Detonation (Shinsou Vaan Osiris vs Felicity Rhyolite)

Quote:

---

Shinsou's Level 15 profile can be found here

---

Winter had finally come to Radasanth.

Snowflakes whipped and whirled on the northerly wind. They danced beneath the luminescence of thick clouds that were illuminated by the pink hues of an urban sunset, and as some of them landed on the cobbles of the emptying streets below, they swiftly dissolved into streaking tears of water. Those that didn’t gradually piled up a blanket of white purity that covered the pavement.

Wrapped in the heady warmth of his white greatcoat, Shinsou walked against the cold wind. Frosty vapour from his breath soared to freedom, fogging a trail across his calm features. Only a few people stirred on the streets at this time (mostly consisting of market traders packing up for the day), and even less seemed to be moving to and from his destination, the almighty Citadel. As the embracing heavens slowly showered him in white, the Telgradian had one prevailing thought.

Felicity.

He could feel her within the city, moving towards the great bastion of battle itself. With each step, the essence of her soul drifted into his sense. A wisp on the wind, or perhaps a permanent candle-flame flickering at the end of its wick.

Shinsou smiled. She’d received his letter, which had been a bit of a rambling mixture of apologies and promises about the future. There was no doubt in his mind that he had not been the most attentive of teachers in the last few months, but there had been unforeseen circumstances. He and Storm had been entirely preoccupied with stopping Arius Mephisto, who was now dead, and dealing with he fallout of the destruction of Whitevale. It assuaged his guilt somewhat that both of these matters simply had to take priority, but the Telgradian realised he now had to make up for lost time.

He had promised Felicity the opportunity to show him how much she had learned, and has asked her to face him in the Citadel for a second time. As he thought about this, the Telgradian didn’t even notice the two shadows step from behind him.

“I’d stop if I were you,” a coarse voice accosted Shinsou’s attention from the rear, the accent heavy and tarnished. He stopped, and turned, on a dime.

“Empty your pockets, unless you want gutting.” The second voice snorted in equally disdainful tone. Between the hapless pair, the Brotherhood’s leader sneaked a silent glance at the looming shapeless hulks.

This isn’t going to go the way you think it will, Shinsou mused.

“Did you hear me?” The man repeated.

“Maybe he’s deaf?” This time, the second man prodded a knife at Shinsou’s stomach, followed by more insistent gestures with the blade. “How about we make you under-“

Without warning, Enpera’s blade rushed over his face, cleaving it clean in two with a single precise strike. The snowdrifts behind the unfortunate mugger blew apart in tall plumes of obfuscating steam. A scream of agony echoed through the white. The first man reared at the sight of the slashed flesh, then bolted in panic as he caught the sight of something infinitely more dangerous. Only by abandoning the robbery did the wanderer survive the single dark lance of roiling death hovering within Enpera Kurohitsugi’s portal, and as the world about him dissolved into utter panic, the unfortunate thief vanished from sight.

Shinsou touched his face for the briefest of breaths, wiping the blood spatter from his cheeks. He immediately rolled the carcass of the first man from the pavement with his boot, ignoring the protestations of several passers by, and silently continued through the Citadel’s gates.

Winter.

I sighed, looking out the window. Snow softly fell on the bitter cold, cobblestone streets outside. The massive inn was only across the street from the Citadel. It was a frequent tourism stop. It was the best pit stop before entering the Citadel or leaving it. Indeed, many warriors and adventurers from all walks of life were dining and drinking behind me. I could even hear a fist fight breaking out down the hall.

“Hey!” An employee shouted. I turned my head to see a server dashing towards the gemstone lit hallway, “The Citadel is just across the street! Solve your little fight there!”

I snorted in amusement. Despite the glorious scenery of this inn, it attracted a foul crowd. I wondered how on earth the fanciful glass chandeliers survived these hardy orcs and magical elves. It was a good thing the inn invested in etched, smooth stone tables and chairs. The smooth marble floor and dark wood walls simply were made for the wrong crowd. This inn obviously was rolling in coin. The resources would better be spent on the theme of a warrior's hold instead of a five star inn.

I turned towards the square windows again. For the magically enhanced heat inside the inn, the windows were cold as death. I only have my elbow on the wooden panes, I was wearing a comfy warm gambeson, and the cold still wafted towards me. As I gazed lazily from the window, I saw him. Through the flurry, I just caught sight of his signature white coat as he slipped into the Citadel’s shadows. There you are.

Shinsou...

My teacher. The only thing I had left to live for. I had given my all to Shinsou Vaan Osiris. I simply owed my life to him. I held the letter in my hand, once again tearing up over it. He had actually apologized. In a world I felt beaten, bruised, and forgotten in, he apologized. Had he finally noticed that I felt neglected by his training? Had he finally remembered that I existed? He had promised to teach me, but always had something else to do. Like that wretched Arius Mephisto. Arius took all of Shinsou’s time and attention away from me! I had always felt so resentful even before I met him. Then, I did meet Arius. That was when...

My tears doubled, slipping down my cheeks.

Whitevale. Oh, Whitevale. I was such a failure, but this was one of the worst failures of my life. Whitevale had been destroyed, and I was positive it was my fault. My head hurt. I lifted my hand to my head and grasped it, ruffling my headband. Whitevale had crumbled, fallen, been destroyed. Even then, after being transported to Salvar, I had done everything in my power to get home, get to Shinsou. Where was Shinsou though? Even if Whitevale had fallen, I had been able to sense Shinsou’s presence with my fading magic senses. What on earth had Shinsou been doing?

Had he forgotten me? I knew I probably deserved to be forgotten for letting Whitevale fall, but I was so hurt. I… I needed someone. I had no one, except Shinsou. Yet, it felt like he had abandoned me. With such a small desire to live at all, it stung. Shinsou had taught me nothing since he took me in! Nothing! I had to keep reminding myself that he gave me a home, gave me purpose then. It was all gone anyways though, and I yearned for something I truly needed. Attention. Ugh, Shinsou had given me zero attention. I had literally learned more from Leoric-

- Leoric! No! No. I would not think about that traitor.

I lowered my hand from my forehead and wiped my eyes. The letter was clenched tightly in my other hand. He had apologized, yes. It was easy to apologize. Would he repent? Oh, I shook my head. He did not need to; he had done enough for me. But I wanted him to repent still.

Wow. I was angry at the person who literally was my only reason for living right now.

I sighed. All my emotional baggage hung onto me even heavier than all the weapons and equipment I carried. I walked towards the glass doors of the inn and out to the street. The cold air was awful, and I hated crunching my boots in the snow. I felt like I had just escaped Salvar, only to be thrust back in again. Not to mention all the drama with Leoric when I got to Corone. Nothing seemed to be going my way. I stalked into the Citadel, emotionally exhausted and sore. A fight, huh? He wanted to see what I could do? Fine, I would show him. Even with my magical senses gone, I was a powerful fighter, and no thanks to my own teacher. He knew nothing of what I was made of now. He had no idea what I had been through. I turned down that first, ancient stone hall. In the cold, unheated, dull grey hallway I saw him.

His cut brunette hair, white coat, and brilliant sword at his side. I had gotten my katana Copycat to mimic Enpera and Shinsou’s fighting style. Now, I barely used this sword. It had been five months. Five, long, agonizing months. I had always thought that I would be overjoyed to see Shinsou again. Yet, I only felt the open wounds of the past and present. I still felt like I was bleeding out, and I felt the endless torture that had assaulted me since Arius transported me away from Shinsou’s side. Now, we were back together. I was surprised that my first reaction was not joy and relief, but anger and betrayal.

I simply could not hide all my hurt, disappointment, and anticipation. It was about time Shinsou actually even thought about me. Finally, I had the attention of the one thing I was living for. The one thing I owed my life to. The only thing I had left, after losing everything else.

“Shinsou.”

Shinsou had sensed Felicity’s arrival long before she had spoken, but her physical presence here spoke more to his soul than anything he could have anticipated. The young woman stood before the Telgradian for the first time in many, many months. And what a spectre she was; Shinsou could feel a convoluted mixture from her of the harsh, the forbidding and the unwelcoming blended with remorse and love. It was as if her very existence were teetering on a cliff edge, with a sea of doubts crashing angrily against the ever eroding rock of her spirit.

The young woman stood, almost benign, in the foyer. Despite the despair he could feel from her, he also felt there was still a sense of purpose about her being here. Her eyes were fixated on him, fully, waiting for him to speak.

“You came,” the Telgradian answered, his coarse features a stark contrast to hers. He pushed down the urge to say that he hadn’t expected her to come at all, for fear of making her feel worse.

Endless eternities flew by before he spoke again, fighting to leash his embarrassment and regain control over his wits. Inside, they were quite the opposites. While Felicity was an emotional and friendly person, he could be quiet and introverted. While her smile was enthusiastic and endearing, his was simply modest. They were both intelligent and athletic, but in vastly different ways; it was almost a miracle that they had grown close enough to become master and student at all.

Almost.

“The letter says a lot, but, I’ll be honest,” Shinsou finally spoke, breaking the fragile silence with an uncharacteristically sculpted expression of regret on his face. “After Arius burned Whitevale down, all I could think about was stopping the son-of-a-bitch from doing it again. When we all realised what he was capable of, I knew we had to stop him, at all costs. It became everything I cared about. Everything Arius did stopped at mine and Storm’s door – and we felt that if he fucked us, then, well, that was our price to pay. But it should never have been your price. I thought I was protecting you by leaving you behind.”

