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Round 2: Wolf and Dragon [Luke vs Elliot]
Spire
Better Mod
An In-Spire-ation to Us All
Posts: 17
OOC Name: Spiraga™
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Post by Spire on Feb 14, 2018 8:44:38 GMT
The tournament seemed to now be proceeding to the next rounds. Sadly, due to external factors, the last match had to be ended due to personal problems. This made Bellamy rather sad, since he couldn't see his fiance proceed in the matches. But, these things happened, and the show had to go on. "Welcome back to our first Round Two match!" Luke called to the crowd in the coliseum, who were thrilled to see the proceedings. "From the East gate, we have the winner of the first round, the entity known as the spirit wielder Elliot!""And from the West gate, we have the yet untested but rearing to go duo of the tamer Luke! No relation to my brother here, and his partner Iko!" Bellamy added. "Without further ado, once both players are ready, let this first battle of Round 2 begin!"
Rules are as follows. 1. Post within a week of it being your turn, otherwise you will concede the match to the other player. 2. No targeting Luke and no cards. 3. Do not kill your opponent, aim to knock them out. 4. No digivolving beyond what your opponent is capable of. 5. This match is non-canon, so don't worry about where this is in your characters' stories. 6. Please don't attack on your first post. This post is meant for introductions. You may begin the fight on your 2nd post. I have flipped a coin, and it will seem Elliot has the first post. Elliot and Isaac Sunderland darkblade
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Feb 16, 2018 2:02:09 GMT
It had been a long time since Elliot had last seen Luke and Iko. His last encounter with the wolf and his tamer was in the Dark Area, where he and Isaac were training "after hours" and promptly got both a stern talking to and a solid training session in. After that, the two had parted ways for the most part. Occasionally the brothers talked about the older, mentor-like duo, but with so many concerns that Elliot had in the here and now he never really had much chance to build a relationship with them.
Then he found about the Incident, and who else were there but Luke and Iko? It seemed that they had taken Isaac back under their wing after his corruption settled, and they were just as insistent on being there for him in the aftermath of his rather terrible decision.
Imagining Isaac corrupted, Alicia a rampaging beast, innocent Mitsuko hurt . . . it made Elliot shudder.
He should've figured that fate would bring him right back to Iko and Luke. Marshal was an incredibly tough foe, but having this meeting dangling right out of reach was what pushed him onwards to clinch a close victory. He still had so many questions, so many worries. There was so much he wanted to say that he couldn't bring himself to ask while back at the hospital. He wasn't going to lose his chance this time. Not while the hurt was still so present.
Then why couldn't he think of what to say?
Elliot stared, blankly, trying to think of what he could say. Then he held his Digivice to his chest, squeezing his eyes shut as if his life depended on it. Once more he turned into Sandiramon, but the usual flash of his Digivolution sequence was somewhat more subdued. It almost seemed to play out in fast motion, Sandiramon practically exploding out of its shell to face Iko. In about ten seconds flat the snake had fully materialized, raising to its full height to look down at its opponent. This wasn't entirely unfamiliar. Prior, Iko had handled both Sandiramon and Orochimon with the aid of his brand new Ultimate form. Now Elliot was a brother down but plenty of experience gained, and he had no idea where that left his chances.
He tried to reach for one of those lost questions of his, cursing how when it mattered most he ended up so tongue tied. Then, finally, he found one resting at the back of his mind.
"Why?"
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Post by darkblade on Feb 16, 2018 2:52:30 GMT
Ah, the joys of a Round 1 bye: lighter crowds, the general murmur in the crowds suggesting that the only reason Iko and Luke were here might have been luck, and worst of all, pent-up anticipation to fight held up all throughout the first round. Heck, Iko hadn't even been allowed to even take a look at any of the other Round 1 fights!
Still, at least Iko could get excited for this one. Walking out of the West gate, the Ankomon cracked his neck, looking at the spirit wielder standing across from him. "Well, well, would you look at that? Been a while."
"Just Elliot, though?" Luke whispered back, taking a quick look around the stands. Still, considering everything that had happened to the Impmon up to now, it wasn't surprising.
"Well... considering the rules, just enjoy your time on the sidelines, Luke. Besides, I've been waiting tor a proper chance at this fight." With a nod between them, the Ankomon stepped into the ring. Light poured from Luke's Digivice, that familiar golden armor enveloping his frame. The Shaininmon stood opposite the serpent, Iko quickly taking a stance: right foot forward and right side facing the opponent, he held out one arm, letting the green line in his arm face the opponent.
But... 'Why'? Iko gave a blink, underneath that shaded helm.
"Oi, save it for after our scrap, kid." The wolf gave a chuckle. "If you end up distracted, I'll run you through. Give me everything you got!"
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Feb 16, 2018 3:23:25 GMT
Iko sure as heck wasn't going to give Elliot the questions he wanted answered now. The fight was too important to him, from the sounds of things, and he was confident that a distracted Elliot would make for a very easy foe. Much as Elliot wanted to disagree, he knew Iko was right. A prepared warrior vs. a hot mess was enough of a mismatch as is. Leave only Iko focusing on the fight, and Elliot would've easily been destroyed.
Elliot shook his head, looking a good deal more confident when he recovered. "You're right," Elliot said, a grin spreading across his face. "I guess I'm just gonna have to fight the answers out of you, huh?"
