View source for 305/True Psychic Tales: Stand Alone Complex - Don't Go Into The Caves

{{Log Header
|Date of Scene=2023/08/26
|Location=Mitakihara Ward
|Synopsis=A Witch is up to their old tricks at the edge of Mitakihara, driving AI researchers and extremely online people to their doom. Three non-Puella Magi respond, and find themselves in a videogame world with a peculiar Witch at its heart.
|Cast of Characters=107,44,55,94
|Tinyplot=Abstractum
|pretty=yes
}}
{{Poses
|Poses=:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <span style="color:#e066ff">JIM'S</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The pink neon sign of the diner glows brightly, unpurturbed by the recent tragedy. The eponymous Jim is a middle-aged American who runs a diner that looks like it's right out of 1950's America. It really is just a quirky American restaurant on the edge of Mitakihara, with nothing special about it except that a few days ago, a Witch-kissed man happened to come here to eat right before he -- and the employees he talked to -- killed themselves.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Right *across* from the diner is a water tower. It's just one of those things you see on the skyline and don't think about, but some people are thinking about it lately.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Because how they killed themselves was going through the broken fence, climbing up to the top, and... at least, that's what the police think. Dead bodies around a tall object, they must have jumped, right?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;That was days ago. The police came and went, the bodies have been taken away, and now it's just a story, one more tragic happening in a city full of too many people to care about it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The fence, marked by the expected AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY sign is in disrepair, so it's not really a surprise that it's broken. No one usually looks at or thinks about it. For now, some police tape has been spread across it. Municipal workers will replace it soon, probably.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Except...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Except, looking at it...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Like yeah, the fence is old and rusty, but this looks like a monster ripped THROUGH the gate. No... the edges are actually cleanly cut, and then a strong force bent the cut ends of the fence back to make a gap big enough for people to walk through.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Whatever it was cleaved *clean through the sign*.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sign...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You don't need to look at it to read it. You know what's there, you've seen signs like it a thousand times. EMPLOYEES ONLY, AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY BEYOND THIS POINT, NO TRESPASSING, TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED. But now that you're actually looking at it, noticing the clean cuts right through the middle, it actually says<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;https://puu.sh/JOClZ/7395d5165f.png&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;You're probably in the right place. Anyone tracking dark power is led right to the tower, and then up. It seems the Witch has returned to the scene of the crime.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's not until the middle of the climb that reality begins to ripple -- the entrance to the Witch's Labyrinth must be on the ladder.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Are you ready for this?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's a ''different'' kind of "witch" here, too.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;For once, Miho put two and two together. Something seemed fishy to her about this report, and she came and investigated. And as soon as she saw the runes, booked it ... and then returned.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A young woman is lurking on the roof of Jim's, dressed in a black witch's outfit with jade-green trim, and a black witch's hat with a bow that resembles cat-ears. She's glaring daggers at the entrance, glasses gleaming in the sunlight in a way that all but hides her eyes.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(The Dark Energy within her is making her ''annoyed'' at this ... monster. She certainly doesn't notice ''that''.)<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's still waiting, though. As much as she wants to barge in, she knows one thing for certain: you do ''not'' go through a Witch's Labyrinth alone.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>This time, Coco's information source came from a quite unusual source: an abandoned newspaper. She was jogging through Penguin Park when her eye fell on the first page's headline: "Gate cleaved in half, multiple suicides". The multiple suicides rang an alarm bell to her, already being all too familiar with a being using that modus operandi.<br><br>'That's a witch, isn't it?' she thought at the time, picking up the newspaper. A quite read of the article on that dirty newspaper and her worries, only grow, the unexplained details of the case making her think all the more magic was involved.<br><br>This is how she finds herself in front of Jim's, having arrived there already in her yellow-themed magical guise: her hair has lengthened to the point it reaches her heels and it has become a distinct blonde, while both the gloves and boots she is wearing have flowy fabric connected to them. On her right wrist is a bracelet that would resemble a clock if it weren't for its unmarked dials besides a series of small marbles around its outline. On her left hand is a simple dark orange bead bracelet. She is wearing a sleeveless blouse with frills along the internal shoulder lines, a yellow skirt and a circle located at the waist connected by two swirls in the middle of her front part. At her neck lies her usual shell locket.<br><br>"Hi, Noroima", she says once at the scene, recognising with displeasure the figure on the rooftop. 'What are you doing here?' she asks, gripping her E-Pitch harder. 'I need to deal with a Witch, so I would like if you could postpone whatever you are up to to another day." She forms her Live Stage around her as she says that, mostly to prepare for the worst.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>Norie Okana arrives here because she feels something. She's unaware of the history of the diner, or the water tower. She frowns as she looks up at it and closes her eyes. She gently pushes her body forward and then transforms into La Crima, behind a sign, gently sighing as she blinks at the entrance to the witches domain.<br><br>She can feel it. but...<br><br>"What is this..." she says to herself.<br><br>"I feel something, but I don't see anything..." she says, scratching her head.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yellow Pearl Voice arrives, and Noroima's expression curls into a smirk as she looks over her. "What am ''I'' (atai) doing here?" she says. "Same thing as you! I'm gonna hunt a Witch." She raises a finger. "I ''did'' say the edge of a Witch's Labyrinth was the ''other'' place we might meet! It's just, y'know ..." She winks, and rises off the ground and starts floating towards the entrance. "I've heard it's dangerous to go alone. Is that right?" No need to reveal that she learned this little bit of wisdom ''in Coco's presence'', of course.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But then her head jerks towards La Crima.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She's never seen her before, in this life, but that particular darkness is familiar in the first Noroima's memories. And the new Noroima looks just like the original, aside from the outfit and the glasses. "... Wait," she mutters in a low voice. Her tone of voice is ... mixed. Very mixed. "Is that ...? ... that ''can't'' be -- can it? Huh??" It's as if she's forgotten Yellow Pearl Voice for a moment.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco grows confused as she hears Noroima's answer. "You... That sounds like you are asking to cooperate. You aren't pulling my leg, are you?" She floats up next to the cat-witch. "I struggle to understand why you would want to do that given how we last met", she adds. "But you are right that going alone is dangerous. I think we can actually cooperate despite our previous circumstances", she answers, putting aside her reservations. She doesn't feel the cat-witch is lying. "The witch should be inside that tower according to what I have gathered", she says, pointing to the building in front of them.<br><br>When La Crima arrives, Coco is perplexed as to what she is also doing there. "What we are hunting is responsible for depriving people of their will, hurting them and this time killing them", she preemptively explains remembering her previous lamentations. "If you want to help, that's good, but you have to understand we are protecting lives here. We don't do this for sport."<br><br>With that, she proceeds to to float next to Noroima side by side as if with no issue, entering the labyrinth with this odd alliance.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima looks to where the feeling is emanating from, but then something itches. It's like an old itch, and she looks back at Noroima. She raises a brow. "...do I know you?" she asks, as if speaking to herself... she then looks back to the prickly feeling... before the voice in her head can answer. She doesn't want to know the answer.<br><br>"...this is a creature... isn't it.." pause.<br><br>"I bet you're all here to kill it. Like you always do.." she says, hints of upset to her tone as she moves forward.