The Zodiac Brave Story

*Cassandra swings her sword at the one to who stabbed her. Safian growls and casts Fire3 and the White Mages again, while Namond reloads and fires again*

"My mother had encouraged my father to use it before," Zac confirmed.

--

Mortal is beat up by magic and shit, so she takes her frustration out on the samurai in front of her with two slashes. Sab begins to cast hastja on Mortal and Beowulf. Noct is dancing.

~Bervenia~

"That sounds very disturbing."

<You may see through the church, but you are naive of your own class.>

"Hey, my Mother never poisoned anyone with mossfungus."

*Delita just turns away, ignoring her.*
==================================
~Lionel~

Bremondt: You...you cannot fool me! You do not...You do not know her as I do! Reis is mine! My own! I will not surrender her to you!

*Beowulf quickly kills the ninja & gets in range of the haste spell. Euryale backs Mortal up with a chakra. She critically wounds the samurai. Determined to block the damn road, both samurai use healing skills on themselves. The odds might sway a bit, as a green numerals pour into Mortal & Beowulf.*

Beowulf: Your notion of love is one of control and possession. Such a thing is not love! Reis freely took the curse you meant for me, though she knew what it might entail. For her, I would fain do the same. That is what it means to love. And it is something you will never know.

*The poisoned Mystic quickly casts Haste on Bremondt, who sets to work charging a spell of his own. Meanwhile, the remaining ninja runs past the samurai, headed for Sab & Noctis.*

Bremondt: No! It is you - you and that vile tongue! I need only silence it, and we can live together in bliss!

~3~
====================================
~Nelveska~

*The Construct just up & punches him. The other opens fire at Mimiru again, even as more Polka Dots wash over them.*
=====================================
~Brigands' Den~

*Since Firaga is not a bloody instant attack, it just now goes off, orbs of flame obliterating 2 of the White Mages. The thief is critically wounded, but uses Steal Heart to charm Cassandra. The other Thief approaches Namond & Safian from behind. The remaining White Mage teleports closer to her fellows, & begins charging a spell.*

~3,3~

Safian:<Damn you Cassandra!>

*Safian charges Bolt2, aiming at the remaining white mage. Namond shoots the thief coming towards then, while I guess Cassandra turns around and heads back over to Safian and Namond, pointing her drawn sword at them*

"Technically, neither did mine," Zac said with a shrug.

--

Sab charges Stop on the female ninja. Noct is still dancing, and Mortal uses Holy Breath on the samurai in front of her.

~Brigands' Den~

*The thief is shot before he & Cassandra punch & stab Namond, respectively. The critically injured one staggers through the air towards Safian.*

~2,2~
======================================
~Lionel~

*He is stopped just before he gets to them. Do to convenient placing, the Holy Breath blows through each Samurai several times, killing them both. Unfortunately, Bremondt raises the ninja back to full health, & Senthose quietly enters the room behind Noctis.*

Bremondt<Senthose! Thank the gods you've arrived to fill your contract!>

Beowulf<I bade Roatha be our lookout. Where is he?>

"This world. Or the next. I haven't been paying attention to the passage time since I stopped his breathing."

*He shrugs. The Mystic approaches the edge of the balcony & hastens the newly-raised ninja, who proceeds to back-attack Beowulf, before being countered. Bremondt charges another spell.*

~3,3~
====================================
~Dugeura Pass~

*They stumble on a group of 2 archers & a knight on top of the pass, all male, & a ninja & a knight, female, on the paths below.*

Lead Knight<The Princess's guard is so thin? The gods smile on us! We kill them, & ransom Ovelia to the highest bidder!>

*When she's done using Bolt2 on the White Mage, Safian begins charging Bolt2 again, this time aiming at the thief. Namond gets the hell of Cassandra's way, afraid she's still charmed*

Sab begins to charge a Graviga on Senthose, "You killed Roatha?!"

Noct is still dancing, and Mortal double slashes the ninja that attacked Beowulf before making her way towards Senthose.

--

"Things never change, do they?" Zac said with a sigh. He drew his gun and aimed it at one of the archers, shooting him in the arm.

~Dugeura Pass~

"I don't understand how so much of Ivalice could be so violent & greedy."

