[ this horse moves fast. when xie lian is not possessed by some terrifying monstery nonsense he will be very impressed and also want to spar!
unfortunately, he is possessed by said terrifying monstery nonsense, so. chiron seems well aware of the weakness of his legs and even xie lian can't get a hit in on them. all it would take is a misstep; his steps are just as graceful, just as quick, matching chiron movement for movement. with no weapon besides ruoye (which he's mostly unaware of), the feral drive to kill chiron is guiding his strikes into the territory of vicious. while soo-won tries to grab at his arrow, xie lian seems to be working well in tandem with him-- he aims a roundhouse kick at the side of his head, this time, and uses his momentum to come off of the ground, his other foot following up immediately after for a well placed strike to his human ribcage, instead, aiming to shatter bone. it puts him close enough to be struck, but trying to fight off this form of -- whatever it is controlling him means that xie lian is sloppier than he normally would be.
right now, it's about causing damage. its about a misstep, backing chiron up as far as he can go so he and soo-won can take him out. he's not even thinking about ochako; as far as xie lian's currently not working brain knows, ochako won't be able to keep up with him, while chiron is a worthy opponent.
which means he is absolutely 100% going to get ochako gravity'd any second now. yeet ]
soo-won does not match up to xie lian's martial arts prowess - but in truth, he doesn't think that he has to. all he has to do is be aware of the other man's motions, avoid them, and use the fact that the others are currently still aiming for mercy in order to take advantage of it. his fingers curl around the tail of an arrow and that's all he needs, quick and nimble motions to pull it from chiron's quiver and aim to lodge it right into the man's shoulder as if to damage a nerve and make it harder for him to move.
quick, effective, strategic - it's all of soo-won's skills with none of his humanity.
but without that humanity he fails to consider that a young girl pushed into a corner can still fight. the monster doesn't pay attention to ochako (prey......... 2!) and so he too will be gravity yeeted in a moment
before or after he tries to completely fuck up archer's arm, up to y'all]
[ they're not paying any attention to her. probably underestimating her, just like everyone else does. as much as it annoys her, ochako isn't above using that to her advantage. so while their focus is on hurting chiron, she manages to touch both of them, just barely.
and their feet easily leaves the floor as they gently float toward the ceiling. ]
A-Archer-san! [ he's hurt again. that's. not good. they don't have anymore bandages?? ochako looks between chiron and the two floating uncertainly. ] Is... Is there something we can tie them up with, maybe? That counts as defeating them, right?
He had dodged xie lian's strike against his temple, knowing it would leave his chest vulnerable, and he's paying the price for it now. At least one cracked rib, maybe two, and blood has begun trickling down his chin as he tries to swallow back the urge to cough.
He was only marginally more lucky with his right shoulder; the arrow did not hit a nerve, but certainly tore through muscle nearly down to the bone. If not for losing his footing, Soo-Won likely would have damaged the arm beyond repair and rendered the bowman unable to use his favored weapon.
Through the onslaught, Chiron didn't attack; just blocked for Ochako's sake, and steeled himself against the hits. Now with them air-bound he is free to reap the results of his decisions: pressed against a wall on four unsteady legs as he tries desperately to get his erratic breathing under control, his left hand curled protecting around the right shoulder. Whether Soo-Won yanked out the arrow or it's still lodged in there, well...
There's just, uh. A lot of blood! There's a loooot of blood. His poor bandages are practically useless at this point.]
I... forgive me, I did not bring any rope.
[And even a cursory glance around the room doesn't seem to reveal anything, though admittedly Chiron is too busy staring at both of the "monsters" with a grim expression. They can still move, after all. And given their combined fighting experience--
[ xie lian's hit connects, and he's fully ready to finish chiron off. when he jumps, this time, however, ochako's quirk-powered fingers touch against his body, and his feet are off of the ground.
and that is what finally, finally, lets an ounce of his consciousness break free. xie lian gasps as he finds clarity, just in time for the last word of chiron's sentence to register in his head.
rope. ] -- Ruoye, help them!!
