2026-03-07: Wild Dance
- Log: Wild Dance
- Cast: Tatsuya Sudou, Yua Ijuuin, Miho Ijuuin, Remi Ryuuja, Kurou Ryouhara, Minako Arisato, Jun Kashihara, Yukari Takeba, Katsuya Suou, Masao Inaba, Shinobu Shimizu, Maya Amano, Hitomi Mandai, Hyousuke Suzuki, Eikichi Mishina, Moriko Kumamoto, Eriko Kirishima, Umie Akabane, Julian Marlowe, Tamaki Uchida
- Where: Morimoto Hospital, Mt. Katatsumuri, Sumaru City
- OOC Date: March 07, 2026
- IC Date: October 06, 2012
- Summary: The Patient has escaped, and now rules over the blood-soaked halls of the Morimoto Sanitarium. However, the New World Order has come to clean up this mess and see about making a change of leadership.
<Pose Tracker> Penguin Sniper has posed.
WVOOP - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RARotEaobh0
There's that sickening sensation again. The world changes, perception blurring into photonegative hues. A scent like iron. Images flash, like that eye upon the cell room wall. They are fleeting, forgotten the moment they appear.
the Maia Maiden's heart stops with it
what then remains is a paradise on earth
Hear the Siren's call, ringing in your ears. The Director's office awaits, a heavy door, into an office with creaky hinges. Once it squeaks open, that scent grows stronger, more obvious now.
Because there are several bodies just lying in puddles of their own blood on the floor.
-=-=-
A man with a scar on his face wearing a white changshan was frowning, as he stood in the parking lot of the Morimoto Sanitarium, beside his luxury vehicle, and flanked by two men in red changshans, brandishing firearms.
Suddenly his smart phone rang. Answering it and putting it to his ear, the man on the other end of the line stated, "I have your new orders-" Which is when Yung Pao interrupted him, "How many of my men have been sacrificed to this foolishness?"
"As many as I require," replied the aged voice of the Silver Lion. "We never expected them to complete this mission by themselves. They were fodder, to prevent more 'specialized' agents from being worn down in a protracted fight against my fool of a son's summoned lackeys."
"You sacrificed my men for that!?"
"No. You did." The voice on the phone replied immediately, "For the sake of your brother's life, you willingly sent them to their deaths. And if you want him back, you won't take that tone with me again."
Yung Pao's grip immediately tightened around his phone, threatening the screen, "What are your orders now, then?"
"Stand by and watch what happens next. ... I may require you to make more sacrifices before this ends."
-=-=-
Baofu is ready to enter the office himself, when he sees something out of the corner of his eye; instead walking up to the nearby view of the outside. There's a single glimpse of a scarred man on his cell phone, beside his car.
The scarred man looks up, and their eyes meet. From a distance, the scarred man's lips move, and those men with him stand at the ready with their submachine guns.
It's impossible to see Baofu's eyes, but his expression contorts into one of fury. Then wordlessly as the others begin to enter, does he sprint off back towards the stairs.
He doesn't even tell the others what is more important than what's inside that office as he departs.
Penguin Sniper has left for Staff Lounge.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Beyond the sturdy mahogany doors of the warden's office, is a sight to behold. Let's ignore how many bodies this office can fit, as things being bigger on the inside is completely up the alley of weird things that happen around Sudou. What one may not be able to ignore is that there are two dead bodies, one charred beyond identification. the other being gnawed on by a hellhound. A pool of blood is in the center of the room, the source is the warden himself impaled to the ceiling by the Joker Killer's janky homemade sword. The Joker Killer himself is in the corner, with the paper bag pulled up half way over his face as he shaves in the mirror. The Joker Killer lets out a sigh as he puts down the straight razor.
Taking a moment he walks behind the warden's desk and ...pauses . He turns to look outside for a moment as an audible TSK is heard from behind the mask. Taking a moment he turns back and looks at the office occupants. "You lot, you ruin my attempt to get Jun on the right track. You barge into my summer vacation home. You kill my zombie friends, you let my pets run free AND you lot, didn't bring me any new toys to break. " Taking a moment to examine the group before he adds, "But you lot, you went into my room." He bangs his hand on the desk for a moment, "No respect!"
The Joker Killer reaches up and removes the paper bag and drops it onto the desk, which lands on the desk with a heavy thud. The blond hair Tatsuya Sudou looks out across the group, "Surprise~. " Sudou deadpans to the group, he is under no illusion that the group had no idea who has been making their life miserable for the last few months. Sudou reaches into the paper bag and from it pulls a very nice looking Claymore, one of those outlandishly large Claymores like one may see in a fantasy movie, or anime. The pommel is intricately designed, with a squid-like skull in the center of the pommel, the tentacles forming the hand guards. As Sudou holds this large sword with one hand, he too looks like something out of a cartoon.
Placing the sword down next to him, he begins to neatly fold the bag, as he does he says"When I wore this bag,I talked like the Old Maid, I thought like the Old Maid, I reasoned like the Old Maid. Now that it is removed, I shall put the ways of the Old Maid behind me." He takes the paper bag and sets it inside the warden's desk. Then he hefts the sword up into the air and walks around the desk. "Here is what is going to happen. I am going to leave now, I am not going to disappear, to walk behind a potted plant, I am simply going to walk past each of you, down the stairs and leave. Then you are all going to go out and tell them all that the unstoppable, unkillable Joker Killer is Tatsuya Sudou. "
A smile appears on his face before he adds, "That Tatsuya Sudou has been escaping from a locked cell constantly and murdering people before returning back to his cell. The warden was none the wiser. " A quick glance up at the impaled Warden before Sudou finishes, " So I am going to count to 3 and you lot are going to move out of my way. One..."
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Stepping into the carpark from the forest is a Bride, though this is a poor place for a wedding. In a grey wedding gown, protective tactical flak jacket layered atop it, she at first looks like a soldier to be wed; but look a little closer, and the belly of that bulletproof vest is curved to allow for more room at her midsection. She wears a dozen veils and fascinators; only her painted lips are visible, behind the thinner layers of her longest veils. She wears long gloves, up to her elbows; boots, beneath the hem of her dress.
"Stand back," she advises the scarred man, Yung Pao, who wisely elects to give her space.
And she is not the one Baofu is searching for, as he runs past her, Evoker lifting up to her face with the delicate movements of a dancer.
She does not care to reach beyond the perimeter she has established, as she invokes: "Gretchen." Sick red light emanates from her, as red flames fleck from the eye she shoots, beneath her veils.
The top of that white-frocked maiden is far taller than Yumi, who stands only as tall as her midsection. A mask covers Gretchen's face, and dozens upon dozens of jewels are slung about her person. More pressingly is her vast embrace: the iron jail bars of a cell are driven, horizontal, through her arms, allowing her to cage her User in her arms.
With the invocation of her Persona, the Anti-Navigator, Yumi, spreads her trap across the hospital. That stubborn afternoon fog works agonisingly well, with the way light dims in the space; as well as a memory.
Inside the hospital, the walls grow dark and inhospitable -- confusingly unfamiliar. You may have found your way through the three floors before, but now -- now it is as if every door is a mystery, and the darkness which seethes in the halls makes it difficult to tell how long they are, if they even end at all...
... and there are markings, on the walls, where once there were none. Stained and rust-red in places, darker in others -- handprints, sprays, splatters. This place does not welcome them, the blood, rust, and rot suggests; here, there are dangers they cannot know. Even the decorations the halls used to have become strange, text indistinct as if viewed through a dream, the angles just slightly incorrect.
Room #303, needless to say, is worse. Let us dwell on it no longer, and leave it, now, as a terrible presence behind you...
Outside, in the parking lot, there are no walls to press in against everyone. That dim lightning, in the indistinctness of the fog, instead creates a terrible sense that being out here is being in an island of solid ground surrounded by nothing kind. The few cars stranded here are more angular, now, more unfriendly in their construction, seeming to possess of themselves jagged edges and rust. It's not clear, stepping into that carpark, where the line of the forest even is -- though the looming, horrific threat of the Sanitarium rises, no matter where one treads. As if breathing; as if alive. As if malevolent, omnipresent...
You'll always come back here.
You'll always be trapped here.
Tatsuya Sudou...
She knows where you are. She knows where you're hiding. And from the sky, massive diamonds fall down, each larger than a man. They lodge themselves in the concrete, into the sides of the hospital; it is a targeted assault, one designed not to crush her enemies, but to provide a quick route down for the assailants she knows are moving into the Director's Office at that moment.
... of course, the trick about providing a stable platform like that is, anyone could use it. One might need to clamber from diamond to diamond if they weren't confident jumping, but it's a much safer way down than just leaping three stories...
((OOC: This pose contains important setting data, even if you're not fighting Yua! You have been arena trapped, and cannot flee from this battle. The scene of the fight is the parking lot; please move your characters out into it by the end of your poses, with or without an attack to your baddie as your pose prefers!))
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
From behind the group approaches a Groom, dressed in her black armored vest and owl-like mask. She is tall, six feet tall, with a long hood covering her hair and the rest of her face behind the mask. And in her hand is a scarlet-hilted sabre, its grip and hilt in the shape of a sinuous dragon, its blade shining steel.
Her eyes aren't visible, but the weight of her scrutiny falls easily on Tatsuya Sudou, he who has been called the Old Maid. "Tatsuya Sudou," the woman says, her voice distorted by the Bride's strange power. The monochrome woman lifts her blade to point it at him, the blade's tip gleaming in the low light of the room.
"That isn't going to happen," she tells him. "...You've failed to bring about the world you sought. No more will the lion's roar echo far and wide."
She brings her blade up in salute. "Faust!"
A plague-masked woman appears in a swirl of red light; past the gathered, past Sudou himself, the Groom's Persona dives--and whirls, slamming into the wall with the force of tons, shattering brick and plaster to let the gloom outside in. The Groom herself is there an instant later, leaping and somersaulting forward to body check Tatsuya Sudou in an effort to knock him out directly into the parking lot.
She will follow. But is it a good idea to let the New World Order act unopposed?
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
When the Groom appears, a moment later so does another woman, appearing in the blink of an eye and with a flutter of wind. She stands about 5'6", and one might mistake her for a fencer, except instead of being in all white she is in all black, from her boots all the way up through the suit to her gloves and her fencing mask, which is all black and hides her face.
