Wut?

"Don't panic Seraphim, don't panic, don't panic!" Erin noted several times, as she panicked herself. Seraphim rolled his head to the side questioningly, flipping open the cylinder of the gun and emptying out the rounds, letting them fall.

Before they hit the ground, the gun was loaded again.

The navi blasted four times at the opponent, his gun back at his side as he tasted bitter smoke floating through the air.

"No worries." He said, grinning.

1] Buster shot [50][Handy]
2] Buster shot [50][Handy]
3] Buster shot [50][Handy]
4] Buster shot [50][Handy]
5] Buster shot [50][Handy]
6] Dodge
[Regen 36]
Seraphim finishes the handy off.

BeastChampuEXA: DELETED
BeastChampuEXB: DELETED
BeastChampuEXC: DELETED
BeastChampuEXD: DELETED
BeastChampuEXE: DELETED
BeastGunnerEXA: DELETED!
BeastGunnerEXB: DELETED!
BeastGunnerEXC: DELETED!
BeastTwistyEXA: DELETED!
BeastTwistyEXB: DELETED!
BeastHandyEXA: DELETED!
BeastRareWindbox: DELETED!

Terrain: 50% Normal, 35% Lava 15% Glass (Scattered) [Everyone is currently on Normal]

Bomb: 1 turns left

Seraphim.exe: 122

Rewards: 3000z (No idea what kind of rewards these things are supposed to give, since our charts just give out stats, so hopefully an assload of zenny will work. If you have any complaints, PM me)
Seraphim blew smoke off the barrel, flipping open the cylinder and spinning it slowly, letting the weapon empty itself. He stared around. He seemed almost- paranoid. Something was irking his senses, causing him to look around wildly every couple seconds. He felt like something was sneaking up on him, and he didn't know what.

[Battle 19.]
(Bump)
(Bump)
Walking deeper into the area, Seraphim notices an increasing amount of volcanic activity. Hell, there's lava like... EVERYWHERE.
Oh, look, more weird-ass viruses.

BeastElecOgreA: 180 HP
BeastElecOgreA: 180 HP
BeastCattackA: 180 HP
BeastCattackB: 180 HP
BeastPurpleUFO: 180 HP
BeastRushEX: 10 HP
BeastHandyA: 75 HP
BeastHandyB: 75 HP
BeastRareWindbox: 300 HP
BeastRareVaccumFan: 300 HP

Terrain: 10% Normal, 90% Lava

Seraphim.exe: 122 HP [Normal]

-BATTLE 19-
-GO!-
"Waugh!" Seraphim shouted, the blistering heat broiling around him as it was blown in two ways. His system processed the data around him as he looked about the area. Near the entire area was made of... Lava. Erin wiped tears away hurriedly as she looked at her PET. It seemed to be running hotter than normal, as if the virtual layout was affecting the PET itself. Seraphim winced as a lava bubble nearby burst, sending bits of superheated rock onto the panel he was on.

"Oh- wow." Was the only comment Erin was capable of making. She looked at the navi, then the laval. Then she stared hard at the viruses.

Quote ()

"Shit! Seraphim! Seraphiiim![i][/i]" Erin cried out, hitting the PET with her fists as she watched her navi collapse to the ground, as if in slow motion, as if time could not keep up with the normally hyperactive navi... Even as he lay dying. Why? Why did everything have to be taken from her? Her ability to walk, run, play, her active life itself, and now this?

"It... Isn't fair..." She trailed off, tears rolling down her cheeks, "It isn't fair!:" She wailed, picking up chips and slamming them into the PET as hard as she could, shaking her head to the tune of multiple "no"s, voiced out repeatedly, one after the other.


"That..." She remembered the dragon. The horrible dragon. As Seraphim would refer to it- a boss.

Quote ()

As Eon [[i]sic[/i]] tears through what's left of Drauchen, the other Navis see a storm of stars erupt from where the beast had laid a second before, as Drauchen's hulk dematerialized. A few scales fell to the floor, as many more fragments of glowing red data rose into the air and flew in all directions, each one expanding into the shape of a dragon as it flew into the distance.


Had those- Draconic shapes... Had they become these viruses? She questioned herself, looking from side to side in indecision.

Either way. They needed to be destroyed. Otherwise... They might cause what happened in Netfrica all over again. Erin looked over the viruses once more. There was one of the vacuum variety, and one of the fan. She found that strange, and then a thought occurred to her. An absolutely crazy thought.

No.

It wouldn't work.

It couldn't.

