[nathan67003]

Anna was starting to feel the headache's onset again. Not having any hands free, she swung her legs and feet up, trying to avoid collisions between any of the chains and Taro. Although this put her out of harm's way for now, she wouldn't be able to keep that silly pose forever.

But this was all she could do right now. She completely deactivated her semblance and just hung on, concentrating on maintaining her height as stingers nearly grazed her several times.

(Aura: 96%)
(Dust left (about time I start counting): 2 Kinetic, 2 Ice, 4 Fire, 6 Lightning

[MonsterManic]

Despite getting his buster sword up and swinging, and managing to scythe down most of the critters headed his way (which was most of them--despite Calen's efforts, a giant glowing sword was bound to grab more attention), several painful nips from the claws made Setsuna wince, but kept his grip on his weapon. He was starting to regret dropping his shield without his semblance at this point...

(Aura: 70% from 2 claws
Fatigue: 60% as a reminder)

[Kingnoname1]

Even without her semblance Anna could feel the Death Stalkers climbing up her chains and falling on to her from the ceiling. Despite the poor positioning of their team mate the rest of Team ASTC was making short work of the Grimm arrayed against them. Larger than those fought before they where clearly not fully matured and lacked the guile and cunning of their older counterparts or the fury of their younger. This did not mean that the scorpions went down without a fight and they still fought back despite their rapidly shrinking numbers.

Calen from his vantage point managed to see the ebb and flow of battle much more clearly than on the ground and darted around their enclosed room focusing on breaking up the swarm which would make them easier for Setsuna to manage while trying his utmost to keep as many Grimm off Anna as possible. Despite not using his semblance or taking much damage in return the exertion was exhausting the huntsman-in-training and soon any breath he had recovered in their brief rest was lost. This didn't slow him down too much though as Calen added a few more of his knife hand holds to the ceiling to assist him in his athletic endeavours.

Setsuna probably had a hard time telling the rapidly decreasing numbers of foes he face, being the only student still on the ground he was by far the easiest target as well as his vision being limited by that angle. Still as long as the boy kept swinging he would be in little danger of being overrun, assisted by Calen's disruptive tactics and Anna being a very effective distraction.

Grimm Battle Data
3x2% Claws + 3x4% stings at Anna
2x3% Charges + 3x2% claws at Setsuna

Calen's Battle Data
Aura: 56%
Fatigue: 40%

[nathan67003]

Anna kicked the Deathstalkers attempting to climb down her chain towards her, albeit she didn't get rid of them for free. Bastards clawed at her ankles more than once.

Keeping herself out of reach of the stingers from below, as well as shaking the chain that was still being pulled once in a while to shake potential alpinists off the razor-sharp links, she very carefully switched Taro to the side holding her above the crowd, after which she used her free hand to fiddle with the knives and Dust capsules in her pouch, preparing for the moment where she wouldn't be able to hold herself up anymore.

(Aura: 92%)
(Dust capsules remaining: 2 Kinetic, 2 Ice, 4 Fire, 6 Lightning

[MonsterManic]

To Setsuna, the swarm seemed endless, even through the smoke rising from the numerous corpses littered in a circle. His positioning didn't help as the Grimm approached him from the back and managed to charge him before he could get them off. That in turn meant he wasn't protected from the front, and more of the beasts took advantage of that to pinch him. Wincing in pain, he forced his semblance into action, starting to clear a wider and wider circle around the two members of ASTC.

(Aura: 58% from all attacks connecting
Fatigue: 55%)

[Kingnoname1]

With a hiss, crack and a thud the last Grimm fell at the feet of Team ASTC. Breathing hard Calen retrieved his knife hand holds and carefully looked over both his sets of weapons for scratches as he walked out of the black smoke billowing up from their defeated foes.The boy stopped suddenly as he left their ruined shelter, the sound of claws chipping at ice had faded and replaced by a the sound of scuttling growing louder and louder and far more numerous than ever before. The echo of the cave made it sound like the swarm was coming from everywhere but double checking with the light Calen saw the possible exit he noticed before was still clear. Turning back to his team mates Calen was slightly more pale that usual and simply said. 'We've got to move.' Before rushing back inside to check on Setsuna, he had seen his team mate's semblance in action a few times now and knew he might need support if they are going to say ahead of the swarm.

