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Once again, this is the war thread. Please post in the appropriate thread.
There is no posting order. Just post when you can. Anarchy for the win!
Ayu decides the general flow of in-character time. No progressing to the next day without my say so.
I shall try and keep a summary at the top of this page up to date so it's relatively straightforward to join the RP partway through and have a rough idea of what's going on.
A dark sky. A safe distance from town. Light hail. What was his plan exactly? If he thought escape was an option he was only fooling himself.[break][break]
“Father, are you trying to run? You’re actually trying to run aren’t you?”[break][break]
Maggie Malady stood confidently beside a behemoth of a man. A run of the mill villain, nobody special. In front of them was her father, Jacob Hayes, gasping for air as the weather continued to pelt against him. His feet dug into the muddy soil as he struggled to keep his own weight above his knees. His Featherwing SP had been inverted. Instead of allowing him to defy gravity with ease, the Earth’s pull became a harsh mistress, suppressing all attempts to even stand up properly. It was a miracle he even made it this far out of town. The worst part was that he didn’t have control over his SP. He just couldn’t turn it off![break][break]
“I’m not here to murder you today. As long as you acknowledge that I’ve surpassed you, I’ll… consider leaving you and even the town of Hitachi unharmed. It’d be a waste to let a beautiful town like this go to ruin over a little pride wouldn’t it, father?”[break][break]
“Magpie, listen. You… this isn’t right! As long as your heart is filled with hatred, you won’t even come close to surpassing me. You know it!”[break][break]
The Pro Hero Crowe was fighting against the shackle of his own weight using sheer willpower. He’d rather die than see his daughter like this. If there was any way he could save her, he’d do it, no matter the cost. Maggie’s owl-like smile morphed into a disappointed frown.[break][break]
“Wrong answer. You’re just giving me that same hero DRIVEL. I guess I should’ve expected it, huh?”[break][break]
She tapped her forehead once, and then once again. This simple action inverted and redoubled her own SP. Anyone she’d prod in the forehead would now have their SP boosted four times over. She turned to the quiet mountain of muscle to her right and walked in front of him. A light tap on his head, and his SP was multiplied.[break][break]
“You know what to do.”[break][break]
Maggie’s henchman held his head as if in pain. He screamed in agony, falling to his knees, and was about to slam his fists to the ground. He didn’t know what to do. Maggie overestimated this guy’s ability to control his own SP, and at the realization that he couldn’t, she made a hasty retreat. Jacob followed suit, limping against his own weight to escape the berserk minion as fast as he could.[break][break]
A roaring explosion echoed across the plains outside Hitachi Town. Father and daughter were both tossed in opposite directions. The scatter of hail accompanied them both, pelting them like bullets.[break][break]
“Ugh, was he really that weak? He couldn’t even take this SP X four?”[break][break]
Maggie had managed to escape with minor wounds, but that blast caused a lot of commotion that she really didn’t need. With her firepower completely out of the picture, the only option was to flee before the town constabulary, or her father if he still happened to be alive, could apprehend her. Flee she did, using one of many escape routes she’d planned earlier.[break][break]
Since Maggie couldn’t stay around, she never saw what exactly that explosion had led to. Within the crater that the blast had formed, there lay a mysterious cube half buried in the ground, covered in runes. That cube was later discovered by the townsfolk of Hitachi and brought into the possession of its council. Jacob Hayes, A.K.A. The Pro Hero Crowe was never found, nor was Maggie’s accomplice. It was assumed that the both of them had perished in the blast.
A group of important council members from Hitachi were sat together in a conference room, discussing the mysterious cube that had been unearthed just a week earlier. It had been brought in for analysis here at Takeba Industries, Yamaha City, and the conclusions were due in just a few minutes. The air was tense, the room filled with anxiety. There was definitely something special about that cube, but nobody back at Hitachi had the expertise to figure out what it was.[break][break]
A man in a lab coat came running in, looking somewhere between absolutely shocked and completely ecstatic. This was the discovery of a lifetime, no, a revolution that would change the world forever. It was revealed that the cube was filled with a latent power that was closely linked to SPs. Once that power awakens, an estimated 12 months from the current date, the cube would be able to grant anyone any SP they wanted. The council of Hitachi dubbed it the Omnicube, and insisted that everything was kept confidential.[break][break]
Villains like Maggie Malady and her goons were the last people they wanted to get their hands on this cube. Who knew what sort of terrible things they’d be able to unleash on the world?
