28 - The Hungry Forest (Final Battle)

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: At the heart of the mysterious forest lies a magical trap.
When: Nov 14, evening
Where: Within the forest
Summary: Working together, and with the (reluctant) help of some menaced cultists, the rescuers have pierced the wooden wall into the heart of the forest.






The sky is clearly visible here, but it’s an evening one – it’s taken the day to work their way through this far. Those with some astronomy knowledge will also be able to tell it’s a sky on Earth, and anyone who can climb up above the treeline will see a vast, mountainous and wooded area, with the lights of roads, train tracks and small towns glittering here and there. They're clearly not in the Heavens anymore. Somehow, in their journey through the forest, the rescuers have emerged onto the Near Shore.

An icy breeze is blowing, and although the vegetation is unseasonably green and lush in this clearing, there are patches of snow visible at the foot of some of the trees, hinting that they're fairly far up the mountain.

Rescues

The clearing here at the heart of the forest is vast, and five colossal sigils are etched into the earth, each one holding an incredible amount of power. It’s on these sigils, North, South, East, West, and Center, that the trapped gods and shinki can be found. Those unlucky enough to be at the Center sigil are bound by hypnosis, each staring at a firefly spirit that hovers before their unblinking eyes. These victims are still and unresponsive, and the spirits will need to be destroyed to free them. The firefly spirits can be harmed by both physical and magical attack, though they likely won’t stay still to let themselves be easily extinguished.

The captives trapped on each of the other sigils are around the edges of the clearing, entangled in vines, brambles or whatever other limbs the trees could provide to bind them to this place. Some may also be under the effects of the hypnotic fireflies if they’ve been particularly troublesome, while others who have fought less might have only those bindings needed to prevent them fleeing. Regardless of how tightly they're restrained, all of the kidnapped gods and shinki on all of the sigils look drained, the severity depending on how long they’ve been there. Some are merely tired-looking, whereas others are barely clinging to consciousness. Whether their power is being used to feed the spell or being stored for something else to come, one thing is clear – those trapped need to be freed before anything more can be done.

Sigils

Those sigils beneath each group of trapped gods and shinki are powerful constructs, brimming with energy and meticulously maintained by the cultists up to now. It’s the same power as what blankets the entire forest, but it's focused on each of those five points. They must be the source of the spell that's caused all of this.

If the spell is to be broken, the sigils need to be broken as well, but it’s going to take more than just scuffing out the etched lines to break the magic. Attacking with shinki in their vessel forms or using blessed water to wash away the magic will be most effective, but for those who didn't bring blessed water or don't have the energy left to transform, there's one other option. The clearing is lit by traditional paper lanterns hanging from the trees all around, and any object set aflame with these lanterns can be used to burn the spell out of the ground bit by bit.

The trees and any remaining soulless shinki are still furiously opposing the rescue efforts, the surviving cultists are continuing to work on maintaining the spell, and it will take time to fully destroy the sigils. However, as the sigils deteriorate, the effects of the spell will begin to fade, and characters will find it easier to access their supernatural powers to speed the process along. Gods' and shinki's powers (that is to say, the special power they gained as a god or shinki, rather than canon powers) will be as effective as a shinki or blessed water against the sigils.

But be careful. As each sigil breaks, some of the magic escapes, but some is captured by the remaining sigils. For the spell to fully disappear, all five must be destroyed – and quickly, because there’s only a matter of time before this power becomes unstable.

Comments

SOUTH SIGIL

[godsoffortune]

On this sigil, the following characters are held captive:

Midorima Shintarou
Son Goten
Rin Okumura
Lavi
Saori

Please reply here for rescue threads involving these characters, as well as to attack this sigil.

[lostinshadows]

[Lavi has always been a fighter and this is no different. He had tried to fight, to escape. His main concern had been Cardia, trying to find her desperately to no avail. Vines are wound tightly around him, particularly around his ankles and wrists, some of it bloodied and even his hammer has been tossed to the side, kept out of his reach. The area around him is in disarray, each struggle only causing the vines to coil around tighter.

A firefly is placed in front of him, forcing his attention on it, his own breathing uneven.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Lavi hadn't responded to any of the texts Ayumu sent to check on him once word of the recent disappearances had begun to spread. She'd come into the forest as part of a search party for Hakkai after Gojyo had come to her for help but Lavi had been in her thoughts, too, and her efforts had been for his sake as well.

Ayumu's efforts are rewarded by the sight of a familiar shock of red hair when she passes by the southern sigil. Still clad in a robe she'd pilfered from a cultist during an earlier interrogation and brandishing a bloodstained hunting knife, she approaches quickly, barely sparing the other captives a glance before she takes her blade to the vines and starts to cut through them.]

Hold on, Lavi. I'm gonna get you out of here, 'kay?