As the group gather outside getting ready the sound has become almost deafening and the vanguard off the swarm are  becoming visible, still attacking with the same frenzy they showed before. Calen was paying closer attention to the terrain they would have to traverse to have a chance of escaping. Most of the building were mostly intact making running along the roofs a possible quick if dangerous option while there was little enough rubble on the cave floor it would make it harder to see where you are going.

[nathan67003]

As soon as all Grimm finally got owned, Anna turned off her semblance and let herself hang the right way around again, flicking her chain off the anchor point. Falling to the ground somewhat heavily, she lay Taro on the ground before quickly gathering her chains, then picking up her knives.

She nodded as Calen declared the urgency of their situation, still feeling a bit spent from having held herself up like that. Still, she was ready to run along with them, but wouldn't resort to her semblance outside of pulsing the second stage, and would avoid it entirely if at all possible.

[MonsterManic]

Still flickering and glowing from the effects of his semblance, Setsuna waved away Calen's support, but not without giving him a grateful look of appreciation. "I can still keep this going for a bit. Enough to get me out of danger faster than without it." He said, breathing heavily from that sudden burst of movement. Wordlessly, he motioned toward the exit. Lead the way.

[Kingnoname1]

Nodding as he left Setsuna's side Calen gathered up Taro and moved out the door. Aware it might not be long before his leader's semblance runs out Calen tries to keep up a fast pace leaping from ruined building to ruined building as the team races away from the encroaching Grimm. As for the Death Stalkers they kept up a relentless pace chasing these invaders through the ruins of their last meal. Rushing along the walls and roof of the cave the tips of the swarm become visible when ever Calen shines the light behind him, which happens less and less as the gap closes.

The rock walls of the buildings have stood up remarkably well given the passage of time providing a highway elevated above the swarm. With the light in one hand and his sword in another Calen kept up his furious pace, constantly scanning his surrounds for dangers. Although the team managed to keep ahead of the main part of the swarm a small number of the outriders managed to catch up and lunge at the students trying to slow them down. More aware of his companions behind him this time Calen made sure he took out his own fair share as the creatures lunged out of buildings or dropped down from the cave roof.

Reaching the opposite side in record time Calen stumbled against the wall trying to find the exit he caught sight of before. However, in his exhaustion and looking only where his light was shining the boy didn't notice daylight shining through some of the crevices, the largest would be large enough to crawl through. The next 'cavern' was still below the surface but open to the sky with more piles of rubble from what must have been another cluster of houses. Remarkably one building remained mostly intact if half buried under rubble. It was a squat thing, metallic colours making it stand out against the pale stone of it's surroundings

[nathan67003]

As Calen started gunning it with Taro, Anna followed suit, pulsing her semblance to avoid falling.

As the swarm slowly encroached onto the Huntsmen in training, she threw her arms at whichever Deathstalker ventured within range, cracking a nasty whip at it before the chain coiled back up around the relevant forearm by itself. She continued this routine when they arrived at the wall of the large cavern, defending Calen as he searched for the exit.

[MonsterManic]

The run across to the other side was fast and easy with the help of his semblance. That being said, Setsuna could feel his power flickering and fading as he reached the other side, but he tried his hardest not to let it show as he guarded the team's back.

[Kingnoname1]

In desperation Calen looked around hopelessly and finally caught sight of the light streaming in above them. Calling out his discovery to his team mates Calen began the short climb to the lowest person sized gap. Calen's dress shoes gave him poor purchase on the cave wall but after a few slips managed to push himself through the hole, staying close to the other side Calen then helped his team mates get though. If Team ASTC hurried they would get through the gaps before the main heart of the swarm but the vanguard had caught up to them with even Calen of the other side of the rocky wall having cut down several as they crawled through the smaller gaps around the students.

