DCW IRL Round 12: Distant Reflections Seen Nearby

[A L 217]

"7

sins, 7 skies, 7 seas, 7 in a rainbow, 7 dimensions and 7 my shoe

size." Alice said to no one in particular. Hesh, bless him, had already

engaged with fighting the shadows. They could have rested until the

Reapers moved. Alice saw Iyana checking her cellphone, then returned to

the charging shadows that were about to annihilate them. With a deep

breath, she spoke.

"You warrior girl (Misaki), I like your moves, you're with me. Explosive

temper guy (Hesh) and Mustache (Prem) use long range weapons on the

Reapers while we provide you a clear shot, Tamsin will cover you;

Twinkly eyes (Aquilas) and Ms.Sensitive (Iyana)," She scratched her

neck.

"Stick together and try to get a Reaper. If you can't, reduce the number

of shadows. Let one attack while the other defends, back-to-back, got

it?" Alice advised.

Turning to the approaching army, Alice said something that wasn't

heard by anyone. "Such army. Much shadows. Wow."

Alice held up a memory crystal of hers she hadn't used, and it

immediately attracted the shadows. She and Misaki ran ahead, not caring

for what came their way.

Alice took out her dagger and wielded it mercilessly, using the momentum

from one slash to power another and took out her revolver when she saw

shadows coming in a lined up formation, using a single bullet with

amazing accuracy to kill a dozen shadows at a time.

A reaper also came for them but Alice cut away it's bony arms while

Misaki slashed through it's spine, dividing it into two. A realization

struck Alice.

"Guys! Aim for the spinal cord! try to dislodge the skull!" She yelled

hoarsely. The last reaper they took down, it didn't disappear into

nothing until the skull was destroyed.

[Maltavite 61]

"Stick together and try to get a Reaper. If you can't, reduce the number of shadows. Let one attack while the other defends, back-to-back, got it?" Alice advised.

 

Hesh sighed, "Alright, alright..." He then using his Mark 46 to shred many Shadows. Alice yelled hoarsely. "Guys! Aim for the spinal chord! try to dislodge the skull!"

 

Hesh nodded, "I'll cut that Reaper's neck" He firing his Mk 46 at one of the Reapers. He hit one of them in the neck, cutting the spinal cord and dislodge the Reaper's skull. Hesh sent a hail of rounds on the skull before it hit the ground. The skull was destroyed. He cynically laughed, "So long, man. You're f***ed up!" He switched to his Glock 18 as his Mk 46 clicked empty. He aimed at the Shadows who approaching. He mowed many Shadows with headshots in a sweep.

[Rye 122]

 

 

Dear, Moho-san,

 

I have a question:

 

I found three meanings for the word ego. Which one was Joshua referring to in his statement?: "Show me what you got. The strength of the ego will be the your way out of the Rift."

 

e-go (noun)

• a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance. (synonyms: self-esteem, self-importance, self-worth, self-respect, self-image, self-confidence)
• (Psychoanalysis) the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.
• (in metaphysics) a conscious thinking subject.

Personally, I think the first two meanings may somehow be applicable to the situation. The second one since the Rift is probably a crazy place that will test your sanity and your sense of personal identity. Thank you!

 

Yes.

 

Which one was he referring to?

 

Youre overthinking. 7 is just considered lucky. Maybe we can use magic later.

 

Magic? I thought we were mortal?

 

On a completely relevant note, how exactly do you guys plan to contact Joshua?

 

No idea. Perhaps a cellphone (Iyana's? I highly doubt we have his cellphone number, though.)

 

===

 

Aquilas stood there, waiting for her companions to make their move. Alice started giving out orders, while the rest of the  group listened and nodded. Hesh continued firing at the Shadows. Iyana, she noticed, was fiddling with her bag and took out a cellphone. 

 

Aquilas looked up, silently hoping that Joshua would appear up there, and he'd help them. However, that seemed highly unlikely. It looked like they were on their own, after all.

 

"Stick together and try to get a Reaper. If you can't, reduce the number of shadows. Let one attack while the other defends, back-to-back, got it?" Alice advised. 

 

"And everyone, keep an eye out for explosives. They might be scattered around the floor area." Aquilas added. She looked over at the army. 

 

Loading her pistol, she started looking for a Reaper. Once her pistol was loaded, she started shooting down Shadows, not missing a single one, all the while keeping an eye out for Reapers.

 

 

[Nara-chan 38]

@AL SHUT UP. and if you're talking about the bones, its the spinal column, but you also cut the spinal CORD anyway

Alice formed groups, and while Iyana had lost her sensitiveness in battle, that made her want to cry. "Umm, just in case you don't know, we can handle ourselves." she said, obviously irritated. "But okay."

A Shadow leapt at her, but it immediately dissolved into smoke when she sliced her knife through it. She saw that Nicknamer (Alice) and Misaki were taking on a skeletal commander. She shouted something about slicing the spinal column to dislodge the skull, but she stored that away for the meantime as she and Aquilas became destruction machines.

She quickly removed the arrow from the Reaper earlier, which was attached to the fleshy part of her leggings with the tape from the jerky packaging earlier (she silently thanked Misaki) and speared two Shadows who approached, apparently enraged that someone else was holding the weapon of their leader. She stabbed another one with her Swiss Army knife in her left hand.