On one hip is a rapie in a black scabbard, on the opposite thigh a holster with a heavy revolver made of dark metal.
She lets the Groom do the talking, standing, silent, with her arms crossed as she watches the assembled Persona Users.
There is a turn of her head as Faust is summoned, a silent nod as the Miyu darts past the Persona Users to tackle Sudou to the outside.
When that happens she is suddenly in the office, too, standing between the assembled Persona Users on one side and Miyu and Sudou on the other. She calmly pulls that revolver and lifts it to her head. Her voice is deadly calm as she says, "Persona."
Next to her rises a tall figure--androgynous and impossible to gender. They are draped in a red leather straight jacket with gold studs running down the front, the arms left unopen--a strangely fitting attire, considering the location. The rest of their attire, however, is atypical for the setting. A tattered, feathered hat and a chipped blade clutched through the sleeve of the straightjacket.
In tandem the two turn towards the hole in the wall, ready to leap out after the others. But Tsurugi looks back over her shoulder to the assembled Persona Users, and if her voice weren't so flat and stoic it might be taunting for what she says next. "We will handle this. You will not be required."
User and Persona jump, deftly leaping from diamond shard to diamond shard to get to the parking lot.
The fastest way to get someone to do something is to tell them not to do it, right?
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Kurou is here. His approach is a subtle thing, difficult to spot not because of anti-navigation, but because of his own trained silence and adherence to shadow. He waits several paces behind the Groom, and does not speak to announce himself.
He wears no mask. He does not hide who or what he is from those who do see him. He is Kurou, a boy of seventeen dressed in casual street wear, with freckled skin and long, black hair streaked in vivid blue.
But what does not move is harder to spot, and the only motion Kurou makes as the others speak is in the tightening of his knuckles around the hilt of his tsurugi-style blade. His eyes, like warm gold, do not tear away.
Sudou falls, and Kurou launches into action. He barely makes a sound, even now, not even calling his Persona yet to dash, jump, and roll to the ground with his intent to get close enough to ensure that at least someone's blade makes it through Sudou's throat.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
The world blurs, but...
It doesn't blur quite the way it does for others. Minako doesn't have a feeling of deja vu; doesn't have a sensation of wrongness and familiarity. The Siren's call rings in her ears, though, and the smell of blood hits her nose. She looks up. "Careful--"
And Baofu is off. She looks after him, and then back into the room -- where the warden is impaled, and at the Joker Killer. Her blood runs cold for a moment -- and then her eyes widen.
"We--we're not just moving aside for--" Minako's protest is cut short by the sudden shift in the hospital. The way the walls change, the way it goes darker. Sudou leaps out -- and Minako shouts and follows. "SEES! Move!"
She leaps -- from platform to platform. Then, a final leap that seems too high. Her Evoker comes to her head and she cries out: "Persona!"
Linos, resplendant in gold and with a crimson scarf fluttering, appears -- grabs Minako's hand -- and then tosses her. She lands, skids over the concrete, and comes face-to-face with Kurou Ryouhara.
"Who..." She looks at him with crimson eyes, which then narrow. She looks at the Groom, the Bride, and then Remi. Then, she looks back at Kurou. "...I'm giving you one chance. We've got to stop him, here and now."
She swings out her naginata, pointing it for him. Red light flashes up, shooting around her, as Linos hovers behind her. "So step aside!"
AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Almighty skill Tarukaja on Minako Arisato!
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
Being brand-new as a Persona User--but not quite so new to the supernatural in general--Jun Kashihara has considerably more of a grasp on how to handle the matter of his long-time stalker. No one had quite told him that the Morimoto Sanitarium is where Tatsuya Sudou has been based all this time, but after returning home and hearing about that awful accident there--and how even reporters are being turned away--Jun had a hunch that something important is going down. Thus, he'd take a trip up the side of Mt. Katatsumuri to investigate.
He hadn't meant to necessarily sneak into the sanitarium. He is going there by himself, after all--and who knows just how close to the truth the news has hewed? No, he meant to just get close enough to take a peek, get the lay of the land.
That was before he spotted all the corpses. Sensed the presence of many, many other Persona Users.
It would've been sensible for him to simply turn around and head back home, but Jun Kashihara forged an oath with his alter ego to keep his forgotten past locked away--not to turn his eyes away from the truth. It'd been about then that the Death Boss, Eikichi Mishina, had shown up, and after a brief explanation of what Jun was doing there, the two of them agreed to head deeper inside together, so each of them can watch the other's back. It felt... right, somehow, anyway.
But before either of them could actually enter, they both felt a sickening presence at the fetid heart of the sanitarium, vision inverting colors like a photonegative. Both of them know it well: the Old Maid. Tatsuya Sudou.
Not only that... but the sound of back-up troops arriving at the front of the building.
"Eikichi-kun, we've got to hurry," Jun murmurs to his companion, brown eyes fixed with determination. "We both need to settle things with Sudou-san."
Sneaking around to the front, both of them see the Tien Tao Lao's leader and a woman in bridal regalia, just in time for a black-haired stranger to chase off the Taiwanese mafia man and the Bride to pull a gun on herself. Jun gasps sharply, but his reaction time isn't quick enough to stop her from pulling the trigger. What happens next is fully unexpected: a cage of a Persona materializes around her, and the world goes absolutely wrong, turning into a maze of horrific proportions with suddenly jagged cars forming its perimeter.
Jun clutches his arms in sudden, silent panic. That feeling of being trapped... Hasn't he had enough of that?
Now, at least, though, he has his Persona--and a friend. He takes several deep breaths, steels his nerves, and shares a sharp little nod with Eikichi.
Fortunately, Jun and Eikichi are already outside--which means they can immediately join the fight, rather than getting lost inside. The wall above shatters, and out falls none other than Tatsuya Sudou, having finally discarded his paper bag 'mask,' followed by a... woman...? dressed as a groom. A clear pair for the Bride...
"It's him!" Jun utters, tensing--but that Groom is attacking him. Not only them, but that crowd of Persona Users descends, some he recognizes, some he doesn't. Jun stares warily at the diamond steps that allows them to join everyone else in the parking lot. Between the crowd and their hellish new surroundings-- "What in blazes is going on?"
It's an open-ended question. Even if Eikichi has more experience than him in Persona-related matters, Jun doesn't expect him to know either. Since it's like that, he takes a deep breath, stands tall, and strides forward to properly join the parking lot crowd. Though he has plenty of friends and acquaintances here, his eyes lock on in particular to Maya and Katsuya--Katsuya of course helped him home after his kidnapping and spoke to him about everything afterwards with Akechi, and Maya... well, Jun just feels attached to her for reasons he can't name, much less understand. However, after he nods to both of them, he focuses in on Sudou, whatever state he's in after the Groom's attack--to say nothing of the rapid approach of any other Persona Users.
"Sudou-san. You disposed of your 'mask,' I see," Jun says coldly. "I almost miss it. By comparison, that paper bag is a slightly less hideous sight." He raises the sprig of lilac that serves as his weapon, elegantly arching it across his chest. The pale purple of its petals complement the teal of his school uniform and the yellow of the lily in his breast pocket. "I've come to help put a stop to your monstrous ambitions. Prepare yourself!"
In a spinning circle of light, Argeiphontes appears above him, all white and black and gold. He raises his spaceship caduceus in a mirror of Jun's gesture with his own floral weapon, and the green of swift winds spirals up around Jun, Eikichi, Katsuya and Maya to speed their movements and make them more of a match for the Old Maid, now exposed.
AS: Take! Minako Arisato takes 0 Almighty damage from Minako Arisato's Tarukaja. AS: Atk_Up added! AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Almighty skill Masukukaja on Eikichi Mishina, Maya Amano, Katsuya Suou, and Jun Kashihara! AS: Support: Jun Kashihara gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Jun Kashihara takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up added! AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up added!
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
Yukari Takeba hates this entire experience. There's death all around them, with very few survivors. And even before it ends, the government is already acting to cover it up.
Because one corrupt politician doesn't want anything embarrassing about him to get out. What a joke.
She can't help but think of the Kirijo Group, even with better intentions, was it really enough? Now that she's here though, this place has thoroughly not just creeped her out, terrified her.
Why does she feel like she's encountered some of this before?
marking the end and a new beginning
She had been in something of a daze, as Eriko explains, "The Crawling Chaos? Nyarlathotep? What kind of names are those?" She asks, looking more and more uncomfortable. "Can we... just move on?" She asks, as she rubs an opposite arm. And when they do, things get worse. A pulse. Between each heartbeat, a rush of noise and flashes.
ideals
dreams
a loveless existence
firefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefirefire
A searing spike of pain in her skull. She can't even grasp this sensation of Deja Vu. There are no memories to reach for. Nevertheless, there is the idea that she's felt this before, many times before. The idea that she's on loop, going in circles, repeating the same thing.
There's no rational reason for it.
an eye staring
watching you
Nothing about this makes sense. Nothing.
call master joker
callcallcallcallcallcallcallcall
make a wish
Inside they go.
mask
leo taurus scorpio aquarius
And there he is. Here there's a sense of Deja Vu yet again, but that doesn't make sense! He talks and as creeped out as she is.
"You really can't take anything seriously, can you? Even when you're killing people... why would we ever respect you for that?" He details though how he's planning on getting away, even starting to count down. "Uhhhh. Why would we ever let you do that?"
Dance with Night Wind - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MiFeu9m9Mvo
Then the walls become dark, inhospitable, unfamiliar. "Wait what's happening!? Are you doing that?" Yukari looks around wildly as the scenery changes, suddenly uncertain. The imagery different in a way that yanks her emotions back in the opposite direction.
"You're seeing this right?" She asks Minako, shocked before 'SEES! Move!"
Diamonds are forever. Objects of such value, used for such strangeness as a platform. Perhaps they're not so much forever after all. They're here just as long as they should be, just like everyone else, as she leaps at Minako's command.
Down
Down
Down
She follows to the 'Other' parking lot with uncertain steps in the midst of the horror. There they are, the Groom. The Bride. "You're... those cop-killers from the beach." She knows they're NWO, but... "Lion's roar?" She blinks, and it's like a slap to the face, "What do you know about that? Why do you know about that?!"
More are there too. "And you- you're from the warehouse!" She says angrily, towards the rapier wielding figure. Then there's Kurou, and- well, he doesn't so much as announce himself as leap straight towards Sudou's throat.