<br><br>She listens to what Yellow Pearl Voice says and frowns at the singer. "We'll see...." she says.<br><br>She frowns and moves forward.<br><br>"....Maybe I'll watch again. Or maybe. I'll care this time." she says a little more coldly, as she moves to actually enter the labyrinth.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Reality ripples and wavers as they enter the Labyrinth.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There is a sense of something beginning, and a feeling of movement, forward, and a sense that the area ahead is being constructed to pre-determined specifications.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima might feel like she just PRESSed START and was waiting for a LOADING... screen for a couple of seconds...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXfHKEaDg4s&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A cold forest. But not Japanese. The trees are the wrong kind. Maybe more of a Northwest US type. Or like TV shows that are filmed in that area.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the distance is a mountain, cartoonishly twisty and "gnarled" in the way one might expect a tree to be, and all leading up to one singular peak in an almost pyramid-like way. It looks like it'd be a hell of a hike to get up there. Fortunately the place you have to go is only partway up. You just know that. UN-fortunately, the mountain is ringed by a strange, voluminous cloud with pulsating, twisty protrusions and an unsightly purple glow. It's unnerving to look at.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...Actually...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;EVERYWHERE is unnerving to look at. This is a Witch's Labyrinth, but the medium wasn't the usual sort of... paper or drawn artwork deal. Noroima probably recognizes the feeling of what she's looking at before she can identify what, precisely, is wrong.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's a videogame. Well, it's the VISUALS of one. Materials don't quite look realistic. The leaves on trees are flat, partially-transparent textures on invisible polygons parallel to branches. The mountain in the distance even has that... like if you squint and look closely -- and somehow you CAN look closely, even though it should be too far away too -- you can see this is just the LOD mesh of the peak, the polygons are showing if you look.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;...Even their own clothes and hair, don't *quite* look realistic (their skin looks much closer to realistic). They look a little more anime, though. Their eyes weren't that big and expressive before, right?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The party is on a road, having just passed the slashed-in-two sign that reads:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;https://puu.sh/JOCIq/8bc1c296a4.png&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Ahead, the road ends, becoming a path violently cut through the forest, trees splintered in half. Sometimes there is the corpse of an animal (that is, a still, rigid, unchanging model that isn't physics-enabled enough to *quite* lie naturally against the ground). Bears, deer, wolves, and other forest critters that have exotic, elementally-tinged features.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The path of destruction leads ahead, up the Mountain.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima blinks, jogged back to reality by Yellow Pearl Voice's comment. "There ... won't be a problem," she says, switching from the rough-and-tumble childishness to her more formal register. She smirks faintly. "Just because I (warawa) am a being of Darkness doesn't mean that I'm an inimical monstrosity who exists solely to cause harm to everything the Light holds dear, like Witches. Our methods, philosophies, and goals are simply opposed to one another."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She floats after La Crima. "Oh, I (atai) am simply ''hurt!"'' she says cheerfully, switching back. "Unless you ''aren't'' actually ''that one'', in which case, well, sorry." She clears her throat; ghostly jade-green horns and a demon-tail appear, clipping through her clothes and hair. "I'm the Cat-Witch of Darkness, Noroima." (... ''Cat''-Witch, not ''Fox''-witch.) "Sorry, you're the first ''other'' being of Darkness I've met since I became the new ... Noroima ... what in the ..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As they pass into the Witch's Barrier, she narrows her eyes, looking around at the area. "O ... kay," says Miho. "This is ... this is in a video game, kind of thing. Sort of. A-apparently."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances La Crima, marshalling herself. "Judging by your reaction, you appear to be new to this sort of thing," she says. "So. There exist entities called 'Witches', which are different from the type of which ''I'' (warawa) am. According to what I understand, ''these'' sorts of Witches are monstrosities which cause indiscriminate harm, and they don't care whether you follow the Light or the Darkness." She shrugs. "We have passed through the Witch's Barrier, and into the Witch's Labyrinth. Here, reality itself is warped." Don't describe the last one, don't describe the last one, ''Yellow Pearl Voice was there and she'd recognize it'' ... "Generally, no two are the same twice."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She turns to look at La Crima directly. "Even if you are inclined to stand idly by, the Witch and its Familiars might attack you regardless," she says gently. "I don't believe it's too late for you to retreat to the Dusk Zone, if you so desire. It's ''incredibly'' dangerous here."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco blinks a few times as reality loses focus and then regains it. It's still a little too early for her to get used to the passage through the Witch's barrier. She looks around, admiring the weirdly peaceful scenery. It's a little bizarre admittedly how reality didn't seem to regain focus on the way and instead seems weirdly... simplicistic?<br><br>The trees looked wrong. The atmosphere was surreal and almost synthetic, not to talk about the feeling of violence that came from the mountain, though that's the least weird thing about a Witch's Labyrinth. It seemed like only one path offered a chance of progression, leading up the surreal mountain, even if that weird light unsettled Coco.<br><br>When Noroima talks about this being a videogame, Coco looks at her with a questioning look, both for what she said and for how she said it. Out of her mouth come weird repeating sounds with different intonations that wouldn't constitute a sentence in any way, and yet she understands her perfectly.<br><br>"A videogame? What should we expect, our attacks being scored?" She looks towards the mountain. "I think we should start going there then, since you explained her how Labyrinths work. Though", she adds, turning her gaze towards La Crima, "you should know Witches employ familiars and they can be quite vicious too."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima, gently blinks a little when Noroima speaks to her. "I have... no clue what you're talking about."<br><br>'I do~' says her internal voice.<br><br>"I do...?" she sort of twitches a little, and just shakes her head. "Mnf." is all she'll let out at the end of it. Witches. Where did. She hear that before?<br><br>OH! That. Red girl. Who's name she still doesn't know.<br><br>She has a second phone now. She reminds herself to give that phone number to her next time they meet. So she can do things. Like ask her name.<br><br>"Isn't this. Someone else's business" she asks.<br><br>"Besides. Creatures should be left alone." she says with a furrowed brow and a more heavier frown. "Can't we relocate it?" she asks.<br><br>"....what are these things going to do? Kill me again?" she snorts.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The party walks onward. As they approach the end of the road, it isn't such an abrupt end; it gives way to a gravel road as they walk along it, then becomes a dirt path. Occasionally, the world glitches a bit, everything flickering from the 3D game look to beautifully hand-drawn medium-res pixel art for an instant before reverting. Here and there, the occasional chunk of the scenery is more permanently glitched, flickering into or stuck as pixel art even when the rest of the world is 3D. It's like some tiles on the map got corrupted and are loading the wrong resource.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The path through the forest is one of destruction. As if from a magical battle, or a furious mage, trees splintered in half, or cut to stumps by energy blasts, or just outright exploded (there are plenty of craters in the ground as if from explosives, some glassed.)<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The three young women follow the path partway up the mountain, the entrance to a large cave looming ahead.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As in, that happens, in the time it takes to think it, percieve it, to read and understand those sentences. The Mountain was so far away, and hiking up it should have taken hours, probably. And the three know they DID hike up it, because that's what just happened before this is happening, and they SHOULD feel like this took a long time and came a long way but they don't actually remember that HAPPENING.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Wait, did they even actually decide to go up the mountain at all?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Regardless, as far as the Labyrinth is concerned, they did, so now they're here, before the cave.