2014-12-14 - Feng Shui 7
| Title: Feng Shui 7 | |
|---|---|
| Summary: A nice, ordinary day at Tokyo Tower is interrupted by a villainous plot and a monstrous attack. Specifically, there's a dragon trying to bring the whole thing down. An honest-to-goodness dragon. | |
| Who: Sailor Mars, Endo Naoki, Ren Aizawa, Lera Camry, Cute Wolf Tsukiko, Cure Berry, Homura Akemi, Mai-HiME, Scarlet Rune Maiden | |
| Where: Tokyo Tower | |
| OOC - IC Date: 25 April 2014 - 12/14/2014 | |
<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
YESTERDAY
"No." The pink-haired woman -- who was last seen terrorizing Clover Town Street -- glares down at her shorter compatriot, leveraging the full force of her personality to bear.
"NO?!"
It's not working.
"Whaddaya mean, no?! We've done it before -- and they paid us, just the way they said they would! Double the investment! For something of this size, we... we... we'd gain so much!"
"No."
"ARGH! Well, /WHY NOT/?"
"Because there's too much risk that this time they won't hold up their end of the deal. Because only our Master should have access to power on that magnitude. Because it's likely that true innocents," meaning civillians, as opposed to the innocent mages they prey on daily, "Would get drawn into it. No."
"..."
The silence that follows is a silence of many parts. It is a silence of tension, which would hum with itself would that not cause it to never exist in the first place. It is a silence of worry, throbbing with all the ache a heart can bear. And it is a silence of absence -- a void that exists when cheerful, homey, cozy sounds that should be heard coming from the kitchen, aren't.
The two get up as one and rush over.
EARLIER TODAY
Her twin, fiery braids blow in the winds that rise high above Tokyo, higher than birds fly. They crack like whips, but she doesn't wield a whip. That is the occasional style of her commander.
Her eyes burn with a flame far stronger than any mere hair could contain, defying the perfect clarity of their blueness, the contradiction resolving itself as the core of the flame, the place where the heat is almost, but not quite, white with intensity.
The three-pointed sigil of Belkan magic spins out underneath her, red as her spectacular battle dress but pulsing with power as pale as the bunny attached to her magnificent hat.
She is grumbling under her breath.
"/I know what she said, Graf Eisen!/ But she's," another she, because right now Vita can't bear to even say her name, "She's back in the hospital, she's running out of time. Soon there will be no time left at all! And she, she," her voice chokes, throat seizing, "...we were supposed to go to the beach together today..."
The hammer-shaped charm at her throat chimes its assent in Ancient Belkan, which sounds suspiciously like German, as the two of them look down at other people enjoying a sight-seeing outing instead of themselves; going up to Tokyo Tower to absorb the spectacular views below.
"So just -- lend me your power. Are we Cloud Knights or not? Are we protecting our master or not?"
A book -- no, a Book -- appears over her outstretched palm, popping straight into existence without so much as a puff of displaced air. It is not an artifact concerned with such trivialities as time and space. From the base of its spine to the tip of its pages, it is committed to a higher mission.
With a pained jerk of her chin, the Book of Darkness opens, pages flipping by at tremendous speed, the breeze momentarily rivaling that of the atmosphere, ruffling the girl's bangs. She looks so young.
She isn't.
Her tiny, pale hand clenches into a fist, and pages begin to blank, one line of runes at a time. Orbs of pure energy form at each tip of the triangle beneath her cutely shod feet. They grow and grow, crackling with ominous promise of what's to come.
Closing her eyes, she remembers the fight that sealed this Linker Core in the Book in the first place. What a pain it was... until the Wolkenritter started playing to their strengths. A true Belkan doesn't shoot huge blasts of energy from afar, after all. The memory of what it felt like to sink her rocket hammer into its eye buoys her. She lets it distract her from the sense of betrayal curling down in her gut like a snuggly skunk (or annoying ferret).
The explosion the creature makes upon entrance rocks the Tower to its base. "Tear it down," Vita orders it, past the lump in her throat, instead taking a moment to appreciate its color-coordination with her outfit. How appropriate. Not that she would care about something so petty as that, oh no. Definitely not, nope. But she can't fault a creature for having great taste.
She fades from view a moment later. She mustn't be seen in connection with this.
NOW
They have been called tremendous. They have been named mighty, impenetrable, magnificent. They have been called the chiefest and greatest of calamities. All of these names are accurate understatements.
As his mighty wings -- black on the top, crimson on the underside -- beat drums of terror towards Tokyo Tower, the feeling arises. The Wrongness is back, the evil feeling, that sense that something is Not Right. The same one that drew girls to the World Tree months ago, and Library Island over Spring Break.
It is painfully easy to assign blame to the gargantuan dragon soaring over the city. Its roar shakes the pavement, disrupts dozens of club sport practices (and a few games), walks glasses off of shelves to shatter onto floors. Who knows what people will remember it as, later; maybe noisy practice maneuvers by the JSDF, who are currently laughing at Air Traffic Control as it reports a creature from legend in the Tokyo airspace. Maybe an earthquake that loudly released some gas from a gaping crack in the world. Maybe a fireworks accident.
From the sharper-than-swords spines at the tip of its sinuous tail to the tips of its curling red horns (visual reference: tinyurl.com/lgfjjdv), the dragon cares nothing about what anyone thinks of it. It isn't interested in what anyone believes. Nor is it troubled by the fact that it was just ordered to level a beloved landmark currently filled with people.
Someone else might care, though.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
<Something is very wrong here!>
"It's a dragon, Sky!" Lera Camry says in something between a cry and a wail. "Of course something is wrong!"
In the time since her battle with the Wolkenritter, and partly because of the challenge that fight presented, she has worked hard at her flight spells. She is glad for it now. She isn't the graceful glider that Fate and Nanoha are, but she manages -- flying through the air, but shooting ahead occasionally by taking off like a shot. It makes her flight pattern look jerky and sudden, to say the least.
With each sudden burst, a ring of red-orange light shoots out underneath her feet. She looks at the dragon, staring at it, with the blades spines running up its back -- and then ahead, at its goal. She shakes her head, grits her teeth, and then fires ahead with another shot that makes her a blur and another ring of red-orange light.
"I don't know what you're doing here, but--you have to get away from that thing!" the girl tries to yell over the beating of its wings. She pulls her sword off her shoulder -- presently, the Device is in its broadsword-like Fencer Form -- and points it towards the dragon. A ball of red light forms at the energy-sheathed tip. Then, it fires off, directly for the dragon's side. "Over here, Mister Dragon!"
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Ren is at home! Because where else would she be? Of course, she's all by herself. It's so second-nature to her now that if she were to come home and find her family there it'd be quite a shock! Humming a little catchy tune to herself she goes about cleaning the kitchen, the last room in her usual monthly cleaning spree. The house has never looked better, and if her parents were to come home at this moment they'd be really pleased!
And that's when she feels it. Dropping the broom that was formerly within her grasp, she stands there in shock, the only sound echoing through the air being the broom's body clattering against the floor. Something is wrong. Very wrong.
<YOUR MAJESTY. THERE IS A->
Souverain Heraut doesn't get to finish his sentence before Ren is dashing out the door. Once she's in the middle of the street she stops and turns to look in the direction of the city's biggest landmark -- Tokyo Tower. "Heraut!" She yells, and then starts running down the street. Somewhere along the way she finds a safe place to transform, then takes to the air. She arrives a little bit after Lera, and is left staring at the DRAGON, dumbfounded. "N-no way!" And Tokyo Tower is looking like it's about to get WRECKED. Lera's fired the first shot, and Ren scrambles to aid her, pointing her scepter at the beast to fire off a few shots of her own.
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
MOMENTS EARLIER
Animals often have a sense of when something's not quite right. If things are wrong enough, they'll even interrupt their usual routine.
Like eating.
Ikiko had been pouring out food for one of the packs of strays when the dogs started looking towards the skies with a scared whine. "I feel it, too," she says in caninespeak, trying to spot the source of the unease. The dragon flies within view about the time that it roars, making it easy to identify it as the origin of the Not Right feeling.
"Get to safety!" she barks to her canine friends. "I'll make sure things are safe here!" The dogs waste no time in scurrying away, while Ikiko runs in the direction the dragon flew off towards. As the camera pans up, there's a shout of "Lycan Locket" and a silvery glow spreads from the bottom of the screen--
NOW
Cute Wolf Tsukiko bounds across the rooftops, closing in on the dragon. The wolfgirl is glad to see the lights of the Device-wielders' attacks, as it gives her a chance to catch up and get ahead of the dragon.
"Looks like you're not going to get away with what you were trying to do!" she calls defiantly at the dragon. "Working together, I know we can stop you!"
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo was at work. He isn't anymore. Some things are more important than making sure there are more takoyaki on the grill.
Like a dragon.
"Yaaaa, no way. No way. What am I supposed to do about that? Are you serious?"
<IT IS A DRAGON.> His own Device has that crazy Germanic tone, an ugly reverb that resounds each time it speaks. <EXCELLENT OBSERVATION.> And off they go.
He has plenty of to transform on the way. A flash of purple light in the sky, and he's decked out in quati-medieval armor, dragging a giant sword through the air behind him. Getting to the top of the tower proves troublesome, but not impossible. There's enough exposed framework for the knight to hop and scramble in a general upward direction, wishing that he was better at that flying thing all the while.
He gets there eventually. To his relief, there's already magical girls on the scene. He knew he could count on someone to back him up, if not precisely who. For his part, it's lasers. "Dragooon!" When he reaches the top of the tower the Device in is hand extends, triangular runes forming in the air around it, streaks of vicious purple light flashing outward and bending to dive toward the huge monster.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has adjusted her boss levels. She is now ready to take on 8 opponents! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Endo Naoki's Meteor Shower, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mars [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
~THIRTY MINUTES AGO~
Seated in the great hall of the Hikawa Shrine, Rei Hino sits in communion with the flames. Her brow is tense, her gaze steady and serious as she peers into the dancing fire, fishing for whisperings of fate. The conflagration shimmers..something is revealing itself. Oranges and yellows darken into richer shades of red, and the fire suddenly explodes out, growing immense and raging with chaos. Jerking back in astonished alarm, it takes the priestess a moment to realize that the fire itself had not grown. This was the vision it bestowed upon her..flames revealing flames.
Steading her nerves, she closes her eyes, drawing in deep breaths and holding them before a slow exhale. This is something that she has never seen. When her eyes open, a single blackened tower stands at the bonfire's center, scorched and melted. She recognizes it.
Standing, she turns on her heel. She senses that she must hurry.
~PRESENT~
The Tokyo Tower looms before her, and a pit of dread widens into a gulf in her belly. She hurries into the elevator for the ascent..alone in the box, her sense of worry grows by the moment, and she takes it upon herself to transform before she reaches the summit.
The door opens with a ding, and Sailor Mars' jaw drops open. There is no mistaking what she sees..she is simply astonished to see it. Running to the balcony, the drake blocks out the light of the sun as it swoops overhead, a swift and terrible cloud of dark omen. Again she stills her nerves, and when she speaks, it is for her own benefit.
"Devil dragon of fire and fear, your might will return to the dusts. In the name of Mars, I will slay you!"
COMBAT: Sailor Mars has used In The Name Of Mars on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Sailor Mars has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has adjusted her boss levels. She is now ready to take on 9 opponents! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Sailor Mars's In The Name Of Mars, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Mars is Psyched! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has fully healed herself.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Berry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
A /dragon/.