[ xie lian shouts because he can already feel the darkness at the edge of his vision, grasping, pulling him back. ruoye unwinds from his wrist, immediately, flinging downwards in ochako's direction. it's a good, long sentient silk cloth, and it immediately coils into her hand. it is not tying her up - it's there to listen, poised to strike like a cobra towards soo-won and xie lian!
meanwhile, xie lian fights it, fights it, desperately gritting his teeth as it tries to pull him back under, and shouts - ] You have to kill me - I won't stop otherwise! I won't die, so just do it - don't be afraid--!!
[ - but that's all the struggling he has. the darkness takes over again, not seconds later. he exhales, ragged, and despite the lack of gravity, starts moving to flip himself over. ]
Edited (whoops got ahead of myself) 2020-10-07 20:55 (UTC)
[it would be better to yank out the arrow - not for chiron's sake, but because it would allow him to bleed out from yet another wound until the man might stand a chance to bleed into unconsciousness. soo-won's fingers clutch around the body of it, ready to yank it back out and try again—
when he finds himself floating, and like xie lian, he gets a moment of clarity.
ah, to be a god who won't die.
he doesn't know of that concept for himself with the same certainty. this may very well be his final battle. but if he were to take a look at his actions, at himself in the last few seconds, he knows that it would be for the best if he did not survive.
if he is not himself, he carries no worth to this group of people - and monsters must be eradicated. as he floats upwards, he offers a smile]
... I understand what needs to be done. [if they cannot save him - he never truly expected anyone to be able to, if this is what he deserves] See to the safety of everyone.
[a look to chiron:] If you could make sure Yona doesn't cry too mu—
[and then he's gone. they float upward, but soo-won maintains a sense of his surroundings. his feet reach the ceiling - and that's all he needs for momentum. just as xie lian flips, soo-won grabs onto him and then with the leverage provided by the flat surface, moves to take the momentum and throw him in the direction of ochako.
he'll follow a moment after. remove the support while the primary attacker is recovering - strike quickly and decisively.
It was a fool's errand from the beginning and Chiron knew that -- and still he took the impossible gamble, if only to see one less weight rest on the girl's soul -- but his expression hardens into the blank acceptance only warriors with many bodies to their name know of, his eyes drawing to Soo-Won's face in particular.
Then Xie Lian flips and is thrown in Ochako's direction, just in time to meet the very angry centaur standing in front of her.
It's not as if his wounds have magically healed themselves, or his stamina has returned. The only difference is he's fully accepted the burden of what must be done. Something he should've done since the very beginning, but in the end he'll always have the heart of a teacher before a killer.
Xie Lian is going to have precious few seconds to orient himself; there's no bow in Chiron's hands because he needs them to grab the other by the throat if he has to, trading finesse for power. Trading in his learned experience of martial arts for that of a wild beast.
He needs the other immortal to die so he can crush Soo-Won next]
[ there's something like panic bubbling up in the pit of her stomach. kill them? but they're only supposed to defeat them, and... and...
and how can a hero kill the people they just saved?
her knuckles are white where they grip the knife, and she tries to rein in her emotions. it's still a fight. xie lian and soo-won are still trying to - to kill them, so she has to do something. ]
R-Ruoye-san, please tie up Soo-won-san!
[ the less mobility he has, the better. they can defeat him without resorting to killing them like this. at least, she hopes so. that should never be an option. ]
[ ruoye is not nearly as powerful or as long as it used to be, either, but it is doing its very best, and it's usually good at listening to directions. when ochako commands it as xie lian might, it whips out over chiron's shoulder and around the mess in front, aiming to do a full loop around soo-won to pin his arms to his sides! i leave that up to dana whether it works the first time or not.
meanwhile, ruoye's actual master has given up on any form of finesse at all, too. when soo-won grabs onto him, xie lian connects with what's happening instantly (they are making quite the good team of murderous out of their mind genkis) and turns his body as he's being thrown so his dominant arm is brought around to the front.
like a small, deadly missile, the momentum brings him flying forward into chiron's space. he's going for his neck, too, though xie lian's goal is simply to deliver a chop that, at full strength, could take a lesser creature's head clean off. luckily, he's very nerfed! that, and the momentum is lessened when he sees chiron reaching for him. at the last second, xie lian tries to jerk his head up, so the first grab at him misses flesh. his strike goes off course, from his neck to the side of his head, instead.
chiron may miss flesh, but the ever present bandages around xie lian's throat are still there. his fingers catch in them. stopping him in mid move, and in those precious seconds, he struggles to kick upwards, completely out of his mind and fighting until his last breath.