In the foyer, Shinsou’s outer garment flowed outwards as he turned slightly. “I went back to Telgradia shortly after we did Arius,” he replied, his voice low and melodic. With a sigh, the young man reached down and retrieved Enpera from its sheath, “… and learned a lot about this. It made me realise that even as powerful as I am, I still didn’t know what I could do. I still needed guidance. Just like you.”

Shinsou’s expression didn’t waver. He lowered his gaze and looked away from her, hiding his face from the truth borne by the scouring looks from Felicity.

“We’re all learning, all the time, all of us. Maybe I could have trusted you a bit more, but instead I hid you away because I thought Arius would destroy you. I thought he’d end all of us, to be honest. But now, looking back, maybe we could have done with your help. Maybe I could have trained you further beforehand. But…”

He faltered, once again failing to word his feelings clearly. She stepped into the breach, looking a little exasperated.

“…but, all of that is irrelevant now. I am truly sorry, and what happens now is what’s important. You need guidance and you need support to deal with those unchecked emotions. For everything else? For that raw power? I want you to really show me how you’ve grown since the last time we met.”

The simplicity of his reply was cold water to her hot fury; nothing but steam. He was ignorant of the damage his introversy had caused.

“I’ve chosen an arena very personal to me,” Shinsou said, stepping forwards beyond the waiting attendants with Felicity in tow, “It’s the Council of Five chambers in Telgradia. I once fought a brutal battle against a swordsman called Nanashi and a conjurer named Elijah Belov here. I know you’re going to fight with the same intensity, so this place is perfect.”

***

The funnel wall of the portal crackled as the electrical substance it was made from bent to the Citadel’s every whim. Strange, tendril like anomalies morphed and swirled in front of Shinsou and Felicity’s faces and then, finally, the arena phased into focus. The Telgradian judged the two foot gap between the lip of the portal and stepped down perfectly; his foot pressing onto the glistening surface of a white marble path.

Just ahead, a familiar silver gate stood at least three times the height of the ten foot wall on either side of it that encircled the chamber of the Council of Five. It was topped with crystalline spires that glinted like diamonds in the low morning sun. The dome shaped structure was made of some sort of white granite, and finely carved statues adorned the edges of the gate around its massive iron doors. Heroically posed warriors, insignias of Telgradia and the Council of Five and assorted coats or arms were some of the more prominent statuary, breath-taking in their beauty and refinement.

As they approached, Shinsou and Felicity exchanged no dialogue. The Telgradian pressed his hand against the iron door on the right, and after a bit of a struggle it slowly opened on its massive chrome hinges.

The secretive halls of the Council of Five’s chambers were as silent as a crypt, and almost as dark and eerie. In Telgradia, the mausoleum like structure was well guarded and kept away from any official Telgradian military buildings. It was used only to summon the Council of Five, and was so scarcely attended that anyone walking its cold corridors could feel a cold chill down their spine as they peered at the empty walkways. Felicity suddenly jumped as the heavily reinforced doors slammed behind them, whilst Shinsou remained stoic and unfazed by anything, his golden eyes fixated on nothing in particular.

Far over their heads, vaults and arches sailed up and converged in a classical array of marble carved embellishments. A row of marble columns rose to the ceiling and created an avenue that extended past the end of the dome chamber in which they stood. At the end of this avenue a white statue of a goddess, shrouded in celestial robes, loomed over the walkway with a single hand held towards the heavens. The floor consisted of a myriad of marble slabs that led to a centre circle underneath the peak of the dome, from which all other passageways through the building were connected. Here, the flooring was laid in such a way that the emblem of the Council of Five was sketched out over the circumference of the room.

Shinsou once again led the way, walking a straight path between the columns with a silent Felicity in tow. The lay-out of this section of the building was similar to several of the other royal buildings in the complex; high, narrow windows of colourful stained glass, patterned to portray important events in Telgradian lore. They alternated with the pillars, dark with the lack of any background light. Under these, tucked into coves far into either side of the corridor, were strange pedestals that contained small statues of previous council members. Rows of lighted, scented candles flickered on top of tables positioned either side of these figurines

“A bit extravagant for a battle, I know.” Shinsou stopped, brushing a thread of chestnut brown hair from his face as his golden eyes steeled onto the form of his apprentice. “But there’s meaning here.”

Felicity had often seen his sword, and had seen some of his abilities in person. Now, though, she would learn about his new powers, in ways she never would think imaginable. Flicking strands of brown matted hair out of his face, the Telgradian snapped his head up and smiled slightly as purple light manifested from Enpera.

Hakai.

Quote:

---

Bunny approved.

---

This was all a lot to take in, a lot to process. Shinsou’s words, then the arena. As his words still swirled in my head, I looked around the arena. Just a few months beforehand, I would have marveled at this brilliant arena. The perfect statues, the otherworldly architecture. Before, I would have loved running around the narrow halls. The dim candlelight in this room, however, reflected how I felt now. Nothing sparked joy again. I felt no wonder. I only felt jittery nervousness, even jumped when the heavy doors slammed behind us. Our footsteps echoed widely against the marble floor. The windows were colorful and large, yet no outside scenery could be seen.

The dim candles rested on some strange pedestals of tiny statues. I did not care who those people were. I had no interest in the tall columns that held the building up. These statues were void and meaningless to me. Even my respect for Shinsou, and knowing this place was important to him, could not curb my bitter apathy.

I was barely containing myself. I had not spoken. My entire body bottled intense emotions so violent, even opening my mouth to breathe out would cause it all to uncontrollably erupt. I felt tension overtake my body as I kept my eyes on Shinsou, rolling his earlier words around in my pounding head.

Oh, the past did not matter now? "Oh, I'm sorry or whatever, now move on?" No! No, I had been through too much! Shinsou should know, would know what I had suffered. Protection? All I had ever wanted was to protect him! I could take care of myself. I just had these past five months. Even knowing he was sorry did not make me feel better. He had played around with his stupid sword instead of even considering me. Was he just sorry for some afterthought? I had always been his afterthought. First with Arius, and now here.

I craved love so badly. I had misjudged a man I had thought loved me, but I was positive Leoric had only used me for sick pleasure. Was Shinsou the same? Would he betray me too? Did I mean nothing to anyone?

I wanted to strike him. I wanted to violently break him in this arena. So Shinsou would feel and understand everything I felt right now. So he could have a taste of how terrible I was feeling inside. It was sick, but I was positive it would make me feel better.

Enpera glowed an ethereal purple, another dim light source in these darkened halls. I immediately knew what I needed to do. I pulled my prevalida arming sword, Splicer, from its hilt. Out from the sheath over my shoulder, I pulled out my prevalida parrying dagger too. Ikiyoka had a nasty surprise, but it would have to be sprung at the right moment.

I glared at Shinsou’s sword. I hated that sword, and how it represented my lack of value to Shinsou. I knew Enpera was the key to Shinsou’s powers. Shinsou relied too much on one power source. Enpera needed to be disarmed.

I rushed him. My boots pounded on the smooth floor as I raised Splicer to strike. I swiped it towards his side. As expected, he blocked. Good. Then, he brilliantly shoved Splicer off. In an instant, he switched angles and swung at my other side. Now!

As Enpera sung its sweet sword song, I raised Ikiyoka. I pressed my finger on the trigger, causing the one blade to snap into three. Ikiyoka was a trident parrying dagger, perfect for grappling and disarming an opponent's weapon.

Enpera was caught between the dagger's blades now. For the first time in this arena, I felt a sliver of excitement. It would only take a single, clean movement to disarm Enpera now. Good riddance.

Shinsou’s smile shattered. With his mind fearful of Felicity’s monstrous magic, the Telgradian had activated his Hakai and had neglected to consider three other important elements; her anger towards him, her equipment and her natural strength. Dust from the marble floor billowed from the fierce collision; Enpera’s edge first clattering hard against, and then crudely sliding between, the metal prongs of her dagger before becoming trapped within their suffocating grasp. Wisps of breath, and very little else, now separated Osiris and Rhyolite as the fiery Neanderthal stared him down.

Shit, stupid move. Get out of there, The spellsword lamented as he struggled to keep a grip of his blade. There was a brief tussle, but Felicity’s incredible strength was always going to fare better against the physically weaker Telgradian. All he could do was grimace as she painfully levered him to one side, twisting Enpera from his palm and casting it from his grip. It skidded to a halt beneath nearby marble statue of a goddess.

Disarmed and exposed, the Telgradian had to think quickly. There were about seven inches now between Felicity’s trident dagger and his exposed belly, so with a sizzing snap, Shinsou formed a solid blade of dark matter that extended over and out of his right hand. With a hue of deepest night, the unchecked weapon of dark magic would reek of promised death to a normal adversary, but Osiris knew that he would never win a game of physical strength here. Instead, he used the sword as leverage. Rolling quickly to his right, around Felicity’s dagger arm, Shinsou brought the blade’s face against that of the curved base of the weapon’s prongs and pushed to ensure the Neanderthal’s own momentum would carry her forward and past him, exposing her back.

There was a primal urge to rush in and strike that vulnerable Neanderthal flesh with the dark matter weapon, but more intelligent comprehension prevailed. The Telgradian knew that continuing to be drawn into close combat with her was a death sentence, and this was a mistake he had already made once. Even if the honeyed promise of the Citadel’s revival magic meant that such mistakes could be taken without risk, he refused to put his reputation as a teacher in jeopardy by continuing to teach her rank foolishness.