It was decided that the cube was to be destroyed. Though it had several benefits, the risk was far too great. Word had already gotten out about its existence, and it wouldn’t take long for all of Japan, and eventually the world, to hear about this promising cube. People would use it selfishly, or even with the best intentions they could be corrupted by its power.[break][break]
Try as they might, no matter what SPs Takeba’s scientists threw at it, nothing happened. The almighty cube refused to even chip away when faced with the might of Yamaha’s Pro Heroes. The researchers later deduced that the only possible way to destroy the cube would be to use its power to destroy itself.
[attr="class","datetimebox"] Sunday 23rd January 2033[break] Various areas throughout Japan
As word of the Omnicube continued to spread, some dismissed the whole idea as a hoax, but a significant amount of people bought into it. Since the cube actually existed, enough leaked papers and documents circulated to verify the cube’s authenticity. Soon, factions with different ideals started to form and before long, war broke out between them.[break][break]
One faction was a group of heroes. Stalwart warriors who fought crime on a regular basis to protect the people of the world. They sought the Omnicube in order to provide themselves with enough power to tip the balance and force evil into a corner. Many of the members of this faction were passionate soldiers, and symbolically raised the emblem of the Crimson Phoenix as their flag.[break][break]
Another faction, the largest numerically, was a group of predominantly ordinary people. Many of these people were born with SPs they didn’t want, or ones that actually inhibit their lifestyle. They deem the whole concept of SPs to be unfair and too much of an influence on society. They seek the Omnicube, aiming to use its power to create a plague SP. One that specifically targets SPs and nullifies them, effectively ridding the world of SPs over time. Some higher ups - corrupt members of the faction - sought to grant themselves immunity to this disease, giving them superiority over the rest of the world as the only SP-wielders in society. They all fly the flag of the Azure Dragon, symbolizing the quiet scholars of Shinjiro High.[break][break]
The third faction had already been around for some time. The villains. Maggie Malady had assembled a large and infamous syndicate in the past few years, one she simply called “Nemesis”, at least until she heard of the Omnicube she was partially responsible for bringing to light. Upon hearing the news, she figured that it would be useful to her. It would get her the SP she’d always wanted as a kid, and she could use that very reason to rally more villains to her side. The promise of any SP one’s heart desires was definitely motivating enough for anyone to join her cause. Maggie decided to adopt the emblem of the Viridian Oni, as she’d always thought of them as the shady ones back at school. They’d be the most likely to rally to her side.[break][break]
The group defending the cube from all three of these factions, fearing that they may have already become corrupted by its power, work under the banner of the Silver Unicorn. Their goal is to simply destroy the cube and remove the key driving force of what ultimately became the Great Shinjiro War.
Devastation found its way rolling into the streets of Mitsubishi. Minami's first guess would have been that a villain was behind the carnage that stood in the red valley in front of her. Buildings skewed and cracked, screams of panic echoing through the labyrinth of concrete and rubble, and of course the abundant and distinct smell of smoke.[break][break]
"Now I see why the Azure guys had to ping us that distress call. Yikes! We're definitely dealing with fire type SPs here. Kiwi, Mel, I'm gonna need to rely on you for this one."[break][break]
Minami looked back to her comrades, people she'd known since high school. Kiwiv Blaze had a Fire SP himself, and sure enough his experience and loyalty made him ideal to take on this mission. Melanie Night had a Weather SP, granting her an adept control over moisture among other things. The best way to combat fire is with water after all. Minami's SP, Mitosis, had a different use case in this mission. She'd created a smaller version of herself using about 20% of her mass, and sent it to do a bit of scouting. The group anxiously awaited her return.[break][break]
This Wednesday, the squad were responding to a distress call in Azure territory. Normally, members of the Crimson Phoenix and the Azure Dragon weren't exactly allies, but neither had a reason to attack each other's lands. They held different ideals, but as neither side possessed the Omnicube, besieging the other faction would just be a waste of resources. Both forces sought to invade the Silver Unicorn to seize the almighty cube for themselves, but this incident threw a spanner in the works of that plan. Tactically, leaving the Azures to deal with their own problem was risky, and far too immoral for the Crimson Phoenix creeds of justice to permit. They chose to send help to get this foreign threat dealt with before it escalated to something big.[break][break]