Of course, Elliot knew that Iko was a major threat if given even the slightest opening. He wasn't quite sure how much ranged potential the wolf had, though, so Elliot also knew he couldn't just leave Iko unpressured. If he was going to take the win Elliot was going to need to goad Iko into approaching first. Iko wasn't just going to make a mistake. He was far better than that. No, Elliot would need to goad him into opening his guard, if only just for a second, and then recognize the signs enough to come in for the kill.
For this reason, Elliot knew he had to start things off with a bang. He tilted his head towards the sky and wrenched his mouth open, firing a barrage of javelins high into the air. As always, the javelins would swivel into the air, pointing down at Iko before raining down around him. However, this time Elliot decided to be a lot less direct with the attack. He hoped the high angle would obscure the fact that the spears were curved to pass right over Iko's head.
Once his little trap was set, Elliot lunged towards Iko tail first. Once within striking range he would rear his tail back and whip it right at Iko. With the trap set, this feint would be the bait; would Iko leap back from the attack and end up skewered by Elliot's javelins, or would he call Elliot's bluff and come at him full force?
Combat Log: - Elliot sets up his Rain of Pain, angled to narrowly miss Iko from above.
Rain of Pain: Sandiramon spits javelins of light into the air, which turn to face enemies before raining down on them. Generally used on cornered foes. Relevant Passive - Chip Away: Sandiramon is merciless in his pursuit of enemy defenses, each attack of his leaving them somewhat weaker than the last. Sandiramon’s hits leave stacking debuffs on enemy defenses, negligible at one hit but intensifying powerfully by the fifth. Avoiding Sandiramon for two posts resets the debuffs. Magnitude: 10% reduction to defense per stack. Maximizes at 50% reduction to defenses. Duration: Two Posts (if not reapplied in two posts, is lost) - After setting his trap, Elliot whips at Iko with his tail to see how he reacts.
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Post by darkblade on Feb 16, 2018 5:21:53 GMT
"That's the way, kid..."
Right, time to focus! Due to that damn coin flip, Iko couldn't tear forth like he wanted, and from the start, he'd have to play on his back foot. Elliot decided to take advantage of this opportunity by sending up some sort of ranged barrage. Trapped against the backdrop against the sky, it was difficult to tell exactly where the spears were aiming...
Well, no. It was difficult for Luke to see where the spears were aiming. Behind his filtered helmet, all Iko had to do was flick his eyes upwards, and see exactly where those glowing spears were headed - arced high, aimed to land past his back foot. From the front, the Sandiramon already started his approach, lunging towards the wolf's position. So that was his game: pressure him from the front, and try to goad the wolf into jumping back into the javelins?
Clever... but that's not going to work on me, Elliot!
The bluff was called, and Iko was going full force from the start! Pushing off his front foot, Iko broke into his own sprint, aiming to meet the serpent's approach head-on. About halfway through the motion, the Shaininmon's golden armor erupted into a black luster, black flames surrounding his body. Burning Darkness III!
If Elliot committed to the tail, Iko wasn't going to back down: as soon as that tail would pull back, the armored wolf would change course, darting for the closest part of the tail he could manage. Should that 'flick' come, he'd try and catch the tail in both arms, holding onto it in a tight grapple.
A grapple, with an armored wolf spewing black flames from his armor!
Log: Relevant passive - Piercing Vision. Iko's eyes are unaffected by light changes, and thus he sees the angled spears from the start. Utilized ability - Burning Darkness III. Iko can cover himself or his armor with dark energy, severely burning opponents that touch him directly. Can only be used once a battle, for three posts.
1) Realizing the spears are aimed overhead, Iko moves to engage Sandiramon head-on. 2) Halfway through his approach, Iko uses 'Burning Darkness III' to cover himself in black flames. 3) Iko attempts to grapple, intentionally charging towards the tail to reduce the full range of the 'whip', smothering its full force. He intends to trade blows, and 'catch' the tail as it strikes him. Should the strike not come, he'd instead chase after the closest part of the serpent's tail.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Feb 17, 2018 5:59:45 GMT
Seeing Iko's very aggressive response to the feint convinced Elliot that trying to trick Iko probably wasn't the best of moves. However, it wasn't quite over yet. Iko's rush forward was very aggressive, the sprint quite likely helping clear Iko from the tip of Elliot's lash range. On one hand, that meant the worst of Elliot's attack was over and done with. Rather than a whip-like crack, it would instead be more of a muffled forearm strike. However, it also meant that Elliot could change the focus of his attack to smashing Iko right in the side. It wouldn't be what he was hoping for, but he could at least salvage a small victory out of this.
That thought process lasted until Iko promptly lit up in shadowflame. Elliot's eyes widened in shock as he watched the wolf's transformation. He briefly felt a stabbing pain in his chest, right where he had endured a direct shadowflame eruption from a Myotismon in this very form. His breath started seizing up a little, and his head started to feel a little dizzy.
But there was no time for a panic attack. He was in a tournament, in front of a ton of spectators. Even with an old wound torn right back open, Elliot knew he had to stay strong. It was too late to put a full stop to his attack, but he had to think of something to stop Iko from making this into a grapple.
Fortunately, inspiration came not from his mind but from the back of his throat. Elliot unhooked his jaw, quickly spitting his Bao Kui lance in Iko's path. As he did so, he pulled his punches as much as possible, hoping to guide his tail to an early stop as the lance settled to a stop. Even the slightest disruption to Iko's movement would be invaluable to prevent the wolf from closing the distance and initiating a very painful grapple.
