Holy High-Worlds Beyond IC (Holy High Reboot, Open!)

[Ranoria]

Azazel

The demon cast a glance over towards his knife. It had ended up bouncing off of a tree and falling to the ground, taking a solid chunk of a tree's bark with it, but it hadn't been nearly sharp enough to pierce the wood. But this turn of events wasn't what he had been expecting, as he'd been hoping that Kimiko was less of a fighter than Hamiri, and it was clear, now, that he'd been mistaken. He now had to take on two opponents without using the full extent of his powers. If he did...people could die.

It wasn't so much that he doubted their ability to defend themselves as it was the fact that he was stripped of so many more lethal options for fighting them. Kimiko's words, however, made him chuckle. "You know nothing of my powers, goddess. Nothing." the demon crouched down, ready to take to the sky, but then Hamiri went to work, and the effect was instant. It wasn't severe, yet, but he definitely could feel his body's normally boundless energy being lessened. And with that, he knew he would have to start using a bit more of his powers.

"I'm surprised, Hamiri," he shifted the grip on his sword, a smile once again plastered on his face, "I honestly thought a bit more of you than to try such underhanded tactics, but you aren't the only one who can play that game." In a flash of movement, Azazel pulled back his sword and flung it towards Hamiri, knowing that she would be much more capable of defending herself from what he was planning to do next. With the speed and accuracy he could throw the blade with, it would likely hit, but, like his knife, it was dull to the point that it was more likely to take the wind out of her and form a nasty bruise than to break the skin. That, though, wasn't exactly his trump card, as both of his hands, hanging at his sides, opened.

"I don't know what you're trying to pull, but I can go for a good while like this. Now," Azazel looked at Hamiri, clearly still enjoying their bout, "why don't you both come down here and get this fight started? Playing cat and mouse isn't really my cup of tea." It was a bluff, but not much of one. He wasn't sure how long he could last under this spell, but at the moment, it wasn't hindering him much, and he stayed alert for Kimiko fading from his sight once again. As far as he knew, she could appear behind him, and if she disappeared his only course of action would be to take flight, something that he assumed she wasn't capable of.

If either of his opponents really paid attention to his hands, they would see thin, red, almost imperceptible outlines of something forming, but with the amount of distance between them, he was confident they wouldn't notice until either they got closer or he had almost finished his weapons.

[Luminesa]

Hamiri had watched Azazel closely, knowing that even with her Magic dome, he probably had some tricks up his sleeve. She squinted her eyes, and was proven correct when a sword flew through the dome and headed toward her face. She whipped her sword in front of her, and blocked the incoming weapon. The sharp blades clanged against each other, with the recoil reverberating through Hamiri’s arm. As her enemy’s sword fell down below, she smirked and internally sighed with relief.

She knew the battle was far from over, however. Azazel wanted her to come down to greet him, and if she did not come to him, he would come to her and to Kimiko. Thus she held her ground, and she waited for his next attack. She could not tell what he was planning, so she strengthened her Night-Magic dome around him, in order to intensify the attacks of her Magic.

In the meantime, she looked to Kimiko. “Hey,” she whispered, “do you wanna maybe...turn invisible again and try to sneak around him? You know, just in case he breaks free?...That way we can get him and maybe steal an envelope from him while he’s not looking...”

[Ranoria]

Azazel

Damn.

Whatever it was she was doing, turning the night to day, it was certainly growing stronger, and he knew they didn't intend on taking his bait. The longer he sat here, the more it would have time to do its work, and the more time she would have to strengthen it and accelerate the process.

Not that it mattered now, Azazel standing upright as the outlines that had been forming in his grip took form as a pair of grenade launchers with six barrels each, not that ammunition itself was an object in his hands. The tree was tall, but with this particular weapon in his grip, that wouldn't be an issue. However, those barrels weren't loaded with explosives, but tear gas.

Inhaling it would without exception cause difficulty breathing, severe skin irritation,and profuse coughing among other things, and it was a wonderful alternative to actually killing anyone.

"You're good, both of you. I can say that I'm thoroughly impressed, honestly."

As red outlines began to form once again, this time around Azazel's head, he took flight, firing the rounds one after the other in a scattered pattern around Kimiko. The tear gas was heavier than air, yes, but with the canisters exploding in midair all around her, its effect would have taken place before it sank to the forest floor. And, fortunately for him, she wasn't far from Hamiri, who with any luck would get a whiff of the substance as well.

By the time he reached the peak of his ascent, he'd fired off just over two dozen canisters, and a cloud of gas hung over the tree, while he himself had managed to form a facemask over his head that would clear out the effects of any residue gas, dropping the launchers to the ground below and, in just under a second, molding a chain in his grip, one that he intended to lash out towards Hamiri to wrap up her arms and wings in the heavy metal.

Azazel attempted did just that, the long, heavy stainless steel whipping through the air, but even he had to grimace when he realized that it was travelling slower than it normally would have. His unnatural fatigue was starting to kick in, and it was only a matter of time before he would be rendered helpless.

[Luminesa]

Azazel

Damn.

Whatever it was she was doing, turning the night to day, it was certainly growing stronger, and he knew they didn't intend on taking his bait. The longer he sat here, the more it would have time to do its work, and the more time she would have to strengthen it and accelerate the process.

Not that it mattered now, Azazel standing upright as the outlines that had been forming in his grip took form as a pair of grenade launchers with six barrels each, not that ammunition itself was an object in his hands. The tree was tall, but with this particular weapon in his grip, that wouldn't be an issue. However, those barrels weren't loaded with explosives, but tear gas.

Inhaling it would without exception cause difficulty breathing, severe skin irritation,and profuse coughing among other things, and it was a wonderful alternative to actually killing anyone.

"You're good, both of you. I can say that I'm thoroughly impressed, honestly."

As red outlines began to form once again, this time around Azazel's head, he took flight, firing the rounds one after the other in a scattered pattern around Kimiko. The tear gas was heavier than air, yes, but with the canisters exploding in midair all around her, its effect would have taken place before it sank to the forest floor. And, fortunately for him, she wasn't far from Hamiri, who with any luck would get a whiff of the substance as well.

By the time he reached the peak of his ascent, he'd fired off just over two dozen canisters, and a cloud of gas hung over the tree, while he himself had managed to form a facemask over his head that would clear out the effects of any residue gas, dropping the launchers to the ground below and, in just under a second, molding a chain in his grip, one that he intended to lash out towards Hamiri to wrap up her arms and wings in the heavy metal.

Azazel attempted did just that, the long, heavy stainless steel whipping through the air, but even he had to grimace when he realized that it was travelling slower than it normally would have. His unnatural fatigue was starting to kick in, and it was only a matter of time before he would be rendered helpless.

"...Is...that..." Hamiri could not quite tell what kind of weapon Azazel was making, but she felt something was off about the way he was holding his...weapon? They looked like grenades of a sort, and she knew that if she was in the blast radius she would suffer severe injuries. Gritting her teeth, she flew far out of the way of the attack, several trees away. She of course grabbed Kimiko on the way, taking her by the arm and zooming out of harm's way. When she saw what the weapons were, canisters of tear-gas, she gasped. "...Tear-gas?! Is that even legal?!" Thinking quickly, she created a dome of Night Magic around herself and Kimiko, in order to protect both girls from the effects.

