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>>44035926

THEN:

"-What is your desire?"

The room is dark.

The overwhelming stench of antiseptic. The chime and hum of machines. The faint hiss of drug-shunt tubes and wound-drains-

...The salt tang of the scalpel, the iron hit of the tweezers, the bleach sip of the retractors.

"Is it 'life' that you wish for?"

The instruments - cutting, always cutting - are cold, but his voice is kind. His words are soft, addressed solely to the shrunken, withered thing on the surgery table - all discoloured flesh and the atrophied ends of truncated joints, marked by cicatrice scars.

"-Is it 'happiness' that you desire?"

The withered thing stirs, the implant flickering to fitful life against discoloured flesh. Static crackles, shaping monotone electronic words.

"I just want to be-"

(Continued)

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>>44035941

NOW:

"Beautiful!"

Alura's laughter is low, husky, rich with admiration - Her slender arms spread, as if she means to embrace the entire world. Overhead, Anima's ghastly form hovers - half-real, warped, like a spectre of death - foot-long claws humming as they form a protective cage around her, interlocking like the teeth of a fractal dragon.

Rust Kaiser's form - His grey, tumorous flesh - begins to tremble, to form tiny peaks and dips all across that tortured, tormented bulk. The tissue bubbles, expands; the peak becoming mountains, the dips, valleys, all of it grey and swelling as his limbs begin to fold in on themselves. With the brittle crack of splintering internal structure, of grinding bone, his arms twist out of alignment, joining the growing mass - the texture turning rough and striated, veins like cables rising, rising...

It doesn't stop there. The change is beyond all restraint, all control. Pitted black armor splinters, bursting from within as suppurating flesh *swells*, pulsing with agonized force-

You can hear the wet snapping sounds. See the knobs of spine rising through the densely writhing muscle of Rust Kaiser's hunched back. Great jagged spikes of tooth and claw push outwards from within, the echoes of that terrible howl wrenched from a mutating, distorting throat as his head rolls down and becomes part of the grotesque gigantism of his form, grey becoming muscle-tissue red, blood vessels stitching across like a tide-

(Continued)

>>44035951

You can hear the wet snapping sounds. See the knobs of spine rising through the densely writhing muscle of Rust Kaiser's hunched back. Great jagged spikes of tooth and claw push outwards from within, the echoes of that terrible howl wrenched from a mutating, distorting throat as his head rolls down and becomes part of the grotesque gigantism of his form, grey becoming muscle-tissue red, blood vessels stitching across like a tide-

A cloven hoof of bleached bone - a vast, elephantine limb buttressed with dense bone ridges and knuckly spines - slams down onto the tiled floor, cracks skittering across the splintering ground. Pitch-black tentacles - corded with layer upon layer of dense muscle - push out from the central mass, undulating like waves. Each one ends in a snarling maw, lamprey mouths gnashing as Kaiser's backward-jointed, brutally muscled legs - four, like a beast, hooves leaving smoking imprints in the ground - grind the shattered remnants of his armor underfoot...

And then the massive, tumorous thing *rises up* on new limbs. Great claws with too many joints - resembling the lashing branches of winter trees - close and open, close and open, reaching out to rip and tear at everything around themselves. The howl continues, but the screaming is changing, too - Becoming deeper, rougher, Rust Kaiser's helm falling forward, *flowing* into that gnarled upper body, swallowed up by the inflamed and seething flesh. At the same time, another face is forming, growing, rising up from the back of his neck with a horrible snapping sound, like fingers being broken.

Contorted. Deformed.

Inhuman.

The face opens its mouth, and takes up the furious cry with a new voice. It is a howl, a brutal, gurgling shriek like the voice of hell in the moving dark, roared back out at the world around it. The terrible wall of sound is like the laughter of an earthquake: But all you hear is mindless hunger.

(Continued)

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>>44035960

"H, holy-" Daegal blurts out, as he drags himself away - One twisted leg sparking beneath him, even as glowing filament lines cross-stitch across the rents, burning traceries that wrench the limb back into place. "*Holy*-"

He has the Immolator raised, but it wavers in his hand - as if he's not sure what he's *seeing*, let alone what to shoot at.

"Rook-" Haze. Desperate, now, syringes deploying from his wrists, his fingers, as he hunches down beneath Rook's smoking form; "-Rook, I'm *so sorry*-

The Thief is thirty yards away when Calcite hears him. The sheer horror of the unfolding monstrosity has transfixed Suou - But the sight of the Thief advancing with purpose, a visage of grinning death, is enough to jolt him back to reality. "Get away-" he stammers, wheeling round-

The Thief leaps. A blur of limbs, the lightless glint of black steel.

ANIMA's tail - barbed, snaking, ending in a huge knot of armor - whipcracks, and takes him in the chest. The *snap* of the impact blurs the world, snatches him away with abrupt force - Splintered shards of energy tumble away, his force buckler smashed to pieces in that single brutal collision-

When he hits the wall, he makes a sound like-

"-"

"No, no," Alura says - shaking her head, as if mildly disappointed. She waves an admonitory finger, as if confronting some childhood mischief - "Enough of that. Now..." A sickening glow builds within her - searing veins of golden light within her quicksilver form. At a gesture, fire bursts up from the floor tiles - Lines of it surrounding the Thief, beckoned to life by her slender fingers. The spontaneous inferno roars up from bare stone in tongues of hungry flame; As ANIMA's ghostly form trails in her wake like a gossamer cloak, her full lips curve in a thoughtful pout.

"-Where *is* Joker-kun...?"

(Continued)

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>>44035989

You're on your feet, pushing off from the ground with your remaining hand. The faint spit of sparks, at the ragged stump of your right arm; the whisper-soft surrusation as the remnants of Fortress Mode crumble away in the rising winds - the building hum of the Memory Towers, their aspect changing. Filaments of barbed wire - spidersilk-thin, diamond-hard - razored edges and serrated spikes humming with lethal current, visibly crackling in ultraviolet waves down the writhing, twisting strands, like a garland of deadly vines.

She's looking away from you, but ANIMA's grotesque head swivels - as unerringly as a compass needle towards true north. The *absence* of Cybele's Emblem sends a phantom ache coursing through nonexistent nerves, as baleful red eyes peer through nictating lenses.

It *hisses*.

"Found you," Alura says. Only now does she turn.

And smiles.

HP: 69.5%
COBALT BOOSTER: 10%
ASSAULT SHROUD: 22%
METER: 46%
ENCROACHMENT: 4%

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>44036044

(Gentlemen, check the Twitter for an alternate image for the opening post. Be aware that it's extremely NSFW.)

>>44036093
This seems to be an awkward time. I'm the only other one here by poster count and I'm leaving for work.

>>44036155

(No worries - This is likely a pretty irregular time for everyone involved. If there are no takers, I'll postpone it to the end of the week.)

>>44036093

Well, fuck. Is that what Alura really looks like?

Fuck, didn't expect a thread today.

>>44036044
>Alura joins the action
Fuck. I had a plan for dealing with Rust, but that's pretty much impossible now.

>>44036629

I really don't understand what Alura is trying to do. She seems actively happy that we killed all the others.

>>44036640
I imagine she was waiting for someone to kill Megumi and unleash Kaiser to finish us off in the most cruel way possible.

>>44036044
>>44036640

>the building hum of the Memory Towers, their aspect changing. Filaments of barbed wire - spidersilk-thin, diamond-hard - razored edges and serrated spikes humming with lethal current, visibly crackling in ultraviolet waves down the writhing, twisting strands, like a garland of deadly vines.

