Arc 1 ~ Canon 1: Tartarus Stirs [DE, R]

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Shizuka was panting pretty hard as the anxiety welled up inside her heart. She felt the adrenaline begin to fade away and her body began a bit sore from all of the movement. Jak would catch up eventually and everything would be fine, so she could focus on helping Tom heal and tend to his injuries. He had helped her as much as he could and even acted as a distraction so she could attack, but that meant he was a comrade. She wasn't about to let him die. The Fullbringer questioned whether or not she was safe and started to look around, but found herself being started and jumping a bit when a stranger approached and spoke.

“Titan won’t be bothering us anymore.”

She snapped her facial direction up towards the man she recognized to be Crow. The sense of familiarity was so overwhelming, and as she felt her muscles relax, her Fullbring deactivated and returned to her feet as her regular golden-colored heels. After willing herself to slowly stand up, she wiped her forehead and closed her eyes in a relieving motion. She wiped a bit of her makeup off, but she had been sweating from moving quickly and being close to such intense heat so seeing some smears of foundation on her forearm was not surprising. She wiped a little more to get it to at least look even again and ran her ring fingers under her eyes. A light inspection made her realize her mascara was running. She cleaned that up, too.

The blonde assumed following Crow was going to be the best option, so she walked with him back to wherever he was going. Knowing that more fighting was going to happen or was currently happening wasn't exactly calming, but she wasn't involved and didn't want to get involved. Her Reiatsu was lower than it usually got due to the strength of her opponents, and she started feeling a bit drained. She could probably go on for a good while, but her stamina was also rather drained. She'd have to rest if she was going to be involved in anything else. She also really didn't want to get involved.

“Douma is always looking for allies in the Underworld. Your occupation would certainly allow for more part-time work, Shizuka. If you wish, you can certainly partner with Douma on some projects.”

"I do consider us allies. If he ever needs help, let him know I'm up for it."

Shizuka barely thought about her answer but meant it all completely. She and Douma were on decent terms, she thought. Helping him was never an issue. What would be an issue, however, was Tom. He was hurt and alive, but barely. This wasn't good. He would live, and that was fine, but they needed to tend to him right now. Shizuka could have used her powers to heal him if she didn't deactivate them, but she'd have to bleed and she didn't know if she was in the mood to get cut open. So, for now, they would have to figure out something else. Tom was hurting and she couldn't help him on her own.

"Does anyone know how to tend to wounds properly? He's not doing well," she said, looking at the injured man.

[Jak Halcom]

Jak had a bad feeling about what Shizuka had in mind when she yelled at him to take Tom and run, Jak did not question her, let alone hesitate. He turned and scooped Tom back up trying to put as much distance between everyone and himself as possible. He slung the barely living young man over his shoulders like a fire fighter. Once the explosions started, Jak used his mod soul step to dash farther and make sure that he wasn't caught up in it. He turned to make sure he was ok, when he saw the flaming corpse of Leonardo flying past him in pieces. The other two tried to block the blast, but were sent flying away like some reoccurring anime villain.

Jak watched them fly away panting. He looked over at Shizuka walking back to her. He adjusted the young man on his shoulders ready to call it quits.  “Titan won’t be bothering us anymore.” The voice came from above, and Jak snapped immediately to the defensive pointing his left hand at the man reflexively. He did not fire. He did not seem interested in fighting. He used the term us, so that must mean that he was on their side. Jak relaxed along with Shizuka lowering his hand to secure Tom on his shoulders. The man told them that their payment would be back at the headquarters, but there were signs of fighting still. Great. Lets just stay out of this one. 

The three would walk together with Crow in front, and Jak bringing up the rear. He remarked that Douma, whoever that was, would like to work with Shizuka again on other projects. It seemed that she was familiar with that name, and stated that she was willing to work with him again as well. Then Crow addressed Jak. “And I don’t know who you are, but you’ve got some talent too. Looking for a job? New hires never seem to last very long, but I have a feeling that you’re a survivor.” Jak game a smirk. "I didn't survive growing up with literally everyone wanting me dead to curl up and die here. Maybe I should come for an interview, it sounds interesting." A small bit of his cocky attitude was starting to return. 

