1172/Let the Beat Drop

Let the Beat Drop
Date of Scene:	23 February 2024
Location:	Plot Room 2
Synopsis:	Sunbreaker challenges Takuto to a DANCE BATTLE! Riventon makes sure Wako can't interfere! Unfortunately... Before the battle can finish, well... Hail to the Kingu, baby.
Cast of Characters:	Hinoiri Kirara, Wako Agemaki, Takuto Tsunashi, Takashi Agera, Sugata Shindo

---

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker was working. Because of course she was. And she was going over exam notes while one of her towers were being set up. There were some.... kindabads running around. Ah, gotta love it when you did crossover work like this. She, however, was radiating dark energy. The tower, at least, was not yet. She was sitting on a bench, a book open in her lap, her 'World's Best Employee' mug in hand, pen dangling from her lips, waiting for the 'help' to finish setting it up...

It looked like two mahou were getting to see that 'Before the dark general attacks!' moments.

She took a drink from her mug. Apple juice. Evilllllll apple juice.

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako doesn't notice Sunbreaker right away, eye-catching sight though she makes to anyone with enough magic awareness to actually pay attention. Wako is preoccupied by checking the time... on a pocketwatch older than she is. She clicks the scuffed metal cover shut, tucking the watch carefully away into her pocket, and begins to look over at Takuto--

And stops, because that's when she notices Sunbreaker. It's difficult not to, between the kindabads and the aura of dark fire.

"Seriously?" she says, making the world's most aggrieved face. "Today?" She bites her lip and kind of fidgets in place a moment, like she almost wants to suggest they didn't see her... but the kindabads are building a tower, and she heaves a sigh. "This is gonna make us late..."

Takuto Tsunashi has posed:
Takuto takes a lollipop out of his mouth and squints at Sunbreaker. "Hey, she was the one working with that girl who decided I was hot and I got stuck on a giant..."

He tosses his lollipop into a handy garbage bin and jams his hands in his pockets. "Lollipop. Anyway, it's fine, as long as we take pictures--"

And his phone comes out, and first he takes a picture of Hinoiri with dark flames and coffee and her study materials, and then another one with the kindabads and the tower, and he group-texts them to Wako and Sugata, "--and tell him why we're late."

He puts his phone in his pocket and yells across the street, "Hey SUNBREAKER!"

And then he does his 'flex whole-ass self to henshin' pose and yells, "Apprivoiser!!"

There is, in fact, an extremely stylish sequence with flares and cocking of one hip and sparkles and posturing. "SASSOU TOUJOU! Ginga Bishounen! TAUBURN!"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker sighed when she heard someone call her out. "Sora-damn it. I haven't even *started yet. Yeah. One second. Oooooone second..." she mumbled, holding up the book in one hand, drawing with her mouth, then the mug, the book, the pen all disappeared. She stood up, stretched. "I swear, can't you people wait until I start? What is this 'pre-fight' stuff?" she asked. Stretching her hands up, over her head, she gave a grunt and then looked and...

"Okay, go ahead!"

And then... The kindabads started to rush and-- "HEY!" Sunbreaker snapped, making them freeze. "You don't interupt someone's transformation! Sorry, carry on."

THEN! Fabulous henshin gooooo! "Ohhh, very nice! It--" Then she stopped. And then... her fists clenched. Eyes narrowed. And... "YOU! I remember YOU! You're that IDIOT with MY HAIR! How DARE you show your face to me! Do you have ANY idea how HARD I have to work, and study, and yet then I end up getting compared to someone like YOU! You jumped ON THE FLY PAPER!" she yelled. "Not to mention thanks to you I've had to try and solve this world's equations for HOTNESS and you know what? YOU don't MEET THEM!" OH! OHHHHH!

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"
"Apprivoiser!"

There are more sparkles. Pink this time. The pleated skirt swishes into being; the capelet unfurls over the stylish tailcoat-and-waistcoat ensemble. At Takuto's elbow, the Ginga Otome plants her hands on her hips, only very slightly mollified by Sunbreaker's scolding her minions about mook chivalry.

"Sorry," she says, in what is not at all an apologetic tone. "We're in a hurry. Anyway, it was a giant lollipop, and your friend tried to steal my boyfriend. With candy. So, can we just tear down your evil tower thing and call it good and you can get back to studying?"

