Gamer Girl Goes to War

Rolling Enemies first!

Enemies:

Imperial Army Recruit x3
Imperial Army Officer x14
Imperial Guard x2

The member 'Katsumi' has done the following action : Dice Rolls

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'Monster Dice' :

Katsumi drew the whetstone down the side of her blade. A sharp sound accompanied the movement. She couldn't sharpen it anymore. Not without reducing its durability and thus decreasing its attack stat. The raven haired swordswoman smiled slowly at the thought. It had been a while since she thought in gamer terms. It felt good to think like that again. Natural. Unlike the armor, useless as it was, that clung to her body and the hard ponytail that pulled at her head. A thick headband surrounded her forehead, intended to keep sweat from her eyes. She brushed a thumb across it. Klein had worn a headband like this. He'd died in the raid against the boss of the seventy fifth floor. Her fault. If she'd only been there, maybe she could have - the gamer girl closed her eyes. No. She couldn't blame herself. Her therapist kept pushing positive thoughts, reexamining history. If she had been there, she would have died too.

162 (162 of 4000)

Enemies:

Imperial Army Recruit x3
Imperial Army Officer x14
Imperial Guard x2

Bellum soldiers were milling around waiting for the beginning of the battle. It wasn't a large group. From what Katsumi could see, they were mostly ranged DPS with a handful of tank fighters. She didn't know much on the Pergrande forces. These idiots hadn't done any proper research on them. It really irked Katsumi that they didn't do proper recon. People could die without knowledge. Her mind drifted to Argo, the information broker of LAO. That girl could get her hands on anything a player needed to know. It had actually been a little creepy at times. Katsumi stood up, the sword in her hands transforming. It became a silver hilt that the swordswoman hooked into her belt. The time was approaching. There was work to be done.

128 (290 of 4000)

Enemies:

Imperial Army Recruit x3
Imperial Army Officer x14
Imperial Guard x2

"Rune Knight! That's what they call it in your country, right Fioren?" A sneering voice called out. Katsumi let a small sigh escape her lips. It was better then the visceral reaction of her stomach. It hungered for the taste of this idiot. The approaching Bellum knight had a swagger to his step. He believed in his superior fighting skills. Since Katsumi refused to cross blades with him, he took that as a sign that he was better than her. And he took every opportunity to rub her face in that fact. Katsumi hoped not all of those from Bellum were like this troll. She'd hate to think she'd put her life on the line for that.

The gamer girl reached for every point of Charisma she had as she beamed at the knight. "Hello, Priest Westrum. How are you on this fine day? Ready to wet your blade in the blood of your enemies?" The man scoffed, buffing a gauntleted fist on his armor. Katsumi resisted rolling her eyes. That only served to scuff the armor and reduce its durability. "Of course, Recruit Akahoshi! What man doesn't wish to vanquish his enemies? Oh, and I guess women too." His sneering smile irked only a little less then his eyes raking her form. She had feelings, dammit. Even if she didn't have enough points invested in Charisma to express them correctly, she still had them. Katsumi tutted, waving a finger in his helmeted face. "Careful, Priest Westrum. 'He who desires blood bathes in it. He who lives by the sword, dies by it.'"

The swordswoman felt pleased with her little quip. The priest however, didn't find it quite as amusing. He threw his helmet on the ground. His face looked like a red potato. His bald head gleamed with sweat and a thick mustache adorned his upper lip. Katsumi had to suppress a shudder every time she saw it. She didn't think she hid her disgust very well though since Priest Westrum had begun wearing a helmet around her constantly. A gauntlet slammed into the ground at her feet. "A duel!" Westrum trilled, his voice high and reedy. "A duel for the dishonor you do me! Battle is glorious, a chance for honor and fame! Should you decline my duel, I'll be forced to eject you, since I cannot behead you as you are a guest of Bellum's Holy Council." The raven headed woman of the sword gaped at the man. How had this idiot been placed in charge of this battle force? His Intelligence must have only one point. Maybe two if she wanted to be generous. Which she did not.

Katsumi sighed, seeing no escape from the challenge this time. The battle was too near at hand. She either accepted or was sent back to Fiore. A silver handle was pulled from her belt. The swordswoman sank into the Arashi style: Resting Thunder stance. The handle rested in the palm of her left hand held at her side. Her body was lifted on the balls of her feet. Only her right hand moved, drifting softly from side to side. Priest Westrum grunted as he unlimbered his sword. The forming crowd was already taking bets. "On your mark, Priest Westrum" Katsumi said coldly. This man was undermining his own ability to lead. His Leadership skill would take a huge debuff from this fight. That would effect morale in the upcoming battle. More would die for this man's foolish sense of honor.

