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Molly Skyline	"You'll slip away eventually. You can't hold on forever." A perfectly ordinary afternoon in Tokyo gives way to evening; a setting sun in clear skies, a pleasant breeze, a perfect day for many. Amongst the bustle of the city there are tranquil places where life slows down to a pace one can enjoy, like sipping a fine wine. Amongst the skyscrapers, in a park behind a conference center, a wedding is underway, amongst the trees and flowers and a decorative pavilion. Two people willingly joining one another for the rest of their lives; in joy and harmony, one would certainly hope. "Why keep fighting the inevitable. You had your time, now it's mine. Stop prolonging your own suffering." The bride and groom kiss and their guests cheer, two families and all their relatives and friends gathered to witness their joining, all of them unaware of what is taking place beneath their feet. A hollowed out cavern beneath the city, built in such haste that walls weren't even built; lights hang from bare stone to illuminate a cramped workspace filled with all manner of magical and scientific apparatus. Several figures labor over everything, their attention focused on a quartet of large stone and metal sarcophagi, all laying open. "You were always right about one thing, though. You weren't good enough, and you never will be." Seriss Nyx stands before a mirror lit with candles, gazing at her reflection and talking things through calmly. The reflection in the mirror doesn't ''quite'' match, not that any of the people in the subterranean space working on the upcoming experiment are paying attention to such details. Seriss smiles, kissing her fingertips and pressing them up against the mirror, on her younger reflection's lips. "Well, you think it over. I have work to do." Seriss turns to saunter away, leaving her reflection to slowly fade from view as she leaves the mirror behind. Without speaking a word, she watches as the final preparations are made. Up above the bride and groom are dancing, and then they and their guests are running for cover as a powerful tremor shakes the ground. Their crackles with energy and then the lights go out, in a spreading wave that ripples across the city, plunging nearly three quarters of Tokyo into a blackout; even the illumination of the sun is receding as it dips below the horizon. The moon is rising, but is only a crescent; offering little respite from the darkness, while the Mahou of the city will feel a wave of dark energy spreading from the epicenter. "How long until they awaken?" The question is directed to one of the people laboring in the dark; truly in the dark in the underground cavern, now lit only by candles. The target of the question at first pretends not to realize ''they'' are the one being asked, but one can only pretend that for so long, before a helpless shrug is given in return. Seriss frowns, chewing over this inconvenient reality. "Keep working. I will ensure you have the time to complete your assigned tasks. ''Do not fail me''." Moments later Seriss is walking through the park, moving counter to the flow of people running after the earthquake moments earlier, letting them rush past her on either side. As she walks she plucks a glass of wine off a table, the one amongst many that hasn't fallen over, and holds it to her lips to sip th edark, red liquid. "Cygnus Lich, deploy a Neutron Wall for my protection," she instructs. The jewel on her right earring flashes, and a barrier of energy flashes around her and vanishes. "Deploy Time Space Barrier," she adds afterwards, sipping the wine once again. And if it was in any way difficult for the Mahou of Tokyo to work out where they disturbance originated, now it no longer is so; a vast barrier engulfs multiple city blocks and reaches up into the sky, surrounding the park, the lab beneath it, and the patiently waiting Seriss Nyx.
Rashmi Terios	It has not. Been. A good week. At *all.* for Rashmi. For a *lot* of people, but in particular Rashmi has spent the days since her return from Crystal Tokyo oscillating between trying not to panic, panicking, fretful planning, and simply fretting. Usagi Tsukino -- Four Princess Usagi Small Lady Serenity -- Five And while Nicomachea might have hesitated upon notifying his Master, his Meister, that Seriss Nyx's blackout-inducing Dark Energy signature had been detected... It hadn't been for any length of time that the human mind can even perceive. On her way out of the Academy grounds, she sent a text to any who would answer.     << Seriss Nyx is back. Form on-- oh. There's a Barrier. There, then. >> To Aloisia, who would be hearing the mental voice directly, it's probably as hollow and wrung out as the Belkan may feel, and for the same reason. When she breaches the Barrier, and soars to a halt to look down at Seriss, it's with dark, baggy eyes, clenched fists, and the kind of palpable desperation one might find entertaining, if one were a monster. "I'm tired of *playing,* Seriss," she says, her voice rough and exhausted. "Give. Her. *Back.*"
Aloisia Harlaown	Much had happened, though Aloisia had spent much of her time opting to defend, rather than anything else, which meant that there was a certain sense of unfulfilment. But such things didn't matter. She did what she felt she needed to do, that was it. Which is why as Aloisia wandered the city streets, wearing a heavy jacket and jeans, her silver hair catching the moonlight as she meandered, she wasn't that far from the park where that earthquake happened. Hm. "She really struggles with subtlety... truly a flair for the dramatic." Aloisia murmurs under her breath, as that barrier of dark energy engulfs multiple city blocks. "...And that's basically just an open invitation. Platinklinge." She reaches for the small sword keychain in her pocket. "Set up. And then perform a wide area search." <Jawohl. Silbernes Auge.> A series of silver spheres of light are sent flying out from Aloisia, as a set of basic armor appears over her jacket and jeans. There was a quiet protest from the pair of earrings hanging from her ears, but Aloisia simply shakes her head in response. "Not yet. I'm not adjusted to your new energy output yet." A message is sent to her by Rashmi, and there is a simple response from the knight. <<Ja. I felt it.>> A simple ping of her location is sent, denoting her having been already coincidentally nearby. Aloisia's approach is calmer than Rashmi's, while Rashmi soars, Aloisia leaps until she's nearby, and then she ... simply walks up, hands in the pockets of her jeans as the sword rests over her shoulders. "You all seem to have decided that it is time to push us into a corner all at once. You're going to regret that, soon, you know." Is the only thing that Aloisia directly addresses to Seriss Nyx as she steps up roughly below Rashmi, her hand slipping out of her pocket and reaching up to pull that zweihander from its position hovering behind her shoulders, resting both hands on the grip as those lavender eyes stare at Seriss Nyx.
Amy Faust	Amy is feeling it too. Usagi's been akumatized before, sure, but this... this is lasting. And Chibiusa was such a nice and brave kid...     Her heart sinks further when she feels that familiar pulse of dark energy, and sure enough there's another blackout. It can only be one person.     Duty calls. Who ''knows'' what havok Seriss would wreak with her next monster if it isn't stopped.     << I feel it, too. Meet you there. >>     A rocket flies into the barrier at a low angle, crashing into the ground without exploding as Amy leaps off.     Amy is just tired. She looks at Seriss and... what's the point of words? Nothing will touch the heart of Seriss Nyx. She conjures her recoiless rifle and just opens fire, again and again, testing the strength of that Neutron Shield.
Molly Skyline	Seriss is still sipping her wine and patiently meandering about the park and the now deserted weedding reception as those brave enough to oppose her start to arrive. The wind picks up, and the dress she's wearing rustles about her as her eyes turn to Rashmi, the first to breach the barrier and make her appearance known. And at the demand that Molly be returned, she laughs, and slowly shakes her head. "This body is mine now," she explains. "What remains of Molly will slip away soon enough. Why fight that? You should want it, for her. She did die, afterall; trying to save you. Don't you think she deserves to be at peace?" She lifts the wine to her lips to sip once again, calmly watching as Aloisia arrives. "Ahh, it's you," she muses, "I was wondering when you'd be crossing swords with me, so to speak. A traitor from Obsidian -- like the pony and the cat. I'll be giving you ''special'' attention, but first--" She stops, as Amy makes her arrival and rather than saying something, just opens fire. The bubble around her flashes brightly where Amy's rounds hit it, reacting with little explosions, while Seriss herself remains inside, watching the display without deploying her own henshin just yet. "Really, now," she sighs, "There will be plenty of time for that later, won't there? Must we immediately devolve to such tawdry displays during a pleasant conversation." She gestures about herself at the empty reception, "There's plenty to drink -- plenty that you can drink, that is, none of you are old enough for wine yet sadly," she lifts her glass in mock salute, "And there's cake. It looks like a really ''good'' cake. I don't doubt that we're gonig to fight, but really, you could all have a little treat before we do." She puts her wine to her lips and tilts her head back as she drains the glass; the vessel is tossed aside to smash on the stone pathway running through the park, and she starts to advance, walking slowly towards her opponents. "Just the three of you? Perhaps you should just give up," she offers. "I'll let you eat cake and then leave, if you'd like. But choose wisely... and choose now."
Rashmi Terios	'Choose wisely, and choose now,' "I *did* want her to be at peace," Rashmi snarls, as Amy's rifle bangs out a trip-hammer rhythm against Seriss' shields. "Then *your* people decided she didn't *deserve* it, so now? Now I'm gonna go everything I can to *beat the living crap out of you* until she can boot you out for good. Don't tell me it's useless, we've already done stuff *twice* as impossible so it's just a matter of time." As she speaks, a golden Midchildan seal spreads out under her feet, and she slots a modult into place on her Device.     << *BONG!* >> << GLACE INDEX: BARRET -- BOOST UP >> What resolves into being on either side of the Meister, resemble ice-sprites; constructs of golden, translucent points revolving in three dimensions around a tiny, brightly-glowing ball of light. The Boosts then streak out, points folding back to more closely resemble a badminton bird, as they wing their way to their destination. When the spells touch Alo and Amy, they transfer the power-boosting mana, the patient, warming energy that accompanies her Boosts... as well as a sort of cool-headed sanguinity, as the chilling mana threads its way through their magic. Keep calm, stay on target, shoot when you have the shot, and patience will pay off.
