(Previous thread:http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive/19195465/)Class empties out, in a chorus of clattering tables and the wordless buzz of background chatter; The familiar scenery of the classroom giving way to a happy disorder. Outside, it's a cool day - summer shading to autumn, the sun hanging low and heavy in the air. You'd be outside in a heartbeat, except..."'Kerebos Guard'?""Eh, it's a new band," Kazuya offers, with a little shrug - The paired tickets fluttering in the tepid air, as he perchs on your desk. "...Apparently, it's a 'secret live' - They have a guerilla concert down at the docks tonight, and the word's going round. " "...Shouldn't you be asking Natsumi-chan instead?""Yeah, well, that's the thing...Turns out she's already going. She's the one who said 'Let's ask Anon-kun...It's been a while since the three of us did anything together.'" A pause - He has the good grace to look sheepish, reaching up to adjust his ascot tie. "Well? What do you say?"[ ] "So I'm the third wheel? That's harsh."[ ] "...I guess that means you haven't confessed to her yet."You make a noncommittal sound, as you lean back in your chair. 'Kerebos Guard'...Come to think of it, you *have* heard of them. An up-and-coming band, *right* on the verge of the big time...Or at least a marginal success, before flaming out. You glance down at the tickets - Each one printed on stiff, waxy paper, with the chained and grinning houndskull emblem. And beneath it, in a strangely feminine hand -> Come and see. (Continued)
>>19246696Odd; The ink on the last three words is still fresh. When you get down to it, though...[ ] ...It's not like you had anything to do. [ ] ...You'd be free after club practice. [ ] ...You could probably finish up your Student Council work in time. [ ] ....You're not really interested.YOU HAVE CONTROL
>>19246696>>19246700Wow, was waiting for this, op. Because I'm a lazy fucker, I'm just going to observe until the robot battles.
>>19246696One of each, right?> [X] "...I guess that means you haven't confessed to her yet."> [X] ...You'd be free after club practice.We are SPORTY ANON.
>>19246700>>19246696(OP here: Is this a bad time?)
>>19246696[X] "...I guess that means you haven't confessed to her yet."[X] ...It's not like you had anything to do.
>>19246696> [X] "So I'm the third wheel? That's harsh."> [X] ....You're not really interested.You'll never take me alive, plot hooks.
>>19246786Indeed. Let's be a slippery little shit for lulz.
>>19246756This is a rather niche quest.> [X] "...I guess that means you haven't confessed to her yet."> [X] ...You could probably finish up your Student Council work in time.I...I have a thing for student council presidents. Don't judge me.
>>19246825We don't judge here, I understand the appeal. There's something about a woman with responsibilities and drive.
>> [X] "...I guess that means you haven't confessed to her yet."An uncomfortable silence lingers, just for a moment - Before Kazuya sighs, glancing away. "Yeah, well...I'm still working on it," he mutters, somewhat self-consciously; You can't help but feel slightly bad for him. For as long as you can remember, he's always had a crush on Natsumi - And that was before he even *liked* girls. "Anyway," he goes on - Briskly, now, to bridge the break in the conversation. "So...Are you coming?">> [X] ...It's not like you had anything to do. -Yes. Between one thing and another, your schedule's mostly free. And you're not looking forward to going back to the cramped two-room apartment you call 'home', just yet. At your acquisence, Kazuya smiles - Clearly, it's a great weight off his mind. "Thanks, man - I appreciate it. We'll meet up at eight; It's not far." His weight lifts off the desk, with the faint squeak of table legs - And with a little wave, he joins the students streaming out of the classroom. It seems like you have most of the afternoon to kill. Will you...[ ] Head to the school library. [ ] Go to the roof. [ ] Find Natsumi[ ] Go home. YOU HAVE CONTROL.
>>19246911> Rooftop. It feels weirdly like we're guiding the protagonist, but we're not actually that person. Anyone else get that feel?
>>19246911[X] Head to the school library. It's the second best place for mysterious meetings and we can get some studying and reading in. Or grab a book or two to take to the roof if nothing happens there.
>>19246911> [ ] Head to the school library. The library sounds good.
>>19246911[ X ] Find NatsumiOur best friend clearly has a crush on her. We should find out if she's waifu material or not.
