen ground can cool from that, she follows up with another magic beam from the staff, although she doesn't have enough power left to maintain more than a fraction of the duration. She's left glaring at Jeanne, staff thrust out in one hand, breathing heavily. She glances around the battlefield, but there are only enemies everywhere. She'd better plan on beating a swift retreat the moment Jeanne's down. She'll be next. They're probably... Her eyes briefly fall on Kale. Yeah. He's definitely working out ways to kill her while she's weak from fighting Jeanne. Better watch out for that one.
Kale Hearthward	"C'mon... there!" Kale takes satisfaction in the hits he lands, one after the other. "Give it up! You can't keep up!" He goes in closer, trying to checkmate her with one good sword strike - and ends up taking several hits from the banner and Jeanne's sword, one after the other. "No-" He falls back. "She's too fast... I need that edge after all..." And then his radio lights up. <Approach vector clear. Confirm?> "And there it is - d'Arc! Do you think you have the edge here? With your fire and your dragons?" He spreads his arms. "Then behold your mistake - going against the Paladins' resources, and Galian ingenuity!" Above, the VTOL turns in the air, and dives - weaving through the battle, and then rising sharply, Kale landing smoothly on its roof on its way up. "Breathlink - ON!" he yells, as he stomps first one boot and then the other into tightly fitting slots on the roof. "Docking confirmed - breathprint authenticated. Standing by for Sylphian Drive kickstart..." "Kickstarting from tank 1, turbine activation confirmed. Center Stage circuit on. Switching to Breathlink inflow in three, two..." A stream of sparkling air flows from Kale's beak, getting sucked in by vents on the roof of the craft. He breathes a little bit heavier, as if something's taxing his lungs. "Got... it. Stable. Go," he says, with a bit of effort. "Boots-1 vitals confirmed stable. Routing Breathlink power to Tabtrack and Gobo circuits." "Copy that. Starting assault on main target." The aircraft gets into motion again - maneuvering itself across the battlefield, ducking and weaving agilely as it closes back in on Jeanne - and this time it's not just Kale's sword leaving a sharp trail, but both wings of the VTOL leaving massive sharp barriers as it cuts across her path and maneuvers around her!
Ritsuka Fujimaru	"Not so literal, hm? Well, it felt pretty damn literal before!" Jeanne snaps back at Rhongomyniad, sounding strangely irritated by that specific thing. She holds back her ire, however, as she senses Rhongomyniad doing something akin to what she's preparing herself. The light hurtles downwards through so many twists and turns, through so much steel and concrete, and finally into the Dragon Witch herself, actually drawing a pained howl from her that even sounds somewhat dire. Blemishine is able to capitalize on that heavenly lightning striking Jeanne, that blinding light serving to keep the Avenger off her guard long after it bolsters the power of her sword. It cuts deep into Jeanne's leg, drawing more blood and another hoarse shout along with more of those ominous golden particles that aren't just coming from the sword itself. "Stubborn-ass knight... Kh. Something big is coming, you're right.. It's...!" Jeanne starts, then stops before finishing that thought. Plasma shots come through the Arc de Triomphe, and Jeanne once again finds herself with little room to maneuver around them. It's not for a lack of trying, though, as she tries to throw herself aside only to remember that Blemishine had just finished carving through a good chunk of her leg. Propping herself up with the banner, Jeanne instead resorts to conjure up another fire wall to fight back against the oncoming plasma blasts, but that is once again punched through by the missiles and then a magical laser beam right to the chest that (perhaps luckily) pushes her back enough to get some space from Blemishine and Rhongomyniad! ... Except it also means the VTOL has an easier time actually reaching Jeanne. She does finally get to see what Kale's Breathlinking technique is all about, although that's of little comfort when her ability to actually defend against it is considerably hampered in her current state. Crossing her sword and banner in front of her, they offer little defense against the aircraft and Kale's combined slashes tearing her cape to ribbons and forcing her to a knee as the gashes grow heavier and heavier by the second. "Haah... Ah, this was the battle I was hoping for! No whining pissants in the way, no interruptions..." Jeanne shouts with increasingly rancid fervor, staggering back onto both feet as her power builds further until it's practically wafting off of her as pure fire (because it is). "After this... Those bastards resting high and mighty in their fancy mansions will know what it really means to double-cross me!" The darkness in the air intensifies around Jeanne as the flames surrounding her burn even brighter, massive amounts of mana being expended at once as she raises her darkened blade. "This is the howl of a soul filled with hatred!" She swings her sword in front of her, pointing it towards... The outside of the Arc? "La Grondement Du Haine!" The flames surrounding Jeanne expand rapidly, and then they disappear. The flames instead reform around the Arc de Triomphe itself, bathing the entire structure in fire as though intended to consume the fighters (and the VTOL) in a raging inferno. Spears spring up from the ground at the same time, bringing with them more geysers of flame threatening to skewer all those inside before fading out abruptly with that last big push.