Takuto Tsunashi has posed:
"I'm pretty sure I'm older than you, so doesn't that mean you have my hair?" asks Takuto probably infuriatingly. "And anyway, I'm the Ginga Bishounen, not the Ginga Hotshounen, so I don't know what you think I have to do with your equation-solving rabbit-hole-- but lemme just tell our boyfriend what you just said anyway--"

He's standing there across the street in full henshin and he takes out his phone and literally stands there texting. When he finishes, Wako's phone bings too, because it's still a group chat. 'Sugata, she said I don't meet the requirements for hotness.'

He puts his phone away again and says, "Sorry about that, only he's finally moving here and we were going to pick him up from the airport. So as much as you want to get mad at me about things totally out of my control -- including that giant monster shoving a giant lollipop in my path that I couldn't dodge -- we really do kind of need to hurry up. Ready?"

He grins, and it's bright and quick and a little-- just a little-- conspiratorial, like Sunbreaker is somehow in on a joke.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker sighed and shook her head. "She's a colleague, first of all. NOT a friend. I try not to do those. SECOND of all... No. It's not. The tower isn't even done yet, it's still got like, a bit of a setup to do before it's ready. Seriously. AND THIRD OF ALL!" She turned on bishounen, her fury rising... "Third of all, I WAS BORN WITH THIS HAIR! I've had it for OVER A DECADE! Mine isn't a HENSHIN! It's just how some hair WORKS in my world! So no, I DID have it first! YOUR magic COPIES IT!" she snapped.

Then he was texting someone. She hmphs. And pulls out HER phone to text someone, too! See? She had... colleagues.

Sunbreaker texts Takashi: ... Hey. That robot girl you've been trying to mug is over here by my tower if you wanna swipe it. Her and the idiot. The idiot's mine.

"If you need to go, then go. Well..." Pause. "Actually, no. NOW you've made me mad! YOU are a fool and you STOLE MY HAIR!" she yelled. "And I AM taking that personally! You aren't even a fraction as amazing as me, you think you can just come in and cause me trouble?! Pretty boy? Fine then, sparkles. Let's DANCE!" And... wait... was.... was there music in the background starting? Did... did she come with theme music?!

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Riventon pretty much stops what he's doing on the spot, replies back to Sunbreaker, henshins, and almost flies straight over. But flying in is kind of... obvious. And coming out of nowhere worked well the night before, with the crystal. So instead he figures out where Sunbreaker is and takes the nearest Door and keeps mostly on foot.

    Because yeah, there are rules and guidelines and chivalry about henshins and justice speeches. But there's no such thing that requires you to announce yourself when arriving mid-fight, as Riventon and many youma can attest at being stopped by new arrivals in a moment of glory. So the Ginja Otome isn't getting a warning either. Riventon's not even using a normal Device attack, since that would announce his presence - instead he's just coming rushing in from the Gina Otome's flank, both hands shrouded in Dark Energy that end in gleaming claws, all too happy to rush up and try to slice through her from behind.

    But Riventon is basically a beacon of Dark Energy like this, and that may prove the 'warning' the tuned-in shrine maiden gets, that chill up her spine, before Riventon's claw-swipes can land.

    Either way, though, Riventon will not apologize. "Hey, extremely temporary robot-haver, you're too busy to help him." he says, tsk-tsking her with a finger. "Do you even have a name?"

Wako Agemaki has posed:
Wako was prepared for a few things to happen... the kindabads to go on the attack again, or Sunbreaker to do the same, or maybe - just maybe, because Takuto has this effect on people - there was that tiny little flame of hope that Sunbreaker might agree to let things rest just this once, and they could make it to meet Sugata after all.

She was very much not prepared for background music.

For a second there, Wako just kind of stares at Sunbreaker, bemused as all hell. "What is even happening right n--ah!"

Wawna chimes alarm in the same moment she feels the cold fingers of dark energy reaching for her spine and breaks off, leaping into the air in a bubble of pink light, forward and to the side just quickly enough to avoid those rending claws. She's whirling in midair almost as soon as she's left the ground.

"You again too?" She's immediately more on guard, hands already lifted defensively in front of her as she glares at Riventon. "Since I guess you don't listen, I'll say it once. Maiden of the South. Illuminating the stage! Ginga Otome! And I do not have time for you today!"

As she makes this last exclamation, she flings out a volley of pink sparks that streak from her fingertips toward Riventon.

Takuto Tsunashi has posed:
The Ginga Bishounen's eyes flash like stars at the brazen challenge issued by Sunbreaker. He snaps his heels together and half-slides one foot out, turning the other just so, a gracefully lazy ballet third position. His right hand thumps his chest and he calls out, "Star Swordo-- EMERAUDE!" and draws out a large glowing pointy green energy sword, and he repeats it with his left hand and a blue one, "Star Swordo-- SAAAAPHIR!"

