2025-08-22: Challenging Fate
- Log: Challenging Fate
- Cast: Tatsuya Sudou, Yua Ooshiro, Ayame Watanabe, Minako Arisato, Shinjiro Aragaki, Myunghon Yeo, Goro Akechi, Umie Akabane, Katsuya Suou, Shinobu Shimizu, Ririka Kawase
- Where: Seven Sisters High School
- OOC Date: August 22, 2025
- IC Date: June 29, 2012
- Summary: A new name has been given, and this time it is a teacher at Sevens. Why was he chosen, who is it exactly, a Joker never tells.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
The Old Maid was heading back to school, this time though it was for a teaching position. Well for a teacher who was in quite a position to be particular. It would appear that some old guy wanted this other guy dead, and Sudou just remembers this old guy rambling on and on and on and really the moment he said a name he hung up on the guy. Still a job was a job, and the setting sun provided plenty of shadows throughout the school for The Old Maid to take advantage of.
The hellhounds were sent first, running through the school and driving any bystanders to a single classroom, where Sudou waits at the front of the class pointing a sword at the throat of Ikkaku Watanabe. "Welcome students, come in come in. We are just about to start today's lesson. " Are they students, most of them look like unlikely adults who were stuck staying late. The paper bag man turns to look at the hound from hell and says, "Send the boys to stop anyone from running in the halls and interrupting my class." Suddenly Sudou moves right up in the hellhounds face and grabs it's snout, " No mistake this time or I am going to make Cruella's dream a reality."
The hellhound growls but finally speaks, "Yeah yeah." A howl is given and the shadows through the room suddenly scatter out throughout the school, with hounds appearing out of the shadows and stopping anyone from entering.
Sudou himself steps back towards the teacher, "Now class, welcome to career day. Today you will all be witness to how the Joker Killer works. That is right before I set the room on fire and let you all die. A great work around that annoying badge protecting you guys thing." The Old Maid chuckles before turning back to Ikkaku, "Now how will we do this. Oh I know." Spinning around he looks at the hellhound leader, " I'll feed him to the dogs. Super time boys."
Another glare from the hellhound but the dog speaks up, "Fine." Turning on Ikkaku he growls and snarls as he gets ready to pounce.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua Ooshiro, part-time dance instructor, is here at Sevens today for their weekly lesson. A short, slight woman who always wears a black dancer's leotard, with sheer skirt and black pointe shoes custom-made to cope with the wear of everyday use, Yua's mystery is deepened by her darker Okinawan skin and the eyepatch slung across her left eye. Her long teal hair, of course, is held up in a neat bun; her gold earrings and choker are lovely decorations, alongside the fabric which stretches from a ring around her middle finger to a bracelet on her right wrist.
(She is beautiful, to many eyes; valuable, too.)
Dance class is over now, though, and she pops her head into Ikkaku's classroom as the afternoon grows late, her handbag slung over one shoulder. "Watanabe-san!" She chirps, lyrically. "I've come to check on you! You'd better not be planning to stay in 'til the sun sets again --"
Yua feels a sick drop in her stomach, as she realises the wave that's washed over them. Of course, her revolver-like Evoker's tucked in under a false bottom of her purse; Yua feels far too alone, when Gretchen isn't beside her, and without a trigger to pull they may as well be on separate continents. Her Evoker goes everywhere with her. What she could do -- really, what she should do -- is to draw it, and fire. Gretchen is strong, and within her prison, nothing could touch them.
But...
But everyone knows Gretchen. If Yua summons her, now, without any disguise to conceal herself... they'll know. They'll know that the doomed bride tasked to bring death and ruin is their friendly, quirky dance instructor; they'll know she's not anyone's friend, if she reveals herself. No one would trust her, then. And even though no one should trust her... it wouldn't just hurt her, if she revealed her secret. Miho would be the one to bear the criticisms of the Powers that Be, angry that she'd sabotaged her saboteur's position. And when they punish Yua -- for surely they'd punish her -- Miho and Remi would feel the blow just as sorely.
That's why her hand goes to her handbag -- and then drops, back down to her side, before she whirls to reach up and grasp Ikkaku's shoulders.
"You must listen to me, Watanabe-san," she says, her voice tense. "Something dreadful will happen, and it is imperative you stay behind me. Do you understand? Behind me. I'm neither strong nor brave enough to push you out of the way..."
Bang. Bang. Bang! Hellhounds tackle their way through the door, and with a sharp, chilling howl, Sudou's Hellhound springs forward. Yua's face grows ashen; for a moment she clings to Ikakku, for support, frozen there as she grasps him. It keeps her in the way, and the demon slashes at her back with his sharp, poisonous claws; she shrieks, stumbling forward into him. "No--!"
As she falls the rest of the way, it's easy for Sudou to step in -- to grab Ikkaku from her shadow, as if she'd never even tried to protect him at all. Her back is bloodied; those long gashes tore strips from her black leotard, exposing the darker skin beneath it. For a moment, perhaps it seems she won't rise at all --
Somehow, though, she manages. And as she faces down the hellhound Sudou so brutally mistreated, as he readies himself to pounce on the man she wished to save, she crosses her arms across each other in a ballet mime. "Wait! P-please, just wait a moment! I have something you'll like, it's much nicer than those threats...!"
Claiming that moment to bargain, Yua tries to take a steadying breath, even as sweat shines on her skin, the poison working its way through her bloodstream. She moves to fifth position; her hands circle each other with motions at the wrists, arms held in graceful arch above her head, before she bends her knees, a gesture called plie.
"Won't you... dance with me?"
Tour en l'air, she springs into the air, arms curving at her chest, twirling once and once again before she lands back in that fifth position -- one foot crossed over the other. Performed by a woman, it is a step more difficult still, speaking volumes to her strength and her coordination. It is the best thing she can think of, in the moment, to prove in seconds that it's worth considering her dance; it's also just the beginning, as she rises up en pointe and practically floats between the desks with little petit allegro jumps, movements which seem so light at her feet despite the flowing movements of her extended arms. Despite the pain in her poisoned wounds, her arms extend gracefully as her leg stretches out behind her, and she comes down to her heels again. In passe, she brings her leg up, retire, knee arching out to the side as her foot lifts to her knee, until it flows through that movement and arches up -- developpe! -- until it's a full ninety degrees at her hip, foot high in the air. She comes down and rises onto her toes at the front of the class, into a pirouette, leg kicking out in rond de jambe as she whirls around and around and around in two dozen fouette turns.
Really, it's no wonder she was hired to her position despite seeming barely qualified to do the job sometimes; Yua might be terrible at paperwork, but she dances at a staggeringly high level, even leaving aside how little room she has to execute her gambit right now. One might wonder if she spent years doing nothing but improving her technique... and a thought like that is even close to true.
"Please, leave us be!" She beseeches the hounds, trembling hands clutching at her heart as she rises from a bow.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"What?" Ikkaku wondered a moment ago. "Ooshiro-san, if there's something dangerous happening, I can't let you--" She clings to him, and Ikkaku is pale to look at the Hellhound. "No--!"
Now that it's here--Ikkaku Watanabe is as surprised as anyone. "Ooshiro-san!" he calls when she goes down from the Hellhound, and finds himself face to face with the Old Maid., a sword at his throat. His attempt to go to her is aborted immediately. His eyes widen in surprise--and then narrow in some other feeling.
"It's me you're after!" he says, screwing up his courage to do it. "Leave the students alone!"
He stares for a moment as Yua moves to dance witht he demon, and he might marvel at her incredible skills if the situation were different. "I--"
He's a nice man in a nice brown suit, obviously more academic than executive with his glasses, fluffy hair, and gentle look. Ikkaku Watanabe is in great danger at the moment--greater danger than perhaps ever in his life.
"Ooshiro-san, that demon is--"
And he knows what a demon is.
However...
-=-=-
Someone isn't here yet. The Hellhounds bring her late, herding her towards the classroom. "AAAH!" comes a shriek from a woman outside, and the door opens again. Ayame Watanabe--a slight woman of 151cm height--looks alarmed, dressed in an ordinary set of clothes in blue. She has light heels on. And--
"Ikkaku!?"
And that woman. A young, beautiful woman... who's already hurt. And dancing!?
And a strange man with a paper bag on his head.
Ayame shrieks again, but this time, she doesn't shrink away. "You--"
It's happening again. Ayame's green eyes widen. What can she do, this time?
"I--"
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
EARLIER -- VELVET ROOM
The elevator is going down. It is always going down. Minako has grown accustomed to this since April, as she leans back against one wall with her arms crossed. The desk at the center of the elevator is empty, and she tries to not think about where Igor could go. The only door she has ever seen into this place is the one she takes.
But she isn't alone. A tall man, with blonde hair, and the tell-tale blue uniform is there.
"So... Seven Sisters," Minako says.
"Yes," Theodore says.
"And you want... a Lemon Pop Soda, from the vending machine."
"Yes," Theodore repeats.
Minako sighs. "Sure, okay."
NOW -- SEVEN SISTERS
Minako walks down the hallway, sliding a bottle of soda into her bookbag. She looks /entirely out of place in her Gekkoukan uniform. She sighs. She can be grateful she doesn't have to explain this to her brother, her senpai, or anyone else.
Then she hears the gunshots. Her eyes go wide -- and then she hears the baying of the hellhounds.
That sends her into a full-on run, breaking around the corner, and towards the sound of shouting and panic. She knows, on some level, she should run away from it. Instead, she reaches into her uniform coat. She skids to a stop, in front of a hellhound.
Her eyes widen -- then narrow at the demon. Her Evoker comes up, to her temple, and fires. Blue glass and light explodes out the other side of her head.
"PERSONA!" she shouts.
Linos appears behind her -- all gold and silver, red scarf fluttering, and then strums her harp. Then, a blast of blue-white nuclear fire erupts, throwing the hellhound back across the hall.
"Get out of my way!" the red-haired girl snaps.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
Shinjiro Aragaki had meant to check on Sevens after school again for more information, even as he pieced together the clues on the Joker Killer's identity... when he was arriving and felt the horrific commotion, though, he immediately ripped yet another sign out of the ground and rushed in.
Swiping at hellhounds as he goes, smashing them over the head with brute force and pure skill, Shinjiro is rushing for that classroom. He's already texted both Myunghon and Umie, swinging forth as he reaches the classroom... and spots the women in danger with...
The target, Ikkaku Watanabe.
"Shit! You should have told me you were at risk!" Shinjiro calls out, fumbling into his coat for something. He tries to rush for Yua and Ikkaku at the risk of any free shots or danger, and plant a Sevens Symbol into the hand of whoever can grab it, if he can even get there. "You should have never given me this!"
Now... now he has to make up for taking it from Ikkaku in the first place.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Can you hear it?
If you listen closely, you can hear the thrum of the engine, at the end of the world. A rubber fire screams into the afternoon, followed by the incessant honking and yelling of 'Just what's wrong with you! Sumaru drivers!' Mio Kazama's Bonda MSX lurches onto the dirt field, ruining track and field markings in the wake of its rear tires skidding to a halt. Myunghon leaps out of the car at virtually the first moment it's safe to do so.
"Hurry, with me!" Myunghon calls, the sensation of the Mark already casting a sickening feeling down in their gut. They're the best choice to lead in this situation -- Sevens was their high school, and they still know how to navigate all its halls like the back of their hand. They glance around and don't find Shinjiro -- did he already go further in?
The Rumourmonger is in a full sprint and rushing up as the sensation of distortion and wrongness redoubles, and one of the Hellhounds gets in their way. "Out of my way!"
Kudlak rises in a column of Blue, even as they sprint, and the Hellhound lunges with its sharp, fierce claws and they're forced to body it onto the wall with their dark tendrils and keep moving. Up the stairs -- yes, the sensation is getting closer, closer -- and they arrive at the classroom in question. Their eye widens as they try to grasp all that's happening -- a classroom of adults held here, some of them they still recognise as their teacher when they were here as a student. The Old Maid, more Hellhounds. Ikkaku, being held at sword point, which causes them to freeze. Was Ayame's husband the target? And Ayame herself, shrieking.
"Watanabe-san!" Myunghon calls desperately, but their attention is drawn to Yua-- Yua's beautiful dance, but at the same time... "Y-Yuarin! You're hurt...!"
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Takami-sensei, I'm here to turn in my assignments for the past week." Goro Akechi places down a folder of immaculate assignments. Saeko Takami knows they'll all be perfect, too perfect. Part of her wishes he'd mess up every once in a while.
Becoming an adult meant learning how to fail with grace.
"And your survey?" She asked, "It hasn't been in your last three turn-ins."
Goro Akechi actually chuckled at her not with an 'oops silly me' this time, but instead something more dismissive, "Oh come now, must I? I'd say I've well demonstrated my after-graduation plans. Some might even say my attendance at this point is merely a formality."
"Even so, I'd like to see them." Saeko told him, "Everyone knows how talented you are, Akechi-kun." A sad note enters her voice, "You might even be the most gifted student I've ever had in my class." 'had in my class' as distinct from 'taught'. "But that doesn't necessarily exempt you from needing guidance."
She felt as if she hadn't taught him anything, and that caused her to feel like she was failing as a teacher... an adult in the room.
There's a momentary look her way, as if wondering if the faculty was talking in particular - Yua. Had she put her up to this? "Oh very well, if I must." In a tone not unlike a sigh. Which is when that feeling spread throughout the school-
And Akechi turned slowly to look towards the door, but Saeko actually had stiffened, then stood up from her desk to talk to the few students remaining, "Everyone, we're in the middle of an emergency. Please begin to push your desks up against the doors in an orderly manner... then we'll be pulling the curtains."
She then turned to the student who she was talking to- "Akechi-kun... if you could help me lead..."
But he was no longer there, and in alarm she turned to see the now open window, had it's curtains idly fluttering against the summer breeze.
And soon enough, the hellhounds were battering at the door, as the students huddled down... but then...
A streak shot through one window. Then another, a ray of light that struck each Hellhound in the brain. Another reflected off a door handle, the beam ricocheting to catch another.
Soon enough, Saeko Takami's classroom at least, is safe and spared being brought to watch what follows. And then, as Ayame witnesses Ikkaku being menaced, there's suddenly four more rays of light that fire, each taking off part of a classroom window.
Immediately followed by a crashing against the window, the pane of glass being driven into another of the room's Hellhounds, as he lands behind it, standing up straight.
He's a young man in a Princely outfits, with red cape and gold epaulets on his shoulder; sporting a long nosed Tengu mask strikes it, crashing through as a pane of glass smashes into another Hellhound in the room, as he comes to land, standing up quite straight.
"Oh my. Did I miss the start of this dance>" He says cheerily, a touch smug a hand to his mask, like he's addressing Yua, "Perhaps it's a tad gauche to ask if I might cut in at this point-"
Before he then makes a sharp gesture, his hand cutting away from his mask to point a shining Golden Ray Gun at the Old Maid threateningly. "-but I rather insist."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie Akabane is *not* living her best life. Fresh off her work shift with tonight's dinner (a discounted yakisoba), she was about to settle into another round of mundane apartment life (aka trying to paint her mask for what feels like the fiftieth time while the TV blares in the background) when she hears her phone ring. and answers it after seeing who it's from.
"Aragaki-kun. What's up? Yeah, just got out?"
...... .... .
".... Seven Sisters? Right. On my way." Thankfully, this was earlier, before hell broke loose.
----ONE AWKWARD SUBWAY RIDE LATER----
Umie glances at her phone. ".... wh...." Oh thank god Umie listened to her gut instinct and packed the dufflebag.
Said dufflebag later lands with a 'whump' in the grounds outside Seven Sisters. "Well, crap."
====NOW====
Something darts past Shinjiro; the rush of her passing displacing the hem of his jacket.
And now there's Umie, planting two feet against the side of a hellhound's face. The flip part is too difficult to pull off; Umie instead opts to platform off the beast, falling besides Shinjiro. The pale windbreaker settles around her body as she gets back, adjusting the plain half mask on her face with the blade of her kyoketsu-shoge.
"Sorry!! Train was packed!" Now is not the time, Umie. .... oh wow, a lot of new faces here.
AS: Tatsuya Sudou has readied for combat as Old Maid! He is now fully healed! Ready for 9 opponents!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
The world has gone wrong. But only here. But only just now.
He's felt it like this before.
The feeling is palpable enough to be felt even on the avenue leading up to the front door of Seven Sisters High School. Katsuya, staring up at the building before him, fishes out his flip phone and, after selecting one number in particular, starts dashing towards the entrance. But, what's that sound? Did something just plow into the dirt field he knows all too well is out around the back? Unfortunately, as he leaves a message and throws the front door of the school open, he's got a good idea of who it is.
