DUNGEON ♛ GISELA TOWERS

[boardmaster]

GISELA TOWERS
20 MAY (VALLARIA) 2016

High in the skies, the howling winds tangled around the Gisela Towers make it difficult to hear anything. The monolithic structures believed to exist only in legend or harpy memories loom over you. The thick ropes of ivy crawling up the length of each tower is the only sign of life. Every now and then, shadow seems to pass overhead. It might just be a trick of the light.

Instead of the usual suspects, another familiar face comes forward to greet our Heroes: the devil-may-care Lei, captain and commander supreme of the Airy.

Lei Nervous that your commanders ain’t here? Don’t worry, you’re in good hands. So! Here we are at this… thing. Something something tragic romantic tale about a dragon and a phoenix. Anyway, it’s stupid and you don’t gotta know. Ask one of your commanders later or bribe me with a drink. Now for something more important— [ the winds roars loudly, muting lei’s voice. but heroes can watch his hand gestures and actions as he teaches them how to use the grappling hook: aim and shoot the gun. maybe twirl it with a fancy flourish first ] —did you get that? All right, good! I don’t have enough hooks, so you’re gonna have to share. And take good care of them, I want them back! Now get in there and clear it ASAP! I ain’t got all day to fly you all back home!

Basic info on the dungeon can be found here. Dungeon mechanics can be found here. All OOC questions about the event may be directed to the thread below.

ONE ♙
One does not simply walk into the Gisela Towers. The only way in is up the long and weathered staircase that wraps around the structure. However, the thing is riddled with missing steps, weak stones and slippery condensation from the cloud cover, so you’re going to need a little help. Should you attempt to climb the stairs, they will crumble beneath your feet at best and bury you beneath their rubble at worst.

This is where Lei’s newfangled(?) contraptions will come in handy! The pockmarks and small ledges created by weathering in the first tower’s structure could prove useful. There are, of course, a limited number of grappling hooks available, so you’ll have to partner up if you want your party to get anywhere. Parties of four are given two of these guns, while the poor souls with less party members get one.

Gisela’s gale-force winds will knock you around and make it seem like the towers are close to toppling over. However, as you make your way up you’ll see that the towers are actually far from abandoned.

MONSTER ♟ Ocypete
Weak against Lightning	Strong against Wind	Immune to None
Regarded as abominations of the avian world, ocypetes are BIRDS the size of horses, which would be incredibly advantageous if they had wings. The offspring of a human and a harpy, ocypetes have HUMAN ARMS that they use to scale surfaces and strong TALONS that can crush rock. They don’t fly, but they do RIDE THE WIND with the use of their long tail feathers, which possess magical wind properties and are nearly twice as long as they are tall. They would look almost elegant if they didn’t have a tendency to flap their arms while gliding. Legend has it that when the phoenix left the towers, the ocypetes were accidentally left behind because dragons plucked their wing feathers, making them look kind of funny. Now with a few millennia’s worth of abandonment issues on their semi-feathered shoulders, they’ll seek to prevent Heroes from ascending the towers by any means necessary with an odd variation of Airy MARTIAL ARTS. Their TAILFEATHERS may be acquired as loot.

What will Heroes encounter once they finally make it inside? More broken staircases, more monsters, even stronger winds blowing in from cracks in the walls and the foot of the tower (which is open to the air), and no floor whatsoever. Gisela’s Towers are hollow! The only footing to be found is on small ledges: some similar to those outside the tower, some that look more artificial; and intact sections of the stairs winding around the walls. You’ll need magic or some ingenuity to stay on your toes—literally! If you lose your grip or footing, it’s a several thousand foot drop back to Gresser. The quickest way down… and the deadliest.


TWO ♙
The treacherous and exhausting climb brings you to a more sturdy area that looks a little less like a wrecking ball just passed through and more like some kind of hive. Blocking your way are dozens of sturdy-looking nests suspended like particularly ugly balls of twine from the walls. These are home to the insectoid Aellos. Tearing the nests apart for loot is only a good idea if you want angry swarms after you.

MONSTER ♟ Aello
Weak against Fire, Lightning	Strong against None	Immune to Wind
Aellos resemble large eagles more than the DRAGONFLIES they’re supposed to be. Mature Aellos can fly, but the flightless and fuzzier larvae are just as formidable. They can HYPNOTIZE with their dozen kaleidoscope-like eyes, rendering targets IMMOBILE but still aware of their surroundings. In order to free them, a fellow Hero must gaze deeply into their eyes for at least 15 seconds. These monsters are also able to SPIT a gelatin-like substance that will stick Heroes to any and every surface and also each other. FIRE will reduce its stickiness. The larvae use hit-and-run tactics: they hunker down in their nests, peek over the edge and launch gobs of spit. The flying aello like to drop their SPIT BOMBS from above and occasionally also release a POWDER that ruins visibility and makes you sneeze. Feeling adventurous? Why don’t you give the spit a lick? It’s actually totally EDIBLE, tastes like jello, and is filled with mana. Just be sure to heat it up so you don’t get your mouth stuck shut. Their GELATIN SPIT and INSECT PARTS may be acquired as loot.