[It won't be an easy task for a woman of her build but Ayumu's nothing if not determined. She'll soak their escape route in the blood of these foolish humans to ensure her friend's safety if that's what it takes.]

[priforprince]

Despicable.

[ Referring to Lavi, not these vines or Ayumu. Hibiki shall, however, lend her sword to Ayumu's cause as she approaches, hacking at the vines with the same determination - but a much longer blade. No matter what resistance these may show, no matter what form it takes, she shall prevail!

After all, there are some things she just can't leave to others, and somehow.....Somehow, even seeing another person struggling to free Lavi with all their might (and in such disarray) wasn't enough to let Hibiki feel like she could move past this sight. She knows that hair. And those hands. Once, when they were much smaller, those hands handed her a ticket.

She's therefore aware of Ayumu's presence by her side, but insists on continuing to talk to Lavi, as if he's listening. ]

Even worrying a lady....You've made a pathetic showing, lately.

SOUTH SIGIL ATTACK (OTA)

[chibisu]

[It is 100% a fire hazard to be running around with multiple paper lanterns in one's hand, but that's exactly what Unmi is doing, handing one to whoever seems too confused and not actively helping those out of the foliage. Hell, even those who do have their hands full, he'll stop to say the same thing.]

I think- [Such a confident start to the sentence.] -that these should be able to burn the sigil, or affect it! Rending and holy water are also good as well.

Ebisu-sama is taking care of the injured, so go to him if you need to!

[OOC: Feel free to use this top level to thread out characters going after the center sigil! If you want to interact with Ebisu's NPC, just let me know in the subject or option line.]

In the right place this time haha, Open to All and NPC interaction oka

[onedrinkwithme]

[Even upon hearing about getting injuries looked at, Aymeric is on flight or fight mode. He needs to help and not just waste space. But with no weapon and his god power being useless as well as Goten's own state, he has to think quickly.

Seeing the flames spread and how it's affecting it made him look around amd take notice of the lanterns and shinki handing them out. He's so tired and sore and probably reopened up some wounds but he's one determined idiot...which is why he is refusing to go get healed.]

My thanks for this. Let us send a message to those who try to use us as playthings.

[Don't mind the bleeding, he will take care of that later.]

[chibisu]

[Yes, well, it may be surprising to a lot of people, but godhood does tend to breed stubborn idiots... Unmi heaves out a sigh as Aymeric accepts the lantern from him, but doesn't stop him exactly.]

Sir, if you aren't a god, I would recommend catching your breath.

[And, you know. Getting patched up. You look like shit, Aymeric.]

[trademark_skull]

[Naturally, Emizel did not bring any holy water with him. He still refuses to touch the stuff if he can avoid it (almost amazing that he's made it this far). So being handed a lantern was all perfectly fine and good, though he was uncertain what amount of good it might do.]

...This fire does look pretty weak. I can probably muster my own.

[chibisu]

Without exhausting yourself?

[Adjusting his grip on the other lanterns, Unmi raises a brow even as he gives a weary smile.]

Rin | OTA

[hellskitchen]

[ There's branches and vines holding Rin down on the ground, close to the southern sigil. The brambles wrap around his legs, and the vines pin his arms down along his body. Though Rin's body has many scratches and bruises on it. It looks as if at one point, Rin had fought against his restraints and captors. Pieces of broken vines and splintering wood from branches surround the teenage boy. There's even scratch marks on the surface of them. The shinki had enough strength to break the vines that bound him, but eventually he was overpowered.

It's only be a couple of days since he's disappeared, so he isn't completely drained of energy. Though his eyes are open,red and swollen, showing signs of fatigue. Still his focus is on the firefly fluttering in front of him. His gaze unwavering as if he's in a trance. If you come across him, he might not answer you until the firefly goes away.]

[subtract]

[It's been exhausting, making it this far. It's frustrating how little he can do without his machines, but when he sees the state of the captives his chest tightens. There are familiar faces among the trees, some looking worse than others, and tied up near the southern sigil is...

Add grits his teeth into a tight scowl, hissing out a swear before rushing to Rin's side. He fumbles inside his jacket for Zelda's knife along the way, using the other hand to direct his dynamos. He's severely weakened by the sigil's magic, but he can still muster up a weak electrical shock—more than enough to zap a firefly out of the air.

With the bug taken care of, he lets his machines drop to the ground and starts sawing into one of the branches. It's going to take awhile like this, but he's determined.]

You idiot, how stupid can you be to fall into such an obvious trap?! Are you trying to give me a bad reputation here? You're supposed to be my exemplar, there's no way in hell I'm going to lose a shinki to some stupid forest!

[hellskitchen]

[ Once the firefly buzzes off, Rin regains himself. His surroundings become more clear, especially the sound of Add's voice. He remembers how he got into the forest and even how he got to this. He could feel the saw cutting into the vines.Though, he turns his tired eyes toward his master as he rebukes him. Still Rin manages to smile a little.]