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The object that's drawing attention like a quest marker, as if it is in some sense limned by a 'THIS IS INTERACTABLE' indicator, is a tablet connected to a battery pack and antenna, half-buried in the snow. It is clearly a beacon, a signal, meant to draw rescuers here. Even if you don't know about computers or radios, there's a *sense* of that purpose.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Attempting to pick it up doesn't work, it's not something that can actually be picked up. Your hand just doesn't... reach it, somehow. However, as soon as someone starts to bend over to examine it or reach down, this 'interaction' is enough to advance the quest.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The way ahead lies into the cave.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And now that you're focused on it, distant mechanical sounds echo from the cave. Whirs and clanks. Just the entrance is brimming with twisty stalagtites and stalagmites that seem formed by no particular rational geological processes. It also looks like this area was previously inhabited; very, very old mining equipment from the 20s at latest can be seen. Rails jut out from long-collapsed mineshafts, or present paths further into the mountain, and hefty iron crosswork bars offer climbing options.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The pixel-art flickering is happening more often now. The rails and bars are pixelated in a 3D world, or vice-versa.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The outside, the hike, was just... a prologue? An introduction? The actual challenge awaits.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima shrugs, taking off to fly upward. "Many video games don't have scores, these days," she says. "... Wow, what in the ... what the heck am I (watashi) sounding like ''now''. Anyway, uh ... seems more ... aesthetic than anything else. I (warawa) don't have ''that'' much experience with Witches -- GAH!"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;They ''advance'', by witch's fiat.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shrugs, adjusting her hat and then her glasses. "... And sometimes travel times and other things are simply abstracted away." She looks over at La Crima. "''Do'' you know?" she says softly. "You and I might be in a similar situation. We should talk, after this."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Maybe it's because of ''that vampire's''connection to the first Noroima. Maybe it's because Miho is finally meeting another wielder of Darkness. Maybe it's a bit of both! But she's drawn to the other girl, and Miho's inborn desire to help is coming to the surface.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"Relocate it ... hmm." Noroima considers this. "Now ''that's'' a thought. I wonder if Witches would actually thrive in the Dusk Zone, without humans to prey on." She shrugs. "Unfortunately, at my current capability, I don't know if that's actually possible." (Coco might recognize this arrogance that Noroima believes it's all on ''her''.) "If I understand correctly, witches are the embodiments of curses, you see. I don't know if they're actual creatures per se. The last one I encountered seemed ... mindless, more or less. Besides ..." She smiles thinly, the weird video game light reflecting off her glasses and obscuring her eyes for another moment. It's not the most pleasant smile, either. "I have a bit of a grudge, I suppose."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sees the Interactable Object.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She sighs softly. "I (atai) got a feeling I know what's about to happen," she says, bending over to touch it ... aaaand there we go. "Okay, yeah."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glides over the ground towards the cave entrance, and an aura of darkness begins to surround her. The aura doesn't seem to be doing anything much; it's just a simple spell of darkness, whose effect is just to produce a sense of 'no longer holding back' in those who observe it. (That, too, might be familiar to La Crima.)<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima decides to float along with the group. She's in the back somewhere. She isn't flying so much as floating a few inches off the ground, gliding along, because walking is for chumps and humans. She looks away for a moment and suddenly they're up the mountain. She looks around confused, but squints a little. "Hrmf..." she goes.<br><br>"This is like a dumb video game isn't it." she says. "Is this what witches are. Video games? Just sprites? It's not even programmed well and the graphics are all willy nilly. Someone should get their money back before they've played this for too long."<br><br>"In fact. I demand it. I demand. ''/refund/''." she says with intensity as Noroima summons up an aura. She blinks a little as she frowns a little more. Such a waste of energy. But Noroima doesn't need to drain humans to keep her power up.<br><br>La Crima does and she hates it. She melts into the ground again, becoming a smudge of black on the ground and sort of moves along into the cave, reforming as she continues to frown.<br><br>"Hellooooo?" she calls out into the cave. Seeing if it echoes.<br><br>"I need to. Bring a notebook with me." she says. "To take notes. For Riven-senpai."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco could have sworn she floated upwards with her Live Stage, but then there is no sense of continuity, as if something just obscured her sight, or better put canceled everything she did from her mind. She did traverse every centimeter of the mountain, of that much she is sure. 'This witch is weird", she says at the more pixelated look surrounding them.<br><br>"Wait, why are you doing that?" she asks, watching Noroima touch the tablet. She doesn't take note of Noroima's hand crossing the object: she is caring more about the witch's initiative. "What would you have done if that had triggered a trap? That was dangerous." The cat-witch looking at it does produce the effect desired, allowing them that sense of progression. She snorts at Noroima's theatricals, nontheless following after her.<br><br>"You might not die", she tells La Crima, "but the people victim of this Witch will. That's why it's imperative we stop her. And her Labyrinth can move, so I don't think there is going to be much confining her to this Dusk Zone even if we managed to confine it there. The only way is defeating it."<br><br>She agrees with La Crima about the odd tastes expressed in this Labyrinth, even if it's more grounded in reality than the other witches according to Noroima. "Not all Witches. This one is just weird."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Flying is safe, by the way, as long as they don't approach the clouds. The brainstorm (uggggh) isn't aggressive, it just makes flying directly to the cave entrance a problem. Low flight neatly bypasses any issues besides literal thunderbirds. (Why is this place like this?!) But, that didn't happen. There's just a vague sense that flying into the clouds would be Outside The Mission Area, and who knows what would happen to someone there?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Deep within the mountain, for those who can sense such things, there is a great, dark power. It is tired. Determined. Angry at itself. There's a lot of self-anger. It's spread out, disembodied, shards of emotion without true intelligence wandering about.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Inside the cave<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Vision is briefly obscured by the title card. They can't read it, but there is certainly a sense of something like<br><br><span class="bold_fg_n bg_n ++ h">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="bold_fg_n bg_n ++ h">THIS-IS-THE-LAST-LEVEL-BEFORE-THE-FINAL-BOSS</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><span class="bold_fg_n bg_n ++ h">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span><span class="bold_fg_n bg_n ++ h">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;ZONE</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><span class="bold_fg_n bg_n ++ h">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ACT 3</span><span class="bold_fg_n bg_n ++ h">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4Y18c-6XCI&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;the title card's components slide away to the sides of your vision to reveal The Last Level Before The Final Boss Zone. Noroima, especially, is getting a definite Scrap Brain/Metallic Madness/Death Egg (S&amp;K)/Eternal Engine/Titanic Monarch feel from the place. Also Metropolis Zone, but that wasn't actually a penultimate level. Wait, was Eternal Engine? Hang on, there's no time to think about that now because<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; THE SPINNING BUZZSAWS ARE ABOUT TO CUT YOU&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Inside the cave, the environment changes. Splotches of purple metal and crystal exude from the walls, forming hazardous spikes or attached to mechanical traps like spinning buzzsaws. Yet further in, the metal and crystal have completely covered the cave's inner surface, restructuring the environment into the innards of some great, nonsensical machine; giant gears and pistons threaten to crush those caught in an unlucky position or with poor timing while being necessary platforms to traverse the space, and the whole FLICKERING WORLD VISUALS thing is REALLY distracting! Could that stop now, please?!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima smiles at La Crima's outburst. That actually feels nostalgic, even though it wasn't ''her'' it happened to. (Or maybe ''because'' it wasn't her that it happened to? All that was, in a sense, still 'her past from long ago' ...) "That, too," she says, adding onto Yellow Pearl Voice's comment. "The Witch has already killed. It will kill again, until it is destroyed ..."