Xcution: The X-Core [PG13, N/DE]

[Zou ۞]

Name: [Xcution Side Story: Episode 1 ~ The X-Core] - The Adventure Name

Participants: [HWD, any affiliation] - Who can participate?

Location: [Uzaki Enterprises Technological Coliseum] - Where does this take place?

Difficulty Level: [Varies by participant actions] - Easy, Medium, Hard, Extreme. How difficult is this adventure?

Setting: [NDE, DE with minimum Hard difficulty for triple TP reward upon request] Is this DE or NDE? Death Enabled or Non Death Enabled?

Plotline: [It's a secret to all but a hand full of members and the upper brass of Uzaki Enterprises that they were involved in a hostile takeover by Xcution. The panic that would ensue if this became public knowledge in the whole company isn't a desirable outcome. Since then, Xcution has been forcing Kazura Uzaki to use Uzaki Enterprises to perform certain acts that he would rather not.

The latest of these is a tech convention exclusively for spiritual beings and spiritual aware beings who may not have powers. In recent years, spiritual divisions have formed at companies like Microsoft, Tesla, and Amazon. These giants will all be there. A new iPhone will be unveiled by Apple, Microsoft will be showing new computers. All of it will be technology geared for spirituals. Even Uzaki Enterprises will be showing some products. But it's not alone. Xcision, a puppet company secretly owned by Xcution, is going to be showcasing a new product called the X-Core.

Anyone HWD is invited to attend this convention. Some might even be here in hopes of stealing technology or assassinating high profile figures.] - Explain the plot of your adventure.

Estimated Enemy Strength: [Varies by player action] Estimate the strength of the NPC's people will fight in this adventure. Class 7-1, what is their strength on average?

Estimated Time Until Completion: [5 pages] - How many pages do you think this adventure will run for until it is over?

Starts: [Now] - When does the adventure begin?

Special Conditions: [5 player participants maximum] - Any special conditions, limitations, or other things.

[Gaius Magnus]

[OOC: Reserving a spot, intro coming tomorrow.]

[Douma]

I'd like to reserve a spot as well. I'll get an intro up in the next week or so. That said, if a fifth person puts up an intro before me, then I'll let them take the slot. Don't wanna slow things down

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

I'm obviously reserving a spot!

[Kitai Yoru]

Reserving a spot if available.

[Jin Yamada]

”Ohhh…how interesting…”

Jin Yamada was fascinated with the technology which he saw unveiled before him. He was fascinated with the technology he saw before him because he had not expected these once non-spiritual companies to have suddenly become spiritual. He had not expected this transition. It was only a matter of time though, right? The Tridential Conflict, which had destroyed many lives and left behind ruined cities and towns in the Land of the Living, must have left behind enough traces of reiatsu to turn those who were once non-spiritual into spiritually aware humans. It could be that or…it could be natural evolution for the human race. After all, there was an organization of spiritually aware humans without spiritual powers who had also fought in the war. Their weaponry had been strong enough to challenge the Shinigami’s forces. I wonder how the Shinigami feel about this recent exponential growth in spiritually aware humans. It is only a matter of time before they decide that Fullbringers and spiritually aware humans without powers need to be exterminated in order to "keep the balance"…

Jin Yamada gazed in amazement at the technology he saw around him. He could not believe what the spiritually aware humans had been able to develop on their own. In fact, he was glad that Kazura had invited him to this event. It was an opportunity for him to develop more connections with other companies and grow his empire. It was also a chance to do some scouting, and learn some things about the companies developing these spiritual technologies. Instead of sending one of his Bount comrades, he decided to come himself. But, this posed a problem which he was hoping would not escalate into something worse.

The Bount arrived at the convention not as Anarchy, but as Jin Yamada himself. Jin Yamada, in the flesh. It had been many years since his “death” and he was hoping that those who had met him in the past had forgotten him. How could he have survived the Zoshuwwai King? At that time, when the Zoshuwwai had first appeared, many had found it difficult to fight just one of them. The Zoshuwwai King, on the other hand, was on an entirely different level. With his death at the hands of that creature, who would have suspected that Jin Yamada would still be alive? Some may have had their guesses, but nothing had ever been confirmed.

Jin knew of the rumors circulating within the Bount community. He knew of the rumors which praised his strength. He knew of the rumors which hailed him as the greatest Bount since Kassen Oro’s disappearance. It was his name alone that protected the Bount now. Back then, when he had been present physically, it had been his power which protected the Bount. But now, his existence was only a rumor, and he hoped to keep it that way until Oase became a reality. Therefore, today he would not be Jin Yamada either. Today, he would go by the alias he had been given by Death-Sama: Charles Luther. Charles Lutner, CEO of Jojo’s Yoyos and now a board member on the board of directors of Chugoku Electric Power Company.

Jin approached the convention in the hopes of making small talk with some of the companies. He hoped to strike deals with them about a “new idea” he had developed. The company, Chugoku Electric Power Company, had been able to develop a new power source. This power source is what had allowed the company to come back from bankruptcy after he had bought it out. However, what only the spiritually aware community would know was that this “new” energy source was simply reiatsu. Companies here such as Microsoft and Tesla would profit from using reiatsu as an energy source to power their products. Tesla cars would no longer need to run on electricity; rather, it could run entirely on powerful self-recharging reiatsu batteries, an invention Chugoku Electric Power Company was collaborating with Kazura Uzaki to harness. It was true that Kazura Uzaki had been the one to invent the reiatsu battery, but with Jin’s more expansive knowledge of the spiritual world, his partnership with Kazura would allow the two to expand the small batteries Kazura had shown him into something much bigger. Something big enough to power more than just his old suits of armor. And so, Jin was here with this purpose as a cover. As a secondary mission, he wanted to know more about this Xcision company he had been hearing about and the invention they planned to unveil. The X-Core. That was what rumors had called it.

