2015-08-09 - Lost And Found Logia

Title: Lost And Found Logia
Summary: Jaren Zastava has acquired the Lost Logia known as the Guardian of Ten Thousand Points -- better known as Citadel! The enormously powerful and sapient Lost Logia has been promised a trip home. Jaren, though, has to please his boss. How is he going to rectify this? It won't involve dog biscuits! ...Probably.
Who: Lera Camry, Ren Aizawa, Endo Naoki, Sailor Jupiter, Sailor Moon, Masque Feu, Fuu Hououji, Hikaru Shidou GMs: Nagihiko Fujisaki as Jaren Zastava, Hibiki Houjou as a bunch of drones and Citadel.
Where: Uminari Seaside Park
OOC - IC Date: 12 August 2014 - 08/09/2015

<Pose Tracker> Jaren Zastava [Ohtori Academy (6)] has posed.

It's a normal enough night in Tokyo. A handful of monster sightings keeping the more industrious Tuners busy, while some students gather to work on summer homework, and others...

Well, somebody's got to keep the ice cream parlors hopping, and the Tokyo Marina bustling with visitors besides!

Unfortunately, someone else has a little different view of how the evening should go. Jaren Zastava stands on one of the docks, looking at the twinkling lights of the promenade. He chuckles to himself, letting the smug grin play across his face. He's suffered some setbacks, but...

"Ground, find the signal."

Midchildan circles form at Jaren's feet, while he holds out Broken Ground, the Intelligent Device warhammer that he rightfully acquired from Lera Camry's mother in an amicable parting arrangement. The glimmering computational core-slash-jewel lodged in the center of the warhammer's two heads flickers and flashes and glimmers as it channels magic, the Midchildan circle gradually expanding outward, until--

<CONFIRMATION. IT IS PRESENT.>

"SWEET!" Jaren crows, fistpumping once. He begins to rise into the air. "Then let's get this thing started!" He sweeps his free hand out, calling, "C'mon out!"

Illuminated by the rising moon, Jaren Zastava is soon joined by strange, pill-shaped robots, flickering into view...while Jaren himself holds out Ground again.

"Alright then, Broken Ground," he says. "Transmission Form."

COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has fully healed himself.

COMBAT: Jaren Zastava transforms into Youma Form Jaren Zastava!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava transforms into Nagihiko Fujisaki!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava transforms into Youma Form Jaren Zastava!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou transforms into Youma Form Type I Drone!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 7 opponents!

<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

At Jaren Zastava's command, they appear. Dozens upon dozens of metallic cylinders, hovering by means of some strange technology as yet unknown to Earth. Each one bears a single sphere of amber at its core, like some cold unfeeling eye, and red cables extend out from the sides as makeshift arms. These are alien, and devoid of any true emotion.

What they do have is a purpose. These strange drones swarm out, a light hum accompanying their approach to the boardwalk. At first, they simply spread out as if to observe, and the glint of the amber jewels reflects the countless lights of the area's businesses.

It takes people a minute or two to even notice, given the general hubbub - but eventually they are noticed. Quadrotor drones are increasing in popularity, and on the surface these don't seem too different. The novelty means that there's little worry - just calls to take a look at this new publicity stunt, to take in this strange new technology. For a moment, the drones bask in the attention.

Then the lasers come out. Beams of destruction lancing out at streetlamps, at neon signs, at all the lights of joy in the area. Explosions ravage the area in an instant, even as other drones swarm forward to grip signs with their cables, ripping and tearing with strength more than such threadlike limbs should manage.

Now, there is fear. Now, there is panic. As the district's lights fade to darkness and the illumination of rising flames, there are screams.

COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has fully healed herself. She is now ready to take on 8 opponents!

COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has fully healed herself.

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

EARLIER

Sensouji shrine towered over Lera Camry as she stood, watching the fleeing white and purple form of Setsuna Higashi. The girl had her hand extended outward, her eyes widened. She startled when her Device spoke, its voice crackling to life and drawing her out of the terrible and confusing conversation that she had been. She didn't look away from the running girl.

<It has to wait!> Sky snapped, drawing her out of the moment. She finally looked down at her pocket and saw the flash of a red light, through the fabric of her blue jeans. <The anti-magic drones! They're attacking the marina!>

"Wh-what!?"

NOW

Lera's jaw is set as she flies over Tokyo, rushing towards the seaside -- and towards the marina. She spots the boardwalk, not because it stands out, but because she sees a laser slash clean through one of the boardwalks. Her eyes widen, sharply, and she sucks a gasp in. The girl speeds up, a ring of light exploding from her feet, as she soars forward.

<Ren-chan! Endo-san! Uh--Abarth! If you can hear this, Zastava's hitting the marina! He's... it might be the Lost Logia!> She sends the thought out via telepathy, before she looks around, and shouts. "HEY! Anyone who's coming, it's--be careful! He's gonna try to do something! I think! Maybe!"

She didn't plan this part ahead. Her cheeks redden.

Lera comes crashing down, setting down on one of the paved walkways connecting to the boardwalk. She lands in a three-point stance; her hand swings over her back, her eyes widened with fear and concern. Setsuna flickers through her mind, but then she shakes her head. She turns, looking towards the sideburns-wearing man in the coat.

She stares at him and Broken Ground. A heartbeat passes -- and then all that frustration bubbles over into anger. "JAREN!"

A Midchildan magical circle of her own appears under her feet. It flashes high into the air, shining brightly, and leaves her infused with a faint glow. A beacon for her friends; a target sign for those drones to aim at her instead.

COMBAT: Lera Camry transforms into Barrier Jacket!

COMBAT: Lera Camry has fully healed herself.
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> Seika Miuchi [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

It was one of those Tuesdays Seika largely spent alternating between doing relaxing things as Miuchi Seika and doing work things as Masque Feu. The Midnight Circle, after all, will not discover itself.

It's one of those Tuesdays that is again going to get interrupted.

"Masque Feu, we have a problem!" Augustine trills urgently as he flaps towards the waterfront at just a brisk enough speed to let the girl behind him keep up.

"I hope," Seika huffs as she sprints between a couple of buildings, "you are going to tell me it is vampires."

Augustine pauses for a second, then settles to a landing on a flagpole. "It is sadly not vampires, Masque Feu," he apologizes.

Seika gives him a flat look, then lets out a short breath through her nose. "Very well," she says tartly as he steps back into a recessed doorway, fishing into her purse for the Blessed Masque of Flame. "But it is becoming frustrating that whenever we try to search for them, something else happens."

"I know." Augustine tilts his head to the side. "We will find them. I promise."

Seika does not say anything. She simply lifts her masque to her face, whispering a few words under her breath, letting the magic flow forth across her.

Stock footage flies by. A moment later, a pale shape, trailed by a cometary wake of black ojou ringlets, rips through the air and comes to light atop a flagpole.

Masque Feu narrows her eyes at the sound of screams, at the sight of lasers raking across the landscape. This is something new, she realizes - something a little more grim than the Nakewameke-type creatures she's crossed paths with recently. She dispenses with her urge to deliver a speech.

Instead, she blinks, watching as Lera explodes not too far away. The lone Soeur recognizes the girl; she was there when she threw herself in front of Fate. "This anger," she murmurs; she can /feel/ that.

(Right,) she decides. (I may not know her, but she can't do this alone!)

She levels her right hand, fingers splayed, then draws it in to cross with her left wrist. Her fingers curl as sacred flame blooms up from her palms, pouring down her arms. "Red Bind," she calls out, her voice echoing through the promenade as she snaps her head forward in a billow of dark ringlets, then casts out with a sweep of one arm, then the other. Each motion sends a long, whiplike coil of fire snapping through the harbour air.

They arc towards one of the droids, and attempt to entangle it in a blazing embrace.

COMBAT: Seika Miuchi transforms into Masque Feu!

COMBAT: Ren Aizawa transforms into Barrier Jacket!
COMBAT: Masque Feu has used Red Bind on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Masque Feu has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Makoto Kino has fully healed herself.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has fully healed herself.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Ice cream on a humid summer night really does hit the spot. Ren is present here with Endo by her side, both of them chowing down on the sweet, icy treat in question. It might be a date of sorts -- an impromptu date, but a date nevertheless. She sort of dropped in on him while he was at work, and once his shift was done she suggested they go down to the Marina. Which was obviously a very good decision!

...Or it would have been if a jerk with sideburns hadn't shown up out of nowhere. With drones. That start destroying things and endangering people. Yeah. That's not kosher at all.

Ren is mid-bite when all of this goes down, eyes widening as she freezes in place, ice cream dropping down to the ground. Yep. That's about the reaction one would expect. Though while everyone else is probably running for cover, Ren is going to do no such thing. She turns to Endo quickly, gripping his arm to drag him off to the side so they don't get trampled or hit by a stray laser beam. "How could he do this!?" She sounds frustrated and angry, hand clasping around the silver ring she keeps on her person at all times. People could really get hurt. This is on a much larger scale than his last attack. "Let's go, Endo!"

One flash of light later and Ren comes barreling out into the open again, clad in her barrier jacket with Heraut's rapier form at the ready within her grip. The telepathic broadcast from Lera comes in around this time, too.

<Y-Yeah! Endo and I are already on the scene!> She sends back, charging forward for a cluster of drones in particular soon afterward, slashing at them viciously.

COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used This Is Supposed To Hurt on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Makoto Kino [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Summer homework? It would be nice to think about almost anything /except/ for summer homework, especially the way it looms closer and closer as the summer goes on and the new term approaches. Besides...!

MERE MOMENTS AGO!

Makoto Kino has ice cream. Ice cream, and...

"I don't know, Usagi-chan, did you see him? I just wonder..."

Another broken heart.

"He was so much like my senpai, but..." Makoto is looking out oer the railing with large eyes, ice cream in one hand and the other placed on the metal as she watches the water. "I wonder, if I look out long enough, will I see--"

Makoto blinks, and stands up a little straighter, leaning over the railing again. "What...?

Her eyes narrow as she sees a brilliant flash of light and hears shouting. "Usagi-chan!" She pulls her transformation pen and ducks back out of the crowds, already preparing for...!

NOW:

The impact of boots on steel resounds into the night as Sailor Jupiter lands atop her new perch on a streetlamp, knees bent to absorb the impact. Her eyes gleam as she looks over the glowing beacon that is Lera, the man with the hammer, and... All these drones. "Don't think you're getting away with this!" she shouts. "No one has the right to terrorize people this way!"

Standing to her full height, Jupiter flips backward into the air, "Flower...!"

"Hurricane!"

She doesn't have telepathy to add to the party--but as she calls out, she lifts her hands and a burst of gale-force wind filled with pink petals crashes out to clear a path through the drones around her.

COMBAT: Makoto Kino transforms into Sailor Jupiter!

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Flower Hurricane on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

A few moments ago, it was a nice relaxing evening for Fuu Hououji and a few of her friends from Infinity's archery team; they had a good practice earlier (just because it's the holidays doesn't mean they can slack off on their training, after all), and the captain invited everyone out to Uminari Seaside Park afterwards.