His eyes gleamed from the confines of his face at the fallen Enpera. So, using the precious little time he had bought with his manoeuvre, Shinsou poised and darted, his left arm spread in preparation for his sword’s collection. With speed and grace, the spellsword dressed in white slid and grabbed its hilt without error.

In this time, Felicity had recovered her balance and was preparing; only a small distance now between them.

“Dokuga.”

Its single word resonated with arcane power; a power that provoked Enpera to begin secreting a dark fluid as its silver blade turned jet black. The poison dripped on the tiled marble floors, secondary splashes of ink like liquid disturbing the remaining motes of dirt and dust. With a powerful stroke, a crescent wave of loose black toxin washed from the blackened shadows beneath the statue in its recessed alcove towards Felicity.

Isolated from her pain and suffering, he knew not what the girl was thinking or feeling. But, the Telgradian did know one thing. It would take more than her brute strength to topple him in this place.

Ugh! All my effort wasted!

Shinsou’s finesse was sharper than ever, and I still was unable to properly work with momentum. Somehow, he had managed to grab his weapon again, and he utilized it.

In a flash, an inky substance splashed towards me. I raised my hands to cover my face, shielding it from the liquid. My hands were coated in the strange, bubbling poison. The effects took place immediately. I was sweating, and I felt so dizzy. The world swirled around me as I dropped my weapons.

I had witnessed two powers he had never shown me before. I would need to be careful, and I hated it. I yearned to satisfy the raging emotions inside. Oh, the poison was messing with me, I was circling. I was unable to tell where I was. Where was I? Satisfy… emotions…

I was lying down. I looked up; the room pitch black. His silhouette hung over me. Leoric gently caressed my head, pushing my hair behind my ear. He whispered my name. I was exposed and vulnerable. I…

I had been pressing my lips together, remembering the shallow kisses we shared. I was back in the dim halls. The candles wildly danced as I still struggled to see straight. My back was against a statue, I was sweating. I must have looked crazed; I genuinely was not here a moment ago. Or was it a minute? Ten minutes? Frustration overtook me, rage. I bit my lip in self-punishment as my stomach twisted inside. This was not the time to think about our mistakes! I reached back and pulled out my talymar war bow, Seeker. If Shinsou wanted to play games, I would play along. Anything to escape these memories.

I pulled my first redwood arrow back. My pull back was awkward under the poison’s effects, it was insanely hard to aim. Weakness and sweat forced me to let go. The arrow was unleashed, smashing into a statue somewhere left of me. I was unable to tell. I could hear crumbling stone and marble. The sounds triggered my stomach. I lurched, bending over and dropping Seeker as I vomited. This must be what my blood feels like to other people…

I looked back up, unable to see past teary eyes and blurred vision. Where was Shinsou? The pale marble made it hard to pinpoint his white coat. I could not see. I rubbed my eyes and bent down, shakily picking up Seeker once again. I needed to feel. I needed to feel something aside grief. The poison continued to trick me as I opened my mouth, crying out.

“I’m still here!”

I had no idea what it was aimed towards. My recent suicide attempt? Shinsou? Myself? I needed to feel, and I somehow felt those words. The poison was numbing my sense of reality. I yearned to break out.

I pulled a second arrow into the string, resting it. I was ready to draw and aim the best I could.

An arrow had flown harrowingly across the dark Council of Five chambers, instantly obliterating the gaunt, marble frame of the statue to Shinsou’s left and showering him in a shrapnel cloud of classical embellishments. Its destructive power was not a shock to him at all; the Telgradian knew all too well what that bow was capable of, and what a second arrow could do to him should he hang around to allow it such purchase. Thus, he moved, circling carefully but quickly around his unsteady prey like a hyena around a wounded gazelle.

As expected, a second arrow was already nocked. Through hazy eyes and on rubber legs, Felicity was admirably doing her best to fight the effects of the poison. She was looking for him, unafraid but impaired, defiantly declaring her presence in the room both mentally and physically.

She's tough. Keep your distance. Think it out. Shinsou instructed his more impulsive side as he continued to move amongst the column cast shadows, circle-strafing around the Neanderthal. Again, there was a raging urge to leap in and start hacking. Again, he had to tell himself there was a bigger picture. Activate her rage, and let Senkai do the rest later. Make sure whatever damage you do, counts.

Felicity’s balance was already starting to improve, such was her tenacity and durability, but he still had time. His apprentice’s arrow sat menacingly on the taut bowstring, the flare of her watery eyes burning from behind the mask of emotions and illusions.

In some ways, the Telgradian was proud; she hadn’t rested on her laurels for too long in his absence, turning from a scared little girl to something more resembling a mighty warrior in the time they had spent apart. But he knew his own power, too, and now loomed malevolently on the fringes of his diminutive opponent’s blurred periphery.

The progressive use of his rarely displayed abilities had been matched only by the growing confidence of the Telgradian in himself. For too long, he had hidden what he was truly capable of from everyone, including even his best friend Storm Veritas. Perhaps it had been fear of showing weakness, or wanting to stay unpredictable. Perhaps it was even a matter of respect. Now, though, Shinsou realised that holding back was ever futile in the face of overwhelming adversity. Against Felicity, he had long since learned the hard way that letting go of his pride and fear, and releasing the full extent of his power, was the only way to disrupt the sheer nightmare of her radiation abilities and superhuman strength.

Carving the air before him with Enpera, Shinsou shimmered with arcane light. Inaction was suddenly arrested by the shearing impact of metal through stone as he plunged his prized possession into the floor beneath him. The resulting shockwave ripped a trench that travelled from the tip of the blade toward and underneath Felicity, from which dozens of jagged stone stalagmites ripped through the beautiful marble and gold flooring of the council chamber and viciously stabbed upwards.

It was all part of a plan; a plan that started with getting Felicity to bleed.

Tears slipped down my face. I blinked rapidly, trying to clear my vision. I once again saw the dimly lit statues and columns in front of me. I saw the candles flickering their natural glow. Yet, the poison was still playing tricks. I was positive I heard - wait... That was the sound of the floor being torn up in front of me. It was like an earthquake. The floor vibrated beneath me. The first thought that flew into my mind, Don't get cut!

I dropped my equipment. The fall of the bow and arrow were a raindrop compared to the thunderstorm of rubble. I fell to my knees, covering as much as I could with my vlince gambeson. I raised my arms in front of my face, clenching my fists. I felt the wind of the blast rustle my hair. Pebbles sprayed me like sea water, and I could feel rubble slamming into me. Don't bleed! Don't bleed! D-

*Slit!*

I was gone.

She lowered her stance as she bolted forth. The statue started to crumble behind as she darted towards the direction of the fading shockwave. She ran, blind rage ruling her every movement. With abandon, she chased the shadows, only to find no life there to crush.

Then, I came back.

"Ick!" I reached and grasped the cut in my hand. It was not tiny, but it was not big either. It did not cut too deep, but even this was enough to activate my uncontrollable powers. Thankfully, the poison had slipped away. I could feel the cut clearly, after all. I also could tell I was in the shadow of a statue. It struck me that I was vulnerable. I had blindly chased, and now was in a spot that could easily be played into Shinsou’s hands.

I need to close our distance somehow.

I took wary steps. I casually slipped my hand into my satchel as I rounded one of the end tables. I leaned against the table, tapping the hilt of my remaining arming sword. I looked around the tall chambers, peering into the darkness. I had a plan.

I started to speak. "I'm even more impressed than last time. You have grown." I drew my delyn arming sword, Heart, while slipping something from my satchel under the table bottom. Hopefully, talking and the loud shling Heart made would have been enough to hide it.

"But I've made progress too. You know I lose control when I bleed. That's why you threw an attack like that at me. You're not stupid. Neither am I."

I pushed myself up, my half-torn gambeson rippling. My hand still bled, it stung, but I marched away from the table with Heart on my other hand.

"You want to know where Arius transported me? The worst place for my safety, and the best place to learn not to rely on my powers alone."

I stopped under the canopy of a giant statue, back completely turned to the table. My explosive bird hovered right beneath the table. If Shinsou came in this direction, it could easily explode. It was tempting, after all, to hide where one's opponent's back was turned. My plan was set in motion. I just needed Shinsou to fall for it.

"Salvar."

I revealed the location I spent a bitter month traveling through. I spat the cold, winter region's name like a curse word. I knew I never wanted to visit that place again. Yet, it also shaped me. I raised my sword, ready to fight.

"Come! Shinsou!"

The wily Telgradian had watched from afar as his attack had struck, having already moved to a darker part of the chamber out of caution for what he assumed would come next. Surprisingly, her radiation cloak hadn’t yet activated, and his deliberate attempt to put distance between them had inadvertently allowed Felicity the time she needed to recover from the poison. Annoying, and slightly disruptive to his plan, but not entirely unexpected. Before long she had disappeared out of sight, and into the recessed alcoves containing various pieces of art and furniture. Of course, just because she was out of sight did not mean she was out of mind. Perhaps the Neanderthal, in her rush to escape his sight, had forgotten he could sense her presence.

Or, perhaps not. Perhaps she had remembered his power, and was baiting him. Her words sailed over the now silent hall to his ears; an invitation to a quick death, no doubt (in his mind, at least) designed to lure him into a full frontal attack.

The notion surprised the Telgradian somewhat. After all, had he not made it clear from his actions that he had no intention of going toe-to-toe with her physically? He still didn't quite fathom the extent of Felicity’s game-plan, but a tinge of disappointment ran through him. So far, she had disarmed him once, and hidden away in the chambers.

Shinsou expected far more from his apprentice than this in the Citadel.