But that did bring up the question, who was Douma? Jak has not ever heard of that name before, but if he was here, he was no doubt strong. "Not to change the subject, but who is Douma exactly?" He asked simply and straight forwardly "And what kind of work are we talking about?"

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

OOC: Just letting y'all know that the storylines are merging, so there's only gonna be one DM post per round.

Also, there's only one or two rounds of posts left. We have 13 more days left to get double TP from the July event, so even if you write shorter posts, I don't mind xD We're so close

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

Amalia's gaze hardened as icy disapproval washed over her face. The impending chaos around her and Shank's intolerance resistance was beginning to gnaw at her patience. Amalia noticed the sheets of paper immediately divide into smaller pieces of paper, prompting a more pronounced scowl. As soon as they separated into smaller pieces of paper, her particle impact reacted. They were an extension of Amalia's will and unlike a sentient servant, they were not weighted down by cognitive lag. 

The two spheres immediately unraveled into generously sized sheets. Their movement was fluid and their body was able to twist and turn with smooth and precise sophistication. Like a net gathering butterflies, they swiftly swung around and scooped up the paper before merging to create a larger, hollow sphere with the paper confined within their bodies. "Why don't your kind believe me when I say that resistance will be met with death? Why do my threats go unrecognized, even after committing mass genocide of your people? You'd think that'd be enough to convince you, but evidently it isn't. How sad." She said with unmitigated contempt. 

Having instantly dealt with the smaller pieces of paper, Amalia was rather caught off guard by the reflective nature of the paper near the doll. She deemed it an insignificant counter and would allow it to lose speed before she regained control. She stared directly at Shanks, her gaze project a most volatile bile. Two rows of three reishi circles appeared in front of her. Two of here spheres rocketed through each circle, boosting their base speed from 800 to 1560. They bolted past the other two spheres just as Amalia regained control of the one that had been rebounded. She recalled it to her side as the enhanced spheres arrived at the doll's location. As they moved they simultaneously unraveled into into long, flat sheets and encircled the doll.

They would ensnare her like a straitjacket and the doll's wings would not halt them. Each edge of the paper was razor sharp and would slice clean through anything that dared intercept it. They'd cleave through the wings and tightly grip its torso and legs. "I suppose it can't be helped." The sheets of paper became spiked deathtraps, as long thorns burst from every inch of its surface into the doll's body. Simultaneously Amalia had imbued both of her particle impacts with a unstable reishi cocktail.

Each would explode with the full force of her reiatsu strength, creating a monstrous sized radial explosion. "It's like I said centuries ago. A depraved race so inclined to behave recklessly doesn't deserve to exist in this world." She said without pause or remorse. Amalia's malice was bottomless, and her words were void of any compassion or remorse. The wind generated from the explosion met her body, billowing her clothing and sweeping her hair backwards. "It doesn't matter the trash you worship. You and your kind are nothing more than a mistake. As are those who choose to associate with you."

As she spoke 10 eight foot arrows formed, two of which launched at Sarah and Belcher. The arrows would pierce their chests, their shear size and power shattering their bones and crushing their organs. At the same time, the other eight arrows bombarded Shank's from each side. Amalia glanced over at the black cero, smirking knowing that Shanks was the designated target. She wanted that crystal and was unwilling to let such an abomination get it or worse. One of the arrows intended for Shanks would strike the hand holding the crystal, cleanly severing it.

The crystal would presumably drop and Amalai would use movement to procure it as it reached the ground. Amalia lifted the crystal with her hand and smiled, staring into its sparkling surface. There is no doubt in my mind that I deserve this. She thought to herself. As she reveled in her victory, her body was washed over by unrivaled pain. Despite the low class of her techniques, the use of so many in alongside one another made the pain more recognizable than normal. As the pain surged across her body, a twitch forming in her back, she couldn't escape the allure of the crystal. His majesty will enjoy this gift...if I choose to reveal its existence. She thought with her characteristic greed. 