>>19246911 [X] Head to the school library
(Sorry for the wait - Internet hiccup.)The library it is. For...various reasons, you've been spending plenty of time there, recently. You shoulder your bag; It's not long before you're following the familiar winding steps down, the soft chime of the electronic bell announcing your arrival, climate-controlled air breezing from within. At this time of the day, it's mostly empty - There's the faintly musty smell of books, the rows of shelves opening up to the cubicles of the computer stations. As a nod to privacy, each one's walled-off, evenly spaced along the wall...More than once - Especially when your connection has been on the fritz - you've been grateful for the anoymity of their use. "Ah, Anon-kun; Back again?" As expected - Asuna's in her usual spot, behind the counter. Her rimless spectacles catch the light, warm brown eyes resting lightly on you; "-You're the first one to come in, right after class." She lifts her head towards the workstations - "The usual place again?" [ ] Same as always. [ ] No, I'm just browsing today. [ ] You're always here, aren't you? Doesn't it get boring?[ ] FreeYOU HAVE CONTROL.
>>19247104[X] You're always here, aren't you? Doesn't it get boring?Make conversation with the kindly hot librarian chick. Then ask what she'd suggest for us to read.
>>19247104 [X] Same as always.
>>19247115Seconded. Proceed to talk up cute girl
>>19247104> [ ] You're always here, aren't you? Doesn't it get boring?With a general 'how have you been'. She's really cute, and seems quite friendly.
>> [X] You're always here, aren't you? Doesn't it get boring?She smiles, just a little - "It's not so bad. It's nice and quiet here...New books come in every two weeks, so there's always something new. Besides..." A faint, silvery giggle, as she doesn't quite meet your eyes ~ "...There's usually someone to keep me company."Well. That's something.Stacked neatly besides the counter, a column of paperbacks await shelving - The rabbit-ears of a bookmark protruding from a copy of The Great Gatsby. Noticing your interest, Asuna makes a faint, considering "Hmmmm~" as she sorts through them, fingertips tracing lightly along their spines - "...How about this one?"It's a local book - A small thing, soft-covered in black hide, the edges rough and hand-cut. The title: > The Myth of the City.No author is listed. At your quizzical glance, she explains: "-I haven't really read it myself, but...We've had a lot of requests for *this* one. I'm not sure why, but - I thought you might want to see it first."[ ] "Thanks - I appreciate it."[ ] "...Do you need any help sorting those?"[ ] "Maybe next time - I think I'll use the workstation instead."[ ] "What's it about?"[ ] Free.YOU HAVE CONTROL.
>>19247236[ ] "Thanks - I appreciate it."Read it. Read the shit out of it. With a title like that, it can't be good news.
>>19247236[X] "Thanks - I appreciate it."Take the book.Then[ ] "...Do you need any help sorting those?"Spend some time helping Asuna, chatting, making small talk. Maybe at the end ask if she'd like to go out for coffee sometime.
>>19247236> [ X ] "...Do you need any help sorting those?"Say yes to cute librarian girl.
>[ ] "...Do you need any help sorting those?"LIBRARIAN GIRLFRIEND PATH, HO!
>>19247282>>19247259>>19247258>> [X] "Thanks, I appreciate it."There's a gentle 'beep' as Asuna scans the book - Her slender fingers pale against the black hide of the cover. When you touch it, though, you feel your skin crawl; The pads of your palm beginning to tingle, as if the binding was lightly caustic. It feels...Unwholesome, somehow. Unwholesome - But familiar. >> [X] "...Do you need any help sorting those?"A little shake of your head, to banish the eerie sensation; You manage to keep your voice light, to prevent the disquiet from registering. "You mean...you *will*?" Ever-so-slightly startled, Asuna blinks ~ Her hands clasped together, as if in thanks. "Ah...I don't want to impose, b-but if you don't mind..." It's not exactly a gruelling task - But you have to admit, it *is* a little laborious, especially when some of the shelves are almost out of reach for her. You've seen Asuna perched - rather precariously - on the rusty stepladder, a relic that's probably as old as school building...which wasn't a reassuring sight.(Continued.)
>>19247371She's going to fall and we're going to catch her?
>>19247371Fortunately, given that you're about a head taller, it just takes a bit of neck-craning effort to lift the more obscure books into place - The faint clatter of your footsteps the only sound in the library. Working as a pair - She sorts, you do the lifting - the long rows of shelves feel oddly cramped; It's not too long before you're done, though, and aside from a bit of back strain, you're not breathing hard. "Mmm...Looks like that's the last of it," Asuna murmurs; It's a strange little affection, that she still speaks in a rather hushed voice...Even though no-one else is around. >> Maybe at the end ask if she'd like to go out for coffee sometime."I, ah..." Did she color a little, or was that just your imagination? "-I'm...W, well, I usually stay a bit late, but I'd lo - I mean, I'll like to. W-whenever you're free, I mean, if it's not too much trouble..."Yep, she *is* a little flushed...It's kind of cute.She's on the verge of saying more, when the brittle chime of the phone breaks the silence - Startled, she flinches, retreating back behind the counter. Her pen scritches against a notepad, as she props the receiver between her shoulder and tilted head, mouthing an apologetic "Sorry, I have to take this."Ah, it seems the Student Librarian has troubles of her own, too. Given that it seems to be a particularly long and involved conversation, you should head home and...[ ] Skim through the book, if you have the time. [ ] Do a quick read-up on 'Kerebos Guard', so you know what you're getting into. [ ] Check up on last night's battle.YOU HAVE CONTROL.
