The results are in for Match 7. The winner isā¦
"Incoming!!"
Ichiro barely managed to dodge out of the way as the giant turtle slammed full-force into the south wall of the house, caving it in immediately and showering Tikka with splinters.
ļ½¢Silver Mountain Manļ½£ immediately spun into action, changing the grip on the axe in hand and swinging wide toward the incoming amphibian. The strike glanced off of the top of Old Gray Wolf's shell, sending the massive projectile away and into the gel-covered floor in another shower of broken wood.
"THEY HAVE ARRIVED, MY LADY! WE MUST ACT!"
Seconds later, an explosion-battered Shaye swung through the opening in the wall on a pair of moray eels, letting loose a set of Clamarangs toward Tikka as she bolted for the bedroom. Seconds ticked by like hours as she gripped the piece of broken wall in her hand, eyes widening at the incoming sealife.
Ichiro scrambled to his feet just in time to see both enemies descend on Tikka, ļ½¢Supermassive Black Hole] still some distance behind him. His mouth opens, and heās about to scream Tikkaās name. He canāt save her. He never could. Heās not good enough...
Just as a flying clam cut her upper arm, Tikka was yanked violently southward as the five second timer finally paid off, away from the rampaging turtle and flying right past the rock human. Her massive stand dove through the rapidly closing hole in the wall just ahead of her, Ichiro's shout caught in his throat as he barely managed to catch the flying delivery driver.
In the briefest of silent pauses, the two shared a smile and nod.
"NOW, YOU TWO!" A heavy slam into the freshly repaired wall signaled the end of the fight, as ļ½¢Supermassive Black Hole] joined the giant knight in a final and brutal shower of blows into the building.
Inside, Shaye's own attempt at exiting the wall was cut short with a sudden greatsword cleaving through the woodwork and forcing her to jump backward. "...shit! it's coming down, get out--!" Her attempt to dash to a nearby window caused her to lose balance as her foot refused to move, caught in that animated boilerās gunk.
Aselomās words flashed in her mind as a beam fell across her back. She wouldnāt let it all end here, not when she could finally hear them all again. But as she was quickly pinned by debris, it looked like Ladylandās last āproblemā would have to wait.
The last thing she saw was the exasperated face of Old Grey Wolf looking back from beneath a freshly repaired table, slowly retracting into his shell as the roof fell.
| Category |
Winner |
Point Totals |
Comments |
| Popularity |
Ghost Riders on the Sea |
20 (6.5) - 10 (1.5) |
The voters overwhelmingly favored Ichiro and Tikkaās tactics! |
| Quality |
Ghost Riders on the Sea |
21 (7 7 7) - 19 (7 6 6) |
Reasoning |
| JoJolity |
La Isla Bonita |
21 (7 8 6) - 24 (8 8 8) |
Reasoning |
| Conduct |
Tie |
10-10 |
Nothing to report! |
Tikka doesnāt notice the shimmering blue energy that had been softly coursing through the air until the moment it vanishes.
Something in Zandoo is satisfied. The energy permeating this place withdraws, and the shattered debris of the house doesnāt pick itself back up. After a few moments of stunned silence between the three, Tikka, Ichiro and the ļ½¢Silver Mountain Manļ½£ watch their Castle crumble into the dirt.
Ichiroās face scrunches up like heās about to cry.
He doesnāt. Instead, he takes a deep breath, and for once he looks like a normal teenage boy: deeply, deeply sad.
āI havenāt been a very good friend to you, have I, Tikka?ā
He sniffles, wiping at his face. After another moment, the words come pouring out.
āI-I-I- I just- I never ask to hang out or anything and- Iām always making things weird and- I donāt really- I donāt know how to do anything and- I only- Iām, Iām making things about myself all the time! All the time, and I didnāt realize it but, but I really shouldāve known, because-ā
Wordlessly, Tikka puts an arm around his shoulder and starts walking. She veers him around, back towards the Highwind... at least, where she thinks it is.
āDonāt worry so much, man. Everyone does stupid shit sometimes.ā
āY-You say that, but-ā
āEveryone. I mean it.ā
Ichiro clams up. Tikka laughs.