23,280
+800 Quincy Cross
-500 particle impact maintenance 
-200 form shift
-600 Annihilation 
-600 accelerate 
-400 mighty arrows
-25 movement
=21,755

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

OOC: Amalia’s post changes some things so Imma throw up this brief response. Shizuka and Jak are still gonna be walking over to the HQ at this time, so Col and Amalia each get one post in before my wrap-up DM post for all thread participants. We got 12 days left to rack in double TP so post quickly please!

The doll was preoccupied with its maneuvering of the five pages directed at Col to appropriately react to Amalia’s strange technique that transformed her orbs to sheets of paper. With all its available pages preoccupied, the doll was left vulnerable to this ensnarement. But its master stood right behind it, and Shanks’s speed was the sole reason she was able to survive.

Shanks already positioned himself strategically behind is doll, and as he saw the large sheets preparing to surround them, he grabbed the doll by its wing and activated Schiene. A trail of reiatsu carried him away from both Col’s Cero Obscuras. It carried them down toward Sarah and Belcher’s unconscious bodies, where his step technique would end. “Abandon ship, Alexander.” In response, Shanks’s second-in-command broke off from close-combat with the Angel of Silence, giving him the opportunity to reunite with the rest of Seb using Bringer Light.

Shanks didn’t entertain Amalia’s aggressive comment, and Alexander – who had remained silent this whole affair – had no response either. Ten new pages emerged from the doll’s body, and as Amalia launched her offensive assault, the doll created that sturdy defensive tree around Seb’s top leadership. Well, almost all the leadership. One individual stood just outside the tree, using it more as a shield than a full barrier. The tree would withstand the force of Amalia’s attacks and simultaneously protect Shanks, who hid behind the tree to avoid death by Amalia’s attacks.

And the only reason Shanks stayed outside the defense is because he knew the barrier wouldn’t hold for long enough to allow Seb to escape. Sarah and Belcher were too much of a liability, and to secure their lives would give Amalia, Col, Alice, and Douma enough time to close in on them. So his only option was to execute a Hail Mary play. He had to abandon the Crystal. The leader of Seb held his hand out so that the gem rested on his palm. By activating Ken, Shanks created an aura that pushed against anything it touched, including the Crystal. This push was unlike a blunt force, so it’d only send the Crystal flying but not shatter it. As the Crystal shot upward, the tree would create an opening to accept Shanks. Alexander and Shanks would create a doorway against the interior of the tree using a device known as an Interdimensional Knob. It’d take him and Alexander a few seconds to lift Sarah and Belcher to carry them to safety.

In the meantime, the Crystal would climb up into the sky. It was equal distance between Col and Amalia, although Douma was about twenty meters further from the Crystal than they were. The rogue also desired the precious gem, and so to pursue it, he sacrificed life force to summon a bone-white dragon slightly shorter and bulkier than the wyvern he road throughout this conflict. That dragon chased after the Crystal at 600 speed, hoping to acquire it and bring it back to Douma.

Col and Amalia would have to act quickly. Furthermore, their acts will be simultaneous, and so they will have no time to create a counter to the other’s actions. Any hesitation may reduce their chances of acquiring the Crystal. Furthermore, they must be sure to exercise caution. The Crystal is a fragile item, as they must have figured out by Shanks’s cautious handling of the diamond earlier. To mishandle the Crystal would result in an explosion so large and powerful that the only survivors of the attack on Seb would be group including Shizuka and Jak, and even then they’d be subject to severe burns from the edge of the explosive radius.

The next actions Amalia and Col take will decide the outcome of this event. Seb undoubtedly lost, but who will be the real winner?

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

OOC: Bumping cause we got less than a week left to wrap this up

[✱Paiva "Amalia" Vollbrecht✱]

Amalia grimaced as the particle impact failed to ensnare his doll, instead her opponent used an irritatingly useful technique to thwart her efforts. It wasn't long before the cowardly Bount receded, likely inching he way out of the situation. He was completely outmatched. They were both aware of it."Slithering back to mother, I see." She said softly under her breath as she watched him  return to Sarah and Belcher's position. Amalia clicked her tongue and slightly tilted her head backwards, her eyes narrowing as she stared at Shanks and the bodies of the others.