Aloisia Harlaown	Gunshots ring out around them as Amy opts to just open fire, something Aloisia can somewhat understand the decision to do so, though she opted to do otherwise. "What? Traitor? Is that what they call retirement now? And here I thought that the severance pay tended to be good with the company." Aloisia responds to Seriss' comment towards her. That barrier seemed to be standing up against the shots again, as Aloisia sends a simple message to her currently-inactive Devices: <<Begin examining that barrier.>> Using Platinklinge, she could let them focus on that, and they can work on examining its weak points and construction to potentially deploy it herself in the future. Look. The knight who uses shields enjoys herself a good defensive spell, even if she strugly suspects that the Neutron Wall functions similar to her own Walls and it's simply the energy availability making it so potent. "As if you would let me after a statement like that." Aloisia responds to that comment of how she could eat cake and leave. "Weren't you going to give me 'special' attention?" Aloisia says, a note of mild bemusement in her voice as she shifts that sword, stepping forward. "But this isn't your MO. You don't come out and just handle things yourself. You've always been either delaying for, or using minions to fight for you. You consider yourself more of a general than a front line grunt, after all." Meanwhile, those silver spheres were, simultaneously, searching to find the source of that shockwave of dark energy. After all, while Seriss Nyx was 'there', there was no way /she/ was the source, as powerful as she was. ...Not outside of henshin like that, at least. A boosting barret is sent out, shooting towards Aloisia and sinking into her body and causing that silver armor to meld with the golden energy briefly, causing a brief ripple of gold energy along that armor. Mana to work with. How to use it the most efficiently. "You know, that barrier of yours is fascinating, it's almost a challenge to show it in front of me as much as you have, being somewhat of a barrier specialist myself." The zweihander begins to glow with that silver-gold energy. "It seems quite sturdy, but I wonder if that's really the barrier being particularly special, or simply the reservoirs of magic you have." <PLATINBRECHER.> That silver-gold energy concentrates into the tip of the zweihander, and Aloisia darts forward. She's not being particularly subtle with her interest, really. The speed boost leading into several feints, before eventually she seems to disappear for a moment -- only to appear from the back-left of Seriss Nyx to strike with that heavy, piercing strike with that zweihander, a firm, powerful thrust intent on attempting to stab into that barrier, as she continues that intense examination. After all... The first step would be to open that armor up for further strikes.
Amy Faust	Amy frowns. Seriss's words cut deeper as she ''does'' believe Molly deserves to be at peace -- and if Molly really ''did'' want to end this instead of suffering, Amanda could hardly oppose that.     It's academic, of course -- no message claiming such could be trusted.     It ''is'' frustrating, seeing attacks have no effect. Amy ''has'' to believe that it's a mask, that Seriss is just ''excellent'' at putting on a show of never letting them know how close to defeat she is. But the seed of doubt is always there.     "I hate wine. It tastes awful. Never understood why anyone drinks it."     The cake does look like it'd be good, on any other day. But she'd get no enjoyment from it here, although a few neurons briefly consider ways to stash some away, cake isn't really pocketable and also it'd be awkward.     Of all things, it's throwing the glass that makes Amy pause. And Rashmi's words lift her spirits, enough even to make jokes again. Feeling that extra mana aiding her reserves makes her feel a bit bolder, too!     "...If you're going to talk and throw wine glasses, you could at ''least'' do the bit. Grab another glass, and here, I'll start:"     "Die monster! You don't belong in this world!"     She... actually won't shoot, as long as Seriss says her lines and doesn't attack.     Of course, such silliness is something Amy can recite without thinking, while her true focus is trying to come up with a way to take down that shield.     And the moment Seriss ''doesn't'' play along, or interrupts the bit, or reaches the conclusion ("...But enough talk! Have at you!") then she begins her first test: Conjuring a couple dozen mini-missiles all at once, which arc around to hit the shield from different angles simultaneously, to see if ''that'' does anything. Also they're incendiaries -- Does burning material stick to the field? Does heat go through? There's lots to test!
Molly Skyline	Seriss watches as Aloisia darts around and brings her Zweihander to bear against her shield. The dark general doesn't trouble herself to move, other than to tilt her head and adopt a mildly unimpressed expression, as blade crashes against barrier with a resounding impact. "Yes, you are a defensive specialist as I recall from your file," she muses, watching as magical sparks fly as the sword grinds against her shield. "Which means that attacking really isn't your forte, even after you've been boosted by Rashmi's magic," she gestures towards her as she speaks, "But it is fascinating to watch you try." She rests her elbow in one hand and her chin in the other, as she shifts her gaze back to Rashmi. "Oh sweetheart. You're right, nothing is truely impossible, but you should learn the difference between ''possible'' and ''achievable'', and with your forces here today..." she looks back and forth between Aloisia, Amy, and Rashmi, holding up one hand to tap three of her fingertips, "I'm afraid you're the ones who are outnumbered." Amy's missive is rjoined with a bemused chuckle, "I'm not that sort of cartoon villain my dear, but bravo for playing along." And certainly, this response trips Amy's condition, and a swarm of mini-missiles assault her shield, obscuring the person within with all the concussive blasts and debris kickd up from the ground. When the smoke clears, Seriss is gone. No... not gone. She's twenty feet up in the air; Nicomachea might've picked up the use of Molly's old spell, Neutrino Rush as she relocated; her Flier Fin is already in place, red wings holding her aloft as the armor plates of her Henshin materialize around her and slam into place. "Cygnus," she intones, holding out her hand to grasp a staff that forms in the air, with the jewel on her earing flying off to take its place in the weapon, "Restore the shield, and charge Dark Deliverance, locking on to marked targets." << AFFIRMATIVE. SHIELD DEPLOYED. DARK DELIVERANCE ARMED >> As a globe of energy snaps around Seriss and fades, she smiles, noting as the three blips on her battle visor, all labeled, are locked on to. "Fire." A trio of barrets issue forth from her staff; made of equal parts searing cold and dark energy they rocket upwards into the sky, taking up positions above Amy, Aloisia, and Rashmi; and for a moment, that's all that happens. And then, they commence firing, unleashing a turrent of beams at their respective target, rapid firing again and again and again.
Rashmi Terios	"Full offense," Rashmi snarls, "but I'd have trouble believing water's wet if it was *you* who told me." Which is about all she's likely to get in, as the sword rings out and the missles streak in. Perhaps the dust cloud *might* fool Amy -- assuming the Puella's Trope Sense doesn't give the game away first -- But with Nicomachea locked into to 'Cygnus's' signature, Rashmi knows the moment the archmagus hops up to join her in the sky, and skates back a good five meters. It's her Device's analysis that saves her, when Seriss calls out yet another unfamiliar spell, a screen blipping to life in the corner of her visual processing cortex feeding best-guesses at spell structure, effect, and behavior, and right before the command is given, the Meister's eyes widen. As the Barrets fly upward, she scrabbles for another module in the cover of her book, slotting it into place as she speeds down to land near Alo and Amy.     << *BONG!* >> << AREA INDEX: SOLAR SHIELD -- GLACE SHIFT >> Not for the first time, does Rashmi breathe a prayer of thanks for the idle thought that became the Index System. Without pre-loaded mana devoted to expanding the spell's dimensions, protecting all three of her friends would probably cost everything she had, and last a quarter as long. But the half-meter thick, fifteen-meter wide disc of golden light that *CRACKS* into spiky ice, barely costs her much more effort than two of her average Shields. And will take some time to dig through. "Nicomachea! Give me the timing of the pulses! Red-chan! Target the Barrets!"
Aloisia Harlaown	"You must have been truly bored reading my file then, if that's all you gleaned from it. I apologize, next time I'll have to make my subterfuge more entertaining." Aloisia responds, her tone moderately joking and almost ... teasing of Seriss, the blade's impact not doing nearly as much as she'd hoped... but, well, what can one do when using something that isn't their main device. Continue the examination. "The thing about people who have to defend on the front lines is that if all they can do is defend, it's relatively safe to ignore them to focus on the others. And frankly, that's better left to someone in the back line who is better at defending multiple people, like our dear Rashmi back there." Mini-missiles come flying in and explode, and Aloisia is gone too -- though mostly because she's jumped back to be out of the explosion range. And they're outnumbered. Hm. Yep, it's like she said and thought -- Seriss isn't the true threat. Well, okay, she /is/ but she's not what's really going on here. And there was that dark energy that rockets above Aloisia. "...Platinklinge." <Platinblitz.> It's... not a fast movement spell, no, once Seriss focuses on them to lock on for her spells? ... There is a brilliant, directional flash unleashed from that blade towards Seriss' face. After all, it takes focus to lock on. And after that flash, the torrent of cold and dark energy beams are unleashed, and as the dust clears, there are torn clothes and fragments of Aloisia's armor. "...I'd hoped I'd be able to hold out longer with just Platinklinge." Oh, there's Aloisia, her jacket torn and that knight armor that she'd been wearing mostly shattered. "Oh well." She gives a soft exhale, no doubt there was more of that energy building. "I guess I'll have to show my real hand sooner than I thought." <Vorhutschwester, Set Up.> <Schutzschwester, Set Up.> "I am the indominatable sister who knows not loss." <Festungseid> "Set Up." Her transformation is relatively quick, relatively understated, her clothing disappearing into that prismatic light covering her body, as a pair of gemstones set in the center of her chest, and a flash of energy leaves an armored dress afterwards. Similarly armored boots appear on her feet, building themselves up along with armor on her shoulders, elbow, and forearms. And then her earrings glow, breaking off of her ears and moving to her hands, four wings flying in to build up the massive shield in her left hand, while a spiraling five-pointed star slams into place to form the lance in her right hand. The sounds of connections and several slots opening can be heard, as steam vents itself from shield and lance. And then Aloisia leaps into the air, aiming... Not at Seriss Nyx. As that lance begins to rotate, the end of it opening with the sound of the device spinning audible. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I do believe our real date is waiting below." <KRISTALLBOHRER.> And Aloisia shoots down at high speeds behind that lance, which aims to dig down beneath the ground, intent on revealing Seriss' surprise before it's ready. Or at least to attempt to. <<There's massive energy readings down below. If this doesn't reveal it, or she blocks me, that's the real objective here for her.>>
Amy Faust	"Everything ''seems'' impossible until it happens." Amy retorts.     << Did that affect her shield at all? Can your scans tell? >>     As she's pondering how to strike next, those barrets come out and... don't shoot right into them. Amy looks up at the one over her in confusion. And then she's running -- and a shield is up, thank goodness. But fow ''how long''? Can't Seriss just move the bits ''around'' the shield? And she still has no way to attack Seriss...     Rashmi shouts another option: Target the turrets!     A wave of mini-missiles ripple-fires (ripple-conjures?) just above her, flying around the shield and dividing up to test the efficacy of various warheads against the turrets -- HEAT, high explosive, kinetic penetrator, spattering them with incendiary powder, and, thanks to Rashmi, even ''ice'' mini-missiles!     Amy focuses on watching the barrets' next move, getting ready to dodge and to shoot more of whatever type of missile seems to work best!
