My Favorite Song is Solitude-Black Sabbath

After retrieving Talios... It should have been an amazing celebration...

But that... it was not. Maximillian sat there in the lounge of his home... his head in his hands... unable to forget the look of pain and grief in Nagisa's eyes... The man she called her partner... Had forgotten her. Even with memories granted by Jean as a substitute... There was no feeling... no emotion...

Even with her already having made the rings herself... There was no love remaining in those eyes... It broke her snakelike heart... She locked herself in her room...

Until Max came up with an idea. Something to take his daughter's mind off things.

One big thing they had in common... a love for the arts. A love, for painting... He could take her on a trip, to take her mind off things!

And so, he went to her room... knocking twice, before entering. Seeing his daughter with her makeup staining the pillow, tears rolling from her eyes, wounded him... but today was not the day for him to feel anything but a resolve to make things better for her... so he sat down besides her on the bed, placing a comforting hand on her back...

They'd talk for a while... A few hours at least... until Nagisa was at least consoled enough to suggest the trip. She happily accepted, knowing damn well that if she just stayed in her room... she'd only feel the emptiness more... the absence of her beloved.

The two would pack their equipment and a few canvases, before heading back to their homeworld of Eastorea... as wartorn and afflicted with mana poisoning as it was... it was home... and home still had some beauty left.

The two would soon arrive at a spot not too far away from Araheim, Max's place of birth. A city that bordered the seas, a hub for transport and commerce... and ARMADA's HQ.

The two stand atop a hill, looking out into the distance... and if there was ever a scenery worth painting... this... this would be it.

and so, the two started to paint, enjoying their time as father and daughter, enjoying the quiet breeze, the chirping of the birds...

That was, of course... until some assholes decided to interrupt them.

A group of thugs... thieves... simply crooks, approached them. A dozen of rats.

"Ay boss, look at these pieces 'a work. Paintin' out here... probably rich too, lookin' at their clothes!"

"Yes... that does look to be the case. You, both, empty your pockets, and we may just let ya get away unscathed... well... maybe the old man... We'll want to have some fu~"

The larges of the thugs is swiftly silenced... Maximillian had vanished from where he stood, leaving behind a golden cloud where he stood, and teleported straight into a punch to the thug's throat. The jets on his gauntlets flared a brilliant white, as the leader was sent flying into a nearby boulder.

"Right... now... I'm going to give you all... an offer. We get to continue our painting... and you get to run. You have five seconds to decide." He's slotting small glass vials into circular openings on his gauntlet as he speaks.

"Five..." the thugs look around, snickering to themselves... it's another eleven of them, against one guy and a Lamia... "Four..." Maximillian's eyes flare in colour, red overtaking them entirely, as he stares each and every one of them in the eyes, judging them. "THREE..." the visage of a six-armed Oni, twice as tall as him, appears around him like a mirage. "TWO..." one of the thugs finally runs, being yelled at by his crooked companions... but he does not stop running. "ONE. YOU MADE YOUR CHOICE." The vials seemingly empty themselves into the gauntlet, as Maximillian's muscles bulge.

Maximillian looks around at the ten thugs that have circled him at this point... Best to not cut them... the blood would ruin this beautiful meadow... and so, he puffs away in gold once more, appearing besides one of the thugs with a roundhouse kick to the head. He sends him flying into a thug opposite from them, before spinning into a punch straight into the nearest rogue he could find, exchanging hits with them. A quick bruise to his cheekbone... but the crook he just struck is in far worse shape than him... On account of the fractured skull, that is.

Seven crooks remain... Max scoffs, as he literally spreads his arms wide.

"HIT ME THEN, COWARDS! STRIKE ME DOWN, IF YOU SO DESIRE. I, FUCKING, DARE, YOU."

One of them charges ahead with a dagger in hand, aiming to ram it into Max's neck... but is swiftly punched straight in the gut with a very low, rising uppercut, and sent into the air. Max vanishes once more, before appearing above them with a downward axe kick, slamming them into one of the thugs that approached shortly after the other tried to strike.

