Scene #8556: Ultraman B: Episode 3.5: The review episdoe

Owner	Pose
Ishirou	Neo Tokyo. The worst was over, the mini-Eleking's were freed from the terrible alien Barabossa. The only problem is that they were now being fought over by Bowser and Touta, but that's only one part of what is happening today. Ultraman has returned to his host, but is still active, he will speak and answer what questions people have. It seems a lot of questions have built up. The Industrial district was a little worse for ware. While the destruction was (relatively) light for a Kaiju fight, the electrical grid was /fried/ beyond real usability. Communications are touch and go, as the overflowing electrical energy did damage to it, but not complete destruction. Right now, all around you first responders and military are milling about, trying to save people, bring the situation under control, and generally do their jobs. Paladin support squads have arrived, of course, Concord Relief missions, as well as undercover Watch Operatives aiming to help where they could. You're given your break, more or less, as the monster hunter and destroyer. Though really, people just gave Bowser and Touta their room. Right now nobody had time to get involved in /that/ squabble. Inside Hibiki, she could feel a FAMILIAR presence. Who would too, answer questions? Maybe. Now on Ultraman B: The exposition/review episode!
Ru Li Cheng	Said Ultra-Host, Ru Li Cheng, hasn't really taken any kind of break. Gods are there to help mankind. It's what he was built for. So as he directs rescue crews and coordinates efforts, he's also busy lifting debris away with little effort, assisting in rescue efforts with his exceptional sensory abilities, and generally acting as a hub of rescue activity. The Yinghuan divinity is all smiles the whole way down.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Joining Ru Li Cheng in the non-break-taking are the trio from Chaldea: Mash, the tryhard with the shield. Jeanne Alter, the edgelord with the fire. Ritsuka, the weird one with the funny markings. Mash and Ritsuka are hard at work aiding the relief crews and rescuers in getting people out from underneath rubble, holding up dangerous-looking collapsed ceilings, and other assorted things that need a stronger touch! ... Or Mash is, anyway, since she's actually got something resembling real physical strength. Ritsuka's helping with the smaller stuff, too, but she's in more of a directing role for Jeanne, who doesn't really look too thrilled to be loitering there after the exciting battle has already ended. That's not to say she isn't helping, but she's pretty visibly half-assing it compared to the earnest efforts of the other two.
Dysnomia	The multiverse is a big place, and Mia isn't as good at being exactly where she wanted as she used to. It's not until the fight was over, the alien subdued and monster reduced to a capsule that a smoky, violet streak swept through the air, circling over the devastation. It sped downward, condensed into the shape of a girl, landing on the concrete. She cracked her neck. "I missed it." Observed the dragon in the shape of a girl, and sighed. "Damn."
Hibiki Tachibana	Wow! Today sucked! Hibiki not only didn't manage to disable Eleking enough to prevent it from needing to get Ultra Beam'd (leading into her line of questioning about if they're dead or not when capsule'd), but Reiblood did...something. She's not entirely sure what. Her desperate attempt at finding a solution to dealing with these manipulated Kaiju that didn't have to end in their destruction only... ...well, she shouldn't think too hard about it. If it didn't work this time, maybe talking with Belial will mean they can do it /next/ time. There's too much they don't know about all of this still, and she intends to get some answers today. And she's not very inclined to ask that presence anything either, unless she has to. Thus, Hibiki is offering what aid she can - mostly in the physical work sense - to the relief efforts while using it as a backdrop to quiz Belial. There's a frown on her face. "...Belial. Every time you've fought these monsters, you absorbed them into capsules. What exactly happens to them when you do that? And what is it for?" She hasn't forgotten the...transformation that Belial took during the fight with Eleking, either.
Touta Konoe	In truth, Touta's not really thinking much on trying to throw hands at the moment. He knows the dragon...Dinosaur...Turtle...Thing has been whining that these mini-Elekings were his, but as far as he's concerned... "I'm sorry guys...Last guy you probably wanna see now, but at least let me make sure you get back home proper." His main priority right now is bringing these kaiju back home, no matter how much they may end up shocking or worse they may give to him. He feels like they have that right after the mistake he caused. That's his contribution to the repair and aid effort as of this moment. The look on his face honestly did seem as if he wasn't keen on dealing with a squabble. He just wanted to do right by these things and try joining in for Ultraman's Q&A session. With the way he was focusing himself on his task, it didn't appear for the most part that he was focusing on Bowser.
Ishirou	The Elekings on Touta are playfully biting him. It doesn't hurt at all, as they seem to have been trained with humans in mind, so they can control their bite strength. This will obviously become something of a problem in the future. Belial answers, with a rumble. "The Capsules are called 'Ultra Capsules'. They are devices capable of drawing in the power of a creature. They were designed by an Ultraman who was searching for a way to peacefully contain creatures, but also have them provide benefits to the universe. In that Capsule, their essence is preserved.." "So in a sense, they are still alive," he answers, "As I understand, the inside of the capsule is some sort of paradise for the creature... that is the Kind of Ultraman that Hikari is. Though I believe he was unsatisfied with this solution." Ru Li can feel there is something Belial is not saying. Hibiki and Mia can hear something else. 'Caught between life and death... unable to act without their body. It is no wonder that such an Ultraman was unsatisfied with it... It is barely something called 'living'. Perhaps if you had more power you could prevent this...'