To Miki, it looked like a demon - a beast out of legend. She was actually in the midst of a fashion shoot in the middle of the park when the beast ROARED past, causing the cameraman to fumble his shot, and one of the other photographers to scream that it was an earthquake. It was likely that the photoshoot was going to be canceled. At least, Miki had to take that hope.
"I've got to... check on my mom!" she calls to the photographers. And that was only a half lie. Opening up her cell phone as she jogs, dressed in impossibly pretty makeup and clothes, Miki sends a quick text to her mother, that feeling of unease that had toyed with her for most of the evening coalescing into... well... into this.
Miki was drawing glances, however, by pedestrians and otherwise, some of those people having likewise left their homes and businesses to go outside and stare up. Miki notes one of the those. "Kobayashi-san," she says. "May I use your landline?" The shopowner pauses, glances to Miki, and nods, muted. Miki bursts inside the shop, going through the door marked 'Employees Only' as the owner looks out to the sky with blank eyes...
And Cure Berry bursts out the back of the shop. /Leaping/ upwards to hit the rooftop, Berry runs after the creature, hopping from rooftop to rooftop, chasing after the thing.
She just hoped her friends would see it and be able to come as well. Leaping up the sides of the tower, Berry eventually reaches the very top. Her friends might not be here, but... the magical girls were responding. That lightens her heart some. Why.. why was this dragon heading towards this tower? At the very top of the tower, Miki gives one last leap - kicking off one of the little outcroppings. The kick was intended to launch herself towards the dragon, and it does just that - the young woman twisting around and extending her feet first, hoping that everything lined up just ~perfectly~ so that she could kick the snout of the thing...!
COMBAT: Cure Berry has used Perfect Dart on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Cure Berry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Cure Berry's Perfect Dart, taking 33 Fatigue damage! Stagger applied to Juri Arisugawa!
<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Within the JSDF, quartermasters are responsible for every piece of equipment, weapon, and ammunition that they have on hand. Everything is accounted for and safely secured under lock and key. However, inventories have to be made and every piece of equipment must be laid out and inspected. Today marks the unusual occurence that nearly an entire military arms room worth of equipment has gone missing. Tomorrow will be a very bad day for that certain quartermaster.
But Homura Akemi needed the firepower. A massive and ornery dragon was threatening Tokyo Tower and the risk of collateral damage was entirely unacceptable. The dragon needed to have its wings clipped and Homura needed the means to do such a thing. And so, purplish blue eyes stare through a set of pilfered binoculars at the rampaging dragon. She lowers the binoculars with one hand and idly flips back her hair with her other. Homura now knew that she should have stolen a tank. But, the dragon was within acceptable range of what she -did- bring with her.
The raven haired Puella Magi quickly picks up a long green tube off the ground where it was resting among many similar lookings weapons. She places the device on her shoulder, flips out the sight, and steadies her breathing. The area a good twenty feet behind Homura flashes brightly as an explosive round is launched out the green tube and towards the dragon. The AT-4 in her hands was designed to punch through military grade armor, but you can never really know when it came to dragons and their heavy scales.
It was time to find out.
COMBAT: Homura Akemi has fully healed herself. COMBAT: Homura Akemi transforms into Puella Magi Homura! COMBAT: Homura Akemi has used Rockets' Red Glare on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly dodges Homura Akemi's Rockets' Red Glare, taking 6 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Scarlet Rune Maiden [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Akemi cares. Maybe she cares too much, especially by Guma's standards. However, Guma is an ancient moon bear spirit that has been sealed in the bodies of many hosts over many centuries, so her standards are set on a level that most humans may not readily appreciate.
"It's that feeling again," Akemi murmurs under her breath as she finds her feet already rushing towards the Tokyo Tower. "It's back..."
("Don't make the same mistake as the last time we felt that wrongness. You won't get very far like that." )
Disappearing into the cloaking darkness of an alleyway, Akemi's footsteps end and are replaced, moments later, by the geta of the Scarlet Rune Maiden. "Your need for self sufficiency is admirable," Guma continues, opening vivid amber eyes as she straightens. "But ultimately pointless if the other side won't hold back for innocents."
Springing up a fire escape to the top of a building, the Maiden makes much faster headway than the comparably slow running speed Akemi was displaying earlier. Leaping from rooftop to rooftop, she spots other fellow magical warriors heading to the Tokyo Tower and follows, leaping up the side of the tower as nimble as she can manage.
("C-can't we use the elevator!?") Akemi's mental voice panicks.
"This building's not *that* old, it won't collapse," Guma says obliviously to the open air as she climbs, "It was built in, what, the late 1950's? Besides, the elevator's already taken."
Spotting Cure Berry's advance just above her, the Maiden leaps upwards, energy-laced fist aimed at the dragon's possibly soft midsection. It's been a while since Guma's been able to fight a dragon. Time to see what sort of dragon this one happens to be.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
It was such a normal day.
Mai Tokiha, part-time waitress, full-time worrier, had been running some critical errands. Paperwork for both her continued employment and for medical care, paired with restocking a rather depleted pantry (it seems that making lunches for multiple friends takes its toll), has kept her downtown and occupied. The week's been a busy one, and frankly her energy for getting things done is seriously in debt - but there's things she has to do. Very little in the world had a hope of distracting her from her important tasks.
A dragon roaring manages to qualify.
Shocked out of her preoccupied thoughts, that feeling of Wrongness sinks into her heart once more. The shopping basket in her hands drops to the store floor as she dashes outside. "No, no, we'd talked about this, please tell me you didn't-"
Emerging from the store, she stares at Tokyo Tower and its new visitor. Shock, relief, fear, anger - a cavalcade of emotions flash across her face in rapid succession. This one...this one isn't her doing. It's not her fault for letting her Child off its leash. It's some -other- dragon.
The succession of expressions ends in a glower of determination. "...if anything qualifies, it's -this-." Shopping utterly forgotten in her wake, she runs for the tower. From the base of it, the lightshow can already be seen to start - defenders getting ready to do their best to hold it off...
Flames flash to life. No time for the elevator - buoyed upon her magatama-rings, Mai soars upwards wreathed in flames. Swiftly rising - and then Mai comes to a halt near the observation deck, and the flames continue without her to blaze past the dragon's face. Some of those assembled, she's met before; others are nearly strangers. All the same, she calls out to the defenders, jaw set.
"Everyone! I...please, don't attack the second one. We're going to try to help."
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha transforms into Mai-HiME! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Turning Up The Heat on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking. COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has used Crescent Breaker on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Scarlet Rune Maiden's Crescent Breaker, taking 26 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Mai Tokiha's Turning Up The Heat, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha is Psyched!
<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
<SoundTracker> https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPp090xLZ7o
He's fast for a huge object in space.
Or perhaps more accurately, the dragon is /precise/. His body control is superb, allowing him to tilt a wingtip by some incredibly minor angle, causing Lera's red light to zing right past him. Ren's barrage he takes straight to the chest, and the shots from the scepter explode like fireworks against his massive, impossibly thick scales. Endo's suffers a similar fate -- the violet clashes against the red.
The sparks seem to absorb into him, which isn't an especially good sign. Mingling with the scales, they seem subtly more lustrous than before. Mai's flames don't bounce or explode at all, they just seem to get sucked straight in -- leaving bubbling marks of burn damage on the tip of his nose, but then gone.
Energy blasts, it turns out, are something that if you give it away, you end up having more. His chest bulges as he inhales -- then exhales, and what emerges is simply his breath. It's not on fire, but it remembers what it was like to be on fire, evokes what is soon to come. Maybe not this heartbeat, or the next one. But soon: soon.
This is rather scary, even by magical girl standards. Blood freezing when touched by warmth is the kind of joyous contradiction that comes with fighting dragons.
There's not much he can do about the voices challenging him, but his eyes -- pure yellow energy -- narrow. Up on the Tower, Sailor Mars is at claw-level, and feels her hair flutter behind her from the wind of the incoming black edge. Somehow the fact that it's the size of a school bus -- the claw, that is, one single claw -- does not make it less sharp. The point that it narrows to is too small for the naked eye to see, making it dizzying, disorienting, to look at directly.
Tsukiko instead gets to enjoy the tip of its tail lashing out to try to back...tail her across the... everything. It is similarly massive, and similarly small. It is also prehensile, and will try to trip her, tangle her, even lift her entirely if the dragon gets lucky (or unlucky, in the long run). It is extremely warm to the touch. Not the cuddly warm of a pile of fresh laundry, but the ominous warm of a kettle that isn't whistling a warning yet, but will be soon.
Then Berry kicks him right in the snout. It is, indeed, perfect (and if his tail is immobilizing Tsukiko, it loosens, providing a chance!). His eyes widen, casting the Pretty Cure into hot golden light from the twin orbs. Then he angles his chin up so that she can discover what is directly /under/ his snout. His gigantic forked tongue snakes out, and she may discover that it, too, burns to the touch. With acid, though. Not fire. Still unpleasant. The Scarlet Rune Maiden follows up with a beautiful punch to his midsection -- the scales don't crack, but they do vibrate with unpleasant force, and a fresh roar is elicited. It's earshattering, but not as unpleasant as another claw (there /are/ four legs available for this) sweeping upwards to try to swipe the ancient-and-young warrior away.
Homura's rocket soars in, but the dragon sees it coming, right from the corner of those enormous eyes; once again it tilts every so slightly and causes it to flame right underneath. Its fuel trail leaves a slight scorch mark, which does not absorb into it. He's too busy (and she's too far) for much retaliation, but the sound of his beating wings is an enemy on its own, primal in the scope of the feelings it generates. Predator and prey. Humans are used to being the apex -- but they weren't always.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used A Memory Of Heat on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used A Memory Of Heat on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used A Memory Of Heat on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used A Memory Of Heat on Mai Tokiha. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used The Claws That Catch on Sailor Mars. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Tip Of The Tail on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Tip Of The Tongue on Cure Berry. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used The Claws That Catch on Scarlet Rune Maiden. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used The Sound Of His Wings on Homura Akemi. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Tip Of The Tail, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Flash ability activates! Tangle and Trap applied to Cute Wolf Tsukiko! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's A Memory Of Heat, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha is Quipped! Mai Tokiha's Block ability activates! Stagger applied to Mai Tokiha! COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's A Memory Of Heat, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Endo Naoki is Quipped! Stagger and Stun applied to Endo Naoki! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's A Memory Of Heat, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa is Quipped! Ren Aizawa's Reverse ability activates! Stagger and Stun applied to Ren Aizawa! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa's counterattack, Quartz Guard, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa! COMBAT: Cure Berry narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Tip Of The Tongue, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Cure Berry's Flash ability activates! Tangle and Trap applied to Cure Berry! COMBAT: Sailor Mars fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's The Claws That Catch, taking 34 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's The Claws That Catch, taking 38 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
The sweeping tail knocks Tsukiko flat on her face before scooping her up, throwing off her rhythm. "Ow--oof!" the wolfgirl grunts as the tail coils around her. Cure Berry's timely kick allows her to wriggle free, and before Tsukiko leaps back onto Tokyo Tower she pauses long enough to bite the tail back in retaliation, fanglies magically growing longer for an armor-piercing moment.
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Silver Fangs on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's A Memory Of Heat, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Quipped! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! Stagger and Stun applied to Lera Camry!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
"It's fast!" she shouts, as she sees the orb of red light shoot over one of the dragon's body. Her eyes widen -- she feelts a jolt of terror. Then she spots the others coming in, too.