The manifold towers change each time someone dies. She wants everyone else to be dead.

>>44036044
Have the Harmonia ready for when she attacks. We'll need it either to deal with her power or CONSUME it to survive.

All bets are off: Activate Terrorsight, switch to Malefactor to keep Rust off of us with fire. Now that he's a mindless beast, hopefully that'll keep him distracted.

Also, Dirac transmission to Daegal "I'll distract them. Find the Arsenal Beacon and summon Caliban. NOW!"

>>44036749

Teleportation's blocked. That's not going to work.

>>44036756
The shield's down, so it should work now.

>>44036749
>Activate Terrorsight
You know, that might actually be a decent idea. Given the flashback we just got of Alura, she presumably has some insecurity we can prey on.

>>44036797
Given the NSFW pic on the op, her insecurity is her physical deformity in the real-world.

JQOP, are you still around?

>>44036831
That's OOC knowledge, so we can't really utilize it without using Terrorsight first.

>>44036832

(I'm still around. I'll wait for a few more posts before coming to a consensus, in case anyone else has other suggestions.)

>>44036749
>>44036797

The brass dendrites of CHAGAN whirr, mechanisms reconfiguring. The template of the Tau Gun is rejected, the weapon icon lighting up bright and actinic on your HUD as control returns - Your evasive shift has taken you out of Rust Kaiser's immediate vicnity, even as that wordless, mindless howls blister the air; vast limbs reaching out, lurching into hungry motion as that great horned head swings from side-to-side, maw champing like an industrial crusher-

"-Eat this-"

Daegal wrenches the ADAMANT up to his shoulder. The lion's-head crest roars back, predator-to-predator...

-And spews forth hungry flames of its own. A torrent of flame belches forth from Daegal's shield, spheres of black fire that blitz into Rust Kaiser's - the thing that *was* Rust Kaiser's - titanic form. They erupt in blossoms of coiling flame, each thundering blast like a mortar strike, a grenade impact-

On one good leg - and one sparking, unsteady one - Daegal hurls himself aside. A huge crushing hoof smashes down, the shockwave concussion sending cracks splintering through the ground; smoke unfurls from that blistered form, the skein of charred flesh thickening to carapace. Ropey veins thread through it, tumorous blisters of muscle pushing up through the surface-

A vast strand of flesh explodes from the spreading form, and smashes into him. It is a blunt, jointless arm - a rippling mass that powers into him from behind, lifts him off the ground, drives him forward. He goes down mere inches from the sparking, cising wire of a memory tower, and the fleshy limb rears up like a mace to drive down into him...

(Continued)

>>44037038

-There is a piercing shriek, a raptor's hunting call. A thing of smoke and tattered shadow, ragged wings trailing liquid Lachryma, drives down onto Rust Kaiser's form from behind like a swooping hawk. Feverish light burns in crimson eyes - A light that stabs forth in a hail of plasma, autoreactive talons gouging deep into the monster's hide. Rook's deformed raptor-beak wrenches open - exposing countless fangs - and drives into the stinking flesh behind the crest of horns-

The enraged bellow shakes the world. Haze staggers back, covering his ears - the blindness has lifted, and he stares in stark horror as the array of needles and probes retract into his gauntlets-

Rook's form bulges. Swells. There is a hideous sucking sound - the smouldering emissions that pout from his long limbs burning with immaterial energies, the rents in his vulture wings sealing over, the way a smile slowly fades. His claws spit sparks, smoking talons locked in a deathgrip - Fleshmetal writhing, tightening, as Lachryma floods into him, lipless jaws vicing down as wingblades slice into Rust Kaiser's spine from behind-

A name comes to mind:

Hektonhire.

Rust Kaiser's vast bulk thrashes. The fury in each lumbering motion is a palpable force, hammering against you - He smashes through the clustered lines of the Memory towers, the charge spiderwebbing across his pitted hide - fist-sized chunks of crystal hailing down, trying to dislodge the winged predator that latches onto him like a leech. The rumbling charge is like some vast engine going amok as Rook drives Shrike Blades into juddering flesh-

There is no sanity to the clash of monsters. Only fury, and hunger.

(Continued)

>>44037103
>Haze can heal and modify correctors with his toxins
Christ, this guy has a lot of versatility.

>>44037124

(Technically, he pumped Rook full of combat drugs.)

>>44037103

You raise your arm and-

Instinct saves you, as a beam of howling light sears past you. The fusion cascade carves a deep, smoking gouge into the ground, the twisted fissure glowing red-hot as smoke wisps up from the impact point.

"Joker-kun~"

Alura's voice is a caress, as she touches a finger to her lips.

"-Where are you looking?"

"Don't you want to play with me instead?"

She gestures, and a storm of black rose petals swirls forth. The length of her trailing sleeves attentuate, baring the quicksilver flesh below. It is like an autumn storm, the wind that sweeps away dry leaves - But when the petals touch you, sparks erupt from your armor. There is a metal-on-metal shriek, new scars sheared into the crimson finish of your battered plate-

The delicate edge of each petal is infinitely *sharp*, a cutting, slicing blade - and they gash you a thousand times as they swirl around you in a razor storm. As the fuel tanks of the MALEFACTOR bulge into existence, the sickly green pilot light flickering into existence, your hand convulses on the trigger...

Acid flame boils forth.

(Continued)

>>44037103
Well, now we know why they paired well together...

Alright, tell Haze to pair up with the Thief and take down Calcite Arrow once and for all. Daegal and us are going to finally put that fucking bitch out of everyone's misery. Scan her with all of out scans. Set fire to her to cover Daegal's approach and fire some Triskelion Launchers from our back to; if the Cryptid tries to attack either Daegal or us, swap positions with Rust Kaiser. It may be possible to make both of them fight.

>>44037103
>Hektonhire.
Huh. Usually see this spelled Hecatoncheire. Anyway.

It's a Battle of the Kajiu!

>>44037186
Anon, you're utterly ignoring the power of our opponents. Conventional attacks and scanning don't work on Alura, Calcite Arrow is a waste of time now and no amount of basic firepower will take down Rust Kaiser.

If we want to take down Alura, we need to launch a psychological attack. If we want to take down Rust Kaiser, we need Haze to use his warhead to melt him.

>>44037210
That's bollocks about Alura not being able to be damaged; she couldn't stop our teleportation powers or revive Orthus earlier. Haze is better used to kill Calcite so we've got everyone free to take down Kaiser. Of course he can go down, it's just going to be a lot of guns.

Quit being such a fucking quitter. We've taken down enemies as hard as this, between Inox the Timecunt and CANKER EATER

>>44037210
>Calcite Arrow is a waste of time now
He has Alura's icon, so there might be some impact.

And yeah, we need special shit.

Rust Kaiser can be damaged by Rubicante's entropic shot, Haze, our Corrector or the QSC.

Similar goes to Alura. We need the QSC or a psychological attack against her.

Would EXEC_SMITE work against Rust Kaiser?
Or maybe a SWARM?

>>44035989
>One twisted leg sparking beneath him, even as glowing filament lines cross-stitch across the rents, burning traceries that wrench the limb back into place.
Oh nifty. So Daegal regenerates?

>>44037243
Swarm won't do much to crack him open, it'll just be surface damage. SMITE is good but it needs a follow up.