And he goes up on tiptoe on one foot and uses the other to swing his center of gravity and spin himself around, coat flaring at the waist, and come down en garde with an insouciant little flick of his head, chin inclined.

"I worked hard for this hair, no matter how foolish I may be -- must be nice to just luck into something like that by an accident of birth," he says offhandedly, like it's not an insult-- and he gestures with Star Sword Emeraude.

"I am the new style," he sings, "uh oh!
And I'm walkin right down the street~
I'm on Wako's speed dial, you know~
The one everyone wants to meet~"

Then he makes the mistake of looking away when he feels the incoming beacon of dark energy, mouth dropping open. "WAKO!"

Record scratch!

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker had to admit. Riventon could move FAST when he was motivated. Good job, boy. In this case, he interfered with Otome's attempts to interfere with her! She smirked. "Oh, no. Today it's just you and me, sparkles boy! And I was NOT an accident!" ... That wasn't what he said.

She held up her right index finger and fire blazed through the air, spinning around her in a tight circle. Oh. Ohhhh. He thought he could out sing HER? She hmphed, giving him a cocky, arrogant smirk.

    "Everyone tells me my spells are the best
    It's because I set the standards arcanealy~
    I'm smarter, better, no, the best!
    Just look at me~"

She then did a little spin and posed, the flames whirling around her in an elegant display, as she held one hand out, the other pulled back towards her. Yes. Look at her. She truly was magnificent. And she would NOT lose to this hunk. The flames spinning around her to give a magnificent lightshow.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    "Oh yeah, I remember now, I just didn't care. Still don't." Riventon says with a shrug - but the effort he has to take to put up the shield and not have the triangular Belkan sigil get collapsed by the volley is more than zero and shows in his slight facial expressions.

    But the flat triangular mark from offworld does remain intact until Riventon dismisses the barrier. "Yeah, well, I figured you'd made your point about not willingly surrendering the little robot there to me. Either can't or won't, and doesn't matter which really. So I'm just going to blast, cut, and beat the heck out of you and figure out how to get it after." he says, his green eyes almost aglow as he does.

    "And since your friend's busy - and I'm sure Sunbreaker will make him regret paying attention to me and not her - this means you'll have to hold me off all on your own. Which you can't do, by the way. So the only real question is how long can you hold out - before the Maiden of the South is just the Maiden of No More." Riventon says, as a circular runic diagram erupts into being beneath him and a ribbon of magic energy encircles his wrist, and his palm opens coinciding with an announcement from his device.

    <<Shadow Strike.>> calls his device in English and the familiar blast erupts from his hand, like a fast moving burst of inky dark energy that roars out of it towards the Barrier Maiden.

Sugata Shindo has posed:
Doo doo da doo doo daaaaa doo doo doo doooo do do do

Wako and Takuto were late. They were also in a fight, which was secondary to the fact that they were late, in Sugata Shindo's opinion. Maybe if they'd been on time, they wouldn't be in a fight.

...who was he kidding? If there was a fight to be found, Takuto would be in it. The only thing preventing Sugata from rushing off to find them was -

...the inadequacy of the Tokyo air systems.

Doo doo da doo doo daaaaa doo doo doo doooo do do do

The ferry had been one thing. It was just a cheaper, uglier version of Kanako's yacht. The plane had been... significantly worse, but Sugata had piloted Cybodies. Sitting in a luxury seat in a flying metal tube was hardly enough to raise his resting heart rate, let alone actually frighten him.

But as his luggage was still trapped in the pit of the infernal device, he was relatively stranded here.

With the elevator music.

Doo doo da doo doo daaaaa doo doo doo doooo do do do

Wako Agemaki has posed:
"I'm fine!" Wako calls back to Takuto. "You've got your own fight!"

A singing, dancing fight. Under any other circumstances, Wako wouldn't have hesitated to cheer Takuto on from the sidelines... but Riventon requires her full attention.

It's fine. She's fine. She can handle this... right?

The shadow blast hisses and sizzles as it impacts the transparent curve of her shield. Dark energy against purifying, less like oil and water and more like sodium in water. Even so, Wako's not intimidated so much as supremely aggravated. "Why did you have to show back up today of all days?" she demands, channeling power into her shield until it's glowing like a curtain of dawn. "Didn't you get the message when we shot you out of the sky? Aurore australe!" She thrusts both hands forward, pushing the shield at Riventon like a wave of light.

Takuto Tsunashi has posed:
This would be A LOT more fun if Wako weren't having to fight Riventon by herself-- but she can handle him, right? And if he doesn't pay attention to Sunbreaker he'll misstep, and he can't. This is a real fight, too. He can feel the rules.