"Go!" Someone shouted. The combatants moved. Katsumi flowed from Resting Thunder into Striking Lightning. From there came Rising Wind followed swiftly by Chaotic Tornado. Katsumi slipped from the last strike of Chaotic Tornado into Kennonai Style: Descending Moon. Priest Westrum's knees struck the ground. His flailing sword had only completed one stroke. Katsumi's handle had touched his armor a total of twenty times. The swordswoman sniffed, shoving her handle back onto her belt. "The difference between us is astounding." She said simply. "You proclaim to be a master swordsman. Yet, I've driven you to your knees with nothing but a handle and fifteen seconds. Tell me, Priest Westrum, is this what passes for a master swordsman in Bellum? If so, I fear for our encounter with Pergrande's forces." The gamer girl sneered for effect. This wasn't a good use of her skills and her poor Charisma was about to botch this situation even more.

Katsumi's uniform whipped around her legs as she turned. Someone shouted a warning. Katsumi's scythe touched the back of Priest Westrum's neck. "Don't" She said, a warning in her voice. She could practically see him, arms raised, body quivering with either rage or exhaustion. This man had been a poor choice for a leader. A touch of fear entered her heart. How much work would she have to do to balance the scales this one bent in Pergrande's favor? Could she even balance those scales or would more die from her lack of skill? Katsumi looked over her shoulder. "A real master doesn't brag or boast of skill. They exude wisdom and teach through action. I developed my sword styles, Priest Westrum, since I was five. I don't consider myself a master. Yet I know, I can finish you with relative ease. You've lost any respect from your men due to this pitiful display and spiteful challenge. I shudder what Pergrande might do with them should you alone lead them." The swordswoman let her scythe return to its silver handle form. Then she stalked away before her carnivorous desires consumed both her and this idiotic man.

932 (1222 of 4000)

Enemies:

Imperial Army Recruit x3
Imperial Army Officer x14
Imperial Guard x2

Katsumi scowled as she stalked toward the edge of town. The Bellum soldiers looked toward her with a mixture of admiration and disgust. They'd known Priest Westrum was an idiot. They hadn't needed a display of it. Her humiliation of their leader reflected back on them. The swordswoman did feel a tinge of regret. However, more overpowering was the need for flesh. Her teeth had sharpened with her agitation. Her cursed Lacrima pulsed as a second heartbeat within her chest. The feeling of darkness spread through her veins, threatening to take her over.

A low horn blast echoed over the nearby hills. Katsumi's head snapped up. All thoughts save one cleared from her thoughts. It's time. The scouts had spotted the Pergrande forces. She pulled her weapons forth. One transformed into her sword, the other into a staff that crackled with magic. Gunfire erupted from each edge of the camp. The scouts had noticed only one group. Screams filled the air. Katsumi froze remembering similar screams. She could almost see the pixels as people died around her. She'd let them die.

A Bellum mage fell, blood streaming from multiple wounds. Katsumi knew she was dead before the Rune Knight reached the body. "Not again. Not again. I'm stronger this time. I've prepared for this!" The swordswoman raised her head. She could see the enemy. A strong desire to grip the tainted power of the lacrima ran through Katsumi briefly. She could consume them. Eat their strength and added it to her own. It took her immense willpower to push the desire back. She aimed her staff at the small squad of three. "System Call. Generate Elements: Luminous, Aerial, Metallic. Unleash Secret Art: Noble Phantasm. Gate of Babylon. Discharge." Golden gates formed behind the Swordswoman. Spears, swords, tridents and other assortments of weapons shot toward the squad. Katsumi moved, falling in behind the attack.

The weapons concentrated on two of the squad members. Their bodies were impaled upon a miss mash of weapons that held them off the ground. The last one peered at her squad mates in terror. A sword stuck from her stomach. Katsumi slid through her forms as she came in range of the woman. Arashi Style: Gentle Rain, into Kennonai Style: Rising Gibbous Moon. Katsumi stepped past the Pergrande soldier. Reversing her blade, the gamer girl whispered "I'm sorry" Tears gathered in her eyes. The well of emotions didn't stop her from slamming the blade backwards. The woman coughed violently. "Mage scum! I won't die from-" Katsumi swung her weapon, beheading the opponent.