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Miho isn't actually all that familiar with the oldest Sonic the Hedgehog games. She played them emulated, sure, because she could and because she liked Sonic, but she never ''mastered'' them. If anything, the comparison is to the version of the Death Egg from Sonic Forces, or perhaps the Access Ark from Kirby: Planet Robobot. All she manages to take in is the sense of finality, and the technological setup --<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then there's buzzsaws.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She flashsteps a few feet to the side to dodge the first one, and at a gesture, she conjures up a powerful spear of Dark Energy-suffused jade, trying to destroy it ...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;... before remembering that you ''can't'' just destroy 'obstacles' in a video game. "Oh. Right."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She dodges and weaves through the "level", doing a rhythmic dance which just barely manages to match the the machinery. Occasionally, she summons more jade and/or Dark Energy attacks, deflecting what she can. There's a sense of precision, of self-control, of ''power''.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Something seems to be missing, though. "Where are the enemies?" she murmurs.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco keeps her Live Stage close to the path now they are closer to the weird light from earlier. 'So that was a storm, huh', she observes. "At least everything is ok down-" she starts saying before a thunderbird swoops down at her, piercing the Live Stage with a pop. Coco falls to the ground with a thud, a look of annoyance showing up on the mermaid princess' face. "What's the big deal with that!?" she yells at the bird that plops back down above. "These familiars and their stupid agressiveness", she complains, looking at her singed hair. "Sometimes I regret my transformation gives me so much hair..."<br><br>After Coco has reformed the Live Stage and progressed forward, next come the pistons and the buzzsaws. "This doesn't seem bad, I think I can deal with it", Coco says, still looking grimly at the ostentatiousness of the witch's deadliness. The yellow idol moves in a parallel line to the pistons, keeping herself far away from the menacing blades.<br><br>"Besides that thunderbird that ruined my hair, you mean?" she brings up when Noroima starts wondering about the enemies. "Let's not try to get into more danger that's needed, I'd like to get back as is. I don't want more burns like the ones you saw last time."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima can sense. Something. Something sure is in here. She shifts a bit when the cave with the stalactites and stalagmites and rails and bars of the 20's give way to something metallic and futuristic almost after some sort of strange vision obscuration.<br><br>"Ah..." she trails off.<br><br>She just... turns into a tiny bat. A tiny, adorable, purple bat, squeaks once, and decides to just fly over the obstacles and dive and weave when they become unavoidable.<br><br>Turn into a bat? Yes. Vampires can do that. Duh.<br><br>"Didn't someone mention familiars." squeaks out the bat, adorably.<br><br>She listens to Coco, though doesn't seem to show much worry about this thing taking 'victims'. She's trying to get that thought out of her head.<br><br>She really doesn't need ''that reaction'' to it being loud.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The thunderbird wasn't supposed to be here, but it is now. The expectation of an enemy, manifest. It balks at the buzzsaws and gears and whatnot, though.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And the room Yellow Pearl Voice has to maneuver the Live Stage around obstacles is rapidly shrinking. The innards of the cave may be a vast machine, but the spinning gears and deadly flames, electricity, vented steam, etc mean that the actual room to move around is very cramped indeed. There is no going 'around' the hazards, at least not by flying. Only timing it right, or perhaps the use of some other weird power. Speaking of weird powers...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As if in answer to distress about the disorienting visuals, a metallic chime rings out, as if through an unseen PA system. It's followed by a tinny voice, directly and flatly intoning the programs/actions/spells being run/executed/cast in a language that's impossible to understand. It sounds, coincidentially, very similar to a Device, for those who've heard those in action. And then<br><br>Reality<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Shifts<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The erstwhile Witch-hunters feel a floating sensation, as if they've been grabbed and yanked in a direction that doesn't exist. The world... not falls away, exactly. It's sort of like you've been pulled up out of the 2D dungeon map, and the only things 'here' with you are the other two and, in the distance, waiting above the boss room, the Witch, except you don't actually see a map and you don't actually see eachother and you don't actually see the Witch, and you don't actually see some flat level/map 'below' you. You just... perceive them. You know the Witch is out there, and your allies are here, close by, and all around you, but 'out of phase' with you, is a locus of hostility and challenge. Faintly, in the distance-in-a-direction-that-doesn't-exist, 'past' the Labyrinth, is the world, familiar but dull.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Is this how Witches and Familiars see the world?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;There's the sense of the not-Device intoning something, and the group is violently and abruptly returned to the Labyrinth. Only, uh, they may be different. Rotated on some ineffable axis of reality and unreality, who they are, their essential THEM-ness, is unchanged, but they now intersect the Labyrinth slightly differently, the same phenomena that make Labyrinths so disorienting working in their favor to change what they can DO.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A scientist or computer programmer may be a wizard or reality hacker, or a paranormal investigator with invention-programs that take advantage of the rules of the spirit world. A heroine (of purifying magic) who speaks to animals cannot be a villain or a lancer or even a supporter but she can be a heroine (of sword and shield) who speaks to the spirits of the land, or a heroine blessed by the gods with the strength of purity who speaks with ghosts, or many other types of heroine. A vampire might become a *different* type of vampire with different powers, or perhaps a different kind of monster with the same narrative theme, a werewolf losing herself to the dark beast inside instead of to darkness. Or perhaps the change is greater, the what-if of if you'd persued that talent for music and got music magic instead of inventions and computer magic... But you are still essentially 'you'. You just interact with this Labyrinth a little differently.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Hopefully this helps, because giant gears and pistons threaten to crush those caught in an unlucky position or with poor timing while being necessary platforms to traverse the space, blades and gouts of steam and flame threaten to slice and burn, sections of floor visibly electrify on a timer, and pneumatic transport tunnels try to twist and turn around the direction sense of those who ride them.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;At least the whole disorienting flickering visuals are gone? It's just 3D now, although when you take a pneumatic transport the view goes pixel-art and follows the pipe disorientingly around the machine before going back to first-person 3D when you arrive at an exit to the transport pipe.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And it's a good thing the visuals are stable and you might have new powers, because here and there, constructs made of the metal and crystal attack -- humanoid and quadrupedal constructs, giant tin soldiers, skeleton-bots, flying eye-drones, and little mechanical cat spies, watching. All of them have an oversized mechanical eyeball for a head, iris glowing ominously red, or TV-heads with the same watching eye, or static. They say things in a language you don't understand, but the gist is clear enough: "INTRUDER", "OUTSIDER", "YOU DO NOT BELONG HERE", "YOU ARE NOT PART OF THE SYSTEM".<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Fortunately, they don't attack with especially intelligent tactics, or in great numbers at once.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Also watch out for that thunderbird. It's glitched out and can only interact with the witch-hunters, not the stage hazards, so occasionally it just divebombs out of a wall of gears until it's dealt with! Boy, it sure would be annoying if it caught you right in the middle of a jump or on the edge of a platform over a deadly gap...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima looks up at the thunderbird. "Oh! Yes, that," she says dryly, ducking under it as it passes by. She can't help but smile at the sight of La Crima's transformation into a bat, though. "What did you say your name was? Certainly not Po--"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her eyes widen as the reality-shift begins. "Ah!" She grabs her hat with one hand. It melts away -- ''she'' melts away --<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When "reality" reasserts itself, she has cat-paws with jade-green fur. And cat-ears and a tail, and slitted eyes. And her horns are real. And she's dressed in a flowing jade-green gown with a black capelet. "Oh," she says, looking over herself. "This seems ... mildly contradictory, nya. The original Noroima's outfit, except now I'm even ''more'' cat-like, nya." She runs a paw through her hair, bumps into the horns and furrows her brow, bumps into the ears and raises her eyebrows. "Oh I'm a Fiend for meow --"<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then she pounces to the side to avoid the thunderbird, letting out a yowl. She slashes at it, her claws leaving behind a trail of ''darkness''.