Naturally, the weather forecast didn't account for drones and lasers and all manner of chaos. Fuu had the questionable good luck to be away from the group at the time, lingering over a game of Dungeons & Dragons: Shadow Over Mystara, at the moment when the screams started; she immediately dove for cover, fishing out her glove-jewel so she could transform.

Shortly thereafter, arrows start flying into the swarm of drones as the Magic Knight of Wind advances, glancing about for familiar faces (and unfamiliar ones as well). "Propane-san, are you all right?" she calls out as she spots Lera, already drawing back another arrow for her next shot, and letting it fly at a drone's central (optic?) lens.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji transforms into Magic Knight!

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Trick Arrow Shot on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Usagi Tsukino [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

MOMENTS AGO!

It had been a busy summer vacation for Usagi Tsukino. It seemed like she was always in motion, never keeping still, even in sleep. Indeed anyone who had ever slept near her would realize this fact applied to her all the time. From the beach one day, to a camping trip the next that she'd only returned from today, it would seem like she was in for a day of R&R right?

Wrong! "And sent!" A picture uploaded of Sunset Hill, the site of her recent camping trip to Makoto Kino, a place where a rare wildflower blooms once a year, in hues of red, yellow, and orange. Her phone in one hand, an ice cream spoon in another as she sticks the spoon into her mouth. But then she's paying attention to Makoto with rapt attention, this outing with her friend having been too much fun to pass up for another nap.

It tugged at her heartstrings just as much every time Makoto failed to find love, perhaps even moreso each time. Every time her heart was broken by someone who was handed her precious feelings only to reject them. She puts her phone away.

Balancing her ice cream which was a cornucopia of flavors on one of the posts of the railing, she puts an arm around her good friend, "You're a wonderful girl, Mako-chan. I just know that if you keep looking that one day you'll find-" 'What?' Usagi remained oblivious to the danger, until the pen appeared in her friend's hand. "Wait! What about our-" She gives her ice cream a forlorn look. An emergency like this took precedence over ice cream didn't it? Even so she grabbed her ice cream and took a few rapid bites, before grasping her brooch, and jutting her fingers skyward with her opposite hand.

NOW

As Sailor Jupiter attacks with a storm of petals, her boots land atop a lamppost on the docks, leaving her own fierce silhouette against the shine of the rising moon. She whispers with admiration plain in her tone, "Jupiter really isn't messing around today!"

She then raises her voice in spirited condemnation, "Hold it right there! You thought that you were just going to get away with this, didn't you?" Crossing her arms, Sailor Moon juts her chin skyward looking quite full of herself in the midst of her complete bluff, "Well, too bad! The Sailor Senshi were one step ahead of you all along! Sailor-Suited Pretty Guardian of Love and Justice: Sailor Moon! In the name of the Moon-" She turns, and points right at the sideburned menace, "I will punish you!"

COMBAT: Usagi Tsukino transforms into Sailor Moon!

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has fully healed herself.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used In The Name Of The Moon on Jaren Zastava.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Not the best place for trouble in Hikaru Shidou's opinion. Especially since it's kind of ironic that she's the Magic Knight of Fire and water would be her weakness, right? Well, a Magic Knight can't let that stop her. She decides to utilize the best hiding spot to quickly change forms. Then she comes out as the Magic Knight of Fire and not some random schoolgirl!

"Trouble follows me everywhere it seems, but it matters not!" The Magic Knight of Fire says as she readies a fire spell. "I'll burn all trouble!" She sends forth the fire in the form of a magical arrow, not noticing the Magic Knight of Wind just yet.

COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou transforms into Magic Knight of Fire!

COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Fire Arrow on Jaren Zastava.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has adjusted his boss levels. He is now ready to take on 2 opponents!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has cancelled their attack on Jaren Zastava. If there are more attacks that need to be +cancelled, please hold all +attacks until the process is complete.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Fire Arrow on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Endo was rather enjoying his evening out with Ren. After a long evening of work, some green tea ice cream really hits the spot. It's a perfect way to relax, until things start exploding all around him.

Despite the warning of his device, it's Ren's helpful arm that drags Endo out of the way of a line of laserbeams that rip through the street. "Waaa-what!?" He tries to get his bearings as fast as he can, asking, "Robots again?" And then Ren is transforming, and he does too. Purple light wraps around the boy, leaving him in his knight garb and billowing cape a second later.

<Lera! We're here! Be careful!> His thoughts echo Ren's, the boy charging through the street toward the mass of drones. Several long leaps take him toward the edge of the marina, and his final one sends him crashing down into the street, sword first. "Stern!"

The purple gem at the hilt of the huge sword pulses once, triangular symbols forming around it. Bolts of energy come a second later, streaking from the dark metal and flying toward the drones, homing in on the nearest targets.

COMBAT: Endo Naoki transforms into Endo Naoki!

COMBAT: Endo Naoki has fully healed himself.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki transforms into Endo Naoki!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki transforms into Barrier Jacket!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Meteor Shower on Hibiki Houjou.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Sailor Jupiter's Flower Hurricane, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter is Psyched! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates! Blind applied to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to dodge Fuu Hououji's Trick Arrow Shot, taking 25 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Hikaru Shidou's Fire Arrow, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to dodge Endo Naoki's Meteor Shower, taking 16 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: You don't have an incoming attack from Masque. Please check +queue to see your incoming attacks.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Masque Feu's Red Bind, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly dodges Ren Aizawa's This Is Supposed To Hurt, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Ren Aizawa is Psyched! Hibiki Houjou's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava narrowly braces Sailor Moon's In The Name Of The Moon, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Moon is Psyched! Jaren Zastava's Block ability activates! Jaren Zastava's Parry ability activates! Diversion applied to Jaren Zastava!

<Pose Tracker> Jaren Zastava [Ohtori Academy (6)] has posed.

Jaren laughs to himself with a spiteful glee as the magical girls begin to filter in, and particularly his 'friends' ('target dummies'). Lera, Ren, Endo...good, good. Maybe he can get a fourfer out of this! That'd be perfect! He lets his lips split in a fiersome smile as the fire from the drones rains down. By the time anyone's got the attention free to look up, Jaren is holding Broken Ground two-handed, standing on a magic circle rotating about him in the air; Broken Ground's shape has changed ever so slightly, allowing a third prong to emerge from the central hub, like a broadcast tower in miniature; the tip is blipping, a thin streamer of light descending into the waters below him.

He winks at Sailor Moon. "I /know/ I'm gonna get away with it," he says, grinning with obnoxiously straight teeth. Ugh, he used his crazy money to pay for that treatment, didn't he? "Doesn't matter one lick what you found out, ground pounder! I'm up here, and I!" He holds Ground a little higher, for emphasis. "Am ALREADY WINNING! Ha ha! Hey, Ground, can you spare a few cycles?"

"Cool, we'll bug 'em a little then. STONE TORCH!"

The flickering balls of Midchildan magic light flicker into being around him, coalescing out of the atmosphere; and then Jaren swings Ground down, slamming the hammerhead into the orb just in front of him and sending a handful of the mystic orbs racing down to knock over a few people Jaren personally doesn't like.

COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has fully healed himself. He is now ready to take on 3 opponents!

COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has used Stone Torch on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has used Stone Torch on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has used Stone Torch on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly counters Jaren Zastava's Stone Torch, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Reverse ability activates! Lera Camry's Tactician ability activates! Blind and Cripple applied to Lera Camry!
COMBAT: Lera Camry's counterattack, Plasma Ball, partially gets through, doing 2 Fatigue damage to Jaren Zastava!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Jaren Zastava's Stone Torch, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates! Blind applied to Ren Aizawa!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly counters Jaren Zastava's Stone Torch, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Blind and Cripple applied to Sailor Moon!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon's counterattack, Harpoon Gun!, partially gets through, doing 28 Fatigue damage to Jaren Zastava!

<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

The first hint of opposition to the drones' rampage comes in the form of a brilliant beacon of light - a Midchildan magical circle, signaling Lera's position to friend and foe alike. Transfixed by the sight, the drones pause for a heartbeat, perhaps two - and then the rest of the opposition makes itself known.

Masque Feu's lash of flame blazes through the night, ensnaring not one but three of the multitude of drones - but each of them seems to have a reflective sheen in the fire-light. Those ensnaring flames begin to melt away - and the knight of Fire's arrow seems to fare no better, scattering from the struck drone like water from a duck's back.

The wind howls, and pink flower petals scatter across the marina. It's a refreshing scent, and the multitudes of people fleeing the chaos can be briefly relieved...but the drones seem unhindered by the wind itself. A few go haywire, firing wildly to try to shoot down flower petals, and one is distracted enough for a solitary wooden arrow to punch cleanly into its 'eye' socket - throwing off wild sparks, it fades from sight in moments.

Ren and Endo work well as a team - the cluster of drones they've charged reacts to Ren's furious charge by scattering - a handful taking damage to their armor as they work to evade the blade. Caught up in those maneuvers, however, they're unprepared for Endo's followup barrage - and as much as that strange sheen seems to support them against the blasts, two more start to crumple before fading away.

Three down. Who knows how many to go. The drones spread out, switching from a widespread rampage to answering the grand counterattack. A handful go after Lera, closing in rapidly with flailing red cable-arms; another two groups encircle Sailor Jupiter and Masque Feu, doing the same. One group rushes Fuu, set on neutralising the archer with -sparking- lightning-wreathed cables, while Hikaru soon finds drones intent on getting up close and personal. Finally, the cluster Ren and Endo attacked pull back, and just barrage the area with lasers.

Laser the site from the air, it's the only way to be sure.

COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Waggly Red Arms on Lera Camry.

COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Waggly Red Arms on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Waggly Red Arms on Masque Feu.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Electrified Waggly Red Arms on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Send In The Drones on Hikaru Shidou.
COMBAT: Unrecognized attack. Please check for typos in the attack name entered.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Four Laserbeam Alarm on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Four Laserbeam Alarm on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Masque Feu fails to counter Hibiki Houjou's Waggly Red Arms, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Trap applied to Masque Feu!
COMBAT: Masque Feu's counterattack, Judo Flip!, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Hibiki Houjou's Four Laserbeam Alarm, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to dodge Hibiki Houjou's Electrified Waggly Red Arms, taking 27 Fatigue damage! Stun applied to Fuu Hououji!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki fails to brace Hibiki Houjou's Four Laserbeam Alarm, taking 20 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou narrowly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Send In The Drones, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou is Psyched!
COMBAT: Lera Camry perfectly counters Hibiki Houjou's Waggly Red Arms, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Counter! Lera Camry's Reverse ability activates! Lera Camry's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Lera Camry's counterattack, Sentinel Cross, interrupts, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Hibiki Houjou's Waggly Red Arms, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates! Diversion, Tangle, and Trap applied to Sailor Jupiter!

<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

The scattering drones cause Ren to grit her teeth. Some of them do get hit, though, the blade of her rapier finding purchase. Of course, her attention turns to a certain sideburned jerkwad with a giant warhammer device soon afterward. In fact she starts heading for him, relying on Endo to have her back. Though Jaren is much quicker, launching out an attack that causes Ren to stop short and raise up her arms in defense. Heraut pings loudly.