Angela	There needs to be help with CLEANUP? Well don't worry, here comes... THE WELFARE TEAM to help! Starring... BETTY! and FOX BETTY! is unusual for an employee of L-Corp in that she's a large twelve foot tall near full conversion cybernetic construction with a bark like brown colorscheme and no less than six spindly mechanical arms protruding from her torso. BETTY!'s 'face' is a round screen presently showing an emoticon style ^o^ expression against a green field of color. BETTY! is carrying a strange mace with a red eyed smileyface at the end of it and a blood splattered (across the hemline) uniform that looks like it is barely containing BETTY!'s massive frame. Fox is wearing a pinstriped suit and has a revolver at his side that's pointed down. He has orange hair and freckles and kinda looks like a surlier Rupert Grint. "We're here to help!" BECKY! beams as she starts clomping forward, Fox quietly following along behind and playing around with his revolver like he thinks it's cool to do that. He doesn't say anything. BECKY! looks around a bit and asks, "How may we help out here?" She seems ready to start swinging with that mace if nobody tells her how to HELP! She wants to HELP! Did they arrive too late??? But Fox does finally helpfully supply, "Hey. Explaining the details? Sorry for being late." He doesn't sound too sorry.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	"Missed what?" Jeanne raises an eyebrow at Mia as she asks that question, in-between helping to move one entire thing and just loitering about. She takes that transformation in stride, too, almost seeming to forget about it until- "What are you trying to hide?" She asks, not in an accusing way, but in a roundabout inquiry sort of way. Ritsuka and Mash, meanwhile, keep working hard while their focus drifts towards Belial, Ru Li, and Hibiki! The question from Hibiki catches their attention fairly easily, and they listen to the explanation about the Ultra Capsules closely. It doesn't take long, then, for Ritsuka to start asking things of her own without knowing the deeper meaning that goes unheard. Mash, too, seems a rather interested in the topic. "I get it... Like a coffin, but better! Wait. Does this mean humans could use this when their time is up, too?" "It does sound a little too good to be true, but if it could be spread that way... Hm. Has it ever been tested on anyone but kaiju?" Helpfully, Mash also answers when BETTY! and Fox arrive, bowing lightly at the waist. "Thank you for the assistance! I think they-" She gestures at Ru Li and the various factions' (openly or otherwise) relief teams. "They've got the planning going, so Master and Miss Jeanne and I are focusing on the heavy lifting."
Hibiki Tachibana	They were designed by an Ultraman who was searching for a way to peacefully contain creatures, but also have them provide benefits to the universe. "So there are Ultramen who want different outcomes for these kaiju, too..." Hibiki murmurs quietly, taking in the rest of the explanation about Ultra Capsules. It's certainly a better solution than just ending them, although she can understand why Hikari would still not imagine it good enough. "...Reiblood is a big part of pushing them into this. It doesn't feel right to destroy them just for being made to rampage. I don't like it--and I want to make it so that things like this stop happening at all. So that those Capsules aren't necessary in the first place." Even Eleking was being used for someone else's purposes today. With more relief efforts going around, like with the Lobcorp Agents showing up, Hibiki feels like she has a little more breathing room to ask questions. Although, that painfully familiar voice in her ear brings a scowl to her face. "...That's not something raw power can fix on its own." To anyone other than Mia, it'd sound like a comment said to herself. She also doesn't sound wholly sure of that. Her head shakes, while helping clear away a large piece of rubble. "You said before, Belial, that Reiblood was a threat to the entire universe at one point, even if you never met personally. Can you tell us everything you and the other Ultramen know about him?" The grimace on her face deepens. "...I'm getting tired of hearing his voice in my ear."
Bowser	Kammy is standing next to Belial, or at least nearby, applying various old woman creams and ointments to her face. This is taking a long time, there are a lot of them. But she seems to be listening in place of Bowser. "Some sort of monster you can fit in your pocket." Various Koopas and Goombas are building a temporary fort, which is just a small stack of bricks in a cylinder with a Bowser Flag on top. From a short distance away, Bowser is pumping his arms back and forth. The ground shakes in a steady vibration as he charges down a straight lane, right at Touta. He shouts from quite far away, "GIVE ME BACK MY UNDERLINGS!!"
Angela	"BETTY! is good at lifting!" BETTY! waddles over to Mash to help Mash with LIFTING, using its many actuator arms to help with...LIFTING. It's a good question if this wil lhelp because she just sort of takes any debris and whatnot and piles it off to one side since she hasn't been told where to put anything. But she is doing her best, and that's what's important. To BETTY! anyway. Fox is kind of rolling his eyes here as he bows to Mash and makes his way over to Ru Li and moves to help him out. "Hey man. Like the tassel." He holsters the pistol so it's not in the way.
