Battle 5: vs Colossus of De-Zum-Ri Lv 12

I sigh as I listen to this Ragnus-forsaken, ignorant machine ramble.

"I'm older than you are, spherebrain. Go to bed - now."

Raising the Twin Streaks and leaping, I slam my weapon home.

Severa: Leap in to the air and go for a powerstrike against Werzop.

As Arthur strafed back to get a better look at the situation, he couldn't help but give the cumbersome new implement on his face an irritated tug... an oxygen mask-- lighter than the nebulizers back in the medical bay, but 'there' nonetheless, in his typically clear vision. Apparently, their battle in Emerald coast had greatly exacerabated the condition of his lungs ("Pulmonary fibrosis"- he'd definitely memorized it this time)- between being suffocated by the oppressive atmosphere and drowning, he'd been wheezing and coughing on and off for the past few days... and while it didn't slow his work, it did come to a point where he complained about it offhandedly to the nurse; and one thing led to another... yes, he was feeling more tired than usual in the mornings... yes, some aching in his wrists and shoulders... ending in the prescription of some new medicine and equipment. Then, before coming here, he was passed this... thing.

Something about a low oxygen density in the heat... combined with some other 'stuff' that went right over his head; the important part was, if they had to stay here any longer than an hour while potentially in combat, he might have had to withdraw before things started getting exciting. With having something interesting to do being the only reason he'd bothered to stay in Castle High after wrapping up his initial plans, he didn't exactly have any choice.

He was breathing a little easier now... so long as it stayed out of the way, he would do his best not to pay it any mind.

Striking an imposing figure along the slope of a dune- a thermos swinging on one hip, scabbard steady on the other, his black coat kicking up behind him (and, oddly, keeping him a little cooler than he thought it ought to have)- he glared about: after Severa dashed ahead to deliver the first strike to the talking "Werzop", he decided to stay a little farther back for the time being. It seemed dealing with that one wouldn't be so simple... hmmh.


>Arthur: Remain close to the center of the party and prepare to cut off a magical attack headed their way using the flat of his sword, prioritizing Severa and Bran. If nothing happens, help Bran investigate, prying open an idle Core's armor with his sword if need-be.


“Something tells me this one’s ‘Creator’ won’t be coming here any time soon,” the swordsman remarked, voice muffled slightly by his mask- “though, I wouldn’t mind meeting the one who put all this together."

As Bran approached the colossus along with the rest of Regiment 1-31, in spite of how warm it was, he felt a chill down his spine. Something's not right.

As a result, when one of the orbs on the ground started floating around and shouting at them, he wasn't particularly surprised. For once, I saw this coming ahead of time. What a nice change of pace...

"...Guess Scarlett was right. This staff is exactly the kind of technology they used." As Bran examined Perunyr, Perkun's eyes widened. Bran smiled at his new familiar. "Patience, little one. Your chance to shine is coming soon."

Bran started combing through the wreckage, studying the cores as much as he could before the next one rose.

Bran: Take a moment to examine the spherical stones on the ground. Focus on whether or not they're in working condition, how they work, and whether or not they resemble anything previously seen or read about elsewhere.

Play a song to buff the strength of Severa's attack since we're only going to get one like this.

"Geez. Sure is hot out here." He griped for the third time since landing. "Didn't think to put a water fountain in any of these ruins, did they?" He tugged at his new collar. Sweat was gonna be a big deal for him today, but he came prepared and spritzed a generous amount of body spray down his coat.

"Ahh... Fresh as a daisy. Welp-! Time to get started." He shoved the aerosol can back into his coat's pocket and retrieved a small piece of paper with a few words scratched down in a bullet list. "Okay, uh, yeah. First up:" He pointed a finger gun at the colossus. "Bang!"

>Vince: Ignite the The Colossus of De-Zum-Ri with Wildfire. Move to some ruins for cover.

"Alright, you guys have fun whackin' shit. I'm gonna find some shade real quick."

Yam's feelings on deserts were complicated. On the one hand, the environment was completely unbearable. For those born, as she had been, from the flesh of a sweet potato, it was simply... not a place she would ever grow roots. On the other hand, from a religious perspective, it was surely a place of Death. While the agriculture traditionally associated with Harvest failed to present itself, they were amidst a massive ruin, and there was an extent to which grave--robbery synergized with that aspect of her God. As for Lies, well... she'd certainly heard tale of the mirages which haunted such parts as these.

In short, although she was somewhat physically hollowed out, she was brimming with power, her Murderer's Garland a-cackling with birdsong, the ribbon of her Dark Harvester whipping around to the whims of an intangible wind.