Michael watched from not too far away, and noticed the canisters of tear-gas. One was enough, but Azazel threatened to fill the forest with tear-gas. He had flown to the top of the tree while letting the cans explode around him, and the gas was spreading all through the forest. The wind would carry it elsewhere, as well, causing it to potentially hurt other students and even wildlife. Calmly, he walked toward the field of battle, and he unfurled his wings. Huge, white, and feathery, he thrust them forward a single time. The tear-gas began to clear almost instantly, and he looked up toward the tree.

"Azazel! Come down immediately," he called, as he spotted the student wearing a facemask.

[Ranoria]

Azazel

With a sigh, he pulled off his gas mask, looking down at Michael. He was obviously upset, and Azazel could understand why. He must have thought that he’d intended to let the gas sink down to the forest floor and spread throughout. But he was mistaken. Or perhaps it was simply the employment of the tear gas in and of itself, but the way he saw it, he was being kind. Mustard gas was always an option.

Even then, however, it was frustrating that he was being held under a microscope to the point that Michael had deemed it necessary to watch him in particular. With Lucifer on the other side of the island, he’d focused on him, with his dulled blades and withholding of so many abilities that could have turned the battle around, but only at the cost of serious injuries for his opponents.

“Brother,” he began, pulling his chain back with a snap and holding it in hand, “You really should have a little more faith in me. Look.” He turned in the air, pointing down towards the launchers he’d created, which were already dissipating in less than a minute. “I have yet to gain full control over my powers, after the Fall, they became much less potent. If I don’t put a little bit of extra effort into them, they disappear, unless it’s something self sustaining, like fire. The gas would have been gone by now if you had allowed us to continue.”

He turned back to Michael, obviously irked, “I understand your misgivings, but I am not here with malevolent intentions. Your own prejudice towards me will not change that. I may be disillusioned with the Father and your ideals, but I am not your enemy.”

[Luminesa]

Azazel

With a sigh, he pulled off his gas mask, looking down at Michael. He was obviously upset, and Azazel could understand why. He must have thought that he’d intended to let the gas sink down to the forest floor and spread throughout. But he was mistaken. Or perhaps it was simply the employment of the tear gas in and of itself, but the way he saw it, he was being kind. Mustard gas was always an option.

Even then, however, it was frustrating that he was being held under a microscope to the point that Michael had deemed it necessary to watch him in particular. With Lucifer on the other side of the island, he’d focused on him, with his dulled blades and withholding of so many abilities that could have turned the battle around, but only at the cost of serious injuries for his opponents.

“Brother,” he began, pulling his chain back with a snap and holding it in hand, “You really should have a little more faith in me. Look.” He turned in the air, pointing down towards the launchers he’d created, which were already dissipating in less than a minute. “I have yet to gain full control over my powers, after the Fall, they became much less potent. If I don’t put a little bit of extra effort into them, they disappear, unless it’s something self sustaining, like fire. The gas would have been gone by now if you had allowed us to continue.”

He turned back to Michael, obviously irked, “I understand your misgivings, but I am not here with malevolent intentions. Your own prejudice towards me will not change that. I may be disillusioned with the Father and your ideals, but I am not your enemy.”

Michael stood in front of Azazel, and raised an eyebrow. The student had taken the offense personally, when Michael was more concerned that he was going to make the exercise too dangerous to complete. Even gods were not entirely immune to tear gas. He sighed, and folded his wings back as he spoke. "This has nothing to do with whatever personal feud we have. Yes, you're a demon, but that's not my concern. What is my concern is that you just fired two-dozen cans of tear gas into a forest full of people and wildlife. You are allowed to fight, you are not allowed to cause severe damage to your opponent. We told you this very specifically before all of this started. If you cannot fight fairly by using your own powers, then your grade for this exercise will be counted as a zero. Understood?"

Hamiri watched from her perch in a tree, and waited to see if Kimiko would try to take a position behind Azazel. She was grateful that Michael had come to sweep away the tear-gas, which could have made the challenge impossible for everyone involved. She only hoped that whatever else Azazel had in store would not be even worse.

Patriah

The sandstorm had failed. It had scattered sand all over the beach, but Nyarlathotep had taken to growing even larger and did not skip a beat. Even worse, she was angry, and he took a step back as he thought of another plan. He dropped low again, and slashed his sword once again. This time, a sharp slash of wind flew in her direction and cut the tendril that was supposed to be her head from the right temple to the left cheek. If the attack worked, it would leave more than just a little mark.

[5pb]

Azazel

With a sigh, he pulled off his gas mask, looking down at Michael. He was obviously upset, and Azazel could understand why. He must have thought that he’d intended to let the gas sink down to the forest floor and spread throughout. But he was mistaken. Or perhaps it was simply the employment of the tear gas in and of itself, but the way he saw it, he was being kind. Mustard gas was always an option.

Even then, however, it was frustrating that he was being held under a microscope to the point that Michael had deemed it necessary to watch him in particular. With Lucifer on the other side of the island, he’d focused on him, with his dulled blades and withholding of so many abilities that could have turned the battle around, but only at the cost of serious injuries for his opponents.

“Brother,” he began, pulling his chain back with a snap and holding it in hand, “You really should have a little more faith in me. Look.” He turned in the air, pointing down towards the launchers he’d created, which were already dissipating in less than a minute. “I have yet to gain full control over my powers, after the Fall, they became much less potent. If I don’t put a little bit of extra effort into them, they disappear, unless it’s something self sustaining, like fire. The gas would have been gone by now if you had allowed us to continue.”

He turned back to Michael, obviously irked, “I understand your misgivings, but I am not here with malevolent intentions. Your own prejudice towards me will not change that. I may be disillusioned with the Father and your ideals, but I am not your enemy.”

Michael stood in front of Azazel, and raised an eyebrow. The student had taken the offense personally, when Michael was more concerned that he was going to make the exercise too dangerous to complete. Even gods were not entirely immune to tear gas. He sighed, and folded his wings back as he spoke. "This has nothing to do with whatever personal feud we have. Yes, you're a demon, but that's not my concern. What is my concern is that you just fired two-dozen cans of tear gas into a forest full of people and wildlife. You are allowed to fight, you are not allowed to cause severe damage to your opponent. We told you this very specifically before all of this started. If you cannot fight fairly by using your own powers, then your grade for this exercise will be counted as a zero. Understood?"

Hamiri watched from her perch in a tree, and waited to see if Kimiko would try to take a position behind Azazel. She was grateful that Michael had come to sweep away the tear-gas, which could have made the challenge impossible for everyone involved. She only hoped that whatever else Azazel had in store would not be even worse.

