Chapter 17-12 The Rash Abides (III)

Chapter 17-12 The Rash Abides (III)

Judge Ygwamawe: Let this recording stand as the third attempt to censure Seeker Shotin Kazahara on the counts of insubordination, ignoring direct commands from a superior body, assault on a superior citizen, unauthorized seizure of Guild property, libelous slander of another citizen, inappropriate language in an official forum, kidnapping of a fellow citizen, unlawful interrogation of said fellow citizen, and secondhand public urination via nu-dog on said tortured citizen. Would the accused like to make any statements before the proceedings begin?

Seeker Shotin Kazahara: Yes. Clans. Citizens. All gathered in this courtroom before I am to be judged, I would like to put forth a question: are these really crimes when done to a lackey from Clan DRongo?

[Gasping; clamor of indignation]

Judge Ygwamawe: Order! Control yourselves! Guards! Guards!

Asei DRongo: Draw your glaive, you

[Missed swing; Pelvis shattering; Asei DRongo screaming in pain]

Seeker Shotin Kazahara: Well, damn, Ygwamawe, looks like kicking a DRongos balls into his guts is going to be on the sheet as well, huh?

Judge Ygwamawe: Add it.

-First Successful Censureship Trial against Seeker Shotin Kazahara

17-12

The Rash Abides (III)

RESURRECTION - 100%

Avo didnt expect the world to be swallowed by chaos once more upon his return but welcomed the fact he wasnt trapped in Shotins pocket anymore. Matter evaporated from the space around him and the Woundshaper began to assemble where his sheathe once stood. Judging from the way space shivered around him and the heavy weight pressing on his Domains of Space, he guessed another paradox just occurred.

[Well, well, well, looks like another paradox just went off,] Corner said. [Damn shame we didnt get to use the girl to pull that trick. Mightve worked, getting her to play possum by walking up to Shotin while we played dead then casting ourselves through her.]

+Mightve,+ Avo replied. A brief feeling of lament passed through but faded. There were risks in such a plan as well. Unknowns. How fast Shotin Kazahara could react and what canons he had to bear remained questions to consider. Still, Avo was a predator unmatched in the Nether. It didnt matter how good Shotin was, how many Incubi he had helping him, or how heavy his Frame. The only fate was to burn.

Considering the devastation around him, a worrying suspicion settled on him. The last time a paradox happened was because of Draus. If this had been caused by her again, then

Her ego-ID flashed across his cog-feed. He accepted her call in an instant.

{Done bein dead? I got eyes on our girldamn shes goin fast. Get over here quickwe got hostiles movin in fast. Paladins and Exorcists from the look. No sign of our Godclad either. Think he went Incog again. Gonna want backup.}

He was in motion before she even finished talking, a feral expression spreading across his face as lightning crackled through his flowing currents and radiance emanated from his blood. {Good. Pull back. Let him get close before closing. Got a session in her mind. Want to burn him for my Conflagration.}

{Synced.}

The air around him crackled as he Boltstrode and activated his Incog at the same time. The district blurred around him as he used his DeepNav to pinpoint his destination. Yet, as he rematerialized, he found himself more than five kilometers southward from where he wished to be and about to smash through a cluster of shanties packed with FATELESS.

His acceleration alone should have obliterated the entire area from its shockwaves with the impact leaving little more than a hollow crater afterward. What happened instead was one miracle counteracting another. Light cleaved through the world as the Woundshaper shone like a beacon, its tower-like form now a lighthouse for all to behold. Brightness spilled off its lightning and coated the world around it in a protective glow. As the air thundered from the collision, as a scar of fire made by sheer speed erupted into the world, the few hundred people living across five storey ghettos made out of trailers, dismantled barges, stolen containers, and golem chassis survived without a single scratch.

Shineguard Grafted to [Woundshaper] (Blood/Matter/Biology/Luminosity/Lightning/Protection) - 1200 THAUM/c

CANON:The initial instance of this chapter being available happened at N0v3l.Bin.

(Protection)

->FORTRESS OF LUMINOSITY: Allows the user to project an emanation of light that renders all physical objects basked by its glow invulnerable to harm (as dictated by the user); generates heavy Rend for every second canon is in effect (0.88%/s)

Hubris: The canon needs a persistent source of light in the environment or on the user to imitate or thaumic backlash will be triggered.

HELL [FOURTH CIRCLE] - 1200 THAUM/c

CANON:

(Luminosity)

->SHADOWBREAKER: The user creates a seed of light bearing all their Rend that can be planted in a shadow or darkness; only one seed can be created at a time; the light will continue to spread through all darkness or shadows and eradicate any object or entity caught within the darkness.

Daemon: If there is an insufficient amount of darkness consumed, a Daemon of Luminosity will manifest.

Rebuilding his Domain of Luminosity and taking out Zeins Harmonize canon proved to be a wise idea. Especially with how well the Fortress synergized with his Sanguinity.

Ah, the Zephyr said, sounding genuinely glad for once. Finally, old one, you have done something worthy of worship.

The Woundshaper, radiant with its new power, tread a path between pleased and annoyed. It is always good to be made greater, master, but those lives could have gone to better purpose.

And there she reveals her debased nature, her foundations unchanging.

Silence mule. Sulk in your darkness. Quiver before my light.

Ill quiver only when you reach the required height.

MY DEATHS ARE GREATER! MY MASS IS GREATER! MASTER FAVORS ME MORE!

