Welcome to Phansite archive (beta)
You'll find here all archived threads from the Phansite forum.
Growth at the Kichijouji Neighborhood
[Kichijouji, in front of the "Arcade" mall. The building itself has moved along with the times, along with the city of Tokyo. What once was in 1992, was nothing but a small cabin compared to what it is now, a giant maze of shops and people of all ages. Kazuya is sitting by himself with a familiar notebook in his hands, and a gentle smile drawn on his face.]
The destination this time is Shinjuku...so, the demon Douman...
[He says, recalling the events of his past, waiting for the "players" Melbourne gathered.]
*Primarina, curious about the mall from the past, is surprised to find a much larger building than expected. The crowd is large as well, but one person catches her eye...*
Ah, there you are, Kazuya.
*The pokémon heads over to him, muttering a quick apology to someone who nearly trips over her tail.*
OOC: Is this free to join?
*Though he is usually stoic, Raidou looked even more stoned faced than usual as he approached Kazuya. He disregards the people around him, and stands in front of the bench. Gouto appears from behind his partner's leg like usual, and speaks for him.]
"It's good to see you again, Kazuya. Looks like we're continuing from where we left off, huh?"
OoC: Only if you don't overdo it with your overlord stuff
*Tatsuya walks in from an alleyway, wherever he's been it's obvious he was up to something. Probably looking into Raidou's case from the look he's got*
Oh hey Kaz, guess this was today huh... Well things went good last time, but I'm sure it'll get harder from here.
*He glances around the area before absently flicking a lighter from his pocket, a concerned look crossing the man's face, thoughts of far worse battles coming to mind as he sighs*
Well regardless, let's get this show in the road shall we? *Tatsu smirks at the others, his face showing more confidence than worry at this point*
OOC: And, what would entail "overdo"ing it? Of course, i'm gonna shout at everyone and i'm gonna act like an overlord. That's just me being in character. However, I won't spam.
ooc: Not sure if you'd enjoy this, Laharl. It's very plot-heavy, and you won't be able to drop meteors... or use any demon abilities.
*Laharl is walking and crosses pathes with Kazuya. He then shouts louder than regular people could shout*
Did someone say demons!?
[Kazuya smiles at Prima.]
Hey Prima, glad to see you could come.
[Kazuya then turns to Raidou, nodding at the cat.]
Yes, that is the plan...from now on, who knows how many demons you will have to face, as...the city is slowly filling up with more and more demons...and you guys aren't even well equiped.
[He then points to Tatsuya with a worried face.]
Try not to get as excited as him, demons WILL swarm you and go for the kill if they have the chance, and so...Melbourne said you earned this.
[Kazuya stands up and looks inside his bag. He has 3 summoning tubes in his possession and offers them to Raidou.]
Due to your actions and staying "Neutral", according to him, he gave you the chance to actually be a devil summoner inside the "Alternative World".
Right now all you guys have are Tatsuya's weakend fire, and Raidou's Machete.
[After this, he opens the notebook with his free hand.]
Any of you have...any sort of question before you go...?
[The notebook itself shines a dim light, as the time around them appears to slow down.]
OOC: Unlike the previous threads I've made, this one is not open. Sorry.
OOC: Oh, should've told said so...
*Primarina slowly nods... and then something comes to mind.*
Wait... I'm not sure if you're allowed to tell us, but where did those people take... Yuji, I think his name was?
*That had been the last thing that happened before her return to the Nexus. Something about that event worried her...*
*Tatsuya shrugs at Kazuya's concern*
I'm well aware of what they'll do yes, but I'm not going to just freak out over it or something, you read into me too much sometimes Kaz... Yeah I'm concerned about this, but showing it? Don't really see the point man, sure it might come off as overconfident, but that's just how I deal with these things. In the end I'm as worried as everyone else honestly.
*Tatsuya's face shows a calm expression, rather than his usual smug smirk or the like, instead simply looking over to Kaz with an obvious concern*
Now that having been said yeah questions, it was Thor who lunched the ICBMs right? I'm pretty sure but uh seems better to make certain.
*Raidou takes them, stashing them in his pocket for sake keeping. He nods with a determined look on his face, ready to do what it takes to save lives.*
Yuji...right, he was taken to the Hospital just like me, to be used in sick experiments conducted by a demon named Orias.
That's where I met him, since we were locked inside the same room.
[Kazuya smiles with some nostalgia.]
We made a run for it and defeated the demon, just to escape.
[His smile quickly fades away at the mention of “Thor†and the ICBMs.]
Yes, it was Thor the one who launched the ICBMs on Tokyo, although he went by the name “Thormanâ€, the American Ambassador, by the time we fought him and beat him, he had already ordered the assault, turns out they take around 14 minutes to get from the America to Japan, and they can’t be stopped once they are launched...I remember the battle itself taking 12 minutes...
Now...I think it's time for you to move on.
[The world around them finally comes to a halt. The people turn into gray husks of stone, and the shops are in ruins, looted. The one place that appeared to be unaffected was the café inside the mall. Its wooden door is wide open, leading to a white void. Right beside it, a familiar husk stands there without moving, a much older Suzume Toho, the waitress that they met a long time ago.]
“The path lies in front of you.â€
[Raidou now has a white aura around him, Prima, as she turns into a human, has a golden aura. Tatsuya, on the other hand, has a crimson one, although it is faint.]
Alright...be very careful guys, please.
[With this, Kazuya disappears.]
So he escaped in the end... thank goodness.
*Prima takes note of Tatsuya's aura: red. Perhaps that was the counterpart to yellow instead? Only time would tell. She takes a moment to adjust to her new body, then steps into the cafe.*
*Tatsuya glances around the area, checking it for anything useful before walking forward*
Come on guys let's get going, I don't want to waste any time when there's work to be done... I'd rather we don't let anyone else get hurt if it can be helped.
*He looks around at the party's auras, a curious look appearing at his own*
Red... I guess it's not totally far off, I'm not totally in agreement but eh, chaos is something I've got a bit of I suppose.
*Looking around at the destruction, the Devil Summoner could only scoff at the state of things. Raidou flexes his fist, observing his own aura as he walks into the white light.*
[There is not much of interest around the area, it seems. As they step through the door way into the white void, a light becomes brighter and brighter. All of them take the form of teenagers, wearing the same school uniform they had before. Raidou has his Machete, and over his school jacket, he finds himself wearing his white, bandolier-like pockets, where his three new summoning tubes are kept. Tatsuya now feel a little bit stronger, flames may be noticeable easier to use, but still difficult.]
“Now, we begin.â€
[Melbourne’s voice can be heard all around, and the white void quickly takes the form of Kazuya’s home. They are inside the living room, and the older woman is sitting on her couch, still pale after the last encounter with the demon]
Ms. Yasuo: “I…I still can’t believe what I saw…h-how can demons be real…? Oh god, where is Kazuya now…?â€
[The woman has a terribly terrified expression on her face, but not because of almost dying now, no, but because her only son could be in great danger. Pascal, the dog is by her side, whimpering and licking one of her hands, as he is worried too. Looking around the room, they find two different doorways, one leading to the kitchen, and another to a stairway, leading to the second floor.]
*It takes a minute for Prima to figure out what happened, since she hadn't been around for the last part of the adventure. She nods to herself and gives Kaz's mother a small smile.*
Don't worry. I have a feeling he's safe.
*More than a feeling, but anyway...*
We'll go look for him. It's the least we can do.
*Tatsuya smiles at the elder woman, attempting to look reassuring as he walks over a bit closer, offering his hand to Pascal*
I'm sure Kaz is gonna be fine, we'll see to it that he is actually... This might seem strange Ms. Yasuo, but have you got any kitchen knives or hammers or something around here? I don't plan to sit around waiting so uh anything that could hurt someone would help me out, a sword would be best but I doubt you have that.
*Tatsu rubs the back of his head, feeling rather awkward as he asks the woman if her home happens to house any deadly weapons, still it's better than not checking and possibly missing something useful*
*Raidou nods in affirmation to Prim's words of encouragement, and decides to head upstairs to have a quick look around.*
[As Raidou walks upstairs, he can see a long hallway with three doors, one to the right with a small sign that says "Green COMP", another to the left with a small sign reading "Best Mother in the World", and finally one at the end of said hallway.]
--------
[Ms. Yasuo nods as she looks at Prima.]
Ms. Yasuo: “He is a smart kid, he’s always with his computers upstairs after all…I just hope he comes soon. If he doesn’t…then I think it would be best to call the police, it’s too dangerous to go out…â€
[Pascal then goes to lick Tatsuya's hand for a moment before going back to his owner. The woman then turns to him and points at the kitchen.]
Ms. Yasuo: "Please, feel free to look around there, even if it's just food...I would've died if it wasn't for you, kids."
[She smiles gently, petting Pascal.]