Who cares about any of that. I'm just glad you came for me.

[ The simple things are important. He's still kicking and no one has to be disgraced. People can say a lot of things about Add, but Rin knows he's a good person. Just the fact that he went after him into the forest is proof of that. Since he's fine,Rin wants to know if Add came across Heru.]

What about Heru? I was tryna look for him, but I couldn't find him.

[trademark_skull]

[Emizel had been exhausted by now too. However, seeing what sort of horrors the humans have done was enough to keep him going.]

...RIN!

[At long last, he found one captor he had been looking for, though in not the greatest of shape. The little demon felt so queasy.]

[And that was about roughly when he realized the firefly. Just like what Kotori had described.]

Get away from him!! [He blew the firefly away with a sharp slash of wind, possibly taking out a few smaller branches and leaves binding Rin in the process. It was about inches away from Rin's face after all.]

[hellskitchen]

[ At first Rin doesn't respond since he's still under the hypnosis of the firefly. Though once Emizel blow always the insect, and the gush of air wakes him up, he regains himself. He starts looking around. Not recognizing his surroundings. Then his blue eyes falls on the small death god.]

Emi?

[Then he realizes it's a little more easier to move. He starts shuffling trying to see if he can get completely free. Though, Rin is lacking his normal strength in order to bust out of his bindings.]

What's going on?

[needsteaplz]

[Saori may have been one of the more recently kidnapped, but her limbs were tightly bound by brambles. She may look delicate, but there is the blood of a fighter in there. Some of the thorns dug into her hands and feet. She could barely move her right hand. Did the plants somehow manage to break it when she was resisting before being overpowered? It was a bit of a haze. What used to be a metal lighter was crumpled and the pouch that held her stash of smoke bombs was shredded. Dried chopped pieces of vines were on the floor with some dried blood.

At the sound of rustling coming closer, she barely got an eye open.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ayumu's still in the area of the south sigil when she takes notice of a woman she doesn't know bound firmly by brambles. It doesn't matter that Ayumu has no personal connection to her; she's a professional and came to the forest to help. By this point, Ayumu's stolen cultist robe is dirty and torn as she hurries forward with her stained hunting knife and starts slicing through the brambles.

Despite this she simply calls out to the woman in a calm, professionally pleasant tone.]

Still alive there? Let's get you out of here.

[needsteaplz]

[Saori opened her eyes blearily when she heard a voice. It wasn't her god but she'll take any help coming her way.]

Ugh...I feel like I could use a few days of sleep after this. Thank you.

[Once some of the brambles were cut around her, she checked to see if she can move her body parts. She winces slightly from checking her right hand.]

Okay, that didn't heal up as fast as I'd like. So, is there any way we can make any contact from here?

[yousaytron]

[Getting through this forest in one piece is no easy feat, especially when you're busy escorting your god and keeping her safe enough that she won't have to fend much of anything off herself. No matter how perilous it may have been, however, Keith is far from the type to just abandon a missing team member, so as long as Futaba was willing to keep going, so was he.

The clearing full of familiar faces is a huge relief, at least. It's not as if any of them look like they're in great shape, but they don't seem to be dead, and as long as they're still alive, then that just means getting them back to safety to heal up. For now, the priority is to get to the shinki they're looking for in particular - other rescues could come after that if there was time, but Keith is quickly on the hunt for Saori with a renewed sense of vigor.]

Hey, Saori! You still awake around here?

[needsteaplz]

[When someone called out her name, she snapped awake. Her throat may be parched, but she manages to call out. At least she wasn't too far away from where Keith stood. A part of her was ashamed he found her rather beaten up like this, but she knew when to swallow her pride.]

Keith?! Over here! I hate to ask but how long was I gone?

Just cuz

[lookingforhead]

[In her own way, Celty felt guilty about all of this. She'd been caught up in her own business and maybe she should have been more aware of what was happening. Maybe she could have done something to help prevent the disappearances.

Though perhaps her distractions had prevented her from being taken herself. She couldn't deny she'd felt the pull of the forest as well. But things weren't going her way lately and she had to do something to make a change.To make a difference.

Shooter let out a cry as she broke through the brambles and branches and brush, the bike sliding to a wobbly halt in front of Saori. She didn't take the time to process who it was laying there, Celty just leaned out and offered a hand because this was someone who needed help.]

Sigil Attack! OTA

[subtract]

[A - Early in the battle]

[At this point, Add's machines are barely functional. Using his tech isn't an option, and it doesn't seem like they'd be very effective anyway. Fortunately, he did have the sense to bring his shinki along, and it's about time he finally took his only weapon-shaped shinki out for a testrun.

