With the spears still embedded inside the Demons, Sachiko worked her magic to have them move forward suddenly, driving deeper into the monsters and knocking them off balance, causing their lasers to fire off in an unintended direction and subsequently miss their mark.
Hopefully that'll do it.
Newbie Drifter
"Alright!"
Or so she wanted to believe, but Alicia could see that the Azure Knight was already beginning to move, and towards the most vulnerable member of the party, too; but at Rei's insistence, she had to finish off the two remaining mooks first.
And so she would.
As Sachiko's spears pushed the Demons further off-balance, Alicia charged into the fray and began unloading on both of them, firing as fast as she could to make up for the deficiency in stopping power. The faster she finished them off, the faster she and Sachiko could split off and aid Rei....
Rei struggled to her feet, keeping her eyes on the approaching Azure Knight.
As much as she hated to admit it, her options were limited: in her current state, the Demon could easily defeat her within three moves (if it knew which three moves to use, which Rei suspected it did, judging by the way it intercepted one of Sachiko's spears). The match was decided already.
The only sensible option was to not engage to begin with, as reluctant as she was to do so.
Producing another one of her golden spears in her only functional hand to at least repel the Azure Knight if it decided to charge, Rei began backpedaling as fast as her injured spine would allow her, hoping to buy some time for Alicia and Sachiko to finish up.
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
I am now a shiny stone~
Waiting for confirmation of the status of Alicia and Rei's parents before continuing
The three finest things in life are to splat your enemies, drive them from their turf, and hear their lamentations as their rank falls!
Vera successfully took or deflected most of the glass spears, sustaining a few minor cuts in the process; the spears had been rough and unfinished, and most of them had only had speed, not penetrative power, to their name. Still, it wasn't much fun. The Hammer Knight, limping now and even slower than it had been, made for her again, keeping its hammer lowered in front of its legs to block her lasers.
Sachiko and Alicia's attacks combined tore through the wounded Demons with little effort, and within seconds, they wilted and flew apart. The Azure Knight paused for a moment, but regardless of the suddenly poor odds, it seemed unconcerned. If anything, there was a small spring in its step as it continued after Rei; it began spinning its trident in lazy circles as it approached striking range.
They're with Vera, all fine (aside from, you know, being despair-blasted by the Demons. They'll recover).
edited 26th Nov '11 8:36:06 PM by RedSavant
It's been fun.
Bird mom
Vera used the glass on the ground again to her advantage. She decided to angle her shots at the lower thigh trying to finally kill the demon beast. After attack she pressed her arm to her shoulder.
The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
Vera's reflected shots struck the Knight again, tearing through its cloak and striking it in the legs. Roaring in pain, the Knight fell to one knee as its leg finally gave out permanently. It reached down, seized the greave dangling loosely from a scrap of shadowy flesh, and tore it free. Its hand blurred as it whipped the heavy armor at Vera.
It's been fun.
Bird mom
Vera couldn't dodge the blow but she was determined to stand her ground. Taking advantage of the situation she fully charged her gun at the demons' exposed flesh.
The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
Crippled and unable to dodge, the Knight was nonetheless not defenseless. Turning as much as it could to absorb Vera's lasers with the heavy plate on its shoulder and arm, the Knight shifted its grip on the hammer.
It's been fun.
excellent
Uh, Red, I'm pretty sure the 'morning' crowd is facing a demon (or more) now. Or is maxy not allowed to generate demons on his own?
EDIT: Either than or I'm seriously misreading things. Did we just end up in the exact same shopping mall by some contrived coincidence?
edited 26th Nov '11 10:42:12 PM by Thrombin
Shit, I knew I'd forgotten something.
As Asuka's ring began to flash more strongly, faint screams became audible from elsewhere in the mall. The Miasma moved fast, bursting into the food court through the lower concourse; the concentration wasn't high enough yet for Demons, but from the sounds of chaos and the density of the Miasma coming from the north, it was clear that some were already active.
It's been fun.
I am now a shiny stone~
Ciel mentally retraced her pre-battle memories as she searched for the adults. Thinking back far enough, she calmed down as she remembered Vera was with them.
I hope they're all okay, she thought to herself with some worry, Some of these Demons are unlike anything I've seen back home. At least Rei should be with Alicia, so the newbie ought to be okay with a vet like her there. Oh great, now I can't decide who to head towards next.