Ishirou	"Ultraman Hikari is a very peaceful Ultra... he has resolved to save as much life as possible. His studies into the various Kaiju species continue, though he does strive to make habitats for them but..." "Not all can be saved, some are simply too dangerous to other life, or too territorial. The capsules will at least allow them to continue living, without the risk to others." "I am unsure if it can be used on humans. Nor do I know if it will prolong the life beyond their natural span... most Kaiju live significantly longer than humans do." Belial says, continuing on as he watches Touta and Bowser start. He seems more interested in how the fight goes than the stakes. On the other hand, Reiblood speaks again. 'And no power helps nobody. You simply allow the strong to rule, instead of saving anything.' he speaks, 'So the only choice for life is to live by their rules... or become a power-up. And you wonder why the Kaiju are so violent. They want to live as free as anyone else.'
Touta Konoe	There's a sense of surprise as he sees just how...Calm these things are. Even the bites feel like more of a casual nibble. Though, he's paying attention if one ends up getting too aggressive. He can't imagine drinking his blood would be good for any of these things. That said, he's started collecting enough of these mini-Eleking that he probably has a few clinging to him like Barbossa had when they fought him before. "GIVE ME BACK MY UNDERLINGS!!" The ground rumbles as a roar sends vibrations through the air. Whelp, guess he could have seen this one coming. Actually...he kinda does. Slowly whispering as he starts to bundle them up a bit in his arms. "Sorry guys, this is going to be a bumpy ride, but trust me...We're gonna get you all home..." Touta keeps the small ones bundled together as he actually takes the impact of Bowser's attack. Mostly just focusing on not having the mini-Eleking get harmed...Even as he gets rammed into the distance. Only, as Touta flies and blood flows...As he lands, Bowser can see as a black miasma starts to protrude from Touta's body. The small teen's form is completely masked in a black mist that slowly starts to encircle the Koopa King. All a sudden his allies, his make-shift base, all become hidden by the encircling mist. From it though, he can hear one voice that seems somewhat familiar. "Alright, you want'em. Come take'em from me. I'll even make it a little easier for you!" As if on queue, Touta pops out from the mist, the small little creatures he'd been holding clearly no longer being carried on his person. He's somehow coming in from the corner of Bowser's sights to greet the king with an upper-cut to the jaw. Hadn't he just been knocked a couple feet in front of the guy?!
Bowser	Kammy watches the black fog erupt around Bowser and the fort. She turns away from the sight and sips at a coconut drink. "As Lord Bowser has decided he MUST eat lunch here and therefore see this place whole... you are not fixing the problem! You are just breeding the kaiju until they don't care anymore! That doesn't do anything!" Bowser looks around at the black mist, his brow furrowing, "Yea? If you are so eager to be beat up! I'll OBLIGE!" The towering Koopa doesn't move, but he does glance around, fists balled up. "I'm gonna punch your face so flat you'll see everything in Two Dee!" A movement. Bowser's head flicks to look, and Touta's fist collides with Bowser's chin. The powerful blow drives in, and with a meaty THWACK the koopa's head lifts up. Then, slowly, he lowers it back down to look at Touta, a clear bruise forming underneath the fist. The clawed fingers of one hand flex slowly, cracking loudly as they curl and uncurl into a fist. The air shifts as Bowser brings around a haymaker, a fist as big as Touta's head swirling in through the black mist to return the face punch.
Hibiki Tachibana	And no power helps nobody. You simply allow the strong to rule, instead of saving anything. "Shut up," Hibiki murmurs back through grit teeth, putting a little too much strength into moving something aside than she really should for a moment. "You think I don't know that? ...You need power to be able to protect, power to be able to fight..." That, at least, is undeniable - even if Reiblood's way of offering it isn't something she can adhere to. There was a time, once, she thought just getting more power would fix all of her problems. It would do that for some of them, even some big ones--but never all of them. Her brow furrows. "If it wasn't for Reiblood, Belial...do you think these kaiju here in Neo Tokyo would still be attacking like this?" She might have other questions, although in the middle of her own thoughts, she's jolted out of it by the sound of...Touta and Bowser scrapping. Underlings? Two Dee? Oh. Uh. Wait, did Bowser seriously build an entire fort over there? The magical girl confusedly glances towards Kammy. The only reason she's not stepping in right now is because the mini-Elekings are out of harm's way and she knows Touta can take a hit, but... "Shouldn't we...stop them?"