We're in a good position but we have to make use of our superior numbers. And killing Calcite Arrow will free up the Thief and prevent backstabs. He's gotta go down so gank Rust Kaiser and Alura,

Even then, I'm not too worried about Alura. She's stayed out of the fighting so far but she hasn't done anything we can't compete with yet.

>>44037184

The gushing roar of the flamer sounds like an ogre's wet snarl, as the torrent of flame sears through the swirling petals - Nothing stops it. It burns through them like a blowtorch through paper, a river of lava in the darkness. Boiling, surging flame lights up the world, a five-meter long cone that consumes everything in a rushing emerald holocaust-

"Not fair-! Aaaah, Ren; Leaving things like that for Joker-kun...You're so careless-!"

There is a sound. A BRAAAAKKK like a shotgun's discharge, a spray of stone splintering against your armor, breach warnings flaring at the joints. Calcite stiffens, as his visor clamps shut, his vision narrowing to a slit - He lurches towards you, propelled by a will not his own. Churning stone gathers at his bow - Each time he fires, it erupts against you like a expanding cloud of buckshot, as you sweep the Sinistral's flickering field up to receive the impacts.

So you turn the Malefactor on him, instead.

Stone leaps up from the ground, across the narrow distance. The crystalline fragments of the shattered memory towers, gathering around Calcite - an overlapping armor of uneven shards, a shattered mosaic arrayed into a bulky shell as he bathes in raw flame. The stench of cooking stone would be overwhelming, if you could smell it - Forced forward, he staggers towards you one step at a time, against the roaring flames-

(Continued)

>>44037228
>she couldn't stop our teleportation
Didn't and couldn't are different things. Considering how happy she is that RK was unleashed, we all but played into her plans.
>revive Orthus earlier
Because there's no essence left of her that can be used to revive?
>Haze is better used to kill Calcite
He really isn't. Haze is likely close to dying and risking him when his warhead is our ace is stupid.
>Of course he can go down, it's just going to be a lot of guns.
Trying to take him down with pure fire power is a waste of time, if the last few threads haven't made it clear enough for you. Either we take him down with one attack or everyone dies because nobody has enough HP to handle a long fight.
>We've taken down enemies as hard as this, between Inox the Timecunt and CANKER EATER
Red Joker is blatantly weaker than Alura. That is not even a question. Black Joker aside, she's likely the strong Player there is right now, by virtue of being the Chalice Queen. Most of our core equipment is also damaged, so trying to fight her fair and square is suicide.

>>44037228
>We've taken down enemies as hard as this, between Inox the Timecunt and CANKER EATER
No we didn't. Ixion is the only one who comes close and even then he utterly trashed Joker.

Wait, where did Bell Zephyr's Essence go?

>>44037340

(Rust Kaiser, and the Manifold Towers.)

>>44037278

Enough of this-

> Activate Terrorsight

It's a power you've never used. A power you can only dimly intuit. But when your gaze centers on Alura - When you *focus*, the light of infinity swells to engulf your world. In that eternal moment, the world turns to crystal-

Your consciousness splinters with it. It flashes, instantly, along the fault lines and vectors of effect: For a single instant, you are in direct and intimate contact with many different times and places.

You see it all.

------------------------

The room is dark.

You can hear yourself breathing. It comes hard, and harsh, and it scrapes nerves already raw, but you cannot stop it. You can never stop it. You cannot even slow it down.

Mechanisms hardwired into your chest breathe for you. They will pump oxygen into your bloodstream forever.

You can feel, intimately, the rough scrape of the blankets against your skin - the stench of the sores, the welts of your flesh. You can smell yourself, and it disgusts you.

The faint click of the latch, the groan of the hinges-

"What is your wish?"

You try to speak, and another voice speaks for you - out from the vocabulator wired into your chest, that serves you for sutured lips and tongue and throat.

Wh̶̠̯ò ̷̙

̕a̘̗̗̻̤͘r̞͈̹̫͍̲e͍̤̳ ̺̦
̖͎̘̙̣͘
̗͉͍͇̜y͖̜̮̱͉̤o̡͚̼̳̣u̸̹͙?̥̭̝̦̱͈

(Continued)

>>44037292
>>44037309
>>44037344
You forget how badly CANKER EATER fucked us up then; we went from like, 200 health to 30.

Also, we wasted it. Well, hopefully this will all work out.

I suggest our next upgrade be Resupply as well. The Red Joker already has a massive arsenal at this point and it would more sense to refill that then just...Well, you know. Get another weapon and fiddle around with it for the next fight before something else gets damaged and we unlock yet another new weapon.

>>44037382
I hope we are able to get a double-level in this fight.

>>44037382
>200 health to 30.
From 260 to 140, actually. Pretty standard for a fight and mostly because we made a few idiotic choice. Ixion and White Joker were a lot worse.
Agree about Resupply, though I doubt we'll get a chance.

>>44037404
If we survive, either Kaiser or Alura will die, probably both. I'd be pretty surprised if we didn't get a level off them.

>>44037344

Whole. Alive. The richness of silk against your skin.

"Naoya-kun's gone," you say, and your voice revebrates through the chamber where Pazuzu stands. His gaze is fixed on a point in the distance - the whirring mechanisms of his true eye and the violet sphere of his false one, contemplating the quicksilver form that hovers before him, in suspension.

And a name:

SOLITAIRE

THEN HE HAS FORSAKEN HIS LIFE'S REWARD.

He turns, with grave slowness. His expression is unchanging...

-But perhaps it is contempt in his voice.

THE ARMOR IS YOURS, IF YOU WISH IT.

MAKE AN END.

---------------------------------------

"-unnecessary," Naoya's tinny voice whispers across the connection, and you stiffen - For in his words, you glimpse your destiny.

Behind you, held within a cage of shifting blades, Cybele sobs, just once. Your focus shifts, and she is forced up to tiptoe as ragged fangs prick her skin - "He'll kill you," she whispers - Defiance mingling with the hatred in her eyes. "-He'll come and save me; and he'll definently, definently *kill you*-"

The White Joker speaks, and each of his words have the thudding force of scripture. And in his words, you see the truth.

-You're unnecessary, Alura. Surplus to requirements. Obsolete.

There's no need for a false Queen, when they have the true one.

You feel an invisible fist tighten around your heart, the cold clutch of skeletal fingers. They still *need* you - they *must* need you, for without it-

"-Alura. Kill the girl."

"Of course," you say, and already you lie.

(Continued)

>>44037459
Haze's warhead doesn't net any Essence, so if we go for that method we won't get anything.

>>44037468
Hm, so it looks like Alura has abandonment issues.

>>44037475
Haze's warhead won't kill Rust Kaiser.

File: 1377226669174.gif (1.37 MB, 640x360)

1.37 MB GIF

>>44037468
>"He'll kill you," she whispers - Defiance mingling with the hatred in her eyes. "-He'll come and save me; and he'll definently, definently *kill you*-"

>>44037492
It's killed everything Haze has encountered so far, and since Kaiser's mostly organic now, he's especially weak to it. If the warhead can't, nothing short of the QSC or Caliban will. And that doesn't net any essence either.

>>44037499
Well she was mostly right.

>>44037485
But how can we utilize them?

>>44037506
It'll crack open his shell but we'll have to do the dirty work ourselves.

>>44037468

No. It's not enough. You need more.

The hole in all things, to let death in.