So, should she look for Vera to see if they're all okay, or continue onwards to Rei and Alicia?
edited 27th Nov '11 8:24:34 AM by AceOfScarabs
The three finest things in life are to splat your enemies, drive them from their turf, and hear their lamentations as their rank falls!
is All Elite
"Thanks, Asuka-san," Michiko said, grinning back sheepishly. She gently nudged one of the brown paper bags nearer to her with her heel: she had not originally intended to buy that sweater, but the attendant did say it looked really good on her. "I guess it was kinda fun."
She looked across the table to some of the food stalls, spotting one that sold takoyaki. "Hey, Asuka-san, how about we go get some tako—"
A scream made Michiko's heart skip a beat. The pearl ring on her hand pulsed with white light as wisps of Miasma began to drift into sight. More screams followed, their voices echoing throughout the food court and driving the rest of the people inside into a flurry of activity as the first signs of panic began to show.
"Not again," Michiko said, remembering the five victims in the bushes. Her eyes scanned the place, trying to find the source even though her chest was pounding and her skin felt cold under her clothes.
Where is it? Where...?
A stray trail caught her eye, the black mass of concentrated despair leading north.
"Asuka-san," she said, pointing, "I think they're out there." She stood up, looking for a bathroom stall or some place to change. All the while, bits of Miasma gathered around them in small whirling currents: every time they touched Michiko, she felt as though cold hands were wrapping around her chest. The very sensation made her stomach turn.
Oh God, please don't let it be like last time.
edited 27th Nov '11 6:19:12 AM by Icarael
"Stealing is a crime and drugs is a crime too BUT if you steal drugs the two crimes cancel out and it’s like basically doing a good."
Bird mom
Vera moved around the monster looking for it's weak point again wary of its hammer. She reached the back and fused her guns into a single weapon. She fired at the demon. "MIRROR LIGHTS!" She yelled as her gun changed into a disco ball with six lightbulbs flashing on and off in pattern. After forming the ball, she tossed it into the air and slammed it into the demon's unarmored flesh.
edited 27th Nov '11 9:16:32 PM by RhymeBeat
The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
Rhyme, you're likely going to kill the thing. Let's see some flash and coolness!
It's been fun.
The mirrorball impacted the Knight's back with a surprisingly solid thud. The Knight roared in pain and struggled to stand, but before it could, the disco ball began to shine brighter and brighter. Seeming to realize something, the Knight raised its hammer high and swung it viciously backwards; Vera barely had time to move, but she wasn't the Knight's target. The hammerhead struck the disco ball head-on, and the Knight exploded, spraying dull orange energy everywhere; the splashes of light seemed to eat through the sand they touched, spattering the surrounding dunes with pockmarks and craters. One of the nearby civilians started to whimper pathetically; a few small drops had hit her leg, and they were starting to eat slowly through her pants. Aside from the quiet mewling, though, the desert was suddenly, bizarrely, silent.
It's been fun.
Bird mom
Vera dashed over to the civilian covered in light trying a light pulse of light hoping to fight back the demons influence. She called to the civilian. "Don't give up! You can make it through!"
The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
Newbie Drifter
Nngh....
Retreating any further would no longer buy her time. The Knight was within striking range now; one false step from Rei, and the trident would easily end her. Even if she deflected that attack, the shield was sure to follow; without the use of her right hand or the ability to even walk properly, there was no way for her to stop it. All she needed to do was buy Alicia and Sachiko two more seconds, but she had no more defensive options to take.
The only solution, then, was to take an offensive option. She had to force the Knight to defend itself.
Gripping her spear at the halfway point of the shaft, Rei suddenly stopped her retreat and took a stance, lashing out with a feint stab aimed at the Knight's chest.
Just two seconds....
The moment the lesser Demons disintegrated, Alicia dashed towards Rei's position, getting closer to the Azure Knight to get a better shot at it despite the risks. Every extra second the battle lasted meant more danger to Rei, who was effectively immobile relative to everyone else; the Knight had to go down immediately. Her twin revolvers began charging up with energy again, preparing to unload two full-power rounds into the Knight's back.
edited 30th Nov '11 1:01:23 AM by Midreus
That is all she needed. That is all... Her dreams of seeing the world have become her strength, and lifts her wings.
I am now a shiny stone~
Making my decision now
Finally reaching her decision, Ciel turned and dashed where she thought Rei had gone earlier. Dealing with the Demons was key.
The three finest things in life are to splat your enemies, drive them from their turf, and hear their lamentations as their rank falls!