*She starts to draw a sword, but Delita holds out a hand. Ovelia begins charging a spell.*

Delita<Don't waste your weapons on weak stragglers. Guard Ovelia with your normal skills.>

*He then dashes forward, slashing the air with a Hallowed Bolt. It critically wounds the 2 archers & strikes the knight. The knight attempts to flank Delita while the disabled archer retreats down the mountain & the other shoots Zac. The ninja also makes his way up the mountain, heading for Zac, & the female knight begins the slow ascent from the lowest level.*
=================================
~Brigands' Den~

*Having been struck with a powerful bolt of lightning, the remaining White Mage is down. As for Safian, the thief is getting dangerously close before the spell has finished charging. The still-charmed Cassandra is slowly catching up with Namond.*

~3,1,1~
=======================================
~Lionel~

Senthose<You act indignant. Exactly how many times do you think you can defy those with power before you face consequences?>

*The ninja dies, again. The Mystic hastens herself just in time for poison to wear off, but leave her critically wounded. Bremondt raises the female samurai to full health. In a flash, the stopped ninja also falls asleep on his feet, the stopped Mystic becomes a toad, & the remaining Mystic gets her haste spell taken away.*

~3,2~

Namond:<Miss Safian!>

*Namond attempts to shoot the thief while keeping out of Cassandra's reach. Safian continues to charge the spell*

Zac shoots the other archer with an arm shot, because fuck that guy.

--

Mortal makes her way to Senthose, and uses confuse on him. Sab is indeed indignant, and opts not to respond to Senthose's comment, instead dropping a graviga on him.

~Brigands' Den~

*Cassandra slashes Namond, dropping him instantly, even though this also kills the thief.*

~3,3,2,0,0~
==============================
~Lionel~

*Senthose ignores the status effect & the charging spell, & instead steps up to Noctis, slashing her twice across the back, or the front, if she's turned around.*

"The Stone protects him from ailments. And I'm not sure, but I think that Bremondt & that Samurai are wearing ribbons."

<Come. We cannot leave Bremondt alone. The others should be more than capable of dealing with the assassin.>

*And so, at Beowulf's insistance, the pair of them partially surround the samurai & take her down, before continuing up the stairs. Bremondt responds by casting Esuna on the other Mystic.*

~3,2,1~
=======================================
~Dugeura Pass~

*Now useless, the other archer heads down the mountain. The ninja & the knight attack Delita from either side, dealing heavy damage, before Delita counterattacks, killing the ninja. Lilith then approaches, & takes down the knight. The other knight is still making her way up. Ovelia surrounds herself with MBarrier.*

~3,3~

Sab, perhaps, maybe, if I'm lucky, uses Graviga now. Mortal double slashed, and Noct flies away from Senthose, letting her regen do its job.

--

Zac shoots the other Knight with a Barrage.

*Safian then has no choice but to use her spell on Cassandra, hoping that she takes enough damage that Safian can approach*

~Lionel~

*The Graviga hit, but didn't really do anything, because of low faith. Noticing that he is massively outclassed in speed, Senthose quickly teleports to the balcony, near the Mystic, who is charging a spell, & downs an X-Potion. When Beowulf takes down the wounded Mystic, Bremondt really has no recourse, save to charge a spell & take a punch to the gut from Euryale. He doubles over.*

Bremondt<What...will it take for you...to leave...?>

"Surrender. Absolutely. Your lust for Reis, your hunt for Mortal, & your position. You can keep your Gil, but you only abuse your power.>

Bremondt<Don't be absurd...you've the look of a common wench. I can surely give you enough to satisfy you for the rest of your days. A hundred thousand...no, a million Gil!>

"You just don't get it. Please, just stop, while you still have the chance."

~3,2,1,0~
==========================================
~Brigands' Den~

*It does not. Cassandra critically wounds Safian before Charm finally wears off. The White Mages atop the fort both revive, though one still has blood pouring from her translucent lacerations.*

~2,2,1~
===========================================
~Dugeura~

*The fourth shot knocks her off of the mountain, the fall knocking her into critical. Ovelia begins charging another Aegis as Delita pursues the archers.*

~2,2~

Mortal looked up towards where Senthose fucked off to and frowned. She then turned her gaze to Bremondt, and frowned deeper, "Scoff at mercy any longer and you'll find yourself run through with steel." With that she began to make her way back up the stairs.

