2804/Devil's Gambit

Devil's Gambit
Date of Scene:	22 October 2025
Location:	Plot Room 1
Synopsis:	Seriss thinks her victory is at hand! And unless the heroes come to stop her, it certainly will be, with a portal opening to let Pharaoh 90 into the world. But luckily for the world, there are no shortage of heroes; Rashmi, Usagi, Mamoru, Amy, Hotaru, Ikiko, and Souta all answer the call to stop Seriss once and for all... and get Molly back. (Content warning for life-altering injury)
Cast of Characters:	Molly Skyline, Usagi Tsukino, Rashmi Terios, Mamoru Chiba, Hotaru Tomoe, Ikiko Hisakata, Souta Camero, Amanda Faust

---

Molly Skyline has posed:
Tokyo, in the early hours of the morning, after a day that most would have found to be perfectly normal; nice weather, clear skies, no reason for stress or suspicion. For the Mahou of the city, the entire day has felt unsettled, as though the air were charged with too much electricity, making one's hair stand on end.

For Seriss Nyx, it is the close allure of victory.

For days she has labored to bring all her plans to fruition, and now the moment is at hand. Cygnus Lich is ready in full fighting trim with upgraded hardware. She has the Gloom Zirconium. The remaining portion of all her collected energy and everything her department of Obsidian can allocate her is at her disposal.
 % r Molly has been dealt with.

All day she has labored, not merely directing underlings to set up equipment and arrange power couplings, but getting herself involved and doing the work alongside people on a much lower pay grade. After all, this had to work. Failure was not an option; and success would ensure for her a certain level of ascension. Not above Pharaoh 90 of course, that was impossible, but above everyone else? How could it not.

But now, everything was ready. The underlings had gone home to sleep, thinking they would be back to keep working the next day, but one way or another this would all be decided well before morning.

Hovering over her handiwork in her Barrier Jacket with Cygnus Lich held in hand, the dark sorceress smiled.

Across the city, Mahou will find themselves awoken by a dark wave rushing outwards from a single point in the midst of downtown. A Time/Space Barrier rises in its wake, a blackened sphere that, unbeknownst to the average citizen of Tokyo, grows to encompass several dozen city blocks; and inside it there is only Seriss, working quickly to complete her preparations. Power cables and couplings glow as power is drawn inwards, causing power outages across the city.

"They will be here soon," she muses to Cygnus Lich. "Let's be ready to give them a proper final battle, and send them off to be with their dear Molly."

<< AFFIRMATIVE >>

"Won't worry, Cygnus. This will all be over soon."

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's been a weird day, whenever she stepped off campus - a prickliness in the air that she's come to associate with a coming fight. Usagi doesn't want a fight - she never wants a fight - but anyone so obviously spoiling for one isn't going to just kindly take off at her request.

After school she does an extra long patrol, looping through Juuban, passing her house, then Minako's, Ami's, and even climbs the bastard steps up Hikawa Shrine to be sure everything is fine there, too.

There's nothing. She goes to bed uneasy.

She wakes with a jolt, sensing the problem even with her own dull ability to sense energy, and it's Sailor Moon who eventually makes it to the edge of the barrier, warily waiting for allies before charging in. No bets on who this nasty zone belongs to.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Sleep was actually difficult for Rashmi to find; the day was peaceful, there was nothing to worry about, everything was as quiet as could be...

But Seriss was still out there, and *how is Molly going to know when to act?!* With only Emi really able to ensure any kind of communication, and timing that could at best be considered tetchy... she would just have to hold on to hope, that things would fall into place when the time is right.

And make *sure* that the time is right enough for things to fall into place.

Sleep was almost beginning to claim her, finally, when Nicomachea's alert catapulted her out of bed.

    << *BONG!* >> << ALERT. MASTER. ALERT. DARK ENERGY SIGNATURE 'Seriss Nyx' DETECTED. BARRIER DETECTED. >>

A few moments, a cold cup of studyin' tea, and a henshin later, Rashmi is in the air and headed toward that huge, ugly black dome, touching down next to Sailor Moon.

"...That's her," she says, probably unnecessarily.

"She's gonna know we're here," she says, equally unnecessarily.

"...We are *so* going to beat the hell from her." This, perhaps, may have been necessary. For herself, if not her friend.

    << *BONG!* >> << TELEPATHY >>

<< Check check check, >> she says as the comms net is established, linking every mahou approaching the area. << If you weren't sure, yeah this is Seriss. Get realy for a Tokyo-style whuppin'. >>

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Well, she doesn't have to wait long for at least one of her allies to show up -- Tuxedo Mask steps out of the shadow of a telephone pole and almost into Sailor Moon's personal space, coming up abreast of her and Rashmi, and tipping his head back, back, to look up the side of the dome. "She's so... extra," sighs the boy in full formal.

He turns around, hugging his arms to himself briefly, uneasy himself, almost uneasy in his skin. He doesn't have a lot to say, even in their heads. << Check. >>

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Hotaru Tomoe had been in bed, eyes closed, resting, hugging a stuffy and--

Oh for--

Her eyes opened and she looked at her clock. "No," she said.

She rolled over. "Don't wanna." Rolled over.

Soon, Sailor Saturn was leaping fromm rooftop to rooftop, looking more than a little miffed and tired as she headed towards the sphere, yawning... And landing by Sailor Moon...

"Evening..." Saturn said.

<< She really has no appreciation for other people's sleep schedules, does she? >>

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Ikiko isn't particularly adept at premonitions, but today's unease from her stray dog friends was almost palpitable. And while mundane animals can't tell much about the source of their unease beyond a vague cardinal direction, visiting more of her canine friends around the sprawling city for triangulation at least gives her a ward-sized estimate of where the trouble will be...

    ...and more worryingly, with the size of that radius? A sense of how powerful it will be.

The shockwave of darkness, then, is only a surprise in when it happened, and Ikiko is out of bed and heading for the window as soon as she feels it. One silvery glow concurrent with opening the window later, Cute Wolf Tsukiko is bounding across rooftops, fine-tuning her planned heading from earlier with the direction of the shockwave's source.

<< En route, and almost there, >> the wolfgirl declares as soon as she tags into the comms net.

Souta Camero has posed:
    Souta Camero didn't like the bad vibes he'd been getting all day. He didn't trust the air, and his instincts told him that something was coming, but no amount of investigation really told him what. He was actually pulling an all nighter, trying to put together hints and clues while his Device constantly reminded him of the passing time.

    Then the Barrier went up.

    One thermos of coffee and a quick dash later, the Inspector is dashing ahead. He sees other mahoujin on the way, receives Rashmi's telepathic link, and pings back, << Camero here. Moving in. >>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Things have still been relatively quiet lately. Amy's been focused on keeping up with classes and manga and wondering just what is her relationship with Miho. She'd sort of like to try and get more spare grief seeds but isn't sure where to begin organizing an expedition to look further afield if she finds non troubling the Four Wards at the moment. She'd like to do that soon, but somehow soon is never today, or tomorrow...

    They have to fight Seriss soon, but soon is never today, or tomorrow... until it is.



BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP.

    Is it too much to hope for that maybe a normal, random power outage happened for once?

    She's shaking, just a little, as she checks the outage area messages other mahou, and shuts down the computer.

    As she steps out onto the dorm roof and looks out over the dark city, she thinks... This is going to be it, isn't it?

    In real life, the bad guy doesn't wait for you to complete all the side quests and collect more megalixers than you will ever use. You'd better be ready when they put their plan into action.

    At least she has a grief seed. She conjures a rocket large enough to ride, tops off her soul gem, and takes off across the night sky.



    Is she shaking or is that the rocket, or just from the wind? So many things could go wrong. They haven't lost any friends permanently yet... But the risk weighs more heavily on her mind going in, than it has in some time.

    << I'm on my way. I have most of a grief seed. Let's do this and get that bitch out of Molly and get our friend's life back. >>

Rashmi Terios has posed:
As people form up, the grim tension around Rashmi's shoulders eases up, little by little. So many good, reliable people have shown up today; between all of them, the idea that they can't win is *laughable.*

So Rashmi draws in a deep breath, turns to the assembled mahou, and smiles. "Well... This is it. Tonight's the night we stop her *for good,* and get our friend back. No matter what happens... Thank you for being here. I know there's almost nothing any of us wouldn't do for each other, and nobody ever owes anyone anything... But I owe you all. *Big time.*"

Turning back to the roiling darkness of the Barrier, the Devicer squares her shoulders. "Now let's go kick some butt."