The woman didn't respond to Vera's strategy of fighting light with light, but soon enough, she did manage to calm down. In fact, she seemed to be regaining consciousness; as Vera watched, she and the rest of the civilians arrayed across the battlefield began to stir and sit up. Meanwhile, the desert began to fade, and soon Vera was kneeling on cold lineoleum once again.
The Azure Knight fell for the feint, bringing its shield up to cover its chest, and was unprepared to block Alicia's shots from behind. It turned at the sound of her guns firing, but took one round in the back before it could smash the other aside with its trident; smoking gently, it turned to keep both Alicia and Rei in view, bringing the gunslinger back into its threat assessment.
It's been fun.
Beniko had simply been going about his business at the Mall like everyone else. But at the same time, something was tugging at the bottom of his heart. And this time, it wasn't just the feeling his parents resented him.
Or maybe it was, but something was definitely making the feeling worse. He pushed a lock of cherry-red hair of his eye, and looked around. Partly because of the distant screams.
What is going on out there?
"Yup. That tasted purple."
Bird mom
Vera sighed in relief spotting no deaths on this attack. But she looked around for the black crystal the demon would have left behind, feeling her displays of magic had exhausted her. She decided to transform back into her civilian outfit and grab the crystal for later use. There were too many people around right now. "Is everyone alright?" she asked during her search.
The Crystal Caverns A bird's gotta sing.
Park
"So.. that's how it is?" Hakona said as she looked her friend Suzu in the eye.
Suzu frowned and looked to Hakona, "Yeah... I didn't make the contract to find you... I made it to save Mom."
"Whath appened to her?" Hakona said as she leaned forward, getting a better view of her friend's face.
Suzu's eyes glaze over with tears but she stopped herself from crying. "Mom was on her way home when a car swerved and... hit her. She woudl ahve died if I haven't..."
"It's alright, your life would have been worse from then on if you DIDN'T contract.. anyway, how's Yachi?"
"Yachi is still... Yachi. She's been protecting the city ever since you left. She's still annoying but.. she means well." Suzu laughed, placing a hand on her glowing ring.
"That's.. a shame." Hakona laughed as she looked to the sky. "I'm.. really happy to see you again."
"I am too." Suzu then embraced Hakona in a hug.
I am now a shiny stone~
Ciel felt her perception kick into overdrive, making her sense of the flow of time stretch out as though the world around her slowed to a crawl. It was a necessary and handy side-effect of her incredible speed and mobility, although it always played hob with her smartphone's reception and performance, which always needed to resync its time to the Internet after every such burst of super-speed. It's got to be the blue energy bursting from my rollerblades that does it, it always messes with all the wireless stuff.
The world around her blurred at first in response to her acceleration, then faded back into the familiar desert-scape as she crossed a boundary with a momentary sense of disorientation. I should be near Rei and thus Alicia as well!
I leave it up to you guys which angle Ciel will end up approaching them from. Post tweaked as per discussion.
edited 30th Nov '11 12:44:50 PM by AceOfScarabs
The three finest things in life are to splat your enemies, drive them from their turf, and hear their lamentations as their rank falls!
With the strange Demon distracted by the other two magical girls, Sachiko summoned yet another spear, focusing her magic to enhance the sharpness of its tip. Pierce!
Hurling the weapon at great force, Sachiko launched the spear at the Demon's shield, hoping to shatter it - and possibly wound the monstrosity in the process.
'Great! I'll meet you there, ok? Out front...' Since she was pretty much ready to go she only grabbed her bag and keys before heading out, happily bouncing down the hall towards the elevator. A nice relaxing day with a new potential ally and friend was just what she needed after last night's gruesome episode. She already had more than a few stores in mind for them to browse. Those cute leather boots were finally going to be hers today!
"Woah! I'm pretty beat!" Asuka exclaimed, stretching her arms above her head as she leaned back in her seat. Michiko was seated across from her, and the both of them had their fair share of shopping bags piled around them. Though admittedly Asuka had more — heh heh! They'd pretty much shopped until they dropped, right into these comfy chairs near the food court.
"I told you this was going to be fun." She flashed a cheeky grin, winking at the younger girl. "And you picked out some cute additions to your wardrobe. I really like your taste, Michiko-san. We should-"
The black gem embedded into the otherwise plain ring on her finger glowed brilliantly at that moment, catching her off guard. Asuka blinked, looking to Michiko with widened eyes.
"Uh oh."
I hope this was good enough to move us into the evening time line with everyone else! "Who am I, Elisha Otis?"