Molly Skyline	"Cygnus, charge Starburst Barrage, Magnetar Shift. Five hundred barrets, rapid fire." << ARMED >> Seriss watches Rashmi dive into place to protect Aloisia and Amy from her Dark Deliverance, and for the moment simply observes, letting her Battle Visor record information on how Rashmi's shield performs against her spell. And, for the moment at least, it performs well; the unrelenting torrent of beams hammer into it, giving Aloisia a chance to transform and Amy time to work out a strike. Seriss watches a swarm of mini-missiles go after her turrets; and thought they aren't destroyed, they do get disrupted for a couple of seconds by the explosive and incendiary missiles in particular. The moment of respite gives Aloisia the chance to fully transform, elicting a slow round of applause from Seriss. "Bravo," she calls down to her. "You fixed your device -- or I suspect quite strongly, you had help, actually fixing it yourself is beyond your skill. There's no shame in that of course." And, well, of course there isn't. "You are, of course, running out of time, however. ...Fire." Seriss points with her staff and a wave of barrets issue forth; none of them aimed at a particular target, but sent to swarm the area the three heroes are occupying. As the barrets impact Rashmi's shield and the ground around it they erupt into brightly colored bursts of brilliant energy, combined with powerful bursts of magnetic disruption, that tear into and ultimately through Rashmi's shield; the heroes might feel their metal possessions getting tugged around, but nothing too seious. As the flashes clear, Seriss watches what is going on below; most notably, Aloisia turning her weapon downwards, which elicits an arched eyebrow from the general. "Oh no no no; that's not how the game is meant to be played. You don't get to see what I have in store for you until you have earned it. Cygnus Lich, charge Magnetar Beam, attractor shift, three second duration." << ARMED >> "Lock target on Aloisia. Fire." Seriss fires a brilliant blue beam at Aloisia, meant to tear her up off the ground and fling her upwards, up past Seriss and into the sky. Seriss, meanwhile, shifts Cygnus Lich to rest on her shoulder, and grins broadly. "Is this the best you have?" she inquires, while her dark turrets continue their firing, the one targetting Aloisia shifting to fire at her as she's flung upwards. "Cygnus, charge Dark Buster." << ARMED >> "And fire." Seriss keeps her staff pointed at Aloisia as she fires an unstable beam of dark energy, crackling and sparking that produces a massive explosion on contact. While that's clearing, she turns her gaze downwards, and flashes a grin at Rashmi and Amy. "Don't fret, I haven't forgotten you two; I'll be with you when I've finished with this one."
Rashmi Terios	Obviously, the bigger a shield is, the more damage it can collect. So Rashmi isn't more than *usually* upset when the Hellfire Barrage drops onto her fifty-foot-wide spiky shield... But the surprise that it was, effectively, a kind of magnetic shield-breaker *is* visible. She *did* happen to notice, however, which of Amy's missiles was most disruptive. << Nicomachea, >> she thinks to her Device. << I need a Red Shifted shield, but... collapse it *inward.* Target the turret Barrets. >>     << *BONG!* >> << COMMAND INPUT EXECUTE. >> And the Device suits word to deed; a bubble about the size of Seriss' head -- not her ego, Rashmi only has the one Area Index before it needs recharging -- forms around each of the Barrets, fuzzy and unstable... and the moment it fires again, each Shield collapses inward. Normally, such shields hit back with many times more force then was used to break it... but only in the one direction. This time, all that force is applied from *every* direction, creating a sound very much like that from a sonic boom, though lesser in magnitude. By the time Seriss is smugging in their drection, Rashmi and Amy are *gone.* The moment Seriss said the word 'Buster,' the Meister had taken hold of the Puella, and Amy got to experience a new form of speed travel; flash step.     << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR FLASH >> In the space of two eyeblinks, Rashmi and Amy seem to compress into one slightly large point of light, and zip upward and outward, leaving an irregular, vaguely plasmatic trail. The pair blinks back into reality a fairly impressive fifty meters up... And all Amy gets is a brief << ...sorry... Let me know if you need me to catch you again? >> At which point she shifts her grip, hlding Amy up like a startled long cat, then spins three times and *hurls* Amy up, further into the air. How can you expect an attack coming, when you can't believe someone would be stupid enough to set such an attack up? That's Tokyo, baby.
Aloisia Harlaown	"Oh, no, if it were mere fixing, I would be more than enough." Aloisia responds to Seriss. Though she doesn't elaborate on that really. Just that statement is enough. 'You're running out of time'. Yep, that dark energy was gathering more... and there were more swarms of barrets shooting out, and she weaves through them in her route to dig up that problem -- and then... then there was a burst of magnetic disruption, and the lock on her. "Hah! You know far too little at me if you expect me to play fairly!" There was an upside to this, even if she was fairly certain that it was about to hurt.      That beam of magnetic energy is denoted as 'nonthreatening' by the twin devices -- Aloisia being fine with being displaced in this moment, flung into the sky -- and no defense put into place. As Seriss gives Cygnus the order. "No, not really." <PRISMENSCHUTZ.> That unstable beam of dark energy is unleashed towards Aloisia, and at the last moment, a somewhat familiar golden pyramid appears over Aloisia, the point of it deflecting the worst of that massive beam of energy, her shield held forward as the center of it hinges backwards when that explosion unleashes itself. And then Seriss Nyx does her biggest mistake. She looks away, down at Rashmi and Amy. And Aloisia's approach isn't announced by a spell, it's not announced by the sound of rockets. No, she's simply, almost suddenly, right /there/ at the edge of Seriss, the likely-alarmingly sudden crackle of plasma being the only last moment warning before -- <PLASMALANZER.> A plasma-laden lance is stabbed at the top of Seriss' shield, electromagnetics meeting electromagnetics as molten plasma attempts to pierce that ever-infuriating barrier. There is a ping, to Rashmi from Vorhutschwester, meanwhile. <<Meister, zukunftig ist eine Optimierung der Barriereeffizienz erwunscht.>>
Amy Faust	Seriss claps, and Amy remembers ''she's there, too'' and turns. Again, she starts to dash out of the way but Rashmi's shield is there, and ''was that magnetic??'' Oh who knows what kinds of stuff her magic can do using physical forces they're not used to seeing magic mess with...     "Oh no, you didn't have the patience for the speech so you don't get to complain when we speedrun too!" A volley of mini-missiles are launched at Seriss, one trying to flashbang in front of her face -- does the shield block ''light?'' -- and the rest scattering out to fill the air around her with smoke and force her to move if she wants to direct more attacks -- it's not in time to stop that beam, but maybe it can mess up her followup attack...     And then Amy's brain goes     ''What?! What were we hit with-- she flash-stepped me? That was the explosive beam thing!'' << Aloisia! >>     She daren't blast into her own smoke, who knows where Aloisia ended up? So instead, as she sails through the air, she shoots... fireworks.     The kind that make a pretty display and a crackling sound at a distance are now going off ''feet'' away from Seriss (and possibly Aloisia)), the cracks considerably louder and brighter up close, hopefully enough to keep Seriss from hearing anything else for a couple of seconds. (the white-hot sparks spraying everywhere are, while a hazard to mundanes, not really an issue for magical defenses. At least not when Amy's not '''trying'' to do damage with them...)
Molly Skyline	Seriss is hovering in the air, the wings of her Flier Fin beating the air lazily to keep her aloft, as she watches the results of her spells unfold. And in the middle of it, she just... "Cygnus, call Head Researcher Nobura." A moment later, when the call is answered, Seriss' question is brisk and to the point. "How much more time do you need?" An answer is given, and Seriss nods her head. "You shall have your three minutes." The call ends; and Seriss is just about to say something witty and evil, when there are fireworks going off all around her, the loud concussive blasts not doing anything overly much to her shield and certainly not to her barrier jacket, but they are ''loud'' and they are ''bright''. And if nothing else, they delay her reaction to Aloisia's incoming strike. Seriss' shield crackles as the Plasmalanzer blasts into it, glowing and then shrieking as a hole is burrowed through it. The lance comes through from above, striking her barrier jacket and scoring a deep, glowing runnel of slag down the side of her helmet and across her chest. Seriss is flung away from the attack, tumbling towards the ground; she rights herself just in time to land in a crouch, and stays on one knee for just a moment. As she rises, unhurried, she wipes the back of her gauntlet over her lips, and looks down at the drop of blood gracing her knuckles. For a moment, she smiles, as she looks back up into the sky. "You're choosing your friends better and better Rashmi," she calls up. "Maybe these ones will live longer, hmm?" The smile fades, and her voice hardens. "Cygnus Lich, deploy Vulcan Active Defense -- and then, it is time to get serious." << AFFIRMATIVE. ACTIVE DEFENSE DEPLOYED. DISENGAGING SAFETY PROTOCOLS. >> Seriss excends her wings, and lets them carry her up off the ground, while a red orb surrounded by orbiting spell runes appears behind her head. << MAGUS RODS ACTIVATED >> As Seriss rises, there's a flash of light, a piercing, baleful red; a second pair of wings blink-blink into being, smaller and set below the first set. << SECONDARY LINKER CORE ENGAGED >> Her chest glows a bright purple, a light that lingers before it too slowly fades. Seriss smiles as she rises, but the quality of her smile is... different, somehow. Colder. Sinister. "Cygnus Lich, charge Magnetar Beam, attractor shift, five second duration." << ARMED >> "Fire." Seriss points her staff upwards and a brilliant blue beam pierces the sky; but it doesn't seem to be aimed at any of the combatants at all. She simply fires it straight up, and there doesn't seem to have been any effect at all. "Are you ready, girls?" she asks, as the beam comes to an end. "There is still time for you to run away, of course. There is no shame in living."
