549/Sensoji Temple

Sensoji Temple
Date of Scene:	03 October 2023
Location:	Sensoji Temple
Synopsis:	The Sensoji Temple is chosen as the place to challenge Sailor V to battle! Unfortunately, she doesn't show up, and a Dark Kingdom general is on the scene with his own plans.
Cast of Characters:	Nephrite, Usagi Tsukino, Naru Osaka, Veronica Perenna, Jadeite, Rei Hino
Tinyplot:	Midnight Tokyo

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Nephrite has posed:
    Sensoji is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa. It is one of Tokyo's most colorful and popular temples. The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built nearby for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.

    When approaching the temple, visitors first enter through the Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), the outer gate of Sensoji Temple and the symbol of Asakusa and the entire city of Tokyo. A shopping street of over 200 meters, called Nakamise, leads from the outer gate to the temple's second gate, the Hozomon. Alongside typical Japanese souvenirs such as yukata and folding fans, various traditional local snacks from the Asakusa area are sold along the Nakamise. The shopping street has a history of several centuries.

    Beyond the Hozomon Gate stands the temple's main hall and a five storied pagoda. Destroyed in the war, the buildings are relatively recent reconstructions. The Asakusa Shrine, built in the year 1649 by Tokugawa Iemitsu, stands only a few dozen meters to the left of the temple's main building.

    Various events are held throughout the year in the Sensoji Temple area. The biggest of them is the Sanja Matsuri, the annual festival of the Asakusa Shrine, held in May. Other events are the Asakusa Samba Carnival in August and the Hagoita-ichi (Hagoita Market) at which decorated wooden paddles used in the traditional game of hanetsuki are sold.

    Right now, in the main hall, there is four-meters tall monstrous creature, with a pair of curved horns, a mouth like a beatrap made of meet and calcium, and and hardened, ashen skin, giving it the appearance of something like a minotaur (though with the horns pointing forwards instead of upwards). It kind of looks like one of those creatures from doom. You know the ones. Big difference is this one is wearing clothes, of a sort. Mainly just armor, though it's by no means full coverage. He is also yelling loudly in some unknown language, bellowing out something that sounds like Klingon.

    It is, in fact, youma'shak, a corrupted linguistic descendant of High Arcadian, all the way from the Silver Millennium. But honestly, it just sounds a lot like Klingon.

    He is presently yelling and demanding that Sailor V come out and face him. Why did he pick here? Because he tried in a plaza by the mall and no one showed up, so he walked around until he found a different place with more people. Surely a Youma Hunter like Sailor V won't ignore his challenge when he might hurt someone right? That's how humans think!

    So, like...

    Where is she?

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Hair minus six inches, bangs reshaped to account for the damaged pieces, and clad in a fashionable but appropriate outfit - a long pleated beige skirt matched to a pale blue jacket and slightly brighter green button up, something warm but lightweight - Usagi Tsukino has seen better days, but she's seen worse ones too. She'd come to the shrine with a goal in mind - to have fun with her friends, and to pray for peace and calm tidings, at least for a litle while. The reason for that is pretty obvious - bandages across her chest and over her shoulders, covering the burn-cream slathered injuries Sunbreaker had left; make up covers her throat, hiding the bruises from Hayazaki-sensei's unfortunate stint at strangulation; the poor girl is physically a bit of a wreck.

She'd invited Naru, of course, because Sensoji is along a leyline, and also because they were best friends. She'd also invited Ami and Rei - Rei had been the one able to come along. Usagi would, if pressed, admit she was a little nervous about that, if only because her encounter with the Outer Senshi had shaken her, but mostly she was... pleased.

At least until the youma appeared.

"Oh come on," Usagi gripes, staring up at the heavens in abject betrayal. "I just asked if we could have some peace!"

Naru Osaka has posed:
It's been a week. It's been a few weeks, month.. months really. Naru was entirely on board at coming to the shrine with Usagi.

Y'know. As a shrine. For some peace.

That is not how this was destined to go.

She's the one who had most recently applied the burn cream. She's the one who made sure the makeup covered bruises. (Thank you, youtube.) She is fully aware of a need for some chill. For both of them, and for the senshi too.

Denied.