"Barely alive..." She said. "A shame they did not die upon impact." Just as she said that Shanks activated Ken. Amalia was already familiar with this technique, but even more so after battling Jason. That now crippled pirate depended on such a technique to ward off Amalia, but it failed in the end. Amalia saw the crystal being propelled in the air and her greed and thirst for power and prestige immediately took over. While killing him would have been nice, she had done enough damage. Few are burned by Amalia and go about life without a second fateful encounter. 

Fate was on her side in more ways than one. The universe would not allow such depravity to escape her more than once. She believed she'd meet them again, and so their deaths would be resigned to a relatively certain future. Amalia sneered as the two particle impact, their speed multiplied to 1560, zoomed toward the crystal. Amalia simultaneously slapped her hands against the two spheres beside her, prompting them to quickly melt onto her hands and arms like gloves. She used Hirenkyaku to boost her speed to 4000. Fortunately for Amalia, her two spheres were located where Shanks once stood, allowing them to access the crystal quickly, especially with their enhanced speed. They were close than she was, which one immediately ensnared the crystal.

It wrapped around the crystal with gentle speed, adhering to it like a second skin. The other became a large, hollowed-out sphere, swallowing the tightly-wrapped crystal as it was being ensnared. The sphere immediately closed all openings and began to shrink in size. Within the darkness of the sphere strands of its flesh reached out from all around the wrapped-crystal, connecting tightly the flesh of the other particle impact. Amalia wasn't taking any chances. She wanted the crystal to be secure and immovable.

The threads stabilized the jewel within the belly of the sphere, allowing Amalia to clutch it as she sped by with 4000 speed. Amalia skid across the ground as shadows quickly collected beneath her feet and climbed into the air. Amalia let out a most satisfying guffaw as the shadows swallowed her body. Her entire expression beamed with pride and excitement, having retrieved the crystal from under the others' noses. Her loud, satisfying laugh filled the air, mocking the others perceived failure. "Thanks so much for this lovely gift." She said through laughter as she vanished within the shadows, returning to Silbern. 





-50 hirenkyaku
-100 transformation

[Col Arana]

Damnit. His Cero Oscuras had been stopped. This was especially remarkable, as Col could detect, with his Energy Sensory, that his reiatsu was significantly superior to Shanks. Even if Shanks had used a defensive technique that doubled his power, as Cero Oscuras did, Col estimated his attack should have had about 30% greater power, than Shanks. A remarkably powerful defense then, that must have bolstered Shanks’ defensive power more than two times over. Such techniques, however, were very costly typically. It was probably not the sort of thing Shanks could use carelessly. As for the five sheets that had been sent Col’s way, Shanks had made a small, but notable error. Col’s Cero Oscuras was far too large to be fired in such a fashion without touching the ground. While it wasn’t necessarily a skyscraper sized blast, it was significantly larger than a person, and as such, could not be fired at ground level, without digging a considerable furrow through the earth. As Shanks’ paper tried to literally “hit the dirt” to avoid the blast, they would instead be consumed by it as it blazed toward him, impacting his defense with a cataclysmic explosion, that made a thunderclap sound like a pin drop.

Col was safe from Shanks’ counterattack, but Shanks’ own defense held. However, his escape out the back would not go unnoticed by the arrancar. Col’s Energy Sensory was exceptional afterall, and Shanks was explicitly using a step technique, which created a giant signal beacon to the unfortunate man. Col intended to respond in kind, dodging to the left to get an angle around the tree, and then aiming to use Sonido to pursue. Shanks was faster than Col, it was true, but in Sonido, Col’s speed became 5,200. As long as Shanks wasn’t already using his own step technique, Col was faster. This had an added benefit. If by some miracle, Shanks’s paper attack had survived Col’s Cero Oscuras despite being struck by it, this would put considerable distance between them. Before Col had a chance, however, he noticed a surge of reiatsu in Shanks and Shanks unleashed his Push, to launch the gem into the air. Now! As the gem flew up, Col launched into his Sonido, in the wake of Shanks’ attack, just as Shanks was setting up the interdimensional knob for his comrades.