[when chiron intercepts, soo-won adjusts his strategy. originally he was going to launch himself directly at ochako, but it would appear as though that things may be more difficult than that. he hears the command for himself to be tied up - and his mind tick tick ticks away on how to prevent that.
rather than aiming straight for ochako, he'll seek to continue the build of momentum and leverage to the best that he can - feet finding purchase on the ceiling, pushing off so that he can head to the next wall as if to leap off that as well. he extends one arm which he allows luoye to capture
but he does have the other. the other will reach for the knife clipped to ochako's belt, as if to steal it from her person and stab her with it - but he's still in zero gravity and for all his combat sense, he's never done this before. he can be prone to missing, or otherwise not being in the right position at the right time
and with his arm extended and luoye securing one arm so that it can't reach out further, his chest is wide open.
[ ah - it only worked halfway?! and with soo-won coming right at her, she does the reflexive thing, loosening her grip on her knife for a moment to press her fingers together. ]
Release!
[ stay on her toes, and keep them disoriented. it's a strategy that ochako has used before, and with foes who underestimate her ability, it usually works... there's just one problem. she doesn't realize that soo-won's grabbed the spare knife until after she's released them back into gravity's pull, and has to scramble to defend herself, swinging her knife to frantically bat his away before it can touch her.
perhaps the sudden return to gravity threw off soo-won's balance, or maybe ochako was a little too panicked - she's still in training, after all, and heroes are never meant to kill, even when they're facing the worst villains in history. either way, it doesn't matter.
there's a choked sound from her as the knife doesn't land where she's expecting. ]
[While Ochako is off being severely traumatized two feet over--
Xie Lian dodges the initial grab for him, but he hasn't retreated out of range and Chiron refuses to budge from where he is, all four of his legs planted firmly in place. It'll be over in the span of a second; the victor is the one who lands the killing blow.
(And if that means an ill-gotten win by adjusting his grip inside the bandages that accidentally get caught in his fingertips, ah what terrible luck, his fellow immortal--)
The blow meant for Chiron's neck is delivered to the temple instead, still with enough force and aim that a small piece of the sage's brain realizes he'll be concussed no matter what, barely able to move for a while after, kill him now, there's no other chance--
Holding tight, his hand fists over the bandages that wind around the windpipe, and it doesn't matter how much the other struggles. At this angle he can still push off his hind legs, gaining enough height to press his front hooves against the other's chest and
slams down with his full weight right over the heart and lungs, driving the body into the ground.
He'd apologize if he was actually sorry, Xie Lian.]
[gravity is restored all too suddenly and he stumbles. the monster that controls soo-won's body curses it - whereas the young man inside decides that this is the most fortunate thing that could have happened. she panics, and the knife sinks into his chest suddenly as his momentum plunges it into his chest.
he looks surprised as he faces her, even as his eyes look down onto the knife and he thinks -
so this is what it's like.
for his last few moments, he is himself again, and he thinks that all he can offer in reassurance is:]
.... you did... the right thing.
[this is the most effective move, and he is glad that he didn't get to harming her - but he won't make her carry his weight anymore, instead stumbling back and wrenching the knife out of his chest. he won't have to wait longer this way, in pain and forcing chiron and ochako to watch his life fade away in a slow tick.
if he's to die, let it just once be on his terms.
he falls to the ground, blood pooling underneath him, and the king of kouka breathes his last after falling onto the blade of a teenage girl.
he wishes that this wasn't how it came to be - but perhaps this is the work of fate too.
[ her eyes lock onto where the knife penetrates soo-won's chest, wide with horror as his clothes start turning red. stunned, her grip on the knife is loose enough that he can easily back away.
