That's not the only reference to other anime. All of the shop weapons under the collab section reference another work of media. I didn't realize the Gravity Saber was a Harlock reference until QM posted the picture of it in our armory sheet. The Arasaka is a reference to Cyberpunk 2020/2077 if I'm not mistaken, Zillion is from its titular anime, and I hope the SEGA light phaser is self-explanatory.
That's not the only reference to other anime. All of the shop weapons under the collab section reference another work of media. I didn't realize the Gravity Saber was a Harlock reference until QM posted the picture of it in our armory sheet. The Arasaka is a reference to Cyberpunk 2020/2077 if I'm not mistaken, Zillion is from its titular anime, and I hope the SEGA light phaser is self-explanatory.
[X] Plan: A Sicilian Message
-[X] Loadout
--[X] Nephren-Ka
--[X] Undine
--[X] Urashima Taro
--[X] Putana
--[X] Helena
-[X] Speech: Mock the unknowing
--[X] *laugh bitterly* "You think you're strong because of what happened to you in the past? Don't make me laugh!" *jab a thumb at yourself* "The hells I've been through, the things I've seen...you try enduring what I did and call yourself strong after that!"
-[X] Combat: Sleeping with the fishes
--[X] Try to knock Sinon into the water using Collapse. Failing that, use Collapse or Kuhleborn's curse to break the ice she's made, whichever will work better and cause the ice to break into pieces too small to stand on.
--[X] Dive into the water after knocking Sinon in and try to drown her while channeling Urashima Taro, and make sure to grapple with her while under the ice she's made (if we didn't have to resort to breaking it). Use Ennervation to try and make it easier. If Ennervation fails, use Tamatebako. Use basic melee attacks if we can't grapple Sinon successfully.
--[X] If knocking Sinon into the water fails, get comfortable on the shoreline and start spraying with the Maxim Gun.
<ENDO: Pushed to the edge by Kuro's relentless assault, her back to the river, how will our plucky heroine ever be able to escape?>
<KOBAYASHI: H-heroine!? Where's this coming from!?>
<ENDO: W-well she has plenty of admirers! There's something captivating about her cold, steely gaze, and the way she— ahh, ahh, don't pull on that!>
<KOBAYASHI: Ahem! What my partner is trying to say is that Sinon has overcome difficult odds before, and now that she's manifested a Stand who knows what new tricks she has up her sleeve? But don't count out contestant Kuro— she's rocking a limited edition Gravity Saber, a true Warrior's weapon. But Kuro, c'mon, you can't be using it like a club. Where's the finesse? The aplomb?>
<ENDO: It does seem as if Sinon manages to cross the river, a melee fighter such as Kuro will be flat out of options.>
<KOBAYASHI: Though the Gravity Saber is a work of art, it's still coded to fire Optical Pulses — and is a heavy weapon. As a new player Kuro doesn't have the strength to carry around an arsenal. Best Kuro can hope to do is plink away with a sidearm while Sinon seizes the absolute range advantage.>
<ENDO: Though that begs the question, hasn't Sinon pulled out two sniper rifles in this fight? You'd have to waste a ton of points pumping strength high enough to carry two sniper rifles, and if you're going that far, why not just shell out for heavy weapons?>
<KOBAYASHI: Seeing how our contestants overcome such limitations is half the fun!>
<ENDO: It's a contest of brute force versus cold precision, folks. This month's BoB is proving to be the most exciting yet. Keep your eyes glued to the monitor, because this is the battle to watch!>
<KOBAYASHI: Not that you have a choice! Cause this is the only fight in the whole BoB that isn't infested by the fucking smoke meta!>
The sounds of the rushing river casts a serene, almost tranquil feeling across the battlefield. Layers of frost crisscross the river bank, leaving trails of half-melted trailing through the rapids, and for a singular moment, time seems to stand still. The two of you, neighbors, possibly friends, and in a strange twist of fate now enemies, stare across at one another.
Nothing but guns and steel between you.
What can you say to her? To make her understand how wrong this all is? Should you kill her, forcefully log her out, or simply try to talk to her?
"Hesitating? Now? Then just lay down and die, Kuro. Don't waste my time."
Sinon's voice is hollow, laced with disappointment. It's a strange feeling, one you also felt in conflict with XeXeeD. This sense of being looked down upon, an unmistakable feeling that these players of GGO took offense to you— realizing that fundamentally you lacked commitment.
Is that what it was? All this nonsense about the «Real Deal» and it's all just some death wish? Strength from pointlessly risking your life? Strength from taking another life?
It's the stupidest thing you've ever heard.
You seize the grip of your Gravity Saber, the space metal only scarcely able to resist shattering in the fury that's slowly overcoming you. The Rakshasa within your mind roars in a mirrored chorus, sharing in your outrage at this challenge.
"You think you are strong?" your breath comes out in heaves, your frustration spilling through your voice, feeding the demon within your soul. Sinon doesn't realize it, of course, she doesn't. All this Death Gun nonsense— it's just more borrowed power, a false power, nothing more than delusion and a lie. "You kill and you think that makes you strong!?"
Sinon meets your gaze without flinching. There's resolution— confidence, the kind only possible in a world of fantasy. She's convinced herself that there's something admirable about being forced into a position where she has to kill. "I admired you Kuro, I was even jealous of you! I wondered what it would feel like to be stronger— to be like you. But it's easy to be strong when you've got it all figured out. How easy must it be to ignore bullies when you've got half the school cowering and the other half pitying you!? When you've got the teachers wrapped around your finger, when you've got some rich princess on speed dial!?"
"You have no idea!" your voice turns ragged, raw with emotion, as you scream the words down the river back. The things you were forced to do, the people you let die. All the guilt, all the nightmares, everything comes bubbling to the surface. "You know nothing about what I had to survive!"
"No! I won't let you intimidate me, not anymore. Let me make myself clear Kuro!" Sinon screams across the gap. "Right now I am stronger than you. Because I have chosen to act, to lay my life on the line. So pull out all your tricks, come at me with every last weapon in your arsenal, every little cheat you've gained. Because I can pull the trigger. And you?"