Jin stopped suddenly when he thought he spotted a familiar figure. Well, the figure would be familiar to him anyway. He didn’t think that man would recognize him as he was now without the porcelain white mask with a letter A across the top. While he knew exactly who Douma was, the Angel of Silence would not know who he was. With his reiatsu practically undetectable to Douma, given Jin’s level of power (OOC: Class 0 effect), there was no way to confirm that he was in fact, Jin Yamada by similar reiatsu or facial features alone. But even his facial appearance was slightly different from 15 years ago. His hair was no longer gelled and spiky; rather, it was flattened and wavy. He bore two faint jagged bolt-shaped scars: one on the right side of his forehead hidden underneath a bang, and one down his right cheek near his sideburns. It was noticeable only if someone looked very closely. And he no longer wore the plain black pants, white shirt and jacket as he used to. He was more sophisticated now, presenting himself with slim fitting gray pants, brown dress shoes, a white shirt with dark blue checkered patterns and black skinny tie underneath an unbuttoned black blazer. This time, he forewent the tophat, and in its place wore a gray fedora with the front end tilted back so that his bangs poked out from underneath.

Jin continued walking, only glancing in the direction of the Angel of Silence. For now, he would not confront or engage Douma. Instead, he would watch the man from afar, given that he now had the advantage. He knew Douma, but Douma didn’t know him. Why Douma had not disguised himself was anyone’s guess, but that didn’t matter right now. What mattered was finding out more about the X-Core and whether he could connect himself with Microsoft and Tesla for starters. Douma could wait.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Jin's Stats & Skills}

Strength - [100 (50)] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400 (1000)] Points

Light Aura - [35] Points

Dark Aura - [65] Points

Instinct - [200] Points

Senses - [200] Points

Energy sensory - [100] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1700] Points



Skills

• [Battle Analysis] {4}
• [Martial Arts: Capoiera] {3}
• [Utility: Charisma/Leadership] {2}
• [Weapons: Yoyo] {4}
• [Strength of Will] {3}

[Douma]

‘Here.’

Douma’s thumb sent the text message from his jet black iPhone 7s as he walked into Uzaki Enterprise facility before pocketing the mobile device. It really looked like he had an ordinary iPhone, like the many of the human population. That was mostly true. Yes, the iPhone functioned like Apple designed it to for non-spiritual individuals, but this one was useful for communicating across Soul Society, Hueco Mundo, and the Human World. It was the more practical model for spiritually aware people like Douma who liked to travel between dimensions often. Apple did have a spiritual market with products aimed toward those with similar needs as Douma.

And so in a second, Douma’s message would be sent to none other than Shizuka Sanamizu, one of Xcution’s Seven Guns. She and the rogue had come into contact with one another long ago, and their relationship proved mutually beneficially at times. She was a useful contact to have in Xcution. The mercenary was also in touch with Kazura Uzaki, but it seemed that the young CEO was occupied elsewhere and couldn’t attend his own convention. How unfortunate. But in Kazura’s place, Douma had another acquaintance. The mod soul Douma recently hired for a few simple tasks, Gaius Magnus, informed him that he also planned to attend the technology fair. The Angel of Silence had allies all around him, and there was a possibility that he would run into other friends of his as well. He’d have to keep his eyes peeled.

This sort of event attracted some very powerful individuals, so a security checkpoint would be futile if it was implemented. Douma would especially prove problematic since his armor plates were bound tightly to his body in a manner that would be very painful to remove. He wasn’t going to part with the black sword at his hip or the crimson cross hanging from his left wrist, but those two objects would be hidden by his dark coat. Any onlookers would see a man dressed in all black wearing a light helm that hid all but his crimson and bone-white eyes. Anyone who’s heard a description of the rising underworld lord would recognize Douma immediately.

”That’s him, isn’t it? The Angel of Silence?” “We don’t want any trouble with that one. Let’s head to some of the farther exhibits.”

Not everyone recognized Douma, but many did. Douma could feel the fear emanating from the reiatsu signatures of the weaker ones. There were a handful of more powerful individuals too, but the rogue paid them no mind as long as they didn’t act with hostility toward him. He instead focused his energy sensory on locating Gaius and Shizuka. Once he found their reiatsu signatures, he would begin making his way toward them.

The mercenary was not concerned for his safety, at least not yet. Anyone who made an attack here would be very foolish to do so in the presence of Xcution and other powerful individuals. However, Douma stayed alert as his eyes picked out Shizuka and Gaius from the crowd. People did stupid things for money, and Douma certainly did have a hefty bounty on his head.

SPOILER: Click to show

Stats

Strength - [100] Points (50)

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [400] (1000) Points

Reiatsu Strength - [150] Points

Light Aura - [0] Points

Dark Aura - [100] Points

Instinct - [150] Points

Senses - [100] Points

Energy sensory - [400] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1600] Points

Abilities

• [Weapons: Sword] {3}
  
  
• [War Strategy] {3}
  
  
• [Battle Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Analysis] {3}
  
  
• [Leadership/Charisma] {2}
  
  
• [Guns] {2}
  
  

Items:

SPOILER: Click to show

Artificial Zanpakuto - Kagebokkusu

Appearance

In its non-released state, Kagami’s artificial Zanpakuto takes a slightly unorthodox appearance compared to the traditional Japanese katana. No, his blade is far superior. It may lack a Zanpakuto spirit like the true Zanpakuto all Shinigami are equipped with have. However, the black market in the Rukongai has its share of excellent smith’s that forged the deadly black beauty. Black is the best word to describe the weapon. Black color, black aura, a black weapon. It was the embodiment of Kagami’s dark side.