Glancing at Vince, she muttered something like "The hell'd you wear thermal armor out here for...?" or maybe "Did'ja hafta make it even hotter...?" and shook her head. It would be a shame, she thought, to ruin something which was the last of its kind - even a machine, which was a thing she frankly didn't understand and so mostly thought of as magic, if only for the purposes of convenience. But if it wasn't willing to listen to reason, what could be done?

A desert's land spirits would be fickle - the wind and the sand, carrying and being carried place to place, ever shifting, the heat and the cold... she could do things with them later, perhaps, but for now it would take too much time to get them to listen. Instead, she called on the one thing she knew would answer; vultures could hardly resist the inevitability of death brought on by battle.

>Yam: Call on vulture ghosts to siphon energy and information from the fallen orbs.

> Saul: offering up a quick prayer for support, attempt to attack the Watcher-Core to interrupt its attempts to reanimate other cores.

Severa leaps into the air, a divine wind carrying her skyward! As she does, Erika strikes a gnarly riff on her guitar: a radical, electric power engulfs Severa's Twin Streaks! Severa gains Thunderous Might, causing her melee attacks to gain +15 Power and be either physical or electrical damage, whichever is better! Empowered, she swings her blades down, right for Werzop!

With a crackle, the Watcher Core goes flying, embedding itself into a nearby dune and taking 323 damage!

"Enemy applied a physical strike augmented by electrical potential. Adequate disruption of the electromagnetic properties could not only reduce the electrical damage, but disrupt the attack of the enemy's metallic weapon! Now adapting..."

Werzop's Watcher Eye carefully analyzes Severa's strike, and then begins to shift! Small metal disks extrude from its spherical surface, small bolts of electricity bouncing off. Werzop gains Adaptation - Reversed Potential, increasing its defense against metallic melee attacks, especially electric ones! Up above, The Colossus gains the same adaptation thanks to Werzop's Core Relayer Ability, larger metallic disks extruding from her body!

Arthur takes a defensive stance towards the party's center, ready to cut off any magical attacks. As he does, he makes a remark, which the Watcher Core responds to.

"You are incorrect. My creator would have de-activated me otherwise, as he did the others. I was left to watch and protect his work. He promised he would return, in due time."

Bran kneels down and examines one of the spherical stones on the ground. His Farsight Spectacles give him a magical zoom as he inspects it: there's no mistaking it. This is the handiwork of the Del-Zum-Ri people, some of the greatest artificers to ever live. He is examining what appears to be a de-activated Core, its outer armor battered by years in the swirling desert sands, though how exactly it wasn't outright buried is an interesting question. Regardless, it does seem to still be in working order, if one could find a way to "reboot" the magical processes that make it work.

With a quick bit of help from Arthur, Bran pries off the metallic plate on the back of the orb, exposing an arcane conduit. It's likely some sort of port, meant to transmit information and mana into specially-made artifacts.

Vince, not wasting a moment, fires off a finger-blast at the Colossus: a moment later, a flame bursts to life across the Colossus's leg, inflicting Burning! It will take 150 damage every turn while the effect persists!

Her soul reaching out to the dead spirits of the waste, Yam calls upon the ghosts of vultures! With a chilling shriek, the spirits of vultures pry themselves from the suffocating sand and begin to spiral through the air. Unfortunately, Yam appears unable to overcome their naturally independent personalities -- the ghosts simply inform her that the core doesn't make for very good eating, and she should turn her attention elsewhere. Yam is unable to discern whether this is a sarcastic comment, or a genuine suggestion based on their perceptions of Werzop.

Saul gives a quick prayer before readying himself, prepared to attack Werzop once it starts acting.

Corbin, taking careful aim, fires at one of the arcane cannons on top of the Colossus! He manages to damage one of the larger batteries, dealing 521 damage and reducing the Colossus's power by 10!

Emilia searches the ground for a few moments before finding a small, unremarkable hole. She giddily presses her face into the hole, whispering something, and a few moments later, a rattlesnake slithers out! With a smile, she welcomes the serpent up her arm and around her shoulders. She gives a low whistle, "you're quite a chonker, ain't 'ya girl? Actually, that's what I'll call 'ya: Chonker!" She scratches the snake, pulling free dry and dead scales, "now, let's tear ourselves up an orb." Emilia has recruited a friendly rattlesnake named Chonker!

Werzop hums with arcane energy as they zoom around the sands. "Hmm... current enemy damage output: managable. Threat posed by enemy combatants: low-to-moderate. Conclusion: enemy units are inconsequential! Destruction of their castle will ensure the quickest route to victory! I should take this time to acquire as many allies as possible and expedite the enemy castle's destruction." With that assessment, Werzop flies over to one particular stone orb and uses Awaken Core! An instant later, it comes online! Werzop continues, "now transferring information to Generator Core..."