Reorienting himself, Avo executed a series of short-ranged jumps to combat the instability of space. In his DeepNav, he monitored Draus and Dices position before noticing new and unknown profiles trespassing into his awareness. Peeking over at Draus visual feed, he watched as she soared to engage a squadron of twenty oncoming Exorcist drones passing over Dice.

Her Liminal Frame flared and the cold buried its fangs into the district as the temperature dropped. The Exorcist drones were expendable scouts, sent as recon. Too bad they didnt get to see much before the jaws of a frost-made bear the size of a building froze and shattered their shells.

An enormous eagle manifested where Shotin was and redirected the salvo right back with amplified velocity. Light flared around the Woundshaper as the constructs shattered. Avo manifested a Sanguinity-made claw and seized Shotin from behind, imbuing it with the same light that protected him. His adversary struck out at the appendage and the indestructible rang against the invulnerable.

Shotin made two quick gestures and Avo felt his claw and body plunge down into the foundations of the district itself. Manifesting a new construct within the reach of his Crown, Avo ejected his mind and infused his consciousness within the shard and Boltstrode as he transferred the mass of his main body along the way.

As he crackled back into existence beside Shotin, he laid eyes on his adversary for the first time, their armored figure protected within a glowing armor, as if fresh from the forge.

Avo reached out to download Shotin using his Datacaster only to find his foe out of range in an instant.

A beam cut out through the aira thread of black fire that pierced clean through a nearby figure coming up behind him. A body fell in two pieces past Avo.

[I think that was my partner,] Kassamon muttered.

Avo ignored it and Boltstrode. Only to find himself wrenched in the opposite vector. Leaping constructs again, lightning coursed through Avo as he tried to catch up, but found himself too late.

Shotin was heading for Dicegoing to get her first, reaching a hand out as he prepared to snatch the discombobulated girl from the ground.

Another beam cut through the air. This one struck the Seeker dead in the chest. Entropy essence splashed off his glowing armor, but the unanticipated attack knocked him into a spiral. But before he could get far, Dice grabbed him instead and flung him toward Avo.

Hissing internally with glee and pride at the girls actions, Avos confidence swelled further as a blizzard formed around him, freezing multiple approaching golems and drones solid as he strode to reach Shotin.

DISTANCE: [753 METERS]

DISTANCE: [531 METERS]

DISTANCE: [232 METERS]

Then, just as his Crown slipped over the Seekers form, just as his Conflagration crept forth to welcome the newest member of the gestalt, Shotins armor broke open into tendrils of darkness and wrapped themselves around him.

***

WARNING: FOREIGN SOUL DETECTED

UNIDENTIFIED GODCLAD DETECTED

CLASSIFICATION: SPHERE VI [EST. 5941 THAUM/c]

->WOUNDSHAPER, THE AWAKENED (BLOOD/MATTER/BIOLOGY/LIGHTNING/LUMINOSITY/PROTECTION)

Shotin had no idea how a Sphere Four Godcladsome kind of Sang in a sleek-looking bio-rigcould be this much trouble. Even without his Parallelist, his Heaven of Speed and War should have been enough to settle this. But here he was, venting his Hell into said Sphere IV to stall for time.

As shadows wrapped themselves over the blood-made tower, he turned and triggered his Heaven of Speed to grab the girl. Enough of this madness. He needed to get out of here before

His Metamind screamed. He shifted leftnot fast enough. A lance of entropy cleaved clean through his left ankle and his pain editor worked overtime. Biting back a string of curses, Shotin calmed himself and accepted that this was just one of the days that life broke down his doors to fuck him hard in front of the whole city. Nothing for it. He just needed to survive and get out of here

The girl flung an aero at him. Shotin sputtered and swiped it aside. He barreled into her a moment after, grabbing her by her midriff only for two pinpricks of pain to sink into his hand. His eyes widened as he caged Dice in a field of inverted speed and looked at his hand. Her damn nu-kitten bit him! Two clean marks right on his favorite hand.

Come on

His hand promptly froze and shattered. He sighed and tried to dash away with the girl.

This was when he reached his boiling point, for just as he was about to leave, a civilian model aero slammed directly into his ribs and pinned him against a nearby lamppost. Shotin spat out a mouthful of blood and made a pulling motion. Two people burst out the windshield of the circular aero as he booted it off his body with his remaining leg.

One of them properly turned into waterand Shotin redirected their flow into the sky before they could wash over him.

The other, however, made Shotins thoughts grind to a halt entirely, for held between his very fingers, was the one he had been searching for.

The mans face was bruised and bloodied, caked with broken glass, but the grinthe ugly mop of blonde hair Shotin knew him! Shotin was hunting for him. Aedon Fucking Chambers, he muttered.

Then, for no reason at all, the half-strand pulled his pants down and whipped out his penis.

Shotins eyes widened in horrified disbelief. What the fuck?

***

LUSTAWAY ACTIVATING

Quail Tavers killed her drone feed and tripped over her own feet as she collapsed at her new firing position. What the fuck.

***

Draus dove behind a building as a stream of rockets exploded behind her. One of her arms was gonethe cost of taking her shot at Shotin between distracting the authorities. Sneaking a peek over using the Manta, she found her eyes locked to Chambers visual feed as she saw him holding his cock and pointing it at Shotin. Godsfucking

A missile hit her.

Armor Integrity: 16%

***

The horror only worsened as Chambers member promptly caught fire.

The acolyte leaned in. You shouldve stayed home today, Silver.

And then he sprayed a deluge of aratnids from his groin.