[03:17] Quincy smacks flames from his cape and clothes as the various amounts of burns on his body showed in full. Fire was such a fickle, potent element he wasn't sure how he truly felt about it. Vel's fire burned the hottest, enough to down him in an instant. Calael was on the path to reaching something like that. The Chieftain takes a quick step forwards, pivoting on his leg as lightning coalesced in the center of his palm-

A strike meant to shatter even the strongest guards. Quincy flickers from in front of the demi-angel, to directly behind him- The piercing motion is then thrust into his back, ending the series of spars they'd been engaging in. Quincy was not looking so great, not after being pushed to the edge over and over again. He squats down and begins to catch his breath, even moving a hand up to wipe sweat from his brow.

"Are you going to be alright?" He very bluntly asks Calael. Somewhat worried about the health of the youth after such an intense final blow, he would idle near the demi-angel for now.
(Quincy Tval)
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[03:19] Mesmerized by their high octane performance, Fubiki seldom acquired the opportunity to witness such power, the gleam in her eyes a signature trait of excitement. Smiling softly, she scooted herself along the little wall of Magi, shuffling in place beside the Fae while silently being amazed by this battle.

A subtle purse of her lips became apparent on her face as the battle reached its climax- the perfect opportunity to introduce herself to the youthful bodies around her while they weren't distracted by any ongoing battle.

"Everywhere I go, I'm unfortunately reminded of my mediocrity. I'll strive to compete with the likes these two one day."

Ah, a soft smile as she swirled ever so slightly on her feet, angling her gentle frame toward the group.

"I go by Fubuki. An honor to be in your presence."
(Fubuki)
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[03:31] Cal had been training all day. He had wandered out into the fields with Est to spar her and, luckily for the pyromancer, ice couldn't hold up to his fire. He and the ghost girl had a few rounds before she went back home, disappointed mostly in her losses rather than angry with the demiangel. It had been shortly after that that Shai had shown up and sparred Calael for what seemed like hours. The two ended up being evenly matched, each one pushing the other to the limit until they'd called it equal.

And then came Emiri and Coirnav, and finally the Chieftain Quincy.

Each opponent brought a new set of talents that Cal had to face off against and each one put him in the dirt at the end of most rounds, but that didn't stop him from trying. Unlike Est, Calael carried each loss on his shoulders with a smirk and some pride. Each one brought him a lesson, a new experience that he knew would help him grow stronger if he only pushed himself a little more. Once he thought he'd reached the furthest he could, he continued reaching, even if he was sent flying backward again and again.

With lightning bolts racking his body and Quincy's piercing strikes landing dead on, Calael found himself lying in the grass, aching, and staring up at the twinkling night sky. He heard the Chieftain's question, and could only lie there in silence for a time before his eyes found it.

The distant, shining blue orb that was the burning star of Io recognized its valiant young knight. What had Ithaca said to him? Find a way that works, a way that consistently communes with the star, and use it to your advantage. Calael had always thought that fire had been the strength of he and Io's connection, that the heat of a star was unmatched and all his pyromancy came from his closest partner. That had all been turned on its head when Cal had recently meditated amidst the lapping waves of the beaches, when he'd found solace from a thousand worries in the reflective, azure glow of his star across the ocean.

It had chosen fire's antithesis, for whatever reason, but Cal had a theory. He rolled over onto his side and grunted a response through bruised ribs. "I'll be-- fine. One. One more." Amber eyes shifted to the small pond nearby, the small pond that was a mirror to the cosmological map overhead. Somewhere in it was Io's double, its image that truly rested upon Agartha. Was this what it wanted from him? Moments of meeting not at opposite ends of the cosmos, but face to face?