Unfortunately, this left Elliot between a rock and a hard place. If he bailed out now, he would get away from that accursed shadowflame without any risk of injury. Unfortunately, he'd also be leaving behind his best tool against a foe wreathed in flames, not only depriving him of it but also leaving it for Iko's usage. If he went for the lance, he'd risk being right back in Iko's melee range, but at least he'd be able to fight back. Were this a simple contest of survival he would have definitely fled, but this was a tournament. If this came down to a stalemate, Iko would likely be in a way better position to break ties. For that reason, he needed to think fast.
That's why Elliot immediately started to swing his body in the opposite direction. His tail snaked back, moving in the same direction as Iko's sprint. As Elliot pulled it back he thumped the ground with it, almost as if trying to kick up another deterrent to Iko's approach. As Elliot did this, his head arced towards the Bao Kui spear to try and snatch it up from the side. It was certainly a risky maneuver, and Elliot was far more comfortable wielding the Bao Kui in his tail than in his head, but if he could successfully slip past Iko then he would be in a far better offensive position.
Combat Log: - Elliot, not wanting to get grappled, throttles his attack and fires the Bao Kui lance between him and Iko.
Bao Kui: Sandiramon spews a lance of light from his mouth. While Sandiramon is very proficient in the lance, it can also be gifted to allies. Duration: Four Posts. Cooldown: Two Posts. - After setting up this buffer room, Elliot swings his body to a 90 degree angle, pulling his tail away from Iko and bringing his head closer to the Bao Kui. He hopes this sudden reversal of direction will give him time to grab the lance and escape.
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Post by darkblade on Feb 17, 2018 21:47:07 GMT
It wasn't as if Iko would keep away from using shadowfire for the entire fight! Whether Elliot was comfortable with it or not meant little on such a grand stage, where the Shaininmon would pull out all the stops.
But it seemed that Elliot simply wasn't going to let Iko get close: as the wolf made his sprint, the Sandiramon's jaws gave a sick pop, the large spear, Bao Kui, embedding itself in the arena floor between the two of them. With the sudden obstacle in the way, Iko was forced to redirect his movement, using the back of his left arm to brace himself against the spear as he almost ran straight into it.
He aimed that in front of me? Is he trying to buy space?
As that thought flicked in Iko's head, the Shaininmon kept his focus on the serpent. Right now, Iko hadn't even thought to pick up the lance: it was far too large for him to comfortably use in combat, and besides, it would take time for him to wedge out of the ground. Contesting it would have put him right in the range of Sandiramon's striking head...
... But what if Iko already had a way to use the spear? Grinning under that helmet, Iko pivoted on his foot, putting himself directly between the Bao Kui and the half-retreating, half-approaching serpent. Bao Kui was a spear of light, and its bright luminescence would stretch Iko's shadow right towards Sandiramon, likely intersecting with Elliot's own. Just as Elliot would move to strike with his fangs, Iko would raise one palm, the strong shadow cast by the armored wolf darkening.
In the next moment, the shadows would manifest, 'peeling' themselves off of the ground as they tried to wrap and strike around Sandiramon's 'neck' and body, below its armored hood! By doing so, Iko would hopefully slow the approach of those fangs, and keep the serpent (perhaps ironically) coiled and ensnared in those shadows.
Log:
Technique used: Dark Tendrils: Manipulating darkness directly from shadows, Iko can contort solid dark energy towards the opponent in the form of tendrils. If these strike the enemy, the tendrils can powerfully constrict around the opponent for 3 posts with a combination of 'burning' and constricting damage. The shadows used for this attack are made from his own shadow, as well as any shadows intersecting his shadow. One post cooldown.
Second post of 'Burning Darkness III' active. Iko's sprint leads him to run into Bao Kui. Realizing the spear casts light, Iko intentionally positions himself between the spear and Elliot, extending his shadow out to try and cross Elliot's, to maximize the shadows used for 'Dark Tendrils'.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Feb 18, 2018 7:48:01 GMT
Elliot's plan to buy space had actually worked! Iko ran into the spear as planned, and Elliot was able to properly pull his tail back as intended. Unfortunately, he had faced quite the setback when he moved his head in order to reclaim his spear. Iko had called up a hail of writhing tentacles to try and restrain Elliot, taking advantage of how much light the Bao Kui had cast to leave Elliot solidly pinned. The gambit left Elliot surrounded; even if he tried his best to writhe out of the attack, it was not only Iko's shadow but also his own grabbing for him, and a Digimon as big as Sandiramon cast quite the long shadow.
Maybe if he wasn't a snake, Elliot would have been able to leap out of the way. Unfortunately, when his main form of movement involved keeping his body low to the ground, dodging his own shadow was one hell of a task to expect from Elliot. However, he could take steps to minimize the area grabbed. For this Elliot decided to minimize the rattlesnake, pulling his tail and head over the incoming tendrils while leaving his body to take the brunt of the punishment.
It was the best of a crop of bad decisions, but it sure as heck didn't make for a very good one. Elliot's eyes widened in pain as he found himself pinned down with crushing force that rivaled his own coils. In addition to the brute force, the attack was also searing Elliot with one hell of a shadow burn. A hiss of pain escaped his teeth despite how hard he clenched down, trying not to let Iko in on just how much this was hurting him. Much of his lower-middle body had been seized, the last quarter of his tail and his upper body all that remained untouched. It wasn't like Myotismon's attack, a one and done eruption of pure power. This was that same feeling, but slowly and surely applied to try and break Elliot's will.