...you did... the right thing.
if it's an attempt at reassurance, it does the opposite for ochako, a soft, strangled noise escaping her as he drops to the ground.
no, no no no, this can't be happening! that wasn't - it wasn't supposed to happen like this. they were supposed to try to save them! tears spring to her eyes, blurring her vision, as she turns her eyes to see another figure prone on the ground, under chiron's hooves, and finds her breath caught in her throat.
her voice, when she finds it, is small, shaky. ]
A-Archer-san... what do we do now...?
[ there's no more serum. even if there was, it could end up just like this again, and they can't risk that. but they... they can't leave the two of them here, either, can they? ]
[He doesn't... need long to deliberate, voice quiet as he removes his hooves from the corpse beneath him. There's no misery or despair in how he addresses her. All of his features are set tight and restrained.
They did what they had to do... in that way, he was united with Soo-Won and Xie Lian to their last breaths.]
-- I know it hurts, Ochako, to not succeed in the ways we wanted, but we still have much to do. There is a chance they are infected, first off. So even as we bring them back, we must warn the others of what happened.
[Turning his head to face her -- slowly, with much effort. The adrenaline is wearing off fast, and between being concussed and having lost a lot of blood, even he marvels that he's still on his feet]
Then we must see to our own wounds. It would dishonor both of them for us to die after battle. They are expecting us to carry on.
[ Chiron has more of a braincell than Jan does, because only about an hour ago did I realize that there was nothing stopping you from taking the bodies with you and I had to alter my notes slightly.
Anyway, all the doors now unlock, so they're free to leave this room and through the Unknown (One-way Entry) Door. ]
[ ...he's right, of course. they can't stop now; they still have to get back, and they have to make sure the rest of them are safe before anything else. ochako will have to deal with the fact that she's become a murder and have a breakdown later.
she takes a deep breath (that does little to steady her) and bites her lip as she steps forward, reactivating her quirk first on soo-won, then on xie lian. ]
R-Ruoye-san, please hold both Soo-won-san and Xie Lian-san. We're taking them with us, okay?
[ how much of that will ruoye understand. will it even still work, without xie lian...? if it does, we're taking our corpse balloons and leaving. ]
[Chiron being the super braincell will probably at some point warn Ochako that her quirk might malfunction once they leave this area and thus the corpses will have to eventually be carried on his back but after that--
[ Glad for Ochako and her corpse balloons, honestly.
They + Ruoye step through the doorway, taking them to another hallway. True to the sign, the door will shut behind them and lock. But because y'all had to be smart and bring the corpses with you, no one has to live with their sad feelings for too long. (Well, aside from any sad feelings not over Soo-won and Xie Lian's unfortunate deaths, but that's on you.)
As the bodies of the dead pass through and enter the hallway, their wounds begin to heal, perhaps to varying degrees. At best, they'll still leave a scar; at worst, they'll heal just enough so that they're no longer fatal. Soo-won and Xie Lian's horns disappear, and their teeth return to normal.
Then, they wake up. Soo-won and Xie Lian are alive. (Hey, looks like Xie Lian was right about not being able to die.) As a bonus, no more murderous urges!
Chiron and Ochako, however, get no free healing. Whoops.
Along the corridor, there's a compartment in one of the walls. Opening it will reveal:
• A printed report. • A pistol that fires... fire. The fire will not cause damage and will instead heal the target. • Another pistol! It has the same function as the one above. • A small tree branch. If it's placed in a location before curfew, the user will receive a vague idea of anything that occurs there on Thursday night that week.
There's an explanation of what each item does. Each item is also one use only.
At the end of the corridor is a door. Going through it will take them back to the Main Hallway in the northern area of the Realm! Chiron and Ochako will once again be nerfed, and any item that they took—besides the aforementioned four—will turn to ashes upon going through this door. No free weapons. ): ]
and he aches. there's confusion that comes first, and then the hand that moves to his own chest as if to address the pain that comes from the gently healed stab wound. his blinks once, twice, in confusion and seems to register that he's still floating.]
Ah.
