Arc 3: Canon Z-2: Traitors Among Us

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

She wasn't too surprised when Iian chose to let the acid hit him. Shizuka wasn't very positive how his abilities were going to affect the outcome of her shots, but the fact that he didn't move gave her heart a bit of a jump. She realized she felt excited. The Fullbringer noticed that she actually started feeling genuine emotions again, warning her that her Bitch Mode was starting to wear off faster than usual. Luckily, she didn't exert too much energy all at once so she wouldn't have too much of an immediate drain, but what she was suppressing was actually mostly fear. She was trying to hide the fact that she was afraid.

At first, Shizuka felt her heart jump a bit when she thought her plan was actually working since Iian seemed genuinely interested in helping them out. Sure, he took the attack, but it didn't even affect him. Her acid, which should have started eating away at his skin, didn't do a single bit of damage the way she thought. Her imagination drew a few conclusions after mere seconds as she considered how this was possibly one of his techniques, but she couldn't stop herself from feeling slight doubt. She wanted so badly to trust this Bount, but the way he acted irked her. Still, she didn't have much of a choice. It was too late now.

A smile grew across the Bount's face, causing Shizuka's own expression to contort into worry and discomfort. He called her a wench yet again, signaling to her that she may have made a mistake. Iian began explaining his plans, allowing the rest of the party to hear what kinds of secrets Konstante held. As he spoke, his voice rang throughout Shizuka's ears and she felt something from him. It wasn't anything energy sensory (or lack there of, in her case) could sense; rather, it was excitement. It was some kind of strange sense of deception, and it wasn't directed at her or any of her fellow partners. Shizuka simply smirked.

As Iian unleashed his attack, Shizuka felt her chest ripple as small giggles escaped her breath. She didn't make the wrong choice at all! She just decided to trust the right people and do what she felt was right because she knew, deep down, that Iian wasn't bad. Or, at the very least, he was willing to help them to survive. Blood, who was probably completely tricked at this point, was the target of Konstante's fury. He was the one receiving the blow from Shizuka's redirected onslaught, not this Bount. As the ripples around each of them caused Shizuka to stagger her stance a bit, she couldn't help but smile over the fear she saw in Blood's eyes. She couldn't see his reflection from where she was, but she knew it was there.

The mirror cracked and Shizuka saw Blood's body slowly corroding away just as it was meant to. She cheered for Iian in a supportive manner, genuinely thankful for his help. Without him, they would never have gotten that far. They could have been dead by now and none of this would have mattered, but he stayed with them. The Fullbringer smiled at Iian, watching his attack come to an end as his Doll withered away. It didn't take too long for Shizuka to see Iian on the ground, exhausted by the use of his powers without his proper release in effect anymore. He looked hurt and in pain, which was more than enough to make the blonde run to him and kneel by his side. With Blood gone, she'd be able to help him get out of here and everyone would be safe.

"Iian, you truly are a mysterious being. I can't possibly thank you enough. You deserve to rest and heal, okay? You've done so much for us and it never would have happened without you. I give you my most sincerest of gratitudes."

The smell was almost unbearable, but it was worth it knowing Blood was as injured as he was. What they did was a huge gamble and Shizuka knew it, but she also knew it was worth a shot. Poor Iian had sacrificed his health to make it all happen, and guilt overpowered her when she realized that, without his powers, he was suffering. There was nothing she could do but comfort him as much as possible, so she picked his head up and put it on her knees. She smiled at him kindly, trying to give him as much calmness as she could muster up. She couldn't transfer her feelings to him or anything, but sometimes smiles are contagious.

As the blonde looked around at her allies, she realized Vannan was missing. She didn't even notice his departure, so she started wondering where he could have possibly gone. The thought passed rather quickly, however, as soon as she realized that Blood wasn't gone. Yet another intense form of pressure washed over each of them, pressing the human down towards Iian. She fought back as much as she could, trying not to crush the poor man resting against her knees. But as soon as it came, it vanished again, replaced by immense bright light from Blood's body. The pressure was never completely gone, but it lightened up.

Shizuka looked up towards the brilliant being who seemed to encase Blood, but she knew that no one took his place. It was still him, wounds and all, but he was different. It was as if he shed his skin, like some kind of destructive butterfly releasing itself from its cocoon. She couldn't help but admire him, but she knew that she needed to snap out of it soon because he had every intention of finishing his attack. His threat was loud and clear, received by everyone in the room. Panic struck Shizuka's heart as she came to feel her strength of will fading. Fear came back into her mind and body, taking away the last bit of courage she had. This was it. They were going to die.