If he could tap out, he would. But Elliot refused to just give in like that. Instead he looked down at Iko, forcing a weak smile. "Nice plan," he said. "But don't just count me out yet!"
He couldn't move his body and slither forward, but Elliot still had a rather long neck at his disposal. Already so close to jaw snapping range, he decided to take advantage of that. He stretching out so that his head would be above Iko, now casting his own shadow over the wolf in quite the ironic reversal. Then, once he was looking down on the wolf, he opened his mouth and let another rain of javelins fall down. The first Rain of Pain was made at a rather long range, almost more of a deterrent than anything, but now Elliot was taking full advantage of the attack's wide spread. How quickly would Iko be able to react with such short notice?
Combat Log: - Elliot is snagged by the Dark Tendrils. While able to crest his head, his upper body, and the end of his tail over the grasping tendrils, his lower and middle body are solidly and decisively grappled.
- To try and leverage this situation, Elliot leans over Iko and fires a Rain of Pain at near point blank range.
Rain of Pain: Sandiramon spits javelins of light into the air, which turn to face enemies before raining down on them. Generally used on cornered foes. Relevant Passive - Chip Away: Sandiramon is merciless in his pursuit of enemy defenses, each attack of his leaving them somewhat weaker than the last. Sandiramon’s hits leave stacking debuffs on enemy defenses, negligible at one hit but intensifying powerfully by the fifth. Avoiding Sandiramon for two posts resets the debuffs. Magnitude: 10% reduction to defense per stack. Maximizes at 50% reduction to defenses. Duration: Two Posts (if not reapplied in two posts, is lost)
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Post by darkblade on Feb 18, 2018 21:09:34 GMT
It might have seemed like the wolf had an overwhelming advantage, but right now, Iko was desperately fighting against the clock. The Shaininmon form was not one meant for drawn-out combat, nor was it one that could so easily deal with someone Sandiramon's size. A single mistake in timing or movement would have that tail crashing into his side at full force, and levels aside, the larger serpent had a practical wall of muscle to work with!
This, it was Iko's plan from the start to try and end the fight on this first blitz. And from his current position, he stood a rather decent chance at doing this: with Elliot's midsection pinned to the ground, Iko figured the Sandiramon would find it difficult to find any leverage to put any real power in that tail. More importantly, the surprisingly agile serpent was more-or-less rooted, leaving the wolf a chance to get one good shot at Elliot's midsection.
Elliot knew this, and with his free neck and head, he moved to try and smother Iko's approach. Iko didn't have an option: even as those fangs glowed with a brilliant light, Iko once more pushed off, sprinting towards Elliot's pinned midsection. Hidden underneath the black flames, a faint glow pulsed over the Shaininmon's golden suit:
Armor Weapon!
In response to 'Rain of Pain', the armor around Iko's shoulders and arms fragmented, propelled upwards towards the serpent's fangs, as a shotgun blast of small, golden bullets! His own attack was also a wide spray, one that he focused directly above himself, towards the incoming array of spears! It wasn't perfect, likely in either regard: the metal pieces met the javelins in the center, some crashing into each-other, bouncing out at wild angles. Some Javelins would sneak through, striking against Iko's armor and even cutting into his exposed left shoulder, and some of the armor pieces would likely sneak through, aimed right up towards that wide-open mouth...
... But Iko's intent wasn't to eliminate or dodge the attack, but reduce the incoming damage! Hiding his right arm underneath his chest, he kept his head down and sprinted through, trying to sprint through to the pinned midsection of Elliot's main body! Should he reach, the wolf would lead with a right hook for the center of that exposed 'chest', before leaning the rest of his flaming body against whatever exposed scales he could manage to get at!
Log:
Technique used: Armor weapon: An unconventional attack, Iko can fragment pieces of his armor, and fire them out a little faster than the speed of a bullet. This armor cannot be regenerated; hence, anything fired leaves Iko exposed.
Third and last post of 'Burning Darkness III' active. Second post of 'Dark Tendrils' active. Iko sprints away from Bao Kui, trying to reach the pinned part of Sandiramon's body. Iko uses 'Armor Weapon', propelling pieces of his armor against 'Rain of Pain' to reduce the overall ferocity of the attack. Hidden under the black fire, Iko's arms and shoulders are exposed. After firing, Iko moves his right arm down to use his body to shield it from 'Rain of Pain'. Should Iko reach Elliot, he'd attempt a right hook, before leaning against Elliot, to use as much of the damaging effects of 'Burning Darkness III' as possible.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Feb 23, 2018 2:48:32 GMT
Iko's brilliant tactics had been on display since the opening bell, and frankly they weren't letting up any now. Every move that Elliot came up with, Iko had a counter. For every time Elliot tried to seize the advantage, Iko managed to wrangle him onto the back foot. However, it was becoming clear that Elliot was making a dent in Iko's bag of tricks. Now Iko was launching handfuls of metal at Elliot in an attempt at escaping, merely dampening Elliot's attack instead of counterattacking.