The following events were just a series of slashing, spearing, ducking and stabbing. Her ADHD brain was working overtime, noticing small movements of her enemies. Prem ran among the enemy troops, shooting and scrounging for arrows. Alice and Misaki were battling another enemy. All was going fine.

But her eyes saw something behind the flurry of darkness. It was another human. It looked at Iyana and she saw its changing eyes: from blue to brown to red. Her eyes widened at the realization of what that creature was.

(I'm getting too Killjoy here, but you all know what that is)

[Maltavite 61]

(@Nara: Cutting the Reaper's neck and blow the skull off?)

[Nara-chan 38]

^What? I was just pointing out that it's the spinal COLUMN, not chord. And it's cord, not chord

[A L 217]

Nara: Okie dokie.

[Rye 122]

(@Hesh Just shoot the Reaper's backbone. It's the creature's weak point, I guess?)

 

Aquilas was shooting down rows and rows of Shadows that tried to get near her, each row exploding to fine dark dust the moment the special bullet drove through its dark body. Hesh was firing at the Shadows as well, while Iyana was slashing fiercely with her knife, and Prem shot the enemies down with his arrows. Alice and Misaki were taking down the Reapers, and they were doing good at it. Apparently, they've found a weak spot that they used to their advantage. Groups of Shadows were in disarray, panicking as their leaders were taken down one by one by her companions.

 

Aquilas continued killing Shadows, and she was able to face one of the Reapers, this one wielding a sword, unlike the others she encountered before who carried bows. Aquilas then pulled out her dagger, ready to combat this Reaper. She remembered what Alice had said, about hitting its spinal column, since apparently that was a weak spot. 

 

Aquilas charged at the Reaper, feinting a stab at its left side, then going straight for its neck. The Reaper tried to slice off her arm, but she was able to dodge and he drove her dagger through the Reaper's eye sockets. It made a sound like a wolf's howl, only the sound was distorted and dark. Aquilas took advantage of the situation, and sliced it at the base of its skull, where its spine and the skull connected. She then drove her dagger straight through its temple, and the skeleton crumbled into dust, leaving behind a yellow sword. 

 

Aquilas picked up the sword, thinking it could be of some use. It looked special, the hilt intricately designed, and a gemstone was embedded in it, with a color much like her left eye, an icy kind of blue. She liked the weapon immediately. 

 

It came to her notice that the area became kind of quiet. Then she saw, in the distance, just beyond a row of Shadows stood what seemed like a human. What was weird about it, though, that its eye color changed. One moment it was blood red, then it became blue, then brown.

 

Aquilas knew immediately that they stood no chance against that creature.

[Nara-chan 38]

@AL it's still wrong.

But Alita said they were out of the war! Why is there a Jaeger here? she thought. The Jaeger wasn't Aero, but the sight of it still struck fear into her heart. Aquilas, who was now armed with a sword from a fallen Reaper, was also gaping at it. She slapped the arrow and tape together and attached it to the back of her leggings. The Jaeger was still standing there, directly opposite them. The remaining Shadows and Reapers had cleared a small path for the general.

She whispered to her fightmates and asked, with a shaky voice, "Retreat or Fight?" She didn't care if either.

[Maltavite 61]

(@Hesh Just shoot the Reaper's backbone. It's the creature's weak point, I guess?)

 

(I thought the spinal cord was the creature's weak point. If the neck severed = the Reapers' weak point are revealed.)

 

Hesh stopped firing his Glock 18 but he doesn't care what he saw, "Meh, that's your own choice. We could find a way to cut the Jaegers down. Nothing is impossible."

[A L 217]

Alice wondered why some had stopped fighting. She turned and found herself looking at a Jaeger. For the sake of Eren, can't we get a break? She had half the mind to bite her hand and kill everything in her path.

 

"Everyone, head for the coffee shop!" She yelled. Better safe than sorry.

[tengaku squared 291]

(Ah, a Jaeger? Allow me to do the honors.)

 

The Jaeger gestured to the large army, which quickly shuffled around to surround your group and itself. Then the army waited, as if waiting for an order to charge. The Jaeger kept walking towards you, and as it came closer you noticed a few features about it that differed from Aero. Instead of a brown robe, it was wearing a high-class suit, and an eyepatch covered its left eye.

 

"Humans? Here? Aero's been going overboard with throwing humans from the invaded worlds." The Jaeger frowned. "Coffee shop? That's the first I've heard of a coffee shop. Is it, by some chance, called the Twelve Kirin Cafe?"

 

You wondered how it knew the name of the cafe. Then the Jaeger continued, "Of course. Your expressions tell me. So, Joshua is here as well, huh?"

 

As if in response to that statement, several beams of light came through the circle of Shadows and incinerated every Shadow it touched. One beam of light came towards the Jaeger, who dodged it easily. When the beams of light faded, Joshua could be seen from the hole he created in the circle.

 

"Moto, huh?" he asked, referring to the Jaeger. Joshua put his cell phone away and turned his attention to your group. "Sorry I'm late. I had other business to take care of. But my, what a big mess you've landed in. An army of Shadows and a Jaeger. Honestly, you humans never stay out of trouble."