Calael stood, tome still in hand, and opened it once more. It was turned to those back pages, the blank ones that filled themselves with shimmering, golden patterns of swords that manifested into arcs of fire around him. With his yellow starlight maintaining control over the inferno's framelike structure, the demiangel nodded to Fubuki. "Calael Elisheva." was all he said for now. He had to stay focused, so introductions couldn't really be too long. With a beat his wings extended, and Cal aimed to take the Chieftain down.
(Calael Elisheva)
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[03:39] Quincy was sitting there after the match, having effectively taken down the angel in combat round after round. With this last match having come to a conclusion, it's clear on the Occultist's face that he was a little worn out and spent. The man keeps his eyes on the blue haired boy as he groaned and rolled over, voicing his physical state as 'fine.' Quincy grins slightly, breaking the trend of the frown, and rises up to his feet. It was at that point where he snapped his fingers, and the gravity around his body would warp and lighten him.

He rises into the air once more, "Good!" He shouts now, pointing both palms towards Calael. Electrical potential funnels into both of his hands, sparking lightning to life as the shade of the color went from a neon blue, to a dark crimson, to a stoic and perfect shade of silver. Lightning seemed to come in so many beautiful colors, and if asked to speak about his mana- He'd have a thousand words. Nevertheless, the Ezmaran Chieftain takes in a deep breath and exhales once more.

There is a trail of flame that leaves from Quincy's should, funneling into a certain spot that hovered just above his right shoulder. Calael would be able to see as what was once just a pair of red, malevolent eyes- Began to grow and start festering as a real, visible spirit.

Clad in dark fog and brimming with Occult force, the spirit hovers just behind Quincy. Though it lacks a face, or defined arms. It seemed mostly for show, almost as if a project the Chieftain was working on fixing and correcting as best as possible. But if he were to try and handle control of the spirit in any tangible way, he'd have to try and force it to move along with him time and time again.

"Quincy Tval. Chieftain of Ezmara." He flickers forward once more, as silver lightning is beamed from his palm with intent to go through his chest.

He fought with full intent to down him once more. "Fight with heart, Calael! Don't even think about half-assing this!"
(Quincy Tval)
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[03:45] "Calael Elisheva."

Fubuki had heard of the Elisheva name, as well as the divine children that bore it. Curiously, she angled her head to the side, taking a moment to process the battle going on, as well as the angelic magic so handily deployed by Cal.

"I wasn't aware I was standing in the presence of the demi-angels. Pardon my insolence."

A curt bow, one that most likely went unnoticed. The gesture was there, however, and she smiled delicately as magenta eyes lifted from the ground. Of course, anyone who'd spent time within Huangzhou's confines understood that this young lady was a noble, judging from her mannerisms and demeanor.

There was no questioning it. A nervous chuckle parted her lips, still feeling slightly out of place in a crowd full of strangers, other than Kane.

"Well met."
(Fubuki)
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[03:48] Cephon whispers something.
[03:48] Mikhaila Elisheva says, "..."
[03:49] Cephon whispers something.
[03:49] Cephon whispers something.
[03:49] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:49] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:49] Cephon whispers something.
[03:49] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:50] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:50] Cephon whispers something.
[03:50] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:50] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:50] Cephon whispers something.
[03:50] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:50] Cephon whispers something.
[03:50] Mikhaila casts a gaze to the kimono-clad teen.

"...has our name really spread that far? Ah, it's nice to meet you, Fubuki- sorry, I was a little lost in thought. You don't need to apologize, hm, hm."
(Mikhaila Elisheva)
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[03:50] Cephon whispers something.
[03:50] Cephon whispers something.
[03:50] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:51] Cephon whispers something.
[03:51] Cephon whispers something.
[03:51] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:51] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:51] ".. There's a hesitance in your fighting. You're backing down when you should be trying to break my guard." He states loudly during the battle, a clear sign of Quincy's lack of respect in that moment. He was watching Calael's every movement, and the war veteran himself could spot every last mistake and fidget in his approach. There does come a moment where Calael pushes forward and opens up the gates of heaven themselves. There is a split second where his eyes widen and promptly after- Quincy's smile widens too.

"Good! With everything you've got!" But as the hundreds of golden swords began to rain down on the Chieftain- The world around the duo seems to slow down for a second. The very color in their vision, in the life and world around the two of them- All of it begins to drain away and silver into nothingness as grayscale took over in full.

