Arc I Side Story 1: Investigate the Suspicious Activity

Round Seven start!
Initiative order
Kigo (19)
Nero (11)
Jinkouman (8)
Arashi (7)

Stat Block (Lv. / HP / KP / ... / AP)
-----------
Arashi (Lv. 3 / 93 HP / 135 KP / 0 AP)
Nero (Lv. 2 / 84 HP / 53 CP / 2 AP)
Kigo (Lv. 2 / 41 HP / 13 KP / 0 AP) [Prone]
Jinkouman (Lv. 2 / 48 HP / 33 KP / 3 AP)
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Kigo's turn!

Having been knocked flat on his rear end, Kigo wheezed in and out as a dull pain radiated through his chest. “Agh...ow, ow, that smarts...” the human raggedly blurted out, lifting himself up. “Both of those things kept pushing to the very end... I've got to give them credit for that.” He choked and sputtered, spitting out a bit of bloody phlegm. “Must have gotten to my lungs with that last charge,” Kigo reasoned.

While his breathing began to ease, Kigo looked up, reassessing the situation. Nero had just defeated the Big Sentry, while Arashi was engaging with the Jinkouman. He could only observe as Arashi tried to no avail to attack the creature, which moved fairly well in avoiding his blows. The burning sensation in his body faded, leaving Kigo able to comfortably stand.
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Kigo arises from being knocked prone!
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Nero's turn!

Arashi was struggling against the saibaman, this much was clear. this needed to end, fast.

"HEY!" Nero called. The saibaman briefly turned its attention away from Arashi, long enough to see Nero kick off the ground into a full sprint.

Nero moved with surprising speed. and though the Saibaman tried to weave out of the way, it was no use as a haymaker cracked it across the side of the face. this was the first of many. as nero continued to hammer the saibaman with blow after blow.

briefly relenting, Nero allowed the saibaman to leap back from Nero's assault. only to immediately feel it's insides twist as Nero Hammered into its gut. the impact sending it flying into a nearby rock.


Nero Punches the jinkouman, its a hit!! 11 damage!! Nero burns an AP to attempt another punch!! another hit!! 8 damage!!



Jinkouman's Turn!!

The Jinkouman, despite its relatively small stature and lack of power, coughed a little before climbing out of the rock. It soon sighted Nero, murder in its eyes as it quickly hopped backwards before bounding off the rocks and opening its own head yet again, as a noxious burst of acid came forth from its head once again. Once again, its intended target hopped out of the way, leaving the acid to hit the ground and burn uselessly. Nero looked up, seeing the Jinkouman falling on him aiming to split the aritifical skin on his face wide open--

Only to once again head through thin air as the attack missed.

Jinkouman uses Acid Spray (KP 33 -> 17) on Nero, but misses! It burns
an AP to try to attack again (AP 3 -> 2), but misses on that attack as well!

Arashi started to charge up another wave of power through his fist. This time he intended to hit his mark dead center. Sadly he lost focus and the energy surrounding his hand fizzled out like a dying flame.
“Dang it!”
Arashi attempts a charged punch but fails Manipulation check.

Round Eight start!
-------------------------
Initiative order
Kigo (19)
Nero (11)
Jinkouman (8)
Arashi (7)

Stat Block (Lv. / HP / KP / ... / AP)
-----------
Arashi (Lv. 3 / 93 HP / 135 KP / 0 AP)
Nero (Lv. 2 / 84 HP / 53 CP / 1 AP)
Kigo (Lv. 2 / 41 HP / 13 KP / 0 AP)
Jinkouman (Lv. 2 / 29 HP / 17 KP / 2 AP)
-------------------------
Kigo's turn!

The Jinkouman was briefly distracted, confused with Arashi's failed maneuver. It tilted its head in inquiry, wondering what that display was about. It didn't have much time to think on it (if it thought at all) before Kigo smashed into it with a punch, and elbowed it away. It soared away, but somersaulted and dug its claws into the ground upon landing.
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Kigo elbows the Jinkouman, inflicting 11 damage! (Jinkouman HP 28 → 17)
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“Wrrryyyy.......” The Jinkouman hissed at Kigo, eyes brimming with hostility. The human took up a stance, watching its movements carefully. Arashi waved off his hand, resuming his default position, with Nero readying his next move.

“Won't stay down, huh...?” Kigo muttered. Until now, he never would have believed that he would have faced off with such creatures. His time navigating through the wild South American jungles, trudging through the scorching Middle Eastern deserts, and climbing up the towering mountain ranges of Northern Asia didn't even hold a candlelight to the battle that he was waging with this tiny creature.
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Nero's turn!

Nero, carefully calculating his next move, began to leap forward, swinging down at the screeching creature. However, his punch missed, hitting the ground where the Jinkouman had been moments ago. The Jinkouman stopped, its wary eyes falling on Kigo...

Nero attacks Jinkouman, but misses! Jinkouman's turn!

Its attention directed toward Kigo now, the creature screeched as it charged the human. Not wanting to wait around and see what it did, Kigo sidestepped out of its charge. It sneered as it pivoted its head toward him, which cracked wide open. “What th--” a surprised Kigo tried to get out. He didn't have time to finish his exclamation as a boiling liquid spewed out from the cavity that had just opened up in its head, forcing Kigo to push off further to the side. The Jinkouman's secretions spilled out all over in the ground, forming a straight twenty foot crevice in front of it.