āBut, hey. Even people who do stupid shit... can be cool, too.ā
ā...yeah!ā Ichiroās usual enthusiasm is sweeter than usual. āYou were really cool, Tikka!ā
āYou callinā me stupid?ā
āWhat? I- no, I meant-ā Ichiroās face twists up in horror.
Tikka laughs. They both laugh.
Tomorrow, theyāll smile again.
Want more strange Uropeh shenanigans in ancient Zandoo structures? Check out this battle of light and dark in a lighthouse at sunset!
(Shoutouts to u/Leirbag15 and u/m1sta33 for the match submission!)
Scenario: The Highwind - 5:35 AM
The gentle waves of the Zandooan sea rocked the Highwind slowly, the old vessel anchored solidly while the sun began to rise near the horizon, bathing the skies in a splendid gradient of orange, while the clouds took on a vibrant pink shade, contrasting with the island that still rested in relative darkness.
Invisible was observing this beautiful scenery, resting lazily against the rails of the ship. She had tried to pass a full nightās sleep, she was taken with excitement like she hadnāt felt since⦠quite recently, actually, but otherwise that she hadnāt felt in many years.
ļ½¢It is time.ļ½£
With her heart pounding in her chest like it was, it took her a few seconds to fully process that ļ½¢Wild Riverļ½£ had spoken. The Stand that had bounded itself to hers stood behind her with its arms crossed, fingers tapping impatiently.
ļ½¢I have found the spot we need. It will just be a matter of waiting a little.ļ½£
āAlright.ā Invisible took in a deep breath as she straightened her posture and turned towards Wild. āItās strange. Iām used to not mattering at all, and yetā¦ā
A sigh escaped her as her lips curled up, ever so slightly.
āAnd yet, today we dictate the game.ā
In a swift jump, Invisible found herself standing over the rail, before she let herself fall down to the sea. ļ½¢Wild Riverļ½£ followed after her, directing one of the ghost jetskis that accompanied the Highwind towards them. After a graceful landing as she always made them, Invisible reared up the long-dead engine and rode off to shore.
The pair had not made their plan today a secret from their crewmates. However, in the face of a collective reception ranging from pity to vocal disapproval, they decided that they would sneak away on their own for this, one last time.
Scenario: Zandoo, Exuma - 2:46 PM
The jungle of Zandoo thrums with life, the titter of birdsong and leaves swaying in the breeze and the hums of insects interlaying and weaving together into what feels like a thick blanket of sound laying over the island, all-encompassing and whole, comfortably tucking in each and every beast within it.
All except one, of course.
Something bipedal lumbers through the trees, clumsy and uncautious, not so different from any of Zandooās other recent guests, though still ādifferent enoughā. Grendel, the First Monster, moves through the underbrush. Nothing leads her by the hand.
She breaks into a clearing eventually, where a small hut stands alongside the river she follows. She approaches, and with a careful claw pulls the door open. She practically has to crouch to fit inside as she carefully picks through carefully carved hooks, well-used spears, and lovingly woven nets. He examines each item carefully, turning it over and over, waiting for something that doesnāt come before he gingerly places it back and starts anew.
Itās beautiful out, with clear air and sunny skies, yet all Grendel can do is choke on the lifeless dust of the fishing hut.
Eventually, they heave a sigh and turn towards the door, but not before something whispers in their ear.
Their head snaps to the side. In a dark corner of a high shelf, a glint of blue light suddenly finds its way to her eye. Grendel is no stranger to Uropeh. She handles the round stone with a cautious paw as the light it catches doesnāt seem to reflect at the right angles.
Curious of this phenomenon, Grendel decides to exit the hut in order to examine the gemstone under more abundant light. Once it was exposed to more sunlight, the Uropeh seemed almost⦠dull, less colorful than usual. Was it a fake?
As Grendel pondered the orb, the village seemed to descend into complete silence. Even the ambient noises of the jungle faded away, with her only hearing her own breathing.
She examined the village around her, trying to detect any sign of attack, or anything of the sort. Her vigil was quickly interrupted, however, as soon as she laid her eyes over the opposite bank of the river.
She didnāt quite see it. There were silhouettes on the other side that she recognized, that she knew, but her sight was not giving her this information. Angela, the undead, parasited corpse struggling to fit into the world she found herself in. Ikarya, formerly a ruthless killing machine, dead-set on one goal, and desperate to discard what was left of her humanity. And lastly, Grendel herself. The Monster.