>>19247410(Sorry, guys, forgot my trip. It keeps refreshing after each post.)
>>19247371>>19247410Awww, that made me all warm and fuzzy inside. Those are fucking long posts, though.
>>19247410[X] Do a quick read-up on 'Kerebos Guard', so you know what you're getting into. We want to be aware of what we're getting into. We can read the book during our free time later, during classes we don't care about, lunch breaks and depending on when we get home tonight after the show.
>>19247410> [X] Do a quick read-up on 'Kerebos Guard', so you know what you're getting into. nothing sucks worse than turning up for a concert and not knwoing what music they're playing. Spare our ears the pain.
>>19247410[ ] Check up on last night's battle.I want to know what happened after we made the previous guy explode.
The sun's sinking below the horizon, by the time you get home - The lurid red glow remaining you of the view from the other city's skyline, stretching out into infinity. Your two-room...room ('apartment' would be too flattering) isn't much to speak off; The floor's covered with vinyl tiles, curtains shrouded the solitary window. A bookshelf and and a wardrobe rests against the opposite wall, your writing-table further down, the dim glow of your PC the only light in the room. Once you're done with the familiar rituals of homecoming - A shower, a quick meal - it's not long before the steady clack-clack-clack of keys fills the room...Right, 'Kerebos Guard'. Apparently, the original name was 'Kerebos Guard 69', but they changed it shortly after their debut. The lead singer *and* guitarist, Okami Kurosu (Probably a stage name) features prominently in the search; He's a tall, wiry man with bleached-blonde hair, who affects the tight black shirts and leather goods that the fujoshis love. It seems like they almost broke up last year - Vanishing beneath the endless wave of J-Rock bands - until their single 'Proud Howl' hit the charts. You could say it was a genuine stroke of fortune...Just what a struggling band needs to hit the big time. It's not...Well, it's not exactly *impressive* - And the samples you hear are tolerable - but they have a certain charm, particularly amongst the always-popular schoolgirl demographic. In your unprofessional opinion, you'd say they're slightly above-average. Still, assuming they *do* get signed to a decent contract...Well, they're poised right on the brink of success. It could go either way.(Continued.)
>>19247549What's *really* interesting, though, are the brief interviews with Kurosu - He's a real cypher, oddly evasive and strangely self-conscious in his replies. It isn't clear, either, exactly why he's touring *here*, now; He mentions a "Once in ten-year opportunity," before laughing it off. > Truth is, there's someone I've been hoping to meet.> Ah, is it a girl?> No - It's more like...a rival, you could say. It's a favour for a friend of mine. It's the title of his upcoming single, though, that makes the alarm bells ring. 'Joker Plague'. Maybe it's another coincidence, but...Perhaps, just maybe - Maybe he's looking for you. [ ] No, that's just silly. You're imagining things. [ ] You can't be too careful. You should go prepared for trouble. [ ] Free. YOU HAVE CONTROL.
>>19247579Yeah. Yeah, he's gunning for us. Get ready for whatever craziness might happen.
>>19247549> The sun's sinking below the horizon, by the time you get home - The lurid red glow remaining you of the view from the other city's skyline, stretching out into infinity. Your two-room...room ('apartment' would be too flattering) isn't much to speak off; The floor's covered with vinyl tiles, curtains shrouded the solitary window. This feels strangely familiar. Op, ARE YOU ME?
>>19247579[X] You can't be too careful. You should go prepared for trouble. Nothing overt, but wear a thick jacket, have something concealable and be mentally prepared for conflict.
>>19247579[x] You can't be too careful. You should go prepared for trouble. Way too damn suspicious.
>browse the first thread>"long, lissome legs"DestroyQuest/InsektorQuest OP, is that you.