"Ren-san! Endo-san! Tsukiko!" Lera calls out with relief, as her friends come closing in. The girl does a midair barrel roll -- or she tries to, rather. Instead, she does a jerking motion to the side and stops the forward motion to hover in the air instead. "I'm glad you guys are here! There's a lot of people in that tower and--and something is really wrong about all of this!"
She sees it rising up towards the tower. It is under an immense amount of fire -- was that an anti-tank weapon? -- and flame is pouring from the observation deck, from Mai. She cannot even see Mai. But the fire she fears is the one that isn't there; the sudden wash of heat from its breath, before it breathes fire...
She stops flying for a second, before she shakes her head. "How... how are we gonna beat something this big?" she asks aloud, though more to herself. "It's so huge..."
In the end, it is seeing Cure Berry's kick slam into the dragon's nose that makes her decide to launch towards the dragon anyways. A ring of orange-red light erupts from her feet, and she becomes a blur of orange and gold, sparkling light leaving a trail in the sky as she flies so fast at the dragon. She shoots up at its back, slashing her broadsword at those colossal scales before she comes to a sudden, jerking stop in midair.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Strike Soar on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Homura Akemi narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's The Sound Of His Wings, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Homura Akemi is Quipped! Homura Akemi's Reverse ability activates! Homura Akemi's Tactician ability activates! Homura Akemi is Taunted! COMBAT: Homura Akemi's counterattack, Flashstep, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
The way her shots seem to just sink into the dragon's hide doesn't sit well with Ren at all. "Heraut...?" She utters quietly under her breath. The device pings back in response.
<THAT DID NOT SEEM VERY EFFECTIVE.> Astute observation. Ren clenches her jaw as everyone else tosses attacks out at the dragon, too. Among them is Endo. Yay! He seems to be in a good position, too. Though the fact that he's relying on the beams of the tower to keep him in the air is a bit worrying. The dragon could take a swipe and-
<IT IS RETALIATING!>
Bless Heraut for remaining focused. Ren's eyes widen when the dragon just /breathes/ out at them. Yeah, she wants no part of that! Holding the scepter out in front of her with both hands she pours mana into it.
<QUARTZ GUARD.>
A shimmering white shield of energy is formed in front of her, providing her with protection. When the dragon's breath hits, it soon becomes apparent that the shield will only be able to withstand so much of the assault. Ren begins to feel herself being pushed back through the air. The sheer heaviness of the dragon's breath is felt -- clinging, nearly suffocating. "Ugh!" It's not pleasant at all, and likely would have been worse had she not reacted in time. Once it's over, though, she darts off to the left. "Lera-san!" She calls back, letting her friend know she's alright. Her flight path carries her a bit closer to the tower proper, and she stops just near Endo. "Are you ok?" She goes into 'concerned girlfriend mode' a bit, though takes time to fire off another shot at the big scaly monster.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Prismatic Refraction on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Impossibly, it's cold.
The fires lashing out from the black dragon - or not-fires, as the case might be - are cold. It's the breath, remembering fire, promising fire in future - Mai meets them with fire of her own, bringing the future to the present. It's worrying. It menaces - and it intimidates. Even wreathed once more in flames, it's that feeling of chill.
The sparks and flames sinking into the thing are even more worrying still. Cure Berry's kick stands out as an impressive example to follow - but charging headlong at a dragon's maw seems like a surefire way to become a snack. If it eats fire...frankly, Mai's hindbrain is screaming.
'Predator!', ancient instincts shout. 'You'll be eaten! Run away, hide, hope it eats someone else!'
...and yet. Those actually hurting the dragon are being attacked brutally in response - odds are, no matter what happens, people are going to be hurt here. Fleeing might save herself at their expense...but how could she ever accept that? How could she accept abandoning things entirely, when she said she'd try to help, when she -could- make a difference... Throwing fire at the situation won't be enough - but if nothing else, this should earn the dragon's undivided attention. Fear in her heart, hands clenched into fists, Mai screams past gritted teeth.
"KAGUTSUCHI!"
The dragon promised flame, and it has arrived. An inferno blossoms around Mai's hovering form, flames wrapping around her in a protective shroud - and then they are wings of flame, spreading wide to reveal a white-and-green monster to oppose the black-and-red. A serpentine tail winds through the air, curling to form a barrier between Mai and the enemy dragon, and a half dozen eyes lock on to the creature. Sword still stuck through its maw, Kagutsuchi forces his jaw open, and lets out a challenging roar, surging forward to catch the monster with its claws.
Beneath her Child's ferocious form, Mai clenches her fists and prays.
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha transforms into Mai and Kagutsuchi! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Draconic Close Combat on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Silver Fangs, taking 14 Fatigue damage! Cripple applied to Juri Arisugawa! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Lera Camry's Strike Soar, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Psyched! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Ren Aizawa's Prismatic Refraction, taking 22 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Mai Tokiha's Draconic Close Combat, taking 24 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mars [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Sailor Mars likes to think of herself as a brave person. In many ways she is, even more so than some twice her age. She's stared down demons and malevolent spirit with confident aplomb..and there are times when, in her youthful arrogance, she truly believes that she's ready for anything.
The next time she feels an urge to suffer that delusion, she'll remember what she sees now. Her knees trembling as a skyscraper sized leviathan zeroes in on her and lunges at a break-neck pace, blowing her hair back just with the air it displaces in flight, brandishing clawtip bigger than her, her friends, and her family all combined. Something so big shouldn't be so swift..and yet. Youma come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Now she better appreciates why she's never heard of a small dragon.
She jumps to the side as best as she can. As best as an ant can outrun a grinding sole, or a slap of a person's palm. The impact sents her flying back, rolling along the balcony's floor, her momentum only stopped by the guardrail all around her. She's lucky it's there. Lucky the behemoth didn't just rip her in half or run her right through. Lucky she's still conscious, and can...yes. And can find her way to her feet.
She clutches at the railing, steadying herself. For the first time she wishes she possessed a different domain. Anything but fire..but she can only do her best. Forming a triangle with her hands the gap glows with a brilliant crimson, and a long and sinewy serpent of flame slithers forth from it, as though entering in through a portal.
Like attacking a shark with a guppy..
COMBAT: Sailor Mars has used Searing Serpent on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Sailor Mars has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly dodges Sailor Mars's Searing Serpent, taking 10 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Homura watches the progression of her rocket through her set of binoculars. The smoke trail makes it a rather easy thing to follow, but she'll perhaps be able to fine-tune her next rocket with this obervation. Her mouth downturns into a frown when she sees the dragon casually glides out of the way of her attack. The Dragon was more agile than she had anticiapted. Perhaps if they succeed in knocking it out of the air, they can even the odds a little. The pounding sound of the Dragon's wings rest heavily on Homura's ears. It was a horrid sound and the Homura attempts to respond to this threat by touching the odd shield like device on her arm.
For the young Ohtori student, time slows to a stop and she hurls the spent rocket launcher to the ground. She then grabs each rocket launcher that she had laid out in sequence and fires them all at the dragon, each being aimed at a slightly different angle. The rockets launch and freeze midair as Homura leaps away to safety and to head to a new vantage point. She bounds here and there as she keeps time frozen in order to cover a lot of distance in not a lot of time. It might be foolish to get closer to where the Dragon is attacking, but it might also give Homura the chance she needs to land a more deadly attack against it.
When time finally races back foward, the frozen rocket barrage flies straight for the Dragon while Homura herself gracefully lands on top of Tokyo Tower's observation deck in order to join the others assembled there. Mai's insistence of not firing at the second dragon has Homura looking through the binoculars around her neck once more. Sure enough, there it was. The raven-haired girl soon lowers the binoculars and turns to those closest to her. Homura's frown remains as she states, "Knock it out of the air and then keep attacking it until it is destroyed." That's atleast her proposal on how to beat such an enemy. Homura Akemi then looks out from the observation deck towards the dragon, her fired rockets should be reaching the creature anytime now.
COMBAT: Homura Akemi has used Bombs Bursting in Air on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
It's...cold! Endo literally hides behind his sword, the slab of matte black metal glowing with ugly light as it forms a protective barrier. It barely staves off most of the dragon's breath, a good amount cutting through, burning ice across his skin and setting his body shaking like a leaf. The Device provides enough support to keep him from toppling over, but it takes a second to force himself to move again.
"I'm here!" He waves, sort of, to the shapes he recognizes. Even the ones he doesn't. "Yeah, I'm fine," He chimes to Ren, a quick, bright smile flashed toward the girl when she zooms over. Then a moment of surprise, when yet another dragon appears. That one, as Mai noted, seems to be the good dragon. So he focuses on the bad one. "Be careful!"
Endo isn't going to be careful. "Hey, Stern, can you cut through that?"
<I HAVE CUT THROUGH STARS.>
"Really just the dragon is good enough right now!" The boy takes a breath, and then he jumps. He has a running start, but the arc he makes is still unreal. He ascends, coming to a high point and swinging the point of his sword toward the dragon's back. Fallen Stern does the rest, the device shooting forward, dragging its wielder behind it as it seeks to bite down into the huge beast approaching the tower.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Escape Velocity on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Berry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Berry didn't quite notice the sheer /size/ of the creature until she kicks it in the snout. At that moment, at that moment where she was backflipping away, and waiting for gravity to exert enough force to pull her earthward again - that she has the time to lift her chin and just kinda take in the scope of the monster.
And her eyes widen in shock, the golden light from the creature. The tongue lashes out, and as Berry falls, she twists back and forth - extending her feet or her hands to try to keep the tongue from laying directly against her. Acid! Berry cries out, the sizzles and pops where the tongue touched skin, and even where it found her boot and sole of the same was blackened.
Berry lands lightly again, biting her lower lip and briefly looking at her hand. When the second dragon... and... no!
It just so happened that she was nearish Mars when she lands, glancing from her to the others that might be landing - or are staying put nearby. "Are these..." A beat. They certainly weren't Labyrinth's doing.
"That second dragon is friendly! We have to help it!" Berry calls out to everyone, nodding firmly towards Lera and Mars both in particular, but there were so many magical girls darting to and fro, it was a bit chaotic. It was then that Homura's advice manages to break through the chaos, Berry's eyes settling upon the other young woman. "...right!" she says.
That would make it easier to attack. Letting the bombs that Homura launches strike, Miki leaps forward off of the edge again, leaping up towards the dragon, twisting in the air as she hopes to strike... well... the wing of the thing, twisting and using her non-acid-flenched hand to kinda snap at one of the joints of the wing.
It was at that moment that her cell phone buzzes, the sound for her mother's messages clinking in the air. And in spite of herself, Miki smiled. Her mother was okay enough to send a message, at least.
COMBAT: Cure Berry has used Twisting Strike on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Cure Berry has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Scarlet Rune Maiden [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
"---!" Guma's prideful advance is quickly rewarded with a claw against her midsection, casting her away like a wad of garbage. She barely has the presence of mind to latch onto a portion of the tower as she comes to a landing, eyes narrowed into slits from the shock of pain. Overhead, the battle continues, the weight and heat of the dragon pressing down on even the Maiden's body, placed where she is underneath the tower.
Pushing into as much of a stand as she can at that angle, Guma scrambles back up that distance of the tower, leaping back onto the viewing podium and straightening, attempting to look as if nothing has happened.