Sinon takes one step back, stepping into the river itself. She points her finger at her temple and mimes a pistol blasting through her brain. She's snarling so sharply that you think she might break her teeth.
"Can't. Do. It."
You've heard ENOUGH!
System Call: Incarnate PERSONA [Pūtanā]. ReferenceID:12.Droit
Your Persona bursts into energy, the shadow of Putana saturating your body to such an extent even GGO's resistance fails to fully hide her manifestation. You scream, you lurch, and you can scarcely think of anything but punishing Sinon.
Your claws grip the silt. Your feet drive further into the soil, and with every step, you rush through the muddy riverbed like a rabid beast. The Gravity Saber feels blazing hot in your hand, digging furrows into the mud as you drag it along behind you like some root you ripped out of the ground. Not the noble blade it was meant to be but just a spike to gouge out your opponent's beating heart.
*BANG*
Sinon's retort echoes across the river, and the bullet slams into you with the force of a cannonball. But you don't feel it, not anymore. The bullet splinters in your wake, and you barely register the attempt as you barrel forward. And though you expect fear to cross her face Sinon matches your fury with a cold, silent challenge.
She's not trying to run. She's going to meet you, head on.
And as you stare into the bloodshot eyes... you hesitate at what you see within.
It's not even determination, pride or anger. It's pity.
The slightest pause before the blow strikes. The briefest flash of recognition that this was your friend, no matter how much you're both willing to tear each other apart. The Gravity Saber smashes down into the rising barrel of Sinon's sniper rifle, gravity warping around the blade as you throw your weight into the weapon. Yet through the shockwaves of force, she looks up at you with cold eyes, almost mocking you with her apathy.
"Weak. Lacking conviction."
You open your mouth to scream, bearing down against her. Her body sags into the river bank, her lone sniper rifle's ghastly power resisting your weapon, the entire air filling with a cold pressure.
"I see the potential. But you're holding back, Kuro. You have one too, don't you? You could be so much stronger. All you have to do is put your life on the line. Do what is necessary to win. But you can't do it. It's so obvious now— you simply aren't capable of it. You've gotten too used to winning. Too used to your power. You're too afraid to do anything unless you hold all the cards. Your strength is just a coward's facade— you'll never be the «Real Deal»!"
You growl, the force of your anger adding to the weight of your weapon. "You dare!? The hells I've been through, the things I've seen...you try enduring what I did and call yourself strong after that!"
"Then where is she Kuro? Show me the you that survived that hell. This fight means nothing to you. How could it? You've set nothing aside, put nothing on the line. To you, this is nothing more than a game."
The river churns violently. Those inscrutable eyes bore into you, Sinon standing her ground as she effortlessly handles a Gravity Saber with the barrel of her rifle. "I've decided Kuro. I'll do the same thing to you that I did to Kyouji. You claimed you're a survivor? Did enduring your hell make you strong? Then I'll drag you back into it. Bit by bit, I'll drag out the you that survived that hell. I'll make you remember, Kuro! I'll make you put your life on the line! And then, only then, can we truly find out WHO'S STRONGER!"
The cold intensifies alongside Sinon's glare. You feel power gathering as the heat bleeds out of your skin, and in a moment of pure clarity, you remember that Sinon's Persona has yet to fire.
System Call: Generate Cryogenic Element. Form Element, Bullet shape. Fly straight. Burst.
You thrust your saber forward and roar, pushing aside Sinon's sniper rifle. There's no crack of a firing bullet, no whistle of the projectile cutting through the air. But you feel the blast of frigid air, a burst of distorted pressure as a wave of pure cold slams from above. Your spine shudders as frostbite pricks every artificial nerve in your system, the sudden rush of chilled wind knocking away Putana's anger.
It came from behind you. Another magic bullet, one not aimed to strike at you directly, but to disperse ice around the arena. A full kilo of frost covers your coat, the saber in your hand practically frozen in place. You're locked down if only for a moment, the cold providing less of a physical impediment and more of a psychological one as you find it near impossible to call forth the fury you held just seconds ago.
You stand, trying to brush the frost off your coat— only to see Sinon dashing away, the payload of her strange Persona freezing the surface of the water for meters all around. Even now you're in the crossfire between Sinon and her other self. She's guiding you into the river, away from the edges, and it couldn't be clearer that she has a plan involving it.
Fine. So she wants to play in the river.
Then the answer is simple.
System Call: Incarnate PERSONA [Undine]. ReferenceID:18.Droit
You will become the river.
Water streams around your hands. The Gravity Saber evaporates into bright blue pixels, and you draw from your coat a polished gray pistol, forged to withstand the rigors of space travel.
Water gathers at your feet, spinning up your body and scouring every last bit of ice still clinging to your body, adding its weight to the churning current. It caresses your body and the line between your avatar and the growing mass of water blurs. You flow in unison with the river, and the two of you are a single wave, a mass of force pushing against anything foolish enough to stand before you.
You level the barrel of the Nambu Typ 97 at Sinon's retreating body. There's no need to wait for the bullet line. Not when nature serves as the bullet.
The force of a tidal wave explodes from the tip of your barrel, and your own soul, so inextricably linked to the river around you, is pulled along the rushing rapid as just another drop in the torrent. You ride along the cresting wave, and as the shadow of your advance looms over Sinon you finally get your first genuine reaction from her.
Shock. Surprise. And a brief flash of panic before you crash right on top of her.
System Call: Generate Aqueous Element. Form Element, Flood Shape. Discharge.
In an instant, the two of you are below the surface. The frozen river shatters into chunks of crystal, the sudden addition of so much water causing the river to swell in size. Sinon scrabbles beneath the waves, one hand gripped against her sniper rifle and the other unconsciously grasping at her throat. She gurgles and air bubbles out from her lips, the sudden lack of air triggering deep-seated panic.
The water parts for you like servants standing aside for their lord. Nothing impedes your mobility, and you find with little surprise that even your breaths are sure and strong, the power of Undine reveling in a return to her home turf.
And there below you is Sinon's wavering form, desperately clawing for the surface. All the anger you felt, all that fury, and it melts away into simple disappointment. She couldn't predict your control over the river, for all her threats against the likes of you she was woefully unprepared.