Now, let us begin by examining the hilt. It is approximately six inches long and three inches wide. The hilt is fairly plain and has a symmetrical pattern on each of the flat sides composed of small grooves and dips into the blade. It is made of a dull black metal with little luster. In fact, it reflects very little light. In fact, the particular shade of black on the hilt would belong more to a black wall than it would the pure darkness of true black.

However, the blade of the sword embodies that darkness. It draws nearly light into itself, letting none meet the eyes of the viewer. However, one part of the three and a half foot long sword does in fact reflect light from it, and that part is the most dangerous. Along the razor sharp edge of the sword, the black metal transitions into silver with an unplaceable gradient border between the two shades. This silver metal is polished and shines like a mirror, so one would be able to see the horror in his or her eyes through it before the blade removes the light of life from those eyes.

The slight curve of the single-edged blade leads into a honed, focused tip capable of drawing blood as it bypasses the pain receptors of the opponent. That is how sharp the weapon is. It’s keen edge makes cuts that the opponent won’t feel until blood rushes out of the openings and pushes past the pain receptors. The weapon may be seen as a kind blade, for the opponent won’t even feel their death as it slices through his or her body.

SPOILER: Click to show

Now, the released form of the weapon is completely different. The transition doesn’t occur in a flash of light, but rather, the opposite. All Kagami has to do is speak the words “Observe in darkness, Kagebokkusu.” The blade draws in all light. It acts like a black whole, sucking up all visibility. For a second, the place of the sword is replaced with an empty, dark slot. It was like a black whole. Nothing would be there but the silhouette of a transforming blade.

When the darkness faded, there wasn’t much light to replace it. In fact, there was little light at all. The only really visible part was the handle. It is partly composed of a metallic black very similar to that of the blade in the sword’s non-release state. The majority of the light, however, is revealed from the silver metallic pieces of the hilt that compose part of the grip. The hilt has a light curve that allows it to fit easily into Kagami’s hand. There is no guard separating it from the blade.

Now, this sword for this weapon is something special. It is nothing like any other Zanpakuto, artificial or legitimate. The blade is long, slim, and straight. It is razor sharp, sharper than in the unreleased form. A cut from this sword is always clean. However, that is not the magnificent part of the blade. The material it is composed of seems to embody a black hole. It absorbs absolutely all light, not letting any out. The only portion of the three and a half foot long blade that can be seen is its outline, and it’s black shade is so void of everything that it is clearly identifiable, like any other blade. However, it is not quiet like any other. It harnesses the darkness of Kagami soul in its appearance.

SPOILER: Click to show

The last part of this weapon’s appearance has to do with its power. It summons a black box, and the characteristics of this box and the effects it has are to be described in the next section. This box is a small cube with a side length of about one foot. The box is made of the same material as the blade of the released sword, so only the completely empty silhouette makes it clearly visible.

SPOILER: Click to show

Power

Kagebokkusu has a power I call "shadow box." What does this do? It creates a black cube of reiatsu next to its user, Kagami in this case, which floats five feet away from him at all times, and moves next to him. What does it do? It records him. For up to five moves, 100 reiatsu per move recorded. It's costly. Very very costly. But it's surely worth it, because every single movement that Kagami makes has the capacity to be recorded. He doesn't need to fill up all five to make this work, of course, but five is still a good number to have. So what happens when it records? He can make it "play." How? Contact with the box. The box itself can be fired at half his step speed, or he can just touch it. A target hit by the box INSTANTLY ceases all actions, and is forced to repeat the actions recorded by the box, all of them, in sequence... at Kagami's step speed. Brilliant, right? Pretty brilliant if you ask me. And that's the box's only power. It cannot be resisted by any skills. It can be broken only by superior offensive stat (2x requirement) AND class equality or superiority. (BOTH needed to break it.) Also, if the time needed to record exceeds your duration, worry not. Records carry over to refreshed releases.

The box's ability may only be used once during release. After he shoots it out, whether it strikes the opponent or not, the release ends. In addition, if the box is struck, it is broken and the release ends. When the release ends, the saved moves are deleted.

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Item Name: Blood Cross

Item Type: Wristband

Item Description:

The item is called the "Blood Cross." In appearance, it's a deep red wristband with a cross dangling from it. You'd say it looks identical to a red version of a Quincy's Cross. It's deep red because in appearance, it looks like it's made of fine, smoothed ruby. Actually, the item itself is made of an unidentified spiritual stone. What does it do? When its user becomes extremely angry, the cross resonates with a deep red reiatsu, and produces an extremely intimidating, hideous aura as long as the cross is being worn. This can be used to intimidate enemies of same or inferior class several times more effectively than typical spiritual pressure. What Kagami doesn't know is this hideous aura is very similar to Adalo De-Mona's, because what he also doesn't know is that the cross works not just on his anger, but by drawing from the inner darkness left behind in Kagami's soul by Adalo, and uses that reiatsu instead of Kagami's to produce the aura. The stronger the inner darkness left by Adalo De-Mona becomes, the stronger the cross's aura will become. It can only be resisted by someone who has either or both a 3 in Lack of Fear.