She recongizes Mai then, or, well, recognizes Mai and the fiery beast that seems to be her familiar. Turning to regard her at the most opportune moment, Guma says, "Did you feel something like evil radiating from here? Something wrong? Last time I felt something like that was when Library Island was attacked. You think this is similar? There's got to be a connection." It's worth mentioning now to Guma; Akemi has yet to figure out who any of the magical warriors she's fought with are in their civilian forms. All she senses is the heart, the support that seems out of place in a place like the big city.
Nodding to Homura, Guma adds, "She's correct. It can't be that fast if it's forced on the ground. And even if it's fast, we'd at least have room to breathe." Summoning the red tendrils of energy from the lotus seal tattoo on her back, she spreads them out, lending the protective energy of the Lotus seal to three people.
COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has used Lotus Shield on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has used Lotus Shield on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has used Lotus Shield on Sailor Mars. COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Homura Akemi's Bombs Bursting in Air, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko accepts Scarlet Rune Maiden's Lotus Shield, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Withstand applied to Cute Wolf Tsukiko! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Endo Naoki's Escape Velocity, taking 28 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa perfectly dodges Cure Berry's Twisting Strike, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Scarlet Rune Maiden's Lotus Shield, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Withstand applied to Ren Aizawa! COMBAT: Sailor Mars accepts Scarlet Rune Maiden's Lotus Shield, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Withstand applied to Sailor Mars!
<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
Tokyo Tower is rapidly emptying of people, but it takes time, given the extreme heights involved. What's more, a few people are paralyzed with fear and shock by the sight of their own impending, draconic doom. There's a little girl with auburn twintails up on the observation deck -- and her mother, who's pushed the emergency stop button on an elevator filled with people, upon realizing that her daughter isn't in there with them.
Multiple kinds of panic are rising, and they are getting uglier by the moment.
Not ugly is Tsukiko's fangy escape from the tail; it is a beautiful strike, which pierces straight through the black hide and leaves a hole behind. It drips blindingly green ichor, in sharp contract to the external reds and blacks of the creature, onto the rooftops far, far below.
Lera finds somewhat less luck in her magical swordplay; it sears the scales, but does not pierce through. Despite that, it seems to sink in and out, as though the creature were a ghost -- it's very strange, since certainly if her feet ever touch the scales, they're very solid indeed. Criss-crossing the back occasionally alongside her, Endo discovers totally different behavior; the point of his sword digs in and leaves an enormous scratch in the scales, sending up sparks and leaving a potential weak point behind.
Ren leaves a sparkling gouge in the dragon's right shoulder before the residue of her attack is sucked in; it's very distracting, and that immense maw slowly swivels towards her, right at the moment that Mai summons Kagetsuchi.
He's not fast; he's precise, but no amount of precision is going to get him out of the way of that second dragon in time. The phoenixdragonspacewhale sends him tumbling head over tail, right past Sailor Mars' serpent, which had previously been perfectly aimed (and past Cure Berry, who fails to quite make contact with her clever wing snap strike). Its proximity leaves burn marks all the same, much like Mai's flame had previously. This creature isn't fireproof, that's for certain.
Homura's barrage of rockets impact against his hide, leaving more marks -- and sending the already off-balance, out of control to crash against the ground. As he plunges past Tokyo Tower, he vengefully, spitefully, or perhaps cleverly lashes out with his tail; once at the girl, and again at -- right above -- the elevator, severing the cables and sending it plunging down the shaft.
He leaves a crater on the ground of such magnitude that dust is kicked up several stories, and the dragon himself is momentarily invisible within it.
And then -- the sound.
It is the sound of uncountable billions of air molecules being incinerated all at once. It does not smell like campfires or a cozy fireplace. It does not smell like bonfires or a kebob roast.
It smells like pain, nostrils burnt by the simple proximity. It feels like motion, like the world spun on its axis, vertigo rising as more air rushes to fill the void in a thunderclap. It tastes like salt, the salt of sweat.
The fire comes in beautiful swirls, artful spirals of red and orange and blue. It gouts up towards its assailants on the Tower and in the sky like a spreading apocalypse, the mother of all nightmares about consumption in flame.
Which, of course, it is.
Dragonsbreath.
Sakura Kinomoto has left.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Dragonsbreath on Cure Berry. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Dragonsbreath on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Dragonsbreath on Homura Akemi. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Dragonsbreath on Mai Tokiha. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Dragonsbreath on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Dragonsbreath on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Dragonsbreath on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Imperilment on Mytho. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Cure Berry narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Dragonsbreath, taking 25 Fatigue damage! Cure Berry's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Dragonsbreath, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Block ability activates! COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Dragonsbreath, taking 41 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Lera Camry fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's Dragonsbreath, taking 61 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's Dragonsbreath, taking 56 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Dragonsbreath, taking 22 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha's Fade ability activates! COMBAT: Homura Akemi narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Dragonsbreath, taking 37 Fatigue damage! Homura Akemi's Fade ability activates! Homura Akemi's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa covers Mytho for Juri Arisugawa's attack, Imperilment, taking it upon themselves instead! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Imperilment on Mytho. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Sailor Mars covers Mytho for Juri Arisugawa's attack, Imperilment, taking it upon themselves instead! COMBAT: Sailor Mars narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Imperilment, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Stagger applied to Sailor Mars!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Ren smiles at Endo's urging that she be careful. And then he leaps forward at the dragon to slash at it. Dork. She goes to rush in behind him, planning on using his attack as a smokescreen of sorts. That is, until Mai summons up Kagatsuchi. Ren stops in her tracks, eyes widening. That's... the /good/ dragon, yes? She watches in awe, turning to look at Mai as she floats there in midair. How powerful could she be to summon up something like /that/?! Ren is thoroughly impressed. And more than a little freaked out.
But she isn't left standing (or rather floating) there like a bump on a log for long. The other attacks that bombard the dragon send it spiraling down to the ground, which unfortunately has the side effect of endangering the innocent people who are trying to escape via the elevator. Ren gasps.
At the same time, the dragon unleashes it's hellish Dragonsbreath attack, which is heading straight for Ren and her comrades.
She can't defend against the attack /and/ save the plummeting elevator.
She makes a choice.
"HERAUT!" She screams, flicking the scepter in the direction of the elevator. A bolt of mana shoots out from the device, forming into a cushioning band of sorts that webs itself to the structure of the tower itself. The elevator hits it, coming to an abrupt yet safe stop. The people are saved!
Ren doesn't have time to rejoice, though, before she is consumed by the flames of the dragon. "AHHHH!" She cries out, and is sent spiraling backwards -- into the tower. CLANG. Her back dents one of the support beams, and she goes down once gravity takes over, barrier jacket smoldering and burned to bits in several places.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Lera's plasma-sheathed sword does not bite into the scales as she expected. Instead, she finds that they never quite find purchase, even when her feet slam into the scales. She runs along the dragon's neck for a minute before she kicks off it, and flies out in front of the observation deck. Her head turns, looking at Cure Berry for a moment -- and Mai. Then, she shakes her head, trying to clear it, with the sounds of panicking people hitting her.
"Right!" she calls out to Cure Berry. She's close enough to the observation deck to hear Homura, too. The Midchildan mage nods her head quickly, firmly. "No attacking the good dragon! Got it! And we'll try to bring it down, double got it!"
She turns around, doing a smart 180-degree turn in the air; she sees Kagutsuchi collide into it, the two dragons (sort of) meeting causes a shockwave that blows her hair back. She takes a deep breath, and then opens her mouth to shout a warning when the elevator's cables are cut -- but that is cut short, when the dragon breaths flame towards Tokyo Tower, all the magical girls, and everyone.
<Lera! MOVE!>
She stares at the fire for a moment. It's terrible, she thinks, but beautiful.
And then her senses come back. She turns, whirling around in midair, and bolts up and to the left at once. Another ring of golden and orange light fires from her feet; she becomes like a blur, her hair shooting straight back, gold-brown eyes widening as she readies to shoot between the steel beams of Tokyo Tower.
The dragon's breath hits her. The fire and force of it smashes into Lera, flame engulfing her -- and it punches her up wildly over the arch of Tokyo Tower's steel beams. She hurtles up without control, fire and smoke trailing after her--
"AaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAHH!"
--and slams into red office block building across the street, hitting it like a lava bomb. Her entire Barrier Jacket flashes a bright orange-red as it takes the brunt of it. The window she hits shatters, glass blowing inward; the flame kisses it, and the steel frame pops out, raining down with red stonework to the street below. She comes to a roll on the floor, before she comes up. Her head throbs; she is dimly aware that there is a steady trickle of blood running down one side of her face.
She stumbles a few times, before she walks to the large hole she punched into this floor. She looks up at the dragon; she laughs and cries with relief and panic, at the same time.
<Mirage Charge.>
A Midchildan magical circle appears under her feet and flashes up around her; a faint red glow is left, lingering in her eyes. "Thanks," she says, still breathless. "I needed that."
She steps out onto thin air -- and then she shoots up into the sky again.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Mirage Charge on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lera Camry accepts Lera Camry's Mirage Charge, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Accelerate and Empower applied to Lera Camry!
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
The scarlet magic of warding reaches Tsukiko a moment before the gouts of flame do. With her muscles still smarting from the tail-lash, there's no place she can run to swiftly enough.
Instead, she grips the magic and curls up behind it, riding the flames like a leaf in a windstorm. Her impromptu ride leaves her somewhat scuffed up, but mostly unscorched (other than the tip of her tail).
The wolfgirl runs back into the fray, leaping at the dragon feet-first. If all goes well, she can use the recoil of impact to bounce back to land on the Main Observatory deck, and hopefully drive the dragon closer to the ground.
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Overrun Bounce on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
It's chaos.
Everyone's going all out to try to take down the dragon, Kagutsuchi is roaring in challenge, Mai's phone is buzzing urgently in her pocket...and yet, it's hard to focus on anything but this monster. Howling with hunger and fury, embodying fire and death...
She hesitated. Even with an honest-to-goodness -dragon- menacing Tokyo Tower, Mai hesitated to bring out Kagutsuchi. That escalation - that fiery force was the cause of no small fear. And this beast...this is like some twisted shadow of her Child. Everything she feared Kagutsuchi could be, this thing is.
There are a few calls for her attention - Cure Berry's encouragement registering first. She turns to the azure-clad girl and nods - looking up to her ferocious Child for a moment. "Kagutsuchi...these people are fighting with us. Just stop the other dragon." Hopefully, he'll listen...
Guma's question requires a bit more thought, and it's attention she can't spare. "Something's - wrong. And we'll figure out what once this problem's dealt with."
And then, abruptly - immolation. Utter incineration. Like so many nightmares - a dragon's wrath, turned loose on those who hoped to do good in the world. Mai can do little but cover her head - but Kagutsuchi is more mindful, one great claw moving in to sweep her from the worst of the storm.
Dragonsbreath sears at the Child, even as Kagutsuchi flaps its own fiery wings to rise up - burns run up the length of its tail, and even the flames that form its wings seem to have been scorched. A draconic might that can burn fire itself, perhaps? Whatever the cause...
Mai was imperiled. Threatened. Even as the HiME uncurls from her immediate fear, Kagutsuchi's eyes glint with vengeful wrath. The wings flap twice, descending and gaining a dozen meters' breathing space - and then the Child breathes in response. It doesn't match the inferno the enemy unleashed - no time spent building up the reserve of sheer incineration the enemy displayed - but it's still a fireball the size of a small house, bearing down on the dark dragon's head and wings, prepared to tear through and into the skies beyond.