And with that, she flies into and through the Barrier, pulling up once she's gotten a short ways in to make sure everyone's grouped up enough for an emergency Shield.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's great! Souta's mental voice comes over the telepathic comms, and Tuxedo Mask inhales in sharp surprise, and he briefly grips Sailor Moon's arm-- lightly-- to make sure she can see the look on his face and the faint darkening of his cheeks, to give her something to laugh about. It's while they're waiting for people to show up, and there's a tension about the boy that was there for the last fight too--

He 'hears' the tone in Amy's mental voice, and says firmly, << Everyone's invited over to my house afterwards. There's banana bread and hot chocolate and we can also order out. >>

A scheduled thing. Something meant to happen after the fight that Mamoru's wholeheartedly believing they're going to win -- and maybe that confidence can help anyone who's a little shaky on hope.

He doesn't go into the barrier until Sailor Moon does.

Souta Camero has posed:
    Souta watches Rashmi go in as he approaches, and he doesn't even slow down as he goes towards the edge of the barrier. He's seen some serious bad during his time in the TSAB, but being on Earth has been a whole different level. The boy doesn't know what to expect, but he does expect it to be rough.

    So focused is he that he remains unaware of anyone blushing in his direction, but let's be honest. He knows he's hot.

    << We'll get her life back. It's what we're here for, >> he promises, with calm professional confidence. Is there a nervous edge to his voice? Surely not!

    < Mission Start > announces Paradise Spectrum, as Souta's mana greatsword appears in his hands.

    There are a lot of unknown variables here, but all they can do is give their all and hope for the best. Bring the power of love and friendship, and whatever happens happens.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Tsukiko nods to the others as they all gather up, and while she doesn't say anything in response to Rashmi's speech, she does give the Devicer an encouraging grin and a pair of thumbs-up.

<< Banana bread does sound like a good appetizer, >> the wolfgirl responds to Tuxedo Mask, fully aware of just how much food each mahoujin is likely to scarf down after this fight. She follows Rashmi into the barrier, staying close for any defensive buffs, but still staying to the side of the overall group, ready to deploy in her usual speedster skirmish style.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Telepathy springs up, the warmth of a friend's voice between her ears, and Sailor Moon squares her shoulders, straightens up a little, even though it won't change that she's diminutive, a scrap of a girl with the Moon Scepter in her hands, bright and cheerful with all it's pinks and golds, bright white wings. Courage sings in her heart - and then she has to choke down giggles, as Mamoru touches her, shares some of his goofy crush feelings for a pretty boy who made him question his sexuality.

Her grin is audible in her voice, mental though it may be.

<<Of course this is goin to be it. This is the end of the line for her - tonight we're getting Molly back, and ending this for good! She probably thinks this is us walking into her baited trap, but nope! We're the ones making sure she cries all the way into her next life!>>

Is it wise to open a battle with an attack launched sight unseen? Probably not.

Is it what Sailor Moon does, as she dives into the barrier?

Absolutely.

"Moon Princess Halation!"

A certain beloved video game character once mentioned he never understood why people don't open up with their best attack. Usagi, personally, has to agree: there are times when you want to test the waters and figure out how strong an enemy is, and then there are times when you need to go for it.

A blaze of silver light, shot through with spiraling pink and shrapnel sharp moon-and-star shaped energy bursts goes blazing right for Seriss Nyx, all purifying light and intent to bring back their friend.

"Let's get this over with, Seriss Nyx! The banana bread is getting cold, and Molly-chan deserves it fresh!"

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy does feel slightly better at Tuxedo Mask putting the image of a cozy, friendly victory hangout in her head. A slight smile comes to her face as Molly's words in the dreamscape come back to her. << Is there any way we can get curry at this hour? >>

    Her transport is not good for stopping and hovering. << Tch, she put up a barrier so we can't shoot her from far away, I guess... >> Amy is speeding towards it. She lifts her hands into position to fire the not-yet-summoned artillery as soon as she's in.


    And accompanying Moon Princess Halation is a pair of heavy metal flechettes like oversized darts spaced a half-second apart, aimed right for Seriss's person. Amy is testing defenses, seeing if Seriss's shields have changed in behavior since last time.

    Amy is in agreement with Usagi, but unfortunately -- or fortunately? -- the nature of her magic, especially in this situation, demands not just opening with her biggest attacks. The possibility that Seriss has some new defense ready that would nullify just dumping everything Amy has into her right away has not escaped her.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Saturn gave a small nod. << That sounds really nice... >> she told Tuxedo Mask. Snacks after fighting were a time honored tradition, but judging by how tired she was? She'd need to be carried home more than she'd be walking. She hated these late night attacks. She followed in after her princess and prince, her glaive ready, looking up and searching the sky for Seriss Nyx... narrowing her eyes the moment she saw her... "Give it up! Your boss already lost! Everyone beat him like we're going to beat you!"

Molly Skyline has posed:
Sailor Moon's silvery attack is aimed true, but before it strikes Seriss, it slams into a shield that glows an angry orange with the impact; but it's not, it becomes apparent, a shield protecting Seriss herself. She just happens to be behind it when the attack goes off; it's actually protecting a grotesque machine at the center of the Time/Space Barrier, which is hogging a tremendous amoount of energy, all to produce what looks like a glowing, purple loop; like a solar flare coming off the surface of the sun. Smaller, but the heat radiating off of it is intense, even from far away, and there's a darkness forming at the center of it.

Sailor Moon isn't the only one to opt for immediate hostility. Normally, Seriss talks and gloats and threatens, but not today.

"Fire!"

A swarm of glowing purple barrets rocket through the air, travelling straight up into the otherwise cloudless sky, and disappear into the distance.

"You wanted to face me?" she snarls, letting her wings carry her upwards; up, and out of the shield that protects her machine. up above, the sky glows purple and beams flash as they rain down, blasting holes in the ground and the sides of buildings and blowing up cars.

"You DARE to face me? Not my creations -- ME?! Cygnus! Activate Secondary Core, activate Magus Rods, release all safeties, charge Gamma Ray Burst!"

<< AFFIRMATIVE. SECONDARY CORE ACTIVATED. MAGUS RODS ONLINE. SAFETIES DISENGAGED. >> A brief pause. << ARMED >>

"Fire!!"

As a second pair of red, demonic wings flicker into being behind Seriss and her barrier jacket glows, she aims and fires, and a narrow beam snaps for just a second in the general direction of the heroes.

And then the air around where it passed explodes with a thunderous blast.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
"HOW IS THIS EVEN A SHOCK?!" Rashmi cannot help but argue in the face of Seriss' indignance, in the tones of a teenager hearing the single most unreasonable opinion ever.

But as the order is given to charge the Gamma Ray Burst, Rashmi has no intention of letting *her* opening strike be any more effective. << Scatter! >> she calls out over the comms net, and a quick Solar Flash puts her a good handful of meters *above* her original position.

"SERISS NYX, YOU WERE ALWAYS EVER *IN OUR WAY,* YOU NEVER HAD A RIGHT TO *ONE THING* THAT YOUR PEOPLE GAVE YOU TO KEEP YOU HERE. So I'm sorry you suck, but like the song says? You don't have to go home, but you *can't stay here.*"

    << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR BARRAGE -- GLACE SHIFT >>

She can dodge and weave when it seems like she's going to need to; for now, the best thing she can think to do is be an *annoying little irritant,* piling Ice Barrets on Seriss and anything near her in the hopes of catching her in a web of buildup.

That's her job, after all; make it easier for the folks with *heavy power* to do their thing.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
"You are NOT A SWAN, you're a VULTURE," Tuxedo Kamen yells, scattering as instructed, following up Sailor Moon with his cape held up, tanking a great deal of explosion with the impossibly strong magic silk. "And not a single one of us respects you, and not a single one of us ever will, because you'll be eating carrion in hell when we're through with you!"

Once they stop he flings his cape out as he turns on his heel, and it billows and swirls behind him as he lets fly a barrage of kinetic-punch glitterbomb roses at Seriss, aiming to both insult and blind her.