The staircases at this altitude are in better shape than the ones you have—or haven’t—been using. That doesn’t mean they’re any less dangerous. Not only do the Aellos chase you down here; traps are hidden in the steps as well. Some may act like quicksand, trapping an unwary Hero halfway into the stone. Others are enchanted with wind spells that can toss you up in the air, the long way back down to the ground, or blow your skirt upward. There might even be some that provoke the pesky bugs even more!

This floor has flowers and trees creeping their way in from the outside and covering every inch of the place, including treacherous weaknesses in the path. Behind these overgrown plants is a mural depicting a sensual dance between a dragon and a harpy. In order to advance, at least two Heroes will have to mimic the dance painted on the walls to open the door.


THREE ♙
A barrier prevents you from progressing any further. Magic, physical attacks or sheer willpower will do nothing. To dissolve it, you must create a concoction from the random ingredients available on the table and splash it on the barrier. There is no set recipe, so trial and error and a little creativity will be your friends! Along with your trusty party Bishop, of course. (You did bring one, didn’t you?) Those not well-versed in alchemy may end up with potions that explode upon completion, splashing party members standing too close with a variety of strange side effects ranging from mild body horror to a bad case of halitosis. The unfortunate effects seem to differ from Hero to Hero, and they last for a few minutes to a couple of hours.

Once your party crosses the barrier, you will find yourselves outside. The skies are darkening, but you’re still able to discern another tower wrapped in the clouds. A bridge once connected the two structures, but most of it is missing. Use those grappling hooks!

Upon entering the second tower, a marble floor at odds with everything from the last tower will greet you. Lift your head and you’ll find that the rest of the tower is also hollow all the way up; those heights allow room for fountains and waterfalls. It’s a suitable area to replenish mana and rest. Parched throats can be quenched with the sparkling water all around you, but approach any waterfalls and they will start moving in a very unwaterlike way.

MONSTER ♟ Celaeno
Weak against Lightning	Strong against Fire, Earth	Immune to Water
Possessed by pride and cursed by the phoenix’s wrath, these dragons are nothing like the ones you encountered before. Celaeno resemble huge snakes made of water and possess ENCHANTED SCALES that float through their bodies and render them extremely RESISTANT to both magical and physical attacks. You will have to find WEAK POINTS in their protective aura. Hopefully you have a Knight or Bishop on your team to find those weaknesses as soon as possible! Each dragon’s weak points differ. Fortunately, all Celaenos go down easily once you find that soft spot. They use their long, slender tails like WATER WHIPS to knock down or douse their targets; the force of a tail may equal that of a fire hose at full blast! The only time it sheds its armor is to shapeshift into a WATER PRISON that can trap one or more enemies. Try not to attack it while a Hero is trapped inside; it will hurt your friend as well! Use STATUS EFFECTS to confuse or distract them so the prison loses shape. Their ENCHANTED SCALES, SMALL GEMS, and DRAGON WATER may be acquired as loot.

Without any stairs in sight, the way up lies in those dragons. After their defeat, their magical scales can be put together to form a boat that can ride the waterfalls upwards to the top floors.


FOUR ♙
The skies continue to change once you reach the top. Black clouds begin to close in, stray bits of land that have broken off from the main island hover nearby, and a sudden torrent of powerful mana may disorient your party. A storm is approaching.

Just as the first chunk of hail falls from the sky, a mighty roar reverberates through the darkness. Something very large lands on the walls of the tower and causes a tremor that whittles chunks from the tower and actually rolls the clouds back; is that the toll of thunder, or just more roaring?

Finally, an impressive three-headed dragon emerges from below. Once it has perched itself on the tower, one head speaks in a rumbling growl.