Price: Kagami acquires this from Arc 3 Preview: Not Knowledge, Merely Data

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Storage Scroll

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Item Name: (Helm of The Silent)

Item Type:: (Armor)

Item Rank: (A)

Item Description:

What appears as an exact duplicate of Douma's mask is fundamentally different. Douma's mask is just that. A mask. This is armor, and it serves other purposes as well. Firstly, it fuses directly into his spiritual power, making it heavily resistant if not outright immune to non spiritually integrated objects. This means that unless an object has been stated to possess spiritual effects, any random store-bought weapon or similar is ineffective with the exception of plasma weapons. All extensions of an enemy's non-release techniques and release weapons/powers can still damage this mask. It is merely resistant to ordinary things, including collapsing buildings and rubble as well as heat or cold from weather. The mask also provides night and thermal vision which Douma can switch between with a mental command, and provides temperature regulation against natural weather. It also provides regular oxygen, meaning it filters out toxic gases and allows the user to breathe underwater or in conditions without oxygen.

Unlike the original that the design was based off of, the eye holes are covered by green lenses. Furthermore, the mask is more of a helmet, as it actually wraps around Douma's entire head. The drawback to this item is that it is so powerful due to being imbued with sorcery. The sorcery can only be effective by grace of needles within the actual helmet. These needles stab into dozens of places around Douma's face, making it very uncomfortable. It is also pumping constant chemicals into Douma's bloodstream and brain, these chemicals being inert in that they are neither harmful nor beneficial on their own, but that they are extremely painful to have driven into one's blood like that. Removal of the helmet is extremely painful, as is putting it back on. Extreme heat damages the function of this item.

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Item Name: (Heart of The Silent)

Item Type:: (Armor)

Item Rank: (A)

Item Description:

The centerpiece of Douma's upgrades. His literal heart has been replaced by this artificial, machine-like heart. The machine is twice as efficient as a regular heart, and three times as durable, but it pumps identical chemicals to the ones from the helm into Douma's body. Despite the pain, this heart is useful because it takes the sensation of pain and alters it for the body. The message sent to the mind is still pain, but added onto it is the effect of controlled rage and aggression, as well as willpower. This heart, in other words, changes pain to also incorporate increased will. The more pain and damage suffered by Douma as a result, the greater his desire to win and destroy his opponent, and the stronger his conviction. This also reduces bleeding, making it significantly more difficult for wounds to bleed Douma out. This is one of two pieces of armor Douma cannot remove from himself. He is thus always in pain. Extreme heat damages the function of this item.

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Item Name: (Limbs of The Silent)

Item Type:: (Armor)

Item Rank: (A)

Item Description:

Douma's limbs have been granted armor. Black plating along the arms and legs. The plating wraps the entire limbs, and the plating is a light metal that allows Douma his proper movement. However, within it are needles that puncture into his body and pump even more chemicals of pain into him. While this drawback is tremendous given how much of his body by this point is simply drowned in constant pain, the limb additions ease stress on his own movement, meaning he spends significantly less stamina with movement than one normally would. In conjunction with the heart, this makes Douma seem to possess up to three times his normal stamina. The limbs are also resistant in all of the same ways as his helmet. Should they sustain damage, the rate at which they pump chemicals into Douma doubles, making his conviction to kill even stronger. Because of the chemical increase from these, Douma becomes significantly more resistant to damage. Even if he is severely burned inside the armor, or slashed and stabbed repeatedly, these limbs allow him to keep coming as if undamaged, even at the cost of his own health. This item makes him seem lighter, faster, more agile, all because of the ease of stamina consumption. Extreme heat damages the function of this item.

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Item Name: (Chest Plate of The Silent)

Item Type:: (Armor)

Item Rank: (A)

Item Description:

This item possesses identical resistances to all other armor pieces. Like the others, it has needles that penetrate into Douma and pump chemicals into him. Unlike the others, it also comes with the effect of negating the effects of electrocution, making Douma highly resistant to electric attacks. By repelling electricity, it makes it so that facing Douma with any electric style attack is extremely difficult. Extreme heat damages the function of this item.

---

Item Name: (Liver of The Silent)

Item Type:: (Armor)

Item Rank: (A)

Item Description:

Identical features to previous armor pieces. This also filtrates toxins that would penetrate his body and damage him, making Douma highly resistant to poisons and the like. This piece is an artificial liver with twice the efficiency of a regular one as well. It is a machine. This is one of two pieces of armor he cannot remove from himself. He is thus always in pain. Extreme heat damages the function of this item.

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

"Oh my gosh! Look at this! Ugh, and it's red! I want a red car so badly. I'd kill to work here!"

A bright young woman was quite loudly admiring the fact that Tesla was presenting their products here at the showcase. She absolutely gushed over the 2017 Model S that was on display and practically drooled on it since Tesla was one of her favorite automakers. Obviously they produced more than just cars, but the cars were what really drove this mechanical engineer in. The curves and styles and designs were all perfectly sculpted, making the blonde sigh with content excitement. She loved technology. She loved everything about this world. She just heavily enjoyed these kinds of mechanics because it was like beautiful works of art to her. They were meant to be celebrated.

Brushing her bangs out of her eyes, Shizuka Sanamizu showed off her brilliantly heterochromatic eyes to the world around her. She wasn't the most well-known member of Xcution in the world, but she was certainly worth noting. This Seven Guns Fullbringer had gone up against some seriously strong opponents, and even if she didn't win every time, the accomplishment of facing them, alone, is what's really impressive to her. Shizuka was proud of her progress and wasn't ashamed to even appreciate the failures. That just taught her how to fight stronger and harder next time. But now, she was here with a purpose.

Xcision was a project within Xcution and Shizuka was there as more than just a random member. She acted as a representative, though more so self-appointed, just so that she could learn more about their product: the X-Core. She'd only ever heard bits and pieces about this thing, but most members didn't know too much yet. She wasn't a special case, which irked her, but there wasn't much she could do about that. Sometimes it's just not meant to be. So she strutted her stuff over to the other displays and tried to learn a little more about the technology around her. She knew she'd stand out as she walked, too, since she purposefully wore her favorite red sundress to match her designer weaponized shoes. She may have planned the look for a reason.