“Regh?!” The creature gasped in shock; clearly it had not anticipated Kigo dodging its nifty (if not absolutely disgusting) trick.
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The Jinkouman uses Acid Spray, aiming towards Kigo! Kigo dodges!
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The dirt bubbled and sizzled as Kigo's eyes fixated on where the acid had fallen. The acid kept eating at the ground, even as he couldn't see the bottom of the pit any more. Shivers crawled down his spine, while images of his own flesh boiling under the intensity of its attack flashed in his mind. He had to shrug his trepidation aside and placed his mind firmly on the enemy.

Similarly, it was also maintaining focus on him, searching for another opening to attack from. Oddly enough, being faced with this little creature, he felt more like a predator fighting another predator in a territorial battle. He swallowed this thought, waiting for its next move. His patience paid off as within the minute it bounded toward him again, executing a simple flip and leading out with its right foot.

Kigo only had a split second to react, and he sharply inhaled...
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The Jinkouman burns an AP to attack Kigo again! Kigo critically dodges its critical hit, leading into a roll-off! Kigo wins the roll-off, and gets a free counter in the process!
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His eyes clenched open, zeroing in on the plant-creature's weak spot immediately. Placing a guard up to his right, he threw out a left hook, aiming to counter the creature's kick. He could feel bits of the thing's skin shear off from his fist sliding onto its leg. Just as it seemed the kick would reach him first, he ducked to his right, and pushed off with his toes to give him the much needed momentum to force his counter-punch through.

“Eat this!” Kigo yelled out as his punch drove into the creature's open jaw. Its body went limp against his fist, struggling to cry out in pain. His arm only straightened, completely redirecting the Jinkouman's trajectory into his own. Within moments, it went soaring backward, flipping and spinning wildly as it screeched in pain and confusion. Blood streaked from its face where Kigo had punched him, making a spectacular water show with red streams.
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Kigo counter-punches the Jinkouman, dealing 12 damage! (Jinkouman HP 18 → 6)
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Arashi's turn!

Arashi saw the battered and bruised creature soaring through the air. That punch Kigo drove into its jaw was so vicious Arashi could have sworn he felt it. It was so strong in the fact that the Jinkoman was headed straight towards Arashi's current position. The boxer quickly took notice of the opportunity and made great haste straight ahead! He kept picking up momentum as he inched closer to the descending Jinkoman. Arashi cocked his right arm back seconds before slamming his left foot into the ground and skidding on the dirt! Once the yellow devil was within range Arashi’s fist bashed right into the creatures face with alarming force! In fact, the punch did not stop at the face but continued straight through until the Saiyan's punch ripped straight through the creature's body and sending all of its remaining parts flopping on to the ground behind him motionless.

Arashi used Punch and scored a critical hit dealing 46 damage! (Jinkoman HP 6>0)

Arashi stood there seemingly panting repeatedly as if trying to catch his breath. However that wasn't exactly the real issue at hand.
“Ok . . .ok . . getting better at th-”
Arashi looked himself over for a moment and soon realized what he had done. The creatures blood was splattered all over his hoodie,shorts, and worse his face.
“GGGAAAHHH!!! It's all over me!”

Despite Arashi's misgivings about the goop all over him, the group continued their business without further interruptions. Surprisingly, no one else came to investigate the disturbance in that area. The group took a few minutes to proceed forward, Nero and Arashi turning up nothing as they searched, but Kigo managed to find something interesting in one of the tents that hadn't been ruined yet in the area.

What an important thing it was that Kigo found: a document which had the map of the area. It took Nero no time to discern that in the southeast zone--south of their current position, the hostages were being held, and they were likely to be there. However, there was no further information on why the teachers had chosen to do as much as they had to the area...

That bit of information found, the group considered their options. With much struggle, the group managed to extricate a few intact cores, though there was a bit of struggle involved--the cores they did manage to retrieve were still pretty banged up, and weren't as likely to give off a powerful "bang"...

Taking stock of their condition after fighting through three zones without rest, the group opted to hide out in the undamaged tent and take a short breather. In the process...Nero seemed to consume those golden rings he had found earlier, restoring what little wisps of his mysterious energy he hadn't already done yet...
-----------------
"...I see..."

"Yes... This is without a doubt what the E.L.A. needs to move ahead."

"If only that traitor hadn't turned on us...!"

"The past is the past. Let her side with the wrong side. She'll learn the error of her ways soon enough. We're going to need a little more time, but personally, I have no doubt that this jewel is the one we need..."
-------------------------
Kigo, Nero, and Arashi take a break to recover themselves! They recover 15% of their HP, KP, and 2 AP!
Mission Resume!