If it did, it could kill Seraphim.

Well... She struggled to rationalize the possibility of killing her navi with the fact that he was both rubbing off on her and the fact that she would ask him first. The least she could do was calculate everything out to make sure her navi didn't die horribly, right? She brought up the weatherprog, useless in the background. She never went outside, so she never used it. She input a series of variables, using gale force winds and water instead of -- lava, and two fan-type viruses.

...If done properly, it would...

Create an 'eye' centered on Seraphim.

If done properly...

It would work.

"Seraphim, I have a plan." She winced at the words, as her navi looked up at her, awaiting further orders. Quite unusual, but as he was stranded on an island surrounded by lava, she could sympathize.

"Does it involve the lava disappearing? I could really really use that." Seraphim mentioned, a pleading grin on his face.

"No, but it does involve trying to make a lavaspout or magma hurricane." Erin said, wincing. That couldn't sound good to her navi.

"Sounds perfect! What do I do?"

-
Thermals are usually created when the ground below is heated by the sun. As such, the heated air rises in that of a spiral upward as it cools, then returns to the ground. At this point, the air is displaced and the cycle continues. With such things as steam, the same thing occurs. This is an example of 'convection'. The same could be said to occur with magma. However, this was not the point.

The point was that a wind shear had already been made by the amounts of lava surrounding the small island Seraphim was on. Superheated ground made thermals that probably went for at least several kilometer high. Erin slotted in three chips and began explaining.

"There's something called 'Thermals' that have to do with this, but what we're trying to achieve is to simultaneously supercharge these thermals while literally sucking in the lava. The lava will become caught in the 'mesocyclone', which will spit it out as the top grows higher and higher, dropping it as the weight is too heavy for the top. This makes uh- superheated rock... it'll make a firestorm of meteors. Along with a magma hurricane surrounding you... With proof that they can be damaged by fire... They're... what would be the word? Deleted?" Erin asked her navi.

"Owned," he replied.

"Right." She let the chips click into place, and nodded at her navi.

"Time to get this party started." Seraphim made the 'badass' statement with all the wrong intonations, reducing it to the level of 'just another cliche'. However, the oversized sword he deployed from his 'inventory' served to dissuade any oncoming arguments as it surged with electricity, choosing two targets, and acting as an anchor point to make the attempt to drag them into his friendly 'embrace'. It also helped that they were getting supercharged with electricity.

The plan would work, hopefully.

As the magnetic bolts caressed their targets like tesla coil, they reeled them in. Finally, Seraphim stared at the two things that would bring him victory or chaotic defeat. Two of the enemy. He quickly propped up one of the devices, which he knew from Erin's instructions would cause an updraft. He reversed the other and let it to its duty. Sucking. It was supercharged as well, and would hopefully let give the lava in a fantastic way. He didn't know if it would work, but it was a plan he wouldn't forget. He grinned and stared at the opposition.

Regardless, he was in the eye of the storm.

1] Magbolt [Fanthing] [90 elec, drag in, stun1 Attempting to use electricity to supercharge.]
2] Magbolt [Vaccuum thing] [90elec, drag in, stun1. Attempt to use electricity to supercharge.]
3] Magbolt [Backup in case one misses, if both hit, this should automiss :'D]
4] Position Fan
5] Position Vaccuum
6] Pray.
((The dice favor thee.))

Seraphim drags the boxes in, again, like the last battle, the last Magbolt flying out to nowhere. The VaccumFan starts sucking up lava, while the Windbox starts blowing it at the viruses.
For a few seconds, nothing goddamn happens. The ElecOgres take this chance to send an Elecreel at the Windbox and VaccumFan.
Wrong move.
The ElecOgre's attacks were just what the two wind manipulators needed to overcharge their circuits and create something massive...
Namely, a hurricane of magma spewing straight at the viruses.
They all take major damage, but aren't dead yet, well, some of them are. The lava is mostly cleared from the stage except for this tiny bit at the back. No worries.
The Cattacks spring into action, well, they slowly advance forward anyway.
The PurpleUFO opens its draconic maw, spewing flames at Seraphim, though it only manages to damage the wind makers in front of him.
The modified Rush virus spews some flames too, baleeting the virus wall Seraphim put up for himself.
Seraphim's passive Regen kicks into action, healing him.