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Mash certainly looks like she appreciates the help from BETTY!! And might be a little intimidated by the size difference, or... In awe? A combination of all three, actually. To BETTY!'s credit, though, Mash is more or less doing something similar when she's finding a lull in directions. Letting curiosity get the better of her, she looks between Fox and BETTY! a few times before settling on the latter. "Excuse me. Miss... Betty?" She's totally saying it wrong. "How did you get to be this size? Are you a human, or something else?" Ritsuka and Jeanne, meanwhile, find their attention claimed by a sudden fight breaking out! They exchange brief glances with each other, almost as if trying to figure out what their stake in either of the combatants without a word or something. They gesture wordlessly at Bowser and Touta with their heads, nod slowly in unison, and then... "Hey, keep it down over there!" "Don't cause more of a mess that we're going to have to clean up!" They turn right back around to the conversations at hand. "So what's the end-game for Hikari? Is he just trying to put all the Kaiju into these capsules like a... A zoo of sorts? Or is he-" Ritsuka pauses to press her hand to her chin. "-planning something bigger with these?" She asks with a dramatic tilt of her head, then looks over at Hibiki. "Can you still hear him? What's he saying?" A beat, and then she asks one more question just as seriously as the others. "Is he lying?"
Ru Li Cheng	"Ah, thank you," Ru Li says to Fox. He doesn't make eye contact - because he doesn't need to. In fact Fox can tell already that Ru Li can see just fine, as he directs another group of rescue operatives to dig through a lump of solid concrete - only for them to find another survivor. "It's very basic Yinghuan fashion, I admit, but I did at least try to be somewhat fashionable." Ru Li fingers one of the capsules in his hand as Belial explains them. All that power, and all that anger. He presses his finger against the top very gently. But in violation of their purpose, their natural order. Raging against what was assigned to them. His finger hovers on the capsule again before he's jolted out of his thoughts by Hibiki. He looks over at Bowser and Touta. "No. Why? They're out of the way. Best to let conflicts like that play out if no one is being harmed. Relocate the little ones while they fight, or something, if you wish to get involved."
Touta Konoe	The moment that Bowser's fist makes contact, he can feel a crushing sensation at Touta's skull. Touta is literally launched off his feet as he's launched through the fog. He finds himself landing a bit closer to Kammy, though by the time he lands...His head clearly doesn't look like there'd be fragments of it lying around. Not even a bruise showing. Albeit...For a moment there is a look that seems like he's dazed, but as he'd see Kammy, he'd just start smirking a tad. What was that about? "Maybe, but he lost any chance of convincing me he's any better for them the moment he went all 'Mine, mine, gimme, gimme,' and dropped a boulder on me." He fades back into the mist as he runs back, though at this point there's something interesting to take note of as that mist was looking as if it was getting a bit bigger from the outside. In fact, visibility in the area in general was just getting worse overall. The only place that still seemed to have some level of visibility was the 'arena' that Touta had formed for the two as he brought himself back in. "Okay, real talk. That punch was solid..." He's got enough of a smirk on his face that it can be taken just as much of a compliment as it is him being immensely ticked about it. Though that's all he'll say as he braces his legs. A powerful leap upwards as Touta brings up his blade this time. Bowser watches as he ascends and drifts into the air like a feather and looks like he'll ascend at a free fall. Only all of a sudden, his fall accelerates and if Bowser ends up receiving that strike, he'll realize it probably has to do with the increased weight that was bearing down on that sword of his. Feeling almost like someone had just tried dropping a boulder on him this time.
Dysnomia	"Is that what you think all the kaiju you've fought here are like?" Mia asked Belial, slowly. "Beyond saving? Because, it seems to me they were just in the wrong place. In the wrong time. With...The wrong influence." "What IS your plan for them, Belial?" Caught in a sudden breeze, a wisp of something leaked from her neck. "Is there somewhere you'll release them, or will you keep them in those capsules forever? I'm sure there a planet somewhere they could live." Dysnomia paused, nodding slowly at Hibiki. "The kind of 'power' that would keep them safe is pretty abstract, isn't it? Just force wouldn't be enough. Creating a place where they could live freely. Protecting it..." A low chuckle. "That kind of place just can't exist, can it? Only humans get to live like that."
Bowser	Kammy watches Touta run back in. "His Surliness will be fine. Is there some sort of big kaiju nest we can throw a bomb at? Or we can call on one of our more mercenary bad characters and..." she waves her hands in front of her, "take over the area. What is the SIMPLEST solution to this problem?" In the black mist. "EXCUSE ME!? I'm a KING! I'm KING BOWSER! I know how to run a kingdom, I know how to treat my underlings. And I..." Bowser turns around, then up at the Touta. Bowser doesn't DODGE. Bowser's feet might as well be rooted into the ground. Instead, he leans forward and snags one hand up. The clawed hand grabs at the blade, cutting into the tough hide of Bowser. There's a clear sound of leather being cut through. "SAW THEM-" The blade comes down, sparks shooting off as it slides along one of the long spikes on Bowser's shell, and then hits the shell with a resounding CLANG. The asphalt underneath suddenly drives down with a CRUNCH, Bowser's feet driving a good six inches into the ground as the weight of the sword transfers through. "FIRST!" Bowser drives his other hand up at Touta's waist, and turns, attempting to simply hurl Touta like a spear out of the mist and follow him out.