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She prances and leaps this way and that through the Familiars and the stage-hazards, bouncing and pouncing and leaping, attacking with claws and a more cat-themed version of her usual arsenal of attacks. "Keep going, nya!" she calls out to the others. "If we defeat the Witch, it's over!"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima avoids hazards as a bat and blinks to Noroima. "I never said my name...did I? It's La C..." and then reality goes wrong again, and she kind of wants to get sick. But when one has no stomach there's nothing to get queasy.<br><br>She comes out the other end and--- it's a ravaging, ugly ball of black energy that looks like something inside is fighting to get out of and it eventually ''does'' as longer than desired limbs form from it, before shrinking down and La Crima reforms herself from the attempted re-fucking-formatting of her being.<br><br>She did not appreciate that very much, and she glowers at no one in particular, maybe she's blaming everyone else here now for that really unpleasant experience.<br><br>"I hate it here." she says with extreme, underlying angry deadpan.<br><br>She throws her hand out towards the constructs and with a twitching right eye calls out. <span style="color:purple">"TORMENTA FURIOSA!"</span>, a bright purple bolt streaking from her hand towards one of the constructs- if it connects- she'll just keep it up until it's dead.<br><br>Maybe killing something will make her feel better about. All this. Maybe the killing will make her forget those awful catpuns. Or forget the embarrassment of yelling out an attack name like that.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco is much more careful when the space starts restricting, moving the Live Stage much more slowly and carefully. "You really had to summon it here", Coco says flatly, not really enthused with this sudden development. "That's a neat trick", she tells La Crima, finding being smaller really useful now they are getting less space.<br><br>All of a sudden, Coco feels her essence being taken away from her after the voice does that weird chant. If feels like being everything and nothing at once, in a way. The former is much worse than the latter, feeling herself mixed into a myriad of concepts and identities. At least nothingness is nothingness.<br><br>White light is given back to her, splitting into seven colours that surround her form. She feels the touch of a dear friend, so close and so far away, filled with sadness that she cannot remedy. The other 5 are pleasantly hot, warming her with the care of those who would have been fighting by her side in another time, in another place. Her own yellow feels the same as it has always been, both burning and toasty.<br><br>For about 10 seconds, Coco is back to her mermaid form as the colours focus on her pearl, but she doesn't dissolve, whatever empowerment she is receiving protecting her from the negative consequences. When she goes back to her idol form, she is much more regal, and her appearance has clear touches of the sea, water coursing over her arms and legs in constant swirls. The Live Stage is all the more shining now, its light much more decisive in repelling the obstacles presented to hers. Coco sings and the Live Stage answers, shackling her enemies to complete immobility.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yeah being a bat actually is pretty helpful, huh? Unfortunately the Labyrinth's 'blessing' is only a curse to La Crima, who reasserts her interface with reality, accompanied by a buzz and some sort of error message from the not-Device over the unseen PA system.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, now they're cookin' with gas! And cat puns! Noroima is even more suited to agile platforming than before and clawing their opponents with dark energy, La Crima is blasting the constructs with dark energy (and they don't really take much -- even if a few are attacking at once, delaying one until the others are taken out ensures victory) and Yellow Pearl Voice...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Live Stage holds constructs at bay, and when it bumps up against the stage hazards, it doesn't give, THEY do. The strange purple metal and crystal obeys her whims, ceasing its movement and, if she pushes, reshaping like water to allow the party a way through.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;THAT DAMN THUNDERBIRD is still glitched out, but with everything else kept away, Nyoroinya and La Crima can make short work of it, the darkness burning it away to nothingness.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The rest of the trip through the labyrinth is a more serene walk, as hazards deactivate, and the two combatants take out constructs at the edge of the Live Stage, just in case. Or just because they need to blow off steam. Or just because using dark powers unrestrained is fun!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After what *would* have been they-don't-know-how-many gruelling minutes of death-defying platforming and fighting off machines trying to kill them, the group reaches another hallway.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It may be a few seconds of looking for the next threat before they realize... they aren't under attack? The humm and whirr and clank of machines is in the distance, not far away, but this purple-metal-walled hallway isn't... trying to kill them?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Burned into the wall on the right is a message:<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;https://puu.sh/JODxz/2c90ab80ae.png&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Once the LACK of anything immediately trying to kill the group is adjusted to, what's up ahead can be recognized as more than 'another possible trap'. One of the crushing gear traps has been jammed, by a less-finished, human-size robot, or at least, the chest, one arm, and TV-head of one, the rest of it crushed to scrap already. A woman's voice, tinny and distorted, is repeating a message. Well. You get the vague sense of a message? Is it even actually speaking the nonsense-language, or just making noises?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Approaching it to investigate makes the TV-head turn to look at them. Inside, a human silhouette slams its hands against the screen, which cracks, as a teenage girl's voice speaks in the nonsense language. A declaration of existence and identity. And of hate and frustration with--<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The gear finally unjams, forcefully crushing the construct and rolling off into some track in the wall, leaving only broken bits of TV robot on the floor and exposing the path forward. There's a cacophony of the same overlapping voice speaking many times at once... And the party went into that room and totally had an epic action sequence of fighting a dozen of these things at once! They were like mechanical zombies but more desperate and brutal, picking up the limbs of their broken brethren and dual-wielding them in a desperate, berserk style that takes advantage of their superhuman range of motion, and yet others stayed back and fired some kind of energy beams. All the while repeating frustrated unwords.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then (wait, did that fight even finish? Did it even HAPPEN) the party enters a large, stone-and-metal chamber, having finally made it all the way through the great machine. The floor and the near wall are metal, but the rest of the cave is unworked stone. A great, off-center, perfectly circular hole in the ceiling extends through tens of meters of rock, the night sky and from one angle, the moon, shining down to illuminate the center of the room.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; BGM?: https://puu.sh/JODCQ/ce7486cd49.ogg&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the center of the room is a grand figure, at least twice as tall as any of the assembled hero-- uhh... meddlers, although any attempt to figure out how tall she (and somehow, they know it's a she) just gives the sense that she is even bigger than you than you thought.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;From sitting in the middle of the room with her knees held to her chest, she stands, towering over and looking down at the approaching group. The first detail noticed is that she is clad in white furs. The second, that she holds a scythe -- no, a scythe-shaped hole in the world, not even blackness but just... nothing. There's nothing for your eyes to see there. The third, that she is not a flesh and blood person but a simplistic child's doll of white plastic, faceless and with only the faintest suggestion of a human figure, arms and legs ending in rounded points (that still somehow stand and hold the not-scythe normally.)<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The is the sense of speaking, but no words. A sense of wary questioning. A sense of suspicion you are here to end her. A frustrated demand to leave.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;As the party approaches, or doesn't, the Lair around them shifts, the cavern fading as they're now atop a tower in an impossibly great, shining, golden city. The environment map is in a more pixelly, low-res style, but the arena, and the Witch(?) are still 3D.