Episode 20 - Stretched Thin (2024)

Team RACL (Round 2)

There was a rumor that Lapis had once single-handedly defeated an entire bandit clan, and the Grimm that came after them. Like many of the rumors swirling around Lapis, that one wasn't quite accurate. But also like many of those rumors, it wasn't just plucked arbitrarily out of thin air. Needles flew and thread wove at a rate that competed with the rain and wind kicked up by his previous cloudburst, and over the course of sparse seconds, every normal bandit within the student Huntsman's range had been either taken down, or tied up.

The elite warriors of the Garud tribe weren't Huntsman level in themselves, but they were well-trained fighters and capable of basic Aura techniques. They held up somewhat better against Lapis's wrath, although several lost chunks of their Aura under his assault.

Anya was also under heavy fire, but dished out far better than she took. The regular bandits were gathered thickly enough that they managed to screen the more serious enemies, but even so the Knight took a ding to his Aura as she redirected the force of his and his minions' attacks back against him, and regardless it wasn't a strategy that would work a second time, at least not without reinforcements, given every normal bandit nearby was lying senseless at the end of it.

"The Garud tribe go where they wish, take what they wish, and destroy what they- GAAWK" the bandit Robin addressed answered, although his answer took longer than it took for Robin to bounce over to the Knight, take a notch out of his Aura, bounce back over, and catch the bandit full in the chin with a solid swing of Inugami. His Aura held, barely, but it sparked and crackled as it was pushed to critical levels. But hey it kept the attack from breaking his jaw so at least he could still talk! Probably not for much longer than another round, granted, but it's something!

Pyrrha kept her attention on the Knights she was dueling, shifting just past their swings with subtle economy of motion, turning near strikes with glancing deflections, until both Knights slashed at her simultaneously from opposite sides with heavy blows. She leaped and twisted in mid-air, and while it didn't look like there should have been room to get between the swings, somehow they skirted just past her with barely an inch to spare on either side.

She landed on her feet and struck back with her slender blade, slashing at one and then the other in a rapid exchange before leaping several dozen feet clear, taking a notch out of each of their Auras and leaving behind a faint black energy on their armor that would slow and restrict its movement. They were strong enough to ignore the effect for now, but the glow was continuing to spread...

Robin's reply kinda confounded her. Many might have just gone with the flow buuuut Pyrrha kinda had a thingabout taking more credit than she felt she had earned so she answered, "Oh, no I'm sorry! It wasn't my idea I just thought that was what we were doing!" Hey whatever it seemed like it was working out.

The Knights of the Bloody Moon kept up the pressure on the students, activating more Fire Dust in their greatswords to intensify the flames against the rain, so the heat output from the rapid series of swings might sear their targets even if they avoided the blades themselves.

The bandits continued darting into the fray, or or whirling around enemies they had already closed with. They kept up a fast and mobile assault, transforming their weapons to make their attacks less predictable. The ones who got close attacked with straight swords with wickedly serrated edges, while those at a distance hurled heavy metal boomerangs. ...The one Robin had hit was a bit cross-eyed but managed to launch a few sling stones to support the Knight.

Rhys

The Olympian braced his spear against your rush, but lol if he thought that was going to stop Rhys Ascleps he had another thing coming. You got past it and inside his guard, getting your hands on him. Even for an experienced war hero, caught in a grapple with a Huntsman with your level of physical prowess was nota good place to be.

Which he was presumably aware of, because he reacted to get out of it like a pro, getting his shield in under your left arm to keep it from closing and using his spear for leverage to force himself free, coming out of your grasp with a spinning backpedal before settling into a ready stance. Still, it had been close. Managing that escape had taken effort.

Nonetheless, he was smiling. He dipped his head in a nod of acknowledgment.

"My actions have been strictlyhonorable," he retorted. "As should not be confused with fair. Six years ago I sacked one of the best-defended - such as it was - outlying towns in Mistral. I left enough survivors to carry word of how pitifully they were defeated. And then I gave them five years to better themselves before I began initiating any further attacks."

"There is no reason those villages should have still been vulnerable. No reason my forces should have been able to take them without my even needing to enter battle personally. I gave them five years to prepare, what could possibly be more honorable than that? Would they have done any better if I had given them a decade? If they did nothing with that time to secure their walls, train their warriors, and protect their families, that is to theirshame, not mine."

"But as I was saying, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Marson Aerial."

And he sprang suddenly forward in a blur of hasted motion, a sharp crack sounding in the air as the speed of sound itself was met and bettered. He came with shield leading, only for his spear to suddenly lick out like a striking serpent, lunging center-mass with tremendous speed and power.

From six different directions practically at once. For a moment it seemed there were literally half a dozen of him on the field, all attacking in tandem. But his scent was all around you. It wasn't a duplication, or an illusion. It was pure speed.

An instant later, he was standing twenty feet behind you, back in the same ready stance, and completed his introduction.

"War."

Team FLNS

Having been there when it first happened to Rhys, Sorena was clear enough at this point on what someone randomly speaking to empty air probably meant. She'd gotten into the habit of responding with cheeky mockery whenever he scried her, and figured just because he was scrying someone else this time didn't mean she should change her protocol. "He probably just needs a friend. Any volunteers?" Beat. "Sorry Apex, I tried, nobody likes you."

Meanwhile, she followed along with contributing to the important matter in Fensign. I think I'm mostly with Chapi baseline. Devil Grimm are a definite threat; whatever's drawing them doesn't necessarily have to be dangerous to make people upset. True to form, she did not appear particularly concerned about eight Devil Grimm, an Alpha Devil, and two dozen normal ones against Team Freaking FLNS(plus buffing support). It wasn't that she felt that with a village in danger it was worth the risk (although I mean sure, that too); it was that she was just that confident that you'd take them apart.

That said, five miles isn't too far for your Semblance right Nicoale? You can just Farsight it and if there's danger maybe we go there, and if not we hit the Grimm? And we can start moving while you look?

I mean Sorena may not have known the exact range limitations of your Semblance but like you'd think she'd known you long enough by now to know that if you could just scry the town from here you would have done that and wait okay you can now well that's Sorena for you.