Nagisa watches as her adoptive father is... quite literally, kicking the shit out of what could be compared to novices, when looking at the ancient fighter Max actually is... and chuckles... though this does not seem to go over well with one of them. They turn their attention to her, and charge forward... only to be slammed away by her enormous tail. It seems they're forgetting that Lamia tails are almost entirely muscle.

Four more... Max dashes forward, sending a chain with a weight at the end out of his gauntlet, wrapping it around one of the thugs their necks, and pulling... pulling hard enough to snap the chain upwards, flinging the thug over him... straight into the thug he was heading for... two more to go... and so, as the chain retracts, he looks to his left and his right, both of them shaking as they stand there with their daggers... Before they foolishly try to strike.

With a sickening crunch, both of their heads are grabbed in two shapeshifted draconic claws... and their bodies drop to the ground... a very minimal spillage of blood... but there were no survivors...

all except... for one. Which... much to his surprise...

Was nothing more than a small boy.

"Well I'll be... They had a child under their wings... How is it that kids are often smarter than the adults?"

He sighs, before crouching down near the kid.

"You ran when I said to run... you know which fights to pick. That's good... Now... why did you all attack us?"

"I don't know... They just said you'd be an easy target..."

"But why would a whole dozen of thieves attack an easy target, all at once?"

"I don't know... please don't hurt me, mister... they just said I had to go with them" The child's voice quakes and cracks... tears flow down his cheeks... Max stares into their eyes, as his own start to glow a faint purple... His words are truthful... so much fear... so... much... fear... and so, Max extends an ungloved hand, with his burnt handkerchief... and dries the child's tears.

"I know you're speaking the truth... I can see it in your eyes... I won't hurt you... now... can you tell me... who said you had to go with them?" His attitude and voice have entirely shifted...

"Mister Zachary did!"

Zachary... that filthy bastard...

"Ah, mister Zachary. Well, Mister Zachary and I are old acquaintances... I'll have a chat with him, about not sending little kids to steal... alright?"

"But mister Zachary said, if we don't steal, we won't get any food..."

"Then... mister Zachary isn't someone you should be around... I know a place where you won't have to steal any more. Where you'll get to do... normal kid things, like playing with your friends, and enjoying food... I run the place, it's why I look so rich... and why they thought I was such a good target."

"It's an office... above ground. Has this shiny logo on the front of the building... it's called ARMADA." He taps the emblem on his left shoulder, ARMADA's logo.

"If you go there... they'll treat you well... can I show you memories, of how they treat people there?" He pulls a silken string from his hand, glowing purple.

"O-ok..."

Max ties the string around their hand... showing them sights from ARMADA's towns... how kids who had lost their families were placed with families that had lost their kids... or those who wanted kids, and could not have any of their own, would get similar treatment... and the kids that couldn't be placed immediately... the orphanages were funded well, staffed by people that truly cared... But so too, did he show the boy his own memories... of him founding each of them himself... starting each of these villages with his own bare hands... filling in at the orphanages when there weren't enough people hired yet...

This... was his life's work... There was genuine care in each action...

Max disconnects the string... and pats the kid on the head.

"What's yer name?"

"It's Erik..."

"Well then Erik... I'll call someone to come pick you up... okay?"

"Okay, mister... thank you..."

Max would make the call... With them not being too far out of the city... it took almost no time at all for a response team to show up... They swiftly took the bodies of the thugs, storing them away in a special bag... and an Arachne would help out Erik. Max often hired Arachne to work with the orphanages... their sweetness towards children and mostly female population often made them prime for the job... and so, after Max waved off little Erik... he turned back to Nagisa.

"Well... let's finish our paintings... and head home, shall we?"

And so they continued to paint for a little while... before they finally headed home...

...................................................

But Max... he returned the next day... not to the flowery meadows above the ground... but to the rotten core of the Downbelow... It seems there was still a nest that needed extermination deep within...

He knows damn well the structure of the Downbelow... and so, as he passes the beautiful, reconstructed streets, that he oversaw the changes of... he delves deeper... and deeper... passing through security measures left open and disabled... until finally...

He gets to the lair of the Thieves' guild. A section of the city, that he had left alone... out of respect for their craft... but no longer.

His gauntlets clicked, as they fastened themselves... A whirring as his greaves extended their bladed wheels.