<PROTECTION!>

A bronze barrier appears around her just in time to soak most of the impact, shoving her back. It holds well-enough, although Ren doesn't account for the drones launching their own form of attack back at her. This time her shield breaks, and she's sent tumbling through the wall of a nearby stall. "Ugh!" Once the dust settles she's comically sitting on the ground, with a few bits of fried squid laid upon her. Still, she's still in good enough shape to get to her feet and charge back out into the open (sans squid bits of course). She kicks off the ground into a flying leap, heading right for Jaren like she was beforehand. On the way over to him she goes into a spin of sorts, a bright aura blazing around her as she does so.

COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Blurred Edge on Jaren Zastava.

COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

While the Wind Knight tries to dodge away from the sparking cables, there are too many drones closing in at once for her to break out of the entrapment, and -

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!!!"

- she winds up entangled, very painfully, as the cables wrap around her and the voltage courses through her body. Apparently her armor isn't terribly well insulated against electricity. She isn't left *completely* helpless, though - even though her arms are tangled up and bound, and she'd have trouble lining up a reliable shot even if they weren't, she can still aid her allies. And several of them look like they particularly need it - Lera-san herself, and the two Sailors she can see, are all considerably the worse for wear right now.

"Wi-winds of ... Healing .. !" she manages to call out, and a gentle breeze wafts past her, tousling her hair a little more than the electrified whips are already making it stand on end. That gentle breeze grows more focused as it wraps around Sailors Moon and Jupiter, and around Lera herself, helping offset the injuries they've already suffered and to bring them back up to full fighting form.

It's the best the Wind Knight can do until she gets loose, and possibly until she grounds out the excess voltage from the drones' attack.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Sailor Moon.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Healing on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lera Camry accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Lera Camry's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sailor Moon's debuffs are cleared!

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

"I'm /fine/," Lera answers Fuu. The tension in her voice suggests otherwise. "Don't worry!"

She nods, biting her lip, taking stock. It comes as a flood of information -- of Masque Feu just being /there/, with her spell; of Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Moon arriving; with Ren and Endo's arrival, and the fresh wave of guilt that brings after last night's conversation -- and she tries to not let all of it overwhelm her. Her breath is short.

"Y-Yeah, thank you, everyone, let's--let's take care of these things!" she yells. Her voice doesn't have the usual fire in it. She feels the weight of everything on her. She ran off to handle one problem, leaving a friend to run off by herself. It makes her angrier. It makes her eyes narrow. It makes her knuckles whiten around the hilt of her sword.

"I see it!" Lera answers her Device. She turns, as the orb of energy from Broken Ground comes fly at her. A ball of plasma swirls off the tip of her sword, then goes flying at it. The two impact, a shockwave erupting in the air between the two. It knocks Lera backward, and she does a quick backflip. "Jaren! We're not gonna let you do this! You don't get--you're not taking whatever that Lost Logia is!"

She feels Fuu's spell rush over her. There is a very fast nod of thanks -- a quick glance at her, but not the usual determined grateful glance -- and then she's back to glaring at Jaren and gritting her teeth.

<Dual Form!> Soaring Sky chimes. <Lera! You have to focus!>

Lera's broadsword splits in twain, and she turns her head in time to see the handful of drones dropping down. The cables whip out at her -- and in this case, anger fuels her. She turns, quickly, blades crossing and meets each cable arm slap in turn. <Sentinel Cross!>

She breaks the parry, then, and launches herself at the drones instead of Jaren. She channels that anger into blows directed at them. A magical circle fires under her feet again, and she leaps at them. Her right sword swings back, trailing light--

--and she cleaves it down at the first drone. She pivots on her heel, the left slashing for a third, and then she twists around. She stabs the right saber at a third. "Masque Feu, Sailor Jupiter, I know you've never fought these before! They're really tough! They're from--uh--another planet!"

Hers, she thinks guiltily.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Rapid Skyfall on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter accepts Fuu Hououji's Winds of Healing, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Cleanse! All of Sailor Jupiter's debuffs are cleared!

<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

There are times where you have to know your limits, and how to know what the best course of action is on the spur of the moment. Unfortunately, the Fire Knight doesn't quite seem to have that capability in her grasp at the moment since her attempt to avoid the incoming attack from the drones backfires. She finds herself wishing she'd stood and taken the attack instead of trying to run away, and it does hurt a bit. Nevertheless, the Fire Knight doesn't let it get her down too much.

"They can't get us that easily!" The Fire Knight says aloud, noticing the healing sensations nearby and realizing that her ally is here also. "Well, two heads are better than one, so why not two knights?" The Fire Knight thinks with a slight smirk. Then she decides to return her focus on the drones, which are a bit too close for comfort right now. Hikaru decides to get some breathing room with her sword, going in for the melee attack!

COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used Sword Slash on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Masque Feu [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Masque Feu blinks a couple of times as Sailor Moon hits the scene, with a Senshi she doesn't recognize. She was sure she'd met most of them - Moon, Mars, Mercury, Neptune, and that insufferable Sailor V. She files Jupiter's presence away in her mind.

Her eyes snap towards Jaren, then. She levels a single finger.

"You, sir," she declares tartly, "have the /manners of a goat!/"

For a moment, the woman's gaze follows Lera. Something is wrong with the girl. She may not know her, but that attitude --

Her attention flicks back to the drone horde - she frowns as she catches sight of that sheen. "Are they fireproofed, somehow?" she murmurs, a flicker of anxiety dancing through her mind but not showing outwardly. She bounds down from her perch, heels clicking against the ground as she braces against the marina - and the drones close in on her. She sucks in a breath and swings an arm out to try and flip one of them, only for another to catch her about the calf. The girl in the ballroom mask gasps and stumbles, dropping to one knee with a wince, hard enough to scrape.

Masque Feu does not like melee battles. She would much rather stand off and purify things with the Blessed Flame.

"Then I suppose my only choice is to battle you hand to hand, isn't it?" she breathes as she pulls back to her feet, a wiggly red arm still coiled about her ankle.

She pauses, for a second, as she realizes the drones can electrify those red arms. She makes a point not to touch them for long.

With a roll of her shoulders, the slight girl attempts to grab ahold of the arm still snagged around her, swinging her leg back to try and reel the drone in. Her heel connects with the ground sharply as she wheels -

And comes around with a powerful thrust kick, driving her opposite heel towards the drone and attempting to simply kick a big hole in the stupid thing.

"Whichever planet they are from," she calls to Lera, "all that matters is that they are stopped!"

COMBAT: Masque Feu has used Spinning Heel Kick on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Masque Feu has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

"Don't you talk to Sailor Moon that way!" Jupiter shouts over at Jaren, tring to see him and Lera through the chaos of all of these drones. She doesn't get a lot of chance to do it, though; while she's far from the only one here, there are enough drones to go around.

So she finds herself quickly near Masque Feu, reaching out her forearm to block one arm, then the next, but there are too many to keep them all off of her.

The wind comes in to help, however; Fuu's magic separates spindly robot arms from her, and suddenly Sailor Jupiter is capable of moving again. Moing, and--

"Don't worry!" Jupiter calls back out to Lera. "They may be tough, but so are we!"

Electricity crackles around her as she leaps upward, still not so far from Feu, spinning around before channeling the mass of sparks straight outward, her face lit by raw lightning hurled towards another of the drones. She lands in a crouch beside Masque Feu, "Here--let me help you! I'm Sailor Jupiter!"

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Jupiter Thunderbolt on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Sailor Jupiter's Jupiter Thunderbolt, taking 11 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly dodges Hikaru Shidou's Sword Slash, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Hikaru Shidou is Psyched! Hibiki Houjou's Flash ability activates! Stagger applied to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Masque Feu's Spinning Heel Kick, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Masque Feu is Psyched! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates! Stun applied to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to dodge Lera Camry's Rapid Skyfall, taking 14 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

<BARRIER> Endo's Device barks the word out in its ugly, synthesized voice as a purple bubble of light flares to life around the knight.

It doesn't do as much as he'd hoped. The drones lasers shear through the shield, flashing and burning a line across his barrier jacket. The boy lets out a hiss, fingers clenching tight against his weapon, leaning hard against the blade, taking a deep breath, and then flinging himself forward. No more magic for him. Now it's just physical power.

"Stern!"

<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

<KNIGHT.>

"I hate robots!"

He moves quick, blurring forward and to the side of a swath of drones before his sword swipes out toward them. It's a quick, sharp arc meant to shear as many as he can in half. He'll at least try and keep the drones off of his friends while they take on Jaren.

COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Blueshift on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Jupiter had her back, and despite Jaren acting like his usual frightening self, denying her words, somehow being at her side gave her the bravery to continue her bluster. "That's what you think!" Sailor Moon leans forward on her post, arms thrust at her side angrily, just as Jaren sends mystic orbs racing towards her. Seeing them incoming, she suddenly flips backwards. As she lands on the deck of a boat, the energy orbs of Stone Torch curve around and double back to come straight at her, causing her eyes to widen in a shocked expression, waving a hand in mid-air at them as if she could simply imagine them away. "Hey wait-! Homing lasers aren't fair at all!"

Leaping from the deck of the boat to the dock itself, Sailor Moon takes off, arms pumping at her side as she runs, the energy ball continuing to follow her. A short hop takes her onto the deck of another nearby boat, where she lands on the deck with another wooden clatter and takes cover behind the side where she sits down and hides. "They'll never find me here!"

Suddenly the orbs were hovering above her before making a sharp turn right at her. "Oh crap!" Scrambling upwards with flailing arms and legs, they continued to race after her as she ran circles around the boat. Until, breath heaving she makes another round and- "There's gotta be some way I can-Oh!"

As the mystic orbs turn yet another corner to streak at her, Sailor Moon whirls the mounted harpoon on the deck to line up a shot, and smacks down hard upon the firing lever with a gloved hand.

The Harpoon streaks through them, causing them to explode precariously close to her, and sending her flying backwards to hit the side of the deck heavily. The flash of the explosion with all of its sound and fury causing ringing in her ears. But the harpoon kept going, striking Jaren's auto-protection spells and driving hard against them before finally losing momentum by and clattering down to the deck. Rubbing her eyes frantically, Sailor Moon takes a deep breath of relief, "That was close!" As she recovers on the deck, she waves a hand at Lera and calls out, "Don't worry, Jupiter can handle a lot worse than these any day!"

Standing back up on the boat's deck, she whirls on Jaren. Putting her hands to her sides smugly, she acts had planned to attack him that way all along, as the winds of healing wash over her, a cool breeze which clears the ringing in her ears and the spots in her vision, making her twin-tails blow dramatically behind her like streamers, "Don't start declaring your victory just yet, you sideburned menace!"

Immediately thereafter however she gets serious againup the Moon Stick, she assumes an aggressive stance, "After today you're going to leave Cheeseburger Propane-chan and my friends alone for good!" Spinning the Moon Stick in her hands, she raises it to her forehead in an resolute pose.