How ironic. It's because of them that he'd come out here to begin with.
"You're green and haven't seen things the way they're run here."
The phone returns to his pants pocket. In its place, he draws his sidearm, keeping the barrel down and to his side as he charges up the stairs. It's above-- he can feel it, pulsing like a black heart. The 'Old Maid'--
He's not the only one here, he can see, as he arrives on the scene. Perhaps they were caught here. Perhaps they had advance warning, somehow. Perhaps it's just luck. He's not even sure if he should be grateful he's not the only one here right now or not.
He's especially not sure what to think about Myunghon's presence here. He knew it had to be them.
He can't think about it now. He instead has a moment to survey the scene before him. The Joker Killer has a hostage: he'd known that much from the stairs, from the screaming. Several, as it happens, trapped in the same room. Is that woman bleeding--?
Nuclear fire rolls past him. If he hesitates, it's only for a moment. "501! Freeze! Release your hostage at once!" His firearm is trained on the Old Maid, but the fact is... as long as he has a hostage, there's not a lot he can do.
At least, not directly.
...but he's not the only one here armed with a firearm now, is he?
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
An attack on Seven Sisters... That's where Ikkaku works. The moment Shinobu heard that, she went deathly quiet - and immediately volunteers herself to join in on the ride there. It's easy to tell she's holding herself back, a rage simmering deep within and ready to boil over.
She practically flings herself out of Mio's vehicle, drawing her staff, and only Myunghon's call gets her to redirect herself to follow them. She races through the hall, lashing out with staff and kicks at any hellhound that gets in her way. It seems like everyone here has been herded into a single room... Shinobu grits her teeth and bursts through the door after Myunghon. Everyone's here, and it seems like one of them has been wounded already. She doesn't recognize Yua by sight, but Myunghon seems to know her.
"Ikkaku!" Shinobu calls out, spotting him - and the rage leaves her face for a brief moment, as she spots who else is here. "...Nee-san!?"
She expected him to be here, Ayame had told her he was working late. But she didn't expect Ayame.
She whirls on the Joker Killer, rage stoked back into a blaze.
"Don't touch them, you bastard!" She yells, moving to position herself in front of Ayame. As much as she wants to lash out, as much as she wants to make him hurt for threatening them... She can't do that, while there's a chance that Ikkaku will get caught in the crossfire.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka happened to be here at Ssevens today because someone had reached out to her for help and Ririka really hasn't learned the lesson of 'work-life balance' or that 'saying no is okay and even healthy sometimes, actually.'
She'll be fine. Probably. Maybe?
Either way, the upshot is someone had reached out to talk to her about putting some music on for an event. Ririka was on her way out when she felt the supernatural aura sweep across the school. She winced a little, as the jangle of discordant tones flooded her senses. "Oh... oh no."
She frantically digs into her backpack, pulling out her Evoker. She takes a deep breath, her hand trembling as she brings it up to her head. She shuts her eyes just as a Hellhound comes tearing around the corner. "Persona!"
Amphion, a man made of stone holding a golden lyre forms of blue flame and broken glass in front of her. Ririka points-- "Magna!" Amphion plays his lyre, rocks lifting front he ground to crash into the Hellhound. Then the Persona turns to Ririka and places a pair of large headphones on her head.
Ririka reaches out and starts to play, a holographic keyboard appearing underneath her fingers as she sends waves of sound out and listens to the result. More people in danger, other persona users... and... there. That has to be the center of it.
It takes her very little time to get to the classroom where things are going down, despite Amphion's plodding steps--she's got the minimap going, now. The tall (5'10") girl busts in with everyone else. "I don't know what this is about, but we won't let you get away with this!"
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou's paper bag tilts to the side as he looks at Yua, "Seriously you are just trying to jump in line aren't you. This is an important lesson. No cutting, well unless you're me." Without even looking at the hellhound Sudou says, "Tim, eat the pretty idiot when you are done with the target." There is more growling and snarling... yet there is no devouring. There was supposed to be bloody messy devouring. Sudou slowly turns around and the Hellhound no longer seems to be growling at Ikkaku and Yua, but at Sudou himself.
"What's all this?" Sudou asks as he points his sword at the Hellhound before the hound scoffs at Sudou. "You know what , I don't need this shit. " The hellhound says before it lets loose a howl that echoes through the school and then runs into the shadow. Anyone still struggling against the hellhounds would seem them suddenly turning tail and disappearing into the nearest shadow.
Back in the classroom Sudou shakes his head, "Just can't get good help these days." Turning back towards the two he raises his sword, and then Ayame shrieks mid swing as it seems to interrupt Sudou again. "Can't a guy get some quiet when he is trying to kill people!" With a quick turn he looks towards Ayame. "You!" Sudou says not knowing who she is until a voice plagues him for a moment. "Oh it's YOU!" A laughter echoes from the paper bag before Sudou approaches Ayame. " So you came to watch history repeat itself did you? Hmm, I got a better idea. " With a flourish of his sword he stabs it into the classroom floor. "Do something about it, that way we can prove to the entire class how futile trying to change the future is."
As others begin to show up though Sudou is getting annoyed. " I am sorry boys and girls if you can't come to class on time you must wait quietly standing in the back. Anyone who speaks up will be holding the water buckets out in the all till their arms are cut off! Those with heroic inklings, stay extra quiet" Though Sudou does stop a moment and stare at the red head, "I don't like you." At the appearance of the princely heroic character Sudou frowns underneath the bag, "I don't like you even more. Just stand quietly."
Then he spots a familiar face, "Oh ho ho, if you are going to come to me that saves me time. Be a good victim and stick around after I am done with the teacher I will get to you. " Then he hears the cop, "Detective, how's your brother? "
Finally Sudou moves to the front of the room as he summons a ball of fire, " So then shall we continue. Given the lack of hounds now, I guess I will have to light things on fire myself." Looking over at Shinobu for a moment he reaches out with a hand not on fire, and taps Ikkaku, "Now what?"
Then he dashes across the room and punches at Ayame before he throws the fireball at Ikkaku, "Or maybe you meant that!" Innocent bystanders are screaming in fear at the magical fireball. It's music to Sudou's ears as he steps forward and shouts, "Lets light it up." Magical heat radiates from Sudou, affecting all those present.
AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Strike skill Sonic Punch on Ayame Watanabe! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Heat Wave on Yua Ooshiro, Minako Arisato, Shinjiro Aragaki, and Myunghon Yeo! AS: Avoid Neutral! Myunghon Yeo takes 46 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Heat Wave on Umie Akabane, Katsuya Suou, Shinobu Shimizu, and Ririka Kawase! ARCANA: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Heat Wave on Goro Akechi! AS: Tatsuya Sudou has readied for combat as Old Maid! He is now fully healed! Ready for 10 opponents! AS: Block Worst! Goro Akechi takes 64 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. AS: Haze added! AS: Avoid Worst! Ayame Watanabe takes 86 Strike damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Sonic Punch. AS: Avoid Neutral! Umie Akabane takes 85 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Critical Hit! AS: Counter Neutral! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 58 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 26 Strike damage in return for his attack! AS: Block Best! Minako Arisato takes 50 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Block Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 40 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Resist!
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
"I'm -- I'm so sorry," Yua says, tears in her one good eye as she blinks, and it's strange in the moment how much blame she takes as she looks to Ikkaku. Tragically, though, she's not apologising for cutting in line. "I don't -- I don't know if you'll really, get home on time today..."
At least the hellhounds decide to grant them mercy, today. Yua puffs out a sigh of relief which gets about halfway out of her throat before she chokes on it, because Sudou's lifting his sword again. "No, don't--!"
A woman runs in, though -- and Sudou plants his sword, and issues her a challenge. "Be careful!" Yua cries, with shallow breath.
It's not just Ayame, though. Yua does not move to take the symbol Shinjiro charges in to hand over; really, it's a wonder she's still standing at all, as the poison weaves through her skin. She looks to Myunghon, and raises her palms, as if to reassure them. "Please, help Watanabe-san..." ... it would be more reassuring if her hands didn't tremble.
At least there's a dashing young prince leaping in to take the next dance. "Please do," she says, to the boy she doesn't know is Akechi, as she has to plant her stance a little more firmly against her dizziness. "I'm afraid... I'm feeling a little faint..."
Yua knows Shinobu, as one of the contractors Miho hires now and again; indeed, she hired her, once, to help re-paint the Gekkoukan green. (She went home, of course, with Remi; surely she had no clue that Shinobu and Myunghon stayed in Gekkoukan after she left. Her trust, brutally used!) She recognises Katsuya, too, though he wouldn't recognise her; likewise Ririka and Shinjiro, all her sins come to haunt her again.
"Don't--!" Yua is one of those people shrieking, as Sudou lobs that fireball; but her hands clasp at her mouth, and just as she warned him, she's not brave enough to leap in the way.
No: she's frozen to the spot, quaking as she watches him suffer.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame sees so many people show up in an instant, one of whom is that nice delinquent, one of whom is, "Shinobu-chan!?"
Ayame is terrified--but not only terrified. Ikkaku, meanwhile, is doing his best to be bold, but he is not made for fights like this. He is an academic, not a soldier. And so many people are suddenly here--
Ikkaku looks to Yua. "You're hurt," he tells her.
"I--"
Sudou starts talking to her. And he stabs his sword into the floor, while Ayame can only stare at him. "W-what are you talking about!?" Ayame exclaims first. "history--future--" He sounds crazy. But...
He hits her, and Ayame goes down roughly. "Aah--!"
But she sees it. "IKKAKU!" Ayame shouts when that fireball goes towards him.
Ayame won't make it in time. But a voice begins to echo in her ears.
'I am thou. Thou art I.'
Ayame pushes herself up and sprints as fast as she can, her shoe's heel breaking and sending her sprawling forward.
'One who has seen so many ends, the time has come.'
"I--Won't--!"
Ayame grabs the sword even as Ikkaku tackles Yua, slamming himself to the ground in an effort to avoid it--and is thus right next to the wall when it catches fire.
'Let the old, weak 'you' pass, that your future may be born!'
Ayame screams as she charges Sudou, sword raised. But suddenly, there is a pulse of blue light from beneath her, stretching in four directions, as a spectral figure rises from her body. A tall, Shadowy woman in an ankle-length dress and hooked cloak, wearing a medallion of a wheel, with sharp golden eyes, pale lips--and heavy jewelry.
She also has a pair of shears the size of a sword. She swings it, and a slash in the air strikes down towards Sudou with razor force.
"GET AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND YOU JACKASS!"
Her heart is pounding a mile a minute. She's terrified. But she raises her sword--the sword that was Sudou's--
"...No matter what he's up to here at school, right now he's still mine! I won't let you hurt him, /or/ that woman with him!"
AS: Persona! Ayame Watanabe has used the Slash skill Fatal End on Tatsuya Sudou!
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
The hellhound facing Minako bolts away. She frowns, then rushes into the door of the classroom -- and with quite a few others. Her eyes dart to Umie and then Shinjiro. She recognizes him; she sucks a gasp in. "Ar--" No, she better not use his name. "It's you!"
She looks, insted, at the Old Maid. The infamous Joker Killer; her blood runs cold for a moment, before she glowers at him.
"Back at you," she says. "Get away from that teacher! What are you doing here!?"
She throws both hands up, crossed over her, as the fireball slams into her and drives her backward. She grits her teeth together, then she shakes her head. There is a glance at the detective, and then back at the others.
And Ririka Kawase.
"Kawase-san!" she says. "Back me up! The Old Maid... this won't be easy!"
She sucks a breath in -- and she is about to call out to Ayame. She turns her head, and then she realizes what's happening. It's something she has done before; it's a place she has been herself. Minako breaks into a grin.
"Linos! Help her out!" the teenager yells. And Linos manifests behind her, throws out one hand, and then a wave of icy shards hurtle forth at the Old Maid.
AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Water skill Bufu on Tatsuya Sudou!
AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 45 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
There's no small amount of reassurance that Rumourmonger Merry has from the amount of backup available. They expected to run into and converge with Shinjiro, of course. This is an even more fraught moment for Shinobu, of course -- and they're going to make sure she's properly backed up and not taking reckless risks, because they know how when their loved ones are in danger how easily caution can be abandoned to the winds.
... you'd know about that, right, Myunghon?
"Shinobu-ssi, I've got your back, so don't hesitate to go all out," Myunghon chooses an approach that's encouraging, not distracting, but they're gesturing with their head to Shinjiro as well, knowing that they might have to make their teamwork extra tight today if they're all going to make it out of here alive.
There are other students here too -- two with Evokers. They've seen one of them -- Ririka was the one who they and Junpei had to protect back in the battle with the Emperor and Empress. So they awakened to a Persona since then too? And Minako... they don't know her, but they'll take any assistance they can get. And that masked woman with the windbreaker and kyoketsu-shoge?!
... Black Cat-san!
Officer Suou is here, and Myunghon feels an intense flinching at hearing his voice -- and then instantly feels horrible for feeling that flinch, even though he *did* save them just the other day, and then has to compartmentialise and push far, far more dire concerns to the fore.
But the presence of a mysterious Princely young person in a Tengu mask certainly is unexpected. His is a Cognitive costume not unlike that of the Ogre or the Phantoms... or, well, theirs, but they've chosen to forego the mask. "Who..."
As such, Yua has no trouble identifying them -- dressed more impressively as they are with their Cognitive Coat seemingly alive behind them, fabric quivering in the air in a manner not unlike that of a stingray's, they kneel before Yua and grip her hand gently. "Yuarin, I'm here. I am here for you, okay? It'll be all right--"
It's not gonna be okay. Yua's bleeding and they foolishly didn't pack the right Skill Card for this occasion. Helplessness washes over them.
The Old Maid takes the first initiative and scorches the room with a wave of heat and flame -- Myunghon's grimacing as Ikkaku tackles Yua to try to get them both clear against the fire, but Myunghon reflexively intervenes by surfaceing Kudlak to bubble both Cape and their Cognitive Coat to protect both them, Yua and Ikkaku.
The magic flame is still fierce, and they can feel their Persona's integrity rattling underneath it as they hide in the darkness for a moment. When they're satisfied they're in the clear, Myunghon retracts their Coat. "Watanabe-san, are you all hurt? I--"
But then it happens.
Ayame moves seemingly at light speeds, and grabs hold of the sword and charges the Old Maid with no fear. A spectral pulse of familiar cognitive Blue rises from within Ayame, and a Shadowy woman rises from within her. Myunghon's eye widens. It's happening again.
"The wheel... keeps turning..." Myunghon whispers, transfixed by the awe of Ayame's Persona for a moment.
Myunghon snaps out of it a moment later, and instinct takes over as they realise they must take advantage of this sudden turn in battle. Still standing largely in front of Yua and Ikkaku to defend them, Kudlak's power rises once more as their Shadow seemingly slithers along the scorched Sevens floor and briefly attempts to trap the Old Maid in complete, imperishable darkness.
"Into the Dark with you, Joker Killer...!"
AS: Persona! Myunghon Yeo has used the Dark skill Imperishable Black on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 100 Slash damage from Ayame Watanabe's Fatal End. <Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Understandable." He says sympathetically to Yua saying she feels a little faint, "I'll take it from here." As if he were simply ready to be Dancing... All Night.
'501! Freeze! Release your hostage at once.'
"Officer, I'm here as your backup." The masked young man tells him in a self-assured tone, despite the gravity of the situation, "Since you seem to lack a partner...? Surely an oversight by your department."
Sudou's own Hellhound abandons him, and the young man chides the murderer lightly, "Even your own hounds are getting cold feet. Perhaps it's time to turn yourself in?" Shinjiro arrives soon after, and Akechi gives him a strange look, "Huh..."
With a little cant of his head, as if surprised that he'd actually been following the killer this closely, before he focuses his attention back on him. "Perhaps leave the woman alone and quit while you're behind, Old Maid? There's nowhere for you to run."
However, then Sudou summons a great ball of fire, and the Princely young man whips out a blade of light, trying to carve through it, but the wave of flame suddenly catches him, forcing him to pat himself down in a quick top to bottom motion - not unlike stretching.
"Interesting." He murmurs, even as Sudou goes for Ikkaku, and performs violence upon Ayame, his eyes narrow as he hisses, "You bastard!" But Ayame instead - awakens, and the young man stands up straighter.
Part of him thinks Ikkaku might receive a form of Justice if he were to die here, but...
"Well... It seems you awakened quite the Lioness, Old Maid." As the young man suddenly surges forth, a gleaming energy blade in hand, as he carves across once with a feint to try and test the Old Maid's guard before going in for a vicious thrust. And while it is little different from a blade, it certainly feels like it burns when it cuts cognitively.