Maybe it *is* coincidence. Maybe it's paranoia. But something - A sixth sense, perhaps - makes the hairs on the back of your neck lift. All the same, your precautions are reassuringly simple; You slip your Joker-faced card into an inner pocket, the Emblem of the laughing skull catching the light...-And you reach under your bed for a certain small brown shoebox. Dull black, the heavy knife rests uneasily in your hands, as you fold it back upon itself - Just a innocous line of steel, one that rests leadenly against your breastbone. It's a simple fan knife. You don't know how to do the 'flipping' that would unfurl it like a magician's trick...It's not even yours. But you've used it, just once - And since then, you've kept it, as a reminder to be *careful*.Because some people just can't let things go. (Continued)
>>19247668...It's a cold night. You can feel the bite of the wind even through your thick jacket, as your feet crunch gravel underfoot; In the distance, amid the blocky shapes of the warehouses, you can make out milling figures, actinic flashes of light, the drone of sound..."Anon-kun! Anon...Aaah, there you are!" Natsumi pushes through the crowd towards you, her face lit up - beaming with excitement, as she tugs at your sleeve. "We were waiting for you...I was hoping you'd get here in time. Kazuya-kun, he's over here!" Through a sea of bobbing heads, Kazuya emerges - A packet of those fluroscent lightsticks tucked under one arm, an overstuffed paper bag in the other. Looks like he made a snack run. He's rather more laconic - A wave, a "Yo." nearly drowned out by the white noise. The crowd's parting like the red sea, pressing up against the hastily-erected dividers...Looks like it's about time to head in.[ ] "What did I miss?" [ ] "Natsumi seems *really* excited." [ ] "Let me help you with that, Kazuya."[ ] Free.
>>19247722[X] "Let me help you with that, Kazuya."Get his hands free so he can spend quality time with Natsumi, we shall not let our bro down, and we're pursuing Asuna, we're not going to try anything with her.
>>19247722[ X ] "Natsumi seems *really* excited."Why are all the girls so delicious?
>>19247722It's a tough choice, but asuna is cuter.> [ ] "Let me help you with that, Kazuya."For now.
>>19247764Girls are aesthetically pleasing.
>>19247764She seems nice and all, but our Bro is angling for her, he's just unable to say it, and we've got awesome shy adorable library chick to go for.
> [X] "Let me help you with that, Kazuya."He flashes you a conspiratorial, but thoroughly grateful smile - The ebb and flow of the crowd urging you ahead, as he - very tentatively- edges closer to her. Seemingly surprised, Natsumi glances back at you, then at him...Her slender shoulders lifting in a shrug, her bright smile returning with a soft "See you inside." as she releases your sleeve. With the bulky bag in hand, you fall behind a little, keeping pace with some effort; Natsumi's red hair isn't easy to make out in the press, especially amid the cage of aluminium tubes and spray-painted panels, all artfully wired up to a bird's nest of bass speakers. The overall effect, especially against the bleak concrete walls of the converted warehouse, is convincingly tough and grungy and dangerous. The *screech* of the reverb makes you wince, as flickering lights illuminate the raised podium with harsh metallic CLUNKS; The appreciative "Oooooohhhh!!!" of the audience ringing in your ears, as you get a half-cohered glimpse at the makeshift stage...And the man bathed in the harsh spotlight. You have to admit: He has *presence*. Tall, his wiry frame sheathed in black leather, Okami Kurosu casts a long shadow over the crowd, as he flicks his bleached-blonde hair back from his face - The arch solemnity of his features giving way to a roguish, and thoroughly wicked grin, as he reaches out to wrench the shrouding cloth back from his burden...
>>19247880...To reveal the long-necked shape of a guitar, gloved fingers striking a single revebrating chord - Pumping through the caster system, in a shuddering vibration. High, screechy wails ring from the (mostly female) portion of the audience; Even as he leans in close to the mic, smoldering eyes sweeping the crowd. > "This one's for the Joker out there: You're the plague. I'm the cure." For a moment, it feels like he's looking *right* at you - But then he looks away. With an electronic squeal of synthesized sound, and a CLASH of drums, the world explodes in noise. The aural assault makes your vision swim - It all sounds like discordant pandemonium to you, except - Except something's wrong. The electric axe in his arms seems to *pulse* in your vision - The edges of it blurring, swimming in and out, as if the dimensions aren't quite certain. You feel your jaw clench, nausea cramping your gut; Around him, you get a sense of the air visibly distorting, churning like a pod of hungry sharks, as you think...Relic. It's not just an affectation, or an instrument. It's something of *his* - An artifact - and through it, he's doing *something*. Something that no-one else notices, the nails-on-chalkboard screech amplified by the speakers, fed by the tangled mess of cables that snakes directly past you, lost in the crowd. As your head begins to pound with agony, you...[ ] transform[ ] Transform[ ] TRANSFORM![ ] FreeYOU HAVE CONTROL.