 

"It's a honor to meet you, then," the Jaeger known as Moto said, bowing mockingly to Joshua. "Did you come here to save these humans?"

 

Joshua didn't answer the question, but his fists began to tighten. You get the feeling that he's beginning to get extremely angry. "It's because of these humans that Alita died. She put her life on the line to give these humans a chance to escape." He paused for a moment, allowing you to grasp the meaning behind his words.

 

"Humans are damned foolish. But I gave them a chance to prove themselves, and their fighting spirit showed through. I began to see why Alita thought the need to sacrifice herself for them. Therefore," he said, expanding his arms out, "I feel that I should probably reevaluate my opinion of humans. Or these humans, at least." He took a step forward, which resonated across the entire Rift, and his whole body began to glow. He turned to the group. "I'll fight with you. I'll get you out of the Rift."

 

Hundreds of beams of light came down from the sky, cutting down large parts of the Shadow army into dust. When each beam of light cleared, a golem made entirely of light, holding a large shield and sword appeared, and began engaging the Shadow army.

 

"Alita probably told you all not to engage a Jaeger, right? And yeah, if you did back then, you'd probably die. I get this feeling, though, that you're worth more than you look. Why don't you take that Jaeger down? I'll keep this army busy."

 

=============================================

 

Moto

Appearance: Wears a suit. Eye patch over left eye. Eyes change color constantly.

 

Personality: Enigmatic and collected.

 

Notes: One of the Jaegers that lead the Rift army. Has the ability to invoke illusions. He can conjure illusions strong enough to make the body react as if they were real.

[Rukia Kurosaki 357]

   Tamsin was shaking her head, not having felt a tug from the memory crystals so far, as the Jaeger made himself known. The suited, eyepatch-wearing humanoid seemed less monstrous than Aero, but he still looked sinister enough. She couldn't hear well through the ringing in her ears after she'd been bowled over by a pair of Shadows, but she caught mention of Aero and the cafe as she cut down a Shadow. Her teammates were listening as well, and the blue-haired woman raised her bat as Joshua appeared. 

 

  Golden light rained down, scattering and demolishing Shadows left and right, and with a pop Tamsin's hearing returned to normal. Joshua was speaking... "Alita probably told you all not to engage a Jaeger, right? And yeah, if you did back then, you'd probably die. I get this feeling, though, that you're worth more than you look. Why don't you take that Jaeger down? I'll keep this army busy." With a hint of a smirk, Tam nodded. Finally, someone was choosing to believe in the group. They weren't being saved, protected, or shielded yet again. And Moto was just unlucky enough to be the first enemy they faced while emboldened with such belief. "Nice to meet you, Moto. It's too bad you're not on our side." She let out her breath and raised the hand her bat was in, making eye contact with the Jaeger only for a moment before looking to the group. "Shall we?"

[premiumemo 37]

Everybody was engaged in the second wave, So was Prem... Now as the weak point of the Reapers had been discovered, the Reapers were going down like ninepins...

 

Somehow Prem was busy providing cover for the rest of lot so he hadnt made his debut to the Reaper-killing-group... Countless arrows were being shot from his side, the main problem was that he was not running out of ammunition, his arrows were getting recollected and so he could take a break...

to bleed 

The string of his Bow had got a lot rubbed and hence had got sharp... Prem's index finger had started to bleed, but for the moment as a temporary medication he had tied a torn piece of his sweater...

 

The Army seemed to be never ending...

 

At last the Army suddenly stopped... "What now..?" Prem said to himself as he started running towards his fightmates... They all were staring in the same direction, as Prem reached, his face got filled with the same expression as others... His eyes were changing colors, no doubt he was a Jaeger..

 

"Man, the vibes he give out... It feels as if he can make me die with them...!" Prem continued talking to himself...

 

"Humans? Here? Aero's been going overboard with throwing humans from the invaded worlds." The Jaeger frowned. "Coffee shop? That's the first I've heard of a coffee shop. Is it, by some chance, called the Twelve Kirin Cafe?" 

 "Of course. Your expressions tell me. So, Joshua is here as well, huh?"

 

And with those words, our long-awaited person was here, Joshua... Making a remarkable entry with all the light beams dancing around him...

"Moto, huh?" he asked, referring to the Jaeger. Joshua put his cell phone away and turned his attention to your group. "Sorry I'm late. I had other business to take care of. But my, what a big mess you've landed in. An army of Shadows and a Jaeger. Honestly, you humans never stay out of trouble."

 

"It's a honor to meet you, then," the Jaeger known as Moto said, bowing mockingly to Joshua. "Did you come here to save these humans?"

With that the environment began to get tensed again... 

 

Joshua was here, and he was here to help us... It was enough reason for the bunch of 7 humans to fight...

 

"Alita probably told you all not to engage a Jaeger, right? And yeah, if you did back then, you'd probably die. I get this feeling, though, that you're worth more than you look. Why don't you take that Jaeger down? I'll keep this army busy."

With those words of Joshua, Prem's started to feel energised again, he felt fresh and ready to take on that Reaper...

 

"Shall we?" said Tamsin looking at the Group... 