"And far be it from me to question one who's in the middle of defending her mate... whether he deserves it or not."
Despite his assault, as he says that like he's allowing Ayame to keep pressing him he then makes time do a little pivot dance move to catch Yua and pull her out of the way, setting her down gracefully in a chair.
She did say she was feeling a little faint after all.
AS: Weapon! Goro Akechi has used the Slash skill Saber of Light on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! ARCANA: Aggression: Goro Akechi gains 1 Limit!
AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 60 Water damage from Minako Arisato's Bufu. Weak! AS: Bind added! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 54 Dark damage from Myunghon Yeo's Imperishable Black. Critical Hit! AS: Bind, Charm, Exhaust, and Poison added!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
"Get down!" Shinjiro calls to Umie as she and Myunghon arrive. He doesn't make it with the symbol - a fireball blasts at him, burning it to a crisp. Even as it washes over it, singeing his jacket and sending him skidding back, he responds by swinging once with the sign as a riposte, before fumbling for a blue handgun that he points to his temple. He doesn't notice the masked young man canting his head at him, instead pulling the trigger with shaky, slow hands. "CASTOR!"
The hobby-horse riding impaled skeleton appears, enchanting Shinjiro as he clutches his chest, a bloody and painful red aura forming around him.
"I have a bone to pick with you..." he says towards Sudou, but doesn't swing just yet, winded by the empowering buff's toll. He sees Myunghon going for Ikkaku and Yua... "Merry, keep them safe!"
He can't let him die because he took his symbol. He'd never live with himself. But Ikkaku's wife (Ayame, right, he remembers) seems to have a Persona... hopefully, she can work with Myunghon and the group to hold him off and save her husband.
AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Almighty skill Bloody Charge on Shinjiro Aragaki! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 20 HP from Regenerate! AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Bloody Charge. AS: Atk_Up, Crt_Up, and Def_Up added! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 27 Slash damage from Goro Akechi's Saber of Light. AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 27 Slash damage from Goro Akechi's Saber of Light.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Sudou recognizes Umie. Umie frowns; of course, he'd know. Her abilities work only to obscure her passing and going; once the Persona's out, the illusion is over.
It's fine; the mask is more for the students anyway. "... Sorry," Umie manages, flatly, "but you should've got me when I was in the hospital."
Her eyes dart around the room as she ducks back at Shinjiro's command, noting the position of the students, Ikkaku, Yua, and--
"Get back!" Umie shouts at Ayame. Unfortunately, she doesn't know names, her gaze flashing to the others to help her out--
'GET AWAY FROM MY HUSBAND YOU JACKASS!'
"...?!" The rise of an awakening resonance is a particularly different sensation each time Umie's been close enough to feel it, given the many ways it can happen. She tilts her head towards Myunghon, wondering if she feels something similar. There's... something about it, like seeing a butterfly emerge from its cocoon, shivering those newly exposed wings to fly for the first time.
She almost forgets Katsuya is there, in that moment. ".... Suou-san," she says, dumbly, at a loss for words.
A bit of fire can change that real quick, won't it?
Umie leaps back, a hand quickly batting at the embers that try to secure themselves to her mask and coat.
"Old Maid's weak to water. He doesn't have anybody with him; we have numbers on our side." She glances towards the others (pausing momentarily on Minako with a subtle nod towards Shinjiro) whose resonances she can sense, as well as... another Mask-san, with this flavor being 'prince'. Where, exactly, are people getting these fancy costumes?
Well, anyway.
"Badb, to me!" Umie raises a hand, fingers clasped and ready to snap. Blue light pools underneath her, and the dark grey and wine red colors of the Badb hover over Umie's head, just in time for that delayed, satisfying--
snap.
"Pretty sure no one here deserves to go up in flames, Prince-san," Umie idly comments to not-Akechi, as Badb extending a beckoning roll of her clawed red fingers towards Sudou.
AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Almighty skill Hooded Smile on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit!
AS: Umie Akabane regains -3 SP from Invigorate! AS: Myunghon Yeo spends Limit on Shift! Shinobu Shimizu can use another Weak skill this round!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
He's here as his backup.
"...Who?" Katsuya asks of the youth in the red mask, looking him over as if attempting to place him and his attire and coming up blank. His... department?
...That voice.
"--Wait, you... you're the young man who called me?" he asks of the Princely young man. "Then, you're--" He cuts himself off, nodding just the once. "I see. Your assistance is appreciated!"
Of course he doesn't recognize her. The difference between Yua and 'Yumi' is as wide as the sea. She's just another person caught in this mess. If Amano were here, perhaps she could help her. The most he can do is try to stop this.
The Hellhound, to Katsuya's surprise, decides it's had enough of this and skedaddles. Or perhaps, given his own experience with demons, he shouldn't be surprised?
Not that this makes the killer any less dangerous, especially with a hostage and other casualties in line-of-fire.
How's his brother, asks the killer, casually enough.
How Katsuya feels about that line of questioning may be best evinced in the furious look he gives the 'Old Maid'. "Enough," Katsuya says, his firearm trained on #501 still. "I said, release the hostage! Put your hands up!" he orders again.
His response comes in the wave of a wall of heat that throws even him backwards.
He impacts the far wall, Helios' graces sparing him more trouble than this. Yet, it's not himself that Katsuya is worried about. He lurches upright as quickly as he can and charges forward. "Stop--"
But he knows he's already too late to stop that burst of flame for the teacher. As quick as a wink, the young man with the blade of light has intervened, slicing through the flame itself, sparing Ikkaku.
But, that woman. She's still moving. She hasn't stopped. That man is her--
The heel of her shoe snaps. It doesn't stop her. She's running right for him, #501. "Ma'am! Stop!"
The room around them pulses. Hasn't he felt this before? Back when he, when both of them had awoken...!
Ayame keeps going. She won't stop. Even if that man is a killer, she won't stop in defense of her husband. The phantasmal force -- her Persona, properly -- that lunges from her is certain about that, as certain as the end. That blade cleaves into #501, and Katsuya, his own shock at her awakening quickly shuffled to the backburner, responds in kind by unloading at the 'Old Maid'.
"Ma'am! Do not panic! I am a police officer!" Is that what he's going with, now? "I can explain, but first, we must stop #501 here!"
AS: Weapon! Katsuya Suou has used the Pierce skill Handgun - Shot on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! ARCANA: Defense: Katsuya Suou gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Umie Akabane's Hooded Smile. AS: Charm added!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"...Right, thanks." Shinobu replies with a nod. She's appreciative, at least, and the encouragment is focusing.
In the classroom, Shinobu recognizes Yua a moment later. Oh yeah... She's the one from Gekkoukan. She doesn't know why she's here, not knowing that she travels between schools - but that's her business. Right now, Shinobu's business is protecting her family.
There's so many others here, too. Some of them with the power to fight, and many others without. The Joker Killer takes her words as a challenge. A fireball is thrown at Ikkaku and Yua, but thankfully Myunghon is there to defend them.
"Asshole! I'll kill you!" Shinobu hisses, and starts to lunge. But Ayame -
"Nee-san! Watch out!" Shinobu calls out, freezing right in her tracks. She moves to try to intercept, but - Ayame sprints past her. "Ayame!?"
Ayame grabs his sword - and a pulse of blue light emerges from beneath her. Shinobu's eyes open wide.
"You too...?" She gasps.
Ayame has a Persona too, now. A grimace crosses over her face. ...The last thing she wanted was for her to be drawn into this life, too. But now that she is...
"...Lachesis!" Shinobu calls out. Behind her, a shadowy, cloaked woman appears, holding in her hands a rod for measuring thread. Her eyes turn upon Ayame, briefly, and Atropos beyond her. Hands travel down the rod, framing Ayame - and centering an aura of protection from harm around her. To protect her - and also allow her to more easily protect what she cares about.
Shinobu moves to try and make good on her threat, though, at the same time - she rushes toward Sudou, her staff lashing out in a flurry of thrusts toward him.
AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 46 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"...Right, thanks." Shinobu replies with a nod. She's appreciative, at least, and the encouragment is focusing.
In the classroom, Shinobu recognizes Yua a moment later. Oh yeah... She's the one from Gekkoukan. She doesn't know why she's here, not knowing that she travels between schools - but that's her business. Right now, Shinobu's business is protecting her family.
There's so many others here, too. Some of them with the power to fight, and many others without. The Joker Killer takes her words as a challenge. A fireball is thrown at Ikkaku and Yua, but thankfully Myunghon is there to defend them. Fire washes over her, too - and Shinobu's staff spins to try and disperse the flames. Heat makes it through - but right now, she's too hot-headed. She'll worry about the possibility of burns later.
"Asshole! I'll kill you!" Shinobu hisses, and starts to lunge. But Ayame -
"Nee-san! Watch out!" Shinobu calls out, freezing right in her tracks. She moves to try to intercept, but - Ayame sprints past her. "Ayame!?"
Ayame grabs his sword - and a pulse of blue light emerges from beneath her. Shinobu's eyes open wide.
"You too...?" She gasps.
Ayame has a Persona too, now. A grimace crosses over her face. ...The last thing she wanted was for her to be drawn into this life, too. But now that she is...
"...Lachesis!" Shinobu calls out. Behind her, a shadowy, cloaked woman appears, holding in her hands a rod for measuring thread. Her eyes turn upon Ayame, briefly, and Atropos beyond her. Hands travel down the rod, framing Ayame - and centering an aura of protection from harm around her. To protect her - and also allow her to more easily protect what she cares about.
Shinobu moves to try and make good on her threat, though, at the same time - she rushes toward Sudou, her staff lashing out in a flurry of thrusts toward him.
AS: Persona! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Almighty skill Dance of Protection on Ayame Watanabe! AS: Weapon! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Jab Flurry on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! ARCANA: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Ayame Watanabe takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Dance of Protection. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 27 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Handgun - Shot. AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 44 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Handgun - Shot. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
'Detective'? Ririka casts a worried glance Katsuya's way and tries to scoot her arm with its Evoker back juuuust a tiny bit so it's not so directly in the cop's line of sight.
But that's undone a moment later as she throws her arms up in front of her to guard herself, , gritting her teeth as she feels the heat rolling over her. She grits her teet and feels a little toasty, but the pain isn't too bad. "Ugh--geeze..."
She doesn't recognize Yua, though. Which is probably good for both of them: Yua to keep her cover and Ririka to not get distracted in a critical moment.
But she watches as Ayame charges forward. "Oh-- Watanabe-san?" No, not just the woman she met over in the Aoba Ward. Blue flame brings a Persona, and she gasps as she hears the resonance from the summoning flood outwards. "Amazing..."
But her attention is drawn to Minako. Back her up. "Ha, Arigato-san!" This is their first fight together. She can't let her fellow SEES member down.
Ririka was cowering the last time she met Myunghon in a supernatural space... but she won't need protection now. (Or not the same kind.)
"Amphion!" Ririka calls out. "Let's keep everyone energized!"
Amphion strums his lyre, and as his fingers touch the otherwise-invisible string they flicker into sight. He sends energizing waves of music washing over Ririka, Minako, Shinjiro, and Ayame. And then Ririka reaches out to talk to Ayame, to offer her encouragement. "Watanabe-san, we're with you. You're not alone in this."
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Recovery skill Relaxing Wave on Ririka Kawase, Minako Arisato, Shinjiro Aragaki, and Ayame Watanabe! AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Ayame Watanabe can use another Weak skill this round! SP +8! Healed 20! AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Relaxing Wave. AS: Vigor added! AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Relaxing Wave. AS: Vigor added! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 23 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 23 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 38 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Minako Arisato takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Relaxing Wave. AS: Vigor added! AS: Take! Ayame Watanabe takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Relaxing Wave. AS: Vigor added!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
The Old Maid is watching his work and watching the fire spread as he expects any moment that teacher will burn. Then he senses it, the appearance of a new persona, he looks at the frozen dancer for a moment before he shakes his head. No it's not her, could it be... A cry of pain comes from Sudou as his back takes a wide slash along his back. Turning the smile face that is normally on the paper bag has shifted to an angry scowl with the eyes through the paper bag peering through them at Ayame. "You you b..." Magic is already flying at him as Sudou can't finish his sentence.
Sudou grabs a desk to block the attacks from Myunghon and Minako as the desk turns into shards of wood and plastic and still bleed through to hurt their target. This does leave him holding two of the legs of the desk. Magic of flames and shadows flow over the desk legs as Sudou dashes towards Myungon and swings downward with one of his improvised swords. Then he spins and throws the other leg at Minato to retaliate for that ice ball, which is illegal to throw, even in snowball fights.
Turning he sees the Space Prince coming in with his space sword, and swings the magically infused desk leg up to do his best to block the sword. " Kksssshhhh, Kksssshhhh" Sudou imitates certain sound effects as the swords clash but is driven back as the leg is cut in two. Breathing heavy from exerting himself, "I find your chivalrous nature disturbing." With a raise of his hand Sudou pushes his palm forward and... fire erupts from under Robin hood. It's not like he is psychic or anything.
Sudou turns to deal with Ayame now and finds a Shinjiro in his way, "I'm sorry? Do I know you?" Suddenly Umie's magic falls on him and he frowns, "Excuse me, the important people need to talk. " Sudou swings his fist at Shinjiro to move him out of the way before he goes for Umie. "Oh my sweet victim to be. Do I look like a toothless lion who can't hunt? There is no fun if you are stuck in the hospital. This is much more fun. " A swift upper cut is thrown to her chest.
Bullets hitting Sudou's back distracts him from Umie, " I am getting really tired of people bringing guns to a magic fight! " Another desk has its legs ripped off as Sudou charges towards Katsuya and swings the two legs rapidly attempting to slash him more with the magical enhancement of the weapons then the actual legs themselves.
Shinobu distracts Sudou again forcing him to try and leap back and avoid the attacks but can only go so quickly, and takes some hits. That is when he sees an angering sight, someone is back there playing white mage. With a single strike in mid air Sudou sends magical blades at Ririka and Shinobu. "No healing! Also stop calling me an asshole!"
FInally his attention is back on Ayame, "Now for you. The Lioness. " Flames crawl across Sudou's back working to heal the sword slash and bullets hole. "Do you know anything about lions? Do you know what happens when the head lion is killed? Do you know what the lionesses do? They go straight into heat for the new head of the family. It's like Hubby's Day out on the grass, all the cubs have been slaughtered, and suddenly everybody's singing "Can You Feel The Love Tonight? So Lioness, do you want to play Lions? " Sudou leans in and growls a little which is rather muffled from inside the bag.
"I'll even let you kill his other lioness."
AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Burning Slash on Minako Arisato! AS: Tatsuya Sudou takes 60 damage from Exhaust! AS: Charm results in party damage! Tatsuya Sudou takes 60 damage! AS: Weapon! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Slash skill Overhead Slash on Myunghon Yeo! ARCANA: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Goro Akechi! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Strike skill Sonic Punch on Shinjiro Aragaki! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Strike skill Sonic Punch on Umie Akabane! AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Slash skill Slice & Dice on Katsuya Suou! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Slash skill Vortex Slash on Shinobu Shimizu and Ririka Kawase! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Recovery skill Burning Spirit on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Avoid Best! Myunghon Yeo takes 43 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Overhead Slash. AS: Avoid Best! Goro Akechi takes 106 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. Critical Hit! AS: Haze added! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 72 Recovery healing from Tatsuya Sudou's Burning Spirit. AS: Atk_Up added! AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Loses 46 HP from Poison! Poison removed! AS: Avoid Neutral! Minako Arisato takes 42 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Burning Slash. Resist! AS: Avoid Worst! Umie Akabane takes 70 Strike damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Sonic Punch. AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 48 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Vortex Slash. AS: Block Best! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 30 Strike damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Sonic Punch. AS: Haze added! AS: Block Neutral! Katsuya Suou takes 59 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Slice & Dice. Critical Hit! AS: Counter Neutral! Katsuya Suou takes 70 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Slice & Dice. Critical Hit! AS: COUNTER! Tatsuya Sudou takes 32 Slash damage in return for his attack!
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
She reaches out, weakly, to grasp Myunghon's hand. (Merry will, she's sure, keep them safe.) "I'm scared," she admits, quietly, to the one person here with the most insight into why. And why, in turn, she'd repeat -- "I'm sorry."
Perhaps, without that context, it seems she's apologising for having such inconvenient feelings.
She doesn't realise that the Prince might know even more than they do -- though she smiles, weakly, to him. "Thank you..."
Ikkaku is the one who can move, as a thousand memories lock Yua in place; she is easy to tackle, falling with him. Thanks to Myunghon, the fire doesn't scourge them, and so she's able to watch as Ayame realises something vital about herself; as Atropos rises, and her shears slice down.