Katsumi shuddered as blood pooled around her feet. The camp was in chaos. Pergrande had launched their ambush well. A little too well. The detective in her wanted to know if there was an inside man. The attack had been launched precisely when morale was at its lowest. Everywhere she looked, Katsumi could see Bellum soldiers surrendering or fleeing out right. She hadn't played many RTS games but she knew this was bad. Watching fellow soldiers flee caused a cascade effect. It wouldn't be long before Pergrande had won. She was reminded of several Boss battles in LAO. Moments when all seemed lost and they needed a leader to guide them.

A large group of Pergrande soldiers was moving through the camp. Katsumi figured they'd be the best place to start. Time to spin two spells into one. Nothing she had could hit every soldier in that group so she aimed to break them up. Hopefully that would bring a little stability to the Bellum morale. Katsumi took a deep breathe and started running forward. "System Call. Generate Luminous Element. Invoke Heaven Piercing sword. Enhance Armament. Generate Elements: Luminous, Aerial, Thermal. Unlock Secret Art. Noble Phantasm: Blasted Tree. Discharge." Her staff unleashed red code that wrapped around the shaft. It moved toward the tip. A second stream of code, this one blue, moved in unison. As they reached the top, her code altered the world.

A beam of light pierced one of the soldiers. Lightning crashed from the sky into the group. As they reeled from the attacks, Katsumi slipped among them. Kennonai Style: Blood Moon slid into Kennonai Style: Lunar Eclipse. Her blade struck home several times. The swordswoman felt the difference this time. Her blade was being turned aside, if only slightly, by their armor. Katsumi spun, lashing out with her foot. It caught a soldier in the face. She swept her blade low in Kennonai Style: Falling Moon. Even if she couldn't take them out all at once, she could aim to disable them. "Fire, Fire!" One of the Pergrande soldiers was calling frantically. Good, she'd rattled them. It took her a moment to process what the man was actually saying. Her eyes widened.

Katsumi's body reacted before her mind did. Her blade glowed and her body blurred as bullets ripped into that space. She reappeared behind the group that had fired. A group of three. Their attack had torn through their fellows. It made the Rune Knight sick. She stepped forward and performed Arashi Style: Thunderstrike. Arashi Style: Acid Rain followed it and transformed into Arashi Style: Gale Winds. Her blade parted flesh. Blood touched her nostrils. Without meaning to, Katsumi inhaled. Her slayer magic reacted. Blood, muscle and bone disappeared into her mouth. The men she'd attacked screamed. Each limb she'd cut into had been separated from their bodies and eaten.

The Rune Knight felt sick. She reached for a lesson she'd always used subconsciously: the void. The void was a place of skill only. No emotion flowed there, no magic touched its sanctity. It was a place only for logical thought and body movement. Katsumi needed it now to stay calm. She could freak about what had just happened later. Her sword flashed cutting short the lives of the screaming men. Her void wavered as she observed their missing limbs. Was that what she would become? A ravenous monster caring little for where it got its meat? She hoped not. Otherwise she'd turn herself in.

1007 (2229 of 4000)

Enemies:

Imperial Army Recruit
Imperial Army Officer x14/10
Imperial Guard x2

As Katsumi turned, she noticed the Pergrande soldiers turning her way. Looked like her Stealth check had failed. She pointed her staff at the leader. Light smashed through his chest. Katsumi ran on the heels of the spell. The staff rained lightning down upon the heads of another group of Pergrande soldiers. They had cornered a few Bellum combatants to torture. The lightning might shake that attitude up a bit. She reached her first group. Her sword flashed in Arashi Style: Lightning Strike. A knee smashed into her target's stomach in Kennonai Style: Rising Moon. He died with a simple swipe. The swordswoman frowned at her exertion. These soldiers were taking longer to kill than normal. Perhaps their armor?

Without time to think much, Katsumi whipped her sword out. It was too late. Bullets slammed into her side. The pain disrupted the void as well as her sword move. Katsumi couldn't hold out against the corruption. Black tendrils slammed into her mind. Her back arched, nearly bending in half. Her sword and staff clattered to the ground. Each snapped back into their silver handle form. Skeletal wings erupted from Katsumi's back. Her head flipped up, her lips pulled back over pointed teeth. As the Pergrande officers unleashed another hail of bullets, bony protrusions grew over Katsumi. They absorbed the bullets and the metal fell to the ground. Claws poked through the ends of her fingers.

