Style 6

[19:59] A small diversion before the fight Atlas wished to had. Gallen fought for a completely different reason, one that was commendable but likely impossible in the current state of the world. Peace is a goal that forever moves farther and farther outside of one's grasp. True peace is a myth, there will always be conflict in the world no matter how small it is. Misha had been one of those who stopped peace. Her attacks against the A-Team and other Nyseans had been part of the reason that an alliance couldn't be formed.

Atlas wondered what life would be like if she was a tad bit less insane, a tad bit more peaceful and a tad bit less violent. But that reality wasn't one the Radiant saw ever coming true. Misha had her moments but overall she was a terror to those not in her 'family', at least from what Atlas had seen firsthand.

He'd step forward with his blade in hand, energy still coursing throughout his body. Gallen had only delayed the battle to come, one Atlas was looking forward to.

"For them."

All in the name of his loved ones.

"Alright then. Let's hurry before more come."

Atlas surely hadn't expected a crowd, but that was the way of Esshar. Violence intrigued the masses and having a battle near the bridge was surely to attract some attention.

He was hoping to limit that.
(Atlas)
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[20:05] Gallen already choose his side, there was enough said before hand for the older rat to make her point clear.. But he came back, and suffered for it. - Mish was free of one.. Now there was another, the intended target.

As fun as she planned for all this to be... It really wasn't heading that way.. But she could certainly make the most of what she had! Atlas even brought young Ana along for the ride.

A brief cough, once again, the rat staining her palm.. Not to worry! "YES!" Anyone could see the splutter, crimson even seemed to dribble on down from the corner of her lip there.

"Fer t'Princess.. n' T'Green King!"

She couldn't help herself, her squeaky cackles echo as a new scuffle began, with the Time Lord this time!
(Misha)
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[20:29] And they were back at it again with their old antics … Though the rat found this, just as fun as the first… Many times had she spared, even saved this young lad.. Would she again?

Doubtful..

It started with gargling cackles, the rodent verging on losing her mind like she had many times in the past.. This whole scene, this whole act..- It was on point of them old times, the rat beating children.

Sword meets blood whip, one cutting through.. The other latching on, their fight was going to be just as it was all those years ago. "Y'kno…" As if they could manage a chat, barely having began their attempt murder of each other.. And Mish was the first one to speak.

His sword would soon break the blood away, having them exchange some before she's pulled down by his unrelenting force of gravity. "This way past our third.." It was tough.. The youngster had certainly improved.. Even branching into a field that even Mish was growingto fear.

It'd never hold her long, a poof cloud of rotten red mist was what she became, escaping those clutches. Soon to show up behind him to bring around a low kick to his shin, so hard that she may shatter it completely.. All meant to send him off balance. "Think it's 'bout time we made it yer last.." Cause she meant it, he'd pushed his luck far too much..

"N'less.." A small though.. But. "Na'h!"

He'd have struck his fair few blows.. Dark holes trying their best to suck her in, swings of a sword that never always hit their mark.. Even the strong pull of gravity that held her down..- But like many others, it wasn't enough. And now more than ever, he'd suffer for it.

A coil finally latches around his throat, pulling him in close to the tiny rat as she just keeps herself afloat around his shoulders.. It turns into a hug of sorts, her small arms taking up the coil's role, holding him tightly from behind.. - He'd be there to face Anastasia. A last look, of sorts..-

There's a few soft squeaks whispered as Ana starts on her warpath.

"Y'say goodbye now!" Bones are sure to explode all out of the rat, like some sort of porcupine..- A guarantee that Ana would try to stop it.
(Misha)
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[20:37] It was a showdown that was bound to happen, wasn't it? Yuri was merely on patrol and stumbled upon what seemed to be fight after fight for the crazed rat. Green eyes watched as Atlas found himself falling to those bones, those kicks, those punches, those whip of her tail. He watched, unable to move as the Radiant's blood was made to boil.

Think it's 'bout time we made it yer last..

None of their encounters had ended that way before this, had they? No, even when she intended on killing Atlas, even when she brought a bone spear at his neck it wasn't as intense.

She was serious.

Frozen. Unable to move. His mentor was on the verge of dying and-

.. he could do naught but stare, but tremble in fear.

He prayed Anastasia would save him.
(Yuri)
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[20:37] She had been quiet. She had stood to the side, allowing Atlas the battle he desired. To quench the anger over Alexander's death, and Aeolus' capture. Despite her own words against this very thing, she knew she would never be able to change his mind.

And so it was with a face of pure stoicism did she even deign to watch as Atlas was hugged with those bones so close to exploding, and taking his life. She had come prim and proper, in that black and red outfit. Yet, as she saw his life in danger?