"Ah... so, your wife is..." Yua puts the pieces together, sighing in relief. (Perhaps it sounds like a different type of sigh, in the wrong context.) "Thank goodness..."
Linos, at least, has the Joker's weakness. Yua wishes she wasn't so relieved children were here... to handle what she ought to take responsibility for.
She's not sure why the Prince would say that Ikkaku doesn't deserve saving, though. "Watanabe-san's a, a good man!" She insists, tremulous, as she struggles to push her hands beneath her and stand again. "He was only n--neglecting his family to secure their future..! He truly thought he needed to take the burden on himself alone..."
She sways, unsteady on her feet as she finds them; luckily, the Prince swoops in to catch her, rescuing her from an ungraceful return to the ground and setting her in a chair instead. "Oh!" She gasps, grasping onto his arm for support for a moment before she's able to set her weight into the seat. "T-thank you..."
Privately, she hopes that Shinobu does kill the Joker, only to feel a horrible sinking feeling in her gut as she reflects on how easily she jumped to murder as a solution. ... is she not as uncomfortable with Miho's business as she tells herself she is?
She startles, then, her eye widening as she realises what she needs to do. "Mimi--! Recchi!" She exclaims, as she reaches into her handbag, not for the thing connecting her to Gretchen -- but for the thing connecting her to her fiancee, let alone one of her best friends.
Except...
When Yua pulls her phone out of her bag, the front is shattered; as she flips it open, the screen is blank, broken, and quite useless.
"Oh," she says, as her hand trembles so fiercely she drops her ruined phone entirely. "Oh... I..."
She's so distracted by her disappointment, she doesn't notice Ririka's encompassing healing; doesn't realise that the situation could get far worse, for her.
She does, at least, notice the Navigation skills Umie uses, and takes a moment to tighten her own control over her Resonance, swallowing it deeper inside herself. She doesn't wish to be found out, though she could salve her wounds so easily if she did.
Yua looks to Sudou with growing distress, though, as he starts talking about lions. "W-what are you talking about?!" She stammers, still quite pale. "You... you mean me? Why would I -- you think I want a lion? You think I -- and he -- it really isn't like that! I, I just know what it feels to be left alone until dinner's gone cold!"
Really, it's far too unfortunate that poison's worked its way through her heart, now. She's not thinking right. The Joker's accusing her of the opposite of how she felt, and, and -- "I don't even LIKE lions!" Yua exclaims, desperately.
............................................................
so is she literally saying she's not a cat person, or...
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ayame does not have time to notice or complain about Shinjiro shooting himself--but Ikkaku has time to look up at Shinjiro. "Aragaki-kun...?" Myunghon just saved him, but he didn't quite catch what actually happened. "Yeo-san!"
Akechi comments on her, and Ayame holds the sword in a way that she hopes is menacing. "He--he still deserves it!" Ayame insists. "I only..."
"Ayame!" Ikkaku calls, and coughs, having hurt himself some diving to the ground.
Ayame meanwhile is almost panicked, despite the calming influence of her Persona--until Katsuya speaks up. He'd told her to stop, but...
"I can't stop," she says. "I love him."
But Katsuya assures her that she doesn't need to panic, and, "A-all right! I'll trust you! But I won't give up, either!"
"Shinobu-chan!" Ayame calls. "You--" Are apparently some kind of combat badass. Ayame blinks in surprise--and then she hears Ririka reach out to her, too. "...Right!"
Sudou almost calls her a nasty word! Ayame is still someone who hasn't noticed she just cursed.
The Lioness, though. Ayame blinks as Sudou addresses her. About lions? She does know some, but--
But--
Her eyes go wide. Ayame's mouth opens. She stares.
"You..."
Yua's words about the good reaons Ikkaku is neglecting his family ring in her ears. She's defending him. Of course she would. That's best, isn't it?
But.. Sudou.
She shakes her head. "You..."
"Are DISGUSTING!" Ayame shouts at Sudou, and hacks down with her sword straight at his paper bag face! "Aaaaaah!"
She's pretty sure she just heard Yua say she doesn't like lions. That sounds important, even though it makes no sense for it to be important. Ayame is too overwhelmed to make sense of it in the moment.
"ATROPOS! Come forth!"
She raises her hand, and this time, Atropos appears with her shears held upward. She suddenly presents a golden string, a phantasm of which appears over Sudou's head.
She snips with the scissors, and darkness explodes down on the Old Maid.
AS: Weapon! Ayame Watanabe has used the Slash skill Swift Cut on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Aggression: Ayame Watanabe gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Ayame Watanabe has used the Dark skill Eiha on Tatsuya Sudou!
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Why yes - that would be me." He replies to Katsuya with a smile, at his voice being recognized. "You'll be happy to know that it is safely back in her hands."
Indeed, he'd set this up as an experiment, to see how that might work.
(Cue 'Prince-san' in this form saying his real name again, and again in the Metaverse to Shadows he's bullying.)
It's good to know some experiments bear fruit. As Umie - Shinjiro... might get the impression swiftly, that he's someone they know.
The Old Maid makes fun of the Light Saber, and the Prince, laughs at him, "Oh is that so? Does it not meet your standards? Aha... Well-"
Fire erupts beneath him, and suddenly, he's not there in a blur of movement that ricochets off the wall like an ink smear as his tone drops low, "-you're certainly no father of mine."
If his white outfit looks somewhat more singed, then he seems to pay it little enough mind, save that this was becoming a more interesting fight than he expected.
Umie says that he hardly deserves the flames, and he ruminates, "Hmm, I wonder."
Yua insists that he's not in fact cheating, and 'Prince-san' looks at her, and smiles, "Oh is that so? ... My mistake." He says as if he was never seriously thinking that in the first place, "Under the circumstances... it was just so easy to believe any 'happily' married man might."
One might wonder if he actually knew all along, and was just injecting some drama into things by implying he's a cheating cheater.
"Though, do you think telling his wife that he was merely 'securing their future' will be enough?"
It seems though that he gave Sudou some ideas and Akechi's eyes narrow, as with a sharp gesture, he poses and places a hand to his face, "Manifest! ROBIN HOOD!"
And as he does, a towering figure with absurd, almost comic book proportions manifests, with a Golden Bow. He looks vaguely robotic, like he might be a figure on a Sentai Show - or an anime - or a Western comic book all at once, with a flickering cape.
And as the figure poses in tandem with him, it points a finger, rather than his bow, as abruptly mirrors rise around him, and flash.
"I'm sorry, but did you turn your murder 'attempt' into a bad trip to Destiny land? ... I think you're losing your touch."
AS: Persona! Goro Akechi has used the Light skill Hama on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Goro Akechi: Haze removed!
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Glad you're with me!" Minako calls to Ririka. She glances towards Myunghon. She doesn't know them -- but right now, she is glad for anyone they have here. She looks at Umie, then she nods her head. "Got it... okay!"
She looks at Shinjiro and hesitates, before she calls out: "I--I thought you stopped doing this!"
Sudou throws a table leg for Minako. It hurls forward, slamming into the girl's midsection and knocking her back -- and knocking the air out of her. She stumbles, before she catches her footing. She shakes her head to clear it, pushing herself up to her feet.
Ayame summons Atropos to fight back -- and Minako hopes that will buy her a moment.
Amphion's music washes over Minako. She steels herself, as she pulls her Evoker out again. She puts the barrel of it against her temple. She proves fearless in how she pulls the trigger -- and glass and blue light erupt again from her temple, red hair fluttering to the side with wind brought on by the Evoker's report.
"Pyro Jack!" she calls out. "To me!"
With a swirl of red flame, the Jack-o-Lantern spirit appears behind her. But rather than flame, the newly-summoned Persona does a swirl and a twirl behind her, before crying out: "Hee-ho!"
Then, a burst of aquamarine and violet light erupts around Shinjiro.
AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Almighty skill Dance of Protection on Shinjiro Aragaki! AS: Minako Arisato spends Limit on Shift! Shinjiro Aragaki can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Block Neutral! Ririka Kawase takes 79 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Vortex Slash. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 81 Slash damage from Ayame Watanabe's Swift Cut. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 64 Dark damage from Ayame Watanabe's Eiha. AS: Blast added! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 95 Light damage from Goro Akechi's Hama. AS: Take! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 0 Almighty damage from Minako Arisato's Dance of Protection. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added! <Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
A punch swings out for Shinjiro, who brings up his sign and arm to guard it, recoiling even so as he's battered. Everyone's fighting... does he know that masked hero? He can't think about it right now.
Minako and Ririka have both supported him here, but Minako's words cause him to hesitate. What is he doing here...? He keeps telling them it's the last time, but... can he say that again?
No.
"I had. But things have changed. And besides..."
The evoker goes up to his temple again, one hand holding the sign still, as he addresses the Old Maid.
"THIS IS PERSONAL, YOU BASTARD! If I have to come out of retirement to take you down... I'LL CRUSH YOU BENEATH MY HEEL!" Shinjiro roars out, as Castor explodes out in the roar of blue, moving to leap into the air. Shinjiro charges at the same time, swinging his sign straight at Sudou, trying to smash him twice, with sign and Persona alike as Castor moves to stomp downwards on top of him with excessive strength.
The man who took Miki is in front of him. He might be able to capture him here and now, end his reign of terror. But he's a bit too angry and impulsive to think about anything right this second other than *beating him down*.
This is followed by a powerful blow again from Castor, who leaps off, lands on the ground, and then charges with a powerful blow that will pierce defenses, trying to force him backwards as powerfully as possible. If anything, Shinjiro is excessively strong... but not very controlled, not able to think about collateral damage in this moment!
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
"I won't let harm come to them," Myunghon agrees with Shinjiro, knowing the youth himself has quite the story behind his relation to the Joker Killer -- they're going to have to keep an eye on him too. Him and Shinobu both. But they've got a chance, right here... and even if they don't succeed, they're going to observe the mechanisms behind how slippery the Joker Killer really is.
Myunghon clearly does, Umie -- the awe in which they're struck at the emergence of a new Persona feels... at the same time, inspiring, and yet a bit cruel, because they know it means someone else is going to have their life turned upside down. ... but better that than to see one's husband in peril, right?
But...
Why does Ayame's Persona give them a sense of deja vu? For a moment, their chest hurts -- they write it off as Jin Shirato's shrapnel wound hurting again, but it almost feels as if they should fear it.
And in that instance, witnessing Shinobu's Persona -- Lachesis -- rise beside Ayame's, seeing clearly the similarities between the two, that wound starts to ache twice as much. Why...? They feel a strange sense of guilt and horror in them. Why does it feel so familiar?
It feels like... drowning.
Power through it, Rumourmonger Merry. This is no time for guilt and ache and oxygen to not be in your lungs. Sudou's suddenly gunning through them, and his sword comes down, sure as hell to bisect them if they don't do something about it-- and something Kudlak does, as it succeeds its Brave roll and Blade Grasps the blade with both of his inky-black hands. Even then, the sheer physical strength Sudou possesses barely makes it a vice grip -- and supernatural 'blood' starts to flow down Kudlak's matte body.
While their Persona protects them, Myunghon gestures desperately to Yua and Ikkaku to position them further out of the way. Sudou's taunting Ayame about a Lioness metaphor, and Myunghon can't help but realise that the Old Maid's a really chatty person... almost too chatty. It's almost like this is all a game to them... there's something frightening behind it. They are a bonafide sequence killer, after all.
"I know..." Myunghon whispers back to Yua. And when Yua says her apology, they too know the reasons why they might say sorry -- because there's an Evoker somewhere on their person, because Gretchen could have protected her and Ikkaku, but she can't. "There's no need for an apology, Yuarin. I'll keep you and Ikkaku-san safe."
Still, they're looking for a point of egress for them. Hoping the Joker Killer will be too distracted to notice. With all the heat and fire flying around, it's only going to be a matter of time before this classroom will catch on fire. "Ikkaku-san, keep low and don't breathe the smoke. Try to find a chance to get out, okay...?"
... they find it strangely distressing to be back here, in Sevens, with Yua next to them. They can almost see the younger Yua and Miho and Remi and... Myorei, as they'd call her (back then, her, the Perfect Student of the Binary). Wasn't life supposed to make even the slightest more modium of sense after high school? Where... where did it all go so wrong for all of them? Did they ever have a chance?
"You're a pretty slippery guy... but I see the patterns, Old Maid," Myunghon speaks, gaining a bit of wickedness in their smile. "The ways in which you cover your attacks on people... the links Strega and a certain other organisation has with you... it is only a matter of time before I'm certain I'm playing your game."
Their eye glints with a certain kind of madness as they thrust their hand forward. Kudlak rises from within the depths of their Cognitive Coat, and a swarm of black tendrils seizes out to strike -- and dark explosions may just burst along with their attack.
"And then it will be..." They click their finger. "Checkmate."
AS: Persona! Myunghon Yeo has used the Dark skill All According to Plan on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Strike skill Black Spot on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Strike skill Dual Smash on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 20 HP from Regenerate! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 230 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Black Spot. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 68 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Dual Smash. AS: Counter Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 64 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Dual Smash. AS: COUNTER! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 31 Strike damage in return for his attack! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 46 Dark damage from Myunghon Yeo's All According to Plan. AS: Sick added! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 67 Dark damage from Myunghon Yeo's All According to Plan. Critical Hit! AS: Sick added!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu hears Ayame calling her name in surprise. ...Well, given that she's never seen her fight before, she supposes it would be surprising. Is she going to look at her differently, now? ...She can't worry about that. Focus.
The Joker Killer sends magical blades her way and Shinobu lashes out with her staff. She manages to knock one of them away clearly, but the other cuts across her arm, eliciting a hiss.
"What the hell. It's fine for you to kill people, but calling you names is too far? I've got a dozen more for you, but that's the nice one." Shinobu replies. His words... Shinobu's eyes narrow. Ayame is right - he is disgusting. What he's saying, though... Is he trying to imply...? She glances between Ikkaku, Ayame, and Yua. Is she the one Ayame spoke to her about? Her attention lingers on Yua for a moment.
...She says she 'doesn't even like lions'. Is she being literal, thinking he's being literal? Is she making an excuse? Or...
...For a moment, Shinobu's gaze turns sympathetic toward Yua as she draws conclusions - but she forces herself back onto the fight quickly.
She's grateful that Myunghon is here. Her own Persona is pretty limited - the spell she cast for Ayame is one of the few support abilities she has. All she can do is fight - so fight she will.
"...Let's blunt those fangs of yours." Shinobu says. Lachesis shifts her measuring rod in her hands, holding it like a weapon, now - and she lunges toward Sudou, swinging it in a disarming strike. It leaves a weakening aura in its wake, threatening to make good on Shinobu's promise.
"Ayame... I'm not gonna tell you not to fight." Shinobu says, glancing toward her sister. She deserves this fight - and she knows that if she doesn't do it here, she'll be thinking about it for the rest of her life. "...But this guy, he's dangerous. The real deal - be careful."
AS: Persona! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Swordbreaker on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
'Nee-san.' Umie looks from Shinobu to Ayame. Lachesis. Atropos. Is there a third, somewhere? Another sister?
It's enough to allow whatever traces of resonance Yua might have lying outside her curtain of spiritual domain to be sweeped back inside.
That, and Sudou's calling her bluff, coming in nice and close for a punch to her chest. Oh shit, she needs to put padding there, that's going to
huuuuuurrttttt ooowwwwww
Umie is thrown back against some desks, and in the moment she holds onto her chest, she briefly considers:
..... wasn't this where she had her math class? Or was it history? That's a surreal thought.
"Clearly this is a matter for his wife to deal with, not a serial killer with a paper bag on his head," Umie states matter-of-factly to Akechi, a hand droping from her chest, her eyes narrowing slightly towards the couple.
But Sudou's comments are *especially* rancid.
"Every victim you leave alive learns something a little bit more about you," Umie says, building off of Myunghon's words. "Me running away from you for that long wasn't fun, but it's my specialty to make most of a terrible situation. So I got to learn a whole lot about how you operate. It was sweet, feeding that information around~" A delighted open-mouthed grin spreads on the hooded young woman's face, like a little blackbird on a perch.
'Checkmate.'
As Shinjiro runs in, Badb appears behind Umie, pointing a singular finger at Sudou; and suddenly, Umie's on the move as well, falling under the Badb's veil as she swoops in and below the level of the desks, popping up behind Sudou with the blade of her kyoketsu-shoge aimed at Sudou's back.
For all those nights she had been scared... this feels ever so sweet.
AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Shock Noise! Fire_Break applied to Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Tandem! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Seeker in the Dark on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit!
