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JULES
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> «« Ryoku Shield »» [₹1,000 // ₹10,000]
A crude shield blocked the strike against Jules' throat.
> «« Shackles of the Earth Bind You »»
Stone chains erupted from the labyrinth walls and ensnared both Jules’ wrists, and the transmutation circle settled back to his right leg. Jules focused his Ryoku Shield to an edge and shattered the chains on his sword hand. He went to slice his other hand's chains with his sword—
> «« Noose of the Gallows Pole »»
A noose of brilliant golden threads fell down from the heavens. Its open loop halted just around his neck. It tightened, and Jules swam his free arm up through it. The chains and noose, wrapped around one side of neck and the opposite armpit, trapped him in place. Shit!
Ten feet away, Thorn held his cutlass to one side. Why isn't he attacking? Thorn's other palm, extended out toward Jules in a stranglehold, trembled. Oh, you're using all your energy to restrain me. Didn’t want to use these yet, but the time was gonna come…
With his only free limb, Jules fished his hand into his breast pocket and withdrew two sheets of Inked paper. He flung them in the air. Both watched as they drifted down on either side and touched the waist-high pool.
> « Activate » [₹990 // ₹10,000]
The inscribed Water Runes evaporated and burned the paper, and the Inked Arts released.
The pool surged away from them and flushed Thorn along with it. The water didn’t stop just around them—the entire labyrinth interior cleared up, and the waves formed an even higher barrier above the maze's stone walls. Jules found himself in an all-too-familiar setting. Another shitty, makeshift arena. But the best part? That little stunt barely cost me any Ryoku.
Jules broke Thorn's chains and noose in the chaos. Thorn burst forth from his liquid prison into the arena's edge. Jules fetched a fresh, thick stack of Inked Arts with his armor. With no more water between them, they ran to each other.
> « Activate » [₹940 // ₹10,000]
With each block of his stubby blade, Jules tossed out another sheet at their feet. Jules’ parrying was unmatched compared to his two friends, and he’d gained some strength back from the Runes he tossed out—each sheet was inscribed with some type of combat Rune; Speed, Block, Slash, Parry—and Old Man Thorn was once again no longer a match for Jules.
Still, Thorn refused to let off his assault. Must be low on Ryoku, now’s the time to strike.
On Thorn’s next thrust, Jules slid his cracked blade into the side of the cutlass’ handle and wrenched it from Thorn’s grip. Jules pressed his cragged blade’s edge to Thorn’s throat. Jules' eyes emitted green flames.
> [Pang! Daggers increased to Level 19.]
“Do it then.” If he felt fear, Thorn's eyes betrayed none. You're a steely one.
“No.”
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CYRUS
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“My dear.” Thorn twirled the cutlass in his hand. “You have a much higher calling than any of us sinners. Above all, you must survive this Shrine.”
Thorn charged Jules. Before Cy could intervene, Auggie crashed into him with a wave.
When the hell did he get back down here? Both of their eyes and tattoos lit up.
> « Water »
> « Water » [₹3,400 // ₹10,000]
The pirate whipped Cy around in the pool, overpowering even Cy’s control of a Water Rune.
> « Freeze » [₹3,000 // ₹10,000]
Cy shot up spikes of ice from the pool to block Auggie’s attacks. He was constantly disoriented from the waves' movement, and his battle with the Siren had given him a minor feeling of vertigo on top of it.
He’s got the advantage of water. Need to trap him somehow. Cy reached inside his breast pocket for his paper.
“Salvos dammit,” he cursed, and let the pamphlets flutter into the wind. They were soaked from the water, the Ink ruined. Useless now.
Blinding gold light halted both Cy and Auggie. He turned to Jules and Thorn. Light, and…
“Jules," Cyrus shouted. "He’s using a mix of Light and Holy magic!”
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> « Ice » [₹2,700 // ₹10,000]
Cy hurled ice spikes and shards around himself furiously, seemingly in no coherent direction. A few struck Auggie, who backed off after each wound. Must hate getting hit. Better use that against him.
A surging tidal wave pushed him and Auggie to the edge of the arena. Cy remained on solid ground, and his opponent struggled underwater above a stone wall near the water’s edge. OK, that must have been Jules. Damn, Thorn had him really tied up. A desperate Auggie tried to swim out of the towering water column.
> « Ice » [₹1,400 // ₹10,000]
Cy formed five ice swords above him and launched them, and all five sublimed to steam midway. Behind the clearing vapor, Auggie knelt in the mud, coughing up water. His eyes turned a deep blue.
> «« Leviathan’s Roar »»
“Shit." A Scroll.
Auggie sprinted to him and swung his sword with enhanced speed and fluidity. Cy still blocked it, but the impact flung him across the makeshift arena.
“Oh shit.” Cy rolled onto his knees and got up. Mud covered his new clothes. That strike had the weight of a thousand pounds behind it. What the hell is that Scroll? Can't be his Ryoku driving it? He's not that powerful, right?
The Pirate continued his assault, but this time Cy reinforced each block with his Enchanted necklace. Thank Salvos for that crook's no return policy. Auggie's second strike sent Cy flying again. Even though the water was gone, Cy barely stayed afloat. Fuck it.
“How are you this strong?” Cy asked between blows. A few more connected, each with lesser impact.
“Our Captain leads, and we follow.” A few more. “Know why? She always leads us to glory and—”
“Yeah, so I’ve heard, several times.”
“And this Script was a gift from her—” He’s powering up for a serious blow. “—to me!”