[very intelligent, our beloved king]
... Archer. Ochako.
[gently, to get their attention - ]
Um. May we be released? We're... alive, I think. For good this time, I hope.
[ all things considered, this was a pretty quick revival process. last time, he awoke a few days later on an empty battlefield, injuries healed and heartbroken for the tragedies that occurred in ban yue.
this time, when xie lian opens his eyes, he's looking at.. the ceiling? his chest aches, and his throat hurts, but...
well. the theory of xie lian's life continues: if he is supposed to die during an event, he will survive. ] ...Ruoye. [ he says, voice hoarse. the bandage perks up out of ochako's hand as if it's been electrified, and shoots up xie lian's arm and away from soo-won, wrapping around his forearm immediately and up to his face, pressing the edge of its bandage into his cheek.
xie lian looks to won, first, to check that he's alive - his gentle voice soothes something small in him. still, they live again.
and, as he's starting to try and right himself from floating, he spots chiron's arrows, he's not surprised - xie lian feels respect for him, immediately, martial combatant to combatant, and gives him a small, tired smile. ] ...If there's something you would like to do to confirm that we are ourselves, I understand.
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unfortunately, he is possessed by said terrifying monstery nonsense, so. chiron seems well aware of the weakness of his legs and even xie lian can't get a hit in on them. all it would take is a misstep; his steps are just as graceful, just as quick, matching chiron movement for movement. with no weapon besides ruoye (which he's mostly unaware of), the feral drive to kill chiron is guiding his strikes into the territory of vicious. while soo-won tries to grab at his arrow, xie lian seems to be working well in tandem with him-- he aims a roundhouse kick at the side of his head, this time, and uses his momentum to come off of the ground, his other foot following up immediately after for a well placed strike to his human ribcage, instead, aiming to shatter bone. it puts him close enough to be struck, but trying to fight off this form of -- whatever it is controlling him means that xie lian is sloppier than he normally would be.
right now, it's about causing damage. its about a misstep, backing chiron up as far as he can go so he and soo-won can take him out. he's not even thinking about ochako; as far as xie lian's currently not working brain knows, ochako won't be able to keep up with him, while chiron is a worthy opponent.
which means he is absolutely 100% going to get ochako gravity'd any second now. yeet ]
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soo-won does not match up to xie lian's martial arts prowess - but in truth, he doesn't think that he has to. all he has to do is be aware of the other man's motions, avoid them, and use the fact that the others are currently still aiming for mercy in order to take advantage of it. his fingers curl around the tail of an arrow and that's all he needs, quick and nimble motions to pull it from chiron's quiver and aim to lodge it right into the man's shoulder as if to damage a nerve and make it harder for him to move.
quick, effective, strategic - it's all of soo-won's skills with none of his humanity.
but without that humanity he fails to consider that a young girl pushed into a corner can still fight. the monster doesn't pay attention to ochako (prey......... 2!) and so he too will be gravity yeeted in a moment
before or after he tries to completely fuck up archer's arm, up to y'all]
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and their feet easily leaves the floor as they gently float toward the ceiling. ]
A-Archer-san! [ he's hurt again. that's. not good. they don't have anymore bandages?? ochako looks between chiron and the two floating uncertainly. ] Is... Is there something we can tie them up with, maybe? That counts as defeating them, right?
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He had dodged xie lian's strike against his temple, knowing it would leave his chest vulnerable, and he's paying the price for it now. At least one cracked rib, maybe two, and blood has begun trickling down his chin as he tries to swallow back the urge to cough.
He was only marginally more lucky with his right shoulder; the arrow did not hit a nerve, but certainly tore through muscle nearly down to the bone. If not for losing his footing, Soo-Won likely would have damaged the arm beyond repair and rendered the bowman unable to use his favored weapon.
Through the onslaught, Chiron didn't attack; just blocked for Ochako's sake, and steeled himself against the hits. Now with them air-bound he is free to reap the results of his decisions: pressed against a wall on four unsteady legs as he tries desperately to get his erratic breathing under control, his left hand curled protecting around the right shoulder. Whether Soo-Won yanked out the arrow or it's still lodged in there, well...