There is a very noticeable pull of the mana in Calael's body for a second, and what happened next would be something for Calael to remember forever. Golden swords by the hundred rain upon him, impacting him and crashing into his body. But with the world painted in a silver color, the Chieftain walked right through the onslaught.

As if the damage itself was completely and utterly nullified from the moment it sought to bring him harm. Golden blades quite literally bounce off of the man's body or explode into golden mana completely as he pressed through the attack- And as it finished?

Color returns to the world.

A hand reaches out and grabs Calael by the face, charging up with lightning as Quincy's eyes both narrow. ".. That's everything, huh?" A jolt of lightning flows through the demi-angel's body, downing him afterthe dazzling performance from the master Occultist.

Quincy stands above Calael- Almost unscratched.
(Quincy Tval)
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[03:51] Cephon whispers something.
[03:52] Noel glances over and nods, thought his smile is reserved. Watching Calael repeatedly throw himself at Quincy was hard to watch.

"Nice to meet you, Fubuki. I'm Noel." He spends a few moments thinking about the way she phrased 'being in their presence', but doesn't have anything to say about it that his sister had not already.
(Noel Elisheva)
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[03:52] Kane offers a glance down at the young girl, he'd salute them with two fingers! Woah, so cool.

"Oh heya kid. You know me, Kane C. The coolest not criminal, criminal in the west."
(Kane Cooper)
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[03:52] Cephon whispers something.
[03:52] Mikhaila Elisheva says, "--I'm Mikhaila! I forgot to say my name."
[03:52] Cephon whispers something.
[03:52] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:52] Sera Elisheva whispers something.
[03:55] Cephon whispers something.
[03:57] Cephon whispers something.
[04:00] An experiment.

That's what this fight was. Calael went into it without reaching out, without communing with his star or asking for a little bit of a boost. He let divine swords of golden mana and wreathing waves of flame shower down across Quincy only to find them reflected back and a world void of color. The onslaught was something Cal would have to take note of, something he would have to avoid if he was ever going to hope at succeeding here. Even with a cosmic kick of his boots and a rocket forward toward Quincy he was grabbed and electrocuted entirely.

"GGgggaAAHH--" came his cry as the booksmart demiangel was discarded once again down into the grass and mud. His hand, now lying in the pond, sent a few ripples through it, and the shimmering starlight that was resting within it caught his pained attention. He felt it now, a subtle surge that pushed him back up.

Back up for one more fight.

As Calael's shoulders rose and fell and he glared ahead at the Gehennan, color returned to the world, and swirling within the bright, yellow light of his aura a mingled, cold, shimmering blue hinted at a change in power.

"Last. Time." he growled, going back on his 'one more time' he'd said previously. But something told Quincy and all those watching that this time? Cal meant it.
(Calael Elisheva)
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[04:01] Quincy Tval says, ".. Do not disappoint."
[04:01] Quincy Tval says, "I will no longer be holding back against you, Calael."
[04:01] Quincy Tval says, "Make. It. Count."
[04:02] A relief.

A exuberant liveliness creeped up on upon her face, a lowly hum leaving her coral rose lips. At least now, she wasn't a stranger to the demi-angels, but that still left her a foreigner- unfamiliar with any of these faces on a personal, more intricate level.

Perhaps that could soon change.

"In Huangzhou especially, your names are well-known. Be it for better or worse, it brought me to search for you. I'm... sorry if I treat you no different than royalty- it's difficult for me to explain, but whereas you may not view yourselves as special, your presence and efforts are admired by many."

"Calael, Kane, Mikhaila and Noel."

She wouldn't forget the names. A brief glance to the unintroduced, but they'd probably come around. Enough with the fanfare, she thought to herself.

"You all seem exceptionally different than from the tales I've heard. I never knew you'd be so young. Have you... trained for this life, since childhood?"