Rashmi Terios	'Active Defense' 'Magus Rods' << Wait... what? Nicomache-- >>     << *BONG!* >> << ANALYSIS COMMENCE >> As information floods in, Rashmi peers at the numbers -- climbing impossibly high -- scroll past her personal viewscreen. Then as Seriss raises her staff, Rashmi's eyes grow to the size of dinner plates. One quick Telepathy spell later, and her voice all but *babbles* in her friends' minds. << The beam hit a *SATELLITE* and it's coming out of orbit she's just gonna drop it on the damn Barrier there's not much time! >>     << *BONG!* >> << BARRET -- BOOST UP >>     << *BONG!* >> << STRIKE -- BOOST UP >>     << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD -- BLAZE SHIFT >>     << *BONG!* >> << TIME-SPACE BARRIER >> Heedless of the cost to her personal reserves, Rashmi doesn't even have time for snark. One Boost wings toward Amy, infusing her magic with raw shooting power. The second to Alo, nestling into the channels along the tip of her lance. Then a whirling bubble of fire envelops the Belkan, and Rashmi's own Barrier spreads out past Seriss', to envelop a good couple of kilometers of the city. << Red-chan you're gonna see the reentry fire, aim for that! Kristallritter! CORE IT OUT. I-- >> Rashmi pauses to check her forearm, and nods. << I'll be helping out too, make your approach a little off center until I give the signal! >> At which point she shoots a murderous glare at Seriss, then takes a deep breath. "Verbal Command: Accumulator Purge."
Aloisia Harlaown	<<I'm fine, Amy. Do not fear for me, I am sturdy.>> Aloisia responds to that concerned call towards her from Amy, those fireworks were a nonthreat, something she didn't make too much note of, but she did shield her eyes from somewhat. And then... There it was. Her device doing exactly what she expected it to do when she used one of her battlement-penetration class spells. Sure, it wasn't the strongest class of armor piercing spell, but still, not something to sneeze at. As Seriss Nyx lands, Aloisia stays floating in the air, holding onto her lance as subtle jets of energy adjust her flight path, eventually resulting in her landing on the ground nearby Seriss Nyx once more, that shield held up in a defensive position. "...All of her friends have been chosen well, you know. Including Molly." There was a pause, and then Aloisia gives a soft chuckle, "Were you not reluctant to find a way to live in harmony, I'm sure she'd even have been willing to reach a hand out to you. After all, I came here purely to commit murder, and she reached her hand out to me." It's a bit of an overstatement. She never really properly tried that hard to do said murder. ...But it does drive home one thing. "That's her strength. She's willing to see the good in people -- even when others might not. She reaches a hand out to those who possibly do not even deserve such a hand." Crackling energy surrounds Aloisia for a few moments, before those vents open and unleash a burst of steam, the crackling plasma dying down. Active defense deployed. Safety protocols disengaged. Immediately, Aloisia's twin devices were using their computing power to try to examine the changes, the spells, and then there was a statement, one that meant two things to Aloisia. One that made her heart jump for joy. And one that made her heart jump with concern. Secondary linker core. Molly. And that beam is shot into the sky. And Aloisia frowns. "Well. No better time to probe this new system than now." -- Core it out. Aloisia pauses, glancing towards Seriss. "...You literally just dropped a space station on us. Seriously." Aloisia gives a soft exhale. As plasma begins to crackle. Boost up. A whirling bubble of fire envelops Aloisia, and she closes her eyes, that plasma crackling, turning a golden-red as fires shoot along the back of that lance, and Aloisia ... Shoots into the sky. At likely surprising speeds for her weight and size of her shield. In fact, there is a moment as she gets up to speed, where Aloisia, finding the drag too much from the shield, dismisses vorhutschwester into a standby mode. "..." <Schlossknacker.> The device splits open at the center, and Aloisia briefly turns into a bolt of sparkling, cerulean plasma as she meets the satelite over the city. Doing exactly as requested. Coring whatever is left after Amy's barrage. ...Unfortunately, high temperatures were, ironically, something she was not the best with, so when she comes back down, her shield re-summoned to absorb the worst of the impact crater of her /own/ re-entry... ...She's smoking a bit. And definitely breathing heavily.
Amy Faust	Maybe these ones will live longer     ''Ugh.''     Amy's not really thinking of speeches right now, but when Aloisia praises Molly, Amy gives a grunt of agreement.     And when Seriss is out of the smoke, she sees the damage Aloisia's weapon did -- ''the shield can be pierced''. << Alright, go Aloisia! I gotta know how your attack works... >> And she's pondering just--     Okay Seriss is doing ''more transformations'', that's not good -- another salvo of missiles are sent her way, exploding in small, multicolored fireballs as Amy asks her magic for plasma and it ''tries'', not as effectively as she'd like...     And then Seriss is firing... up in the air? Amy glances up, wonders if it's a trick, looks back at Seriss.     Once again, Nichomachea senses what she can't. Amy quirks an eyebrow, << It's not like a colony drop or even a spaceship, sattelites aren't that ''big'' and they're not made to stay intact through reentry. >> Amy's not sure how this is actually ''that'' bad of a threat.     But Rashmi is concerned, and Seriss ''isn't''. Maybe the spell protects the target from all atmospheric effects -- in which case she might not really get the chance to ''see'' it, but... << I'll try. >>     No way can she aim that well that far, she needs a guided weapon. And even so, she needs to be closer to see...     And so the rocket she crashlanded earlier starts up again, Amy grabbing on as it passes and she shoots up into the sky, her helmet and flight armor appearing just in case. She soars past Aloisia...     Once she can see the target burning up in reentry, Amy shoulders a missile launcher, like a javelin or something, and fires it up at the falling sattelite. piercing-tipped with an explosive warhead behind it, hopefully piercing into what she expects is an unarmored target and exploding it from within.     And then there's Aloisia-as-a-bolt-of-plasma zooming past her, ''all the way up to the sattelite'', and her mouth hangs open, << You can DO that?! >>
Rashmi Terios	<< COMMAND INPUT EXECUE. >>     << PURGE CHANNELS GREEN >>     << ALTERNATE GRIMOIRE LOADED >> As the satellite gets closer, Rashmi keeps her attention on the sensor take more than her own eyes... And slots a module into Nicomachea, as a ball of energy bulges into existence in front of Rashmi's outstretched hand. She raises her own hand up to the heavens... then twitches it just a hair to one side, just as the missle makes its final approach. "...Solar Buster."     << *BONG!* >> << BIND INDEX: SOLAR BUSTER >> The Bind spell has many uses, most of them preemptive. A Mage will locks an enemy into a Bind to ensure they can't escape a finisher, or that they *themselves* have room to escape a greater foe. Chrono, famous for his wordlessly-seeded Bind minefields, is an absolute specialist in the practice. But what Rashmi has, is desperation, and the knowledge that no one ever told her it couldn't be done. While Rashmi's Solar Buster isn't the strongest Bombardment spell over, there is always a benefit to a coffeecup-sized beam of absolute destruction, that sows explosions in its wake. And while Rashmi has never before thought to combine the two before... the *hope* is, that the Binding energies will lock each piece of debris to each *other* piece of debris, keeping the whole pile at least cohesiv enough that when Aloisia impacts, the bulk of the damage is tranferred to vaporizing force, reducing the *amount* of shrapnel in the Belkan's wake.
Molly Skyline	What's coming down is, indeed, a research satellite. And old one, something Obsidian used to use but hasn't manned in over ten years; just left to float up there, harboring dark secrets and apparently not having any other use -- other, it seems, than getting flung at a trio of Mahou just to prove a point. The massive structure is screaming through the atmosphere and wreathed in a massive fireball as it descends, and this is its condition when Amy's missile finds it. There's a heavy explosion and a few secondary blasts and things like oxygen and fuel tanks rupture and explode; pieces fly off, but the bulk of the satellite is still on its way down, straight for the park. Rashmi's finisher cooks off into the satellite, and the desired effect is, at least mostly, achieved. The huge piece of tech is bound together, aside from a few pieces already spinning off thanks to Amy's assault. And then Aloisia goes straight through it, blasting a hole and coming out the other side. The very expensive piece of space tech splits into three pieces, two of them coming straight down side by side and the third tumbling away; all while Seriss is watching, and lazily gaining altitude while a fresh shield snaps into place around her. Aloisia's plasma and Amy's rockets melt the satellite from the inside out and hammer away at its superstructure, and at last the two big pieces explode, showering debris across the battlefield. The third piece just keeps going, smashing into a skyscraper and, almost in slow motion, causing it to buckle at the base in the wake of the ensuing explosion. It tips, and picks up speed as it comes down; the sound is overwhelming and the cloud of dust and dirt it throws up obscures everything in the vicinity. The sound reverberates throughout the streets; and it hides the sound of someone giving instructions. Orders, to charge Event Horizon, though the particularly keen-eared might pick up on it. "Lock Target: Aloisia. Fire." Seriss emerges from the dust cloud, pointing her staff at the Belkan Knight; an orb of furiously roiling dark energy gathers in front of it and coalesces into a wide, overcharged beam of energy. As she fires nearly two dozen gleaming blue barrets blink-blink blink into existence around her, spinning in concentric circles until they too collapse into beams of energy; magnetized beams, flanking the main beam and tearing powerfully into shields and armor alike. The assault lasts for a good twenty seconds before it starts to dwindle and eventually dissipate. As the beam subsides, Seriss tilts her head, listening to an incoming call. She nods, and looks back up at the Mahou opposing her. "Aloisia, are you still alive? You've all done quite well, but now... it's time for your grand finale." Beneath her, the ground rumbles, something the heroes can hear rather than see, with the air being full of dust. "Your window to stop me has closed. No witness the births of my creations."
