2460/A Time For War
From Radiant Heart MUSH
| A Time For War | |
|---|---|
| Date of Scene: | 09 April 2025 |
| Location: | Plot Room 2 |
| Synopsis: | Another dark pulse accompanied by a power outtage ripples across Tokyo, and once again the heroes are ready; but this time Seriss Nyx has chosen familiar and very sensitive ground for the heroes to face off against a monster that, at first blush, seems to be invincible. Are the heroes prepared? |
| Cast of Characters: | Molly Skyline, Rashmi Terios, Usagi Tsukino, Amanda Faust, Coco Kiumi, Aloisia Stauss |
- Molly Skyline has posed:
One might be forgiven for thinking that in the middle of the afternoon on an otherwise placid, mild-weathered schoolday, nothing exciting would happen.
One would also be wrong.
It starts with a flickering of the lights across half of Tokyo, before two things happen at once; a power outage strikes downtown, plunging a quarter of the city into... not darkness, this time, but merely an enforced stagnation. The traffic lights start blinking red, traffic grinds to a stalemated gridlock (no honking like in North America though, everyone is just patient), and people in office towers just sigh and wait to be able to go back to work.
The other thing that happens is a wave of dark energy pulses across the city; and the Mahou would feel this most intensely, to the degree that it rattles windows. It comes from precisely the epicenter of the power outtage; from a building that, it just so happens, is right across the street from Okujoo Ramen.
- Rashmi Terios has posed:
When the power outage hits *this* time, the only sense of surprise is the timing. And even *that* comes with some relief; at least she didn't wait until *twelve hours from now,* which is a nice change. Still--
<< *BONG!* >> << ALERT. MASTER. ALERT. ANOMALOUS ENERGY EPICENTER -- PROXIMATE TO OKUJOO RAMEN. >>
Rashmi pauses on her way down the stairs, head snapping up and eyes widening. A heartbeat later, a look comes over her face that can only be read as 'Oh, *hell no.*' and she turns, bombing *up* the stairs to the roof. As which point she henshins on the run the moment the door closes, leaps off the building, and arcs toward Pikarigaoka, sending out a telepathic call to anyone she can pick up.
<< GUYS IT'S SERISS AND SHE'S RIGHT NEAR MOLLY'S MOMS' PLACE> >>
Banking to bring the rooftop-ramen-and-tuner-shop in front of her, she blinks as another notification blips in front of her field of view; a message? From... Starcrash?!
<< That... is really messed up, >> she says, taking stock of garbled text and fragmentary imagery. << Nico-kun can you defragment that for me please? I don't like that timing. >>
<< *BONG!* >> << COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE >>
- Usagi Tsukino has posed:
It's the new school year! Usagi loves being an eleventh grader and she hates being in class! So much has changed and yet so little, at the same time! She's still in English, and English is still a loathsome language, though having been forced to play games and read manga in it has helped.
Still, she's not exactly crying when she senses that dark energy wave rolling on, brushing up against the school.
"Ohhh," she groans loudly, suddenly, doubling over and clutching her stomach. "Owwwwwwww, ohhhh, owwww, I - I have to go to the nurse's office!"
Her lying is terrible, but she's a crybaby and it's easy to bring tears to her eyes. She just has to imagine kicked puppies, and her destroyed room.
"....fine, Tsukino-san. You know the way."
She hobbles out, clutching her bag to her stomach...
And as soon as she's in the hallway makes a break for it. Her transformation happens in an empty stairwell, and then she's leaping up, up, up, across a building, and running -
Rashmi's telepathic cry reaches her when she's off campus.
<<NO WAY!>>
And thus runs Sailor Moon, towards Okujoo Ramen.
- Amanda Faust has posed:
"During the day?!" Amy shouts, in the middle of class, then looks awkward as everyone looks at her outburst, "Uhhh... I have to go."
She rushes outside, and then realizes she can't as readily figure out where everything's off at night.
Amy does briefly wonder if the cars all got shut off too, until she sees some still moving and wonders why the horns are broken and then realizes Japanese drivers just aren't honking.
Wild.
Anyway, she navigates her way to an outage map on her phone, and doesn't immediately realize what she's looking at but transforms and heads that way, wondering why the map of that part of Tokyo looks familiar...
And Rashmi's message reaches her. << NO! >>
As she sees Sailor Moon also superjumping, she waves and tries to converge their paths.
- Coco Kiumi has posed:
It's one of the last classes of the day, after lunch that day, a break spent with Seira chatting about the latest developments in their life. Which naturally meant the mysterious new exhibit at the museum, but also the beginning of the new school year, and Rihito's date.
But now she is listening to the teacher's lecture, and jotting down a few keywords to follow up on for later, when that dark energy signal robs her of her attention, and Rashmi's message causes her to glance out of the window nervously.
"Is something the matter, Kiumi-san?", the teacher raises an eyebrow, watching the pencil rolling off the side of the desk and onto the floor. "Had a bit of nausea just now. May I go to the infirmary, please?", Coco asks.
"Right. Perhaps, you should get yourself looked at by someone other than our nurse, if you are ill this often", the teacher remarks coldly, nonetheless gesturing to the door with a sigh.
A nod from the blonde girl, and she is out of the classroom, and after being close enough to the nurse's office, she sharply turns to the exit, transforming as soon as her feet get past the school gate, the Live Stage enveloping her mid leap, and carrying her the rest of the way.
- Aloisia Stauss has posed:
Crackle. Aloisia hadn't been in class when the lights went out.
She'd opted to skip today. The school had been a bit lenient to her, the headmistress knowing what actually happened, and other teachers knowing a mundane version of what happened.
So she was off in the city, staring out over the skyline silently from a rooftop. And that's when she got the message from Rashmi.
"Ah." Her hand reaches for the small version of that zweihander. "Platinklinge, set up."
And it wasn't long after that she had joined Sailor Moon and Amy in those rooftop leaps towards the location, blade in hand and slightly more crystalline-appearing armor over the dress she was wearing. "Hi, Sailor Moon. Rocket Engel."
Once they were at roughly the source of that dark energy, Aloisia would lift her sword high, calling out.
"GEFANGNIS DER MAGIE!"
And her own wave of energy would rush over the area. This one much less dark and unpleasant, more of a mild tingle as it passes over people and displaces that reality.
... It's also a little more unkind than a barrier set up by, say, Rashmi, being the kind that keeps those in it from leaving.
- Molly Skyline has posed:
There is, as of yet, no immediate sign of a monster. No horrendous, oily creature crawling out of a building; nothing bursting up out of the ground. Other than the power outtage and the traffic jam, nothing seems to be overly amiss; even Okujoo Ramen is still open for business, with the gas burners still running just fine and it being a rooftop place in the middle of the day, lighting isn't an issue, so everyone's just... continuing to eat lunch.
