As he hit the water and dived down, Courser's main decoy peeled away to one side, swimming fast as though to bear around the outside of the massive shape in the water. Courser himself levelled out as he took a good look at the beast he'd just jumped into the pond with. It was... big.
“Courser! We're all set, as much as I can, I think! Um... I got a part so you can cross safely in the water, and I reorganised your folder to put back all the non-aqua chips, I place of most of the aqua ones! Is... is that it? I'm totally recording this... How much write protection is that!? We don't have enough chips for that!” She continued to ramble at ever increasing levels of excitement and incredulity, but Courser listed with only half an ear as he focused on the situation at hand. Around him ,the shift and shimmer of the dark water made the layers of protection that swirled around his form more indistinct, but he was still comforted by the feel of them encircling him. … If slightly weaker than before... Right, the terrain program would need the space. It was more important if he wanted to make this distance anyway.
“Right then, let's see what you've got then, big boy... I'm right here!” Courser called out through the water as he adopted a loose, mobile stance; fighting under the water was a very different game to fighting on land, and it was no wonder most off-type navis found themselves minced by this beast. Courser, at least, knew how to move properly to roll with the currents and bend his form around even the massive impacts and current strikes he guessed wold soon be heading his way. Part of the trick was letting them move you without giving them purchase, and he was ready... or at least as ready as he could be.
On one hand, the water nearest him coalesced into a circling, rushing current that created a deflecting effect – it wasn't going to stop a creature the size of the shark, of course, but it would give him the edge he needed to negate the force of most things and flow with them unharmed. The first task was to work out how clever the Cybeast actually was. If ti was a dumb brute, then that would mean his decoys would need to be the flamboyant ones. If it was actually smart behind those eyes, he'd need to be craftier as well.
There was something about the Beast that made him frown as he watched its movements; from where his main clone raced away around the edge of the watery den, he could get a decent view of its eyes. Reports made them out to be glowing spots of blue brilliance, but to his eyes they seemed... dull. Definitely blue, but not the fiercely brilliant shine that old reports described. Perhaps Hevari's toxins had actually worked something on it after all... His focus snapped back as he sought to avoid the beast's aggression, ready to split away and leave ever more of himself confusing the waters as he did. The individual retaliation shots weren't going to do much to a beast of that size, but they might distract it, or draw its attention, however briefly. He needed that, for now; he had to make sure he could survive and be stable, first, and then pace himself on wearing the monstrous beast down once he was sure.
Down below the surface, further than Courser himself was swimming, a patch of shadow in the gloom deepened and a shape took form from it. Subtle, compared to courser and his decoy, this one formed off to one side, opposite where Courser had dived in, and solidified into a camo-grey patterned version of his familiar needler, complete with an adapted propeller system instead of its normal treads. As it solidified, a second set of watery shells surrounded it and it paused, tilting up and hovering in the water for an extra few moments.
Courser, meanwhile, felt the slightly mad daredevil grin creep onto the side of his lips as he moved and flowed with the creature, staying close to it. Time to see if he had the strength to pull this off... He lfexed the fingers on his free hand, his wave whip all but invisible under water, and then brought the hand across his body, raking his fingers like claws. In response, a surge of water from one side gained current and flooded across, aiming to broadside the giant shark in the side of its head; the current itself wasn't going to harm the tough hide of the beast, he knew, but as it moved it grew ever more frigid until it became layering ice shards that began to cling to the shark and build up; if he could pull enough power into the effort, it might well freeze up the massive creature, for a precious few moments – if he could do it, then it might save him quite a few extra knocks and blows.
From the deeper depths, the needle turret took its moment, just after the frigid wave washed against Squalo, up above; it fired two small darts, aiming to kick off what would likely be a long fought battle of attrition.
-=Summary=-C*) ((TrapMaster: Courser is aware of any traps present in the situation and their triggering conditions, and (until further notice) denies their ability to activate on him or his clones))
C*) First Barrier: (30Hp Barrier, Self)
C*) First Armour: (10Hp Casing, Self)
C*) Shadow: (Bearing left and spiralling slightly downwards in the water, seemingly trying to position first)
C1) Shield NCP: (2-Hit Shield)
C2) Dodge
C3) Forked Streams (Trap(Incoming Attack against CourseMan): Multi-Stage: First (Dodge + Decoy(1 round)), Then (10Aqua, Shot-Type x2 Hits)
C4) Ebb and Flow: (First: Status Cure, Strengthen 10, 5 Healing)(Then: 5 Healing per action, five additional actions)
C5)
Needler2HP: 80
Properties: Normal, Mobile
Object Damage: 80 Null + Impact + Break
Damage Method: Ramming attack, Telekinesis, Throw
Attack Damage: 40 Null x 2 hits x 3 Targets
Accuracy: A
Description: Summons a gun platform that attacks up to 3 separate targets each turn with its trio of double spike cannons. It can also perform a defense piercing kamikaze attack.
Duration: Until destroyed.
Element: Null
Special: This chip's accuracy cannot be boosted or reduced by any means, including RP quality.
- This object may ram a target instead of firing needles, but is instantly destroyed in exchange.
- This object may dodge by trying to ram nothing, but if it hits something in this way, it is still destroyed and deals object damage.
Trader Rank: C (Summoned deep in the water, far away from Courser or his clones)
C*) Fast Barrier: (30Hp Barrier, Needler)
C*) Fast Armour: (10Hp Casing, Needler)
C6)
IceWave2Damage: 100 + Freeze
Accuracy: A
Description: Sends a wave of ice at one enemy
Duration: Once
Element: Aqua
Special: Ice Type: This chip counts as Ice Type for the purposes of potentially freezing targets on Aqua Element Terrain or environments, as applicable.
Trader Rank: C (120Aqua, Freeze, A)
C*) Needler: (40 x2 Hits, A)
-=Cooldowns=-Ebb and Flow: 2 Turns
Forked Streams: 2 Turns
-=Chips Used=- Needler2HP: 80
Properties: Normal, Mobile
Object Damage: 80 Null + Impact + Break
Damage Method: Ramming attack, Telekinesis, Throw
Attack Damage: 40 Null x 2 hits x 3 Targets
Accuracy: A
Description: Summons a gun platform that attacks up to 3 separate targets each turn with its trio of double spike cannons. It can also perform a defense piercing kamikaze attack.
Duration: Until destroyed.
Element: Null
Special: This chip's accuracy cannot be boosted or reduced by any means, including RP quality.
- This object may ram a target instead of firing needles, but is instantly destroyed in exchange.
- This object may dodge by trying to ram nothing, but if it hits something in this way, it is still destroyed and deals object damage.
Trader Rank: C IceWave2Damage: 100 + Freeze
Accuracy: A
Description: Sends a wave of ice at one enemy
Duration: Once
Element: Aqua
Special: Ice Type: This chip counts as Ice Type for the purposes of potentially freezing targets on Aqua Element Terrain or environments, as applicable.
Trader Rank: C