>>19247958[X] TRANSFORM!Might ruin Kazuya's date, but hey, it clearly wasn't a date anyway.
>>19247880What, we're going to fight him? Here?Holy shit.
>>19247958[X] TRANSFORM!Oh, this guy seems to want to start some shit, I'm willing to oblige. Bring it on pretty boy.
>>19247958[x]Escape!We need to get out of here, and not meet him on his conditions.
[x]Escape!If we transform right here, he would notice our true identity. Run around a corner and then transform.
> [X] TRANSFORM!Your cramping fingers press against your inner pocket - Your brow furrowed, as you mouth the words through clenched teeth...-And leave the world behind. ZONE: Pandemonium TIME/DATE: REDACTEDINITIALIZING....Everything goes black. For one wrenching instant, there is nothing: Then the pall of darkness begins to lighten, giving way to red skies and slate-grey tile. You stand within a great pavilion formed from mirrored blocks - Red veins threading up the pillars like kudzu. The pounding in your head, mercifully, dies away...But around you, you can make out the flickering, shadowy shape of the rapt audience, their smoky limbs flailing, distorted mouths opening and closing in silent screams. A spotlight flashes to life, pinning you in it's glare - As you lift a crimson-armored arm to shield your eyes, before your filters cut in. > "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!"> "FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY!"> "I GIVE YOU...REDDDDDDDD JOKER!"(Continued)
>>19247958KICK HIS ASS![] transform
>[X] TRANSFORMand roll out
>>19248127Keep our distance, keep moving laterally so he can't fissure us like that. Get height on him and fire downward with our new dakka. Don't let him get comfortable. Try to evaluate his abilities.
Existing in two worlds at once, the stage looms before you; With a start, you realize that the threading 'veins' are where the cables would exist in the real world, the raised columns bordering the pavilion giving it the air of an arena. You look up. Backlit by a hellish inner radiance, a black-and-gold shape stands before you - One clawed foot resting casually on a speaker, a pose made more insolent by his height advantage. His shape is a grostequely canine one; The face extended into a muzzle, with the pinned-back ears of a wolf, all rendered in a snarling brass visage. His booming voice issues from a grille in his throat, as he grips the neck of his guitar. Here, it looks even more ominous - A swollen shape, encrusted with thorny spikes and blades, eye-hurting symbols twisting the air around him with a visible field of distortion. And the two of you are not alone. Around, you can make out armored, mishappen shapes in the white stands overhead; It seems that your coming was expected. That he has an audience in this world, too. A whooshing roar of clashing noise tears a great furrow in the ground besides you, blasting upwards like a volcanic eruption. Stray shards of tile ping off your armor, as you turn to face your opponent, his shape almost lost amid the stacked speakers, the snaking cables. Wretched, snarling laughter wells up around you. > "Behold...MY SOUND."RED JOKERVS...CERBERUSYOU HAVE CONTROL. > HP: 96%> Meter: 2%
>>19248137Seconded
>>19248146Aw fuck. Shoot the bitch.
>>19248146I can't remember the procedure for destroying artifacts, but we DEFINITELY need to destroy it. Any chance for just doing this outright? If we can't, and beat him anyway, does it count as victory spoils? We don't really need a guitar, but fuck it, taking it anyway.
It occurs to you that he's come *prepared*. The empty arena, with no cover but the obscuring sea of souls - The spectators in the seats...Maybe even the performance, his Relic engorged with the pent-up force. Even before the deafening buffet of the sonic wave fades, you *leap* to the side; Forearm gatlings engaging, unleashing a storm of plasma bolts, blasting a hellstorm of fire at him. Kerebos slams out an echoing surge of atonal harmonics - Amplified, the screaming vibration makes a powerful linear distortion, a churning shield of raw sound that buffets your shots aside."It's *useless*," he growls, in a metal-scraping bark - "Their love *feeds* me-"Powerful slicing rays surge out at you - A twisting spiral from the stage, striking and slashing and random. You dodge under one of crackling forks, but not before it scorches your left leg...But you put the lie to his invulnerability, a moment later, as a molten spray of plasma shorts out one of the speakers. "FUCK!" You hear the snarl through the cancophy...The chaotic beams fading away, as he begins a long, murderous riff, building to a crescendo...YOU HAVE CONTROL. > HP: 89%> Meter: 11%
>>19248182Quick addenum: Yes, artifacts can be destroyed with sufficient force, though they tend to be resilient. There's a random chance they'll be dropped with the owner's defeat.