You see the invisible strands that fan forth from the Solitaire armor - that connect Alura to the ghostly Cryptid that hovers behind her like a nightmare, like a funeral shroud. And *that*, in turn, connects her to somewhere impossibly distant, where Pazuzu stands.

Waiting. Watching.

In his hands, he holds her soul.

And you see - the ghost-echoes of the future she desires. The strands that wind around Rust Kaiser's berserk form, that connect her to Rook, to *you* - the strings that would make you her puppets. Then - the vastness that swells to entangle every Player on the Diadem, from Simulation Bodies to the Smilers that slumber within the Diadem's depths - as things fall into place.

It is a simple plan, because Alura - like so many others - is a child, at heart.

Control those she can. Corrupt those she can't. And when the time is right, take her pawns and ascend - To challenge Pazuzu for the Diadem.

But death is already within her.

(Continued)

>>44037468
>contemplating the quicksilver form that hovers before him, in suspension.
SHITSHITSHITSHITSHITSHIT

>>44037533
?
From
>THE ARMOR IS YOURS, IF YOU WISH IT.
I assume it's just the Chalice Queen armour.

>>44037518
Anon, I think you misunderstand. It's not a bomb, but a biological weapon that melts anything it touches, both organic and inorganic (but the latter is weaker to it).

>>44037549
>latter
Meant former.

>>44037526
>>44037309
>>44037292
>>44037459
So it seems that we'll be fighting Pazuzu either by himself or with White Joker if they formed up again...

Or we're fighting White Joker and Black Joker...

All after having used Terrorsight on Alura. Who is now clearly not as strong as we think. Shit.

>>44037549
I'm aware of that but Rust Kaiser has already survived a number of instant kill attacks so I really doubt that this thing's going to take him down by himself.

>>44037568
I hope Pazuzu is unaware of our restriction on Terrorsight. Could give an intimidation bonus.

I wonder how much essence a Chalice Queen contains.

>>44037568
>All after having used Terrorsight on Alura. Who is now clearly not as strong as we think. Shit.
I seriously doubt we would be able to win against her without Terrorsight anyway.

>>44037568
Better to use it now than attempting to save it and dying/having another of our allies die.

>>44037568
It just never gets any simpler for us, does it?

I mean, first it's just surviving as the Red Joker, then the Smilers piss us off, then conspiracies are uncovered, waifu wars fuck us up, we fuck up, we try to unfuck up, form up the Broforce, and then this entire fight happens.

Seriously, fuck our luck.
And we still have to feed White Joker his own innards if we see him.
And get our shit back, that fucker.

>>44037604
Naoya is far less evil than we expected; it's Pazuzu who deserves to have his own guts fed to him. Pazuzu and Black Joker.

>>44037604
>And get our shit back, that fucker.
muh Carnifex ;_;

>>44037613
Black Joker is most likely just a being without any moral stance. I guess his corruption aspect used to not be evil, until it got used in large scale for retarded shit.
We know from that one gun that Black Joker's fighting style is based around nasty debuffs.


Naoya is still batshit insane and needs to be taken out.

>>44037617
And the chaingun. Can't forget the chaingun.

>>44037568
I don't expect to see White Joker or Black Joker until after we leave the Diadem (if we ever do).

>>44037613
>Black Joker
I don't think we have a personal bone to pick with him, though?

>>44037628
Chain Gun's dead, tho. Can't take that back. CHAGAN gave us a better one anyway (with a cooler name to boot).

>>44037613
Black Joker was a mindless abomination, IIRC.
Well, she IS now. Kotone is long gone.
And I don't think we can help Mio anymore, really.
Also, we're technically part Black now. We staked ourselves, after all.

Pazuzu was on our shit list since waaaay back.
Naoya is the one who went above and beyond the call to fuck shit up.

>>44037643
>Naoya is the one who went above and beyond the call to fuck shit up.
To be fair, he did at least warn us.

>>44037526
>In his hands, he holds her soul.
I hope this is meant figuratively.
Literally, it would mean that we could encounter Alura again.

>>44037631
We do. Oh god, we do. I think, from the opening story and what we learned, he fucked both us and the Original RJ up so much the RJ gave up his life so we could regenerate.

>>44037643
>>44037628
The two sequences we had with it, the Black Joker Planet and our first encounter with Kotone, showed it had some intelligence.

Also, I think I finally realised the whole thing about the Jokers.

Black Joker = Nigerido
White Joker = Albedo
Red Joker = Rubedo

Since Cincirnitas is always optional, that makes Daegal an optional Joker and since he's kind of become a variation of the Red Joker...

>>44037526

The last strand of ruin, astonishingly, connects to Haze. Haze, cowering - terrified, and aghast at once - but determined to matter in his own small way amid the fire and the flames-

-Bring it all down! Don't let them win!-

-a swirling h̡̨̯͉̣̤̼̟̠͙̥͕̺̱̗ͅa͏̫̰̥̲z͉̻̲̻̠̰̱̖̟̜̀͜͞e̡͡͏̟̩̯̙͕́ of ochre smoke-

The virus, winding it's way through ANIMA. Each time the Cryptid takes solid form, racing through its veins. Killing it a little each time, slowly - so exquisitely slowly - every time those ghost-talons shear through the air, every time Alura draws on a fragment of its power, *Cybele's* power, that courses along the black strands that fan from Solitaire to the Cryptid she controls...

Agony lights up your field of vision, as your Auspex shorts out. Ordinary vision returns, instead of the cold, clear clarity that comes with peerless sight - you stagger, stumble, as the Lachryma within you betrays you. A thick bloody sludge spurts from the joints of your armor, the nascent corruption within magnified, rejoicing - bitter tendrils worming their way into the fibres of your form. It feels like you're burning - being crushed - freezing - all at once, a convulsion juddering through your as the octone buzzing, buzzing of Encroachment swells within your senses-

Alura is close. Very close. Her voice is a whisper in your ear.

"Ah, one became a bird - And the other became a *beast*-"

"Joker-kun...I wonder what *you'll* become?"

(Continued)

>>44037659
I don't think it was ever explained what happened to the original RJ to have him end up in that state. For the most part it seems like Mikogami is the one who fucked up by abusing the Black Joker's power.

>>44037668

The Malefactor's flame sputters out, as Calcite's - *Calcite*'s - rocky fist crashes into your chest.

"Got you-" he snarls, with brittle hatred - You're still enerverated, fighting the corruption gnawing away at you from within - when he lands a haymaker that snaps your head to the side, that sprays shards of splintered metal from your helmet-vanes. He's clumsy, but the crystalline spikes - dripping flame - that bristle from his form are jagged, each blow gouging and tearing, as you bring up your right hand-

-Wait-

You have a right arm again.

"RRRRAGGGGHHHHHHH-"

You've never heard Akira scream before. The Thief is an attentuated ball of fire, almost too bright to look at - but he struggles against the holocaust that roars up against him, lurching forward through the inferno as his ragged coat burns away-

Alura turns-

"Really, now-" she murmurs - "-that sword of yours-"

"Joker, *hang on*-" Daegal is limping towards the confrontation - He's shed the Adamant somewhere, and Ascalon is still embedded hilt-deep in the stone. The Condemner is in his hand, power seething, crackling across the golden blade - and now even Haze is turning, if only to scurry out of the way, as Rust Kaiser smashes forward with a thundering bellow-

All of them, converging on you. The flashpoint in the maelstrom of battle.