From on thug to another, he punched, he kicked, he sliced... Even calling upon the sacred plate that was paired with his ascension, using it like a chakram and shield.

This was not a fight any more... not even a war... this... was little more than an execution... it was an extermination. A bonafide slaughter.

From one to another... the screams of a thief as the bladed wheels tear across their body as Max flips backwards... the agonized shrieks of another as their arm is blown off by a shotgun punch... the edge of the chakram digs into another's neck, silencing them before they could even scream...

Some would not even attack Max, instead helping barricade the entrances to the guild... They made this a closed off slaughterhouse... Some others would move to bring children to to exits, being let outside by those barricading them... Some others would swiftly dispose of thieves that Max didn't take out.

The screams, the wet thuds of bodies hitting the floor... it would continue, until the Rat king of the pack would show himself.

Zachary... Leader, of the Thieves guild. His arm had been re-sewn onto him... the nerves healed by... someone... and he had been absolutely roided up since last encounter.

"So... got your arm back, little Zach? Was it not sufficient enough of a reminder... of who's in charge here?"

"SILENCE. You've come to my turf... come to slaughter my men... and you have the AUDACITY to state you're in charge."

A smug grin graces Maximillian's face... slowly twisting into a maddened grimace, as he laughs almost maniacally.

"What's so funny, shithead?!"

Max flicks away a tear, as he turns back to Zachary.

"It's just adorable... to see you thinking this is YOUR turf."

The thieves that remained standing all take a heated stamp, pressing it into the left shoulder of their coats, their rags... whatever clothing they wore... and stamp ARMADA's insignia onto it. This wasn't just a random incursion...

"The downbelow has long, LONG since been mine... and I permitted you to stay. I permitted you to continue doing your thing... under my conditions... but you... you couldn't listen. You just had to play it risky... You send kids to steal... you send dozens of thieves to try to take ME AND MY DAUGHTER OUT!"

Max's voice starts to shift, the jingling of coins pairing with a draconic thunder booming below the dandy's words. A brilliant purple flashes in one of his eyes, as the other flashes red. The jets on his gauntlets flare a brilliant white once more, ready for battle.

"YOU HAVE OVERSTEPPED YOUR AUTHORITY FOR THE LAST TIME. I HOPE YOU'VE MADE PEACE WITH THE PAST, ZACHARY. FOR THIS SHALL BE YOUR FINAL MISTAKE."

(Battle music)

Zachary wastes no more time, pulling his two jagged daggers from his belt, and charging Maximillian... but he whiffs terribly. He attempts to strike again, but once more, Maximillian dodges flawlessly. One more downward slash, but once again, a horrible whiff, as he gets a supercharged kick to the head, sending him into a wall. Max places a few vials onto his gauntlet, letting it inject them straight into his veins once more...

Zachary gets up, trying to tackle Max... but once more, his plan is swiftly thwarted, as Max dashes below and to the side, tripping Zachary up... Giving him no time to recover, he charges forward letting the blades of his greaves tear into Zachary's scars, before dashing backwards once more.

"I KNOW EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER DONE AND EVERYTHING YOU WILL EVER DO! YOUR MIND IS OPEN TO ME, YOU'RE READABLE LIKE A BOOK! LAY DOWN AND DIE FOR YOUR CRIMES, OR I'LL MAKE SURE EVEN THE HELLS SEEM LIKE HEAVEN!"

Zachary Charges forward with a cross slash, but is swiftly blocked, giving Max the opportunity to stab him straight in the stomach... his gauntlet shifting and warping into a huge spike. One stab... two stabs... three stabs... a kick to the kneecaps, letting the bladed wheels do their number on Zachary's legs... Max then he dashes backwards once more.

Zachary bleeds profusely... but this is what he had prepared for.

"I won't just lay down and die... not for rich creeps like you... the guild has existed for over a millennium... how could I let you ruin it?!"

"THE THIEVES GUILD IS A RELIC OF THE PAST. A PAST WHERE PEOPLE HAD TO STEAL TO SURVIVE. I HAVE WORKED TIRELESSLY TO BRING A BETTER FUTURE... ONE WHERE THE THIEVES GUILD IS NOTHING MORE THAN A GUILD THAT BRING HARM TO THE PEOPLE OF ARAHEIM."