When little Mimi finally rejoined the Crimson squad, she looked shaken. She proceeded to jump at the larger Minami's left leg, merging into it as if both of them were made of slime. They coalesced and brought Duplicette back up to her regular size. Suddenly her face was flushed pale with shock as she acquired the new information.[break][break]
"Hotboy. It's Hotboy! You remember that guy from Z-1 who always kept to himself? Him! How'd he get so strong? And what's he doing here, attacking Mitsubishi?"[break][break]
Minami had been convinced that Agni was dead set on becoming a fireman after he graduated. He didn't seem like the kind to get wrapped up in this war back then, so what was he doing here now? He wasn't working for the Viridians was he? According to the intel, the guy was acting on his own. Nothing added up. Nothing made sense. It didn't help that she hadn't been following the news outside of Crimson Phoenix territory. This wasn't Agni's first act of villainy, nor was it going to be his last.[break][break]
Coming up with a plan of attack just got more difficult. This was their classmate. Simply killing him was a painful option Minami would rather avoid if she could. His sheer strength was another worry to add to the pile. Doubt hovered around the possibility of even being able to defeat him. Still, they couldn't just stand by and do nothing. What was left of Mitsubishi was in dire need of protection, and as heroes, that's what the Crimson Phoenix were there for![break][break]
"Alright team, let's move out. Immobilize the Hotboy. Put him down if you have to. We can't allow him to cause any more harm to the innocent, even if we were in the same class..."[break][break]
Minami faced down towards the blazing cityscape. A worrying look of doubt stained her face.[break][break]
Agni had indeed been dead set on becoming an incredible firefighter. Perhaps his goal wasn’t nearly as grand as the others, but it was a dream he’d wanted to fulfill for a very long time. He was just lucky to have developed an SP absolutely perfect for such a career. To allow his adoptive father to retire and live the rest of his days comfortably at home would be such an honor to him. After how many lives the man has saved, Agni felt like he owed him at least this much. That had been Agni’s hopes and dreams for the future. The very same hopes and dreams that burned to the ground the moment he returned home. [break][break]
It was gone. Everything was gone. [break][break]
Upon returning to his hometown, a distant fire had broken out. Perfect time to debut himself as a firefighter! Agni’s excitement got the better of him and he rushed to the scene. Such excitement was replaced by worry, fear, and then horror as his eyes rested on his old home. The fire hadn’t just started, it had been going on for a lot longer than it should’ve. Of course he immediately got to work, using his SP to absorb the enormous fire and effectively putting it out. Ripping the door off its hinges, he ran inside to find the burnt and lifeless corpse of his adoptive father. Confusion turned into an unbridled sorrow as Agni held the man in his arms. Even as the firefighters arrived to the burnt home, tears spilled from Hotboy’s eyes and onto the corpse before him. [break][break]
An investigation of the home proved to give Agni more details than he would have liked. First off, the fire hadn’t been accidental. This could be credited to the fact that the commander of an entire team of firefighters couldn’t have possibly been so careless in the first place. Quite the contrary, the house was filled with barely flammable materials. Perhaps this was why the fire had taken such a long time to burn. It was possible this horrifying act of arson had been committed while Agni had been asleep on the train back home; excited to see a man already dead. Questions were raised about the nature of the fire as well as how the old man had been trapped inside the home in the first place. Being old meant low stamina but it wasn’t like the house was a mansion or anything. Only Agni and officials knew the truth: His tendons had been slashed deliberately to prevent escape. [break][break]
His murder made the front page and news of the tragic act became a viral topic discussed. Ultimately, both the public and Agni concluded that the act had been committed due to his adoptive fathers view on the Omnicube. These were mostly assumptions due to how controversial any piece of literature produced by him ended up being, but Agni had found the physical evidence. The books he had written had been slashed, ripped to shreds, and doused in gas to act as a food source for the flames to spread. [break][break]
Anger, hatred, heartbreak, and confusion swelled up within Agni’s heart. All he ever wanted to do was let an old hero take the rest he deserved. In the end, the world proved its cruelty to Hotboy in the most painful way imaginable. Surprisingly, this actually didn’t stop him from becoming a firefighter; just as he promised. Agni became a local Hero for his ability to completely put out fires with ease, both saving the lives of innocent people and costing the fire department less resources. But all the while he worked his way up the firefighting ladder, his personality began to shift. The murder of the one person who meant the most to him continued to haunt his every thought and action, so much that his mind began to break. Being a Hero meant nothing to him anymore. [break][break]