HP: 51.1%
COBALT BOOSTER: 24%
ASSAULT SHROUD: 7%
METER: 55%
ENCROACHMENT: 37% (INCREASING)

YOU HAVE CONTROL

>>44037659
That's actually pretty insightful, anon.
Especially because Citrinitas is "an awakening".
We haven't quite been living up to the perfection Rubedo is supposed to be, though.

>>44037668
"You've forsaken your life's reward Alura; you don't deserve that armour, no matter how much you wish it. Even now, you are what you've always been. Surplus, obsolete...Lets make an end, False Queen."

Then burn that fucking witch.

>>44037685
She better not kill Akira.

>>44037694
The Red Joker armour is, itself, perfect.

>>44037698
Make that a Fusion Annihilator after packing away CHAGAN. And put it right through that cunt's face.

>>44037685

> "You're a traitor, Alura. You've always been a traitor. You really think you can defeat Pazuzu, by betraying everything and everyone? Do you think that's going to save you?"

>>44037685
>You have a right arm again.
Hue.

>>44037713
Why not Rubicante?

Cobalt Boost our speed, then kill Alura and Calcite.

From the gained regeneration we can shoot an entropic shot at Kaiser.

>>44037685
>>44037668
>"Joker-kun...I wonder what *you'll* become?"
"What about you, Alura? Could Lachryma finally make you beautiful?"

>>44037668
The last strand of ruin, astonishingly, connects to Haze. Haze, cowering - terrified, and aghast at once - but determined to matter in his own small way amid the fire and the flames-
Guess we have our sign.

>>44037685
Plasma Caster to Calcite's head.

Dirac transmission to Haze: "Shoot the warhead at me. That is an order!"
Send remaining bits of the Assault Shroud to distract Alura, blind her with the Malefactor's flame and switch places with Rust as Haze shoots.

>>44037668
>"Joker-kun...I wonder what *you'll* become?"
"How about you try first? You might become useful for once."

>>44037731
Alura's going to take a lot more to kill then just that.

>>44037746
>>44037726
>>44037698
Fucking savage.

>>44037731
>From the gained regeneration we can shoot an entropic shot at Kaiser.
Seriously doubt that'll do much, considering his size. He's also not a Player anymore, so I don't think we'll even regen from hurting or killing him

>>44037685

(Gentlemen, the situation is as follows:

The Thief is currently pinned down by Alura - He's on fire at the far end of the chamber. Daegal is approaching the fight, while you're being physically attacked by Calcite. Alura - And ANIMA - is some distance beyond that.

Rust Kaiser and Rook are locked - Kaiser is simply smashing through everything in his path in an attempt to dislodge Rook. Haze is perilously close to being crushed, but he's had the presence of mind to flee.)

>>44037754

(Note that - Like in the last chapter - you can't switch places with Kaiser or Alura.)

>>44037668
>The virus, winding it's way through ANIMA. Each time the Cryptid takes solid form, racing through its veins. Killing it a little each time, slowly - so exquisitely slowly - every time those ghost-talons shear through the air, every time Alura draws on a fragment of its power, *Cybele's* power, that courses along the black strands that fan from Solitaire to the Cryptid she controls...
Wait, is there a virus in the air right now or is this an idea that we can follow?

>>44037754
We can't switch with Rust Kaiser.

>>44037776
>Wait, is there a virus in the air right now or is this an idea that we can follow?
I assume that's Haze's doing.

>>44037776
Haze poisoned it.

>>44037774
So, execute Calcite with a few fist strikes and the Fusion Annihilator, give Daegal Rubicante and Cagnazzo and...

>>44037781
>>44037785
We fight for attrition?

>>44037776

(Haze poisoned ANIMA with a tailored virus.)

>>44037788
Well, I guess we just need to make her so angry that she manifests Anima more often.

How about we fire a sniper round at her?

>>44037685
>ASSAULT SHROUD: 7%
I wonder what it even looks like at that point.

>>44037787
>So, execute Calcite with a few fist strikes and the Fusion Annihilator, give Daegal Rubicante and Cagnazzo and...
I imagine the Plasma Caster will be enough in this case.

Wonder if we can use the Harmonia to force Anima to take constant solid form and thus force the poison to work unimpeded.

>>44037802

(Constantly regrowing shreds.)

>>44037804
>I imagine the Plasma Caster will be enough in this case.
Shit, that's what I meant.

No idea why I switched the word.

>Harmonia
Wasn't mentioned by Terrorsight. There is no connection.


Man, I'm glad we have Haze. He gave us a massive advantage.

I have no idea what is happening anymore, much less what we should do.

But what I do know is that these fight scemes are awesome and the characters are even better. Joker OP, you're one of the best writers I've seen on the internet.

>>44037746
>>44037764
>>44037698

"You-"

A sharp, indrawn hiss of breath. The tightening of her lips - all communicated by the exquisite quicksilver of her half-masked features, as Alura stiffens with rage. Her fingers curl into claws, echoing the hungry growl of the Cryptid behind her - the pounding, pounding of Lachryma within you rising to a fever-pitch, as her focus narrows into fury-

And then Daegal shoots her.

The Immolator's lion-muzzle flares, light burning in the weapon's ruby eyes - the heat-beam searing across the distance, the brilliant, eye-searing flash her only warning. For the first time, Kazuya's found his range - Somehow, through some fluke, some piece of chance, the shot is wickedly accurate.

Except Anima is in the way.

Instead of searing into Alura, the death-blast shears into the Cryptid from the side - Even as vast claws spread to shield her, interposing a rotted-titan's hand in the way. The Immolator's roar is echoed - a heartbeat later - by ANIMA's keening shriek, as the entire limb flashes into flame. Flesh superheats, like paper beneath a blowtorch - metal components slag, beneath the seething blast. It slices through flesh, then metal, then bone, then flesh again, blasting it apart like ash in a gale-

Alura staggers. She cries out, a squeal of rage and pain.

"It *hurts*-!" she wails - A petulant scream of frustration and anger. Her legs buckle beneath her, as her right arm flares with internal heat - her delicate hand losing form, becoming molten metal, superheated mercury puddling around her feet, igniting small fires where it touches her black dress. "-It hurts!"

Her gaze turns to Daegal, and there's so much hatred in it Kazuya actually blanches.

"-You *hurt* me-!"

(Continued)

>>44037926
Not sure if I should cheer for Kazuya's success or fear for the ire he's drawn.

>>44037926
So Anima is her Stand?

Now I hate her even more. Fuck Stands.

>>44037926
>For the first time, Kazuya's found his range - Somehow, through some fluke, some piece of chance, the shot is wickedly accurate.
>"-You *hurt* me-!"

Based Kazuya continues to be Best Bro, the Hero the Red needs, but doesn't deserve.

Crest teleport into Rail gun teleport again and fist?

>>44037926

Heedless of the ochre mist that swirls around her, ANIMA's arm reforms - Schematic lines reweaving seared flesh and disintegrated components, superimposed over the charred stump. It happens in an instant - One moment, Alura clutches at her severed arm - and then, in an eyeblink, the slender perfection of her limb is restored-

-But the memory of pain remains.

Vines erupt across the distance, as the ground explodes into mad floral life. Dozens of small, black blossoms, blooming around Daegal - Expanding in a fast-forward bloom, stretching out towards him, screeching and hissing. In their feverish, snapping motion, they remind you of the metal blossoms within lost Arcadia - raw green ends snatching at Daegal, ripping at him, shrieking black thorns and petals bristling upwards to entangle him, *pulling*-

Even in her fury, Alura knows - or has intuited, somehow - that Daegal's oriachulcum armor is nearly impenetratable.

