Translator
Translator
Copen vs Serpentine
Ready?
Strike!
Copen is often angry. Be it in or out of combat, he never was one to tolerate any perceived injustice as he considered the rage one of his strong points. In truth, it made him stubborn and inflexible. Making him lose out on many better choices he could have made with a clear mind.
Righteous Anger however is one of humanity's great creative forces. One you must learn how to control. That doesn't mean you let it trickle away. It means you damn it, carefully, let it develop a working head, let it drown whole valleys of the mind and then, just when the whole structure was about to collapse, opened a tiny pipeline at the base and let the iron-hard stream of wrath power the turbines of revenge. As simple as that sounds in theory, it is in truth something he usually struggles with. It can make him lose fights due to impatience or carelessness, but right now. Right here, he feels like he understands what righteous anger is.
What he doesn't understand however, "Hidden Punisher!" is why his opponent shouts out an attack name while seconds away from slashing him with a newly made spear from above. She was hidden within the mist a moment before, abusing it's ridiculous temporary invincibility. So had she not said a word, then dodging the downward slash by simply dashing away would have been his reaction, instead he faces the attack, blocks the spear with the red spikes on his gun, parries the thing away and counters the made opening with a good old, "Stellar Spark!"
"I won't be caught that easily!" The adept mocks as she simply lets go of the spear, flies backwards and then throws her hat to receive the lightning call, properly deflecting it.
"Now be torn to pieces!" she taunts as her spinning head-wear continues to fly towards Copen, who, undaunted simply shifts his body to the right to dodge the thing like that.
His prevasion triggers instead, as he notices that without it he would have been impaled straight in the heart courtesy of a Serpentine that was somehow hiding inside the hat. Because of course she can make mist-clones of herself and pull off such a clown-like feat. Not bothering to mind it, he instead raises one foot in the air and smashes it into her face, crushing it like pie.
Except he doesn't. Because she simply dissipates into mist, hat and spear included while the one that threw the thing closes the distance. Her sharp skirt rotating like a helicopter, aiming to cut him into pieces with a rapid flurry of blows that will burn through his bullit reserve.
"Hm." Noticing the problem that lies in facing opponents that are just as happy to abuse evasion as he is. His mind turns to any other way to bypass it that aren't GS bullets.
"If I had a way to destroy or dissipate the mist, then…" would she lose her own then?
"No mumbling! Keep moving or you'll die!" Of course, he still pays enough attention to shift to the left, right, up, down, whichever direction he needs to avoid the flurry while moving backwards at the same pace that she's approaching him, to tire her out in the meantime.
"Mist is nothing more than water droplets suspended in the air, therefore…" having gotten an idea, Copen dashes straight upwards to get out of the dodge-cycle, floats in the air courtesy of his jet-boots and out to take back the offensive, touches both his shields "All I need is heat!"
"Duo Leon, full offensive!" with just a voice-command, the shields gleam a crimson light as they both attach themselves to each of his arms. Arms that the slayer puts together as he unleashes the power of a backup septima inside of it "Ferocouis Felines, give me the push…."
"As if I'd let you monologue!" Serpentine shouts as she jumps upwards with her spear.
None to keen to let him do whatever he's planning to do, "Now do me a favor and die!"
"To shred away all doubt!" Finishing his chant just in time, the white shields gain a crimson barrier around it's front while several jets appear on the back end of it. "Crimson Rush!" all of which activate at once, launching Copen towards the Serpentine with the intent to smash her!
"As if that would work-" it does, for the moment the front of the shield contacts her half-turned mist form. A blazing explosion triggers, evaporating all the water the mist contains with its immense heat, thus undoing her evasion while at the same giving her a nice shield facial.
The touch of which causes yet another explosion, increasing the rush's momentum as they smash past the roof, the ceiling and ground of the second floor and finally make their way to the same grand hall where the fight started. An experience that Serpentine definitely did not enjoy, seeing how her whole attire is now full of cracks, ash, and bits of the mansion itself.