He can see them--

So instead of worrying about Wako, he throws his whole self into his own battle's joy. If he didn't like fighting, he'd still do it, but it would be so much less... spectacular.

He steps forward, then forward again, telegraphing every move so she can tell that despite the swords, he's not going to sword her, and as he sings, he slide-steps behind her and leans to one side, looking at her from there--

"I'm a leader, I'm a winner, and I'm cleaner~ 'cause I'm awesome!"

Then he swings out and around, coat flaring again, and he tosses both swords high in the air.

"I don't need you, 'cause I'm neato, and I beat you 'cause I'm awesome! Tauburn!"

With the last call, his swords fall back down into his grip and the fanciest goddamned little robot pops into floating bubble existence next to Takuto, mirroring his movements like a miniature backup dancer.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker couldn't believe this. He... HE COULD DANCE! Not that she'd admit it. But dang it... He was a little hotter. Just a tiny bit.

She crossed her arms, glowering as he danced around her. But she didn't interfere, in fact, she was a good sport. When he moved towards her, she played her part, moving back, as you did in a proper dance fight, as if she was dodging/being moved by his 'attacks'.

The kindabads had stopped working and were now gathering around to watch, confused and wondering if they were.... supposed to... do something?

When he finished, she hmphed. She reached out, pushing a hand against his chest. Not in a magical manner, but more a 'dancer push' manner. She sauntered away, arms flowing out and then up, giving a little clap.

    "They say I'm gifted, uh huh."

Sunbreaker then did a spin, the fire forming around her in red, yellow, blue and purple swirls. Circling around her in a vortex of flame.

    "Well I'm a certified prodigy~"

Sunbreaker smirked and faced him, bending forward a little bit, she ran her fingers through her hair and sent flaming embers around, glittering in a dazzling display.

    "I'm gonna own you, uh huh."

She did another little spin, tapping her feet, arms moving in light waves as she twirled. Salsa dancing? Flame moved from her hands, forming waves around her as she spun, swishing out with her movements and then fading out. She did one last spin, reverse direction this time, coming to a stop in front of Bishounen.

    "I'm gonna bring you to your knees~"

Crossing her arms and smirking at him. As if to say top that.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    "What, the lesson that despite having superior numbers on your side,. I still got away with a large quantity of the dancing's fool over there's magical heart and without taking enough damage to keep me off the field? Yeah, I learned that lesson pretty well." he says, bringing up a (round and Midchildan, this time) shield with one outstretched hand and pressing it against the Otome's energy light - and taking cover behind it.

    "If I was you that'd really annoy me. Like, you brought all of that gear and you couldn't protect someone from your own team? You probably care about him a lot, too. But you still blew it when it counted most." he says, his voice dripping with that smug hostility as he keeps trying to sort of keep that war of energy going, Dark Energy flooding from his hand into the shield as he tries to press in against her energy.

    "Did you get like, a lot stronger since that day? Because I've improved my magic since then, and you needed all of that help to minorly inconvinence me..." he adds, as though he didn't drop from the ground and eat the pavement and barely hobble across the threshhold to escape with his limited victory that day.

    From behind his shield, and with his other hand, he gestures as a triangular runic symbol appears beneath him. <<ABSCHUELICHPROJEKTIL.>> (Vile Projectile.) And two black spheres erupt into existence at either of his sides, and then they start on long, arcing courses to the left and right, that will end with them coming at Wako from behind. "You weren't good enough then and you're not good enough now."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
How the Galactic Maiden's magic compares to Riventon's has yet to be proven. The verbal attacks, though - those find their mark unerringly. "You--!"

The shield of light that Riventon was pushing against pulls abruptly away from the energy he's channeling at it, contracting to a bright sphere of purity hovering between Wako's hands. Her power swirls in motes around her, pulling into that one shining point. "You have no idea...!"

She's so focused on Riventon that the path of those two dark spheres completely escapes her. Only Wawna's frantic < Miko-sama! > alerts her in time to keep her from taking both squarely in the back; as it is, she can't twist away in time to keep a smoldering black streak from being seared across the pristine white of her uniform, and she yelps, dropping from her hover to land hard on the ground. The power she was gathering dissipates into a thin haze around her.

"Dammit..." Almost instinctively, one hand reaches back under the back of her tailcoat, closing around the sheathed knife hidden there. But then, as she sucks in a deep and unsteady breath, something shifts. She pauses, breathes in again, almost sniffing the air.