*Prima nods again, with the final piece of what happened fitting into place. Now, she could go into the kitchen with Tatsuya, but perhaps she should join Raidou upstairs... She decides to go for the latter, and heads for the right door upon reaching the second floor.*
*As touching as the little sign is, Raidou and Gouto turn to the right and proceed into what they can only assume is Kazuya's room.*
*Tatsuya walks into the kitchen, looking around for the biggest knives he can find and grabbing them, blades like these won't be as good as real steel but it's better than bashing away bare handed. He grabs a bit of food and water as well, might come in handy at some point. Walking back out side after putting everything away he turns back to Yasuo*
Yeah... Heh kid, funny to think of it like that. But anyways thanks for the help, we'll be sure to make sure he gets home safe... Guy might be a little too nice if ya ask me, and he's definitely not quick enough on the draw.
*In spite of his words Tatsuya smiles at the thought of Kaz*
Even so he's still a good friend of mine, and sometimes I wonder if maybe I should try being a little less trigger happy myself... Ah well nothing to it right?
*He sticks his hands in his pockets and walks off after Raidou*
[Tatsuya has acquired Kitchen Knives!]
[The door to the right, “Green COMP†is Kazuya’s room. As the group steps through, he can see three different computers sitting on a really long desk, as well as some really old looking COMPs. A piece of paper next to them says “RIPâ€. The walls have posters of the “Phoenix Ranger Featherman R†making their group pose. Next to it, there is a small photo hanging on the wall of a really young Kazuya making the exact same pose as the red featherman. A bookshelf with some books about the Occult is next to the door and on his bedside table, three photo frames.]
*Prima laughs a little at the picture of Kazuya. Such a cute child... She picks up one of the strange devices, looking it over, then taps a key on the keyboard. Technology is something she knows little about, but this seems important.*
*Curious, Raidou decides to sift through the computers briefly. He's not the most computer savvy given his time period, but he has some basic knowledge.*
*Tatsuya looks over the COMPs, he's no programmer but his rumour given technical skills should get something like this figured out easily enough, the man spaces out a bit as he picks one up and begins checking the circuits, perhaps if these aren't working it's possible to cobble together enough functional parts to make one run?*
[The COMP Prima picked up doesn’t look all that different from the one Kazuya wears, but certainly older, the gadget itself is really heavy for an “Arm Terminalâ€. Sadly, it doesn’t appear to be working, no matter what Tatsuya does. The circuits are completely fried and some parts in the other COMPS are even broken in half. The computers themselves have nothing weird on them and the one in the middle is on, with a small icon flashing, indicating that Kazuya got a message from the DDS-NET. There is also a small window indicating a "Demon Summoning Program" was successfully downloaded.]
*Prima can't really read, so she puts down the broken device and looks over at the other two.*
What does the screen say?
DSP successfully downloaded, as expected of him really...
*Tatsuya considers setting the COMP back down before shrugging and storing it in his pack*
These things are toasted near beyond repair, if I can find replacements parts it'd be possible... No clue about getting the Demon Summoning Program onto it though, maybe if you copy the files from another COMP? Can these things even do that?
*Tatsu shrugs and walks back out into the living room, maybe he can make use of the thing, maybe not. But better to have it and not need it than be without and need it*
So I'm thinking we're ready to head out for now? Or shall we check around for anything else? *He glances at Prim and Raidou*
*Raidou twirls one of his sideburns between his index and middle fingers as he reads the words on the screen. Without any working comps, this doesn't really help them much, so he decides it'd be best to get moving. He quickly makes his way out of the cramped bedroom, and heads back downstairs. Gouto, who has been sitting on the bed this whole time watches him leave, turning his head with a perplexed look on his face.*
"Raidou seems more on edge than usual. Still, there's not much for us to use with this, so let's be getting a move on. Whenever you two are ready."
*Prima shakes her head*
I can't think of much else to do, so we should probably get moving... Although maybe Pascal can help us find Kaz? Dogs have very good noses, after all.
[The message read…]
DDS-NET
Date: 1992/10/30
Name: Stephen
To: Everyone accessing this network.
“Humanity is currently in great danger! Demons of legend from ages past have awakened from their longs slumber. Soon, they will overrun the Earth! In order to compete with the demons and fight for our survival, we will need to utilize their power. Use this program correctly, and you should be able to! I pray that those with the courage to use it will accept it to fight the demons that would destroy us, and to preserve humanityâ€
[As they head downstairs, they see how Kazuya just runs past them and hugs his mother, while Pascal barks happily. Two young men head inside rather casually after him.]
Ms.Yasuo: "Kazuya, I'm so glad you are okay!"
[The two young men then sigh with relief.]
Yuji: "It really is good she is okay, one would think a demon would've gotten to her already."
???: "Don't say that, you prick. Do you have any idea of how out of place that is...?"
*Prima blinks, not expecting Kazuya to arrive so soon. One less thing to worry about... And as for the other two...*
Yuji! I'm glad you're okay.
*She gives him a smile, then looks over at the more foul-mouthed person.*
And you are...?
*Raidou raises an eyebrow at Prim, wondering how these two know each other. Still, he's glad Kazuya is safe. He fiddles with the tubes, and tries to tell what demons are inside of them, since he wasn't really told beforehand.*
Tch, almost did get her jackass... If Raidou and I hadn't show up when we did it definitely would have.
*He looks at Yuji with an annoyed face, his voice obviously betraying how even Tatsuya thinks that was uncalled for*
Well regardless of that I guess it's good to see everyone, Kaz already knows us but. Tatsuya Suou, *he points to himself*. Raidou Kzunoha, *he gestures to the boy in a cap*. And everyone just calls her Prim... *He points to the seal*
Anyways introductions aside nice to meet you. *He smiles and waves for a moment* Oh and if you happen to find any spare COMP parts lemme know, it'd be nice to get some more running if we can.
[The tubes Raidou has are completely empty. As Raidou focuses on his tubes with an intense, silent protagonist stare, Yuji turns to Prima.]
Yuji: "Oh, Prima, I was wondering if you were okay. After all, the city is not safe anymore, and you were in the middle of "Demonkashira park"..."
[The other young man turns to look at Prima. He is wearing a long coat and glasses, with a sword on his back and resting a shotgun on his shoulder.]
Takeshi: "Who I am? My name is Takeshi. It's good to meet you, Prima."
[Tatsuya then introduces everyone. Yuji looks away apologetically and Takeshi sighs.]
Takeshi: "Or rather...everyone here."
Yuji: "I'm sorry, I tend to speak my mind too fast."
[After this introduction, Kazuya and his mother stop hugging, and the woman dries her tears.]
Ms. Yasuo: "Yes, they came and save my life from a demon, if it wasn't for them I would be..."
[Kazuya just rubs the back of his head with different kind of emotions. Relief, sadness, and even embarrassment. He turns around and faces the group with a bow.]
Thanks everyone for saving my life, I will never be able to repay what you did for me today.
[The young man looks up with a smile, and then faces his mother once more.]
But right now, me, Yuji and Takeshi have to head out. There are still things we must do outside...Yuka is not home and is apparently in Shinjuku and the roads are all blocked, so we will look for a way and...
[His mother simply punches him on his stomach.]
Ms. Yasuo: "First you make me WORRY to death and then you immediately head out, where you could die!? I thought you were smarter than this, besides, your girlfriend has that weird power, I'm sure she's okay."
[Kazuya, on the ground and holding his stomach blushes.]
S-She'snotmygirlfriendmom...
[He barely manages to say, for his embarrassment was stronger than the pain. He slowly stands up.]
Mom, demons may be around the city, but we'll be fine...I made some strong allies, and even managed to befriend some demons!
[Kazuya raises his left arm, pointing at his COMP.]
I have to do this, we are the only ones that can now...!
*Prima watches the whole thing unfold in silence, then coughs a little.*
Well... I think he should be able to go. I find this scary, too, but if he's come this far... Besides, he's not alone. And I'll be coming along to keep him out of trouble.
*It takes a moment to register that last part. She rubs her arm nervously. Just saying that without a second thought... But it wasn't something she wasn't willing to do.*
That we are Kazuya... And I met the guy who made that neat little program too, Stephen.
*A dark look crosses Tatsuya's face as he speaks, obviously not happy about what he's going to say*
To sum up.. He said that if a certain demon isn't stopped then we're doom, Tokyo is doomed, and Japan? Also doomed. Thor is going to use the US army to blow us all ta hell unless we stop him somehow... I'm not exactly sure where he is, Stephen wasn't forthcoming sadly. But I do know we have to try and take him down before those ICBMs can launch.
*He looks over at the rest of the gathered group with determinated expression, his voice coming out calm if concerned as he states the rather terrible things about to happen*
*Raidou spins the tube he was holding between his fingers, before placing it back in his familiar holster. He glances down at Gouto, and bends down to be at his level. The two start whispering to one another, briefly.*
"Yeah, these are the "messiahs" of this era, so to speak. Technically, they're your juniors, Raidou. We should go with 'em."