Souta Camero has posed:
    Purple beams rain around Souta, pocking the ground as he weaves between them. "Return Shield!" he commands, summoning the swirling circle of mana which appears just in time to eat a direct hit from Seriss's fury. It cracks and buckles under the force, but the shield served its purpose. Souta is still safe. << Looks like she's not holding back today. >>

    The gamma ray burst is being charged, and the he's being told to scatter. He tries to distance himself from the others to avoid allowing Seriss to harm several of them with a single beam. His green eyes go from the creation to Seriss, and he decides that the former is probably the most demanding of his immediate attention.

    "Barret Spark!"

    < Barret Spark: Max >.

    "Focus on the shield. I'll do the same," he commands his Device. A bright mote of mana flares up behind him and begins firing a steady stream at the orange shield surrounding the machine. The Inspector himself raises his greatsword and brings it down on the magical wall, battering it over and over in an attempt to overwhelm it and break through.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Even if she hoped that the attack would hit, Sailor Moon had been ready for the likelihood that it wouldn't. She'd even been ready for the counterattack, because smug, arrogant, insufferable Seriss Nyx would never take an attack with anything less than fury.

Tuxedo Kamen's cape tanks the hit, and Sailor Moon pops out over his head, swinging the Moon Scepter at it's full, scepter length, miraculously managing not to crack her husband upside the head. Silver Light is carved into the air, and purification blazes forth.

"Moon Healing Escalation!"

Mists of purification fill the air, and bolts of light arc for Seriss Nyx - but the shield had been for the machinery, and Sailor Moon recognizes it with a pulse of horrified anger -

<<She's trying what Mistress 9 did! To bring back that thing she was trying to bring to our world!>>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy drops off the rocket after firing. She's already planning to go for the cables leading to the machine, wondering what Seriss will have done to prepare for that after what happened during the fight with Mistress Nine.

Destruction rains from the heavens!
You wanted to face me?
    "Uh, yeah? We're gonna kick your ass!"

You DARE to face me?
    "That's right! You'll threaten this world no more, and Molly--"

Gamma Ray Burst Armed... Fire!!

    The air around Amy explodes into chaff and mist. Molly did say it wasn't literally gamma rays, but she's expecting something that behaves similarly to high-energy electromagnetic radiation and she can't just summon a thick lead box or something around herself so hopefully this will do something.

    She's not expecting a thunderous explosion of air. Amy's slammed into the street -- good thing she was wearing her flight helmet. Still, she's stunned for a half-second before getting up, running to the nearest cables to plant thermite on them.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Tsukiko is darting for a flanking maneuver almost before Rashmi finishes calling 'scatter', doing what she does best: pestering her opponent from a different angle than where her friends are, trying to force Seriss to split her attention. Any distraction is an opening for a quick attack; any focus drawn is a gap that the others can take advantage of.

And if the wolfgirl can disrupt any of the cables she dashes across, well -- so much the better!

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Saturn should have expected that, admittedly. As they stepped into the barrier. Except... she kind of did. Arrogance? Check. Dramatic speech about 'How dare you step to me?' Check. Rude, angry attack? Check.

Rashmi's indignant comeback? Oh, that was new, but she liked it. She scattered, dashing about and away from the explosion, spinning her glaive. "Silence wall!" she called! A wall of silence formed around her, the blast striking it and stopping harmlessly outside it.

She then glanced out towards the threat to all of them...

<< She's trying to bring... oh no... >> Saturn said. << Can she do it by herself? Can she-- We can't let that thing come through! >>

Molly Skyline has posed:
"I'm not trying -- I'm SUCCEEDING!"

Seriss roars her fury at Sailor Moon at the same time as she twists in the air; and where the cascading beams from above might hinder other people's movements, they seem to be leaving her well enough alone.

But the Moon Healing Escalation is giving no such benefit, as it hammers into her despite her best efforts to avoid it and scores a deep wound into her Barrier Jacket, while around her roses are going off, momentarily making her see nothing but blinding white. She scsreams with outrage; how dare these teenagers, these children, these, these INSECTS dare to challenge her! "I'm going to destroy you all just like I did your pathetic friend!" she screams. "Cygnus!" Ice barrets hammer into her, frosting up her armor and combined with the blindness, throwing her off course and into the side of a building, sending her scraping against the metal exterior with a spray of sparks. "Magnetar Barrage, Attractor Shift, lock targets every goddamned child that attacked me, two hundred barrets per target, FIRE!"

<< WARNING: MANA USAGE EXTRE-- >>

"I SAID FIRE!!"

Rashmi, Sailor Moon, and Tuxedo Mask will promptly find a swarm of barrets rocketing towards each of them, in passing peeling away metal from buildings and cars to bring a storm of shrapnel along for the ride.

For a moment, Seriss has to pause, waiting for her vision to clear; at least enough for her Battle Visor to be able to show her what's going on. Amy and Tsukiko are tearing up her hard work. And there's Souta, busy going to town on her shield protecting her portal machine.

"HOW DARE YOU!" she screams down at them, "Cygnus, Magnetar Beam, Attractor Shift, two second duration!"

<< ARMED >>

"Fire!" A glowing blue beam is fired, aimed... not for any of the three, but for a semi-truck with a big, square trailer. Tires squeal as it is yanked out of position and up into the air, and sent flying towards where Souta is busy trying to break down her shield, intended to land more or less where he's standing with a thunderous crash.

"Overload cable groups twelve nad fifteen," she adds, "Increase power in all other groups by eight percent."

Amy and Tuskiko have been doing and excellent job of severing cables, releasing energy into the air and ground as they do, but now the intact cables nearest them glow brilliantly and, after a brief warning, violently explode.

"Yes I'm a vulture," she snarls. "And I'm about to have the biggest feast ever put on a table. And all of YOU are just the appetizer!" As she snarls, a second figure lurks in the background, not making itself known; quietly, unseen, it homes in on Saturn's position. It isn't time to strike; not yet. But soon.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< ...Welp, >> Rashmi says, as Seriss spells out a litany of 'this is going to suck,' and *dives* for Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask, dropping to earth in front of them and throwing one hand up; the other, slipping a 'bookmark' into place over Nicomachea's pages.

    << *BONG!* >> << AREA INDEX: SOLAR SHIELD -- GLACE SHIFT >>

There is no time for finesse or cute flying; with six hundred Barrets heading there way, there is only the time for brute-force defense. A Shield of hardened light slams into being above the trio, then *snaps* outward in all directions, going from five meters to twenty in the blink of an eye. Then, with a screeching *CRACK,* it becomes a slightly convex disc of golden, jaggedly-spiked ice nearly a meter thick.

A significant portion of Rashmi's energy goes into keeping the magnetic storm off the three of them. She can but hope it'll be enough.

"WE DARE BECAUSE *THIS WORLD MATTERS MORE TO US THAN YOUR STUPID BIG GETTY BOSS DOES TO YOU, YOU BODY-SNATCHING *HARPY!*"

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Tsukiko's habit of staying on the move keeps her ahead of the worst of the cable explosions, although the shockwave does cause her to stumble a bit. "Nah," the wolfgirl calls to Seriss after regaining her footing (and speed). "You think you're the vulture, but you're just the viral driver who tries to roadrage at someone and winds up wrecking their own car through instant karma!"

Sure, Tsukiko might not be all that skilled at outright defense, but she has her eye on the shielded equipment, an idea of where to draw any flung- or flying-object aggro to, and confidence in her ability to do last-second dodges...

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"You're not succeeding at anything but being a royal pain!" Big words from a furious princess, and purifying light of Moon Healing Escalation has had an effect - particularly when it comes infuriating their opponent.

When the attack comes, she's not surprised - though her eyes widen in fright as six hundred barrets are summoned into the air to strike them, and she has no truly defensive abilities, just things she can try to do to shield them -

Rashmi is there, throwing everything she has into defense, and Sailor Moon manages to beat back fear, throwing everything she has into being the absolutely killer DPS she is.

"YOU DIDN'T DESTROY MOLLY!" The Scepter is replaced by a Rod in an instant, the Spiral Heart Moon Rod glowing a pink so violently bright it's barely a shade off from red. "YOU MOVED IN LIKE A PARASITE ON WHAT WAS LEFT OF HER AND THOUGHT IT MADE YOU GREAT!"

Behind Rashmi's shield, she spins, and spins, and spin, great hearts popping into existence, pink and red and spinning like tops, enough to create their own wind.