... except Ain's vessel isn't exactly something he's used to. Though surprisingly lightweight, the pitch-black scythe is easily bigger than Add is, and he has no idea what he's doing with it. But it's all he has to work with right now, so here he is, swinging around a gigantic scythe and trying to cut gashes into the sigil and defending foliage, stopping every few seconds to catch his breath. He's a little more careful with the soulless shinki, opting to use the blunt enough of his weapon to deflect attacks instead whenever possible, but he's not afraid to swing the sharp end if they get too persistent. He's trying, okay.

Maybe don't stand too close, though. That swing has a pretty wide reach and he's not paying as much attention as he probably should.]

[B - Later in the battle...]

[Add is now sporting a long black cloak, which might be familiar to some. The hood is pulled down, though, so it's a little more obvious this Add and not someone else.

Once the sigils have started to weaken, it becomes easier to tap into his abilities. It's a bit shocking the first time, but Ain's vessel power turns out to be quite useful—no matter what kind of attack the forest throws at him, he doesn't need to move an inch. The soulless shinki's weapons pass through him, his body billowing into smoke before the strike can land, reforming moments later so he can turn around and disable them. Even when he fails to spot an attack before it can land, the soulless shinki seem to recoil in pain after the first strike—as if they'd been hit instead. He still sucks at swinging a scythe, but being nigh-untouchable makes progress much easier.

But as the fight drags on and his powers grow stronger, something seems... different. He's quieter, and his movements seem more precise, more calculated. He's no better at wielding his weapon, but he seems less tired even though he's been fighting for longer. And his eyes seem a little more... bluer than usual...

It's probably nothing important, though. He's being efficient so that's a good thing, right? Even if he's not exactly holding back on the soulless shinki anymore. There might be a few causalities laying around him now.]

b

[cloak]

[Add may not be concerned with the darkness that seems to be welling up within him, but Roxas notices it with a growing unease. Since he's serving as armor, he finds himself acutely aware of the change in his deity, because that darkness doesn't belong to him. Rather, it feels like a watered-down version of Ain's presence on a given day, and he isn't sure what to make of this as the battle progresses.

The only thing he is sure of is that it isn't right, and that he should be wary of it. This he senses more than understands, an implicit knowledge that Add should not be exposed to too much, because he isn't the same as Ain.

He could fall into some dark chasm from which it may be impossible to climb.

Roxas isn't certain why he believes this, but he does. And Add might notice the nagging tug of his unease, linked as they are, as Roxas debates whether he ought to communicate or observe longer. If one wishes to call it observation, when it comes down to just how much darkness he feels welling up in someone that's presently wearing him]

Add...

[Eventually, he has to warn him. Has to]

SIGIL ATTACK (OTA)

[onedrinkwithme]

[He's tired and hurting and bleeding and it feels like he should go see someone about healing his damn wounds, including the nice stab wound the tree prison decided to give him. Thanks to Unmi though, Aymeric is less frenzied and keeping focus on the job ahead of him, trying to get rid of this cursed sigil. All he has is determination, stubborness and lantern fire in a makeshift torch. He runs as fast as he can along the lines, letting the flames touch any part he can reach. However, some of the time he has fallen to one knee, breathing deep and clutching his side. It hurts...it hurts so much but Aymeric will refuse to go seek medical help when his time can be used to get rid of this thing. Anyone can try to convince him but no matter what, he'll refuse so it's best to help him out and make sure he doesn't bleed out.

That and there are probably cultists around. Any who do will get shoved and threatened by fire. He is not screwing around when it comes to this.]

[shutupnail]

[With everyone freed in this area, Piccolo goes to help with ridding it of the magical sigil as well. They were clearly a bad sign and the cause of the forest going crazy. He was getting tired at this point though and he had finally lost sight of his god after Goten was cared for. Maintaining his shinki form was actually hard at this point and his abilities were growing weaker to the point of uselessness anyway. Which was a shame because had he been able, he could use it to heal more of the injured with his god's aid.

Spotting Aymeric, the green skinned shinki paused briefly to frown at the other. Piccolo may have been getting tired but this guy looked like he'd been in a losing battle. With either the local trees or one of the cultists perhaps. Again, Piccolo wondered if he should find his god and try to work those abilities some more.

Instead, for now he merely called out to the man.]

You should probably sit this one out, buddy. Go get some first aid and let the rest of us finish this off.

Rescuing Goten; closed to Aymeric

[saiyanhybrid]

[After managing to save Aymeric, Goten is the next one on his list.

The two gods make haste to where Goten is, Gohan occasionally checking back to make sure that Aymeric is okay before continuing on. While he knows that the other god would be okay, he just has to make sure that Aymeric actually doesn't push himself too hard either. Still, he doesn't slow down for both of their sakes.

Upon finally seeing Goten, Gohan hastily and carefully helps Aymeric over.]

Goten!