Staren	Fire, everywhere! It hurts, dully. It's so hot. So tired. Sleep. This ground is cooler. No! You have to keep going! I keep saying that. For what? If you pass out here, Kale will kill you in your sleep! Dying is gonna be a SUCKY way to wake up, and-- --She can't give him the satisfaction. Staren pushes herself up off the ground with a grunt, her coat scorched and tattered, and burns all over her skin that would hurt SO bad without the drugs. Burnt hair is also annoying but Concord medical technology can fix it. She can worry about that later. Run while everyone else is recovering from the attack! Staren runs for the hovercycle she came in on and speeds off for the gate. Best to leave before Jeanne or any Paladins still in condition to fight get any ideas.
Kale Hearthward	The VTOL keeps on Jeanne. This turns out to be a mistake. "Incoming!" Fire washes over everything. The VTOL's not in great shape. Kale, who's locked into the roof, is worse. "... Ugh..." ""Vitals are past safe threshold. Severing breathlink." "No, I've... I'm still good," protests Kale, trying to stand back up straight. "I'm not..." He coughs, and then keels over, hacking up a figurative lung. "Veto, per operational parameters. Setting course for the closest warpgate." Ingloriously, the VTOL turns and leaves, over Kale's protests.
Blemishine	It's a very good thing Blemi got out of dodge, so she wasn't in range of Kale's absolutely crazy VTOL craft link-up--she wants to ask about that at some point, when all of this isn't happening. Stopping shortly outside the cover of the Arc's rooftop, she takes the moment to get her breath back...though she remains tense. She's not off her feet yet...? She's still standing after all of that!? ...It's coming! Except not in the form she expected. It's not just spears, but those flames of hatred enveloping the entire landmark...! It's impossible to entirely escape that much heat, and she's at least glad that moving closer to the exit afforded her more range to stay out of the worst of it - even if it means she has to constantly move to avoid being caught up in the unending barrage of polearms from below. She remembers how they descended last time. Now they're /ascending/ and she has to adjust on the fly. ...! Not again...! One comes up from beneath her as she sprints forward, too sudden to dodge, and she hastily makes a small leap and aligns her body to point her shield down and brace all her weight behind it--the resulting spear and plume of flame batter right into her and briefly completely envelop her in the high-powered flames, teeth clenching and a cry of pain forcing its way out. --And the a moment later, she comes half-rolling half-tumbling out of the geyser, sans her shield and struggling to catch herself. After a few out-of-control spins, she stabs her sword into the ground to force a skid to a halt. Several heavy breaths are taken, and the knight uses the embedded weapon to support her weight as she begins shakily rising back to a knee, and then a stand. There's not much white left on her armor, and the bow keeping her ponytail together is half-burnt up. Still, even through her wince, she locks a strained glare onto Jeanne as everything begins fading out. "Hah...I'm still...standing this time, Miss Jeanne. Is this...the fight you wanted so badly...?" She doesn't look like she's that far from falling over anyway, honestly. But she hasn't.