"You're nothing special! You're just another monster who thinks they deserve to get what they want on the bodies of other people! You're just a sham of a person who can't hope to feel a single spark of love!"
R
When Rashmi's shield buckles, Sailor Moon fires off the attack sweeping up shrapnel in it's terrible spin, the central heart ten meters tall and speeding like a bullet train.

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Saturn turned her gaze on Seriss... Well then. If she wanted to play that game... She leaped about, mopving opposite where Souta was, and had a vehicle chucked at him.

She stood on top of one of the rooftops, spinning her glaive around, gathering her power.

Her magic gathered in the end of her glaive as it spun. As she put all of the hard work and practice she'd been doing to work. Deep breathes. Focus. Time to show the other her what she could do.

"Silent... Glaive... SURPISE!" she called.

And the discus of powerful, purple energy sailed through the air...

Before launching itself, hard, at the portal. The spinning disk of powerful magic slamming into the portal machine from the opposite side from where Souta had struck it!

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "Seriously? That's all you've got to say, after everything? 'How dare you insects attack me'?" Amy retorts as she rushes about. "Has dark energy rotted your brain, or is stealing that body making your brain unstable?" She does not comment on how someone scored a hit on her barrier jacket. Seriss not shielding for once doesn't add up, and Amy's not sure what's going on there.

    She does look briefly alert and worried that the barrets are coming for her too -- when they don't, she asks, << I don't suppose flares or chaff would work on magic homing...? >>

    She sees the truck, but calculates that she can't efficiently destroy or deflect it. And blowing it only partway apart or sending it spinning might interfere with evasions and defenses. << Soutalookout! >>

    If Seriss isn't attacking herself or Tsukiko, then for now she will continue to exploit that, hurrying to melt more cables.

    The Puella Magi probably won't be left alone for long anyway if she keeps running her mouth.

    "Seriously, if you couldn't even come up with cutting personal insults you could at least rant about how great destroying the world's gonna be or whatever. 'You INSECTS!' You just sound like a broken record!"

    For once when snarkily advising a villain, Amy has an iota of sense and does not point out that deep cuts at Molly and making them think about her pain would be way more effective than unhinged ranting.

    "Seriously you sound like an anime villain after the series has been dragged on too long and yet another alien calling the people that took down the last one 'insects' just doesn't carry any weight, you know?"

Souta Camero has posed:
    The combination Souta's green glowing greatsword and the barrage of barrets are starting to do serious work on the shields, forcing them to dim slightly as magical cracks begin to web across the surface. If left uncontested, perhaps the Inspector could break through via sheer tenacity.

    However, he was not left uncontested.

    < Incoming! > warns Paradise Spectrum, and the Inspector looks up to see a semi-truck being hurled straight at him.

    "On it," he states, turning his attention away from the shield and towards the too-large vehicle. Instead of trying to dodge, he lowers his energy blade and leaps directly towards it, slashing upwards and instantly severing the truck into two. As he passes between the halves of the broken machine, he turns in the air to point at what was the front end.

    < Paradise Chain >

    Green chains appear all around the now-falling cab and engine, and with a mental command the Inspector launches the large piece of debris at the shield he was, and still is, trying to take down.

    << Seriss, if you really thought you were gonna have your way without a fight, you haven't been paying attention. >>

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Seriss is screaming something that's really gonna hurt if it hits, and Tuxedo Kamen is a breath away from grabbing Sailor Moon and just-- jumping-- when Rashmi comes in clutch with the snappiest shield this side of Captain Inspector's sword and Sailor Moon starts spinning, spinning, as the shield is getting slammed by barrets and shrapnel, blinding and loud.

But Sailor Moon is more blinding still, the silver-pink-iridescent glow of her power charging up a solid thing, more real than the fight for a split second--

Meanwhile, while his eyes are on ~his wife~, his hands are on the ground, glowing themselves, white-gold.

He lets it loose as the shield finally buckles, as well, but it's aimed under the machine. "Tuxedo la Smoking Crater!" he calls out firmly, teeth gritted as he gathers and shunts and directs kinetic energy... and a half-second later, the ground beneath the machine explodes upwards in a mess of rubble and dirt and sand.

Molly Skyline has posed:
Two halves of a semi-truck crash to the ground, and the contents of the truck -- a full shipment of pokemon cards -- flutter through the air in the wake of its passing. Half of the truck smashes into the shield as Souta sends it that way; and from the other side, Saturn's Glaive Surprise does exactly what it says on the tin and the shield visibly cracks, pieces of it falling off and flickering into nothingness.

Inside the now failing shield, powerlines glow with the increased load to make up for all the mischief Amy and Tsukiko have been undertaking, and the anti-solar flare stables into a perfect circle, roiling with a pitch black center. Seriss, with a deeply scored barrier jacket floats downwards, steam hissing out of her jacket and Cygnus Lich's vents. "Cygnus," she instructs, her tone of voice triumphant. "Our hour of victory is at hand. Charge Dark Starburst. Target all enemies except Saturn."

<< ARMED. INFORMATION: MANA RESERVES LOW >>

Noted. Oh, and Rashmi," she calls out, "Once I finish killing you, the deal's off. FIRE."

The dark sorceress hoists her staff up over her head and the end of it flashes, sending a series of blasts of dark energy, wreathed with boiling hot energy at everyone, with the notable exception of Hotaru.

Tuxedo Mask's subterannean explosion rocks the now unshielded portal machine, and it ocerloads, letting off a high-pitched whine before it explodes. As the debris clears, it looks like the portal might be about to collapse; it certainly starts shrinking, and in the wake of Seriss' last outburst there's a moment of quiet, when it seems like the threat might be over.

Then a pair of massive hands reach through from the other side, and quite literally grab hold of the portal itself, muscles straining as they force the portal back open again and work to widen it. Seriss looks at the glowing pair of eyes, baleful and full of hate, that glare out at the world, and she cracks a broad smile.

"I win," she crows. "My Master is here."

<< ...No, >> gasps a voice, audible over the telepathic link, that catches Seriss' attention as well judging by the cock of her head. A tired voice, haggard and desperate, barely even heard. << You don't. >>

Rashmi Terios has posed:
As her biggest, strongest Shield is abraded to shards, Rashmi cannot avoid *some* damage from the incoming attack. In the moments between the Shield collapsing, and the Spiral Heart sweeping the remaining danger away, there's a short window where the Devicer takes more than a couple Barrets, and all their attendant shrapnel...

But it's not enough. Even though the impact forces her backwards, sends her to one knee... it's not enough. And she rises again, eyes locked on her Enemy... and pushes up off the ground.

And then Seriss commits a true villainous faux pas; threatening her family and not even giving her a chance to retort. Rude!

But she can do this time what she couldn't before; if everyone's equally under threat, everyone's defensive instincts are equally valid, and for Rashmi it's a combination of Solar Flash short-trange teleporting and the kind of defensive flying that Chrono beat into her in training; trust vector calculations, avoid the empty spaces, and *do not let* the passing scores and off-target glances throw you off your flight path.

Thus it's a much more singed, bedraggled, and shredded Rashmi that comes to a halt in the air, a wry grin touching her face as that new voice comes in over the telepathic link.

"Yeah... Deal's off. You *never stopped failing,* Seriss, even when you thought you had it all. And nothing you or your cosmic Stay-Puft over there can do can stop it now.

A shaky hand grabs another module, and slots it into place, as a Midchildan seal spreads out under her feet.

    << *BONG!* >> << BURST INDEX: EXA BLAZE -- BOOST UP >>

Six jittery wisps resolve into being around Rashmi, then streak out to find her allies. Each one gets a piece of Rashmi's determination, her righteous drive to overcome... And the power of explosions to augment their mana.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
She can't win. She can't be winning. Tuxedo Kamen, just a bare second ago, had his heart in his mouth waiting for the portal to finish winking out, fingertips buzzing with adrenaline, with nerves-- and then hands, and he stands there in shock for a half-second as immense hands push open the portal?????

IT'S A PORTAL STOP THAT

All of this. All of this horror, all these months of poor Molly's and Rashmi's miseries; the Black Moon Clan; even his fight with Riventon-- and the thing that breaks Mamoru's patience with reality is giant hands pushing open a P O R T A L.

"THIS IS NOT," he yells, hand glowing as he closes it into a fist and brings it to his chest, "A DAMN CARTOON! You can't DO THAT! STOP THAT!"