It is, however, no defense against being pulled apart.

That is, if he gave them the chance.

"SHUT UP-!" Daegal roars, the Condemner humming in his fist. The blossoms scream as he hacks them off the vine, tendrils still groping blindly for him as he swings the sword like a man hacking his way through the undergrowth. He stomps on them indiscriminately, crushing them beneath his feet, the blade carving back and forth as he chops each one down to the stump. The surface of his helm actually quakes, at his shout.

Calcite puts all his force into his next swing. A straight-arm punch, with everything he's got. What he lacks in skill, he makes up with force: Finally, at last, Calcite is beginning to *get it*.

The crackling three-taloned claw of the Crisis Arm comes up, and you catch his first mid-swing. When you close your hand, stone splinters, with a crack of thunder - Shattered fragments spin through the air, as you wrench your fist back, pulling Calcite Arrow forward.

(Continued)

>>44038069
Daegal you absolute madman

If he dies I quit none of this was worth it

>>44038069
>"SHUT UP-!" Daegal roars, the Condemner humming in his fist. The blossoms scream as he hacks them off the vine, tendrils still groping blindly for him as he swings the sword like a man hacking his way through the undergrowth. He stomps on them indiscriminately, crushing them beneath his feet, the blade carving back and forth as he chops each one down to the stump. The surface of his helm actually quakes, at his shout.
>Calcite puts all his force into his next swing. A straight-arm punch, with everything he's got. What he lacks in skill, he makes up with force: Finally, at last, Calcite is beginning to *get it*.
Spend a few hours with Red Joker and you instantly turn into a man.

>>44038081
>Quit if BestBro dies
I'm with you on that.
>>44038094
>Red Joker makes MEN OF DESTINY
Unfortunately, it works on both allies and enemies.

Can we teleport using Calcite?

>>44038069
Who needs waifus when we have bros like this?

>>44038123
He's right next to us. Why would we?

>>44038133
Take Thiefs spot to free him then leave calcite in the ball of fire

>>44038108
If Kazuya dies, I'll keep playing out of a bloodthirsty desire for revenge. And then, when every single trace of the Smilers and has been wiped out from the world, when not a single trace of their Essence is left, we'll burn down the Red until nothing but ashes are left. Because fuck this place that took two waifus and a bro from us.

>>44038138
I wouldn't mind, but we're kinda low on HP and high on corruption. If we don't get some healing from killing Calcite, we're fucked. Moreover, we don't have enough Cobalt Booster and using meter would leave as at less than 10% because switching two other people is worth 50%.

>>44037926

Sheathed in stone - His vision a narrow slit - the overlapping crystal of his over-armor cracks. The impact sends him staggering back, momentarily stunned; Clearing just enough space for your left arm to come up, the crimson hypersphere of the Vector Trap unfolding into the Plasma Caster-

You fire. Point-blank range.

The thunder of the blast - mere inches from Calcite's helmet - is drowned out by the massive short-range blast of cohered plasma. Not scattershot, this time; A fury of raw heat, raw energy that fuses his visor to slag - the furious alchemy of the blast instantly catalyzing the crystalline surface to brittle black glass. Everything from the neck up ignites, like the head of a lambent torch-

"-AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

Calcite stumbles back.

"-burning, I'm-"

You focus. Your Crisis Arm erases itself from existence, replaced by a subtler weapon. The cising claws of EXEC_CONSUME snap forth, talons of burning violet light that shed lightless sparks of their own.

Impossibly, Calcite - somehow, somehow - sees you coming. His bow is in his free hand, as stone flakes away from him - He lashes out at you, a wild swing. The tempered edges of his weapon are as strong and sharp as any you've ever seen: It slices into your side, through the segmented layering, and wedges deep into your ribs.

For one stretching second, his grip slackens. He can't believe he's finally done it.

After all this time - He's finally killed you. It's a good swing: He felt it go home. It would be deep, and gouging, and rending-

...On a human, that is.

And in that blank instant of victory - a cascading flutter of his dreams of revenge - you lean forward and drive your talons through his splintered visor, and into his electronic brain.

(Continued)

>>44038160
I almost feel sorry for Calcite.

>>44038179
I always do

>

>>44038179
I don't. The scrub needs to learn how to robot. If it didn't hit the head, the reactor or wherever the Essence is, it isn't deadly enough.

>>44038160

He goes blind, when EXEC_CONSUME's talons punch through his optic sockets. His internal structure deforms, as you drive your claws deep - and burn everything that he *is* away, in a blaze of violet flame.

Impaled, Calcite judders. Power jags along the connection, up your arm - the Nihl Sphere seething with crazing light. Your Leech Module drinks in his death, the whirl of Essence surrounding you; His hand convulsing on the grip of his bow, the edge buzzing, locked in place but fighting to saw deeper-

When you wrench your hand back, his knees buckle, and he twists towards the ground. His arms splay, so he falls faceup - A final and shattering fall, wisps of smoke twisting up from the ruin of his optics.

You reach up, with your free hand. Calcite's weapon is buried halfway inside you, and it crackles when you pull it free. It clatters to the ground, next to him - already turning grey, the force it in dissipating.

And around you, the Memory Towers take on the texture of marble, of white and noble stone.

You're running out of pawns, Alura-

Sickly light flares. Everything slows, as Alura's mask erupts with orange light. Spikes of energy fan out around her, like an elaborate, deathly headdress-

And then, the burning lines hiss across the distance. They sear past Daegal, staggering as he systematically reduces the grasping vines to mulch. They burn past you, by mere inches, so close their ozone sheaths make static crackle across your optics.

(Continued)

>>44038160

They strike Rust Kaiser, all of them - Like impaling stakes, like swords of light. He is lost in his mindless rampage, the single-minded animal need to free himself of the predator that hunches over him, that gnaws at his flesh - But when the burning flash drives into him, the roaring beast goes still.

Only for a moment. Just an instant.

Rook wrenches back. It is an instinctive gesture, a bird of prey's raking assault to snap the target's spine - But then vast, snapping limbs unfurl from the Hektonhire's warped bulk, like the thrashing branches of a winter tree. There is immense force in them as they close inexorably around Rook-

-You hear Alura exhale, a low, juddering hiss of satisfaction-

"ROOK-!" Haze blurts out-

And Rust Kaiser pulls Rook's arms off.

Internal structure - *Bone* - crackles, like crumpling paper. Metal - flesh - tears with a sound like the ripping of heavy cloth. Lachryma - blood - spurts from the stumps, Rook's screams high and wailing and so very much like a bird's. His claws are still embedded deep in the Hektonhire's tumorous flesh - the awful rending, *snapping* - echoing forever as what remains of Rook tumbles away, still thrashing as he hits the ground.

There is a *crunch*, as secondary limbs shovel bleeding fleshmetal into that mindless, grinding maw. Shards of metal spray from between slablike teeth, the fragments that clatter against the ground already tarnished, already dissolving into corroded rust.

"-I have control," Alura says - softly, like a lover's caress. "I have *control*-"

(Continued)

>>44038309
>And Rust Kaiser pulls Rook's arms off.
Motherfucker.

>>44038309
I fucking hate you so fucking much Alura.

>>44038309
Think we can switch Rook with what remains of Calcite and have Haze finally shoot Rust?