Hibiki Tachibana	"...As long as the little ones aren't hurt," Hibiki replies quietly back to Ru Li. Given it looks like the 'fighting' Touta took over for the one that's guarding the mini-Kaiju, maybe she doesn't have anything to worry about. "And they don't add more to clean up. I guess both of them are too tough to seriously get hurt by any of this." Ritsuka's questions hit her afterwards though, and it's to the first thing she asks that she answers with a tentative, "...Yeah." Is he lying? "...Not about some things. That doesn't mean he's not seriously underhanded. Sneaking around trying to get at me..." There's another downward shift of her lips, and she nods back to Dysnomia without looking at her. "...If you don't believe it can, then probably not. /Do/ you believe it?"
Ru Li Cheng	"It isn't really about the little ones," Ru Li says distantly, "It's a clash of egos. It's best to let it play out because, at the end of the day, neither of them is well-suited for the role they're attempting to take. All you have to do is listen to them to discern that much. It's a conflict over which of them is more...'heroic' may have the wrong connotations to you? 'Virtuous'? 'Chivalrous'? 'Whose vows are more meaningful,' 'whose word is more final,' 'whose viewpoint is more powerful'?" Ru Li folds one hand behind his back. "You could probably move the little ones entirely and they wouldn't notice, because it was never really about the little ones. It may be a good idea to do so, but without disrupting the duel. That would be unacceptable."
Angela	Fox helps with lifting. He'sn ot as effective as BETTY! in this but he is more directed. He nods lightly as Ru Li Cheng speaks to the matter of fashion. "Looks neat, that's all. I'm not super into fashion. Had to pick up this job to keep my family in the Nest. Taxes always going up, y'know." BETTY! turns to look at the fight. Her eyes make a ^ shape and she claps her many hands excitedly.
Ishirou	'Shouldn't we...stop them?' "Mmm... I don't think so. I think getting involved will only make this come up again but at a worse time for us. Sometimes these things need to be worked out," Belial says, and rumbles in agreement in Ru Li. "He wants a place for every life form to live peacefully, and thrive. The capsules aren't a way he wants to continue going forward..." he says, in somewhat of a half-truth. Ru Li can get the feeling that perhaps Hikari did not agree to Belial taking them. Belial listens to Disnomia, and with this and to Hibiki's other question... "The humans here have created a disaster of their own making. They are not in harmony with their planet and instead have made the choice to survive and sculpt the planet in their own way. I suppose then... it depends on if you value human life or Kaiju life more." After a moment, "Yes, they would be attacking," he finally answers Hibiki. "Kaiju do not act rationally and instead lash out in instinct or territorially. As for my choice, I'd keep them in the capsule for now. They are strengths I can borrow and protect others with." To Kammy, "Kaiju do have nests, but I do not know where they are. They all have their own personal territory..." Reiblood speaks again, this time only to Mia, 'But you could make such a place... mastering my power after inheriting it would allow you to do many great feats thought to be impossible. It would take time to master... but you /could/ do almost anything you want with it.' 'The humans want to feed their greed... the monsters want to survive. Couldn't you do something about it, if you weren't so weak? Or is it that you really just don't care... You just want to look like you're helping. Simply existing to solve a symptom and look heroic... instead of taking the time to fix the true problem.' Reiblood says to Hibiki.
Ritsuka Fujimaru	"They'll work it out of their systems or die trying!" Ritsuka nods in agreement with Ru Li while glancing back at the fight again, then turns back to the conversation again. She doesn't notice that leaking thing from Mia's neck, but Jeanne certainly does based on the pointed stare she gives her for two whole seconds. "... Hm. A planet just for them? That'd be convenient, if Belial or Hikari or whichever one you are could find a place that could fit creatures their size. You could even make a show of it." Jeanne suggests with her usual vaguely sarcastic intensity. "I'm sure there'd be someone willing to fund it and develop the land, too, but then you'd have to deal with suits far smaller than..." Jeanne points upwards, like she's trying to guess an Ultraman's height with just her hand. Hibiki gets a focused stare from Ritsuka, though, when she answers questions about Reiblood. "Oh, I bet. Kinda weird he'd go to you to try and get you to do stuff, though. I mean." She gestures over at Bowser, then at Jeanne. "THey're right there, you know?" "What's that supposed to mean?" "You know what you want and go after it without letting pointless thoughts get in the way!" "... Hmph. Maybe if I actually gave a damn what happened to these kaiju."