Col’s target, however, wasn’t Shanks. Col was stepping past Shanks. Why? Because Col still had all of his webs, attached to his wrists. Col’s webs weren’t necessarily a one and done matter. True, he could fire them in bursts, or in streams, and to restrict Shanks’ movement he had used the latter. The webs he’d fired were still gently floating towards the ground, when Col’s Sonido abruptly caused them to whisk after the arrancar as he flew past them. As Col Sonido’d past Shanks, the webs still attached to his arms would fling about, catching on Shanks like grapple lines, and hold fast, with a grip of iron. Shanks would be caught in the arrancar’s net. While it was unlikely all five webs would catch him, it was just as unlikely that he’d be able to avoid all of them, with them being dragged at such a high speed. And having just emerged from a Step Technique himself, it would be almost impossible to avoid with another. Col had effectively just tethered Shanks to him. In this state, it would be almost impossible for him to use the interdimensional knob himself, due to Col’s greater physical strength. And breaking Col’s webs would be no small feat either. The adhesive nature of Col’s webs and their durability—especially to reiatsu-based attacks, was great. Shanks would need to generate a push that surpassed Col’s reiatsu strength to break free of the webs.

And Col wasn’t finished either. Push indicated that Shanks could still fight back. ”Bakudo #61, Rikujokoro.” Six rods of light slammed into Shanks from all sides, pinning him in place. Such a spell from Col was almost impossible to break free of, and, bound in Col’s webs as Shanks was, evading it would be almost impossible. Shanks was stuck fast. That left only Shanks’ doll. No doubt the entity would attempt to assist its master, and so, with one of the hands, attached to a web that had failed to catch Shanks (except in the unlikely event that all five webs had snared him by Col’s maneuver, in which case Col would use his mouth), Col shot another attack. Bala Oscuras this time. Much faster than a Cero Oscuras but only slightly weaker. Dolls were durable, but they weren’t indestructible. They couldn’t simply automatically repel lower-class attacks like proper techniques could. It would still need the raw power to stop an attack like this, and at close range, such a defense would be almost impossible. As a result, the doll would likely suffer immense damage from Col’s attack, if not be blown through entirely. Col admitted (in his mind) that Cero lightning would have been a viable alternative, but with such a volatile force of reiatsu nearby, he did not wish to risk collateral damage with his attack. Besides, the blood on the hand was still there from the Cero Oscuras, before. Bala Oscuras was immensely powerful, but had an extremely small blast radius, rarely extending far beyond the target. Even with Col’s immense power, it was more of a precision move. But that did not take away from its vast power. The might of a Bala Oscuras rivalled that of a Gran Rey Cero, and specialized in blowing holes in people, or, at high levels, vaporizing limbs. And that was what Col was focused on. Unless Shanks’ doll could stop or avoid the arrancar’s attack, the Bala Oscuras would obliterate the doll’s head and a fair chunk of its upper torso, leaving only the outer ridges of its shoulders, and just below the sternum, leaving nothing behind in its smouldering wake.

”On your way then, Mr. Alexander. As I told you, you can take Sarah, and her pet and and leave. My only interest now is in this one.” Col informed the Fullbringer, almost cheerfully, as he stepped back and moved to yank Shanks away from the doorway, with his greater strength. Dragging the Bount away from his escape. True to his word, Col would not attempt to stop Alexander, and if by chance any webs had struck Alexander, Sarah or Belcher, Col would even have the courtesy to release them, so that they could leave without issue. At least with regards to him.