She pushes up, desperate to rise back to the surface, and with the calm of a parent disciplining an unruly child you grab a tuft of her hair and push her back down. You expect her to act calm, to fight back, to mount some manner of calculated response but she simply flails her arms and jerks around madly. It's easy enough to swim around her, the water at your command, while she drowns in the embrace of her enemy.
Is this how simple it is to win?
Sinon put her life on the line. She's risking it all to face you. But you don't need to go that far. All you needed was to have a power she could not comprehend, a skill that could not be countered.
You swim behind her, reaching up with one hand to seize her shoulders while forcing her farther into the water. Sinon manages to grasp at your hands, but her struggles are hardly enough to free herself.
Sinon gags. She chokes. She tries to swing her rifle around to attack you, but you bat away the weak attempt. Your hands wrap around the back of her neck and drag her down to the soft silt at the bottom of the river. To you, it feels almost soothing, like landing on a soft pillow. But the same could not be said for Sinon.
Mud clouds the stream. Her desperation churns the riverbed, silt wafting out in slow motion. Though it's not something you've ever had to contemplate till now, to die from drowning must be a horrible thing indeed. The water churns. The rushing water turns uncomfortably warm, but the heat is almost comforting, an indication that she's losing this duel in its entirety.
Yet for some reason, you feel the faintest glimmer of doubt.
You watch her struggle. There's none of her earlier composure, none of the confidence Sinon spoke with. Just raw, animal instinct.
Then she stops moving altogether.
A thin film forms around Sinon. It's like a strange armor against the water, a pocket of air pressed against her skin that reminds you briefly of bubble wrap. It shimmers and flashes for but a moment.
Before it explodes.
Steam rushes out in a blast. Your connection to the river backfires on you. Water is scoured away into vapor, and it's as if your flesh does the same. Half subsumed by the water, the force is a hundred times worse, a brief wave of white hot fire passing over your avatar with unbelievable force. Your other self shudders and your tenuous grasp on the river severs entirely as it's literally boiled away.
Suddenly you remember you can't breathe water. You cough and only serve to choke yourself on the water around you. You heave, reaching up toward the surface of the river, trying to reassert control over your floundering Persona. You have to focus, where was Sinon?
She's rising. A barrier of air holds around her body, and she's climbing up the river bank as if the water wasn't even there. Sinon takes one look back at you, and you see victory in her eyes. You're not the only one holding back tricks.
Sinon shoots her sniper rifle at Kuro! 7 Accuracy - 1 (System Crash) = 6 dice
Sinon rolls 6d6e5 = 4 2 2 4 3 5⊕ → 1 success against 5
Kuro VIT defends rolls 6d6e5 = 5⊕ 6⊕ 5⊕ 1 3 3 → 3 successes against 5 No Damage
Kuro attacks with Collapse. IGNORE ARMOR.
Kuro rolls 8d6e5 = 2 1 3 5⊕ 4 4 1 2 → 1 success against 5
Sinon VIT defends rolls 4d6e5 = 1 3 6⊕ 4 → 1 success against 5 No Damage
Aimopotis casts Bufula!
2 MAG + 1 Real Deal + 1 Laser Girl +2 Gun Bonus
Sinon rolls 6d6e5 = 6⊕ 2 6⊕ 3 5⊕ 3 → 3 successes against 5
Kuro VIT defense rolls 6d6e5 = 2 5⊕ 4 5⊕ 4 6⊕ → 3 successes against 5 No Damage
Kuro casts Kuhleborne's Curse!
5 MAG + 1 Laser Girl + 2 Circumstantial (By a River)
Kuro rolls 8d6e5 = 2 4 6⊕ 1 1 5⊕ 5⊕ 3 → 3 successes against 5
Sinon VIT defends rolls 4d6e5 = 6⊕ 2 3 3 → 1 success against 5 2 Damage to Sinon
Sinon uses a circumstantial gas explosion
Sinon rolls 6d6e5 = 1 3 5⊕ 6⊕ 6⊕ 6⊕ → 4 successes against 5
Kuro AGI defends rolls 5d6e5 = 2 1 4 4 5⊕ → 1 success against 5 3 Damage to Kuro
Situation changed, scene over.
Circumstantial: 2 Damage to Sinon from drowning
0 Damage to Kuro from drowning (Undine)
<KOBAYASHI: Oh! Oh, I know! I know, here, give me one second. Where's my physics homework— YES, I've got it! Just when Kuro thought she has Sinon dead to rights by drowning her in the river, Sinon pulls off a reversal through the power of the, uh... thing that happens when you make pancakes!>
<ENDO: The Leidenfrost effect?>
<KOBAYASHI: Sure, let's go with that! Sinon's fighting spirit is so red hot, that the water around her body is evaporating, creating this layer of vapor around her body! I saw this in an anime once— that protective bubble of air from flash evaporation ensures not a single drop of liquid is touching her!>
<ENDO: I'm not sure that's an accurate depiction of—>
<KOBAYASHI: Wha? Nah, that's totally how it works! Now that she has a bubble of air around her, she can walk through the water like it wasn't even there! No friction, no water resistance, it's just like air to her now!>
<ENDO: But you still have to displace water, so even if the drag is reduced you'll still have to deal with—>
<KOBAYASHI: Endo, you're so clueless it hurts! Don't submarines use bubbles to make it easier for them to fire torpedos faster in the water? It's the exact same thing!>
<ENDO: Supercavitating Torpedoes are firing in a straight line, not a person trying to literally walk through water—>
<KOBAYASHI: Who cares if she's moving fast or moving slow!? No drag! The heat takes care of it all. Trust me, this is totally how it works.>
<ENDO: Look, I'm certain it's not as simple as: 'if you're hot enough, you can walk through water.' That seems like a five-year-old's logic...>
<KOBAYASHI: Then what's your explanation? How else do you explain how Sinon's new... uh... Supercavitating Leidenfrost Armor is crushing Kuro's stratagems through the power of physics!?>
DETERMINATION: 25
MISTCOIN: 2
CATS OF ULTHAR : 2 Currently Spawned (VERY FAR away, but can teleport with certain abilities)
TACTICAL INFORMATION Sinon has activated Supercavitating Leidenfrost Armor Mode and has gained the ability to dash through water as if it were air!