"Well." Naru comments with a sigh. "We kinda called it. It's on a ley line after all." She peers ahead, to where the youma is yelling and waiting. "I don't suppose these come with auto-translate, do they?" She lifts her wrist to gesture vaguely at her communicator bracelet. "I mean, if it just needs a snickers (tm) bar, this could be quick."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica isn't at Sensoji Temple for any supernatural investigation this time around. The young aristocrat has heard of the story behind the temple's origin and is simply motivated by curiosity to checks the temple grounds. 'A statue that always makes its way back to you... One can't say the goddess Kannon lacks drive', she thinks, very impressed by it, if a bit unnerved by the thought of that happening to her.

Having changed out of the school uniform, she is wearing a blouse with a fading green colour and purple beads alongside the sleeves, accompanied by jeans with wide legs.

She has been wandering about the place, regretting that it probably isn't polite to take photos here, because the place is beautiful, and she would honestly love to have references for later. 'I hope I can find some postcards of it in the shopping street close by', she thinks, resignated to committing as much as she can to memory.

One thing will stick to her memory for sure, though, the looming figure of the ashen minoutar bellowing out incomprehensible words. 'Tokyo is lovely, but the inability to get breaks is going to be the death of me one of these days', she sighs.

Jadeite has posed:
    You know who else is here, and has been alerted both by the roaring, and the Dark Energy flare, and also the fact someone is yelling in youma'shak? Someone who can understand youma'shak, as it is the native language of the Dark Kingdom. And who is it? Jadeite, Dark General, and one of the Shitennou. He is actually over at the Asakusa Shrine instead of the main hall, because that's where the leyline diverges to run. Part of it is under Sensoji, but not the middle of that river of power.

    After his initial WTF moment of just staring blankly, brow furrowed, jaw slightly hanging, he puts a gloved hand to his face for several seconds. Then he raises his head while simultaneously breathing in deeply through his nose, and then letting it out. Jadeite has one of his hand-sculpted clay youma with him. One of the 'Dangerous Ladies' he first deployed at the mountain fortress when reclaiming what was stolen from Obsidian. "Daphne, would you go see to whatever that is and make sure it doesn't interfere?"

    The redhead in the purple business dress, orange scarf, and heels that are probably actually like hooves or something underneath her Glamour, bows to her make. "At once, Lord Jadeite!" Then she disappears in a blur.

    Sighing deeply, Jadeite resumes looking at the dusk crystal in his hand, trying to understand the constellation-based sigils displaying beneath the dark surface. "Nephrite, you ass. You could have put it in Japanese at least." Sometimes, he wonders who, between the two of them, is the most paranoid.

    ...Probably Zoisite. Between Jadeite and Nephrite, it's Zoisite by a landslide.

    At least he isn't working with Zoisite on this. With that cheerful thought in mind, Jadeite resumes trying to isolate the exact variables that will tell him where to plant the crystal in the leyline.

    Not everyone can be a weird shrine ghost who can just tell, okay?

Rei Hino has posed:
    No one who is actually capable of prophetic visions wants to have prophetic visions. Sure, they might accept them, or try to use it to their advantage. Very few are actually glad that they can see the future.

    Rei Hino is not one of those people. She accepts it. She will attempt fire readings or rely on her intuition, but the nightmares? Seeing the potential ways in which the people around her might get hurt, fall sick, or die? Especially when she can't see any path to preventing that?

    She doesn't want that responsibility. She doesn't want to have to wonder if seeing someone's fate locked it in place, made it real, when before it was only possibility. The witness who caused the accident by observing it.

    It's just one more responsibility on her shoulders that she carries carefully. As it is getting chillier, Rei is wearing pink windbreaker over a yellow t-shirt. Definitely more spring colors than fall, but she doesn't care. It was there, and clean, so she chose it. It's not like choosing this outfit will affect the future, nor will her decision to go with pants instead of a long skirt, or leggings. It's fine. This will all be fine.

    Just a day out with Usagi and a chance to finally meet the mysterious Naru. Yes, there's still the sense of impending doom that is weighing down on her more and more every day, and the feeling like just before the onset of a cold, when you feel slightly off but aren't sure why yet. Yes, there's apocalyptic visions that come more urgently and clearly than they ever did before she became Sailor Mars.

    But it's all so big. It's bigger than her, than all of them, and she's a 14-years old girl, and she is accorded some strange respect for her status as a miko, and everyone talks about how strong she is and how she bears everything with a smile, and she.

    Just.

    Has absolutely no idea what she's doing.