BOSS ♟ Tianya the Thrice-Scorned
Weak against Lightning	Strong against None	Immune to Wind, Fire
“Did that phoenix send you?! Tell her she cannot return! Not even over my dead body!” Unsurprisingly, Tianya ─the dragon once wed to the phoenix─ is more than just a legend. He lowers his heads and another loud, guttural cry fills the skies. For now, he remains STATIONARY at the top of the tower. All three heads attempt to SWALLOW a Hero whole if they get too close. Should you go on the offensive, you may be able to chop off at least one head before he’s pissed off enough to move. The fallen head writhes in agony as it moans: “It hurts… it burns…” At this point, Tianya takes flight. The strong GUSTS from those wings can launch a Hero right off the tower. Use your grappling hook(s) to play floating island hopscotch: evade devastating dive attacks and run from the MANA BEAMS shot from his mouths. “You’ll never understand! I never wanted her!” As you travel from island to island trying to get close enough to deal some real damage, Tianya hides in the CLOUDS to launch ambush attacks. Eventually, a PHOENIX descends from the heavens in a burst of fiery light. However, it’s not the phoenix of legend; it’s actually one of Tianya’s spells, and it will burn away most of your mana if any of its flames make contact. MANA EXCHANGE may be the only way to continue this battle... Once Tianya is down to one head, he will immediately rise higher into the sky. “My last words are for her and her alone.” After Tianya is defeated, the storm clears; Enprise’s twin suns shine once more. That precious DUNGEON CORE floats down, blanketed by a SINGLE LARGE FEATHER, golden and shining in the light. “It’s warm… She was always warm…” A SCORNED DRAGON HEART and a MYSTICAL PHOENIX FEATHER may be acquired as loot.

As soon as both core and feather touch the tower, an ominous rumbling and shaking begins. The Gisela Towers are falling apart and it’s now a race to escape before you’re buried under the rubble.

And don’t forget the grappling hook(s); Lei wants them back.


FIVE ♙
All that’s left of the Gisela Towers is rubble. The dungeon has been conquered, the island reclaimed, and the ruins of the old regime can now become the foundations for something new: the site of the harpies’ homecoming after hundreds of years.

LOCATION ♟ Gisela

An ancient sky island that has existed since time immemorial. What enables Gisela to RIDE THE CLOUDS may be an even greater mystery than the mechanisms powering the Airy. The island appears most frequently above Gresser, though its extraordinary altitude makes it DIFFICULT TO LOCATE. The landscape of Gisela is overgrown with JEWEL-GREEN FORESTS, crisscrossed with gorges and dotted with networks of small caverns. But its crowning glory is the THIN GLEAMING WATERFALLS that flow from its edges and into the sky beyond. The water is embraced by RAINBOWS and condenses into CLOUDS when Gisela is high enough, lending to its unusual weather patterns. Although the island initially seems largely uninhabited apart from the Gisela Towers, there is a SEALED OFF AREA that, when viewed from the air, looks suspiciously like LUSH, TILLED FIELDS. Should you ask Lei about this, he will only give you an unusually stern warning against disturbing it. Looks like you’ve solved the mystery behind the pai tiles. Now that the menacing Towers have been demolished, a variety of animal life — usually airborne — will begin to appear on the island. Some of them you’ve never seen before! The fall of the Towers also uncovered the existence of HOT SPRINGS below; newspapers speculate wildly about the source, but most agree that it must have something to do with the renewed vows between phoenix and dragon. The few structures already in place on the island have been speedily converted into BAZAARS manned by Airy harpies. Most specialize in legal alchemical gimmicks, but there’s always another side to these things. Everyone’s here to soak in the breeze, and by that we do mean everyone. In response to the tourism boom, NEW AEROPORTS have also opened in both Gisela and Gresser to provide reliable transportation between the two locations.

Comments

[flirtations]

No, those had just one, and definitely not the level of intelligence as Tianya did. They may as well have been completely different species, had it not been for the wings and claws.

[ That bit of detail was what made slaying Tianya all the more difficult. Perhaps he was sentimental for feeling such empathy for a creature with no actual relation to him. As far as he knew, the dragons of his world shared nothing in common with what he is save for a name. And yet, it bothered him...

He watches Levi curiously. He's heard very vague, off-the-cuff remarks about such things, but Levi seems to be the investigative sort, so perhaps he knows more. He's also not sure if Levi would even share his knowledge, if he knew, but there's no harm in asking.

He digs into his pocket and retrieves one of the gems from the dungeon they'd just escaped, examining its features. For something that was supposedly due to mana abnormalities, it yielded objects that were very real, very tangible, even after their exit. ]

What do you know about these "mana distortion" things? I've heard that their existence may be why dungeons exist in the first place, but does anyone have any idea what causes them?

[powerdriven]

[ Strange. The other creatures inside the towers, as well, showed only the mindset of beasts. So what was their reason for attacking humans? Was it something in the distortion itself that compelled them? And if so... what made Tianya different?