Alicia was by Blood's side in a matter of seconds, showing obvious pain as power was drained from her. Zachariah cried out, hurt by seeing his partner and loved one suffer the way she was. It caused Shizuka some empathy pains, as well, but she needed to block that. She had to get herself out of there somehow, but how? They were as good as dead. Alicia was being manipulated into finishing the attack, and they had no way of stopping it. Shizuka felt tears form in her eyes as Blood cried out the name of his attack, ready to destroy every form of live within those boundaries. She had to accept her death.

Until, of course, time came to a halt. Realizing she squeezed her eyes shut, the Fullbringer shot them open again and looked directly at Cross, knowing this ability was coming from him. She smiled, thankful, though also sad because she knew what this meant. He was sacrificing himself to save them. He was already so tired, so worn out, but he was doing everything in his power to help. Shizuka grabbed Iian and wrapped his arm around her neck, picking him up and supporting him against her frame. She was able to maneuver him up so she could carry him on her back, which would have to be good enough for him since it was the easiest way for her to get him out of there.

They both made their way towards the exit, and Shizuka called to Kazura, or really anyone there who was listening, pleading with him to help Cross and Zachariah and anyone else they could to get everyone out. Shizuka couldn't save them on her own, and she just didn't know what to do because she could only carry Iian. Her gun was tucked away beneath her arms along with Iian's legs, and her bucket stayed where it was. She didn't necessarily need it, and she could call it to herself as soon as she left. All she'd have to do is deactivate her Fullbring and it would disappear, but if it got destroyed, it didn't matter. She could spend the Reiatsu necessary to recreate it. The gun was the important part.

With one last glance at the slow environment around her, the blonde ran as fast as she could out of the room and into the elevator to meet up with the rest of her allies. She desperately hoped everyone could make it out alive. The only reason they betrayed each other in the first place was because Blood was controlling them, so it wasn't their fault! She just prayed they had enough conscious thought to realize it wasn't too late for them, either. Shizuka turned her head back around to face the elevator, making her way back to it in order to escape. She depended on everyone to help each other out, but that would ultimately be up to them.




Shizuka's Remaining Reiatsu: 4050 (-100 for Martyr's Cross Drain)
Fullbring Stage 1: 4/10
Liquid Type: Hydrochloric Acid
Gallons Remaining: 10/100

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: GM note - Kazura and Vannan have one week to post before the next GM post. If they do not, then I will move them forward enough to reach the end of this thread, and I will wrap things up then. We're in the last few posts, folks, so don't miss out on a chance to earn some extra TP!))

[Zeich Yajuu]

((OOC: Hate to do this, but it's been a week so I am taking the liberty to GM the two remaining participants to get them out of this thread properly.))

Things happened so fast in those last few minutes. Time halted, slowed to a crawl, as Cross pushed every ounce of his ability into trying to hold back the devastating power of Sprenger. Already the walls of Reiatsu forming the prison around them were starting to glow brighter and brighter, a sign of the spiritual energy that would be directed inwards shortly, and the sense of crushing pressure grew more present by the moment. Each of them had to act quickly, lest they get left behind when Cross ran out of energy, unable to hold back the attack any longer. At best, they had somewhere in the ballpark of thirty seconds, so decisions had to be made on the spot.

Shizuka's was to save Iian, grabbing the unconscious Bount in her arms and hauling him towards the elevator shaft that Vannan had already escaped into. Though he had been willing to betray them, having turned his attack on Kazura in the middle of a critical moment, he had relented—at least for now—at Shizuka's cry for cooperation. There was no guarnatee that at the end of this ordeal, when they were free from this twisted game, that he would not attempt to kill them. He could have been left there to die, the problem solved in a practical manner, but that justh t wasn't Shizuka; the woman was kind-hearted enough to repay one favor with another, and so she decided to save Iian's life. The two of them quickly descended into the elevator shaft, dropping down through the hole that had been carved into the floor, and making their way down to the level below.

Kazura was left there with the others, hesitating briefly. Tired, worn-out, and frustrated, his first instinct was to run and escape. Yet as he did so, his eyes caught sight of two people who still remained: Cross and Zachariah. Beatrice was skimmed over, her life already lost as it was, but those two men had both had a major impact on Kazura. The CEO hesitated yet again, unwilling to just leave them behind, but he knew that he only had the time and energy to save one. Worse, the decision was narrowed down further by the fact that Cross was the one holding Blood's powerful attack back; if he was disturbed, his concentration could slip, and everyone left in the room would be destroyed. No, Cross would have to be left behind, to make the ultimate sacrifice.