AERIAL EX
+20 Kudos
"Thank you for flying with Copen airline." The slayer spits with scathing mockery after doing a flip and returning to his usual combat pose, shields flying by his side and gun ready. "Now then, stand up Adept and let's keep playing. A quick death is too kind for the likes of you." Still not satisfied with the fight, or perhaps getting carried away. He makes a show out of standing still while waiting for her to recover. Perhaps hoping to return all the humiliation by tenfold.
"….Ku….Ku, ku." However, instead of frustration or even outrage at being matched by a human like most adepts. Pained laughter comes out of the Monk as she slowly rises while leaning on yet another spear for stability. A smile of pride and joy covering itself over her face.
"What's there to be smug about?" Copen replies in blatant disbelief, his voice chilly once more and his body posture ready to react in case she has led him into some sort of trap somehow.
"Your illusions won't slow me down and your mist's weakness is found, You. Are. Losing."
"Wrong." She responds victoriously, her jellyfish like form glowering with happiness. "I finally got to see the real you, with no unnecessary filters like a sense of duty or familial love. No, I finally get to see the pure hate-filled monster determined to exterminate us all." She lets out another chuckle, ignoring the pain that comes from talking with a burned face. "It felt good when you hurt me didn't it? I mean of course it would, I'm the big evil sorceress looking into your ugly little heart and telling you the ugly little truths you don't like. But that's not all of it."
Copen crosses the distance before she can continue to speak, smashes one boot against her knee and grabs her by the hem of her armor before she can fall. "Stop talking." He doesn't think about how she didn't even try to dodge the move and just continues smiling. "Or I-"
"You're not the only one who feels that way though. I'm sure you've watched the news?" Serpentine inquires, a move the slayer didn't expect and doesn't answer to so she elaborates. "With the strikes from EDEN and the leaks of Sumeragi's secrets. Humans like you have never felt more in danger. After all, not only can their grand government not protect them against the massive scales of death a single adept can achieve but the fools were also making their own! And don't forget the fact that Eden's little plot has forever stained the status of every adept as a potential terrorist. Oh, and not only that, but there's talk of the world ending too. Isn't that fun? No wonder people would believe it, because now everyone wants everyone else to die!"
Copen's frown gains a new layer, he looks like he could choke her to death right now, yet again the rule of 'listening to enemy monologues for free info' delays that plan for once she's done.
Besides what she said so far is completely truthful, only a moron would think the complete freezing of a whole city and other massive death-causing events would not stay in history as grand tragedies. It's that temperament that has allowed him to be over-looked by most governments as he massacred his way through the globe. Even if it is all ruled by Sumeragi.
But really, this social commentary of her better have some grand point to it.
"I'm pretty sure even that were anyone to out themselves as an adept outside our grand capital, that they'd be lynched by a mob within seconds. Put to death by their own neighbours for the simple potential of causing massacres, regardless of age and gender." Serpentine says as if she's witnessing a beautiful sunset, instead of a glaring adept slayer or even worse the visual of some innocent kid awakening to a septima only to be stoned to death afterwards. "In short, all those worms have only two choices, either hide away their septima and die if they're found out or register in the government and die anyway when the mass comes for them. No matter their choice, adepts will never be able to live a peaceful life again."
"Get to the point." Starting to suspect she's just rambling. Copen squeezes her hem harder.
"Simple, people are starting to take your example." Serpentine responds with a tone that implies praise for some reason. "In the natural world, there is no such thing as boundless slaughter. There's always an end to it. But you…you've proven yourself different. You're the Adept Slayer. The living proof that any human if determined enough can kill an adept."
"They'll think I'm a fairy-tale. One that has truth in it, but just a tale." Copen scoffs.
"Even if you've managed to pass yourself off to most as a legend, it still has shown a new path to man. And now others will follow your every step, try to make as many corpses as you have, humanity itself will not rest until every adept is dead. And every adept hunted? They fear you."