Sab begins to cast Graviga on the Mystic.

--

Zac rushes to the edge of the cliff, and shoots down at the Knight again, aiming to kill her.

*Cassandra would have slapped herself it she thought she had the time. She quickly uses a Phoenix Down on Namond*

Cassandra:<Safian...Namond..GODS DAMN IT!>

~Dugeura~

*He does so.*

"Mayhap we should call it quits? The enemy is routed."

*For a second, it looks as though God Himself has proclaimed her correct with a halo of light, but it's just the translucent dome of the Aegis forming over her head.*

Delita<The enemy may yet heal their comrades, & pursue.>

~1,1~
=====================================
~Lionel~

*Holy rips through Beowulf before he makes good on Mortal's promise, & Bremondt falls, barely clinging to life. The Mystic hits Euryale with lightning just before she herself is halved.*

Bremondt<P-power...of the Dark...Heed my call!>

*The building shakes as a pulse of purple lightning explodes outwards from Bremondt, ripping away his human flesh & priestly attire, leaving instead a healthy, black dragon towering above Euryale & Beowulf. He roars in a guttural, rage-filled English.*

Bremondt<Denied earthly pleasure, surely Paradise as well...but vengeance I shall know!>

*The Mystic heals herself with Cure as quickly as possible, & retreats out of Sab's range.*

Senthose<The incantation is that simple? Oh well.>

*Senthose teleports out of the building altogether. Stop wears off from the ninja as the male samurai's spirit yields a red crystal.*

~2,1,0~
================================
~Brigands' Den~

*The newly-risen mages re-hasten themselves & begin charging a curse towards Cassandra, respectively. The newly-risen Namond is hurt much worse than the ghostly White Mage.*

~1,0~

Mortal instinctively spread her arms to appear as the larger threat, then shook her head, feeling stupid. "Don't think this will save you!" Assuming she is close to the Ninja, she slashes twice at it.

Sab begins to move closer to the Mystic, shoring up MP in the process.

--

Zac begins to make his way to the archers, not bothering to say anything.

*Namond uses Cure 3 on himself, then runs over to help Safian. Cassandra runs over to the staircase, and charges up it*

~Brigands' Den~

*He's still charging Curaga even as he's running. Seeing that Safian is approaching, the other Mage starts charging a spell. The daggerless thief arises, still half-dead, & punches Namond right in the nose as he's running past.*

~0~
===============================
~Dugeura~

*Disable wears off of the first, who shoots him. Ovelia begins chanting yet another Aegis. Delita follows Zac.*

"I...suppose that it can't be helped."
================================
~Lionel~

*The ninja is now dead. Meanwhile, the body of the other ninja yields a yellow crystal. Bremondt breathes a stream of fire over Euryale, critically wounding her. He then barrels past, heading for the stairs. The Mystic begins charging another cure.*

~3,1,0~

Zac frowned, and shot the archer with a barrage.

--

Mortal charges up the stairs to meet Bremondt head on, attacks with a double slash.

Sab begins charging a stop on the Mystic.

*Namond kicks him in the groin, then keeps moving. Cassandra continues heading up to the roof, swinging her sword at the White Mages when she can. Safian tries to boast herself up*

~Lionel~

*Mortal happens to step on the samurai's crystal, and gets the Iaido skills Muramasa & Osafune, as well as a full heal. Bremondt takes both attacks like a champ, then breathes electricity into Mortal. The balcony is such that the mystic is still slightly out of Sab's reach. She'll have to take the stairs. Euryale & Beowulf attack Bremondt from behind, but Bremondt promptly counterattacks Beowulf, critically wounding him. Meanwhile, the female Samurai crystallizes beside Mortal--blue.*

~2,0~
==================================
~Brigands' Den~

*Cassandra drops a white mage. The other teleports down to the lower level of the fort, before Cassandra is hit with a powerful bolt of lightning. The remaining Thief crystallizes into a red crystal, removing him from the world forever.*

~3~
===========================================
~Dugeura~

*The archer screams, & falls. The other shoots Zac, apparently just to spite him.*

*Once his own Cure 3 has finished, Namond casts another on Safian. Cassandra growls and runs back down the stairs, heading towards the remaining white mage*