Patriah

The sandstorm had failed. It had scattered sand all over the beach, but Nyarlathotep had taken to growing even larger and did not skip a beat. Even worse, she was angry, and he took a step back as he thought of another plan. He dropped low again, and slashed his sword once again. This time, a sharp slash of wind flew in her direction and cut the tendril that was supposed to be her head from the right temple to the left cheek. If the attack worked, it would leave more than just a little mark.

Kimiko

Kimiko used the distraction of Michael to completely fade from sight once again. Though she really wanted to strike Azazel while he was distracted she knew that it would be disrespectful to both Azazel and Michael, so she withheld and decided that she would wait for the conversation to end. While in her hidden state she held her sword down by her side, ready to unleash a heavy blow when the moment stuck.

Nyarlathotep

The attack hit Nyaru as intended by Patriah, it created a rather deep gash where some blood leaked out. "I see," she slowly raised both hands up so they were leven with her chest. Her hand position quickly shifted and several lightning bolts travel from her fingertips to the ground. The ground began to shake and sand began to shift, "I gave you two warnings. You ignored them." The shaking grew more prominent and several extremely large tentacles broke through the sand. They began to lash at Razorclaw and Patriah almost immediately after emerging.

[Ranoria]

Azazel

He raised an eyebrow at Michael's comments, still flying about five feet away from the tree Michael was perched on, his four wings beating to keep in that position. He considered pointing out that Michael had only mentioned that they shouldn't be knocking anyone unconscious, but that was a petty and worthless point by now. Instead, he decided to try and explain his position, again.

"As I said, the gas would have disappeared by now, with or without your intervention, it barely would have made it to the ground before it was gone. I ensured that myself. Even the launchers have faded away. And besides, the damage from the gas isn't permanent. Superficial, if anything. It wouldn't have had time to spread across a large distance, and neither of them would have suffered permanent damage." His eyes shifted for a moment, gauging Hamiri and Kimiko's positions, knowing that this duel wasn't finished, but soon returned his gaze to Michael.

"Now, if you're worried about minor injuries and the like, then you shouldn't have allowed us to fight in the first place. Bumps and bruises are to be expected, and respiratory problems that don't extend past a half hour, ones that those of your ilk can likely heal with a have of the hand? I don't think that's exactly what I would call a serious injury."

It was plain to Azazel, at least, that Michael had a serious bias, whether or not he would admit it. He'd done nothing, really, that was worth the archangel's intervention, and the fact that he was being monitored so closely was frustrating, even if he'd expected it.

But this bout would be over quickly now, once it resumed. He already had an idea of how he could restrain Hamiri, especially with his stamina restored, as the battle had taken an impasse. It certainly wouldn't be painless, but it would avoid any major damage. "Look, I understand what you're saying, I do, and if you haven't noticed by the dulled blades, and avoiding impaling Kimiko earlier, I'm not trying to cripple anyone. But this is hardly a matter worth interfering for. You know what I could have done if I wasn't restraining myself."

He said those words with a bit of a drop in his tone, low enough that it would have been a strain for either of his opponents to hear, and while he hadn't seen Michael in ages, he hadn't been given the title of the Strength of God for nothing, and Michael knew that as well as anyone. Gripping his chain, he nodded to the archangel, "Look, just as I have been, I'll try to avoid hurting them, but this is battle. You knew that going in. You'd have given us foam swords if that wasn't the case. Now, I'd appreciate it if you let us finish our bout. It shouldn't take long."

With a stronger beat of his four wings, Azazel flew a decent distance above the treetops, which was out of Kimiko's range as far as he was aware, his gaze locked on Hamiri, chain heavy in his grip. He'd gone on the offensive enough, and he was still waiting for Michael's word to continue their duel.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Michael stood in front of Azazel, and raised an eyebrow. The student had taken the offense personally, when Michael was more concerned that he was going to make the exercise too dangerous to complete. Even gods were not entirely immune to tear gas. He sighed, and folded his wings back as he spoke. "This has nothing to do with whatever personal feud we have. Yes, you're a demon, but that's not my concern. What is my concern is that you just fired two-dozen cans of tear gas into a forest full of people and wildlife. You are allowed to fight, you are not allowed to cause severe damage to your opponent. We told you this very specifically before all of this started. If you cannot fight fairly by using your own powers, then your grade for this exercise will be counted as a zero. Understood?"

Hamiri watched from her perch in a tree, and waited to see if Kimiko would try to take a position behind Azazel. She was grateful that Michael had come to sweep away the tear-gas, which could have made the challenge impossible for everyone involved. She only hoped that whatever else Azazel had in store would not be even worse.

Patriah

The sandstorm had failed. It had scattered sand all over the beach, but Nyarlathotep had taken to growing even larger and did not skip a beat. Even worse, she was angry, and he took a step back as he thought of another plan. He dropped low again, and slashed his sword once again. This time, a sharp slash of wind flew in her direction and cut the tendril that was supposed to be her head from the right temple to the left cheek. If the attack worked, it would leave more than just a little mark.

Kimiko

Kimiko used the distraction of Michael to completely fade from sight once again. Though she really wanted to strike Azazel while he was distracted she knew that it would be disrespectful to both Azazel and Michael, so she withheld and decided that she would wait for the conversation to end. While in her hidden state she held her sword down by her side, ready to unleash a heavy blow when the moment stuck.

Nyarlathotep

The attack hit Nyaru as intended by Patriah, it created a rather deep gash where some blood leaked out. "I see," she slowly raised both hands up so they were leven with her chest. Her hand position quickly shifted and several lightning bolts travel from her fingertips to the ground. The ground began to shake and sand began to shift, "I gave you two warnings. You ignored them." The shaking grew more prominent and several extremely large tentacles broke through the sand. They began to lash at Razorclaw and Patriah almost immediately after emerging.

Razorclaw
Razorclaw slashed at the tentacles with his claws, as they tried to wrap around his arms. He knocked one of them with his right hand. He hoped he could keep it at bay long enough to get a shot off with his crossbow. He suceeded in drawing his crossbow, and fired a bolt one handed. To him, it looked like the bolt hit a tentacle, but he couldn't tell for sure because of the sand in the air from Patriah's sandstorm thing.

[Luminesa]

Azazel

He raised an eyebrow at Michael's comments, still flying about five feet away from the tree Michael was perched on, his four wings beating to keep in that position. He considered pointing out that Michael had only mentioned that they shouldn't be knocking anyone unconscious, but that was a petty and worthless point by now. Instead, he decided to try and explain his position, again.

"As I said, the gas would have disappeared by now, with or without your intervention, it barely would have made it to the ground before it was gone. I ensured that myself. Even the launchers have faded away. And besides, the damage from the gas isn't permanent. Superficial, if anything. It wouldn't have had time to spread across a large distance, and neither of them would have suffered permanent damage." His eyes shifted for a moment, gauging Hamiri and Kimiko's positions, knowing that this duel wasn't finished, but soon returned his gaze to Michael.

"Now, if you're worried about minor injuries and the like, then you shouldn't have allowed us to fight in the first place. Bumps and bruises are to be expected, and respiratory problems that don't extend past a half hour, ones that those of your ilk can likely heal with a have of the hand? I don't think that's exactly what I would call a serious injury."