"AAAAAHHHHH!!!" She screamed. A column of blood and bone erupted from her mouth. It tore into the soldiers. Each screamed, only to have blood flood into their mouths. The bone shards ripped through their throats. Katsumi jumped, abnormally high, to land on the first soldier. Her teeth sank into his neck. A jerk ripped a bloody chunk of flesh free. As the Rune Knight chewed the treat, she leapt towards the second one. Bone claws diced the soldier as he choked on blood. The corruption flowed through Katsumi, forcing black veins to the surface of her skin. Katsumi threw back her head and screamed her victory toward the sky.

The Rat tat tat of gun fire drew the monster's attention. She scrambled across the ground toward the noise. Her progress was slow. Her body hunched over, using her hands and feet as if she was a quadruped. The monster sniffed the air. Her nose picked up the delectable scents of blood. Adrenaline surged through her body. Near. It was near. Her Precious. The monster pushed up, her body blurring as speed overtook her. Another group of soldiers in uniform. They were firing into a crowd of robed people. Something niggled in the monster's mind. No robes. Only uniforms. She leaped slamming into the back of a soldier. Her claws parted the sweet meat of her prey. His body jerked. The monster slammed her claws in again and again. The soldier's head nearly fell off when the monster finished. The other soldiers were screaming at her. She grinned at them. Her wings flashed. The bones pierced through each soldier. One tried to dodge at the last moment. Her bony weapon flew through her shoulder instead. The monster laughed, amused at the prey's useless struggling. Her wings dragged them close. The monster disemboweled the first soldier. She cried as her life bled out onto the ground. The second screamed loudly. It seemed these two prey knew each other. The monster laughed as she sank her teeth into the female's throat. The hunger was sated.

Katsumi came to with her teeth sunk into a woman's throat. The swordswoman was drenched in blood. Weird bony protrusions stuck out all over her body. A pair of skeletal wings protruded from her back. The swordswoman sat back and screamed.

618 (2827 of 4000)

Enemies:

Imperial Army Recruit
Imperial Army Officer x14/4
Imperial Guard x2

Katsumi kept flashing between fear, sadness and rage. Tears streaked her ruddy cheeks as she stalked toward the last of the Pergrande soldiers. Two standing with this group wielded swords. Katsumi barely noticed. She'd collected her weapons and pointed the staff at the group. Lightning crashed into them. Something bubbled up from the Rune Knight's throat. A swirling column of blood and bone shards slammed into them next. Katsumi followed that up with a beam of light. Rage currently gripped her. She bellowed in rage. The soldiers hadn't fallen. Four looked ready to fall. The last two were already charging her. Katsumi spit to the side and readied her weapons.

The first attack came from behind. The sword wielders could blink. Katsumi crouched as her sadness overwhelmed her. A blade nearly shaved the back of her head. Tears streaming down her face, the swordswoman deflected an attack from the front with her staff. The deflection was more muscle memory than Katsumi actually defending herself. The bony protrusions all over her body took the brunt of the second attack. The Rune Knight couldn't bring herself to care. She'd eaten people! Not willingly and her stomach refused to rebel. She wouldn't make herself throw it up either. Too many bad memories down that way. Katsumi bared her neck, waiting for the end to come. Water streamed from her eyes. How could she live with this atrocity?

"No!" Bellum soldiers shouted leaping into the fray. The blow Katsumi awaited never came. The Pergrande soldier was hit by several lightning bolts. The force of the magic flung the woman into the air. A similar phenomena hit the second sword wielder as well. The Rune Knight stared through water filled eyes. Why? Why had they saved an abomination like her? She'd eaten people. The Rune Knight watched the desperate fighting with a despondent look. The Bellum soldiers still lacked the morale and the Pergrande soldiers were only close to breaking, not quite broken. The attack had been nothing good for the Bellum side. Katsumi thought once again, Why?

The specter of memory touched a pale hand to Katsumi's shoulder. She remembered people throwing themselves in front of attacks. Armor being rent by powerful blows. Pieces of LAO she'd buried deep within her mind. Moments where others had died in her place. It stirred the flames within her heart. Katsumi remembered the words she'd carved into her heart. The reason she'd finally left her room and moved to join the Rune Knights. Her grip tightened on her sword. No one else would die for her. Not without fighting by her side.

The sword in her hand glowed with power. Code moved over the blade. In an instance, Katsumi stood among the four Pergrande soldiers. Kennonai Style: Touch of Moon Light slid the blade into each body. She moved into Arashi Style: Lightning Rages. The blade touched them all again. Their blood sprayed the ground. The Rune Knight stepped away from the four. Her wrist snapped, flicking the liquid from her blade. Behind her the four soldiers fell. Their bodies, burnt from her earlier attacks, now bore the signs of a weapon. Wounds nicked the entire surface of their bodies. The Bellum soldiers breathed in relief or cheered as Katsumi walked away.