And smiles, a little ruefully.

"...you should run away while you can," she tells Riventon.

Takuto Tsunashi has posed:
He can dance, and he's grinning. He's actively having fun-- he couldn't stop, not really, if he tried-- Wako is holding her own, he could hear it if she wasn't, it'll be okay, it'll be fine. He's got this competitive look in his eyes and the huge bright grin. He can't interrupt to congratulate Sunbreaker on her form, but he clearly appreciates it.

At the 'push', his arms pinwheel (carefully) and he staggers back -- in fact, the whole time she's dancing and singing this turn, he does exaggerated stage reactions. A fake yawn with patting of the mouth while leaning on one of his swords and holding the other, an overly startled look, a shocked and taken aback one with his hand over his heart, and then that grin at the smirk, and his hand still over his heart, and a big blue X glows through his shirt and coat beneath it.

He leans in.

"They maybe tell you how bright you are~"

He leans back and tosses Saphir to his left hand, then twirls both of them overhead to either side of him.

"But my radiance is quite supersized~"

With a bouncing few steps backwards, he doesn't salsa-dance-- he skate dances in his boots, bright blue-white radiant energy beneath his feet acting to let him 'fly' a quarter inch off the ground with no friction but air, and he spins, the sound of the swords making a 'vwooooom' at a bass note that's in key with the background music as they light up.

"I'm an interstellar superstar~"

And he pushes himself up, still spinning, lifts his swords overhead, then stops with the motion for Flair! Galactic Cross Slash! and the swords end up held to either side of him, his bangs falling into his face and his grin tremendous.

"Just look at me~!"

It's-- he keeps getting competitive and then having too much fun. His hair is wild right now.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker was... was getting into it. Damn it. Despite her objections, her desires, she was having *fun*. He was a lot more challenging than she would have expected. And this? This was EXHILERATING! A dance battle, she hadn't had a REAL one in ages. None of these sparkle skirts appreciated the finer arts.

When he leaned in, she looked up. Sure, he was taller--

And she looked mock-offended! And oh. Oh gosh. She hmphed, turning her back to him as if dismissing him, but then... looking back. In that coy 'dancer' way. Watching. And oh my gosh his boots lit up. YES! HE WAS GETTING IT!

And oh, ohhhh. That pose. She smirked. She then reached up... sliding her jacket off. She threw it up into the air, the garment disappearing by burning into ash (It'd get better later, don't worry).

    "I'm THE leader, I'm a winner, and I'm meaner!"

She flicked her hands and a ball of fire appeared, which seemed to orbit her hands as if held by an invisible thread.

She started spinning around, the fire flowing around her in tight circles, a little fire dancing.

    "'Cause I'm awesome~"

A second flame appeared, as if connecting to the first, and she reached out to grab an invisible 'staff', with the flames on both ends.

    "I don't need you 'cause I'm neato and I'll beat you~"

She then ran towards him, leaping into the air as she twirled, over his head(definitely mahou strength or dark energy) so a bridge of flame was overhead for a moment! She landed and skidded, making sparks as she bent backwards, catching his eyes...

    "'Cause I'm awesome~"

She then spun the 'staff' up, and it flew away, the flames circling overhead and she swirled around, holding her hand out to him with that 'match me if you can' smirk.

    "Here we go."

Oh. Ohhhhh. She'd even let him lead... but could he keep up the pace?

Takashi Agera has posed:
    Riventon sneers."No idea how it feels to be so weak? Yeah you're right, no clue at all." Riventon says as the spheres find something akin to their mark and, more importantly, stop her from charging her attack.

    "See, unlike you, I was born with power. Born great. Born destined for important things. While you are just another person destined to fall away like everyone else in Tokyo, another nobody." Riventon says. He points his right arm down at her, letting a sphere of murky black Dark energy collect in his fingers. "Give up your little friend here and you can live, continue on, maybe open a ramen shop or something and maybe someone will remember you for particularly decent noodles."

    And then she tells him to run. "Huh. That was pretty good. Maybe you can be an actor in a community theatre or something. Anyways. Transfer the Robot. Or maybe it can choose to give itself up, who knows. Hopefully it's doable for your sake..."

    "Anyways... Blasting you into a fine particulate - Ah, for you less intelligent people that means something akin to dust - in five... four... three... two..." His device's shone as it readied itself "...one..."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
A moment ago, every barb Riventon threw out seemed to hit the mark. Now, suddenly, she's fully composed. Not calm exactly - there's a sense of anticipation, a hint of tension. But all of the sudden, she's confident. Unbothered. Between one moment and the next, something shifted, and now it's like Riventon is no longer her main concern.