There's just, uh. A lot of blood! There's a loooot of blood. His poor bandages are practically useless at this point.]
I... forgive me, I did not bring any rope.
[And even a cursory glance around the room doesn't seem to reveal anything, though admittedly Chiron is too busy staring at both of the "monsters" with a grim expression. They can still move, after all. And given their combined fighting experience--
This fight is probably not over]
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and that is what finally, finally, lets an ounce of his consciousness break free. xie lian gasps as he finds clarity, just in time for the last word of chiron's sentence to register in his head.
rope. ] -- Ruoye, help them!!
[ xie lian shouts because he can already feel the darkness at the edge of his vision, grasping, pulling him back. ruoye unwinds from his wrist, immediately, flinging downwards in ochako's direction. it's a good, long sentient silk cloth, and it immediately coils into her hand. it is not tying her up - it's there to listen, poised to strike like a cobra towards soo-won and xie lian!
meanwhile, xie lian fights it, fights it, desperately gritting his teeth as it tries to pull him back under, and shouts - ] You have to kill me - I won't stop otherwise! I won't die, so just do it - don't be afraid--!!
[ - but that's all the struggling he has. the darkness takes over again, not seconds later. he exhales, ragged, and despite the lack of gravity, starts moving to flip himself over. ]
[1/2]
when he finds himself floating, and like xie lian, he gets a moment of clarity.
ah, to be a god who won't die.
he doesn't know of that concept for himself with the same certainty. this may very well be his final battle. but if he were to take a look at his actions, at himself in the last few seconds, he knows that it would be for the best if he did not survive.
if he is not himself, he carries no worth to this group of people - and monsters must be eradicated. as he floats upwards, he offers a smile]
... I understand what needs to be done. [if they cannot save him - he never truly expected anyone to be able to, if this is what he deserves] See to the safety of everyone.
[a look to chiron:] If you could make sure Yona doesn't cry too mu—
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he'll follow a moment after. remove the support while the primary attacker is recovering - strike quickly and decisively.
YEET! KOBE!]
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It was a fool's errand from the beginning and Chiron knew that -- and still he took the impossible gamble, if only to see one less weight rest on the girl's soul -- but his expression hardens into the blank acceptance only warriors with many bodies to their name know of, his eyes drawing to Soo-Won's face in particular.
Then Xie Lian flips and is thrown in Ochako's direction, just in time to meet the very angry centaur standing in front of her.
It's not as if his wounds have magically healed themselves, or his stamina has returned. The only difference is he's fully accepted the burden of what must be done. Something he should've done since the very beginning, but in the end he'll always have the heart of a teacher before a killer.
Xie Lian is going to have precious few seconds to orient himself; there's no bow in Chiron's hands because he needs them to grab the other by the throat if he has to, trading finesse for power. Trading in his learned experience of martial arts for that of a wild beast.
He needs the other immortal to die so he can crush Soo-Won next]
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and how can a hero kill the people they just saved?
her knuckles are white where they grip the knife, and she tries to rein in her emotions. it's still a fight. xie lian and soo-won are still trying to - to kill them, so she has to do something. ]
R-Ruoye-san, please tie up Soo-won-san!
[ the less mobility he has, the better. they can defeat him without resorting to killing them like this. at least, she hopes so. that should never be an option. ]
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meanwhile, ruoye's actual master has given up on any form of finesse at all, too. when soo-won grabs onto him, xie lian connects with what's happening instantly (they are making quite the good team of murderous out of their mind genkis) and turns his body as he's being thrown so his dominant arm is brought around to the front.
like a small, deadly missile, the momentum brings him flying forward into chiron's space. he's going for his neck, too, though xie lian's goal is simply to deliver a chop that, at full strength, could take a lesser creature's head clean off. luckily, he's very nerfed! that, and the momentum is lessened when he sees chiron reaching for him. at the last second, xie lian tries to jerk his head up, so the first grab at him misses flesh. his strike goes off course, from his neck to the side of his head, instead.