Current Stats:
Stat Block (Lv. / HP / KP / ... / AP)
-----------
Arashi (Lv. 3 / 109 HP / 138 KP / 2 AP)
Nero (Lv. 2 / 86 HP / 66 CP / 3 AP)
Kigo (Lv. 2 / 54 HP / 24 KP / 2 AP)

The three combatants started to prep for their next move having rested from their previous confrontation. Arashi had not received many injuries and was more than ready to continue their advance. Nero was also in high spirits, at least for an Android. The only member who had not recovered enough from the break was Kigo. Though the young Warrior had been performing exceptionally well during this mission, he had collected a noticeable amount of damage along the way. Kigo was indeed a formidable superhuman but at the end of the day he was still just that, human.

As both Arashi and Kigo performed routine stretches before they head out the Saiyan had finally noticed the damage his ally had accumulated over the course of their stay. The boxer gave his stretching a rest to approached Kigo and looked him over.
"You all right Kigo? You put in a lot of work back there."

"Oh I'll be just fine. This could've easily been far worse. I'm a tad concerned about you though" Kigo pointed towards Arashi bare chest.
"Are you sure burning your hoodie and shirt was necessary" Kigo asked. Arashi simply responded with a stern "Yes".
Kigo decided it best not to push any further. As soon as the Saiyan returned to his cardio Kigo grabbed a bottle of Gatorade as well as a can of rations from his backpack. As if it weren't steal at all Kigo stuck his finger into the top of the container then proceeded to peel off the top like a Band-Aid. He rasised the can over his head;he then aligned his head properly and opened his mouth. Down came pouring out a bunch of beans right into his mouth. He consumed the beans and washed it down with the Gatorade. His team had rested long enough and taking his time with a snack wasn't a luxury they needed at the moment.

Kigo eats some rations and drinks his Gatorade! Kigo (HP 54 > 71 & KP 24>39)

"Alright now that we have an idea of where the hostages are and I believe that should be our next Target" Kigo proposed.
Both Nero and Arashi nodded in agreement. With their plan of action devised they sprinted towards their next objective.

As they drew closer to the zone, the group slowed down, trying to sneak. However, the enemy had seemingly grown wise to them, much more alert. A green, yellow, and black Saibaman all looked around, but it was the big sentry that beeped out, lifting one hand and pointing at the quickly approaching Kigo, Nero, and Arashi.

"Intruders!" it droned, preparing to attack.

The Saibamen and Big Sentry all rushed forward.

"No avoiding this fight..." Kigo grumbled, just as a small choir of voices raised up in alarm...

The intel was right...the hostages were here!
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Engage Battle!
Round one, start!

Initiative Order
---------------------
Nero (11)
Arashi (7)
Saibaman (7)
Big Sentry A (4)
Kigo (3)
Caiwareman (3)
Copyman (3)

Stat Block (Lv. / HP / KP / ... / AP)
-----------
Arashi (Lv. 3 / 109 HP / 138 KP / 2 AP)
Nero (Lv. 2 / 86 HP / 66 CP / 3 AP)
Kigo (Lv. 2 / 71 HP / 39 KP / 2 AP)
Big Sentry A (Lv. 2 / 94 HP / 99 KP / 3 AP)
Caiwareman (Lv. 1 / 28 HP / 29 KP / 3 AP)
Saibaman (Lv. 1 / 32 HP / 28 KP / 3 AP)
Copyman (Lv. 1 / 42 HP / 23 KP / 2 AP)

Nero took a moment to assess the situation. Currently they were clearly outnumbered,but lucky for them they weren't out matched. However accompanying the saibamen was that yet another large android. Nero thought back to his confrontations with this model and knew what had to be done. That mechanical monstrosity had to be removed from the equation posthaste!
"Arashi. It's best we remove the greater threat first. I'll require your assistance for the task."


"No problem!" Arashi turned back to Kigo with a confident smile and lifting up one finger.
"We'll be right back"
They both raced straight ahead at alarming speeds with Nero leading the charge! The Caiwareman,Copyman, and Saibaman however had no plans of letting them get by that easily. The Saibamen and Copyman got on all fours and pushed off the ground to attempt a united pounce on Nero! However to the surprise the Android moved far faster than they anticipated and slip past them with seemingly no effort. The Caiwareman that decided to go after the Saiyan was met with equally disappointing results as it was slapped away without a second thought.


The Big Centry soon realized that it was the target and attempted to put up its guard but was met with two high speed jump kicks straight to the face!

Nero initiates a tag team kick! It hits dealing 29 damage!
(Big Sentry A HP 94>65)

The bulky Android was down but it was far from out. It rolled on it's back onto its feet as if nothing happens.
"As I thought. This will require more significant damage"

"In that case you hit him high! I'll hit him low!" The Boxer didn't wait for another order, he knew these models could take a beating but besides that they weren't anything special. This time the Centry was more than ready. It stubbornly stood his ground and threw a heavy right Punch straight at Arashi!
Right at the last seconds the boy ducked his head right on time. Having gotten past the offensive he ended up right in front his target's chest. "Gotcha" said the Boxer as a heavy knee slammed straight into the robot's chest,denting it in the process. The machine was forced several feet back but remained standing. Only to be brought down by a falling heel kick to the head by Nero! The Centry's head was slammed into the ground as its feet flopped up then down. Sparks begin to fly from the dense it had received. The machine was still still functioning but that wasn't saying much.