It couldn't happen to a nicer guy, and yet.
"You're really here to kill him!? ... His father really did send you to do it..."
Yukari turns towards the bride. And rather than has an episode of 'Deja Vu' instead has a little whiplash as there's definitely been a change from last time she encountered her. "Wait- are you pregnant?" As she looks towards the rest of the NWO, "Did all of you bring a pregnant woman to your fight against a SERIAL KILLER? What is WRONG with you!?"
A press of the Evoker to her forehead, as she pulls the trigger, "Come- Io!" As her Persona appears, the bovine coffin ridden by the fey girl in chains, she lifts her hands to the heavens and...
Suddenly tries to slow down the bride and the groom.
"How can you people be this messed up!?"
BLU-RAY: csys output is missing for Yukari Takeba. <Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
The world feels like, in an instant, that it's flipped upside down. 'His' presence is unmistakable now. "#501... he's still here," Katsuya says, narrowing his eyes. "He must be in the Director's office. This time, he won't escape." He hopes, this time, that can be true.
He smells blood. The source is not hard to find: one, impaled to the ceiling. The other, being chewed on by one of Sudou's demons. He's reminded of the discussion earlier regarding the probable source of the wounds on the bodies downstairs. He'd guessed on prior experience that it was likely a hellhound.
And he realizes, then, that Baofu is no longer with them. But there's no longer any time to do anything except exchange an alarmed glance with Maya, is there?
After all, he is right here before him.
"#501, or should I say--"
The mask is cast aside.
"...Tatsuya Sudou," Katsuya finishes. His hand rests on his holstered gun, as if in anticipation of the other man's next move. He shakes his head. "No. This has gone far enough. You're not getting away from me again. You're under arrest! Surrender yourself right now!"
It should be said that even Katsuya has had the vague sense that there was something wrong about this place, even before now. Even before room #303. The sense that the world has not only inverted itself but twisted inwards is palpable: it had been Wrong before. Now it is Wrong. "What is--" He turns his attention away from Sudou, towards the room around them, as if trying to pinpoint its source.
"What is-- happening--"
rust, rot
shadows on shadows
Something slams into the side of the building; the foundation shudders and he can feel a structure that was built to stand against an earthquake strain. Another follows soon after: the jolt serves drops him to his knees.
Another person is here.
A... woman, some part of his mind parses, in spite of her attire. A Persona-user. As he scrambles to his feet, he's just in time to see her do it: she brings forth her Persona, grinding through the wall and windows with an awful sound that's only punctuated by the gentle chime of falling glass. Into that jagged hole goes Sudou, even as he rushes towards the pair, and it's as he reaches the opening there in the wall that he realizes what it was that hit the building. "What..." he utters, staring at the diamonds embedded in the wall. Then he shakes his head.
"Wait! Sudou!"
And he runs, taking the makeshift staircase all the way down to the ground level.
He's not alone down there. While there's no sign of Baofu, he sees another familiar face. "Kashihara-kun?! But this is--" He shakes his head. "No, never mind! We must stop him before he escapes again!" he says, of Sudou, however he might be in the wake of that fall. Katsuya assumes that won't be enough to stop him: not after everything else so far. And then his gaze falls on Eikichi.
Katsuya's expression here says it all.
"Be careful," he tells Eikichi and Jun after that moment's hesitation. "Amano-kun is one of Sudou's intended targets." To that end--
"Persona--!" he calls out, summoning Helios in a burst of blue flame. A defensive barrier settles in around Maya, as if to protect her if now is the time that Sudou decides to collect on that 'deferred' kill from Seven Sisters months ago.
BLU-RAY: csys output is missing for Katsuya Suou. AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Yukari Takeba's Masukunda. AS: Spd_Dn added! AS: Take! Maya Amano takes 0 Almighty damage from Katsuya Suou's Rakukaja. AS: Def_Up added! AS: Take! Maya Amano takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up added! AS: Take! Miho Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Yukari Takeba's Masukunda. AS: Spd_Dn added!
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
Masao heard those words from Eriko, and his eyes widen. He can't unhear what she said, and he can't unsee what she's seeing, and...
"You're shittin' me." Beat. "You're not shittin' me..."
...There'll be time for plenty of exasperation along the way to the Warden's Office. Tatsuya Sudou's emanations as a powerful Persona-User have his heart pounding... but his mouth is already running.
"Shut it!!" He dares mouth to the day's most infamous serial killer. "You killed Hannya!" He actually takes a step forward... before some sorrow wells. "We hated each others' guts back then, but, if it weren't for him," by accident and not at all by his intention given the very funny event involving some unflattering graffiti caught on a camera that Hannya had to spin into something positive with deeply clenched teeth, "wouldn't have ever gotten to study art in New York... and y'know, he had someone who still loved him, too..."
"It's time for payb--"
He gets cut off, unceremoniously, by a Groom. The expression on his face is full of 'aw, what' and 'I was airing grievances first(-ish),' as Faust somewhat sidelines him in their movement to the wall they slam open and eventually see Sudou tackled right out.
"Tch," he can only spit as the strange but somewhat familiar feeling of a space that feels... entrapping, inescapable, settles as he runs to the edge of the busted wall to see... massive diamonds as foot- and hand-holds? "Hey! They're gettin' away down there!!" He calls, signaling to Eriko and Tamaki as he makes his way down...
Not all that gracefully, slipping and falling at basically the very last step, suffering nothing but a momentary hit to his dignity. Doesn't matter if he looks silly up at the front. After all...
"Ogun!" He calls, gesturing with a drawn ornate, gaudy, diamond-studded axe. "Let's get funky."
Ogun, a trailblazer from the culture that reveres him, descends down as a thin line of colors that stretches out horizontally into that familiar grass-clad, brown-suited form above a blue column of light above Masao, raising their spear on high and swinging it down like one might an axe, to cleave.
AS: Persona! Masao Inaba has used the Slash skill Cleave on Miho Ijuuin! AS: Counter Neutral! Miho Ijuuin takes 117 Slash damage from Masao Inaba's Cleave. Critical Hit! Counter Slash! AS: COUNTER! Masao Inaba takes 85 Slash damage in return for his attack!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Shinobu glances Baofu's way as he hurriedly departs, but her focus remains on the warden's office. Whatever they're feeling, it's coming in here... She gets her staff ready, bursting through the door the moment it's open.
And inside - more corpses... and a familiar silhouette.
"...You're here. Guess that's no surprise." She comments. He talks about their offenses and Shinobu rolls her neck, leveling her staff at him. "'No respect'. Yeah. I get that a lot."
And then he removes his mask, drawing out a sword far too big from its container from within it.
"...So that's what you look like." Shinobu says. "Good. Let's put all fakery behind us. ...But, nah. That's not the way this is gonna go."
It isn't - but not because of what she thinks. The world shifts and darkens, drawing in on itself, becoming hostile - and the building rocks, as something slams into its side. Is that him, or...?
"Shit!" Shinobu curses - and suddenly, there are more people here. The Groom on one side, and Tsurugi on the other. The Groom bodychecks Sudou, knocking him right out of the window. Tsurugi, meanwhile... assures them that they're 'no longer needed'.
Agents of the NWO... Not here for them, but for Sudou. Shinobu grits her teeth, backs up - and then breaks into a run, chasing after Tsurugi. She leaps out the window, chaining parkour jumps down the helpful diamond platforms -
- until the last, where she sends herself flying right toward Tsurugi.
"HEADS-UP!" Shinobu shouts. She aims to land foot first with a falling kick, before bringing her staff down. She jumps back, her staff at the ready. "You know, I'm conflicted. On one hand, I don't give a damn what happens to him. But on the other... the idea of letting you all do what you want really pisses me off."
AS: Weapon! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Crushing Drop on Remi Ryuuja! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
Hitomi is perceptive, but she's not *sensitive* - which is why she had kept her poop in enough of a group to get some semi-concrete evidence of whatever it was that was happening in Room 303.
But even so. It gets to you. The smell of blood. That strange tension. Hitomi's face is drawn and tightened by tension even before -- even before they see HIM. They see the son of the Prime Minister. He is nobody in particular to Hitomi, and if he had been simply a victim or a target of some political intrigue, she might have sympathized with Tatsuya Sudou.
These potentialities do not last long. Hitomi doesn't answer Sudou. She's starting to hyperventilate, shallowly breathing through her mouth. She wants to throw up. She's mentally counting how many dead bodies she's seen tonight and the number is too large, too damn large. She's a tiny scrap tossed on these winds.
She's going to die. They're all going to die. The very land they're standing on has become hostile. This is an alien presence, something worse than the horror of the attack on the dorm. Hitomi fumbles in the dark for something to grasp onto, some hope, some faith, some other power. It's beyond -
'SEES! Move!'
Hitomi's feet and legs move. All paths lead towards horror and death. Hitomi finds something. As she sees the impossibly enormous diamonds that have been embedded into the sides of the sanatorium, it's like switching the lens setting in a camera and -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZqCbPXyusI
The weight falls off of Hitomi's heart, but she does not laugh. Everything spreads out in front of her, thrilling but intent. She steps forwards and picks her way down, sliding and dropping several times. She does not match Minako's leap, and so she doesn't back Minako Arisato *herself* up, despite the salvation of that command.
Climbing down diamonds to a parking lot is enough to let that whirling brain settle down. To focus. Take stock. Mostly a lot of tiny things - how is she doing? Not that hurt, miraculously. She's exerted her Persona a few times thus far, so that's not at the top of the line, but at least she's warmed up.
Hitomi lands in a crouch with an 'uff' still near the wall, and she looks up, and the person she knows who is nearest to Hitomi is Yukari, and so it is that Hitomi is on Yukari's side. She steps forwards, and says in what is, all things considered, a very level voice - ragged, kind of, urgent, maybe somewhere near or subsequent to an emotional collapse - but reasoned.
"Yukarichi..." not her name, but at least in the right direction. Hitomi reaches into her hip pouch them as she strides forwards even as Io is evoked. Hitomi doesn't pull an Evoker, Hitomi doesn't *have* an Evoker, but Hitomi does have something in her hand.
Hitomi draws back and *hurls* it, whipping the whatever-it-is towards the enormous jeweled figure of Gretchen and the cradled form of Yua. She throws it like she's trying to skip a stone across a lake. The objects fly forwards on a low sharp trajectory, hit the ground and ricochet up tumbling towards Yua.