Her pocket (because the dress had those and it's amazing) vibrated twice, indicating the retrieval of a text message. She pulled her gold iPhone 6 out of the pocket and looked over the message preview, seeing that it was from Douma. It was pretty nice to hear from her comrade again. It had been a while since they saw each other last, and they weren't exactly in the best state of mind at that point. As she glanced around, her eyes caught on to the location of Douma. She didn't have any energy sensory, but she was pretty decent at intuitively guessing where someone was. Obviously it didn't work every time, but occasionally, you just sort of know where to look.

"Hello! It's so good to see you again!" Shizuka cheerfully greeted Douma, careful not to say his name out loud. She would let him choose what she needed to call him.

Douma made his way in her direction and Shizuka smiled brightly at him. She always loved seeing the fact that she had members of her alliance within range just in case anything bad happened. Douma was fairly trustworthy despite the fact that he was a Shinigami, but the Fullbringer did her best to ignore that fact. She knew it was more beneficial to have friends in high places, and he certainly held himself in high places. Douma wasn't just some run-of-the-mill Shinigami. He was strong and very intelligent, meaning he would keep her safe if she needed it so long as she returned the favor.

"Isn't this crazy? They have so much stuff!" This was Shizuka's way of hinting to him that she knew about the X-Core and knew he was interested, too. Would he notice?

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Stats}

Strength - [100] Points

Speed - [300] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [200] = [500] Points

Reiatsu Strength - [400] = [1000] Points

Light Aura - [60] Points

Dark Aura - [40] Points

Instinct - [200] = [100] Points

Senses [200] = [100] Points

Energy sensory - [0] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points

SPOILER: Click to show

{Shizuka's Skills}

[Weapon: Firearms] {4}

[Analyzing] {3}

[Stealth] {3}

[Strength of Will] {3}

[Honeypotting - The art of manipulation to obtain information. Basically, a girl gathers enough information about her target - male or female, doesn't matter - and dresses accordingly or changes how she acts to be able to get them to do whatever she wants or tell her what she needs to hear.] {3}

[Gaius Magnus]

At the convention, many companies were present. For this opportunity was great, and no serious player in the spiritual market would miss it. Weapons, energy, military and civilian technology, whatever you could think of, for spirituals, it was here. Under this rather great dome of the conventional center, many companies opened their stands. Uzaki Enterprises, Xcution and its puppet companies, Microsoft, Tesla, and many others. One of those companies was GM & Associates, small company that had alreadt established itself as a reliable supplier of swords and similar weapons despite its size. Stand of GM & Associates was moderately sized, designed to be entirely white and discreet, yet functional. It was full of stands that held different types of swords the company manufactured. In fact, all of their current stockpile was present here, for the aim of the company was not only to present itself to the potential buyers, but to seal as many deals as possible right on the spot. The stand was manned by seven men, four wore white suits, and three wore black suits and shades. Simpy put, vendors and security. And even though security was present, all the stands were set up with containers of special mixture of acids, and rigged so that the mixture would be released and merchandise entirely destroyed if the mechanism was triggered.

The only way to trigger that would be through a remote activator that was in the hands of the head of security. The head of security was rather handsome young man, well build, athletic type, with dirty blonde hair, and freckles on his face. His posture was serious, professional. Black suit with white shirt and black tie was a perfect fit for him, while his eyes were hidden behind the black shades. He had a small metal plate on his chest, pinned, a soer of a tag, and his name was written on it. Andre Jurgen. But... it was actually not his name. The name of the man was in fact, Gaius Magnus, and he was a rather well-known name in Human World, being a high profile mercenary. However, he was not a well-known face, since he usually hid his, to the point that only selected few would be able to recognize his true identity. Secretly, he was the man in charge of GM & Associates. In fact, he handled production single-handedly, and everything else, pretty much. But he was here now,in secret, and he had other plans of his own, but for now, he would merely supervise his stand. Obtaining samples of new technologies, and the rumoured X-Core, would wait.

However, life would not go smoothly as he had imagined. He was standing in front of the stand when he saw a distinct man, and silently cursed his luck. The man was one of few indviduals who knew his face, and could ruin all of his efforts he made towards anonymity. The man himself was a high-profile crime lord known as Douma, and Gaius recognized him from afar. Douma's appearance was rather unique, and one couldn't possibly miss him. However, as Gaius looked at Douma, he caught the moment when Douma looked at him. That moment, Gaius knew Douma indeed recognized him, but those were not good news for Gaius. He quickly went to the back of the stand, and grabbed one of cellphones that were held under the counter, they held a number of disposable ones. Gaius, who knew Douma's number, was quick to text him, and message was rather short. "Going by Andre Jurgen today. Undercover. Do not expose. Andre Jurgen never met Douma." After he sent that one, Gaius quickly activated his Technique for a bit, just enough for strong electric current to pass through it, rendering it to ashes. With that, he went back out in front of the stand. Business as usual.

[Zou ۞]

There were little dynamos and gadgets anywhere someone looked. There was a stand near the mercenary and the assassin from Xcution that had a small mobile suit of armor that looked more like a robot than something that a person could reside inside. It looked like a Gundam. The death of the Fullbringer that once called herself Yoko had allowed her body to be researched by science and they had been able to replicate her Fullbring as a common item. That was the might of technology. There was a stand near the Bount Leader where a small watch was being tinkered with by its maker. The watch was black and sleek but its purpose could not be immediately foretold. Near the associate from GM & Associates, which sounded more like a marketing firm than a technology company, there was a stand that boasted a supercomputer that worked better the more ambient reiatsu was poured into it. Technology was everywhere, but none of it came close to...