Nero initiates a tag team kick at the cost of 2 AP! It hits dealing 31 damage!
(Big Sentry A HP 65>34) (Arashi AP 2>1) (Nero AP 3>2)


The big Centry slowy but surely got back up. Only this time it's two assailants were nowhere to be seen. That is from the Android's point of view at least. The relentless pair came crashing into the robots back with a destructive round house kick and breaking it back! The combined Force caused more parts to fly off and smoking to be emitted from the cracks in the metal bear's chest.


Nero initiates a tag team kick at the cost of 2 AP! It hits dealing 28 damage!
(Big Sentry A HP 34>6) (Arashi AP 1>0) (Nero AP 2>1)

The machine laid on the lush green grass with it's chest and back brutally pulverized. It struggled to return to its feet but Nero wasn't having it. The Android leaped high into the air and clenched his fist. After picking up speed from the fall Nero and his fist came crashing down onto the enemy robot's head. The Centry ceased it's and with confirmation of its defeat Nero ripped out his hand.
"Excellent. With this task completed we shouldn't have much trouble with the rest"

Nero payed 1 AP to use punch and hits! Dealing 9 damaged! Big Sentry A is defeated!
(Big Sentry A HP 6>0) (Nero AP 1>0)

The three Saibamen collectively screeched in surprise as the Android and half-Saiyan worked together to utterly decimate their much larger compatriot. The hostages let out cries of terror and confusion as they heard the loud machine thud to the ground, completely confused about the whole deal. However, it wasn’t their battlefield. It was those with powers, and that included the little green man that leapt at Arashi in an attempt to cut his face off with its monstrous claws.

The attempt failed, Arashi easily leaping out of the way.

Saibaman attacks Arashi with a claw attack, but misses!
Kigo’s turn!

“Hey, watch the face, it's all I've got goin' for me!” a cocky Arashi taunted as the Saibaman touched down on the ground. “Can't say the same for yours when I get done with ya,” the Saiyan followed up. The Saibaman only sneered in response, circling him. After a brief moment, Arashi belted out, "Actually, scratch that, you're pretty ugly-looking, anyway."

"Scree!" the Saibaman scowled, seemingly aggravated by Arashi's taunts.

Kigo was nothing short of blown away by how Nero and Arashi had manhandled the Big Sentry in only a matter of seconds. Though he knew that they were capable of much more, he could tell that defeating the droid took a wallop out of them, and moved to help them in cleaning up the rest of the enemy. He opted to go for the green plant man that had just tried mauling Arashi's face clean off.

“Forget about me!?” Kigo yelled out, startling the Saibaman. “Cree--!??” A side kick muffled its shriek of surprise, sending it tumbling down to the ground.
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Kigo attacks the Saibaman with a kick, dealing 13 damage! (Saibaman HP 32 → 19)
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The fearful screams that had shrilled at the beginning of the fight now devolved into cries of confusion and debate. Kigo could pick out bits of the conversation, which sounded like an argument over whether or not someone had come to rescue them. Determined to not let those hopeful few down, Kigo launched himself from his kick and connected with a left elbow to the Saibaman's face.

The poor plant man was given no chance to recover, and was sent soaring from Kigo's second strike. He bore down on the Saibaman's path, aiming to finish it off with this last blow...
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Kigo spends an AP to attack the Saibaman with an elbow, inflicting an additional 11 damage! (Kigo AP 2 → 1) (Saibaman HP 19 → 8 )
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...but as always, his enemy's resilience and reflexes proved more than what he expected. Just before he could bring his leg down for an axe kick, the Saibaman ducked under, digging its claws into the ground. This cunning maneuver caused Kigo to mistime his attack, which hit nothing but dirt.

As he bent over from the momentum, he saw the Saibaman's cranium creaking open. Recalling what happened the last time that happened, he used his standing leg to push off from the ground, getting out a strangled “Nope!”

The hole Kigo's foot left was flooded with acid, and within moments there was hardly any trace of it left. Thoughts of the flesh boiling and melting off his own bones made his throat tight, and he tried to swallow those images down.
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Kigo burns off his last AP to finish the job, but misses! (Kigo AP 1 → 0)
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The human somersaulted, landing a safe distance away from the Saibaman. Sweat beaded on his forehead, serving as a chilling reminder that any wrong move could cost him an arm or a leg, literally. Most people would have gone stock-still with fear after that display of ferocity and cunning, but Kigo refused to give in, and erased any self-doubts in his mind.

His team had been tasked with rescuing these people, and the objectives were just within their reach, crying out for them. He clenched his fists as he tightened his guard. Unfortunately, he was so preoccupied that he didn't take notice of what the other two plant creatures were plotting....
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Caiwareman's turn!

Kigo had all but let his guard down, and the other two plant creatures moved to take advantage. In a language that only plant people could understand, the two communicated their strategy to one another. And it was decided…

That they would kick him really hard, together. With a deviously synchronized leap, they leapt upwards, managing to use the light above as cover. By the time Kigo realized he was in danger, a blue foot and a black foot both crashed into his face simultaneously, knocking him over off-balance for a moment. Though Kigo was quick to recover nonetheless, it was still quite a painful blow…

Caiwareman and Copyman use a team kick on Kigo, inflicting 13 damage! (Kigo HP 71 -> 58)
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Round two, start!