As for the gem itself? Well, Col had made sure that it was well above him—shot away by Shanks himself, and Col would hardly miss a reiatsu presence that potent. But Col had little interest in the gem. Oh, to be sure, it was powerful, but it was power on an organizational scale, not for an individual to harness. Power Col could not use was not power in his eyes. As Col could, effectively, make any source of power his own, with his Devour ability, that normally would have extended to all forms of power. This crystal was a rare exception. An enigma. Col would not be so brazen as to call it an abomination, but it was simply useless to him, except as a bargaining chip. And well. The power required to fight multiple Captain level beings at once on equal footing, was quite a bargaining chip anyways. Col would therefore, not interfere with Amalia’s attempt to secure it for herself. ”Good hunting Quincy. May we meet again.” Col offered her, as Amalia attempted to make her exit, before turning his attention back to Douma and Alice.

Alexander had not been forgotten, of course, but Col did assume that, Shanks’ predicament aside, Alexander would likely cut his losses and escape with Sarah and Belcher. Col had promised not to give pursuit and Amalia was satisfied with her prize and wouldn’t pursue them further either. They had a free ticket out of there, if they abandoned Shanks. Abandon one who was already abandoned by Seb, or vainly try to fight for his life. Col expected he could guess which it would be. Picking a fight with him alone would be dangerous. Fighting with the masked man whom radiated power, as well as Alice who had proved herself a dangerous combatant as well? The odds were decidedly NOT in Alexander’s favor, especially with protecting Sarah and Belcher weighing him down. The reasonable option here was to flee—or at least that’s what Col believed.

”As for this one…” Col mused. ”Well, it seems I owe you a favor. My own hunger aside, I will be willing to give this one up to you.” Col noted to Douma and Alice. ”I’ve little idea what you will need him for, but if you wish for him, he is yours. I owe Miss Alice at least this much. Information, dissemination, study. Whatever you may wish. If not, then I’ll take him, and he’ll be one less thorn in your side, either way. Perhaps you can find the secret of his little crystals yourself?” He offered. ”In any case, I did find this quite an invigorating experience, if a touch disappointing that all the worthwhile prey opted to flee, rather than fight to the bitter end.” The arrancar sulked slightly. ”But your charming company was most enjoyable, and I would hope to cross paths again in the future.” Col offered again, with a sickly pleasant smile to them, as he offered up the ensnared Bount.

Release: 8/16
Remaining Reiatsu: 2225 (-2150 after Release -400 for Bala Oscuras, -100 for Sonido, -150 for Rikujoko)

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

"I do consider us allies. If he ever needs help, let him know I'm up for it."

“Oh, um, cool.”

The previously dark and edgy Crow shattered his intimidating persona with this awkward response. Despite the modulation of his voice – the same modulation that distorts Douma’s voice as well – Crow sounded like a socially awkward young man for a second there. But he exposed his true nature for only that second before recomposing himself as Jak responded. "Not to change the subject, but who is Douma exactly? And what kind of work are we talking about?" Crow turned his head aggressively toward Jak so that the yellow glass that formed the front of his mask presented Jak with his own golden reflection.

“Douma is the most powerful figure in the Underworld,” he stated matter-of-factly, as if Jak was a fool to not know that already. In fact, he said it as though it was an absolute truth, which many might be inclined to argue against. Still, Crow was revealing quite a lot about himself. “There’s a wide variety of jobs, and you’d be able to select which contracts you take – from assassination missions, being hired as a mercenary or body guard, heists, smuggling projects, and weapons manufacturing, there’s always a demand that needs to be met. Douma dabbles in it all those trades, and with the fall of Seb, it’s only a matter of time before he conquers them all.”