But suddenly, Saul runs forward to intercept them! He swings his blade down at the Watcher-Core, but its Reversed Potential and hard exterior armor reduce the attack to only 78 damage, and fails to stop the information transfer!

"Generator Core awakened. Orders recieved," chimes the new artifact in a deep register. The Generator Core surges off into a nearby dune... and a moment later, with a flash of arcane energy, emerges in a metal, spiked body, covered in magical runes and swirling sand!

The Colossus of De-Zum-Ri activates its Empowering Leyline, sending a jolt of arcane energy into the Generator Core! It gains Charged Magical Circuits and can act this turn!

Generator Core whirls its metal body and uses Deploy Helper Core twice! Two of its magical runes fly off and form into new Helper Cores, smaller enemies that hum with power! Thanks to its charged magic, each Helper Core has an additional +200 HP!

Worse still, Werzop's Core Relayer goes to the Generator Core and both Helper Cores, giving them Reversed Potential as well!

The Colossus of De-Zum-Ri has fully charged its arcane batteries: with 4 active Core enemies, its power increases to 90! It fires on Castle High, the arcane assault knocking loose mortar and stone from the castle's walls! Castle High takes 1382 damage!

Castle High Forces:

CASTLE HIGH Lv. 14
HP 12618 / 14000

The Colossus of De-Zum-Ri Forces:

---

"...This is getting a bit hairy." Bran says as Perkun starts jumping up and down. Now's the first time I'm casting a spell using Perunyr. He thinks. Glad Perkun is excited.
"Erika. I see you have some skill in lightning magic." Bran turns to her. "Lend me some of that power, and I'll use it to devastate the cores."
Bran: Turn to Erika for energy, draw in electricity like a magnet, and unleash an Arcane Storm!

"Oh, an upstart are you? You think you're clever, resisting my attacks?"

I smirk as I chide the small machine.

"Adapt to this, youngling."

Concentrating, I pull my energies in and thrust them down, into the sand; focusing on the crystalline properties of it, I apply pressure and reshape the stuff, then thrust it back upwards.

Severa: I attempt to create a field of interwoven crystal around Werzop, trapping the machine in a tangle of spires.

"...So, the orb resists metal?" Bran sighed. He had an idea, but he wasn't sure it was a good one.
"Arthur, this might sound a bit silly, but it might be a good idea for you to borrow the ice elemental spellbook I made, the Tome of Lonely Cold." Bran continues. "Due to the magical nature of the book, it's sturdier and resists damage more than a simple tome. The icy power inside increases rigidity, making it a reasonable blunt instrument."
"...In other words, it's good for smacking with." Bran smiled somewhat oddly before rummaging through his knapsack and throwing the book at him. "Do with it what you will." Bran knew he'd say yes.

Arthur narrowed his gaze down the dunes as he returned his blade to its scabbard-- of course, the robots could make metal ineffective against them right now... and that was awfully inconvenient for him, specifically; but he doubted the talkative robot would prioritize defending against his lesser alternatives over the mages from here on... for the time being: he wasn’t going to just let them show him up, either, after all.

However, as the gears turned in his head, he would sense a nagging- somewhere in the periphery of his attention- and then finally a voice; someone was talking to him? Bran? Oh, he had something.

“...in other words, it’s good for smacking with.” Bran finished, with an odd smile. “Do with it what you will.”

In the brief moment their eyes met during the transaction, Bran might have seen Arthur flash a quick, gentle smile- perhaps the most pleasant he’d ever shown anybody in the entire time he’d spent in Castle High thus far- before moving his left hand from the corner he’d caught it by to its spine and ( “-thank you,” ) turning back around with it.

>Arthur: After accepting the Tale of Lonely Cold, prepare to finish off a Helper Core by striking it firmly with the storybook in any of its sensitive extensions: zappers, discs, lenses, whichever presents itself first. Then, prepare to intercept an incoming attack by moving in and conjuring waves of ice, prioritizing fire against the party from the Colossus or Yam, Severa, and Bran. Try to finish while standing on a leyline.

He didn’t even open the thing- but as he gripped it beween his hands, an eerie feeling started to creep up through him... for a moment, it might have even started to take him back to the gray-blue scene of a cold, empty house far away: lattices of frost blossoming to life across his gloved hands when he instinctively steeled himself against it.