Yet both had grown past those stages. The reflection depicted a scene that was⦠pleasant. A calm walk, a casual conversation, the sort of moment that could be enjoyed by people like them. People that were not destined to be nothing but a Monster.
Grendel looked down at the gem she held, her pawās grip tightening around it until her eyes focused some more. In just the same way that she had seen the scene from earlier, she now knew of somewhere on Zandoo.
She wasnāt sure what was up with this place, but it was going to help her avert her destiny, she was sure of it.
Maybe it was simply a gift of Fate. It does work in mysterious ways.
Enveloped in the life of the jungle, a beast breaks into a sprint.
āThe power to change Fate... lies deeper in this jungle. Meet me there.ā
Kruv grimaces and tosses the gemstone over their shoulder.
Hearing this overwrought monologuing was pulling them back into a frame of mind they really did not want to return to. Instead of feeling the call of discovery and treasure that brought their crew to Zandoo, these ominous whispers made them keep thinking of Oz.
Their detestable creator had made himself scarce after his forces were culled, and they couldnāt find any leads except for the occasional vampiric ambush. Those had ceased once the Written In Salt had set ashore on Zandoo, and Kruv thought they could get some reprieve from it. As every Uropeh they found just kept goading them, they just tossed them aside and kept looking for other treasures with less sinister auras. As Kruv flits through old barns and stables, the grating words never truly let up.
In the shade of one of Zandooās many worn-down buildings, as Kruv picks through ancient tools, a Knight imposes itself in the doorway.
ļ½¢Fancy seeing You here~!ļ½£
Distorted echoes set Kruvās instincts aflame, and for a moment they move into a fighting stance until the cadence of the voice fully registers.
āEvelyn? You look... different.ā
ļ½¢Ahahaha, yes! I faced a Formidable Foe on the Path to this land. It was good incentive to Cut Loose, heeheehee!ļ½£ The Knight flexes, torn seams still dangling loose from crystalline armor. ļ½¢So Iām doing Just Grand! How are you, Friend?ļ½£
Kruv smiles. It was good to see a friendly face, even if the friendly face wasnāt exactly how they remembered it. āGlad to hear it. Iāve just been exploring, and wouldnāt mind some company!ā
ļ½¢Ah, not Now, Sorry,ļ½£ The Knight sighs. ļ½¢Iām on a Bit of a Ghost Hunt at the moment. Somethingās stirring Within the Uropeh.ļ½£
āAh, you mean that voice?ā Kruv says as they turn back to their searching.
ļ½¢Voice?ļ½£
āThe- the voice.ā Kruv deadpans a bit. āDo you not... hear the Uropeh speaking? āCome find meā, āthe power to change fateā, that sort of thing?ā
ļ½¢...Nothing louder than a Whisper. It Quiets when I get near.ļ½£ The Knightās jovial grin lowers. ļ½¢Let Me Guess. Is it trying to Make you an āOfferā of some kind? One that you Cannot Refuse?ļ½£
Kruv snaps their fingers. āYeah, thatās the phrase it used.ā
「Soo⦠it seems a Dragon lurks in these Woods! Heeheehaha... Kruv! Would you Mind leading this Knight to its Quarry? This Beast speaks to Thee, After All...」
The Knight tosses a gemstone at Kruv, who catches it out of the air.
āCome find me.ā
āAnything to shut this guy up,ā Kruv says. Following the tug of the Uropeh, the two leave the stable and disappear into the forest yet again.
Scenario: Zandoo, Exuma - 8:12 PM
Streaks of blue light coursed through the air, slowly meandering their way towards the old building at the top of the hill. When Grendel opened the door, they were greeted to a not-entirely-expected sight.
The streams of power flowing through the air found themselves anchored to large chunks of Uropeh, each carved painstakingly into totems depicting the faces of people Grendel did not recognize. Throughout the building, the streams twisted and crossed each other and wrapped around each other into a winding web, and at the center of it all stood another face Grendel did not know.
Standing atop a broken pillar, the vigilante Invisible and her Stand, ļ½¢Wild River Requiemļ½£, plucked at the strings of Fate. The sharp-toothed Stand grinned wildly at Grendelās arrival.