It was plain to Azazel, at least, that Michael had a serious bias, whether or not he would admit it. He'd done nothing, really, that was worth the archangel's intervention, and the fact that he was being monitored so closely was frustrating, even if he'd expected it.

But this bout would be over quickly now, once it resumed. He already had an idea of how he could restrain Hamiri, especially with his stamina restored, as the battle had taken an impasse. It certainly wouldn't be painless, but it would avoid any major damage. "Look, I understand what you're saying, I do, and if you haven't noticed by the dulled blades, and avoiding impaling Kimiko earlier, I'm not trying to cripple anyone. But this is hardly a matter worth interfering for. You know what I could have done if I wasn't restraining myself."

He said those words with a bit of a drop in his tone, low enough that it would have been a strain for either of his opponents to hear, and while he hadn't seen Michael in ages, he hadn't been given the title of the Strength of God for nothing, and Michael knew that as well as anyone. Gripping his chain, he nodded to the archangel, "Look, just as I have been, I'll try to avoid hurting them, but this is battle. You knew that going in. You'd have given us foam swords if that wasn't the case. Now, I'd appreciate it if you let us finish our bout. It shouldn't take long."

With a stronger beat of his four wings, Azazel flew a decent distance above the treetops, which was out of Kimiko's range as far as he was aware, his gaze locked on Hamiri, chain heavy in his grip. He'd gone on the offensive enough, and he was still waiting for Michael's word to continue their duel.

Michael remained stoic and cool as he endured Azazel's excuses about the attack and its lack of potency. He was already annoyed that Azazel had used far too much tear gas, now he was even more irked that the demon was trying to say he hardly meant any harm by using it. "You used enough tear-gas to halt a rather large riot on two people. I don't want to hear excuses on why or how. You're not a child who is still learning what is acceptable, you know very well what we consider acceptable. Not only is this a test of combat-abilities, but also of your skill, your finesse, your cleverness. If you can't demonstrate that you can fight an opponent without causing them severe injuries, even in a class exercise, then I will mark your grade as a zero, and you will start the year at the bottom of the class," he threatened, unimpressed. He kept his voice calm, but one could definitely see that his body was tense.

"This is indeed battle. But battle is more than blunt force or brute strength. Bumps and bruises are fine, obviously, and I won't allow disingenuous arguments about us giving unreasonable rules, or about us not allowing you to fight. We are teachers, not prison-wardens, as you seem to be convinced we are. Now I will allow this match to continue, but Hyperion and I are both watching. If he sees something else which is worrisome, I will stop this match." With that last threat, he flew away back to the courtyard.

[Ranoria]

-snip-

Azazel

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that he was pissed, but he and Michael had never exactly agreed on just how much brutality was acceptable. Regardless, he would need to tie himself down ever more. It was an issue. He may have been able to wield any weapon he could conceive to its most lethal capacity, but it was just that. He was wired to maim and to destroy. This...this was different, as he watched Hamiri for a moment, silent. He could throw the chain. If she dodged, he could make another one, and do it again. If she blocked it, or tried to catch it, it would wrap around her quite violently, and probably end up breaking her wings.

He knew she wouldn't be that stupid, but regardless let it fall from his grip. He was walking on eggshells as is, even more so now. "Look, no offense to you, but I'm getting tired of playing cat and mouse. You've got two options right now. Go on the offensive," he extended a hand to the side, a simple wooden pole forming from nothingness in his grip, long enough to wield with two hands, and to keep out of range of a sword, "And test your skill, or I'm going to end this before you have a chance to attack. Or," he scowled, fire in his eyes, "You can turn tail and run. That's easily your best bet at this point. Hell, I can't even be sure that I could catch you. And your friend down there can flee on a whim."

He didn't reveal his plan to end their one-sided duel yet, that would have been silly, but he was confident that it would leave only Kimiko, whom hadn't done much after her admittedly impressive display after his threat. But that was just the issue with Michael's plan. Bumps and bruises didn't work if no one else understood the system. In any proper duel, Kimiko would have admitted defeat, at least in his eye. It had been no different than holding a sword to her throat.

While he waited, just in case Hamiri intended on keeping her distance again, Azazel held his hand out towards her, a grip not unlike the one he'd had over his launchers soon holding a loaded crossbow, the dart nothing more than one with a rounded, rubber head. It would hurt, but nothing even close threatening, especially since he was using a much lower draw weight, around one hundred and fifty pounds, just enough to qualify as a hunting weapon with a real bolt.

"But hey, I'm fine if you just want to accumulate bruises." Aiming for her abdomen, the demon let his shot rip, bolt hurtling towards her, but he had no illusions that it was checkmate, or anything close, not yet, already planting his foot in the bow's reloading mechanism while another arrow appeared, ready and loaded.

[5pb]

-snip-

Azazel

It wouldn't be a stretch to say that he was pissed, but he and Michael had never exactly agreed on just how much brutality was acceptable. Regardless, he would need to tie himself down ever more. It was an issue. He may have been able to wield any weapon he could conceive to its most lethal capacity, but it was just that. He was wired to maim and to destroy. This...this was different, as he watched Hamiri for a moment, silent. He could throw the chain. If she dodged, he could make another one, and do it again. If she blocked it, or tried to catch it, it would wrap around her quite violently, and probably end up breaking her wings.

He knew she wouldn't be that stupid, but regardless let it fall from his grip. He was walking on eggshells as is, even more so now. "Look, no offense to you, but I'm getting tired of playing cat and mouse. You've got two options right now. Go on the offensive," he extended a hand to the side, a simple wooden pole forming from nothingness in his grip, long enough to wield with two hands, and to keep out of range of a sword, "And test your skill, or I'm going to end this before you have a chance to attack. Or," he scowled, fire in his eyes, "You can turn tail and run. That's easily your best bet at this point. Hell, I can't even be sure that I could catch you. And your friend down there can flee on a whim."

He didn't reveal his plan to end their one-sided duel yet, that would have been silly, but he was confident that it would leave only Kimiko, whom hadn't done much after her admittedly impressive display after his threat. But that was just the issue with Michael's plan. Bumps and bruises didn't work if no one else understood the system. In any proper duel, Kimiko would have admitted defeat, at least in his eye. It had been no different than holding a sword to her throat.

While he waited, just in case Hamiri intended on keeping her distance again, Azazel held his hand out towards her, a grip not unlike the one he'd had over his launchers soon holding a loaded crossbow, the dart nothing more than one with a rounded, rubber head. It would hurt, but nothing even close threatening, especially since he was using a much lower draw weight, around one hundred and fifty pounds, just enough to qualify as a hunting weapon with a real bolt.

"But hey, I'm fine if you just want to accumulate bruises." Aiming for her abdomen, the demon let his shot rip, bolt hurtling towards her, but he had no illusions that it was checkmate, or anything close, not yet, already planting his foot in the bow's reloading mechanism while another arrow appeared, ready and loaded.