And seated alone at a table in the middle of the restaurant is Seriss Nyx, not in henshin but just wearing a black, backless dress; the purple-haired woman not thirty feet from a poseter that says 'Have you seen this girl?', with a picture of a smiling Molly. But of course nobody would look at someone who looks like she's in her mid twenties and think she's actually a sixteen year-old.
Seriss is in the middle of enjoying a bowl of Ramen -- looks like kaisen ramen, with a creamy looking broth and extra egg, just like Molly alawys, always asked for -- when the heroes start arriving, and suddenly there's a barrier that goes up and all the other customers vanish, leaving unoccupied tables with steaming bowls of ramen all around.
Seriss pauses, chopsticks laden with squid and noodles halfway to her mouth; she glances to the side, then looks around over her shoulder, arching an eyebrow as she turns to face the arriving Mahou.
"...Do you all come here often?" She pops the squid and noodles in her mouth, chewing slowly and mmming as she enjoys it. "Rather an over-reactiong for someone having ramen though, don't you think?"
Just the same, a shield is up around her, and those who can sense such things will know it.
- Amanda Faust has posed:
No one? Have you met Amy? If she didn't already know what was going on she would absolutely ask Seriss if she got magically aged up or lost in a fast-time dimension somehow.
So far this has been useful once, for figuring out Veronicat was a human-turned cat entire seconds before Ikiko could translate.
Naturally, she assumes that Seriss is here to strike at Molly's parents, so that even if her friends free her she'll have to suffer their loss.
And when she arrives she continues assuming that. "You're not just having ramen. The power went off." Amy looks over at Rashmi. "If she's got a monster, it should've been sucked into the barrier too, right? Can you detect one?"
- Rashmi Terios has posed:
As she closes on Okujoo, Rashmi feels a familiar ball of ice begin to form in the pit of her stomach. Not *here,* not *Serris, here,* not in front of Molly's moms--
Aloisia's Barrier pulls her up short, and she closes her eyes, breathing a momentary prayer of thanks. Which... places the slowly-decoding information displayed in the corner of her vision in sharper contrast.
<< ...Keep her talking, >> she says over the telepathic comms net, as Rocket Red, Yellow Pear Voice, and Sailor Moon and her Crystal Knight join them. << *Starcrash* sent me something, and... what I can tell of it, looks pretty bad. I don't know where it is yet, but... If there's a weakness on her new toy, I don't see it yet. So the longer she talks before the fight, the more time Nicomachea has. >>
Sucking in a breath through her nose, she opens her eyes, and addresses Seriss directly. "I think you know why we got here so fast, Seriss Nyx. And even for you, it's *low* to send your flare up *here* of all places."
- Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"Amy-chan, Aloisia-chan," Sailor Moon greets the two, as they make their way, "Be ready. And - oh good job on the barrier, at least this way there's no way for her to mess up Molly-chan's life even more this afternoon."
A brightness comes into her face as the barrier locks them all in, the Moon Princess landing on the rooftop with an actually graceful stop, her Spiral Heart Moon Rod already in hand.
"You're not stupid enough to have decided to come out for lunch here on accident," Sailor Moon says bluntly. "Especially since you're the one who put the flare up. Come on, if you're going to taunt us, can't you be clever about it? Like, show us some of those smarts that aging Molly-chan's body up was worth."
Come on, you're an oh-so-mature adult, right? Talk at them, lecture them, do all that nonsense to try and prove it.
- Aloisia Stauss has posed:
Aloisia gives a small smile towards Sailor Moon. "It is standard practice, even on Belka, to set one up if one is not already up at the site of an Incident."
Aloisia hadn't been able to get to know Molly that well. She didn't know the order... what she did know is where Seriss Nyx was sitting. What Seriss Nyx was doing by appearing there when unleashing a shockwave of darkness. "Ah, ja, just having a bowl of ramen? With a side of dark energy pulses that take out the power to half the city?"
Aloisia glances around the area. "And just HAPPENING to choose to have lunch, sitting close to one of those missing posters of the very person you inhabit? At the very place that her parents owned?"
Her voice was calm though, in spite of the mildly accusatory comments. There was not rage, there was barely upset in that voice that was carefully controlled. "Come now, I know we are children, but you cannot truly think us that foolish. I would be unsurprised if you do not even need to eat and that is just another setup to get under our skin and attempt to elicit anger because it entertains you."
And Aloisia actually moves up towards Seriss. Her sword not lifted at the moment, she'd already put up the barrier. She was told to get her to talk, and so Aloisia moves... to pull a chair out and sit at the table. "So. If you were not here to cause a problem, please, enlighten me."
She shifts into a slightly sideways sit on her chair, elbow leaning on the table and cheek resting on her fist as she looks at Seriss almost lazily, not quite ... bored ... but there is this air of 'Seriously? Is that it?'
- Coco Kiumi has posed:
<<Got it.>> Coco replies instinctively through the telepathy channels, focusing her attention on the case of this unexpected meetup, jovially trying to get a raise out of them like she wasn't responsible for yet another power loss.
"Why does energy hate you so much? No other villain gets in the way so much with the lights, even if they are running other experiments", Coco ignores Seriss' remarks, crossing her arms instead.
The fact the place is otherwise fine shows the bodysnatcher might have more control over it than a simple yes/no, at least in the case of her immediate surroundings, so she can rule out Seriss being uncaringly sloppy with her use of dark energy.
- Molly Skyline has posed:
Across the street, the building the dark energy pulse originated from abruptly... erupts. The top of it blasts all the way off; broken glass and rubble rain down into the streets below, while the inhabitants of Okujoo Ramen will feel the shockwave, rattling tables and knocking ramen bowls off tables and onto the floor; and across the street something shoots upwards, into the sky. Something big; but it's difficult to tell what it is, otherwise, it moved so fast.
Seriss keeps a hand on her own ramen, and so it doesn't go clattering to the floor. Instead, she watches bemusedly as Aloisia takes a seat in front of her. "Ahh yes, the knight." She lifts another mouthful of noodles to slrup up and enjoy. "I believe Molly was fond of you, even after you kidnapped her and tried to drain her life-force. But, I see you're the tactically minded one; sitting here to stall me, hmm?" She nods in the direction of the now ruined skyscraper across the way, "But my labours have come to fruition already." She shrugs lightly, "But I suppose we do have a moment yet. Obviously, I am here to 'cause problems', but that's really just a matter of perspective, isn't it? Afterall, you are a problem for me."
The dark sorceress leans back in her seat, and gazes up at the assembled Mahou. "I Should warn you, your efforts will be for nothing. You aren't going to get Molly back. You can't purify me out of this body. Unfortunately we cannot simply change the past because we dislike the results of our actions."
She slurps up another mouthful of noodles with a bit of squid, and gestures to the restaurant around her, "The ramen here is really good though, I do believe I'll be back. I'd suggest you eat, but you haven't really got time." The sorceress scoops up her bowl as she rises from her seat, and continues eating as she turns to walk away. "Why do my experiments cause power outtages? Because I use more power, of course. This is obvious, yes?" She chuckles, shaking her head. "You should learn to accept what you cannot change, Usagi. And know, there is a time for all things, little ones; perhaps in time you will understand that. But what comes fast upon us now is the time for war."