"Sure.. Lets turn Moto Moto to dust..." he smirked and up went his Bow with a stretched arrow...

 

[ik its Moto, i said Moto-Moto cuz, the name is so nice that you say it twice.. xP xD and after so long i have spoke to you guys, all this time i have been talking to myself.. xP]

[Nara-chan 38]

(Moto Perpetua?)

 

 

 What Iyana thought was a robe was actually a suit, so he looked like a one-eyed businessman along with his patch. "Humans? Here? Aero's been going overboard with throwing humans from the invaded worlds." He frowned "Coffee shop? That's the first I've heard of a coffee shop. Is it, by some chance, called the Twelve Kirin Cafe?"

 

Her brain started analyzing what the Jaeger said. According to what Alice thought, there are many worlds, so the Rift army had invaded those worlds? But why were they the ones thrown into here? And how had he known the cafe's name?

 

 "Of course. Your expressions tell me. So, Joshua is here as well, huh?", said the creature, like he had read everyone's minds. As if he himself had heard him, rays of light touched down on the floor and incinerated large parts of the army of darkness. She looked away to avoid getting her eyes seared. When the blinding light cleared, Joshua (dun dunnnn) was standing in front of the Jaeger

 

 "Moto, huh?" he asked. Joshua put his cell phone away and turned his attention to your group. "Sorry I'm late. I had other business to take care of. But my, what a big mess you've landed in. An army of Shadows and a Jaeger. Honestly, you humans never stay out of trouble." She thought she saw him shake his head slightly. 

 

The Jaeger..Moto..whatever, bowed down, which was obviously filled with no respect. "It's a honor to meet you, then. Did you come here to save these humans?"

 

 Iyana observed that he tightened his fists as he answered. "Humans are damned foolish. But I gave them a chance to prove themselves, and their fighting spirit showed through. I began to see why Alita thought the need to sacrifice herself for them. Therefore, I feel that I should probably reevaluate my opinion of humans. Or these humans, at least."

 

 He took a step forward, which, even though it was supposed to be just a small sound, echoed through the nothingness of the Rift and his whole body began to glow. He turned to the group. "I'll fight with you. I'll get you out of the Rift."

 

Just hearing those words made her want to rejoice, but as the golems of light began fighting the Shadows, she realized there was an even tougher job ahead for them.  This was confirmed when Joshua spoke: "Alita probably told you all not to engage a Jaeger, right? And yeah, if you did back then, you'd probably die. I get this feeling, though, that you're worth more than you look. Why don't you take that Jaeger down? I'll keep this army busy."

 

 Oh great, we have to fight a general of an evil army. Can't we even rest?!, she wanted to shout. But this was survival. "Shall we?" asked Tasmin, who she looked up to as a fighter, along with Misaki. 

 

"Yeah, let's turn Moto-Moto to dust!" agreed Prem, notching an arrow. And while she wanted to laugh at Prem's ridiculous nickname for the Jaeger, she spoke nothing, but she nodded.

 

Immediately, the world around her dissolved.  She was in a barren wasteland now. Her companions were gone. She was standing alone on top of a hill of...garbage? Peering down, she saw that things were coming. She couldn't quite make out what they were, but her body reacted to it, slowly creeping away, but she found out the things were coming from all sides. She started screaming.

 

(Oh, that last part means that Moto is working his Illusion magic on us. Probably, we're running around in circles while he watches, amused. I think the ego is involved here.)

[Maltavite 61]

^(Ego to stop the illusion?)

 

Apparently, Hesh either wasn't amused by Moto's illusion at Ilyana. Or he doesn't care at her. "Even the Sexta Cereza will do better than that... Anyway, I'll blow your head off for this disgrace..." He cynically laughed.

[Rye 122]

Aquilas froze. The human-like being started walking towards them, the sound of the being's footsteps clacking sharp and clear on the glass-like ground of the Rift. The creature's eye bothered her in a way she can't seem to place.

 

It was obvious that this humanoid being was superior to the other creatures, the way they all stopped in their places, as if waiting for an order.

 

The moment it got near enough, Aquilas quickly assessed all of its features. The being looked quite human, but it was obvious that he wasn't. 

 

The humanoid creature was dressed for business, wearing a high class suit. What was strange, however, that it wore an eye patch over its left eye, while its right eye remained changing colors. He gave off an aura of dominance, which was probably magnified by its way of clothing.

 

Tamsin's words echoed through Aquilas's head, and then her eyes widened as she realized that the creature they were facing was apparently a Jaeger. Aquilas stepped back, taken aback.

 

"Humans? Here? Aero's been going overboard with throwing humans from the invaded worlds." The Jaeger frowned. "Coffee shop? That's the first I've heard of a coffee shop. Is it, by some chance, called the Twelve Kirin Cafe?"

 

What? Aquilas wondered how in the world the Jaeger knew about the cafe.  "Of course. Your expressions tell me. So, Joshua is here as well, huh?" Aquilas heightened her guard. 

 

As if on cue, at the mention of the angel's name, several beams of light shot down, turning every Shadow it hit into fine dust. It looked like a spectacular meteor shower. The Jaeger easily dodged the light beams, while the other creatures weren't so lucky. As the lights faded, they could see the silver-haired angel standing in the middle.