Initiative Order
---------------------
Nero (11)
Arashi (7)
Saibaman (7)
Kigo (3)
Caiwareman (3)
Copyman (3)

Stat Block (Lv. / HP / KP / ... / AP)
-----------
Arashi (Lv. 3 / 109 HP / 138 KP / 0 AP)
Nero (Lv. 2 / 86 HP / 66 CP / 0 AP)
Kigo (Lv. 2 / 58 HP / 39 KP / 0 AP)
Caiwareman (Lv. 1 / 28 HP / 29 KP / 3 AP)
Saibaman (Lv. 1 / 8 HP / 28 KP / 3 AP)
Copyman (Lv. 1 / 42 HP / 23 KP / 2 AP)

Nero’s turn!

The saibaman was struggling to stand at this point, its vision blurry from its numerous wounds, it's legs trembled and gave out, and Nero saw his oppening

clearing the distance between them in what seemed like a nanosecond, The Saibaman could do nothing to react as a furious uppercut collided with its jaw, and a sickening crack echoed throughout the forest.

the saibaman was sent several feet into the air and came down with a hard thud. the lights in its eyes completely dim.


Nero punches the saibaman, its a hit!! 10 damage!! the saibaman is dead!! Saibaman HP 8 -> 0

Kigo's turn!!

“You all right, Kigo!?” Arashi ran over to the human, who was reeling a bit from the joint offensive by the Caiwareman and Copyman. He coughed, but flashed a thumbs up at the Saiyan. “Yeah... just knocked the wind outta me, that's all,” he raggedly sputtered out. Amid his coughing fit, his attackers were caught up in what seemed to be their version of a giggling fit, chittering and screeching at the human.

“Yeah, laugh it up now...” Arashi growled threateningly, but Kigo waved it off. “We'll get them back in a second... it doesn't look like they'll go down that easily, anyway,” Kigo stated. He turned to Arashi, flashing a slight smile. “Since they decided to team up on me, it's only fair we pay them back in kind, right?” Arashi looked back at the human, smiling back. “Yep, I was hoping you'd say that.”

“You know how a fake-out works?” the martial artist asked.

“You mean feints? Yeah, I know,” the boxer answered.

“Then follow my lead and you'll know when to strike,” Kigo declared.

“You got it!” an eager Arashi approved.

As soon as Kigo caught his breath, both fighters pulled themselves back, ready for launch. Upon seeing this, the two plant men ceased all tomfoolery and steeled their gaze on them.
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Arashi and Kigo initiate a team attack!
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The human and the Saiyan whipped through the air at breakneck speeds, circling around the remaining two plant men. Both were on their guard, their eyes struggling to keep up with Kigo and Arashi as they darted all around them. Out of the corner of the the Copyman's eye, Kigo was dashing toward them. It moved in to swipe at him, but only met air as Kigo bounced off to the right just before its claw could reach him. “Nice try!” the human jeered. He faded back into the whirlwind of movement that enveloped them.

The Copyman screeched in annoyed confusion, trying to pinpoint where either aggressor was going to attack from. The Caiwareman seemed to be a bit more attentive, and saw Arashi briefly pause, wheeling around. In anticipation, it turned itself to face the Saiyan. As expected, Arashi advanced toward the Caiwareman...

...meanwhile, Kigo broke his movement pattern again, coming in for a bull charge at the Copyman's right side. The Copyman spun around, and launched to meet him with another swipe. Kigo's mouth curled up into a slight smirk, and his head disappeared under the Copyman's swipe.

Confusion was scrawled on the Copyman's face as it tried to relocate the human, but he had already slid clean under it, aiming for the Caiwareman! Smoothly transitioning from his knees to his feet, Kigo spun around with the forward momentum, delivering a sharp elbow that dug right into the back of the Caiwareman's head.

Its eyes visibly bulged as the surprise attack nearly fractured its cranium; the force caused it to fly face first towards Arashi, who smiled as his prey came to him. The boxer raised his knee up, and fully extended it into a front kick, which arched the Caiwareman's head back as its trajectory was completely redirected.

It could only muster a scream of agony before Arashi and Kigo trapped it in a pincer maneuver; both fighters let out a mighty roar as they both threw their best right straights. Arashi's fist blotted out its face, while Kigo's caved in the back of its skull. Blood and bone fragments exploded in a spectacular gory fashion as their punches ripped through the poor creature's head. The opposing forces behind each fist left what remained of its body spinning in place in the air, while its decapitators flew off in opposite directions.

Kigo somersaulted and landed fairly gracefully. Arashi was a bit rough on his dismount, stumbling and rolling on the ground, but was able to finish on his feet. The Caiwareman's body simply fell to the dirt with a dull thud, twitching and convulsing. Blood oozed and spurted out from several protruding arteries and veins.
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Kigo and Arashi break through the Caiwareman's defenses, dealing 31 damage and annihilating the creature! (Caiwareman HP 28 → 0)
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The Copyman let out a terrible, bloodcurdling scream that pierced their ears; whether it was angered at having been taken advantage of or at being the last of its forces standing, none save another plant man would ever know. Kigo and Arashi lifted up their fists, ready for any sudden moves it made. Instead, it made no such move, which seemed oddly complacent for how ready it was to jump into battle earlier. Kigo looked at the little man closer, and noticed that it was eyeing something past them. Only when it began sprinting off toward them did he realize who the real target was...