Should the enemy stay on the ground, it might evade the worst - or it can rise, and take the brunt of Kagutsuchi's own drive to protect.
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Immolation on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly counters Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Overrun Bounce, taking 9 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cute Wolf Tsukiko is Psyched! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa's counterattack, Not Toothless, partially gets through, doing 28 Fatigue damage to Cute Wolf Tsukiko! Critical Counterhit! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa perfectly dodges Mai Tokiha's Immolation, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mars [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
The air is alight with activity..bombs and beasts and blasts of magical energy whizzing through the sky like buzzing bees swarming a bear. In a way, Rei feels as though she's been thrust into the climax of a kaiju movie...which she doesn't particularly care for in the best of circumstances. She half expects to see jet fighters shrieking into view and blasting rockets at the monstrosity.
With so much crossfire, Mars finds it prudent and possible to consider the observation deck. It's a very bad place to be for people threatened by a flying battleship that could probably rip the tower in half through sheer elbow grease, even if it wasn't able to spit hydrogen bombs.
What she sees is..well, good news isn't the term for it. But better than the worst news. That seems fair to say. Most people have flocked to the elevator..which, they say one should never turn to in the event of a fire..but at this height, the time that it would take to take the stairs..perhaps the elevator's the safer bet. That it might be speaks volumes of how terrible the situation is.
But something's..off. There are people in the box, yes. And they're slamming the buttons, yes. But the door doesn't seem to be closing..and instead of looking in panic to the elevator's interior, which might suggest that the "Door Close" button isn't working, they seem to be looking in panic outside..
Yes. There's why..a little girl..Rei doesn't think. She sprints dead on towards the crying child, scooping her up into her arms and dashing to the elevator shaft, practically throwing her inside. A few rushing, whooshing noises can be heard behind her..whirling around, she sees the latter half of a series of explosions, and the falling figure of a winged lizard. For a moment she's elated..had the military arrived? Was its weapons, unlike in the movies, actually as effective as they believed they'd be?
Then the tailtip slices through the sky like the grim reaper's scythe, lashing out in a tenuous approximation of control amongst the chaos of the fall. Its first slam is just above and behind her..the second comes straight for her torso. Gritting her teeth and planting her feet, she stands her ground. The blind flail is so much less devastating than the coordinated claw from moments ago..turning around in fear for the elevator, she finds that another girl has sprung into action to catch it as it fell.
Some good news after all..
Returning her attention to the battle, Rei begins to cautiously make her way to the balcony's edge..and a pillar of apocalyptic inferno seizes upon the air with a murderous rage and a divine potency. A deepseated frequency of animal fear trips in Rei's inner self, paralyzing her for a moment.
A quivering hand produces an Ofuda. She attempts to start the chant..and cannot make out the syllables. More deep breaths..serenity must be found in the storm. Collecting her nerves, she manages the ritual, and charges the paper slip. It's almost absurd to imagine the little tissue finding its mark against such a fiend, through such fires. But if the dragon belongs to darkness, then she must know.
Held at the ready, Mars awaits the culmination of the blaze. The moment the hellfire dissipates, she runs to the edge and hurls her prayer with all of her might.
COMBAT: Sailor Mars has used Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen! on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Sailor Mars has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Sailor Mars's Rin, Pyou, Tou, Sha, Kai, Jin, Retsu, Zai, Zen!, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates! Analysis performed by Sailor Mars! Stun and Trap applied to Juri Arisugawa!
<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Homura doesn't need those binoculars of hers to see that their combined efforts had yielded some progress. Her frown upturns into a straight line now. It's nowhere near a smile, but its -something-. The other girls were seemingly okay with accepting her advice as well. This wasn't really a first, but perhaps still a rare occasion. "We need to press our attack." The Puella Magi intones as she leans forward and presses her hands against the railing of the observatory deck. Without further adieu, Homura simply jumps over the railing and starts plummeting down after the briefly grounded Dragon.
Free falling through the air, Homura has a front row view of the incoming dragonfire. She reaches out for the mechanism on her arm and it whirls to life. Only a moment has passed, but Homura was now suddenly -below- the flame blast. But the very proximity of the intense flames was enough to give the Puella Magi a light scorch. This foe was incredibly dangerous and it needed to be taken care of quickly before the destruction spread to other parts of Tokyo.
From her current location, Homura was in no position to save the innocent girl or the elevator without expending a tremendous amount of magic to do so. She would have to hope that one of the other magic girls saves the girl in time for she did not want another death to weigh on her already heavy soul. But she also knew what must be done and what she should remain focused on, defeating this dragon as quickly as possible.
Homura Akemi hits the ground hard in a roll and wastes no time in reaching for the 'shield' on her arm once more. The dragon seemed to right where she needed it to be thanks to the efforts of the other girls. She would have to work quick, but a few well placed blocks of C4 should put a dent in that thing. To the casual observer, it would look as if a series on small explosions would erupt underneath the downed dragon in an attempt to catch the creature in the blast as soon as Homura had hit the ground. And in the next moment, the black-haired Puella Magi would be standing at precisely the safe distance away from her set explosives whether they hit the dragon or not.
COMBAT: Homura Akemi has used Anarchist's Cookbook on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Homura Akemi's Anarchist's Cookbook, taking 32 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo comes onto the dragons back with a hard impact, bracing himself and slamming home. Well, he didn't really cut through it, but maybe eventually. The bad thing is now he's hanging on for deep life, gripping his sword, and then letting out a scream of pain as fire begins to wash over him. Again the shield fields around him, and again it doesn't do nearly enough to keep from searing him.
He's about to dig back into that hole he made when his head jerks back toward the tower, eyes widening as he watches the glowing pink form of Ren go toppling down.
And he goes to get her. Hopefully the dragon can wait. He leaps again, and the sword does most of the work, rocketing off and slamming one of the beams of the building. He needs to stick, and he does, stretching out to snatch Ren before she becomes a pancake.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used REN on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Berry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
Dragonbreath.
The fires wrack her - the fires toy at the edges of the Cure's being.
And as the flames singe her - as she brings up her arms to try to ward off the fire, her memory flashes to a few moments back. Of striking nothing but air as her fist punches downwards. To curling and seeing the ground so far below - to the sight of the dragon rearing back...
If there was an advantage to it, it was that the fires easily knocked her back onto the tower - but, nearly pink with the flames, Miki breathes out a long sound as she strikes the metal ceiling of the thing. Leaping back onto her feet, she nearly swooned - but clutches her fists together, leveling her gaze upon the dragon. Everyone was fighting so hard... /everyone/!
She had to as well.
Leaping upwards, she twists again, spiraling and leading with her feet as she hopes to follow the dragon earthward, and...!
Deliver as many punches and kicks as she can to the sides and wing, before leaping off of it with another pirouetting leap.
COMBAT: Cure Berry has used Bonzanza Spiral on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Cure Berry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Cure Berry's Bonzanza Spiral, taking 30 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Endo Naoki's REN, taking 0 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Scarlet Rune Maiden [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Is the Maiden afraid? One half of her is, Akemi watching the events with a mixture of horror and fear even as the mental and physical divide spares her the brunt of the dragon's attacks. Guma, meanwhile-
It's not that Guma's incapable of fear. There are things that scare her. The terror of a child, children, people, the pain of her fellow warriors is enough to chill the moon bear spirit's blood, her need to protect as instinctual as the Kagutsuchi's own, if less centered on one person.
She's too far away to get there in time to protect the one that remains on this platform and the compromised elevator, but Guma can do one thing:
Distraction. She can take a blow- the fleeing civilians may not.
Leaping and sliding down the tower as fast as she is able, the Maiden's arms reach out to the sides, slightly shaking as purifying red energy encircles and runs down to her hands.
Landing in an unsteady crouch as she manages the weight of her momentum down her body, the Maiden straightens proudly, rotating one arm aside slowly aside like an ancient actor on a stage in Edo-era Japan.
And in the primitive language of one animal to another, Guma stares openly at the dragon in challenge, not daring to avert her eyes.
("G-guma...")
"... I've faced dragons before, and will face as many dragons as is needed to protect the Balance between nature and man. Now," Guma says in a commanding voice, pointing a hand palm-first towards the dragon. "You, who threatens the Balance between man and nature- repent now, or face the consequences of your actions at the hands of the Scarlet Rune Maiden!"
With that, a ray of red light erupts out of her hand, shooting straight towards the beast. If she and the others attacking the dragon distract it for a few precious moments, that'd be enough for her.
COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has used Scarlet Banishment on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Scarlet Rune Maiden's Scarlet Banishment, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Scarlet Rune Maiden is Psyched! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
The mother embraces her child as Sailor Mars flings her into arm's reach -- then they both scream together along with the rest of the occupants of the elevator as it goes out of control... and stops, just as abruptly, arrested in motion by Ren's timely intervention. Tearful eyes gaze for the briefest of moments up at their saviors, before the tide of battle tears them apart. It's difficult to hear, but a "t'ank you!" from the younger generation is just barely audible over the roar of dragonfire.
Alongside the tower is another kind of elevator to Hell, as the dragon is fought towards, and to, the ground. Tsukiko is the first into the fray, feet-first, and is unfortunately met tooth-first as the dragon whips his head around, long neck arching. It grunts as Cure Berry begins pummeling it inexorably towards the earth, and frantically tries to flap its wings upwards.
Kagutsuchi cuts off that avenue of escape with a profoundly powerful fireball, and it turns on a mammoth wingtip to avoid incineration at the last second. Truly, that would be an ignominous way for a dragon to go. The Scarlet Rune Maiden's eponymously-hued blast scores across a wing, leaving it reeling -- its resistance to magic seems to be starting to decline.
And somehow, impossibly, improbably, through the flames, the flying magical girls, the lashing limbs of two different dragons, an artifact of faith flutters through the air to land neatly against dragonhide. It adheres directly to the underside of his neck, and for a single, crucial second, he suffers the same fate as any other monster: he is totally paralyzed by the strength of Sailor Mars' chi.
He drops like a stone.
And just as he hits the ground, Homura's C4 goes off, enveloping him in an explosion so massive that the dragon emerges with a much higher black:red color ratio. Some of the wounds are beginning to scar right before the girls' eyes, painful, pulsing gray strands of flesh sealing wounds as they arise.
But there are so many of them -- he's starting to slow.
From the ground, he bellows his rage. How dare these tiny gnats slow his rampage? How dare a tiny gnat summon him in the first place?
Beware the pique of dragons, for towers are brittle and taste good with... nothing, really, but it's the principle of the thing. Gouging the ground with his massive claws, he tries to clamber his way back up the tower -- putting those who are still upon it significantly in harm's way, because four clawed feet are finding purchase on all the structural beams they can find, and they don't care if there are girls in the way.
Girls, or construction workers. Two brave souls are attempting to shut down power to Tokyo Tower before it fries, manning breaker switches on either side of the structure. The dragon, being wider than the structure, is going to step on them both on his way up.