AS: Umie Akabane regains -3 SP from Invigorate! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 75 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Swordbreaker. Critical Hit! AS: Atk_Dn added! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 40 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Seeker in the Dark.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Excuse you, Sudou. Ririka is not a White Mage.
She's a Bard. Get it straight!
But no healing, he says. "Yeah, and I'm gonna listen to you... why?" Magical blades are a pretty good answer, and Ririka lets out a startled yelp as they crash against her, hastily bringing her arms up to guard again. Blue fire cuts across her body as it impacts. "Guh-- Oh that... " She's staggered back a step, a bit unsteady for a moment but still standing.
There's apparently a conversation about lions happening. She is... missing pretty much all the context for that conversation, but she doesn't like the way Suduo is talking about it. She's made up her mind on that, at least.
"I'm glad you're here too," Ririka says to Minako. But she glances over to Shinjiro as Minako calls him out. "He stopped? But he was there when I was fighting that Yumi woman at Sumaru TV!"
(Sorry, Shinjiro. Sorry, Yua.)
But there's a lot happening, and Ririka is distracted trying to keep track of everyone in the fight. There's so much noise and sensory information with all of the Resonance flooding the area... She holds the headphones to the side of her head tightly as she listens. There are people hurt and in need of healing. "Amphion!" she shouts, bringing the Evoker to her head. A slight tremble before she pulls.
Amphion the Persona surges with new life in a rush of blue flames and shattering glass. "Mediarama!" she shouts. Mentally she's thinking of herself, Akechi, Katsuya and Umie...
But she's so distracted she also thinks about Yua, the supposedly non-supernatural bystander.
Amphion strums his lyre, and a bright green light washes over all of her chosen recipients... including Yua.
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Recovery skill Mediarama on Ririka Kawase, Goro Akechi, Katsuya Suou, and Umie Akabane! ARCANA: Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Katsuya Suou takes 92 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Mediarama. AS: Take! Goro Akechi takes 92 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Mediarama. AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 92 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Mediarama. AS: Take! Umie Akabane takes 92 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Mediarama.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
'Nee-san'. "You're her-- I see," Katsuya answers, glancing at Shinobu. There are a number of connections here, it's true.
It's safely back in her hands. "I see," he says, nodding the once as 'Red Mask' explains himself. "You have my thanks. Now--"
The time, after all, for a conversation like that is past.
"Surrender, and this can all be over!" Katsuya exhorts #501, as the latter apparently complains about his use of his service firearm.
Katsuya urges Ayame not to panic, that things are -- well, not under control, obviously, but not so far from what he's apparently expected that it's time to freak out. But she says she 'won't give up'. He nods, as if encouraged by her spirit. "Good! We cannot stop just yet!" The explanations part can wait, but first, they need to survive this moment without any deaths or serious injury.
Speaking of injury!
The Joker Killer closes on him, striking at him twice with a table leg. First, the makeshift weapon catches him across his left upper arm as he does his best to try to evade (it doesn't work out very well) and then, caught in close combat, he throws a first in retaliation as escape from another swing of #501's bludgeon becomes impossible.
It's all he can do to break away after that, bleeding from the wounds he's collected. Nothing he can't walk off, of course, but if it continues in this vein, he'll be in a bad position.
But in the current situation he's found himself in, what can he exactly do about that except continue to press the man?
Unasked for, there is a miracle: that girl over there has a Persona capable of healing magic, and its power washes over him as it does others. "Thank you!" he calls to Ririka, feeling some of his strength return to him.
The 'Old Maid' speaks of lions. Of what they do when the head lion's killed.
"What are you...! Even if that's true in nature, she's a person, not a lion!" Katsuya shoots back. Did that also strike a nerve, somehow? He looks mad about it, perhaps even disgusted.
As if in retaliation of his own, he gestures broadly at #501. "Persona...!" If there were any doubt for 'new faces' on the scene that he, too, has this power, this will put it to rest. Helios, clad in his finery, manifests to float just before Katsuya. With one snap of a clawed hand, and the scent of ozone rolling through the room, the Persona brings down the thunder.
AS: Persona! Katsuya Suou has used the Elec skill Zio on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Defense: Katsuya Suou gains 1 Limit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 63 Elec damage from Katsuya Suou's Zio.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Tatsuya Sudou had messed up, and even the voice is telling him that he needs to stop screwing around. It will not shut up about telling him to get serious. The sword coming down, gives Sudou only a brief moment to dodge and he still loses a corner of his paper bag, as well as a gash on his leg. He attempts to keep rolling away trying to dodge the magic but rolls into a desk and still gets showered in that dark magic. " Fine, but if I am doing this give me a sword." Sudou stands back up. " I know I gave it to her. Look, let's not point fingers, cause I don't think you have any. Just give me a damn sword. "
A glance is given to Yua, as she truthfully seems to be a bystander compared to everyone else. Still it appears whoever The Joker Killer was talking to has a sense of humor. Sudou charges straight at Yua and thrusts his hand forward before it goes right by Yua and into a shadow. From it he draws forth a new sword. " Thanks for the sword, dog lover, you can die later." Dark magic flows over Sudou's entire body.
First dark magic and then light as Sudou raises the sword to cover his eyes but it burns the rest of his body. "Do you know the most annoying thing, pretty boy, is that they keep saying over and over that you are right. This is a job, not speed dating." The Joker Killer pushes off the ground and pulls his sword into his body before thrusting it out trying to impale the would-be hero.
Sudou doesn't get to move much more, as a persona appears and puts Sudou through the classroom wall and into the school hallway. The damn Persona keeps coming and all Sudou can do is tuck in and take it. However he sees an opportunity to climb to his feet and as he does he throws a rock at Shinjiro. This is followed with him trying to avoid the damn tentacles that are coming after him and he is so thankful they only explode. It hurts, but it could be worse. In response though Sudou channels magic to try to cause more flames to rise up where Shinjiro and Myunghon are currently standing.
Shinobu seems to be a bit annoyed about Sudou chastising for language. The attempt to dodge her fang blunting attack isn't great, Sudou will later blame it on the lopside bag. The wound is in his right arm and that weakening aura leaves his arm kinda tingly, or it's the blood loss. A barrage of quick slashes are returned as he tries to not drop his new sword.
The healer is still healing and that enrages him but then he smells ozone and realizes he is holding a lightning rod. Jumping out of the way doesn't work as well, his sword is a lightning rod. That leaves the taste of copper in his mouth.
Standing slowly he speaks again, "Fine, I'll trade you the blood of a Suou and in exchange you include the healer and the thief with my sword. Oh and the one that runs her mouth. Definitely her." Sudou talks to himself as his magic spikes. A few might recognize what is about to happen. Then above his head, the Joker sits smiling. Shuffling some cards.
The joker points at Ayame, Umie, Ririka and Katsuya, before he throws cards at each one. That explodes with that pure magic flavor.
AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Psych! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Salve! Sick removed from Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Almighty skill Heat up on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat up. AS: Atk_Up added! AS: Weapon! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Pierce skill Stab at Thee on Goro Akechi! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Shinjiro Aragaki! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Myunghon Yeo! AS: Weapon! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Slash skill Quick Strike on Shinobu Shimizu! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Exploit! Tatsuya Sudou can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Weapon! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Slash skill Quick Strike on Shinobu Shimizu! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Broad! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Almighty skill Joker Wild on Ayame Watanabe, Umie Akabane, Ririka Kawase, and Katsuya Suou! AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Broad and Psych removed! AS: Block Best! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 47 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. AS: Block Worst! Ayame Watanabe takes 125 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Joker Wild. AS: Avoid Neutral! Myunghon Yeo takes 90 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. AS: Haze added! AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 61 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Quick Strike. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 61 Slash damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Quick Strike. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Worst! Goro Akechi takes 67 Pierce damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Stab at Thee. AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Brace! AS: Avoid Best! Umie Akabane takes 83 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Joker Wild.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
What -- what did Yua just say? Surely... surely no one will think she meant she doesn't like men... right? Of course, she's fooling herself with that reassurance. It's not that obscure a statement. If Akechi hadn't needled her on whether her reassurances were enough, would she have felt so pressured to say it...?
When she meets Shinobu's eyes, in the wake of her denial, she certainly looks like she's just revealed a far more terrible secret than her preferences in African fauna. (For the record? Her favourite is the noble cobra.)
Ayame screams, though, and Yua feels a deeper stab of guilt that apparently she's added to her grief. She's too upset to properly appreciate Minako's Pyro Jack, though some part of her does recognise that it's shocking she has two Personas.
At least Myucchi is here to protect her, Yua thinks -- though she shrieks, as the sheer power of Shinjiro's shockwave washes past her and knocks her from her chair. (It might even be the very same chair she sat in, class of '07, as she gamely put her hand up in Health and Physical Education to cover for one of Miho's episodes -- only to be mercilessly bullied by her teacher for not knowing anything about the passage of blood through the heart. ... did you think she was good at that class, just because she's teaching it now?)
She grasps at the side of the chair, pausing, for a moment, to contemplate Umie's words. Every victim he leaves alive... learns more about him. If that's a given, then...
... she really shouldn't have stopped to wonder about that, though. If she'd been seated in her chair -- it might have been less obvious, the way Mediarama knits the open gashes on her back together, accelerates the healing process to angry red welts instead of bleeding slashes through her flesh. "Oh," she sighs, in relief, before her eyes widen and she gasps: "Oh--!"
She oughtn't be as relieved for the healing as Katsuya; she's not supposed to even be able to receive it.
She looks to the bag atop Sudou's head with her own eye, as he draws close enough to draw a blade from the darkness beside her.
He might get a strange, terrible, familiar feeling, looking at her this closely...
... that beneath that eyepatch...
... there are three pupils, not one.
And she is harried, looking to him, though the colour's returned to her cheeks.
Yua manages to lift herself back to her chair, to seat herself there again, though her hands clench tightly in her lap as she looks down to them.
"I... I didn't mean to..."
AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 117 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Joker Wild. AS: Katsuya Suou spends Limit on Brace! AS: Block Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 124 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Joker Wild.
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
"But what about--" Ikkaku coughs, pushing himself up from the ground but not to a standing position, as Myunghon talks to him. What he was going to say is lost to the smoke for the moment. Yua is pushed by that blast, and Ikkaku goes for her, not for the exit. "Ooshiro-san!" he calls. "You helped me, but now it's my turn! Let's get out of here!" He reaches her chair, crouched, and tries to offer his hand.
Ayame meanwhile hears from Shinobu. "I... I understand," Ayame answers her sister. Sudou is no longer trying to flirt with her though. He's talking to... himself? Ayame is not sure this is actually better. But Akechi is helping? Definitely helping. Not that she recognizes him as who he is, of course. "Oh, look out!"
For their future... That's what Ooshiro said.
The wall is broken. That's... not great. Ayame looks to Shinjiro in alarm. "!?"
But then there's--ah. That magic.
The card explodes, and Ayame is knocked backward, falling with the breath knocked out of her. "Oh--!"
She pushes herself up, wincing. "I'm... not dead?" she wonders. "...Well, in that case--"
She pushes herself to her feet, and looks to Yua and Ikkaku. "...Don't like lions, huh...?"
She moves to put herself between Sudou and both of them. She says nothing else to them yet. Instead, she breathes in. "OK!"
"Atropos, I'm counting on you!" Atropos whirls into being once again in blue light. "Yeo-san!" she calls. "Help my husband and--his friend!"
Then, Atropos approaches, rushing forward with a Shadowy hand outstretched--and purple light seeps into Tatsuya Sudou's location, with the sensation of something breaking.
Then a blast of darkness erupts into a column right beneath him.
AS: Ayame Watanabe spends Limit on Exploit! Ayame Watanabe can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Ayame Watanabe has used the Almighty skill Dark Break on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Aggression: Ayame Watanabe gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Ayame Watanabe has used the Dark skill Eiga on Tatsuya Sudou!
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
"Well unfortunately for them, their dirty laundry is being aired out in front of everyone." He says back to Umie, "I wonder who is responsible for that?" His eyes do fall upon Ayame, as if wondering if she did something she later regretted...
... but could it really be so simple?
Akechi was waiting to see if Shinjiro recognized him before speaking on the matter, but apparently he's the berserk sort of fighter. It doesn't surprise him that much... he remembers how he fought when they were children.
"... I quite agree." He says, although he's been flippant, this entire battle... it's personal to him, but as Shinjiro's berserk fury causes a shockwave that catches Yua in it, Akechi instructs sharply, "Take care that you don't do anything else you'll regret, Aragaki-san."
He does sound concerned about Yua in this moment, but - is that really the correct reaction? He's only delayed in moving towards her, as if Shinjiro reacting to it were more important.
Healing energy washes over him, and his masked visage looks over to Ririka, as he tells her back, "Why thank you. I could certainly get used to this." However, Sudou is then on him, calling him Pretty Boy, telling him that the Voices are saying he's right.
Robin Hood appears, interposing as the Old Maid's suffused body suddenly tries to impale him, and instead catches the muscular figure. The blade drives in, and the Persona's hands catch it from going so far it'd strike the 'Prince', before he shatters, and the Prince moves out of the way.
"I have little interest in what your own delusions tell you." The Prince asks him up close, as Sudou is treated to the Detective Prince touching his mask again, and Robin Hood coming forth in a flourishing spin, as he pulls back his arrow to hold it nocked over Prince's shoulder, resting on one of his epaulets.
As his voice lowers, to say something to him up close "Being told you're an embarrassment, and a failure... all the time, just like your Father once did. Doesn't it get tiresome?"
As he smiles just smugly enough to show his white teeth. And a Holy Arrow of Light suddenly tries to impale Sudou back at point blank range, carrying the effect of persuasion that perhaps his words are even more correct.
"Perhaps it's time for you to take a long nap."
AS: Persona! Goro Akechi has used the Pierce skill Holy Arrow on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Aggression: Goro Akechi gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
Minako looks at Ririka, and she gives her an uncertain look. She doesn't know all of Shinjiro's recent activities, after all.
"If you're gonna help, well--I'll back you up! Kinda like old times, right?" Minako says to him, looking at Shinjiro -- and she catches herself smiling, as he calls out Castor. Even if his anger gives her pause for a moment.
She shakes her head, though, and then looks back at Old Maid.
"You don't get to trade people's lives," she tells Sudou. "What's wrong with you? That's sick!"
She calls out, then: "Persona! Go for it!"
Pyro Jack manifests again behind her. "Hee-HO!" the small Persona cries, darting side-to-side behind her, before throwing both hands out. The flame around Pyro Jack roils, intensifying. But before it, the air begins to mist -- and chill.
Then, a large spike of ice forms -- water condensing and freezing, in an instant -- and then it shoots forward like a missile, straight towards the Joker Killer.
But for all that she calls on ice, something fiery enters Minako's countenance. Her eyes blaze, angrily, and her hands ball into a fist. "You don't get to destroy any families, YOU BASTARD!"
AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Water skill Bufula on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Ruin: Minako Arisato gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Shinjiro's anger is enough to shake them out of their own fervour of analysis. "Shinjiro-ssi, watch out--!" they doubt he can hear right now. Castor's blow is so powerful it knocks them off their feet and has them sliding for a moment -- and they're forced to focus on defence as Sudou's flames engulf them, and forces them to abandon position and duck and roll. Even with Kudlak protecting them, they can still feel their scar tissue screaming, whatever of their nerves aren't already dead.
It reminds them of being burnt, and clawed, and stabbed, on that day, when the snow turned to rain. When Miho told them that whether they survive or die was not part of the job.
They chose to survive. It still feels like a mistake.
They're coughing violently as they get bowled over, as well, but nerves do fire in, and they pull themself to their feet in short order, one tendril from the Cognitive Coat grappling against rebar and broken concrete. "Not yet..." Back by Yua's side. That's their position this battle. Ririka's healing power washes over Yua, and there's a pause as they realise the opsec of the situation-- but gently nods, not wanting to draw attention to it.
Ikkaku finds his resolve, and urges Yua to evqacuate with him. "Go, Ikkaku-san, Yuarin, I'll cover you two...!"
Myunghon hasn't seen this side of Shinobu before. They're certain she can bare her fangs when she gets real mad, but it's still... scary isn't the word -- like it's leaving quite the impression on them. How must it feel, to know her older sister's been drawn into all this too? Was Reiko awakened too without them knowing, or will she be spared this fate?
The three sisters of Fate...
...
That thought makes them tremble, so they have to push it out of their mind. Umie's joining in, sharing that she, too, has a kindred mind -- they're getting closer, even with these losses, all the danger that they're in. They can't help but partake in that grin, wanting to relish it.