Cy dodged the vertical slash, but only because Auggie telegraphed it. The crushing strike left an impact crater behind. The water wall shimmered and shifted behind the man. Cy scanned the rest of the interior's water barrier. Nowhere else did it waver like here.
So that’s it, drawing weight and pressure from the water. Brilliant. Using water…
That actually gives me an idea.
> «« Leviathan's Roar »»
> « Ice » [₹1,100 // ₹10,000]
Cy drew water from the walls and blasted Auggie with a torrent of crude shards and spears of ice. Unfazed, Auggie focused his Scroll on the assault. In one sweep, he deflected everything. The frenzied Pirate prepared for another crushing blow and drew back his cutlass.
> «« Leviathan's— »»
> « Assimilate » [₹700 // ₹10,000]
As if magnetized, every shard of ice shot toward Auggie. The pirate swung his blade too late. He froze mid-swing, like an ice sculpture.
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ENVY
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Kat knelt in front of the three Pirates, not quite at their mercy, but not at their pleasure, either. Thorn just attacked Jules—
"John, Auggie," Maddie order. "Aid Thorn."
Auggie leapt off the Siren's platform without a word, and plunged to the water below. John, he took the stairs.
Maddie approached Kat and crossed her arms. From the ground, Kat twisted and contorted her body to roundhouse kick Maddie in the chest, but all she struck was air, and she landed on her feet. Maddie reappeared at her side in a flash.
“You know,” Maddie whispered in Kat’s ear, “I really don’t like fighting women. Especially damsels in distress.” She flashed a spellbinding smile.
“Well, Maggie. Tough shit.” Kat thrust back an elbow, which just grazed a cheek.
"So it goes." Maddie struck back—punching, kicking, grabbing, twisting, flipping, whatever—it was all fair, except neither one of them grabbed each other’s hair. How does she dodge so effectively? She either blocks or I just graze her. It’s like she sees it coming. But how? Kat's Seal and eyes lit up purple.
> « Summon » « Arrow » [₹3,200 // ₹10,000]
Kat grabbed Maddie’s arm, pushed them away from each other, and drew her bow. Arrows rushed into existence, formed from the Void, and Kat loosed a dozen of them at once. Maddie unsheathed her cutlass and deflected them all in a single sweep. The Captain grinned; Kat returned a reluctant smile. “You certainly think highly of yourself, Maggie.”
Behind Maddie, Whiskers high-tailed it down a staircase.
“How is it you’re so strong?” Maddie asked. The question took Kat by surprise. I feel like I'm losing this fight.
"I could ask the same of you."
Maddie laughed. “I had to be. No parents to guide me. It was all up to me to make it or break it.” Ugh. Common ground with an enemy. Disgusting. Why me? “But you… You survived that Siren. Unharmed." What’s she getting at? "I just suspect I’m not fighting you at your full strength, is all. It feels dishonorable.”
“Just my friends looking out for me, I guess.”
Maddie looked over to Jules' and Thorn's fight. “Demon of a friend.”
“Ouch.” Kat rose from the kneeling position she’d shot her bow from. “What’s your highest Skill Level? I'm curious.”
“Low.” Maddie faced Kat again. “It’s just that when it comes to training, I’m very…industrious. I always keep moving—"
Kat twisted her body just in time. The point of Maddie’s cutlass grazed past her ear, but some of her hair wasn’t so lucky.
CRACK!!
The aftershock of Maddie’s supersonic speed clapped like thunder. Fury overtook Kat's fear. Her eyes widened; she felt the tears coming as she covered her ear.
“You went for my hair? My fucking hair!? I thought we fought with honor—an unspoken rule!? You are dead, Maddie."
"Ah, so you do know my name." The tricorn hat's shadow shaded Maddie’s eyes, but not her unwavering smile.
Kat slammed her bow to the ground and drew her daggers. Gotta keep her close. Not sure if I’d get so lucky next time, can’t let her gain that much speed. A flurry of strikes later, and Maddie’s jacket, arms, and face bore an assortment of shallow and deep gashes. The cutlass pierced Kat once in the stomach. She covered her wound with her jacket to hide her Regeneration. Fueled by anger, she pressed in again with her daggers. Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and—
Kat flipped a dagger upside down and uppercut the pommel into Maddie’s face.
—Strike!
Maddie disengaged and rubbed her chin. She spat out some blood. First time I’ve seen her get mad. That look is almost hateful.
Maddie touched the top of her tricorn. “Please, if you’d watch the hat.”
"No. Hair and hats are fair game now."
Maddie removed her hat and flung it off the pedestal. Her composure’s already returned. Kat threw both daggers at Maddie and tackled her. The women grappled on the ground. Kat had the clear advantage just from a clothing standpoint. Hers was light and form fitting, while Maddie’s was rigid and airy, definitely not fit for this type of fight, and Kat trapped Maddie in a shoulder lock.
“Egh—Won’t leave alive," Maddie shouted through gasps. "Abandon him."
Kat kicked Maddie with her heel. “Never. I can’t leave those idiots’ sides. I won’t.”
Maddie broke free from the joint lock. In one smooth motion, she rolled to her feet and stomped on her sword. It flipped it back to her hand. Damn, I gotta try that. Maddie charged Kat, who took the blow so she could get in close again. The sword pierced the other side of Kat's stomach.
"Why?" Maddie's eyes widened, inches from Kat's. "Why would you sacrifice yourself, and for a Sin?"
Kat smiled. Blood trickled from her open lips.
> « Summon » « Daggers » [₹2,600 // ₹10,000]
Two daggers formed an X-shape at Maddie’s throat.
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