BeastElecOgreA: 80 HP
BeastElecOgreA: 80 HP
BeastCattackA: 80 HP
BeastCattackB: 80 HP
BeastPurpleUFO: 80 HP
BeastRushEX: 5 HP
BeastHandyA: DELETED
BeastHandyB: DELETED
BeastRareWindbox: DELETED
BeastRareVaccumFan: DELETED

Terrain: 95% Normal, 5% Lava

Seraphim.exe: 140 HP
"Hey, it worked!" Seraphim sounded a bit too surprised as Erin tossed a glare his way. He shrugged as he turned to the remaining foes. Plans never worked, and he had expected this one to be no exception to the ideal. Perhaps it would have thrown him out of battle or somesuch, but it had worked. Regardless of how much destruction it could have caused, anyway. The supercharge that had taken it to work proved quite effective as Seraphim grinned, his eyes set upon the foes that were straight in front of him. He viewed the opponents that had actually helped the plan Erin had made with slight disdain, his weapon already raising from his side. This was it, he could feel it.

Flipping open the chamber, the navi dropped a hand to his bandolier utility belt, drawing out four shells. Properly seated in their casings, he checked briefly. He slid two of them cautiously into the weapon, into the last slots.

Then, he tossed the remaining two into the air.

Bits of cooling magma fell from the air, reminders of the storm that had just ceased moments ago.

Erin lay back in her bed, she could see where this one was going. (She hurriedly turned the brightness on her screen down.)

The hammer was pushed down. The cylinder rotated. The dry and cracked leather glove pulled hard on the trigger. There was a pause for less than a picosecond as Seraphim's face tried to form itself into a grin.

Boo-tchkrak

Without a second to spare as he tried to steady his arm, the navi released his grip on the trigger as he pulled down the hammer.

chk

He slammed the trigger back again.

Boo-tchkrak

The carefully aimed shots impacted with the shells he had thrown, producing in turn, a lightning storm that didn't quite rival the previously made storm of fire and molten rock. But it would be enough.

The light that near blinded the navi kind of proved it, but- he thought he should probably make sure.

Seraphim fired somewhat blurryeyed into the lighting storm, that rush didn't seem to want to go down with the times.


1-2] Toss Elecreel1A and Elecreel1B into air in two differing directions toward viruses.
3] Markcannon1 [Elecreel1A explosion] [Virus Group] [80]
4] Markcannon1 [Elecreel1B explosion] [Virus group] [80]
5]Prepped dodge to dodge any attempts to steal chips again by UFOs >:0
6] Flux Burst [4 Bustershots with knockback and homing toward RushEXbeastthing]
(Bump)
Seraphim throws out the canisters containing the Elecreels toward the viruses. A PurpleUFO catches one, and holds it over his head in glee, but its happiness soon fades as the deluded hero detonates both canisters with a MarkCannon shot, gotta love those lock-on functions. The electricity conducts beautifully and dangerously with the viruses, and the only thing left is the Rush, who is quickly eliminated by Seraphim's Flux Burst.

Quote (The Way of the Swordy)

The most ingenious tactics in battle are made up on the spot, without any prior thinking.


BeastElecOgreA: DELETED
BeastElecOgreA: DELETED
BeastCattackA: DELETED
BeastCattackB: DELETED
BeastPurpleUFO: DELETED
BeastRushEX: DELETED
BeastHandyA: DELETED
BeastHandyB: DELETED
BeastRareWindbox: DELETED
BeastRareVaccumFan: DELETED

Terrain: 95% Normal, 5% Lava

Seraphim.exe: 140 HP

-VICTORY-
Get: Wind, 1080z
"Ss—seeraa-- *zzt*" Erin fumbled with her PET, dropping it with a shout. It had burned her hands, quite literally. She wrung her hands out, wincing as her pet fairly sizzled on the ground. The screen filled with static, and she doubted it would work after that had happened. Was it a short circuit? This certainly wasn't normal, and in such a crisis...

She had to trust her navi... no matter how hard she found that to do. Especially with him being scatterbrained, stupid, stubborn, and- She willed herself to stop, rolling her eyes. Shaking her head slowly, Erin raised herself up slowly as the PET steamed on the floor. She would sit in vigil over the PET until it broke, or her navi returned.

"Wha- Erin!" Seraphim roared, listening intently for the sound of his NPC vendor's voice. He couldn't hear her at all. He'd been cut off. Something... he couldn't run from had cut it off. He'd have to defeat it.