As Seriss walks away, something... something large, plummets from the sky to land between her at the Mahou, landing with an impact the shakes the building, and feels like it threatens to collapse the rooft; but the rooft holds, and what straightens from a crouch before the heroes is...
Big. A humanoid creature, clad head to toe in gleaming metal plates; not an inch of flesh visible. Even the three pairs of wings on its back are clad in gleaming armor. In one hand it clutches a barbed spear, and in the other a round shield, as big as an automobile.
<< HOSTILE TARGETS DETECTED >>
Seriss smiles, as the creature makes its report, without turning around. "Very good, Achilles." She keeps smiling, as she walks all the way to the railing.
"Terminate all threats."
- Aloisia Stauss has posed:
Aloisia keeps that calm and relaxed pose, listening to Seriss as she talks, and that gesture towards the skyscraper. "Well, there /was/ also that mild chance you were, in fact, just here to have a meal and sent out that pulse of energy for entertainment as well." Aloisia replies calmly.
...Aloisia is moderately glad about setting up that Barrier before they arrived at the explosion of that skyscraper, but she mostly doesn't react that much to it yet. Still focused on Seriss. "It truly is the nature of those of intellect to cause problems for each other. The difference, of course, being that our disruption is largely to mitigate your disruption, while your disruption causes, well." Her hand that she wasn't leaning on is motioned towards the skyscraper.
Your efforts will be for nothing. You aren't going to get Molly back.
Aloisia gives a soft exhale, straightening up as she shakes her head. "You don't understand the kind of miracles these children can bring forth... and yet, it's even simpler than that." She stands. "Even if Molly won't be able to be truly brought back, removing you from her body will allow her a rest not allowed while her body is being puppetted. And while that would not truly be enough, it is better than allowing her body to be violated."
Seriss starts to walk away, and the huge humanoid creature begins to fall.
And as it falls, energy starts to crackle along the edge of Platinklinge.
Hostile Targets de--
"Schlossknacker."
It isn't even allowed to spool up and make that report, it's not even allowed to properly /recover from the landing/.
When that sword is being stabbed full force into it's stomach area, a burst of electromagnetic energy exploding from the tip of that sword thrust.
"Be terminated, minor threat."
...It probably won't be terminated.
...But it's the energy behind the action that counts.
- Amanda Faust has posed:
At least there's no way for her to mess up Molly-chan's life even more. << Unless she planned for us to do this and left something that wouldn't get pulled into the barrier. >> Amy points out, having immediately thought of that. Although she's imagining, like, an experimental monster somehow enchanted to be unbarrier-able, not, like, a bomb.
Amy smiles as Aloisia lays out Seriss's bullshit. Then starts to raise a hand, "We're not children, we're teena-- She looks back to Seriss. "Wait, how old are you? Were you like, congealed out of darkness right before you started puppeting Molly? Are you the child here?"
Suddenly, Amy has a realization. << ...Wait, what if it's a bomb? A completely mundane bomb wouldn't be picked up by the barrier, right?! >> Amy looks more alarmed the more she thinks about this.
And then... the building across the street explodes, instead.
Ooooo-kay? And it was inside the barrier too...
Seriss lectures about not changing the past-- "But we can change the future, because we're sick of your actions. You sure are obsessed with telling us we can't purify you, almost like it's really important to you that we don't try."
And yet, Amy knows it could be a double bluff, to focus them on the idea of purification when there might be another trick to it.
But that is for later discussion.
Now is the time for war. "You're right about that. And we'll win."
And then there's a Boss, and like hell she's going to just stand there and let it finish its intro animation. If it wants to do that undisturbed it can either earn her respect or learn to warp reality like a Witch.
"<< Cover your ears a second! >> Amy warns, and she summons the same gun she fired at Seriss as she fled the lab weeks ago, a big shiny greebled sci-fi mess to match Achilles's gleaming armor. It looks like something a 12-foot-tall suit of power armor should be carrying, iconically recognizable to Molly and Rashmi instantly, although probably not as heavy as it looks since everything but the firing tube is decoration.
She's already pointing it at Achilles almost point-blank. Let's test that armor, Amy thinks, and fires.
#-1 ARGUMENT MUST BE POSITIVE INTEGER
- Amanda Faust has posed:
At least there's no way for her to mess up Molly-chan's life even more. << Unless she planned for us to do this and left something that wouldn't get pulled into the barrier. >> Amy points out, having immediately thought of that. Although she's imagining, like, an experimental monster somehow enchanted to be unbarrier-able, not, like, a bomb.
Amy smiles as Aloisia lays out Seriss's bullshit. Then starts to raise a hand, "We're not children, we're teena-- She looks back to Seriss. "Wait, how old are you? Were you like, congealed out of darkness right before you started puppeting Molly? Are you the child here?"
Suddenly, Amy has a realization. << ...Wait, what if it's a bomb? A completely mundane bomb wouldn't be picked up by the barrier, right?! >> Amy looks more alarmed the more she thinks about this.
And then... the building across the street explodes, instead.
Ooooo-kay? And it was inside the barrier too...
Seriss lectures about not changing the past-- "But we can change the future, because we're sick of your actions. You sure are obsessed with telling us we can't purify you, almost like it's really important to you that we don't try."
And yet, Amy knows it could be a double bluff, to focus them on the idea of purification when there might be another trick to it.
But that is for later discussion.
Now is the time for war. "You're right about that. And we'll win."
And then there's a Boss, and like hell she's going to just stand there and let it finish its intro animation. If it wants to do that undisturbed it can either earn her respect or learn to warp reality like a Witch.
<< Cover your ears a second! >> Amy warns, and she summons the same gun she fired at Seriss as she fled the lab weeks ago, a big shiny greebled sci-fi mess to match Achilles's gleaming armor. It looks like something a 12-foot-tall suit of power armor should be carrying, iconically recognizable to Molly and Rashmi instantly, although probably not as heavy as it looks since everything but the firing tube is decoration.
She's already pointing it at Achilles almost point-blank. Let's test that armor, Amy thinks, and fires.
BOOM!
The sound of firing the special attack echoes off the buildings surrounding them inside the barrier.
Two hundred tiny flechettes fired at the speed of yes don't care about shiny laser-resistant armor! This is a conflict of magic, not physics, but seeing how Achilles's defenses respond to her and Crystalritter's immediate attacks will be informative nonetheless!