Because they have been made to feel scared and helpless too. Right now, in the midst of the supernatural, they can feel capable. Untouchable. They don't have to feel small and humiliated and embarrassed and helpless...
Myunghon doesn't even have to register the lion and lioness conversations. I mean, they know Yua and Miho are an item, no matter what the world tries to do! It's just a matter of fact, like the sky being blue or cheese fucking one up beacuse of tyramine...
Regardless. The most important part is observation, as they promised Sudou and Umie. And the Joker is living up to his... name? Shuffling cards, which explode with ephemeral, mythic force -- the Joker Persona... that sense of wrongness just seems to ripple and redouble. There's still so many rules they don't understand about Personae. Just what is it at the heart of the darkness behind the Joker?
Collate the data. Measure the variables. Synthesise and hypothesise.
That's all they can do. They are a Rumourmonger. Rumourmonger Merry is Hope. And hope... means being able to find the path even through the murky darkness, not unlike how a Navigator should be able to. Right?
"Stand strong... leave it to me, Watanabe-san," Myunghon affirms to Ayame, still manouevreing to not make Yua nor Ikkaku an easy target. "I'll guard them with my life."
Oh, how easy it is to say that. Their lives really are cheap, aren't they, Shinjiro? Knowing they must press the advantage, they focus Kudlak's power into a single point, a small ball of darkness at their fingertip. Not unlike a magician, their long, bony finger weaves it to and fro, as if to mask and obfuscate the point of attack -- and then, with a wave of their cape, the sphere of destruction comes roiling and dangerous -- especially doubled up with Ayame's own attacks...!!
AS: Persona! Myunghon Yeo has used the Dark skill Dark Metamorphosis on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Ayame Watanabe's Dark Break. AS: Dark_Break added! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 126 Dark damage from Ayame Watanabe's Eiga. Weak! AS: Blast added! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 94 Pierce damage from Goro Akechi's Holy Arrow. AS: Charm added!
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As Shinjiro's berserk shockwave *blows a hole through the wall* and pushes Sudou back, Yua is also caught in it... as soon as Sudou evades, he takes a moment to breathe. Don't let it happen again, Shinjiro...
"Fuck!" he exhales, especially as the masked man calls to him. "...yeah, I know..."
Even as Myunghon calls out and is blasted back, though... "Shit! Myunghon!"
A wave of fire, however, blasts over him before he can move to help them. The fire washes over, burning his sign as he blocks, which takes the brunt of the flames that lick him and force him to grimace. At least it's warm...
As the Prince calls out Sudou, though, Shinjiro's eyes widen. "...you're fucking kidding me," is all he says. Makes a lot of sense, though... he and Akechi have the same grudge. And if he can't fight through the police...
He can fight as a vigilante.
But even so, his words and impaling action... "Careful! Don't try to kill him!"
Yes, that's Shinjiro's priority now that he's becoming lucid. That's... still not something he wants to happen. For any of them.
Minako says they'll work together... he's scared of that, but in this moment, he nods. "Let's do it."
rHe rushes forward, summoning Castor once more with a click of the Evoker. Castor dashes forward, before *pulling the spear out of his chest*, slicing it at Sudou, and then stabbing it right back in there, reimpaling himself with both hands.
Then, Castor proceeds to push his horse at Sudou, who bites down on the closest limb! Castor is an asshole, apparently...
"Surrender, Old Maid! I won't let you get away with it again *like you did a decade ago*!"
AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 127 Water damage from Minako Arisato's Bufula. Weak! AS: Bind added! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki spends Limit on Exploit! Shinjiro Aragaki can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Slash skill Mind Slice on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Strike skill Feral Bite on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki: Gains 10 SP from Vigor! Haze removed! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 20 HP from Regenerate!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu glances briefly at Katsuya as he makes a connection. ...Well, there's no point in hiding it, at this point. She nods.
"...Yeah." She confirms.
That look in Yua's eyes... It's enough to draw conclusions, enough to realise she may have tipped her hand more than she meant to. She considers it for a moment - and then nods, subtly, to herself, as if to reassure her that there's at least one person here who isn't going to judge her for that.
Ikkaku is trying to pull her away now, at least... but that doesn't mean they're out of the woods yet.
She nods toward Ayame, then focuses back to the fight - as it explodes out into the school hallway. She's more than prepared to follow Sudou out there - but first, she has to deal with his attacks. That sword lashes out twice and her staff raises to redirect it. One hit is shifted toward her shoulder, and the other catches her in the side. She exhales sharply, even with the attack dulled and the protection of her concealed armor. It's dangerous, even considering that.
She's in quiet agreement with Ayame that Sudou talking to himself is not any better.
It's true that this anger is rare for her, though, a different side - she's been mad before, certainly... but she's out for blood, now. Ayame and Ikkaku are both still alive... but he tried to hurt them. He went after her family. That's not something she can easily let go of. How easily, she gives herself over to revenge.
Lachesis frames Sudou in her hands, now, like Ayame before - but where she offered her an aura of protection, he will suddenly feel a sense of fragility fall over him if he can't escape it. And then she rushes at him, staff whistling toward him in a series of spinning strikes.
AS: Shinobu Shimizu spends Limit on Exploit! Shinobu Shimizu can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Shinobu Shimizu spends Limit on Psych! AS: Persona! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Almighty skill Strike Break on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit!
AS: Weapon! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Spinning Staff on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! AS: Shinobu Shimizu: Psych removed!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"I see. Then, I will protect the both of you!" he declares, just like that, to Shinobu when she admits they're sisters. Does he get embarrassed, ever?
Well, yes, but not about declarations like that.
"That sword?!" Katsuya calls out, shocked not by its presence but the way in which it's been drawn out. "Miss! Are you all right?!" Meaning Yua, of course, who had the Joker Killer within inches of her with a sword at that.
He doesn't notice, in the chaos of the moment, what Yua's other reaction had been, namely, the reaction to Ririka's spell.
He's seen this attack before. Last time, it had left him floored. This time, he's ready for it, bracing himself there in the classroom--
He's not ready for it. Even experience hasn't been able to teach his body how to handle this attack. In the end, the only satisfaction that Katsuya can have this time around is that he's 'merely' left blinking away the bright spots in the spell's aftermath, that he's 'merely' found his body feeling near-completely enervated. He staggers, catching himself against the wall, then rights himself and just about shoves himself out into the hallway after Sudou. Now's not the time for his body to be this--! If he falls here, he'll never live down the shame.
It's an extremely illogical line of thought, which he'll realize only later.
But as long as he can keep going, perhaps that won't matter quite so much.
"No... your Persona will protect you now, ma'am," he tells Ayame, his gaze on the Joker Killer rather than her. "Even after a spell like that...!" He gestures sharply, his hand cutting through the air before him as if he held a blade. "Enough...! #501, you're not getting away! Helios, come forth!"
As so bid, Helios steps into this space. A cat of many talents, in one hand the Persona now produces a short gunpowder weapon that looks to be at least a century old, if not older. With this 'conception' of an archaic weapon, the Persona fires at the 'Old Maid' repeatedly.
AS: Persona! Katsuya Suou has used the Pierce skill Triple Down on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! ARCANA: Defense: Katsuya Suou gains 1 Limit!
AS: Katsuya Suou spends Limit on Shift! Ayame Watanabe can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 158 Dark damage from Myunghon Yeo's Dark Metamorphosis. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 121 Slash damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Mind Slice. AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 105 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Feral Bite.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
It's okay, Yua. You're not the only one who can be bad at hiding they're gay sometimes! You're in good company.
But Ririka's doing her best to keep tabs, diverting her attention around the room... and she feels her magic take hold in Yua. "Oh! Sorry Miss, I--" She pauses, and then slowly turns to look at her. "... it worked...?" She shakes her head. Worry about that later.
Ririka glances to Katsuya. There's a flash of something uneasy as she takes in the detective... but he's trying to stop this. She can accept that, for now. "... Yeah. Welcome."
Just like she hadn't thought about healing Yua, she hadn't considered Katsuya until after.
The healer (Bard!) is still healing, and she doesn't look like she has any intention of stopping. "Hey, who are you even talking to, anyway?" The Joker Killer, for some reason, seems to keep talking to himself. She picks up 'the healer', though... and then recoils as she sees the Joker Persona appears. The mask is on, but... Ririka recoils, taking a step backwards. "Hey--watch out for that thing!" she says to everyone around her. "I don't know what it is but it's--I think it's dangerous." Well okay, all of their Personas are dangerous, but even among the Persona she's seen so far, it's weird.
And then the playing card comes for her. "Wait--" She rocked back as the card hits and the explosion consumes her. She looses a step of ground, but when ti clears... she's still standing. Panting hard, but still standing. "Oh that smarts..."
She glances to Akechi. "Welcome! But if you really wanna thank me, that guy--" She jerks her head in Sudou's direction. "Really doesn't like it, so if you can do anything to keep him off me, that'd be great."
Ririka glances to Minako and shrugs a little. "Maybe we should discuss it later?" she suggests.
But there's a lot going on, and she can only offer so much support. Her eyes scan the battlefield, checking on the health of everyone. "Amphion! Let's see if can keep mending those wounds continuously!"
Amphion strums his lire, and a gentle wave of glowing green light reaches out and settles on Shinobu, Ayame, Katsuya, and Myunghon. But this is a lingering energy, one that should provide continual healing, for at least a little bit.
But she's also playing her holographic keyboard, scanning the surroundings. Sudou's been blasted through a wall... She reaches out mentally to Umie and Minako. "There--I think you can take him by surprise if you come at him from this direction!"
After all, the hole in the wall isn't the only way to get to that hallway, is it?
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Recovery skill Healing Wave on Shinobu Shimizu, Ayame Watanabe, Katsuya Suou, and Myunghon Yeo! ARCANA: Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Umie Akabane can use another Weak skill this round! SP +8! Healed 20! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Strike Break. AS: Rage and Strike_Break added! AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Minako Arisato can use another Weak skill this round! SP +8! Healed 20! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 27 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 9 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff. Weak! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 7 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Spinning Staff. Weak!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"Yeah, you got this," Umie offers, as an aside, to Ayame. "... Make it through this next bit. It gets a lot better, I promise."
Someone will have to make sure to tell Ayame about the Dark Hour, most likely, but that's for later.
The words of another Tatsuya ring in her head, as she watches the Old Maid confer, once again, with some other 'voice'.
She frowns, quietly.
"You *did* try to kill me," Umie finally comments, flatly, as Sudou seems to comment on her mouthiness. "At least once."
Sudou's resonance spikes; an alarmed Umie moves automatically. "Brace yourself," Umie hisses, eyes widening behind the holes of her mask. "It's coming!"
Every time it comes, it's a little less scary, but it still reminds her as she takes on the force of that exploding card..
It's only a matter of time
Shinjiro may have clued in to 'Prince-san's' identity, but Umie doesn't have information (and past history) to make any connections, even if she did hear exactly what Akechi said to Sudou.
No, there's something else that makes Umie turn her head as that Holy Arrow pierces through Sudou, sensing that weakness, but not the words that might have contributed to it.
And she pounces on it with a manner that's almost automatic in how smoothly it comes to her, especially as Ririka's voice guides her where and when to strike.
"Badb! Now!" Umie's coat shifts with the rapid gesture of her hand; Badb's red lips spread from that cupid's bow shape of a mouth, and then widen, issuing an alarming, rasping shriek.
The spiderweb red lace of Badb's glove shifts with a gesture of her palm, following the screech, another insult to injury. (Maybe, she's a little angry too, knowing what is driving Shinjiro here, as well as Katsuya.)
AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 35 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Triple Down. AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 35 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Triple Down. AS: Avoid Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 31 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Triple Down. AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Pale Shriek on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit!
AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Psych! AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Mudo on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 71 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Pale Shriek. Weak! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 82 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Mudo. Weak! AS: Panic added! Charm removed! Explosion! 60 damage!
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Got it, Kawase-san!" Minako calls out. Her eyes narrow, and then she focuses.
"Hee-ho!"
With another twirl -- and slightly less distinct, this time -- Pyro Jack appears behind her. Both of his hands come up over his head and pointed hat. The air, still misted and cold, condenses -- and a half-dozen small needles of ice take form.
Then they fire off, quickly, after the larger one she hurled at Sudou.
AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Water skill Bufu on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Ruin: Minako Arisato gains 1 Limit!
AS: Minako Arisato: Gains 10 SP from Vigor! Vigor removed! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 61 Water damage from Minako Arisato's Bufu. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Goro Akechi spends Limit on Shift! Shinjiro Aragaki can use another Weak skill this round!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou doesn't exactly take in all the details that are coming in, including the three eyes of Yua. However she does not go unseen, in fact she probably feels more seen then she ever really wanted to be seen. This is all followed by a pressure on his chest before darkness erupts under him. That darkness stings and he is getting rather pissed off at all these constant attacks. It's rude.
Then the would-be heroic pretty boy rushes in and for a moment Sudou wonders if this pretty boy with a mask is related to the other pretty boys with mask. Is this guy one of those damn fakes that is trying to steal the gig that would be his! It is all about to click together when Akechi gets in close and communicates on the down low to Sudou. This causes Sudou to stumble back and get knocked off his feet by Robin Hood's arrow. His head is swimming. His mind is racing with years of emotional trauma as he stumbles to his feet only to get knocked back off them by a giant icicle.
Standing slowly Sudou's bag is barely on, strands of blonde white hair are visible, but no face reveal yet. "Lives are meaningless this time around. It's all wrong anyways. However I will fix it, and when I fix it everything will be ok. Those that survive the correction will thank me." Sudou lumbers toward Shinobu but doesn't do anything. Instead it seems he is moving himself with a purpose. The Joker Persona has not disappeared either.
Even personas are bringing guns to the damn fight as Sudou does his best to shield himself but well archaic guns have lots of shrapnel. The detective should be lucky there are no bystanders, Sudou's blood is dripping on the classroom floor and at the moment it would appear DNA evidence is not going to be hard to gather.
Just as he is about to get to the center of the classroom, Myunghon's dark orb of destruction is sliced with the sword, but it only causes the magic to go off and dark magic is really hurting. Probably something to do with that pressure on his lungs. Then the spear of Castor comes at him and Sudou does his best to block the spear and dance around but more blood everywhere. "Surrender? Surrender he says." The Old Maid chuckles to himself as if he knows something everyone else doesn't.
In fact with Shinobu's attack it is almost like he is intentionally not moving much. As if he needs to be in a certain position for whatever is coming. The fragility is there, but if they could see Sudou's face he may actually be welcoming it. The dark magic from Umie doesn't help anything as it continues to eat away at him. Reminds him of those damn fakes with the fire.
The last straw seems to be one last icicle from Minako, though that damn healer gets a glare from Sudou.
Then the Joker Persona begins to move and speak, "The blood is paid, the gift is given." From the Joker's deck, he pulls a king of spades out of the deck and shows it to everyone. At the same time it looks like the tarot card, King of Swords. Sudou himself begins to glow with magic as his sword ignites on fire and a large blast of flames erupts from him catching everyone. His blood ignites on fire burning away his DNA from the scene. Then in that moment Sudou is gone, until he isn't. Simultaneously infront of everyone the Joker Killer appears, and his sword, covered in black flame, strikes everyone at the same time. Before he reappears where he was standing, out of breath.
AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Psych! AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Reach! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Heat Wave on Minako Arisato, Umie Akabane, Ririka Kawase, Katsuya Suou, Shinobu Shimizu, Shinjiro Aragaki, Myunghon Yeo, Goro Akechi, Ayame Watanabe, and Yua Ooshiro! AS: Tatsuya Sudou takes 60 damage from Panic! ARCANA: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Dark Fiery Fury on Minako Arisato, Umie Akabane, Ririka Kawase, Katsuya Suou, Shinobu Shimizu, Shinjiro Aragaki, Myunghon Yeo, Goro Akechi, Ayame Watanabe, and Yua Ooshiro! 2 Hits! AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Blast, Psych, and Reach removed! AS: Take! Ayame Watanabe takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Healing Wave. AS: Regen added! AS: Goro Akechi spends Limit on Brace! AS: Ayame Watanabe spends Limit on Brace! AS: Avoid Neutral! Goro Akechi takes 35 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. AS: Avoid Best! Ayame Watanabe takes 54 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Block Worst! Ayame Watanabe takes 80 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Weak! AS: Avoid Worst! Ayame Watanabe takes 88 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Weak! AS: Ayame Watanabe is unable to continue fighting! AS: Avoid Best! Umie Akabane takes 44 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Critical Hit! AS: You have 2 more attacks in queue! AS: Avoid Neutral! Goro Akechi takes 61 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Avoid Worst! Goro Akechi takes 74 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Avoid Best! Umie Akabane takes 41 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: You have 1 more attack in queue! AS: Take! Shinobu Shimizu takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Healing Wave. AS: Regen added! AS: Avoid Best! Umie Akabane takes 41 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Neutral! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 53 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 40 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Worst! Shinjiro Aragaki takes 57 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Worst! Shinobu Shimizu takes 54 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. AS: Block Worst! Shinobu Shimizu takes 83 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 83 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! AS: Shinobu Shimizu is unable to continue fighting! AS: Take! Myunghon Yeo takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Healing Wave. AS: Regen added! AS: Avoid Worst! Myunghon Yeo takes 104 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Neutral! Myunghon Yeo takes 88 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Avoid Best! Myunghon Yeo takes 66 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Myunghon Yeo is unable to continue fighting! AS: Block Worst! Minako Arisato takes 72 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Block Worst! Minako Arisato takes 63 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Resist! AS: Block Worst! Minako Arisato takes 63 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Resist!