*Raidou stands up, trying to play off a conversation with his pet cat as completely normal, and heads toward the front door without muttering so much as a hello. Gouto simply stares at him, even for how stoic he can be, Raidou was never rude. The cat shakes his head, before following his companion outside to wait on the others.*
[The entire group looks at Tatsuya with surprise, but quickly dismiss it.]
Yuji: "That can't be right, we are allies now."
Takeshi: "Not even the americans would be dumb enough to do that, not after the end of the Cold War!"
Ms. Yasuo: "That's just impossible..."
[Kazuya, on the other hand stays in silence as he has met Stephen before. Then, Prima mentions her desire to keep going despite the dangers, and the young man with a red jacet look to the ceiling, remembering something.]
Yuji: "Well, it is true I need to find my girlfriend too."
[Yuji chuckles and Takeshi moves his neck, making a cracking sound.]
Takeshi: "And I have an ass to kick, Ozawa has to be around here."
[Takeshi heads outside, following Raidou's advice. Kazuya nods with determination, just looking at his own mother. The woman, on the other hand, just has this mortified expression for the longest couple of seconds, and then just hugs his son tightly. Just by looking at him she knew he was not going to stop.]
Ms.Yasuo: "Please, take care of him. If I learn he made any of you worry, Kazuya will die, but by my own hand."
[The woman then lets his son go and hands him an ID Card that reads "ECHO".]
Ms. Yasuo: "Kazuya, the demon that came here before dropped this...maybe it's the way out of here."
[Kazuya then takes the ID Card and immediately turns around, heading for the door in silence. Yuji gives him a weird look.]
Yuji: "Wait...shouldn't you say good bye to her? For all we know we could die in a few hours."
[Kazuya then opens the door and nods, still looking ahead.]
Yes, but I don't need to say good bye if I'll be back soon. And I WILL comeback.
[Kazuya then steps through the door, and Yuji bows to the woman.]
Yuji: "I promise he will be fine, Miss Yasuo. Good bye."
[Yuji then walks out. Pascal stays close to Kazuya's mother, sitting there and watching with intensity at the doorway, guarding.]
*Prima nods to Ms. Yasuo.*
We'll keep him safe. I promise.
*She gaves Pascal a pat on the head, then follows the others outside. With everyone here, perhaps they could change things... and stop whatever an ICBM is.*
*Tatsu walks out the doors as well, wondering where one might find some demons for Raidou to gather up, or partake in demon fusion for that matter. Perhaps some better weapons or armor could be found as well? This group is far too poorly outfitted for what lies ahead right now. Either way he hands one of the kitchen knives to Prim*
Take it Prim, better than nothing at the very least. Just jam it into the soft looking bits of demons that's the gist.
*He looks around at the others, wondering what exactly their next move should be*
Okay team where are heading next? Right now most of us have little to no weaponry so that needs to change, Raidou Prim and I haven't even got guns, and Prim and I are using frigging kitchen knives... Don't guess anyone has some spare weapons?
*He grins sheepishly at the rest of the party*
*Prima takes the knife, looking it over as if it would jump up and bite her. The decides to just hold onto it for now. Probably only wave it around if she was attacked.*
*Raidou is leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, waiting for the group to catch up. Gouto sits atop his head, and speaks to the group, not really worried how a talking cat will look to them.*
"Well, do we have a destination in mind? If we're to stop these supposed nukes, we don't have a lot of time."
[Yuji looks at the talking cat with some surprise and then just...he just accepts it.]
Yuji: "I've seen demons already, this shouldn't be much of a surprise by now...and we don't know if they will really use nukes. Demons may be invading but it's been slow, we have to learn more."
Takeshi: "Long hair is right, but we also have to be stronger, if any demons shows up we have to annihilate it as soon as possible."
[Takeshi then gives Tatsuya a nasty look as he mentions spare weapons.]
Takeshi: "Get your own, kid."
[Takeshi scoffs. Kazuya and Yuji take a closer look at the "ECHO" ID Card.]
Yuji: "There was a big building that was locked with an ID Card called "Echo Building" on our way here, do you remember that, Kazuya?"
Kazuya: "Yes, in fact, the rumors said that demons were appearing in both the park and an "Echo Building". We HAVE to check it out."
Takeshi: "Then let's go, those other kids look strong enough, hey, maybe they can use magic too."
[Takeshi grins and creates some really big sparks of fire on his right hand before walking down the path towards the Echo Building. Yuji then pulls out a New Nambu revolver and hands it to Prima. His body is covered by a golden aura, and Prima's body is covered by it too.]
Yuji: "Oh, and Prima you should use this. It should be safer to use than a kitchen knife."
[Yuji smiles at her before turning around and following Takeshi. Kazuya then looks at his friends with a smile.]
Kazuya: "Are you guys really sure about this? We can probably get some weapons from the demons but..."
[As Kazuya stands in front of them, the path to follow is really obvious, but to their right a long path can be seen, leading to the Inokashira Park.]
Thank you.
*Prima takes the revolver, moving her knife to her other hand. This new weapon is something she hasn't seen much, but she's heard of it: a gun. Her gaze wanders off to the path, but... one of the others could check it out. If they didn't, then she would, but she felt more comfortable staying with the group.*
*Inokashira is really the last place Raidou would want to go back to...but there could also be people there to help. Plus, it's possible someone who knows what they're talking about could also be awaiting him if he were to return. He sighs, turning away from the group with a word and heading down the path to the right. Gouto was already heading down the opposite path, but he stops as he sees Raidou leaving.*
"Raidou? What're you...never mind. I trust ya. These kids can make it without us for now, stay safe folks."
*The cat would break away as well, following his partner.*
*Tatsuya walks over to the right path, glancing over at Takeshi with an annoyed look*
First off buddy we don't have to wipe em all out, you're a bloody demon summoner you of all people should know. Sometimes talking your way out is the best thing to do in a fight. Second? I'm perfectly able to fight with this knife, I just figured if anyone had something they're not using it'd make more sense to spread out our firepower, you do know what tactics are right Takeshi? Anyways my gut says that park might have something we need.
*Tatsuya's pace picks up as follows after Raidou, hopefully his guess about the place is right, and there really is a way to get stronger somewhere around that park*
*Prima watches them go. She could follow, but she'd rather stick with Kaz.*
Takeshi: "Show, don't tell"
[Takeshi keeps walking, just giving a peace sign without looking back. Yuji then stops to see Raidou and Tatsuya taking a different path but doesn't mind, instead just moving forward. Kazuya then nods and follows his partners.]
Kazuya: "Right, try to hurry though. Be safe."
[After a few minutes hey then find themselves in front of a really big, ominous building with its big entrance looked. Kazuya walks closer to a small scan and uses the ID Card his mother gave to him, and after a moment, the gate opens up slowly, revealing a dark place. Takeshi decides to go forward, pointing his shotgun to the front.]
Takeshi: "I'm going in, you can wait here if you want."
[Yuji quickly follows.]
Yuji: "That would need you to be a badass though."
Takeshi: "Oh shut the hell up, you prick!"
[The pair shares a laugh as Kazuya unshealts his sword, looking at Prima for a moment before going in.]
Kazuya: "Look everywhere, even behind you as you move around, we don't know how many demons there will be here, because the Hospital was just ful of them."
-------
[The group, after walking on a different path for a few minutes find themselves at the park. Nothing about it seems too out of place, except that there was not even a single soul around. In the distance they are able to see some broken barricade tapes, a crashed police car, and combat knife lying next to the corpe of a policeman.]
*Tatsuya walks over to the combat knife, a blade like this still isn't much. But it's a lot better than a knife made for carving dead meat rather than living foes, he also checks inside the car, mostly looking for a gun or perhaps radios of some sort, yen couldn't hurt either if there's a wallet around*
Interesting stuff out here huh? But jeez I really wish we'd been help to this guy, sadly no... And Raidou? You've been seeming a lot more on edge than normal lately man, what's the deal with that? You're acting reckless and taking less care too, kinda has me a little worried, so come on what gives?
*Prima nods silently, keeping her new gun ready. She follows the others inside. It's odd to think demons would reside in human structures, but, Prim thinks, demons aren't like pokémon. They're a different force entirely... maybe. She'd have to meet a wild one to know for certain, not that she wanted to.*
*Raidou, having finished poking around the immediate area, stops at Tatsuya's questioning. He sighs, looking over the park, and particularly at one pond.*
You know, at first I was against this whole going back in time thing. I haven't had good experience with it...but the more time I spent in this world, with these people, the more I came to realize that I do want to help. I want to prevent those damned ICBMs from dropping, I want to stop that big-headed demon that calls himself god from doing whatever he wants. We don't have time to sit around saving girlfriends or killing demons for the sake of it. I...