- Rashmi Terios has posed:
"You'd *better not be,*" Rashmi says, half-rising from her seat as Seriss says she'll be back. But the Daimon is already starting to walk away, and she climbs fully to her feet. "If we thought there was anything we *couldn't* change, we'd *stop trying.* So guess wh--"
The ballistic nature of Achilles' entry knocks her off her feet, but thanks to her Flier Fin she manages to hang in midair, right herself, and start moving backwards and up. << Alo-chan back up, I-- >> A stray mental request brings up a Wikipedia page, and Rashmi huffs in annoyance. << ...Achilles was said to be an invincible warrior in myth, his only weakness was the heel of one foot. But Nicomachea *still hasn't decoded* this transmission yet, so while it'd be nice if she hewed *that* hard to the stories I doubt she will. But it's *got* a weakness! We just have to find it! >>
<< *BONG!* >> << QUADRA ACCEL -- BOOST UP >>
A quartet of foxfire wisps resolve into being around Rashmi, then dart out to each of her allies. Whether it be for attack or avoidance, a momentary burst of speed seems like the necessary thing, in the opening moments of this endurance trial.
- Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Before anything else can be said, there's an explosion next door. Sailor Moon has been grateful for barriers from the moment she was introduced to them, but in this moment, she is especially glad, and especially angry. It's so close to Okujoo Ramen. It's so close to destroying Molly's moms' shop. This explosion, this monster - if someone without a barrier had shown up, this wouldn't just be so many innocents hurt, it would be Molly's family, too.
<<Don't try to give me nightmares,>> she tells Amy, immediately, <<But also, if they could do that, they wouldn't let us do the barriers in the first place.>>>
Why let the giant monster be effected, if they could make something not effected?
"If we could purify your boss, so she had to run crying to your Pharoah from her own host, what makes you think we can't do the same to you?"
And then there's that comment. That she needs to accept what can't be changed.
That Usagi needs to accept what can't be changed.
Usagi's breath catches - of course it does. She might have been through this once, with the Black Moon Clan, who still know she is, they didn't get them all and they still know who she is, still know her family -
But that doesn't mean she wants a second villainous group to know!
There's no more words, no more snappy dialogue, just the Spiral Heart Moon Rod snapping out to cut a circle in the air, shining and gold.
"Moon Healing Escalation!"
And then again.
"Moon Healing Escalation!"
And for good measure, a third time.
"Moon Healing Escalation!"
All three of them aimed at Seriss Nyx. Purification won't work, huh? Let's see about that! Let's see if she can shrug it off now, when she couldn't before!
She's under no illusion that she can free Molly right now, with this simple barrage of attacks, with no other purifiers at her side. But if she can make Seriss Nyx hurt...
- Coco Kiumi has posed:
"No, not really", the mermaid princess repeats herself, shaking her head, her lips curved with dissatisfaction. She doesn't really find her deliberate change of subject any funny, and that goes double for her umwelcome suggestion. Just giving up? Giving up hasn't gotten her to where she is now.
"I have lived through two wars, Seriss Nyx. Perhaps you should speak of things that you have actually lived through, instead of trying to distract us with empty words", the Mermaid Princess reproaches her openly.
She remembers when the seas first darkened, and she had been alive for 6 years back then, now she has been for ten more, and people she knows and trusts at her side, feelings that never stop filling her voice with confidence and hope.
"If you really want to be considered a war, you would have to be far more than this, but you should realise none of us are worried, and we will never be. We have faced threats that were so much more pressing than you are, and I have never stopped believing in peace."
"So, you can give up now, and work with us so both you and Molly have a life to return to, or you can disappear like foam in the sea. Do you really want to take the second option?", Coco challenges her.
The second surge of dark energy, and the crash of yet another monstrosity does little to surprise Coco, and she claps her hands with a smile, accompanied a shine of her pearl on the E-Pitch. "You know the drill by now then. With a Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Start!"
Star Light!
If you gather more light,
you can surely change this world.
Even the depths of the dark seas lie in the wind ahead, but by not letting go of my hand... never
Our dreams can begin in a super live concert!
On a stage of light and shadows.
With our super songs, we'll convey our love
and give everyone a little bit of courage... in this song of love.
The joyful voice of the Idol of the Seas carries with itself feelings of refreshment and light, completely inimical to dark energy in Seriss Nyx and her monster. The song can fill everyone with contentment and relaxation, and for the two of them, this sudden change will make the song quite painful to their ears.
- Molly Skyline has posed:
Achilles moves, and moves fast. Aloisia's sword hammers against its shield, and the attack procduces a shockwave that shatters the glass on the railings around the rooftop, but the shield is undented. Unmarred. An eyeless helmet glares blankly at Aloisia, while two hundred flechetes hammer into it at point-blank; the impacts slam into the armor, but once again, not even a scratch is evident on the armor. Worse, it doesn't make a sound, as for a second longer it glares at Aloisia.
Seriss's shield absorbs the first of Sailor Moon's Moon Healing Escalations; and the second, with which it crackles and fizzles out of existence, and by the third
Achilles' shield is in the way, and just... takes it, deflecting the attack away in all directions and dissipating it. Seriss still hasn't turned around to look; even with her shield having fallen, she keeps eating her ramen, and swallows before stating "Cygnus, deploy Neutron Shield. Aurora Shift. Reflect their next attack back at them."
<< AFFIRMATIVE. SHOULD I CHARGE ANY OFFENSIVE MEASURES? >>
"No need."
Achilles stands in the middle of Coco's song, but unlike Seriss' previous creations, it doesn't seem to be suffering any ill effects; at least not outwardly, even if Seriss is gritting her teeth inside her shield. It hefts its spear, and seems focused for the moment directly upon Aloisia.
<< WITH YOUR SHIELD OR ON IT >>
it moves fast. Its spear whirls in a wide arc aimed to catch Aloisia's legs, to take her off her feet; the momentum is carried through to come around again, slashing downwards from overhead in a strike that cuts through the roof and makes a hole into the floor below, and then it draws back and sets for a sharp jab at the knight.
Its attention turns to Amy, and it aims a sharp blow at her with the haft, before spinning the blade around aimed for her midsection, and a slash at her torso.
As it fights, its wingtips take on a glow as it rises several feet up above the floor; and from the tip of each wing purple balls of energy coalesce and fire into dark, destructive beams; three of them at Rashmi, and three at Coco, before it lands, shifting its attention to Usagi. It's shield takes on a purple glow across the face of it before it firces, unleashing a dark, wide beam at Sailor Moon that blasts a hole in the floor across half the length of Okujoo Ramen, all the way to the side of the building.
- Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Cmon cmon cmon *UNSCRAMBLE YOU--* >> Rashmi says over the mental channel as she dips to one side... then summons a hasty Shield as the beams streak toward her, angled so the impact will knock her spinning but, crucially, push her out of the way to keep contact with the beams to a minimum.
She has to hope Coco's speed boost will help her avoid the attacks sent her way, because that *entire shield* is glowing pretty upsettingly at Sailor Moon.
<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD -- GLACE SHIFT >>
Once again, a spiky, irregular dome of ice closes around Sailor Moon, its facets angled to attenuate such a vicious attack. The *hope* is that the shield will hold... but even if it doesn't, any mitigation is better than none.
