>>39389521
Well that's not what I thought she looked like at all.

>>39389941
Closest thing I could think of/find.

>>39389521
It's bad form to start a thread before the entire post is finished

>>39389521

>Wear down the trees, make them fall on Iron Angel!

The great Sequoias stand high in this field, likely rendered from old photography of where they once stood somewhere on the western side of the continent, over mountains that battles where a great war had been fought decades ago. They extend into the upper reaches of the field into a rendered canopy with a blue sky peeking through to red earth and fallen vegetation. A metallic bolt pushes through the trunk of this memoriam picture as a black knight dives for safety, sliding with such force against the virtual landscape that it sends the rendered dirt into the air as chips from the abused redwood splinter away from the force of the punishing shot.

The spectating crowd roars despite the miss, who they're cheering for is unclear, rather they seem to like the destruction.


Without many options you, the black knight, keep running as a new blade loads in, adding the first marks to the overall total data you've used, a resource that won't replenish between rounds for this match.

“Bit, at this rate, we'll run out of data before she's fragged. We need a plan!” Your partner speaks into your shared form, the other half of your battle avatar.

“I know, but her defense and offense is too high. If we...” You notice the hole in the sequoia you dove behind, and the lingering damage from your remotely controlled halberd blade. It's lingering...
“What if we dropped a tree on her?”

“If we switch to such a tactic we'll need to make it look like we're still attacking-”

The slow-moving Iron Angel extends her hand once more, a mechanical clockwork motion guided by empty doll-like eyes. Metal data gathers once more, and at a sudden turn she unleashes a twisting blast of metallic power. With a sudden shift, you juke around the blast as it buries itself into the virtual soil, erupting like a miniature bomb. Relief wets your mind from the clearance you had.

>>39390029

Iron Angel's spear loads back into her hands and she starts to movem slowly at first, but building speed.

“If we're going to trap her, we start now! Alice, run the homing, send it around the damaged tree and calculate the falling trajectory!”

“Roger!” You swing your weapon, sending out the axehead of your Halberd, leaving you with only a double-ended pike left. With whirling velocity, it carve its way through digital space towards Iron Angel as you run to meet her the same. She does not bother to dodge, letting your blade glance off of the armor of her avatar's body, incurring minor damage nonetheless. The blade reroutes, flying towards the tree. It'll take some time, but so long as you can buy it, the tree will fall on Iron Angel...

>Bit has chosen to charge!

>[Play up melee combat for the audience.] They like a good show, and melee combat can make them go wild.
>[Stay avoidant, just out of reach of her spear and focusing on evasion.] Some good old bullet time should impress them.
>[Pass on this game of chicken, juke out of the way and run again.] Not popular, but it'll be safe.
>[Other]

>>39390149
>[Stay avoidant, just out of reach of her spear and focusing on evasion.] Some good old bullet time should impress them.

>>39390149
>[Stay avoidant, just out of reach of her spear and focusing on evasion.] Some good old bullet time should impress them.

>>39390149
>[Stay avoidant, just out of reach of her spear and focusing on evasion.] Some good old bullet time should impress them.

>>39390149
>>[Stay avoidant, just out of reach of her spear and focusing on evasion.] Some good old bullet time should impress them.

>>39390220
>>39390244
>>39390425
>>39390718
This sounds good

>>39390149


Two avatars press forward with two headlong charges, the crowd excited for the change from long distance combat by two close-quarters types.

As you approach your metal foe, you can't help but notice how artistic her avatar is, a gothic dress of iron texture, a cagelike sprawling of an overskirt matched by her doll-like metal articulations. With the weight of her body, you notice just how punished the ground is by her forward charge and instantly know just how mad of an idea this must be with your own avatar's light body and armor, being mostly for show.

A moment before you two meet, she swings her spear across the horizon, a heavy laboring blow that your instincts tell you to duck under, dropping to your knees and leaning back for a dramatic slide as the blade of her spear falls entirely too wide. Swiftly, you turn around as you see her force spear into the ground for leverage, throwing back a kick from her skirt that you half-step past and slide into as a metal vector erupts from her heel, another obvious killshot from her.