When they hit they explode.
Having done this, Hitomi turns her head a little. "I'm kind of freaked out, but... Who's pregnant?" The tone is like she's being asked for a spare pencil in the middle of class, for the third time today.
AS: Weapon! Hitomi Mandai has used the Strike skill Exploding Sixes on Yua Ijuuin! 3 Hits! AS: Aggression: Hitomi Mandai gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
That awful sensation crawls up Maya's spine again. The bruise on her chest aches just as it had when she had stared at the poem inside of Sudou's room. For a moment, she thinks she'll lose her footing, but somehow, she remains upright and the feeling fades -- just in time for her to watch Baofu race out of the room.
"Baofu-san! Where are you going?"
She doesn't get an answer -- but even if she did, Maya isn't sure she'd hear it. Not with everything going on.
"Katsuya-san!" she yells, loud enough to be heard over the din. He's on the move immediately and Maya leaps onto the first platform after him. She lands on unsteady feet, but once she regains her balance, the subsequent jumps come easier.
Maya never thought she'd do something like this for a story... but at this point, it's for more than a story!
"Jun-kun!" she shouts as she lands behind Katsuya. "Where did you come from?" And... "Who's your friend?" There's something strangely familiar about him, too...
Whoops, probably not a good time for a conversation!
"Thanks!" she says instead, in thanks for the protective spells. Then she directs her attention back to Sudou.
It's strange seeing him without a mask. "It's time for you to surrender to Katsuya-san!"
And just in case he needs some encouragement...
AS: Weapon! Maya Amano has used the Pierce skill Cover Shot on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Pressure: Maya Amano gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvOMVgXbRMI
Hyousuke had followed that strange, disquieting feeling all the way to the office. He'd charged in without a second thought, glad for the mask shielding his face from all that cared to glance at him. He didn't even know what kind of an expression he'd pulled. Anger, perhaps? Frustration? Maybe even fear. It was difficult to say, and his focus was entirely dedicated to taking out the Joker Killer before he escaped again. Flanked by a creaking mass of bronze, shield and spear brought to bear without hesitation, he only stopped his advance when he saw blonde hair tumbling from the mask's confines.
"Eat shit." Was his response, stifled first by clenched teeth, then by the mask's surface. Stalking forward, his every step heavy enough to thud out into the office like a thunderclap, he did his best to ignore the warden's skewered corpse. He saw it, and his eyes flickered to it, but he could not afford to be distracted. He could not - at such a critical juncture - allow old wounds to open themselves, and distract him from the fight to come. "I don't care who you are. This ends no-"
A familiar figure interrupted the proceedings, and Hyousuke backed up a step, instinctively creating enough distance for his Persona to shield him. He wished desperately to fight them. Every muscle in his body yearned to surge forward, heaving rending metal and bludgeoning fists into everyone that dared to oppose his will. But the walls... the walls seemed to close in on him. They seemed to speak to him, darkening and reddening and marking themselves, the Bride's power leaving its mark on every crack and crevice of that accursed lair. His muscles tightened, and his guard rose, as if waiting for a blow that would never come. He was silent, he was defensive, and he was waiting.
The blow came, but not for him. Amidst the Bride's warping and twisting of reality around them all, he scarcely had time to process that blink-fast strike, or the instinctive leap that followed. Hyousuke ran out through that same hole, descending like a lightning bolt into the parking lot. He heard no command from any leaders, he saw no signal, and thought nothing of the meteoric force with which he impacted the ground. He was like a hound in pursuit, finally catching a scent and letting countless hours of training guide his every movement.
By the time that he was conscious again, Hyousuke had cannoned forward into the fray. The rage-blindness cleared from his vision, and there before him was a face he recognised. Only vaguely - only from passing by it in Kasugayama's halls - but he knew enough about them that the anger sparked up in him once more.
"YOU!" He bellowed at Kurou, bringing Achilles to the fore, a great wall of metal to shield the allies he'd not even noticed he had. "What the hell are you doing here?!" No thoughts of opsec and secrets entered his mind. It was only luck and habit that kept him from mentioning names, or declaring bloody vengeance. But it did not stop his aggression. That honour fell to Minako, and her decidedly more level head.
He was like a leashed attack dog, waiting to strike. Muscles wound like springs, teeth bared in a vicious snarl, eyes focussed like white-hot daggers - a single provocation, and his strength would be levelled at Kurou. But for now, he made a show of force.
"Move. I'll deal with you later. That piece of shit over there is *ours.*" With the demand made, a command was given to Achilles, and the mighty general heaved his shield into the air. His divine invincibility flowed outwards as a strengthening energy, seeping into Moriko and Minako, lending them his strength for the trials to come... and to show Kurou that this was not a battle to be taken lightly.
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
Seeing Jun empowered by the mystical tomfoolery that is Persona, Eikichi is a little worried for the second prettiest boy at school. I mean coming from the FIRST prettiest at Kasugayama, that was high praise.
Still this was the time to settle his score with the Joker Killer. To help others settle theirs as well.
The Death Boss walks with his heavy bag, following Jun with his heavy guitar case. He stops besides his friend and starts grinning when he sees Sudou.
Eikichi looses the strap on his guitar case strap, continuing to grin at Sudou. Suddenly, removes a microphone with a small speaker attached. It was a handheld karaoke device. Eikichi clicks it on and lets out a ...impressive and powerful high note. He purses his lips and adds, "By the way, you look like shit, Sudou. I like the old look better. I didn't have to look at yer ugly mug."
Eikichi looks over at Katsuya, still holding the mic. This is the most innocent boy in Sumaru, Officer Suou. You can't help but love his boyish charm. "I got this, officAAAAAAAAA" There's that high note again.
Eikichi turns back to Sudou, grinding his teeth before speaking up again. "I brought the microphone to work on vocal exercises because YER NOT IMPORTANT ENOUGH TO GIVE MY PRACTICE UP!"
Eikichi purses his lips into the mic and blows. This is to build up breath control. He looks very into it.
Meanwhile, Rhadamanthus appears in front of Eikichi and attempts to send a torrent of water at Sudou.
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Recovery skill Invincible General on Hyousuke Suzuki, Minako Arisato, and Moriko Kumamoto! AS: Pressure: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Invincible General. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added! AS: Persona! Eikichi Mishina has used the Water skill Aqua on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Block Best! Yua Ijuuin takes 2 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes. AS: Block Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 22 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes. Critical Hit! AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 39 Strike damage from Hitomi Mandai's Exploding Sixes. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Worst! Remi Ryuuja takes 89 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Crushing Drop. Critical Hit! AS: Counter Best! Remi Ryuuja takes 80 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Crushing Drop. Critical Hit! AS: COUNTER! Shinobu Shimizu takes 46 Slash damage in return for her attack! AS: Tatsuya Sudou has readied for combat as Old Maid! He is now fully healed! Ready for 4 opponents!
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Behind the visor obscuring her face, Moriko's eyes go from the body, to the figure, to the surrounding devastation and back again. Adjusting her grip on the bisentou. Minako beats her to the reply. Moriko still tries to get a bit in though, "Ain't happening." Then the warning. You know, and the guy jumping out.
Following just behind. Bouncing platform to platform, she pulls the trigger at the last. The fox bouncing along behind her for a few steps before jerking its head up. The earthen spike blunted and assisting her jump so that she lands.. mostly in one piece with the heavy thud of boots and a faint grunt.
Pushing herself up with the polearm, she drawls, "Hope you got a plan." though it might be to herself, her persona, the other two with her or even the greater cosmos at this point.
She had been avoiding looking through the different words and paintings at this point. Something told her she shouldn't linger too long there. It made her head hurt either way.
Working her fingers, she knocks the polearm against her helmet, then steps forward and takes a not disimilar stance to Minako, using an adjacent weapon of sorts. She tilts her head Minako's way and mutters to both her and any others in the very near immediate vicinity, "Just tell me what the call is."
"Past or through, we're stopping him." the biker pipes up as Hyousuke joines the two. "Out of the way."
The evoker goes under the chin of her helmet and she summons Otohime Gitsune again. The regally dressed fox watching the other figure. Faint ghostlights tracking movement. Hopefully making it easier for the three to track him.
AS: Persona! Eikichi Mishina has used the Water skill Aqua on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Take! Moriko Kumamoto takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Invincible General. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added! AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Almighty skill Tarunda on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Ruin: Moriko Kumamoto gains 1 Limit! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 59 Water damage from Eikichi Mishina's Aqua. Weak! AS: Paralyze added! AS: Take! Kurou Ryouhara takes 0 Almighty damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Tarunda. AS: Atk_Up removed! AS: Weapon! Maya Amano has used the Pierce skill Cover Shot on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Pressure: Maya Amano gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Eriko Kirishima has posed.
"The Crawling Chaos. Nyarlethotep. ...It's still alive. It didn't die with Kandori."
That was the last thing Eriko sad before the crushing aura of wrongness crashed down on room #303. There was no more time to investigate the room. Something was there, and it was time to leave or fight- and Eriko has chosen to stay and fight. She has to know, now. Why was that Persona involved? How does a Persona survive the death of it's wielder?
"Even I wouldn't be flippant about this, Mark." Eriko responds to Mark, her voice deadly serious. She knows why he asks, though- it would be so much better if she was. "It's the name of a very powerful, very dangerous and very cruel Persona. If it's here..." The fact that that's all she gives Yukari is probably a sign of how serious this is to her. She does not go into detail about the Cthulhu Mythos or the power of modern mythology. She just keeps moving- too many people sacrificed too much
As such, she's among the first making for the Warden's office- a Warden, not a head Doctor. ...Maybe Phoenix's rage makes a touch more sense now.
The Joker Killer gives his speech, and while she tries to track him, she has other questions- "Tell me! How do you know about Nyarlethotep!? Answer me-"
Later, she will feel a pang of guilt that she didn't even think about Hannya in this moment, that she didn't consider he deserved to be avenged, after all that talk of not being the people who decide who lives or dies. Right now, she has something greater on her mind.
And then... a different wrongness, a familiar maze, and the Joker Killer has launched himself outside. "...This is Gretchen's work," Eriko announces to the room- and those who were there to save Sojiro Sakura might realize what she means. "We can't leave now. Not until we defeat her. If you run... you'll just be at her mercy."