Those in midair, or too distant to be directly in the way, are treated to another ear-rending screech. This one is somehow more painful than the others, the deliberate, draconic torture upon the air as different from those that came before as a deathmetal concert is to Beethoven.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Stairway To Heaven on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Stairway To Heaven on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Stairway To Heaven on Sailor Mars. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Stairway To Heaven on Cure Berry. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Unholy Shriek on Mai Tokiha. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Unholy Shriek on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Unholy Shriek on Homura Akemi. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Unholy Shriek on Scarlet Rune Maiden. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Imperilment on Mytho. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa perfectly braces Juri Arisugawa's Imperilment, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Stairway To Heaven on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Cure Berry fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's Stairway To Heaven, taking 27 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's Stairway To Heaven, taking 6 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko's counterattack, High-Speed Kick, partially gets through, doing 11 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Unholy Shriek, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha's Block ability activates! Mai Tokiha's Parry ability activates! Stagger applied to Mai Tokiha! COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's Stairway To Heaven, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Endo Naoki's counterattack, Escape Velocity, partially gets through, doing 26 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa! COMBAT: Sailor Mars narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Stairway To Heaven, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Mars's Fade ability activates! Sailor Mars's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Unholy Shriek, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Scarlet Rune Maiden's Parry ability activates! Stagger applied to Scarlet Rune Maiden! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko covers Mytho for Juri Arisugawa's attack, Imperilment, taking it upon themselves instead! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Imperilment, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Flash ability activates! Stagger applied to Cute Wolf Tsukiko! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Imperilment on Mytho. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Unholy Shriek, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates! Stagger applied to Lera Camry! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha covers Mytho for Juri Arisugawa's attack, Imperilment, taking it upon themselves instead! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Imperilment, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha's Block ability activates! Mai Tokiha's Parry ability activates! Stagger applied to Mai Tokiha! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa perfectly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Stairway To Heaven, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Dodge! COMBAT: Homura Akemi fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's Unholy Shriek, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Stagger applied to Homura Akemi!
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
The ground was rushing up to meet Ren quickly. She had to do something! She had to... /oh/. She stops in midair, but not by her own hand. Blinking, she gingerly looks over to see that Endo has caught her. "E-Endo-kun?" She says in a low voice as if it hurts to even speak at the moment. "Thanks." She then says, smiling softly as she regains her bearings, not willing to give up just yet. Like all the battles before this she focusing on finding that unyielding part of herself. And once she finds it, she grabs ahold and doesn't plan on letting go until the very end. Ren removes herself gently from Endo's grip once she knows she's able to stand -- er, float -- on her own. Part of her hurt really badly but she chooses not to focus on the pain. Remembering the people in the elevator she turns to look -- and finds them safe, thankfully. Yes.
The dragon doesn't stay down for long despite everyone's efforts. It begins using Tokyo Tower as a ladder of sorts, heading straight up for them. "Endo! Watch out!" She cries, and on her mental command Souverain Heraut flashes, transforming into the glittering rapier that is the device's 'Engagement Mode'. She doesn't miss a beat as she then springs right for the beast, sword extended to pierce it's flesh. "Yaaaaah!"
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
Tsukiko winces as she slams into the girders of Tokyo Tower after getting a faceful of dragon face (and teeth!). "Ow," she winces as she pulls herself up. As the dragon starts clambering up, she looks at the oncoming claws and towards the brave workers. The wolfgirl barely pauses, lashing out with a kick at the dragon's foot and using it as a springboard to launch herself at the workers, scooping one of them up with a strain and diving clear of the dragon's path.
Once far enough away, she puts the worker on the ground and dashes back towards the dragon, darting around to try to halt its movement -- and to build up her speed, her leaps increasing in speed...
COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Herd the Quarry on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Blurred Edge on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly dodges Ren Aizawa's Blurred Edge, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa is Psyched!
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
A blur of red-orange cuts through the sky, as Lera flies away from the building that she rammed into. She circles broadly around the Tower, to come at the side where the dragon is trying to climb up it. She stares -- and then she winces, as the terrible echoing draconic screech rends the skies. She drops down, then -- and then another ring of light forms at her feet, before she bolts towards the dragon.
She reaches a hand up, wiping at her forehead, which is still a little bloodied. "Hang on," she murmurs, as she looks at the dragon. She is beyond scared, at this point. How do they do this?
"Ren-san! Endo-san!" she calls out. "You're both okay--is everyone else?"
She does a sharp turn, before she comes down at the dragon from above. This time, she is dropping down towards the head, sword swung backward. She shoots straight down for its head, Soaring Sky swung up over her head. A magical circle flashes out in front of her, with a bright flash of light. She tears through it.
<Inferno Slasher.>
The broadsword's energy field ignites, light crackling and snapping off it. She chops the blade down with a two-handed slash, right towards its neck. As the blade gets closer, that gathered energy bursts out in a sharp and fiery explosion.
COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Inferno Slasher on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Herd the Quarry, taking 1 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates! Tangle applied to Juri Arisugawa! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly braces Lera Camry's Inferno Slasher, taking 23 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa's Block ability activates!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
"I told you to be careful!" Endo chides Ren. Not that he looks too good himself, cape burnt, armored scorched black. He's still willing to go on, though. He's got to stop this thing before it hurts any more people, magical girls or normal citizens. Dragon or not, it's his job.
"I'm okay!" He calls. "Let's gooo!" Endo's going after Ren, feet pressing to the tower beam, pushing himself off and tearing his Device free.
The dragon's claws tear into the structure, and Endo himself, but this time he's ready to meet them. The Device in his hand smashes into the appendage coming for him, glancing off, and Endo propels himself downward. Right back for that spot he gouged out before, his sword raised high overhead.
<RADIAL VELOCITY.>
Ugly violet light flares along it's dark surface, making two huge, visible arcs in the night as he slams the weapon into the dragon's back.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Radial Velocity on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's Radial Velocity, taking 21 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mars [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
By an invsible tether, Sailor Mars knows the instant that her prayer slip touches scaled hide. Her mind floods with understanding..and little of it lifts her spirits. Her opponent oozes with vitality and might..nothing surprising. But at this point a surprise could almost only be good news. She finds no such thing. Worst yet..the beast is many things. A creature of darkness is not one of them.
Her heart launched in her throat when she saw the elevator car drop. Had she doomed a child to a plummeting demise under the mistaken fantasy of saving her? Tears wring themselves from her eyes in that moment..in the moment that the people are saved. In the moment that the little one squeaks out her gratitude.
She misses her friends so terribly now..other girls have joined the fight. Without them she'd be lost..but among the senshi she stands alone. Goosebumps explode along her flesh like a rash, a shivering shock clutching her spine and shaking it like a toddler's toy. She feels a fear of heights as she's never known. She needs to get off of this tower. She needs to reach the ground.
She won't. Not yet..not just yet. Her arm twitches, a sudden jolt of nervous energy. Like Gulliver the dragon rouses itself, making a mockery of the lilliputian's nets..rising from the same dust she swore she'd consign it to. And it scales the tower to the heavens..climbing like a squirrel upon a tree. Sailor Mars has no idea if it's coming for her specifically. Perhaps it is..
The best that she can hope for is to stare headlong into the abyss and make her stand. She won't find a better moment to strike than an open-mawed juggernaut hurtling towards her dead on. At this distance? Even if she misses she can't miss. She hopes..
Drawing her hands to her brow, the pulsing, frightened pace of her heart liquefies in her chest, flooding into her every vein..suffused by the panic, she diffuses it into something that, perhaps, she can control, and channel. A pinprick point of energy manifests at her fingertips..and grows sevenfold, and sevenfold again, and sevenfold again. An immense and swirling sphere of her hopes and intentions burns like a miniature sun..her adrenaline, her fear, her hope and her strength all empties itself in her hands.
Her voice rings empty into the void. Against all the din and the ardor, the sound and the fury, her words fall silent to the world.
"Fire!..Soul!.."
With a starter pistol's crack, the holy fire at her fingertips explodes forth, grinding up the ozone of the air like the churning hooves of chariot horses. The conflagration swells and expands in the air, careening in a mad spiral to meet the ascending paragon of death and destruction head on..fighting fire with fire.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Mars has used Fire Soul on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Sailor Mars has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Sailor Mars' sealing attack previously put the dragon back down into the ground and directly into the danger zone of Homura's explosives. This allowed her attack to go off without a hitch and they hadn't even coordinated such an attack beforehand. She'll have to keep an eye on Sailor Mars in the times to come. Her assistance could prove very useful in the times to come. Everyone else was doing their best to put a dent into that dragon's armor and it was finally starting to show. But the creature was still alive. It was still a danger and posed a huge threat to everyone present.
And yet, Homura was beginning to feel that she expending too much energy here against this creature. What was the point of it all? The others were struggling to save the innocents and here Homura stood alone at the base of the tower. She lifts her gaze up at the creature flying in the air. How many more creatures would she have to fight in this timeline before it would have to be reset? Despite these feelings flooding within her, Homura remains as stoic as ever. She calmly lifts the binoculars around her neck and watches the wounded dragon in all its pointless majesty. Maybe she should just leave this to the others to finish.
No.
Homura Akemi still had a job to do here. This creature posed a threat to all of Tokyo and that included Madoka Kaname. It had to be put down. And Homura Akemi was resolute in being a part of this no matter how she felt inside. She owed that much to Madoka at the very least.
COMBAT: Homura Akemi has used Timely Insight on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Sailor Mars's Finisher, Fire Soul, taking 86 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Homura Akemi's Timely Insight, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is Quipped! Analysis performed by Homura Akemi!
<Pose Tracker> Mai Tokiha [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
The buzzing in Mai's pocket is insistent - and as it finally stops, she has a moment to regain her thoughts. For a moment after the dragon's wrath...it was like half her nightmares about a rampaging out-of-control Child. Somehow, in spite of her freezing up in terror...she's somehow not incinerated.
The sight of Kagutsuchi's burnt tail and wings reveal the cause. Slowly, she rises up to Kagutsuchi's head. There are no words that she can think to say - only to lay a hand on that strange creature's flesh in gratitude. For her sake...
For a moment, she takes in the battlefield. The aftermath of the explosions and the strikes reveals a thoroughly nonplussed black dragon; its rampage is being stopped, and it's filled with fury at that.
"...too bad. Whatever we can do to stop you, whoever you are - we will." Mai's eyes narrow alongside her Child's, as they glare in tandem at the monster - which starts to ascend, and scream. Kagutsuchi screams its fury in turn, as Mai covers her ears in pain - and then the HiME points urgently as one of the construction workers is facing a massive claw.
She rushes forward. So does the dragon. Claw meets claw, and there's a brief struggle between the two dragons - until the beast is forced to find less fleshy footing. Kagutsuchi's maw opens terribly wide, and he practically hisses at his foe in turn...and yet.
"Not here, Kagutsuchi - not in the city! We just have to keep it down - keep it from rampaging!" Perhaps that worker near her hears her plea, perhaps the other girls do - but the Child does. Grudgingly, it closes its maw. Mai smiles in return - and then gathers her strength. "...give me strength. If we can keep it pinned down, trapped...everyone else can do the rest."
The HiME moves into position in front of Kagutsuchi's teeth, in front of the sword, the pair of them hovering above the dark dragon. The cylinders on the Child's back begin to turn, and the rings around Mai's wrists and ankles spin to match. A mighty force, a mighty heat - and a glimmering crimson light. Somewhere in the sky, a red star is shining...and its light can be seen here as a blazing crimson wall takes form.
Words come to mind, and Mai screams out her challenge. "The light of protection defies you...Sanctum Star!" Blazing crimson light, forming a barrier between the dragon and the heavens it seeks - and descending inexorably to force it to the ground.