Anyway, clearly they don't know each other very well, if Jae-ha has to wonder about whether or not he'd share what he knows. Their relationship thus far may not exactly be suited for this, but... Levi would like nothing more than to see this mystery put to rest. To return to his post, there's very little he won't do—from doing the bidding of Blanc to the much easier cooperation with his fellow Heroes.

Levi looks to the gemstone briefly, shaking his head. ]

No. Verdoni says his magic experts say the mana around Caissa has something to do with it. [ He scoffs. ] For a bunch of experts, they're not so much better off than us. Even though Teddy gave me his approval for us to join their investigation, there's still nothing for us to do. [ Not based off of their research, anyway. ]

Nothing except finding our own leads. [ Which, of course, is what he's doing now. ] Now that the core is taken... the mana signatures in this place seem like they've returned to normal.

[flirtations]

How did they reach that conclusion? Just based on how the mana around Caissa has changed over time? [ That would make sense... but he wonders how their presence has changed things, too.

He places the loot back into his pocket and follows the other man, though he doesn't know where he might wander to, he could use a little more exploring himself. ]

We may be helping in terms of defusing a bomb, then. I wonder what the outcome might be if all of us were to fail to get the core. [ Probably not anything good. ]

[powerdriven]

Beats me. I didn't get the chance to talk to them.

[ Which is a bit of a pain, all things considered, because he'd at least like them to be able to consolidate their findings somehow. Maybe he should start prodding the guy some more. As it is, it seems like he's stuck bringing those back to Verdoni himself... though do that enough and it might be motivation for him to find somebody else to hoist him off onto, right?

If the core isn't retrieved though... well, he's only taking a guess, but ]

Those distortions aren't going to get better being left alone, are they? They'll grow—keep changing the environment.

[ Returning to his horse's side, Levi digs into the pack he carries. He comes up with a journal, which he's been crudely mapping the area out on a page of. Opening it to that, he frowns at his own scrawl. ]

How about this place? Without asking someone who knows the history, I couldn't tell if you it's already changed.

[quaria]

[ Tightly holding onto the grappling gun, Setsuna refuses to let it go. He can't allow himself to be blown away any more than this, that would mean betraying everyone of the promise he made. He promised to live on, and so he will...! The cyclones continue to chaotically whirl across the skies, but his resolve isn't defeated by them. The elemental flag flickers, but doesn't dissipate. He lifts his head with a resolute gaze, intending to take any good chance presented to him once it does.

The youngest Meister's attention turns after feeling a surge of rotated mana. He can tell right away that a set of gears shifted through the storm. Allelujah's presence becomes overwhelmed with Hallelujah's. As he looks out, he can see the super soldier's synchronized mana flashing through, moving against nature as if he is the lightning itself... Within seconds, he realizes Hallelujah's existence now beside him. His eyes move to look at him for a mere second, then right away releases the spearhead's mechanism once the proper cue was given.

The chance is now here, and so he doesn't hesitate. He trusts Hallelujah without a single shed of doubt. Once the wire retracts, the Meisters are now without a lifeline. Against the air, the youngest immediately take hold of the older one, securing himself in an embrace around those broad shoulders. He looks out, wondering where Tianya flew towards to next. The dragon once again hid among the clouds, so he'll need a moment to refocus and sense his mana. ]

[powerdriven]

[ Yeah, I guess you could say it's a good thing Adam's here, because he's not sure he would have gone straight to work with these potions over trying to break the barrier there by force. Then again, this alchemy stuff takes practice, even for somebody more scientifically inclined. ]

Not so fast.

[ Levi is taking a look at the ingredients from over Cirno's head as she bustles about, but his distinctly more prudent approach to the potion mixing is not quite adhered to by either teammate. He's not as aggressive as he would've been with that barrier either. More picking up a flask and carefully sniffing it.

No animal features yet, but one may not notice the addition of an extra pair of ears immediately. ]

Are you sure you know what you're doing? [ ...He could be talking to either of them, really. ]

[powerdriven]

No arguments here.

[ Sheathing his swords again, Levi gestures that she go ahead, and waits for Cirno to grapple up to the next floor. He doesn't seen any stray ocypetes daring to linger thereafter, so he follows using the lift granted to him by his magic blade. Given the buoyancy to throw himself up to ledges used as handholds, he reaches the staircase and comes face to face with the ... ]

Ugh. What is this? [ Scowling, he recoils away from the fine coating of goop on the walls. He looks over the forebodingly large nests hanging in the distance. ]

[powerdriven]

[ Looks like they're on the same page then. Quickly, he helps Cirno get situated again before he goes to make his way across the rubble to Adam. That much isn't a burden. Though while it's at this point that he becomes relieved to see Adam's not dead, mid-rushing over the broken bits of stair and ledge that remain, the next trouble of how they're all going to escape like this is becoming apparent.