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima is grinning.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Well, okay, the sound of Yellow Pearl Voice's ... voice is grating on her nerves. But other than that, she's looking more and more delighted for a few minutes as she simply unleashes her power. She ''feels'' powerful as she wrecks through the, in a way that Miho never had before, but which is old hat to the memories she's gotten from the first Noroima. She actually laughs at the sight of Coco destroying the stage hazards, of La C. blasting through, her clear and bright voice echoing through the Labyrinth.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Soon, though, her expression darkens, and her grin takes on a nastier edge. In the end, she's still wielding Dark Energy. And so too, in a sense, is it wielding her. "Heheheheh. Ahahahahah! ''HAHAhaHAhaHAHAHAHAHA!!'' ... eughhh."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She glances around as they ... skip ahead again. "More of that nonsense, nya." She looks around. "... y'know what, like, I (watashi) am not gonna do ... the, the cat ... talk ... thing anymore, n-- I'm not gonna do it."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(That third mode of speech, where she stutters and stumbles over her words, is nothing like any way the original Noroima ever spoke.)<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She peers up at the doll-like witch, and looks around as the scenery changes again. "'And here we are!'" she says, quoting Kirby and the Forgotten Land; the fact that the 'final boss' takes place atop a city certainly reminds her of ''that''. "This certainly doesn't ''feel'' like an 'ultimate life form', kind of thing."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She grimaces. "... Last chance to bow out, my friend," she tells La Crima. She pauses. "Unless, uh, we ''are'' prevented from, from vanishing ourselves into the Dusk Zone ... especially since we've been transformed and stuff .. in which case, uh, I guess there ''is'' only one way forward."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima is angry, but not angry enough to forget why she's actually here as she angrily just forgets all pretense and just falls away to her most basic of forms. Something hovering. Black. Whispy. With glowing purple eyes. Not static and shifting at the edges. More looking like any given youma on a Tuesday. She speaks, somehow, despite not having a mouth.<br><br>"I was fine. Until whatever-you-are tried that transforming bullcrap." she says. "Now I should take your rotten. Stinking. Bloated. Corpse. back to Riven-senpai because I think he has better uses for it than YOU do!" she says, just letting the bad feelings flow from her heart right now.<br><br>She's ignoring what others are saying right now.<br><br>This is probably for the best for future interactions, right now, all things considered. Also she's still a glowing, black, misty monstrosity right now.<br><br>She hasn't attacked yet though.<br><br>Like. There's other people she can rely on to draw aggro first, right?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco looks at Noroima and La Crima, rather nervous about what they just saw. They ''must'' have seen, right? She is still here to speak of it, though, so she guesses it could be worse, even if her secret is out. She makes short work of the enemies, binding them till they aren't a threat no more, much like Aqua Regina herself once did with the threat of the Panthalassa clan. She strives forward as the crystalline metal gives way around her, reaching the machine that lies at the end.<br><br>"How much did you see of my transformation?", she asks the two of them once they reach a break, only a bit calmed out by the seven lights she still feels inside of her pearl.<br><br>Whatever the answer, she stares at the witch, replying at the answer emanating from her. "I only wish to stop senseless deaths, and my power lies in restoring peace, not enacting more violence. All your familiars are restrained. We don't have to do this if you can stop now", she esitates, before throwing caution to the wind. "I am the Mermaid Princess of the South Pacific Ocean, and for now I am representative of all the seven kingdoms. This is how I have the authority to tell you this can end differently."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima's mood is pleasant, but can that even rub off on a Witch? La Crima is angry. Rebellious. This, even a Witch can understand. Or at least, understand some approximation of. Whatever magic, whatever phenomena allows Witches and mortals to interact, approximately translates the Witch's as radiating the sense of An Adult Who Knows What's Good For You as it looks disdainfully down on La Crima.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then it starts laughing. And Yellow Pearl Voice's pleading for peace only makes it laugh MORE.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The mad cackle of one who sees something others don't, and who will SHOW THEM ALL.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then crying.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And sobbing.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The doll's lack-of-a-face begins to crack.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She stands tall, the cracks on her face weeping tears. A sense of SO. THIS IS IT, THEN.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Witch raises her left hand. Well, she doesn't have HANDS, but, there's a gauntlet on the lack-of-a-hand anyway, a brass-colored gauntlet with a blue gem set in the back of the palm.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The not-Device chimes and intones. Wind whips up. The Witch holds out her left palm. Yellow Pearl Voice feels a pull-- but she's not yanked out of reality this time. Something else...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;(The next time she tries talking to the Witch, she immediately gets the sense that this is Wrong. Not morally, just, not an applicable action. Like eating your car, or turning the cat off and on again. That verb doesn't make sense with this object.)<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She holds the not-scythe and shifts into a combat stance. There is a sense of the boss HP bar filling up as the sky darkens, and the golden city becomes an endless black and grey machine-city, no doubt full of constructs doing the Witch's inscrutable bidding.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Words impose themselves on your vision: https://puu.sh/JODWg/d9688b5bc3.png<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;BGM CHANGE: APOCALYPSE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-BnRIOmXVs<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Witch immediately steps one leg forward and tries to sweep the not-scythe through the heroes.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;After all, why wouldn't you go for the kill shot right off the bat?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If it connects, it's 1. A GIANT NOTHINGSCYTHE and 2. seems to eat away at whatever protection is stopping the Lair from just deciding to be poison gas/lava/etc and killing you. It hurts, BAD. Amy warned that this could be like going into space or a fire without a suit... is this that theory, realized?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It bounces off the improved Live Stage, though. The Witch radiates annoyance and confusion and holds out its hand again. Yellow Pearl Voice feels the pull again, and begins to fade like she just accidentally stopped her parents from getting together in a time travel story. As long as she's still kind of here she can still move and interact normally, though! Huh, so that's what being yanked out of reality looks like from the outside. But it seems the process isn't instant, maybe it can be interrupted?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima opens her mouth to comment that Witches don't leave corpses, and then closes it. La Crima is clearly having a bit of a Moment there. Best to just leave her to it until and unless it becomes a liability.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But Yellow Pearl Voice asks a question. She blinks, looking over at her with a frown. "Ah ... yes?" she says, channelling her Noroima persona again. "We ''all'' transformed. What of it?" If she weren't so distracted by the Witch, Miho might notice something about this, but ... then again, she's just as likely to form a conclusion which is entirely wrong.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She remains impassive as Yellow Pearl Voice tries to communicate with the Witch. And then the Witch ... responds, after a fashion. Noroima simply shrugs, as if this was so expected, it's barely even worth reacting to.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;When the scythe swings, Noroima boosts straight up into the air. She stops on a dime and slashes with her claws at superhuman speeds, launching a series of X-shaped blasts of darkness tinged with jade-green towards the Witch. She keeps half an eye on Yellow Pearl Voice, hoping like hell that the X-blasts are at least ''helping'' to disrupt ''whatever the hell the Witch is doing to her'', and doing a quick mental arithmetic as to whether she should risk jumping right into purification to help her if she turns out to need it.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"... 'Ironically, talking does not seem to be the solution to this situation,'" she mutters, though it's debatable whether anyone can even hear her.