"As they should." Copen replies dismissively, refusing to lot those words affect him and dismissing any possible visual of Mytl ending up stoned to death by an angry riot. "I don't see how this is supposed to affect me, if anything the end of the age of adepts is my victory."
"I'm glad you think that, but also sad to disappoint you. For you've set the perfect stage for Prince ZedΩ to make his own public appearance." Serpentine lets out a small cough, then clears her throat to continue. Not in the most perfect state for long-winded speeches.
"With his golden haven, golden palace, and golden heart. Won't he make a fine messiah?"
"An adept with a powerful septima and influence trying to take over the world? Impossible."
If you can't tell that is the thickest form of sarcasm thrown in, then I can't help you here.
"Quite possible!" She rhetorically answers back. "Don't go thinking I'm agreeing with that nonsense, I couldn't care less if he succeeds or not. As long as I get to kill him at his triumph I'll be satisfied. But that said, he's not actually thinking of taking over the world. He's more phrasing it as preventing the end of the world, but eh, who am I care for semantics here?"
"So, the primal dragon 'prophecy' is nothing more than a farce then?" Copen concludes.
"Bah." For once the monk looks actually offended. "I've personally foreseen that future as well so no. Whether people will actually turn into dragons or if the intense stress will cause adepts to gain some berserk-fuelled evolution remains to be seen. Ha, for all I know it could be no more than a metaphor about how eventually all the hunted will become the hunters."
"I won't let that happen." The slayer replies determined.
"Hah! Haven't you heard me? You've already done your part to make it possible!"
"Then I will do right by making it impossible." He replies again, unswayed.
The smile on her face grows wider, anticipation burning in her eyes. "How?"
He pauses for a moment, only staring at her with his twisted crimson eyes. A familiar baleful fire in them that made her want to torment him, if only to make it even shine ever brighter.
"You're fooling yourself if you really believe you're going to just warn the Azure Striker." The Foretold Death Fog Monk answers for him. "You're going to kill anyone who stands in your way, steal their power, become stronger and repeat that circle over and over until there is nobody left. Maybe one day it's for justice, maybe another it's for revenge, but it won't end."
"Have you run out of dramatic things to say?" The slayer again, refuses to show any reaction.
"Quite." Serpentine admits. "Oh, I almost forgot. I'm S-"
"I couldn't care less for your name. Even then, that's a thing only suited for humans."
"Heh." She lets out a snort. "I admit, it's a real regret that I'll have to kill you unbloomed. If possible, I'd like to kill you after killing ZedΩ but eh, in the end. He's still better prey."
"You say that as if you're going to survive this encounter." Copen frowns and mentally prepares for some nonsensical card she's about to pull to contest that statement.
"You're one stupid whelp you know that?" She pulls back her head instantly, dodging a gunshot and then pushes the slayer back with her bladed skirt. Both now five feet away and back into battle poses. "Do you really think I haven't gone easy on you?"
"How kind, please continue to do so. Until I've killed you." He doesn't believe it.
"How scary. Regardless I've played around too long so it's time to wake up." She raises her spear and taps the ground once; a flow of air dramatically envelops the area for a moment after which all of the mist in the surroundings and the surroundings themselves start to slowly dissipate away. "Come try to kill me in the real world, or run away back home. I'll give you a day before I reveal all of your secrets for our golden prince to use as he pleases."
"As if I'd let yo- "
"24 hours, the moment you wake up. You have 24 hours. Have fun suffering!"
"Heh." The sorceress overlooking Copen lets out the smallest possible sign of a laugh, the noise so small and so like a small exhale of air that nobody in the room, short of breathing down her shoulder would have heard it and even if they did, would have dismissed it as lie.