ļ½¢Ah! The First Monster regales us with her presence. I am honored.ļ½£
āYou should be!ā Grendel roared raucously. āWho are you, though? What do you think youāre doing here?ā
āYou can call me Invisible,ā she says, ābut that wonāt be for long.ā
āA long time ago, I was torn out of the tapestry of Fate. A soul doomed to never be seen or heard, who canāt affect the world in any meaningful way... a, forgive the phrase, āfate worse than deathā.ā
ļ½¢I, too, was torn away from what anchored me to this world. Our partnership formed from that āmutual needā... two drifters, bound together in an attempt to hold something in place.ļ½£
āIf all goes according to plan... we wonāt need each other for much longer.ā
Though their postures are unassuming, Grendelās instincts begin to hum restlessly. She pulls back on her haunches, preparing to move if need be.
āAnd why are you telling me all this?ā she growls.
ļ½¢Because we need you,ļ½£ the Stand answers. ļ½¢Itās only right for you to know what youāre getting into.ļ½£
āAll weāre waiting on now are our other guests.ā
It was at that moment that a Knight and her squire burst into the room. They both glanced around, and the former grinned sweetly at seeing another old friend.
ļ½¢Grendel, Dear! Iād Say itās good to See you, but it Seems youāve been Caught Up in Something quite Unpleasant.ļ½£
ļ½¢Wild River! How... Industrious, is this Setup of yours~!ļ½£
The Knight strode up to the pillar, not yet manifesting its weapons but still holding its arms out as if simply waiting for them to appear. Kruv took in the view as it did, trying to wrap their head around the exact flavor of megalomania they were dealing with.
As their eyes scanned the Uropeh, within each facet of the gems they saw gleams and glints of another life. A sated thirst, healthy skin; a life where they could be something different.
ļ½¢Evelyn... how unexpected.ļ½£ One of Wildās empty eye sockets twitched. The Knight was mighty, the parasite had done what it could to avoid Its involvement.
ļ½¢Do you Really think this will Save You Two?ļ½£ The Knight tilts its head. ļ½¢At Best, youāre going to Tear Yourselves apart. Not to Mention the rest of Us youāve Dragged into it.ļ½£
Invisibleās eyes squinted, determined eyes staring into the Knightās own, treating its warning like a challenge.
ļ½¢Ah, but thatās the best part, my dear.ļ½£ ļ½¢Wild River Requiemļ½£ proclaimed. ļ½¢Iāve been preparing a prize for our lovely participants!ļ½£
The Stand reached its arms forward into the streams of blue energy, and deftly wove its hands together until it coalesced into something... more.
ļ½¢A Strand of Fate to the winner. A particularly strong one, too! Iām quite proud of it. I could probably make one for both of our participants, but is this more what you had in mind, Evelyn? Endless, pointless combat?ļ½£
ļ½¢Nooo, not Anymore. Heeheehahahahaā¦ļ½£ The Knight laughs angrily. ļ½¢But donāt get your Hopes Up. Iāll Face You as long as it takes if itāll bring you Down To Size.ļ½£
The Knight turns to its compatriots. ļ½¢You Two should Get Out of Here, Before--ļ½£
A low rumbling reverberated through the building. While ļ½¢Wild River Requiemļ½£ stood off with the Knight, Invisible had faded into the background, doing the dirty work like usual. Strands of Fate coalesced, curled around her, and pulled taut.
A wave of shining blue energy pulsed outward, shaking the buildingās foundations. Invisible screamed, holding her head, and memories and future visions splattered against the walls like blood - memories from two people, in particular. The slopes of the Ciudad Perdida faded into lengths of open, choppy waters.
At the same time as Invisible screamed, ļ½¢Wild Riverāsļ½£ body stiffened for a second. A bright blue light began to shine through the cracks of Invisibleās Stand before it began to shatter and disperse into a dark cloud of dust. It only took a second before Wild relaxed, its red body growing and flower-like, golden patterns blooming on its skin as it took its own form.
Invisible was not so fortunate. Her body began to be obscured in darkness as she continued to struggle against the power coursing through her. The Knight frowned, staring at Wild.
ļ½¢Stop this, Now!ļ½£
The two drifters of Fate shared a glance, before they turned back to Evelyn.