If she thinks I’m going to get involved in a game of cat and mouse, followed by a hearty punch-up with someone of her strength, she’s going to be in for a shock. Shinsou hazarded another glance towards the array of columns and statues that masked her physical presence to his eyes, but could not hide her spiritual presence to his senses. It was difficult to stifle a small frown.

"Do you think so little of me that you’d hide away in the shadows, waiting for me to come and raise my sword against you?" – Shinsou said, sure that she was close enough to hear his words "I’m disappointed, Felicity. Let me remind you who you’re dealing with, teacher to student, so that you don’t insult my intelligence again.”

A sudden breeze whipped up, this time blowing from the ground up and around Shinsou, who stood amongst rows of candles and tables in the hallway opposite. Small pieces of rock and stone, dislodged from the earth from his earlier attack, vibrated rapidly on the floor around him as he began to unleash his favourite spell. He closed his eyes as a crease formed on his brow; one that was there only for the briefest of moments before it disappeared. Tapping into his magic required slightly more from him physically now, but he was getting used to it.

The resultant windburst created a discernible path amongst the dirt-strewn ground. Shinsou paused for a moment to gather his bearings - primarily the direction of the Neanderthal, since he would have to be careful about not his next move, but the one after. Then he spoke, words of power passing his lips as he raised his right hand.

“Enpera Kurohitsugi.”

His favoured spell was one that Felicity had seen before in all of its majesty, but that didn’t concern the Telgradian one bit. From behind him, the air itself shimmered and instantly tore apart into thirty oval receptacles. As the dark wall of purple and black magic chewed through the surroundings, a spear of dark matter manifested within each magical silo, and hung there ethereally for a moment.

All of them were aimed at Felicity’s location. All of them were designed for no other purpose than to kill.

With a single wave of his hand, all thirty of them burst forth from the portal in a cacophony of electrical hissing, and tore straight towards the hidden Felicity Rhyolite.

From the light of Shinsou’s location, in front of me, the worst happened. I heard a familiar summon, and through the candlelight saw familiar shapes. They had taken me in our first battle.

"Hromagh's ba-"

A summoned my metal bird to my side, dashing towards the table it had floated under. I had no time to sheath my sword. I effortlessly yanked the table up. Candles and statuettes flung in the air as I lifted the table in front of me. It was a makeshift shield. From there, I pushed myself back behind the crevice of a pillar. The spears started flying around me. I heard them shatter into pillars, statues, and walls. I saw them slam into the wall next to me. It was like a brilliant barrage of longbow arrows. I pulled myself deeper between my pillar and the wall. I was cornered. One of the lances pierced straight through the table. I ducked my head aside, pushing the table to the right, managing to avoid it. It cracked the marble wall I was up against. This was the first time that I truly had seen one of Kurohitsugi's ethereal projectiles up close. Before, they had cut my skin and forced my powers too quickly for me to process. Now, I could see how truly bizarre and marvelous these spears were. Was my old sense of curiosity and wonder returning in this moment?

The onslaught continued. My bird hovered next to me as I spotted another spear rapidly approaching me. Go! I ordered my bird. It flew straight for the spear, veering just to the side and exploding. The spear was redirected.

The light from the explosion illuminated the entire dark hall for just a moment, announcing the end of the onslaught. Had I really survived? I slowly lowered the table, which the spear was still tearing like a pen in paper. I picked up Heart, which I had dropped to better maneuver the table, and stood up. Shinsou’s words had been more punishment than even his Kurohitsugi itself.

"I’m disappointed, Felicity."

"Let me remind you... teacher to student..."

I gritted my teeth.

I placed Heart in its sheath, walking towards the direction of the summon. All around me, a forest of Kurohitsugi's summoned spikes rose from the ruined ground. The once smooth marble floor was decimated. My boots crunched loosened pebbles as I stepped through my bird's explosion radius. Gun powder, dark energy particles, and marble dust swirled like mist. I stepped out of the other side, like a phoenix rising from ashes. It was time. I needed to talk. I entered the light of the dim windows. There stood Shinsou, at the ready with Enpera in hand.

"You told me before that you don't recruit losers to the Brotherhood." I remembered the conversation we had so long ago, when my past had overtaken my senses. Since then, so much had happened. It was about time Shinsou heard about it. "Funny, then what am I doing here?"

There I stood. The fading dust from the explosion fell to the ground like snow. "Did you sense me like I sensed you that morning?"

I reached up to the top buckle of my gambeson. I once again was surrounded with the memories of him. Leoric. I pushed through and continued unbuckling the torn gambeson; revealing the simple white shirt beneath. "I would have jumped. If it hadn't been for you. I would be dead by my own hands right now."

I felt myself smile an ironic smile, filled with regrets. "At least I wouldn't have died a virgin, right? He made sure of that. I'm not a child anymore."

I finished unbuckling the gambeson. It hung on me like a sagging coat. My softer white shirt was easily vulnerable to anything Shinsou threw at me. I knew this. I was ready to bleed. "You don't know the depths I've seen. When I wasn't alone, I was in bad company. But, Shinsou, I was dead set on finding you again. I owe everything to you!"

I never had told Shinsou how I felt about him. Perhaps, it was time. "I was nothing before you found me, floundering. Then you gave me a purpose, gave me a home."

The ruins of Whitevale flashed before my eyes.

"But it's all gone now."

I drew my katana, my black prevalida katana. It reflected the lights of the remaining candles. "I got this sword to mimic you. I wanted to be like you, still do." I raised it high, "I even named it Copycat."

With a simple swing of my arm, I threw it to the ground. "You never taught me how to use it."

Copycat clanged loudly against the floor, and my anger took over. "Everyone I've ever loved has either died or abandoned me! I thought you had too! But you gave me that letter, you asked me back! You have to be different! I can't blame you for taking care of more important matters, how can I? And how can I ask for more than you already have provided? But you haven't taught me anything! And it only hurts because you mean so much to me! You're the only reason I'm alive right now! And I won't be your disappointment anymore!"

I stomped my foot against the marble ground. I could have sworn it vibrated beneath me. Tears flooded my eyes as I remembered the man who taught me in Shinsou’s absence. I had learned more from monsters and traitors than I had learned from Shinsou. Now, I would show him. All the wounds that had wrapped me in a heavy blanket of depression had taken on a new form. Rage. I could see the rivers of blood pouring out from my broken, shattered heart. It called for vengeance. It cried for peace. I felt myself burning with fire for the first time in the longest. I was... alive...

I was alive.

I glared deeply at Osiris, reaching up and unstrapping the arms of my gambeson from the coat. In a simple movement, I pulled them off. I dropped the heavy gambeson arms. As they fell like heavy leaves to the ground, I entered an unarmed fighting stance Shinsou had never seen before. This fighting style was unique to Leoric Blackwell. I was closing the distance. This was like my travels through Salvar and Corone. No matter what it took, I would reach my teacher again.

Felicity had spoken words of desolation and love. Waves of dark emotions reflected in her face. Regret clung to her. Torrents of need for validation. Tides of self-loathing. Blood and pain. Sorrow. Despair.

The young girl was an absolute hurricane of emotions.

I never taught you anything?

That thought pounded into his heart with the force of a thousand hammers. It seared his mind with the heat of a dozen volcanoes.

No. That’s not it. We all want to believe in something bigger than ourselves. To escape the pressure of that trust, those in whom faith is placed in turn look for someone higher than themselves. And then those people in turn look for someone even stronger. That is how all kings are born. That is how all gods are born.

Something stirred in the depths of his soul. Something not dark, not ugly, but fiery and passionate. Something that burned as a teacher.

The things I taught you can’t be quantified. They can’t be touched, or read, or studied at will. Even as we fight now, you’re learning from me about life. There’s a reason I’m showing you these powers of mine, ones that I wouldn’t even show Storm. Even if you can’t see it from your perspective, Felicity, this is the ultimate trust i can give you. Because…

Conviction soothed Shinsou’s mind.

…I’ve placed my trust in you to take all of that resentment, and loneliness, and hurt, and use it all to beat me in this place. I want you to beat me. I am trusting you to take everything you think you are, and discard it, knowing in your heart that you are so much more. So, surpass me. Grow beyond me. There is no trust higher than that, from a teacher, to a student. To a friend. That is what I have taught you. That is what you’ll learn, even if you have to learn it the hard way.

The hard way was how Felicity wanted to do things, so it seemed. It didn’t grate on Shinsou that she was relentlessly pursuing direct, physical confrontation with the Telgradian, as that was his expectation. No. What annoyed him was that she wasn’t thinking, and that was something he had tried to teach her. Everything Felicity did had either been advertised or predictable; and she was even prepared to go to such lengths that she would even try to rush him from the front, seemingly with no plan other than “hit and hope” with some sort of new, unarmed combat stance he had never seen before.

Shinsou shook his head as she began her very deliberate, very brusk approach across the rubble strewn foyer.

Clearly, I'll have to teach you that you'll never touch me by approaching me head on. I won't let you. You’re too full of openings.

He reacted instinctively and with the proper timing, drawing Enpera from next to his cloak and bringing it across his body just at the right moment. In a blink of an eye, the Telgradian had used his Shadowstep to slip behind Felicity at eight times his normal speed, his magically augmented movements sinuous and unreadable as her fist connected with nothing but air. In his right hand glinted the thirsty sword of Enpera, drawn from where it had been seeded next to him.

Golden eyes flashed as the stroke fell for the kill.

Silence.