"What are you laughing about?" Lola asks, metaphorical face scrunched with suspicion. Being exactly the kind of gal to just drone around the shoulder of some creepy lady with no fear.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Serpentine glances at the drone, her tone and eyes so dead and still that the drone is almost intimidated into believing she did see wrong. The alleged doctor lets out a sigh as if utterly exhausted and then moves towards the exit.
"I'm done here. That boy will wake up soon enough, today even if he's unlucky."
"U-unlucky? Isn't waking up a good thing?" The pod replies confused.
She gets no answer, instead Serpentine looks at Prado. Who until this moment was trying to socialize with the pod, who in return only gave back obligatory polite answers. It was annoying to be in the same room off such noise, but still a good enough distraction to bear with as it all ended fine. "You done?" is her only inquiry towards her fellow knight, no real interest in it.
"Hmm. A good question, snowflake." The smarmy shakespear-wannabe replies with her annoying accent and terrible nickname that Serpentine is certain is meant to get a rile out of her. "Personally, I would not mind to see the Tiger arise, yet I do posses the subtlety of heart to know when a moment is meant to be private amongst the most trusted comrades." Again, she doesn't say what she means straightforwardly, instead giving the combat pod a glance as she dramatically stands up and makes a motion to flick the large cotton ball of hair that is on her right side before doing yet another pose. "However, were Lollipop to desire otherwise then..."
"Leave." The pod replies a bit too quickly, to Serpentine's hidden amusement. Still she has the weakness of mind to quickly correct herself in embarrassment by saying the exact same thing but in a more polite context, the coward. "I mean, yeah. I'd like to be alone with him. Thanks."
"Very well!" Prado does a small, disgusting small bow to the pod before moving to the door as well. "Until the next time we meet dear!" and that's more than enough. Not wanting to support that cretin's presence any longer. Serpentine leaves the room in advance.
As she walks through the gaudy golden hallways, ignoring any guard that gives her a salute or praise about her beauty (a gesture they like, the goddamn masochists.) she becomes more and more annoyed with how dull things are already feeling and ponders when it is that the Prince is planning to summon her to his quarters, he must known already by now that she's done.
Then she stops walking. Pondering for a moment the reason she's feeling such impatience.
But after a shorter speculation, the answer proves simple. It was the same reason why one would feel hunger after seeing a commercial about delicacies, the torturing of such a straightforward soul has whetted her appetite. Sure, she lead him by the nose, something she never gets to do with the prince. But he eventually saw through it! There was no eventual slow build up towards the anticipated mind break. No sweet relief of tension as her victim stabbed, cut, bashed their own body apart in a desperate struggle to stop seeing her illusions. No.
He resisted so much and god, was that fun.
Before she can have more colourful thoughts about what it would be like to see him slaughter his way through the palace while on her way to try to kill her. Her fun times are interrupted when sees a flash of pink at the end of the hall, waiting near the elevator, The Pink Slut.
The bitch that challenged everyone to a battle royale just so she can get some fancy title that lets her get closer to the Prince that she wants to desperately get frisky with. The bitch that got that title by attacking her the second after midnight using the clause that they would fight on that specific date. The bitch that does her best to look at everyone else like they're flies.
To say she didn't like her was the understatement of the year, but if anything she also feels pity for the prince who has to deal with her disgusting courtships on a daily basis. If anything, she respects him even more for somehow managing to not jump between the whore's legs.
She promptly turns around, fully aware that the other elevator lies on the other side of the palace but more than willing to walk that distance if it means not having to talk with her.
"Wait." Unfortunately that plan fails instantly, because of course, miss pink just walks after her and orders her to stop. So, of course, she keeps walking anyway, if only to be more spiteful.
The sound of a gunshot stops that plan as well, and had Serpentine not blocked the bullet with her staff. She's pretty sure the pink slut would have excused the potentially lethal headshot as a misfire. More than glad to dispose of her if it means less women swarm around 'her' man.
"I don't speak pig. Go oink somewhere else before I feel like making bacon." Serpentine threatens the one who won't be named as pigs don't have names with a harsh voice, more than ready to fight to the death in this very hall if she gets an actual excuse to do so.