Touta Konoe	"It isn't really about the little ones, It's a clash of egos. It's best to let it play out because, at the end of the day, neither of them is well-suited for the role they're attempting to take. All you have to do is listen to them to discern that much. It's a conflict over which of them is more...'heroic' may have the wrong connotations to you? 'Virtuous'? 'Chivalrous'? 'Whose vows are more meaningful,' 'whose word is more final,' 'whose viewpoint is more powerful'?" As the sparks fly and the ground crater there is one voice that radiates through the mist. It's something that masked by the veil of black admittedly brings a sour note on Touta's face. "You don't even see what I'm doing..." It's something he can't help but mutter lightly under his breath just low enough for maybe Bowser to hear in the moment. Even with the fog concealing Bowser, Touta, and the mini-Eleking it wasn't as though they couldn't hear what's outside of the fog. So it raised the question, did Ru Li seriously not care what he was saying in earshot of the ones he was calling out, or was it another one of his mishaps in courtesy? It didn't matter much. Bowser's grip finds true as he attempts to fling Touta and for the most part he goes flying. The only problem is that, as he attempts to run through the mist he has to question...Is it a bit thicker than before? The answer would be no. While the fight's been progressing, the fog's been steadily expanding out little by little. Even a bit of Bowser's 'base' was being swallowed in the fog, parts of the road, even alleyways. The only part it didn't seem to be expanding to where the Elites had been having their discussion. "You had to add the last bit...? Now I get it too..." There's a touch of annoyance in the voice within the fog. For Bowser the voice sounds like it's coming from behind him this time. Only instead, the direction of the attack would be found as a gut punch attempting to dig into the underbelly of the Koopa King's shell.
Ru Li Cheng	"Fashion is something other gods do a great deal more of than I do, ha ha. I'm afraid I was always inside so I had little use for it. But since I'm presenting Yinghua to the rest of the Multiverse, I felt it was...appropriate." Ru Li doesn't say anything when Belial hides part of the truth. In fact, he just smiles and resumes picking up some debris, as if he doesn't know. Belial doesn't get the sense that he's fooled - Belial gets the sense that Ru Li is choosing not to say anything because he's trusting Belial's judgment in the matter. If it's something to be concealed, Ru Li reasons, then Belial has good reason for it. "Of course I see what you're doing," Ru Li says as he tosses aside the rock without looking at Touta, "I saw you kill one of them, too, while Belial was fighting. My senses are extremely good - and at Ultraman-size, my radius is exceptional." "It isn't as if it's my business to intrude on a battle between egos, is it?" He asks, "That's the sort of thing that heroes do."
Bowser	Kammy rubs at her chin. "Hmmm... how much space do they need? We could always use more giant monsters to kidnap Princess Peach and threaten the Mushroom Kingdom with."
Hibiki Tachibana	"Is that how you see it?" Hibiki murmurs back to Ru Li. There's a strain in her voice, and on her face, at the mention of one of the baby Kaiju's fates--and she exhales a little too forcefully and heavily out from her nose. "...Who knows, it's probably just me being me again. ...All ego, and nothing else..." Her tone is low enough that it doesn't sound like she really believes that. She also doesn't seem interested in arguing, past Belial making the fair point of this happening now instead of later. Another piece of rubble is hefted aside with a grunt of exertion, as Reiblood's voice once again rings in her head. The frustration bleeds over a little too easily, to where she doesn't quite manage to lower her voice through clenched teeth this time. "I thought I told you to shut--up--! I'm not doing any of this just pretending to be something I'm not!" ...Which she realizes a moment later, after one heavy sigh. A dirt-covered hand comes up to run back through her hair, side-glancing at Ritsuka. "...Probably /because/ I have all the pointless thoughts that get in the way," Hibiki grumbles with no small amount of...spite? Maybe not, but something close. "Can't imagine why."
Ru Li Cheng	Ru Li blinks at Hibiki, quite purposefully (since he's already established he doesn't need to look at people to see them). "Yes. It's not a judgment. It's simply...what heroes do?" "'Rivers flow; mountains crumble; birds soar; heroes clash.'"
Bowser	The shifting back and forth finally breaks as the fist drives into Bowser's gut. Hitting him from the front is clearly the key. He doubles over in pain, grasping at his stomach. His eyes BULGE before he gasps in air. "You... little..." He sinks down to one knee, grabbing at his middle. He lifts his head slightly, "AND IF THOSE AREN'T THERE WHEN I BEAT THIS GUY UP, I AM GONNA BE SUPER TICKED OFF!!" Then he focuses back on Touta. Moving around everywhere. And this fog... Yes, he knows what to do. Bowser's head disappears. As do his limbs. All that is left on the ground is a shell, which suddenly rotates. One swing. Two, building up speed with each pass. Air drags inward by vacuum as the shell spins faster, dragging everything towards the fearsome sword like spikes on each scale of his shell. A mini-tornado forms at the peak of the shell, attempting to drag all the black fog right into the shell's spikes!
Dysnomia	"Kaiju do not act rationally and instead lash out in instinct or territorially." "What do you know." Dysnomia's smile had something chilly in it. "Humans and monster have something in common after all." Reiblood's voice, his promise, made her spine tingle with something she decided was fear. Just what I need. Another thing to tie me down. Another thing to control me. Her fists clenched. Mia turned to surveil the wreckage, wisps of violet-blue something crawling across the ground, as the debris slowly began to move. "I suppose keeping them trapped is acceptable, if it's to keep humans safe. Isn't that the way it's supposed to go?" "They're not human, so it's fine to bleed them dry, after all." A pause. "You can't protect them from the consequences forever, Belial." Dysnomia growled. "At what point to they stop being the beings to save and become the ones that need to be stopped?"