Sinon is surrounded by a cushion of air and is radiating extreme heat!
Kuro and Sinon are currently still both underwater right now!
Sinon is maintaining line of sight with you!
Sinon appears heavily damaged.
Sinon appears to be manipulating the FIRE element!
Death Gun Aimopotis has not fired into the river yet.
[Hawkeye]: So long as you maintain a direct line of sight with your target, gain +2 Accuracy per turn. All bonuses are reset if you break line of sight.
«Real Deal: Aspirant»: You understand life is nothing more than meat, blood and bone. +1 DICE on all rolls in combat against opponents who do not possess any variation of the «Real Deal» trait.
[Duck and Dash 1]: You may choose to DASH during combat, surrendering safety for speed.
DO YOU ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE IN DIPLOMACY? [Free Combat Banter]
[ ] Try to talk to Sinon. WRITE-IN speech.
You cannot talk while underwater, so please take that into account.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
[ ] Continue the Drowning [Undine] Super whatever aside, she still can't breathe.
-Spam magic without getting close to Sinon with the goal of preventing her form escaping the river.
[ ] Go Fishing [Urashima-Taro] Do not let tonight's catch go free. This complicates things, but the plan stays the same.
-Use magic to seize Sinon and try to debuff.
-Urashima-Taro cannot breathe underwater, though can swim very well.
[ ] Seize the Spotlight [Helena] How droll. Does she want a show? Let's give her one she won't soon forget.
-Shape Luminous Element into fish and have them home in on Sinon.
-Attempt to attack her soul.
OR
[ ] Write what you want Kuro to do (your GOAL) and with which Persona. Specific plans will typically be rewarded with more bonuses than general plans. Your capabilities depend on your equipped Persona.
Can be complex or simple. Kuro will automatically use the Persona's abilities to accomplish the plan. You can specify the use of multiple skills without issue so long as they are aligning with a goal.
Ex: Spam Garu with Mithras Liturgy.
Ex: Charge and attack with Putana.
Ex: Release Recollection with Nephren-Ka.
Ex: Dive into the river and hide in the river with Undine.
Feel free to use conditionals, but if you switch Personas in a scene, costs 2 SP.
So...
Ex: Swap between Mithras Liturgy and Helena to fish for weaknesses will have Kuro spam as many different elements as she can, costing 2 SP to shift.
Ex: Attempt to restrain opponent in ice with Urashima and then empty Paladin's Revolver at point blank range costs 2 SP as it includes a shift.
If you make a complicated plan, be aware the Scene can prematurely end before the plan goes off. Scenes end when your GOAL is accomplished or the enemy drastically changes the situation.
General Limitations for Plans
>Magic tends to be very flexible, though not as strong as other skills.
>Tier 1 Magic is firing a magic bullet, that's it.
>Tier 2 Magic lets you pull off typical SAO Elemental shenanigans. Disperse the magic over a wide area. Turn the element into a bird. Coat a weapon or create a simple object. Create a small wall of the element.
>Tier 3 Magic creates a large disaster from the element. Change the weather, create a glacier wall, set off a huge explosion. Things that are big but lack control.
>Tier 4 Magic cannot be controlled. It will destroy something.
>Sword Skills generally do what they describe, but are inflexible, more like programmed motion patterns. Most Sword Skills allow you to lunge towards the enemy at super speed. There is a notorious end lag with Sword Skills that a truly skilled opponent can exploit.
>Cheat Skills are all or nothing and extremely inflexible. They do what they say, nothing more or less, and cannot be massaged. You can't 'half-charm' someone or make someone more emotionally labile with madness, or make someone drowsy with sleep. You either do or do not.
>Kuro's non-Persona skills can be freely included in plans. Kuro knows how to EVADE, so you can tell her to do so in the plan ALONGSIDE anything else. But the QM may penalize you if you, say, tell Kuro to EVADE then have a plan involving charging into to Melee.
>Spend [2 SP] to switch Personas mid-scene for more complex plans. You can switch as many times as your SP allows.
>Spend [Variable SP] to use Enhance Armament or Release Recollection. You may incorporate these abilities freely into a plan/goal, but Kuro can only ever invoke one such ability per scene.
So despite being able to move more freely now, Sinon still can't breathe, if I'm interpreting Undine's suggestion correctly?
Either way, Putana is out on account of her weakness to fire. Will firing guns under/into the water affect their accuracy?
Currently, I'm thinking of either going with Undine's plan suggestion, using Enervation/Tamatebako before spamming Vorpal Blade with Urashima Taro, or trying to proc Dormina on Sinon with Helena (although the damage from drowning might be healed by the sleep, although narratively that wouldn't make sense).
Wait a second...would using Vishakanya/Poisma poison the river, and also poison Sinon's bubble of air by proxy?
Hm...decisions, decisions.
Edit: Also forgot to mention that some of the Persona Compendium images are gone...again...but that doesn't really matter for now.
Is that what it was? All this nonsense about the «Real Deal» and it's all just some death wish? Strength from pointlessly risking your life? Strength from taking another life?
Sinon meets your gaze without flinching. There's resolution— confidence, the kind only possible in a world of fantasy. She's convinced herself that there's something admirable about being forced into a position where she has to kill.
"No! I won't let you intimidate me, not anymore. Let me make myself clear Kuro!" Sinon screams across the gap. "Right now I am stronger than you. Because I have chosen to act, to lay my life on the line. So pull out all your tricks, come at me with every last weapon in your arsenal, every little cheat you've gained. Because I can pull the trigger. And you?"
Sinon takes one step back, stepping into the river itself. She points her finger at her temple and mimes a pistol blasting through her brain. She's snarling so sharply that you think she might break her teeth.
I swear Sinon's kookier than in the previous draft. Nothing she says here has any basis in reality that she herself knows. She's the one already at half HP.
It's not even determination, pride or anger. It's pity.