Spinning around once, she raises it high, before pointing it right at him, the Silver Crystal glimmering with light, "Moon Twilight-" Energy orbs of her own, all the colors of the sky at twilight, careen off of the crescent moon ornament one after the another, "-Flash!" They converge the device wielder's way, before detonating into a blast that fills the air with light.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Moon Twilight Flash on Jaren Zastava.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava narrowly braces Sailor Moon's Moon Twilight Flash, taking 18 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Jaren Zastava's Block ability activates! Jaren Zastava's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava narrowly dodges Ren Aizawa's Blurred Edge, taking 7 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa is Psyched!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's Blueshift, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou's Flash ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Jaren Zastava [Ohtori Academy (6)] has posed.

Jaren is having a big ol' laugh. "Ahhh, this is the best! I'm ruining a whole bunch of peoples' nights, and I'm not even done! Ha ha! Gotta tell the boss these things are real good--"

<PROTECTION.>

Jaren's head snaps down to stare as Sailor Moon attempts to skewer him like a freakin' whale, eyes widened. "The heck!" he squawks. "That's dirty pool! Who uses real projectiles, honestly! You people just play /dirty/, don't you? Firebombing peoples' houses and stuff!" Jaren that was YOUR OWN DRONE...

Regardless, he's stuck enduring another wave of assaults; Sailor Moon barraging him with magic, Ren screaming at him - but she's stopped by a <PROTECTION.> field snapping up in front of her, giving her a good look right into Jaren's eyes. "Can you just not see I'm busy here, babe?" he asks, impatiently. "I'll put you in a hole in a few minutes, OK? Ground! Can you shut these guys down?"

"Not what I wanted to hear, buddy!"

<....MOLTEN BOLT.>

"Better!" Jaren declares, and a field of lights surround him, flickering balls of energy, licking with ephemeral tongues of flame.

These rush down again, a rather larger torrent than last time, and when they hit someone they burst open and wrap around, binding up their limbs!

COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has used Molten Bolt on Ren Aizawa.

COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has used Molten Bolt on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has used Molten Bolt on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly dodges Jaren Zastava's Molten Bolt, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon's Fade ability activates! Sailor Moon's Flash ability activates! Cripple applied to Sailor Moon!

<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

The good news is that the civilians of the area have almost completely escaping - those few stopping to gawk at the sight of the battle being dragged away by those with cooler heads. The bad news is that the drones are milling about, and while it's hard to say exactly how many there are the tentative answer is 'lots'.

The first few losses have the remainder adopting a conservative strategy, going hit-and-run. It's a rudimentary intelligence, but a basic strategy seems to be all they need. Those capable of attacking from up close are counter-attacked from a distance; those who prefer to fight from range find some drones up close and personal.

Hikaru, recipient of the latter strategy, fights back with swordplay. The drones, close in, are slow to shift gears and take a handful of slashes apiece - enough to slow them a bit. Lera's enemies, unaware of her particular fighting style, likewise receive some cutting brutality as she smashes her way through them.

Masque Feu, treated as a fire-flinger, turns imprisonment into an advantage, and smashes one drone in the eye hard enough that it fades away in retreat. The remainder give her a wider berth after that - and then lightning from Sailor Jupiter splashes across the strange rainbow sheen that surrounds them. The group as a whole retreats, several being clipped by Endo's wild swings as they pull back.

For a moment, the drones seem to confer.

Then they spread out once more, spreading out in formation before scattering wildly. A handful rush into the remnants of Fuu's refreshing breezes, gathering it up as they harrass her with a swarm of laser blasts; several others rain lasers down on the surprisingly melee-capable Hikaru and Masque Feu.

Endo and Lera are sufficiently threatening that the drones pull back further, charging up before unleashing nearly blinding combined laser blasts. Powerful enough, it seems, that several drones fade away as their energy reserves run short. Through this light show, a group weaves through to engage Sailor Jupiter in melee; surely, with wind and lightning, she's a distance specialist.

Basic AI is basic.

COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Drones In Harmony on Fuu Hououji.

COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Four Laserbeam Alarm on Hikaru Shidou.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Four Laserbeam Alarm on Masque Feu.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Giant Central Beam on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Giant Central Beam on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly counters Jaren Zastava's Molten Bolt, taking 3 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Reverse ability activates! Cripple applied to Ren Aizawa!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa's counterattack, Seeker Barrage, partially gets through, doing 27 Fatigue damage to Jaren Zastava! Critical Counterhit!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Waggly Red Arms on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter perfectly counters Hibiki Houjou's Waggly Red Arms, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Counter! Sailor Jupiter's Reverse ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter's counterattack, Sailor Suplex, fails to get through, doing 0 Fatigue damage to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Masque Feu fails to dodge Hibiki Houjou's Four Laserbeam Alarm, taking 17 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Lera Camry narrowly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Giant Central Beam, taking 15 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji narrowly counters Hibiki Houjou's Drones In Harmony, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Bind Break! All of Hibiki Houjou's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji's counterattack, Gale Arrow, partially gets through, doing 12 Fatigue damage to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Giant Central Beam, taking 22 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki narrowly braces Jaren Zastava's Molten Bolt, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Endo Naoki's Parry ability activates! Cripple and Stun applied to Endo Naoki!

COIN FLIP: Masque Feu flips a coin. It lands on heads!

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

That's a lot of lasers, and the Magic Knight of Wind is still off-balance from the earlier electrical assault. She has the presence of mind to loose an arrow, though - and not just that, but to wrap some elemental magic around the arrow, to help make up for her unsteadiy aim. It's an investment of mana which pays off relatively well ...

Although, there's really no way to beat lasers with an arrow. The best the Wind Knight can do (and does) is knock out a drone's laser emitter before that drone can fire, and to try and dodge some of the other beams before they're unleashed. It's only a partial defense, but she'll happily take a partial defense over getting pasted from every direction.

"Then let's see if we can tip the balance a little bit in our favor," she says - to everybody, to nobody, or just to herself, before raising her arm and calling out, "Winds of Admonishment!!" and conjuring a tornado, trying to bind some of the drones in place. It probably won't do much to restrain their attacks - it would take major stormclouds to have any chance of 'blocking' lasers - but she can at least pin them down a little for her allies and try to keep those articulated cables under control a little bit.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Winds of Admonishment on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Lera comes to a stop as her blows connect. She takes a couple of sharp breaths, before she glances at Jaren. Sixty-seven percent complete? Her eyes widen, but she can only guess at what it means. She doesn't like any of her guesses.

<They're charging up something!> Sky chimes again. She shakes her head -- she was painfully distracted, for a moment, and then she sees those drones spreading around her. Her head snaps to the side and she calls out: "Endo-san! Move it! They're about to--"

The lasers fire as Lera leaps. They strike into the ground, burning scars into the concrete and the grass. Several of them clip her legs, scorching her pants and her fluttering jacket, as she rises into the air. She turns around, pivoting in midair, and swings her swords out in front of her. Then, a ring of green light explodes out from behind her.

She suddenly goes nearly supersonic, rocketing towards the first drone in her sights so fast that she becomes a blur of red-orange in the sky. Lera's sword snaps out, slashing hard for the center of the drone's mass.

She snaps to a shot after it, then she looks down at Sailor Moon. Then at the harpoon. Then, finally, back at Sailor Moon. She hesitates, before giving her a thumbs-up.

"Yeah, but..." She frowns. "Ren-chan! Be careful! Jaren--Ground--they're trying to get something ready! I--I don't like it!"

COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Line Burst on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Fuu Hououji's Winds of Admonishment, taking 8 Fatigue damage! Fuu Hououji is Psyched! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates! Cripple applied to Hibiki Houjou!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to dodge Lera Camry's Line Burst, taking 16 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Psyched!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou fails to brace Hibiki Houjou's Four Laserbeam Alarm, taking 23 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Masque Feu [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Masque Feu blinks as Sailor Jupiter touches down near her. "--Thank you," she manages in mid-kick. "I'm Masque Feu. And they seem to be resistant to magic attacks."

This does not bode well for Masque Feu, whose MO involves melting things with her gigantic fireballs.

Stepping to the side, the woman in the ballroom mask takes up station beside Makoto, holding her ground as best she can. It doesn't do much good; she takes a laser to the back and ends up falling to her knees with a gasp, pain racing up her back. Her hands hit the deck as she manages to catch herself, breathing heavily for a moment.

From atop a flagpole nearby, Augustine looks on and buries his face in one wing in the closest he gets to a cringe.

Masque Feu, for just a moment, lets her frustration get the better of her. She clenches her hands into tight little fists, peels her lips back and lets out a low, angry growl. It rolls in the back of her throat. The sound is shockingly raw, for her. It's a sound borne of /pure shame./

(If I can't even fight these drones, what use am I? How will I ever find my brother? How can I ever stop the Midnight Circle alone if I cannot stop these little robots...?)

"Masque Feu," Augustine calls out suddenly, flitting over to rest on the girl's shoulder. "You do not have to doubt in yourself. I chose you as the first Soeur of this age because I believe that no matter what happens... you are one who can persevere."

Masque Feu closes her eyes for a heartbeat.

And with a steadying breath, she climbs to her feet, and tosses her head. Long black hair crackles as she flips a hand dramatically through it. She draws herself up, once again claiming that air of royalty she so often carries herself with - the air of one who is less magical girl and more princess. "Sailor Jupiter," she says with a nod to her side, "I need you to keep the drones off me for a moment."

Taking a step back to let the Senshi in green handle the robotic attackers. Her eyes flit towards Lera. "Watch out to the left!" she calls, her voice loud - a warning.

Leveling her right hand, Seika holds it palm-out in front of herself and cups her other hand over it. Both sets of fingers curl; rays of sacred light stream between them as a ball of sacred flame materializes. "Blessed Spark," she whispers as she shifts the glowing orb, about the size of a baseball, to her right hand, and slides a heel forward, her arm arcing back, packed like a coiled spring.

"...Burn bright!" Masque Feu calls out, her voice ringing as she whips her arm forward with ridiculous force. The fireball tears through the air at a simply ludicrous speed - it cracks 150 kph easily and sails onward into the rarefied air of the fastest Major League Baseball pitches, a ridiculously hard fastball that sends the sphere of holy fire ripping past Lera -

And on towards Jaren.

COMBAT: Masque Feu has used Blessed Spark on Jaren Zastava.

COMBAT: Masque Feu has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

There are some days the Fire Knight feels she just can't win. She tries to defend herself this time, but it fails, and she's pelted with numerous lasers, causing her to yelp in pain as she's hit. Still, the more damage she takes, the more her adrenaline rushes and the more her fire burns.

"So, you wanna fight with lasers? How about I fight you with some fire!" The Fire Knight calls out as she simply goes for a flaming sphere this time, hurling it at the nearest drones.

COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has used You're Fired on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Without the Barrier flag, only a melee attack can counter a melee attack. Please counter with the correct range of attack, or with an attack with the Barrier flag.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Hikaru Shidou's You're Fired, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou's Block ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Zaren talking really makes Jupiter want to punch him in the face.

Drones charging her, however, take precedence; Sailor Jupiter eyes those lasers carefully, frowning as she sees the strange rainbow sheen blocking her attack--

When Masque Feu asks, and a group comes for her, she doesn't hesitate. "You got it! I'll handle these!" The first of the group comes into range, and Jupiter slides beside it, gripping hold of the second and swinging both arms around to trap the drone--then jumps up just a couple of feet and /slams/ it back downward, using the momentum to propel herself into a kick to knock the next off.