Balmung was unsheathed in a heartbeat. The twelve-hundred year old blade was alight with a mixture of pure rampaging fire and cosmic energies intertwined, and with a snap of her free hand? The illusion of that pretty dress faded to reveal Anastasia came prepared in her full armor.

An Astor was always prepared for battle, no matter where and when.

"ENOUGH!"

The shout came raw and visceral, for she refused... She absolutely refused to lose anyone else. Anything else. The light and power of Alph's cosmic glow was set to work around her form and there was only a minor hesitation before something else happened as well. A cosmic convergence happened upon the Astor's very form - great wings of ethereal starlight exploded from her shoulderblades, and for a moment? The Radiant looked to be in pain...

And yet it was shrugged off in the pursuit of stopping Misha. Perhaps not once and for all, but stopping her from taking the life of someone she cared for.

The cosmic golden wings which billowed out from her form took her aloft and she swooped down with Balmung in hand, allowing a scant few seconds for Misha to throw Atlas to the side, or else get her head cleaved in by the blade that earned it's title: Dragon-slayer.
(Anastasia ven Astor)
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[20:41] Unadulterated anger.

Atlas fought abnormally, he didn't wait and observe. He simply struck.

The forces of gravity were applied across the entire battlefield, weighing down Misha and the surrounding area. Time bent to his will as the Radiant withered away at Misha's bones for a heavier assault.

This was all he needed. All he wanted after everything else had been taken from him.

But in the end he was defeated, just like all the times before. Maybe Misha was right when she said they were battling for old time's sake. Events would repeat itself, history played back.

Atlas' eyes seemed bleak and void of emotion, almost oblivious by Misha's words. Maybe it would be their last but Atlas had already prepared himself for that much. He was ready to die, ready to meet his end. Anastasia could only tether the man to the living realm for so long. His parents, Aeolus, Alexander, and more had all perished. Atlas simply wanted to see them again, feel their loving embrace.

However he had a duty to fulfil. Maybe his timeline wouldn't be cut short today, but it all depended on those who gathered to watch the battle. If he lived this surely wouldn't be the last time they fought.

A small whisper escaped the man's mouth, something only Misha could hear.

Maybe the last words the Radiant would speak.
(Atlas)
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[20:41] Atlas whispers something.
[20:47] Her bloodied mouth comes to a close, it merely smiles warmly for the little time they all had left here..- Especially after hearing him out for one last breath.

But he had a few more minutes! Mish was the last person to want her head sliced off! One hand launches the boy to the side as the scummy rodent still explodes in all bone.. All meant for our dear Anastasia.

"Y'AD YER CHANCE FER A GOODBYE!" Anyone passing by, any jogger.. Atlas.. And most of all, Ana, all took on a projectile, a sharp dagger that's sure to keep everyone back for just one moment.

"Y'WASTED IT!" Bloodied spit, once again.. There's no end to how rotten the rat could get here, especially when fronted with the noble girl herself.

Those blood whips return to fend the girl off, this was the young noble's only chance to save her friend.
(Misha)
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[21:08] 'Y'WASTED IT!'

Like an echo, the rat wasn't messing around at all.. Nor Ana! The poor girl really did fight with all her soul there.

It was getting all too much like it was all them years ago, the vigilant Watch rat trying to murder some of Nysea's finest kid warriors.. This time, as mentioned, all grown up and all full of hate, maybe they'd understand how she felt all them years ago.. Even still now, kind of.

Same again, with a twist.

Fancy blade meets rotting coils of rat blood, each one holding down that blade, ever so tightly..- All while in the back, Mish let off her bubbling red smog..- It's as scummy as one could get, keep their eyes on you, not on the blade at their back.

"I AIN'T SEEN NO GREEN, YET!" A mad cackle once more, all keeping Ana's eyes on the rat.. Fuelling that hate.. Forcing them hands to shake.. -

There's no waiting around for what she may or may not say, the blade is held in place regardless, and soon enough..? The rotting clouds where all on her. - Like a fire, they melted and burned away at her delicate flesh, scarring her even..- But it'd never be other.. While she bubbled..- The rat punished. More. Blade being yanked downward and a monstrous, red fist coming about to connect with her face..- It certainly decided their battle early.

Always followed with a cackle, Mish and her dirty tricks.

But it was only the beginning.. Ana had spunk, there was a retaliation like no other.. The same, burning spear that Mish had ruin her suit all them years ago, is pushed well hard into that same spot.. Shoving her off and away far enough .. To the end that she vanished, her squeaked cries of pain, faded. - A mist again.

She fought back and did so, hard, Ana wasn't a run in the noble to mess with.. She had that special spark, something the rodent could only ever dream of being blessed with.. It'd not change her war-readyness, not change how much experience the rat had over her.. No fancy sword would ever outmatch it.

To that end, a repeat of the same came about, the rat burned the poor girl's flesh away to a blister, slapping her away with her signature crimson coils..-

"Y'wasted it."

