Kyoto Arcade

[Chachamaru v2]

However, as Cirus improves, so does Xenon. Well, not so much improves, as she does speed up. Pretty much dissecting the entire game engine with her processor, she manages to understand pretty much the entire game. Sure, most of it is pure guesswork - obviously, she couldn't tell exactly when the game was doing checks for certain variables of key switches - but she had enough of a knowledge of the game, as well as enough 'natural' skill in playing games, to still maintain a consistent winning streak. After all, she was a console; not to mention set to level 10. Cirus was, quite literally, trying to beat a console at its own game; not really something that you would really try if you wanted to win.  

[Lip-Desu]

So that's how it is, huh? Well, alright, then... Cirus focuses entirely on the game. Getting in the zone, one might say. It's -always- possible to beat something... unless it's scripted to be unbeatable. Then you're screwed. But. This isn't scripted... this is Cirus against what is effectively a computer player. And, being probably about as intelligent as the being that created Xenon (not to sound full of himself, of course)... well. There has to be a way. The energist demon would not cheat, not yet, anyway. But, he could analyze the electric signals being transmitted within the game... find out just how it works.  

[Negi Springfield 2008]

Driviline flinched a bit when he saw Negi looking at him with a bit of pitty. He lifted up the shades as he started again. "It won't be so easy this time." His eyes glowed yellow for about a second or so and suddenly his hand moments became faster and he was started to pull of the hard to do moves. Although he seemed to slow down a bit as time went on.  

[Chachamaru v2]

Xenon's gameplay didn't deteriorate over time, however. Although there was very little about this game that she hadn't managed to figure out, she was slowly but steadily improving. Difficulty level 10 was designed to be about as impossible to beat as you can get without actually cheating. Occasionally - but not too often - Xenon would exploit a glitch or two to aid herself. Nothing game-breaking mostly little things like clipping through the corner of the occasional wall. However, one thing was clear. Difficulty level 10 was called level 10 for a reason.  

[Lip-Desu]

Negi's put on the defensive at that point, not having a good mastery of the card game but just going on what he knows of magic. Still, he puts up a good fight, analyzing his decisions before he makes them and playing defensively as long as Driviline is going all out.

Cirus, tired of his low win ratio, sighs and speaks to Xenon, not removing his eyes from the game. "Lower your difficulty setting one step." Really, it was aggravating, though he supposes he should expect this from an android. The difficulty of beating her when she goes all out... He'd have to get back in good practice.  

[Chachamaru v2]

Although Xenon didn't seem to give any sort of physical or verbal response, there was a subtle change in her gameplay tactics. Although she was still playing to a very high skill level, it was clear that she wasn't playing as well as she was before. There was even the occasional mistake; but they were only ever very small, barely-noticeable mistakes, such as breaking maybe a fraction of a second earlier than she really needed to. Although she was still doing very well, she was no longer playing perfectly.  

[Negi Springfield 2008]

Driviline starts to chuckle a bit as Negi goes onto the defensive. Although an evil smile came to his face as he read a card he just picked up. "Well, well, what a funny thing for me of all people to get this card." He suddenly to play defensively instead of continuing a mass of attacks. "This game is alot more interesting then I thought it was when I first looked at it."  

[Lip-Desu]

"Aniki. Hear that? He just picked up something good... play it safe for a bit, and make sure you're ready for whatever he has to throw at you!" Chamo stands on Negi's shoulder, observing the cards the young mage holds and offering him some sound advice, as well.

Negi starts to build his power a bit, as Chamo suggests, before he'd start attacking back again, letting his strength grow and making his attack steady and sustainable, ready for whatever Driviline had just picked up that he seems to pleased with. Caution, young mage...

Cirus now finds it much easier to mess Xenon up and claim victory as his own, giving her a push and a shove here and there in game to gain the edge, himself. Using items and power-up spots to his advantage. He'd have to practice until he could beat her or at least par her at level 10. There was always a way to be better... always. Wither it's a different strategy or what.  