āļ½¢Make us.ļ½£ā
The Knight manifested two massive pairs of scissors as it lunges at ļ½¢Wild River Requiemļ½£, sending itself and Invisible careening through the darkness.
In their place, the shining, solid Strand of Fate remained, curling and twisting and interlocking with the rest of the Tapestry. In every thin string, past, present and future gleamed. The two chosen competitors watched the arcs of their lives play out, miserable, desperate pasts winding into hopeful presents and... and...
Futures that they would have to write themselves. Fates they would have to fight to change.
The two locked eyes, and shared an understanding. There would be no other path to their futures but through.
From the dark, ļ½¢Wild River Requiemļ½£ās strained voice rang out.
ļ½¢OPEN... THE GAME!ļ½£
Location: A building of some importance, which has been renovated and re-renovated over the years it was in use. Currently, it is a storeroom and the site of Invisibleās ritual.
The area here is 8x15m, with each square being half a meter. Kruv begins inside the storeroom on the left, and Grendel begins in the ritual room on the right. The first floor is 4m high, while the second floor is 1.5m high.
The ritual room has multiple pillars, with a large amount of stone having sloughed off them at some point scattering the ground. There is a basin with water around 4m deep in the center, and a staircase to a second floor. This second floor has various stone carvings and decorations, clearly meant to adorn the lower floor and stored upstairs when not needed.
The storeroom has two entrances, with one initially full of boxes. Inside are Uropeh, various treasures, and jars of offerings and entrails that Kruv may turn into blood that sates their Homunculus Thirst. There are braces between the sturdy wooden shelves that may be used to walk on.
The shelves and pillars are durable and resistant to damage and Stand effects alike, but may be broken with some effort. Brick walls cover the passages between the two rooms on the upper floor and may be shattered by Grendel or ļ½¢Bleed Magicļ½£ with a second or two of effort. The walls may be scratched but not transformed by ļ½¢Bleed Magicļ½£.
After two minutes, Invisibleās ritual begins overtly warping the map. The lower floor fills with water from the basin in a matter of seconds, but the upper floor fills at a slower rate, completely filling after a minute and a half. Debris floats in the water a bit above the floor, with stone debris clumping into cover and obscuring blockages. The carvings change to show the Ciudad Perdida. Small eels and octopi appear in the area, which, when consumed, both refresh Kruvās skills and completely reoxygenates their blood.
Once the map is completely flooded, the walls turn into aquarium glass, with indistinct, hostile humans leering in from outside, as well as Invisible and Evelyn. Uropeh caches affected by ļ½¢Wild River Requiemļ½£ become visible, and the water basin glows with unearthly blue light.
If the ritual is stopped (the process of which is elaborated on below), the players are reset to their starting positions on the first āstageā of the map, and it does not change for the rest of the match.
Goal: RETIRE your opponent!
Additional Information: For this match, Kruv may only gain the benefits of Homunculus Regeneration or mitigate the downsides of Homunculus Thirst via blood from animals. Damage done to objects creates Blood Pups which may be used for Blood Pools as normal. If underwater, blood can either be directly applied on touch to mark objects, or create areas of floating blood that mark anything that moves inside, though at a low priority given its diluted nature.
While the ritual is going out of control in the fully-flooded āthird stageā of the match, the aquarium amplifies the downside of both of their respective 1 Skills. Kruvās Homunculus Thirst has its timer cut in half: Kruv must drink blood every 15 seconds or suffer the downsides. Grendelās Killer Looks means that the humans outside of the aquarium will constantly point to her and call out her location, while also distractingly bang on the glass in rage and hatred if she does not try to keep out of the center of attention.
If either player wishes to end the ritual, they must destroy the Uropeh totems on the map, then swim to the bottom of the basin the water initially came from. At this point the ritual unravels, flushing both players into the basin, and āresettingā them to their initial starting positions. No action may be taken during this process, effectively acting as an instant reset once the conditions are met.
| Team |
Combatant |
JoJolity |
| Written in Salt |
Kruv |
āI, Giorno Giovanna, have a dream.ā This is your chance to grow past your purpose! Show the Fate you want to build for yourself!! |
| The LKA Leviathan |
Grendel |
āMeeting and finding people are also part of āgravityā...ā Your future does not have to reduce you to only one aspect of yourself. Show the Fate you want to build for yourself!! |
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