In reaction to my outcry, he only gave my silence. In the void room, no voices echoed. There was only silence. Even the candles died out, failing to fizzle as no noise could be heard. Silence. My anger, already intense, doubled.

Stop ignoring me!

I dashed forth, ready to elbow him and follow up with several punches. My attacks only met thin air.

"Huh?"

I heard the shling of a sword behind me. It was dark, but I had to move. I turned, or at least tried to. Had Shinsou moved so fast he was behind me?

I had not even finished turning, my arm was the closest thing to his sword when it sliced past my speed of comprehension.

I felt no pain as my arm was separated from my body. At least, I felt no physical pain.

Shinsou had found me. "It’s clear to see that you are sharp, but you have more potential than I think you realise. I want to help, if I can. Sharpen you up, teach you a few things and hopefully get that form under control. What do you say, Felicity?"

Memories flooded my depleting sanity. The blood flying in the air burned a dim glow, rapidly brightening a sickly red.

Shinsou had not been harsh to me. He praised me. "You did well, today. That beast was as dangerous as they come, and you punched a hole right through his defences. I had to throw everything I had at him to keep the big bastard down. Get yourself checked over, and come to my quarters when the surgeon gives you the all clear."

My veins burned inside my body. Through my clothes my arteries, veins, and heart were visible as my bloodstream glowed. My eyes widened as my mind raced.

I had tried to save him. "I still won't let you kill my mentor and take my town! I won't give into a demon, a monster, like you! Every time you even bat an eye towards Shinsou, I'll stand in the way again! So go ahead! Try to stop me!"

Arius Mephisto stood in the way. "Did you think you were the only one capable of sealing your power? Fool! I'll send you straight to hell!" I had failed.

Putrid radiation spewed from my injury. A deadly poison reflective of my shattered heart and rotted mind.

"I need to go home!" Salvar's bitter winters fluttered around me. All the traveling, all the evading, just to get home. I needed to return to my teacher.

A burning glow emitted from my open wound. The illumination of my blood was brighter closer to my injury. Blood splattered on the boiling floor, steam rising from the crimson droplets.

"Captain, if we ever need some more wind, just put her at the aft of the ship, that forehead of hers will catch enough wind to get us to Corone in a week." Then, oh, I had met Leoric. Even on the ship from Salvar to Corone, he confused and conflicted me so. "Your hair reminds me of when I was a little kid, helping my mom pick oranges in the forest. When life was simple, easy, and I actually felt something."

Brilliant energy swirled around me, from my wound. It circled as it encased my entire body. The red cloak of nuclear power was overtaking me. In the dark, the bright cloak burned like a massive candle.

Leoric and I had been through a lot. We had grown... close... Even when duty to Whitevale called me, I stayed with him. I spent time with him. Ate with him. Trained with him. Fought beside him. Slept under the same roof. I fell for him... And when I finally left for Whitevale, tore myself from that man, I had been too late to save my home.

Searing heat exploded from the cloak of energy. The marble floor itself was changed. White powder arose as it reacted to temperatures more insane than my cloak had ever reached before.

When I returned to Leoric's home, everything I had fought so hard for lost, he had one suggestion. "Hey, I know what makes me feel better when I'm upset. Want to try it?"

Drunk and devastated, I had made the mistake of saying yes.

The marble shattered around me as I saw in red. Through blurry scarlet vision, through the powdering marble, I saw Shinsou. But I also saw the memories, terrible and sweet, replaying inside. I screamed. Like all screams, it was rooted in my enhanced spite. I did feel unrelenting destruction, but I felt something else too. Everything I had gone through had taken its tole on me. Even in my Nuclear Rage, I roared in emotional agony. Tears flooded my intensely enraged eyes, then immediately turned to steam from the heat.

"Felicity!" Leoric smirked, ready to throw another quippy one liner at me. I loved him. I loved him. I loved him. I still loved him. I hated myself for loving him.

I gave into insanity. I gave into the rage. I let the anger flood my brain as my thoughts died out.

I don't know about Leoric, but I know this, Shinsou is just within reach! Reach out! Touch him! Just touch him! Go!

She bolted for Shinsou Vaan Osiris. Her mentor. Her savior. Her traitor. Her only remaining friend.

The blind rage still controlled her, but this detonation was different.

After a few testing rounds, the serious fighting had truly begun in earnest.

It had been a part of Shinsou’s plan all along to activate Felicity’s nuclear rage, but now that power flashed in thick, sickening crimson around her, he wondered if he had made a mistake. Whatever this was, it was something very different to the last time he had seen her, and served as yet another reminder to him of what releasing even a fragment of her true potential could do. Even in a place of promised immortality like the Citadel, the force of the magic provoked a mote of fear to rise within him.

It was then, as he hesitated in the marble foyer’s rubble strewn centre circle, that something clicked within his mind. A feeling that he had not explored; something he had never confided in anyone, including his own consciousness. It rose to the surface of his soul and bubbled as his apprentice Neanderthal stood, shaking with the force of her own frightening power.

“I know why I didn’t bring you to fight Arius; This power of yours is overwhelming. Spectacular, even,” The Telgradian said as he started to feel the intense heat bite into his skin, “But look at you. Look at what this costs. Here, in the Citadel, we can indulge the cycle of life and death to our heart’s content. But out there, in the world? Your powers extract a heavy toll, Felicity. The burden, the risk of killing you, is too much to bear. That is why you have to learn control. That is why I have to be harsh. Even when I don't want to!”

Felicity’s cloak of radiation was devastating in its application. Already, Shinsou’s skin was starting to peel, burning away under the intense nuclear fire. The priority suddenly changed by sheer necessity; that of pure survival. Although this seemed absurd due to the immortality the Citadel promised, it was about staying alive here so that the Telgradian could teach her. It was about pride. It was about determination. Even if it seemed to be a tough task to ask, the Telgradian needed to beat the Neanderthal and make her understand the fiery power that ate at the shadowy recesses of the hallways beyond.

Breathe…

His reaction was to close his eyes for a brief moment, reaching deep inside his soul for the absolute calm required for the fine control of his powers. Drawing deep upon Enpera, Shinsou found the sensation reassuringly familiar to his usual seal breaking, only on a far grander scale. He could sense the very finest of magic in the sword he held, even the minute whispers of its voice that somehow filtered down to him. His head throbbed painfully with the sheer pleasure of the raw power that flowed through his body; it took all of his willpower to only siphon off as much as he needed and no more, lest the consequences cremate him alive.

“Senkai: Shin no Kotei! 4th Grade!”

The results, on the other hand, were nothing short of spectacular, and his mere intentions took care of the rest.

From the chamber floor to the embellished ceiling above, the shadows cast by the brilliance of Felicity’s flare-up started to converge under the Neanderthal. Some of the darkness unfortunate enough to be caught in the flames of her ability as it was called upon were incinerated almost instantaneously, but sheer momentum allowed the pool of darkness to push through to get at their prey. With the shadows now firmly under his command, a puddle sat underneath the Neanderthal’s feet.

This was a battle to the “death”, and they both knew it. Shinsou grit his teeth as his skin started to become extremely painful, and moved his arms to engage the puddle into forming a solid seal around her remaining arm.

She was intent on her target. She was so close! Trapped in the tight lobby, he was only a couple footsteps away. The nuclear fueled beast hungered to feel his flesh torn in her hands. She craved to drink his blood and rip his innards. Felicity Rhyolite had left the body. Only a feral, mindless husk of rage remained.

Barks of wrath were flung from her mouth as she took a step towards Shinsou Vaan Osiris. She was kept from him yet again. Shadows curled around her frame, physically binding her like cruel chains. Yet could any chain hold this beast? Shadows hugged her remaining arm like a whip, she extended it towards him. Her arm shook as raw power fought the shadows holding her back. The mindless creature struggled to take another step forward, hand outstretched the entire time. Hair in her face, body lacking any fine motor skills. Her gambeson had slipped off her shoulder and hung by her arm, draped against the dissipating floor. Her veins glowed through her thin white shirt. Her heart was visibly, rapidly beating. Glowing blood pulsed through her body, leaving through the open wound of her sliced appendage. Her black pants made the veins look like lava flows in the dark. Her body suddenly convulsed, shaking and twitching as madness caused her to fight her bounds, being drug further away from her target. Once she realized it in her fit of temper, she outstretched her hand again. Her desperation to reach and slaughter Shinsou was fueled by her turning wish to touch him.

The shadows found it hard to pin her against the ground. Piles of white marble powder flew up as she scuffled with the shadows. The being of wrath skidded in it like it was sand or dirt. The monster was steadfast, refusing to be pulled down. Another spasm overtook as she once again fought the shadows in vain. Her hand was still outstretched, bruising, turning blue from the shadow hold. She refused to lower her hand.

“Ah!” The creature shook, uneven eyes locked on Shinsou despite the sheer insanity in them. Her voice was hoarse, harsh, and sounded like gravel. “Gah! Eck!”

Another pull managed to get her half a step closer to Shinsou.

The fumes of marble spewed around her, the shadows greatly contrasted the burning veins and illuminating cloak. She entered another fit of tics as the shadows pulled her back again. It further infuriated her, she yanked harder than ever. She was losing blood flow where the shadows wrapped the tightest. The light of her blood diminished in those areas and her skin turned unnaturally cold shades. She jerked, she tugged, she screamed. She took another step forward, slowly, and the floor crumbled from the weight of her boot.

Her hand was always outstretched, always reaching.

She was hell bent on being close to this man. Breaking him, touching him. Whatever it took.

However, her time was running out. Her tier four Nuclear Rage had a limit of sixty seconds, and she was drawing close to the final moments.