>>19248222Oh, oh, I get it. He has a fully charged meter, that's why he's busting out all this shit. We need to get him to waste those big attacks of his, or get in close so he can't fry us. We'll lose a firepower exchange.
>>19248222Ok, start blasting his speakers to hell. He seems to be powered by music and his crowd, let's ruin that for him. Keep our distance and blow all of his speakers into little bits. We've got these nice new plasma dakka hands, let's use them.
>>19248265(Sorry, 4chan kept rejecting my post. Had to rewrite it.)You turn your guns on the nearest speaker, blasting it out in a spray of black spalling - The feedback whine hurls cising sparks out in a crackling arc, as Cerberus cut loose with a scything riff of sound. To your ears, it's just a hideous screaming, sawing towards you in a buzzing ripsaw squeal; Excruciatingly loud, the noise sluices through you, outrunning it's own impact. With three speakers blasted, the overlapping sonic fields of the stage aren't *quite* as all-encompassing - The lethal cancophy is short-lived, but forceful enough to lift you off your feet, a hamer of harmonics slamming you to the ground. It seems he can't target you *quite* fast enough...Every attack is telegraphed by the squeal of his guitar, revving up before it unleashes. Seething corospant flickers around the wolf-headed helm, as he angles the electric axe in your direction - Making up for the growing instability with sheer furious strength, smoke rising from the stage behind him as he charges up another blast. Patches of his black-and-gold robes smolder, from your scorching plasma fires - He isn't seriously hurt, but from the wild snarl in his voice, he's no longer having *quite* as much fun. > HP: 82%> Meter: 20%TIER ONE WEAPONRY UNLOCKED> TRISKELION LAUNCHER - 3%/Missile, INDIRECT FIRE. > PLASMA CASTER - 10%/Projectile, DIRECT.NEXT TIER: > FUSION ANNIHILATOR (30%)
>>19248439Attack the glowing veins that would be the wires, try to disrupt them somehow. Either that, or missiles to all the speakers around him.
>>19248439Let's take him down a notch. Six missiles to the stage. What's he going to do without his amplifiers? Play music at us?
>>19248439Finish off his remaining speakers with missiles and train our dakka directly on him and fill him full of holes. Keep our distance, we're better at dodging than he is and his attacks have a lot more windup. Just finish off his force multipliers and chip away at the fucker.
I wonder what's going to happen in the real world. Is he just going to suddenly collapse? Everyone be upset or worried? Die?
>>19248517I have no idea, I guess we'll find out after we kick his ass, tell him he's a hack, and draw our symbol on the wall with our guns.
As the snicker-snack of firing locks fill your ears, you grin savagely behind the mask - Missile ports sliding open with a rattling *hiss*, surging away on their first and final journey. You unleash six of them, in one rolling barrage, foul-smelling smoke erupting around you; The delta-finned projectiles rising on teardrops of howling flame, surging down, *down* towards the stage in wobbling spirals...Cerberus sees it coming - His fingers strum even *faster*, dancing runes uncoiling from the guitar's baroque body; Lightnings spew forth, in a wave of flickering destruction, swatting one, two missiles from the air - Knocked askew, fracticide incinerates another in a mutual explosion...-But that leaves three to slam into the stage."OH SHIT!" he howls - He wrenches his Relic free, and *leaps* - a heartbeat before the platform erupts into airburst blooms of destruction, his form vanishing amid the rising clouds of shards and ruin. Plasma fire streams from your pounding cannons, the steady bursts perforating the swirling cloud-And his armored bulk bursts into view, swinging his Relic down towards you in a massive two-handed blow. With the force of his descending form behind it, you hear the bladed and spiked weapon *whistle* as he swings - But for one perfect moment, you hear the chime of a perfect lock!He's above you and coming down - Closing fast, in a reckless surge of motion, hairline cracks skittering across his form...His cursing turning the air a rich and natural blue, as he winds up for a decapitating chop. YOU HAVE CONTROL> HP: 78%> Meter: 9%
>>19248603Plasma caster!
>>19248603>you hear the chime of a perfect lock!Pour all fire into him! Plasma Caster!
>>19248626>>19248629Wait, crap, our Meter's too low. Regular guns it is then.
>>19248640Weapons stay unlocked even if the meter dips down below the necessary level.
>>19248603Dodge sideways and shoot the bastard.