Only to return to Atlas.
(Misha)
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[21:18] Misha had declared she had wasted it - but she disagreed. Wasting it would have been standing around, allowing Atlas to die. The same as what she had done with Alexander. To call a retreat and not attempt to save his life.

This? This was a do-over, in a way, for Anastasia.

Balmung clashed against those coils of rotting rat blood, and even despite the coils latching and curling around the blade, Anastasia's strength managed to free it.

"I don't need it." She spat out in retort to Misha's taunt. It didn't fuel her hate - if nothing else, it kept her focused and grounded. To remind her that she was fighting against someone who had lost their mind completely. Totally.

With a giant cleave of her blade did that burning spear of fire and cosmic magic rain down directly against Misha - sending her flying and skidding back, burning her suit and ruining it just as she had last time.

Yet...

It wasn't enough. When would things ever be enough? Burns littered her form as well as her armor and eventually she was slapped away - the cosmic magic dissipating, signifying that once more?

Anastasia had failed.
(Anastasia ven Astor)
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[21:30] And that was that, it seemed they'd keep repeating these moments till death do them part. - It was a good day to part.

A very sick rat ends up standing over the young time lord, there wasn't much time to waste.. But she did want to be special. - That'd never happen, there's people rushing to help their friend, coming to try their part at what Anastasia failed..

Coughing and spluttering herself, the rodent made the corpse of a man rise up.. Still connecting him with a coil to the throat, moving him like some sort of puppet to her own will..- A limp body, dangled high enough in front of her, at the rat's meagre head level of height that is.

The pair certainly had history, each learning at least something from the other .. Whether it was when to keep your mouth closed or when to stand down.. Ok, maybe he learned more than her, and it was all going down the drain, such was life..

Small pale arms reached out for a hug, a ratty head placed on the, who she still saw as, kid's shoulder, matched only with a tight squeeze.. Mere whispers again.

Only a couple words, very few, just before Mish properly explodes in all bones for a second time, uninterrupted. They leave her body, pale and white, piercing straight through the poor man and protruding through the other side, splattered all in red. There's several, each taking a different limb, organ.. It's certainly enough to end the man's life, just like that.

The bones are left lodged in the body, Mish took on far more than she planned today..- It was her queue to bail. - And that she did. Leaving someone who she might have even called a friend, dead in the dirt.
(Misha)
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[21:38] If he could have seen the future, would he have stopped it? If he was more courageous, would he have been able to step in? To defeat her? To prevent Atlas' demise?

The young knight's damaged mind crumbled further as he watched Anastasia fail to save her long-time friend, as he saw the A-Team being reduced to but a single member with a splatter of blood and organs painting the ground a despairing crimson.

Badum. Badum.

Death had been witnessed before, but to see it in such a fashion right before his eyes was different. To watch a man who'd given him so much because he believed in him fall prey to the Demon masquerading as a rat was like a punch in the face. He could feel his heart beating. He felt his scar burning, the very scar that Misha had placed over his heart all those years ago.

Fury took over his mind. He embodied the very wrath of all the magi who were linked to him, all those unknown spirits who unwillingly had lended their energy to his person were called forth at once.

It's in Atlas' wake that this Azure Knight was born. A flame burning in his heart, through body, and all the way down to his blade lit up the heavens.

With the death of a time magi another broke the space-time continuum to reach his target, to avenge what had been lost, to make the field equal.

Green eyes turned blue beneath the veil of water evaporating with his fiery anger. A bone-cutting swing left an ethereal trail behind its edge.

One aimed at the rat's neck.

Revenge.
(Yuri)
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[21:39] She had failed.
She had failed.
She had failed.

She could do absolutely nothing - yet again - as she watched Misha do precisely what she had aimed to do previously. It made her blood run hot, it made her body cold. It made her anger boil.

By the time she had forced herself to her feet, Atlas was dead.
Someone who had told her they had loved her... Was dead.

Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.
Again.

Hot tears were fresh at the corners of her eyes, and despite the fact she wanted - she craved to chase Misha down and carve her skull in...

Her emotions were getting the best of her. It's with a shaky exhale, and a shaky reach did she gather Atlas' body. It's only as Trik spoke did the Astor turn around, emerald eyes narrowing in upon the Razuka.

"Try to touch his body and I'll burn you to a fucking cinder." She growled out, issuing forth the very first curse word she had ever spoken. Her entire being shook, unable to control her anger in that moment.

So it was best to depart.

And to grieve.
(Anastasia ven Astor)
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[21:45] The rodent is soon caught by young Yuri, another one.. It's like Nyseas children all finally grew up and where ready for what they were born to do..-

She could only defend herself.
(Misha)
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[21:50] {Won Dangerous RPB against Misha}
[21:52] The rodent gets her ass handed to her, beams flying swords swinging.. bones.. All sorts.