Long moments after the shadow seal had been cast, Shinsou watched hopelessly as Felicity defiantly struggled free of his powerful binds amongst the rubble strewn chamber. He gasped as her intense radiation forced him to crumple pathetically to his knee amidst the unbearable heat and waves of sickness sweeping over him, and looking up through watery, blistered eyes, the warrior damned it all. He lamented the fact that this uncontrollable beserker power his apprentice wielded had just carved through all but one of his most dangerous and well trained magical abilities with barely an afterthought. Even without an arm, tearing through his Shin no Kotei, she still tried to reach him.

As Shinsou simply looked on in stunned stillness, shocked by the absolute and terrifying inevitability of what was to come, he didn't know what to do. Part of him was still reeling from the fact that it had all been so quick. Part of him didn’t want to acknowledge that a trained, skilled man – who had moments before been on his feet and confident - now lay fallen and burning in pools of his own blood and melting skin. All that was left in the wake was his approaching apprentice.

Citadel be damned. If she loses control like this, out there...

His words echoed in his mind through the shimmering veil of faintness that obscured him from reality, harsh, sibilant, final. They only served to emphasise Shinsou's helplessness in the situation, the fact that from start to finish he had thought himself powerful enough to be able to contain her, should Felicity lose it. Now, though, the truth was dawning. He could only be a bystander in a confrontation.

...Like Arius.

He who prided herself on speed of thought and swiftness of action. He who had hoped to avoid the very situation out there that had just played itself out in here before his very eyes. The thought sped powerlessly through his mind as he tried to focus again, his Enpera held like a club in his peeling hands, his white coat forlornly burning at the seams. He felt instantly sick for the fact that getting her to control her power seemed such a hopeless proposition now. This time, there was no-one else who could see the dangers. But what was he to do? Shinsou could not abandon her, not out here to the mercy of whoever wanted to rid the world of her threat, or to the elements that would certainly claim her if he gave up on her now. The Brotherhood’s leader had risked a great deal to help her.

Helping her, now, meant exerting control over this situation. Which, in turn, meant dealing with the girl who was now within reach. Her immensely powerful rage could be seen pulsating through her glowing veins, pushing her forward with every beat of her heart.

Her heart.

Shinsou could see the luminous organ through her skin. He was far more skilled than her at hand-to-hand combat, but he couldn’t even be sure that he could move any faster than she could in this cloud of radiation. Pale slender hands quavered faintly as their raw, blistered fingers outstretched. Felicity’s heart was palpitating wildly within her breast, a trapped songbird struggling all aflutter to be set free. Then, she lunged, her arm clenching his right shoulder. The grip was surprisingly cold but immensely strong, and a wave of agony swept through Shinsou’s stomach as her fingers dug in and shattered the bones in his shoulder.

He would never know how he managed to maintain an exterior façade of strength, but Shinsou did the only thing he could think to do against the mind-melting power of her abilities. Willing his dark matter to his left hand, he commanded a blade of the magic towards the enraged apprentice’s beating heart. Tremblingly it obeyed, the solid, volatile magic making no sound whatsoever over the top of the chaotic deluge as it lanced forwards.

It was like waking up from a deep sleep. It was like emerging from the hot waters of a bath after resting so long. It was like tasting freedom from my long post traumatic stress disorder episodes, discombobulated and hazy.

Pain. Excruciating pain struck me like lighting. Oh, this was a rude awakening. My disconnected arm was somewhere on the floor. As the remaining energy from my Nuclear Rage dissipated, I heard blood pounding onto the floor below in a puddle. I looked down, confused, to see that one of Shinsou's dark matter tips had crashed into my heart. Oh, oh it hurt... Broken hearts always hurt the most.

I gasped as I teetered, noticing splotches and puddles of blood on the half obliverated ground. I realized that an arm laid there. It was not mine.

I Iooked up.

Shinsou Vaan Osiris was right in front of me.

His skin was peeled, his clothes tattered and leathers melted. And he stood right before me. I could feel his vibrations of pain, I could taste his blood. The distance between us was closed. We stood face to face. The battle faded into the background of my mind. I no longer paid attention to the dark halls we fought in. The surroundings faded like mist. We both had a limb torn off, I had been stabbed in the heart. His body was wrecked from my radiation. Yet, all that did not matter. I collapsed. My knees thudded against the half solid floor. I was shaking in pain, shivering in anticipation, for the moment was here.

With my remaining hand, I reached up. Past the dark matter spear in my chest, past his burns and scorches. I sputtered, feeling life fading from me. No, I could not die yet. My goal was finally at arm's length. My anger for him was still there. I still felt the hurt and betrayal. Yet, my joy overturned it in this moment. I was angry because I loved him so much. My shaking hand hovered over his face. A strange sense of delight overcame me despite the mutilation of my body. He was here.

I touched his face.

Gently, I brushed my blood splotched hand against his burnt cheek. Softly, I caressed his cheek as I felt myself smile for the first time in so long. I was in too much stress and pain to laugh, but I smiled. There he was. As blood slipped from my mouth, I parted my lips. I tasted foul iron, my throat gurgled before I could form words. Then, I was able to speak.

"Finally..." I heaved, struggling to speak as my vision began to flicker. I could barely breathe, but I spoke, "... Reached you..."

My balance was wavering. I gave Shinsou a final, tender touch before my hand fell limp. As my blood continued to fall, I found myself strangely comfortable. The physical pain was a distraction from the worse pain inside. I was in physical agony, but I eagerly welcomed it as I smiled in precious, sweet joy. Shinsou...

I gripped my sword, Heart, and tore it from its sheath. Still smiling, I fell forward as I used my dying energy to thrust the blade for his chest. Whether or not it succeeded, I could not tell as my perceptions faded to black. I slipped from consciousness, my end goal completed.

After five long, spanning months, I had reached my mentor at last.

A silvery white orb cast a blanket of light down upon Shinsou, its luminescence chasing away the shadows of his surroundings. He lay in state, bathing in the magnesium radiance, able to hear his own heartbeat. It beat louder, and louder, until suddenly everything quietened completely. The next thing he knew, his eyes opened. After sitting up, Shinsou noticed his surroundings and realised he was in back in the Citadel. What was he was lying on could only be described as a stone slab, and a glance to his right revealed one of the Ai’Bronne monks attending to him with mystic healing magic. A flickering torch sat in its cage-like mount on one of the walls, casting weak light onto the moon-like surface of the healer’s pale face.

I must have passed out or died, although I don’t remember a damn thing. The Telgradian concluded, still feeling groggy. It was the same feeling every time he came here and met death; the kind of sensation associated with a long night of drinking but with a very distinct hangover.

The feeling of his feet the stone floor shook him into life. It was then he realized there was a second person in the room with the otherwise disinterested monk. Shinsou’s first thought was that it was Felicity, who had perhaps been healed quicker than he and had come to smooth over their issues, but the shape and sway of the body gave him some pause for thought. The place smelled sort of like an odd, sweet perfume, one that he was familiar with but actually wasn't sure of the precise brand of.

“You’re a hard man to find, Shinsou Vaan Osiris. Did you have fun?”

Remy Krystanthia’s voice was unmistakeable. Although Shinsou was shocked to hear it, given that he had last left her on Telgradia, he worked a knot out of his collar with his now restored arm and waved his surprise away.

“Well, Arius burned down my cards den and my art studio, so…” Shinsou’s dry retort was met with a glare, “…This one wasn’t exactly a leisure exercise, Remy. More of a “checks and balances” kind of deal.”

Remy walked towards him from the shadows, the light turning her hair into a golden caramel shimmer. Her eyes started to show interest in his situation.

“I saw the whole thing.” The woman walked another two feet, standing now in front of his face with as dim light of the candle reflected on her silk, royal blue Councillor robes. “I also know the story between you two, thanks to Telos. I know you’re worried about her. Well, don’t be. Clearly you were holding back in there, so I doubt she could truly kill you outside of these walls. This was a fight without consequences. There are bigger issues at hand.”

“There are always consequences, Remy.” While searching for the door, Shinsou kept thinking how much he wanted to leave. “And I held nothing back in the Citadel. Neither did Felicity.”

“Not so, though, is it? Otherwise, why you didn’t use your fifth grade of Shin no Kotei?” Now, Remy’s curiosity was starting to set in, and Shinsou had to work hard to convincingly suppress his surprise that she knew about it. “Yes, I know there are more than four grades. You don’t get to where I am without knowing a few things. But, I’m not here to chat about what you may or may not be hiding.”

Remy finally turned to reveal her prosthetis; a false left hand that Shinsou had given her. She didn't mince her words this time. "Telgradia is about to be invaded by the Jal Shey."

Shinsou looked up slowly. ”What?!”

"Emperor Tadius has amassed forces in the Kratas Outlands in the last weeks." Remy’s fist squeezed tighter, but her expression didn't change as the news assaulted Shinsou’s senses. “We think they’re going to try and take Madiaha, and then, from there…”

“The Temple of Luxor.” Shinsou already knew what she was going to say. The Jal Shey’s only goal could have been the temple where he had sealed Temperance away into an eternal slumber. “They’re going to try and re-activate Temperance. That’s the only reason they’d take Madiaha first.”

“Correct.” She said nothing further, although she was clearly interested in something else.

Shinsou cocked his head, "So, this is why you came here, to tell me this?"

Remy’s eyes widened, "Telos wants you in. Full pay general, all the perks. We have to stop them.”