And then his hand flings out, eyes way too wide as he yells, "Tuxedo la Smoking Bomber!" and the power of explosions is added to his explosion-- the energy bursts out from the air in front of his gloved hand and FSHHHOOOOOH it sounds like a paratrooper airplane door, and he almost shoots the hands because he objects to them SO MUCH, but no, you know what-- no.

Finish the miniboss first. So: it's all for Seriss. He hears the voice and laughs, a bright peal in the horrible darkness and pricklingly evil air. There she is.

"There's our girl! Hey, die mad about it, Nyx~!" he crows. "But die!"

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Sailor Moon's fuku is cut to ribbons from what made it through the shield and past her own spiral heart attack, but her twintails are intact and so is her spirit, gripping tight to her Spiral Heart Moon Rod. She can't fly - but she doesn't need to, when she can leap up into the air, even if she's willing to take the hits.

"You don't win! You and yours don't get to win!"

Pokémon cards go flying everywhere, and it's not the moment to care about that, there's too much going on, but a part of Sailor Moon really is glad that they're in a barrier. Even if that's not what's important. Even if there's more attacks coming, and she's swinging her Rod -

Not fast enough.

Broiling dark energy strikes, and Sailor Moon screams, Dark Energy lancing her to the core, making her head spin, her stomach roil. Her grip loosens for a moment, and she falls, slamming to the ground and rolling as her leap goes out of control, but -

But Rashmi's blaze up wisps into her, sparking energy, confidence, determination... and an explosive burst of power that helps her get back to her feet as those great hands split the air and force open the portal.

Sailor Moon had faced this before, when Saturn threatened to end herself, when she demanded that Pluto close the door behind her, and she had become something other, for a moment, a higher plane, a higher piece of herself.
R
She isn't that, right now.

But she is herself, and she is enough.

"Your master is nothing in the face of our friends! You don't get to come here, to threaten our people, to terrorize our friends, and walk away with a victory! You don't get to treat people like snacks and win! This is Earth, and we don't tolerate that!"

She swings her rod like a baseball bat, and the gleaming heart is pink shot through with Rashmi's yellow, and it hammers Seriss with terrible force before exploding with purifying light.

"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
While agility and speed can be useful against big attacks, they're less effective against beam-spam barrages -- especially when it's explosive beam spam!

Still, Tsukiko does her best: avoiding direct hits, heading across shockwaves instead of into them, keeping her speed up through hazardous zones instead of being a sitting duck in a collapsing pocket of false safety. When the blasts clear, the wolfgirl is looking rather scuffed up and somewhat worse for the wear -- and is the tip of her tail on fire?!? -- but still standing, still running, and grinning with a defiant ferocity.

As the wisp of explosive ordnance settles in on her, Tsukiko gives Rashmi a mental thumbs-up, then adds, << It's tempting to bite those oversized knuckles, but I'm in no hurry to be inadvertently pulled onto the wrong side of a collapsing portal. >>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Amy knew someone would handle the truck! And she smiles as she sees the glowing powerlines. That can't be good for the machine. Just a bit more...

    Wait, what was that about a deal? And Amy looks over, and then blasts of energy start coming her way. She dodges the first, eyes widening as she hears... Molly?

    Is it time already?

    Oh shit, the portal... No, stick to the plan. Overwhelm Seriss's defenses. Molly's hijacking of the Device will hopefully prevent Seriss from using that god-damned phoenix protocol.

    Amy turns as she lands. She's suddenly holding the huge artillery cannon. Explosions echo off nearby buildings as a giant skewer of magic with the properties of depleted uranium ignites and whizzes past Seriss at hypersonic speed and disappears into a building. Oops.

    The Puella Magi corrects her aim and fires another, this one straight at Seriss, before she's forced to dodge again.

    "You said it!" Red adds, after Tuxedo Mask's words.

    The artillery cannon vanishes as Amy dodges the next blast to come her way. It's closer this time -- The heat singes the end of her cloak, and she feels heat that she's not entirely sure isn't burning her at least a little.

    "And this has been your decision every step of the way..."

    Amy pulls the explosive saved from last time from her belt, and as her feet hit the ground and she spins towards Seriss she loads it into the end of something like an RPG-7.

    Aim, fire! TWO can play the thunderous explosion game, although Amy's is considerably more localized as it goes off like a lightning strike right next to Seriss!

    "...If you'd just wanted to live and have a body? I would've looked for a way to help you."

    If this is working? If attacks are getting through now? After dodging another darkblast, Amy turns again and raises a conjured sword like she's about to command a firing line. "It's over."

    "COMMUNAL...

    Amy aborts the attack to dodge lingering darkness blasts still coming for her. As soon as she can get a moment, though...!

Souta Camero has posed:
    The glittering foil of rare Pokemon cards rain all around Souta as he soars through the air, and as his feet hit the ground they're met with a chorus of cardboard boxes and cards hitting pavement. He looks down and gulps, and Paradise measures his increased heart rate. He hasn't been here long, but he knows what those are. So many are destroyed now, and by his blade...

    < Relax. We are in a Barrier. >

    Oh, right. Phew. It's all good. It's still good. The real cards are safe.

    < Relaxation Over >

    What? The good Inspector looks up at the portal, now unshielded, with massive hands tearing it open.

    What?

    Tuxedo Mask is voicing Souta's objections for him, so the Inspector just mentally files this under 'bullshit that Chrono warned me about' and says, "Portal hands, maybe? I don't know. That one's new for me, too."

    Everyone's focusing on Seriss, and Paradise Spectrum is telling him that it's the best plan of attack. "Tonfa Mode," he commands, and the form of his Device shifts as he launches himself at Seriss. He strategically waits for an opening between other people's ranged attacks, before he closes in to pummel her with melee because he knows how to not be reckless about friendly fire.

    "Red has a good point. There are ways to live in the world without victimizing people."

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Saturn watched the shield crack open and... yes. They were stopping it. Good. Finally. There was no need for that to happen. Not this time. Not again. Never again.

Wait, all enemies but her?

Why not her?

She turned her gaze towards Seriss as the blasts were focused down on everyone else and she gathered more of her energy, her power...

Only to pause, as those hands pushed through the portal... "S-stop..." Saturn said. "W-we can handle it... he's not here yet. We will stop him. Trust in Sailor Moon. Trust in all of them."

For a moment, she was silent... but then she let out a sigh of relief, before moving once move. Lifting the glaive. They had to finish this. It would take her time to recharge after her last attack, but she could feel Rashmi's surge in her, and she gathered her energy, still watching for now, readying for the moment. Not yet. Trust in them. Telling her inner, past self to believe in them...

Molly Skyline has posed:
A series of attacks come crashing in on Seriss. A Smoking Bomber, a Moon Spiral Heart Attack, and of all things, a Depleted Uranium Shell. They hammer into her barrier jacket one after another; the Bomber staggers her backwards, making her drop to the ground befor ethe Moon Spiral slags halff her barrier jacket, and finally the shell blows a hole in the middle of her chest plate and forces the sorceress down to one knee, while behind her the portal is opened up by inches and the baleful eyes glare over her head.

"Doesn't... matter," she hisses, as she wipes the big of her hand over her lips, coming away with a trace of blood on her knuckles. She stands, and pulls the damaged helmet off her face, casting it aside. "My Master is here. Your world ends tonight! You cannot--"

Seriss is interupted mid-taunt by Souta, and his Tonfa are met with Cygnus' haft. "Configure melee!" she shouts in a hurry, and with a grinding screech that Rashmi will certainly recognize, the staff transforms into a glowing greatsword. Souta gets a couple of attacks to land directly on Seriss' jacket, the impacts ringing out and cracking the plates, but even in a desperate mess, Seriss' confidence fails to waiver.

"Cygnus, charge Supernova," she instructs. "Set range--

<< INSUFFICIENT MANA RESERVES >>

"I beg your pardon."

<< LOSS OF PRIMARY SECONDARY AND TERTIARY LEFTENANTS HAS NEGATIVELY IMPACTED MANA RESERVES >>

Seriss roars, and swings her sword, catching Souta and sending him flying towards Tsukiko -- may as well deal with two at once, afterall.