>>39391048

Too close for your spear, you begin to reach for her, going for a contact hack. With a sudden pull, she swings around the axis of her spear to avoid your touch and brings the blunt end back around for another crushing blow. You deftly evade backwards while stabbing out with your pike, being longer than her spear, and just manage to pierce her skin. Minor damage, but it's an opening for Alice as she momentarily shuts down Iron Angel's Proprioception with a virus she managed to learn from Lady D, “Gorgon's Venom.” It's temporary, fleeting even, but the momentary lapse of awareness slows down Iron Angel just enough to half-step back, piroutte, and launch a second long stab right into her abdomen.

She opens her mouth as though to cough, though she doesn't budge in the slightest with her sheer weight. The lack of decisive effect leaves you dumbfounded as she launches another metal vector from her open mouth.

Your displays go red from the heavy damage as your avatar is blasted back by the sheer force of the vector.

>NL Integ: 100% → 70%
>Upper left shoulder lost
>Left Arm lost
>Integrity bleedout.

Rocked by the force, you see your back coming up quick on a redwood with chips flying off rapidly from its back. Your body smashes into it, and the thing shakes, rendered wood creaking.

Rising slowly, you see Iron Angel looking at you once more with her empty eyes as she extends a hand for one final blast-

>Gauge: 35% → 80%

This is it!

>[Avoid the vector!] The blast should send the tree falling down on her.
>[Use your booster 1fast3uspeed and dodge the blow at the last moment!] Gauge carries over to the next round, but you might as well make certain that this goes well.
>[Send your blade at her through the tree.] Distract her while simoultaneously bringing it down.
>[Other]

>>39391067
>[Avoid the vector!] The blast should send the tree falling down on her.
dodgedodgedodgedodgedodge

>>39391067
>[Avoid the vector!] The blast should send the tree falling down on her.
Or
>[Use your booster 1fast3uspeed and dodge the blow at the last moment!] Gauge carries over to the next round, but you might as well make certain that this goes well.
I'm not quite sure whether the second one means Bit takes a bigger risk

>>39391067
>>[Use your booster 1fast3uspeed and dodge the blow at the last moment!] Gauge carries over to the next round, but you might as well make certain that this goes well.

As long as we win the first 2 matches we are golden.

>>39391067
>[Avoid the vector!] The blast should send the tree falling down on her.
Still use 1fast3u to make sure we dodge

>>39391067

There's a steady rumble from the crowd as you near your demise and Iron Angel walks into your trap. Spectators get to see things that the others don't. It's nice to be the underdog, though there's no assurance that all of that is in your favor.

“Alice, is it ready?” You ask as you hastily get up, seconds away from Iron Angel's punishing vector.

“Almost- Just a bit more”

“We don't have that time!” You see the vector begin to fire and by reflex you turn on your booster, your gauge taking a sharp drop by the poor efficiency. The force of the metal slamming against the tree gives it the last push it needed. As you nearly fly away with your boosted leap, you swing your spear as you manually direct the blade to bring the gigantic tree down- right on top of Iron Angel.

There's a flash of red from Iron Angel and an explosion. The people in the stands cheer, and you wait for your victory confirmation.

“Did we get her?!” Alice asks anxiously, as you switch off your booster to conserve it.

>Gauge:80% → 47%

You watch, not responding, waiting, and then you see it. The tree's been stopped. Iron Angel stands there with both of her arms up, supporting the entirety of the trunk's weight.

“How is this possible?! No Avatar in this league should have the strength to bear the weight of a fallen sequoia! This unreal!” The announcer's commentary finally comes through, likely he muted himself to keep your trap from Iron Angel.

Your blade flies back to your weapon, reconnecting gracefully through a slightly terrible amorphous texture with some obvious clipping.

Iron Angel looks to you, turning suddenly and throwing the Sequoia, with the ease that she does, it seems as light as a feather.

>[Catch it in turn.] If she can do it, so can you... Right?
>[Knock it away with a flying blade!] Deflect it just enough that it's not on top of you.
>[Run!] What's with that power?!
>[Other]

>>39391702
>[Run!] What's with that power?!
Fucking Microsoft man
Afterwards harass with ranged attacks

>>39391702
>[Run!] What's with that power?!

probs dont want that anywhere near us

>>39391702
>>[Run!] What's with that power?!
The fuck. I call shenanigans.

>>39391702
>Run
>Cry hax

>>39391702
There's no way she didn't burn tons of Gauge for that.

Dodge and try to counterattack.

Still here?