>>19248647We need 10% meter to use it even if it's unlocked.We have him on our battlefield now, we're playing on our terms. He doesn't have his fucking stage or speakers.Without that he seems much more restricted to melee, fire off some shots with that perfect lock then dodge to the side.If we get enough meter after shooting him mid air with a few shots and we can draw it quickly shoot him with the plasma caster as well.After that keep our distance, keep on pegging him with shots and don't let him close.
>>19248699Ahh, I thought those number were the power level at which we unlock them. I just realized that doesn't make much sense.
I can't wait until we fight the Thief or some equivalent.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Je84VupqD58
>>19248748Wolfmother, nice.
As he powers towards you, you hurl yourself aside - The killing edge of his Relic arcs past, close enough for the blade to score a furrow down your cuirass. You can hear the malevolent whispers from the weapon, as it passes you by; It slams into the tiles with enough force to crack the stone, the last of Cereberus's meter forced out in a wave of crackling destruction. You feel a surging tide of psychic anger - Red and raw - slam into you; Amid the churning sea of grey souls, a clearing opens up amid the clawing limbs and writhing smoke-forms, shredded to ash, then to vapor. The buffeting force almost knocks you from your feet; But you never stop firing, until the charging coils of your guns are white-hot with heat, perforating him as he descends. As the howling wave dies down, he looks up, with a throat-wretching snarl...-And into the barrel of your Plasma Caster. (Continued.)
unload into him and then dodge
>>19248836It makes a sound like BRAAAKKKK when it fires - A thunderclap of discharging energies, the force almost knocking you from your braced feet. This close, the choke doesn't give the blast any time to expand - It hits him like a flaming meteor, in a sideways blast that rips the air apart, a single felling blow that hurls his ragdolled form in a skidding, tumbling furrow across the arena...And into the far wall. It cracks. Surrounding by a scintillating sphere, the last motes dancing around Cereberus's form, his tonal shield splinters in ugly jags of cohered sound - A deep, scorched furrow raked along the ground, in a smoldering trail of destruction. Cerebus's swaying form is locked upright, wisps of smoke trailing from his limbs - The glossy black-and-gold reduced to char. "You...*shit*," he croaks, through scorched lungs, the eyeslits of his snarling visage glowing red. "You...*motherfucker*..." Incredibly, he's still standing - Moving stiffly, on his last legs, clawing at the string, creating only discordant notes instead of lethal power cords. Every motion makes his form contort in unpleasant, crackling ways - Only the Relic cradled in his arms unmarred by the apocalyptic barrage, though it too shudders under the strain from the blast... YOU HAVE CONTROL.> HP: 66%> Meter: 14%
>>19248842Blast him to hell with our normal weaponry. He's on his last legs here. If he tries to get close again introduce him to the plasma caster again and if he tries to run and get range unleash a barrage of missiles. Otherwise just keep him at a medium distance as long as we can and keep on blowing plasma holes in him.
>>19248842Now that we have him against a wall, barrage of missiles.
>>19248842everything we have in his face
For one eternal moment, your eyes meet - Green mono-ocular optics looking into slitted eyes smoldering with red hellsmoke - just long enough to share an intimate understanding, that the battle has reached its end. Cereberus manages a single slow step forward. Then another, houndskull helm canting as he hammers out one last anthem- -His swan song drowned out in the WHOOSH of missile exhaust, as a four-spread of missiles takes flight. One wavers in it's flight, to plunge down at his feet; The other three soar straight and true, to corkscrew down from above like fiery comets from heaven. A great, twisting black-and-orange blossom of flame mushrooms into the air, as bars of black smoke streak the sky; With a juddering roar, the final detonation blasts outwards in all directions, giving way to a pure white light, blindingly brilliant...-And then something whirrs past you, chopping like a propellor - A shard of the guitar's long neck and bladed body, blasted cleanly in half. It embeds itself into the ground, riven and smoking - Gossamer wisps uncoiling from the ruined length. With a groan, the roof of the pavilion falls in - Burying whatever remains of Cereberus beneath a sliding avalanche, like a final bow to mark the end of the performance. Dimly, as if from an infinite distance, you hear screams; The grey forms of half-cohered souls coiling away from you, like ripples from a stone. > RED JOKER VICTORYYOU HAVE CONTROL.
>>19248994Draw the symbol of the Red Joker with our guns upon the most convenient surface available. We may as well make a habit of this, leave a calling card.Wait for us to leave this place and see what us winning this fight did.
>>19248994Awww, no level-up this time? Well, can't have a party every day, I suppose.