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima just is angrily yelling and shouting and just falls into ''Spanish Cursing'', it's a string of Spanish cursing and she's just going to sit here and do that. When a giant nothing sickle comes slashing for her, her misty form literarily tears into two--- not because she was hit, but because it leaves a big gap for the sickle to cut through where she was. She reforms, quickly, in a twisty, tornado like fashion before forming back to her more humanoid 'La Crima' form and just glowers angrily as she becomes solid again.<br><br>She calls out. <span style="color:purple">"Tormenta Enojada!"</span>- a swirling blast emanating from her palm, though this one doesn't deploy continuously, and more like a sudden, hard hit.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco opens her mouth, intending to continue seeking a peaceful resolution with the witch, but something stops her, nothing she does is going to actually reach out to her, right? "That's not right and you know it", she tells the Witch, not letting this stop her for anything in the world.<br><br>"I am not letting your tricks work on me. I am currently backed by all others here. I am in top shape as far as everyone is concerned, even more in top shape, by how the Live Stage was modified, so hear the melody of the seven seas", she starts saying, her motivation all the more renewed when the Witch's Lair starts fading around her.<br><br>"If this is how you want to play it, that's fine by me. Legend of Mermaid: Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Start!" The song comes out of her mouth with radiant strength, the the seven seas now putting their all into this, carrying the kind mother's wishes that everyone would journey on a miracle-filled adventure, chasing a fantasy of a night where stars fall for the shining future!<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Xs of darkness tear into the Witch, shredding parts of the fur clothes and scratching the doll beneath. She roar-growls annoyance as Yellow sings. The gem on her gauntlet flickers static, as if getting interference from the song. The tornado slams into her and there's the sound of something breaking as she reels back, and several things happen at once: Noroima might interpret this in terms like 'we broke through her super armor'.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Yellow Pearl Voice stops fading, and appears fully solid again.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sound like glass breaking is accompanied by the dramatic wind stopping and the Lair and Witch suddenly jolting from their 3D game aesthetic to a sort of sketchy papercraft, as if the different segments of the doll are on separate bits of paper being stop-motion animated. La Crima no longer even looks anime. The gauntlet's gem goes a different shade of blue as it BSODs and shuts off. The Witch looks at the gauntlet and then at the group, alarmed, concerned, enraged.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The gauntlet reboots and chimes. Somehow, you can read the tiny words in its gem-screen from any angle and distance, not that you can really *read* it. One message appears, then flickers into a very similar message that is Ominously Different,<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;https://puu.sh/JOEei/515afd3033.png&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;before the deep blue hue returns and the not-Device chimes. Words are projected on a holo-screen, changing rapidly as menus navigate to sub-menus and resources are allocated between bars.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Witch radiates desperation and frustration as she takes a defensive stance...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;X-slashes and dark beams chip away at her body, but the not-Device -- or, the part of her own Witch magic characterized as such -- seems to be giving her super armor again. Cracks spread across hollow plastic. But what's inside? She's fading. The gauntlet disappears first, the fade goes up her arm, then to the rest of her body, like she's a sticker being peeled off of reality by her hand...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;And then the Lair shakes as she reappears, as if from the impact of something heavy hitting the world. A goddamn 40-foot-tall MECHA animated in papercraft. A grey metal(?), humanoid warmachine. Tears still flow from cracks in a faceless metal triangular 'head' with its chin? pointing down.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The not-scythe is now a not-sniper rifle on its back. The gauntlet's blue gem is now flickering between red and black. It chimes and intones. There is a sense of finality. TOGETHER WE'LL END.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Coco's song continues. Demanding release from resentment and hatred. But those are all the Witch has left -- she stopped being a person some time ago. The mecha-Witch holds its head and screams in anguish, tears pouring down its faceplate.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;La Crima and Noroima might be able to sense something from the Witch, like a sort of Witch version of what it's like when they give into and revel in their dark powers. Missiles launch from the mecha's back and rain down around the platform as it leaps up from the arena and hovers -- there are thrusters firing, but does that actually MEAN anything or is it aesthetics for a construct of magic? -- as it pulls the not-sniperrifle from its back and aims down at Yellow.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;A targeting reticle appears around her, in case what's about to happen wasn't clear enough. And it doesn't seem she can step out of the circle, so to speak, it's locked-on.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima raises her eyebrow at La Crima splitting herself in half, and nods in approval. She grimaces at the sound of Yellow's singing; it's still purifying, even if it isn't aimed at her.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;So she takes a deep breath, and starts rapping in English along with the music. The lyrics to "Find your Flame" from Sonic Frontiers. Her pronunciation is ... not great. However, she's fought the Titan "Knight" a ''bunch'' of times by now, and she has it memorized.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She stops and glances around as everything takes on the papercraft appearance. "Ah, it seems ..." Noroima furrows her brow. "... more like the previous witch now."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The momentary concern for the computer or whatever it is gives Noroima pause, as does the transformation, but ...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shrugs. She has a job to do, and the restraint or lack thereof is simply another obstacle for her to overcome.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;No longer restrained by the need to help Yellow Pearl Voice (a phrase which would ''really'' make Miho stop and think about what she was doing if she had the time and the presence of mind to realize she was thinking along those lines), she begins attacking again, dodging through the missiles as she does -- and occasionally jumping across them as she flies closer to the Witch. X-slashes from her claws, spikes of jade, an orb of black jade which flies forth and explodes into Dark Energy -- most of it aimed at the Witch's main body, some at the sniper rifle. All incorporated, once again, into her rhythmic dance.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She finally gets up close and holds her hand out: <span style="color:xterm64">"Master Jade,"</span> she intones, and a couple dozen spikes of darkness and jade appear around her, and fire directly at the Witch at point blank range.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima, who has never ever been a proper battle is just sort of reveling in her dark power and trying to not take a strong enough hit to put her out of commission is ignoring music and that's when she takes a missile has a nice, big chunked exploded out of her.<br><br>This isn't super grisly, it's like just black and dark and dripping ichor out of the pretty catastrophic wound that's going to take shoving human energy into her mouth to fix.<br><br>So she instead just 'skrrrrrrreeeeees' like some sort of rabid animal and zooms forward, trying to aim for this things apparent neck with razor sharp shadowy claws which she begins swinging wildly about, trying to do just do as much damage as inhumanly possible.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;If the Witch still had enough mortal thought processes, it would be shouting OH COME ON at someone HOPPING ON MISSILES TO GET TO IT. What are you, Sonic the Hedgehog?! Is this what it's like to fight him? Gods, if she were Eggman she'd hate that hedgehog too!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But instead there is just... frustration.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The sniper rifle is made of nothingness. Unmade? Can it even be damaged? It's knocked aside a bit while charging up. The Witch growls, and the not-Device chimes and intones, and the edges of the Witch's form begin to burn with dark energy.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;La Crima severs the neck. The disconnected ends stay in place and burn brighter... err, darker. Master Jade spears through the mecha's chest. Armor is punched through, bits of wire and mechanical bobs fall out, already burning in darkness and gone before they hit the Lair floor.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;In the center of the mech is the white silhouette, with long brown hair, of a teenage girl. Held in place by the thing's structure like a biblical allegory. Her head hangs limply.