chiron may miss flesh, but the ever present bandages around xie lian's throat are still there. his fingers catch in them. stopping him in mid move, and in those precious seconds, he struggles to kick upwards, completely out of his mind and fighting until his last breath.
finish him ]
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rather than aiming straight for ochako, he'll seek to continue the build of momentum and leverage to the best that he can - feet finding purchase on the ceiling, pushing off so that he can head to the next wall as if to leap off that as well. he extends one arm which he allows luoye to capture
but he does have the other. the other will reach for the knife clipped to ochako's belt, as if to steal it from her person and stab her with it - but he's still in zero gravity and for all his combat sense, he's never done this before. he can be prone to missing, or otherwise not being in the right position at the right time
and with his arm extended and luoye securing one arm so that it can't reach out further, his chest is wide open.
defeat the monster and be a hero, ochako.
some people might thank you.]
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Release!
[ stay on her toes, and keep them disoriented. it's a strategy that ochako has used before, and with foes who underestimate her ability, it usually works... there's just one problem. she doesn't realize that soo-won's grabbed the spare knife until after she's released them back into gravity's pull, and has to scramble to defend herself, swinging her knife to frantically bat his away before it can touch her.
perhaps the sudden return to gravity threw off soo-won's balance, or maybe ochako was a little too panicked - she's still in training, after all, and heroes are never meant to kill, even when they're facing the worst villains in history. either way, it doesn't matter.
there's a choked sound from her as the knife doesn't land where she's expecting. ]
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Xie Lian dodges the initial grab for him, but he hasn't retreated out of range and Chiron refuses to budge from where he is, all four of his legs planted firmly in place. It'll be over in the span of a second; the victor is the one who lands the killing blow.
(And if that means an ill-gotten win by adjusting his grip inside the bandages that accidentally get caught in his fingertips, ah what terrible luck, his fellow immortal--)
The blow meant for Chiron's neck is delivered to the temple instead, still with enough force and aim that a small piece of the sage's brain realizes he'll be concussed no matter what, barely able to move for a while after, kill him now, there's no other chance--
Holding tight, his hand fists over the bandages that wind around the windpipe, and it doesn't matter how much the other struggles. At this angle he can still push off his hind legs, gaining enough height to press his front hooves against the other's chest and
slams down with his full weight right over the heart and lungs, driving the body into the ground.
He'd apologize if he was actually sorry, Xie Lian.]
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not much coming back from that. xie lian would know from experience.
he has a single moment of clarity again when chiron's hand wraps around his windpipe, as the darkness starts to dissipate when his airflow's cut off.
and, though chiron might not catch it--
as he's falling, xie lian smiles, and closes his eyes.
here again, huh?
and the hooves make perfect contact, crushing his ribcage with a sickening crunch.
Xie Lian is dead.
at least it wasn't because his shoelaces were untied, this time.]
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he looks surprised as he faces her, even as his eyes look down onto the knife and he thinks -
so this is what it's like.
for his last few moments, he is himself again, and he thinks that all he can offer in reassurance is:]
.... you did... the right thing.
[this is the most effective move, and he is glad that he didn't get to harming her - but he won't make her carry his weight anymore, instead stumbling back and wrenching the knife out of his chest. he won't have to wait longer this way, in pain and forcing chiron and ochako to watch his life fade away in a slow tick.
if he's to die, let it just once be on his terms.
he falls to the ground, blood pooling underneath him, and the king of kouka breathes his last after falling onto the blade of a teenage girl.
he wishes that this wasn't how it came to be - but perhaps this is the work of fate too.
Soo-won is dead.]
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...you did... the right thing.
if it's an attempt at reassurance, it does the opposite for ochako, a soft, strangled noise escaping her as he drops to the ground.
no, no no no, this can't be happening! that wasn't - it wasn't supposed to happen like this. they were supposed to try to save them! tears spring to her eyes, blurring her vision, as she turns her eyes to see another figure prone on the ground, under chiron's hooves, and finds her breath caught in her throat.
her voice, when she finds it, is small, shaky. ]
A-Archer-san... what do we do now...?