>>44038309

The thing that was Rust Kaiser ploughs forward. It is a towering wall of tumorous flesh, of tusks and grinding maws. The shuddering bulk has a ponderous unstoppability to it, like a tank given limbs and will.

It sees you. It *knows* you, somehow.

And even though it barely has a face-

-You swear that it is smiling, as it comes for you.

JOKER QUEST

EPISODE 145

TO BE CONTINUED

>>44038364
So does Daegal have regen?

>>44038364

(Gentlemen - My apologies, but it's extremely late on my end. I would love to continue, but this looks like a natural cliffhanger.

Good night and God bless: You've been a wonderful audience, and I hope to see you again next time.)

>>44038375

(Yes, but it's static.)

>>44038346

(You could do that, yes.)

>>44038309
>"-I have control," Alura says - softly, like a lover's caress. "I have *control*-"
MOTHERFUCKER

Let's just dodge Kaiser and murder this bitch already, I'm sick and tired of her bullshit.

Killing everyone but her plays into her plans. Killing her first fucks up everything for her. Let's just murder that cunt.

>>44038364
... FUCK.
...
STILL WORTH IT.
... BUT FUCK.
>>44038386
Do the dice hate us?
Be honest with me here OP.

And God, what will it take to kill this bitch?
Do we start nagging her about being an ugly little cripple?
Do we have to channel our namesake? IS THAT IT?!
DO WE BULLY HER TO DEATH?!?!

Or we could, you know, just go on. And stuff.
...
I guess.

>>44038398
Good luck murdering her with Kaiser in the way.

>>44038410
How many combatants are still alive and not engaging someone?
How many can help distract Kaiser while we ready a full charge of the Fusion Annihilator? Or maybe some of our other heavy hitting weapons will work, I dunno. I need to check the pastebin again.

Point is, teamwork, motherfucker, we can use it. And if we focus on keeping our distance and taking potshots at Kaiser and Alura, we'll have enough Meter to use it freely and our Booster should regen a bit.

We kill Alura, we stop whatever she is doing to Kaiser and then we can take on the maddened behemoth without having to worry about what crazy bullshit Alura will pull out of her ugly ass.

>>44038404
>And God, what will it take to kill this bitch?
>Do we start nagging her about being an ugly little cripple?
>Do we have to channel our namesake? IS THAT IT?!
>DO WE BULLY HER TO DEATH?!?!

We have a power greater than any bullying anon. We have GUNS. And MISSILES. Missiles we can aim at her while we dodge Kaiser and prepare to annihilate him with the power of the Sun.

>>44038462
>How many combatants are still alive and not engaging someone?
Let's see...
On our side:
>Us, Daegal, Thief (currently on fire?)
On theirs:
>Hekatoncheire, Alura + Anima
We're engaging Hekatoncheire at the moment, by which I mean he's charging at us. I think Daegal is nearby.

>And if we focus on keeping our distance and taking potshots at Kaiser and Alura
Not a bad idea.

>>44038493
Keeping our distance is always the best idea. We're the ranged guy, for God's sake, if the guy charges our position we advance BACKWARDS, not meet him to punch him out. We do not need to get closer and hit them with our fist. We get away and shoot them from further than they can reach.

We have missile racks that we don't need to hold to fire, we have upgraded Vulcans thanks to Chagan, we have RANGE. We have an extra movement phase thanks to our abruption jets or whatever they're called. We HAD a scrander and three dimensional movement before everything went to shit.

We out range our enemies, we drown them in flame and plasma and lead and we DODGE everything that comes near.

Who's still alive on Alura's side beyond hecatoncheire, anyway?

>>44038551

She's basically by herself now.

You know, all of them fucking hated each other. Enfer/Zephyr/Rust Kaiser were one bloc, Alura was her own bloc, and Pazuzu/WJ were the last. No wonder they lost, they turned on each other at the very end.

Remember when Bell Zephyr was asking for support, and Alura told her to fuck off and die?

Can someone else archive the thread this time?

Too tired for this shit today.

>>44038597
So when she dies we can honestly say nothing of value was lost. Because no one liked her or loved her anyway.

>>44038638

That's pretty interesting. Alura is actually really attractive and quite flirtatious, but she's completely repulsive in her behavior. She's like a malicious mirror to Hecate.

So how do we free the Thief? Only idea I have is to switch him with Calc

Also how effective would the railgunext be on Anima? And in that same vein do correctors have a core that can be targeted or something?

PPS
If we turned Caliban into a robot none of this would be happening
Goodnight sweet prince

>>44038682
>Alura is actually really attractive
Her Hyades projection is.
She herself is a mess of scars and shit and her personality makes her fucking repulsive.

>>44038849

Hecate is in the same state, but she's apparently prettier despite being scarred and sickly.

>>44038872
Hecate doesn't have a projection. She was a Moratorium, not a Hyades, so her appearance likely reflected her real one.

Also,nI don't think anything was mentioned about Hecate having scars (at least visible). She mostly just looked withered and extremely atrophied due to spending years in coma.

>>44038932

What, the sexy demon-girl appearance? Did she really look like that?

>>44038953
She can change clothes, remember? Aside from the horns, there was nothing demon-like about her physically, so the way she looked when she acted as Tsukimi is likely how she was before the accident that left her in coma.

>>44038991
How did we even end up with her it just sorta... happened?

I have no idea what was happening when I was archive scuba diving

>>44039036

She was actively looking for Joker at the very beginning. In hindsight, she was on the run from the Smilers and wanted to find someone to protect her.

She basically discovered a huge cave full of robots, sort of like the Hellion army, and began to reactivate them. After a while, we went out with her and Bardiel shot in her the back when shit went down at Nara Dreamland.

>>44039036
As a fellow diver, I do believe it just happened.
She helped us out of a bind, we hit it off, and then suddenly waifu'd.

And then the main plot caught up to us.
And then began a revenge filled mission that led us to joining with Three Amigos(and ruining on of their lives), finding The Hero's armor and his Kingdom, More waifus, our bro was oblivious, Waifus, Thief being Thief, Joker gonna Joker, Fukken Waifuing, FUKKEN SMILERS, more shenanigans, War of the Waifus and Their BoyToys(cept us), crazy schoolgirls, and then Fucking Naoya, and then, well.
We Fucked Up. And the clean up.
Which is still going on.

And I'm pretty sure I forgot something.

>>44039055
>a huge cave full of robots, sort of like the Hellion army
Didn't she start controlling armory guardians? You know, like the tank that we are currently owning?

>>44039036
It was basically a result of them helping the other out on several occasions and trying to out-flirt each other.

Ironically, she's still the only girl Joker has honestly admitted to being in love with.

>>44039092
>And I'm pretty sure I forgot something.
Dating Sim arc

>>44039098
Also, she's apparently a few years older than him.

>>44039113

Five years, was it?

>>44039096
I think she was trying to but didn't have enough time before getting shanked by Bardiel. She was mostly controlling player-sized robots (kinda like Hellions, now that I think about it.)

>>44039098
Hecate was Best Girl and Best Waifu.

All others led to tragedy, huge fuck ups and terrible decisions.

>>44039293

What if we met Mio first?

File: 820.jpg (43 KB, 680x505)

43 KB JPG

>>44039394
I wish we did

So many problems
Gone
Just like that
Just like my dreams and hopes
Wish we met thunder tits first tho

>>44039394
Who knows? I wouldn't have voted for waifuing her either way, though.