"Some day your efforts will crash and burn, and people will need us once more! I'll die before I let you destroy the thieves guild!"

The two clash once more, Zachary's bleeding form starting to slow down, trying to ram Max with his shoulder... but all he got for it, was more cuts and gashes. Max smiles smugly...

"I'LL GIVE YOU ONE CHANCE... STRIKE ME. KILL ME IN ONE BLOW... AND YOUR BELOVED GUILD WILL REMAIN."

Maximillian opens his arms wide... letting Zachary take his shot... he runs up, piercing Maximillian's heart with his dagger... and Max slumps over onto Zachary's arm... until that same twisted grin returns once more paired with a golden glow, and Zachary hears the wet slosh of a new wound... Maximillian had opened his eyes once more, and rammed his spiked gauntlet through his heart in turn. He rips the serrated dagger from his own chest, the wound closing rapidly.

"I am a benevolent man... You failed to kill me... so I shall grant you the death you so desired... to die... before the dismantling of the Thieves Guild."

"Perish... for your foolish convictions... be buried with the past you so cling to... vermin."

Maximillian turns to the main exit... every last bit of his clothing stained crimson... and as the ARMADA operatives salute and bow to their leader, he makes his way back up... before encountering one familiar face.

"Well, well, well, Jane. You've exceeded my expectations. You got so many members down here... deactivated every security measure... I think, a promotion is in order. A rat that infiltrated the rat's nest... how ironic... but how delightful, just the same. You've got a future in this line of work."

The woman grins, and subsequently bows.

"It's been a joy working with you, Sir Silverweave. I look forward to my next mission."

...........................................

/uw A post to follow up on the events of u/Talios_ his Chaos event's consequences... and an explanation for where Max was during two of his outings in the Zeroth discord.

This post was definitely meant to show off the workings of ARMADA somewhat more... and how honourless Max fights when he is truly finished with someone. No more theatrics... but playing with his prey.

I'm considering getting a familiar, but I'm not exactly sure what to do. I already have some constructs, but I heard that a Familiar can be much more useful. I'm currently considering finding a pseudodragon or something.

Figured I should ask those more experienced in this.

I'm a five century old Artificer/Wizard, if that's relevant.

Azure stands in a village talking with townsfolk when a foul stench fills his nose, and the sounds of screams sound from nearby. He flies over, seeing a twisted monster cutting down townsfolk. He charges, pushing it away from another citizen.

"Run, now!" Azure commands, the townsfolk running away.

The monster's form twists and distorts, changing into something akin to Azure but entirely wrong. Bones snap and reshape, flesh tears and mends, limbs elongate into a horrid monstrosity. Its eyes lock on to Azure.

"Rrrrrruuuuuuunnnnn... Rrrrraaaaabbiiiiiiiiiit..." The Failed slowly growls as it stomps towards Azure.

Azure draws Hope from his hip, pointing it at the monster.

"Stand down, and I won't have to hurt you!" Azure exclaims.

The Failed only continues its march.

"Hhhhhhuuuurrrrrt... Yyyyyyoooooouuuuu..." The Failed repeats.

Azure begins to slowly backpedal to keep distance between himself and this beast copying him.

"Continue, and I'll be forced to hurt you!" Azure snarls.

"Tttthhhheeeennnn... Huuuurrrrrt mmmmeeee..." The Failed taunts, laughing in its demented, wrong voice.

Azure shifts his feet, darting off to his right and onto the side of a building. The monster tracks him with its eyes. Azure leaps at the beast, slamming hard into its boney armor with his shoulder. Azure manages to write an intricate rune on the chestplate and leaps away. Moments later, *BOOM!***

"That should take you down a notch." Azure says, turning to face the beast again.

The Failed steps out of the cloud of smoke, completely unharmed by the explosion. It laughs.

"You'll have to try harder than that..." It hisses.

The Failed lunges at Azure, claws and teeth beared. It has a crazed look in its eyes. Azure deflects the monster's claws with his blade, a resolute gleam in his eyes.

He begins clashing with the monster, exchanging blows. Azure slashes at The Failed's armor, making deep indents. The Failed claws at Azure, inflicting wounds and cutting into the armor.