Seraphim spun, leaving cautions to the winds. This. This was it. This was all he had been waiting for. He broke into a cold sweat, the salty water joining more of the same from the simple heat as he He was all alone for this battle, no help, nothing. He was in this himself. Noone could help him or hinder him except himself. Erin was... out cold for the time being. His NPC ally providing him with spells had been defeated. All he had... Were his base skills... And himself. He cursed himself inwardly, for pushing Erin too far. He could have insisted she stop. But-... He made her keep on going. WIthout speaking, simply proceeding. He had to win this one for her. He cracked his knuckles, and charged into battle, drawing both his sword and gun-mesh-blade out of their respective dimensions.

This was it.

[Battle 20, Let's Go!]

No Chips!

Seraphim Only!

FINAL DESTINATION.
((Modlocked))

Seraphim walks for a long, long while, and eventually comes upon-

a volcano?

Odd as it may seem, a life-sized volcano towers above him, a small, person-wide plume of smoke drifting lazily up from its' peak.

Hm.

Seraphim: 140
"This must be..." Seraphim didn't bother with words, kicking a nearby stone lightly before beginning to scale the volcano. He sniffed the air, trying to bring in the virtual scents as he stared around intently.

1-4] Scale Mount Doom
5-6] Sniff Air and look around Suspiciously
Seraphim reaches the peak, and peers down into the gaping maw of the volcano. Waves of heat buffet his face as he gazes down into the bubbling, broiling-hot magma below, and he prepares to turn back, convinced nothing is here-

...Until a clawed hand pushes him into the lava.

Everything goes black as Seraphim's senses register nothing but intense, searing heat and pain beyond compare for a brief moments, then he awakens with a start in- just where is here, anyway?

The sky itself reflects the state of the lava he peered into before-- in fact, it seems to be made of magma which drips solemnly onto the ground in places, massive globules of lava that hit the ground with a loud splat and a continuous sizzle as they cool.

For a moment, Seraphim wonders what is going on.

Then he hears the loud roar behind him.

Drauchen: 1000

Terrain: Lava Sky (Going too high into the air results in fire damage), lava dripping down in places. 20% Lava, 80% normal.

Seraphim: 140
Blinding pain.

Swirling darkness, everywhere.

The navi winced as he opened his eyes, rapidly blinking as he tried to sort out exactly what had happened.

Seraphim trembled as he slowly got up. What... the hell had happened? Then there was the roar. That roar he had heard once before. That roar that he could never forget. But the thing that had made that noise... it was dead.

"You know what?" Seraphim said, staring at the beast. He was tired of this. All the bullshit. All of the times that things had caused him, or the beings around him... Pain.

All the time, he tried. He did his best. He strived against impossible odds.

"You know what?!" Seraphim yelled at the overgrown lizard scathingly. The imposing figure of the dragon didn't look so big anymore. It didn't scare him at all. It may have been a legendary figure. It was a embodiment of one of the 'elemental forces'. He should have been scared to death of the thing.

He just didn't care.

He was tired of it. Whenever he had been put up against a major foe, the victory had somehow hurt him, hurt a friend. The Metool Hero had died by his hand, something he had not enjoyed. He had hopes for Broomdude, who he had at least saved... Or so he thought. Regardless of all that he had tried, that victory had rung hollow. Seraphim had lost something there. Every time, he lost something.

Finally, one target to beat. No ambiguous morals here. Just something between him and victory. It wasn't morally ambiguous this time. It was black and white. It against him. Boss against Player. It came down to skill, in a climactic battle of Evil versus Good. Seraphim looked at the Dragon.

The Dragon was staring back.

Finally, something that he could release everything he could muster without feeling guilt or helplessness. Finally, something that he could just unleash his rage on. Seraphim brandished his weapons, tightened his focus as well as his grip. The weapons trembled slightly with the effort as the navi quivered with suppressed energy.

Then-

Two words.

"You're dead." The navi hissed. He meant it, too. Drauchen had died previously. Seraphim remembered his blade. It had flamed then with simple cold. Ice, to meet that fire and extinguish it. He had dealt the final blow himself.. He had felt the weapon go through scales, muscles, and finally bone. The navi had felt that life go out. But then, the virtual scattering into miniature versions... This abomination would be banished and he would hunt whatever it spawned. He would not suffer it to live.

This was something that had come back from the dead, a spectre to haunt him.

This was something that would be put down.

Seraphim whipped up the gun-mesh-sword with a mangled roar which came through clenched teeth as the navi simply grasped the trigger and could have later sworn he was attempting to rip it clear off. The weapon held. The barrel roared as the shot was fired. The hammer was jammed back down, and another shot rang out. Seraphim's arm twisted back slightly, but the hand was still flipping back into position and tugging on the trigger again and again.