The X-Core.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play this}

"GOD IS IMPERFECT!" a voice called from the massive stage in the center of the event. Curious onlookers from the crowd started to gather. Blue light flashed on the stage. "All of you were given limitations. Your power is limited. Your ambition is limited. Your very lifespans are limited. All of you will eventually die and none of you can ever know the full truth of this world." The blue light parted to reveal a man in a tuxedo. He had gray hair and a grisly face. His posture was strong for an old man. Only Jin Yamada would know him because he was a figure from the early days of Xcution's founding when Jin was the only one prominent enough back then to have known who this was. Bishop, the right hand man of Satsujun and Lord Callus. His full name was Alexander Lucas Bishop. No one knew how powerful he was as a Fullbringer or even if he was one but everyone knew he was one of the richest and most influential men in the world.

Rumors existed that said he was eyeing a presidential run in America next election. He kept speaking. Blue lights kept flashing around him in different shades. "But that's stupid. It's unfair and it's wrong. Why should this world, this universe, be so vast and beautiful if we can't ever know all of it? It's a tease. It's bad business. We're all intelligent. Why can't we have it all if we choose to? If God worked for me I would have him fired." Bishop stretched out his arm to show an open palm. He was holding a small blue sphere. It looked like blue water but it was held like a solid. Inside of it there were lights and gears turning and changing. "Never settle for anything less than the best... That's how I live my life and that's how all of you should live yours." Bishop walked from the stage and put the orb on a white table. Then he ripped open his suit jacket and his button-up to reveal his chest had a glowing blue circle where his heart would be.

"God gave you a heart. Our company can do you one better. We'll give you a core for your being. Healthier and more efficient than any heart. More durable than any metal. That's the X-Core." Bishop's eyes were glowing blue. He reached out with one of his hands. A holographic display all of a sudden lit up at the tip of his index finger and made a screen. The screen was blank for a moment but then Bishop motioned one of his associates over. A glowing green Failure in a tuxedo walked onto the stage. "This is Mr. Kinumatsu. He's one of my associates." Bishop clicked on his screen and a silhouette of the Failure came into view. On the screen there were a number of values with titles added to them, and a value above Kinumatsu's head on the display. It was some sort of schematic reading for him. Bishop smugly looked down at everyone in the crowd while the display came to life. Only some of them would immediately know what the display was. It took a while for the rest.

Class 1

Race: Liberi
Level of Activation: None

Strength: 200
Speed: 200
Reiatsu Strength: 1050
Spiritual Pressure: 300

Hostility: 0.084%



"Combatants, you can now SEE values that correspond to someone else's level of power! Nine levels of power classification, four stat values to show you physical and spiritual ability. A gauge of their hostility. A determination of what their active release level is. And you can see this for EVERYONE AROUND YOU IN REAL TIME." He tapped the screen again and it divided into thousands of small squares each with different values to correspond to all of the individuals he was looking at as he scanned the audience. "Researchers, you can use the entire internet with your mind in real time!" The screen suddenly changed to the Google homepage and searched "X-Core" which then displayed articles about rumors of what it was. "You can hook it up to all of your technology or databases and control all of them with your mind." A black Lamborghini Aventador drove out from the back of stage and onto the stage. It had no driver.

"And none of this has to be conspicuous." He snapped his fingers. The display disappeared. "You can set it so that only YOU see the display and no one else knows what you're searching. Privacy intact." Bishop's glowing blue eyes had been the source of some talk for the whole convention and now they knew why. He had replaced his real heart with this device. Kinumatsu ripped open his suit jacket and button-down as well. He also had a blue circle in the center of his chest. Bishop grinned. "You've all heard stories of the city of Dothrak, where Failures are stable. Except that they're also trapped in one place for the rest of their lives if they want stability. I CAN DO BETTER!" Bishop punched Kinumatsu full on in the face. He must have had a lot of force because Kinumatsu's face made a crunching sound and he fell over. The crowd gasped. That was enough to destabilize a Failure. Kinumatsu's body started to radiate unstable reiatsu and shake violently.

Audience members started to scream. They were ready to run away. They tried to. Suddenly Kinumatsu's X-Core glowed brighter and his body disintegrated instead of exploding. The morsels were sucked into the X-Core and it then evaporated. The X-Core that had been left on the table earlier started to glow too. Kinumatsu's body emerged from it and encased it again to make it into a new X-Core to replace his heart and he was alive and well, not unstable. "Buy more than one and you can even cheat death. Link your X-Cores and you can transcend being killed. Even destabilizing Failures will be sucked into the X-Core, where their essence will be transferred to one of their others and they will be healed and restored to full health. LIVE ON EVEN AFTER YOU'VE BEEN KILLED!" Bishop walked to the front of the stage and held up his fist at the end of this grand show. "God is imperfect. BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE. ACHIEVE PERFECTION TODAY." The audience applauded.

"God that sounds expensive..." someone murmured.

[Kitai Yoru]

A tall man was sitting behind a table at a booth, acting as one of the representatives for Uzaki Enterprises in this convention. The man was much larger than average, reaching a staggering height of seven feet if he had been standing, and unnaturally pale. He was dressed in a regular suit with a tie, with a low-level Quincy cross hanging in the middle of the tie on a necklace. His long white hair was braided into a ponytail traveling down his back, and a large hat resting atop his head. This man was called Kitai Yoru, and he was an inventor of sorts for the company, though it certainly wasn't his main focus. He was the type that shined brightest when everything else was dead or dying.