Erika grinned at the mention of lightning. "I've been known to cause a number of power outages in my day... I'd maybe even be able turn it back on afterwards. It's a shame we aren't in a building but it'll have to do." She whistled a quick tune and then played it on her guitar, after finishing the first rift, she whispered the word "Thunder", giving two strong thuds on the guitar. This process continued a few more times (but without the whistle), each "Thunder" getting progressively louder.

She generated as much electrical energy as she could and then sent it to Bran.

Yam made a light 'tch' sort of sound and turned to face the assembled cores. This would.... get troublesome fast. Perhaps something beyond direct damage would be most appropriate...

>Yam: Once Werzop is trapped in crystal, commune with the sand spirits to sink it and its cage into a pit of quicksand, continually pulling it downward. (If Werzop is not trapped, simply attempt to cleave through it with your scythe.)

With each thud of her guitar, Erika generates storm clouds up above! Crackling bolts of electricity begin to jump and arc between the clouds, growing in frequency and intensity, until suddenly, a lightning bolt strikes down, channeled into Erika's guitar! Her playing is the only thing keeping it under control...

As Bran raises his staff! Perkun, making a quick circle around the weapon, raises one of its small tentacles, and in an instant, the lightning jumps to the spirit! Blazing with electrical power, the storm spirit drops onto the staff's emerald, charging it! Positively vibrating with the potential, Bran swings the staff, and BOOM! A dozen streaking bolts of lightning arc at all the enemies!

The lightning strikes each orb before jumping to the next, not even Werzop being able to escape the assault! Due to their increased weakness to electricity, the Helper Cores and Generator Core take 204 damage, while Werzop recieves 164 damage, and the Colossus takes 326 damage! Additionally, the electrical assualt significantly damages the magnets lining the robots: Reversed Potential is disabled for one turn!

TRAINING MISSION COMPLETE! Erika has learned how to best channel her power toward helping her allies, giving her a new Technique: Sonorous Duet! Once per battle, when applying a positive effect to an ally (including herself), she can also apply that effect to another ally without using an action!

"R-r-r-recalibrating mana relays," Werzop buzzes, sounding a bit... woozy? "Enemy can channel high-current electrical strikes through the air. Appropriate counter mea-"

Is all Werzop can say before Severa's crystal spires burst from the ground around them, creating an interlocked prison! Werzop has been Contained! They can't perform melee attacks, and may only perform one action this turn!

"Oh! Enemy has re-arranged the structure of nearby sand to create a barrier. An effective counter wo-"

When suddenly, Yam's call to the sand spirits is answered, a quicksand pit appearing beneath the crystal cage, sucking the watcher core downward! Werzop is now additionally Sand Sunk! They'll recieve 10% HP damage per turn, and cannot perform ranged attacks!!

TRAINING MISSION COMPLETE! Yam has begun to gain expertise utilizing the power of the earth, culminating in a new Technique: Earthen Grasp! Besides dealing a low-to-moderate amount of damage, the Technique inflicts an immobilizing debuff on a target enemy. The exact nature of the debuff varies, depending on the type of earth or floor they're standing on!

TRAINING MISSION COMPLETE! Yam's frequent interactions with the spirits of nature and earth have left an impression on her that other spirits can notice, represented in the Technique Ally of Spirits! Whenever she performs an action involving spirits, those spirits will usually be kind enough to provide her some additional benefit! This could be something simple such as a heal or a small buff, but could be more unique with more exotic spirits.

Buried beneath the sand, the chittering of the robot can't be heard... but around the battlefield, the other enemies begin to transform! Metal cages protrude from their bodies, incircling their chassis, as a slightly-green sheen begins to secrete from their bodies! The last change is subtle, but a light smoke begins to rise from the cores, the Emerald Light revealing the true nature of the defense...

All enemies gain Current Cage, Crystal Dissolution, and Explosive Decompression! They will redirect and possibly reflect any electrical damage, significantly reduce the effectiveness of crystalline attacks or constructs, and, if trapped or buried, will explode, freeing them and damaging random enemies! These adaptations don't seem to be enough to free Werzop from its current prison, at least.

Arthur, wielding a new icy tome, charges Helper Core A! The core buzzes calmly, "please do not interface with this uni--" before being slammed by the book! The first strike sends the core spinning in the air, revealing its docking port, which the swordsman immediately smacks, dealing 233 damage, plowing the core into the sand!

Arthur then places himself between the cores and the rest of his group, preparing to use the tome!

With a fiery conjuring, Vince creates a ball of flame, hurling it for Helper Core A! Unable to move, the core gives a despairing "beep!" before being struck, taking 259 damage and immediately going up in a purple explosion! Arcane energy ebbs out of the device as it becomes unresponsive!

Yam gains +10 power to her next action from Harvester!