Click. The noise rang out hollowly as the navi pulled the trigger to an empty chamber. His expression revealed nothing but anger as he slammed down the hammer and rotated to the next slot. He tugged once more.

Click. Again, it denied him.

He was out of bullets. The cylinder flipped open as he flicked his wrist, revealing nothing but casings in the slots. He was about to empty it out, then reload it with one hand... then he thought better of it.

Screw it.

No time.

Out of patience.

Instead of the wrist simply flicking, he lashed out with his entire arm, sending the sword-mesh-gun flying. It went through the air to the side, disappearing into Seraphim's 'inventory' a moment before it plunged into the lava. The navi's free gauntleted hand wrapped tightly around his oversized blade and brought it to bear. The weapon made a rending noise as it tore through the ground before finally being pointed at the dragon.

"My name... is Seraphim. I killed you once before. It seems that wasn't enough. I'll do it as many times as it takes." The sword swiped through the air as Seraphim's eyes gleamed. The gauntlets suddenly glowed azure, and the navi concentrated. His generated energy slowly flowed into the blade, going along the crevices and runes carved in a flowing design. Blue light shone from the blade, illuminating the shadows upon it, and banishing darkness as sparks started to radiate from all around it. It reminded one of a eerie similarity to a tesla coil actively looking, consistently reaching out for something to shock. The air now stank of ozone rather than brimstone and carbonic acid. His final attack prepped and ready, his eyes firmly on his foe, Seraphim leapt.

And attacked, with all the passion his body could muster, all the valor his heart could bring to bear, all the rage at which had been taken from him. He attacked with everything he had.

And hoped it would be enough.

1] Flux Burst [4*Buster Shot, Knockback applied to all, homing. Nerf: Lifeburn for 30, Slow] [50*4=200]
2] Harmonic Surge [Spectral Buster Shot, 2*Buster Shot, Glass in 20 meter radius. Nerf: Lifeburn for 15, slow] [+Snipe] [125+50+50=225]
3] Æther Drive [6 buster charges, 1 Charged shot attack Nerf: lock chips for 2 turns] [200]
4] Charged Buster Shot [Use up 2 buster charges] [200]
5] Charged Buster Shot [Use up 2 buster charges] [200]
6] Prepped Dodge [Total Damage=1025]
Drauchen crumples over in a heap, brought down by the sheer force of Seraphim's attacks.

Apparently Seraphim is stronger than he remembers.

As the dragon's body shatters into tiny flecks of data which rise upward into the lava slowly, a large, red sphere makes itself obvious...

Drauchen's soul, maybe...?

Drauchen: DELETED

Terrain: Lava Sky (Going too high into the air results in fire damage), lava dripping down in places. 20% Lava, 80% normal.

Seraphim: 140

VICTOLY.

Rewards: Uhm... Drauchen's Soul, it would seem...
Seraphim quivered slightly, and let the sword drop from his hands. It hit the ground with a thud, embedded in the ground for a brief moment. Almost immediately it fell over, and clanged against the floor.

It disappeared into his inventory, and Seraphim allowed his legs to buckle. He wished he could fade away like a phantom into his own inventory. He just wanted to sleep, rest. But that was impossible. If he didn't take that... core, it would reform... or someone else would take it.

Tentatively, he raised himself to one knee, and then stood. Seraphim took one step, then another. His boots flexed against the ground, stepping carefully around splots of cooling magma.

He extended a hand, touching the sphere.

He wanted to close his eyes.

He couldn't.
The core seems to shrink away from Seraphim's touch for a moment-

-but that is not the case.

The core rears up and closes over him, violent red covering him from every angle as it seeps into his very core, taking over and making room for itself-

And then the process is over, and Seraphim is simply flopped on the floor as if some sort of corpse.

GAINED: Beast Out (Drauchen)

UNLOCKED: Rogue Network Access
The core was absorbed.

It was modified.

Then found a place in line, behind the rest of the voices clamoring for an audience.

"Nngh." Seraphim was starting to get a somewhat reliable resistance to being knocked out, as he raised himself up once again.

He stared around, looking for why Erin hadn't jacked him out... Or why he hadn't been automatically jacked out.

This place did not look hospitable.

"Seraphim!" Erin shouted, as her navi shimmered back into view.

"Just a minute, I'll jack you out, are you okay?" She asked hurriedly, pressing the sequence of commands that would eject her navi from Scilabs Net.

...

Nothing happened.

"What?"

She tried again.

Nothing.