But there is someone else between her and the Bride- a Groom, and when she hears the name, Eriko can easily put two and two together- and Mark launches himself at that chosen opponent, and Eriko follows. "Got it! Nike, grant protection!" She salutes with her epee, and the light of Rakukaja falls toward Mark- his survival, today, is one of her priorities. That horrible deja vu feeling still hasn't left. "Tamaki, can you support us?"
Eriko leaps down after Mark, leaping from crystal to crystal.
'wheeeeee' thinks a part of her that isn't being too loud right now
"...The magician who deals with devils," Eriko says. as she lands in front of Miho- the Groom- and her eyes lock onto her. "The man who tried to make Gretchen join him in damnation, and whose soul was only saved because she refused and chosed to die instead." Her eyes glance toward the Bride, then back to the Groom. "...I hope for your sakes your story and his are not so intertwined."
AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 23 Pierce damage from Maya Amano's Cover Shot. AS: Persona! Eriko Kirishima has used the Almighty skill Rakukaja on Masao Inaba! AS: Pressure: Eriko Kirishima gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 0 Almighty damage from Eriko Kirishima's Rakukaja. AS: Def_Up added!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
------BEFORE-----
'The Crawling Chaos. Nyarlethotep. ...It's still alive. It didn't die with Kandori.' Yukari isn't the only one dealing with the after effects of seeing what was in that damned room.
Outside room #303, there was a placeholder here, represented by a simple blackbird. Except, it's not truly a blackbird, but a signal for people to look elsewhere, because this space is not important. Temporarily, there was someone hunched over the woven basket holding the trunk of a fake plant, making muted retching sounds. Let us not dwell on this, as it's a blackbird again, and there's more important matters to look at, and seek.
And in their wake, there is a white crow with blue eyes here, in front of the ordinary blackbird. The former delivers a message, and, with that, the meager blackbird is a girl again, a hand reaching out to grasp the illusion, half expecting to feel the softness of feathers underneath her fingers.
(She could wear gloves, and it would be more practical, but for all the reasons Umie Akabane claims, the truest one is that she is, at heart, a tactile person.)
She lifts her half mask to wipe her tears, making no comment as Baofu walks past her, on his way out towards his own bid to deal with demons of his own past.
------NOW------
Some of the group has earlier asked who else would be sent, on top of the Tien Tao Lien.
If Umie had thought longer on it, she would have said 'them', and pointed to the people who'd be outside, in the parking lot, in the future. But that Umie lay in the past, and could not see into the future, and the future Umie, with her future knowledge, had not happened yet. Present Umie, instead, feels the walls distort and shift, and knows who has come.
( https://youtu.be/RiQxOkNF7mA?si=bntTzk4QbjRm2OOx )
With a shriek of the Badb, the masked Umie Akabane has entered the field of battle, distorting the whims and wiles of her opponents! Which.... number one, for now.
Because Umie got distracted, as evidenced by how her sneakers slow from a determined, steadfast bolt through the doors of the sanitarium to a light jog, her head briefly turned, making a worried glance towards Kurou while she keeps the line of her mouth a neutral line. If the illusion of the mask was ever going to hold in Kurou's mind, it'd have a hard time with the familiar mask she wears, being that it's the one Kurou made for her. Her eyes travel to Hyousuke, and she recongizes the fury. Well, possibly. There's still a chance Hyousuke doesn't know, and he's just angry because the NWO and Sudou are here.
All the more reason to fight the person that is most certainly keeping them here: the Bride. (Who... is pregnant, according to Yukari? Umie wasn't paying attention.)
"We can work around that," she says, glancing to Hitomi and Yukari. "She's the one putting up the field. No one's going to get in or out until she's unconscious."
AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Almighty skill Hooded Smile on Yua Ijuuin! AS: Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit! AS: Umie Akabane regains 3 SP from Invigorate!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
"...Two..." Sudou glares at the group before he feels the presence of a relative and just like the annoying relative who doesn't call they have started to get their peanut butter in his chocolate. The world is topsy and turvy and not in the way that he likes, that is to say when he is doing it. Before he can attempt to exert any control over the situation the groom arrives.
Out the window he goes and smashes into the warden's car, sword and all. He lays there for a moment before he pulls himself out of the taco of meddle that the car has become. "Three" Sudou reaches back and cuts the broken car in to two pieces as the eyes on the sword light up with dark flames. "PERSONA!"
The Joker Persona rises up behind Sudou, as the killer accepts the use of the persona for the first time. His eyes move to catch the attention of those calling out to him. "Ma-ya, Jun, even you wanna be heavy metal boy, maybe even you Mr. Law and Order. Last chance. In fact. "Sudou takes a deep breath and shouts, roars perhaps, " Anyone who wishes to remember the way things should be. All you have to do is turn on everyone else and help me!"
Perhaps it is in response, perhaps it is just poor timing but the torrent of water washes over him and stumbles him back followed by a bullet grazing his arm. "So be it. We will do things the hard way."
Sudou takes from his trench coat a bottle of alcohol and hands it to his persona, the Joker takes a large swig of the bottle before spraying forth black fire. The persona sprays the fire out as a wave towards those who have caught his attention.
AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Black Dragon Breath on Jun Kashihara, Katsuya Suou, Eikichi Mishina, and Maya Amano!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Julian Marlowe isn't here, of course. He's never been anywhere near here. As for the Supernatural Investigator, Vesper... he so far also hasn't been seen today by anyone here. And he definitely didn't get hopelessly lost on the way to the Sanitarium. That's one advantage of going there by himself, no one can prove any of these things happened.
He did, however, manage to get close enough to get caught in the Bride's web. Truly the pinnacle of irony, that this ability for once actually helps someone get to where he wanted to go in the first place. The terribly unpleasant sensations that this comes with aren't exactly ideal, yet also... not entirely unfamiliar. This choking feeling of being trapped with no way out... regardless of how many times it comes back to haunt him, it never gets any easier, does it? He never did learn to live with it, only to hold back the tears.
The scene that he so happens to stumble into is a chaotic one, though Vesper does have the advantage of arriving from an unexpected direction. It allows him a brief moment to quickly survey the situation, taking stock of the many Persona Users gathered - trapped - in this horrid space. Several of which are familiar to him. Kasugayama students naturally draw his special attention, causing him to take notice of Jun Kashihara's newly found abilities... as well as the presence of Kurou Ryouhara among the aggressors.
But this is hardly the time to focus on such things. He only half knows what's going on, but he has a decent enough impression of the lines that have been drawn. He'll just have to do what he can to assist. In his own way, of course. And so...
"Begging your pardon for the intrusion..."
Suddenly there's this guy in a fancy grey suit sauntering his way into the scuffle between Remi and Shinobu, politely lifting his bowler hat in greeting. Right before bringing a hand to his stark white opera mask, which glows blue as he calls, "Raffles!"
The iron-masked half cricket player, half gentleman Persona appears behind Vesper, making his allegiance clear with a quick wave of its diamond-tipped cane, sending a wave of weakness Tsurugi's way. While its summoner calmly continues to address Shinobu. "Shimizu-san, if I've remembered correctly? Might you catch me up on the situation here?"
As ever, there's no need to explain his presence, or the timing of it. A Gentleman always arrives exactly where and when he means to.
AS: Avoid Best! Maya Amano takes 33 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Black Dragon Breath. Weak! AS: Persona! Julian Marlowe has used the Almighty skill Tarunda on Remi Ryuuja! AS: Nerve Up! Jun Kashihara's SP +8! AS: Avoid Worst! Jun Kashihara takes 68 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Black Dragon Breath. AS: Mind Up! Yua Ijuuin's SP +8! AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Umie Akabane's Hooded Smile. AS: Charm added! AS: Block Worst! Eikichi Mishina takes 102 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Black Dragon Breath. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Are they really going to kill him? Kurou does not answer Yukari's shocked question, because he is too busy trying to kill a man.
His dash comes to an abrupt and sudden halt before Minako Arisato. The only indication of surprise on his otherwise stoic face is in the slight lift of his brows as he regards her, her naginata, and then her face again.
"I see," he says, softspoken. "Then... demonstrate."
Kurou immediately seeks to test her skill with that weapon of his by coming at her with his own blade, weaving to strike and slash in rapid succession.
YOU, someone calls, and Kurou turns toward Hyousuke. He stares back, unflinching... only to slowly point to himself in silent inquiry that such a heated bellow is for him. What is he doing here? That is a fair question.
"Assassination," he answers, because at this point it's hardly a secret. Move. Kuoru does not, even as Hyousuke claims Sudou. "... Then earn it."
The chain attached to the hilt of his sword flies out as Kurou seeks to latch the claw of it onto Hyousuke and use the chain and blade together to restrict his arms to better make his strikes.
Moriko joins in the demand, and with it, she turns her Persona against him to bathe him in ghostlight. Kurou's eyes sharpen.
"...You have already chosen through. Gashadokuro."
In a swift and fluid motion, he recoils his chain to hold in his hilt-hand, freeing the other to grab his scarf. He yanks it taught, and a mechanism activates as a halo of needles hidden in the fabric launches into his own throat. He does not flinch or hiss with pain -- he convulses, and a colosssal skeleton Persona rises under Moriko's feet.
Gashadokuro, grave dirt pouring from teeth made of the jagged bones of other human remains, bites down.
Across the battlefield, Kurou spots Umie Akabane. He knows it is Umie because he knows that mask. Because it is the mask he painted. Even on the battlefield, Kurou's eyes sparkle with emotion.
AS: Weapon! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Slash skill Hachiju Hachiya on Minako Arisato! 3 Hits! AS: Pressure: Kurou Ryouhara gains 1 Limit! AS: Weapon! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Slash skill Defy Earth on Hyousuke Suzuki! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Strike skill E A T on Moriko Kumamoto! AS: Take! Remi Ryuuja takes 0 Almighty damage from Julian Marlowe's Tarunda. AS: Atk_Dn added! AS: Block Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 15 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Defy Earth. AS: Haze added! AS: Avoid Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 5 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Defy Earth. AS: Block Best! Katsuya Suou takes 33 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Black Dragon Breath. AS: Take! Minako Arisato takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Invincible General. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added!