It wasn't exactly the smoothest victory. Elliot had to lower his head as splinters of dark, burning metal and radiant, golden light whizzed past, lest he risk the shrapnel hitting his eye instead of his sturdy shell. In addition, he was still wrapped up in tendrils of shadow. Any triumph from his well-played move was quickly replaced with pain from licks of shadowflame and crushing pressure. However, he knew he couldn't let himself get discouraged by such setbacks. Especially against a foe as strong as Iko, a fight wasn't won in a single stroke. Much like the snakes he sought to imitate, he would need to slowly squeeze the life from his foe and chip away at victory bit by bit.
Right now, Elliot saw another chance arising. As Iko dashed off towards his midsection, Elliot knew he was getting hit. That was unambiguous. Unless he could aggressively do the worm away from Iko, he was a sitting duck for whatever Iko had planned. However, he could capitalize on what would be a guaranteed hit to take advantage of a potentially lowered guard. Who would expect a cornered rat to break its restraints and bite back? When Iko charged forward, Elliot didn't turn his attention to the wolf. Instead he dove beneath the arena's ground, the shell-like tip of his head digging dirt away quite quickly so his head could submerge.
Then, he waited.
Perhaps if Elliot knew the risks his plan entailed, he wouldn't have been so gung-ho about them. Even bracing himself for Iko's attack, Elliot found himself letting out a breathless hiss of pain. The shadowflame crushing him now, far-spread and diluted, was nothing compared to the fresh, rich layer currently dancing on top of Iko. A nasty looking purple welt was left on the scales that Iko had smashed, and for a second Elliot considered aborting the plan just to properly nurse his wounds. It was too late for regrets, though. Iko had already hit him, and the continued burning sensation was a sign that he wasn't quite done yet. If Elliot wanted to end this pain, he'd need to act fast.
Like a landshark he burst from beneath the dirt, aiming right for the spot on his side where he felt the pain. In there mere second after his arrival he spread his jaws wide, another golden glimmer coming from the back of his throat. Elliot was about to spit up another Bao Kui lance, this time aimed point blank at Iko from below. It was a vicious move, true, but it wasn't like Iko was putting the kid gloves on either.
Combat Log: - Elliot's Rain of Pain successfully lands, at least in part. Considering how he's already on the back foot, Elliot takes it as a win. Chip Away level - 10% defense reduction.
- Unfortunately, Elliot is far less capable of fending off shadow-infused punch. The full might of the Burning Darkness collides with him, leaving Elliot with a nasty burn. The continued damage from Dark Tendrils does not help with this.
- Elliot ducks his head underground, then takes advantage of his position's uncertainty to ambush Iko from below with a Fatal Lance.
Fatal Lance: Sandiramon coils around an opponent, then tries to launch the Bao Kui through their body at point-blank range. A devastating technique, but very hard to set up. Cooldown: Two Posts. Relevant Passive - Delving Deva: Sandiramon is a natural-born tunnel digger, capable of moving through many surfaces with ease. Snow and sand basically are of no impediment, soil is only slightly slower than Sandiramon’s top speed, and if softened up with attacks even rock can be slowly churned through. Relevant Passive - Chip Away: Sandiramon is merciless in his pursuit of enemy defenses, each attack of his leaving them somewhat weaker than the last. Sandiramon’s hits leave stacking debuffs on enemy defenses, negligible at one hit but intensifying powerfully by the fifth. Avoiding Sandiramon for two posts resets the debuffs. Magnitude: 10% reduction to defense per stack. Maximizes at 50% reduction to defenses. Duration: Two Posts (if not reapplied in two posts, is lost)
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Post by darkblade on Feb 24, 2018 1:40:55 GMT
Thank goodness Elliot didn't have another trick to worm out of this one - Iko couldn't keep these flames going forever! Elliot may had thought that the wolf was an overwhelming first, but the lunar Digimon knew that his best chance to win was to push himself in the lead in the first few moves of the fight.
And thus, even as Elliot set his trap, Iko didn't change his approach. Thankfully, the Dark Tendrils made it all but impossible for the rest of the body to follow that burrowing head: It's a transparent trap, but its not like I can avoid stepping on it. Very well - endure if you can! Just as the Fraction of Order expected, Iko followed through with his blow, the fiercely burning shadowfire of Iko's ultimate flaring against his scales. It would first be at the single point of his fist, but soon his entire side rested against the once-pristine white scales. He could even feel Elliot's wince, that momentary hesitation as the effect of that severe burn coursed through his nerves.
After those few seconds - more than enough to get a nice, searing hit in - the flames would dissipate around Iko's body. Still unseen by Elliot, Iko had turned to face the direction of that sunken neck - judging by Sandiramon's length, the wolf was in range, but the spirit could only show up on one side. With the tendrils still burning away at the restrained opponent, Iko made a gamble: he knew that Elliot would either use the big spear, the multiple smaller spears, or a poisonous bite - all of which would require him to open his jaws - or he'd attempt a headbutt with the shelled head. The latter of the four would not do enough damage to make a difference.
Latching his right claw tightly against Elliot's scales, a circle opened at the center of Iko's helmet, a bright white energy starting to build. He grit his teeth, as the earth rumbled... from below! Kicking off his feet, even dragging his claw against the burnt wound, Iko found himself staring right down at Sandiramon's head. Like this, Iko didn't have much room to dodge - but then again, if Elliot was committed, this was going to be a painful trade:
Lunar Ray!