Kimiko

Still hidden from Azazel --who was now flying just barely out of her melee range-- Kimiko switched from her sword to her bow. She took aim at Azazel's wings, hoping to cripple his ability to fly and guarantee he would be within melee range for her next attack. She reached for the drawstring would be on the bow and pulled back, but instead of an arrow appearing in the bow it was instead a bolt of teal lightning. She carefully lined up her shot and fired it. The moment the shot was loosed she was visible, she began to dash around the forest and fire more shots. Most of the shots were the same as the first one but others traveled odd paths to reach their target, in total Kimiko fired off twelve bolts of lightning at Azazel. None of them were very powerful as their only purpose was to knock the target out of the sky, but if Azazel somehow got struck by all twelve shots he would be left in great pain. After she fired all of her shots she stopped dashing and stood near Hamiri, "That should put him on the ground."

[Ranoria]

Azazel

He couldn’t say that he hadn’t expected Kimiko to be behind him. With her being invisible, he’d been on guard, but his only warning, despite this, was the familiar thrum of a bow. He tried to move, to ascend, but he was too close to avoid it completely, or at all, really. When it hit, the pain was intense to say the least. He could feel the residue singing his backside, but more than that, even with the small diameter of the bolt, the heat was agonizing on his wing, and he knew that using it would be out of the question, but he didn't have time to lick his wounds.

In the instant it took to locate Kimiko, she was already readying another bolt, and he knew that while he could perhaps dodge it, his mobility in the air was more limited than on the ground due to physics, and with only three wings that were currently cooperating, he’d have to get down.

So by the time the arrow was on its way, he’d already managed to remove himself from its path, folding his wings and diving towards the earth, a fall that would have left most men crippled, but he may as well have walked down stairs for all the strain it caused his body. The remaining bolts were coming though, one by one. He noticed that they were bending and arcing in the air, and that made it difficult to actually block the attacks, but dodging them was a completely different matter. He was fast, and he more reacted to Kimiko’s aim and position than the projectiles themselves. He was fast, but if he waited until they were on their way, he had very little chance of not taking a hit. Even knowing that, most came close, close enough that the heat was uncomfortable, and another scored a hit, but he was finally caught when one of the bolts leapt forward, faster than he'd anticipated, leaving him to catch it on his staff, the pole arm taking the bolt, but instantly cracking under the heat and catching fire.

"That was impressive..." Azazel grimaced. He could take a hit with the best of them, but having been caught off guard with an attack like that was worse than he'd anticipated, one of the shots having glanced off of his arm, and he could feel it. He had full function of that, at least, but regardless, he wasn't used to most being able to manage landing a blow.

Then again, the demon thought, rolling his shoulder around with a smirk that still refused to abandon his features, I haven't been able to find much besides those worthless imps who enjoy tormenting rural villages.

"That was damn good, actually. I didn't expect you to have any sort of solid ranged attack. I have to ask, are your powers like mine?" He paused, letting his crossbow fall to the ground. It would last a few more minutes, but a boomerang-looking weapon formed in one of his hands, not a toy, but one designed for hunting, and killing. It was aboriginal in nature, used to break the bones of larger game when it hit, but sturdy enough to be used as a club, "You've already made us of a sword and bow. What else can you do?"

He seemed to, despite his irk towards Michael and the pain in his wings, be thoroughly enjoying himself. But he didn't give Kimiko time to answer his question, a throwing axe forming in the other, one that he whipped in the general direction of the other combatants, but in the instant it took to reach its target, it, rather than having been aimed at them, slammed into the branch they were resting on, sheering through most of it and snapping the rest with the sheer force of the throw.

[Luminesa]

The fight continued, and Hamiri watched Azazel as he prepared his next move. He once again called for her to fight him head-on or to surrender, but she of course refused to surrender. She glared as he taunted her, knowing that he was trying to lure her into doing something impulsive. Yet as he prepared to fire a dart at her, Kimiko reappeared behind Azazel, and managed to tear apart his wings with shots from her arrows. Just as she had expected, Kimiko had used her invisibility to take advantage of Azazel. Now he had his back turned to Hamiri, and he was also stuck on the ground. She had an opportunity to attack him, and to also get letters from him if he had any...

“GAH!” As she was thinking, he had turned around and thrown a huge axe at the branch on which she was standing, and if she had not moved she would have had her leg sliced off, or worse. He did manage to cut her, however, as the axe whirled by and halted in a nearby tree. “Ouch...ouch, ouch, ouch...” she muttered, clutching her wounded leg.

Ugh...that hurt, but...he has to be tired now. Now's my chance... she calculated. Despite the pain, she leaped from the tree and landed light on her feet, on the ground a few yards away. Twirling her sword in her hand, she rushed him and made as though she was only going to hit him. Indeed, she did slash him across the back, in a swift, light motion, but she also managed to find one of his own letters. “Heh...tit-for-tat I guess!” she taunted raggedly.

Before he could react, she managed to pull back, leaving a painful wound across his back, and she flew back up into the tree. A successful hit-and-run, and he would have to climb the tree or to steal one from Kimiko, if he wanted to get one. She shoved it in the pocket of her jacket, and she waited. ...We can't have too much time left...maybe we can get away with these three and succeed...

[Ranoria]

Azazel

He couldn’t say he wasn’t surprised, she’d actually managed to lay a hit on him. A slash across his back, one wing crippled, the demon couldn’t say that he was in top shape at the moment. That said, he wasn’t quite as immobile as he was allowing Hamiri and Kimiko to believe. With three functioning wings, he could still fly, albeit his maneuverability would suffer. And he still wore that damn smirk.

“You’re one hell of a swordsman,” he nodded his respect towards Hamiri, it wasn’t often he found someone who could lay a hit on him in a melee. It was even less common to find someone who could beat him, “But you don’t have much else going for you. Not against me.” He knew the envelope was stuffed in her jacket pocket now, and his plan was risky, but he doubted that it would fail him here.

Without so much as a movement, Azazel created fire, fire that took to the fibers of Hamiri’s jacket. In the short time frame that it bought him, with her being distracted, he leapt up to the tree, his legs, and powerful top wings, carrying him there in an instant. But he didn’t head straight for the burning girl. Instead, he was at her side, and before her eyes could turn from the jacket to him, he wrapped a garrote around her neck, one that he’d created during his jump.

It was often a weapon of murder, but that wasn’t the intent here, shifting his grip so that one hand held both ends of the garrote right. Unfortunately, the fire was still burning on her jacket, and he had to deal with that. After all, if he left it on her while she gasped for breath, the damage could have been catastrophic . So, rather than do that, he rippedthe garment off and released his grip on the garrote, freeing Hamiri’s windpipe from a grip he’d kept tight enough to induce panic, but not do any real harm.

With a kick to her ankle that he hoped would be enough to knock her off balance, Azazel leapt down to the ground. His remaining wings proved to be enough to cushion his fall while he sifted through the burning jacket. Where he’d hoped to find at least one other envelope, though, he found only the one he’d stolen, and by the time he got dropped her ruined attire, pocketing the envelope, it was clear the assault had taken its toll.