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Perhaps Yua can talk to Shinobu about it, later. ... if there's a 'later' for them at all.
Umie's turned away from her; still, she 'hears' her voice, lambasting her. *How does it feel to see the fruits of your labour?* To Yua's ears, they're words cradled in quotations, spoken to her without even caring to look at such a shamed woman; but Umie's lips don't move, because Umie, in fact, said nothing at all.
The words are 'spoken' in Umie's voice... but the voice is in Yua's head, alone, a mocking echo of her own horror and guilt. She doesn't hear voices like Sudou or Umie do -- nor does a mysterious figure visit her dreams with fantastic visions of glory, like Miho. Yua's never heard 'him' speak a word to her... though she's heard the people around her say more than one thing they never would.
"It feels bad," she answers no prompt at all, looking down. "Really... I'm sorry." Her shoulders hunch, as she tightens further, looking to Katsuya. "I'm... I'm really the last person you ought to worry about, Suou-san..." Well, of course she knows his name, he's an officer of the law!
The Prince is concerned for Yua, but Yua really just feels the weight of her own guilt. How can she criticise Shinjiro for catching her in his blow? He'd do it far more intentionally if he knew the truth, she thinks.
She shakes her head, when Ririka wonders why the spell worked. "Surely you've heard... I don't like personal questions..." And she must realise how suspicious it looks, denying any shred of an answer, but what is she to do? It's a very hard rock, and a very solid place.
"Ah," Yua's voice catches, in her throat, as Ikkaku manages to pick himself up. "Watanabe-san... I was no help at all..." She just wanted to help, and look where her meddling's gotten her!
But she shakes her head, and somehow finds the resolve to take his hand. The important thing... is getting him to safety, isn't it? A man like Ikkaku won't save himself, so... "Let's go," she says, and her voice trembles more from fear than malaise, by now. (Poison of this kind works itself through the system, and fades.) "T--thank you, Myucchi..." She might not be able to call Remi or Miho to help them, but she knows Myunghon won't back down.
They helped save her, back then.
She stands, with Ikkaku -- and who is helping the other, in this scenario? Perhaps each tries to help the other, and between them, they get upright. Yua feels another stab of regret, hearing one of the youth yelling so keenly about family -- that poor Minako has to bear this, while she runs away. Still, for Ikkaku's sake, she starts to hurry towards the exit.
And... Shinjiro doesn't want him to die... despite speaking to his crimes, long ago. Yua grows a touch ashen, again, as she holds the pieces together in her head. The Powers that Be are invested in protecting the Joker -- the Joker was active a decade prior --
How long, she wonders, inside herself, has the world been up for sale?
How long have they poisoned the earth, as surely as poison seethed through her own veins?
How LONG --
-- of course it doesn't matter; she is not the kind of person obliged to ask these questions of the Powers that Be. They dwell; they remain, in perpetuity, unassailable and strong.
Luckily, Yua and Ikkaku are running away from the fire.
AS: Block Neutral! Ririka Kawase takes 47 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. AS: Block Neutral! Ririka Kawase takes 73 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 64 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. AS: Take! Katsuya Suou takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Healing Wave. AS: Regen added! AS: Block Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 29 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Heat Wave. Resist! AS: Block Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 63 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Block Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 63 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Dark Fiery Fury. Critical Hit! Resist!
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
It gets better? Ayame looks at Umie like she's grown a second head. "Huh?" she asks.
But Shinobu is showing a different side of herself, one that Ayame now sees. "Ah!" she worries. But Katsuya says he'll protect them, and Ayame feels some relief. Not enough, though--not until Ikkaku is safe, and... that girl, Ooshiro, too.
"It will?" she asks. "All right. That's a relief..." Her Persona will protect her. And Ririka is helping! Her Persona's power settles over Ayame and helps her concentrate.
But Ikkaku looks at Yua, and shakes his head. "You protected me," he said, "Even at risk to yourself. That's helping." But Yua... is right. he won't leave her. He appreciates Myunghon's defense, as he goes with Yua. They can help each other.
Ayame, meanwhile... Faces fire. The threads fray. And the bloody flames suddenly approach--
"Ah," Ayame says, and her teeth close together. "...Ikkaku, I..."
Katsuya said her Persona will protect her. She's only fainting, right? It's not the end.
The sword clatters to the ground as Ayame crumples.
"AYAME!" Ikkaku calls, and he is no longer running from the fire at all. Better help the Watanabes!
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
"I'm-- I'm fine," Myunghon feels annoyed, but not at Shinjiro, but at themself, because they wanted to keep the controlled, calculating face to really pressure the Old Maid with. But plans are made to not survive enemy contact... right? That's what makes them plans.
You can't have your keikaku and eat it too.
Shinjiro roars how Sudou got away with 'it' a decade ago. ... A decade ago? Yukari's words are flashing to their mind. It's more like... ten years ago or so.
... why? Is it coincidence? Is anything ever a coincidence these days? Is everything connected? They're going to drown if they start to link their variables that way. Control groups, Myunghon! Theories are useless if you start to muddy everything! Your hypothesis will just be empty, hot words.
What is it about Shinobu being out for blood that makes them so scared? It goes beyond just seeing them so angry for really understandable reasons. Why does their chest ache so much?? It's not Sudou's sword, or his fire... even if they're an incredible threat still. That nausea and injury starts to heal, however, thanks to Ririka's healing.
But whatever bravado and confidence they could muster up -- whatever distractions and threads were spiderwebbing out in their head, whatever hypot
hesis and varaibles they thought they could control -- the game is suddenly not theirs, as Sudou's *Persona* start to speak.
The blood is paid. The gift is given.
Myunghon's eye widens as they notice that platinum-blonde hair of Sudou's -- but they can't see their face. Lives are meaningless... it's all meaningless? It was the wrong choice to survive. Myunghon readies themself for something treacherous, something big and dangerous-- they've got to guard Ikkaku and Yua with all their might--
That drowning sensation is back.
They can't breathe, the moment Sudou is suddenly in front of them, in the blink of an eye -- their body is on fire again, bandages catching aflame and revealing horrible, mangled scar tissue underneath, unwittingly something that they and Sudou shared. Once shared. Kudlak attempts to dutifully body-block the sword wreathed in dark flame but--
CRACK
--the sword slices through Kudlak, and their Persona shatters into a million pieces.
"W-what--?"
They weren't playing his game this entire time. Myunghon wasn't even a millimetre off the rails that'd been laid off in front of them. Their Persona shattered, the rest of flame and steel digs into their torso, and the awful, acrid smell of scorched blood splatters onto the desk. They're staring at their own blood, pupil dilated.
"Run, Yuarin, Ikkaku-san..."
They couldn't control the variables after all.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Shinjiro recognizes him, and now 'Akechi' because indeed, he knows it's Akechi, merely smiles at him, "It did take you long enough." He says, with a sort of dry tease.
But in a sense, he was looking out for him though, wasn't he? By telling him to watch himself... before he did something he regretted.
"Oh don't worry it'll take far more than this to kill him." Is his response to Shinjiro, as he then addresses Sudou, "You can take this much, can't you, monster? And more besides... you rely so much on everyone holding back out of fear they might kill you."
Perhaps Ririka may get the impression that the 'Prince' is doing just that, keeping them off her by distracting the Joker Killer.
And yet, Sudou still stands, he says lives are meaningless. The Prince - or perhaps 'The Crow' sweeps his saber out, stalking towards him.
But he can feel the rising power within him, the sudden surge, and suddenly he places his hand to his mask again. This time, as as the heat wave comes, he suddenly bends over double, as Sudou comes at him, he avoids one slash.
"You can't set anything right. You're just a pathetic arsonist..." Then a second, as he suddenly moves as fast as an ink blur, a red and white smear on reality, "... who has to work up the courage to even look his victims in the eye!"
There's real anger there now, fury in those eyeholes suffused by blue flame. He knows his case file, he knows it far too well. And his last slash, burns a hole across the front of his up to now, mostly singed garb.
Out of the corner of his eye, he sees Ikkaku and Yua run... and then Ayame fainting... and the flames, still burn, and the man still stands.
Placing a hand on his mask, he says softly, dangerously, "Are you quite finished?" And as it bursts into a butterfly of flame, he extends his arms skyward, as if in a celebratory pose even as Robin Hood arises, "Take this then..."
Robin Hood raises his bow, and fires up. And it's like an ephemeral arrow passes through the rooftop, and then a multitude of spherical orbs appear through the rooftop, and around the Joker, before each one fires beam after beam into his exhausted body.
"My proof of JUSTICE!"
AS: Persona! Goro Akechi has used the Almighty skill Proof of Justice on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! ARCANA: Aggression: Goro Akechi gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"Lives aren't meaningless! And whatever correction you're planning... I don't want any part of it!" Minako shouts back at Sudou. But then he pulls out a card -- and she blinks.
Then her eyes go wide, as flame erupts around him. "Look out, everyone!" she shouts.
The Joker Killer sweeps his blade out. Flame slams into her, smashing Minako backward -- she gets hurled into and through a desk, knocking it to pieces. The desktop clatters on the floor, before she slams bodily into the wall. She looks over, towards where Ayame fell -- and where Ikkaku is running.
Then, she looks back at the Joker Killer. Minako raises her Evoker, hand trembling -- then steadying.
She doesn't fear death.
"I won't let you," she says. "If this is fixing something... then I'll break everything, you bastard."
She pulls the trigger again. Her head sways to the side, blue glass and light spraying the ground before they vanish. Then her head jerks up, and she shouts: "VALKYRIE!"
Horse hooves clatter onto the ground. A woman on horseback, clad in gold armor, appears -- and looks down balefully at the Old Maid. She swings her spear back -- and then slams the blade down with a mighty chop across his body.
AS: Minako Arisato spends Limit on Psych! AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Slash skill Mighty Swing on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Minako Arisato: Psych removed! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 39 Almighty damage from Goro Akechi's Proof of Justice. AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 36 Almighty damage from Goro Akechi's Proof of Justice. AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 24 Slash damage from Minako Arisato's Mighty Swing.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As the roiling flames wash over not once, not twice, but multiple times, Shinjiro is bodily thrown back. He forces himself up in the end, but there's a ragged breath, as he listens to Akechi. More than that, huh...
But as Myunghon thrashes, and Ayame and Ikkaku are in danger, Shinjiro has to make a decision. He sweeps forward, his melted sign-head being *tossed* at Sudou as a striking pole, before Castor comes forth to cover both the pole and his proceeding stomp with pure darkness, blitzing into Sudou using Akechi's opening.
Shinjiro isn't even looking at him though. Because when you have to choose what to focus on, and only one thing matters to him...
"Myunghon! Watanabe!"
He's bodily shielding those who went down. If Sudou's gonna kill them... he'll have to get through him. And he won't flinch in the face of it right now.
AS: Weapon! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Strike skill Headhunter on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! ARCANA: Pressure: Shinjiro Aragaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Shinjiro Aragaki has used the Dark skill Cursed Sword on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki: Gains 10 SP from Vigor! Atk_Up, Crt_Up, Def_Up, Spd_Up, and Vigor removed! AS: Shinjiro Aragaki regains 20 HP from Regenerate!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"What the hell...? Meaningless...?" Shinobu asks, shaking her head. "What are you talking about? Do you even hear yourself?"
He walks right through her attack. Like it doesn't matter to him how beat up he gets. Something's more important than that - and then it happens.
A card is drawn, and Sudou glows - and disappears.
"Where-" She starts.
There he is. Fire erupts outward and Shinobu braces herself. But -
"Ayame!" Shinobu calls out, as she sees her sister fall. "...You...!"
She wants to kill him. Rage takes her, and she readies to lash out - but in that moment, she isn't ready for the follow up. His blade overwhelms her and she's driven to her knees, with only her staff keeping her from collapsing.
She has to protect her sister. She has to...
...Her body won't move. For as much as she wants to fight back, and defiance gleams in her eyes... it's taking all her strength to stay upright. She can only shield Ayame with her body, now.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"But-- you're wounded," he gets out in response to Yua, in those few moments that exist for him to do so. With no time to attend to her wounds, or the ability to even try to do some magically (does he know that won't work on someone with a Persona), he'll have to trust that she's alright in here as long as the Joker Killer is driven out.
There is a gift of life, once again, cast forth from that girl's Persona. It's energy, the ability to go on, a rare commodity in this moment of moments. "My thanks!" he calls to Ririka again.
Long strands of blond hair are visible, but the man's face is still hidden behind the tattered fragments. The face behind it-- can it really be the person that Baofu had suggested it was...? Perhaps he'll see for himself -- perhaps he'll be able to confirm it one way or another.
Assuming, of course, he doesn't die here and take the man's identity to the grave.
Heat, palpable and terrible, erupts from the man's blade. Even with Helios' blessing, Katsuya staggers. In the instant that follows, the Joker Killer vanishes.
"Wait--"
Except, the man hasn't vanished at all. Here he is, impossibly duplicated, that burning blade already falling.
The blade, burning with the fuel that is #501's blood, needs to only catch Katsuya once, cutting him right across the torso. His sidearm falls from his grasp as the illusion vanishes.
Katsuya himself falls to his knees, clutching at his own injury as the man reappears, clearly winded.
He's--
"Not... here!" Katsuya grits out, snatching up his sidearm as he forces himself up. Standing now, he can see the destruction wrought. "...No!" Myunghon. And-- both of them. Ayame. Shinobu. He'd said he'd protect them both! To have failed...!
If his hand is shaking as he trains his firearm upon Sudou this time, it's not because of his wounds. It's not even because of fear.
Rather, he's absolutely livid.
"Enough! I won't let you get away with this, anymore! Take this...!"
And it's not so much that he shoots at Sudou (though he definitely also does that) as it's his Persona that comes roaring across the distance between that points them both stand, flame roaring behind it like a sun that never sets.
AS: Tandem! Katsuya Suou has used the Fire skill Midnight Sun on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Defense: Katsuya Suou gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Yua sees Umie as her accuser, though the real Umie is nonethewiser.
It wouldn't be the first time such a thing has happened, but it is the first that this Marked soul was used as an avatar for Yua's 'enjoyment'.
Once, twice, thrice; Umie's reflexes are her only salvation. Each hit connects, but not fully.
And with it, come the aftereffects.
"shitshitshi--" there's flame on Umie's mask: real flames, forcing her to toss her mask aside. The coated paper maiche has met its match.
Anyone who didn't clue in, either from her Persona, or due to other tells, would be able to tell who Umie is now...
.... if indeed this face is familiar at all. It's fine.
She doesn't seem particularly bothered, since, well, it's near the end.
No time to be paranoid, or think about how something sounds oddly familiar about this particular Mask-san...
No, it...
... Doesn't matter, right now. Better to digest that information later.
Sensing Myunghon collapsing nearby, Umie doesn't pull back to help her--
No, more like, she's taking that baton. "Katsuya-san--" She'd say 'cover me', but he's doing it already, only leaving behind that slip of her using his first name.
Again, after a brief blip of resonance, Badb's form is there, and is with Umie, as she disappears the moment everyone's attention is elsewhere.
"Not getting away this time--" she gasps, the blade of her weapon attempting to cut against Sudou's back.
AS: Tandem! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Seeker in the Dark on Tatsuya Sudou!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
"Correction? What are you even talking about..." Ririka's been trying to figure out this Joker Killer guy and nothing he says makes any sense to her... but she can't help but set a more determined expression on her face at that last stare for the 'healer'.
'The blood is paid.' Ririka blinks. "Guys? Did that Persona just talk? Personas don't do that, right...?" But she's a lot sturdier than she gives herself credit for. Flahses wash over everything, burning them but also cleaning up evidence, apparently, and Ririka tries to shift herself behind a desk to let it take the worst of it. But then...