The white beam of energy propelled itself straight down, aiming for the back of Sandiramon's mouth! If the Bao Kui wasn't quick enough - after all, Iko started charging before Elliot even surfaced - the energy from lunar ray would likely be enough to sear the flesh at the top of Sandiramon's throat! If it turned out to be simultaneous, well, the ray wasn't aimed to meet the spear - all the wolf would have been able to do is raise his knees, and let his armor take as much of the blow as he could!
Log:
Technique used: Lunar Ray: A slit opens in Iko's helmet, revealing the half-moon, energy briefly charging before being sent out as a white ray of energy. Simple, effective ranged attack.
'Burning Darkness III' ends. Third post of 'Dark Tendrils' active. Iko hits and leans into Elliot as intended, shadowflame searing Elliot's side before dissipating. Iko notes Elliot's submerged head, and prepares Lunar Ray. Noting the earth below, Iko purposefully jumps upwards, aiming and firing Lunar Ray towards Sandiramon's open mouth!
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Feb 26, 2018 3:34:08 GMT
Elliot had a pretty smart plan. It was just a pity that Iko had the exact same one. With both of them preparing to strike the second they saw their foe, Iko and Elliot ended up launching their attacks at the exact same time. The Lunar Ray skated down the base of the Fatal Lance, and Elliot's eyes widened in shock as he realized just what Iko had been cooking up. It was too late for him to close his mouth. The Fatal Lance had already wedged it open. It was too late for him to turn aside. He didn't have nearly enough reaction time to account for a blast being fired this fast. He couldn't even brace himself, because how the hell do you brace the inside of your throat?
Elliot's lance was going to hit its mark, were this the case. Iko knew it, too, judging by how he braced itself. At the very least, Elliot could take heart in the fact that this was going to hurt. Iko's armor had already been dented up by both Elliot's attacks and his own, and now he was right in the path of Sanidramon's strongest move. In the past, this attack had punched straight through dragonscale, hard Digimon armor, and the cables of the D-Reaper's strongest agents. This wasn't going to be a match ender, but it was at least going to be a bit of a scale-tipper considering Elliot's current position.
Unfortunately, the tip couldn't be that intense. Iko's attack may not have been the strongest trick in his arsenal, but it was hitting an already-worn Digimon in a critical area. Elliot's eyes practically rolled in the back of his head as he rocketed back, body tearing away from the wispy remains of the Shadow Tendrils. The serpent fell in a crumpled heap, letting out a crackling groan. He tried to speak, but only a faint gasping noise came out. And the pain? Frankly, some of the worst that Elliot had experienced in the Digital World so far. For a second, he considering trying to groan out a surrender, even with his throat's current state making it hard to hear.
Then he realized that this was just another one of Iko's lessons, wasn't it? Elliot had already quit the Digital World once when the going got too tough. Was he just going to quite again? A real enemy Digimon wouldn't ignore an obvious throat shot because poor little Elliot would get hurt. A real enemy Digimon would take advantage of form differences to overpower him from the opening bell. It would break his limbs, burn his body, tear his flesh without remorse. If he had to regress to human form, and it wasn't done with him yet, it would show no mercy rather than let him scamper off and heal. Elliot wanted to come back to the Digital World? This was what he was getting. This was the Digital World that got his brother infested. This was the Digital World that got Alicia corrupted.
This was the Digital World that got Mitsuko impaled.
Elliot propped himself back up, not even letting himself rest on the ground for long. He had to shake off his injuries before Iko shook off his own. He gave his head a shake, slapped himself in the face with his tail, and then turned to the wolf. "You're gonna have to try a little harder than that," he rasped. The dark purple burns in his scales, the heavy breaths he was taking from the pain he had endured so far, the fact that he could barely speak right now . . . none of that was going to stop him, was it? It couldn't.
Elliot rushed towards Iko in a blind furor, but rather than immediately tackle the wolf he dove back down beneath the arena floor. He figured this time, Iko would take the same approach to his diving as he did before. The rumbling underfoot would be obvious, after all, and therefore Iko would likely be prepared for an ambush from behind. Even if Elliot turned and attacked from another direction, Iko would likely be ready for the possibility. It was just the nature of fighting an underground opponent.
That's why Elliot hoped that Iko would be less prepared for his tail poking out from the tunnel, still positioned as if for a full frontal assault. With Elliot's rumbling underfoot indicating a strike from behind instead, attacking from the most obvious direction would now be the least obvious direction. As soon as his tail emerged he whipped it towards Iko, half-whipping, half-shoving him in hopes of making him stumble forward. It wasn't the most powerful attack, but it wouldn't need to be.
That's because the powerful attack was coming next. If Elliot's shove made its mark Elliot would then once more breach to the surface, this time strategically keeping his head lowered for a shell bash. He could only hope that the opening created by a stumble would give him clearance to give Iko a vicious smash.
Combat Log: - The Fatal Lance lands. With holes already punctured in Iko's defenses, and Iko bracing himself, it's clear this is going to hurt like hell but not be a fight ender. Chip Away level - 20% defense reduction.
- Elliot endures great amounts of pain, as well as a nasty throat wound, from a Lunar Ray directly searing the top of his throat. The temptation to quit becomes severe.
- Elliot tunnels underground, baiting Iko by indicating a strike from behind. However, rather than strike from behind, he shoves at Iko roughly with his tail from the front. Then he pounces from below for a Battering Ram, hoping that his shove will create an opening.