Azazel’s left hand was completely covered in a burn that was already blistering, and his right arm showed patches of ruined flesh as well. He grimaced, keeping his eyes on both of the two of them, but eying Kimiko in particular. His underestimating of Hamiri’s partner had cost him yet again, as he’d assumed that Hamiri would be carrying the envelopes, if they had them.

“I am sorry about the jacket, Hamiri. I’ll make sure to pick a new one up for you,” a very large, double-headed axe came to life in his right hand, the left almost completely useless at this point. “But I have to say, I don’t intend on leaving this challenge with only one envelope.”

Despite the bravado, he still hadn’t fully recovered from Hamiri’s magic earlier in the fight, and with his wounds, and bleeding, he knew he couldn’t keep this up forever. And while he’d returned everything Hamiri had thrown at him with interest, Kimiko was still completely fresh, having managed to stay out of his path up until this point.

[5pb]

Kimiko

Azazel looked over to Kimiko, his arm scorched from the attacks on Hamiri. Kimiko smiled and dropped from the tree she was perched on, and into the bushes below. "If you still want to know more about me, then you don't have much time left," she stepped from the bushes and stood there smiling away. Her sword had replaced the bow that she was wielding before, "You seem far more entertaining in person than you did in the stories. I'd like to be talk learn more about you after this exercise."

Nyarlathotep

The bolt fired by Razorclaw flew through the sand and imbedded itself in one of the tentacles. It didn't do much to slow it down, but the others had already made their moves. Several other tentacles grabbed Patriah and Razorclaw, and one small one made its way into Razorclaw's bag and grabbed the envelope, "This is the one from the roof right? Ah, the damage from the drop will need to be repaired too, I wonder who does that around here. Don't you guys wonder too?" As she asked her question the tentacles pulled them both down onto their knees.

[Luminesa]

Kimiko

Azazel looked over to Kimiko, his arm scorched from the attacks on Hamiri. Kimiko smiled and dropped from the tree she was perched on, and into the bushes below. "If you still want to know more about me, then you don't have much time left," she stepped from the bushes and stood there smiling away. Her sword had replaced the bow that she was wielding before, "You seem far more entertaining in person than you did in the stories. I'd like to be talk learn more about you after this exercise."

Nyarlathotep

The bolt fired by Razorclaw flew through the sand and imbedded itself in one of the tentacles. It didn't do much to slow it down, but the others had already made their moves. Several other tentacles grabbed Patriah and Razorclaw, and one small one made its way into Razorclaw's bag and grabbed the envelope, "This is the one from the roof right? Ah, the damage from the drop will need to be repaired too, I wonder who does that around here. Don't you guys wonder too?" As she asked her question the tentacles pulled them both down onto their knees.

“GIMME THAT YOU!!!!” Patriah was furious. He and Razorclaw had been unable to grab any of the envelopes, yet Nyarlathotep had managed to get one of theirs. They had to be careful, or she would find the one in Patriah’s scarf. The way she had them tied did not make the task of hiding the envelope easy, but he wanted badly to keep her away anyway. Instead of swinging his sword this time, he held it, formed a small whirlwind around it, like a sonic boom, and he threw it at her. The force of the wind made it heavier and sharper, and it chopped right through the tentacle holding the envelope. When his sword hit, he yelled toward Razorclaw. “GET IT! GET IT QUICK! WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!!!!” he yelled.

As he screamed, Michael appeared on the beach, near the shoreline. He had decided to come watch the fighting on this side of the island, and saw that Lucifer and Otohime were working together. They were behaving fine, but Nyarlathotep was causing fear and panic as she fought Patriah and Razorclaw. She had transformed into some huge creature and had managed to steal one of the envelopes. While the fight was intense, however, he did not see that the Eldritch goddess was trying to knock her opponents unconscious, so he stayed back and watched.

[Ranoria]

Azazel

“I wouldn’t mind that,” he replied, pocketing his envelope once again, and this time creating an identical copy of it, one that would dissipate before long, but very well could keep them from snatching the real thing.

He couldn’t tell, though, if she was enjoyimg the fight as he was, or if her smile was the result of some sort of plan to bring this fight to a close. But that was the point of the axe. He hadn’t summoned such a heavy duty weapon in order to cleave anyone in two, but the threat of it was very real. His intention was to simply keep Kimiko at a distance until he could deduce where she was keeping his objective, the envelope.

With that in mind, he brought the axe down, snapping through one of the roots of the massive tree they had been fighting around, “Until then though, I’m afra...” he trailed off when he went to pull the axe back up, the root clinging to the blade and pulling up from the ground with it. When it did so, it revealed one more envelope, of all the places.

“You have got to be kidding me.”

He reached down and snatched up the piece of paper, leaving his axe in the ground afterwards and grimacing when the paper made contact with his tender left hand.

“Well, that does it for me.” With three envelopes in his possession, Azazel took a more defensive mindset, even if he was too proud to run. His left foot, with the pocket holding the three real letters, slid back, placing his uninhibited right arm and his body between the envelopes and his two opponents. “Like you both said, we don’t have much time left,” a blade formed once again at his call, right hand gripped around the hilt before it had even fully manifested itself, “Why not show me what you can do?”

With his burnt hand ready to stop any attempt at theft, his right readied itself for combat, keeping his focus equally between the recovering Hamiri and the now more threatening Kimiko.

[Pax Nerdvana]

Kimiko

Azazel looked over to Kimiko, his arm scorched from the attacks on Hamiri. Kimiko smiled and dropped from the tree she was perched on, and into the bushes below. "If you still want to know more about me, then you don't have much time left," she stepped from the bushes and stood there smiling away. Her sword had replaced the bow that she was wielding before, "You seem far more entertaining in person than you did in the stories. I'd like to be talk learn more about you after this exercise."

Nyarlathotep

The bolt fired by Razorclaw flew through the sand and imbedded itself in one of the tentacles. It didn't do much to slow it down, but the others had already made their moves. Several other tentacles grabbed Patriah and Razorclaw, and one small one made its way into Razorclaw's bag and grabbed the envelope, "This is the one from the roof right? Ah, the damage from the drop will need to be repaired too, I wonder who does that around here. Don't you guys wonder too?" As she asked her question the tentacles pulled them both down onto their knees.

“GIMME THAT YOU!!!!” Patriah was furious. He and Razorclaw had been unable to grab any of the envelopes, yet Nyarlathotep had managed to get one of theirs. They had to be careful, or she would find the one in Patriah’s scarf. The way she had them tied did not make the task of hiding the envelope easy, but he wanted badly to keep her away anyway. Instead of swinging his sword this time, he held it, formed a small whirlwind around it, like a sonic boom, and he threw it at her. The force of the wind made it heavier and sharper, and it chopped right through the tentacle holding the envelope. When his sword hit, he yelled toward Razorclaw. “GET IT! GET IT QUICK! WE’RE RUNNING OUT OF TIME!!!!” he yelled.