But there's more than that. "You think all of you can just do whatever you want!?" Sailor Jupiter widens her stance, glaring at the whole set before her. "Not while I'm here!"

She rushes into action, focusing first on those closest to her--swinging a punch for one, a kick for the next, she's not concerned about cracking their shells--she's only into trying to crash them into one another, slow them down, take their attention. ...And hit things.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has used Pretty Brawler on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to brace Sailor Jupiter's Pretty Brawler, taking 0 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

The protection field stops Ren pretty effectively as she slams up into it, causing her teeth to chatter from the force. Jaren keeps talking, of course, like the sideburned jerk he is. It sets Ren even further on edge, while she simultaneously remains aware of all the destruction the drones continue to dish out.

"You have to stop this." Ren tries to plead with him, even though she's sure it's futile in the end. "Please. There's innocent people getting hurt...!" Still, she's readying her device for retaliation on Jaren's part. And it comes swiftly enough. "Heraut!" But thankfully Ren is just as quick, holding the thin rapier up in front of her as the bronze jewel within it's hilt pulses.

Motes of bright light appear behind her, before they rush out in quick succession to intercept as many balls of the offending energy as they can. Ren gets clipped here and there but remains resolute, eyes hardened on Jaren the whole time. Mentally, however, she's taking into account what she hears Lera shout. <What? He's after something else...?> She sends back telepathically, starting to feel a sense of dread and confusion.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

The compliment from Sky helps embolden her, as she shoots up two fingers in a V for victory, "Well thank you! It's always nice to know I have a fan!" But as Jaren speaks, Sailor Moon sweeps an arm wide and behind her in an expressive gesture of indignity, "That was your own drone! What kind of a person sets a trap that wrecks their own home!?" A sudden thought occurs to her though, as she puts a hand over her mouth and giggles, "I gotta admit though, the holographic message was hilarious! Did you really think Kaitou Jeanne was going to be there?"

For a moment, it's like she's doubled over by laughter, until Jaren's Molten Bolt fires. A ball of energy careens across the dock, and Sailor Moon leaps through the air, with a gymnastic somersault that belies her usually clumsiness. Twisting at the last moment to try to avoid the Molten Bolt, she's nearly successful, however it strikes the tip of her arm holding the Moon Stick.

Tendrils of flame burst open to bind up that single arm. "Aaaa!" Landing on the deck with a stagger and a cry of pain, she tries to wave the arm rapidly to try to get it off unsuccessfully. For some reason that seems to make it worse, as it only tightens its grip upon her.

Suddenly rising up to a single foot, she uses her opposite hand to wipe away the tears in her eyes, before she calls out to Jupiter. Since she knows Jupiter worries about her, the first thing she has to call out is, "I'm okay!" Trying to hide the pain in her voice and the barely suppressed tears, she watches Jupiter try to suplex a robot to propel herself into a kick, remembering the day that a misunderstood girl saved her from a gang of street thugs on her lonesome, "Jupiter, you're just as incredible as the day we met!"

Despite the pain, she sounds delighted, with literal stars in her eyes, "Your drones are really going to get it, Jaren! There's nothing the Senshi of Thunder and Courage can't do if she puts her mind to it!" Including finding love, Sailor Moon briefly thought. What kind of jerk boy could ever reject a girl as sweet and talented and wonderful as Makoto Kino? Suddenly she's looking at Jaren out of the corner of her vision, "Nevermind." She mutters barely inaudibly to noone in particular.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Jupiter's Biggest Fan on Sailor Jupiter.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter accepts Sailor Moon's Jupiter's Biggest Fan, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Sailor Jupiter is Cheered!

<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

The blast from Jaren sends Endo staggering backward, but his shield manages to dissipate most of it. Not all, but enough to keep him on his feet-and to set him too off-balance to get out of the way of the array of lasers coming in his direction. Those lift him off his feet easily, sending him soaring back and crashing into a nearby building.

He still gets up though. Slowly.

<DETESTABLE.>

"I told you they were!" Endo's focus is on the drones, not what Jaren is up to, despite how much of a problem that might soon be.

He's going right back for them. Belkan symbols whirl around his feet, and then Endo is lunging forward. He spins, heaving right for the mess of drones, rotating like a top and taking two sweeping arcs at the machines. Violent purple light streaks across his device, leaving a vivid trail in its wake.

COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Radial Velocity on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

The protection field stops Ren pretty effectively as she slams up into it, causing her teeth to chatter from the force. Jaren keeps talking, of course, like the sideburned jerk he is. It sets Ren even further on edge, while she simultaneously remains aware of all the destruction the drones continue to dish out.

"You have to stop this." Ren tries to plead with him, even though she's sure it's futile in the end. "Please. There's innocent people getting hurt...!" Still, she's readying her device for retaliation on Jaren's part. And it comes swiftly enough. "Heraut!" But thankfully Ren is just as quick, holding the thin rapier up in front of her as the bronze jewel within it's hilt pulses.

Motes of bright light appear behind her, before they rush out in quick succession to intercept as many balls of the offending energy as they can. Ren gets clipped here and there but remains resolute, eyes hardened on Jaren the whole time. Mentally, however, she's taking into account what she hears Lera shout. <What? He's after something else...?> She sends back telepathically, starting to feel a sense of dread and confusion. But she swallows that down and refocuses on the task at hand. "Heraut. I'm gonna need a boost..."

<NOTED.>

A Midchildan circle appears, and in a flash Ren's barrier jacket takes on a white glow.

COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used Sovereign's Relief on Ren Aizawa.

COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa accepts Ren Aizawa's Sovereign's Relief, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Empower applied to Ren Aizawa! Cleanse! All of Ren Aizawa's debuffs are cleared!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly dodges Endo Naoki's Radial Velocity, taking 17 Fatigue damage! Hibiki Houjou's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava narrowly braces Masque Feu's Blessed Spark, taking 10 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Jaren Zastava's Block ability activates! Jaren Zastava's Parry ability activates!

<Pose Tracker> Jaren Zastava [Ohtori Academy (6)] has posed.

Jaren, despite all appearances, is attempting to focus on whatever it is he's doing up there, and the beam of light shooting down into the bay is getting brighter and thicker the longer he focuses on it. Those breaks to attack or defend disrupt the transmission...but it doesn't seem to be enough. Even when Masque Feu whips a tremendous bolt of flame toward him, it's stopped with a quiet, firm: <PROTECTION.> It spatters against the shield's surface but fails to penetrate, and Jaren's lips curl up in a mean grin. "You're tryin'," he says. "I'll give you that! But you could never have stopped this! I'm /better/ than you, get it? Better than all of you! I'm the best there ever was, ladies! Remember it!"

"Now, watch just what /victory/ looks like! RISE! GUARDIAN OF TEN THOUSAND POINTS, YOUR TIME IS NOW!"

<IT PREFERS 'CITADEL'> Ground notes, and then adds: <UPLOAD COMPLETE. IT IS AWAKENING.>

Jaren releases Ground completely to let the Device's stream of light turn into a heaven-piercing pillar, a beam of light uniting heaven and earth...or rather, Device and something slumbering beneath Tokyo.

<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

This far into the battle, the drones have learned little.

Rainbow light resonates against admonishing winds and fierce flames, and for all the high technology that went into that shielding...it's beginning to falter in places. Drones are beginning to retreat, running low on power, bringing the heart of the battle closer to Jaren without direct intent.

The drones that rushed Sailor Jupiter have found themselves more airborne than they were expecting - and her strength makes itself known as she slings them around. They scatter in short order, anti-martial-arts routines activating, and they begin to pull back to a safe distance to re-evaluate.

Those that had come too close to Lera or Endo, however, aren't able to claim that kind of distance. Punishing blows smash into armor, crippling drones - which flicker, and fade rather than being captured. Numbers aren't everything, and the survivors again frantically try to claim some distance.

Another chirping conference among the mechanical foes, and they begin to spread out. Laser-apertures - along with a scattering of missile launchers - alight as they prepare for a barrage from the safety of the ocean's airspace. They get into formation, light beginning to shine as they combine their power...but they falter as, beneath them, the water begins to bulge ominously. It bursts...and there is light.

A radiant kaleidoscopic pillar of light heralds its arrival. Ponderous in a way, a being ancient beyond imagination clawing its way free of its watery tomb. One clawed paw, then another, emerges from the light to grip the harbour, dark blue and grey steel covering every inch of those wolf-like claws. The head comes next - four golden eyes shining within a draconic head of pure metal. Gradually, slowly, it emerges from the light...and the light spreads from its back as radiant dragon-wings. As the rear legs come free, it arches its back, a tail as long as the body lashing about and severing a nearby ship's mast.

All in all, it resembles nothing so much as a titanic metal wolf with dragon features, twenty feet tall at the shoulder.

"...AT LAST. LONG HAVE I AWAITED MY RECALL TO DUTY." Golden eyes wander across an unfamiliar scene, taking in warriors and buildings alike...before turning, at last, to Jaren. "...BUT THIS IS NOT THE TEN THOUSAND POINTS. WHERE IS THIS?"

Those drones that survived the wake of the wolf's arrival pull back, firing parting shots at their assembled foes as they fade out, one after another.

COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou transforms into Youma Form Citadel!

COMBAT: You can only attack people in the same room as you.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Parting Shot on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Parting Shot on Sailor Moon.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Parting Shot on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Parting Shot on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Parting Shot on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Parting Shot on Hikaru Shidou.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Parting Shot on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Parting Shot on Masque Feu.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Masque Feu narrowly braces Hibiki Houjou's Parting Shot, taking 5 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Lera Camry perfectly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Parting Shot, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Critical Dodge! Lera Camry's Fade ability activates! Lera Camry's Flash ability activates!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly braces Hibiki Houjou's Parting Shot, taking 2 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Ren Aizawa's Block ability activates! Ren Aizawa's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon narrowly braces Hibiki Houjou's Parting Shot, taking 6 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Hikaru Shidou perfectly dodges Hibiki Houjou's Parting Shot, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Dodge!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to brace Hibiki Houjou's Parting Shot, taking 12 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter fails to dodge Hibiki Houjou's Parting Shot, taking 8 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Hikaru Shidou [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

The parting shot seems to be perfectly dodged by the Fire Knight, but in doing so, she seems to have overdone it with her skills. She suddenly collapses to one knee, forcing herself to plant her sword to keep from falling down completely. "Oh no... I've overdone it again..." She says weakly as she tries to get back up. It's not easy though.

"I can't risk it... I have to pull back... regain my stamina," The Fire Knight thinks as she steps back out of the battle. "I've done all I can..."

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

'Watch out to the left!'

Lera nods, her eyes briefly meeting Feu's behind the titular mask, before she does as requested. She snaps hard to the side with her flight. The sphere of holy flame whips by and she watches it goes, careening towards Jaren Zastava. She grits her teeth, then, and glances down at Ren. <It's--I didn't have time to tell you! He found something. A Lost Logia. He's...>

Then the pillar of light slams into the harbor. Lera raises a hand, covering her eyes at the intense brightness of the shot into the water. She looks around at the damage to the marina -- at least, she thinks, the bystanders have all left -- and then at the bulge of water. She sees the claws that come out, the tail that rips through a boat's mast, and the gleaming, four-eyed head. Her eyes widen a little.