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
It's just like the Death Boss to take all this supernatural awfulness in stride. Maybe the microphone and vocal practice gives him the focus he needs to shake the brain-churning feelings of the bizarre labyrinth that's formed around them off. Jun gives him a look of respect--how could he not, when Eikichi's always so focused on his dreams?--before turning his focus on Katsuya and Maya. There's a lot going on, so many other battles pitching around the five of them--with people he knows!--but when it comes to Personas, Eikichi's the senpai here. He needs to follow his example and keep it together.
"Fully agreed, Suou-san," he calls back to Katsuya. "This is precisely why Eikichi-kun and I came here." His own beautiful face twists with equal parts anger and concern when he hears that Maya is also one of Sudou's targets. Like that look Katsuya gives Eikichi, his face says it all.
But Maya asks more explicit questions, and the anger melts away in favor of worry when he looks her way. "This is Eikichi Mishina, a schoolmate of mine. He was also targeted by the Old Maid once upon a time. We came here after hearing about the rumors about the Morimoto Sanitarium, thinking we might find out more about Sudou-san--and got caught up in all this." He gestures with his lilac-bearing hand at the 'walls' of the dimensional maze. "As fellow victims of his, Amano-san, let us all work together to put a stop to his reign of terror!"
Speaking of whom, Sudou lurches up from the car he smashed in his landing to make a 'final' offer for them to join him. Jun's sneer is positively derisive. "Never," he enunciates. "There is only one Tatsuya for me!"
The JOKER Persona, which had terrorized him into near-madness once upon a time, spews black flames at Jun and his friends. He raises his arms reflexively to shield himself, and Argeiphontes swoops down to redirect the attack away from him. It means the aspect of Hermes shatters in its wake, which does its own sort of damage to Jun--but so be it.
"Hnngh... Per... Persona..." Jun rasps, clutching his chest. This is his first true battle; all the school bullies he's shaken off before now, literally, are toothless puppies compared to this. Even so, he concentrates, and Argeiphontes reappears, twirling in place above him. Katsuya said that Maya is another one of Sudou's targets, and something about her makes Jun worry in particular for her safety. Once again, his Persona raises his caduceus, but this time sweeps it towards Maya to raise up a shield to protect against further magic.
AS: Avoid Neutral! Minako Arisato takes 24 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Hachiju Hachiya. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Minako Arisato takes 6 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Hachiju Hachiya. AS: Avoid Neutral! Minako Arisato takes 17 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Hachiju Hachiya. AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Almighty skill Makarakarn on Maya Amano! AS: Support: Jun Kashihara gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
Tamaki scarcely has any time to react to what Eriko had mentioned about Nyarlathotep. If it's something she and Mark recognize, that must have been from the Mikage-cho incident. Indeed, Eriko confirms it by speaking Kandori's name. The revelations have raised even more questions, but the most she can manage right now is a surprised, "Wait, what -- " in tandem with Masao's 'You're not shittin' me ...' before:
Everything goes wrong all at once. The world quakes. Escape routes are cut off.
The Groom intercepts the Joker Killer.
"Right behind you!" she shouts as she trots down the ad hoc rock stairway, herself. After she glances around the parking lot, she steps back in surprise as she spots the Knight and Bridge, both familiar faces to her. While one of their number escapes her notice entirely, her eyes narrow as she stands upright and points her sabre at the Groom. She hasn't dropped into a fighting stance yet -- this is a salute.
"I've met the other two, but we haven't had the pleasure, it seems." Tamaki draws her blade back and shakes her head. "We're not letting you put the Old Maid in the discard pile."
She's not going to let Tatsuya Sudou get swept under the rug like an inconvenient problem. Not like Ideo. With a newfound confidence surging through her, she grasps her choker and defiantly stares down the Groom. "We're doing it our way."
Tamaki calls back to Eriko's request for support with, "On it!" Arianrhod bursts through blue flames.
"Heaven calls! Earth calls! The people call!" The wing-armored goddess holds her broadsword aloft as prisms of light shine down on Tamaki, Eriko, and Mark. Tamaki drops into proper fencing stance and announces, "The world calls for us to make things right!"
AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Recovery skill Per Aspera on Tamaki Uchida, Eriko Kirishima, and Masao Inaba! AS: Tamaki Uchida takes 45 damage from Stress! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 0 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Per Aspera. AS: Atk_Up and Inner_Strength added! AS: Take! Maya Amano takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Makarakarn. AS: Reflect_Magi added!
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
"Tatsuya Sudou will escape no longer," Yumi promises, when they worry at his fleeing. "In my web he dwells. Ah, and you... and you..." Her tone grows a touch more strained, as her veiled gaze passes over the schoolchildren. Jun, Hyousuke, Minako, Moriko... all the youths she teaches, in those dance classes she holds at the schools. "Endure," she urges them, "or perish with him."
They should not let them do as they please, she thinks, hearing Shinobu's rage. And yet...
"My Groom knows the world which must be," Yumi illustrates, for Yukari. "She is so 'Chosen', to receive the words and vistas of perfection. And in her I believe," she insists, a touch grave. "For I hear the truth of it."
"Wrong," the Bride echoes, as Yukari approaches her. "False testimony witnessed by this court of fools. Incorrect. There is nothing good here; no right placement nor alignment."
She clasps one hand over her other wrist, where she holds her Evoker. "No. I should not be here," she says, finding more sense to say it. "But this lock and key is mine. So have I come, by my own will. You have seen Sake-san's..." A light softness, to her voice, a touch of regret, and she shakes her head. "... Tatsuya Sudou is a man who is adept at moving within supernatural spaces. Now he knows not where to move. Now will he die."
Io's winds whip up, and Gretchen clasps her hands together, trapping Yumi in the jail of her arms. The winds batter at the bars, flutter at her dress -- and there is a slight ill tinge to the Persona, as it sinks a little, but the woman standing at her skirts seems unharmed.
(To be sure, Yumi does feel heavier, too... but Yumi feels heavy all the time, now.)
"It was not by our hand that his death was written," she advises Yukari, when she asks how they can be so messed up. "Still will we transcribe it."
Another of her students lands, then, with a little huff. Hitomi, she knows, is not the most physically adept student... but she has always tried her best, in class. She reaches into her pocket, and tosses out -- dice? They clatter against the bars of the jail cell, having, apparently, the luck (was it luck?) not to go straight through; the explosion rocks the bars, blows back Gretchen's dress, but --
-- the woman inside that cell remains unshaken, by what batters its bars.
Badb shrieks, though, and Gretchen's masked face turns towards her. "Ah," Yumi smiles, her lips just visible beneath her veil. "You have come to me. Good. I will spare you, if I can." And why is her voice so warm, as she addresses the woman in her mask?
It is not just the friendliness the Badb invites her to, but Umie could be forgiven for giving into that delusion.
"Let us dance," she invites Umie, as she twirls, Gretchen swaying in turn -- only to stagger, a little, as she completes her revolution. "Oh -- I am a little slower..." Sukunda might not affect Gretchen's blocking, but it sure does get her psyche down.
"And fall!" She invites, then, as Gretchen's arms fan open to gesture to Hitomi and Yukari. More of those massive gemstones fall, into their space, great diamonds each worth a devil's ransom.
"Pray, turn them aside," she calls to her allies, as Gretchen's waters clutch around them and leave them stronger. "Our target is Tatsuya Sudou--!"
AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Almighty skill Dance With Me on Umie Akabane! AS: Yua Ijuuin takes 45 damage from Stress! AS: Charm results in party damage! Yua Ijuuin takes 90 damage! AS: Ruin: Yua Ijuuin gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Earth skill Mamagnara on Hitomi Mandai and Yukari Takeba! AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Recovery skill Rousing Wave on Miho Ijuuin, Remi Ryuuja, Kurou Ryouhara, and Yua Ijuuin! AS: Yua Ijuuin: Charm removed! AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Recovery healing from Yua Ijuuin's Rousing Wave. AS: Atk_Up added!
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"We'll figure out what the hell's happening later!" Minako calls to Yukari, just after she leaps. The change in environment unnerves her -- but sometimes, all she can do is rush ahead and figure it out later.
As she faces Kurou, she hesitates -- and it's Hyousuke's sudden anger, which cools a little that makes her glance sideways at him. "Do you know this guy?" she asks. It sounds like he does; it sounds like it's personal, too.
Moriko asks her what the call is. "If he tries to stop us, we go through him."
Which he seems poised to require. Minako's eyes widen as Kurou's katana comes in. She just steps to the side -- the blade cuts across the sleeve of her jacket, away from the armband, before her naginata spins up. It catches the katana's second strike, and then the third slashes across her side, leaving another cut in the fabric.
She hisses in pain, then lunges forward. She strikes with the haft of her naginata, the pole swinging around for Kurou's cheek. "Linos!"
And then her Persona is suddenly there, and she swings her harp back. The huge weapon sweeps out, and follows Minako's strike up with one of its own.
AS: Tandem! Minako Arisato has used the Strike skill Dual Smash on Kurou Ryouhara! 2 Hits! AS: Block Worst! Hitomi Mandai takes 233 Earth damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mamagnara. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Bind added! AS: Avoid Worst! Yukari Takeba takes 149 Earth damage from Yua Ijuuin's Mamagnara. AS: Bind added! AS: Take! Remi Ryuuja takes 0 Recovery healing from Yua Ijuuin's Rousing Wave. AS: Atk_Dn removed! AS: Take! Kurou Ryouhara takes 0 Recovery healing from Yua Ijuuin's Rousing Wave. AS: Crt_Up added! AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 0 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Per Aspera. AS: Atk_Up and Inner_Strength added!
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Katsuya mentions Sudou's escape. Miyu--Miho--answers him as she touches down, "If you arrest him," she says, "He won't survive to trial. It is too late for that now."
The cop-killers from the beach, Yukari says. "It is so." And she asks how she knows.
"'The seven Pleiades set the frozen time free. Wild dance, shadowed festival, foreign song ensue. As flames of expiation light the heavens...'"
Miyu recites it for Yukari, even as Yukari asks. "What was will be. What will be was. ...The truth will always out."
But Mark calls on Ogun. Ogun's spear cleaves down towards the Groom--and she takes it on the hsoulder, red flames bursting out as her Persona defends her. In the same moment she lunges, hacking across the Persona's form with a deft maneuver. "Hup--"
"So, he killed someone dear to you. I apologize that I can't leave you to your vengeance--I have my own task."
She looks to Eriko,k next. Eriko, who movs to protect Mark, and immediately updates a certain calculus thus in Miho's mind. Then shne speaks of Faust...