"He means to give me a commission in the Telgradian army?” Shinsou asked, almost bemused. "A globally condemned traitor at the head of his forces, doing his bidding?"

“A pardoned hero." Corrected Remy. "He wants the Brotherhood too, if you'll spare them."

Shinsou snorted. "Does he now? Well, Storm's his own man, and I'm not going to drag him halfway around the cosmos on a forlorn hope mission if he feels he has better things to do, like live."

"And the girl?" Remy asked, eyebrow raised.

It was then the door creaked open, and light filtered through the crack.

Hangovers from dying in the Citadel? Exhaustion? Meh. The moment I had woken up I had thrown my bedsheets off and demanded to know where Shinsou Vaan Osiris was. Now, I was opening the door to the room he was kept in. I had hastily thrown a heavy green shirt and loose pants on. I had no care for if they were crooked or sloppy. My unkept hair half hung in my face as I flashed my candlelight into the dark stone room. Dismay flooded me when I saw that Shinsou was not alone. A blonde woman in blue garb stood beside him, and they seemed to be talking about something that was oh so important.

Jealousy. I felt jealousy.

No longer did I care about hiding my dark, ugly side. That sweet kind girl died when she laid with a traitor on that fateful night.

Jealousy.

My heart struggled free from its chains, heavy with dense baggage. I felt my face flush. I scowled. For a moment, the candle shook in my hand and I shot daggers with my eyes between the two. I stepped in and threw the door shut. A powerful thud resounded as the wooden frame bounced in its metal hinges, struggling to hang onto the stone wall. I did not look back to see if it had been broken. Flames flickered from every, tiny light source. Islands of light within a sea of darkness. I stomped across the stone floor feeling like a cat with its hackles raised. I felt the anger that had receded when I gently touched Shinsou resurface fully. Despite the pounding in my head from Citadel magic, I was empowered by rage. For a moment, it felt and probably looked as if tier one of my powers had switched on. Of course, it had not.

"Um, excuse me." I nearly vibrated in emotion as I marched up to them. I was far shorter than them, but I was strong and mighty; though the heavy shirt hid my muscles. "Who is this and why is she here? Shinsou needs to pay attention to me, you hear! Me!"

The metal candleholder's handle was creasing from the pressure I clung with it to. "I have tried being patient. I have tried to be understanding. Other things, like tracking down some audacious traitor and saving an organization, are more important than one person. But then it was that sword. An inanimate, unfeeling, hunk of metal sword! And now this?"

It felt wretched as I repeated words Leoric told me, but this was my philosophy now, "I'm not going to be some selfless hero for a world that has done nothing but ignore or scorn me anymore. This cold cruel world can burn for all I care! Life's too short to live for something else! I'm doing what I want now!"

I turned to Shinsou with all my intensity, all my agony. I was different than the last time we had been together. I was going to have it my way this time. No more generous hero who was patient and understanding. "No more waiting eternities between my five second turns. I will not be a little side project that gets sidelined for anything and everything else anymore. For all I've been through it's about time I demanded better."

Then, I crossed my arms. Wax dripped to the floor as fear gripped me, "Unless I was never that important to you. Nothing but the random side project to turn to when bored." Bitterness dripped like venom from my lips, black and putrid from loneliness and abandonment. "I never meant anything to you, didn't I?"

I scoffed, taking a staggered step back, "You're the reason I'm alive, but if I don't matter then I might as well just get out of your hair and die..."

The monks had slipped from the room to evade me. The candles flickered in the dark room, awaiting response.
Or explosions. This tension was bound to release at least one explosion.

Shinsou had no time to answer before Remy spoke for him, between light breaths for air. Her words were ever so slightly slurred by her Telgradian accent, and her remaining hand remained primed on the hilt of her sword, Koro Kogo. Osiris was already cringing inside; Felicity was not to know, but Remy was no bored official. In the wrong mood, she was a warrior itching for blood. The Telgradian knew that his apprentice had to choose her words with great care.

“I am Remy Krystanthia, the leader of the Telgradian Council of Five.” The caramel haired woman spoke, her eyes narrowing to slits. “And I know fully of your situation. If you won’t listen to Shinsou, then listen to me.”

The contrast between the two could not have been more pronounced. Felicity was heavy-set, muscular and bandy-legged; Remy was slender and of middle age, her complexion not as ruddy as the Neanderthal’s. Felicity was only just entering womanhood, and as pale as a dying blossom, the product of too much exposure to her powers, no doubt. Felicity spoke with brash purpose and blatant challenge; yet Remy’s voice was calm and but authoritative. Even though the physical differences were telling, Remy’s power was far beyond anything even Felicity’s abilities could touch, and the Councillor knew it.

“This one is not particularly good at conveying his feelings.” Remy gestured towards Shinsou, who grimaced ever so slightly. “But I know what he is trying to do. He is nurturing you, by getting you to control your abilities, and by keeping you out of harm’s way. That’s why he hid you from Arius, and took the brunt of the punishment himself. That is why he came to Telgradia, to re-forge Enpera to try to unlock the parts of his power that stopped him from dealing with Mephisto properly. No-one in the Brotherhood was safe whilst Arius lived. So, you weren’t ignored, girl… ”

Remy inched closer, her straw sandals scraping on the stony path. Her blue eyes focused hard, and her hand remained attached to the hilt of her sword.

“You were saved. And he’s trying to save you still, from both others and yourself. Even if you can’t see that, it’s the truth. I-”

The uneven shuffle of the Telgradian on Remy’s right indicated Shinsou’s discomfort with the situation. He kept most of his attention on the Neanderthal to his fore, and Remy’s katana that remained as yet sheathed beneath a layer of malevolent blue lacquer. He recognised the subtle stance, the specific set of the feet and poise of the torso. It was defensive, as if she were expecting Felicity to explode.

“Remy, stop.”

The woman paused for a moment at Shinsou’s request, before sighing, reluctantly pulling her hand away from her own weapon within the folds of her robes. The expression on the Telgradian’s face changed as he settled to his feet, his golden eyes finally settling upon the faces of his companions, both equally shocked.

“Felicity,” Osiris now addressed his apprentice directly, “I’m sorry. Remy is correct, but that doesn’t excuse the method behind the means. I should have told you what I was doing and why. I just assumed that you would understand that what I was doing, I was doing for a reason. I see now that assumption was a mistake, one that has caused you significant distress. For this, I apologise, and I hope now you understand why what happened, happened.”

Shinsou could see the anger and frustration clouding Felicity’s vision like a fog, compounded by the effect of too much emotion. He needed to give her time and space to calm down, but he also needed to put into practice exactly what he had just preached.

“The news that Remy has brought me today is personally significant for me. There’s a lot you don’t know about me, but it boils down to this; Telgradia needs my help, and I owe them a debt. The bastards that put me in that position in the first place are planning to rain fire down on my world, and re-activate the weapon that turned me against my people. I won’t let that stand.”

“Remy,” The spellsword spoke, suddenly calm again. “Tell my father he has his general. I have a score to settle.”

The woman sighed gently as he replaced her hand out of her robes, to her side. “What of this one? She is Brotherhood, is she not?” Remy squinted through the ambient light at Felicity.

“She is Brotherhood.” Shinsou confirmed, tucking Enpera away within his white coat, and then looked at Felicity with a smile. “But this time, the choice is hers alone.”

Already emotional, already jaded, I had been rammed into with tons of new information and explanations. This Remy had a lot of nerve speaking to me in that tone, trying to tower over me as if she were above me. I was a free individual who had just lost it all. More than ever, I was unwilling to put up with any kind of crap from anybody - especially a stranger who immediately thought herself higher than me.

Yet, her words caused me to hold my sharp tongue, for now. I was given an explanation of protection and nursing. I was told that everything Shinsou had done, he had done in my best interests.

At what cost, however, had he done this? If I had been facing Arius at his side, instead of floundering until I met Leoric, would my fate have been any worse or better? My uncle had done his best to protect me, long ago. I had not nessesarrily agreed with his methods. When he had died alone after I ran away from him though, it had crushed me. Regardless of our disagreements, I had loved him; and I never took the chance to prove it before his passing.

Even as I lowered the candle more, dripping more hot wax onto the cold floor, Shinsou interrupted Remy. I turned to see him... apologize. He apologized. Just like in the letter I still had with my belongings, he apologized. As opposed to just brushing it off, however, he showed true remorse for the miscommunication and methods. Repentance. Was it all just a misunderstanding? A misjudgement of my true needs? Had I, in my raging dark emotions, misjudged as well? Should I be sorry to?

No chance to try and figure it out, however. Even more information slammed into the frame of my mind. I was told of war, the past, and favors. Then, in respect to my proclamation of selfish independence, I was given a choice. He gave me the choice, join or stay.

A struggled to maintain balance. I felt hot and pale. The candle finally slipped from my hand. As it thudded on the floor, the flame fizzled out. After so long, my anger truly was burning out. Just like before our meeting, I was feeling drained and apathetic again. I was in the side of the room bathed in darkness. My heart was in darkness. I did not have the strength to care for this war, but I cared about Shinsou Vaan Osiris. I cared for the man who was so different from me, but ultimately cared even after I had just screamed at him with unknowingly false accusations. I knew, despite everything whirlwinding in my head, that I would not give him the same treatment as my uncle. For once, I was learning from the past. For once, I had a moment of sanity in my unhinged mental state. For everything that had happened, for everything happening, I had one answer.

The past was still there, the past mattered, but for the first time I felt like I was taking a step ahead of it. For the first time, healing seemed possible. Soft tears flooded my eyes.