He did it. He released a Lost Logia on Earth. This family dispute spilled over into who knew how much damage, how much pain. Her shoulders sag for a moment.

Then the blast of energy comes down -- and Lera jerks to the side, as the drone's laser flies past. It scores a hole through the boardwalk. "How... how could you?!" she shouts at Jaren. "Do--do you even know what this is!?"

She goes soaring forward; green light fires from her back like a ring, while she pushes the two sabers together. <Fencer Form!> The two blades combine with a click; fire shoots up them, the energy field growing and doubling in length. Lera swings the weapon back over her shoulder.

She chops the sword down as she gets close to Jaren -- and a point blank explosion of fire shoots off the sword, down towards Jaren and Broken Ground. Lera's lips curl back into a shout, but her eyes are desperate.

"You--you could destroy half the city!"

COMBAT: Lera Camry has used Inferno Slasher on Jaren Zastava.

COMBAT: Lera Camry has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

The Wind Knight spares a brief withering look for Jaren as he boasts of his triumph - and then she gets blasted off her feet by one of the withdrawing drones. She doesn't stay down for long, but that was still enough to take a certain amount of oomph out of her possible replies .... as if the giant winged dracowolf wasn't enough to do THAT just by it being here.

"I don't know what these 'ten thousand points' are," the Magic Knight of Wind answers, "but that individual -" She gestures at Jaren. "- forced you to awaken ... I presume it was done through skulduggery of a sort which neither you nor your true creators would approve of."

And with THAT said, she turns her gaze towards Jaren. "You presume much by claiming to be 'better' than us, when you're little more than a desperate thief. What do you seek to gain by awakening an artifact such as this one? Are you just seeking power for its own sake, or do you have a goal in mind beyond command of this entity?"

She's aware of the Fire Knight withdrawing; perhaps she hopes in part to hold attention away from her ally by questioning Jaren like this.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has used Gentle Chiding on Jaren Zastava.

COMBAT: Fuu Hououji has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou tries to cover Jaren Zastava for Lera Camry's attack, Inferno Slasher, but cannot get there in time!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou covers Jaren Zastava for Lera Camry's attack, Inferno Slasher, taking it upon themselves instead!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki fails to brace Hibiki Houjou's Parting Shot, taking 10 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly counters Lera Camry's Inferno Slasher, taking 17 Fatigue damage!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou's counterattack, Devout Corona, partially gets through, doing 16 Fatigue damage to Lera Camry! Critical Counterhit!

<Pose Tracker> Masque Feu [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Masque Feu narrows her eyes ever so slightly. Just listening to Jaren /talk/ sets her off. She does not show it save by pushing a hand through her hair, tossing it back with a crackle. "I should think," she says with a lift of her chin, "that one who merely /claims/ such superiority need insist on it so fervently. Sir."

She has little time to say much more. A ray of light radiates between the Device and the earth.

"This is /not/ good at all," Augustine gasps, flitting towards Seika and beating his wings to hold position in midair. "Something slumbering beneath Tokyo... some sort of construct, it sounds like."

He turns out to be absolutely correct. Masque Feu is briefly distracted by a shot winging towards her; she crosses her forearms, letting the shot pelt against one of her gloves. She winces; the shot doesn't burn through, but the impact stings a little.

The girl turns quickly, breath catching behind her teeth as she and the ancient turtledove with her watch the metal beast swell from below. And then, before she can so much as say anything, Lera is throwing herself at Jaren - and getting the Lost Logia instead. Behind her mask, Seika's eyes widen.

"A Lost Logia," Augustine murmurs. "Their power is reputed to be tremendous. In the wrong hands--"

"It is already in the wrong hands," Seika answers tartly, before taking a step forward.

She does not move to attack right away. Instead, she raises her voice - and calls upwards.

"Lera!" she calls, her voice not overly high, but ringing in that distinct authoritative way only someone's onee-sama can pull off. "Do not attack it recklessly. If we work together...!"

COMBAT: Masque Feu has used Keep It A Secret From Maria-sama on Lera Camry.

COMBAT: Masque Feu has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Lera Camry accepts Masque Feu's Keep It A Secret From Maria-sama, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is Cheered!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

"Sailor Moon!" Jupiter /was/ worried... ut Moon's reassurance does a lot for her, and even more does the way she encourages the taller senshi. Despite the thunderous battle at hand, she can't help but smile even as she elbow drops another drone.

How can she do anything less than her best when Usagi is counting on her?

Still, in short order the drones around her are retreating, and she's already looking further to Jaren there as he gloats. "Don't be so sure! We--"

The light is too brilliant, for that moment, and Jupiter watches the gigantic thing come forth.

"What on--"

Jupiter doesn't entirely know what's going on--but Lera's words about what this /could/ do say eerything she needs to know. There are already some of them pulling back, and she can't let this thing just charge along.

She's blasted to the side by lasers, knocked over, but she gets her feet regardless. "This is somewhere we won't allow to be trampled by the likes of you!" she calls out.

Jupiter stares down the Lost Logia, and takes a breath. "My guardian Jupiter!"

She lifts her arms as the antenna within her tiara begins to rise. "Brew a storm! Call the clouds! Bring down the lightning!"

Her hands splay outward, performing the gestures so intuitive to her to channel the power that's coming as the thunder crackles from up above. Crackles, thunders, and--

Rockets towards her.

"SUPREME THUNDER!"

Sailor Jupiter channels her lightning straight for this Guardian, unblinking.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

Jaren's stalling is nagging at Ren something fierce. She looks to the light piercing the water, biting her lip as she tries to deduce what's going on. "Heraut. Do you have any idea wha-"

"What?!" Ren exclaims, but she doesn't have to wonder what that's about long before what can only be descibed as a giant mecha-wolf arises from the bay, making it's presence more than known. "What is that?!" She shouts, looking from it to everyone else as if they'll have answers. Heraut chimes.

<THIS IS LOST LOGIA..> Ren's blood runs cold, remembering the destructiveness of the Jewel Seeds. And now... Citadel? Is that was Ground called it?

"Put it back..." Ren says after finding her voice, turning to look at Jaren again. "You monster... How could you... Unleash that...?!" And just as Lera attacks him, Ren does too, letting her anger out.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Sailor Jupiter has used Supreme Thunder on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has used My Sword Goes Slash on Jaren Zastava.
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou narrowly braces Sailor Jupiter's Finisher, Supreme Thunder, taking 38 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit!
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou tries to cover Jaren Zastava for Ren Aizawa's attack, My Sword Goes Slash, but cannot get there in time!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

Jaren victorious. A pillar of light. Sailor Moon watches the colossal dragon-wolf rise with her mouth hanging slightly open, the only sound of her lips is that of distress, as she drops down to the docks on her knees. It reminded her of the first time she saw Kagutsuchi appear. A harbinger of flame and death. The images blur together in her vision, leaving her a terrified wreck. Her mouth works several more times, but no words come out. Eventually however, she finds the nerve, "H-How are we supposed to deal with that!?"

A parting shot hits her between the shoulder blades of her Fuku, sending her sprawling with a cry that brings more tears to her eyes, tears which blur the Lost Logia like creature within her vision. One of the Magical Girls is leaving, pulling back. That was all they could do. For a time, Sailor Moon is tempted. 'You've changed Usagi-chan. Not like that. Despite everything you're still very much yourself, but I think you're a little braver than you used to be.'

The words of a friend to her, she shakes her head, twintails bobbing as she clenches her fists over the Moon Stick, whispering her denial from her nearly prone position, "No I haven't! I'm still just the same clumsy crybaby! What can I do against that!?"

Again however, the words deny it, 'You're always you. Sailor Moon, Usagi Tsukino, Princess Usagi... They're /all/ brave, and they're /all/ beautiful, and they /all/ cry a lot, because they have great big hearts that love everyone and get hurt easy because of it.'

Looking up at Jupiter, she sees her bring the thunder to bear against the Citadel creature, her mouth agape. She watches Lera charge Jaren, only for the citadel to intercept it. "They're all so brave." She whispers, awed, before her jaw sets, and she slowly climbs to her feet, "I wish I were as brave as them, but I'm not." A beat, before she looks up at the creature, "Today though, I'll try to be."

Bending at the knees, Sailor Moon leaps as high as she can, spinning round and round as she goes, her twintails whirling around like streamers in the wind, both hands grasping ahold of the Moon Stick, "Moon Twilight-" The light of the moon reflects upon the silver crystal, reflecting from it a rainbow of light like all the colors of the prism. "-Flash!"

A bolt of twilit energy careens outward the towering dragonwolf. It carries neither the brilliant power nor the crashing roar of Supreme Thunder, nor the fire and fury of Sky's blade in Lera's hands. Indeed, in the grand scheme of things, Sailor Moon cannot do as much as her friends against human spawned terrors like this. But she tries. She tries for them.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has used Moon Twilight Flash on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Sailor Moon has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou perfectly braces Sailor Moon's Moon Twilight Flash, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Brace!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava narrowly counters Fuu Hououji's Gentle Chiding, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Jaren Zastava is Quipped! Jaren Zastava's Reverse ability activates! Jaren Zastava's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava's counterattack, Mantle Witness, partially gets through, doing 4 Fatigue damage to Fuu Hououji!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava narrowly counters Ren Aizawa's My Sword Goes Slash, taking 4 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa is Psyched! Jaren Zastava's Reverse ability activates! Jaren Zastava's Tactician ability activates!
COMBAT: Jaren Zastava's counterattack, Terra Fissure, partially gets through, doing 23 Fatigue damage to Ren Aizawa! Critical Counterhit!

<Pose Tracker> Jaren Zastava [Ohtori Academy (6)] has posed.

Jaren can't stop his face from splitting in a huge grin as the Guardian emerges; tremendous. Omnipotent. Jaren has the good sense to not actually be standing in the pillar of light as the Guardian wakes from its long slumber, and then...glances down, while Lera and Fuu shout defiance, while Ren comes at him with a destructive swing...and Citadel acts to defend its awakener. Its...no. Don't get excited. The master is somebody else, Jaren reminds himself.

Getting excited is how you get flattened by amateurs, Jaren. You're better than that. You're better than /them/, no matter what Wind Knight over there wants to say. He turns his full attention on Citadel. "Guardian!" Jaren calls out. "Through trickery, you were sent away from the Ten Thousand Points! I have come to take you away from this far-off place, back to the place you belong!"

He glares at the incoming fire. "...if you'd be so kind as to stop these people from cutting me in half while I do so, that'd be swell, by the way." He swings Broken Ground down toward Fuu, and a Midchildan magic circle forms on the ground beneath her, a tiny litle circle of stone glimmering - and then shooting straight up to slam into her jaw, closing her mouth rather forcefully.

Unfortunately, Citadel can't quite get to Ren before she slams into Jaren's defensive shield on Broken Ground, and Jaren glares at her. "Uh, pretty easily, actually," he says, smug in his victory, and then leaps a pace back and holds Broken Ground aloft. The jeweled core of the device blinks a few times, and barks, <TERRA FISSURE.>

A bead of light forms at the end of the weapon, and Jaren whips it at Ren. On impact, it /hurls/ her backwards, slamming her down into the pavement of the marina, where it and she collectively crater.