The slightest pause before the blow strikes. The briefest flash of recognition that this was your friend, no matter how much you're both willing to tear each other apart. The Gravity Saber smashes down into the rising barrel of Sinon's sniper rifle, gravity warping around the blade as you throw your weight into the weapon. Yet through the shockwaves of force, she looks up at you with cold eyes, almost mocking you with her apathy.
"I see the potential. But you're holding back, Kuro. You have one too, don't you? You could be so much stronger. All you have to do is put your life on the line. Do what is necessary to win. But you can't do it. It's so obvious now— you simply aren't capable of it. You've gotten too used to winning. Too used to your power. You're too afraid to do anything unless you hold all the cards. Your strength is just a coward's facade— you'll never be the «Real Deal»!"
You thrust your saber forward and roar, pushing aside Sinon's sniper rifle. There's no crack of a firing bullet, no whistle of the projectile cutting through the air. But you feel the blast of frigid air, a burst of distorted pressure as a wave of pure cold slams from above. Your spine shudders as frostbite pricks every artificial nerve in your system, the sudden rush of chilled wind knocking away Putana's anger.
It came from behind you. Another magic bullet, one not aimed to strike at you directly, but to disperse ice around the arena. A full kilo of frost covers your coat, the saber in your hand practically frozen in place. You're locked down if only for a moment, the cold providing less of a physical impediment and more of a psychological one as you find it near impossible to call forth the fury you held just seconds ago.
You stand, trying to brush the frost off your coat— only to see Sinon dashing away, the payload of her strange Persona freezing the surface of the water for meters all around. Even now you're in the crossfire between Sinon and her other self. She's guiding you into the river, away from the edges, and it couldn't be clearer that she has a plan involving it.
Sinon put her life on the line. She's risking it all to face you. But you don't need to go that far. All you needed was to have a power she could not comprehend, a skill that could not be countered.
You watch her struggle. There's none of her earlier composure, none of the confidence Sinon spoke with. Just raw, animal instinct.
Then she stops moving altogether.
A thin film forms around Sinon. It's like a strange armor against the water, a pocket of air pressed against her skin that reminds you briefly of bubble wrap. It shimmers and flashes for but a moment.
Before it explodes.
Steam rushes out in a blast. Your connection to the river backfires on you. Water is scoured away into vapor, and it's as if your flesh does the same. Half subsumed by the water, the force is a hundred times worse, a brief wave of white hot fire passing over your avatar with unbelievable force. Your other self shudders and your tenuous grasp on the river severs entirely as it's literally boiled away.
So she does have Agi spells. Though given the reference to animal instinct I have to wonder if she knew she could do it or just tapped into it through sheer desperation.
But this plan is going much better than the last one. It's actually kind of incredible how divorced from reality Sinon is right now insisting on how much stronger she is when we've easily countered her every move this turn and brought her into the red.
As for Sinon... hmm... if we accept that she actually is using the Leidenfrost effect, I think we could theoretically end it by messing with the temperature (in either direction, but fire is Nephren-Ka only so I'm guessing that's out.) From a physics standpoint I don't know if pierce would work to "pop" the layer of air instead of just kinda causing it to slide off... but that may be focusing too hard on the physics aspect and not enough of "what would look cool."
I'm leaning towards the Urashima Taro plan but I'm not sure yet.
Huh...earlier, when I tried to bring up Persona images, Helena, Putana (I think) and Undine had the placeholder image, but that might have been because I was on mobile. Everything is there for me now, it just takes forever to load.
Also, as for a plan:
[X] A toxic gamer in the most literal sense
-[X] No speech, only rage
-[X] She has poisoned her own flesh, how dastardly!
--[X] Cast Vishakanya to poison the river and also hopefully contaminate the steam around Sinon
--[X] If poisoning is successful, spam either Collapse or the Gravity Saber's basic melee/ranged attack
--[X] If that doesn't work, switch to Helena and cast Kouga, shaping the Luminous Element into a rain of javelins
Opinions are welcome.
Edit: Was looking through the Compendium again, and Sokushinbutsu's image is gone. Also, the switching to Helena part of my plan is if Sinon manages to get out of the water.
I'm probably too focused on the physics aspect here (my own pet theory is that the Endo/Kobayashi commentary is implying that what's truly going on here is not the actual physics phenomenon but more... a kind of conceptual version of it based on the collective consciousness's understanding of it - which is to say it's basically the clickbait science article understanding of it by a layman.) but I feel like poisoning the river wouldn't work because the air bubble would protect her by keeping the poison out of her personal bubble unless we did something to negate it (upon which it would indeed work.)
My tending towards Urashima Taro is because the archetype seems to fit the situation, and ReBufu and Vorpal Blade both touch the two ideas I had for dealing with the air bubble.
Huh...earlier, when I tried to bring up Persona images, Helena, Putana (I think) and Undine had the placeholder image, but that might have been because I was on mobile. Everything is there for me now, it just takes forever to load.
Also, as for a plan:
[X] A toxic gamer in the most literal sense
-[X] No speech, only rage
-[X] She has poisoned her own flesh, how dastardly!
--[X] Cast Vishakanya to poison the river and also hopefully contaminate the steam around Sinon
--[X] If poisoning is successful, spam either Collapse or the Gravity Saber's basic melee/ranged attack
--[X] If that doesn't work, switch to Helena and cast Kouga, shaping the Luminous Element into a rain of javelins
Opinions are welcome.
Edit: Was looking through the Compendium again, and Sokushinbutsu's image is gone. Also, the switching to Helena part of my plan is if Sinon manages to get out of the water.
For this I've been thinking, what type of light is Kouga? Can it be hot like real light? Does it give off heat in its basic form? Can we make it hotter ourselves? Depending on how we play this we could make up for our lack of a reliable fire spell.
For this I've been thinking, what type of light is Kouga? Can it be hot like real light? Does it give off heat in its basic form? Can we make it hotter ourselves? Depending on how we play this we could make up for our lack of a reliable fire spell.
Elements are soft, and as the entire basis of the 'magic system' is shared memory you can interpret it very loosely.