My mentor and the councilwoman were bathed in the light of candles and torches. From the spanning darkness of my side of the room, from the shadows of my isolation and grief, I stepped into their light. I had purpose. This purpose, I would follow to sweet victory or the icy jaws of death.

"Where you go, teacher, I go."

Judgment: Detonation

Well hello there friends. This will be my first return judgment since I have come back on staff and I’m looking forward to doing so. A few things that I always used to like to make clear: if you have any questions, concerns, or comments please feel free to message me directly (either on discord privately or via PM on the site) and I would be more than happy to discuss the judgment further. For the sake of this thread, as it is a competitive thread, I will be using the full rubric and will be splitting the commentary between the two of you in the rubric. I have selected violet for Shinsou for commentary, and will be using the color lime for Flamebird for commentary.

Also, if my judging seems a bit odd it is because I read and take notes in each category as I go (typically with notes that stated either “post” or “P” with the number of the post the comment is associated with. I do this so that it is easier to identify where my comment is coming from, also it acts like bullet points for my general commentary at the end.

Plot

Story

Shin -- 7
You told a good story and I loved that as the thread went on you continued to get more and more into the story. I think you started off a little slower with the story, but I believe that when it came to Post #11 you started to get more into it via narrative and persona that brought me a better understanding of the character and his interaction with the story.

Specifically, you comment on the ‘not thinking’ based on his teaching - all of which was accompanied with internal dialogue. I also like that you tied the end of the thread up with a neat little bow into your overall story.

Felicity -- 7
I enjoyed your narrative and how you told it in first person and contributed that to the thread throughout. Overall I thought you did a great job.

I think I would have liked a little more story or understanding into the ‘nuclear’ side of the Felicity to really get the transformation. I understood that it was coming from bleeding, and that when she lost her arm it happened all at once, but beyond that I’m not entirely sure as to the “why” or exactly “how”. If that makes sense? As a reader it was just very sudden.

Like with Shin, I believe the ending of the thread was well executed into the story and made the thread a cohesive tale, not just another battle.

Setting

General: I love that the end was actually that you weren’t in the Citadel and it was post battle… that’s great!

Shin -- 8
Your setting initially was well written and easy to image. The opening of the Citadel battle was elaborate and well described, covering a myriad of the room so that the area was understood.

During the fight itself the descriptions were good and you used a fair amount of technique that make them flow well. The only point I would add is that due to the elaborate setting it was hard to follow a little of where you were in relation to the setting at times.

Felicity -- 6
For not liking setting, I thought you did a pretty good job in your opening post explaining the setting. Also, not just creating the scene but also weaving the reasoning behind the setting into the why of its existence. It also added into the narrative in a persona way with the “resources would better be spent on the theme of a warrior’s hold instead of a five star inn”.

I’m putting this in setting, but could be in a others, but your description of the way she she looked was almost identical word-for-word back to back posts. Try and change it up just a little because it came off a little bit repetitive. It was well described, but I think you can add to it a little and just make it a little more dynamic and it would add just a little more to it.

Pacing

Shin -- 8
This is a little nit-picky on the first post, but the first paragraph was a bit awkward to read for sentence structure. It was a very short simple sentence, a very long compound, then a simple one that felt normal. It was almost like half of the second sentence should have been part of the first and it would have flowed better? Just an observation, that is all - not score impacting.

Felicity -- 6
Your opening post has a lot of simple sentences strung together that make the reader stop a lot as they read, because it feels almost like reading a telegraph. That is great for when you are writing more intense, in the moment scenes but when you are opening a story and just establishing a flow you want to make it more relaxed and ease the reader into the story.

Your post after poisoning, #6, was hard to follow. It was almost like you were trying to react to the poison, display emotions, and react to more… just too much for a single post. Maybe half of that would be appropriate, or just reacting to the poison and drawing the bow to ready an action?

Character

Communication

Shin -- 7
Your dialogue seems to fit your character well and is unique and flows well. It doesn’t come off as generic.

Post #11 had a lot of good internal dialogue that added to the persona and story well. Personally, in a battle or intense setting I don’t ever take internal dialogue against a writer because thoughts are instant and I think the amount in this post were fitting and fine.

Post #13 had a lot of external dialogue when Felicity was beginning to charge you at the end of her post that felt a little too much. I think it would have been fine to have some of that as internal, and maybe condensed the rest of the opening paragraph to pleading for her to control it? That would have flowed a bit better, without making it seem like it was jarring a bit from the attack itself.

Felicity -- 8
Your post #10 had a lot of dialogue, and in most battles it is not advised to go into a lot of chatting mid-fight. However, with this it fit very well and I thought was logical with the character and flow of the story. I also liked the internal dialogue.

My only qualm with the communication was the passive internal dialogue that comes through via narrative that was repetitive, such as saying the same thing about how the feelings for Shin were both through the narrative multiple times, as well as through your characters non-verbal communication and verbal at times.

Action

Shin -- 8
I don’t have anything specific to say that was good or bad, but the posts were on average above expectations.

Felicity -- 7
Post 6 - the poison effects and how you wrote them interacting with your character was fine - but I was lost when you suddenly woke up and you weren’t sure if it was a minute or ten minutes later and just pulled out a war bow and knocked an arrow, fired it, and then had time to get another. It just seemed like a lot in a single turn

Persona

Shin -- 7
I don’t get a lot of your characters' persona through the narrative or through expressions. I see a little more through your second post, with flashes of the narrative explaining the introverted and quiet part.

Felicity -- 9
Opening post for you was a banger of narrative that overflowed with raw emotion that befit the character and immediately made me want to see how it spilled into the battlefield. I enjoyed it.

In the poison post, #6 you lost me a little with the end of the post when you mentioned what you were aiming at stating suicide, yourself, or Shin… as I wasn’t sure as a reader, beyond Shin as your opponent and absent teacher, what the other two had to do with Felicity.

Prose

Mechanics

Shin -- 8
I noted a few little mistakes, missing a couple letters here: spelling “he” instead of “the” (post #1), or missing an “a” in a sentence (post #5)

Your second post, Post #3: “Despite the despair he could feel from her, he also felt there was still a sense of purpose about her being here” - here at the end is present tense, should be there.

Used “now” in Post #5 as present tense and “here”

Felicity -- 6
Tense agreement issues here and there, and example is in post #2 (your first): “ I only have my elbow on the wooden panes, I was wearing a comfy warm gambeson, and the cold still wafted towards me” - you said “i only have” which is present tense instead of past tense “I only had”. Additionally, there should have been a period after panes, otherwise it is a run-on sentence.

Tense agreements with “now” used twice, present tense, at the end of your second post (post #4), multiple tense agreements in every post

Some of the paragraphs can be split in half as the first half of them are not the same subject matter or aligned with the second half. There is also a couple places where there are misplaced commas. And some incomplete sentences.

Clarity

Shin -- 9
There were a couple places where the clarity of the usage of your abilities, such as the description of the “crescent wave of loose black toxin washed from the blackened shadows beneath the statue in its recessed alcove towards Felicity” (p#5) were a bit confusing and I wasn’t sure what it was supposed to be - was there a wave of black toxin from the blade attacking, or a wave of the shadows attacking?

Otherwise everything was clearly written and fine.

Felicity -- 6
In the first post, I began to have a good feeling that there was history and backstory between you and Shin and how, but not to what the extent was exactly… there was enough to go on to give me a clear connection and you wrote the character feelings through the narrative very well to create the connection. I’m a stickler for backstory though and the clarity of background story connection is my thought here.

I think it was in post #12, when you were using italics, that I started to get confused about the story and it took me a bit to catch on the back and forth with the italics being flashbacks for story - not being counted towards score, but noting as you may want to maybe put it in (quote) or (ooc) or something like that as italics is standard used for internal thoughts and it confused me. =)

Technique

Shin -- 9
Simply beautiful prose. Though, I would caution at times not to overdo it. Otherwise, after reading the entire thread I have nothing else to really add.

“His eyes gleamed from the confines of his face…” is a very awkward phrase (P#5)

Felicity -- 8
I absolutely love that you chose to write in first person. Having read some of your other stuff I really like your first person style in this - general observation.

I’m going to ignore the general observation (halfway through the thread) and just say that you used the first person narrative to tell a story and used the third person to explain the loss of control… that is a brilliant mechanism that I have to applaud as I haven’t seen it so seamlessly used on Althanas in the way that you have done so. You put the “she” in bold and it’s like you are suddenly emphasizing that this monster is now on the loose and you are just watching helplessly and for some reason as a reader I get goosebumps reading that. I LIVE FOR THAT WRITING.

I thought you had some good spots of writing technique that came through, such as in your second post (#4) where you compared the dim candles to your faded enthusiasm. A lot of that post actually was very good with technical additions.

Your reaction to the poison (P#6) was a bit confusing to read both with the way it was presented from a clarity and writing technique standpoint.

Wild Card

Shin - 7 | Felicity - 7

To be honest, my general Wild Card score for battles is going to be pretty much a default average score and I always make it the same for both people because I don’t think it should factor into the overall score.

That being said, this was a very interesting encounter between the two characters. I would love to see this fight if it had been a little more stretched out maybe when Felicity and Shin are both level 20 and can stand toe-to-toe. That will be a fun read. Until then, this was great. Thank you for the opportunity!


Score:
Shin - 78

Flambirde - 70

Rewards

Shin: 5400 Exp | 200 gold
Flamebird: 1275 exp | 100 gold

Sorry for the delay

Exp and GP rewards have been added!