    So a break will be fine. A chance to catch up with her best friend (and possibly her first friend in her entire life before Usagi), and her friend's best friend, and to fuss over Usagi's hair and make sure she's okay, and to try to ignore the feeling like the ground is going to open up beneath her feet if she keeps walking forwards.

    She is so lost in thoughts and running her hands and a comb through Usagi's abbreviated twintails while they walk, just keeping herself busy while idle, and listening to the other two girls talking, and participating when she has something to say... That she doesn't realize something is roaring until she almost walks into Usagi's back. Pulling up short of such a graceless colission that would surely end with at least her and Usagi tangled on the ground, with more injuries, and a headache to boot, violet eyes go wide. Oh. That's what that warning sign was.

    She sighs tiredly.

    She looks in the direction the roaring is coming from, and sighs again.

    Realizing she has to deal with this, she sighs a third time for good measure.

    "Ever seen a Sailor Senshi fight close up, Naru-san?" she asks with resignation in her tone.

Nephrite has posed:
    Some stupid people might think this is some kind of show, but it taking place inside a shrine doesn't mesh with that premise. This isn't a place for fighting, fake or otherwise, and being loud and disruptive like this is also highly insulting to the goddess Kannon.

    So, most people assume, correctly, that this is some more of the weird stuff that happens in Tokyo, and run for their lives, because whether it's a dude in a mask or a real demon, someone deranged enough to stand around roaring on the steps of Sensoji's main hall is not safe to be around.

    For his part, Warlord Beh't is frustrated and confused. How long does it take for a Youma Slayer to come try to slay him? After so many have died, even the terminals who Hematite saved and has turned into Nephrite's expendable shock troops, he thought there'd be a more immediate response to his presence. Maybe he just isn't putting out enough energy? He channels his power into a dense aura of Dark Energy and malignant evil that is sure to bring all those sensitive to such calling.

    If he knew just how many that is, he probably would have already gone home by now.

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
The heavens don't have anything to say. Usagi hadn't expected them too, but she's still a little annoyed by it all - by the monster roaring before them, by the visitors running away, by the - well, not by the comb in Rei's hands, that's been running through her hair all the while, and not by the conversation that they've been having, the catch up, the conversation, finally getting to introduce her best friend and her closest friend among the Senshi.

She'd just wanted a day off. Was it not enough for (one of) her favorite mangaka(s) to be afflicted with dark energy to the breaking point? Was it not enough to fight a youma all on her own and then get trounced by Sunbreaker and have the Outer Senshi reveal what they thought was justice -

She still hasn't told Rei about that. She's not sure how. It doesn't feel like the kind of thing to say over the phone, not about their allies, and she worries, because what if Rei-chan agrees -

But none of that is important, not yet. "Naru-chan's seen a lot," Usagi says grimly, "But Naru-chan -"

It's not that she wants Naru out of the fight. She does, but she also trusts Naru to make her best decisions, and herself to protect her. But she's hurt, and this monster is big, and more importantly -

The power station had had something to do with the Midnight Tokyo Project. And this temple is on a leyline. Naru is the one who's been studying those maps, so she knows the directions of it best, and none of them really know what will happen at the leylines, or what's supposed to happen, but there's gotta be something, right? Naru's the smart one. Maybe she can figure something out?

"Naru-chan, we've got to fight this thing, before it hurts the temple. Even if our prayers weren't answered yet, I'm definitely going to have bad luck if we don't. But you could go and look around. Maybe - maybe there's something else going on, that we aren't seeing?" A deep breath. She's not really ready for another fight, but what other choice do they have?

"Moon Prism Power, Make Up!"

Light, radiant and warm. Ribbons, soft and gentle against her wounds. Power, flooding back to her limbs. Sailor Moon steps away from her friends, and looks back at Naru with a crooked smile. "We'll be back soon."

And then she darts towards that awful aura of darkness, thinking that she absolutely is not boomeranging her tiara where the goddess could see. She'll have to try something else...

Naru Osaka has posed:
"Perhaps surprisingly.. yes, actually." Naru comments with a rueful smile to Rei at the question. "Combat in general, really. Sometimes senshi, usually not."

She might not have powers of her own, but she clearly isn't joining the other mundanes in the running and fleeing. She's giving a peer into the main hall to see.. and even /she/ can feel that arua of Dark Energy and cranky. "I think it's getting impatient."

Naru turns back to Usagi and she nods, reaching a hand out to give Usagi's arm a squeeze. "You got this. Be careful, kick a whole lot of warty, screaming arse."