I'm basing most of how elements work on Alicization. Light magic is healing, and inexplicably, laser beams. However, you could also alter it to be exorcism, holy magic, etc, to take influence from Persona. Essentially if there's some cultural expectation for an element to behave a certain way, you can bend it (at least in higher tier spells) to suit such a plan. Sacred Arts are remarkably malleable in terms of shape: there's nothing intrinsically logical about ice vines or flaming birds, but a skilled (ie, Tier 2 or above) user of Sacred Arts will not have difficulty reshaping elements into natural forms, creating shields or simple objects, and things of the ilk.
Light certainly can heat things up, but it's not as efficient as direct fire. Alice's Burst Element Laser Beam attack in Alicization where she slags and leaves a molten crater would probably be a Tier 4 Light Magic spell based on how I'm tiering magic, and that clearly sets things on fire.
Some examples, nonexhaustive, of elements:
Luminous Element (Bless): Used to generate light, flashbangs, laser beams, or big fuck off giant laser beams. Purify curses, turn undead, probably the closest element capable of a magic-missile type attack that's high accuracy and just does magic damage.
Luminous Element (Dia): Healing in all its forms, purification, healing fields, plant growth.
Aerial Element (Wind): Bursts of wind, speed buffs, wind walls, and occasionally for powering elevators. Probably the easiest element to 'burst' and affect a wider area.
Thermal Element (Fire): Sets things on fire or heats them. Heat up food. In the games you can create a fire tornado, which seems more of a mixed thing, but arguably is just moving the Thermal Element into a specific shape.
Umbral Element (Curse): Blinding, making people feel sick, causing severe pain (for NPCs), trickery, and illusions. 'Unholy' power, subtle displays of power and memory manipulation via its connection to Vecta. Also inexplicably, if the wiki is to be believed, searching for items or lost objects.
Cryogenic Element (Ice): Freezing things over, cold, ice projectiles, etc.
Aqueous Element (Water): Not a separate element in this quest but technically its own branch of magic in the UW. It's just... throwing water at people in different shapes, or bubble beams and crap.
Crystalline Element (Psy): Optical lasers, glass or crystalline projectiles, light refraction, mirrors, exploding glass.
Unique to this quest (ie not from SAO):
Fulminant Element (Elec): Taser like effects, paralysis, lightning bolts, currents, things like that.
[x] Plan Sorry to Burst Your Bubble
-[x] So she's using heat to breathe? Good thing you have ice. Quick change to Urashima-Taro to set a trap in the bottom of the river, then switch back to Undine to use Kuhleborn's Curse to push her against it. Your focus is to attempt to destroy her protection, to make her lose her breath and be unable to react.
[x] Normal Fish in a Tiny Pond
-[x] "You think you have faced big, bad men. That shooting them like this will take anywhere, that it will prove your power. You never saw what I did, faced the things I did. Now...know your fucking place, goldfish."
I think this is closest to my thinking. I could maybe tweak it with custom orders but I don't feel a need to be that granular about this.
Pros (IMO):
Both my ideas about dealing with Sinon's air bubble are within Urashima-Taro's skillset - changing the temperature (ReBufu) and possibly piercing the bubble (Vorpal Slash which is Long Range Pierce (and Slash)
Can possibly go ice fishing. (ReBufu is listed as Tier 2 which means it can do some stuff, which might include freezing the river surface to trap Sinon down there. If we can beat her to the top since it's a Persona noted to be good at swimming, maybe use Vorpal Slash to go harpoon ice fishing from the top?)
If she escapes the river, Urashima's associated weapon has Overwatch. Might proc for a free shot?
Cons (IMO):
While I like the Null Ice/Resist Pierce affinities here it's definitely possible the Curse Weakness could come into play.
Urashima-Taro's archetype is noted to be patient. Depending on how patient, it's possible Aimopotis's bullet count could get alarmingly close to the seventh shot before we finish this.
After a lot of thought, I've decided to just go with the simplest option. We've already done the cool action movie scene all that's left is to sink her.
The votes currently spread in 5 different directions with around only five voters. I think its prudent to bring that up in case anyone wants to tilt the odds.
AN: I can't count. Aimopotis technically has only fired 2 times, not 3, so last update changed.
[X] Continue the Drowning [Undine]
So she's made some armor. Were you supposed to be impressed? For all her supposed tricks, what exactly has she accomplished? Sinon's had her fun, her moment of drama, but every last advantage you stripped away piece by piece. Distance? How pointless, when you snuck up on her without effort?
Freezing the river? Why bother, when you are the river?
And this... simple systems physics exploit, an armor of air formed by superheating the vapor?
This is just the last desperate ploy of a defeated foe. Every last trick, every revealed ability, and all it served was to help Sinon run away. What exactly was strong about that? In the end, she was just prey, an animal scrambling to escape from your raging flood.
You have no more words, not that they'd reach Sinon in your current environment. But she still stares at you with those red eyes, her challenge unsaid but clear all the same.
Try to stop me if you can.
Water swirls around your body, twisting around in whirls as you focus on the elements around you. You ignore the contestants, the island's boundaries, and even the gaze of the spectators just beyond. Right now it's just you and Sinon beneath the fathoms — no one to interfere, no one to disbelieve, and no one to watch.
The limits on your magic weaken. Here beneath the waves where the light doesn't touch your Persona alights in power, the spirit of water seeping into every drop of this river. You feel a presence, like a great dragon swimming its way through your soul. This has become a world of two, and neither one of you is in any mood the respect the laws of reality. Your heel digs into the mud, and the power extends beyond your outstretched hand into the Nambu Type 97 clutched in your hand.
Even now she's still running. Even now she's still retreating.
You point the scope at distant form, her armor of bubbles serving to only highlight her position. You see her marching up to the river's edge, not more than 10 meters from breaking the surface.
Even now she's still... composed. Even now she still turns to stare at you.
Like she still has a chance.
Like she can possibly win.
You won't tolerate it.
You squeeze the trigger.
System Call: Generate Aqueous Element. Form Element, Flood Shape. Discharge.
There's no bullet line, no glowing missile of destruction flying through the water. A sudden hiss and the unnatural rapid expansion of your surroundings precede a booming pop. The river parts before your gun, every last drop of the river before you swelling into a monstrous liquid cannon, consuming the space between you and your target. Sinon's silhouette disappears before the encroaching blob, the girl a tiny shadow before your wave.