Angela	There is some distress on Hibiki's face. BETTY! walks over Hibiki and places hands on her head and face. "There There." BETTY! warbles. "Let BETTY! absorb your stress Through her gentle forehead massages!" Rub rub. Rub rub. "Let all the negative feelings melt away." She'll do this until Hibiki complains, relaxes, or escapes. She's HELPING! Fox nods once to Ru Li Cheng. "You've gotten out there a bit." He says. "No shame in beginning a new hobby." He quiets down as he gets back to work.
Hibiki Tachibana	"So it's just something that happens, as natural as people breathe," Hibiki murmurs back to Ru Li. "...What exactly is a 'hero' to you, anyway?" She also, somewhat belatedly after her outburst, recalls that Belial did indeed answer one of her questions. On the nature of why the Kaiju attack. "...Is it not possible for people to make a world that both them and Kaiju can live in? Why does it /have/ to be one or the other?"
Ru Li Cheng	Ru Li does his best not to appear excited. It's a pretty good attempt, but the speeding-up of his clockwork - the audible speeding-up - betrays any attempt he has at concealing it too well. "A hero is someone chivalrous. Someone whose word is crucial to their existence. Someone whose vows are truths. That's why heroes clash; because if you vow one thing, there will naturally be another hero who vows something else, and they will clash with you." "Heroes are consistent. Inconsistency is a trait of normal people. Normal people will say something they don't mean, and..." Ru Li coughs into his hand and looks away (again, an unnecessary affectation - he's still perfectly capable of perceiving everything around him). "...Well, those who believe strongly enough to hold to their vows no matter what are heroes, and those who do not are not."
Ishirou	Belial isn't in a sense 'there', he is inside Ru Li. However, in this sense, he is 'looking' at Dysnomia. "I've already made my choice on this, but it seems to me that you haven't. Or perhaps you have... but I am a warrior, I protect and fight for. I have chosen my side in this, and have put everything towards that." There is a feeling of respect coming from Belial at Ru Li. He is appreciative of him honoring the bond they share. Reiblood 'speaks' again, first towards Mia. 'I told you before, that isn't how my power works. It will /start/ as my power is given to you... but eventually, it will become /your/ power to use as you see fit. This is something I wish to leave in this universe, to find the strongest creature, to have it choose what is right and what is not.' To Hibiki, it almost sneers... but doesn't quite. 'And what is it you keep pretending to be? Certainly not /a hero/ because we both know that's not true. You refuse to get the power to protect those dear to you. It really just seems like all you can do is /hurt/ things. People. Or is it that you don't /know/ what it is you want? You refuse to be anything, while those who have come close to you suffer... just enough so that they can depend on you. It's funny... in this case that would make you worse than what you think about me. I at least am honest. I have told you everything I want.''
Ritsuka Fujimaru	Hibiki's outburst has Ritsuka staring at her with a curious glint in her eyes, although she never loses her usual upbeat smile. It remains even as she steps aside momentarily to help Mash move a pile of rubble aside, uncovering someone's legs so they can be dragged off to safety and treatment elsewhere. "I see the problem now..." Ritsuka murmurs as she nods slowly in agreement with Hibiki eventually, getting in close to stare at her up close. "You're listening way too much to too many people trying to tug you in different directions. Are all of the people you're listening to the kinds of people you want to be?" She asks, eventually backing off to rest her arm on Jeanne's shoulder (who promptly shoves her off). "Or are some of them like me and Mash and Jeanne here, and some of them like that cool-sounding lady and that really aggro lady? You can't be like all of us, so you've gotta pick and choose and stick with it!" "Am I not the aggro one?" "You're the intense one!" "... Whatever. Hmph."