 

"Moto, huh?" Joshua said, referring to the Jaeger. Then he turned to the group. "Sorry I'm late. I had other business to take care of. But my, what a big mess you've landed in. An army of Shadows and a Jaeger. Honestly, you humans never stay out of trouble." Aquilas remained silent, just like the rest of the group.

 

"It's a honor to meet you, then," the Jaeger, Moto said, bowing mockingly to Joshua. "Did you come here to save these humans?"

 

Aquilas silently hoped so. She could see Joshua tightening fist fists, like he was agitated. "It's because of these humans that Alita died. She put her life on the line to give these humans a chance to escape."

 

Alita? Aquilas thought to herself. Was that the other angel Tamsin was talking about? 

 

"Humans are damned foolish. But I gave them a chance to prove themselves, and their fighting spirit showed through. I began to see why Alita thought the need to sacrifice herself for them. Therefore," he said, expanding his arms out, "I feel that I should probably reevaluate my opinion of humans. Or these humans, at least." Taking a step forward, the sound resonated in the entire Rift, and the angel's body began to glow.

 

 "I'll fight with you. I'll get you out of the Rift."

 

Thank goodness. Aquilas said to herself. Beams of light fell down from the sky, eliminating large clusters of the Shadow army. When each beam of light cleared, a golem made entirely of light, holding a large shield and sword appeared, and began engaging the Shadow army.

 

"Alita probably told you all not to engage a Jaeger, right? And yeah, if you did back then, you'd probably die. I get this feeling, though, that you're worth more than you look. Why don't you take that Jaeger down? I'll keep this army busy."

 

Aquilas nodded. She looked at the Jaeger. It was probably very strong, and she highly suspected that it had great powers that it would probably use against them. She needed to be very cautious in approaching this enemy. It was like no Shadow nor Reaper that she had encountered before.

 

Suddenly, Aquilas wasn't in the Rift anymore. 

 

At first, she thought she had gone blind. She could see nothing but darkness around her.

 

It took a couple of seconds before her eyes adjusted to the darkness. She realized that she hadn't gone blind. She froze as she realized where she was. It was the place she had seen in the memory she had retrieved when she drank the mixture---the same, horrifying place.

 

She was in the same room she had been locked in when she was young.

[Misaki-chan 164]

Misaki and Alice had charged ahead of the others, working together to fight off the enemy. As she took out a Shadow, she caught a glimpse of something at the back of the army. At first its eyes were a blood red, then it became blue, then brown. Her eyes widened in a mixture of surprise and strangely, fear. A Jaeger. 

 

"Everyone, head for the coffee shop!" Alice yelled.

 

The Jaeger gestured to the large army, which quickly surrounded the group. The army then waited, as if waiting for an order to charge. As the Jaeger got closer, Misaki's grip on her sword tightened. She had to be ready to fight at any moment. 

 

"Humans? Here? Aero's been going overboard with throwing humans from the invaded worlds," the Jaeger said, frowning. "Coffee shop? That's the first I've heard of a coffee shop. Is it, by some chance, called the Twelve Kirin Cafe?"

 

How does he know the name?

 

The Jaeger continued, "Of course. Your expressions tell me. So, Joshua is here as well, huh?"

 

As if in response to that statement, several beams of light came through the circle of Shadows and incinerated every Shadow it touched. The armored girl watched as one of the beams of light came towards the Jaeger, who dodged it easily. When the beams of light faded, Joshua could be seen from the hole he created in the circle.

 

"Moto, huh?" he asked, referring to the Jaeger. Joshua put his device away and turned his attention to the group. "Sorry I'm late. I had other business to take care of. But my, what a big mess you've landed in. An army of Shadows and a Jaeger. Honestly, you humans never stay out of trouble."

 

"It's a honor to meet you, then," Moto said, bowing mockingly to Joshua. "Did you come here to save these humans?"

 

Joshua didn't answer, but she could tell he was getting angry. "It's because of these humans that Alita died. She put her life on the line to give these humans a chance to escape." He paused.

 

"Humans are damned foolish. But I gave them a chance to prove themselves, and their fighting spirit showed through. I began to see why Alita thought the need to sacrifice herself for them. Therefore," he said, expanding his arms out, "I feel that I should probably reevaluate my opinion of humans. Or these humans, at least." He took a step forward, which resonated across the entire Rift, and his whole body began to glow. He turned to the group. "I'll fight with you. I'll get you out of the Rift."

 

Hundreds of beams of light came down from the sky, cutting down large parts of the Shadow army into dust. When each beam of light cleared, a golem made entirely of light, holding a large shield and sword appeared, and began engaging the Shadow army.

 

"Alita probably told you all not to engage a Jaeger, right? And yeah, if you did back then, you'd probably die. I get this feeling, though, that you're worth more than you look. Why don't you take that Jaeger down? I'll keep this army busy."

 

Shall we?" asked Tasmin.

 

"Of course!" Misaki said.

 

"Yeah, let's turn Moto-Moto to dust!" agreed Prem, notching an arrow. 

 

Misaki started to charge at the Jaeger when suddenly the Rift was gone. Replacing it was darkness. Where am I?

[Maltavite 61]

"Great, the show had been started..." Hesh thought as the illusion started to engulf him.