Battering Ram: Sandiramon lowers his head so that its hood-like shell can absorb hits, then dashes forward to headbutt the foe. Magnitude: 25% defense boost. Cooldown: One Post. . Relevant Passive - Delving Deva: Sandiramon is a natural-born tunnel digger, capable of moving through many surfaces with ease. Snow and sand basically are of no impediment, soil is only slightly slower than Sandiramon’s top speed, and if softened up with attacks even rock can be slowly churned through. Relevant Passive - Chip Away: Sandiramon is merciless in his pursuit of enemy defenses, each attack of his leaving them somewhat weaker than the last. Sandiramon’s hits leave stacking debuffs on enemy defenses, negligible at one hit but intensifying powerfully by the fifth. Avoiding Sandiramon for two posts resets the debuffs. Magnitude: 10% reduction to defense per stack. Maximizes at 50% reduction to defenses. Duration: Two Posts (if not reapplied in two posts, is lost) - The Bao Kui that Elliot had fired 4 posts ago finally fades. Not that it's been relevant since the first and only post of its usage.
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Post by darkblade on Feb 26, 2018 4:37:27 GMT
There was no doubt about it - that hurt.
Though Iko was more easily able to brace himself than the Sandiramon in that exchange, it didn't change the fact that the 'Fatal Lance' was a powerful projectile, even used at a somewhat-longer range than Elliot normally would have liked. The tip of the weapon pierced right through the armor at his calves, the force of the weapon carrying the wolf up for several more yards. After those few seconds, the Shaininmon finally managed to kick out his legs, diverting the spear away from himself, but not without significant effort and damage. The armor in both of his legs had been torn to shreds, and the outside of his right calf sported a rather deep cut, his data briefly going in and out of phase.
If that had been shot downward instead of skyward... Giving heavy breaths, Iko looked down through pained eyes, thankful that the Sandiramon was not able to capitalize on such an opening. As the wolf's shadow tendrils finally wore off, and gravity finally pulled him back down to earth, Iko gave a brief amount of focus, shadow energy building around his back. Though clearly less intense than the shadowfire, the wolf was still able to conjure wings out of his shadow, holding them out and taut to let himself glide back down to the arena floor. Once he landed, Elliot gave a brief glare in his direction, pushing himself ever further in this fight. Elliot wasn't going to go down that easily?
Damn it kid, how much energy do you have? I can barely stand like this. Perhaps Elliot was blinded just by how important of a figure Iko was in his life, but the damage on the Shaininmon was quite clear: his knees were shaking, still clearly hurt from the Fatal Lance, and yet Elliot still made it a point to slither underground. Two minutes ago, it would have been a simple matter of just figuring out where Elliot was going to pop up, and preparing a counterattack, but that option simply wasn't open to Iko.
Instead, briefly pressing himself onto all fours, the wolf pressed up fiercely against the ground, and let his wings carry him further above the surface, and a good distance over the arena floor. This time, though Iko could tell where the Sandiramon was going to pop up, it would be next to impossible for Elliot to know where Iko was in the air! Keeping himself rather quiet, Iko brought his palms together, the green lines on his outer arms giving a brief glow before three interlinked blades of lunar energy emerged from each, dangling from his wrist.
Worse yet for Elliot: he decided to emerge with his tail first. Iko was a good five yards off of the ground, and the base of that tail was fifteen feet away from where Iko was flying. Since the head hadn't emerged first, the wolf was afforded even more time to prepare his weapon!
Log:
Passives: Darkness Wings: With specific focus, Shaininmon can construct 'wings' made of darkness derived from shadow, et cetera, which allows him to fly until a light-based attack interrupts the focus.
Attacks: Crescent Whip: Iko's ace move: Iko can now make multiple crescent blades, at the rate of about three blades per post to a maximum of fifteen blades. Each created blade comes to the palm, and connects to the end of the next sword. Able to manipulate this whip through careful movement of the arm and partial control of the darkness in the weapon, Iko can trap enemies, attack around cover at long range, or lacerate foes with an attack that is literally faster than the speed of sound, if the whip is long enough.
Iko used the armor at his legs to absorb as much damage from the Fatal Lance as possible, but heavy damage was still done to both calves. He seems to be favoring his left foot while standing. Iko generates 'Darkness Wings' to slow the descent of his fall. Seeing Elliot burrow, instead of engaging, Iko pushes himself in the air with Darkness Wings, and flies up and far away from Elliot's point of burrowing. Thus, Elliot's intended strike hits nothing, giving him no indication of where to use 'Battering Ram'. Using this distance, Iko uses 'Crescent Blades', creating three dangling blades of lunar energy at the end of each wrist.
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Post by Elliot and Isaac Sunderland on Feb 26, 2018 4:58:42 GMT
With Elliot's tail feeling only air, Elliot knew he had messed up. Clearly, despite his crumpling, Iko still had life in him. That made two of them, if Elliot could be honest. As much as he was rallying, this last onslaught was powered primarily by hopes and beliefs rather than being in a healthier position than Iko. Even now, the pressure of the dirt on his scales was causing the burns he already suffered to flare up. He had to bite his own tongue to stave off the pain.