Touta Konoe	Getting a clean hit on the Koopa King, and yet, despite what should be some level of a fulfilling blow, there's only one expression on Touta's face. Disdain. It's not even at Bowser at this point, but at the words he hears through the veil. "I saw you kill one of them, too, while Belial was fighting. My senses are extremely good - and at Ultraman-size, my radius is exceptional." "So you saw me screw-up? Congrats, didn't need to be all-seeing for that one, did you?!" It's always rather easy to see the fuck-ups. He knows that too well. He knows just how big of a fuck-up it was from the moment he realized they weren't hostile. The moment even Barbossa even called out how brutal he was. Sickening. But once, just once, he'd like someone to see what he's doing to make up for it. Or at least try. Attempting to conceal them in the mist. Constantly trying to keep tabs on them during the fight to make sure that neither he or Bowser get knocked into their path. He's well aware of his faults, more than anyone... But for once he'd just like to have someone see that-- "Oi...Wait...What are you...?" He watches as Bowser's shell begins to spin rapidly, at such a speed that it's literally creating an intense vacuum effect. At first, it's very clearly intended to remove the fog. It's certainly an effective method to do so. It's even enough to unveil within the shroud of it all where the mini-Eleking linger. Though, that's not what worries Touta most. "Hold on, if you keep that up you might...!!!" Bowser might end up sucking in the tiny eleking's within the vortex at this rate. Maybe the King was aware of how much force to put into his attack but at the same time...Again he hears those words. "It isn't really about the little ones, It's a clash of egos." "Someone...Grab'em!" Touta calls out. In truth, he's not sure if he's got enough force in this next attack to stop this. He's all for sure going to try, but... He's really not a hero. So it's fine if he calls for help, right? Still, he'll let himself be pulled in by the force of the vortex, at the same time...He's using his flash step to accelerate his next attack. His goal surely to end the fight, but at the same more than anything, all he wants to see is this turtle-top stop spinning, so with all the force focused on the inside of his foot as he's intending to just kick the oversized shell like a soccer ball, and distorting him from spinning on his belly, to doing backflips in the air.
Bowser	The mighty kick accelerates rapidly. A perfect swing, a mighty kick. The sudden shift in tempo pushes the shell backwards, causing the shell to dig into the asphalt. A sudden rip of street and gravel kicks out, the line of the shell digging a wide swath before it skips the huge shell up into the air. Bowser does end up flipping end over end into the sky, sucking up into his own tornado to drive him off with a BING in the sky itself. Kammy lifts her hand to her head, shading her eyes as she watches Bowser soar in a wide arc towards the other side of Japan. She looks over at Touta, then back up at the sky.
Dysnomia	Dysnomia grunted, looking at Ru Li--and Belial--for a long moment. "At least, they don't seem sapient. I haven't had to make that choice. Yet." Her eyes flickered to Touto and Bowser, and as the black fog lifted, smokey tendril's reached to seize the tiny elekings, firmly, if gently, holding them to the ground while the two fought. "Until then, it's just fun." "But I'll be watching, Belial."
Hibiki Tachibana	Hibiki brings herself to finally glance at Ru Li--that obvious excitement despite his best efforts, the way he speaks of his thoughts of heroes, the crystal clear view of just how invested in the concept he is. He had an answer ready, and can see what they are--what he wants, so easily that he can describe it without hesitation. "You really want to be one, don't you? As long as you manage to hold onto that, I'm sure you'll be a great hero," is what she ends up saying out loud, before looking back down to the rubble she has her hand on. 'Hold onto that.' "...I'm not one for a reason, I guess." Her brooding is somewhat interrupted by BETTY! offering up unwarranted forehead massages, which she meets first with flustered surprise before trying to squirm her way out amid mentions of not needing that, she's fine. Or is it that you don't /know/ what it is you want? You refuse to be anything, while those who have come close to you suffer... just enough so that they can depend on you. You're listening way too much to too many people trying to tug you in different directions. I at least am honest. I have told you everything I want. The moment doesn't really last in the face of all of that, though. "What I want--" She starts a little bit too fast, easing more weight against the surface for support, without entirely realizing she's doing it. "--...is to be able to make everyone happy. Protect it all...and the more I try, the more it all goes wrong, I..." Her other hand comes up to rest against her forehead. "...Trying to be the kind of person /I/ want to be...it should be so simple, but it always keeps ending up being the most complicated thing in the world. Is it really just not having enough power to make what I want real...? If I had more, would I just...be able to take it all on myself...?" They're not decisions, what she murmurs under her breath. Just musings. But ones she can't help. No more screwing up, no more falling short, no more having to choose sides...because she'd be strong enough to handle it. She can't be weak enough to want that. Or rather, not have it handed out to her. That doesn't work...it can't work.
Touta Konoe	Before Kammy's eyes even attempt to look towards the sky, there's a very apparent look that just screams at her from Touta, 'You can check on him. Or you can join him on the next flight.' It's mostly just a threat at this point, and one that he's not trying to focus on. It's just intended to be enough that either she or any of his 'Underlings' as he puts them don't try anything else at this point. At this point he finds himself able to look back to the others, and at Ru Li in particular. There's clearly something he wants to say, it's literally caught in his throat as he tries to say it but...He takes in a breath then exhales. It's not because he needs the air. He is simply trying to hold that ego. Just like before when he tried not to end up turning this into a clash of egos...And ended up crushed by a boulder because of it. Instead, he finds turning back towards the mini-Elekings. His eyes gazing at the tendrils that had kept them anchored, his eyes scrolling up till he finds their source to be Dysnomia. He steps towards them as he looks at her. "Thanks...I think I can take it from here." He starts picking up the mini-kaiju if given the chance, a moment to make sure none of them got panicked or otherwise. Maybe they were trained to be good with people, but he can't imagine any of that was any fun for them. "Sorry about that guys. Anyways...Let's bring you back home...Kay?"