[Round Zero: part 2]

[utopiamods]

Those of you who managed to survive the massacre stumble outside in twos and threes, leaving the bodies of your friends and family behind. Some of you remain behind, too injured or broken to move further. The campus is bathed in light, deep red and purple, with shifting clouds and a thin layer of mist curling around your ankles and across the paving stones. Just discernible over your harsh breathing is a low, dischordant hum. The air is resonating with it, as the towers around the campus glow the colour of a new bruise.

Ahead of you, sprawled over the courtyard like a huge guard-dog, is a tiger.

Or rather, it is something that has taken the form of a tiger. Real tigers aren't ten metres tall with corpse-blue fur and eyes the colour of the red sky. Real tigers don't smile like this one does.

Real tigers don't laugh.

Its voice is harsh, every word drawn out with the arrogance of a creature who knows that when it speaks, lesser beings have no choice but to listen.

"Admirable," it tilts its head, slowly. Deliberately. "You have exceeded their expectations, but now you are only prolonging the inevitable. You are all still so far from facing me."

It turns its great head towards the lobby, and considers it. "Unnecessary," it decides. "To determine your level I require only these few." Its eyes flash, pits of scarlet, and the building is consumed in fire and screams.

Then it looks towards your group.

Two of your number, knights both, exchange a single glance. A regretful look back at their friends. In unison, they run forward. Chests flash as swords are drawn; at the tip of one shines a star, bright blue.

Suzaku runs forward, not attempting to feint or dodge. He ducks one swipe of a massive paw, slicing along its leg to no effect. The second swipe, vertical, too fast to follow, pins him to the floor with claws through his torso and shoulders. Sora runs left, crouches, jumps...

"Determine this!"

It flinches back from the blade, hisses as her leaping strike cuts a shallow line in one shoulder.

Eyes flash again. Sora screams. She's dust before she hits the ground; the sword clatters to the stones only to vanish an instant later. It writhes around, looks down at the surviving knight for a brief moment, then its head descends, its teeth sink in and tear, and the attack is over.

"Come," it says, with bloody jaws. "See how far you have yet to go."

[YOU KNOW THE DRILL, OOC POST VEGGIES BEFORE DELICIOUS TAGS]

Comments

[utopiamods]

All of their hopes were in vain.

"It will be quick," it promises, landing in front of them in an unnervingly graceful jump. It smiles, gradually, and looks first at Fletcher. Its eyes flare red. The shield flares blue.

The flames rebound and envelop Russel, and Fletcher's only defense fades abruptly. In its mercy, the tiger does not keep him alive along enough to register his brother's death.

[chainedbyred]

Russel had grabbed Fletcher's arm so they could run together when the tiger jumped. Before he could react to anything else, he was on fire. He screamed, screamed, and screamed. Only one word was discernible as anything resembling communication. "Run!" he repeated a few times, before the nylon in the trim of the vest began to fuse to his burning skin. There was no doubt of whom he was trying to talk to, but in his own agony, he had no way of knowing Fletcher was right beside him suffering the same too-cruel fate.

[greennotgold]

It's quick, but it hurts. It hurts, and the flames rob him of the oxygen he needs to scream or call out for his brother to save him, and...

He manages to grab on to Russel's arm with his free hand, as if that will somehow save him, and then he falls, charred and burnt and dead.