And not just that, but... what about the core? Seems Levi's priorities are elsewhere.

If Adam's badly injured, this isn't going to be much help—but what choice have they got? Kneeling down next to him, Levi starts hoisting him up. ]

Do your legs still work? Then grab on, and let's move it!

[soulshift]

Follow quickly.

[ The homunculus that could, Iri keeps telling herself inside of her head.

There's a little bit of rock from Nobunaga's foot, but nothing that will worry her. So she grabs the gun and holds on to it for dear life as she starts to ascend up to the Servant. ]

[soulshift]

No!

[ Thankfully, Yukari's intent looking while firing is enough for Irisviel to be freed from their grasp and she lets out a small sound of determination. She can feel the magic loosening on her person and she makes haste as she runs over to Nobunaga, flame magic in her fingers. She aims the short blast to the goo before releasing the mana fortified string from her bracelet, using it to cut through the goo. Hopefully that would be enough to help free the other woman. ]

[hymnals]

[ Adra doesn't resist the embrace; in fact, he leans into it, wrapping his arms around Gil and exhaling, hard, against the other man's shoulder. It's not ideal, but he knows what must be done: they're in the middle of a deadly battle, and neither of them will survive without their magic. So he invites the channel, lets the potent magic flow freely between them, and does his best to stay focused on the situation. To not lose himself to the heady intoxication already threatening to overwhelm him.

When Gil speaks, Adra's grip tightens. His fingers dig into the other man's shoulder blades, and he wants to reply, 'No, not enough', to ask what Gilgamesh means about deserving anything--but then Saber takes action.

Adra pulls back, shouting. ]

Artoria!

[ Saber impressed him from the start. She'd woken up in their room with implacable calm, and she's stayed unshakable ever since. Their conversation by the water had cemented his admiration; her ideology matched so well with his, and she put it forward with more grace and poise than he ever did. He had judged her then as virtuous and just, and he's found that assessment hold true throughout this experience. It was easy to see why Gil loved her; why anyone would.

Adrasteius will not let her fall.

He casts another barrier, of course, but the following blessing takes a different character than usual. He focuses this time on her strength, her endurance; she doesn't need speed so much now as she needs to simply withstand Tianya's onslaught for as long as possible. So his blessing fortifies her body, giving her not just power but staying power. She is a Pawn, but through the Light, she will be their bulwark. ]

Let's finish this.

[ He grabs for Gil's hand. Lightning, as fierce and sharp as the bolts crackling through the sky, sparks to life along the length of his arm. He throws his other hand out, towards Tianya, as the channel for the spell builds. ]

Together.

[herplaceinthesun]

[She isn't sure that Alice is concerned about safety at the moment.

It's not surprising, really. Someone that quiet had to be holding back something fierce, and if she was inclined to feel sorry for her enemies, the Ocypete would deserve her sympathy. It's a very messy death.

How much Alice cares is sort of obvious with the display, it's really cute when you think about it. It's why she's relatively unconcerned with the whole thing, sometimes you had to just let it out, even if it was your latent murderous tendencies. That being said, Sion seems a bit distressed by the hackfest.

Meeting Sion's eyes and nodding, she gets a glimpse of Caren's smile. So this was quality entertainment? Hey, you had to get your kicks from somewhere.]

That sword is beautiful. [Spoken to Alice, and her voice carries well enough, she's not getting any closer. That's how accidents happen.] I have a friend back home that uses one, but hers doesn't glow, it's actually made out of wood.

[So in comparison, Alice's wins. It does make her miss the assassin for a moment, but such was life.]

Now that we're finally almost done with one thread....

[dilemmic]

[ The mana torrent leaves her a little light-headed and she has to brace herself against the side of the boat as she shields her eyes to get a better look at their new ah, guest.

It isn't like Makoto isn't used to talking enemies - demons were sentient back home and would make pleasant conversation sometimes - but that's back home. Nothing that she's faced here has proved to be anything human-like (the dragons attacking the farmlands and her had been more interested in making her Dinner) so naturally, she'd had no reason to believe otherwise. Was the dragon like those or...?

This is a great time to glance at Gilbert since he's the most senpai, you know.

Still, an act of hostility warrants caution; she tightens her grip around her gun, just to be sure. ]

It doesn't seem very open to negotiations.

rubs hands together

[interchained]

[Actually, his reaction to the powerful mana is no different than his teammates—he doesn't even notice when his hand pulls up by itself and his palm rests on his temple, like that would stop the head from spinning. It doesn't last long enough, but when their opponent emerges all of a sudden, Gilbert lets out a heavy sigh.