"Phoenix Funeral!" she snaps; glowing motes appear in the air throughout the battlefield, and rush inwards to Seriss, absorbing themselves into her body. It's a lot of them. Too mny of them? Blue flames lick across her shoulders, and spread down her arms, which she gazes at with fascination.

<< MANA RESERVES AT ONE THOUSAND PERCENT. CURRENT VESSEL INADEQUATE >>

"Well then."

Seriss appears to drop forwards, falling to her knees; but then, it's... there are two beings. One, a purple haired teenager in a hospital gown is collapsed on the ground, and standing behind her a demon, with actual leathery wings and purple tentacles where her hair ought to be, clutching Cygnus Lich, and glowing with intense amounts of mana. She stoops to loop her free hand under the teenager's body, and haul her upwards, holding her by the neck up against her chest.

"Still alive, Molly? I'd be disappointed, but it turns out you are all the shield I'll need. Cygnus! Charge Supernova."

<< AFFIRMATIVE. CHARGING >>

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Molly's here.

Seriss is charging The Attack That Must Not Be Thrown.

It's time.

The Deal was that Rashmi installs Starcrash's missing defense module into Cygnus Lich, and Seriss doesn't target her or Molly's families.

But that deal was made *after* Chrono had a couple days with the piece of TSAB technology, and Chrono may not be a Meister... But he is *very, very good* with Device programming. And very, very much a stickler for the rules. And the rules are *extremely clear* about when a Device needs to shut down for its own health.

Tuxedo Mask's horrified cry makes Rashmi joggle a bit in the air, but her mental voice is calm and soothing. << That was her last shot, Kamen-kun. She's not gonna get another. >>

And a new Device is brought into the comms net. << STARCRASH, >> Rashmi yells through the link. << TSAB DIRECTIVE: EMERGENCY MAINTENANCE SHUTDOWN. MEISTER AUTHORIZATION: FIVE-EIGHT-LIBERTA-SEVEN-CALNAROG-TWO-VAIZEN! >>

Surprise tricks should never work twice, but Seriss only locked out non-user *voice commands.* She never knew there should even *be* a telepathic interface. Or that Rashmi had *restored Starcrash's.*

And honestly, the poor tortured Device *deserved* a nap after everything he's suffered.

Molly Skyline has posed:
<< CHARGING SUPERNOVA. FITY PERCEN-- >>

Cygnus Lich abruptly stops talking, mid sentence, and for a moment Seriss just stands there, holding Molly like a ragdoll. She narrows her eyes, and glances down sideways at the greatsword in her hand.

"Cygnus. Continue charging. OBEY."

<< SHUTTING DOWN. RELEASING SPELL. >>

"WHAT?!"

The device in her hands whines softly as it powers down; and with a loud whoosh it rleases the pent up spell, not as a fully charged Supernova but still as a formidable explosion, centered right on Seriss herself. In the midst of it, Nicomachea would detect a breakwall spell being deployed, and then register a device shutting down completely.

As the dust settles, Seriss is still standing; she clutches at a wound in her abdomen, and looks shakey on her feet, but she is still standing. Molly is on the ground on her knees, with a small, spherical shield around her that glows and fizzles out.

"I... hate you," Seriss gargles and brings her now powered down but still sharp sword up, and swings it down with clumsy strength. Molly throws up her hands, and the strike misses her neck, but connects with her left bicep; she falls with a loud squeal, and skids across the ground away from Seriss, where she lays unmoving.

"I HATE YOU ALL!" Seriss screams, as her now leathery wings beat the air, and carry her back aloft. Her forewarms glow, and she fires twin blasts, poorly aimed at Rashmi, then Sailor Moon, then Souta, then Tuxedo Mask, and Amy, and Tsukiko, and even at Saturn, previously left alone as she was. All while the being with huge hands struggles to open the portal, succeeding only by inches but still succeeding.

"You can't stop me! YOU CAN'T!! THIS IS WHEN I WIN!"

Rashmi Terios has posed:
Behind her, the portal is still opening. That's something that's gonna need to get taken care of. But as Seriss declares her undying hate, then *takes a swing at Molly* and starts blasting wildly, like a chump? Rashmi starts to lunge for her best friend, but sees Ikiko switch directions before Molly even finishes skidding.

Trust your friends. Finish the job in front of you.

"Verbal Command," she says as she swoops to one side to dodge the blast thrown her way. "Accumulator Purge."

    << *BONG!* >> << COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE, >> Nicomachea answers, and... does he sound a little bit more... eager? << PURGE CHANNELS GREEN. ALTERNATE GRIMOIRE LOADED. AWAITING COMMAND, MEISTER. >>

"It's like Tuxedo Kamen said," Rashmi says, narrowing her eyes behind cracked glasses at the true form of the creature that had been the absolute bane of her existence over this last year, now with nothing left but impotent rage and petty cruelty.

"*Die mad about it.* SOLAR BUSTER!

<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR BUSTER >>

And from above and to Seriss' left, a golden, coruscating beam of energy lances down, piercing through the daimon's body to dig a tiny crater in the Barrier pavement; a crater made bigger, when the explosions that travel the length of the beam finally touch ground.

Souta Camero has posed:
    Souta's words fall on deaf ears, and after getting launched by Seriss's weapon he falls on the cold ground, barrier jacket shredding as he skids and skips across asphalt and concrete. He pushes against the ground with a hand, launching him into a spin that lets him land on his feet, and one hand clutches his opposite shoulder as he watches Seriiss become two different beings.

    A hostage situation.


tUnknown to most here, hostage rescue is something that Souta is specifically trained in, though he has to wait for the right moment. Once Rashmi's gambit goes off, and Molly is on the ground, he seizes the opportunity.

    << Shield Spark. Full power.. Targeting Molly. >>

    < Shield Spark: MAX >

    A magical spark flies out of Souta's device and towards Molly, projecting a magical bubble that replaces the one that just dropped. Then the Inspector--

    'USAKOOOOOOOOO'

    Souta glances towards Tuxedo Kamen with concern. Oh that sounds... that's okay right? They okay over there? Paradise Spectrum reassures him that he should really be worried about himself right now--.

    Twin blasts score a direct hit on Souta's chest, sending him flipping back once again. He's gone from almost completely fresh to pretty messed up in the span of a few unlucky hits, but Rashmi's gambit worked and the fight is almost over.

    Souta disregards his own wounds for now. He'll have to deal with any fractured bones or bleeding later. He's dashing towards Seriss as Paradise turns back into greatsword mode. He holds it over his head as he closes the distance, shouting, "Spectrum OVERDRIVE!"

    His blade extends for a brief flash of a moment, damaging magic increasing in both size and intensity as he brings it down on Seriss. Then he dashes back, both to make room for the attacks of his allies, and also to serve as a body shield for Molly and hoping that someone else takes her away.

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
It's not out loud, it's his heart screaming through his mind, an echoing shriek of fear that only shows as a wretched expression behind the mask. (Unfortunately, his mind is connected to the Psychic Friends Network.) << USAKOOOOO!!! >>

He's running, Tuxedo Kamen is bolting through the battlefield toward where Sailor Moon's fallen, but then she's getting up to attack and he can breathe again and he's suddenly incredibly sheepish. << Sorry, uh... sorry. Yessss awesome Rashmi-chan. >>

He's still a little breathless with the momentary horror when he gets back to Sailor Moon's side, and he reaches for her, getting down on one knee to put his other hand on the ground. He refuses to look at

WHAT THE FUCK MOLLY'S ARM?? okay it's okay it's okay he can reattach it but they have to kill Seriss first they have to--

His stomach heaves, and he shuts his eyes and focuses on the power welling up from the ground beneath their feet, on the feeling of the ground itself, the pavement, the dirt and sand and rocks beneath it, the cables and tunnels and pipes far below-- and there. Molly is at least out of the way.

He calls the attack out in tandem with Sailor Moon, voice ringing and clear. It's the only words he has for Seriss Nyx.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Tuxedo Kamen's scream would have been enough to rouse Sailor Moon even if Rashmi's boost up hadn't, but since she was on her feet, she mostly just calls back through the telepathy -

<<I'm okay, Mamochan! It takes more than that to keep me down!>>

She hurts, but this is far from the worst she's felt. After all, no one's died this time. She hasn't carried on through the news of loss after loss to bring down Seriss Nyx. Instead, they're making the impossible possible once more -

Because Molly is back, even if Seriss Nyx has her strung up as a meat shield -

<<So that was your secret plan,>> she breathes, astonished, as Seriss Nyx's device - as Molly's device - deactivates. There's the smallest hint of a chance - "Seriss Nyx! Just - just stop this. You have your own body now! You don't have any excuse to hurt Molly, or anyone else anymore, you can stop this!"