<< Rrrrrgh I can't make sense of this! Don't do the same thing twice, guys! It *has* a weakness, it *has* to, we just haven't found it, so try *everything!* >>
<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR BLADE -- BLAZE SHIFT >>
Half a dozen Barrets materialize, then lengthen into longsword-shaped constructs... that then burst into flame, and streat toward the armored mountain.
Spells to pierce defenses are good things, and the Blades are just that. Spells to pierce defenses and *also* spread magical, sticky fire? Even better.
- Aloisia Stauss has posed:
In the moments after her attack, a lot of things happened in short succession. One, there was an explosion nearby and hundreds of flechettes being fired towards the armor.
Around the same time a Boost occurs, and Aloisia takes advantage of that to uh.
...Get away from all those flechettes, honestly. A quick boost to do just as Rashmi recommended; for her to back up and get away from the blast zone really, as three shining gold healing escalations shoot past her.
And music playing in the background, that bolstering energy of refreshing light.
And in the moments after, the shield is revealed to...
...Have not been effected. "Tch."
Of course, Schlossknacker wouldn't be as effective without the crystal spike that would normally punch through defenses like that. She'd hoped to catch around the shield instead of directly on it as well, but that was going to be easier said than done.
Achilles then focuses on Aloisia, the spear sweeping around, something which she mostly avoids by jumping. And then the spear comes down in a slicing motion afterwards.
"PANZERSCHIELD!"
The spear slices down, and Aloisia is sent through the floor.
And into the hole, that spear stabs down again.
Rashmi and the others don't need to see it to understand what happens with that spear, the sound of a shattering Shield audible.
And Aloisia doesn't immediately come back up out of that hole again.
Meanwhile, down in the hole, Aloisia is extracting herself from several pieces of equipment, the soft ~plip~ of blood audible every so often as she extracts herself. But this was also a chance, as she lifts that sword, glancing at the blade. Okay, it held up to Schlossknacker. And so she quietly waits, moving underneath the ground as she gathers her energy into her blade.
Listening... listening... okay, the foot should be in the air... and coming down..
There.
"Platin-Schub." She speaks, as softly as she can to activate the spell... and then...
Timed with one of those giant feet stepping down, she STABS the glowing sword with a leaping strike through the roof, launching up from BELOW with that sharpened sword-tip as she attempts to pierce into the center of Achilles' heel.
- Amanda Faust has posed:
Amy looks... moderately shocked that her and Crystalritter's attacks did nothing, but takes comfort in how fervently Seriss Nyx is protected from Purification. Sailor Moon is proving that she has something she fears... And Amy is further buoyed hearing Yellow Pearl Voice's song!
And then, Seriss just announces that the boss is switching phase to one they have to not attack it in. Like, she just learned this lesson!
~~ Thanksgiving Weekend, 2023 ~~
"Guh! I almost had her to half!" Amy mutters, her face reflecting the monitor's glow.
"No! Dammit"
"Ugh, fine, guess I have to get more powerups..."
"Almost had her!" "Ugh, I was so close!" "Come on..."
"Oh. Oh. She absorbs attacks in that phase. ...I'm a dumbass." "...Well, that was easy. Now I just feel awkward... ugh..."
(She'll take out her frustrations on Walpurgisnacht's familiars later, it's all good!)
~~ Now ~~
Okay, maybe not just learned, but it's still fresh in her mind. Although, it's not attacking she needs to be most concerned about, as Achilles gets to attack during its reflect phase, totally unfair and it slams Crystalnacht through the floor, "Alo--!" and then she has to dodge the jab coming for her, dropping her giant gun (which vanishes into a cloud of pink sparkles) and leaping back, and then she has to dodge the slash too, barely leaping back in time--
--And she doesn't land, because the roof doesn't extend that far, and she disappears from view over the edge.
RINGOUT! K.O.?
...A second later she comes flying up over the edge, and flies over Achilles, dropping grenades from above that explode into clouds of smoke and burning napalm, while Aloisia stabs from below! "Armor isn't everything!" Bah, she couldn't come up with a good quip. "Let's give it a hotfoot! ...Show Seriss what's cooking...? What we can cook up... Fudge. Hey, what's with the ancient greek names, anyway?"
- Coco Kiumi has posed:
Carried by the peaceful music in her voice, the positive feeling of the mermaid princess bring radiance to the Live Stage, a show of intense light that hides Coco's figure for a second.
All of this in preparation for when the demonic creature's beams strike against her. It takes a lot of effort, but the Live Stage holds on, returning to normal visibility once the rapid succession of attacks has stopped.
Coco would stop to recollect herself after the three beams, but she has a song to continue with, and her voice keeps up the momentum of purification, turning her defense into obstruction for Achilles instead, a Live Stage appearing around it, trying to hold it in place, while the same song keeps sapping dark energy of its virulent strength.
- Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Was firing three point-blank purifications at the Dark General who she knew was stronger than her a smart idea?
No, no, it most definitely wasn't. But when Sailor Moon sees that shield falter and fizzle out under her second purification, a grin comes to her face, bright and vivacious, not triumphant, no, not when she hasn't succeeded yet, but as far as she's concerned, this is real, this is proof that purification is a threat. There's Rashmi boosting her up and Coco spreading confidence and peace at heart, and the Spiral Heart Moon Rod is light in her hand, the Silver Crystal bright above her heart -
And then the youma is there, and the beam is fired, and Sailor Moon's eyes widen as the ice shield encloses around her, thick as her hand and holding -
Cracking -
Cleaving -
There's enough residual kickback in the attack, when that ice shield breaks, to put Sailor Moon through the roof of this barrier-made Okujoo Ramen, and down she goes, stone crumbling atop her, darkness seething and burning at her skin, and there's an anguished cry as she falls, and everything goes still.
She's not dead.
Of course she's not dead.
But oh, does she hurt.
Sailor Moon breathes, under rubble and with darkness crackling across her skin like lightning, and she's never understood why it hurts her so much, when the darkness strikes, because oh does it hurt, whenever anyone manages to tag her with the darkness. She's got to get up. She can hear the sound of fighting above her head, and knows her friends are still giving it everything they have.
But it hurts.
It hurts.
She gets up anyway, dust and stone shifting and falling, and breathing in hurts a bit, but not like her bones are broken - just like bruising, muscle deep, and oh she is going to make Mamochan give her a massage later...
Somehow, she finds the strength to leap through the hole her own body made, hurtling herself into a spin as she thrusts the rod out, and golden lines etched themselves into the air, and silver hearts blossom into existence -
She's got to do more than just her usual, they've got to be creative, to try EVERYTHING, so -
"Moon Spiral Escalation!"
Silver beams blaze out chaotically, as those silver hearts, a dozen of them, shoot at Achilles like missiles of love.
- Molly Skyline has posed:
Achilles does not stop, does not tire, does not slow down. Aloisia's attack from beneath results in her sword stabbing into the bottom of Achilles' foot without penetrating; it is immediately answers by a downward thrust of its spear, slammed straight through the floor.