She shakes her head at him as she straightens, letting her hand drop from behind her. The look on her face is almost - pitying. "You really don't have the first idea," she tells him, lofting lightly off the ground to float towards where Takuto and Sunbreaker are having their dance battle. As she reaches the Ginga Bishonen, a spherical shield glimmers into being around them both.

"I warned you," she tells Riventon over her shoulder.

Takuto Tsunashi has posed:
It is exhilarating--! This is a challenge! This is a kind of fight he's only ever fought against himself, really--

And Takuto is absolutely about to take that lead and run with it, but then there's abruptly a bubble around them and he whirls around to catch Sunbreaker up to steady her in the bubble's flight. "Got a Kingu plan," he sing-says ruefully, "gonna make lots of rubble, you see." And then he glances back at Wako and nods firmly. Approval, agreement, anticipation.

Sugata Shindo has posed:
It's a lovely February afternoon, the sun hanging low in the pale blue sky, the wind whistling through the trees, the background music entertaining the few civilians still willing to watch. A majority had run away, when the pink energy started flying and the unusual costumed creatures attempted to go after the boy and girl in cosplay attire. But those still in the area have convinced themselves that some sort of movie is being filmed, and the notice to clear the streets just wasn't put out there.

It's easy to explain the lack of cameras - drones are all the rage, these days! Surely, someone's flying a drone around, taking excellent angle shots of the dance battle happening on one side of the street and the fierce energy battle on the other.

None of these civilians are entirely sure what kind of film could possibly involve both of these battles happening at the same time, though one salaryman is arguing earnestly that it could be two separate scenes, and them taking place at the same time was just a cost-saving measure.

The half-built tower isn't even acknowledged, having gone relatively unnoticed, compared to the flaming girl dancing about with the glowing-sword carrying boy, though the two's dancing is being quietly praised by those not judging the actual fight going on.

Despite the two fights, it's not actually that disruptive of a day, for Tokyo. There are a few parked cars on the side of the street, some street benches, plenty of trees lining the street.

"King's Pillar."

A pillar of pale blue energy crashes down from the sky, wider than the street on which these four combatants do battle. In an instant, the peaceful winter day shatters into irreparable chaos. The pavement cracks, and then craters. Those few parked cars are destroyed beyond repair, as the glass in their windows shatters and the metal fractures. The trees? Rendered to pulp and shards of wood.

The destruction echoes down the street, glass storefronts shattering as the energy strikes. The civilians scream, running for their lives as an unusual day in Tokyo transforms into a bad day to be in Tokyo.

And they aren't even at ground zero.

For those protected by Ginga Otome's shield will feel the immense pressure of the King's Pillar, but they are safe under the South Maiden's power. The Galactic King would never infringe on her territory. The Ginga Otome and the Ginga Bishounen are all too familiar with this energy.

Riventon, caught fully in the blast, is not. He's in henshin, at least - an ordinary human would need to be carried out on a stretcher.

When the barrage ends, a new figure stalks across the cratered pavement, white and gold boots kicking up dust clouds. He's tall, in a long blue military-style jacket, trimmed in gold. The crescent moon shaped pins on his fluffy blue cravat probably stand out as much as his cold expression.

"This is the fool who tried to take Wawna?"

There's a sword in his hands, made of the same sparkling energy as the Ginga Bishounen's Star Swordo's - only his is white.

Takashi Agera has posed:
    One moment, Riventon's focused on the fact that he is absolutely going to seriously injure or worse this girl, but he did warn her multiple times... he can hardly be expected to not...

    And then there's a brief moment where his device goes from calm to 'as panicked as it has ever been' in warning.

    <<PROTECTION.>> the device calls without waiting for a command from it's master, and that blue light is met by a purple-black energy shield - for a moment. Time seems to move in slow motion as this gives Riventon -just- enough time to react to the tremendous power. Riventon's right hand comes forward. <<Defenser.>> a circular protective shield of energy runes erupts from Riventon's hand, just as the less collected energy shield shatters.

    Riventon brings his left hand up just as the Defenser shield breaks. <<Panzerschild.>> (Tank Shield) calls the device in its other Belkan voice, the triangular shield erupting into being and withstanding the light for... just a moment. Long enough for Riventon to process what's happening. For the blue light to overwhelm him.

    One last call is made in two voices. <<ReaktorPurge.>>

    A barely perceptible person-sized shimmer of that same black-purple-blue light within the shield kicks off, and the intended target of the attack is 'launched' boldly out of the column, smoke trails somewhat visible too. It is, notably, not Riventon. It's still in a (very singed) lab coat but it's a regular lab coat, and the brief glance indicates no armor, no boots; it's a teenage scientist if anything.