Rashmi Terios	This? This kind of nonsense? Is exactly why Barriers are a thing. While not at the end of her reserves quite yet, Rashmi is noticeably tired as she throws up a smaller domed Shield, to cover them all from the most dangerous of debris strikes... and the rolling dust-cloud made of powdered cement. And then a second, and a third, because orbital debris strikes are not something to mess with. "...I *have* to tell Chrono about thi--"     << *BONG!* >> << ALERT! MASTER! ALERT! BOMBARDMENT-CLASS SPELL CHARGING >> "--welp." Four, five, six shields, the last a thick shell of spiky golden ice... Which helps, means that over the twenty seconds the beam exists, more of it has to be spent chewing throgh Shield layers. And *now* Rashmi totters back, slumping to the ground. "...i really, really hate that woman," she mutters, then looks up and raises her voice in the most petulantly teenage comeback imaginable. "Your creations are stupid and *your face is stupid!*"
Aloisia Harlaown	<<I do not know the limits of what I can do with my new device. I would not say that I can normally do that, though.>> Aloisia responds to Amy's comment of her ability to 'do that'. <<Also I can't recommend replicating it, that was unpleasant even with extra buffs to my defenses by Rashmi.>> Ha ha ha ha ha ha. Meanwhile she's checking her energy reserves. Alright, she's... well, she's a bit lower than she'd like to be considering the 'main event' still hasn't REALLY been revealed. But it's within acceptable levels, for the moment. <ALARM. EINGEHEND.> "Wh--" <KRISTALLSCHLOSS.> As that skyscraper falls, and the beam charges, Aloisia has very little warning before her devices are activating a defensive building around her, a hastily-built castle of hardened diamond appearing around her, layered with defensive magic to start absorbing that initial blast. And six shields appear between her and the beam... crack... tear.... tear.... tear... One... two... three... four... five... eventually even that last sixth layer breaks, and then... Those secondary beams spark into life, cutting through that last layer of defenses -- that crystalline castle after a couple of more seconds. To Aloisia's credit, she does not scream. But there is definitely a cry of pain as that magic continues, that cuts out before its end. And as the spell ends, as the dust clears... ... ... ... There's a moment where Aloisia isn't visible at first. <KRISTALLSPLITTER> Through the dust and smoke, a rapidfire series of crystal shards launch back in response, as Aloisia becomes visible. Her armor broken. Her shield arm hanging a bit more limp than usual, and resting on one knee. "...Of course I'm not dead. I am the unstoppable sister." "I am the one who knows not defeat."
Amy Faust	Huh, that's odd, her missile took longer to reach it than she expected, why--     Oh.     ''Oh no''     It is not big and far away, it's BIGGER AND FARTHER AWAYER. And then it's NOT far away as it zooms past, <<Was that a ''SPACE STATION?!'' >> and then it's far away again and amy turns the rocket downwards, and parts are crashing into a skyscraper and thank ''goodness'' that was inside a barrier.     At least she and Aloisia are safe above all the destruction, right?     Rashmi, though... << Please tell me your shields protected you! >>     And then, as Amy's flying back down to the battlefield, suddenly the remote weapons have surrounded Aloisia.     Amy winces as they ''just keep going''. << Aloisia! >> She picks up speed and tries to ram Aloisia out of them-- but then Rashmi's shield appears and Amy veers off past so as not to splat into it, and looks back and circles around, worried, as the beams eat through the shields, and there's Aloisia's shield, and Amy realizes she cannot possibly time it right.     Aloisia's alive. They all are... so far. << Thank goodness... >>     "All of your creations have fallen so far! Why should this one be any different?!"
Molly Skyline	The collapse of an entire skyscraper -- thankfully within the barrier -- is an ongoing cataclysm, as it collapses into the streets, across the park, and into the city beyond. Shrieking metal and crashing glass fill the entire area with dust, debris, and a cacophany of noise. Even once the structure itself has settled there's still the collective noise of smaller objects falling loose, internal structures collapsing, natural gas exploding and electric cables snapping and sparking. Within the dust cloud, visibility drops to almost nothing, as it becomes a challenge to see one's hand if held at arm's length. Within this chaos, it is easy to miss the ground shaking. Something is crossing a bridge from below, making its way to the surface. More than one something, as it turns out, but that is impossible to tell for those up above. "Charge Dark Buster," utters Seriss, somewhere in the dust cloud. << ARMED >> "Oh my dear child," comes Seriss' voice a moment later, as she strolls into view in front of Amy -- very close in front of Amy. "You fought my earliest expriments and beat them because you were meant to. You taught me everything I needed to know, to awaken what I have created today. I am ''most grateful'' for your generous assistance." She smiles, beaming at Amy from behind her mask as she brandishes her staff. "Fire." A crackling ball of dark energy expands to nearly a foot wide, and rockets away, straight at Amy from point blank range, to explode on impact with whatever it hits. "But now," Seriss continues, as amicably as if she was talking about the weather, "Your usefulness is rather at an end."
Rashmi Terios	'Charge Dark Buster' If there were any words that would get one on their feet, no matter how exhausted they are... Nicomachea sends out a wide-area ping to all phones in his contacts library: << Guys Seriss is being more of a pain than usual and we're about to be in real danger, backup would be *awesome.* >> Weaving in place, the Meister takes a moment to steady herself and take stock of her dwindling mana reserves... Only for the energy signature of a Bombardment-class spell to show up *right next to Amy.* "AMY-CHAN!!!" There's... not much she can *do* at the moment, except be terrified.
Aloisia Harlaown	Rapidfire crystal shards shoot... and... seem to not really strike true, the smoke and dust having obscured things just enough that they were far off the mark when Seriss is revealed. Look she just took a massive beam it's not the best of situations to be trying to aim in. Luckily, Seriss had a noteworthy flaw, as she clearly started to target and focus on Amy. She talks too damn much. Which gives a good chance for Aloisia to do what her main job was, push herself back up to her feet as her Devices ping together, one of those overlaid magical circles that creates a six-pointed-star appearing underneath Amy. <FERNWAND.> Meanwhile, simultaneously, Aloisia sent out a quick message to everyone she could think of to call at the moment, thinking of what they likely were lacking most. And that message goes to ... well. One went to Usagi before her thoughts caught up, while others went to the Star Drivers. <<Backup requested. <Location ping>. Heavy firepower required.>> As that message goes out, a protective spike of crystal shoots out of the magical circle in front of Amy, magical defenses in place to help protect her from that crackling ball of dark energy. And that rumbling continues. "Vorhutschwester, rebuild my armor." <JAWOHL.> <<Rashmi, Amy, incoming. I'm trying to pinpoint exactly where whatever is coming is going to come up.>>
Amy Faust	You beat them because you were meant to. "Sounds like a cope." She is learning the lingo, see!     Seriss points her staff. Amy fires her recoiless rifle point-blank (it's just suddenly there in her hand, though she forgets to specify anything other than the usual HEAT round)     Seriss probably comes out ahead in that trade. Amy has a mental vision of what dark buster might do to her... if an outer layer of flesh is converted to explosive force and detonated, what condition will the rest of her be in, with mahou toughness? Uhhhhhhhhhh <FERNWAND>     A forcefield appears just in time to explode instead of her flesh. Amy doesn't have time to be relieved, because she's knocked off her rocket and sent tumbling across the grass and debris, unable to see anything in the dust, and only after she rolls to a stop does her mind catch up to what's happening.     << THANK YOU. >> she thinks emphatically at Aloisia. And decides to... lay still for a moment, hidden in the dust cloud, while she tries to think of... << I can't see anything in the dust! It was good to use against ''her'', but... I don't suppose eiter of you knows a spell that can give me a HUD and enemy location indicators or anything like that? >>
Molly Skyline	Seriss watches Amy get blasted away from her with a certain amount of satisfaction, while a HEAT round impacts her shield, rattling her and pushing her backwards a step. Oh, she knows full well that Amy's not dead, but the desired effect has been achieved as the explosion in front of her clears, and those red lips turn upwards, at this series of events that would only ever have made Molly fight harder and harder to stop it. "Oh, this is so satisfying," she muses aloud. As the dust slowly settles, she lets her paired sets of wings carry her upwards once more. She spreads her arms, rejoicing as she gazes out over the field of battle and the ever increasing rumbling from below. "Cygnus, charge Nightfall Symphony," she breathes. << AFFIRMATIVE. CHARGING >> On her Battle Visor, a little progress bar pops up, tracking the buildup of energy. The rumbling intenswifies, shaking the twisted wreckage of the burning skyscraper, until there comes a powerful eruption and something... bursts upwards, launching into the sky, and it looks like a strange cross between one of those big monoliths from Space Odessy and a sarcophagus that you'd store a radioactive vampire inside of. "Arise, Lachessis," crows Seriss, "Foremost among my creations." The ground still rumbles, as this... thing, rises up into the sky; and for a moment it almost seems translucent, with a chained, writhing... thing inside of it. "All of you! Rejoice in what you have helped me to create, and prepare for the first display of its power. But mind the ground; it's siblings are on their way."
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown had been out and about, doing his daily patrols... when an alert came in... He'd started towards it. Then a second alert. Then a call for help. Oh, he had been BURNING towards them by that point, doing his best to hide his presence to maintain some semblance of not entirely giving up the element of surprise... but... ... Rashmi was in trouble. His eyes narrowed when he stepped into the barrier, looking around and... Holy... What... what in the world happened here? He was half tempted to start measuring it in Nanoha's... It looked like a few of them had gone off, and there was just... << Rashmi, are you okay? >> he asked, opening a connection to her device alone as he made his way forward, on foot, now, keeping a low profile, eyes narrowed... Discretion might be the better part of valor, rather than rushing in. As much as he wanted to come in, be the big hero today... He didn't know what was going on, entirely, and the last thing he needed was to get himself, or someone else, hurt when he rushed in without being aware of the full danger of the situation.