Saul uses Identify Weakness on the Colossus! Inspecting its construction, he identifies a weak point at the joints between stone sections -- in particular, its knees and neck! Any physical attack against these areas will now gain +1 Advantage and +5 power!

Corbin's Old-World Rifle glows red hot as he fires a quick volley of rounds! His bullets richochet off the cage surrounding the Generator Core, a well-placed shot knocking the construct off entirely, flying into Helper Core B! Both enemies recieve 103 damage, and the Generator Core has lost Current Cage, making it still vulnerable to electric attacks! (+3 Castle Charge)

Emilia whispers something to Chonker, and the snake seems to understand. Slithering carefully acoss the ground, Chonker enters the sand pit where Werzop descended! A loud hiss and a few electrical zapping sounds are all that come from the pit, but ultimately, Chonker returns. The snake appears a bit worse for wear, but still managed to deal 188 damage to Werzop!

Around the battlefield, enemies gain a light pink, pulsing aura. All enemies gain Cleanse Venom, preventing them from taking continuous poison damage and greatly reducing the damage of poisons!

Helper Core B makes a beeline straight toward Yam, but is intercepted by Arthur! A bolt of arcane energy flies toward the woman, but a quick wave of ice from Arthur intercepts the strike, nullifying it! As he does so, Arthur takes a stance on top of one of the leylines.

TRAINING MISSION COMPLETE! Arthur has intercepted and dealt with many different types of attacks, and has gained a new Technique to battle them: Focused Defender! After focusing on one particular type of damage -- Melee, Ranged, or Magic -- Arthur can use Focused Defender to protect one ally from attacks of the chosen type without consuming an action! While doing so, he recieves -25% damage from that damage type!

Generator Core spins its body, another Helper Core C being created! It then continues its spinning, the arcane glow of its body dimming as it produces another core! Compared to the others, this one is thin and moves quickly, like a hummingbird! Soaring over the heads of the warriors, Containment Core begins charging mana!

Generator Core is exhausted from the efforts... (-1 Adv)

Buried below in the sand, Werzop doesn't seem able to perform any action whatsoever!! With the Watcher Core pinned down, it'll only be a matter of time before the other cores are handled!!

"Message recieved," suddenly hums the Generator Core. "Preparing for CHANGE FATE."

In a moment, all the cores suddenly de-power themselves, going dormant. Up above, the Colossus' face folds open, a massive black diamond revealed! Corbin begins to yell something, but before he can even form a word, a massive flash of paradoxically black light floods the vision of Regiment 1-31...!

C H A N G E

F A T E

...What?

You suddenly have a hard time remembering... something. It's not as if you're missing any particular memory, but something central to who you are feels missing, or forgotten. Or, wait, is that even true? Maybe it just feels like there was something you used to know, but you can't really tell what...

Up above, the black crystal begins to retract. Looking at it, the crystal appears dusty, cracked, and broken, as if it had never done anything. Are you sure it even flashed?

"Download complete," chimes the Generator Core, re-energizing. "Orders recieved from Watcher Core: neutralize all targets."

All enemies have gained new Abilities! Some of them seem pretty powerful, too! Without any Abilities of your own, this could prove difficult!

The Colossus of De-Zum-Ri activates its Empowering Leyline, sending a jolt of arcane energy into Helper Core B! It gains Charged Magical Circuits and an additional action! However, the flowing magic runs through Arthur as well -- it's just barely enough, but he manages to get Charged Magic Circuits as well!

Helper Core B activates its Ability Wildfire, empowering it with its Charged Magical Circuits to increase the effectiveness! Yam is suddenly ensnared by a surging flame, taking 122 damage and gaining Burning, taking 150 damage every turn!

With 5 active Core enemies, the Colossus of De-Zum-Ri's power increases to 110! In a near-blinding flash of light, a massive arcane laser slashes through Castle High, dealing 1912 damage!!

Castle High Forces:

CASTLE HIGH Lv. 14
HP 10706 / 14000

The Colossus of De-Zum-Ri Forces:

---

...Wha? After that flash of light, Bran was feeling a little strange. It was kind of difficult to describe. He wasn't really feeling spacey, but he definitely did feel a little bit "out there". That said, he couldn't really identify what the problem was. So after a moment of deja vu, trying to remember what it was that he was forgetting, he got back to work.

"Ah! Arthur! Your magical circuits have been charged!" Bran exclaimed. "I honestly didn't expect that. To be honest, I need that mana a little more than you do right now. So would you mind a mid-battle lesson in energy control?"

Bran continued. "The motions are rather simple, really. You just need to... Hmm.." Bran pauses briefly. He could swear that his understanding of this was a little more complex, but he seemed to have forgotten most of what he knew. Oh, well. Physical exercises like this were never really his strong suit, anyways, and he knew enough. Especially after teaching Vince.