*Raidou would clench his fist, and grit his teeth hard enough that it's audible.*
...I don't want our efforts in saving Kazuya's mother and Ryoko to be for nothing. So, we can't waste time.
[As Tatsuya looks inside the car, he is able to find a Bulletproof vest, but sadly, nothing else.]
Yuriko: "My, and I was wondering why no one else was around."
[The girl appears practically out of nowhere and giggles.]
Yuriko: "A couple of scary guys standing so casually next to the dead, so risque."
[Her aura is purple as always, wearing a formal office dress. The trees around them make some noises for a moment, but then stop as she gets closer to them.]
-----
[As the group enters the buidling, right away they are able to see an elevator and a sign saying "1st floor", next to a map indicating that there are 5 floors. To the front, they can also see a stairway leading up.]
Takeshi: "Five floors, alright. Do we go the the top or do we explore?"
Yuji: "Like I said, we should take our time to investigate, luckily the place doesn't look like it has much but..."
Kazuya: "So, we use the stairway then?"
[Kazuya turns to Prima, waiting for her opinion. But she was nowhere to be seen. Kazuya, Takeshi and Yuji had the feeling she was not going to appear, but was fine anyway.]
Yuji: "...Why do I have the feeling she is asleep somewhere?"
Takeshi: "..."
Kazuya: "I...I think it's just our minds playing tricks."
Takeshi: "Yeah, that must be it."
*Tatsuya sighs and pulls a lighter from his coat, flicking at it absently as his other hand rubs his forehead*
You're right Raidou, we can't afford to just fuck around doing pointless crap, but in spite of that? If we don't get stronger somehow we're not stopping any ICBMs in our current state...
I understand what you're saying, but if we just run off half cocked like a bunch of idiots the only thing we'll do is get ourselves killed.. I'm not sure where Thor is either, but smart money says he's wherever the US Army gathers up right? So here's the deal, that bastard can push the button when he wants to, gotta find a way to take him out without allowing him anywhere near the button.
or maybe talk him out of the attack? Thor might not be a big fan of being YHVH's bitch so if we can appeal to his pride as a god we might be able to earn an ally against heaven? I've got ideas but in the end it all hinges on being able to get at Thor while keeping him away from the nukes...
*Tatsuya puts on the bullet proof vest, turning to Yuriko with a smirk after he does so*
Oh yeah we're super scary, in fact Raidou and I came here just to kill humans! Fear us mortal for we are actually demons in disguise!
*The cheerfully sarcastic tone in his voice betrays that they're in fact here for no such thing whatsoever*
*Raidou shakes his head, clearly being a little on edge still.*
Y-you're right. We're still pretty weak. It's been a long time since I've felt pressured like this. Doesn't help I've been lacking in sleep lately, thanks to that damn case from before. Thanks Tatsuya, like I said you're right. I need to calm down a bit.
*He turns at Yuriko's voice, and waves. He wants to tell her about his little adventure with Ryoko, but figures she already knows by now and keeps quiet at least for the time being.*
Yuriko: "You take my friend on a date and then you take Tatsuya too...and to the exact same spot? That's realy cruel, and she was talking about how cool you are."
[She crosses her arms and keeps a devious smile.]
Yuriko: "Who would've thought demons were real? I have to admit I feel somewhat guilty, she would've gotten herself killed if I came with her."
[The trees around the group expel the same purple aura Yuriko has.]
Yuriko: "Actually...you guys are Yuka's friends, right? Do you know where she is?"
[The young woman frowns.]
Yuriko: "Don't tell me, is the witch with Kaz?"
*Raidou would turn ever so slightly pink at the teasing, and rub the back of his head. He sighs in relief regardless though, glad to know she's safe. He then shakes his head no, explaining that last he saw, Kazuya was with two other survivors and going to...*
*Gouto and Raidou would both point in the direction, in perfect sync.*
*Tatsuya begins walks in said direction Raidou pointed at*
Not that I'm aware of no, now I think we need to catch up with Kaz so if you feel like tagging along to help the more the merrier, either way come on Raidou we got work to deal with!
*He begins sprinting off full speed, though taking one last quickly around for anything useful as he does so*
*Raidou and the cat wave as well, and take off after Tatsuya*
Yuriko: "Thanks boys, I'll be sure to follow you~"
[Yuriko waves at them and walks where they were heading. Casually despite the demons that could briefly be seen inside the trees. And then, suddenly, she is gone.]
[Tatsuya and Raidou keep running, and in a matter of a few minutes they arrive at the Echo Building, which is a already open. The can hear the sounds of battle from the other side. Fire burning, wind blowing, and a sword cutting the air.]
*Falls out of a tree*
Oof...
*Tatsuya rushes towards the sounds of battle, his eye scanning the area as he moves, his knife held at the ready waiting to strike whatever beast his newfound allies have gotten into it against this time*
*Raidou enters as well, looking behind him briefly to look for Yuriko. He sees nothing, and shrugs. "She'll catch up" he thinks to himself. He keeps his back close to the wall, and proceeds quickly, but carefully.*
*Hears battle sounds and creeps toward it*
Takeshi: "Have a taste of my fire!"
[They see the group being surrounded by six demons, all of them Gremlins. Who keep attacking with Zio and Feral Claw. Takeshi unleashes a wave of fire aimed at the entire group, Maragi, which proves really effective.]
Yuji: "Just stay away!"
[Meanwhile Yuji attacks with Magaru, but not having much of an effect. Kazuya then runs at one of them and attempts to slash at it with his sword, and a demon similar to a fish runs to the front and throws a powerful punch, finally getting rid of one of the demons.]
Kazuya: "Five left...!"
[Then two of the demons turn their attention to Tatsuya and Raidou. While one of the demons attacks Raidou with Zio, another moves in to attack Tatsuya with Feral Claw.]
*Tatsuya notes the effect of the flame magic and sends his own inferno out towards the beasts, as fire blasts from his hands at the two close ones he darts backwards trying to keep away from the claws of said beast*
Ya know this isn't needed! I'm sure we could work out a better deal than a battle to the death aren't you boys!?
*Raidou rolls to the side, keeping his machete in it's place for now. He quickly fishes around in his uniform for anything to bribe this thing with.*
[But Tatsuya's words don't work, for the attack has made them wary of him and, while they get a really big amount of damage, are still standing, and focus on Tatsuya, forgetting about Raidou. One of them just launches forward for a basic attack with its claws. Meanwhile, Raidou is able to find a Life Stone. One of the demons appears to take interest in it.]
*Tatsu sighs, recalling the fact that attacking things makes them more likely to fight back as he rushes the demon that isn't looking towards Raidou, attempting to dart into it's left side and jab his combat knife into the beast's chest*
*Raidou nods excitedly, shaking the Life Stone, tantalizingly. He draws a tube from his harness holds it up in front of his face. Most demons at least know of these things, or the ones in Raidou's time did.*
[The demon is completey amazed with the Life Stone, and points at it with excitement.]
Gremlin: "You...you have Life Stone. Please give to me. What you want for it."
[Is what Raidou is able to hear from it, meanwhile Tatsuya may only hear gibberish coming from its mouth.]
[Tatsuya's movement proves effective against the mostly slow creature, making it fall to the floor without moving.]
--------
OOC: And we continue tomorrow and shit cuz holy shit this is like just the half.
OOC: Bump or something idk.
ooc: I be w o k e now, so Prim's kinda catching up to everyone I guess
*Raidou holds his hand out in a "Join me" gesture, motioning for the demon to come closer. he notably hold the Life Stone away from himself, so the little bastard can't just grab it and run.*
*Tatsuya walks over to the body of the demon, flames growing on his left hand as he prepares for it to suddenly strike at him, just because it looks dead doesn't mean it is.*
Gremlin: "I join. I join. Give Life Stone."
[The small demon cautiously moves closer to Raidou, with both arms to the front, doing its best to reach the Life Stone.]
[Tatsuya on the other hand gets closer to the demon, but it really is dead now, so there shouldn't be much of a need to worry. In the same floor though, Kazuya, Yuji and Takeshi are still fighting against three Gremlins.]
*Tatsuya observes the battle from afar, perhaps it would be best to stay out for now? Either way he advances a bit and tries to hide himself, preparing to ambush the demons if things go south*
*Prima shakes her head, finding herself just inside the building.*
What...? Where is everyone?
*It was as if time moved on without her... She runs farther in, following the sounds of the ending battle inside.*
*Raidou hands the demon the stone, and thrusts his trusty tube forward, the green light enveloping the both of them, and hopefully encasing the demon inside the device.*
[As Tatsuya observes the battle, Takeshi is fighting with ease, even getting some hits to the other demons, and Yuji is holding his ground. But Kazuya is struggling, throwing some random slashes without much of a technique.]
