[] Hasten Burst 1/12
[] Pit is a decent tactician if his promotion is to be believed. You were a bit too busy to see his prowess before, but this is the perfect place to test it. Defend until the Pidmon comes up with a plan, then try to follow it.
===
Two dozen meters of empty space stretches out between yourself and HippoGriffomon. It takes the
chimera digimon one tenth of a second to cross it. You only barely manage to shift your war-gauntlets in time to block the charging mon's talons, but the force still sends you stumbling back. A painful line erupts across your torso, the handywork of his lower talons.
Fast, powerful. This foe, he eclipses even Wolfmon...
Darcmon's mount unleashes another high-pitched battle cry and advances a second time.
Good.
Your eye narrows, as HippoGriffomon approaches. Attempting to track him is folly, the gap is simply too wide. But the feral Ultimate isn't a cunning opponent. His former status as a Maildramon showing clear as he bulls forward intent on simply crushing you. It's an entirely straightforward approach, one you can predict.
By the time his second attack lands, you've already moved into position trusting your gauntlets to deflect HippGriffomon's talons and digging your rear-paws into the solid ground. Keratin scrapes across the surface of darkened alloy and soon finds itself deflected away. The now off balance Ultimate crashes straight into your chest, knocking the air from your body and brusing muscle, but failing to cause any true damage. While you'd lose straight on in terms of pure
power versus
power, in terms of sheer mass your gigantic form holds the strict advantage. You begin flowing into a counterattack, intent on crushing the smaller digimon against the ground.
However this is interrupted as Darcmon leans over her mount's side and slashes at your forehead with her sword. The angel's blade cuts though skin and fur, before finally impacting your skull. It makes contacts and-
*Clang*
-bounces clean off.
Huh? Why did that sound-
In that half-moment of distraction HippoGriffomon fully recovers, twisting to point its now open beak at your throat. A faint glow emerges and your instincts let out a warning cry of *danger*.
"Greater Sparkling Thunder!"
Then a bolt of azure lightning runs full force into the Ultimates head. The smell of burning feathers blasts through the air as what could have been a fight ending attack is interrupted.
"Verge hold it down!" Pit's authoritative voice lashes out and instinctively your body moves to follow his words. With a bellow of challenge, you wrap your arms around the struggling Ultimate's back and pull it close.
"Watch the legs dipshit!" Imperius Darcmon curses shortly before you feel a pinprick of pain in your forearm. However that is nothing compared to the agony being inflicted upon your torso by HippoGriffomon's talons. Lines of fire blossom down as the chimera rips at your flesh with beak and claw, but with clenched teeth, you hold on.
"Beat, focus on damaging the wings! Sparks focus on causing damage! I'll get Darcmon!"
"Hah! A decent enough plan!" Darcmon laughs, raising her sword as the Pidmon approaches. Your friend is faster, stronger and blessed with a longer weapon. But as he brings his weapon down in an attempt to bludgeon the wommon, your commander rather effortlessly intercepts the blow, parrying it aside before responding with a riposte that leaves a shallow cut on your comrade's cheek. "Goddamn! Do I love having this thing again!"
Your crippled companion continues to hit the trapped opponent with attack after attack, but aside from lightly charring his feathers the energy doesn't seem to actually be doing any damage whatsoever. But at the very least his accurate blows are preventing the foe from blasting you at point blank range.
Beat lands on the now riderless digimon's back and slams one arm down, puncturing the Ultimate's wing and sending it into a frenzy. You desperately attempt to hold the chimera close, but he slams all four of his talons against your ribs and with new strength born from pain,
pushes.
"Ergh." With a final grunt of will and pain your grip on the enemy digimon breaks. Beat is midway through a fourth stab when the newly free Ultimate whirls about, wholly ignoring the lightning hitting his body and kicks out with his back legs. Your friend's chest armor crumbles inward, even as the force sends him tumbling up and away. You swipe at the Ultimate again to put the hold back on, but the older digimon deftly dodges with a beat of his wings and soars up towards the two battling angels.
"Lord Pit! Behind you!" Sparks's warning call cuts through the air, but HippoGriffomon is faster, his blurred form tackling the short angel before he can register the words.
Curses. They're too high up I can't-wait... Zehaha! I do have something.
"Hehe, nice one!" Darcmon compliments, her partner roughly rubbing the top of his feathered head.
"Warkwarkwark!"
Is it laughing or...-Focus!
"Crusher Bone!" You toss a boulder's worth of petrified bone up towards the pair ready for at least one of them to be knocked from the sky. Instead your main opponent, simply kicks with his back legs
again.
*Crack*
... Really?!
Which sends it rebounding back down towards your head. Instincts flaring, you punch up at the reflected projectile, shattering the reinforced mass of bone to tiny, rapidly fading pieces. You nearly curse at the attack's lack of effect, but pause as a green figure lunges towards the opponent.
It was useful.
Beat crashes into HippoGriffomon's chin foot first, snapping the Ultimate mon's head up as he rolls mid-air and punches both spikes up into the Ultimate's throat. For a moment you feel a thrill of victory... then the chimera unleashes a gurgled squwak of anger. The Stingmon's left arm is separated from his shoulder between instants and his body smashes next to you a moment thereafter. You rush over to his fallen body, moving to cast a healing spell and only notice too late that the Ultimate has picked out a new target.
"Thunder Cloud! Greater Sparkling Thunder!"
For all his talent at prediction, the magical digimon simply lacks the speed needed to match Darcmon's mount. The chimera effortlessly dodges in-between his barrage of spells and closes in. With so much distance, all you can do is watch as the Ultimate slams headfirst into your friend.
Sparks!