Surely enough, the rat rushes in too hard and takes a face full of energy, sending her flying across the bridge and back home where she belongs.

Yuri was far too late, but at least he saved the body.
(Misha)
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[21:57] Why couldn't he have been there? Why couldn't he have moved when it was time to move? He was too late to save Atlas. Too late to help Anastasia. Too late to make the world spin... right. Ironic for one who's mastery of time laid at their fingertips.

Atlas laid on the ground behind them, though his body would not be harmed any further. Yuri ensured as much. A violent assault, one carrying his will within his blade with each and every swing, allowing the deceased man's teachings to be applied upon his killer.

It's with a jump ahead in time, a skip to the future that his oversized blade came crashing down towards Misha with a speed that defied physics. A slash that dug into her body and... forced back.

Back on the other side of that damned bridge where she belonged.

Atlas was dead.

Yuri may have won the battle, but Misha had won this war by a large margain, taking something that couldn't be replaced.

It wouldn't be long before the knight's knees buckled under the pressure, under the weight of his broken heart, his broken mind.
(Yuri)
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[22:07] And so was the tale of Atlas.

A man who had risen from a common orphan to the position of Radiant. A man who had watched everything be broken around him, only for it to be rebuilt and fall once more.

Atlas had always wanted to change fate, shift reality so those who came after him wouldn't have to live as he did. Their homes would be secure throughout their lives, they wouldn't have to take up arms unless they truly wanted to. But in the current state of this world it didn't seem like that would be the case.

His will would live on, passed down to the next generation. From a closed through, forced words would ring throughout the area.

"Yuri... Protect her."

His last dying wish. Even if he himself died, Anastasia had to live on. Both for himself and Nysea. But Atlas was ascending, joining his brethren within the stars, or possibly Avalon. He didn't know his own fate just yet. Though he had accomplished all but one thing. The elusive title of Lightbringer had avoided him. He was close, but not close enough. And if he wasn't able to beat the woman who had pushed him through the most in life, how would he protect Nysea against the threats to come.

Atlas' life was used to spiral others, a beaming ray of light, a pillar for people to lean on.

He always strive to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders.

And now that duty would be passed onto his student, a young, cowardly boy that Atlas had watched grow into a still cowardly man. But he had done his part within the world, he had left his mark on those he interacted with. And that's all he hoped for. He was never destined for greatness, he shouldn't have even made it this far. Fate must've changed it's course, or maybe Atlas had been the one to do it up until this point.

"Carry my weight, uphold Nysea."

Atlas would forever watch on, acting as a guide and protector evenpast his death. He'd never relinquish the duty he had been given, all he could hope for was others to lighten the load.

The Radiant. The Time Lord.

His light was snuffed out by an ever-growing darkness.

But it would never fade.

Instead it would live on.

"Alexander, Aeolus. I'll be with you soon."

"Goodbye."

A final word to send Atlas off.

A tale etched in time.

The end.


(Atlas)
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[22:14] There's a sharp intake of breath, as she had heard the ascended Demon behind her call her by name.

Yet Felix had stepped in, and Sethon had scooted him off to the safe side. Yoshiko was there too - so surely not everything was bad...

Right?

"Shut up, Demon." She responded in kind, her jaw locked in place. The words were venom - pure of hateful spite and darkness for the time being. Anastasia felt like she was drowning, and there was no surface to swim to. She had to leave. She had to go.

Go away. From here - from...

Her breath caught in her throat. Her eyes swiveled for any signs of Misha - but the rat had already hightailed it away, and her teeth grit together.

Annoyance paints her features, and for a brief moment? The Astor revealed her emotions on her face, plain as day for any to see - rage consumed her.
(Anastasia ven Astor)
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[22:22] Where his wrath had been funneled through to chase away Misha, Anastasia's was only growing.

Don't let love be the death of duty.

He'd heard those words before. Those teachings. The words that were passed from a King, to a girl; from a Radiant, to a boy.

What could he do here? Should he move forward? Should he stop her? Should he join her? Yuri was... unsure. Uncertain.

He never was one for decisions.

Mind crumbling.
Heart crushed.

He approached the blonde Radiant. The future Lightbringer. His lips parted, yet he froze. Again. He was fresh out of energy, and the sight of Atlas' corpse made him collapse to his knees.

He couldn't help it.
Death had been on his mind and this was but a way to push him to see it directly. It had reached out to him. It had claimed him. His lips parted, yet nothing came out.

Tears streaming.
Hands falling upon the deceased. Blood was no concern.

Atlas may not have carried the world upon his shoulders, but he had carried Yuri for a long, long while.

Alone.
(Yuri)
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[22:24] Yuri whispers: .. I'm sorry I.. wasn't enough.