Kazuya: "Just...stop moving...!"
[Raidou’s negotiation was successful as Gremlin agreed to be his ally, for the price of a nice little Life Stone. Gremlin possesses the skills Zio, Feral Claw (Low Phys to one) and Makakaja (Buff Magic to all). Resists Ice and Elec, but is weak to Fire and Wind.]
[Prima leaves her sleepy self behind and goes inside, she is able to see Tatsuya sneaking on the three young men fighting three Gremlins, and Raidou making a deal with a demon.]
*Raidou smirks confidently, spinning the tube and placing it on his vest with the others. He then draws his machete, and creeps along the wall opposite of Tatsuya, hoping for a surprise pincer attack.*
*Prima pauses for a moment, observing the battle. Raidou had... "caught" a demon, and Yuji and Takeshi were doing fine... But Kaz wasn't exactly doing so well...*
Here goes nothing...
*She rushes forward, then skids to a stop to fire her gun at one of the demons.*
*Tatsu nods at Raidou before dashing for the left side of the gremlin fighting Kazuya, the flames in his left hand from before bursting outwards into a jet that heads for the beast's side. Given it's weakness Raidou should be able to finish up pretty easily*
[Prima fires the weapon and it hits the demon attacking Kazuya, making it stop right on its track, which allows Kazuya to finally land a slash at it. Tatsuya also takes the opportunity and attacks the Gremlin with fire, dealing a huge amount of damage, on hit away from being defeated. This catches the attention of the demon attacking Takeshi. Figuring it was better to kill the weaker one to regain some energy, it launches forward, attempting to lunge at her.]
Takeshi: “Crap, look out!â€
[Yuji takes notice of the sudden movement and attempts to move in a help Prima, but is ultimately unable to due to the Gremlin standing in his way.]
*Tatsuya sighs as his blade lights up before twirling it in a toss, the fire covered knife sailing towards the Gremlin's back... That's a terrible ranged attack but it's more efficient than just casting Agi again*
*Prima barely has enough time to react as the demon lunges. She puts her arms up defensively, trying to use the broad side of her gun to block the strike. If the block was successful, she would try to shove the demon away.*
*Raidou quickly reacts and rushes the demon, but it's unlikely he'll get there in time*
[Tatsuya's attack works wonders, as it hits the demon with the full force and stops it, allowing Raidou to finish it off, and so, Prima is safe from the sudden attack. The other group then finishes off the demon Yuji was fighting against, now only one demon remained on the ground, barely even moving. It pitifully attempts to use a Medkit it was carrying to heal its own wounds.]
Th-thanks...
*Prima takes a deep breath and fires her gun at the final demon. She almost feels sorry for it, but it's best to end this now.*
Yo demon! You should join up with us... Odds are looking pretty bad right? So unless you wanna die I'd highly suggest reconsidering this course of action right now.
*Tatsu looks at the demon and grins, his blade pointed down at the ground to appear less threatening... There's a good chance the others will kill it but he'd prefer not to if there's a chance to make a new ally*
*Raidou stands back, letting Tatsuya do the talking.*
[Tatsuya attempts to speak to the demon but to no avail. The demon was already put to sleep by Prima, with a single, maybe merciful shot, dropping the med kit it was carrying.]
[Yuji lets out a sigh of relief as he walks towards Prima to check on her, cautiously.]
Yuji: “Are you okay? A few minutes ago you just disappeared and I though the maybe one of these Gremlins got you.â€
[Takeshi then turns to Tatsuya with a friendly smirk, clapping a few times in honest amazement.]
Takeshi: “You did have the strength to back up your claims. Not bad, not bad at all.â€
[Kazuya on the other hand bows to everyone before heading for the stairs leading to the second floor.]
Kazuya: “I really need to get better with my sword, having no experience, no magic all to use is really limiting, and not even my demons were effective.â€
[As Kazuya heads for the second floor, Takeshi and Yuji soon follow. The rest of the group can see the med kit lying around and an elevator which appears to be working.]
I'm fine... I'm not sure what happened a while ago, myself.
*She gives Yuji a sheepish smile, then picks up the med kit. She tucks it under her arm and follows the trio to the next floor.*
*Raidou decides he'd rather not get on an elevator during the apocalypse, and proceeds to follow the group, Gouto trailing behind him.*
"Glad your negotiation skills haven't gotten rusty Raidou, it's been a while since we've fought real demons after all."
*Tatsuya walks over to the demon he tossed his blade into quickly picking the weapon up and cleaning it off, he turns to Takeshi with a shrug*
Yeah, I might not look it but this isn't my first time dealing with demons, they've been around a while... In small numbers anyways, I've had a run in here and there but this? Way beyond my usual scope.
*He walks over to Kazuya and smiles at the boy, nodding at his statement about getting better*
Yeah you definitely need practice, honestly those moves have no form to them from what I can see, just hacking away like mad might take down zombies but for real foes you'll need to think Kaz. Don't just rush in without care, think about where they are what part your attacking, combine those spells of your demons with your swordplay. Raidou's got some tricks where they can cover his blade in magic and such, I'm sure you could do it too. And for God's sake learn to block man, you weren't even trying to defend yourself there were you?
[As the group moves to the next floor, and they don't feel a single presence. The stairs leading to the next floor are right next to them, and they can see two different cellars.]
Yuji: "A lot of weird things are happening today, Prima. But as long as we are all okay, I don't think it matters."
[Takeshi then leans against a nearby wall, waiting for whatever they decide to do. He crosses his arms and turns to Tatsuya.]
Takeshi: "Kazuya was saying too that demons could be summoned, but to think they are actually invading, and Tokyo of all places. It just pisses me off to know that no matter how strong we get, we might not even be able to defeat and kill all of them without the aid of their own kind. I hate the feeing that weakness brings."
[Kazuya momentarily faces Tatsuya with some embarrassment, before looking away at the next set of stairs.]
Kazuya: "I..wan't blocking, in fact this is the first time I fight with a sword, before I was using nothing but a Combat Knife and I lost it. I prefer the reach of a sword though...I promise I will be better soon, I honestly feel really...comfortable using one."
[The young man rubs his chin, also taking into account the different possibilites.]
Kazuya: "I can't use magic but..."
I guess so...
*Prima nods, then looks over at the two cellars. Maybe there's something inside? She cautiously enters one of them, although she's pretty sure there aren't any demons around.*
*Raidou walks silently as usual, but Gouto decides to chime in on the conversation.*
"Well, you aren't wrong about Raidou being able to do unique combo attacks with his demons, which makes his inability to use magic a nonissue; but stuff like that requires years of training AND Kuzunoha heritage to work. It's what makes his clan special. Kazuya's just a normal guy, so that's a bit out of the realm of possibility. However, there's nothing stopping him from fighting alongside his demons just as he would any other ally."
OOC: mfw didn't read it all. Raidou stops to investigate the cellars as well.
Heh, I use them too actually, might be able to teach you something if I ever find one... Same goes for Raidou as well in fact, geez there sure are a lotta swordsmen huh?
*Tatsuya continues moving onwards as his eyes scan back and forth, mostly looking for demons though he's also concerned about finding anything useful. The man then turns back to Takeshi for a moment*
Maybe we don't have to wipe them out, these things have existed for a long time without it being a big issue after all... I'm sure there's a better way to do it than just using strength to solve our problems, perhaps some way to send them back into their own world? Or maybe even some kind of peace could be formed...
*Tatsu trails off and rubs at his chin, considering the options that might come up other than simply killing everything like a madman*
Takeshi: "The thing is that most of them are actively trying to hide so they can eat humans, and the only reason they hide is because they aren't still a complete army. For all I know, its us or them."
[Prima and Raidou decide to investigate the cellars. They are not able to find much, but the moment Prima heads inside, she can feel a terrible smell. And on a closer look, Raidou may be able to see empty bullet cases on the ground. Next to Prima, there is a lightswitch.]
[Kazuya stays in silence, sitting next to Takeshi looking at his own sword. Thinking, concentrating.]
Kazuya: "How can they even use magic...?"
[Kazuya says in a hushed tone. Demons being real was one thing, but now magic and who knows what else. What else is hiding in plain sight?]
*Prima covers her mouth with a hand and steps back.*
Just what is that smell...?
*Perhaps it's better not to know, but curiosity won over the cat... or seal, in this case. She flicks the lightswitch and braces herself for whatever is in the dark room...*
I can use magic because of a certain power I possess... Tch, normally it's so much more than this but the Expanse being so connected to us is fucking me over, so rather than my true powers all I've got is a little fire sadly.
*He scoffs at how annoying things are in this world, before speaking to Takeshi once again*
As for it being us or them... I won't deny the possibility exists, but even so I'm also not going to just assume the very worst and stop trying to look for another way, I haven't a clue if finding a better way is doable but I'm sure as hell going to try for it.