    Takashi Agera hits the ground, just out of clear recognizable visual range, rolling from the impact and with an inaudible scream. When he finally stops moving, he reaches out with a shaking hand. Dusk Zone. Dusk Zone. He needs to get to the Dusk Zone now and figure out what happened later. But he doesn't even have the energy left for that, something that should be an easy task for him.

    Unhenshined, dead on energy, hurt all over, and Takashi for just a moment questions if today is the day when he has bitten off more than he can chew, when his dream ends, when everything ends.

    And then a small little robot, much more physical than the ones floating near his adversaries, appears. "Emergency evacuation." it notes, and it is what pulls Takashi Agera from the battlefield.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker was... not the easiest dance partner. It turned out? Being the protege to the sovereign over all, raiser of the sun, etc etc, made her standards high. Being a creature from a world with literal impromptu song and dance numbers made it higher. So every single jerk looking to get notice by the ruler would try to get her hoof in the dance...

Which was why she avoided the dances when she could.

Not that they'd know this. So they wouldn't understand just how much of an honor, a compliment, her letting Bishounen take her hand and lead the next round *was*.

But then, a bubble? Interference? And Bishounen took her... but not to dance. To hold her steady? Why did the music sto--

She felt that pressure and her eyes went wide. "S-Sora?" she asked, looking up. No. It wasn't right. But she hadn't felt *anything* that applied as much pressure (aside from maybe herself) to anything since she'd come here. "No... no, that's not... what?" she asked.

Then... "Wait. We were fighting. Why did you *save* me from that?" she asked. She didn't... look mad. Or annoyed. She just looked confused. Then turned and...

Oh, Riventon was gone. And then looked to her tower. Well.

The small splinters and dusk porting away kindabads. "... Well... I guess you win this battle. But... ummm... why? Protect me? I mean... we're... enemies..."

"... We're... not friends..." She hadn't shoved Bishounen away, even. She just looked kind of... shocked.

... Why was it people in this world *kept* saving her, when nobody in her old world would even offer her so much as a hand up?

Wako Agemaki has posed:
The shield glows brightly around Wako, Takuto, and Sunbreaker, almost audibly humming under the cascade of power that is the King's Pillar. Wako lifts an arm as though to brace it, for all that they're nowhere near the center of the torrent. For a few moments, between the blue radiance without and the answering glow of the shield within, the whole world is white light.

Then the deluge passes, and the shield sets the three lightly down on more or less solid dirt, vanishing like a burst soap bubble.

Without any hesitation, the Galactic Maiden darts across the broken and churned-up ground toward this newest arrival, to throw her arms around him and hug him in pure, visible delight. "Sugata-kun!"

Only once he's been enthusiastically hugged does she look for Riventon, just about in time to watch him disappear via emergency evac bot. "...It was," she answers Sugata, ruefully. "Sorry we didn't make it to the airport to meet you."

Takuto Tsunashi has posed:
"We could be friends!" Takuto tells Sunbreaker with a bright, sudden affection. "And even if we're not, that was so much fun, we'll absolutely need a rematch. I think we tied for now."

He lets go gently as Wako puts the bubbles down and it 'pops' around them. "Wako and I agreed you didn't deserve that. By the way, this is Ginga Kingu! Come on!"

Then the Knight is literally bouncing over to King and Maiden to sling them both into a hug, or invite himself into their hug, or something, with such a delighted cry of "Sugata-kun you're here you're here! Thank you! Wako are you okay? He was awful, is that what he was like before?? Tauburn says that the little bot that saved him looked like our cybodies, is that what that girl Firefly was doing?"

Without waiting for answers he swings back out and gestures at Sunbreaker. "She's AMAZING! That was such an awesome fight! Did you see any of it??"

Sugata Shindo has posed:
Traditionally, King's Pillar was used in a forest, or better yet, Zero Time. The ramifications of using such incredible power in a crowded, populated area would give anyone pause.

Anyone but Wako, Takuto, and especially Sugata, anyway.

Ginga Kingu's attention is initially on the opponent sent flying by his King's Pillar; Wako and Takuto are fine - he knows Wako's shields can withstand King's Pillar just fine, and even if they couldn't, Takuto could come through King's Pillar fine.

The flaming girl, he doesn't particularly care about one way or another.