The sword wielding Pergrande soldiers were cutting a swath through another group of Bellum fighters. Bodies littered the ground around them. Katsumi moved toward them with purpose. Her mana lay nearly empty. This would be a test of steel. Nothing more. "Hey! Taunt!" She shouted, accidentally slipping into gamer speech. It didn't seem to matter much. The Pergrande swordsman turned toward her. The swordswoman continued to cut down Katsumi's allies. "Stupid broken ability" Katsumi muttered to herself. She sank down as the swordsman approached. She could complain about broken abilities later.  

Katsumi focused primarily on defense first. Arashi Style: Gentle Breeze into Arashi Style: Hurricane Winds into Arashi Style: Tornado's Ballad into Arashi Style: Gentle Breeze once more. Her blades whirled before her in a pattern that defied every attempt to attack. She threw in a Kennonai Style: Shattered Moon to test her opponent's defenses. He countered with an attack that nicked her cheek. They were at a standstill. Or so Katsumi thought. The swordsman grinned maliciously before vanishing. The tip of a sword slammed into Katsumi's back. She stumbled forward. Whipping around, she lashed out with Kennonai Style: Blood Moon. The swordsman yawned as he deflected it.

A master swordsman then. Or perhaps, one that believed as such. He wielded a sword much larger than hers within one hand. Each blow he landed against her blade felt like a hammer blow. Katsumi reached deep into her Repertoire. She needed to use a counterattack, debuff move that would bring him to his knees in one hit. A move she absolutely hated to use. Katsumi redirected one more stroke of her opponent's blade. Then she left herself completely open. When the swordsman took the bait, triumph in his eyes, Katsumi launched Kennonai Style: Laughing Coffin Moon. Her sword scrapped down the blade of her opponent. The blade touched her cheek as she moved her head. Then her blade flicked as she stepped past the man. She held the pose for a moment. A dull thud sounded behind her.  The Rune Knight turned. The man lay facedown in a pool of blood. The gamer girl shuddered as she turned toward the last remaining Pergrande fighter in the area.

Katsumi drew a deep breath. "Hey!" She shouted. The woman looked over contemptuously. The Rune Knight gestured to the man with the tip of her sword. The Pergrandian's eyes widened as she beheld her fallen brethren. A scream ripped its way from her throat. They had been close then. Katsumi might have guessed as much with the way they fought together. The swordswoman charged Katsumi. Raven hair blew in the light breeze as Katsumi sank into a stance. Their blades clashed together. The reverberating sound spoke of Destiny and Fate. The Rune Knight grinned mirthlessly, a tight smile of grim determination. It was answered with the thinning of lips. Only one would walk away from this fight.

Katsumi let the song of battle and the void of skill overtake her. The music moved through both combatants. They came together once, twice and again. Their blades sang with deadly intent. Even as they fought ferociously, blades clashing against one another, they came away with only nicks. No serious injury could be done. Katsumi recognized the battle as one of endurance. Her body still suffered from the side effects of years within LAO. She would have to break the stalemate before her stamina ran out. Already her arms shook from the effort of all the fighting. Katsumi debated using her staff. Whether as a magic tool or casting spells, it might give her just the edge she needed.

"System Call. Generate Umbral Element. Invoke Night Sky Sword. Release Recollection." She chanted, never breaking the rhythm of battle. Her opponent's eyes widened. The head of the staff erupted with grasping shadows before a thick beam slammed into the swordswoman. Katsumi moved then. Arashi Style: Hurricane Blade into Arashi Style: Gentle Rain into Arashi Style: Tornado's End to be finished with Kennonai Style: Blue Moon. Katsumi pulled her weapon from the body of her opponent. The woman fell silently. Katsumi saluted the swordswoman with her blade. Then she turned to give the same respect to the swordsman.

The Rune Knight stashed her weapons. Glancing around all she saw was chaos. So this was war. She wiped the back of her hand across her mouth. This was not for her. The stress already broke her and this had been a minor skirmish. If her Field Marshal sent her out again, Katsumi would go but the Rune Knight would never volunteer for war. Never again.

1310 (4137 of 4000)

Enemies:

Imperial Army Recruit
Imperial Army Officer
Imperial Guard