And then Sailor Moon is off to go kick some butt, and she quietly starts moving through the rapidly emptying areas. Away from Beh't and his screaming and ranting and raging, and towards the quieter sections. She digs out her phone, double checking exactly where the ley lines go, to be able to better follow them.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
The impatient bellows of the minotaur have made the emanation of dark energy superfluous: among those taking refuge or escaping from the temple grounds, Veronica has already begun seeking a place to trasform in peace, a task that's made all the more frustrating by having to navigate in the opposite direction as everyone else. Found a solitary isle, the brunette materialises her calling card, holding it in front of her with the insignia outwards while she chants: "While the world is full of trouble and anxious in its sleep, the princess of moonlight does dance and leap."

As soon as she says that, the aforementioned moonlight bathes her, condensing in a blue top hat with an azure ribbon and an ebony cane with a cat handle. The light on her upper body then explodes in a tone of white, turning into a waistcoat, before a blue burst surrounds it, coalescing into a blue suit. The light swirling around her lower body stops rotating, arranging itself in a white skirt with many layers. A blue-white burst follows, turning into boots with long stripes. Finally the moonlight gathers around her hair, fashioning it into a long braid and granting it its colour.

The Princess of Sarek immediately takes her favourite shortcut: becoming ethereal and cutting through walls, doors and any mundane obstacle straight to the Warlord. The Phantom Thief wastes no time going on the offensive, grabbing her cane by its staff and directing the handle in Beh't's direction, the ball the cat is holding starting to shine of an ivory colour, before a beam of moonlight departs from it towards the minoutar.

Rei Hino has posed:
    "Well, try not to make a habit of it, alright? It's more dangerous than it looks." Rei flashes a smile at Naru before activating her own transformation. "Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Her skin becomes a prism of lights and fire forms in rings that wrap around her limbs, transforming clothing as they pass, like she's being burnt away and remade right there on the spot. When it finishes, she is Sailor Mars. She does not waste time, just making sure Naru is going to steer clear of the danger, and then following after Sailor Moon in a series of leaps and bounds.

    "So, what's the plan, Sailor Moon?" Sailor Mars asks. The fact she actually believes that her leader has one shows just how much confidence she has in Usagi.

Jadeite has posed:
    Daphne arrives nearby, having already shed her human Glamour. She now looks coincidentally similar to Beh't. Digigrade legs, hooves, horns... But that's where the similarities end. She is otherwise rather human-looking. Even if bright-red skinned, and her orange scarf has turned into a pair of wings like autumn leaves on her back, starting from her shoulders. She's pretty! In a spikey, fanged sort of way.

    And the dress is still there too, just with more obvious holes and openings for her spikes and second pair of arms.

    "What are you doing here, idiot!?" she yells at Beh't in their native tongue. To everyone else it probably just sounds like, "Rashak-ra kuiwar ashkarr bakk!" It's a very aggressive-sounding language. Like the Black Speech that people in Mordor use, but less eldritch. Shadows don't deepen just from it being spoken.

    Nope, that's just happening because Warlord Minimus Dickus took exception to one of his soldiers dying and wanted to come prove he doesn't allow anyone but himself to kill his minions. Or something like that.

    God, they're all the same. Daphne was crafted with intellect in mind, so that maybe she'll actually survive longer than a single operation, unlike her predecessors. Which is why doesn't just namedrop Jadeite in front of the humans. Instead, she says, "Her Majesty has not granted you permission to come here!"

    Does she know that Sailor Moon is on the way? Nope. She doesn't realize that the Princess of Sarek is there either. Not until a beam of moonlight lances out to strike the raging youma! Daphne is slightly startled, and steps back to observe and not become collateral damage.

Nephrite has posed:
    Warlord Beh't turns in surprise when he feels another presence nearby. An aura approaching... A youma? He stops roaring for a moment and faces the female youma who shows up and starts ridiculing him. "<<Silence! Who are you to speak to me like that? Know your place or you will join the Sailor V in death!>>" Distracted, and with his back to the Princess of Sarek when she appears, he has no idea that a beam of moonlight, focused like a laser, has just been emitted, until it slices off his legs at about the knees.

    He wobbles, startled, and roars in alarm as he falls onto his hands and stumps. There's no blood, surprisingly. Beh't turns, his eyes glowing red, to look towards his attacker. He doesn't know who she is, but she uses a laser beam, and appears to be female... Is she the Sailor V he has heard of?