Jaren then turns his eyes back on the Guardian. "My Device will give you the information for a transfer to a safe place! From there we can prepare to send you home!"

He moves into the Guardian's airspace, holding Ground up to resume transmission.

<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

"What is that thing!? Is that the thing!?" Endo's eyes become saucers, huge and riveted on the pillar of light, and then the huge device that emerges from the sea out of it. He's still burnt and smoking from multiple laser barrages, but that hardly even matters anymore. He can only stare dumbfounded at the Lost Logia that's erupted from the depths.

<IMPRESSIVE.>

"It's huge!" Endo falters for a second, taking a step back, but not for long. He watches Lera move forward, the sailor scouts, each attempting to stop the monstrosity before it starts.

<KNIGHT.>

"I know." Endo takes a deep, shaky breath. His fingers grip tight around his device, eyes closing, magical symbols burning to life in the air around him. Fallen Stern begins to glow, violet light tracing down its grooved patterns, edges burning, steaming venting from tiny exhausts. It becomes positively radiant, mana bleeding off and searing the air around it with the spell.

<I WILL DESTROY MY ENEMIES.> Says Stern.

"I will destroy my enemies." Endo recites.

COMBAT: Endo Naoki has used Overdrive Mode on Endo Naoki.

COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Endo Naoki accepts Endo Naoki's Overdrive Mode, taking 0 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Empower and Surge applied to Endo Naoki!

<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

Citadel's eyes are fixed on Jaren - or at least, two of them are. Its head lowers to the ground, armor about its shoulders groaning as its hackles raise at the word 'trickery'...and then there's a shout, and it springs. Ponderous as the ancient beast might seem, it reacts in an instant when Lera shouts desperation and rushes towards the Lost Logia's summoner. It moves in the blink of an eye, interposing itself between Jaren and Lera's blade...and as her attack strikes home, rainbow light erupts from the ground beneath her with terrible force.

The skies rumble moments later, claiming the dragon-wolf's attention. It turns - just as lightning slams down from above, arcing across the beast's armoured hide, Jupiter's wrath grounding itself in Citadel. For a moment, it goes still. A moment...and then it turns, fixing the green-clad warrior with all four golden eyes.

Sailor Moon's kaleidoscope of light shines, a rainbow aurora bearing down on Citadel from the side...and casually, one of its own wings of rainbow light moves to take the blast. Light shines against light, and the creature - or whatever it is - does not even divert its gaze. For all of their courage, their conviction...

Jaren yells out, and the best springs back with unnatural grace, that great tail coiling protectively around the mage. It turns, so that two eyes can regard him - take in his words. Again, the ponderous weight of the ages seems to rest on this moment. Those rainbow wings arch, and the head tilts up to look into the stars.

"HOME...."

It snaps its gaze back down, all its eyes burning with terrible conviction. "SO BE IT. UNTIL I AM RETURNED TO THE TEN THOUSAND POINTS...YOU ARE WORTHY OF MY FULL PROTECTION." The tail curls protectively around Jaren, as if to shield him from harm...and then it spreads its wings wide, tilts its head up, and roars. Windows shatter, the very harbour groans in protest, and rainbow light erupts everywhere. Somehow, it seems to not instantly destroy everything...but to those who stand and fight hardest, it sears with terrible fury.

And then, like falling stars, the light descends on everyone else.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Hibiki Houjou has used Legacy of Ten-Thousand Points on Sailor Moon.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Hibiki Houjou has used Legacy of Ten-Thousand Points on Sailor Jupiter.
COMBAT: FINISHER! Hibiki Houjou has used Legacy of Ten-Thousand Points on Lera Camry.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Ten Thousand Lights on Fuu Hououji.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Ten Thousand Lights on Ren Aizawa.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Ten Thousand Lights on Masque Feu.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has used Ten Thousand Lights on Endo Naoki.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Masque Feu fails to dodge Hibiki Houjou's Ten Thousand Lights, taking 32 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Masque Feu!
COMBAT: Sailor Moon fails to dodge Hibiki Houjou's Finisher, Legacy of Ten-Thousand Points, taking 92 Fatigue damage! Sailor Moon is unable to keep fighting!
COMBAT: Sailor Jupiter narrowly braces Hibiki Houjou's Finisher, Legacy of Ten-Thousand Points, taking 45 Fatigue damage! Critical Hit! Sailor Jupiter's Block ability activates! Sailor Jupiter's Parry ability activates!
COMBAT: Lera Camry fails to dodge Hibiki Houjou's Finisher, Legacy of Ten-Thousand Points, taking 91 Fatigue damage! Lera Camry is unable to keep fighting!
COMBAT: Endo Naoki fails to brace Hibiki Houjou's Ten Thousand Lights, taking 30 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Endo Naoki!
COMBAT: Ren Aizawa narrowly counters Hibiki Houjou's Ten Thousand Lights, taking 24 Fatigue damage! Ren Aizawa's Reverse ability activates!
COMBAT: FINISHER! Ren Aizawa's counterattack, Blade Storm, partially gets through, doing 25 Fatigue damage to Hibiki Houjou! Critical Counterhit!
COMBAT: Fuu Hououji fails to dodge Hibiki Houjou's Ten Thousand Lights, taking 31 Fatigue damage! Blind applied to Fuu Hououji!

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Citadel moves with that freakish speed, which utterly belies its size. The prismatic burst of light slams her backward, before her blade can ever touch Jaren. She is knocked back and left staring at the dragon -- and then at its summoner.

The grin on Jaren's face makes Lera's stomach sink. She wants to scream, but it catches in her throat. He strikes at Ren, again, and sees the blast that strikes into her. That guilt bubbles up again, fresh and painful as it was at first. Her head bows for a moment, her fist shaking and her teeth gritting together.

She looks up in a rage, her eyes blazing, and she launches forward.

"But--I--" Lera's words dies in her throat as she hears Masque Feu's statement. After a flicker of hesitation, she nods. She can't be reckless. If they work together, they can stop him here. She nods, once.

Her resolve is buoyed when she sees the lightning that Sailor Jupiter summons and hurtles in towards Citadel. Her eyes light up with it, reflecting the crash of lightning that flies towards the enormous, armored dragon-wolf. She swings her sword up in preparation -- and then she sees Moon Twilight Flash simply blocked by one of its wings of light.

The Lost Logia, she realizes with a sinking feeling, believes him. He believes that Jaren will take it home. Lera stares, her words failing to come, and then she sees the rainbow-colored light exploding down towards her. She weaves to the left, dodging the first shot -- and then the second and the third explosion of rainbow light hit her. It tosses her, like a rag doll, and then the last one pitches Lera hard into the ground below.

She slams through an equipment shack, causing the wooden structure to crumble around her.

She rises out of it slowly. Blood trickles down her face, running in a thin line from a cut on her brow. Her eyes scan the battlefield. She doesn't spot Sailor Moon, at first, and her stomach sinks. She sees her friends being hurt. She sees where Ren hit the ground. She sees the battered and damaged marina, where the rain of energy hit.

It's her fault. All of it.

Tears fill her eyes, but she doesn't crumple like she did last night. Instead, she grits her teeth, and slams her gloved fist into the lamppost nearby. She bends the wrought iron structure into a jagged L-shape.

<Lera... calm down!>

"Like hell," she snaps.

<Pose Tracker> Ren Aizawa [Infinity Institute (11)] has posed.

His barrier protects him from being hit once again, and Ren grits her teeth in frustration. This was starting to feel hopeless. And now he had an ally in the form of Citadel. No telling what the newly awkaened Lost Logia is capable of. Jaren could tell it just about anything. The possibilities cause her to shudder. No. Jaren has to be stopped /now/. She goes into a bit of a frenzy, hacking away at the sideburn-sporting villain's barrier. There's desperation in her eyes as bad scenario after bad scenario unfolds within her mind. Jaren, though, merely decides to take his leave from the scene -- but not before delivering a parting blow. Ren's desperation stops her from defending, and in an instant she's batted away, out of the air and into the ground, the concrete splintering and breaking easily, leaving her in a smoking crater. Everything really hurts. But... Ren climbs to her feet, clutching her side and watching Citadel pledge to protect Jaren. Not good. And then Citadel attacks everyone in defense of his new master, which is /really/ not good. As she watches the incoming lances of rainbow light, she gets down on one knee, summoning up a Midchildan circle beneath her. "Heraut... PLEASE!" She screams, tears streaming down her face despite her eyes being clenched shut. The device chimes in response.

A curtain of brightly glowing lances appear around her, acting as a barrier that shields her from Citadel's attack. They seem to absorb the devestating rainbow lights, glowing brighter and brighter as they spin. Then...

<FIRE!>

The blades go still before bursting forward from around her, dancing through the air as they launch themselves at Citadel, using some of his energy to empower themselves further.

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Jupiter [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

For a moment, Jupiter thinks that her magic was enough. Citadel is still. ...But that moment only lasts for so long, and even Sailor Moon can't seeem to get through after her. Not her, not the others...

It moves too fast. Jupiter's eyes widen as she sees it suddenly elsewhere, but there's little she can do other than to throw up her arms to protect herself as she sees its terrible glare.

The brilliant rainbow light crashes into her, too, and defense or not, it sends her flying back into a wall, which cracks with the force of her impact efore she tumbles downward again, rolling onto the ground while it's still too bright and brilliant to see anything. She can't see Sailor Moon, or Lera, or Masque Feu, or... /anyone/.

But because she can't see them... It doesn't mean that they aren't there.

"NO! I won't... let you..."

Jupiter forces herself up to one knee, fist slamming into the ground for support and looks up...

But at what now?

<Pose Tracker> Masque Feu [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

For a moment, Masque Feu is seized by an incredible urge to throw Jaren into the harbour.

She looks over to Augustine instead, her jaw set with tension. "Is there a way to purify it?" she asks. "Is there a dark power within it that we can strip away?"

Augustine touches down on Seika's shoulder, head ducked deep into his neck feathers as he bristles with worry. "I... I don't know for sure," he admits. "But I would not count on it. Certainly the Lost Logia are not the same as the vampires or the Nakewameke we have encountered."

"Then--" Masque Feu is cut off by the rumble of that golden voice. She clenches her hands into fists, her breath catching in her throat.

That, she decides, is nnnnnnot good.

The light shines forth. There is simply nowhere for her to go. She leaps backwards; it doesn't help. The force of the blast hurls the lone Soeur violently into the air. It takes all the grace and determination she can muster to grit her teeth, to not scream. Tatters of the trains of her tabard stream through the air behind her as she hurtles away, sailing through the air in a sickening lurch before hitting the ground on her back and sliding for several metres. She can't help but let a pained yelp out at that before she manages to catch herself with palms and heels digging against the harbour.

"Masque Feu!" Augustine yelps over the sound of the blast, flapping towards the girl. "Masque Feu, are you alright?!"

With a wince, Masque Feu pushes herself off the ground, swaying as she retakes her feet. "Worry about the others, Augustine-sama," she urges through her teeth, eyes snapping towards the battlefield again -

And her heart sinks in her chest as Sailor Moon goes down. Sailor Moon, the girl who stood by her that day against Nephrite when she was so sure her life would fade.

