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Old 2013-02-08, 00:52   Link #73
Sunder the Gold
Senior Member
 
 
Join Date: Aug 2011
Some information on Black Lotus' specs, as provided by the Okinawan adventure in the Light Novels.

But first, a complaint:

Spoiler:




The Duel Avatar, Black Lotus, is described as the "embodiment of an «Absolute Cutting Property»".

One expression of this property is the ability to inflict damage on the very ground of the Accelerated World. It must be explained that, in order to facilitate duels between the Duel Avatars that -- for one exception -- cannot fly, the ground of every environment is dauntingly hard (if not impossible) to destroy. Even environments with relatively soft surfaces, like soil, snow or sand, will have an impenetrable bedrock not far beneath.

The Black King is able to violate that substance without effort. Moreover, even after deeply thrusting in one blade, she can pull it free just as easily.

Of course, the more often practiced expression of her «Absolute Cutting Property» is the way her her blades will pierce and cut any avatar's armor, no matter how tough or thick it may be.

In the days before her exile, only three Linkers had defenses which could reject her blades. Of course, one of them was Green Grandee, the Invulnerable, who makes his career by shrugging off attacks.

Other than him is listed the "Anomalous" one, Graphite Edge. Since Edge's body is said to have the property of extreme vulnerability to damage even from weak blows, I must assume that either his sword blades were strong enough to withstand being cut, or his defensive skill was equal to the task of turning Lotus' edges aside.

But Blue Knight, the Blue King who is the embodiment of <<Close Range Direct Engagement>> and who wields the Impulse, a Sacred Arc sword, is not listed as one of those capable of surviving Lotus' blades. Either the Impulse is somehow less durable than Graphite Edge's swords, or Graphite Edge is the superior swordsman.

The last avatar on the short list is Chrome Disaster. This is odd, as we know that Black Lotus struck and injured the fourth and fifth Disasters, cutting through their armor and inflicting wounds to the body underneath. Even if the Disasters continued to fight despite injury and pain, and even if they used stolen HP to recover their injuries, that doesn't really change the fact that she successfully injured them. I don't know why the Disasters are included on the list.

Among others in the time since her exile, Yellow Radio might have to be added to the list. At least after he's sufficiently "charged up" his baton.

Moving on, Black Lotus further possesses a passive ability named «Terminate Sword», which automatically amputates any appendage that comes into contact with her blades. It seems odd that she would need such an explicit ability, given that she can already cut through any armor -- it would seem like a matter of course that fingers or arms would simply fall cleanly off with a single, razor caress.


More information is provided on Black Lotus' three known Special Attacks:

Death By Barraging is called a "level 4 special move". It's a side-kicking technique, apparently like Chun-Li's lightning leg. Compared to the Level 5 Lagoon Dolphin's rapid-punching Tidal Wave attack, the striking power of each blow might actually be inferior, but Barraging delivers more hits.

Death By Piercing is called a "level 5 special move" with the property of One-Hit-Kill. The range is inferior to Barraging, and of course it's just a single strike.

Death By Embracing is called a "level 8 special move", also with the property of One-Hit-Kill. Obviously, this attack has the worst range of all, but there's no information on how it is superior to Piercing.

Spoiler:



Now, some weaknesses of Black Lotus are also described:

While Black Lotus' blades can cut virtually anything, they are not themselves invincible. Being very rigid, they can't take blows to the flat sides very well. "When her level was still low, the blades’ sides always broke after being hit too many times."

Of course, anything that she catches on the edged side of her blades will instead be cut. That is, while Lagoon Dolphin might concievable break an arm-blade by punching the flat side, if Lotus blocked with the cutting edge, Dolphin's "fist would have been split in half, and she would lose her right arm up to her shoulder in a swoop."

Presumably, Lotus somehow cannot simply twist her arms at the last moment, so that a striking opponent always hits the edge and not the flat of her blades. Or perhaps this was somehow not a sufficient defense.

Either way, she developed a non-system, non-Incarnate for softly catching attacks on the flats of her arm-blades, and spinning around to throw an opponent with their own momentum. She calls this technique "Soft Act". Silver Crow employed a similar tactic against a Blue avatar during the Yellow Legion ambush, following advice and perhaps a bit of training from her.


The translation is considerably dodgier on this part, but it's possible that Black Lotus suffers from poor balance, or is somewhat easier to knock off-balance.

After all, with her levitating blade-legs, she has no feet to provide traction against the ground. If it weren't for the threat of one's foot being amputated or sliced, opponents might dare to try kicking her legs out from under her.
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