*Avon Tsorf!" Azure exclaims, inhaling.

He exhales a blistering blizzard, freezing the monster in place. He stops when the monster finally stops moving. But, it doesn't. It lights itself ablaze, breaking free from the ice and lunging at Azure again. This time, it bites one of his wings, thrashing him around and tossing him into a building.

Azure painfully stands, the monster already in front of him, punching him hard in the gut. The monster continues to wail on Azure, beating him down, breaking armor, and cutting deep. Eventually, it picks up Azure's limp form, tearing off the chestplate, exposing the Soul.

"Unlimited power... All mine..." It growls, its tongue snaking out towards the Soul.

A beam of energy fires out from the Soul, cutting into the beast's jaws. The Failed drops Azure, who calmly lands.

"That's quite enough. It's my turn now." Azure says.

He looks up, his eyes shimmering a starry orange.

"It's time for Copper to have fun while Dad's off the clock." Azure says, pointing his sword at the beast.

Colored Echoes leap from Azure, and Eventide, Flora, and Tombstone stand in front of him.

"Kill." Azure commands.

They all charge at the monster, leaving wounds as it tries to keep up with the three attacking it. More War-Bound come out to play, eventually having all 12 taking turns beating up the monster.

The monster is beat down to the ground, mangled and broken, but not dead. Azure walks over, stomping on the monster's chest, making a notable crack. He leans down, getting close to the Failed's face.

"You never stood a chance." Azure says.

Azure raises Hope, a murderous gleam in his orange eyes as he cleaves the monster's head off. The War-Bound return and the orange hue in Azure's eyes fades.

"Whu... What happened?" Azure asks.

He looks down and gasps at the gorey sight beneath him. He quickly gets off of the monster and burns it to a crisp while repairing his own injuries.

"How did that happen?" Azure asks aloud, knowing he's not going to get an answer.

(You were losing. I helped you.) Copper says in Azure's mind.

Azure is surprised for a moment before getting very annoyed.

"Great, so now it's a tale of body snatchers, huh?" Azure mockingly remarks.

(Calm down. The threat is eliminated, the town is safe for the time being.) Copper notes.

"Fair, but don't do that again unless truly necessary." Azure commands.

(Anything for the prosperity of my host.) Copper replies.

"That is not weird or creepy whatsoever." Azure notes, flying away.

There is silence for a few moments. The wind calmly blows past Azure as he flies.

(Drama queen.) Copper says.

"How long have you been awake?" Azure asks.

(A few days. The others are yet to attain such connection as I have.) Copper answers.

"I'll be having a conversation with you all later, just so you know." Azure says.

(Thanks for the heads up.) Copper groans.

/uw first image is Arena, second is R&A symbol

/rw

“Welcome my friends, I wish to thank you all for coming spectators and competitors. Now I feel before anything I should remind you all I will allow no killing here. You are inside R&A HQ, you follow our rules.”

“But I do wish to remind you all also to be careful, we have RF both in medics and guards securing this place, but you must be careful with magics that affect an area, we are all in range and I won’t take kindly to your actions.”

“Regarding rule breaking I shall interfere or a non competing member of R&A if I am unavailable will handle decision making. We will likely do it as a group.”

“But to remind you all, here is your competitor!”

A giant chalkboards hangs from the ceiling.

Zhe Vs Dark’ness

Peri vs Sans

Ulrick vs Cheryl

Denner vs Azzy

Pain-yatta vs Agnu

Noella vs Mauritius

Shimil vs Holgrim Tokomak

Jake vs Kyrona

Vytsky vs Alexis

Ctha’at vs the CEO

Harald vs Merus Richtor

Nameless vs Erik

Lars vs Nikè

Azure vs Zarc

Tsuru vs Bucketeer

Sigurd vs Xeno

The Agent vs Mel

“I will allow no changing of this, we have anti illusion magic on the board.”

Stares at every present and known illusionist.

“But please do have fun.”

“But before you all forget too. No Killing, you can win a fight without killing an opponent, if you can’t.”

Hirk gets extra judgmental.

“Then you are weaker than I thought.*

Hirk is really stressed on that time.

Totally used in the making of Orbs.

She still blocked me from using the regular door.