But she doesn't. And she isn't willing to. And Molly goes rolling with a squeal as a sword comes down on her bicep, and Sailor Moon reaches for Tuxedo Kamen, already knowing he'll be at her side, her hand in his, their power mingling. They've worked together on this enough times now that she knows to let the spiraling flood of power pour through her, into Mamoru, and back out through her rod, the same way she accepts the flood of his power.

"In spite of everything... I'm sorry it has to end this way."

Spinning hearts appear all around them, but they aren't just pink - they're pink and white and gold and even a dusky charcoal-grey, some as small as her fist, others as large as her head, until there's the great heart - taller than her, taller than him, wider than their joined arms spread, and a dazzling display - a bright pink heart shot through with white-gold streaks, like a piece of kintsugi, a broken heart pieced together, made stronger for the pain.

"Moon Spiral Heart Smoking Crater!"

And the pink heart shot-through with white-gold flies at Seriss Nyx and explodes , shattering light with physical effect, shrapnel that pierces through, and it's not just the heart that explodes, because the ground under Seriss Nyx craters, splintering apart, as the Earth beneath splinters up, earth cracking up into great spears of rock to tear her asunder.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
"Oh shut up," Sailor Saturn said before she spun her glaive once more. The tip glowed with explosive energy, the energy that Rashmi had gifted her mere moments ago... Which she swirled the tip around a few moments before...

OH MY GOSH MAMORU! Saturn's head was rocked for a moment and her entire body jerked from that scream, before she righted herself.

"Explosive Glaive Surprise!"

Once again the discus formed, but this time rather than a silent disk of death, it was a burning, glowing disk of explosive life, tearing forth and through the half-hearted blast shot her way, straight at the demon that had terrorized them for so long... before it veered off and slammed INTO the portal, directly into Pharaoh 90's clutching hands. To remind him of what was here, what awaited him. "This world is--"

And then her words died in her throat.

There was the sound of glass shattering as a black gem smashed into her back. A strange... imp-like youma had dashed into her from behind, smashing the strange black gem that Seriss Nyx had created before... into her back. As the gem shards melted into her back, Saturn stumbled forward, eyes wide, before whipping around and swinging her glaive. The youma was destroyed, the daimon egg turning to smoke behind it.

What in the world?

She shuddered, walking forward a little and leaning on her glaive. It was fine, she was fine. Whatever that was... She had to focus on Seriss.

Across the city, in Obsidian Tower... Dr. Tomoe looked at a monitor in the darkness... and his grin nearly split his face in half.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Tsukiko's vision wobbles from Tuxedo Kamen's scream of worry, and she has to yelp and do a rolling dive to avoid getting hit by Souta, but her overall speed doesn't falter for long. Her eyes widen as Seriss is ejected from Molly, but the immediate hostage-taking causes the wolfgirl's eyes to narrow. She has an idea on how to rescue her friend, but the angle will have to be precise, the timing impeccable... and the window of opportunity is narrow and growing moreso.

And then Rashmi derails the attack Seriss was charging up.

The vented explosion delays visibility and safe approach, so Tsukiko isn't able to get Molly clear of the fight before Seriss strikes -- but now, a choice: pile onto Seriss to help finish her off, or get Molly to safety?

    ...why not both?

The wolfgirl launches towards Seriss in a silvery bolt of light, lunging as is normal for a Silver Wolf Tackle -- but as she hits, Tsukiko detonates the Exa Blaze, sending her movement perpendicular to the initial attack! This redirect absolutely wrecks her speed, and she ungracefully tumbles across the ground for a bit, but she picks herself up at a solid jog, scooping up Molly in the process, and proceeding to beat feet to the back lines of the group (and any solid cover that can be found there).

<< I'm definitely gonna feel that in the morning, >> she sighs ruefully mid-fallback. << But at least mine's only bruising. >>

Amanda Faust has posed:
    "COMMUNAL..." << USAKOOOOOOO! >>

    Amy looks over in alarm, eyes wide. That looks... bad. She took one of those darkness blasts?! It looks worse than what Amy took from Rubeus...

    And she can't numb pain.

    But there's no time. Starcrash was supposed to shut down and they blast Seriss and oh shit there's Phoenix Funeral and it's more powerful than expected and... what is even happening?

    There's Molly. And there's the demon trying to turn Molly into a demon.

    Amy can't allow that to happen to any of her friends.

    She also can't move fast enough to snatch Molly from Seriss's grip. But there's going to be an opening soon, one way or another.

    Starcrash shuts own, blasts Seriss, and shields Molly. Beautiful programming, whoever implemented that. Amy can't help smirking a little...

    And then Seriss hits Molly, human Molly, with supernatural force. Please don't let that have broken her neck. They will figure something out once they stop Seriss--

    Seriss. A being that wanted to possess Molly's body, her life and make both their own, with no respect or concern or the slightest care for other people.

    Amanda has a special hatred for people like that. How can anyone want that. Who would WANT that?!

    You do, insists the world when she's looked for connection, for feelings that reflect her. Well. If it's her domain, then no one else can hurt with it...

    "Get AWAY from her!" Amy screams, with a bit of a monstrous shrieking effect. There's a blink-and-miss-it-did-you-even-really-see-it flickering impression of slitted eyes and black claws, of distorted space like the entrance to a Labyrinth rippling around her outlining the shape of wings--

    "You're the worst! I hate you!"

    --The shrieking fades. This isn't the right emotions or mentality to connect to her Witch.

    "NO! I'll NEVER let someone like you win! DIE, DIE, DIE!" With each swing of her arms a salvo of minimissiles is launched, hailing into Seriss and exploding.

    "Everything like you... get out of this world!" She conjures the gyrojet pistol, double-taps, wait why waste time with that weapon -- she's holding a four-tube launcher that fires at Seriss just like at the Witch that dared knock Tuxedo Mask out of his body -- fooshfooshfooshfoosh boom boom boom boom!

    "For MONTHS" she starts cycling through different types of oneshot launchers, BANG "AND MONTHS" BANG "YOU TORTURED OUR FRIEND AND PARADED AROUND WEARING HER SKIN!"

    A massive launch tube fires a split missile that breaks apart into a dozen anti-tank missiles raining into the demon. "YOU DID HORRIBLE THINGS TO HER, AND TO HOTARU, AND EVEN YOUR OWN CREATIONS!"

    Artillery cannon. CRACK-BOOM "YOU DISRUPTED EVERYONE'S LIVES." CRACK-BOOM. "AND SLEEP SCHEDULES." CRACK-BOOM. "WITH YOUR GODDAMN MONSTERS AND EXPERIMENTS AND BULLSHIT!" CRACK-BOOM!

    "You hate US?!" BOOM! an imitation Boom Gun fires clouds of flechettes at speeds of yes. "You think you get to WIN?!" BOOM!

    Amy's flinging incendiary grenades at her now as she steps closer. "NO!" FWOOSH. "YOU DIE!" FWOOSH! "NOW!" BANG that one was a regular grenade.

    "YOU! ARE! DONE!"

    She stands there, glaring at Seriss, for a couple of seconds before the missile she rode in on streaks down out of the sky right on top of the demon for a nice, big explosion!

    Amy stands there, breathing heavily, watching and waiting for if anything emerges from the attacks of her and her allies that needs MORE EXPLODING.

Molly Skyline has posed:
Seriss is howling with outrage, busy charging herself up for further attacks. Sabotage her device? Interfere with her work!? Who do these bugs think they are?! "You think you can--"

Before she can get the words out, a Solar Barrage cuts across her chest, and absolutely burns in its passing, leaving a deep wound across her leathery chest. The attack staggers her just long enough for Souta to leap up into th eair and bring his sword down on her, severing her lfet wing, and bringing her crashing to the ground. She roars, baring sharp predatory teeth at the swordsman, fixing to rake him with claws she manifests on both hands.

But the Moon Spiral Heart Smoking Crater hits as Souta retreats, blasting a deep crater into the ground with her at the bottom of it, drawing a breath that sounds like broken ribs, and reaching up into the air with one hand.