"It is true that I am dissatisfied withthe dross of this world," Miho says. "But 'God' is not my enemy."
She looks next to Tamaki. "I am Miyu, the Groom to the Bride Yumi. And you must stop me if you wish to save him... though I wonder why you would. He would murder you without a second thought."
The call of Heaven, Earth, and the people shines Tamaki's presence. Miyu nods to her, and salutes with her sabre. "So that is your way..."
"But Heaven is flawed, swordswoman. This world is false. Only the Truth can set uss free."
Miho starts forward, and Faust raises her hands. Suddenly, columns of light blast down at Mark and Eriko, which turn into sizzling, surging nuclear flames that explode into blue light.
"You are experienced combatants," Miyu senses, her mask's gaze settling on Mark, Eriko, and Tamaki in turn. "I can sense that..."
She cuts the air with her sword, adopting a masterful fencing stance. "But I am no novice!"
She challenges Tamaki's fencing stance immediately, aggressively advancing on her with her dragon blade with a strike, strike, slice--
She does not go for the vital organs, but for disabling.
Then, "Faust! Shield me from witchcraft!" Faust waves her gloved hand, and a barrier of magic shines into being around Miyu, green hexagons briefly shining through the air and fading into almost nothing.
Miho is guarding against magic! Use physical attacks!
AS: Take! Miho Ijuuin takes 0 Recovery healing from Yua Ijuuin's Rousing Wave. AS: Atk_Up added! AS: Persona! Miho Ijuuin has used the Fire skill Mafreila on Masao Inaba and Eriko Kirishima! AS: Pressure: Miho Ijuuin gains 1 Limit! AS: Weapon! Miho Ijuuin has used the Slash skill Sabre Advance on Tamaki Uchida! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Miho Ijuuin has used the Almighty skill Spell Guard on Miho Ijuuin! AS: Take! Miho Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Miho Ijuuin's Spell Guard. AS: Magi_Safety applied! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tamaki Uchida takes 80 Slash damage from Miho Ijuuin's Sabre Advance. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Tamaki Uchida takes 39 Slash damage from Miho Ijuuin's Sabre Advance. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Kurou Ryouhara takes 53 Strike damage from Minako Arisato's Dual Smash. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Kurou Ryouhara takes 34 Strike damage from Minako Arisato's Dual Smash. AS: Take! Eriko Kirishima takes 0 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Per Aspera. AS: Atk_Up and Inner_Strength added! AS: Block Neutral! Masao Inaba takes 122 Fire damage from Miho Ijuuin's Mafreila. Critical Hit! AS: Blast added! AS: Avoid Best! Eriko Kirishima takes 58 Fire damage from Miho Ijuuin's Mafreila. AS: Blast added! AS: Take! Umie Akabane takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Dance With Me. AS: Recovery_Wall and Spd_Dn added!
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
~Earlier~
"... But you make it sound like..."
She trails off, as the thought occurs to her that 'The Persona is acting on its own.'
What a disturbing idea.
~Back to Now~
"What do you mean 'world'?" She asks the Bride, seeming more and more weirded out, is 'this' place 'The Other Side'? Her words however confuse her all the more, "Are you okay? You seem pretty... all over the place..."
Whereas Miho recites more of, "That's from that weird poem on his cell wall...!" The one that made her feel like...
"How do you know it?"
Yukari turns her head at Hitomi calling her Yukarichi- just in time to see her rearing back for a throw of. "Wait don't!" The hurled objects explode, and she points abruptly at the bride, "She is! Be-" Then she sees the figure of Gretchen ward off the dice fully, "-careful? Oh... her Persona is like Lucia." Well that explains things for her, especially as Umie contextualizes that this 'effect' is coming from her?
"Alright then target the upper half of her Persona. Not her!" She barks this in a commanding way at both Umie and Hitomi.
The Bride declares for them to dance, just as gemstones are flung at them, and Yukari's eyes go wide as Io floats down to interpose herself. The Gem plows into her, sending her careening into the wall of the parking lot, her Persona shattering instantly into shards not unlike glass.
"Nngh-" The migraine like pain of a Persona break shoots through her psyche, and she puts her evoker back to her forehead, "-Help us!"
A shattering noise, the Persona emerges again, newly formed and summoned as she spreads her arms wide, and healing energy flows through herself, Hitomi and with a quick glance to one of the Groom's targets, Tamaki as well.
The Persona then gestures at Gretchen and winds pick up, slamming into Gretchen's upper half, trying to loosen her grip upon the Bride.
"We don't have to do this!" A beat, "It really can't be good for the baby!"
Well she's actually probably right about this one.
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Recovery skill Naiad Mediarama on Hitomi Mandai, Yukari Takeba, and Tamaki Uchida! AS: Support: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit! AS: Yukari Takeba: Bind removed! AS: Yukari Takeba regains 3 SP from Invigorate! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 117 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Naiad Mediarama. AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 117 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Naiad Mediarama. AS: Eriko Kirishima spends Limit on Shift! Tamaki Uchida can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Exploit! Yukari Takeba can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Wind skill Magaru on Yua Ijuuin! AS: Mind Up! Yua Ijuuin's SP +8! AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 72 Wind damage from Yukari Takeba's Magaru. AS: Haze added!
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Tsurugi and (the unnamed) La Maupin make it down easily enough, the Persona User landing in a neat crouch onto the parking lot's surface, before elegantly stnding up. Chaos is already breaking out, and she seeks out Sudou.
Yukari asks them what is wrong with them, bringing a pregnant woman to battle a serial killer. Tsurugi does not reply, but Miho might feel Tsurgui's attention ficker onto her for the barest of a fraction of a moment.
She hasn't forgotten what happened in that storage unit.
There is no time to ponder this as Shinobu comes crashing down on her, foot extended. In her momentarily distracted state, the kick connects bodily, sending her crashing to the ground with a silent grunt.
But when the staff comes down a moment later, it is La Maupin that responds instead, charging into the staff to lash out with their own rapier as Tsurugi kips up to her feet.
She turns towards Shinobu after that, her presence hostile and implacable. Her voice is still stoic. "What I want is irrelevant. Accept that today our goals are aligned."
But Vesper makes his appearance, and Tsurugi feels her grip on her rapier slackening as that wave of weakness washes over her. "So be it."
Sudou shouts for those who wants to remember to turn on each other. No, there is little chance of her doing that here. She has her orders, and that is all there is to it.
Gretchen--and Yumi--send waters to strengthen, reminding them of their target. "Tsurugi grits her teeth and tightens her grip on her blade. "Understood," she responds.
"Persona," she says simply. La Maupin turns towards them, its own grip tightening and all at once it bursts forward, lashing out wildly at the two Shinobu and Julian as they dart back and forth.
Then the draw back, and Tsurugi calls, "Fly, swift winds! Masukukaja!" La Maupin raises their rapier, and winds burst from the feet of herself, Miho, Yua, and Kurou, wrapping around them to make their movements faster.
AS: Persona! Remi Ryuuja has used the Slash skill Blade of Fury on Julian Marlowe and Shinobu Shimizu! 3 Hits! AS: Persona! Remi Ryuuja has used the Almighty skill Masukukaja on Remi Ryuuja, Miho Ijuuin, Yua Ijuuin, and Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Take! Remi Ryuuja takes 0 Almighty damage from Remi Ryuuja's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up added! AS: Take! Kurou Ryouhara takes 0 Almighty damage from Remi Ryuuja's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Up added! AS: Block Neutral! Shinobu Shimizu takes 33 Slash damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blade of Fury. AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 18 Slash damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blade of Fury. AS: Block Worst! Shinobu Shimizu takes 52 Slash damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blade of Fury. AS: Take! Hitomi Mandai takes 117 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Naiad Mediarama. AS: Take! Miho Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Remi Ryuuja's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Dn removed! AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Remi Ryuuja's Masukukaja. AS: Spd_Dn removed! AS: Avoid Best! Julian Marlowe takes 10 Slash damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blade of Fury. AS: Avoid Worst! Julian Marlowe takes 58 Slash damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blade of Fury. AS: Avoid Best! Julian Marlowe takes 13 Slash damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blade of Fury. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Ask a stupid question, get a stupid answer. Hyousuke - or, rather, what little of him remained that was calm enough to piece together a coherent thought - supposed that he should have seen the rather curt response of 'assassination' coming. What else was the blade at Sudou's throat for? He had little time to reflect upon it, however, as Kurou's claw launched towards him. It was a sharp thing, and moved quickly, but his mind and the general moved faster. In a fraction of a blink, he heaved that monstrous wall of bronze around, and forced the blade to scrape off of Achilles' shield. For all his speed, however, it wasn't quite enough to keep it from scraping at his brow, however, and the sudden force was enough to send him reeling for all of a moment.
Knocked off-balance - even if just for a heartbeat - he instinctively moved to dodge the strike levelled at him afterwards. Hyousuke weaved, and the sword glimmered harmlessly through the air, serving only to nick at his skin as he surged in to confront his foe.
"Yeah." He snarled at Minako. His roiling hatred was not directed at her, but there was no stopping the venom that suffused every noise he made. Even his footsteps seemed to be steeped in vicious fury, with the sight of Kurou alone being enough to turn him into some manic beast. "He's done some bad shit to some good people."
The details were sparse, but they were hardly his to reveal. That aside, he could make the excuse that none of them could afford distractions in the middle of a fight, if pressed for them. For all the violence Sudou and Kurou though to inflict, the thought of Tsubasa and Ichika being disappointed in him was a far scarier prospect. Despite Minako speaking to him, and a growing feeling of dizziness stemming from that claw's strike, Hyousuke heard another voice off to the side. The Bride's. There was no mistaking it - not after the first times he'd heard it.
"You want to fight me that bad?" He spat, not even sparing a glance at her from past the visor. "Wait your goddamn turn."
With all addressed, and his mind clearing just enough to focus for another strike, Hyousuke called Achilles to the fore. He creaked into position, the Persona's heavy armour straining into position, before Hyousuke commanded him forward.
"You want us to cut through you to get to him that bad?! Fine!" He called out, heaving his own feet forward to close the gap, and bear bronze against bone. "Achilles! TEAR HIM APART!" Achilles' sword gleamed arced through the air, trailing reflected light as it descended upon Kurou like a headsman's axe.