Sudou appears right in front of her, and all she can do is backpedal, arms bracing as that sword lashes out at her. "Ghh--" Black flames cover the sword, and blue flames spill out from the magical wounds as she takes the brunt of the attack. But she staggers and slumps against a desk, suddenly feeling very weak, with barely energy to stand.
She almost slides down to the floor before her arms catch her. "This is still so freaky that I can survive that," she mutters under her breath to herself. It's only her third fight, after all.
She glances over to Yua as her reply is... that she doesn't like personal questions. Has she heard? "... no? Um, should I have?" Blink. "Oh, that's another question, sorry! You don't have to answer that!"
She might've heard about the new dance instructor but she's never met her!
Annnd, Ayame's fainting. Ririka winces a little. Crap. She remembers that. And her--husband, Ririka is guessing doubles back. "We'll protect her! But that guy's still after you, right? Get... get out of here!"
She struggles to push herself up, weighing her options. Akechi is distracting Sudou, seemingly, but... a guy who can teleport to everyone at once is kind of hard to keep from attacking.
She glances at Minato as she gets mad and summons yet another Persona. "Damn, Arisato-san," she mutters. That's pretty amazing.
She glances to Katsuya and nods just a little. "Yeah."
She pushes herself up, leaning heavily against the desk for support. "Alright. You don't want me healing? Then I'll play a little rough. Amphion..." she says with a haggard breath before lifting a hand to point at Sudou. "Magnara!"
Amphion struims his lyre, and at his behest a large cluster of floating rocks lift from the ground. With another strum the giant cluster is sent flying at Sudou, hoping to drive him off once and for all!
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Earth skill Magnara on Tatsuya Sudou! ARCANA: Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Ririka Kawase: Gains 10 SP from Vigor! Vigor removed! AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 70 Fire damage from Katsuya Suou's Midnight Sun. AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 54 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Headhunter. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 54 Strike damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Headhunter. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 52 Dark damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Cursed Sword. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 36 Dark damage from Shinjiro Aragaki's Cursed Sword. Weak! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 11 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Seeker in the Dark. Weak! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 48 Earth damage from Ririka Kawase's Magnara.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou is standing there, but in a funny way he is just standing there. That is till the Crow Prince comes to show him his proof of justice. The Joker persona suddenly acts as if he is controlling a puppet and Sudou raises his sword to try to deflect as many beams as possible, but well, many beams makes it hard to block everything.
The Joker moves Sudou's hand through the invisble puppet strings to block Valkyries strike and slides across the ground. The Joker grins and Sudou lumbers forward, towards Ayame and Shinobu. No word said, and his movements seem heavy.
The Joker tries to pull Sudou out of the way of the bullet that turns out to be the sun, fired by Suou. However it's not a clean dodge, instead Sudou's arm is definitely burnt. This puts the Joker Killer infront of Shinjiro and, well once again he tries to guard the attacks from Castor and Shinjiro. It's more evident now though that Sudou's arm is moving in odd angles. Can even his arms move like that?
This seems utterly proven as not being humanly possible when Umie's attack comes from behind and Sudou's arm bends unnaturally to deflect it. The Joker persona waves his hand at her. Then Sudou continues to lumbar towards Ayame.
Again that sword and probably dislocated arm tries to deflect the rocks, but it is actually aiming at the sharp rocks. The duller rocks, despite size seemed allowed to hit sudou.
Finally he is standing infront of Ayame's body, and The Joker and The Joker Killer raise their arm together. " You have been chosen to replace his name." The voice echos, as if Sudou's voice is coming from himself and The Joker. Then his shadow expands, to encompass the sword that Ayame stole, and The Joker, The Joker killer and all his swords disappear into the ground.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Ikkaku looks behind him, and he's very lucky he isn't Minato, in that moment; that's the kind of behaviour which gets your wife trapped in the underworld forever, Ikkaku. "Ah -- Watanabe-san, wait!" Yua cries, whirling around to try and catch him --
Unfortunately, when she looks back, she sees Kudlak shattering. "MYUCCHI!" She screams, her voice tearing from the grief of it, as she rushes back to their side, throwing herself over their body as she embraces them tightly. "Oh, Gods," she trembles, as if she could hold them together, "what do I do? What do I..." Her voice hitches, in a sob, as she clutches them tighter.
She could invoke her Eye, plunge the noise of Sudou's Mark to her own silence, and perhaps if she drowns she will fall deep enough to grasp the edges of her own potential. She could fire her Evoker, bring Gretchen to the world, hide Myunghon from anyone who would harm them, trap the Joker in a maze of his own sick desires. She could... she could...
She could do a thousand things, but it's just as she said; she is neither strong nor brave. The horrific calculus, in her head, is knowing that Myunghon will survive their injuries... just like she will, despite all Katsuya's worries. (Ririka's healing will certainly help.) She can't help these people, standing in opposition to them all. Even calling it 'her power'... it's not her call at all.
"Myucchi," she cries, instead, burying her face at their shoulder. "I'm here, I'm here... I've got you..."
She's a touch too distracted to realise she's bamboozed Ririka with her allergy to questioning, let alone to witness the inhuman reactions of the Joker. She covers Myunghon with her own body, but luckily, the others are able to finish driving him off... though not before declaring his continuing grudge against Ayame.
She tried to help kill Suou-san and Hamade-san to cover for the Joker, and now... he's promised to kill the woman she wanted to help.
... worse... will that even be the last time she aids him?
Yua's eye grows shadowed, as she glances down, to the wounds on Myunghon's body.
"..."
It feels so hollow when she says, "... thank you... everyone."
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
Minako slumps back against the wall, breathing hard, after that last attack. She looks at the Joker Killer -- and she tenses. But Sudou vanishes before Ayame, with his blades, and then she relaxes slightly. Her eyes turn towards Yua, then she nods.
"Y-Yeah, glad we could help," she says. "That... that was a lot."
She swallows. "We better make sure everyone's okay."
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Is even Goro Akechi surprised by how much punishment he takes, ultimately?
Perhaps not, it's hard to say given what he said earlier.
He watches him lumber forward, with a luminous blade at the ready, and then... he declares that Ayame Watanabe has replaced Ikkaku Watanabe.
As he vanishes into Shadow, there is a hand upon his chin...
... like he's lost in thought, even as the fires burn around him. Then, wordlessly, he brings out a charm. Some kind of cognitive item perhaps, and a Maraqua spell sloshes around the room to put the fire without harming anyone other than perhaps lightly soaking some folks.
"Until next time... then."
He says, as if promising something to the killer, who's departed, before turning to Yua, crying over Rumormonger Merry's body.
"There's an infirmary on the first floor." He says to her, "I certainly don't mind carrying them there for treatment."
<Pose Tracker> Ayame Watanabe has posed.
Ikkaku, still injured but quite alive, looks up as the Joker makes his proclamation over Ayame. "You--You monster!" he calls. "You won't get away with this!"
he covers Shinobu who covers Ayame, and Yua covers Myunghon in turn. But when it's over...
"..."
"Thank you everyone," Ikkaku breathes, "And, officer..."
He looks to Katsuya "...You, too. If you could..."
He looks to Yua, "...Call the emergency services," he suggests, and lowers himself down, taking his wife's hand.
"I would... appreciate it."
He will need help to get out, but he's sure alive.
Thanks to those here.
"...Infirmary's a good start, too," Ikkaku says to the masked boy.
<Pose Tracker> Shinjiro Aragaki has posed.
As the Joker Killer escapes, Shinjiro kneels near Yua and Myunghon. He nods to Yua, who clearly knows them better if she called them by a nickname. "I'm not leaving until they're feeling better," he says, though he won't push into Yua's space.
Though, as Ikkaku says to call the emergency services, Shinjiro wagers a guess. "...I don't think they'd like that very much if we made them go. Kawase, you got the energy for a strong heal?" He's going to advocate *against* taking Myunghon to a hospital... he'd want the same thing if he was in their shoes.
He'll have to talk to Ikkaku (and perhaps Ayame) again. Normally, he doesn't pry into the motives of Joker Killer victims being targeted... but Ikkaku gave him his seal. He has to make up for that.
Did Ikkaku not know he was in danger...? It's a mystery.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu stares up at Sudou, desperately pleading for her body to move. Ikkaku is covering her, now, even they they all went here to protect him...
She curses inwardly to herself. This happened last time, too - she stood up to a foe that was more than she could handle...
She can't do anything as she declares Ayame replacing Ikkaku's name. The Joker Killer's shadow expands - and then, he's gone.
Shinobu punches the floor.
"Damn it...!" She hisses to herself, looking back toward Ayame. ...Rage gives way to concern, then. ...As long as she's alive, as long as they're all still alive... It's fine.
She'll just have to get stronger.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua sniffs, looking up to the Prince -- turning her head, so that she can see him from the side of her which can see at all. Ikkaku's suggestion fills her chest with dread, but she's not quite sure how to protest, focusing on the helpful boy in costume instead. "T-thank you," she says, laying a hand on the ground to push herself up onto her heels so that she isn't blocking Akechi's route to Myunghon any more. "You're so kind..."
She tries -- though largely fails -- to smile to Shinjiro, too. "As are you," she says. "You're really... a gentle boy, aren't you...?" What a strange thing to say, when he knocked her down.
Luckily, Shinjiro has the words Yua doesn't, on the topic of the ambulance. "It's hard for them," she says, her voice sallow. "At least... until they can wake up and decide for themself... let's make sure they don't get wrapped up in it, okay?"
She bows her head, to Ikkaku. "But -- but I'll call one for Watanabe-san right away, just..."
Yua pauses, looking at the wrecked phone on the ground.
"... um... I'll need to, borrow your phone..."
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
Umie grits her teeth as her own contribution is denied, with a cheeky wave from that Persona. "Ghhh!"
Her body is reaching its limit, however; the pain in her chest is beginning to fall to a consistent pattern, reminding her to stop.
She collapses onto a desk, panting, as Sudou moves towards Ayame.
Just another strike, and maybe...
... and then, Sudou disappears. Prince-san gets rid of the lingering fire, which makes her job much easier, in turn.
She honestly seems surprised that she's the one that's able to stand. She takes a long minute to pant, closing her eyes to steady her breathing and the dizziness in her head.
"Can't do much on my end, but Shrouding seems to heal a little," she rasps, though when Badb comes out, it's to slightly heal her.
Yes, this is how Umie heals herself: slowly.
"I got a phone. Need to catch my breath first, though."
She looks towards Minako. "He's not a serial killer for nothing... but I'm surprised. There were demons, this time."
'This time'? "... It was just him, in Shibuya."
Whatever else she has to say, though, will have to wait. They have people they need to get stablized, and Umie needs to save her breath, now that the danger is over. "There'll be a next time. Don't worry," she rasps, softly.
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
"Get away from her!"
In the end, it's futile. The killer takes what is his from Ayame, then vanishes, leaving behind the chaos wrought in the 'Old Maid's' wake. She's taking her husband's place?
Katsuya stands there in the aftermath, waiting one minute, two, three--
#501 is gone. Even that oppressive aura has vanished. Slowly, he holsters his sidearm, then moves quickly to check on the seriously wounded among them. They're alive, but they need help. "Yes," he tells Ayame's husband. He's already pulled out his phone.
The masked boy suggests he could take someone down to the infirmary. "Actually, see if someone's there and have them come here," he tells him, already dialing emergency services. "If not, bring what you can find up here. There should be a first aid kit down there." Maybe they'll even have shock blankets, but he won't hold his breath.
He stands then, walking away a few paces as he makes the call.
"Yes, hello, this is Sergeant Suou of the Konan Department. I'm at Seven Sisters High School. There's been an attack..."
(Someone, somewhere along the line will have to remind him that he, also, counts as one of the wounded, because caught up in the moment, he appears to have forgotten this.)
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
What is going on with that guy? Is the Persona seriously puppeting him? That's... that's not how that's supposed to work, right? You're in control of the Persona.
(Nobody tell her about Yumi or Shinjiro.)
But she sags against the desk as the Joker Killer declares... that Ayame is now tha target in her husband's place. "Dammit..." She doesn't know how these 'Rumors' work but can he really do that?
... Not that she wants Ikkaku to be in danger, but... she'd feel better if she knew what was going on.
And then he vanishes. Ririka takes a few deep breaths, looking around at all the destruction... and the wounded. "Damn..." she mutters. She looks to Shinjiro and nods. "Yeah. Just... gotta catch my breath a bit more." She looks to Ikkaku next. "I'll heal them too, but... Watanabe-san is probably going to need some time to rest, if that was her first time..."
Once she catches her breath she gets up and makes her way over to where Yua is kneeling over Myunghon, kneeling down herself. "Don't worry Miss," she says gently. "I'll help them."
She's kind of on her last legs, but she's still got enough energy in the tank to spare for one last heal. "Amphion... Mediarama." Amphion strums his lyre as healing energy washes over the most injured people in the room... including, of course, Myunghon and Ayame. Amphion fades away, and Ririka lets out a long sigh. She offers Yua a hopefully reassuring smile. "Are you feeling better?" Then, a bit apologetically. "Sorry, I know you don't like questions..."
But he glances over to Katsuya as he calls in the attack, frowning a bit. "... Iiiii dunno if I wanna stick around for reinforcements to show up," she mutters to herself. She's already quietly trying to stash her Evoker away in the bottom of her backpack, too.
<Pose Tracker> Goro Akechi has posed.
Akechi was about to pick up Myunghon, when Officer Suou indicates he shouldn't, causing him to pause:
"Well, I was concerned for structural damage from the fire and removing them further from a potentially unsafe scene but - I can certainly see your point."
Certainly he's not back talking a police officer of Sumaru's finest or questioning their judgment. That would be unthinkable.
"I'll be right back." He says to Yua instead, quite kindly, as he makes the walk. It's only once he's out of sight of everyone that he sags somewhat against a wall, touching a hand to the slash mark across his jacket.
With an angry look and a growl beneath his breath, he forces himself to stand up straight, and continues the journey there to the infirmary and back.
<Pose Tracker> Myunghon Yeo has posed.
Myunghon's drowning.
Not drowning in... what smells like beautiful, familiar chlorine... why is that the only smell that still exists to them in the world? Chlorinated water, like disinfectant. Everything sounds like it's being filtered through wool in their ears. Ikkaku's crying out for his wife. Yua's calling out for them. Did they fail? They can't feel the lower side of them at all... they're scooped in by her sobbing face, resting on their shoulder.
It feels... nice, somehow. Like they can forget about their worries for a moment. For a moment, their confusion even makes them wonder if they're back in high school, and they just had a strange dream all this time.
After all, someone -- they can't see that it's the masked Prince -- mentions an infirmary. But that point, a pulse of fear still manages to flow through their body. They don't want to go back... they don't want to go back to that white place. Shinjiro, despite the fact that Myunghon's never communicated that before, understands. Yua understands hospitals frighten Myunghon. And other services that mean they get Put In The System. But hospitals are extra complex.
Shinobu's anger still pulsates through in waves. Rage, flowing to concern. Ayame... how's she doing? She has to survive too. Katsuya is taking charge. He always takes charge. He believes in the good of the public service. Everyone he works with is a good person... aren't they?
Then -- their Resonance senses Amphion over their dulled ones -- and they can feel healing energy stream into them. The cut -- which horrifically already was cauterised thanks to the presence of magic flame -- is already looking much better. Their gray eye flutters open slowly.
"Yuarin...?" Myunghon rasps. They catch a glimpse of Akechi's red mask somewhere in their periphery. The words 'unsafe scene' rings in their head. "... they're right. This isn't a safe place. Where's-- where's Ayame, where's Ikkaku..." They heard him shouting earlier. "Shinobu...?"
They shut down a little after the burst of questions, because that's their brain trying to accelerate at a thousand kilometres out of fear and concern and finding itself starved because the body has no energy because it's devoting all its power to keeping itself alive, Half Light.
... they want to smell like disinfectant right now. That's the only smell... they've ever had, one way or another.
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ooshiro has posed.
Yua tries not to call attention to Mediarama affecting her. "Thank you for helping them," she says, demure, without meeting Ririka's eyes.
"Thank you," Yua says, again, to the Prince... and she won't see Akechi's grimace.
She nods to Umie, as well. "Thank you... ah," she pauses, as she looks to Katsuya. "O-officer..."
Yua grasps Myunghon's hand. "Don't worry," she tells them, though her voice still wavers. "We've got you."
And between those of them who'd rather not stick around, they'll get Myunghon to a place safer for them... and she'll escort Shinobu's staff to the Cardboard Dragon, too.
... Ayame, Shinobu, and Ikkaku will be taken care of by the people Katsuya summons, Yua's sure.