An interested glance was shot toward Calael, who she'd seen lose to Quincy multiple times already. What exactly was the ambitious young man hoping for? She held her breath to watch, on the edge of her seat.
(Fubuki)
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[04:03] Sera Elisheva asks, "Oh?"
[04:03] Sera Elisheva exclaims, "Good job, Calael!"
[04:03] Calael Elisheva says, "N-not. Over yet."
[04:03] Sera Elisheva says, "Sh."
[04:03] Quincy Tval says, "..."
[04:03] Quincy Tval says, "...."
[04:03] Sera Elisheva exclaims, "You pushed him back!"
[04:03] Sera Elisheva says, "A little."
[04:04] Sera folds the wings on his back inwards. Ouch.
(Sera Elisheva)
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[04:05] Quincy Tval says, "Focus, Calael. Break. My. Guard."
[04:08] The nearby fight manages to steal some of the blonde's attention, but she swiftly looks back to Fubuki with a wide smile.

"It's fine, we're either looked down upon or regarded highly, sometimes unfairly so...

What kind of tales have you heard, huh? Big, glamorous wings? All glowing? Hahaha! A lot of our earlier weren't that bright, but I suppose you could say we've been training for a good part of our life. We certainly didn't ask for it, though."
(Mikhaila Elisheva)
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[04:13] Quincy strengthens his position within the air, bringing up his forearms to guard from several blasts of flames and golden blades that dared to crash into his body. Over and over again, the world's color is drained into Quincy's otherworldly protection. A blast of fire that should've sent him into the floor crashes into his arms, and explodes outwards as he floats forward after it.

Every case of significant damage is nullified. Calael's spells were quite literally being deleted as they came into contact with Quincy, mana fizzling out and damage resulting in a net gain of absolutely zero. He narrows his eyes and brings his palms together. His demeanor shifts from cautious, to one of utter focus and control. The space between Quincy's palms immediately starts to darken. Gravity around him and the space he was focusing mana into would grow to oppressive levels of power. As his palms separate?

A simulated black hole, with effects mirroringon the real astronomical construct, would be birthed onto the battlefield. Quincy hovers near the gravity well, crossing his arms as he scoffs at Calael. "This is truly it, then? All you can do is push me back once? Where is the focus and control? Where is your passion and determination? Is it null and void just like your attacks?" That very taunt was just seconds before Calael had cloaked himself in his starlight.

… And the black hole would do exactly what they all did. Eat him alive.

Quincy's palm is raised to the sky as one final bout of offensive lightning is burst outwards in an omnidirectional explosion. That, along with massive and debilitating damage from the gravity well-

Solidify the end of the battle. Quincy had no words to speak- Not until Calael had words for himself after his defeat.
(Quincy Tval)
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[04:14] "Uhhh, I'm just a normal guy!"

That's good right?

Right.

Kane thought it'd be good to be a noble, or some super relevant person. One of the many motivations for his previous life. He learned through the angels, and Kumi that there's much more to those titles or blessings than people see.

And that anyone could have it rough. "Meh, I'll tell you anyways! I did a lot of illegal activity that ranged in beating and/or robbing folk. It helped me become a solid fighter, and I can think in a bad guy's shoes. Hah! I'm not that guy anymore though..."
(Kane Cooper)
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[04:22] "I have to say it's definitely the angelic wings, as well as your participation in numerous battles. I'm sorry that you didn't choose this life... but I'm glad there's people such as yourselves that can make the most out of such an opportunity."

Her beautiful eyes smiled from her cheeks, joviality radiating off her face, content to be able to share these experiences with the demi-angels. Briefly, she paid attention to Kane, watching him describe the unfortunate events that lead to his branding.

"I'm sorry to hear that sir Kane, from just your words I can tell that you've learned that the path of darkness only gets darker with time. You seem happy now, and that's what matters."

Her hands clasped before her, trinkets jingling slightly from her pristine kimono, the katana at her hip pushed slightly to the side to allow more free motion for her hands. Despite this conversation, an air of enigma surrounded her... but that was most likely because even she didn't know who she was.

Without an identity, she was no different than any average young woman... and that was her personal struggle. Where it may not seem like much to someone like the prestigious demi-angels, it was important to her.