Before either Kigo or Arashi could move to stop it, the creature had already closed the distance, leaping in for a pounce.

“Nero, look out!” Kigo yelled over.
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Copyman's turn!

Nero heeded the warning of his comrades well enough, turning and hopping out of the way as he did so. However, the Copyman’s eyes were wild, full of anger and perhaps fear. It quickly rebounded off the tree, mouth splitting open with a “scree!” as he did so, and wrapped itself around Nero’s torso. As it did so, its face suddenly split into a wicked grin.

Yellow sparks began to dance off the surface of the Copyman’s body, activating its final technique…

Copyman tries to grapple Nero, but fails! It burns an AP (2 -> 1) and succeeds! It then activates its Saibaman Bomb sig, setting itself to detonate in 3 rounds!
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Round three, start!

Initiative Order
---------------------
Nero (11)
Arashi (7)
Kigo (3)
Copyman (3)

Stat Block (Lv. / HP / KP / ... / AP)
-----------
Arashi (Lv. 3 / 109 HP / 138 KP / 0 AP)
Nero (Lv. 2 / 86 HP / 66 CP / 0 AP) [Grappled by Copyman]
Kigo (Lv. 2 / 58 HP / 39 KP / 0 AP)
Copyman (Lv. 1 / 42 HP / 23 KP / 1 AP) [Grappling Nero | Self-Destruction 3 Rounds]

Nero’s turn!
----------------------
Nero looked down at the Copyman, agitated that it had managed to hug him. He could see the yellow sparks dancing off the beast as it struggled to hold him still. Nero began to twist and thrash in the vice-like grip of the Copyman, and the Copyman began to shift in kind, valiantly trying to maintain its hold. Eventually, something gave. Nero swung his arms outward violently, shaking the Copyman loose. Nero quickly threw out a kick, but the attack was blocked, the Copyman easily moving clear...

Little did it know it was already dead.

Nero breaks free of the Copyman's grasp!
Arashi's turn!

Though it was quite the struggle Nero had managed to shake the troublesome Copymen off. Nero hopped a few times back to gain some much needed distance. The Copyman manage to hop back on all fours. It turned to the Android and gazed at Nero with a face contorted by seething rage. It was clearly from the frustration of not being able to maintain its grip and with such little time left to its name the Copyman was out of patience. Suddenly, heavy footsteps were brushing past the foliage of the grassy terrain. The small creature’s ears twitch in response, altering the Copyman to it’s attacker approaching from it’s rear! The little devil jerked it’s body around and identified the Saiyan as he was winding up a heavy low kick!

Right as Arashi swung his right leg the Copyman pushed off the ground; managing to avoid the kick and lunging straight at Arashi's chest with claws at the ready! “Nope!”
With one swift motion Arashi’s closed fists flew wide open and clamped onto the Copyman’s wrists. It quickly realized the grave mistake it had just made. Ear piercing screeching erupted from the creature as it struggled to break free from the Saiyan’s grip. It begin to kick against Arashi’s chest in hopes of that the pain would force him to let go but nothing worked.

Arashi looked into it’s crazed eyes and wondered how could any living thing be filled with such a strong desire to do nothing but kill. It was almost the same vibe Arashi got from that mysterious fighter he brought down on his unofficial mission. However the Copyman’s “vibe” was far weaker and much more wild compared to that man. Arashi shuttered at the thought of having to fight someone like that again. Though Arashi took pleasure from a fun contest of strength, death matches were something completely alien to him. Regardless, his moral compass was of little importance at the moment. This creature was standing in his way and had to be dealt with.

“Sorry about this”
Arashi begin to spin around in a circle! He began to pick up so much speed that the Copyman became disoriented. Those previous wild screeches were nowhere to be heard anymore. “Kigo you're up” Arashi shouted as he tossed the creature at his companion! “I'm on it” responded the human as he pulled one leg back as if he was about to kick a soccer ball. Once the copyman was in range Kigo slammed a front kick right into it's skull, sending it straight back towards Arashi. The Saiyan leaped forward and rammed his knee into it’s back, causing it to sore straight up into the air.
Both Kigo and Arashi pushed off the ground straight towards the helpless creature. They both spun in the air, gaining momentum for their finishing move! The Copyman could do nothing but suffer from the pain of its last two injuries and take the two oncoming kicks with no protection to speak of.
The two physically adept young men had landed clean roundhouses on the Copyman’s chest and sent it hurtling back towards the ground. Only for it to land on its head and bounced off the ground several times.

Arashi initiated a team attack with Kigo! Thus dealing 30 points of damage to the Copyman! Copyman is now knocked unconscious!
(Copyman HP 42>12)

Kigo and Arashi return to the earth and looked at the Copyman as it laid unconscious. The human and half saiyan looked back at each other wondering if they had taken it out for good.