Amy's grenades fall upon it from above, and as the explosions clear its gleaming armor remains intact, even covered with burning napalm, and in the cloud of dense smoke it turns its faceless gaze upwards, swinging its spear in a wide arc in the opposite direction to Amy's trajectory.
Rashmi's flaming swords slam into the beast and explode all around it, all bouncing off harmlessly and setting tables and chairs on fire, leaving the floorspace of Okujoo Ramen inreasingly a vision of a smoldering hell. It turns, energy gathering on the face of its shield once again as it levels this attack against Rashmi.
The Live Stage appears around it and the shield-beam slams into it from inside; the Live Stage heats up, but before it shatters it holds long enough to give Rashmi time to move or put up a shield or do something before the latter portion of the massive attack bursts through, ripping another hole in the floor of the restaurant, before it turns and throws its spear through the air at Coco.
The Moon Healing Escalation comes up through the floor, and like everything else it bounces off the armor; and through it all Seriss stands by the railing, now turned to face the battle and watch what's going on with a pleased smirk. She finishes off the ramen, and sets the empty bowl down on a nearby table so she can clap her hands together. "Well done Achilles. Now press the attack. They are no threat to you."
But perhaps Nicomachea will have something to say about that?
- Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR FLASH >>
<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR FLASH >>
<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR FLASH >>
The moment the Live Stage closes around Achilles, and the Shield begins to darken again, Rashmi wastes no time flash-stepping here and there and past the monster's head, trying to pull its fire away from the others--
<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR FLASH >>
--and then below the lip of the rooftop; hopefully breaking visual contact will be enough to keep her from *grievous* harm once the Live Stage fails.
A notification pings in her view; the message was decoded, and a quick check through sensors... yes. There *is* a spot being degraded by Yellow Pearl's constant, relentless purification.
<< GUYS! AIM FOR THE VERY MIDDLE OF ITS BACK, WHERE THE WINGS MEET! THAT'S THE CHINK IN ITS ARMOR, ONCE ITS DOWN WE CAN DUST IT! >>
- Aloisia Stauss has posed:
Armor piercing attacks, designed specifically to shatter through defenses like that were seemingly doing little to no damage, instead the response was a spear thrusting down back through the floor at Aloisia. "Trying to be an unstoppable juggernaut." Heh. She was more ready for this spear though, turning to the side and letting the spear graze along the side of her armor instead of taking a direct hit like last time -- that crystalline armor breaking off. "Hm hm. It acts unstoppable, but that kind of defense consumes a lot of energy..." She muses to herself in that room. Crack.
And then she gets a telepathic message.
Ah-hah. So it was less achilles heel and more achilles wing-base.
"...Well, let's make that weak point a little bigger then." Aloisia murmurs to herself.
<SCANNEN.>
"Thank you, Platinklinge."
The device doesn't respond, of course, lacking a true AI and instead just having responded to her order to find the actual location and orientation of the enemy above... using rough triangulation from where the sounds of its footfalls were, where she could see the beam coming from, and then... from below...
"LUCHTENDE WELLE!"
And Aloisia comes out of the ground once more, this time at the back of Achilles, her blade glowing with shining energy as she brings that sharpened edge up in a wide vertical arc, attempting to strike the base of those wings.
In an arc that, should the blade continue through at that base where the wings connect...
Remove the wings.
"And with that, you are grounded, Achilles."
Aloisia says with a smirk as she lands after the strike, blade at the ready as she faces the much larger 'knight'... not that one could truly call such an abomination such a thing.
- Amanda Faust has posed:
Amy thinks she made it so it can't see. A spear reaches out of the smoke and cuts right across her for her hubris, a gash of bleeding red across her upper leg eliciting a scream of pain and Amy flying further away from it, turning off pain.
A tiny chink in its armor...
Amy thinks she has just the thing.
"Guess you need a little more time to cook..." Flying behind Achilles and trying to stay out of spear range, Amy throws grenades at its back! Hellballs don't work as well in reality as in mental planes and dreamscapes -- instead of a fireball spell that would make any blasting Devicer proud, she just gets these little fireballs in strange colors that Sailor Moon saw her attack the hand witch (or is it the crystal witch?) with before -- but she doesn't need them to be big, she just needs to get scorching-hot plasma into that crack in the armor!
"Let's turn up the heat!"
She tries not to reveal to Seriss that she's specifically targeting a weak point, just continuing her previous strategy! << If this doesn't work, what about hitting there with Plasmabolzen? >> she asks, over telepathy.
...And then, she remembers to use just enough regeneration to slow the bleeding, this time before the end of the battle. She has to use her magic carefully, but slowing how fast things get worse for the healers is probably a good idea!
- Coco Kiumi has posed:
Good thing they are in a barrier, because closed spaces like these really get wrecked when there are attacks flying left and right, and with its huge presence, Achilles wouldn't even have to do much to break things.
However, they finally have a weakness to use against it, with Nicomachea decoding that message. Coco probably can work with that, even if the Live Stage is also her only thing that could directly damage things.
Probably try to hit that spot with the Live Stage, and then become a Super Idol afterwards and help bring it down with enhanced purification. That should work then!
<< Ok, I will bring a Live Stage down on it!>>
Look in a mirror
Your reflection, it's limpid
And all this will be
It will be that strong beat of love, which
Will give us strength and hope to face
This storm that brings with it
The strong wind that surprises us from the sea
But uniting our voices in a song that
Will be heard in the truest depths of the heart
I want to fight only for you
And I want to be the strong beat of love with you
An additional sphere of light appears behind the monstrous creature's back, and it is rammed rapidly towards the point where the two wings meet, with Coco's song throwing the Live Stage with as much impact as it can.
- Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Against this armored behemoth, nothing seems to be successful. Not purification, not swords, not explosions that leave the ears ringing, not the pure voice of Yellow Pearl -
And then, Rashmi's voice ringing in her head, giving a directive.
Where the wings meet the body.
That makes sense.
And she dives, and throws herself under Achilles, twisting, stepping, frantically maneuvering to not get stepped on, as she dives into a spin and pours power - not all of it, holding back, in case this doesn't work, but enough of it - into the attack.
"Moon Spiral Heart Attack!"
An enormous pink heart appears, translucent and large as an SUV standing on it's trunk, spinning like a top. At her direction, it flies up, striking at the point where wings meet back with terrible force.
"Seriss Nyx, haven't you learned not to count us out yet?"
- Molly Skyline has posed:
There's a lot happening all at once, now.
Rashmi and Nicomachea have pinpointed the weakness and passed it along to everyone else. And everyone else are keen to get the job done as rapidly as possible it seems, while Okujoo Ramen is being destroyed around them -- inside a barrier, luckily.