Rhongomyniad	The Light of Judgement wasn't quite enough. Surrounded in flames of hatred, Rhongomyniad's own divine energy ignites from it. The stoic figure lurches suddenly, staggering on her feet. That ermine cape burns away, and she twists herself at the last moment. Narrowly avoiding becoming impaled, but now trapped between multiple spears as she burns. When the roar of a soul filled with hatred at last fades, the King of Knights wobbles, then collapses to her knees. The Lance is jammed into the earth at her side and she leans on it, shoulders heaving. This might just be the first time her own divinity has been so directly attacked, and while she remains conscious-- barely-- the Lion King is clearly in no condition to continue the fight.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	The fire goes everywhere and and anywhere, and it still crackles in the dirt where fire would naturally spread. The unnatural fires (those in midair and burning where they logically shouldn't) fade before long, though, leaving Jeanne standing within the Arc de Triomph. She watches Staren fleeing on that hovercycle, and she raises an eyebrow momentarily before scoffing. "So many words, so ready to try getting on my good side, and so eager to flee... Tch." She watches Kale's VTOL taking him away, too, although her reaction is noticeably less disgusted for some reason. Maybe it was seeing him fall over instead of bailing himself out, maybe it was his fighting style, or maybe it's something else entirely. Whatever the case is, she doesn't give chase, and her wyverns are about to until she shoots them a single, withering look. Only then do the flying beasts remain where they are, not even attempting to pursue or harass the aircraft afterwards. They were probably thinking about it really hard. "Gonna have to remember that one..." She murmurs to herself, then turns to those two who haven't left. To Jeanne, they don't like they're in any condition to extract themselves from the situation, with the King of Knights not even standing properly and the Blooming Knight looking ready to tip over. There's little threat remaining, and it'd be easy to just push out a little more power to try and finish what she started, but... Well, Jeanne's not exactly in great shape herself, either. Her armor is covered in jagged cracks and her own body is battered rather considerably. She still manages to cackle through it all, though, but it's not quite as... Hostile? It's still mad, certainly, but it's different. Blemishine would probably notice it the most between now and their last battle. "You are, aren't you? How heroic... Foolhardy and naive as hell, but... Heroic enough. And the Tower still..." She looks over at Rhongomyniad, pointing towards her with the sword before stabbing her banner into the ground behind her to definitely not lean against it subtly. "... The Tower has fallen, but not crumbled yet. I'll break you all apart one day, but..." She gets up finally, then starts lurching out of the Arc de Triomph. "Not today. I think I've gotten what I've wanted out of this." Jeanne cackles once more, then stops abruptly and clenches her grip on her weapons. She definitely isn't trying to hold back any coughs. It takes a while longer for her to get her not-cough under control, and then she looks up and over at where Captain Hook had parked himself earlier. "... Well? Are you going to keep me waiting forever, Temporary Master?"
Captain Hook	Hook, from where he's been leaning off to the side on the Tower, puts on a big grin. He kicks open the treasure chest, and both the Arc and the Tower disappear as he straightens. He snaps it shut, pops the chest up into his coat, and walks over to Jeanne, then holds out his hand. "I'm honored to be working with you."
Blemishine	There's not much doubt about that. If it came to a continued fight, the worn-out knight might get a grand total of one good hit in before she was laid out flat. It's only Jeanne's whim - and her own built-up injuries - that allow her to blink in what looks like genuine surprise, before her pained expression settles into something more neutral. ...She definitely can tell. That change in the way the Dragon Witch is laughing at her... With a small grunt, she eases some of her weight off of her weapon. "I've /also/ heard I'm both of those a lot, ahaha..." She doesn't comment on the 'heroic', funnily enough. Instead, as Jeanne begins lurching away, she watches her go for a long moment and head off to join the Captain. Grimacing a bit, a small sound comes out of her throat as she watches the two. "...One day...just what are you going to do next, Miss Jeanne?" That's a question asked out of earshot and only to herself, really. After a quick shake of her head, she hurries over towards the King of Knights as quick as her sore body will carry her to offer what aid she can in getting her back to her feet if necessary, as the only other one remaining on the battlefield. Kale was evacuated safely, of course. And Staren...mmn.
Rhongomyniad	Rhongomyniad shifts, getting one foot under herself and pushing herself back into a standing position-- though she continues to lean on the Divine Lance, despite it not at all appearing to be a physical object. Her free hand raises, resting upon her scorched chestplate while she takes a deep breath. After several seconds, she releases that breath, then reaches up and removes her helmet. It is held firmly under that arm while she lifts her gaze, watching the Witch and Captain depart. Her eyes shift sidelong as Maria approaches, closing briefly in a nod. The Lance is wrenched free, dissipating as the King turns to slowly make her way back to the castle.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Jeanne watches as Hook's stolen landmarks of France just disappear right back into his chest, and some of that mild confusion returns. It's only for a moment, though, before she takes his hand and shakes it firmly. Even in her weakened state, her pride won't let her give a weak and clammy handshake. Tired, yes, as the wounds are still visible, the fatigue is setting in, and it's kind of a wet handshake from all the heat. "Likewise." Even the Dragon Witch is allowed to sweat!