This is going to be tough, isn't it. Moreover, he can feel Makoto's gaze, but doesn't look back at her right away.]

Stay back for now, Walker.

[Another sigh. Something tells him that it needed to be said before anything else, but he can't be sure that Allen will actually listen. Despite having experience with dungeon crawling (even if he survived just one dungeon, it's better than nothing, still), Gil thinks of himself as the last person who should be giving orders to others; it even makes him feel a bit uncomfortable, but they have to get out of here alive.]

We have no choice but to fight. If we don't, it'll attack us anyway...sooner or later.

[They're still at a safe distance for now, but there's no way to predict what is it up to. Will their bullets be enough to even graze the dragon's scaled skin, though...?]

screams

[mitotic]

[ This is the part where Sakura almost fumbles.

Not because she can't keep her balance (she can) or because the pose is too complicated (it really is not) but because she wasn't expecting Naruto to tug her in. It is a closer match to what's on the wall, which no longer merely suggestive now that she's become a live model of it. It's...

Well, it's bad. She knows what it would look like to an onlooker — which she can't help but be aware they have, and she happens to be married to him, and this happens to be their best friend who seems perfectly oblivious to all of this. Of course he is.

Her first instinct, in her fluster, is to shove away from Naruto, but then the whole wall shudders and begins to shift, just slightly. She can't believe Naruto was right. She can't believe this is working. She can't believe he doesn't notice how weird this is, but she would rather fall through a hole in the floor the hundreds and hundreds of feet between here and the ground than draw attention to it, so she says nothing as they move from one pose to the next.

And she absolutely does not look anywhere near Sasuke. ]

[ahogay]

[Fortunately for all of them, Hinata does indeed manage to maintain his grip on Slaine. He winces when the other boy squeezes him even tighter, but he honestly can't blame him -- this is a pretty terrifying situation.

Once they're able to reach Lapis, Hinata gently pushes Slaine up towards her so that he can get on the ledge easier. Afterwards, he pulls himself up and just sits there until he catches his breath. This is going to be a long day indeed...]

Thanks for your help, Lapis.

[mitotic]

[ In her defense, she hadn't been known just how fast this thing was going to reel them up either; but she'd be lying if she said she hadn't done that on purpose. It's worth the ringing in her ear from Naruto hollering into it just to see his startled reaction. Who's the most unpredictable ninja now, huh? ]

I don't know what you're talking about.

[ Like I said: lying. She's grinning, too.

She keeps a firm grip on him, helping him to climb up on the ledge. For all their joking, it was a little nervewracking for her once the wind started to pick up. It's not the most death-defying stunt any of them have ever done, but they have none of their usual failsafes here. Chakra, to ensure neither of them lose their grip. Giant toads or slugs to summon to catch them, should they get blown off. The faster the ride up, the better, as far as she's concerned.

While she waits for the wind to die down a little before she reverses the mechanism to lower herself back down, Naruto's suggestion makes her laugh incredulously. ]

Yeah, right. [ Of everyone Sakura knows, her husband is one of the hardest to scare or startle, and she ruined the element of this particular sort of surprise on Naruto. The only sure-fire thing she can think of that would scare him is the one thing she would never do, not even as a joke.

Dead family, or the threat of it, is never going to be funny to Sasuke. ]

Try to figure out the lay of the land while I'm gone, alright?

[ The trip down is a lot slower than the trip up. She isn't scared, exactly, but she does hold onto the gun with both hands as the wind whips around her. Her hair is a huge mess by the time her feet touch terra firma again. ]

Ready?

[babbylon]

[Why did he always feel as though he was chasing after her back? Gilgamesh cries out too, Artoria, Artoria, but none of it will reach her. Everything's swallowed up by the furious sounds of combat, by the increasingly enraged screeches of the dragon. His words are also drowned out, but they are sadistic, and they are sorrowful, and they are all reminders of a love forsaken. But Gilgamesh hardly cares for them, anyway. He sees only the brave little King of Knights, fighting their battle for them, buying them time. The brave little Pawn, as selfless as ever, ducking and dodging and doing her best in spite of losing what once made her so great and so legendary.

He remembers, earlier in their conversation, I can't imagine a Noble Phantasm that would best fit me aside from Excalibur. If she cannot summon it, he decides, he must do so for her. Only Saber's most stalwart ally would carry the day here. And together with that lightning magic...