>>39391702

Paling in the face of the colossal fallen tree, you set your boost and run again, turning tail as it lands behind you, sliding along the ground.

“What the fuck, how did she do-”

“Behind us!”

You look back to see Iron Angel flipping through the air, her metal spindles flying free behind her. “How is she- Shit!” She lands, and begins to charge you, though your boosted flight is far faster regardless of her newfound agility.
Without a second thought, she stabs the tree with her spear and flings it at you again the trajectory, thankfully, completely off course from you as you lash out with your flying blade, boosted in turn by your running program, it hits home and sends her flying backwards, as opposed to before when-

“She overrided her physics engine!” You shout, realizing that it's not her strength, but the fact that she used.. something to change her own, and the tree's weight values.

With the blade chipping away rapidly at her avatar and forcing distance, she holds up her left hand, an apple rapidly forming before exploding in a brilliant red burst, sending her and your blade down into the ground.

You see her reach for the blade and quickly call it back before she can break it again. The tree lands somewhere behind you, still apparently adjusted to be light. A special effect that you've never seen before. “Alice, don't bother with a scan, we know what it does now.”

“What's our countermeasure? Time is running short and she's still ahead.”

IA> 91% → 85%
NL Gauge 47% → 13% → 20%
Speed boost canceled.

>[Keep her at a distance and wear her down.] When she's heavy, she's unmovable, but she's only as agile as you when she's light.
>[Get in close, press the Gorgon's Venom and dance around her.] Tear her down.
>[Throw the tree back at her.] Your strength value may now be as high, but it isn't poor either. Special FX cost data, make her go bust.
>[Other]

>>39392309
>[Throw the tree back at her.] Your strength value may now be as high, but it isn't poor either. Special FX cost data, make her go bust.
Money is really nice, huh?

>>39392309
>Get in close, press the Gorgon's Venom and dance around her.] Tear her down.

>>39392309
>>[Throw the tree back at her.] Your strength value may now be as high, but it isn't poor either. Special FX cost data, make her go bust.

This honestly seems like the best option atm.

>>39392309
>[Get in close, press the Gorgon's Venom and dance around her.] Tear her down.

>>39392309
>[Keep her at a distance and wear her down.] When she's heavy, she's unmovable, but she's only as agile as you when she's light.
Seems like the smartest thing to do.

>>39392309

With a moment's respite in combat, you notice that Iron Angel's stationary, likely trying to figure out what to do to pin you down. If time runs out, she wins with your current state.
>NL Integ bleedout!: 70% → 67%

Or you'll hit 30% and lose anyway.

With only one arm left, your options have become much more limited in terms of attack. Backing off, you press your avatar's claws into the wood texture of the fallen redwood and attempt to hoist it up, feeling it give somewhat, but it's not enough. Not with one arm. Alice blinks you a warning and you dodge a sudden metal shot that hits the trunk and sends it spinning right into you, swatting you away. For additional minor damage.

“I've stopped the integrity loss, but we need to do something Bit, we're losing here.”

“I know, I know.” You reload your weapon into your hand, finding it unwieldy as it is. If you lose this round, you'll get your arm back, but it'll also give Iron Angel a win.
You haven't used your smokescreen effect yet...

“It's going to be risky, getting in close to her now, but I think it's time we show them that we're comebackers.”

“Are we going to dance the sweet dance of death?”

“You know it. If we lose now, we get our arm back next round. The least we can do is go down kicking and fighting.”

>[Use your trump card, NevermoRaven.]
>[Save it for later...]

>>39393105
>>[Save it for later...]
This is a best of three, right? I'd let this round go. She's shown us more of her tricks than she's seen of ours, so we'll be better prepared next time.

>>39393105
>[Save it for later...]

>>39393105
>[Save it for later...]
We'll have to do without ít this round.

>>39393105
>[Use your trump card, NevermoRaven.]

>>39393105
Do we have any clue on how much data Iron Angel used up?

>>39393105


Putting your trump card to reserve, you charge forward with the abandon of a man with nothing else to lose, that last hit brought your gauge up just a little, if you score a hit you'll be able to boost, if you score a hit.

As you come up on your foe, you notice that she's put her vectors to the reserve herself, no more brutal shots coming from her, she intends to cut you down with her spear alone.