Rashmi Terios	<< Been better. >> Even Rashmi's mental voice is exhausted... Almost as if she'd been fighting all-out after days of flying in five directions at once, trying to cope with the new reality post-Crystal Tokyo. << Glad you're here... Seriss's been delaying us to give her people time to finish her new, biggest monster. Well... new monster's here. >> She's about to say more, but Lachesis' coffin breaks through from underground, floating slowly up into the air. << That. That is here, >> she says, possibly unnecessarily. << And apparently it's gonna have friends. You've got Alo, Amy and I... but we've just been fighting Seriss and *kept her from flattening us all with a satellite,* so I don't... know how long it'll be before I can help with more than sensor feed... I'm sorry, dear. >> And she does, at least, sound truly apologetic. Nobody *likes* having to admit that they're gonna be even temporarily of limited use, in a fight like this.
Sugata Shindo	A message went out - two at least, one from Rashmi, one from Aloisia, and while Usagi Tsukino is woefully unavailable - Sugata Shindo is just having an ordinary time. A call for support, a request for backup and heavy fire? Well, that's just playing in his exact wheelhouse. The business district, is the location, one of many among Tokyo, though this one with a rare spot of greenery, and Ginga Kingu flies towards it, blue-white energy blazing from his booted feet, racing through the air more than traditionally flying. There's a barrier there - visible to his eyes, if not the mundane eyes of normal citizens, and when he crosses through, his eyes widen slightly at the damage - the downed skyscrapers, the monster, the tired and wounded fighters. "I can't say I know what this is all about, but it's clear to see what needs killing," he notes calmly, and thrusts a hand towards his chest. "Star Swordo - Diamante!" The shining white energy sword emerges from his chest in a blaze of light, and he waits for an update, given there might yet be more allies down in the dust, ready to be crushed by a King's Pillar.
Aloisia Harlaown	<<Ja, you're welcome.>> Aloisia responds to Amy, as her Knight Armor rebuilds itself. She can't really do too much about the fact her arm doesn't want to move much, but whatever. It didn't need to, so long as she could aim the shield forward. And that rumbling grows. And yet another attack charges. <<I know she said she has two linker cores but seriously that amount of energy output is cheating.>> Aloisia comments, her tone a bit bitter and annoyed. Look if she put out attacks that wide area and energy-intensive she'd have run out about two or three attacks ago. Freaking dark energy demons. And then there's /this/ thing. The chained up... monolith-sarcophagus and chains and ... stuff. "..." Aaand she's continuing that examination, as her device begins to rotate in her hand. Alright, two plasma shots used, several high-powered defenses, and... just... too much in general really. ... .o(I should get one of those battery things that Rashmi made.) How much it would /help/? Debatable. But more energy is generally useful. Especially since they'd managed to hurt Seriss. Once. And then it has been a matter of 'surviving'. <<I've still got some gas in the tank, but I think at this point we're in a fight to minimize damage until Seriss gets bored and leaves.>> "...I... you know what." Aloisia closes her eyes, energy beginning to gather. Alright, time to reduce the number of threats. At least temporarily. <PYRAMIDENFALL.> The ground becomes golden crystal, instead of the original ground it was before, as Aloisia deploys an upside-down pyramid-binding spell, chains shooting out underground to entrap and enwrap whatever is underneath. ...It's bad enough dealing with /two/ targets, at the very least she can /slow down/ the potential others, hopefully. <<There's at least another two -- I think three -- targets underground, maybe more, Seriss Nyx has suffered an injury by my lance, but has responded with a barrier that she stated was named 'active defense', so there is a high chance it is a counter-attacking barrier, and whatever the heck /that/ thing is is fresh and new while I have suffered injuries due to taking a sustained barrage fire. I have unleashed a barrier to help slow down the additional enemies, but I honestly don't know how long that will last, so I don't recommend relying on it for long.>>
Amy Faust	To be clear, that did ''hurt'', the explosion to the face, hitting the ground, and rolling really hard, but it's not what Amy ''feared'' would happen and as magical injuries go it's more 'beat up a little all over' than any dramatic wound.     << Lachesis... That's one of the three fates, isn't it? Lachesis, Atropos, and... I don't remember. Those that spin, weave, and cut the threads of fate... Atropos is the cutter, but I forget the other two... >>     Amy sits up with an involuntary grunt of pain. Tough it out, regenerate, or turn off pain... She weighs her options and then remembers she's fighting ''Seriss'' fucking ''Nyx'' and cannot afford to be distracted by pain or fighting lag.     She breathes a sigh of relief as her soul gem darkens just a little. Most, but not all, of a wolf as they count these things now.     She hurries to a high spot in the rubble, peeking up through the dust. << I don't think we can easily shoot through that... maybe with enough scrap metal and that bowl shield of yours.... >> Huh, shouldn't there have been girders in that skyscraper?     Rashmi's outta juice, though. << It's fine. We'll just have to wait for an opening and attack carefully. >>     She hears a familiar voice calling out Star Sword, Diamante! << Oh thank god! >> If he's not in the telepathy spell it gets relayed through Kyuubey, who is prowling around ''somewhere'' waiting to see if this somehow turns into an opportunity. If one of Seriss's creations escapes a barrier the collateral damage might lead to a child wishing just to live, after all...     << Just hit it hard! It's probably gonna have some kind of combo trick with its siblings, we shouldn't let them work togther! >>     Meanwhile, Amy reaches into her magic and tries to sense how much it'll take to blast through that thing... << Aloisia, how did you break through her shield before? >>
Molly Skyline	As Lachessis rises into the sky to hover alongside Seriss, it screeches out a horrible sound, like someone playing a furious dirge on a piano that has replaced notes with different sized nails raked across a chalkboard. "Not yet, my sweet," answers Seriss, and she actually reaches over to pet the side of the strange, monolithic sarcophagus with... is that motherly affection? "No... I am not ready yet for your purpose to be unveiled. For now prepare your retreat, we have much work to do and I desire you intact." As a purpleish haze starts to gather around the strange sarcophagus, Seriss rises, her four wings carrying her above the still settling dust cloud. "Oh, more of you are arriving. How interesting," she muses, casting her gaze in Ginga Kingu's direction, as her Battle Visor marks a fresh target; someone with full mana, unlike the three foes she has been battling with up until now. "Well, you've come for a fight, no need to disappoint. Molly, dearest, make sure you are paying attention to what I do to your friends, and what I will keep doing if you don't have the good sense to ''slip away''." The sorceress' lips quirk upwards at the corners. "Fire." She hoists her staff aloft and a stream of dark barrets launch upwards, flying off in a wide dispersal upwards into the clouds, disturbed as they were by the falling satellite. Where they 'hit', they flash brightly, and for the moment that is all. And then it begins. Beams of dark energy start raining down from the sky; all of them falling at random, more or less (they don't hit Seriss or Lachessis), but there are so many of them. "Rashmi, are you still alive down there?" she calls out. "You might wish to keep your head down, I'm sure you're getting low on mana by now."
Aloisia Harlaown	<<I'm using a lance -- they're explicitly designed to put all of their energy into a single point, combined with plasma that imparts even more energy, burns through defenses, and has an electromagnetic disrupting effect -- but mostly it's the focused damage in a single point thing. From what I know of your abilities, your best bet to penetrate it would be an armor piercing core with a shaped charge.>> Is Aloisia's response to the question of how to break through her shield. Luckily Amy also knows the lore that Seriss Nyx was using for the naming scheme of her creatures, so there was likely a confirmed two more enemies underneath, but that's beside the point right now. The biggest problem is that they were in a target rich environment where they were very close to being outnumbered, when normally their fighting style was to fight as a group against smaller numbers of targets. <<If Seriss follows her standard pattern, she might step back and allow her 'creations' to fight instead of her, which means we might have a different problem than penetrating her defenses right now.>> Dark barrets launch upwards, and Aloisia grimaces. Alright, the pyramid is continuing to do its thing, slowing the arrival of the other... two? Three? Targets? ...But Seriss isn't following her standard pattern. No, she's telling her creation to hold back? Hm. Aloisia takes a deep breath as she quietly thinks on the things that are happening, the differences in this fight, things that worked, things that didn't. Aloisia darts over towards Rashmi as those beams of dark energy fall, shield hovering over her arm as she reaches out towards her. "You are much better at wide-area defense than I." <ERMACHTIGEN.> One of those six-pointed double-layered magical circles is placed on Rashmi's shoulder, as Aloisia does exactly what the spell says: She empowers Rashmi, granting her a strong boost of energy, as Aloisia lifts her shield up defensively above the two of them -- trusting in Rashmi's defensive prowess... but just in case, granting that extra bit of defense in the form of just. There being a physical shield between them and those beams. Others could attack for now, the ... support mage and a half are going to do the support. To specify, Aloe is the half.
Rashmi Terios	Weaving on her feet, Rashmi looks up and spots the Active Defense on Seriss' shoulder, and groans. << ...Active Defense was Molly-chan's idea. Basically it's a defensive turret that tracks and shoots down incoming attacks. Sort of like that you do, Chrono, except it's more on autopilot. And... she said 'prepare your retreat,' so stopping her means fighting all three of them *and* her, and I *still* don't know where the bottom of her reserves are...>> As the beams begin to fall, Rashmi's eyes dart to a convenient pocket of rubble nearby... Then Aloisia's hand finds her. For the last two years, Rashmi has been the one lifting others up, making them stronger than they could ever be alone. It's been her focus, her mission in life, and if she has to be honest... she *loves* doing it. So she has to fight tears, when Aloisia does the same for *her.* Standing straighter, she fills her lungs. << Everyone form up on me! If you have a defense, I could use the help! >> "NICOMACHEA!"     << *BONG!* >> << SOLAR SHIELD -- GLACE SHIFT >> A broad, five-meter disk of golden light springs into existence above her head, providing an umbrella for her friends and loved one to shelter beneath. Then it *CRACKS* into a thick, spiked wall of golden ice, the better to deflect and resist the physical pummeling Seriss' beams are going to deliver.