"Mega Heal!" Pit cries, slamming his rod into the earth behind you. Soothing energy washes over your many injuries, knitting flesh back together and filling in the gouged masses of data. The short angel shoves Beat's severed arm back against his shoulder and lets the holy power do it's work, mending the two sections of data. "Right comrades! I have come up with a new plan! Friend Verge! I believe your claws will be the only items capable of dealing true damage, Bellator Beat! Join in me in occupying this foul fow-
"Get'em!"
Spirits below.
HippoGriffomon slides into view, the feral digimon speaking for the first time since you'd met him.
"Heat Wave!" Pit is caught entirely off guard by the sudden attack, not even having time to cross his arms before the superheated air washes over him. His charred, unmoving body falls to the ground a few moments later. Utterly out of the fight. Beat weathers the blast better, smouldering a bit from the heat, but standing nonetheless.
This bout is lost. Our defeat is certain... So what? I refuse to fall easily.
You lunge at the chimera digimon with another roar and just as you expected, it numbly steps out of the way. Beat strides up to your left, his fists clenched tightly in determination. HippoGriffomon let's out another bout of laughter and this time is joined by his rider.
A moment passes in silence as you look at Beat. He nods, you reciprocate the gesture, all intentions utterly clear.
Neither of us are giving up here.
The overwhelming opponent begins to attack once again, but this time you move to meet it. Charging forward in tandem to fight until the very end.
=
"Nice attempt boys." The Imperius chuckles slapping her thigh with an open hand. "For champion you did pretty fricken well."
"Hn." Beat grumbles, shooting her a furious glare. Darcmon ignores the heated glance and takes another swig out of her flask.
You finish the healing incantation, repairng the last of your many, many wounds. Defeat in itself isn't exactly a shameful thing but... privately you are disappointed to be have been defeated so soundly.
So that was the speed gap MasterTyrannomon warned me about. There was... little I could do in the end. If other Ultimates are that fast... Focus. Hasten Burst may be able to close that gap, or at the very least lessen it.
"That was an okay'ish plan Pit. Five hundred bits say it would have worked on a normal HippoGriffomon." The angel gives a hard slap to her mount's freshly repaired plumage. "But old ironsides here is too tough!" In response to the praise, your fellow squad member rises up and begins proudly strutting back and forth as if gloating.
"Stupid friggen bird." Sparks grumbles angrily, joining Beat in his glaring.
"I bet if I really let loose then..."
"Enough friend Sparks! We lost! There is no use looking back at the past! Instead we must look towards the future!"
"Sure thing there pal, but let's not forget your mistakes okay? Your second plan failed a reason. Be short and concise about orders. Don't talk on, and on, and on, that stupid shit only leaves your vulnerable." With that the seated digimon point her blade over towards Beat."
"Big bear and the bug over there were hard to put down. Seriously you bastards were too goddamn stubborn, this is just practice, not a life or death fucking battle."
"And?" you question, not really understanding her point. Beat nods once, silently agreeing with the question.
In my path there is no room for hesitation or doubt. It only makes sense not to holy back against superior opponents.
"Blegh. I have two of you crazy fucks to look after now don't I?"
"Crazy?"
What is crazy about that? It's my duty as a martial artist and serva-to continue fighting.
"Thanks for the advice superior Darcmon!" Pit chimes in. "I shall continue to learn and heighten my abilities as suited to The Lord's will!" Sparks and Beat let out annoyed, angry grunts at that, but neither mon contradict the statements.
"It's good that you're so willing. I had to drag a couple of the last lazy bastards to training before, it's kinda nice to have a squad made entirely of real fighters. Anyway, yeah we'll be working on training every morning from now on, practicing teamwork and all that good sit. The afternoon and evening are your Eh-Kay-Eh you can do whatever the fuck you want."
Dedicated sparring in the mornings? Perfect.
With that the champion rises up and turns towards the trading post. "Now then I'm going to get myself a fucking stronger drink."
Beat rises up from his crater, and looks at the others with his arms crossed.
"The Gym."
Ah yes, I could use a good workout.
=== Choose Two:
[][Evening] Continue Working Out: (Cannot be chosen twice)
-[] Strength
-[] Fortitude
-[] Endurance
-[] Agility
-[] Meditation (Spirit/Special)
[][Evening] Attempt to meet with Ardat so you can give her the Grimoire and beginners spellbook
[][Evening] Continue Studying Hasten Burst (2/12) (Note, Verge always studies once before bed)
[][Evening] Attempt to ask Darcmon about money-making options within the Host. Explain about Sparks' goal.
[][Evening] Look for a vendor selling holy spells and just Sorcerymon in general. Your mentor's spellbook is for the most part empty and you've reached the end of what he wrote down.
[][Evening] This is the Blessed Host's main city correct? Surely it should have a mon capable of fixing Spark's arm and... perhaps even Repulsa's mark.
===
Strength Focus: 4 Strength, 1 Fortitude, 1 Endurance
Fortitude Focus: 4 Fortitude, 1 Endurance 1 Strength
Sparring: Balanced + Fighting Skill.
Supplements: (Fortitude, Endurance)
Training Weights: Agility
6 Strength
7 Fortitude
4 Endurance
1 Agility
1 Special
1 Spirit
- Strength: 2685.00->2727
- Fortitude: 2354.50->2398.25
- Endurance: 1838.50->1860.50
- Agility: 1673.50->1678.25
- Special: 2156.75->2163.00
- Spirit: 1820.75->1824.75
- General Fighting: 83/180->84/180
- Martial Arts, Maul (Gryzmon) Style: 26/60->27/60
- Grappling: 17/20->18/20
===
Authors Note: I planned to get this out way earlier in the day, but a bunch of stuff happened to delay that. Changes to how skill advances will be explain in a followup post.