Slipping under a sudden stab by her, you bring the shaft of your halberd around to sweep her legs, though her heavy skirt halts the full blow giving her a lower center of gravity.
With a recoil, she stabs out again as you scramble away like an insect, maneuvering as deftly as you can with your polearm tucked in the fulcrum of your elbow.

>>39393731

With another twist, you send the blade flying out, though it's ignored as she steps forward and skewers your upper thigh. With a single thrust, further limiting your mobility as she dismembers it with a twist of her spear. Fallen, you flip over to quickly guard, Alice putting all of her focus on triggering your firewall to stop as much of the attack as possible.

>NL Integ loss!: 67%- 45%

Her spear's sheer force shatters your EnGarde and buries itself in your stomach. As your blade futilely grinds against her neck, her stab her in the chest with your own weapon, Alice linking up with the contact, suddenly making Iron Angel seize from the system attack.

“Keep attacking Bit!” Your partner cries out and you retrieve your spear with a hard pull before stabbing it in again, and again, and again.

>IA Integ Loss!: 90% → 82%

As you wear down Iron Angel however, the seizures from Alice's attack lessen as her own D-Zen fights back.

>”Viral scum, stay out of my master's systems!”
You see the message flash before your screen and a flash of metal in the next.

>Night Lancer Critical Integrity Loss
>Round 1 Winner: Iron Angel

The field disassembles for the field-change turnover as you lay beaten, but not defeated. “Shit, we need a better plan.” You push your hands into your eyes, trying to get rid of the sweat on your brow. From here on, it'll just get more intense. You've lost your safety cushion, you need two straight wins now.

You move your hands, ready to get up, but you see someone standing over you, a pretty girl with wavy brown hair held partially back by a set of stylish goggles bearing a white and blue rim beyond their neon orange tint. She holds out a hand to you, to help you up.

A show of good sportsmanship...

>[Take her hand.] If she's being nice about it, then you might as well return the favor.
>[Refuse] You can't start getting soft with her now. You can't afford to hold anything back.

>>39393747
>>[Take her hand.] If she's being nice about it, then you might as well return the favor.
No need to act too hostile.

>>39393747
>>[Take her hand.] If she's being nice about it, then you might as well return the favor.

Talk about fucking her and inheriting her company, etc.

>>39393630

The stat board shows

>IA DP 70/240
vs
>NL DP 10/120

>>39393772
The entire audience would hear that.
She could also sue the hell out of Bit for sexual harassment.

Sis and Carrie are watching too.

>>39393804
But, for real, we should waifu her. Eventually. Maybe.

>>39393747
>Take her hand

>>39393747
>>[Take her hand.] If she's being nice about it, then you might as well return the favor.
Next round we have to use Smokescreen and more hacking to play our strenghts

>>39393812
Please don't start this shit. We hardly even know her, and when/if beat her here she's likely to be pissed at us, since this was supposed to be her chance to revive her family name.

>>39393812
I'd rather not.

>>39393839
Who knows? Might gain a sponsor through her.

Remember, developers/publishers aren't the only ones that can sponsor you.

>>39393874
Besides, everyone knows windows is the best
apple a shit

>>39393874
Deals with the devil never pay out

>>39393874
>encouraging it
The waifu shit was the most toxic shit in every other quest you've ever run bar one massive shit and I think we both know what that is. I'm sure some of the other players here know what I'm referring to.

Why would you do this? It consistently dragged your quests down. I can think of maybe one quest where it didn't happen and it was much better for it.

>>39393943
What?

I just mean that if she loses to the tournament winner it won't look so bad. And good showmanship could win a friend and sponsor, which means a higher DP and more programs for Bit.

>>39393981
Reread the post that started the chain

>>39393981
Anon1 starts waifushit with IA.

Anon2 asks him to please not start it.

You reply to anon2 with a post saying not to discount what anon1 said.

>>39394034
Oh, that. I wasn't referring to that.

Bit already has a waifu.

>>39393747

You accept her gesture, grasping a delicate hand, and she pulls you up to your feet. For a moment she looks a little shy, averting her eyes. “Sorry...” She lets your hand go and straightens her posture, “That was a good match. Let's, um... Do well for the next one, okay?” She turns and jogs back to her starting position, you glance up at the status board since it's no longer hidden by the field.