It roars as it surges downwards, sweeping aside the obstacles in its path, and dragging the riverbed along in its wake. Sinon stands her ground, but she's just a blur amidst the brackish wave carrying thousands of liters worth of silt and debris.
Water sizzles. Every drop of water in contact with Sinon's skin vaporizes in an instant, her cushion of superheated air pushing against flow. The river becomes frothy and churning, equal parts boiling and flowing.
So she thinks her armor can protect her? No. No more escape. Undine adds her tears to the deluge and the waters rush past you in a roaring crescendo. You try to scream, though it serves little purpose in the water. Water superheated by Sinon's defense is pushed aside, replaced by fresh river water that slams against her with renewed intensity.
The steam intensifies. The river turns chalk white and Sinon holds out a hand—
The wave parts.
The water spreads.
And the river breaks.
Your stream is nothing to her. Her hand is a hot knife cutting through the butter, separating the raging water into two flanks that scatter across her on either side, the water swirling around her as if nature itself was afraid of her.
And soon all you see is chalk-white froth, a boiling pillar of steam raging into the sky, the scene blinding you to everything—
Except for those red eyes, still staring into yours.
You don't hear the sound, nor do you see the bullet line.
But you feel the water part. You feel the river roar in agony.
For all that heat was Sinon's armor, the river was yours.
And the bullet smashes through your armor like it was cutting through nothing but the air.
You cut off your attack, every instinct in your body telling you to get out of the way, Undine in particular shrieking in fear of the new threat. If this bullet hits you, the damage would be catastrophic, and your is Persona uniquely vulnerable to the incoming threat. But it's too fast, too sudden. The river rushes back into the space between you and Sinon in a sudden defense, but a single red line carves its way through the river, and through your body—
No!
It's not even a dodge. More of a fumble, a sudden twist in your mind as you release yourself into the tide of water. You flop against the current like a pile of driftwood, allowing the water you churned to carry you forward— just in time to see bullet past mere millimeters before your eyes.
For a moment, you saw your demise pass before your eyes. The bullet was traveling in a strange protective bubble, the same that seemed to be coating Sinon's own body. Though the details escape you, the principles are beginning to make themselves clear to you. You thought that underwater you'd be safe, no chance for her to fire back. Bullets couldn't pass through water without losing all of their momentum, but could the same be said for a hypersonic superheated slag of metal that created its own air?
Just like how you've stolen every advantage from her, rendering all her power and stratagems meaningless in an instant, it seems yours can be countered all the same. That thing's still out there, but you are hiding under the waves— how was it even hitting you? Did it sense your location, or was it...
Sinon. Her red eyes remain locked onto you. That's how her Persona was still tracking you through the torrent. Her gaze hasn't left you once. Even now, half defeated, she sees you like some shark following its prey.
You're seized by a single, inescapable thought.
Sinon, critically injured time and time again. Even now, even with this, she has no chance. All you need is one attack, one good hit and it'll be over. Why was she so confident? One false move, one bad roll of the dice and...
Sinon will die. Does she not care? Even if all that matters to her is winning, she must recognize it's impossible to claim victory from the grave. Her Persona could take as many potshots as it damn well pleased when Sinon is the obvious weak link— defeat her and you neutralize her Persona. That's...
That's how it works... right?
Those red eyes stare at you as you land against the water. Always those red eyes.
...Who exactly were you fighting?
There are no more chances to contemplate the question. Sinon's armor of super-heated steam takes your attention, as she rockets back up the slope. She's about to break the surface, and with it, the entire contest between you and Sinon will change completely.
No! You reach out in your desperation, your water reaching into tendrils of ever-more complex shapes as they twist the current into snake-like streamers, reaching for Sinon's form with renewed intensity—
Every tendril burns to a crisp before you can touch her.
You shape the elements into a whirlpool, seeking to suck Sinon into the vacuum and back under the surface.
She steps through it as if she couldn't even feel it.
You call forth one last tidal wave, a sheer surge of pure water— even if she was going to escape, you'll smash her body against the rocks, then choke her out in the resulting flood—
*BANG*
A blast shoots through your final attack, a red-hot bullet cutting through your half-formed attack on an arrow of steam. It soars through the water, leaving a trail of bubbles that reminds you of smoke.
Once again you're forced to abort your attack, the threat of the bullet demanding you pull water tendrils back. You have to twist out of the way, sliding along the riverbed as once again Sinon's bullet parts the water, closing within a hairsbreadth of your arm as the force of its passage sends you spiraling.
You get one last look at Sinon's eyes before she breaks through the surface. Red eyes, so steady in their gaze. On the surface emotionless, but you can sense a lingering madness, an uncompromising desire. She wants nothing more than a soul consumed by battle.
...
Damn it! You can't help but feel like Sinon has you right where she wants you. With her superheated bullets hitting you through the water, you're practically no better than on land. And if, perchance, you were to break the surface in an obvious fashion...
You'll be exposed. A sitting duck, no cover, nothing to even push off against or dodge into. She didn't need to use magic when all she needed to do was wait for you to expose yourself.
And her eyes. Even through the refraction, you can feel them bearing down upon you from the water's edge. She's still watching you.
Kuro uses Kuhleborn's Curse against Sinon! No bonuses as Sinon is currently abusing the Leidenfrost Effect!
MAG 5 (Undine) + 2 (Kuro) + 1 (Laser Girl)
Kuro rolls 8d6e5 = 4 2 4 4 2 4 6⊕ 5⊕ → 2 successes against 5
Sinon defends with VIT rolls 4d6e5 = 6⊕ 1 5⊕ 2 → 2 successes against 5 NO DAMAGE
Aimopotis fires the Hecate II! The bullet begins to supercavitate!
7 Accuracy - 1 System Crash + 1 Real Deal + 2 Hawkeye, WEAKNESS targetted!
Aimopotis rolls 9d6e4 = 5⊕ 3 2 1 6⊕ 2 3 3 2 → 2 successes against 4
Kuro defends with AGI rolls 5d6e5 = 6⊕ 3 2 5⊕ 1 → 2 successes against 5 NO DAMAGE
Kuro uses Kuhleborn's Curse against Sinon! No bonuses as Sinon is currently abusing the Leidenfrost Effect!