"Visiting the angel manor and its surrounding establishments was an enlightening experience. I wish I'd found you all sooner, maybe then our first interaction wouldn't have been so informal."

Another chuckle, this one more at ease.
(Fubuki)
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[04:32] Mikhaila maintains her smile at Fubuki's expressions.

"It's really nice to hear that, Fubuki -- we are trying to make the most of what we are, you know, with the entire 'trying to do good' thing we have." Mikhaila gives a nudge to Kane after his brief explanation. "...we haven't been to the manor in a while 'cause most of our focus has been near Crafthold.

In any case, it's good you met us now, right?"
(Mikhaila Elisheva)
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[04:32] Calael's heels beat with starry light once again and the demiangel vaulted straight on into the Gehennan chieftain. Through whirling fire all around him, Calael rolled across the southern, grassy fields like a miniature sun. Though with each sword cast ahead, half were intercepted, repelled and left broken due to Quincy's nullification capabilities. It was frustrating to say the least, but Calael pushed on. He had to keep going, he had to try.

With Io's reflection amidst the water and now ever so subtly there, the demiangel was giving it his all. Even if it was the equivalent of a storm of bullets rattling against the iron hide of a shield, he kept going. "No!" was all he could shout against Quincy's questions once he felt the waves of gravity tear forth, swallowing the fires of the Angelic Star.

He pulled back in futility,his boots digging into the earth. Grass was pulled up with each tug and for a second, that subtle, azure light sparked in the center of his arced fire shield. Calael saw it, he believed it was the answer, his shot at victory!

With Io's influence certainly there he cast forth a wave of fire and flame to ride upon directly toward the Chieftain and then--

He was blasted backward by another series of lightning bolts. He was sent rolling across the ground, sprawled out in one, final display of failure. Calael hadn't maintained the connection. Somewhere in there he had made a mistake, but where?? It all felt impossible, like he was up against the ocean itself in this very moment, a candle amidst the waves instead of a roiling star in the sky. It would take some time alone, some time to ponder his missteps and what else he could attempt to truly grasp his star's call for good.

Cal lied there, not really wanting to get up, and spoke toward the Chieftain. Th...thanks. For this." the boy was bruised and beaten, bleeding even from some minor scrapes across his body from a day of sparring and fighting half a dozen opponents. "I see now why Gehenna was capable of pushing Obsidia back, eh?" a joke, one that received only a pained laugh from the downed pigeon.

"Keep an eye out for me though, we're going to fight again, someday soon..." he said it as if he was walking away, as if he still wasn't lying on the ground in the dirt. Calael couldn't be bothered to go anywhere else though. With the pond pooled around his head, his gaze was locked on the mysterious patron that hd chosen him all those years ago, the source of everything that gave him purpose.

One way or another, he'd feel its true power once again.
(Calael Elisheva)
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[04:38] Quincy takes in one final breath as the flaming, starlight cloaked angel fell to his assault of lightning- And terrifying Occult mastery. Nullifying so many spells back to back left the Chieftain slightly pale and drained from the battles. His eyes narrow with the defeat of the angel. Quincy slowly drops to the floor as mastery over gravity is abandoned completely. He would walk forward at brisk pace, standing over Calael as he spoke. "Gehenna pushed back Obsidia because of good souls like those who live in your settlement- Support from the entire continent helped, of course."

.. But with the mention of the war, Quincy's expression is sour and slowly turning bitter. Gods.. How many people did he lose? He closes his eyes and keeps the encroaching despair from swallowing him completely. Instead, the Chieftain reaches his hand down and extends it for the angel to take. "Besides.. You shouldn't be on the ground with wings like yours. Would you like a hand?"
(Quincy Tval)
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[04:39] Calael Elisheva says, "I... I'll lay here for a bit, if you don't mind."
[04:39] Calael Elisheva says, "Probably fall asleep."
[04:39] Quincy Tval says, "..."
[04:39] Quincy Tval says, "Please find a pillow if you do."