>Iron angel: 70/240 DP
>Night Lancer: 10/120DP

“Well at least we don't have to worry about going bust.” You speak to Alice through your direct link.

“NevermoRaven's going to cost us if we abuse it too much.”

“The effect lasts at least. So long as we catch her before she flips her weight scale, we'll be able to pressure her.” You consider what happened near the end, “Was the AV fighting you off?”

“He started to learn my algorithms. I'm already randomizing some new attack ones. If I didn't have to work in bursts, I could overwhelm him, I know it.”

“Kind of wish I had more than one Halibird. Could keep one in while the other increased damage.”

“Isn't there a way for that?”

“Some pros do it... I forgot exactly what it's called. It's kind of risky though, it'd be a lot more intense for you.”

“If need be, I'll try. Don't worry too much about it. I'll figure something out.”

“But Bit, you're the one trembling.”

---
The second field comes into effect, a mountain valley with a great deal of shrubbery as it falls down into a creek running with crystal clear water instead of a valley of death with murk running through the center that you'd find away from the cities, away from the farms... Mom and Dad might have made some good points here and there.

>>39394269

All in all, this field has low cover, and forces combat in the central creek. If they have riverbed rendered there, Iron Angel should have a rough time.

Your avatar loads and you preload your Halibird

Second Round: Start!

>Gauge: 40%

You already see Iron Angel on an oppositting cliff-face, she holds an apple in her hands, likely a preload. With a clench of her hand, It explodes and her avatar shines as she activates her own booster, rocketing off of the cliff-face for you in one long leap!

>[Send your blade out into the air and knock her down.] Doesn't she know that jumping makes you predictable?

>[boost yourself and meet her leap. ] Just the only way you know how!
>[Jump off the cliff and descend into the river.] Evading her shots as needed.
>[Other]

>>39394283
>[Jump off the cliff and descend into the river.] Evading her shots as needed.
she definitely knows jumping makes you predictable. it is 300% a trap, she ready.

>>39394283
Combine these 2
>[Send your blade out into the air and knock her down.] Doesn't she know that jumping makes you predictable?
>[Jump off the cliff and descend into the river.] Evading her shots as needed.

>>39394325
This

>>39394325
Sounds like a good plan

>>39394283
>>39394325
Yeah.

>>39394283
>Microsoft heiress
>Apple booster

I agree with >>39394325

>>39394397
I think it's a statement. Notice how she's crushing the apple. She's not having it scatter into light, or fuse with her, or any number of things that'd be positive. She's destroying it.

>>39394428
So it's like crushing Apple is what gives her motivation? Well played.

>>39394283

With a sigh, you casually step off of the cliff while throwing out your blade. If she's going to make one of the most amateur of mistakes, she's going to pay for it.

Your sabatons meet dry earth as you slide down through the shrubbery, the flying blade colliding with Iron Angel during her light phase and dragging her down to the ground with a flurry of buzzing blows, sending her right into the central creak.

Without more time to waste, you activate your booster as you return your axe, letting your momentum carry you as the light effect of your speed sends you into a mad dash.

As Iron Angel rises stiffly from the water, you leap, twisting in the air as you send your blade flying out once more as you pass overhead onto the other bank of the wide creek.

With a sudden explosion, Iron Angel's crushed another loaded apple. As your axe flies, it falls into the water, suddenly very heavy while the actual liquid light rises up into a single amorphous blob from her special effect.

“Our axe became too heavy to fly, she's regained her weight, and the water is... floating?”

“That's about right.” You say back to Alice as Iron Angel brings her heel down upon your axehead, smashing it into pieces, her other hand extended with a gathering of data for that viscous metal blast of hers.

You're not too far...

>[Rush her into melee!] She can't keep up right now, you won't be surprised anymore!
>[Activate NevermoRaven.] Time to show everyone why you're called Night Lancer, you dance!
>[Strafe her as you load in a new blade!] That consistent damage is helpful.
>[Other]

>>39394664
>>[Strafe her as you load in a new blade!] That consistent damage is helpful.
Can Alice start a hack through a ranged hit?

>>39394664
>[Strafe her as you load in a new blade!] That consistent damage is helpful.

I'm starting to fall asleep already, been a bit sleep deprived lately with life.

Gonna have to end here and crash. Sorry guys, gonna try yo wrap up Iron Angel by next week.

>>39395285
No worries, thanks for running.