2 years passed by and he continued his work, though his actions very slowly turned to the dark side as he put less effort into saving others. In his spare time, Agni focused channeling his pure hatred into his flames and trained fiercely. Eventually, he was fired from the fire department after a family of four burned to death under his watch. Agni had been called to take care of a massive fire, and instead of doing the usual, he watched them all burn to death. Once the details of the event was made public, Agni was put under arrest and jailed for the next 5 years. The judge was on his side and came to this decision in hopes that Agni would return to that bright, excitable young man. [break][break]
He regretted this decision. [break][break]
In the five years he spent in jail, Agni never attempted to escape. If anything, this was a pure blessing in disguise. Here he could focus on training his SP with the excuse that it gave him comfort. Usually jails prohibited the use of SP’s, but Agni had once again been given special treatment. He was also completely uncontested as the Alpha as the jail as nobody challenged or threatened him. If anything, the criminals inside treated him as if he were some kind of God of Fire. Not that he ever complained, Agni just never paid attention to it. His time within the jail gave the broken man enough time to think of the future and train his SP to an unexpected level. [break][break]
The day of his release finally came but ended in utter tragedy. As the police prepared to let him go and discuss the details of his probation, bright flames exploded from his body and turned the jail into a living, burning hell. Unfortunately, this wasn’t a deliberate act of violence in the slightest. Every negative emotion he had kept within his heart had finally boiled over and caused the deaths of more than 225 people; both police officers and inmates who had been trapped in the blaze. The only inmate who barely managed to escape described Agni as a desperate crying mess, attempting to use his power to get the situation under control but failing to do so. It was a terrorist attack in the eyes of the public, but in truth, it had been an accident. The screams of the damned and the smell of burning human flesh only added to his pain and broke him beyond repair. Once the news was on the scene, he left with a single note. [break][break]
“For his death, the world will drown in fire.” [break][break]
And thus, Hellflame was born. His acts in the next few months were vague but nearly as horrifying. The pain and the anger he felt for his father’s murder drove him to seek answers, even if it meant using his SP to kill innocent people. At first he killed in secret, getting his heart used to the horrifying sensation of burning human flesh before he went public with his atrocious acts. It wasn’t something he enjoyed nor was it something he’d ever boast about. However, he did it solely with purpose and believed the people he killed wouldn’t die in vain. He was delusional. After his tenth victim, he went public with his killings and used the news to spread his name and his purpose. Sure enough, he became a target by Heroes and Officials in hopes that he’d be taken down. [break][break]
Yet they failed, and the attack on Mitsubishi was a result of these continuous failures. Agni had his target set on Azure Dragon, whose members had always stated a huge distaste for his father's opinions on the Omnicube. Destroy Azure Dragon meant getting the vengeance he sought after. Though his attack on mitsubishi would only serve as an example to Azure. His anger couldn’t be appeased and his sights were set on them. They would listen after an entire territory would burn to the ground. [break][break]
Despite the enormous fire, nearly no lives were claimed. Those who fled from the scene immediately, even when passing right by Agni, weren’t targeted nor attacked. Despite the blackness in his heart, a small sliver of light remained. However, those highly associated with Azure met his wrath head on. As he focused his attack on two such individuals, some small person ran from the scene. Agni recognized it from an SP a classmate from Shinjiro had and decided it best to follow it. [break][break]
In the distance, he spotted a small group of Heroes facing the burning City and ultimately approached them; hoodie on. In both hands were the victims he had just claimed, barely still alive but also slowly burning. His eyes traced the Heroes and began to recognize every single one of them. All of them were fellow classmates. This was a reunion that none of them had expected. Letting out a silent sigh, Agni tossed the finally dead men to the side and allowed the hoodie to fall backwards, revealing it was truly him. [break][break]
“Long time no see” Agni said, summoning small flames to his hands. “You people really did become Heroes. Congratulations.” Both the look in his eyes and his tone of voice spoke more than words ever could. This was a man jealous that they could do what they wanted to without the pain he felt. “I’d rather not kill any of you...but...everything must burn.” The small flames turned enormous and nearly his entire body became engulfed. [break][break]