“Don't look... look at me like that, Kazura.” Cross's strained words came with a tired smile. “I've... I've committed more sins than you know... By creating this world, and... leaving Kit unchecked, I let this all happen. I am... happy to die here. Please, take Zachariah... and go.” Kazura started to respond with a negative, started to assure Cross that he could not have expected things to have gone this far, but the man gave him a look that caused him to pause before finally stepping back with a nod. He didn't have much longer, however, and so rather than linger, he quickly used Bringer Light to step over to Zachariah, grabbing the man rather boldly and trying to drag him away.

Zachariah, of course, refused to be moved, and his strength made it impossible to force him, so Kazura did what he had to; he locked Zachariah's strength away again, making the man notably weaker than before, and grabbed him around the waist before hauling him bodily away by the waist. Already walls of energy were starting to close in, the lines of sheer spiritual power tracing along the ground as they traveled towards the center of the prison that would spell their doom. Without a doubt, when they met, the spell would be complete. Kazura had no choice as the beams drew close together, and quickly hurled himself and Zachariah through the opening into the elevator behind. They dropped through the floor rather roughly, landing hard on the ground below, yet it could have been worse; behind them, a flash of light filled the entire shaft, and an enormous burst of spiritual energy exploded above them before dissipating.

There was silence for a few moments before Vannan spoke up, being the only one knowledgeable about the attack that had occurred. “No one could have survived that. Let's go.” The Quincy moved ahead, taking the fore, and didn't look back. The others were left to follow at their own pace, their own thoughts in their head. There was nothing to look back to except regrets; behind them, Cross and Beatrice had been obliterated, and Alicia was left as Blood's puppet. What would they think? How would they feel?

After about five minutes of walking down a long hallway the remainder of the group, now down to five, found a large pair of metal doors with a scanner on the side of it. At the top of the door was a single engraving: “Only those deemed to be truly loyal may pass through.” Beside it was a small scanner, and above it a screen that listed the number “30.” Given Cross's last bit of advice, it wasn't hard for Kazura to figure out how to open it. He simply altered his own bracelet to a full thirty-one points to be on the safe side, and then waved his arm over the scanner. In a moment, the number dropped down to a single point, and the door began to creak open slowly.

Fresh air and a bright light emerged from the far side of the door, blinding them all briefly as they adapted to actual sunlight. The salty edge of sea air tickled at their noses, and before long the sound of waves could be heard. Kazura remembered that Alicia had mentioned the base being somewhere on the northern border of Japan; odds were, they were very near a coast. Indeed, though while the land opened up before them as the emerged from the compound, to either sides were vast spreads of blue as they looked over the ocean from atop tall cliffs. Behind them, the compound rose, a large building that looked almost like an old castle, likely a facade for the facility within.

They were... free. They were outside of the compound. The game of traitors and betrayal was over. A click from their wrists reassured that belief as suddenly, all of their bracelets came off. Kazura looked surprised, as he hadn't done it; likely, it was their function to come undone when they were taken outside of the base. But it was the final confirmation of their escape from this hellish game, the confirmation of their freedom.

So what would they do now? Iian was starting to stir, and odds were that he would either attack Kazura or Vannan now that their deal was done, or he would simply leave. Hopefully the latter, as after all that had happened, Kazura was physically exhausted and probably wouldn't be able to endure a surprise assault. Indeed, the CEO was sitting heavily on a rock outside of the base, trying to catch his breath, his face looking worn and drawn. Iian's transferral of Cross's previous exhaustion had really done a number of Kazura, and the man looked like he could fall over at any moment now that the adrenaline wore off.

Zachariah, on the other hand, stood apart from the group, staring absently into the distance. They all knew what was on his mind, and that he was hurting; the agent didn't need to say anything to express it. Instead, they had time to focus on where to go from here. They were still at the coast, not particularly close to any towns or roads, and likely this area was closed off. Communications were needed, or else there was a long walk ahead of them. There was time, though, and as long as they got away from the general vicinity of the compound, they should generally be safe.

It was time to head home.

((OOC: There is room for closing posts for additional TP. I will give this one week before grading, but at that point all posts are final. Wrap it up, get your last thoughts in, show how this affected your character.))

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka exchanged worrisome expressions with Vannan before she was startled by the sudden appearance of Kazura and Zachariah. Before she even got the chance to ask if anyone else was going to follow, bright lights and loud, explosive noises answered her question for her. Shizuka's entire body flinched in response to the destructive force as she cringed herself away, trying to protect both her own being and Iian's since he was still being carried by her. As soon as everything subsided, the Fullbringer looked at the kindred spirits around her and felt tears escape from her eyes. She tried to blink them away, but to no avail. Whoever was left in that room was lost. Vannan had said so himself.