How far and how long that force can last is uncertain - the barrier took everything Mai had and then some. Moments after her declaration, she passes out - Kagutsuchi breaking off from the battle to guide her safely to the ground before fading away. Whatever her orders, he has his priorities...and Mai is unable to command him otherwise.
One dragon remains.
COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has used Sanctum Star on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Mai Tokiha has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Mai Tokiha's Sanctum Star, taking 62 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha transforms into Mai-HiME!
<Pose Tracker> Cure Berry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
As Berry falls - she is treated to the sight of the explosive attacks that some of the other magical girls were throwing at the dragon. Marvelling - for a moment - at the blossoming fire and the explosion. There was a beauty in that flame - it hearkened to a flame that would consume everything evil, and leave nothing but the good.
But not the sound of it.
The sound was stolen by that unholy screech - it reverberated her ribs - it stole her senses and her sound, and left a feeling of wrongness twisting in her chest that remained even after the sound - and the sound of the world - vanished to nothing.
Already she could feel the thrum as the low frequencies return to her senses - slowly rising up the scale.
Berry was already moving again - already starting to bring her arms up and clutch her hands into fists. Wooziness filled her senses, but there was a clarity of purpose in her vision, Berry glancing to one side then. Glancing to see one of the dragons fade away, and deposit... a young woman? There was something here that she had no idea about.
But what she knew - still knew - was that the original dragon was still a threat. Normally, Berry liked jumps with her kicks. This time, however - she picks up speed as she dashes at the fallen dragon, and at the last moment - she picks up her foot to attempt to deliver a sharp kick to the thing's side, crying out as she does so.
COMBAT: Cure Berry has used Lovely Drive on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Cure Berry has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Cure Berry's Lovely Drive, taking 16 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Scarlet Rune Maiden [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Leaping away to a safer distance away as the dragon comes crashing down, the Maiden is nearly knocked back by the blast caused by the beast's weight and Homura's C4.
... Funny, how that magical girl seems to always finds the best moment to land her attack, a feat Guma couldn't reproduce even with her previous host's body.
It's yet another fellow magical girl Guma wishes she could talk to on a one to one basis. That, and Mai, for at least the ability to figure out what is causing this string(?) of attacks.
But what does a dragon attacking the Tokyo Tower have to do with the attack on Library Island? There's been many attacks, with demons and generals and other perceived threats to the Balance, so what makes these so different?
The dragon's cry reverberates in the Maiden's skull, cutting short her thoughts and prompting her to clap her hands over her ears to stop the pain, to no avail. Yet, looking up at the dragon from her vantage point on the ground, something begins to become clear-
"Just keep going a little longer! It's weakening!" she encourages the others- or, at least, those within earshot.
Also, well, Guma remembers she's on the ground, as opposed to the top of the tower. Time to use the field to her advantage! Taking a conscious breath as if she was to do another pose for the theatre, Guma raises a hand. Then, shattering the illusion of grace, she lands her palm into the ground, dislodging a spike of earth, which spits straight towards the dragon.
COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has used Earth Spike on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to dodge Scarlet Rune Maiden's Earth Spike, taking 24 Fatigue damage!
<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
For a mammoth scaly beast clinging to the side of a tower, the dragon is pretty nimble. He lifts his midsection out of the way of Ren's springing attack, though her rapier just grazes one of his claws as it passes, cracking it unpleasantly. The Cute Wolf slows him further by running in and out and around, giving Lera and Endo a nice long moment where his neck and back aren't moving much at all. The energy sword sinks in a little too easily once again, but leaves burns on contact -- and Endo's Device-and-blood sword (maybe just Device, that would be gross) finds purchase... then slips, dragging that weak point through a few more scales, enlarging it rather than striking within it.
Still, all good things to those who wait.
Through her binoculars, Homura gets to watch the spiraling act of passion -- ardent fury, deep love, both of these and neither -- that is Fire Soul, descend Tokyo Tower in a massive spiral to detonate right in the dragon's face. The force of the blast knocks him straight off the tower, where he is caught by Sanctum Star, which bears down on him like a well-timed gigantic red energy flyswatter.
A second crater now accompanies the first. Cure Berry kicks the dragon while he's down again, spiderweb cracks spreading outwards from her lovely heel's impact. The Scarlet Rune Maiden gets him from the other side, the spike of the world penetrating a scale and sticking into his flesh proper, just hanging there twenty feet in the air, and that's really just it. He's had enough.
Furiously, the dragon beats against the ground itself, creating something of a localized earthquake that threatens to jar people off the Tower as well, or off their feet, for those on the ground -- or head over heels, for those in the air, for the sky itself seems to shake. As for the landmark, the whole thing vibrates in time with the tantrum, and the two construction workers -- one with Mai, one Tsukiko -- moan.
But that turns into gasps of horror as the dragon breathes a second time; this time faster and hotter, harsher, and the flame is now a full blue, the blue of heaven, perhaps. Certainly a blue that has been the last thing many have ever seen.
It rushes towards Sailor Mars, right up the scorched air her attack left behind -- and, not incidentally, is so wide a blast that it is going to envelop the elevator as well, if it isn't somehow protected.
COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Collateral Damage on Scarlet Rune Maiden. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Collateral Damage on Cure Berry. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Collateral Damage on Mai Tokiha. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Collateral Damage on Homura Akemi. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Collateral Damage on Endo Naoki. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Collateral Damage on Lera Camry. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Collateral Damage on Cute Wolf Tsukiko. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has used Collateral Damage on Ren Aizawa. COMBAT: FINISHER! Juri Arisugawa has used Wyrmfire on Sailor Mars. COMBAT: FINISHER! Juri Arisugawa has used Wyrmfire on Mytho. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's Collateral Damage, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Reverse ability activates! Lera Camry's Tactician ability activates! Tangle applied to Lera Camry! COMBAT: Lera Camry's counterattack, Jet Burst, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa! COMBAT: Homura Akemi fails to dodge Juri Arisugawa's Collateral Damage, taking 13 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Collateral Damage, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates! Tangle applied to Ren Aizawa! COMBAT: Cure Berry narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Collateral Damage, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Cure Berry's Parry ability activates! Tangle applied to Cure Berry! COMBAT: Mai Tokiha narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Collateral Damage, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Mai Tokiha is unable to keep fighting! COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko fails to brace Juri Arisugawa's Collateral Damage, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Tangle applied to Cute Wolf Tsukiko! COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Collateral Damage, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Tangle applied to Scarlet Rune Maiden! COMBAT: Lera Camry covers Mytho for Juri Arisugawa's attack, Wyrmfire, taking it upon themselves instead! COMBAT: FINISHER! Juri Arisugawa has used Wyrmfire on Mytho. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa has finished attacking. COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Finisher, Wyrmfire, taking 12 Fatigue damage! COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden covers Mytho for Juri Arisugawa's attack, Wyrmfire, taking it upon themselves instead! COMBAT: Sailor Mars narrowly dodges Juri Arisugawa's Finisher, Wyrmfire, taking 45 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Mars's Fade ability activates! Sailor Mars's Flash ability activates! COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Juri Arisugawa's Collateral Damage, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Tangle applied to Endo Naoki! COMBAT: Scarlet Rune Maiden narrowly counters Juri Arisugawa's Finisher, Wyrmfire, taking 51 Fatigue damage! Scarlet Rune Maiden's Reverse ability activates! Scarlet Rune Maiden's Tactician ability activates! COMBAT: FINISHER! Scarlet Rune Maiden's counterattack, Scarlet Lotus Seal, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Juri Arisugawa!
<Pose Tracker> Cute Wolf Tsukiko [Juuban Public School (6)] has posed.
Darting around a foe takes a fair amount of focus, even in the best of times; thus, it's no surprise when the ground-shaking roar of the dragon throws off Tsukiko's balance, resulting in her careening into an obstacle. She winces and rolls her step sideways, quickly recovering her momentum. The wolfgirl doesn't feel confident enough to try to take on the blue flames, but if the dragon is not focusing on her--
--then that means there's an opening.
Tsukiko runs towards the dragon, accelerating into a silvery blur of light aimed right at the monster's side. Her run doesn't stop until she's past the dragon, the aura of her attack hopefully hitting like a cannonball.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Cute Wolf Tsukiko has used Silver Wolf Tackle on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Cute Wolf Tsukiko has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.
Her rapier doesn't quite hit on target as hoped, earning a soft grunt of frustration from Ren as she flies past the dragon, keeping a careful eye on Endo. She wasn't sure how much she had left in her if this fight turned fiercer than it already was. And the same went for the others. They outnumbered this monster but it was /so/ strong. She'd be lying if she said she wasn't worried. Her eyes flick over to the elevator full of trapped people again. One hasty move from the dragon and her saving them could be all for nothing. They needed to bring it down. Fast.
Even from where she is in the air she can feel the quaking caused by the winged beast. It shakes her up, though not enough to truly throw her off. Ren grits her teeth and rides it out, regaining her balance once it passes. And then she charges again, sparks of gold kicking up against the blade of her rapier as she attempts to jab it into the dragon's back. And then those sparks start to explode, bursting like fireworks.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Magical Burst on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Sailor Mars [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Fire with fire. Sailor Mars' assault strikes true. It's all that she can do, and she pays the price for it. She barely manages to pull back before she's burnt to a crisp. The veins on her neck bulge in her pained cries as the beast paints the sky scarlet all around her. She manages to evade the most of it..if the dragon had been the same level as her then she'd surely be doomed, but higher ground has its advantages.
She coughs and wheezes as the flames abate. She holds onto consciousness..barely..tenuously. She feels on the safer half of the edge of a knife, hanging by a thread. With bleary eyes she scans the scene..and decides, ultimately..that she's done all that she can do. The most she can manage now is to die.
She'll be haunted in the morning..if she makes it that far..if the day isn't won. But she's done what she can. When the day comes for her to die, she will. She'll hurl herself onto the blaze, when it will accomplish something. She fears she's a coward if she flees before the battle's done..but she knows that if she doesn't leave then she'll only fail for that day that shall come..the time when her body will be needed to pay a price.
Her eyes screw shut. Fat wet tears trail down her cheeks like inching slugs. She runs for the opposite edge at full speed..and she jumps..sailing into the night, and beyond.
<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.
Soaring Sky finds that eerie purchase, but this time it burns. She tears through a couple scales -- and then she has to bank away. Lera turns, moving between a pair of those blade like spines. Light gathers at her feet and bursts away in a ring, as she bolts up onto the sky. She sees the way the dragon shakes -- and the Tower is shaking. A chunk of siding from the observation tower comes flying down at her. She swings up her sword; the tip glows.
Another ball of light flies, shooting off towards the piece of debris. The energy ball contacts with it, and the chunk of metal burns away, blasting into ash. Lera lets out a ragged breath, before she looks down, feeling the growing heat.
Her eyes widen. Another breath. The last one almost killed her. She starts to turn, to flee, and then she spots the elevator. Her eyes narrow, this time, and she bolts towards it instead, becoming a blur of light.
The blur ends at the elevator. "Hold on!" she cries out, loudly. "I'll keep you safe!" She feels the heat of the flames coming, then she closes her eyes, bites her lip, and clutches Sky's hilt with both hands. "Sky... do--do whatever you can!"