Only when his team mates had gotten through the gaps did Calen have time to look around at the ruined landscape around them. No high points for last stands, no new cave mouth to run to and no choke points to reduce the Grimm's advantage of num+bers. Dismayed at what he saw Calen muttered callously to himself. 'I guess this is as good a place as any.' Before taking a few steps back, placing Taro behind him, extending his glaive and giving it a few swings before turning to face the oncoming hoard of Grimm.

The pale boy's even more dour than usual demeanour implied that he did not think any of them were getting out here even as the sky watched mockingly from above. The stream of Grimm was getting faster and faster and while for now the student could hold the line it was only a matter of time until the numbers won out. A series of cracks started to ring out from behind the cave wall the students had just passed through as the scorpions pressed against the thin barrier.

[nathan67003]

When Calen called out that he'd found the exit, Anna briefly looked back to get a precise read on the location, then turned around again to continue dealing with any Grimm with a death wish. When her turn came to climb, she took out two knives and scampered up the rock with impressive speed.

While waiting for Setsuna to get through, she quickly shoved two Ice capsules in the knives she was holding and used them to completely seal the cave entrance when Setsuna made it out.

"I won't be able to seal anything else." Those were her last Ice capsules, after all.

(Aura: 92%)
(Dust capsules remaining: 2 Kinetic, 4 Fire, 6 Lightning

[MonsterManic]

Setsuna stayed down in the now Grimm-filled cave, killing as many as he could with quick stabs and cuts, and receiving minor cuts and stings in return, before rushing to climb up the wall, using a method identical to Anna's; by using the two shortest bits on his shield. Once the cave entrance was sealed courtesy of Anna's Ice dust, he stumbled a few paces before dropping to his knees as his semblance flashed and finally faded, and slumping to the floor, blacked out from the strain.

(Aura:54% from minor attacks
Fatigue: 40%, will recover from fainting but will not know what has happened in the next posts)

[Kingnoname1]

The cracking sound of rock breaking got louder and louder until it reached a roaring climax to overcome the scuttling of the Grimm trapped behind the wall. The entire intervening wall broke and that was flung towards the haggard remains of Team ASTC. Seeing his leader slump over only a few passes away from the wall Calen sprinted forward, grabbing Setsuna just as the first rock was about to hit them and then launched both back to Taro with a burst of his semblance. This was still too close to the unfolding avalanche for Calen's taste and grabbing both downed members of his team shot forward again trying to ignore the immense wave of fatigue which followed his last jump. This fatigue did not ignore him however and Calen sent the male members of Team ASTC crashing into the cave floor, a painful experience but left them mostly safe from the rocks. So tied up in helping Setsuna and Taro Calen had almost completely forgotten about Anna until the rock fall subsided and started to call out, coughing heavily from the cloud of dust. 'I *cough* I've got them. *cough* *cough* Are you all right?' This rain of stone was followed soon after by a black tide of Grimm as their last obstacle between them and the hunters-in-training was shattered. Unfortunately for the Grimm that wall also provided stability for that entire cave section and with another even louder crack that cave section came crashing down on top swarm squishing them against the cold hard stone.

The few Death Stalkers which survived the collapse would be easily cleaned up by Anna and Calen even with the dust disrupting the vision of the later. Slow to rise as his head was pounding and his body shaking from exhaustion Calen forced himself up to hold his ground and defend his team mates from the last remaining Grimm. As the dust started to settle an exit became clear as the cave in had built almost a ramp back into the Forever Fall. Also however the metallic glint of the still standing building in their cavern became more and more prominent as it became exposed to more and more sunlight, cutting through the dusty haze, and if any relic worth reclaiming remained it would be there. Calen however wasn't in any state to make decisions as he half blindly fought both his own nausea and the Grimm refusing to let himself rest until he knew they where safe.

Battle Data

Rocks fall and everyone dies 10+%

Calen's Battle Data
Aura: 46%
Fatigue: 15%(Two semblance uses, one with one extra person and another with two extra people)