"This is strange." The pink woman tilts her head in faked confusion, her bouncy tits in full view as she wraps one arm under her chest and one under her cheek to increase the image.
"This is really strange. Was it yesterday, or the day before that? Didn't we clearly define our standings? Is it perhaps my memories that are faulty? Or is there a problem in my brain—? Cause from what I can see, you're messing with me right now, Serpentine." The pink slut replies in her usual tone of expertly faked hurt and superbly masked contempt.
"Your Sluttmancy will probably be incapable of feeling interest towards words such as peace and glory throughout the rest of her life. I understand. The intriguing part is the fact that I can't help but feel as if that personality of yours is, from beginning to end, wrong." But two can play at that game, though Serpentine doesn't even bother changing her tone, keeping it dry.
"Serpentine." Pinky says her name with a shocked tone.
"Does the prince appear so blinding that you must fetch a stick the moment it's thrown?"
"Serpentine." And now the tone is slightly lower, so close to getting her to quit the game.
"Yes, Sex-empress? Master of all diseases vaginal? How can Serpentine help you?"
"I, definitely warned you."
"I, definitely don't care."
A flash of light comes the moment Serpentine finisher her sentence.
"STAPH!" a wall of sand is revealed to have been placed in behind Serpentine, tall enough to even touch the ceiling with a bullet aimed specifically at the spot where one's heart would be.
Running towards while holding onto her glasses is the Goblin, looking to have arrived in haste.
"Goh, oh…Every time some-une leaves the two of y'all alone, this happens. Jeez." She frantically breathes in for a moment, her short legs not exactly marathon runners.
Serpentine just clicks her tongue, disappointed that she didn't get to fight after all. She inwardly curses the arrival of the timid short stack, how the hell does she appear so often?
"Ah." As for the pink bitch, she's holding her hands over her mouth in shock.
The tone of her voice masterfully sounding like a person who had done something by accident. A tone with a weight that felt as light as that could flow over the head of any simpleton.
"Sorry. I sometimes, really sometimes do things like this. I lose my rationality. But don't blame me too much. Normally, I give about two warnings before I lose my rationality, but you're the one who ignored them, right? Did I hurt you Serpentine?" and now she has the gall to act worried, heck she has the double gall to actually walk towards her target and grab onto their shoulders with faked worry in her eyes, the way she instantly tightens her grip though?
She couldn't be more pissed if she tried. Serpentine is one second away from head-butting her before she finally lets go and gives a heartfelt sigh as she backs off. "I'm so sorry. But really, I came here in order to know what you managed to figure out. The sooner we know, right?"
"Ah, uh." The gremlin jumps up in surprise when the slut looks at her, not having figured out yet that she's an expert at forcing people to side with her yet. "W-well, still shooti-"
"I'm so sorry Serpentine." Pinky quickly interrupts the gremlin, simply looking at Serpentine instead. "What?" or to be more specific, where she would have been. "Oh, come on."
Had she not turned to mist and vanished the moment pinky was dumb enough to lose eye-contact with her. Where has she gone? Who knows, she can appear and reappear whenever she wants after all. Sometimes there's even days where's absent, but right now in the best-case scenario she'll just head back to her own quarters, lock the door and just muck about until inevitable the prince asks for her report, one that she's going to have fun filling in with a bunch of '[REDACTED]' everywhere with a small ps at the end where she'll note that those spaces will be filled after 24 hours. The face the prince will have at that will be worth it.
Oh, but before that she'll have to tell security to send her the footage about the inevitable bloodbath that will soon come.
Or wait, would they be dead by then? He seems like the type to destroy any and all evidence about his own existence.
Regardless, once the tiger wakes up and all, he'll be pissed, panicked and definitely ready to do something interesting.
She just has to be patient for now. Just a few hours and she'll get a show.
To be continued.