He had on display one of his recent creations he had named 'Berserker Metal', crafted for its strength and durability. A thin sheet of his highest quality version was being compared to a four inch thick slab of titanium. Both were being cut by a plasma blade, but only the titanium was being damaged. Instead of looking proud of his creation, Kitai simply sat there looking bored, reading a book. He wasn't action his usual self, under orders from Kazura, not to be crazy for the day. It was driving him nuts, not being able to do SOMETHING that might get him killed.

If he wasn't getting paid to just sit here, he'd have already blown something up. It was such a strong craving.... "Oh well, more money for me." He mumbled to himself as he flipped a page, hoping beyond hope that someone did something stupid for him. Then he heard some some mother f#&ker speaking ill of the lord. Forcing himself to calmly look over towards where he heard the voice. The man, no, the filthy heathen, ranted and raved, whining and complaining about life and the unfairness to it.

Then he started stripping.

Kitai laughed at him, and promptly fell out of his chair. "YAHAHAHA! FAT B@$TARD!" The fullbringer knew that he wasn't fat, he just wanted to be annoying. He likes crowds, but they weren't as fun without mass panic. He decided to ignore the crazy guy, claiming to give out new and better hearts or something. He might not have the best body, but it was something he had been given through the mercy of the lord. The book in his hands was starting to crumble apart from his strength. Sighing silently, he decided to leave his booth thing, making his way over towards something that sold food.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats, Skills, and Items}[Strength - [400] Points (x4.5 = 1800)
Speed - [300] Points (-60% = 120)
Spiritual Pressure - [400] Points (-60%=160)
Reiatsu Strength - [100] Points (-60%=40)
Instinct - [100] Points (+25%=125)
Senses [100] Points (-50%=50)
Energy sensory - [0] Points
Healing Expertise - [0] Points

Light Aura - [0] Points
Dark Aura - [100] Points

Total SP: [1400] Points]

[strength of will] {3}
[Weapons-firearms] {2}
[stealth] {3}
[acting] {3}
[Weapons-swords] {3}
[Crafting/Forging] {2}

[pain Tolerance] {2}


X-ray specs v3, plasma blade, 20 exploding notes, energy umbrella

[Douma]

"Hello! It's so good to see you again!"

Shizuka was cheerful and lively, as usual. She did always appear to have energy to spare, and much of that energy was channeled into conversation. Douma didn’t function the same way. He responded with nothing more than an acknowledging nod. "Isn't this crazy? They have so much stuff!" The Xcution assassin was quite right. There were a lot of items on displays, but only one exhibit interested Douma. With his eyes trained on the stand across the room, Douma spoke softly to his ally. “Especially the X-Core. I wonder what exactly it offers.”

Douma had a particular interest in Xcution’s latest technological development. It was the reason he made an appearance at such a high-profile event where he might be a target. However, he did have some degree of protection. After all, Lord Callus was Douma’s latest employer. Now that the rogue was a member of Callus’s Team Josai, he was aligned with Xcution. After glancing once more at his phone, he read a text from Gaius explaining the man’s desire to hide his identity. But unlike Gaius, Douma had allies present throughout the building, including Uzaki Enterprise if he needed to call in a favor from Kazura. He was safe to satisfy his curiosity. After all, X-Core was such a classified project that the only place he could obtain any information on it was at its grand revelation to the spiritual public.

Shizuka had a few moments to respond to Douma before a man took the stage with a passionate speech. All of you were given limitations. For a moment, Douma felt the foreign beating of his irregular heart. He was acutely aware of the excruciatingly painful chemicals his armor pumped through his body. It was all to make him stronger, but it wasn’t enough. As if the man could read Douma’s mind, he revealed his own mechanical heart to the audience. "God gave you a heart. Our company can do you one better. We'll give you a core for your being. Healthier and more efficient than any heart. More durable than any metal. That's the X-Core.”

The man spoke passionately about the various features of the X-Core: it’s ability to read the capabilities of others, its applications in research, and so on. But one stood above the rest. ”LIVE ON EVEN AFTER YOU'VE BEEN KILLED!" Very appealing… Douma was certain now. He desired at least two of these X-Cores. But as the audience burst into applause, Douma did not clap. He could only wonder what the price was.

The rogue, whether or not Shizuka accompanied him, began making his way toward the stage, intending to approach the stranger who had just completed his presentation. Douma didn’t realize that they shared the same employer, both directly answering to Lord Callus. However, it was possible that the man could identify Douma as a subordinate. Nonetheless, the mercenary had just one question. If he got his audience with the man, he would simply ask: “What is the price of the X-Core?”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

The only reply Shizuka had given Douma was a slight hum in agreement. She, too, wondered about this strange device. It could do so much and Shizuka knew so little. She had been hopeful that Douma might have figured something out, but that wasn't the case this time. He truly was here to gather some information. All the Fullbringer could do was listen to what the loud man had to say in the mean time, hoping that he would tell her something she wanted to know. She needed to learn about the small machine and figure out what she could so she could find a way to acquire it on her own, or even with some help.

Shizuka stuck to Douma like glue. The two of them together were much safer than apart, and this way she knew she could continue snooping around if someone was there to watch her back. She listened for any changes, tried to feel out for any difference in tension. Being empathetic helped her with that, but it was by no means a form of Energy Sensory. It was simply a natural thing that people had, and one of her many minor talents. It came with being so analytical, and she was thankful. Nevertheless, she carried on, standing a foot or two behind Douma at all times. She was ready to pounce, if need be, but she mostly wanted to eavesdrop.

“What is the price of the X-Core?”