>>44039394
Hecate was still the superior waifu and we wouldn't have met Mio without her.

We should have been just friends with Mio amd tried for something more serious with Cybele, and if Hecate were really still alive, we'd... I dunno, work something out.

Alas, all we have is an amazing bro and a clusterfuck we need to solve.

>>44039486
>and tried for something more serious with Cybele
>having a relationship with a Hyades
I don't think there has been one Player who hasn't been fucked over while trying o do that. The whole thing has "bad fucking idea" written all over it.

>>44039416

Who's that?

>>44039560
I think he's referring to Volt Regios. And shame on him for wanting to steal away Kouichi's only potential waifu that wouldn't have him abandon everything and kill his friends.

>>44039512
Yes, but then at least we'd still have our HP boost and healing spell. And no horrible corruption liquid oozing from our armor.

And Cybele was nothing if not helpful. Joker was the manipulative one, most of the time.

>>44039512
We already subverted the power dynamic and a Hyades is the closest thing a person can come to understand Joker's experience.

A Hyades saved by her champion would be completely loyal. Well, at least a Hyades that knew that the brainwashing didn't work on her champion.
Saving her in the death tournament despite having no reason to, has to count for something.

>>44039581
Kouichi is AWOL.
He loses Bro privileges.
And if he won...
Wait. If he won, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED!
FUCK.

>>44039584
The earlier anons didn't want to waifu her at first. And then the vote to give her the D came through.
And it all went Tumbling Down.

But damnit, Mio was waifu bait. She was a trap, and we fell for it.

Cybele was just unfortunate enough to be chosen by the Dice Gods.
... Wonder what would have happened if we got Bishamon's Waifu instead.

>>44039584
>>44039619
She still didn't bat an eye when confronted with the fact that Joker had to kill his friends to fulfill her goals and intended to have him sacrifice all the Simulation Players for her sake, because otherwise she can't get a physical body.

Helpful? Sure. Wouldn't have actually made her a good LI for joker

>>44039628
>Wait. If he won, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED!
No it would. In fact, everything would be even worse because he wouldn't be able to protect his Hyades either or even rally up the other Players for a desperate counter-attack..

>>44039652
>She still didn't bat an eye when confronted with the fact that Joker had to kill his friends to fulfill her goals and intended to have him sacrifice all the Simulation Players for her sake, because otherwise she can't get a physical body.
Hey dude, how about I force YOU to spend a few years stuck on a featureless rock with no connection to reality and only rock shaping powers to keep you company?

Her reaction is not unlike how Joker intended to stab her in the back. Pure pragmatism born out of a shitty and mind breaking situation.

>>44039652
Keep in mind tho, that this mess was because we picked Hellebore, and Cybele was Alura'd anyway. Lose-Lose situation, though we knew nothing.

Bish's waifu was one of the strongest, I think, and might have been able to bitch slap Alura down.

The Dice were against us from the beginning, Anon.

>>44039682
Doesn't really make her a better person or love interest. Picking her would essentially just mean making Joker even more of an amoral monster.

>>44039714
>Bish's waifu was one of the strongest, I think, and might have been able to bitch slap Alura down.
Reread the fragment from Alura's memories. White Joker is the one who captured Cybele, Alura just kept her imprisoned and under control with her parasites. Even with the Bish's waifu the result be the same because she doesn't have any way to oppose actual players in direct combat.

>>44039744
>Picking her would essentially just mean making Joker even more of an amoral monster.
Or allowing both to heal once everything is over, by re-adjusting to normal life together.

>>44039744
...
I reiterate the need to feed Naoya his own innards.
And to take our stuff back.
Fucking Naoya.

>>44039770
>re-adjusting
>Joker
He's never gonna be free anon. Not while he's still a Joker.

>>44039770
Hellebore herself stated - the physical body a Hyades gains is temporary. Even if she healed, she'd eventually just repeat the cycle.

And Joker won't be really healed until the Red is destroyed or he's dead.

>>44039628

If he had won, Alura would have ambushed Uzume and killed her. There'd be no way of winning.

>>44039802

Naoya is amazingly, incredibly evil. Literally everything about him is a baldfaced lie.

>>44039628
>Kouichi is AWOL.
I can't be the only one expecting him to somehow jump into the fray in our darkest hour.

>>44040040
And then stab us.
He wasn't in the best frame of mind at the time.
>>44039959
Well shit. Then this was lose-lose situation no matter what.

>>44040033
Like Father, Like Son, I suppose.

>>44040033
I wouldn't say he's particularly more evil than most of the Smilers. He's just a lot more efficient and smart than the rest.

>>44040094
Naoya is a tremendous cunt and that's reason enough to shank him for me.

>>44039802
>He's never gonna be free anon. Not while he's still a Joker.
I don't even want him to be free, let him be the Red Joker and occasionally kill idiots with the self preservation instincts of lemmings for the rest of his life, I just want him to live without having to deal with crazy world ending conspiracies.

The Red Joker Just Wants a Quiet Life.
Granted, that reference would work better with Enfer/bomberman/what the fuck ever his name was, but it fits.

>>44040063
>He wasn't in the best frame of mind at the time.
He might come to terms with what happened, though, depending on if the Hyades brainwashing has stopped affecting him.

>>44040233
The Hyades brainwashing doesn't matter. He genuinely fell in love with Uzume and her sacrifice in the end likely only strengthened his feelings.

File: 1434291733219.png (238 KB, 600x600)

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Threadly reminder that we couldn't save Cybele and probably won't be able to save Hecate neither. Now that I think of it, wouldn't saving Hecate mean we're keking Akira?

It's sad that Mio also geniunely loves RJ but we're pulling a Cybele 2.0 by leading her on and using her for our selfish means. When all is done and over, the expendable waifus lost, who'll be there for Joker-kun?

It's just going to be Scylla, isn't it?

>>44040879
>Threadly reminder that we couldn't save Cybele
Did we really try, though? We fought for her and then basically left her at the altar.
>probably won't be able to save Hecate neither.
Eh. better odds of saving Hecate than saving Mio. Or Yui. Or Asuna. Or Megumi.
>It's just going to be Scylla, isn't it?
Would that count as masturbation?

>>44041009
>Did we really try, though? We fought for her and then basically left her at the altar.
Sometimes, I'm not sure if the Joker is the sociopath or if it's the Anons in this thread.

>Eh. better odds of saving Hecate than saving Mio. Or Yui. Or Asuna. Or Megumi.
She might still maybe be alive and not brainwashed, so yeah, better chances.

>Would that count as masturbation?
Yes, your semi-sentient tentacles are still part of you, so it does.

>>44041428
>I'm not sure if the Joker is the sociopath
He constantly shows emotions, mourns for people and shit.
Even after Cybele's death.

We are just giving him wrong ideas.

File: 1445816809056.jpg (262 KB, 728x1059)

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I still find it amusing how pic related is a thing.

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Anyone else picture Scylla as a pair of red-colored, smaller, tinier and blind version of Leviathan from Skullgirls (pic related)? Since they're semi-sentient I believe they probably act as children, constantly expressing hunger when they detect a nearby source of essence (player).

>>44042332
By my impression the Scylla are actually larger and thicker than Leviathan. As for actual appearance, I always visualize them as eyeless Blue-Eyes White Dragon heads.

>>44042332
Nope, I think of something entirely different whose source I forgot.