Achilles' spear comes flying back to hand and the monster spins, its wings turning it with impossible speed as everyone goes for its back -- but not all at the same time. The monster slashes at Aloisia, and then Amy, before it turns and the face of its shield glows before it fires, levelling another one of the massive blasts at Coco and her infuriating song. Somehow, the attacks miss the mark; or at least, they don't quite penetrate.
Or do they?
By the time Sailor Moon's Escalation rises up from underneath, there's just... a hint. A slight crack, between the wings, and when Usagi's assault hits it some quality in the armor changes with an audible crack.
Somehow, its has lost its lustre. Somehow, it just doesn't look quite as invincible, anymore; and as Coco's song washes over it, it tarnishes and corrodes, and cracks spread across it.
Something serious has changed, and Achilles knows it; all across the monster its plates shift, peeling back and revealing pulsating, glowing orbs embedded in its flesh.
<< BUT NOT ALONE >>
All at once, beams fire from the pulsating organs, blasting in all directoins and scything through the air as the monster spins, laying waste to everything around it.
Everything except Seriss, who watches calmly from where she is standing.
"Oh, Usagi," she replies, and shakes her head. "When I count you out, you will know it. ...Because you will be out."
- Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"I have seen a lot scarier things than you," Sailor Moon says, and looks Seriss Nyx dead in the eye, "And way worse people have tried to kill me. In this world, where innocent people suffer for the crimes of others, know that I won't stand for it, and I won't give in! I am the Soldier of Love and Justice, the only and only Sailor Moon!"
She strikes a pose, fingertips pointing Seriss Nyx's way.
"And in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you both!"
It might be a bit late in the fight for a justice speech, and the justice speech itself might sound a tad lackluster, but if there's one thing an honest, recovering crybaby and coward knows, it's that bravado will take you far.
In the midst of all those eye beams, there's really only one thing to do - only one attack, sharp and deft and swift enough to strike back without being stopped by those scything beams.
Sailor Moon's hand goes to her forehead and pulls the gleaming metal tiara free. Energy pours through it, transforming the metal into cosmic energy, pastel and bright, singing with cosmic love made manifest.
"Moon Tiara Action!"
This one, it's not her strongest attack - but it's not weak, either. In fact, as she hurtles the discus of energy, it carves through the air, weaving effortlessly around Achille's rampage, and all the while it glows, and glows, and glows with power -
Right until it strikes home in that weak spot.
- Aloisia Stauss has posed:
<< Plasmabolzen is unlikely to be effective. It's an explosive attack more than a focused one. A small target like that it's likely too slow for again. But it's fine. I will likely focus on something else instead...>> Aloisia gives a playful smirk as she responds to that. And that sweeping laser follows shortly after, something which causes that smirk to drop.
"Panzerhindernis!"
Once more a barrier sparks to life between Aloisia and that giant figure. Once more the barrier holds ... holds... and then shatters, cutting off the worst of the lasers, but also still raking over her, breaking off some of that remaining armor she'd already lost a lot of.
But she still stands, her armor gleaming in the night.
"You thought to make an unstoppable force. An indomitable armored being." Aloisia says, beginning to...
Laugh.
"But that already exists. I'm already here. I am the Indomitable Sister, she who shall never fall."
"I am the Unstoppable Sister, the one who shall never lose."
She lifts her blade above her head, that glow growing brighter.
"PLATIN-ANGRIFF."
And she dashes towards Achilles. Its rampage was no longer a worry, as that blade starts to glow brighter and she slashes once... twice... three times... four times... each slash the glow growing brighter as that plasma energy starts to crackle along its edge, sticking and crackling where she strikes. A series of fast, hard slashes... and each one dreadfully accurately aimed for exposed parts of the armor, aimed to weaken the creature. To make it harder for it to manage any further counter attacks. The back of the knees, the inside of the elbows, strikes at those weak points. To reduce this thing that dared try to be a juggernaut in front of her to barely even a threat, much like Seriss Nyx had been treating them.
- Rashmi Terios has posed:
For all that the fight has been rough on everyone, Rashmi... actually hasn't spent as *much* mana on this one, than perhaps she has on others. Fortunately, this means she's probably going to be upright enough to carry at least two who've overspent. Unfortunately, that means she hasn't spent enough to actually activate one of her preferred fight-enders.
But when overwhelming power isn't available, overwhelming *quantity* can make up for it.
<< *BONG!* >> << SOLAR BARRAGE >>
Popping up to the lip of the shattered rooftop, she ducks away from the wildly skirling series of beams, a dozen brightly-glowing Barrets orbiting her. As she jukes and weaves, the assault begins.
Each Barret can be summoned and fired over one second. By the time the twelfth Barret is launched, the first is ready to fire again. Twelve shots a second, her target locked firmly as Nicomachea plots a course to avoid the beams. All she has to do is follow the glowing golden line, and stay on target. She can do that.
She can do that for a *lot longer* than this kaleidoscopic monstrosity has left to live.
- Amanda Faust has posed:
Amy sees Achilles turning to face her and adroitly dodges the spear, spinning out of the way of the attack. It got one hit in, she intends not to let it land any more!
But those beams... are a problem! Amy flies over the edge of the building to use it for cover!
But... while she's doing that, she doesn't have LoS, and won't it just shoot down her missiles anyway?
Except... there's one way it won't shoot, maybe.
Amy flies around the building, to the side Seriss is on, and peeks up over the edge.
She conjures salvos of mini-missiles, appearing over her shoulders and head and flying right towards -- and then past -- Seriss Nyx, to come at Achilles from the direction it may need to think twice before shooting in!
Like, she's sure Seriss has shields, but the monster may not be allowed to risk shooting her on purpose, anyway.
"You didn't even answer the question." Amy points out. "Are you like, a baby whatever-you-are? Or have you been living in the Dusk Zone for a thousand years or whatever?"
She is slightly curious, but if she can make Seriss think about answering, it's a slight distraction from interfering with them finishing the monster...
- Coco Kiumi has posed:
Now that the Live Stage has hit the monster together with Usagi's own attack, it's time to end it the way she always does. The monster's final onslaught covers the whole space, and it looks like the Live Stage is about to be overwhelmed and crushed to nothing, but it holds on long enough for a blessing of pure white to renew it.
The Yellow Mermaid Princess raises her right arm and calls out within herself Aqua Regina's blessing, the bracelet on her wrist shining with white radiance as a halo of yellow light moves downwards from the mermaid princess's head and her clothes change again.
Her left glove now adheres to her arm with a pattern made up of water ripples, while on her left leg a stocking has shown up with the same water ripple pattern, and on her right hand and on her legs a yellow glove and boots with flowy extensions show up.
Bathed in a white-golden glow, rhythmic pulses of light that give a warm embrace to the pain, soothe all the fatigue and push away the darkness.
"Pichi Pichi Voice, Live Finale", the mermaid princess smiles gently.
The seven-colored wind, the seven-colored sky
Overflow with hope to the world.
Your pure white wings, let them rest, and gently fall to sleep.