Oh, right. It also came down to price. Truth be told, she could venture a guess and just assume on its own that this thing was expensive. Shizuka's eyes narrowed as she carefully adjusted her hearing, hoping to maybe hear somewhat of a more reasonable price. She knew, however, that it most likely wasn't going to work that way. The thing is, Xcution was still a business. They still needed to make money somehow, and this was definitely one of the ways they did. Xcution had a lot of research going into things like this, which meant it took a lot of time and money to accomplish. She didn't tend to look at the ethical side of things, though, such as human tests and other such things. She was an engineer. Wasn't she supposed to stick to logic rather than morale?

Regardless, she glanced around the room and assessed her surroundings. The technology present was amazing in itself, and she felt a bit of excitement from her nerd side as she reveled in the wonders that were the modern age. It was no joke that humans and the like were becoming smarter, developing tools and other devices that made every day chores more of an ease than a burden. If this X-Core could really do what this guy was advertising, then it would be put way at the top of all of these other things. That's possibly why it was here. Maybe this wasn't just some kind of a display for a new product. It's possible that this is going to be some kind of proof, maybe a trophy for all of Xcution's work. And, not to mention, a form of threat. So which would it be?

[Jin Yamada]

”Huh?”

Jin Yamada’s head turned in the direction of the voice that caught his attention. He was making his way to talk with representatives from Tesla when he was stopped by the sudden exclamation. His interest piqued, the man stopped in his tracks and turned towards the massive stage. What is this? The Bount was curious as he approached the stage. His eyes squinted in an attempt to see through the darkness that hid the figure up on that massive stage. At first, he squinted to see the figure, but when those blue lights flashed onto the stage to reveal the speaker his eyes widened. His eyes widened when he saw that speaker. His eyes widened when he saw the speaker because he recognized the man who was standing up on that stage.

”It can’t be…is it really him?” the Bount questioned. Bishop, a man he had known during his time as an Executive in Death Inc. Bishop was a man he had known to be right hand to Satsujun then, during Xcution’s early founding days. But, he had not heard much of Bishop since Death Inc. had fallen and he had gone underground. To see him here now was quite a surprise. If he is here, that means Xcution is involved. If not directly, then somehow indirectly. The Bount silently made his way closer to the stage so that he could see better. His attention was now focused fully on Bishop and his grand presentation. He gently pushed aside others so that he could move as close to the middle of the crowd as possible. He didn’t want to miss this.

Bishop showed them a small blue sphere, which he placed on the table up on the stage. Then, when he ripped open his own suit jacket and button-up to reveal that he had that same orb implanted into his chest, Jin’s eyes widened with surprise. Bishop had replaced his heart. It wasn’t just that he had replaced it, but that he had replaced it with what he immediately announced as..The X-Core. How could it be so powerful as to replace one’s natural heart? Just what was this X-Core?

Being the man he was, Bishop was willing to give them a demonstration here and now. The audience would obtain a glimpse of the small blue orb’s capabilities as Bishop showcased them. The device could project holographic displays of information on anyone in the X-Core owner’s presence. From power level to race, level of release activated to physical and spiritual stats, and even hostility level. The capabilities of such a device for battle were endless. With this, one could know who and what their enemy was before even engaging. One could know where the opponent’s strengths lied before a battle even began. If the device showed that an opponent was not hostile, battles could even be prevented. It was even capable of searching across the entire internet. It…it was incredible!

Once more, the Bount found himself staring in awe, caught up in Bishop’s extravagant presentation of the object. The man was quite good at selling the X-Core. Bishop was quite good at making a presentation. He went so far as to attack the Failure, hitting the man so hard that he collapsed there on the stage. Jin prepared himself, instincts telling him to flee for the coming explosion. But, curiosity and intrigue prevented him. His eyes were glued on Bishop and the X-Core visible in that Liberi’s chest. The man’s body was absorbed and sucked into the X-Core, only to be reformed from the X-Core Bishop had placed on the table earlier. The X-Core could even bring back the dead? Impossible! How is any of this possible? This can’t be real! The Bount couldn’t believe what he was seeing. What was occurring before his eyes was not real. With the X-Core, information was at one’s fingertips. It also granted immortality. So then, why was Xcision selling something like this to the masses? Why was Xcution giving the public an opportunity to get their hands on such a powerful object?

Jin’s brow furrowed at what he had just saw. His brow furrowed at what he had just saw upon realizing the implications of such a device. The X-Core would change how battles were fought. It could change everything. But it wasn’t just that he was worried about. It will make those willing to sacrifice their hearts into Gods…. Just the thought of that worried him. But there had to be a catch, right? There had to be some way to deter everyone from having it. Aside from having to give up one’s heart, there had to be another drawback to obtaining this X-Core. Wait! He thought of something else just now. Did the Shinigami know about this already? Surely if they had representatives here to see this now, There is no doubt they would act. There was no doubt the Shinigami would act if they saw what he had just seen because of what it could mean for the balance of the world. Ordinary men now had the power to become Gods. There was no way the Shinigami would allow such a thing to happen.

Jin needed to find out more, so he made his way further through the crowd in order to talk with Bishop. It might blow his cover, but it would be worth it if he could obtain more information on the X-Core. It was also possible that Bishop would not recognize him. So, he had to at least make an effort with that thought in mind. As he approached, from the corner of his eye he saw the Angel of Silence also approaching. This caused him to stop. He stopped there in the crowd and waited, watching to find out what Douma wanted to know about the X-Core. There was no guessing what Douma wanted the item for. There was no mystery as to why anyone would seek to get their hands on such an item. Power. Jin blended into the crowd, clapping with the rest as he watched Douma approach the stage. He stood and waited, hoping to listen in on Bishop’s conversation with the masked mercenary. And it appeared there was a woman trailing behind him. He found something familiar about her, but couldn’t put his finger on it. Why was she following Douma? Did the two of them also work together? These were all questions that needed answers too.