[Nara-chan 38]

^Hey, why do you know I'm having an illusion? Are you a mind-reader?

[A L 217]

^Hey, why do you know I'm having an illusion? Are you a mind-reader?

 

( Can you perhaps use italics for the whole scene? :V )

 

Alice stared down Moto, his patched eye. She recognized the guy. Some lifetimes ago, she probably took his eye out.

 

Something was familiar. Alice felt like she had been to the Rift countless times, and died countless times. But not this time. She charged forward, moving towards Moto. Her body jerked and she stopped midway, as if stunned with thousands of volts of electricity.

 

She bit the wall of her cheek and tasted blood, unaffected by the pain or taste, relieved for she hadn't fallen prey to Jaeger like before. What before? she thought. Moto moved, turning away, but Alice moved again and caught his attention. She knew the way to kill a Jaeger. She had discovered it when Eren tried it. Now who the heck is Eren? she thought again.

 

Staring straight into his eyes, her aim unwavering, either she lived or she died, she plunged the dagger deep into his chest, determined with the intent to kill. To slaughter, to slash, her bloodlust rooting Moto to the spot, who tried again to capture her in an illusion again but failed when she delivered the mortal wound.

 

"Rip, tear, gnash. They all make the same lovely noises. " Alice whispered. The words the last Jaeger had spoken when she was killed in the Rift last time. But now she lived, enjoying as the colors in the eyes of Moto faded to white, his iris disappearing completely.

 

She pulled the dagger out mercilessly, blood splattering her clothes. Everything seemed to stand still, and she turned to her friends.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her eyes innocently changing to blue. Then purple. Then red. "Ah." She breathed in deeply. She did nothing to ease the suffering of those trapped in the illusion.

 

Rather, she reached deep into everyone's memories and subjected them to the worst nightmares they could face, but not undefeatable. If they survived, they'd be stronger than ever and ready to take on the challenge that lay ahead. She tried to hold back the urge to show off her new powers to Joshua. 

 

 

Alice has been transferred to the Rift many times, hundreds, thousands, or hundreds of thousands, she doesn't know as of yet. Each time she was forced to face a Jaeger until finally, all of her memories and the misery and suffering she had faced unlocked in her mind, giving her the desire and the means to end Moto's existence.

 

In the real world, Alice is dead. She never had knowledge of her memories nor will she ever know what kind of life she lived no matter how hard she tries.

 

[Nara-chan 38]

^I hate you

@Ari Ilyana?

 

 

 She had stopped screaming and started crying. This place was the place she had ran to when she found out that....Hana was the next victim of their experiments.

 

 Hana...the only friend she had. Taken by an attempt to expand human memory. Her hatred of technology had rooted here. She became dependent on nature.

 

 The things were coming closer. She got a closer look at them. They were like Shadow-robot hybrids, moving like a robots, but it had the claws of a Shadow. Last time, Iyana had ran. Now she won't. She would stand and fight.

 

 The first monster lunged, but the last sensation it had was a swiss army knife on its back. She started slashing with her blade and arrow , destroying the robotic shadows with a yellow sweep.

 

Wait...yellow sweep? Hadn't Moto transferred her to another world? But she was still as clueless as she was in the Rift. If she wasn't in the Rift, she would have died. Meaning either Moto had pulled her into a memory, or this wasn't real. 

 

 She thought of her friends, who were probably in the same situation. The world flickered, temporarily, confirming her suspicion that this was an illusion. But Moto was gone. Instead, the one-eye businessman-lookalike was replaced with Alice, standing there with blood on her clothes. She blinked again. The wasteland was back. 

 

 She concentrated harder. She thought of the hardships she and her friends  had gone through: the losses, the sacrifices, the battles. The wasteland flickered even more, until it faded completely.

 

 Iyana sighed, and observed that she was shaking. Maybe the development of the collapsing-to-knees-and-crying was too much. She was crying because of the loss of Hana, a friend who died because of a scientific experiment. Her love of nature had began there. Even more that robots had attacked her.

 

 But there was still something missing. Why was she a loner? Why only Hana? She pushed those thoughts away and crossed her arms, demanding an explanation from the black-haired girl.

 

(jwhut she was the first? But there is the example of using the ego, or sense of reality and logic)

[Maltavite 61]

@Nara: Nope, but I'm out of idea for the illusion

[tengaku squared 291]

All of a sudden, the illusion cast on everyone except Alice faded. The Rift grew darker, from white to a deep blood maroon, then royal purple, then became completely dark. It was impossible to see, but the presence of an immensely powerful adversary was in the air.

 

FINALLY.

 

The ground shook with the sheer vibration of the words.

 

FINALLY.

 

It came again. You turned around, trying to track the source of the sound. It was impossible. The sound seem to come from everywhere, every angle, every spot in space, every point in the world.

 

BURNING EARTH. SMOLDERING CAULDRON. FATE AND FORTUNE. HOPE AND DESPAIR. I AM ALL.

 

The voice paused between every odd statement. After every pause, the voice grew louder, the darkness grew more thick, the ground shook harder, and you felt more hopeless.

 

AND SO IT SHALL BE. A YOUNG GIRL, CONSUMED BY HER ID, EMERGES TO SERVE.