"Simply put, it's all about controlling your internal energy. Your spirit, essentially. As a warrior, some fairly basic exercises would include breathing in and out, hand motions, reciting something important to you-"

Bran: Request that Arthur donate his energy and try to give him a brief lesson before being cut off.

Trying to remember was a mistake.:

"Ah! Arthur! Your magical circuits have been charged!"


...oh.

As soon as the swordsman managed to get one eye to look over his shoulder, Bran continued on to explain... energy control? If he just wanted his mana, he could just come here take it from him, couldn't he? Scowling, Arthur dragged his hand from his scalp down his face, an unfamiliar look of utter contempt and disinterest plastered across it.

"-Your spirit, essentially." Bran explained, "As a warrior, some fairly basic exercises would include breathing in and out, hand motions, reciting something important to you-"


"-ah," -Arthur interrupted, raising the upper edge of the Tale of Lonely Cold just above Bran's lips- "-hold that thought a minute."

Following that, he'd lower the book and press it into the scholar's chest for him to take. If Bran was going to go ahead and ask for the magic running through him, he may as well take his book, too-- there were better things to do yet anyway, after all. He'd had his fun with it...

Then, spreading his feet out with a deep breath, he took on a graceful stance-- not one that suited a man in armor. His now free left hand rose up to his heart and spread forward, while the other pulled up from his stomach and rose over his head... then, together still, once the left was fully outstretched and the right just over the top of his head, they turned; the left returning to move over his chest, the right behind him and then under it... slow, and cyclic, until--

--he snapped, waist twisting around, ( "-phoo!" ) the heel of his right palm striking firmly- but not forcefully- in the center of the scholar's chest. In the brief moment they touched, Bran might have felt a rush of quiet heat... like early morning sunlight spreading across stone.


"-there. How's that, Professor? I may not be a mage, but I was raised in martial arts... Qi is sort of like what we're exchanging here, is it?" Arthur's bored scowl ticked up into a smirk behind his oxygen mask as he tapped the cover of the book he'd forced back onto him. "Now we're even. Why don't you try standing on those, mmm, shiny trails there next time? Might do something nice for you..."

With nothing more than a wink, Arthur turned back around and descended below the dune's crest one more, already drawing out his blade. Even if it was only for a minute, he had the opportunity to strike something down and make this a little more manageable...!

>Arthur: Transfer his Charged Magic Circuits to Bran by striking his Heart Chakra, also returning the Tale of Lonely Cold; then, re-equip the Luster Steel Broadsword.

After waiting to see if anyone will take out or distract Helper Core C first, use Focused Defender on himself against Melee attacks and strike the Generator Core with a helmsplitter!

"Keep that new core out of my way!" he growled- "I'm going in..!"

Woozy, I wobble and sway before crashing in to the sand, supporting myself slightly with weapon in hand. Head ablaze with fiery pain, and a thundering might coursing through my veins, I steady myself as I stand back up.

"What...did you do to me...?"

I gasp as I utter these words.

"That magic...it's Numbered magic. Where did you...learn that!?"

Head spinning still, memories whirling and blazing, I begin to reboot - like a machine powering back up, at last.

"If it's Numbered Magic you wish to play with, then I'm game, you mechanical upstarts!"

Taking a deep breath and tapping in to the thunder pounding at her soul, I begin to sing, discordantly loud, shrieking and piercing.

Severa: Sing an unnamed Note and synergize it with the electrical buff I've received, attempting to strike at random with the powers of lightning and wind. However, do not hit any of the enemies - simply prepare the sand for something.

"TAKE THIS! SHINING SPARK STORM!"

"...Ah!" As Arthur transferred his energy to Bran and returned the Tale of Lonely Cold, Bran felt Arthur's energy surge through him. "Yes, qi is similar to what we're exchanging here. Energy is energy, so the exercises involved are pretty similar, regardless of what kind you're talking about. Think of it as similar to how dancing and martial arts follow the same basic steps." As Bran considered Arthur's suggestion, he sighed.

"Your request to stand on the leylines is interesting. I could draw magical energy from them, yes, but I was distracted." More like you wanted to prove you still knew what you were doing. A voice was nagging at Bran from the back of his head, but he shut it down for now. He would remember. He just had to get through this first.

Bran took a look at the Colossus, for now. It was only getting stronger and stronger. Before he could take further action, Castle High needed to be protected. Then, perhaps, he could look into doing everything he could in order to defeat the enemy that stood before them. He didn't want to destroy the Colossus, but he didn't know how to tell the Watcher Core that his master was in all likelihood long dead. Something was telling him to preserve all he could, but how could he enter and investigate a castle that was standing and walking on two legs?