Silence overcame the group as they walked down the hall to make their way towards the exit. Shizuka clutched Iian a little closer to her to make sure he didn't fall off of her back or get uncomfortable despite the fact that he was still unconscious. She was being a bit protective, but she'd made a promise to herself that she wasn't going to let anything happen to him. She felt guilty, though, for being unable to carry more than one person. With how injured everyone else was, it was too dangerous for her to take that risk. Still, she knew what true loss felt like. That heartbreak stays with you for a long time, and she only prayed that Zachariah would be able to heal.

As the group approached the doorway, Kazura was the one who actually got it to open. He worked some technological magic or something and was able to gather the points needed to allow for their freedom, giving Shizuka a better appreciation for the man. She truly didn't hate him, but he threw her off a bit when they first met. Even so, he wasn't terrible the way she originally thought. He provided them all with a means of escape, and now they could carry on with their lives. But despite knowing this, Shizuka couldn't bring herself to smile. She wanted to feel happy but the overwhelming guilt for even having that emotion after the loss they all endured was too much. It was going to take some time for her to move on from this, and she knew that.

Once her eyes adjusted, the blonde slowly followed her comrades out the door. She took a deep breath and quietly thanked the elements around her for offering such a blessed and safe return to the free world. Truth be told, she was a bit suspicious of how everything was going to turn out. She kind of figured someone would be waiting out there for all of them to finish them off, but she was glad she was wrong. The paranoia would soon fade, as well as the pain she felt in her heart from knowing just how tragic the sacrifices were. Still, they had to be made. Cross knew what he was doing and still chose to do it anyway, and Beatrice was just lost from the start. Alicia, though... She didn't deserve her fate. No one deserves that.

A sudden sound distracted Shizuka's though process as she glanced down towards her wrist. The bracelet had come off on its own, meaning they really were all free of this nightmare. Iian's dropped off of his wrist, as well, and he had already started to wake up a bit. Shizuka gently placed him back on the ground and held his arm around her neck until he was able to stand on his own. Knowing he was going to be okay was enough to put the Fullbringer's worries about him at rest, so she helped him balance himself on his own and assessed how he looked. Honestly, it wasn't super great, but he'd survive.

"Thank you for everything, Iian. You have a friend in Xcution if you ever need us. I was right to trust you."

It was unlikely that the Bount would attack any of them, and Shizuka was very emotionally distraught. She deactivated her Fullbring and regained her shoes, but she carried them in her hand instead of wearing them again. She didn't mind being bare-foot. For the time-being, she made her way up towards Zachariah and kept herself behind him for a moment. She wanted to offer words of comfort, to maybe help take his mind off of what happened, but she knew better. He needed to feel what he was feeling in order to heal himself from it. He had to go through this grief. Shizuka couldn't stop that from happening. Instead, she slowly approached him and placed her empty hand upon his shoulder. The gesture was brief, but he would know he wasn't alone.

"I've already contacted my organization and they're sending a private jet to my coordinates. Unfortunately, I can't take any of you with me because that goes against policy. None of you are listed as targets, so there is no reason to take you into custody even if it would be to simply release you afterwards. So... Just promise me you'll stay safe, okay?"

Leave it to her to be a mom about it. Unsurprisingly, though, it didn't take long before she heard the jet approaching. It was able to land on a beach close by, so Shizuka made her way down towards it and was greeted by the pilot with a gracious "Madame." She thanked him and helped herself up into the aircraft, turning herself around to see the remaining game players who had kept her company for these past few horrendous moments. She could no longer contribute anything to any of them, so Shizuka simply waved before she fully entered Xcution's fancy throne of a plane. Apparently, they had been attempting to track her as soon as she'd gone missing but never had any luck finding her. That facility was interesting, to say the least.

The jet took off and left everyone else behind. She was confident in their ability to leave that place, but Xcution's tracking system was nothing to sneeze at, especially now that everyone was free. If any of them ran into trouble, she would be sure to help them. Still, she didn't believe it was going to be a problem for any of them to find their way home, so she chose not to stress over it. All of them are exceptionally strong people. They didn't need her to babysit them since she wasn't even sure if she'd be able to beat them in a fight. Instead, she chose to assess what she'd gone through and internalize her feelings. She was an assassin, after all. She just needed to keep herself vigilant at all times from now on. Something like this can never happen again. And even if it did, she'd be ready.

[Zeich Yajuu]

Kazura/Vannan - 3200 TP each, as well as 16,000 Ryo. (6 pages x 300/page = 1800 x 2 = 3600, with a small deduction for vanishing at the end)
Shizuka - 3800 TP, as well as 19,000 Ryo. (6 pages x 300/page = 1800 x 2 = 3600, with a 200 TP bonus for the closing post.)

For me: 4200 TP and 42,000 Ryo to give to a character of my choice (7 pages x 600/page for Medium-Hard = 4200). Another mod is welcome to dispute this, since I'm grading myself, ofc, but this just saves time.