Amy Faust	Amy is doing better, her soul gem not yet a fourth corrupted, thanks to Rashmi's mana contribution earlier, but all the magic in the world isn't helpful if Amy can't come up with an attack that ''works'' on Seriss. Aloisia has ideas. It's worth a shot!     While Seriss is talk talk talking, Amy turns towards her as the dust clears slightly, and suddenly is holding her giant cannon--                                     '''BOOM!'''                                         Earlier, she had planned a combo attack with Kunzite for use against the Black Moon Clan -- What if he shaped his energy field into a projectile, and she launched it at incredible speed? They've yet the chance to use it, but it ''did'' mean researching the shapes for such weapons and anyway it turns out that when you want to pierce something, you want as much mass in a given cross-sectional area as you can get -- in other words, long and thin, like an arrow, or a dart, or in french, ''un Flechette''. Or maybe la flechette, she doesn't know French.     Anyway, what just fired was an armor-piercing discarding sabot round, allowing the 105mm cannon to launch a much ''thinner'' projectile and still impart all of its energy. Also there's a bomb on the back end that will explode when it hits Seriss's shield to try and put a little extra oomph behind it if it's slowed or stopped. Amy steadies herself and readies a follow-up shot, but                      '''Destruction rains from the heavens!'''                           ''Ohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuckohfuck--'' Amy runs across the battlefield, incrredibnly not taking any direct hits but stumbling a bit on the way to take cover under Rashmi's shield. She looks at her friends in alarm, << What now?! >>
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown blinked a few times as he arrived and... Just... ... Sometimes, he hated this planet. So much. ... He swore, if it didn't have Rashmi and like, many other things he liked, he'd say it wasn't worth the effort. .... But she was. And, unfortunately, the BS just kept coming, courtesy of Seriss Nyx. Seriously, didn't Obsidian ever take a break? He made a mental note to start sending some of these recordings to send to King Endymion should he ever get the chance. You know, really give him a look at why this world has so many magical people. If they ever managed to get a report out to the TSAB from his world,well... ... They'd never believe him, anyway. He took off, darting off to land besides Rashmi and putting a hand against her back, his staff raising into the air.            <<Subzero Boundary!>> As the solar shield went up... Ice formed over it and... okay, it was magic ice, don't think about it too hard. Coating the barrier in a firm, powerful coating of ice to protect it, dampening the assault... ... Like a big, cold, but solid and firm... Magic hug. Made of shielding.
Sugata Shindo	There's the enemy, drawing back, but between Aloisia, Rashmi, and Amy, Ginga Kingu doesn't believe the enemy is actually going to leave with ''nothing'' else to show for this - And then, well. And then there's the call for help, defense, because the attacks are - <<That's actually an interesting strategy,>> he muses, even as he throws Diamante...at Seriss Nyx... and thrusts both hands out. "King's Counter!" He can't add his strength to Rashmi's - that's not something he's really practiced with, not outside of flooding a certain shielder with all his strength - but he can add his own layer of defense, a square of blue-white light that appears in the air, aiming to try and reflect back the attacks - but if overwhelmed, would at least cut their momentum and force by half, if not more.
Molly Skyline	Amy's massive, explosive-laden armor piercing round is fired at Seriss; and the Active Defense does what it is designed to do and opens fire on it while it's incoming, unleashing a bright red blaze of mini-barrets to shoot down the incominb projectile. Wether or not they succeed depends entirely on how you're filling in the scorecard; the round detonates just before reaching Seriss, but the resulting blast is enough to knock out her already weakened shield. And with the shield knocked out, Ginga's energy sword sails past, and the blade cuts a deep score into her armor and makes her flinch back in pain. "Well aren't you hilarious!" she shouts down as she rights herself, watching the heroes scurry like ''rats'' to hide under their collectivized shields, while her Nightfall beams hammer away at their position, putting an intense strain on said shield. "Cygnus, charge Midnight Barrage, two hundred homing barrets. Lock targets." She directs her Battle Visor with eye movements, highlighting Amy and Ginga. << ARMED >> "Fire." A deluge of barrets issue forth, aimed at the two Mahou who just succeeded in wounding her for a second time today. of the ones fired at Ginga, some of them get reflected and come flying straight back; the active defense kicks in, and red bursts furiosly intercept them, but some get through and score her barrier jacket, leaving it glowing purple in several places. "Lachessis, call forth your sisters," she snarls while the spell is going off. A pair of purple beams fire from the strange sarcophagus, aimed at two different points on the ground. They burrow through Aloisia's pyramid shield and then into the ground, carving large craters while the earth shakes. From the holes rise two more of the weird monoliths, one after the other, and Seriss' anger fades as they appear, replaced by her devilish grin. "Rise, Clotho. Rise, Atropos. At ''last'' we are ready to do great things. But for now, prepare for our departure. Cygnus! Deploy a Dark Wall." << AFFIRMATIVE. DEPLOYED >> A swirling mass of dark energy forms into a globe around Seriss, partially obscuring her from view as she seems to almost... forget the larger battle with the Mahou, so rapt is her attention upon her latest creations; but it doesn't last long, before she is looking back down again. "Where is the final sister? Where is Iphegenia? Come forth, runt, and be useful!"
Rashmi Terios	There is *so much* coming at them. Beams of frigid darkness, barrets by the truckload... Even with the infusion of extra mana, Rashmi's legs are shaking under the strain, and she *leans* heavily against Chrono's supporting hand. Were it not for the loving embrace of his magic around hers... She honestly doesn't know how she'd've held up this far. And Sugata, bless him, takes so much pressure off her by throwing a fraction of the attack back into Seriss' face... But she's fading fast. << Guys... I don't know how much more we have. I know it's not gonna be enough to stop four-- five?! of that... >> The Fates, okay, that's good information to have as it'll probably slant what their abilities are... But who in heck is Iphegenia?! << I think... we need to withdraw. This time. >>
Aloisia Harlaown	Aloisia gives a simple nod towards Rashmi as she deploys that wide-area defense, her shield kept above them even as that barrier is up. Look, huge physical shield is useful even if there /is/ a much bigger, probably better shield up right now. Amy was there with them taking shelter from the raining blasts, a simple nod given towards her from Aloisia, with a moderately appreciative comment of, "Good. You learn quick." And then Chrono was there, further reinforcing that shield with his ice magic. "Harlaown. Hello." "This planet is bullshit." A simple exchange, but it likely conveyed more than enough with it, honestly. There was an almost fondness in that comment as she slanders the earth. << How effective it is against all attacks might be questionable, but it's a pretty effective counter to physical attacks like mine.>> Aloisia comments towards Kingu, and there's the King's Counter... good. Okay. The current situation didn't allow for her similar kind of fun, her rebounding barriers weren't great in situations where she had to penetrate a shield to even effect somet...hing... actually, hm. ... Well, Seriss Nyx most of the time is effectively encased in a pinball. Meanwhile, a deluge of shots fires outwards, and a pair of purple beams shoot down through the pyramid shield and cause it to shatter, the two monoliths rise, and Aloisia gives an annoyed grunt. And her Device lifts, aiming towards that oncoming barrage of homing barrets. <KRISTALLSPLITTER.> As those homing barrets shoot towards their barrier, Aloisia steps to the side, out from underneath that barrier as she lifts her lance, both hands resting on the base of that lance as it starts to rotate. "Shoot." Shards of crystal shoot out into the oncoming barrets, slots opening in that lance as the scattershot of crystal shards launch outwards. Its range wasn't very long, and its accuracy was pretty abysmal, but it was enough that it would reduce how many shots were impacting that shield, as she watches the dark globe appear around Seriss. Crystal shards and lasers shooting out through the air between them. <Energieniveau niedrig.> "I know, Vorhutschwester." Should they have just taken the offer to have some cake and leave earlier? ... Probably not. Even if this fight wasn't a winning one, who knows how much worse it may have been if they /had/ just left... and well. ... She's not sure her honor could just accept that. <<I think she's about to withdraw, herself.>>
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown gave a small nod. << Rashmi, if you need to withdraw, do so. I'll take over maintaining the barrier. I have near full mana reserves. She's already withdrawing and I can't allow her to have free reign in the region with civilians about. >> Basically, he can't stop her from leaving.... but he can't just like... let her go about, destroying everything in sight, either. << You're hurt and exhausted, though. All those exhausted and hurt should withdraw. It'll be much easier for a smaller number of us to maintain the barrier and ensure she doesn't cause any destruction until she withdraws, than for everyone to try and hold her here. Especially considering the current condition and multiple unknown variables. >> ... Far, far too many unknown variables. Damnit, Obsidian... What is with this world and its multitude of lost logia? << How many of you feel you have the strength to mount a proper retreat, as it is? >>
Amy Faust	Amy did not scurry like a ''rat'', she scurried like... something that runs on two legs! I dunno, maybe the way that lizard that runs on water would scurry. Do ostritches scurry?     I guess you could say she scurried like a chicken, which admittedly isn't any more dignified.     Amy doesn't get any time to think -- more homing barrets are coming for her! She conjures a salvo of mini counter-missiles to take some of them out, and then that big rocket from earlier zooms by the shield and she grabs on, flying around the battlefield trying to outrun the barrets long enough for someone else to shoot them down or give her a shield.     And yet, that's not the end of her problems. << Clotho! Right, yes, that was it... >>     She flies through the air, firing homing bullets back at the barrets from her gyrojet pistol. Where is the final sister?     << ''WHAT?!'' Who the heck is ''Ifgenia?!'' There's not a ''fourth'' Fate! What mythology is she using?! >>     Rashmi calls for withdrawal, and Amy brings the rocket low to the ground as she flies towards where the others are under the shield. She holds out her hand, and there ''are'' some extra handholds on the rocket -- an almost cartoonishly-shaped white body with red nosecone and fins, more than big enough for her to sit on, magic somehow keeping her off-center mass from constantly throwing it off-balance -- << If you need a quick getaway, grab on! >>
Sugata Shindo	<<Does it matter what mythology she's using?>> The energy reflected back, the shield - broke, but only after it did what it was supposed to, but there's the call to withdraw, and Ginga Kingu has never been one for fleeing. Certainly not when he's full of energy and the fight isn't over yet. ...The fight is over for an ally, though. Perhaps multiple. <<I'll cover a retreat, if you can help them get away,>> He offers, though the person he means is Chrono, who's as fresh as he is. There are too many variables, and they have to assume the enemy will keep firing upon them as soon as they make for an escape, but there's the simple fact that they are in the midst of the business district and they can't assume the enemy won't attack those innocent once the barrier falls, or they manage to escape it. This isn't a situation where any of them can afford to act recklessly or with naive optimism. <<Should it come to it, I'm fresh enough to fight her until she decides the better part of valor is fleeing herself.>> Does he actually have that muck strength, or has he simply decided he does? Hard to know.