 

A young girl? Despite the circumstances, you couldn't help but wonder. Who was the voice referring to? Alice? You could hear the faint sound of Joshua moaning, an odd sound to be coming from him. If you focused, you could barely make out his words. "Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless..." The words didn't make you feel much better, especially coming from your main pillar of support.

 

IN THE BEGINNING, CONSCIOUSNESS WAS ONE, EMBODIED BY THREE PORTIONS. THE ID, THE EGO, AND THE SUPEREGO. THE TURMOIL SPLIT THE ONE INTO THREE PARTS.

 

"The id became you, the superego became me, and the ego became man's ancestor." Joshua seemed to have regained his composure, but in the darkness, you couldn't tell his expressions, let alone where he was.

You couldn't help but think about Joshua's and the voice's statements. What exactly did they mean by the id, ego, and superego? But you felt that suddenly that all the pieces of the mystery were starting to become apparent, ready to put into place.

 

MAN AND THE ANGELS DEFEATED ME IN TIMES LONG PAST, BUT I SWORE I WOULD RETURN. I CREATED AERO TO LEAD MY ARMIES INTO THE MANY WORLDS, IN SEARCH FOR THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD FINALLY FREE ME FROM MY PRISON.

 

"I should have realized that was your plan. Why else would you throw so many humans into the Rift, then continue to throw Alice in after she escaped every time?"

 

BUT YOU FAILED TO UNDERSTAND. AND MY SEARCH DREW TO ITS TARGET. AS ALICE ENTERED THE RIFT OVER AND OVER, HER EGO BECAME CORRODED AND INCREASINGLY INFLUENCED BY THE ID OF THE RIFT.

 

Joshua had no response, but you could hear his shaky breathing.

 

AS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT REPRESENTED EGO, HER ACT OF SUCCUMBING TO ID WAS ENOUGH TO SHATTER THE BALANCE OF THE WORLD. HER TRANSFORMATION INTO THE VERY JAEGER SHE SOUGHT TO DEFEAT PROVIDED THE NECESSARY ENERGY FOR ME TO BREAK MY BONDS.

 

THE GIRL HAS SERVED HER PURPOSE. NOW I CAN LEAVE THE RIFT AND CONSUME THE WORLDS OF THE HUMANS THAT SEALED ME IN THE PAST. I WILL BRING ALL INTO ONE ENTITY, ONE PERSONALITY.

 

Then the voice subsided, and the darkness faded, but left behind a remnant of the entity's power. The Rift's endless white no longer seemed comforting, it felt expansive and cruel.

 

When you finally recovered from the moment, you turned to Joshua. His facial expression was taught, and he was sweating visibly. "SAISEI. He has come back into the world."

 

===========================================

 

Well, I need to end this round eventually.

 

I guess.

 

Objective complete?

 

New objective: ???

 

SAISEI

Appearance: No known appearance.

 

Personality: Holds a ruthless drive to drive all entities living in all worlds into the corrupting influence of the id. A master manipulator.

 

Notes: The embodiment of id. Previously sealed away by the angels led by Joshua and the humans led by the first man. With his last power, he created Aero to search for an individual that could free him from the seal. With the seal now broken, SAISEI stands to destroy all worlds.

 

His power is exactly 166% that of Joshua. His primary ability is his ability to corrupt individuals.

 

Dear, Moho-san,

 

I have a question:

 

I found three meanings for the word ego. Which one was Joshua referring to in his statement?: "Show me what you got. The strength of the ego will be the your way out of the Rift."

 

e-go (noun)

• a person's sense of self-esteem or self-importance. (synonyms: self-esteem, self-importance, self-worth, self-respect, self-image, self-confidence)
• (Psychoanalysis) the part of the mind that mediates between the conscious and the unconscious and is responsible for reality testing and a sense of personal identity.
• (in metaphysics) a conscious thinking subject.

Personally, I think the first two meaning may somehow be applicable to the situation. The second one since the Rift is probably a crazy place that will test your sanity and your sense of personal identity. Thank you!

I can answer this question in more detail now that I've revealed my hand.

 

The second one. Man is the mediating force between the angels, led by Joshua, and the Rift forces, led by SAISEI. (Ego serves as a mediator between the id and superego, which are often at odds.) Because Alice, a human, a supposed representative of the ego, chose the id over the superego (by turning into a Jaeger, a servant of id), the balance of the three aspects of personality was shattered, allowing SAISEI to overcome his bonds.

 

Though Joshua and SAISEI are both completely superego and id, respectively, man is unique in that he holds both but keeps them in check with the ego. While this offers man unparalleled flexibility in his actions, it also makes him most liable to cause rifts in the balance, as you can clearly see.

 

Joshua was referring to man's inherent strength and flexibility as a holder of both id and superego. He was saying that by utilizing that strength, you could free yourself from the Rift.

[Misaki-chan 164]

Misaki slowly walked, the hand not on her sword shakily feeling around, trying to find anything that could tell her where she was. Feels like a cave wall... God I hope I find some light soon....

 

The dark never boded well with the girl. At least, not the dark where she couldn't see a thing. Even a little bit of light made her feel better. At least she knew then that it wouldn't be there. Her breathing sped up just at the thought of it. Stay calm... They're so rare.... You won't see one...