    The human who dares to hunt the mighty youma, their natural superiors!?

    Perhaps worryingly, his legs start to reform and grow out from the knee-stumps almost instantaneously. Within seconds, he is getting up from a crouching/kneeling position and standing ready to fight. He roars like the t-rex in Jurrasic Park, right down to vibrating the ground and walls and air, before charging towards his target, claws pulled back and surrounded by a dark aura, ready to be brought down!

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
Usagi can only laugh a little. "Naru's seen more action than some of the magical girls we've fought with, I bet!"

But that was before she burst onto the scene, where there are two youma, one big, one small, and this is still a shrine, still a holy place, and -

"Moon Twilight Flash!"

It's her less destructive attack, and conveniently, her more powerful one, directed at Daphne. A beam of moonlight, directly from the gem on her tiara to the the youma's torso; back or chest, depending on if she turns. It's coincidence that the other attack was also a beam of moonlight, striking the larger youma.

"You youma who would disrupt the peace of this shrine - how dare you defile this sacred place! The Soldier of Love and Justice, Sailor Moon, is on the scene!" She strikes a pose, which hurts, honestly, but she's trying not to show that she's still wounded from Sunbreaker, to project great strength.

Naru Osaka has posed:
Naru keeps an ear out for the major battle as she starts to explore. There's a touch of a frown as she hears a second voice screaming out in that harsh gutteral tongue. She can't hear what Sailor Moon is making a speech on, but she can just barely catch the tone of it.

If it all goes horribly wrong, no matter how ill advised it might be, she'll head back there to do what she can. For the moment, however, she has faith that the three of them probably have it covered. Hopefully. Ideally.

Naru is meticulous in her examinations, and the Asakusa Shrine is literally just next door to where Beh't is having his legs cut out from under him. She gets to that entrance and pauses. Listening. Peeking. Quiet.

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica leaps up with a smile as Beh't charges at her, before ending back down on the ground behind the warlord with a somersault. "That was a nice charge, my friend. That dark aura you aura you had was quite impressive", the Princess of Sarek replies, with complete sincerity.

'Since this youma regenerates, I better go for something that can keep him occupied', the Princess thinks, calling the big minotaur. That would mean her blinding glare, since as energetic as he is now, Beh't could reasonably jump away from her hat.

The Phantom Thief places her cane horizontally in front her, still holding it with one hand. She is assuming Beh't would turn towards her ready for another charge, so the moment he does, she activates this spell. The cane starts shining bright, and its light is instantly conveyed in the minotaur's direction, preparing to rob him of his vision for quite a while.

Jadeite has posed:
    Daphne is utterly blindsided by Sailor Moon's attack. She attacked before even giving out her speech. Apparently all the senshi are mimicking Mercury now or something. Maybe she'll resort to punching soon too. For her part, the youma girl shrieks in pain and surprise as she falls to the ground, half-destroyed. Unlike Beh't, she is not armored, and does nto regenerate, and there's only like half of her left. She does her best to support herself on one hand and one knee, muscles trembling with the effort.

    "M-master... P-please... Becareful... I'm... sorr--" she gets out, changing back to Japanese in the disoriented state before death. She collapses, and then she crumbles into dust like so many others, and disappears. Well, that was easy. Much easier than usual.

    Meanwhile, Jadeite is standing there, in a Glamour to make himself appear to be a police officer. The crystal he is looking at is still a dark crystal though. He looks very annoyed.

    After a moment, his brow furrows, and he raises his head. He looks around, and then starts walking away as though he has decided to move on about his business. Nothing to see here.

Rei Hino has posed:
    Attempt to ask Sailor Moon what her plan is: Failed. Not even acknowledged! Maybe whatever damaged her hair also damaged her hearing? Mars sighs, letting out a puff of air that can practically be seen. They'll just play it by ear then, like usual.

    Well, the cute youma girl is dead. Another broken heart for the records. With that enemy terminated, Sailor Mars lands alongside Sailor Moon. "And I, the Pretty Guardian who fights for Love and Passion, am Sailor Mars!" She poses alongside the leader. "And Mars won't forgive sacrilege against holy places or endangering the people who come to respectfully appreciate them!"