Nevertheless, he knew he'd also have to come to roost soon. And he wasn't quite sure he'd like what he'd see when he got up there. For this reason, Elliot decided not to come diving out of the ground like a pissed-off dolphin. Instead he retracted his tail, then started gently probing at the dirt with his nose to make peepholes. He did this a few times, creating a few little bumps in the floor of the arena as he continued tunneling away. If Iko would be paying attention to the disturbances, Elliot didn't want to give away his position by just making one.
After poking about five of these holes, spread apart at various distances, he looked back to press his eye against the second one. Sure enough, Iko was hanging high in the sky on wings of darkness. Crescent blades were spiraling down from his wrists, and each second he wasn't being attacked during was another opportunity for Iko to make more. Not only would Elliot lose the range advantage at this rate, but he would also be dealing with an opponent that could fly when he couldn't. This was going to be a lot of trouble.
However, weren't Iko's wings made of shadow? Surely enough, Elliot remembered how Iko manipulated the light of the Bao Kui to entangle his own shadow with Elliot's. Couldn't he do the reverse, too, by overwhelming shadows with his light? Not wanting to chance the wrath of Iko's blades, Elliot turned his head and fired as much of his Rain of Pain as he could through the peephole. What started as a small opening was soon carved open as Elliot spit javelins of light into the sky, the wide spread aimed not just at Iko but also at his wings of darkness. He wasn't looking to hurt Iko here, so much as just finally get him out of the sky. Maybe then he'd stand a chance of turning things around, or at least keeping pace.
Once he had fired the spread he immediately went back on the move, cursing the fact that his long body would still be visible through the widened hole. He could only hope that the sudden loss of air control would throw Iko off enough for Elliot to escape.
Combat Log: - With Elliot's tail making 0 contact, he pulls the attack because common sense. Nonetheless, he had every intent to use it, and for that reason he's suffering a cooldown!
Cooldown on Battering Ram: 1/1. Cooldown on Bao Kui: 1/2. Cooldown on Fatal Lance: 2/2.
In addition, as Iko was not hit this turn, Chip Away stays at 20%, and expires if Iko is unharmed next turn. - Elliot nudges a few peepholes in the ground, using an irregular rhythm so that Iko can't track him, and chooses to go back to the second one that he made rather than view through the other decoys he made.
- Upon seeing Iko flying, Elliot fires his Rain of Pain at him, hoping to both land some hits and more importantly disrupt his Wings of Darkness.
Rain of Pain: Sandiramon spits javelins of light into the air, which turn to face enemies before raining down on them. Generally used on cornered foes. Relevant Passive - Delving Deva: Sandiramon is a natural-born tunnel digger, capable of moving through many surfaces with ease. Snow and sand basically are of no impediment, soil is only slightly slower than Sandiramon’s top speed, and if softened up with attacks even rock can be slowly churned through. Relevant Passive - Chip Away: Sandiramon is merciless in his pursuit of enemy defenses, each attack of his leaving them somewhat weaker than the last. Sandiramon’s hits leave stacking debuffs on enemy defenses, negligible at one hit but intensifying powerfully by the fifth. Avoiding Sandiramon for two posts resets the debuffs. Magnitude: 10% reduction to defense per stack. Maximizes at 50% reduction to defenses. Duration: Two Posts (if not reapplied in two posts, is lost)
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Post by darkblade on Feb 27, 2018 1:48:22 GMT
Yup, just as Iko expected: as Elliot surfaced with that tail and found that Iko was nowhere to be found, the serpent was quick to pull away those revealed scales. Honestly, the temptation was great to let forth another 'Lunar Ray' while the wolf had a free shot... but Iko knew better. Sandiramon, after all, was a much larger Digimon than himself, and wasting energy on mid-power moves aimed towards low-priority areas of the opponent was only going to put the Shaininmon at a further deficit. From the start, Iko only had three options to use an 'ultimate' to damage any point of Elliot's body, to strike at vulnerable points of the body as they became available, and to set up incremental advantages to keep himself ahead in this fight.
Thankfully, with Elliot's careful retreat underground, Iko had the time to do just that. Keeping his palms pressed together, he further empowered his crescent whip, the glow on the outside of his arms pulsing again, as three more blades dangled from each end, leaving a multi-sectioned six-foot whip dangling from each of his wrists. That much will do for now... but if I know Elliot...
Yup, there it was! Seeing a bright light perk from below the battlefield, Iko gave a 'tch': instead of trying to 'fly away' with his wings, Iko simply gave a beat off to his left side, setting his momentum in motion, before curling the wings around his shoulders. Left without any way to catch drag, the wolf moved in a brief freefall, easily falling out of range of the obscured 'Rain of Pain'. As a trade, Iko hit the ground hard, absorbing most of the shock in his stable leg. Rather than try and waste energy getting into the air again, the wolf began to circle clockwise around the ring, keeping both eyes and ears open for any sign of Elliot's movement. He was briefly able to tell his direction through that hole in the ground, but unfortunately, Iko couldn't take any advantage off of it...
Yet. All he could do now was respond reflexively to Elliot's eventual attack!
Log:
Dark Tendrils is now available and off cooldown. Iko has repeated the use of 'Crescent Blades'. 6 blades of 15 possible are available off of each arm.
The wolf trades altitude for speed, purposefully grounding himself to fall out of range of the shotgun-like 'Rain of Pain'. Once grounded, Iko keeps tabs on the ground and circles around the arena clockwise, doing his best to track Elliot's movement.
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