*He pulls his lighter out and flicks it on, staring into the flames as his lips curl into a grim look... No telling what might happen better to get ready for it*
*Raidou picks up the casings, examining them. The smell even drifts over to him, and makes his eyes a bit watery. He nods to Gouto, who speaks in his stead.*
"Empty bullet casings, and a horrible stench right next to 'em. This can't be good. Brace yourselves."
[As the lights turn on, Prim is able to gaze at scenery of crimson. Two gremlins lie on the floor, lifeless and with many bullet wounds on their small bodies. They are in front of the remains of what possibly was a cop, maybe a military? It was impossible to tell at this point. The body was heavily mangled, probably the fault of the small, weak demons that managed to get to him. Right by his side, an MP5 lies with a bunch of magazines for the weapon.]
[Takeshi shrugs, turns to Kazuya for a moment and then Yuji. The three nods and decide to move up.]
Yuji: "Break is over, we are luck there were no demons in this floor, I don't know about the others though."
[Takeshi readies his shotgun while Kazuya prepares his sword as the move up the stairs. Yuji is still on the second floor, waiting for the rest.]
*Tatsu grabs the gun and ammo of the floor quickly stowing his knife and pointing it forward, his movements are cautious as he scans the area before him*
Yeah focus people, no telling what's in here but it can't be good.
Oh Arceus...
*Prima mutters this to herself over and over, backing out of the room. She takes a shaky breath and manages to form a coherent sentence.*
So... demons did this...
*She falls silent and heads back towards the stairs, wanting to move on as fast as possible. Anything to get away from that scene.*
*Raidou makes a grunting sound at the gruesome sight, and bends down to get a closer look. Judging by the smell, the poor bastard has probably been here for a good while, and the fact he still had stuff on him means anyone who was with him probably met with a similar fate. The detective sighs, patting the guy down for anything else that Tatsuya didn't take, before closing the door slowly and hurrying to catch up with the others.*
[As Raidou checks the body for anything else of use, he finds two hand grenades.]
Yuji: "Prima, what...?"
[The young man just looks at her with a worried expression as he follows her and Tatsuya head up, assuming Raidou will soon follow. As they head up, Kazuya and Takeshi make a hand gesture so they keep quiet and don't move. The third floor itself looks just like the last one. But there is a massive difference. There is a demon with two big wings kneeling down in front of a pool of blood, with its back turned to the group. There are some random body parts lying around, covered in both white and blue clothes, tactical armor, some bodies even have the uniform of student, including the one from Kazuya's High School. The sound of meat being chewed echoes in the entire floor.]
Kazuya: "That one...b-be careful, everyone."
[Kazuya and Yuji were trying his best to keep calm in such an scenery, even Takeshi was disgusted.]
I-it...
*Prima closes her eyes and hugs herself, trying to shut out the scene in front of her. This plus the cellar was too much...*
Is there... a way around?
*She slowly opens her eyes again, but looks to either side of herself. Not directly ahead.*
... Tch vile beast, I forget just how terrible some of these things are sometimes. Anyways enough messing around let's go.
*Tatsuya glares at the thing in disgust before looking around the room, as awful as this thing is Prim is right, better to go around if at all possible.*
*Raidou presses himself against the wall once again, drawing the now filled tube in preparation. he doesn't activate it yet, but he's ready to if need be. he stays still, waiting for the others to make their moves.*
[Luckily, there is a way to the right leading to the next set of stairs. The only downside of it would be some random pieces of meat, a pair of glasses and the body is a high school student with a missing leg. The injury he had was cauterized rather clumsily. The demon is just a few meters away from this "shortcut"]
*Okay, there's a shortcut. A shortcut that makes her want to run out of the building, but it's a shortcut. It was somewhat better than fighting this demon who killed Arceus knows how many people.*
Here goes nothing...
*She keeps her gun at ready as she sneaks towards the right path. Eyes ahead, Prim. Not at the blood and body parts on the floor. Don't even look at them- no, no, DON'T look at them.*
*Raidou creeps over, picking up the severed leg, attempting to toss it away from the group and attract the demon's attention.*
*Tatsuya calmly walks past the body, in spite of being rather unsightly he's seen worse... Then again he usually has, his gun points right for the demon as well, clearly concerned this plan could backfire*
[Tatsuya walks past the body without much of a care, but the sudden movement attracts the attention of the unlucky young man without a leg, who reaches out to Prima who was passing by at the moment. He tries to speak but is completely unable to do so, just letting out some grunts from his bruised face, which, in turn, catches the attention of the demon who slowly looks back, revealing the head of an owl, its beak is covered in crimon. It was preparing to launch itself into the group, but he is distracted by the leg Raidou throws to the other side.]
*The... man was still alive? Prima jumps back at the sudden movement, but is soon distracted by the demon. She silently thanks Raidou for the momentary distraction and tries to lift up the student from under his arms. At best, she could probably drag him away and towards the stairs by herself.*
Come on, we need to get out of here...
*Hopefully, the others can cover her if the demon finally attacks. Her hands aren't exactly free at the moment.*
*Raidou curses under his breath, and darts up the stairs, grabbing the legless sap by his collar and dragging him up as he runs.*
*Tatsu's gun blazes to life as he aims for the beast's head, a scowl crossing his face as he realizes that somehow the poor bastard wasn't dead... It's not a bad thing of course, but the fact he didn't check? Utter amateur work here.*
[The demon gets a great amount of damage from the gun attacks and falls to its knees for a moment. It gets up and blue energy forms on the palm of its hand.]
Andras: "You dare interrupt my meal, and even take my dessert!? This is unforgivable!"
[The blue energy disappears and then appears around everyone, transforming into Ice. The legless high schooler is killed by this impact. And while Yuji and Kazuya evade the attack, Takeshi gets his leg covered in frost. He stays on the floor for a moment, trying to melt it with some fire.]
Takeshi: "D-Damn it all to hell!"
Dammit it is right, tch good thing you're not the only one who can burn!
*Tatsuya leans down to Takeshi, flames forming on his left hand as he holds the gun on the right, he presses the fire against ice hopefully freeing Takeshi from it*
*Raidou yanks his hand back, and grimaces at the high schooler's death. He draws the tube with Gremlin contained inside, and engages it's summoning. As usual it will take a bit to finish, but in the meantime Raidou rushes back down the stairs to regroup with the group.*
*Prima tries to dodge, but the fact that she's carrying someone thwarts her efforts. She stumbles back. She can't move her left arm.*
L-like an ice-type move...
*She tries to make sense of that rather than worry about her impending doom. She lifts the gun with her non-frozen arm and fires. Her aim is shaky, but hopefully the large target would make up for that.*
[Prima's shot is able to hit Andras, who is forced to back away as soon as it takes the hit. The demon is then forced into a change of strategy as soon as Raidou rejoins. Andras charges a green ball of energy, which it crushes, covering everyone with an energy that makes them more susceptible to damage. Marakunda.]
Andras: "Humans are no different from worms, don't interfere, weaklings!."
[Takeshi manages to move once more after Tatsuya's help, Takeshi quickly stands up and nods, thanking Tatsuya while he glares at the demon.]
Takeshi: "Weakling...you say...!?"
[The young man appears to be charging something, as magic surrounds his body. Takeshi slowly points his sword to the front, and prepares to charge at the demon. Meanwhile Kazuya and Yuji just stare at Takeshi in awe, not being sure of what he is about to do.]
*Prima shudders. She knew a defense drop when it hit her. Those things weren't uncommon back home. She instinctively tries to move her still-frozen arm with some success. She steadies the gun again and fires, hoping to give Takeshi an opening.*
*Raidou's summoning finishes, and he charges alongside Takeshi with the newly arrived Gremlin. He hopes the little guy's ice resistance will help out here, and while the demon goes for Andras' legs Raidou aims for a high slash at it's neck, hoping to get it caught in between the three attacks with nowhere to run.*
*Tatsu once again draws his gun, flames channel through his hands as well focused around the barrel in an attempt to light the shots up as they fly towards the demon's chest... Hopefully this little spell works*
[Once more, Prima's shot hits and makes the demon stumble, and at the same time it takes the attacks of both Raidou and Gremlin, making it fall into the ground, unable to attack. The demon doesn’t give up, and tries to move towards Takeshi who is still not moving.]
Andras: "H-How could this, mere humans...!? I’ll kill you!"
[But Tatsuya stops him right on its track with some precise shooting, as well as fire damage. Takeshi grins at Tatsuya thanking him once more as the magic aura surrounding him turns into crimson, ready to jump straight ahead. Yuji's eyes widen in surprise and Kazuya can't do anything but watch at this strange display of power.]
Yuji: "No way, he is channeling his magic to...!"
Takeshi: "That's right, I'll end this thus!"