The sound of the bell of hope becomes the final song now...
This isn't a world made up of just strong people, so
Listen to my love in this song...
At the apex of the song, purifying hearts fly out in all directions, the reach of a big circle of love that won't end. "Fine Heart Pitch!", she concludes the performance with a serene smile.
- Molly Skyline has posed:
And now the final onslaught begins.
With Achilles spinning as it is, attacking the pin-point spot on its back becomes next to impossible, but thankfully it is no longer necessary; that damage has been done, and the armor is weakened. Usagi's Moon Tiara Action doesn't land far off though, and it blasts a divot and two of the wings straight off the monstrosity, bringing it crashing back down to the floor of Okujoo Ramen -- and through it, carrying it down a level.
Aloisia's plasma sword strikes carve deep divots into it, as it beats its remaining wings to regain altitude, and as it rises it does so with only one arm; its shield remains, but its spear arm lies on the floor beside Aloisia, with the fingers still twitching as it tries to throw the spear one last time.
Rashmi's barrets slam into it, bursting the purple organs and slowing the assault of beams. Coco's song washes over it, and the purifying magic burns its flesh; smoke rises from its body as its fleshy parts drop off, leaving armor plates to clatter to the ground.
And then Amy fires her mini-missiles, and Achilles turns, for a moment looking like it will shoot them down; but it doesn't. And instead the explosive rockets hammer into it one by one, until the monstrosity drops down through the floor once more and lands beside Aloisia with a heavy crash.
"Clever girl," Seriss observes with a smile. She looks up at Amy, and gives a brief, polite applause. "That's using your head! I didn't think you had it in you. Truely, I'm pleased. ...I'll leave you to think about the possible answers to your question."
Seriss walks lazily across what remains of the floor to the edge of where Achilles has fallen, and drops down beside her latest monstrosity. "Oh, my sweet creation," she sighs, looking down at it. "Look what they've done to you."
<< I HAVE FAILED YOU >>
"No, never." Seriss smiles, and leans forwards, placing a hand on what remains of Achilles' shoulder. "You die, but your legacy will live on. You have given me what I need to make my next creation... even greater."
A purple mist envelopes Seriss and Achilles both; and the pair disappear, duskporting out and leaving the ruin of Okujoo Ramen behind.
- Rashmi Terios has posed:
<< Well, it worked, >> Rashmi says, as monster and minion vanish from the Barrier'd rooftop, her mental voice exhausted. << ...That's the first one she's taken with her, though. Upgrades, yaaaaayyyyyy... >>
Flittering to the ruins of the rooftop, she casts a wan, tired look among her friends. << Everyone all right? That was rough... but *oh boy* am I not looking forward to the next one. >>
And indeed, by this *fourth* fight with the monster in her friend's skin, Rashmi looks... tired. Not exhausted from the fight, just... really, really done with soaking herself in this emotional soup.
- Aloisia Stauss has posed:
An arm falls next to her, fingers twitching, holding a spear that it can't throw... and Aloisia barely hesitates when it does, the edge of Platinklinge glowing brightly, its edge slightly molten from the plasma assault. She slides it into a scabbard at her back and grabs that spear.
Seriss walked lazily. And that purple mist starts to envelop Seriss...
That last moment, Aloisia looked very tempted to throw that spear at Seriss. Instead?
... She opts to Store it instead.
It was good materials, once purified, most likely.
...Or at least Seriss wouldn't have it still. "We wouldn't have to destroy it if you would refrain from bringing war to our doorstep. But until you do, we will destroy every creation you bring to us."
Aloisia gives a simple nod, arms crossed over her chest. "Not that such a statement would actually stop you, of course." She glances towards the others, checking on them calmly.
Nevermind that she was currently probably the most injured, having the least effective defenses at the moment, in spite of her claims.
Don't mind the strawberry jam dripping from her. It's fine. ...Or the fact her magic sword's blade is probably completely ruined now, having not been designed to handle the plasma Aloisia harnesses.
It's fine. She'll fix it.
...Again.
Honestly its past owner is probably reveling in the use of their old, trusty blade.
<< I am bleeding. >>
Is Aloisia's resposne to the question of if she's okay. << It is moderately unpleasant, but I shall live. >>
- Amanda Faust has posed:
Amy just flips Seriss two middle fingers. "I don't fucking care what you think. And I read the book, you know. The dinosaurs were already off the island before everything in the movie happened." She grins as menacingly as she can. "So be patronizing about opening doors all you want."
As Seriss goes to pretend to console her monster, Amy lands on the edge of the roof and starts shooting at her with a gyrojet pistol. Probably bouncing off a shield, but it's the principle of the thing. "Just shut up."
When the two disappear, she dismisses the gun, and answers Rashmi, << I could use some healing. >>
In the meantime, she pulls the grief seed from her pouch and begins to purify her soul gem, and then it stops.
Amy frowns slightly, but isn't surprised. She knew the grief seed she got from Lydian outside Moon's labyrinth was running low.
She slips the grief seed back into her pocket. Her soul gem remains clearly tinged with corruption. Maybe not even a tenth, but it's there.
To take her mind off that, she drops from super back to normal henshin, and approaches Aloisia, pulling her first aid kit from under her cloak. "Let me see."
- Coco Kiumi has posed:
Coco blinks when Seriss starts consoling her dying creation, taken aback by the weird affection in her voice. Considering her attitude so far, she did not expect her to show such degree of compassion towards anyone, especially as she turned down again and again their offer of understanding and trying to reach a way that gives Molly her body back, but also finds a way for her not to lose her life.
Do they really have to beat it into her that they can help? That Molly getting her body back doesn't have to be the end of her? Fine, if she has to be obstinate like that, she will drag the truth out of her word per word next time they meet. And if she is not as evil as she tries to appear, she will give her a slap for good measure first.
"I am alright", she tells Rashmi, looking at the redhead with concern. She really looks exhausted. "Are you going to rest?", she asks and suggests both. She can take care of Aloe's wound, and if more healing is needed they can go to Mamoru as well.
- Usagi Tsukino has posed:
"We'll just... have to keep trying to finish this," Usagi says quietly, once Seriss is gone. She's moving gingerly in her henshin, decidedly all bruised up, but she's rushed over the Aloisia as soon as she said she was bleeding.
The amount of blood and the wound looks... bad, to her untrained eye.
"We're definitely talking to Mamochan about that," she decided, and then pauses, looking up at Aloisia. "You don't mind, right? I mean - Mamochan will absolutely want to help, you know? And by the way, you were amazing! I mean, I think we all did a great job doing everything we could -"
And when she says that, she looks 'round at everyone, concern in her eyes -
"But Aloisia-chan, you really just kept getting back up, huh?"
She hasn't forgotten that Aloisia's Device is comparatively barely up to snuff to her previous option, so the fact that she'd still thrown herself into there...
"...though I've got to say, I'm really tired of hearing the villains call me 'Usagi'."