Yes, together. He agrees. Gilgamesh nods his head and spreads one of his hands, out to the side, and invokes every ounce of mana in his body. He must create something beyond anything he's ever managed before. He must devise a spell so powerful, that there will be no room for Tianya to recover. He pictures its shape; he recalls its glow; he thinks back, to how Saber held it high before her head to destroy a monster that threatened the world.

He remembers, the sword he was to face down himself before Enprise took him from his rightful battle. With all of his focus, and all of his effort, a massive broadsword of purest light forms beside him. It begins to charge, gaining energy from the lightning due to their link.]

Oh, holy sword, blade of peerless triumph; grace my hands and descend upon this battlefield. Vanquish them in your light; deliver onto them your fury and your judgment. Bathe them in your glory, and crush them with your might. I, Gilgamesh, call upon you now—Excalibur, Sword of Promised Victory!

[His magic responds. This was no true Excalibur, but it would come close. And that would have to be good enough.

Mana crackles and sizzles along the length of the sword. And when Saber might falter, when it seems as though she can hold out no more, even with Adra's blessing strengthening her, that is the moment Gilgamesh makes his move. With a devastating swing, he slams the sword into the ground...]

EEEEEEEXCALIBUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUR!

[An enormous burst of combined energy—more like a miniature bomb, lightning and holy intertwining to creature something new onto itself—roars to life and targets the dragon and both his remaining heads. Fall back, Gilgamesh shouts to her, so she doesn't get caught in the storm. This was it; either they won here, or they lost outright.]

[ahogay]

[No, they were not doing it right at all... but after many trials and tribulations and probably Lapis judging them really hard the entire time, the door finally opens for them. Hinata can hardly believe his eyes.]

We... we finally did it...!

[Or maybe the door just felt sorry for them. Who knows. Either way, Hinata is feeling pretty good about this right now.]

[armorial]

[ Despite Adra's blessings, she is finding it hard to battle this dragon on one island, but she holds her ground even if the platform shakes under his weight. It's better than him diving at her. She doesn't look back--she can't look back. She has to parry, block, and cast her barrier against every single hit. The weight of each strike is taxing; it practically sends a tremor through her body.

There are many close calls, some grazes against her cheek and her legs, but she presses on despite the sting. She has to hold on a little longer. It's hard to hear her comrades, harder to tell if they can pull this off. The dragon, even with two heads, left is overwhelming. Despite how all of this is against her, she remains calm and confident. Adra's blessings hasn't worn off just yet. With all her might, she's able to decapitate one other head, but takes a blow to her side in the process. She can't feel any of it, the talons that grazed painfully against her side, nor the warmth of blood running down her body. Adrenaline is a nice thing, isn't it.

Her injury is taking its toll on her as she staggers back from a gust of wind from the dragon's wings. Tianya starts to ascend as the makeshift Noble Phantasm travels towards him. It's only then she barely catches those words to stand back. Even before those words meet her ears, she already had a premonition that something's coming her way. The dragon doesn't have time to react to the charged missile that's aimed at him. There's only the turn of his last head, then the beam of light hits him. It's blinding... Saber only barely leaps back, gripping onto her side. She's perplexed by Gilgamesh's choice in names and skills, but it's still breathtaking. Saber takes only a second to admire it, something she has long seen. Does she miss it? Something so destructive... Something that brought victory to her country countless of times?

Except it may have blasted part of the island she is on. It shakes unlike before and tilts--is it falling? After staying still for a while, she struggles to move forward, practically falling down onto her knees. She feels lightheaded and things are starting to spin; it's hard to focus. The gun, the gun. She fumbles around to sheathe her sword and get the gun to shoot it at a nearby island. Before she escapes to a safer island, she hears the dragon speak some of its final words.

It's tragic, she thinks... She tumbles as a landing, rolling across the platform like a rag doll. She's conscious though, but everything aches and her nerves are scorching. There's a moment where she does tries to lift herself up to at least indicate that she's alive. There's some wonder, wanting to see the fate of the dragon. ]

[hymnals]

[ She was always warm ...

Adra hears those final words and feels his heart throb painfully in his chest. It was terrible, what they had to do here. The sad story they were forced to end. He knows it likely couldn't have gone another way--Tianya's mind was gone, his spirit corrupted. Circumstances with which Adra is all too familiar. But that doesn't make it right, or good.

Still, his teammates had fought with honor and valor. Gil's sword strike (the significance of which was, sadly, totally lost on Adra and his Azerothian origins) illuminated the heavens like the power of the holy Light itself, and Saber had given it her all in holding the dragon at bay while the spell was cast.

Saber's still some distance away from them, but Adra's spells reach across the battlefield. He calls down a cascade of restorative energy as the dragon falls; the golden beams of light criss-cross the sky, shimmering as they converge on Saber's body.