Actually, now that he thought about it, that gave him an idea. That said, other matters were more urgent.

Bran: Raise a barrier of magical energy over Castle High in order to protect it.

Vince stepped out from the shade of the ruins calmly and slowly.

"So you guys felt that too, right?" His voice bore no attitude, intensity, or roughness. "I feel wrong, and I don't like it. Is there, like, something we can do about i- YAM! You're on fire! Let me help you out!"

>Vince: Attempt to absorb Yam's Burning! status and add it my own power.

Bran came to a sudden realization.

Arthur's magical circuits had to be charged for a reason. Bran thought. The observation hit him like a brick. How did I not figure out this before? When the Colossus charges up the cores, it also charges up anyone who's standing on the leylines! He immediately shifted position to one of the leylines that was currently unused, hoping for a quick charge.

Bran: Stand on one of the unused leylines so that you receive an energy boost.

Burning/not burning. A confluence of grains. The red wastes of the planet/moon/one hundred moons. Black feather, spinning on a spiderweb. Teeth shaped like flowers/teeth. The water/hands of the grave. Coins passed around like fingernails.

Above it all, a screaming, like a wounded animal, like a wound in the firmament; like a swarm of locusts/blades in the dark...

Those who looked upon Yam in this trying time would have a hard time discerning whether she was, in fact, a humanoid person or a hundred conflicting landscapes and images and events all occupying the same infinite space. Crows featured prominently. "People tend to assume my most powerful aspect is Death, the end which comes to all things," it seemed to say. "Or if not that, then ------; the all-consumption, the accumulation of power... ah, but I can't seem to..."

"The truth, of course, is flexible. The third aspect is Lies, after all. Which aspect is central to me can shift even moment to moment. With my mastery of Death, I say: there will be no end to me here." And she was solid again, if still... like looking through a window, somewhat, without any actual transparency. What lived on the other side of her?

"With my mastery of Lies, I say... perish, fucker."

>Yam: Draw a circle on the ground with your scythe, and stab it through the center; using your power over the Earth, redirect leylines at the last possible moment to exclusively benefit allies. If Werzop escapes, attempt murder-via-cleaving.

As Vince focused on Yam's burning, he wondered if what he saw was real. His face contorted in sheer confusion. "What the fuck?" He muttered quietly, trying to maintain concentration.

Hearing Bran's request, Arthur channels the mana within him, moving through his body until forcefully transferring it to the mage!

Bran has gained Charged Magic Circuits! Arthur, meanwhile, loses his charged magic.

Arthur then activates his Focused Defender, preparing to block Melee attacks! He then waits, keeping a close eye on Helper Core C...

Nodding to him, Erika gives her guitar a spin before beginning a break-neck solo, her notes like lines of magic as they surge through the air... before striking a final riff, the musical tirade aimed at Helper Core C!

Helper Core C buzzes, "presereve self!", activating its ability Guidance! With uncharacteristic grace, the artifact creature spins and bobs through the air, weaving betweening notes and melodies of power! The attack is negated!

Seeing his opening, Arthur rushes for Generator Core! Leaping off a nearby piece of rubble, the mercenary brings his Luster Steel Broadsword straight down, cleaving through the core's outer chassis, dealing 312 damage! The core is on its last legs!

Generator Core's Spiked Exterior activates, giving it a counter-attack!
Generator Core's Ability Steadfast Soul activates, giving it an additional counter-attack!

The artifact whirls its body, rusty spikes aiming to shred Arthur apart! The blacksmith keeps his blade steady, batting away the blows, but a sudden shift by the core catches him unaware, the spikes slipping past his defense and scrapping up his shoulder! Thankfully the wound isn't deep, but has drawn blood, dealing 133 damage, reduced by Arthur's Focused Defender!

The Generator Core then comes around for another attack, but this time, the defender is ready! Keeping his distance a bit further, he manages to block and avoid the artifact's attacks until it finally must stop.

The Generator Core is intimidated by Arthur's presence and ability, activating his Bone Specter Coat! The Generator Core is now Vulnerable, more easily open to enemy attacks!

Arthur is exhausted from his effort... (-1 Adv)

Severa releases a shrill, shrieking note, the sound warping until it matches the frequency of the electrical power radiating from her! The lightning mixes with the sound, a rolling cacophany of noise and thunder, which begins to form spirals through the air, fanning out across the battlefield before digging into the sand. A hundred tiny tempests dance across the desert, dispelling lightning into the dreary dunes. The ground now teems with electrical power!