    Once the synchronized poses/speeches are done, this round or the next, Mars sees that some strange ghostly magical girl is facing off against the huge youma, and deciding to give her a hand, she goes into her attack pose, focuses the power of Mars, and then unleashes it as a fiery blaze! "Fire Soul!"

Nephrite has posed:
    He does indeed turn around, but rather than charging, one of his arms suddenly lashes out, stretching to cross the distance. Whether it's because his huge palm is blocking it, or some other reason, the light doesn't have a chance to work on Beh't. Not before he is suddenly confronted with senshi. He pauses mid-attack, and turns to watch and listen to the speeches and poses, as everyone does for some reason.

    Finally, he just snarls and says, still in youma'shak, because he never got a translator, "<<So the Sailor V comes! I don't know which of your she is, but it won't matter when these steps run with your blood!>>"

    Immediately afterwards, he is engulfed in flames. His arm retracts back towards the main mass, as he tries to smother the flames by patting himself down. It doesn't work. The fire keeps eating away at him, diminishing him in size despite his regeneration. Eventually, shrieking and howling, the flaming youma, whittled down to half his original size runs charging towards the Senshi, intending to take down one of the Sailor Vs at least!

    This lines him up for a nice linear but powerful magic attack, from Sarek, Moon, Mars, or all of them at once!

Usagi Tsukino has posed:
What's the plan? There is no plan! The plan is kill the youma as dead as possible so that she can drop her transformation and the chest armor pressing against her bandages and also make sure that the universe isn't about to collapse into an unending hell of darkness or something.

It's a very simple plan, see?

The first youma dies, whispering off to her master. It's very weird, in Sailor Moon's mind; who calls people master in this day and age? Doesn't she know it's a modern era?

And then Sailor Mars launches her own attack, setting the big guy aflame, and Sailor Moon -

Well, she launches her attack.

"Moon Twilight Flash!"

She's very sensitive about fire, and firey guys running directly at her. The burns on her chest twinge painfully.

Naru Osaka has posed:
There's the sound of someone approaching, and Naru takes half a step back, attempting to see who might be there, but not be seen herself. How effective that is, quesitonable. Especially if that someone is perhaps not /quite/ as they might appaear.

A police officer. Frowning at .. something in his hand.. Naru probably shouldn't follow.. but she waits for the Jadeite-officer to pass a little ways away from her, and then she slips in behind him.

Clearly this is a great idea.

Rei Hino has posed:
    "Fire Soul!" is shouted out again as another layer of fire joins the moon beam from Sailor Moon. Sailor Mars and Moon are powerful in their own right, but with combination attacks the Sailor Senshi are even stronger. It's time to put this enemy to rest so they can leave without causing further disturbance.

    The enemy is basically gone now, reduced to dust and ashes... So why does Rei feel sick. Like... She just swallowed spoiled milk. It's hurting her, and it's not going to stay down. 'Something is definitely wrong.' she thinks. "Sailor Moon, we should go check on--Uh, any civilians who might need our help."

    She turns towards the mysterious princess and gives a thumbsup. "Thank you. I hope we meet again, but right now we're in a bit of a rush."

Veronica Perenna has posed:
Veronica is unphased by her glare being blocked. Instead, she bows towards her audience of allies and enemy. "I hope you would consider my upcoming trick a portent that would ensnare you", Veronica comments with a flourish and a smile, the last bit obviously directed at Beh't.

With a snap of her fingers, her hat disappears from her head, fading away over two seconds. The Phantom Thief places her cane onto her left shoulder and she starts reciting, in deep concentration with her eyes closed.



"When colour's absence gives escape
To the deeper spirit of the shape,"

The ground under the Warlord starts rippling, as if it was coated in water, and yet it remains solid, nothing actually changing.



"Then do the clouds like silver flags
Stream out above the tattered crags"

The moon starts shining, not from above in the sky, but from under the bear's feet, pale light rising.



"And darkened land, and brightening wave,
The moonlight slants through Merlin's cave."

As soon as the word "cave" escapes the lips of the Princess of Sarek, a low rumble is heard, and the hat of the Phantom Thief reappears, a giant evanescent shape that passes right through the minotaur, aiming to swallow him and make him disappear. If the attack doesn't work however, It would be able to damage the big youma instead, the process of trying to dissolve things not a pleasant one.

The enormous illusion floats up to the sky and whatever the result, it reappears, solid, in front of Veronica's waiting hand, who grabs its brim and places it back on her head with a smirk and a wink towards the other mahous.