Meanwhile, Tianya breathes his last, collapsing as he expires, hurtling fast towards the earth below. The dungeon core slowly descends after him, and Adra sees that it's covered in a single, shining phoenix feather.

He reaches for it, instinctively, his eyes starry, but--then pulls back, hand to his chest. No. There were other matters to attend to. Such as: getting the hell out of here in one piece.

He looks to Gilgamesh with an expression that clearly states: Ideas? ]

[acknowledges]

[Maybe it's always been easy to write Naruto off. He never seems to know what he's doing, at least not in the entirety of any one act, and it'd be a simple thing to say that this is no different. But he thinks with his body. He learns by doing- touching, moving, fighting, feeling- they're the best teachers he's had and the lessons he'd been able to commit to memory. Naruto knows, in the abstract, what they're doing. He knows it must look bad because he can feel Sakura not looking at him the same way he can feel Sasuke's gaze pointed nowhere else.

What keeps him together is familiarity. Sakura knows him- she knows him sometimes better than he knows himself. They have spent years as two fixed points, alternating around one another in fractured orbits- tilting hopelessly where Sasuke's gravity was meant to be and where they'd gone so long without. She holds him together. When he'd been too weak to walk, she'd carried him. She'll know he isn't trying to embarrass her or take advantage. That he isn't trying to make a fool out of her. She can't look at him and instead of fighting it, demanding to be seen, he lets her be.

One of Naruto's palms presses flat to the bow of her spine- the dip where it joins her hips, and his touch is like sunlight. There are only a few more poses to move through.]

Roll into me. [He says quietly, against her temple, where she won't have to see his face. His opposite hand rises, smoothing its way down the lean arch of her ribcage and line of her stomach to wrap around her thigh, easing her body towards him.] Lemme take your weight, Sakura-chan.

[babbylon]

[Saber has the hook, as well as renewed blessings upon her thanks to Adra, so in theory she should be fine on her own leaping across the ledges. That just leaves the two of them, and though Adra stops short of claiming their prizes, Gilgamesh doesn't. He's a greedy thing, he sees the feather and he wants it for himself, so he'll take it. Stashing the dungeon core in his pack, Gilgamesh glances all around them at the crumbling atmosphere, and then down below.

Then he speaks words that should arguably never leave his mouth.]

Trust me.

[He casts a spell—something equivalent to Slow Fall, which Adra likely will recognize—then takes a leap of faith off the island, gripping tight to Adra's hand. Instead of plummeting to their death as it seemed they were doomed to do, they float gently along, buoyed by controlled waves of mana. Their feet will find a soft landing down below, near some previously hidden hot springs, a welcome sight that they both might make ample use of.

Gilgamesh appears a little distracted, however, looking up and over his shoulder for something... or someone. He's hopeful that Saber has enough wits about her to maneuver her way down safely, but he also had a few parting words for her. Just in case they didn't see each other after this.

They might have been words like thank you.]

[armorial]

[ This familiar feeling washes over her and she feels refreshed, wounds closing up quickly as well. She can't give her gratitude from this distance, so she settles with meeting them down below instead. It's okay. Saber tries not to hold them up, grappling herself using the hook gun across and around before she ends up on the ground. Her landing is perfect unlike before and she stands upright.

She's a little far off, but she makes her way over with her short strides. There's quite a smile on her face, not meant for anyone, but for their accomplishment and performance. It is her first time in a dungeon, so she can't tell if this ran well or not... However, her comrades are safe and she takes a moment to examine them head to toe. She clasps her hands together, letting it all sink in. ]

We did well. [ That is what matters the most to her. She doesn't even ask about the glowing loot, the reward, or the appearance of hot springs. She merely seems relieved that this is all over and that she has proved herself useful despite how little she can offer. Saber is beaming. ]

[hymnals]

[ Adra had little choice but to trust Gilgamesh, though in this case he didn't wrestle with the idea too much. He's seen Gil's abilities for himself; he knows he can at least put faith in the man's competence.

Once they're safely on the ground, and once Saber has joined them, he relaxes--a little. She's beaming, but he mostly just feels exhausted. Sorrowful, spent. He wants to go home.

But she's right, so he pushes all those unpleasant feelings away for just a second. ]

You were both invaluable. Thank you.

[ But that's the most he can manage. His smile falters, and he takes the opportunity to step back, away. ]

But I need to go--sit. Somewhere. So.

[ He lifts a hand. ]

Al diel shala.

[ And he turns to be off, without waiting for a response from either of them. Take care, guys. ]