Molly Skyline	Seriss hovers with her gloe of swirling dark energy around her, and the three strange monoliths -- Lachessis, Clotho, and Atropos -- hover in the air around her, almost like protective shields. Seriss smiles, as she looks upon what she has wrought; and in unison the three unsettling creations screech and howl, until Seriss waves her hand to silence them. "Not ''yet''," she reminds them. "There will be time aplenty for bloodshed in the coming weeks, and I will let you sate yourselves properly in due time. But our purpose here today is complete." As she speaks, the second and third sarcophogi start to glow a hazy purple, like the first; while a fourth bursts up out of the ground, though it is noticeably smaller than the other three. "Iphegenia," Seriss sneers, "Ever the disappointment, you have arrived at ''last''. But no matter. Your purpose is upon you; expend your entire existence here, and die to cover our departure." The smaller monolith screeches, and turns to descend towards the heroes. At last, the Nightfall Symphony seems to be coming to an end, as the blasts from the sky taper off, and finally stop. Seriss touches Lachessis, and the monolith gathers a brilliant glow about it before rocketing upwards, vanishing into the sky. She repeats this with Clotho and Atropos, and in turn they, too, disappear. "Let's keep their heads down," Seriss decides, "Cygnus, charge Magnetar Barrage, two hundred unguided barrets, repulsor shift." << ARMED >> "Fire." Brilliant blue barrets are rained down carelessly into the ruin of the skyscraper, and where they hit they detonate, ripping loose chunks of metal and girders, and sending them flying in all directions. As the stream of barrets continues, Iphegenia continues to descend; and it takes on a glow of its own, its semi-translucent shell harboring something inhuman inside of it that is building up a great deal of energy. Too much, it would seem.
Aloisia Harlaown	<<I uh. Can probably still retreat, but that was a lot of my remaining energy shooting down those homing barrets to the best of my ability.>> She really needs to work on her mana efficiency, ugh. Aloisia gives a soft exhale, before glancing at her shield, then her lance. And then... ... It was like a light bulb appeared over her head, when she saw Amy's method of flying through the air on a rocket. Huh. Good idea. Though the riding method was... questionable... "...What do you think, Schutzschwester?" <AKZEPTABEL. SPATER PFLEGEN.> "Yeah, I'll clean you later." A slight glow, and there is a slight change to the shape of the lance, two footholds appearing as Aloisia leaps on top of the lance, her boots locking into those two footholds as fire starts to shoot out of the back of that lance. "Thanks for the idea, Faust." Yeah, she's surfing on a rocket lance. ... It's not time for light-heartedness though. Kingu is offering to cover their retreat, so was Chrono most likely... and Amy was offering to give Rashmi a ride. Aloisia gives a simple nod. And then.. then Iphegenia is dropped. ...And used as, effectively, a bomb. "..." There is a familiarity, as she flashes back to the moment that marked the turning point in her life, when things started towards her eventual freedom from Count Otto. "..." "I'm going to eradicate her." She mutters under her breath. And then she does the least belkan thing she's done so far, opting to rocket the /heck/ away from that. <<'Die to cover our departure' she is such a bad mom ugh why are there so many bad parents among the evil people.>> Aloisia mutters a rant about terrible parents as she continues to rocket off, holding her shield with her right arm now. Yeah her left arm was not liking existence right now.
Rashmi Terios	Chrono's assessment is... accurate, even if he knows it flies in the face of 'what happens to you, happens to us.' And Sugata... seems absolutely ready to Sugata himself right into being the reason Wako locks Rashmi into a hanster ball forever. Complicated emotions crawl over her face, until... Well, until what she wants stops mattering. Iphegenia makes her appearance-- ... wait what? Information floods in, and Rashmi's eyes widen, in much the same manner that they did when *an entire satellite was falling on their heads.* << NOPE NOBODY STAYS EVERYONE GOES SHE IS ABOUT TO SCOUR THE ENTIRE INSIDE OF THIS BARRIER. MOVE MOVE MOVE MOVE. >> And she even *lays hands* on Sugata, her Barrier-enhanced strength attempting to haul his arm toward Amy's rocket. << LET'S GO LET'S GO LET'S GO. >>
Amy Faust	Amy didn't get a shield and was battered by barrets instead. Her chestplate has been destroyed and her helmet and skirt armor cracked and broken, the bodysuit underneath scorched and torn in places and she's ''going to need some healing'' later,'' but for now, her puppeted body clings to the rocket with numb robotic tenacity.     << It might tell us something about them! >> she answers Kingu's question... and then near the rubble becomes a bad place to be and Amy swerves ''upwards'' with whoever else is clinging to the rocket with her, flying into the sky out of the barrier!     << I think it is the same striking lack of empathy they display in evil means they will also be bad parents, rather than being a bad parent driving them to Obsidian. >> Amy answers calmly, now distanced from the sensation of adrenaline pumping through her body.     << I'm going! Making like a tree and ''leaving!'' >> she answers Rashmi, literally rocketing away.
Chrono Harlaown	Chrono Harlaown was many things. He was an enforcer, he was a soldier, he was a boy in love... But most of all? He was a Harlaown. He got that from his father. And if there was one thing a Harlaown understood? It was when the woman he loved said 'WE GO NOW!', they go now. << Okay, Evacuation it is. >> And he moved in to assist Rashmi with Kingu, just in case he tried to do something valiant and stupid. Otherwise? He was entirely down for just fleeing, his staff moving back behind him and forming a barrier of ice in their wake. Didn't even incant it, it wouldn't hold long, but he didn't expect a big assault to be following them either.
Sugata Shindo	Sugata is thrusting a hand to the sky, light beginning to gather at the top of the barrier, blue-white and bright, the last flash before the devouring emptiness. He's readying the blast, to call the sudden flare that will plummet to the ground, ready to fight and cover the retreat, and then the final enemy emerges, smaller than the others, decidedly unwanted, decidedly an embarrassment, and were Sugata a more sympathetic soul he'd pity the monstrosity created to die. He's not, though. And if it's going to die in an effort to kill them, it may as well die a failure. "King's -" And then, just as the light intensifies, Rashmi is ''yoinking'' him away, disrupting the energy, breaking his concentration, and Ginga Kingu is not so petty as to stop for a fight in the midst of an evacuation, but he does say, <<That couldn't wait the seconds it would have taken to strike first?>> It's a mild irritation, but he's pouring his own energy into the escape - bright blue-white light blazing forth from the soles of his boots as he powers their escape.
Molly Skyline	Iphegenia descends. Iphegenia's power grows. As the heroes flee, the unearthly creature contained within the sarcophagus writhes and screams, howling as it is burned by its own building attack. While the heroes flee before it, it takes up a position at roughly the center of Seriss' barrier, hovering over the wreckage of the destroyed skyscraper, the crashed satellite, and the interupted wedding. Already this place has become a visage of the apocalypse, but it is about to be altered in violent ways yet again, as Iphegenia takes on a brilliant glow, rivalling the sun in sheer intensity. << ## fULmINAtE ## >> There's a moment when everything is just ... silent. Iphegenia vanishes in the brilliant light; and then the shockwave hits, blasting debris and shattering every window inside the barrier, knocking down lampposts and flinging cars. The detonation follows on the heels of the heroes as they make their escape; past the deliniation of Seriss' barrier, and once outside of Rashmi's, everything is... just as it was, in a crowded, obvliviously bustling Tokyo. Seriss' barrier collapses and vanishes; and the evil sorceress herself, is nowhere to be seen. A minute later, Nicomachea gets a brief communication's ping; a short message, barely two seconds, transmitted from device identity: Starcrash. And it's a recording of Molly's voice; clearly hers, with the British accent and everything, of just two sorrowfully whispered words. "I'm sorry."
Rashmi Terios	There is a special kind of clench factor when one knows one is outracing the kind of bomb that can turn half a district into a lake, and one is more or less dependent on one person to provide the vehicle and control, and another to provide the afterburners. At least Rashmi can console herself with the knowledge that she'd *never* have survived if she tried to fly herself out... As they break free of the Barrier, Rashmi sighs in relief... doubly so when the Barrier falls, and leaves exactly none of the bomb's devastation in its wake. << I'm pretty sure if you were inclined to steep yourself in Dark Energy to get everything you're after, you're just not gonna be a great parent. >> Somewhere, Gabriel sneezes. ...And then Nicomachea registers a message, and Chrono can *tell* by the way her shoulders tense that she's gone from 'exhausted' to 'apocalyptic fury' in the space of a few heartbeats. ...And then she just sags back against her boyfriend, tries not to cry, and lets Amy deliver them to safety.