The Copyman lay motionless on the ground, its eyes rolled back in unconsciousness and its tongue unceremoniously draped out over its lips. Despite its stock stillness, they all knew that it hadn't been defeated for good. The trio walked up to the body, each lost in their thoughts on what they should do with it.

The yellow sparks that had been dancing wildly on its body earlier were now gently caressing it, though an occasional streak slipped out. None of them knew what that meant, but they didn't plan on waiting to find out. “Should we...finish it off?” Arashi asked the other two. Kigo pursed his lips, and answered, “Not sure. There's no telling what it'll do when it wakes up.”

Sure they had taken out several of its brethren, but killing a defenseless creature, perhaps even hostile, didn't sit well with them.

“It would be in our best interests to destroy it. As Kigo said, there's no telling what will happen once it wakes up, " Nero said. The casual way he enunciated “destroy” unsettled his companions, if only slightly. However, they knew he was right; letting the creature live would have been naivete at best, and a complete disaster at worst. Pacifying this creature meant putting it down completely.

Nero was the first to raise a hand up toward it; light gathered in his palm, and focused itself into a ball of energy. Kigo followed suit, knowing what was going to be done. After a moment of deliberation, Arashi lifted up his arm and opened his palm, the familiar glow of energy tingled against his hand.

All at once, beams jetted out from their hands, igniting the Copyman's body. White-hot flames licked up at it, melting away its flesh and smoldering its bones. Smoke and ashes began to replace what once constituted its physical form. Even then, the remains were swiftly swept away by the winds.

A brief moment of silence passed between the three, until Kigo suddenly remembered why they were there. “I heard hostages over this way!” Kigo shouted as he ran off in one direction. Nero and Arashi quickly tagged behind.

(Copyman HP 12 → 0)
Battle Over!

With Kigo leading the charge, the three soon discovered four people, each looking towards their saviors with hope in their eyes. The group’s stomach sank collectively just a little when they took notice of the two teenagers among them. One was a frail girl, huddled close to a nearly-identical looking boy—no doubt, twins. Another was a girl with short hair and an athletic build, although it was clear she wasn’t any match for the monsters the ELA had on hand. The last guy was a male who offered Arashi a puzzled look… seemingly past Arashi, but, no, it was Arashi’s tail he had caught a glimpse of.

Quickly ushering the hostages outside so that they could get them to the safe point, the group proceeded to ask the group what they knew. It was the male twin, Iggy, who was the first to speak, quickly producing a manilla folder with papers in it. It was Nero who read it, but he was fairly sure this was information not quite relevant to what the ELA was up to in this part of the world—a robot that allowed a strong fighter to fight remotely while concealing their identity. Still, if the ELA had that on their hands…

It was Ivy, the girl of the twins, who spoke up next, though she didn’t say much, feeling it was a shame that the forest got decimated. Tori, the much stronger of the two present, spoke up at this point, saying she remembered them talking about something... Iggy said he did as well, around the same time. Tori had tried to bail them both out, but it was no use. The two both offered similar accounts of what they had heard. Ivy and Ralph, the other hostage, had heard it as well, but had forgotten until the other two brought it up.

The group were mining the center of the site for a single jewel. A jewel that they claimed could provide the ELA with enough energy to fuel their ambitions forever; more so if combined with others; Tori claimed she heard five others, Iggy claimed six, but neither could agree on what that meant. Each of them were captured mostly because they saw too much and the ELA couldn’t risk the information getting out. The other civilians hadn’t been as “nosy”, and would pay for it daily. Far as they knew, the only hostages on-site were them.

As the hostages were lead successfully to an extraction point, the team thanked the hostages for their info, and assured them not to worry. Kigo stepped forward to each of them, and before any of them could react, each of the hostages were whisked into the air by a balloon with various noises of fear. Faced with the information they had come to learn, Team Nero began to plan their next move

Now that the hostages were removed from harm's way Arashi,Kigo, and Nero had to get back to work. Arashi scratched his head asking Nero "So what are we gonna do now?" The group had been doing fairly well since their arrival but with every sector they had cleared out the more likely the defenses of the enemy would increase in difficulty as they headed for the center. The Android Nero took a moment to weigh their options. Right now charging towards the center was probably not a wise move. Most likely it would be the most heavily guarded area out of all the zones. Not to mention the fact that the mighty Trio had two other zones that needed to be taken out of play.


"This would probably be the best time to use the cores." Nero reached into the pockets of his jacket and pulled out three cores. It was almost hard to believe that something so small could power machines so dangerous. At least it'll be put to some good use now. "Now, how good would you two say your Ki control is?" Nero asked
Kigo seemed to Flinch a bit at the sound of the question, he was without a doubt a great martial artist but his understanding of Ki still needed improvement.

"My energy control? I'm decent with it, but I've never instilled Ki into something like this."
Arashi lit up with excitement at the question! He raised his left hand while pointing at himself with his right."I can do it! My parents made sure that was something I practiced non-stop after I put a hole in one of the walls in my room."
Both the human and Android we're a bit more concerned than impressed with that statement. These were sensitive pieces of equipment and a serious mistake could end with them getting more than just a few scratches.
"Are you sure?" Nero and Kigo ask in almost complete unison.