[ there's no more serum. even if there was, it could end up just like this again, and they can't risk that. but they... they can't leave the two of them here, either, can they? ]
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[He doesn't... need long to deliberate, voice quiet as he removes his hooves from the corpse beneath him. There's no misery or despair in how he addresses her. All of his features are set tight and restrained.
They did what they had to do... in that way, he was united with Soo-Won and Xie Lian to their last breaths.]
-- I know it hurts, Ochako, to not succeed in the ways we wanted, but we still have much to do. There is a chance they are infected, first off. So even as we bring them back, we must warn the others of what happened.
[Turning his head to face her -- slowly, with much effort. The adrenaline is wearing off fast, and between being concussed and having lost a lot of blood, even he marvels that he's still on his feet]
Then we must see to our own wounds. It would dishonor both of them for us to die after battle. They are expecting us to carry on.
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Anyway, all the doors now unlock, so they're free to leave this room and through the Unknown (One-way Entry) Door. ]
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she takes a deep breath (that does little to steady her) and bites her lip as she steps forward, reactivating her quirk first on soo-won, then on xie lian. ]
R-Ruoye-san, please hold both Soo-won-san and Xie Lian-san. We're taking them with us, okay?
[ how much of that will ruoye understand. will it even still work, without xie lian...? if it does, we're taking our corpse balloons and leaving. ]
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Yes, it's time to go through the door.
To the victors go the spoils of war, ha... ha...]
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They + Ruoye step through the doorway, taking them to another hallway. True to the sign, the door will shut behind them and lock. But because y'all had to be smart and bring the corpses with you, no one has to live with their sad feelings for too long. (Well, aside from any sad feelings not over Soo-won and Xie Lian's unfortunate deaths, but that's on you.)
As the bodies of the dead pass through and enter the hallway, their wounds begin to heal, perhaps to varying degrees. At best, they'll still leave a scar; at worst, they'll heal just enough so that they're no longer fatal. Soo-won and Xie Lian's horns disappear, and their teeth return to normal.
Then, they wake up. Soo-won and Xie Lian are alive. (Hey, looks like Xie Lian was right about not being able to die.) As a bonus, no more murderous urges!
Chiron and Ochako, however, get no free healing. Whoops.
Along the corridor, there's a compartment in one of the walls. Opening it will reveal:
• A printed report.
• A pistol that fires... fire. The fire will not cause damage and will instead heal the target.
• Another pistol! It has the same function as the one above.
• A small tree branch. If it's placed in a location before curfew, the user will receive a vague idea of anything that occurs there on Thursday night that week.
There's an explanation of what each item does. Each item is also one use only.
At the end of the corridor is a door. Going through it will take them back to the Main Hallway in the northern area of the Realm! Chiron and Ochako will once again be nerfed, and any item that they took—besides the aforementioned four—will turn to ashes upon going through this door. No free weapons. ): ]
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and he aches. there's confusion that comes first, and then the hand that moves to his own chest as if to address the pain that comes from the gently healed stab wound. his blinks once, twice, in confusion and seems to register that he's still floating.]
Ah.
[very intelligent, our beloved king]
... Archer. Ochako.
[gently, to get their attention - ]
Um. May we be released? We're... alive, I think. For good this time, I hope.
[how many times did he die today]
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this time, when xie lian opens his eyes, he's looking at.. the ceiling? his chest aches, and his throat hurts, but...
well. the theory of xie lian's life continues: if he is supposed to die during an event, he will survive. ] ...Ruoye. [ he says, voice hoarse. the bandage perks up out of ochako's hand as if it's been electrified, and shoots up xie lian's arm and away from soo-won, wrapping around his forearm immediately and up to his face, pressing the edge of its bandage into his cheek.
xie lian looks to won, first, to check that he's alive - his gentle voice soothes something small in him. still, they live again.
and, as he's starting to try and right himself from floating, he spots chiron's arrows, he's not surprised - xie lian feels respect for him, immediately, martial combatant to combatant, and gives him a small, tired smile. ] ...If there's something you would like to do to confirm that we are ourselves, I understand.
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Z-Z-Z-Zombies?!??
[ HORSE DAD HELP ]
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