Lera falls, too. Somehow, it hurts even worse. Lera - the girl who has shown nothing but kindness and courage, who stood by Fate with her at the end. The girl she barely knows, for all that they have crossed paths now and then in battle.

"Masque Feu?" Augustine questions as Seika strides forward.

Sharp heels click with authority against the deck as the scraped and battered Masque Feu steps slowly over towards the ruins of the equipment shed. She reaches out with a slender hand, briefly touching fingertips to Lera's shoulder. There's plenty of Seika in there; she's tactile when she needs to show affection or encouragement.

Her eyes hold, for a moment, on the wounded girl. "You did your best," she says quietly. "For that, I admire you."

She turns with a quick movement, planting her feet apart and coming to bear upon the massive form of Citadel. She knows what she is about to do is desperate - to try and battle this thing that so easily cast aside stronger warriors than she.

She breathes in, breathes out. And as she raises her hands above her head, wrists crossed, she positions herself between Lera and Citadel. Once again, a shield for a girl she barely knows.

"I call upon the power of the blessed flame," she whispers as she spins, letting fire cascade down her arms, to whirl around her in a double helix. She pivots once, arms sweeping down, out to her sides - and she comes around, thrusting both hands forward.

"Crossfiiiiire... Ignition!"

From Masque Feu's palms, a massive double blast of flame explodes. The twin tongues of flame shine with sacred light, useless though that purifying power may be; the flames themselves burn hot even without it, hot enough to slag the hottest steel. The fire columns whirl about each other in a double spiral, swing apart, then converge, powering in to form a vast X of flame as they strike towards the Lost Logia.

"BEGONE!" Seika calls, her voice ringing.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Masque Feu has used Crossfire Ignition on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Masque Feu has finished attacking.

<Pose Tracker> Fuu Hououji [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

The ground uppercuts the Magic Knight of Wind, dislodging her glasses from their proper perch across her nose, and she staggers backwards a couple of steps, her bow disappearing as she tries to regain her bearings and realign her glasses with her eyes ...

And then the sky falls.

Hopeless as it seems, the Wind Knight tries to dodge the descending storm of lights and noise; she winds up staggering into the falling blasts as much as away from or between any of them. By the time the arcane tempest finally abates, she's sprawled on the ground, battered and a little bloodied, trying to muster enough of her willpower to unleash some kind of retaliatory strike.

.... But she can't.

In Cephiro, the strength of one's will determines everything. That is the precept on which Fuu's understanding of her capabilities as the Wind Knight is founded - and for all the injury her body has withstood, her *will* has been bludgeoned mercilessly.

She should get up, she should keep fighting, and she knows it ... but against that kind of overwhelming power, even with her allies still struggling, still fighting, she can't imagine her own magic or weapons being effective.

Her arm falls limp, her eyelids drifting closed behind cracked lenses. She may not be entirely unconscious, but she's out of the fight nonetheless.

COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to brace Masque Feu's Finisher, Crossfire Ignition, taking 90 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Sailor Moon [Juuban Public School (9)] has posed.

It was done so casually. It's enough to fill her full of even greater terror. Sailor Moon is still descending when she hears the creature speak again. 'HOME...' that wistful look of longing. For some reason it makes her feel sad, sad enough that when it announces that Jaren is worthy of his protection. Its in that moment perhaps that she realizes her mistake, "No! He's not! He's going to use you and-"

When it roars, its like seven thunders hear its voice. It's not just that everything physical shatters, it feels to her like reality itself is. Loud enough to make her place her hands over her ears, but it feels like it does nothing at all to dampen the roar. That's when the light comes, rainbow light erupts and crashes into her, flooding her perception with light. She screams. What else can she do?

The Maelstrom of light tests itself briefly against deep pink that lims its Fuku, before that light fades, and the tortured form of Sailor Moon is cast down to the docks where she thuds heavily against one of the moorings and doesn't move for a few moments. Then she opens her eyes dimly, which are filled with tears and sees Jupiter slamming her fist in the ground.

For a moment, she doesn't say anything. She'd never seen her like that before. Not Mako-chan. Never. It's enough to break her heart. She refuses to let go through this alone. She puts down one trembling hand, and then she crawls. Crawls over to her. It takes an agonizingly long time, before she puts a hand on her back to steady herself to the final trip to her side, where her arm shifts around her and her strength all but fails her.

She does get words out, speaking hoarsely eyes full of tears, "You did your b-best Jupiter. You're so strong, so brave. You always inspire me to be better than..." It takes her a moment to get the word out, "...me. I'm sorry I wasn't able to do anything. Now it's up to you to keep everyone safe." She looks over to Lera, rising out of the equipment stack, bleeding and angry. It's almost scary looking at her, so she puts her forehead down upon Mako's shoulder, and just says her request softly. It's never a command with her, even if she was called their leader, "Please help her."

<Pose Tracker> Endo Naoki [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Endo, somehow, survives the attack from the Lost Logia. Light explodes around him and his barrier forms again, taking the brunt of the impact and driving him down along the street. He bounces once, twice, and then he's jamming Stern into the ground and getting ahold of himself. If not before there's another chunk of his barrier jacket that's burnt and seared.

Other people have it worse, though. He watches Lera fall, Fuu, Sailor Moon, and then his eyes go back to Citadel. It's huge. And scary. And hurting the people that he likes a lot. It's not a question of if he can take the Lost Logia. It's just something he has to do.

"Hey!" Endo cries out, his full attention on the monster and the man controlling it. "Why don't you go back to sleep!?"

Endo cuts the air in front of him. It does something. Stern pulses with light, and then it releases, sending a whirling arc of energy tearing through the air. It upends pavement, rending through the space between the knight and Citadel, aimed straight at the Logia's center.

COMBAT: FINISHER! Endo Naoki has used Debris Disk on Hibiki Houjou.

COMBAT: Endo Naoki has finished attacking.
COMBAT: Hibiki Houjou fails to brace Endo Naoki's Finisher, Debris Disk, taking 64 Fatigue damage!

<Pose Tracker> Hibiki Houjou [Infinity Institute (9)] has posed.

The light shines with imposing certainty. The tip of Citadel's tail lashes back and forth, stern even as the last of that devastating aurora fades. Ancient eyes survey the area, making note of those unable - or unwilling - to fight any further.

Some still fight on. A desperate plea from Ren, crying out against that terrible light - and a few of those blades made it through the storm to score lines against armoured plates. Endo fighting for those who cannot, unleashing a storm of pavement and power to slam into one leg. And Masque Feu's fire, searing forth to slam that cross directly into Citadel's face with protective ferocity.

And yet, it still stands. Its wings spread wide, shining once more as it inhales...and then it pauses. Golden eyes meet the gazes of those who still stand against it, who stand before the fallen...and that gaze pierces with judgment. Masque Feu standing protectively before Lera, whose own regrets dent metal; Sailors Moon and Jupiter, side by side as they try to regain their courage; Fuu and Hikaru, wills struggling to recover; Ren and Endo, ready to stand and fight when no one else can. Silence stretches on, Citadel's rainbow wings tense with pending destruction...

Broken Ground pings the completion of the transfer, and the great wolf-dragon lets out a slow breath. Those wings fade, vanishing entirely to leave only the titanic dragon-headed wolf, and it looks up to the stars once more. "...LET US PREPARE. THAT I MAY GO HOME." Golden triangles inscribe themselves in the air above and below Citadel and Jaren, rotating gently as runes inscribe themselves along the lengths. The twin rune-sigils align themselves in opposition, draw together with a flash...

...and Jaren and the dragon-wolf both are gone. Quietly, debris falls from broken harbour into the ocean, the silence in battle's wake deep in its own right. Where ten thousand lights shone in this area of joy such a short time ago, only broken signs and damaged buildings remain.

<Pose Tracker> Lera Camry [Infinity Institute (10)] has posed.

Lera stands there in the wreckage of the equipment shack, staring up at Citadel. She trembles when she does, eyes blazing with anger. When she feels that gentle touch on her shoulder, she turns to stare back at Masque Feu with a bewildered look. It doesn't cut through her thoughts as much as it briefly stalls them.

'You did your best.'

She doesn't hear the rest. At another time, the more important thing that Seika said would reach her ears and her heart. Right now, though, seeing Sailor Jupiter forcing herself to a knee and Fuu laying on the ground with her cracked glasses, Endo and Stern striking into Citadel, and Sailor Moon dragging herself towards Sailor Jupiter...

"...my best isn't good enough," Lera says softly, after Masque Feu takes off after Citadel. Her head hangs back down, her fist shaking. She felt the weight on her shoulders increasing recently. It finally crushes her, putting her heart in a vice and squeezing. She feels something break inside of her. "Not... not for Mom."

She looks up at Citadel and Jaren, as the golden triangles appear. She begins to realize, from what the Lost Logia says, what is happening. She opens her mouth in surprise and takes a stumbling step forward. "Wait!"

But it vanishes, winking away with Jaren and Broken Ground. A chunk of debris from a shattered sign collapses into the ocean with a splash. Lera's knees wobble as the feeling of failure and helplessness overtakes her. Then something else breaks inside of her. Her teeth grit -- and she suddenly lurches into the air, firing off like a shot.

<Wait--Lera! Lera!>

<Pose Tracker> Masque Feu [Juuban Public School (11)] has posed.

Masque Feu lets out her breath explosively as the last of her flame trails from her fingers. She weaves unsteadily on her feet, struggling to keep herself standing. All she knows is that she must. Lera is too hurt to fight on, and she must hold out long enough for Sailors Moon and Jupiter to usher the girl to safety. She breathes heavily, chest heaving beneath her soft tabard. Behind that elegant ballroom mask, her blue-grey eyes are hard with determination.

'You do not have to doubt in yourself,' Augustine's voice rings in her mind. 'I chose you as the first Soeur of this age because I believe that no matter what happens... you are one who can persevere.'

She clenches her right hand into a tight, defiant little fist.

Finally, Citadel withdraws. The lone Soeur lets out the breath she was holding.

She looks back - in time to hear Lera speak. Her best isn't good enough. The girl launches herself into the air recklessly; Masque Feu does not stop to think, beginning to run after her a couple of steps. "Wait," she calls after the girl, her voice wracked with exhaustion. On the third step, she stumbles, dropping to her knees. Her hair slumps like a curtain to either side of her face as she breathes heavily.

She looks up after Lera, her throat tightening. "Don't go off alone," she rasps, too softly to be heard by the retreating girl.

"She won't listen, I think," Augustine muses soberly as he flutters to the ground in front of Seika, looking up at her. "She is very much hurt right now. All we can do is hope that her better judgment prevails before she is hurt."

Masque Feu swallows a hard lump of emotion. She wishes she could somehow race after the girl she barely knows and protect the living hell out of her. But she knows she can't. She bows her head and closes her eyes with a slow, deflating sigh. "Hai, Augustine-sama."

The white dove bobs his head. Then, more kindly - "You fought bravely, under difficult circumstances. You are showing yourself to be a great Soeur, Masque Feu. I am proud of you."

2015-08-09 - Lost And Found Logia

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