As he screamed, Michael appeared on the beach, near the shoreline. He had decided to come watch the fighting on this side of the island, and saw that Lucifer and Otohime were working together. They were behaving fine, but Nyarlathotep was causing fear and panic as she fought Patriah and Razorclaw. She had transformed into some huge creature and had managed to steal one of the envelopes. While the fight was intense, however, he did not see that the Eldritch goddess was trying to knock her opponents unconscious, so he stayed back and watched.

Razorclaw
Razorclaw bared his fangs, and chomped on the tentacle that was holding him, causing it to loosen it's grip for a second. He began trying to run for the envelope. He hoped he would be able to grab it before the tentacles caught him. Razorclaw dived, and grabbed the envelope. He tucked into his bag, this time putting it at the bottom, underneath several books.

[5pb]

~Snippu~

Razorclaw
Razorclaw bared his fangs, and chomped on the tentacle that was holding him, causing it to loosen it's grip for a second. He began trying to run for the envelope. He hoped he would be able to grab it before the tentacles caught him. Razorclaw dived, and grabbed the envelope. He tucked into his bag, this time putting it at the bottom, underneath several books.

Kimiko

She watched as Azazel picked up another envelope and tucked it away. He took up a new stance afterwards, he was now playing more defensively. With time running out Kimiko had two options, keep her abilities hushed and let Hamiri try and sneak the envelope from him, or she could try for it on her own. Kimiko loosened her grip on her sword, and closed her eyes. Her tail lifted up until it peaked above her head, a teal light spread out behind her. "If that is the case I will give you a taste of a fox goddess's power," eight extra tails made of the teal light unfolded behind her.

Flames of the same color began to rise from the area around her feet. She took a large bound towards Azazel and gripped her sword tightly. She quickly reached her target and struck him in the chest with the pommel of her weapon. The flame's heat was intense but it moved away from the area of impact as to not burn Azazel.

Nyarlathotep

When Razorclaw bit into the tentacle a green fluid leaked from the tentacle and a small amount would make its way into his mouth. The fluid had the same consistency of blood but it was very bitter, slowly it would begin to burn him."Quick spit it out!" Nyaru shouted out to Razorclaw, "a god's blood is poison!" The actual creature moved towards him and showed some sort of concern. Meanwhile the tentacle that was severed by Patriah burned up into ash, slowly a new tentacle grew in its place. After confirming that Razorclaw would survive the minor dose of her blood she began to bind him up again, Patriah's binding also grew tighter and maneuvered themselves to restrict his arms better.

"Sometimes, I swear that you mortals are looking for the quickest ways to die," she began to return to her human form but the tentacles still had them bound. She sighed as she spoke, "We don't have much time left for this activity. I would prefer that we end this fight now before someone gets killed, be it by accident or not." The tentacles slightly loosened and she began to calm herself down.

[Ranoria]

snip

Azazel

The tails appearing to accompany Kimiko's natural one were a surprise, but he couldn't say that her sudden charge was as well, even if the pommel strike was a bit of a rarity. That said, she had made a mistake when she'd done it, and that was one that was easily exploited.

With his axe in one hand, he batted her wrist away with his burnt arm, sliding his off foot back behind him as he did to push her down and off balance, so that Kimiko would be doubled over, and before she had much of a chance to do anything, he gripped the end of his axe with his injured hand and slid the other to just behind the head of his weapon, pressing it down onto her neck.

It was a simple maneuver, and one that was reflexive at this point, even if it would have been easier to execute with a sword. The pommel strike was an easily countered attack, especially when she'd telegraphed it by attacking from range. And despite the pain in a hand that was singed from burns, he knew he was in a position where the fight was won.

"Simple mistake, Kimiko. I'd be happy to show you some basic swordplay after we're done here. And while you may be tempted to use those tails to defend yourself, I could decapitate you without a second thought at the moment. I think it's fair to say that I've won this round."

He risked a glance over to Hamiri, knowing that if Kimiko moved, he would feel it, regardless, by the change in pressure on the head of his axe. She'd have a more difficult time getting to the letters now that he had a decoy, but if she moved, he would know, and she had no truly viable method of escape. That said, the heat she was letting off was uncomfortable, but not unbearable. Worse was the sting of a gash in his back and the dull throb of his broken wing. But he knew that this fight was all but over.

snip

Otohime

"Right," she paused their trek, reaching out a hand towards the water. To be fair, she really didn't need to move her body to control the water, but it just felt right, so she did it anyway. She couldn't make out exactly what was in the water, but she did feel what vaguely seemed to be a school of fish...or just a bunch of jellyfish that were wondering too close to the shore. It was difficult to tell with her somewhat less advanced command of the water.

Either way, she pushed the current out, searching for any signs of anything, and to her dismay, nothing appeared. But that changed when she let go of the tide, and it washed back in even farther than it had gone before, the water just brushing their toes along with a rather obvious envelope.

"Hey, look at that!" The water goddess reached down and plucked the parcel from the quickly retreating tide with a grin, "Good thinking, that makes two for us."

Admittedly, she was still wary of Lucifer, but he'd already proven helpful, and it couldn't hurt to at least try to get to know him. It might be her best chance to make friends here, after all. "So, how did you end up here? It doesn't seem like a place that many people would attend voluntarily."

That, at least was true. While she was here for her own reasons, it was difficult to see an assortment of gods and goddesses, all powerful in their own ways, wanting to attend a place that claimed to teach them about powers that most would likely claim to have mastered by now.

[5pb]

~snip~

Kimiko

Her attack was countered and she was pinned by the blade on her neck. She smirked, again her opponent had underestimated her. The flames grew taller the heat rising tremendously. If this were any other situation she would have dispersed, but she knew that Azazel wasn't going to kill her. The flame began to tower over them and the heat grew hotter, "A spirit can burn hotter than the flames of hell." Kimiko's tails also wrapped themselves around her. With the one true tail she quickly grabbed sword from her hand and swung it at Azazel's feet.

[Luminesa]

~Snippu~

Razorclaw
Razorclaw bared his fangs, and chomped on the tentacle that was holding him, causing it to loosen it's grip for a second. He began trying to run for the envelope. He hoped he would be able to grab it before the tentacles caught him. Razorclaw dived, and grabbed the envelope. He tucked into his bag, this time putting it at the bottom, underneath several books.

Kimiko

She watched as Azazel picked up another envelope and tucked it away. He took up a new stance afterwards, he was now playing more defensively. With time running out Kimiko had two options, keep her abilities hushed and let Hamiri try and sneak the envelope from him, or she could try for it on her own. Kimiko loosened her grip on her sword, and closed her eyes. Her tail lifted up until it peaked above her head, a teal light spread out behind her. "If that is the case I will give you a taste of a fox goddess's power," eight extra tails made of the teal light unfolded behind her.

Flames of the same color began to rise from the area around her feet. She took a large bound towards Azazel and gripped her sword tightly. She quickly reached her target and struck him in the chest with the pommel of her weapon. The flame's heat was intense but it moved away from the area of impact as to not burn Azazel.