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco is saddened by the Witch's wails of desperation. She looks at her, her gaze trying to offer her the same offer, there being no sense in offering those words, at least let her eyes speak for her. The mermaid princess sings to the end, the only mercy she has for the witch, regretting the desolation she is witnessing.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:107|Amy Faust (107)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The not-Device chimes and repeats whatever it just did. The edges of the mecha-Witch begin to burn away. More missiles launch and rain down. She fires.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The enhanced Live Stage *cracks*, and so does the Lair as the sonic boom rings out, the mech and rifle's thrusters (unthrusters?) stabilizing it before it releases a cloud of probably-not-safe-to-breathe vaporized coolant.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More of the mecha burns away. Feet, shoulders, fingers. The weapon recharges faster. It fires again. The enhanced Live Stage breaks. It begins to crumble around Yellow.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The mecha's hands and arms burn away. It fires anyway. There are, for the moment, no limits to hold it back, as long as it exists. Is this what it's like to be a Hero, with unstoppable Determination?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Okay, getting hit with that probably isn't good, if there wasn't anything else to stop it, but then, she is in some kind of super mode now, right?<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;More of the Witch burns away. She's taking at least one person with her, damn it!<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The gun recharges.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But the attacks tear it apart and there is nothing left. Even the girl starts to crumble to dust...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;But her last moments are free of pain and rage, thanks to Yellow Pearl Voice's song. She doesn't have to struggle anymore. At last, she can rest.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;The Lair fades away. The three of them are standing on the maintenance catwalk thing of the water tower. Noroima and Yellow are their normal selves again. Well, normal transformed selves. No one is being eaten by the not-scythe-sniper-rifle's effects anymore. With them on the walkway is a grief seed, and a lefthand gauntlet of brass-colored metal with an empty socket where the gem would go. It's just metal, no hidden tech.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;It's kind of dramatically quiet, going from a pitched battle with a mecha-witch to the sounds of the city around them. All that craziness, and nothing left but this.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:94|Norie Okana (94)}} has posed:'''<br>La Crima angrily watches the Witch fall to dust. She wishes it didn't need to be this way. She initially wanted to save the thing. Instead, it drops something. Some sort of metal glove? and... some sort of black.. gem?----<br><br>She makes a grab for both. She doesn't want to leave this mess empty handed. If no one stops her, she'll scoop up both and look behind her at the others.<br><br>"I'm done here..." she says. She frowns in a deadpan the entire time however, before she'll disappear into a duskport.<br><br>She has things for Riven-senpai. Hopefully, wanted things!<br><br>Nothing dangerous at all, right!?<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima looks fairly unsurprised at how well La Crima took that hit. She simply darts back, giving the vampire space to attack. She can't help herself. "There you go," she says encouragingly.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She starts singing the end of Find Your Flame. ''"Now here we go, it's the end of the show / hear them, they're calling your name ..."'' An octave higher, ''"'Cuz in the end, it's you and your ..."''<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Her voice trails off. The next word was going to be 'friends', and strictly speaking, she doesn't ''have'' any right now.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She raises an eyebrow at La Crima, but ... well, she did call dibs. "I'll have to find another Grief Seed for Red," she murmurs, sounding somewhat uncomfortable. She sighs softly. "Well. Thank you. I suppose we'll meet again ... in these or worse circumstances." She shrugs, and turns to leave ...<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco looks at La Crima. "Please, give me the Grief Seed", she tells her, the urgency clear in her voice. "I have a friend that can take care of it", she starts saying, trying to convince her before being left to look at thin air. She looks dejected where La Crima once stood, the implications of her disappearance.<br><br>"Noroima, can we talk?" Coco tries to say to the cat-witch. She has a lot to talk about between the fact that she wanted to give Red the Grief Seed, the fact they cooperated today and the mess with Akunoroi.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima pauses. "... I wonder if I should have given her a stronger warning ''before'' she left," she murmurs, hearing Yellow Pearl Voice's urgency. She really ''doesn't'' know that much about Grief Seeds, she realizes.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shrugs, and turns to face Yellow Pearl Voice. "Yes? What is it?" she says. There's just the faint amount of testiness in her voice, but she's obviously trying to hold it back for politeness's sake. (This, too, mildly surprises Miho ...)<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco looks at Noroima, positively surprised she is staying, despite the testiness in her voice. "I wanted to thank you for today. You have been an invaluable ally, and I don't think this should go unmentioned." She takes a breath, expelling some of the stress from the fight.<br><br>"The fact you want to give the Grief Seed to a Puella Magi that's otherwise a complete stranger to you means a lot to me", she adds, at a bit of an impasse because she doesn't know if she should share the recent revelation Amy would die without it. But then again, she should know all the immense help she is providing.<br><br>"You are literally saving Red's life with that", Coco finally says. "And lastly, we have a common enemy in Akunoroi, so I should offer you my assistance, even if you don't want to give up on your goals."<br><br>She needs to make it clear what is and isn't going to happen from that. "I will still oppose you outside of that, but for the rest of the time, I want to lend you a hand. I won't be as strong as today since I could call upon on the other 6 princesses, though."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima listens to Yellow Pearl Voice impassively ... until she mentions that she would literally be saving Red's life, and her expression darkens. She waits until the speech is finished, and then takes a moment, visibly thinking it over.<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;"You know," she says finally, "someone warned me, before my powers awakened, not to make a contract with Kyubey. I can see why, now. I might have to do something about that, eventually." Once again showing her arrogance ...<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She shrugs, and smiles. "Well, I felt I owed it to Puella Magi Red, at least for the immediate assistance in wasting her power defeating Curse Devil Akunoroi," she says. "But thank you. I will gladly accept ''your'' future assistance as well! And as for the other ..." She nods, her smile never wavering. "Of course. I would neither demand nor expect for you to go against your own ideals or goals." There's a bit of of respect in her voice.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>Coco smiles at seeing this going well. Noroima is coming through as actually reliable, even if they aren't actually going to see eye to eye. This opinion of hers is reflected in her tone, more serene and relaxed now. "Red will probably appreciate the news", she suggests smiling.<br><br>The mention of the white cat makes her frown. "Kyubey is surprisingly vile and shrewd", she adds, remembering what happened when Magda almost exhausted her magic and Teresia had to spend several Grief Seeds to save her. "Not content with endangering everyone he recruits, he has made himself necessary to disposing safely of Grief Seeds, so they need him around."<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima nods, also seeming more relaxed, but still bothered by the Kyubey situation. "Mm," she says. "Yes. I'll need to figure out how to deal with Grief Seeds, too."<br><br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;She regards the spot where La Crima vanished from for a moment, then shrugs. "Well. I'm glad we got to have this conversation, at least," she says finally. "Is there anything else?"<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:55|Coco (55)}} has posed:'''<br>"I am glad too, see you around. You are going to teleport like her, right?" Coco asks, following Noroima's gaze to La Crima's spot. "I am going to go back with my Live Stage." With that, she waves at the sorceress, making her way back towards Radiant Heart. Probably not the wisest thing, but she got the message that the school being full of magical girls is kind of an open secret.<br> <br>

:'''{{#var:44|Miho Aiuchi (44)}} has posed:'''<br>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Noroima nods. "Yes," she says. "I have things to work on in the Dusk Zone." She has a castle to rebuild, after all, and she isn't entirely sure where to even begin. "Goodbye, then, Yellow Pearl Voice! May you find victory in your goals, as far as that goes." (Translation: as far as they don't completely halt Noroima's plans.) And with that, she Duskports away.<br> <br>
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