MAG 5 (Undine) + 2 (Kuro) + 1 (Laser Girl)
Kuro rolls 8d6e5 = 1 6⊕ 6⊕ 5⊕ 2 1 3 1 → 3 successes against 5
Sinon defends with VIT rolls 4d6e5 = 6⊕ 5⊕ 5⊕ 4 → 3 successes against 5 NO DAMAGE
Aimopotis fires the Hecate II! The bullet begins to supercavitate!
7 Accuracy - 1 System Crash + 1 Real Deal + 2 Hawkeye, WEAKNESS targetted!
Aimopotis rolls 9d6e4 = 2 1 3 3 4⊕ 3 1 1 6⊕ → 2 successes against 4
Kuro defends with AGI rolls 4d6e5 = 4 5⊕ 6⊕ 3 → 2 successes against 5 NO DAMAGE
<ENDO: Look at how fully formed the cloud is. Instead of being released from a single point, it's clear that the vapor is arising from the whole river. I dare say... almost majestic.>
<KOBAYASHI: Ah, steam, nature's own smoke. How rare of a sight. Though I would certainly prefer watching Sinon and Kuro duke it out underwater, alas I must be forced to use my imagination, as all I can see is this beautiful cloud of vapor. I'm sure it's very exciting.>
<ENDO: I'd imagine it's more boring than it seems. You can't fire bullets underwater, and I expect everyone's just slowly drowning.>
<KOBAYASHI: Oh! Did you see that? From that giant cloud of misty smoke in the mountains, the sound of a gunshot! Ladies and Gentleman I don't believe it, the shadowy figure just fired a gun into the giant cloud of steam covering the river! What's it doing? Where did the bullet land? I certainly don't know because of all the smoke!>
<ENDO: C-calm down. Let's see one of the other contestants! Like... Red Rider, over by the west! He's locked in mortal combat against... um...
<KOBAYASHI: Someone! Because his monochromatic ass just released a RED-TINGED SMOKE BOMB over his entire battlefield! What an exciting development in GGO's meta: colored smoke bombs! What will they think of next? Perhaps the smoke bombs can become sentient? Self replicate?>
<ENDO: A-and Ritchie the Camper King is suddenly engaging in combat! It appears an unlikely coalition of players banded together to... uh... throw a ton of smoke grenades into his camp...>
<KOBAYASHI: Wow. How exciting. Why stop at one smoke bomb? Why not two? Or three? Or thirty!?>
<ENDO: And XeXeeD's battlefield is filling up with explosion after explosion! He's locked in mortal combat with Blackwood, who just... released a purple smoke grenade...>
<KOBAYASHI: Ah, that's probably poison gas! Guess that dumb-looking gas mask was serving a purpose after all! Whatever will XeXeeD do— oh. He just pulled out a rebreather. Because everyone has one. Because everyone is expecting the smoke meta. Annnnddd.... XeXeeD just walked into the smoke. Amazing. Look at that smoke billow. I'm sure going to enjoy staring at this for the next 5 minutes.>
<ENDO: Perhaps we should go on a short break?>
<KOBAYASHI: And miss this? Yet another exciting development in the magic of the smoke meta? Hahaha, don't be silly. Don't you love not being able to see shit!? Isn't that a grand development!? Smoke! Smoke everywhere! You get a Smoke Bomb, I get a Smoke Bomb, everybody gets a Smoke Bomb! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME ZASKAR? THIS IS WHAT YOU REAPED! NERF THE GODDAMN FU—>
<—>
<—>
<—>
<ENDO: Hey, did you disconnect? Hello? Is anyone listen—>
DETERMINATION: 25
MISTCOIN: 2
CATS OF ULTHAR : 2 Currently Spawned (VERY FAR away, but can teleport with certain abilities)
TACTICAL INFORMATION Sinon has escaped the river!
Kuro is still underwater. Attacking Sinon from below the water will be heavily penalized unless justified in a Plan.
Unless planned around, exiting the water will leave Kuro exposed to an immediate enemy attack with ADVANTAGE.
Sinon appears heavily damaged.
When Sinon is in her FIRE phase, her bullets can penetrate water!
Sinon's Hawkeye bonus is growing!
BULLETS FIRED: 4
The show is starting.
The Black Star has begun its descent.
When all bullets have been fired, Death comes.
[Hawkeye]: So long as you maintain a direct line of sight with your target, gain +2 Accuracy per turn. All bonuses are reset if you break line of sight.
«Real Deal: Aspirant»: You understand life is nothing more than meat, blood and bone. +1 DICE on all rolls in combat against opponents who do not possess any variation of the «Real Deal» trait.
[Duck and Dash 1]: You may choose to DASH during combat, surrendering safety for speed.
DO YOU ATTEMPT TO ENGAGE IN DIPLOMACY? [Free Combat Banter]
[ ] Try to talk to Sinon. WRITE-IN speech.
You cannot talk while underwater, so please take that into account.
WHAT DO YOU DO?
[ ] The Endless Waltz [Undine] So she can see us. But can she hear us?
-Stay in the water, focus on dodging Sinon's attacks and begin singing Abyssal Surge.
(QM ruling: charge attacks can be used alongside other attacks in plans, but you cannot 'fast charge' a charge attack in one scene)
[ ] A Lady's Veil [Putana] The demon will be subject to scorn and fear, but the maiden may approach at her leisure...
-Use darkness magic to create a smoke cloud over the river and escape
-Attempt to poison Sinon
[ ] Create a Spotlight [Helena] Does she think she can hurt us? Then let her bullets break against our alabaster. There is nothing to fear.
-Deliberately and intentionally rise out of the river, taking the full brunt of Sinon's attack.
-Try to pretend it doesn't hurt and use your apparent godliness to attack her soul.
OR
[ ] Write what you want Kuro to do (your GOAL) and with which Persona. Specific plans will typically be rewarded with more bonuses than general plans. Your capabilities depend on your equipped Persona.