"No," she gasps, "No, NO!! I AM SUPPOSED TO LIVE FOREVER! I--!"

She rises back to her feet with considerable effort, just in time for Tsukiko to slam into her and explodes away, sending her down into the rubble once again.

But she's not finished.

"You CANNOT DEFEA--

Mini-missiles detonate all around her, and the explosions throw her down into the crater. A crater that widens, deepens, and vanishes into a cloud of debris, that clears enough between explosions from rockets and shells and flechettes. A fusilade of horrific and varied munitions rain down upon the Daimon Sorceress, blasting at her again, again, again, again.

Seriss is hit with rockets, until she ceases to be living.

Rockets continue to rain down until she stops being solid.

While Amy is busy making a mess of what remains of Seriss, Hotaru's Explosive Glaive Surprise hammers into Pharaoh 90, right between the eyes; and it's just enough, just enough to drive him back that his fingers slip and the portal destabilizes. For a moment, there's a whooshing sound, and a fierce wind that blows inwards towards the collapsing portal; debris, parts of Seriss' body, cars, and Molly's severed arm all get sucked through the collapsing hole in time and space before it winks out.

And then...

There is quiet.

Souta Camero has posed:
    Souta glances behind him as his Intelligent Device records and analyzes the sheer amount of mahoupower being thrown at Seriss all at once. This is a victory that probably wasn't possible before, thanks to her significant backup mana reserves which she currently does not have. When he hears Sailor Moon's regrets, he feels something. When he hears Amy's rage and general done-with-this-nonsense, he feels something else.

    Mostly, as the demon dies and the portal closes, he feels relieved.

    << Alright. How are we holding up? I got roughed up but I can still walk. How is-- >> His eyes fall on Molly, and her arm. << -- Oh no.>>. He mutters a curse under his breath, then he and his body length hair go walking towards her. << I... I'm sorry. That... can that be reattached? >>

    He looks at Rashmi, and then at Mamoru, equal parts concerned and helpless. Mentally he goes over the combat data with Paradise Spectrum, wondering if there was a way this injury could've been prevented, even if he knows that he can't always stop every bad thing from happening.

    He looks up at the sky and says, "Paradise Spectrum, be ready to open another barrier in case Seriss's falls."

Mamoru Chiba has posed:
Even before Seriss is dead-- after letting that lovely combo rip away from them and into her-- Tuxedo Mask squeezes Sailor Moon's hand and dives for Molly, where Tsukiko has taken her behind the lot of them. He's ripping his gloves off; he scrambles, hands glowing, to squeeze his hands around the wound, stopping it poorly but enough that she won't bleed out while he's taking charge of stopping her bleeding.

"Tsukiko-chan please get her arm!" he calls out loudly, desperately, while Amy's firing rocket after rocket after rocket, while Seriss is dead, liquid, fine mist. But the monster hands got their knuckles rapped and the portal to the Tau system closes-- is closing-- no, wait fuck no wait no-- WAIT-- "Nevermind don't go out there! Ah-- kuso, kuso--"

But it's reality, and it is objectively a good thing that the portal is closed. He's wearing a mask; no one can see his eyes, but his mouth is grim, and he starts to heal what's left of Molly's arm, heal it over so it won't keep bleeding, so that there's new skin. "Not anymore, it's-- it-- I'm sorry I can't grow it back, I'm not-- I'm not King Endymion, I'm so sorry, I'm sorry," he says, anxiety running through his voice.

Ikiko Hisakata has posed:
Tsukiko carefully sets Molly down as Tuxedo Mask does initial healing, then wobbly turns when he calls for the detached arm. But before she can start moving, the portal -- and the arm -- vanish.

    ...welp.

The wolfgirl flops to the ground, barely able to do much more than sit as her adrenaline crashes. "So that's what happens when you try cornering way too hard for your speed," she wheezes, nodding to where she awkwardly tumbled across the pavement. "But at least I now know that I can do that, if I have to."

Amanda Faust has posed:
    Seriss doesn't have an excuse? "That never matters." Amy commented, before launching into her own tirade and fusillade.

    She glares at the smoke of her last missile until she can see that Seriss has been reduced to a stain on the pavement. She makes a kicking motion, scuffing her boot on the stain. "That's what you get. Anyone who tries to ruin an innocent life for their dumb scheme..."

    Amy lets out a breath and mutters. "I hate possession..."

    Suddenly, she turns towards Molly, and then the portal sucks all the debris into it and WAS THAT MOLLY'S ARM FUCK

    Amy runs over to Tuxedo Mask, switching to her regular costume and pulling her first aid kit from under her cloak, "Is she breathing? At least her heart's beating if you have to do that... hold tight!" She pulls out a tourniquet and follows the instructions to tie off the stump properly until Tuxedo Mask has healed it over, then undoes it.

    She's not sure what to say to Molly. But Molly's not conscious, right?

    Triage, triage... Molly is stable. She looks around for other wounded. "Is anyone else hurt?" She wasn't exactly closely watching everyone else, for all she knows there's a lot and some folks may need first aid and possibly clotting bandages until Tuxedo Mask and Sailor Saturn can get to them. Or maybe there's not!

    At least this time Amy herself is, miraculously, unharmed. Save for that fall she took. ...She's probably fine. Okay, she has to be checked but that can be after all the maimed or bleeding people are dealt with.

Hotaru Tomoe has posed:
Sailor Saturn slowly walked towards them, shaking her head. Something felt... wrong. Something felt... Weird. She tried to focus on it, but... but for now... She was tired...

She walked forward, holding her glaive in one hand, using it to help hold herself up.

There was going to be reward... something, right? Something after this?

And Molly was hurt! Her arm! No! They had to focus on that! She... Slowly... looked down at her left hand. She had jsut a small chunk of the black crystal that had hit her... just a piece... And with a flick of her hand, it disappeared into her sailor senshi storage space.

For the moment, they had more important things to worry about. For now? Molly had to take priority.

Rashmi Terios has posed:
It's done.

It's *over.*

Maybe not as perfectly as they'd like, but... In all honesty, Molly could be a head in a jar and it would be 'back' enough for Rashmi, in this moment.

On her way down to meet the others as they converge on her unconscious friend. Unconscious... *breathing* friend.

The sob that rips out of her throat might be mistaken for grief, but the incandescent joy on her face has no time for missing limbs. Looking like she would very much like to hug the world, and the gathered mahou in explicit particular, she stoops down, leaning on the augmented strength of her Barrier Jacket to allow her to carefully scoop up a person slightly taller than she herself is. "Hey, Molly-chan," she says softly, exactly as she would if Molly had come out of a coma, and not months of possession. "It's *so good to see you again..."

But Amy's question about anyone else being hurt *does* bring her out of her own head enough to blink, and look around. "...We should all go to the Infirmary," she says after a moment's thought. "We can figure out what to do once Setsuchan's had a chance to look her over. Kamen-kun... it'll be okay. It's maybe not great, but... she's *back.* You all *brought her back.*"

"Guys... *we won.*"

Molly Skyline has posed:
Molly lays still, letting Amy and Mamoru go about the business of tending to her. She breaths shallow and her skin has taken on an ashen quality; the hospital gown (with an Obsidian logo on it no less) isn't the greatest clothing but it serves, and her glasses have broken lenses. But.

Molly is alive.

In the distance, there's a loud *crack*, and then another, as the Time/Space Barrier fractures. Slowly, accompanied by a soft sound like someone wailing in despair, it collapses in on itself, gathering speed as it goes. Power cables spark and writhe as it passes over them, and the shrinking barrier gathers up a tide of darkness, that washes over everyone like sludge but leaves everything clean in its wake; all the darkness gathered up into a single point, and then just... simply... vanishing, taking all that Seriss was and ever could have been with it.

All around the nighttime normality of Tokyo is restored, with cars heard driving in the distance, a cat on a wall looking down at the proceedings, and a city full of people just... living their normal lives, on a normal night, as if nothing at all had ever happened.

Molly is scooped up by Rashmi, and she looks back up at her friend, at all her friends gathered around her, with big, moistened eyes. Her gaze returns to Rashmi, looking up into the red head's eyes, and it becomes apparent how desperately she is struggling to stay awake.

"See," she gasps. "Like... like I said." She sucks in a breath, places her hand on Rashmi's shoulder, and tucks her head in against her chest.

"Righ... behind you."