When a tiny robot evacuates him out, his brows furrow, a frown cutting the cold expression on his face - which holds for just a moment, before Wako and then Takuto are crashing into his arms, and he takes a deep breath and wraps an arm around Wako for just a moment, draping his other one over Takuto when the hug demanded.

"I didn't think things would go that smoothly," he says simply, at her apology. "What was that about your cybodies?"

Sure, the tiny robot looked a good bit like their cybodies, but -

As if summoned by the thought, a bubble pops into existence, a small robot, just like Tauburn and Wawna inside. 'Just like', if Tauburn and Wawna resembled an upside down bucket with legs and a large spiked crown of black and gold. Annoyed little red eyes were fixed on his pilot.

"You should have been able to kill him with a single show of your power. That that knave still lives is-"

Sugata flicks the bubble, sending it, and Samekh, rolling off.

"Anyway," he says, as if that didn't happen, "I saw some of the fight. Is there a reason you weren't winning, Takuto? Are you sick or something?"

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Sunbreaker blinked a few times. "W-what? I... I totally deserved that. I'm attacking your world. I... yes! We do! I don't allow ANYTHING to end on a tie! Victory is the only thing that will settle this battle!"

And she was let go and the battle was... over. Did... did this mean she was... did she fight? Now? Them? Or... what?

"He's... not as bad as he seems," Sunbreaker said with a sigh. Huh. Now she didn't have her jacket. Right. She'd need to re-henshin later, make sure it came back. "He's just a giant ham and plays it up, don't take it too personally. It's all about the style."

However. Then she was GUSSED about by Bishounen and they could just *see* the preening she did. The way she stood up a little straighter, how she swaggered just a little bit with her steps. That smirk. "Indeed, I was pretty incredible. And... I suppose... you were pretty good. Your world may not be up to my home's standards pertaining to song and dance, but I've certainly had worse dance partners. You might even pose a shot at defeating me." Yes, she swaggered over. Staying it was.

She even... "Kingu?" she asked. Then paused. She looked down, then up, then... Sighed. She bowed her head a little bit. "Yeah... I know you're supposed to bow and all, it's politeness, all of that. But I *really* can't understand how you monkeys bow with only two legs and last time I tried to do a bow on all fours everyone just looked at me like I was nuts so I'm just going to... not. I am H-- Sunbreaker, she who will break the sun, greatest student of Sora. Future Sovereign of Kirakirafantastica and... unicorn-in-human-form. A pleasure. I... guess?"

"And, ahem. The *reason* he wasn't *winning* is because I'm incredible and have been in more music fights, as well as song and dance numbers, than likely all three of you put together. Easily." Pause. "By the time I finished telekinesis 101."

She flicked her hand and the 'World's Greatest Employee' mug was there. Which she took a sip from.

"Your little metal friend seems grouchy."

Wako Agemaki has posed:
--ooh. "That's a long story," says Wako with a rueful laugh, after both Takuto and then Sugata ask about Riventon's evac robot and its connection to their cybodies. "But yeah I think that was what Firefly-chan made. And I will tell you all about it," this to Sugata, "but, um, not right here."

A beat, and she is not in a hurry to pull back from her boys but she does kind of lift her head and look around at the absolute destruction created by the King's Pillar. "Because I totally forgot to put up Zero Time, and people are probably going to get really curious about all of this and we probably shouldn't be there when they do. Where are Tiger and Jaguar? They're not still at the airport, right?"

A pause, and she looks to Sunbreaker. There are a lot of questions in her expression, but she elects not to ask any of them. Instead she just says, "...I mean, you're not wrong... since this was the first time for us. We can let this be it for now, right?" Now she pulls back, enough to loop an arm through one of Sugata's. "Come on," she tells him, "we promised you dinner."

Sugata Shindo has posed:
Tiny Samekh is being thoroughly ignored, but Sunbreaker is given an appraising look after her introduction. He doesn't know what to make of breaking the sun or a place named Kirakirafantastica, but it's clear she means every word, and the world is far stranger than a unicorn in human form battling his boyfriend via dance.

"A pleasure," he returns, a polite smile crossing his face, more a matter of correct expression than genuine warmth, though he doesn't look at Sunbreaker with disdain or anything of the sort. She's just a stranger, where Wako and Takuto are his. As far as the mention of his 'metal friend'? He ignores it. "Don't mind him."

Instead, he turns his head to give Takuto an even more judging look, even if his smile does warm, when his gaze focuses on him."You were almost losing to someone who spent most of their existence with four legs?"

Wako is raising an excellent point about getting out of here, given the widescale property damage.

"They're not at the airport. They're in the rental car."

This is probably not better.

"Dinner, and a story, I'd say."