<That's a very tall order!>
She turns, trying to work through the ath of a spell in her mind. Lera swings the broadsword-like Intelligent Device out -- and then slams it into the gout of flame coming down at her. The sword catches it, splitting it in two around the plasma of the blade. The fire blasts the ground, burning it black but shoots around that part of the elevator. The force of it slams Lera back into the elevator, hard, crushing a dent into it.
She sags when it's done, burying her Device into the ground point first. She breathes hard, before she realizes: the dragon is still up.
<You're going after the dragon. Aren't you.>
"We hafta, Sky," she says. "I know, it's Earth, you don't want me getting hurt. But if we don't--"
<I know. Dual Form.>
The broadsword clicks; it splits into two parts, becoming a pair of single-edged blades. Light flashes up the edges, as the plasma fields adjust, and she looks up into the sky, at the dragon. She watches Tsukiko run; that gives her all the heart she nods. She nods, once, and then she bolts across the blasted ground, weaving around a piece of debris here and there.
Then she leaps, and a trio of magical circles forms. She rushes up through each of them.
<Combination Crusade!>
"I won't let you hurt anyone else! I'm sorry, Mister Dragon, but you've gotta get out of here!" she yells as she comes down, leading with the sword in her right hand -- and slams down on the scales, next to the weak spot that Endo carved earlier. She stabs her sword down at it. The right strikes, then the left slashes down, and then she begins swinging, slashing, and stabbing with rapid motions. Each leaves a brilliant blur.
She kicks off the scales, pivoting in midair. She stabs down with the right sword, which glows with a red-orange brilliance -- and strikes down at the dragon.
"BURST!"
The sword flares -- and a large beam of light fires off it, gold and white, red and orange at the edges. It throws Lera backward, and she lands on the ground near the dragon in a crouch.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Lera Camry has used Combination Crusade on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
<Pose Tracker> Homura Akemi [Ohtori Academy (9)] has posed.
Homura Akemi watches the fireworks and the beating red soul of the dragon through her binoculars. Somehow, that thing was still flying despite all their efforts thus far. And then suddenly...the dragon descends. It crashes against the ground and sends tremors through the earth. Homura begins to reach for the shield on her arm, but the sight of the purple gem on the back of her hand gives her pause. Was she actually that careless? She had been too focused on her opponent that she was squindling what was left of her own reserves. The young Puella Magi decides to try to save herself the old-fashioned way as she was a track star at Ohtori Academy afterall and could use that speed to her advantage now.
A wave of upturned earth heads straight for Homura Akemi and she immediately begins running the opposite way. The ground in front of her suddenly crashes up wards and Homura looks for a new escape route. She leaps to her right, but this effort is all for naught as the ground she lands on gives way and causes her to her thrown across the ground by the approaching tremor wave.
Lying flat on her back, Homura Akemi glances at the gem on the back of her hand once more. Madoka was still in danger. Everything seemed to be still happening the way it has gone before. The individuals events change, but the end results are the same. Maybe Homura should just end it right here and now for herself. She could always try again another time like she has done countless times before.
But Homura's mind wanders to the good memories from this timeline. The precious moments that she shared with Madoka in this timeline and in this timeline over. There was a chance that she could make more such memories like that or even finally achieve what she so long ago set out to change. Homura Akemi forces herself up to her feet and starts running -toward- the dragon now. She closes the distance and takes one short hop to where the Dragon was directly now above her. The Puella Magi then reaches out for the device on her arm with a look of grim determination on her face.
What she pulls from the 'shield' is a large and menacing machine gun with a extremely huge belt of ammuniton attached to it. This behemoth of a weapon is hefted up in direction of the dragon and Homura pulls the charging handle of the weapon back hard. The weapon was now ready to fire. But Homura doesn't start firing yet, she reaches for shield yet again and it whirls to life one last time. Time halts, but the machine gun springs to life. It fires round after round after round at her target. Homura does not stop firing until every single round is expended and the ground around her is full of casings and smells of burning gunpowder. Only then does Homura reactivate that device once more and bring things back up to speed. All at once, every round that Homura Akemi fired from that machine gun goes spiraling through the air at the attacking dragon.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Homura Akemi has used Bulletstorm on Juri Arisugawa. COMBAT: Homura Akemi has finished attacking. COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Cute Wolf Tsukiko's Finisher, Silver Wolf Tackle, taking 72 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Ren Aizawa's Magical Burst, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Stagger applied to Juri Arisugawa! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Lera Camry's Finisher, Combination Crusade, taking 125 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Juri Arisugawa is unable to keep fighting! COMBAT: Juri Arisugawa fails to brace Homura Akemi's Finisher, Bulletstorm, taking 51 Fatigue damage! Juri Arisugawa is unable to keep fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
Endo is digging in. Literally. He'd be falling off the dragon otherwise, the boy and his Device clinging on for dear life. It's a miracle he didn't get smushed earlier. He slips free for a moment, skidding down the huge creature, flopping around until he can desperately find purchase again.
Once he gets his balance he spots Ren and Lera coming in, the young man flashing a bright smile as they go past. Until he realizes Lera is doing her thing, and he should probably move. The hail of gunfire from Homura, lots of fire, everything else convinces Endo this is not a good place to be.
So he leaves. His grip is tenuous already, and he lets it slide, the Device in his hand cutting a sharp line across scale as Endo rushes downward. The ground, thankfully, isn't a fatal distance this time.
<Pose Tracker> Cure Berry [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.
That earthquake comes - it jostles Berry - knocks her quite over onto the side, her head striking the ground sharply, sending the world into a dizzying array of colors.
A handful of moments further, and Berry just kinda... breathes out. "You know - it might be a little easier to just... wait for a moment," she says to herself. But then, well - but then... her phone beeps again. Her mother's ringtone. Berry clenches her jaw at that, and then pushes off of the ground, righting herself and standing up straight and tall.
Everyone else was fighting? Why shouldn't she? Everyone else wanted to fight for Tokyo - why shouldn't she?!
CLAP!
"Evil things, evil things..." she begins to say, a new determination entering her tone.
And then the world seems to explode. The hail of bullets, the fire, the fireworks - it all hammers her senses and her eyes widen at the power upon display. Dragons - and the very explosive response. All in all, she was feeling a bit like there was a /lot/ going on here that she didn't know about. A lot here that she was curious about.
Berry lets her arms fall, releasing the energy that she had been calling unto herself. Letting it disappate into the aether. There was no need, by her eyes. Fanciful (and slightly singed) boots crunch on the Tokyo street as she steps forward, her gaze nonetheless watchful as she... keeps her eyes upon the dragon proper.
<Pose Tracker> Scarlet Rune Maiden [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.
The air itself is thrumming with threat. Guma can feel Akemi's hesitation and fear at the back of her mind. Would she tremble right now, faced with the might of the dragon before her? Would she stand up to it as the Maiden's companions do now, facing their fear for as long as they can manage, placing their trust in each other?
("No-")
No, the elevator-
Somehow, in a few adrenaline-laced bounds, Guma makes it, providing her body as a shield for the elevator just beyond. She's even begun the process, began saying the necessary words-
Usually, this attack takes preperation. It takes calling upon the Lotus Seal, asking for its power in dealing with matters of those who would threaten the Balance. It would take channeling that holy energy down the host's body, casting and drawing it in writing in the air with one's finger, tracing the outline of the tattoo into glowing relief. It would then erupt forward, purifying whatever it touches with the light of will and love from generations of Maidens before Akemi.
Guma doesn't have that sweet benefit of time. "Scarlet Lotus seal," she rushes, "seal of ages past, I call upon your rad-"
The Maiden is then cast in a radiance of another kind, far more infernal and hot blue. A rush of red energy, a spark and a flash of light, and the elevator is spared, even if at the expense of a limp and staggering Maiden.
Collapsing to the ground, it's a while before Guma wills herself up, moving over by Cure Berry to prepare for a possible next attack.
But if it comes down to it, she may have to disenegage, the Balance be damned.
Akemi is more important.
<Pose Tracker> Juri Arisugawa [Ohtori Academy (11)] has posed.
The people in the elevator really thought they were going to die. As the flames of hell swept up towards them, many collapsed on the floor to wail or pray. Others beat at the buttons fruitlessly, or clung to each other.
A mother curled herself completely around her tiny daughter, leaving no bit of her revealed, a potent shield of love. Her chin lifts, staring at Lera's sword, at the Scarlet Rune Maiden's shield, and her shield becomes one of faith, as well.
Heat uses up the oxygen in there, and she faints along with the rest of them (they'll be fine, there's plenty more air where that came from), but she knows what she saw, and she will not forget the sacrifice, even if the details are rationalized away.
---
The general plan of the magical girls (to get the dragon on the ground, and then hit it) has gone through some kinks along the way, but when the payoff comes, it comes big.
From the ground, the dragon is too slow to avoid Tsukiko's mighty silver aura, which crashes into one side at the same moment that Ren jabs the other, sparks exploding everywhere. In the next moment, Lera descends, both swords blazing with the light from which they're made, before they become it entirely, detonating a mighty blast within the weak point Endo opened up. Homura's unreasonable number of bullets at first deflect, raising sparks, but there are just so many of them in so short a period of time -- no time at all, really -- that eventually they start penetrating, through the scales to rattle around the insides in all directions.
Green ichor splatters the ground, coating the crater. But from within the beast something else follows: light. White light spills from every wound, from his mouth and finally his eyes. It's rather like watching a hologram de-rez, except that the dragon was definitely real. Very real.
Just not, apparently, real in an entirely normal way.
The light collapses in on itself, then explodes outwards in beautiful sparkles of raw power, which drift on the palpable silence of the area, finding gentle purchase on fingertips and hair and ground before winking out of existence a moment later.
Over the sound of the glitter settling -- which is more of a hushing sound, like heavy snow -- comes something... higher-pitched. Squeakier. As though it's coming from a very, very small body.
This is not untrue. After the cacophany of battling a dragon, the voice of the great guardian Keroberos, better known as Kero-chan, is almost inaudibly tiny. As is the creature himself; he's a vaguely lion-cub-shaped yellow plushie with white angel wings, apparently, and he can fit in the palm of your hands. Instead he buzzes the area, flitting from place to place like a hummingbird on speed.
"TERRIBLE! IT'S TERRIBLE!"
For whatever reason, he has a very thick Kansai accent. It's adorable. He's adorable. But, scared. Very scared, right to the tip of his puffy tail.
Once he has everyone's attention, he speaks -- through a small pink megaphone, to make sure he's heard.
"SAINT URSULA'S CHURCH IS UNDER ATTACK!!!"
This means more to some people than others; St. Ursula's is the head of the Kanto Magic Association, which is hidden beneath the Church. This is known to all members, and something of an open secret to the supernaturally savvy -- it is known, at the very least, as a good place to take endangered innocents when they're caught in the crossfire of something too big and strange for them to hope to understand, or survive without serious aid. But whether or not the context is fully grasped, something else becomes clear:
That terrible sense of something being Not Right, that sustained tension in the high C string of the piano of the soul, starting to drift out of tune, rising, rising, ready to snap --
-- is still there.
Whatever was Wrong, whatever terrible calamity drew girls from across the city...
...the dragon wasn't it.
"IT'S GOING TO FALL AND PEOPLE ARE GOING TO GET HURT!!! YOU HAVE TO HELP!!! NOW!!!"
Message delivered, Kero-chan doesn't stick around for questions, heading straight back the way he came, back towards St. Ursula's. Back towards another battle.
A losing battle... unless someone intervenes.
TO BE CONTINUED...