[With his sword pointed directly at the demon that is unable to move, Takeshi moves with a powerful forward leap.]
Takeshi: "Herculean Straight!"
[The thrust is powerful; Takeshi's entire right arm goes through the demon with the help of his sword. The demon drops dead almost immediately. Takeshi aim was precise, not even his heart beating moves his sword and arm, not even a little. With a quick punch he is able to get the demon off of him, and the crimson aura disappears. The makes a quick gesture with his head, so everyone just moved to the next floor already.]
Such great strength...
*Prima watches in awe. Its power was comparable to a Z-move... The numbness in her arm quickly draws her attention. With the ice partly melted, she manages to break most of it off with a few quick hits, then follows everyone upstairs.*
*Tatsuya grins at Takeshi and claps for a moment, clearly impressed by an attack one might compare to the strength of Personas*
Heh that's one hell of a trick man... I know how to mix elements in with melee but that? I've never quite seen someone do that before... Guess I'll have to try and keep up somehow!
*He walks up the stairs, humming to himself in thought at how exactly a trick like that works, Takeshi might have gone... A less than good path in the past but he certainly knows his way around a fight*
*Raidou proceeds upwards as well, impressed with Takeshi's abilities. Maybe there's more to this guy than he initially thought.*
[As Takeshi moves ahead towards the stairs, he talks in a more loud voice.]
Takeshi: "It might not look like it, but I did try many martial arts and even boxing. I don't know exactly how but I just wanted my arms to be stronger, I was furious...and in my emotional outburst I suppose I channeled magic, the energy inside my body to make myself stronger for a moment."
[Yuji quickly follows and nods silently, just by looking at his face one could tell that he knew exactly what Takeshi was talking about, and Kazuya picked up on this. It wasn't the time though, since they still had two floors to get through.]
[They move to the next floor. The entire structure is much more different. Some random papers are lying around the place with, as if they were dropped suddenly or left behind in a hurry. There were some dead demons lying around but no signs of humans. There is a small cabinet across the room, and to their right the last set of stairs.]
*Prima stares at the stairs for a moment, then heads over to the cabinet. She opens it without much worry; nothing big could be hiding there, right? Plus, it was just a cabinet. No need to be paranoid.*
Channel emotions... I'm not one to get worked up usually but yeah I can work with it, thanks for the tip I think I should be able to use this.
*Tatsuya stands with his gun aimed at the cabinet, Prim might not be paranoid but he certainly is. Assuming something moves out of there it'll be full of holes. Hopefully before it could hurt Prim*
[Indeed, it was nothing but a mostly empty empty cabinet. It didn't have much of use, except for a burned paper. It is possible to make out some words.]
*Tatsuya lowers the gun and walks over, checking the papers to see what's on them*
Phew good thing there was nothing in there... I'd love to say demons couldn't be but some can certainly get in small spaces.
*Prima still can't read, so she leaves the papers to Tatsu. She heads back towards the stairs and waits for everyone to be finished with this floor.*
Kazuya: "You can say that again, the Pixie that is with me right now was hiding behind a bunch of flowers and being all flirty. It's okay to be paranoid, especially now."
[Kazuya chuckles as he checks his COMP, deciding that it might be better to have at least one demon out in case anything happens. He ends summoning a Pixie, since she has healing skills.]
[The papers Tatsuya has are difficult to read, but he can make out certain words that say "Terminal", "Expanse", "Stephen" and even "Douman". The moment Tatsuya gazes at the word "Douman", a strange aura can be felt in the air, breathing becomes a little bit more difficult, and a powerful red aura can be seen coming from the floor over them. It's the same kind of aura the demon that tried to attack Kazuya's mother had.]
Takeshi: "Did you find anything, Tatsuya?"
Terminal Expanse Stephen Douman... I think there's going to be a strong one up ahead guys, and I know what those first 3 words mean.. Douman is likely to be a demon, probably up ahead would be my best guess and if it's written by name I got a bad feeling here.
*Tatsuya takes the lead, sticking to the walls as he advances up to next floor cautiously, whatever demon Douman is he's not going to be anything but careful here*
[Funnily enogh, Prima is nowhere to be seen, just like last time. Kazuya and Yuji just look at each other, confused, but absolutely sure she will be alright. Takeshi just nods and decides to follow Tatsuya's lead this time, and soon Kazuya and Yuji do too. Once they get to the last floor, the three young men recognize the place.]
Yuji: "This is...!"
Takeshi: "Like in that vision."
Kazuya: "So that's who we will fight..."
[The trio looks at each other and nod with determination.]
Trio: "Payback time."
[The entire floor is oddly clean and tidy, compared to the rest of the building, and at the end of the long hallway, a faint voice can be heard, as well as the origin of the powerful red aura.]
*Tatsu looks at the 3 curiously*
Vision... Never mind we don't have time right now, and where the hell is Raidou, jeez I really hope those two are okay. Not like I've got many friends and they're, well I don't know Prim much but Raidou sure as hell counts.
*He continues down the hallway with his gun raised, quickly asking Kaz if he happens to have other demons. If they're going to do this it's the time to go all out after.*
[The group walks forward and are now in front of a big door. The voice is stil muffled but louder now.]
Kazuya: "Yes I do, but it's really hard to command all of them, so I stick with two max...I will bring out a new one. Please wait a minute."
[The young man with the green jacket types on his COMP for a moment, and soon after a female, humanoid demon with fish like body parts is summoned.]
Kazuya: "Please help us out, Azumi."
[Takeshi reloads his shotgun, and Yuji prepares himself as well, doing some quick stretches.]
Takeshi: "Whenever you're ready."
*He silently reloads his own weapon before quickly busting through the door, his gun aimed straight ahead. Clearly he's not playing around at this point*
*Raidou appears before the trio out of god-knows where. hell, even Raidou doesn't really know where he was. Despite this, he readies his weapon, and alongside Gremlin they nod to the others.*
[Inside, some sort of ceremony is happening. There are three people inside, two priests and a scientist who is working on the big Terminal that takes the entire room.]
???: "My brethren! Come forth from the depths of the Expanse!"
[At this point, the man turns around, startled by the sudden appearance of this group. He appears to recognize Kazuya, Yuji and Takeshi, pointing at them.]
???: "Eh? So you're back, eh?"
Takeshi: "And it's payback time, Douman!"
Yuji: "Please calm down for a second, Takeshi! First...I have to ask, what is this place?"
[The mysterious scientist smirks with both arms opened, as he looks up with satisfaction.]
Douman: "This is the place where my brethren in the Expanse are to be summoned, and I cannot allow it to be defiled by your blood! Get out of here!"
[The man then points his arms forward, launching the entire party outside of the room. The scientist quickly walks out too, and stands in front of them, as a red aura covers him, an aura of violence and anger.]
Douman: "You won’t get away this time! Those who stand in my way will be crushed!"
[The scientist clothes then rip apart, and his body becomes larger, growing a meter. His eyes are white, and his body is muscular, quickly covered in a ceremonial garb. He stands there, waiting.]
*Tatsuya scoffs at the knock back before raising his gun to the thing's chest, once again an inferno roars to life in the barrel of the gun before rounds rush at Douman*
So that's a no on the backing down thing right!? I'm sure we can all work things out man but instead you get hostile right from the start... Geez don't they teach you demons manners or anything!
*He smirks at it obviously trying to enrage Douman, one might think he's attempting to hold his attention... Perhaps so the others could get around?*
*Gouto wags his tail, standing up, and stepping out of the fray.*
"Scumbags like you don't have a right to use demons as you please. Raidou, Tatsuya, wipe the floor with him.
*Raidou smirks as well, holding his machete out in a combat-ready, stance. However, he doesn't engage, and is likely waiting for Douman to make the first move. He motions with his head for the other three to move on.*
[The bullets impact on Douman's chest, but he is mostly uninjured, as the bullets aren't even able to penetrate the skin, although the fire leaves its mark. Tatsuya’s attempt to anger him, however, failed.]
Douman: "Demons do as they please, I am giving them nothing but a gateway to freedom!"
[Douman shoots powerful winds at the group, Magaru. Kazuya and Takeshi stumble a bit, but Yuji appears to be mostly unaffected. Kazuya then orders Pixie to heal Takeshi and Azumi to use Marakukaja, raising everyone's defense. Yuji is standing there, with both eyes closed.]
*Tatsuya raises his arms up and braces his legs against the ground, in spite of being pushed back he's mostly fine. Though a few scrapes do appear on him. Then Tatsu stows the gun and gathers up flames in both hands. Attempting to gather up more power and cast something bigger than normally possible, he slowly backs away to try and avoid being smashed out of focus*
Cover me for a minute guys the fire seems to be working! Just need a little time to get set up.