[Negi Springfield 2008]

Driviline chuckled as he saw Negi powering up. "You do know that power isn't everything. Or did they forget to teach you that at your school?" He started adding elemental def onto his character. "With every game, you need a good strategy to go with your great power." He flips through his cards a bit. "Of course to any game, being lucky at certain times helps." He placed down a card and suddenly Negi's character was frozen over. "Such a lovely thing, and it matches up very well with this card." He placed down another card and a small flame slowly flew at Negi's frozen character. Soon the flame hit him and was engulfed in a flame causing small damage over and over again.  

[Chachamaru v2]

Although Xenon wasn't doing quite as well, she was still doing very well, by any standards. The Computer-Controlled Players, or rather, the Non-Xenon-Computer-Controlled Players, hadn't managed to pass her even once, even when she made the occasional mistake. Interestingly enough, she actually seemed to react to the game now, actually looking like she was enjoying herself, even flinching just a little when she made any mistakes.  

[Lip-Desu]

Cirus takes note of this from the corner of his eye during a break between races, smiling a little as he sees her coming to enjoy herself a bit. Or, at least, it looks like it. The less difficulty she's on, the more she's able to enjoy it? He'll have to consider that from now on... Anyway. He turns back to the game and waits for the next race, though a thought strikes him. "Want to play anything else, Xenon-san?" The demon smiles at her, tilting his head a bit to the side.

Negi smiles softly, seeing the ice spell and he flips a spell he had laid down. An anti-ice spell, thawing his character before he moves out of the way of the fireball, coming back with a thunder spell. "Of course not. There is more than one way to build up preparation..."  

[Negi Springfield 2008]

Driviline smiles as he watches Negi counter his attack. "Very well done." In the back of his mind he was starting to worry a bit, any vampire hunter with that type of spell would be a very dangerous threat. He shook of this worry as he remembered that he was put down into the vampire hunter books as dead. He quickly brought his attention back to the game, he places down a wave of fire spells that has one small opening that would be hard to get through to his now defenseless character.  

[C h o t t o C h o c o]

A little bored, Sosuke left Negi and Driviline for a while; they seemed like they wouldn't be tearing each other's eyeballs out quite yet. Wandering around the arcade, Sosuke couldn't help but peek down at his wristwatch. He was tempted to call Satomi, just to see how she was doing, but he decided against it. Instead, he played one of those crane games, the same one Driviline was playing earlier. However, instead of getting so many prizes, after three tries, Sosuke couldn't even get one prize. Frustrated, Sosuke backed away from the machine, looking back at Negi and Driviline. They looked pretty engrossed in the game.

Giving one more go at the crane machine, Sosuke obtained one stuffed bunny, and glanced around for a kid. Looking around, looking around..ah! There! Practically running to a small, scrawny kid, Sosuke bent down, whispering something to the child. After a few minutes, Sosuke reappeared at Driviline and Negi's side, a grin plastered on his face, the stuffed bunny nowhere in sight.  

[Chachamaru v2]

Xenon looks towards Cirus and simply shrugs softly, offering a small smile. "As long as that's what you want to do, Cirus-san." While she was happy whilst playing games, she was even happier if the person she was playing with was happy. "I'm happy with playing another game, as long as you want to play another game." She said, smiling and tilting her head slightly.  

[Lip-Desu]

"Aniki, there!" Chamo points, quickly directing Negi into the opening of Driviline's flame spells. He follows the ermine's guidance, taking full advantage of the opening and countering Driviline's attack with Thunder Arrows. That should do it... if they hit. Since Chamo seems to have spotted an opening, they should, right?

"Hm, yes, I suppose we will. You pick, though." Cirus chuckles softly and starts to walk off, after, looking around with a soft smile. "Or are you going to make -me- pick?" He looks at her with a mildly amused, quizzical look. She seemed to exist for other's happiness. Or, at least, that's why she thinks she exists. She's stubborn in that belief, he can tell.