 

The darkness flickered, revealing Alice covered in blood. "What's wrong?" she asked, her eyes innocently changing to blue. Then purple. Then red. Misaki stared, not knowing what to make of the situation.

 

"Ah," the girl breathed in deeply

 

Suddenly the cave was back, but a spot was lit up. The dew on the surrounding area glittered as she saw a woman, faced away from her standing a little ways away. She recognized them immediately from their tight bun and straight posture. "Beth!" she said, quickly making her way over to the girl, so happy to see her the strangeness of the situation was ignored for a second.

 

For a second.

 

Wait... Isn't Beth...?

 

The woman turned around, nothing more than a face she never wanted to see again. The face of the beast that had taken her as a child. She froze, feeling afraid for the first time in years. She didn't know what to do. Beth was dead and wasn't here to save her this time. The spotlight left and the cave was plunged back into darkness. The armored girl could smell the strong scent of spilled blood from its previous victims as it attacked, their sharp claws just barely touching her cheek. As a thin stream of blood trickled down her face, she dropped her sword and crouched down, holding her hands over her head as tears started to form. Someone save me... Someone help....

 

"You're so strong and so brave, far more than the rest of them. I know you can do it Misaki!"

 

Beth's last words before she died on a mission echoes in her head. I'm brave. I'm strong. I can defeat this!

 

Grabbing her sword, she stood up and listened. According to Beth they made a certain sound before they attack. A clicking sound. They always go for the cheek first to scare, then the legs to make it hard for the person to flee. 

 

Click click click click

 

Misaki tightened her grip on her sword and swung, hearing a loud howl as the monster's claw dropped on her foot. She kept swinging, hacking away at anything she could hit with her sword. Eventually there was silence except for the panting coming from her. 

 

She defeated it. She defeated the beast that had scared her for so long.

 

Suddenly the darkness flickered. The Rift appeared slowly, now not the white it was but a deep blood maroon, then royal purple, then became completely dark. Am I back in the Rift or back in the cave?

 

It was impossible to see, but the presence of an immensely powerful adversary was in the air.

 

FINALLY.

 

The ground shook with the sheer vibration of the words.

 

FINALLY.

 

It came again. She turned around, trying to track the source of the sound. It was impossible. It was as if it was coming from everywhere.

 

BURNING EARTH. SMOLDERING CAULDRON. FATE AND FORTUNE. HOPE AND DESPAIR. I AM ALL.

 

The voice paused between every odd statement, growing louder as the darkness grew more thick and the ground shook harder.

 

What is happening?!

 

AND SO IT SHALL BE. A YOUNG GIRL, CONSUMED BY HER ID, EMERGES TO SERVE.

 

A young girl? Does he mean Alice? 

 

Misaki could hear Joshua quietly moan, "Hopeless, hopeless, hopeless..." 

 

IN THE BEGINNING, CONSCIOUSNESS WAS ONE, EMBODIED BY THREE PORTIONS. THE ID, THE EGO, AND THE SUPEREGO. THE TURMOIL SPLIT THE ONE INTO THREE PARTS.

 

"The id became you, the superego became me, and the ego became man's ancestor." Joshua seemed to have regained his composure, but in the darkness, she couldn't tell for sure. 

 

But id, ego, and superego? What are these? Will it help us get back home?

 

MAN AND THE ANGELS DEFEATED ME IN TIMES LONG PAST, BUT I SWORE I WOULD RETURN. I CREATED AERO TO LEAD MY ARMIES INTO THE MANY WORLDS, IN SEARCH FOR THE INDIVIDUAL THAT WOULD FINALLY FREE ME FROM MY PRISON.

 

"I should have realized that was your plan. Why else would you throw so many humans into the Rift, then continue to throw Alice in after she escaped every time?"

 

BUT YOU FAILED TO UNDERSTAND. AND MY SEARCH DREW TO ITS TARGET. AS ALICE ENTERED THE RIFT OVER AND OVER, HER EGO BECAME CORRODED AND INCREASINGLY INFLUENCED BY THE ID OF THE RIFT.

 

Joshua didn't respond, but she could hear his shaky breathing.

 

AS AN INDIVIDUAL THAT REPRESENTED EGO, HER ACT OF SUCCUMBING TO ID WAS ENOUGH TO SHATTER THE BALANCE OF THE WORLD. HER TRANSFORMATION INTO THE VERY JAEGER SHE SOUGHT TO DEFEAT PROVIDED THE NECESSARY ENERGY FOR ME TO BREAK MY BONDS.

 

THE GIRL HAS SERVED HER PURPOSE. NOW I CAN LEAVE THE RIFT AND CONSUME THE WORLDS OF THE HUMANS THAT SEALED ME IN THE PAST. I WILL BRING ALL INTO ONE ENTITY, ONE PERSONALITY.

 

The voice and the darkness faded though the feeling of the voice's powerful presence lingered. The Rift reverted back to its original color, but no longer did it feel comforting. It didn't seem that harsh before... 

 

The group turned to Joshua. His facial expression was taught, and he was sweating visibly. "SAISEI. He has come back into the world."