With a flourish of his staff, Bran draws arcane mana out of his body and into a shimmering sheet! The barrier unfolds and expands, an ethereal curtain stretching across the battlefield behind them, incircling Castle High.

Bran has created an arcane barrier around Castle High! With the added power from his Charged Magic Circuits, the barrier has 500 HP! He then moves on top of one of the leylines.

Vince, though feeling as if something is wrong, still remembers some of his lessons on fire manipulation! With a spin of his hands, he draws the flames from Yam's convulsing form, channeling them around himself! Vince gains Fired Up! His Power is boosted by 10!

Yam's transformation sends ripples through the air, the cores seeming to "blink" at each other over what exactly is happening. Despite this, however, she seems to remain patient, waiting...

Saul, tossing a prayer toward the heavens, attempts to channel holy magic into his blade! Unfortunately, it seems his prayers go unanswered: perhaps his blade glows a degree brighter, but nothing more.

TRAINING MISSION COMPLETE! Saul has called upon greater forces enough times to perfect a particular prayer, his new Technqiue! Prayer of Deliverance provides any ally a holy protection, reducing all Faith-based damage by 30%!

Suddenly, an arrow pierces straight through the Generator Core's mana relay, causing the construct to take 187 damage and explode! Emilia has defeated Generator Core! Without any ranged weapons, the core cannot counter using its Steadfast Soul!

As the mana crystal powering the construct disintegrates, Saul feels a familiarity return to him, as if he'd never felt wrong in the first place: Saul has regained Steadfast Soul!

With a shrewd eye, Corbin locks his sights on Containment Core, carefully tracing the rapidly-moving construct. He waits and waits, allowing the core to zip further and further away... before with a POP, he fires, striking his target! Containment Core is struck by a Crippling Shot, taking 176 damage and being Crippled, its Agility falling to -2 as it tumbles into the sands!

The Colossus of Del-Zum-Ri puts one of its hands to the ground, activating its Empowering Leylines! A surge of mana runs across the leylines toward the cores...

When suddenly, the leylines begin to shift and move, under the influence of Yam! With her control over the earth, the leylines shift and move, converging upon Bran instead!

Feeling a massive surge of energy through him, Bran gains the effects of the leylines instead!! Besides gaining Charged Magic Circuits, he also gains Time-Twisted, giving him a free action next turn! He can feel some portion of himself phasing into a different time and place (a not entirely pleasant feeling)!

Suddenly, with a massive shift of sand and earth, the sinkhole created by Yam explodes, revealing a flaming Werzop, free of its crystal prison! The core has used its Veins of Flame Ability to burn away 300 HP, allowing it to escape its confines! Werzop chimes, "I've re-entered the battle! Now examining the tactical situation..."

"Generator Core has been defeated! 'CHANGE FATE' has occurred, but odds of victory appear stacked against us! A barrier protects the enemy castle, making attack less effective! The leylines have been re-routed! A Containment Core has been produced! Hmmm... newly revised strategy developed! Focus all attacks upon enemies capable of damage not currently adapted to! Doing so will offer the greatest chance of persistance until the Creator has returned! Chosen target: designation 'Vince'!"

Werzop uses its Target Weaponry Technique, locking sights on Vince! The Colossus will attack him this turn instead of Castle High, and all attacks against him will gain +15 Power!

Yam moves into action, seeing the sphere now free! Before any other enemy can move, Yam slashes through the core with her scythe, dealing 294 damage!

"Enemy combatant's scythe is made from powerful death magic! An anti-magic sh... wait, a life-re... er...." Werzop stops, puzzled. "Checking logs... checking prior watcher versions..."

"No... defense, found." The core finally says, a strange note of despair. "Nothing the creators have left us can defend against this..."

Helper Core B rushes straight for Vince, charging its Arcane Zapper! He tries to dodge away from the core, but it zips right around to his flank and fires a bolt of arcane energy, dealing 212 damage!

Containment Core activates its Containment Field Technique, locking its sights on... Werzop! Firing a blast of energy, the core is wrapped in a shimmering aura, now put into Stasis! Werzop is immune to damage for the next turn, and will be unable to deal damage itself.

The Colossus of Del-Zum-Ri turns its weaponry downward, its massive batteries fully charged and focusing upon Vince! With the current number of cores and Target Weaponry, the Colossus' Power climbs all the way up to 125!!! With a roar of magical might, the arcane energy bombards the fire mage, burning away at his skin, hair, and mind, dealing 747 damage!!

Castle High Forces:

CASTLE HIGH Lv. 14
HP 10706 / 14000 + 500

The Colossus of De-Zum-Ri Forces:

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