*Raidou holds his ground, he's faced worse than that. His currently highschool-age body isn't as used to beatings as his one in the present, but it's nothing he can't handle. Gremlin is launched backwards thanks to his wind weakness. Though dazed, it blasts a small burst of electricity at Douman's chest. Raidou decides to put the pressure on to draw attention away from his ally, and rushes Douman with a slash aimed right at the monster's neck.*
Takeshi: "I got you, I got you."
[Takeshi moves in front of Tatsuya and uses Matarukaja, raising everyone's attack. While Kazuya commands Pixie to use Dia on Takeshi and Azumi to cover Yuji.]
Yuji: "Thanks for the cover, Kazuya. I still need a little bit of time."
[Kazuya nods as Douman prepares for a different move, creating a magic circle under him of a green color. In this state, he takes Gremlin's attack but it doesn't appear to be very effective compared to Raidous slash, which cuts his neck.]
Douman: "Our freedom begins where yours end!"
[Douman stands there, not moving as he charges the next move and the injury on his neck quickly closes, but only to avoid any kind of blood loss. Due to this, he focuses his attention to Raidou and forgets about his demon.]
*Tatsuya nods at Takeshi in thanks before rushing forward and pointing both hands at Douman's torso, the gathered flames in his hands growing to an impressive size.*
Burning inferno of sunlight roar forth and turn our foes to ash!
*A ghostly outline of some man in a mask appears for a moment as the fire leaps from his hands, covering the thing's whole body in a whirlwind for a moment before fading away. Tatsuya on the other hand simply pants with effort and very slowly backs away... That might of been powerful but he's not pulling off anymore impressive magic tonight*
*Raidou can't help but smirk a bit at Tatsuya's little speech. Never took him for the dramatic type. Regardless, seeing as continuing to slash would be wasted effort, he doubles back and regroups with Gremlin. The demon continues launching electricity at Douman to keep him busy.*
[Douman seems to receive a big amount of damage from Tatsuya's fire, actually managing to make him flinch, not so much effect from the electricity though.]
Douman: "Your display of power is impressive; I'll give you that, but now…!"
[The circle of magic under the demon expands and attempts to hit everyone at the same time, but just getting Raidou, Kazuya and Azumi. This move was Sibabu, dealing the effect of Bind on them. After this, Douman quickly follows up with a quick Mazio.]
Douman: “Just my luck, hitting the ones without magic power…!â€
[Yuji smirks as he was not hit by the bind effect, nothing but luck. His body is covered by a calm golden aura as he opens his eyes. Magic quickly surrounds Yuji’s arms and legs, and as soon as this happens, he takes a running pose. Takeshi looks at his now equal with a jealous look, and Kazuya with amazement.]
Takeshi: "How is it that you can...!?"
Yuji: “Turbo Arrow!â€
[Something about Yuji appears to be different now, but it’s not possible to exactly say what it is.]
*Raidou drops to his knees, unable to move. He orders Gremlin to charge, and can only assume Yuji has a plan so he needs to keep him protected no matter what.*
*Tatsu backs away simply firing mostly useless rounds from his gun, aimed at Douman's eyes in an attempt to blind as he also backpedals. Clearly that spell left him reeling... A mere fraction of Apollo's powers but certainly closer than before*
Gah that took a lot outta me... *He mutters* If I weren't so Damm weak from this body and the fucking Expanse then I'd be fine from a little trick like that but alas.
[Douman smirks as he looks in the direction of Gremlin and Tatsuya. He is midly annoyed by the bullets and Gremlin's charge managed to make a good hit, but the bigger demon just responds with a kick to the smaller demon.]
Douman: "Everyone here will be destroyed, it's just a matter of time...!"
[Yuji is now next to Raidou in what was a flashing move. Kneeling by his side.]
Yuji: "Raidou please, lend me your weapon, I will give it back to you shortly but I need to use it."
[Takeshi stays close to Tatsuya, shooting a ball of fire at Douman.]
Takeshi: "Don't waste any ammo, we got this."
[Douman then attacks the party with Magaru once more, destroying the ball of fire Takeshi created, and trying to throw them back even further.]
*He flies backwards from the wind, his usual bracing tactics simply not being performed aa
I... Yeah alright. AGI! *He stows the gun as a small jet of flame bursts from his hands, that being the best he's got, at this point the man decides it's best to simply take cover for now... Though he does mime a toss and pulling a pin to Raidou*
*Gremlin goes flying and slams against the wall. That was probably a little more than painful, and if Raidou doesn't get that thing in a tube soon it probably won't make it. Raidou hurriedly gives Yuji the machete, and makes a go ahead motion to the best of his ability.*
[The jet of flame hits the demon right on its face, momentarily blinding him and stopping it from doing anything, just for a few quick seconds. He screams in pain as he tries to recover his vision.]
Douman: "Why you...!"
[As soon as Yuji takes the Machete and the opportunity created by Tatsuya shows up in front of him, he disappears from view. All that can be seen is Douman getting dozens of cuts around its body in just a few short seconds, only to be blown back with a powerful wind. Yuji then steps back with an incredible speed, to the point he looked like he was floating. He then kneels down, tired after this and giving Raidou his machete back, showing him a thumbs up and a gentle smile. All of this in the span of 4 seconds]
Yuji: “Sorry I took so long, here you go.â€
[Kazuya and Takeshi are left speechless as this happens, and now Douman was lying on the ground being too weak to move. The bind effect was now gone and everyone who was hit could now move.]
Douman: “The…The Expanse…!â€
[The demon tries to reach out towards the terminal as the priests just run away from the scene. Kazuya takes the chance to run at him and give him a quick slash with his sword, and so does Takeshi, not wanting to miss the chance. The demon now lied on the ground, lifeless. Kazuya then makes a quick hand gesture and Pixie moves closer to Tatsuya, showering him with magic and trying to cure him with Dia.]
Kazuya: “That…that took a while.â€
... HAHAHA YES!
*Tatsuya sighs in relief as the magic washes over him and a grin crosses his face, in spite of not having stopped their biggest issue this is quite a victory for the team, gateways to the demon realm are quite Dangerous after all. He also begins looking around the room for any loot, and examines the machines involved once more calling up his mystical understanding of mechanical*
Okay so the big one is yet to come but seriously guys we did good here... Heh as long as we stick together I think we've got a chance of putting a stop to this nightmare!
*Raidou stands up, shaking off the majority of the bind and puts his machete back in his belt loop as a makeshift sheathe. Still, not nearly as fluid as he's used to. He gives the group a thumbs up, and proceeds into the room they were previously launched out of.*
[As Tatsuya looks for loot, all he finds is a War Hammer lying on the ground next to the Terminal. The demons Kazuya summoned then return to the COMP, and then the entire group head inside the room they left before.]
Yuji: "Things will get more and more difficult after this. We have to stay strong."
Takeshi: "Man, kicking his ass was so satisfying!"
Kazuya: "Yes, but we still have a job to do, so let's see what this is exactly."
[The machine is something almost foreign, completely different from any machinery that should exist now. More advanced than the most powerful computer, it has the capacity to transform matter into data and vice versa, with the sole purpose of transportation. This is what Tatsuya is able to understand as he examines the machine. It appears to be connected to a "Lab" of sorts, situated in the Shinjuku district. It's one button away from activating.]
Okay guys good news is... Well first up anyone know how to use hammers? I can but it's not really my thing. *He hefts the thing onto his shoulder nevertheless*
Secondly? That thing's a teleporter to some lab in Shinjuku, i could probably figure out more given time but all you need to know is it takes us somewhere. If anyone curious though it seems to work like the DSP. Breaking matter to data then reforming later. Anyways we ready to keep going? Kaz is right after all, there's work to get done and we can't slack off over one win.
Takeshi: “I still need to kick that punk Ozawa’s ass.â€
[Says Takeshi with a furious determination, and Yuji continues with hope in his voice.]
Yuji: “My girlfriend is still out there.â€
[And finally, Kazuya walks to the front of the Terminal, having a much more confident and determined looked than a few days ago.]
Kazuya: “And I need to find Yuka. I won’t rest until my friend is alright.â€
[Kazuya goes ahead and presses the button, and the world around them becomes bigger, or perhaps they become smaller. Regardless, their bodies don’t feel any more, nothing but a floating sensation across an empty space filled with information they cannot possibly compute. This experience lasts an eternity, and yet, in just one second, Tatsuya and Raidou find themselves back in front of the “Arcade†mall in Kichijouji. It would seem that this scenario was finally over and the world was also back to normal.]
“Now, the moment of truth approaches. Your decision will shape this world, so play smart. I am excited to see what will happen.â€
[Melbourne says to them, before his presence disappears into the world.]
*Raidou nods in affirmation to wanting to get moving, leans against the side of the machine. Gouto hops on top of it, being careful not to touch any buttons, and speaks.*
"Yeah, our struggles are only just beginning. Still, you guys did good out there. Not too shabby."