Nyarlathotep

When Razorclaw bit into the tentacle a green fluid leaked from the tentacle and a small amount would make its way into his mouth. The fluid had the same consistency of blood but it was very bitter, slowly it would begin to burn him."Quick spit it out!" Nyaru shouted out to Razorclaw, "a god's blood is poison!" The actual creature moved towards him and showed some sort of concern. Meanwhile the tentacle that was severed by Patriah burned up into ash, slowly a new tentacle grew in its place. After confirming that Razorclaw would survive the minor dose of her blood she began to bind him up again, Patriah's binding also grew tighter and maneuvered themselves to restrict his arms better.

"Sometimes, I swear that you mortals are looking for the quickest ways to die," she began to return to her human form but the tentacles still had them bound. She sighed as she spoke, "We don't have much time left for this activity. I would prefer that we end this fight now before someone gets killed, be it by accident or not." The tentacles slightly loosened and she began to calm herself down.

Patriah had smirked when Razorclaw had landed such a vicious chomp on their foe...only for him to feel horror, a caustic bile, sinking into his stomach as he saw that his comrade had accidentally consumed a poison in the process. Her blood is poisonous?! he thought, in a panic. While he was immune to poison himself, others were not, and he wanted to pull completely free so he could aid his weakened companion.

However, he did not have to try and slash again, as Nyarlathotep felt guilt from having poisoned a classmate. Thus she began to loosen her grip on both students, and allowed Patriah to move away. At least he still had one envelope. He panted, as his body began to feel strain from having been in a bind for so long. Even so, all three students wanted to end the fight before more blood was spilled. Patriah noted now Michael standing on the edge of the beach, watching the fighting with stoic interest. As he felt the cool, crystalline-blue eyes pierce his neck, he began to think of quick ways to end the fight.

He made one decision after a few seconds, and did not question it. Without a word, emerald scales began to grow all over his body, and he flew at Nyarlathotep. While he was already quite strong, in this advanced stage he was able to ram into her, and he pinned her to the ground. “...You said you wanted...to end it quickly...you should...be careful what you wish for!” he taunted, straining to hold her tentacle-covered body to the ground. He would not be able to get an envelope from her, but at least he could twist her tentacles and pressure her until she decided to surrender.

[Luminesa]

As Hamiri watched Kimiko fight in her stead, she cursed her bloodied leg, wishing she could move a little faster to help her companion. Yet she did not have the Healing Magic necessary, nor did she know how to stitch a wound. All she knew how to do at the moment was to take off her jacket and to wrap it around the wound, putting pressure on it to keep from bleeding-out. The hot, sticky throbbing of blood made her grimace, but she did not stop fighting simply because she was in pain.

Rather, she decided to switch to her Magic once again. Azazel was once again planted on the ground, with a large slash in his back and a broken wing. Once more, she summoned her Night Magic and surrounded the demon in an arc painted with a starry midnight sky. She pumped more Magic by focusing on her Magic despite her wound, and as she sensed the amount of Magic flowing into the arc, she knew now Azazel had no choice but to sleep. “...You talk too much...You should go to sleep...It helps clear your head of foolish things, like thinking you’ve won when your back has a huge gash in it,” she warned.

[Ranoria]

Azazel

He'd actually allowed himself to relax a bit when he'd pinned Kimiko down. As far as he was concerned, the fight was over. In any actual duel, he would have already won. And when Kimiko continued to fight back, it would have been putting it lightly to say it pissed him off. As a matter of fact, he didn't even defend against her blade.

Instantly, he regretted that decision. The spirit-blade bit into his flesh, drawing out more blood, but more importantly, it hurt like hell. Beyond that, the heat she was letting off was quickly becoming more intense, and he realized that he didn't have much time left to actually deal a finishing blow to the fox goddess. With that in mind, he simply brought up one of his knees into her gut. The blow was powerful enough that it likely would have broken multiple ribs in a man, and he wasn't sure how durable Kimiko was, but at the very least it would knock the wind out of her.

He let go of Kimiko, and his eyes went straight back to Hamiri, possible strategies running through his mind on how to actually end this fight. He couldn't knock them unconscious, but actually putting them in a position where he would have beaten them in any fair fight obviously wasn't an option, as displayed by catching Hamiri with a weapon that could have killed her in seconds, and multiple times demonstrating that he could have cut Kimiko's throat.

And by the time he realized what was going on, it was damn near too late. His vision was obscured by a shadowy veil, one that, unlike the last one, was concentrated almost to the point that it could have been an igloo made out of moonlight. But as impressive, and admittedly stunning, as it was, he knew he didn't have the luxury of observing it. The sudden wave of what could only be described as exhaustion nearly sent him to the ground, eyelids drooping reflexively. He could feel his willpower being drained, but he wouldn't give in. He'd done this too many times, and knew exactly what would happen if he gave in.

Granted, he wouldn't actually die if he fell asleep here, but he still wasn't going to actually let himself be beaten.

So with a surge of what strength he had left, Azazel leapt into the air, hissing in pain as his ankle flared up under the abuse, shadowy mist trailing from the tips of his flared out outer wings, but his strength failed him not long after he escaped her trap, the fatigue not fading as instantly as it had set in, and he crashed onto the forest floor, forcing himself to his feet as he felt the grogginess slowly leave his system.

"You know, as much fun as I've had," he flexed his fingers, panting from exertion as he did so, "I think we all know exactly how this would have gone if I hadn't restrained myself. And at this point, I think I've made my point." In his hands appeared a trio of grenades, appearing like canisters, "It's been fun, both of you, but I'm calling this match while I still can."

As much as he loved the idea of setting the forest aflame to cover his escape, that was a little bit too flashy for his tastes, and too destructive for Michael's. Instead, he unpinned the three explosives in an instant and tossed them towards his opponents at the same time that he leapt back into the air, using his stronger top wings to fly, albeit a little clumsier than usual. By the time the flash-bangs went off, he could barely here the noise that they produced, even if he knew full well that it would buy him time to lick his wounds, and hopefully get out of this contest with his three envelopes.

In the air, he didn't make it far, deciding to land at the edge of the forest, his wounds burning in protest to a landing that was rough without his lower wings' support. Burns covered his skin, both from his assault on Hamiri and Kimiko's own heat, while a cut on his ankle was probably the most individually painful. The most severe, though, was reserved for the slash Hamiri had put across his back. She was good, very good, most were lucky to manage to hit him, and Kimiko had done the same with her own attack.

But despite that, he knew full well that he had held back in their fight, and as much as he loved the idea putting the two of them in checkmate over and over until they finally caught him, he knew that it was smarter to withdraw. It would have only been a matter of time before Hamiri's magic had done its work, and he'd gotten his enjoyment out of the battle. And, even more impressively, in his mind, despite Michael's obvious bias against him, he'd managed to secure three envelopes.

"A morning well spent, if I do say so myself," the demon smiled, gripping his three prizes in hand, and leaned back against a tree that afforded him a good amount of cover from any prying eyes, "Now I just need to wait." He figured that there couldn't be much time left, Hamiri had said it herself, but even in a relaxed location such as this, he was careful to stay alert. An ambush now would be disastrous in his current state.