"Does anyone know how to tend to wounds properly? He's not doing well.” Crow glanced at Tom as they walked onward, Jak still carrying their injured ally on his shoulder. “Alice will deal with him when we meet up with her.” The group continued to trudge onward toward Seb’s HQ, but by this point, even those with minimal energy sensory would feel the massive influxes of reiatsu as the fight ahead continued. They were getting close, and the battle appeared to be drawing to an end…

---

When Shizuka, the unconscious Tom, Jak, and Crow broke through the thick layer of trees into the opening outside of Seb’s headquarters, they’d find a war-torn, destroyed environment. A grand crater separated them from Seb’s headquarters, which was decorated with a random pattern of rocks and boulders that led up to the broken rocky/metallic wall of the base. At the ground near the crater, Shanks lay captured in a thick web stemming from Col Arana’s wrists. They were just beside a large paper tree, which seemed to contain other reiatsu signatures within it. However, after Shanks’s comrades realized he had been captured, their reiatsu signatures slowly began to fade as they made their escape from within the tree. Loyalty only went so far in the Underworld.

The new arrivals would be just in time to see Amalia acquire the Crystal, triumphantly stating "Thanks so much for this lovely gift” before vanishing with a step technique. Douma stood atop his bus-sized, slender wyvern, watching Amalia make her escape with the Crystal in her grasp.

“I guess we’re just in time to loot what we can,” Crow said as he made his way toward the ruined Seb HQ. If Shizuka and Jak did the same, they might find a few exquisite black market items that might be able to grab and walk away with. And as they’d trudge onto the base, they’d also come across the storage scrolls containing the monetary compensation Seb promised them upon their hire – each scroll had the name of the recipient labeled on it. How convenient.

Meanwhile, Col was courteous enough to offer his prey to ”Well, it seems I owe you a favor. My own hunger aside, I will be willing to give this one up to you.” Alice turned her head to Douma, leaving the decision up to him. “It’s your call, boss-man.” The rogue let his dragon descend toward the ground to meet Col. “We’ll take Shanks from here. I’m not done with Seb yet.” Douma activated his bakkoto, creating a black aura that stretched around him and engulfed everything within 50 meters. Shanks struggled against the webs, but his reiatsu was quickly absorbed before a technique could come into fruition.

Douma slashed along Shanks’s legs and arms, severing tendons to avoid the other man’s future resistance. Along with his final slash, he used his bakkoto to transfer the weight of the ground into Shanks’s head, resulting in Shanks’s body slamming head-first into the ground below him, knocking the man unconscious and certainly cracking his skull. He’d survive, but Shanks would be bedridden for weeks at best.

“You were once among the Escudo,” Douma said. Col might be surprised that Douma recognized his former agency, or maybe he’d expect this from someone with such familiar reiatsu. As Douma spoke, he ended his bakkoto and, assuming Col freed Shanks from the webs, would command his dragon to pick up Shanks’s body with its claws as he remounted it. “I’m sure a powerful individual such as yourself interfered in this conflict for a reason. I also have my own personal goals I’d like to accomplish as well, but organizations like Seb are not so easy to bring down alone. Is there somewhere I can reach you so that we can cooperate in the future?”

As Douma and Col conversed, a blanket of smoke spread across the skies above Seb’s headquarters – or at least what was formerly Seb’s headquarters. And while Shanks had been captured, there were many survivors of that hellish battle. There was Titan, Jason’s Crew, Douma’s gang, and the remainder of Seb’s leadership. But while the battle had come to a close, it was painfully obvious that this was just the beginning. These chained hollows were still at play, and the Arms Dealer was still out there somewhere, slowly turning the gears of the world until it smiled upon her.

OOC: The canon is now over. In addition to normal adventure rewards, you will all receive special items that I will PM you in the near future, as items are currently being reworked by staff. In addition, Amalia will receive the Crystal as an item. Lastly, those of you who acted on the goals of their respective organizations outlined in the faction meeting threads will receive additional ryo rewards. Thank you for being wonderful participants!

[Deleted]

Congratulations for completing the Canon during Double TP July!

For the participants...

11,200 TP & 56,000 Ryo rewarded to everyone*.

9,600 TP and 48,000 Ryo for Shizuka since she came in on page 2.

Everyone but Col will also receive an additional 10,000 Ryo from your factions for the effort put into your mission.

For the DM...

19,600 TP & 196,000 Ryo.

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

OOC: Oh, feel free to post outros if you'd like! It's not required, but it might give this a better 'ending' for your character