"Of course! That little accidents was like six years ago. I'm waaaaay more grounded now! You're talking to a guy who had two great Masters in his corner!"
Nero was concerned about the consequences of a potential mistake. Kigo was clearly already tired and the last thing the team needed was for Arashi to sustain any serious damage. Then again the boxer never gave Nero a reason to doubt him before. "Hmmmm, ok then. Take these and charge them up with just the right amount of energy." Nero handed Arashi the three cores and he as well as Kigo started to back away. Once they were at a safe distance, the young boy closed his eyes, cupped all three of the cores in his thick hands, and began to breathe heavily in a consistent pattern.


" exhales Let the energy from your spirit flow like water. . . " Arashi spook in a much more come voice. Many small green lights started to surround his body. "May your flesh and bone give it direction. . . ." As soon as those words left his mouth the small marble-sized bits of Ki began to head towards his closed hands. With each New Edition the light around them grew brighter and brighter. ". . . then RELEASE!!!"

A small flash of green light enveloped Arashi's hands before disappearing just as quickly as it went off. Kigo and Nero started to walk backed towards him. "Did it work?" Kigo asked. Arashi looked down and noticed the green light emanating from the cores. "Yep! Looks like I'll get to keep my hands today! thanks dad"

Arashi passes manipulation check!

"Great work. Now lets set them up where we know they'll you grab the most attention once they go off" said Nero.
After they set up their makeshift bombs around some trees Nero suggested it was time to find a place to hide. As Kigo and Nero started to run for the woods they quickly noticed Arashi's footsteps could not be heard. They stopped to turn around and see a jolly Saiyain stretching his legs.
"Arashi! What are you doing? We need to prepare for their arrival" said Kigo
Arashi turned to looked back at them and waved his hand in a "no thanks" motion. "I'm not really good at the Solid Snake kinda stuff. I'll give those Bots something to play with while you two find an opening to let em have it! Besides if they think there's only one person to worry about they'll be less jumpy when they show up."


A rush of Ki began to envelop Arashi's hand. He opened his palm and raised it into the air. "I'll set off the bombs, you guys go on ahead." Kigo and Nero had both already witnessed what the boys could do. Though the plan was a bit rash it was firmly grounded in logic. Arashi could last at least long enough to give them the chance to properly take advantage of the situation. His teammates wished him good luck and ran off. Arashi waited a few minutes to make sure they were out of range. Once he was sure of there safety he closed his glowing hand into a fist. Before he knew it a large explosion ripped through the the surrounding area, taking down several trees in the process. Thanks to it being his Ki fueling the explosion Arashi managed to control the direction of the blasts. Forcing the energy to erupt away from him.

Arashi put up his looked fists and ahead, awaiting his next group of opponents.
"Okay, go time!"

“There’s been another explosion…”

“We need to hurry. Send a few troops from all around to go investigate. We can’t afford to lose this now…”
----------------------
As expected, the group’s plan went off exactly as they intended. With Kigo and Nero hidden, the only thing the advancing forces saw was a lone enemy: Arashi, who stood in a ready stance. He could see yet another huge robot, flanked by five smaller ones, and a yellow and green Saibaman greeting him. Yet, Arashi did not falter, despite the seemingly overwhelming odds.

“Bring it on…”
------------------------
Engage Battle!

Initiative Order
----------------
Big Sentry (17)
Saibaman (17)
Horde of 5 (9)
Arashi (4)
Kyuukonman (3)

Stat Block (Lv. / HP / KP / ... / AP)
-----------
Arashi (Lv. 3 / 109 HP / 138 KP / 0 AP)
Big Sentry (Lv. 2 / 94 HP / 99 KP / 3 AP)
Kyuukonman (Lv. 1 / 36 HP / 25 KP / 2 AP)
Saibaman (Lv. 1 / 32 HP / 28 KP / 3 AP)
Horde of 5 (25 HP / 1 AP)
To Hit 12, To Dodge 12
Zerg Rush (1d6+5 damage on hit)
Blaster Fire (2d6+5 damage on hit)

Round one, start!
Big Sentry’s turn!
---------------
Big Sentry began to rapidly report to base, its mechanical eyes glowing ominously. It would take a while to get word to base, but that didn’t matter. It was just one target. The sentry knew it had it. So, it quickly surged forward, swinging one metal fist down at Arashi, who quickly moved out of the way. The fist smashed into the ground, causing it to break.

Big Sentry attacks Arashi, but misses!

The green beast was next, leaping up at Arashi and coming down at him with a kick intending to kick his temple in, but once again, Arashi hopped out of the way of the attack. Feeling confident, Arashi began to flash a cocky grin…

Saibaman attacks Arashi, but misses!
Only to hear the sounds of several laser shots firing at him. Arashi turned, and caught a few to his limbs, letting out mild expressions of pain. When the fire let up, Arashi looked up from his defensive stance, his wounds smoking just a little.

“My turn…”

Horde of 5 attacks Arashi with Blaster Fire, inflicting 7 damage! (Arashi HP 109 -> 102)

Arashi’s turn!