>>19248994oh god they can see us
>>19248994Take the guitar shard, claim it for our own. Even if it no longer functions as an intact relic, it's still a memento. Or at least a trophy.
>>19249024seconding this
>>19249024Dis right here.
In a deliberate motion, you turn - The cannons in your arms tracking slowly, firing out salvos of rapid, shrieking shots, tracking again and repeating. The fizzing energy blasts make the air stink of ozone and hot metal, sketching out your symbol; The grinning Harlequin face, writ large in scorch marks.From above, you hear the cheers, the applause; A drumming sound, a ripple like the hammer of a piston-driven heart, like a chorus from above. As you look up from the ruin, you can make out the gathered witnesses ~ Their unchanging iron masks, faceless visors, smoked-glass faceplates lending an eerie air to their adulation.Your gaze can't help but be drawn, though, to the *one* unarmored form you can see - Wide emerald eyes lingering on your form, in an almost palpable caress that makes your skin prickle, beneath the armor. She brings her hands together, in soft golf-claps...At your regard, she rises to her feet, as the world begins to fade out - Her lips shaping something you have to strain to see.> "Soon."(Continued.)
>>19249111The real world comes back in a rush of sensation, a melange of swirling colors - And screams, as fizzing sparks dance above you. The first thing you *feel*, however - Other than the sway of the crowd, hands pushing at you as people try to force their way past - is the faint heat of the Relic shard clasped in one clenched fist. The sharp edges cut into your palm, jarring you awake...-And when you look at the stage, you finally understand what the panic was all about. It looks like a bomb has gone off - Fizzing sparks still raining down from above, one of the gantry sticking out at an odd angle. The crushing weight of the fallen spotlight - The lens cracked - glows weakly, a lurid blood-streaked glow. Beneath it, mercifully out of view, you can make out a pale arm, draped over the edge of the stage; The smashed speakers still letting off burps and bleeps of distorted sound.Crushed like a spider, his charred bones black-wet with sticky meat and cooked blood, is all that remains of Okami Kurosu. ....Somewhere, in the distance, a siren begins to wail.JOKER QUESTCHAPTER 2END
>>19249193oh shit son
>>19249193He can just suck it. Awww yeah.
>>19249193holy shit. Did that happen to baphomet's player, too? Did we kill that guy?How many people have we killed?
>>19249193He started it and there is no actual evidence that could implicate us, let alone anything that would stand up in court. Also he was a pretentious asshole.I believe the proper term is Cheese It! The Fuzz!
>>19249193Awww man. Was I the only one expecting...I don't know, the concert to flop or something? Not a horrible freak accident?
>>19249241It was kill or be killed. If we had lost, that would have been us.
>>19249245Yes, I was expecting at the very least complete mental breakdown or a nasty heart attack. Death seemed like the most likely possibility.
Whew - This is a good place to break for the night. I hope you had fun, ladies and gentlemen - I'll try to run this same time next week. (If I can't run it on a weekday.) I'll admit this took a lot out of me, though I rather enjoyed it.
>>19249111Who is that crazy chick, anyway? Why doesn't seh have any armor?
>>19249287Whoever she is, I'm intrigued. I say we nail her if we get the chance.
>>19249277See you when you run it next. I enjoyed it. That guy kind of fell apart when we wrecked his stage, he relied far too much on it.If we let him keep it he probably would have spent his time wrecking our shit.>>19249329Bad, no. We're taking library girl out to coffee, and we may be many things we aren't going to cheat on her like that.
>>19249332Hold on man. We aren't even in a relationship with Asuna, we where gonna go drink coffee with her. Atleast wait, that crazy chick hinted that we would see her soon. Atleast hold till after that.
>>19249363So far, it looks like there are at least three girls.Asuna, the librarian girl.The crazy demon-girl we saw for the first time this round.And natsumi, our classmate and our buddy's crush. we don't know much about her, do we?Is this thread going to be archived?
>>19247104This is just like my Chinese cartoons, where the first girl wins.
>>19249268i thought he'd throw a shitfit, like that stand-up comedian's racist rant. The dude from Seinfield, a while ago.
>>19249551>>19249551It was 'Kramer', not seinfield.
This seems a lot like Accel World except there are real life consequences to the fights.
>>19249561It actually feels like a cross between Gantz, C: The Money of Soul And Possibility Control, and Accel World.
good show, sir
>>19249933> C: The Money of Soul And Possibility ControlI didn't believe that this was a real show, until I wiki'ed it.
>>19249500I would vote for it, if I knew how to do it.
>>19249500>Is this thread going to be archived?It's now archived on suptg.