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Slash skill Savage Rend on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Pressure: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit! AS: Counter Worst! Kurou Ryouhara takes 26 Slash damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Savage Rend. Counter Slash! AS: Atk_Dn added! AS: COUNTER! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 10 Slash damage in return for his attack! AS: Avoid Worst! Moriko Kumamoto takes 56 Strike damage from Kurou Ryouhara's E A T. <Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
Hitomi squints for a moment at what Yukari says. Peering at the hard-to-distinguish form of - "Huh," she says. "Wild. Geez, fine, don't get up my ass about it --"
About not blowing up a pregnant woman??
Hitomi's had a long day.
Umie is with them. The masked figure gets a glance from Hitomi but she does not question matters further. Perhaps she doesn't put her 'faith' in her the way she does in Yukari, but we're not here for doctrinal dissertations. "So that's how it is," Hitomi muses out loud.
"They're kind of in a tight spot, aren't they? Going to have to resort to shock and awe in order to reach their 'win conditions,'" Hitomi says as she pushes her glasses up her nose. But the Bride is speaking to them. Breathing heavily, Hitomi answers, "That's interesting... because I don't know if you noticed, but there's something *incredibly* wrong about this place..."
Hitomi might have been going somewhere with that, but it is she who is smote a moment later; an immense weight of carbon smashes down, glittering with beauty as it bodies Hitomi, throwing her sprawling with a "guh!" To add to the indignity, her glasses fly off.
Hitomi's attention bifuricates on the one hand. Hitomi...
... feels a sort of farcial defeat here, a sense that she ought to laugh at herself. This is ridiculous. They've faced a poker's hand of horrors tonight and this last one, these peculiarly sympathetic feminine figures (she isn't even sure if they're humans or demons), have at a single blow hit her. She bets she broke her ankle or something. This is where the luck runs out, Hitomi thinks. This is where the streak ends. It was always gonna end someday. At least I...
That's true. Hitomi does think that. But...
... reaches for her glasses, a determined groping in the dirty and dark chaos of the parking lot. She's able to find them, her hand only shaking a little as she finds them. Green light flashes... but it's familiar.
The pain is eased.
"Heehh... thanks... That's another one I owe you," Hitomi says to Yukari as she heaves herself back upright, staggering for a moment before righting the ship, cheeks puffing out as she centers herself and lets her eyes flick towards the looming height of Gretchen. Then a little lower, to the Bride-proper.
"You know there were people here, don't you? Not just the gangsters, but people in the hospital," Hitomi says to her. It's perhaps slightly accusatory but it does lack a lot of the dudgeon you might expect. (and Yua might notice it is, somehow, more sweet and perky than the usually-harried Hitomi of dance classes.)
Hitomi's hand makes a subtle pass in the air and pulls out a thin blue card.
"What were you going to do about them?" The card is flipped then, and a Grecian statue of marble with some ahistorical Japanese touches manifests, gazing with unpainted eyes towards Gretchen. A moment later, there comes a shriek-whack-THOOM of a burst of fire, aimed, indeed, towards the upper part of the Persona.
AS: Persona! Hitomi Mandai has used the Fire skill Agilao on Yua Ijuuin! AS: Hitomi Mandai: Bind removed!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
He had heard what Eriko had said, before they had approached the Director's office. Before this world went to hell. Later, perhaps, Katsuya will remember that. Right now, this isn't the time for it.
He won't survive to trial, Miyu (Miho) tells him. "So you say..." he tells her, narrowing his eyes. "Then I shall have to be careful."
He moves past her, towards Jun and Eikichi, and thus also towards Sudou.
"...So you are here with Kashihara-kun?" he asks, of Eikichi. "I... see. In that case, I suppose we have no choice," he says, turning towards Maya. "I think we can trust him," he tells her. You know, in spite of how Eikichi looks.
He notes the same thing as Yukari as others say 'Gretchen' is the source of this obfuscating presence here. Is she--
She is, as Yukari confirms, leaving Katsuya to only look on, stunned. "But she's..." he utters.
It's then that Sudou, surviving his fall as Katsuya had assumed, addresses them all, and he's forced to shift his attentions. No matter who they are, or if the NWO sent them, Sudou remains his responsibility. "I'll leave the rest of them to you!" he calls out, his hand again on his holstered firearm.
"Absolutely not," he tells Sudou, as the serial killer makes his offer.
(He considers, briefly, what Jun has said, but now is not the time to dwell on it. Again, that is.)
Darkness rushes towards him like an angry dragon; there, standing in its path stands Helios, the sun. He can feel most -- but not all -- of the spell break against his Persona; what remains washes towards him but this, he can manage.
"Amano-kun, Kashihara-kun," he starts, then glances towards Eikichi. "Mishina-kun." Fortunately, Jun gave him his name or this would have been awkward. "We must finish this quickly, if we can. Let's try fusing a spell. Follow my lead!" The Demon Artist had mentioned such a thing might be possible.
And to that end--
"Helios!" he calls, his Persona conjuring a flame as the first step of this process. It streams upwards to await the addition of the second and third components.
AS: Katsuya Suou has initiated a fusion spell! The spell still requires 2 Weak attacks and Water/Any Magical! Anyone can join!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
Her attack receives an immediate counter. With her momentum carrying her, it's difficult to avoid La Maupin's stab - she can only shift her body to try and mitigate the damage, hissing through clenched teeth.
"See, that's where you're wrong." Shinobu replies with a shake of her head, as she stabilises. "Sure, maybe the end result is. But our 'goals' sure as hell aren't the same. I don't know why whoever's pulling your strings wants to off him, but it stinks."
It's about this time that a man in a suit strolls his way into the battlefield - right into the fight. She'd be more perplexed by that if this was the first time she'd seen him. She nods back.
"That's right." She confirms. "And you're... Vesper, right?"
She adjusts her grip on her staff, focusing on Tsurugi for a moment. How to summarise this quickly without distracting herself for too long...
"We came here to find out what's goin' on... and what we found was a whole bunch of bodies, and a name. Tatsuya Sudou, son of Tatsuzou Sudou... he's the Joker Killer." She says, nodding Sudou's way for emphasis. "Someone wants him dead now - and they're here to finish the job."
She shakes her head.
"There were a handful of survivors, but... everyone else is dead." She concludes.
She looks back toward Tsurugi.
La Maupin advances, and Shinobu readies her staff. It lashes out wildly and Shinobu does her best to deflect them, parrying its blade before one manages to catch her in the shoulder. She backpedals, rolling her shoulder experimentally in its socket. Still good enough to fight, at least.
"Lachesis, soften her up!" Shinobu calls out. Lachesis rises behind her at her call, staff at the ready. She holds it between her hands, centering Tsurugi between them as she takes her measure. There's a pulse - and if it takes hold, Tsurugi may find herself feeling suddenly more fragile as Shinobu rushes forward.
She knows she's fast, and she knows she can be faster still. She benefitted from that on their first meeting herself, after all. She sweeps her staff out in a pair of wide arcs, to remove as much space to dodge as she can.
AS: Shinobu Shimizu spends Limit on Exploit! Shinobu Shimizu can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Almighty skill Strike Break on Remi Ryuuja! AS: Weapon! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Sweeping Strike on Remi Ryuuja! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
'I wonder why you would. He would murder you without a second thought.' Tamaki's smile falters as Miyu mentions this. "You may be right about that. For now, just know that I've found myself in a similar situation before. The answer I came to then is the same now."
Phoenix was right, after all. Tamaki never said they were incorrect. "He's a person subject to the cruelty of others. Your presence here is proof of that, is it not? The more you try and beat down those who stand out from the crowd, the more they're likely to lash out and find some measure of control in their own life. It's the same for us all, just ..." Her gaze briefly drifts to Sudou, then back to the Groom. "To varying extents."
Tamaki laughs as Miyu says the world is false. "I invoked more than Heaven, though, didn't I? And true, the world is false; if it weren't so, perhaps we wouldn't be subjected to the cruelties which shape us. A symphony of different voices, compensating for each others' flaws."
Steel meets steel as the Groom advances to immediately apply pressure on Tamaki. The Groom's a world-class fencer, and Tamaki's a hobbyist, at best. It's all she can do to keep up her defense.
If it weren't for Yukari's assistance, she might not still be standing. Tamaki calls out to the SEES archer, "I owe you one!"
If you must go against an Olympic-tier fencer, don't play her in fencing -- play her in chess, instead. She's eager for a swordfight; use that as the bait and support your team like Eriko suggested. Hide your true intent.
This isn't a one-on-one duel; Tamaki shores up the gaps in her own defenses with a series of parries and feints from Arianrhod. They need information, first and foremost.
"Time for a proper introduction. Arianrhod!" Despite the fact that she had just implored Faust to 'protect her from witchcraft,' Arianrhod casts a spell, anyway: a pair of slashes in the air form a golden X and sail towards the Groom.
... while that's keeping her occupied, along with pressure from Eriko and Masao, Tamaki flashes a Skill Card. They're in this for the long haul; Masao and Eriko feel the warmth of a Media descend on them.
AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Light skill Cross-Reference on Miho Ijuuin! AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Recovery skill Media on Tamaki Uchida, Eriko Kirishima, and Masao Inaba! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 113 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Media. AS: Take! Eriko Kirishima takes 113 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Media. AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 118 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Media. AS: Counter Worst! Miho Ijuuin takes 108 Light damage from Tamaki Uchida's Cross-Reference. Weak! AS: COUNTER! Tamaki Uchida takes 36 Slash damage in return for her attack! AS: Tamaki Uchida's Weakness Scan! Miho Ijuuin is weak against Light!
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
The first blow is from "wanna be". Eikichi's jaw just drops. The nerve!
The second blow is the black fire engulfing him momentariy. Eikichi lets out a pained yell into his mic, feeling his legs slightly buckle and put him in a quasi-crouch as he forces himself to keep standing.
He growls through gritted teeth.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=riLKbpNpAS8
Eikichi stands up and grins again. "Hey that's pretty good Sudou." He suddenly points at Sudou with his free hand, speaking into the mic like one of those idols before striking a pose. "I'm guessing my psychological offensive isn't working on someone as dumb as you, eh Sudou? Whats the matter? Some Kasu trash is telling you how fuckin' much of an insignificant loser you are...Don't even have the iconic look anymore."
Eikichi's eyes briefly look over to Jun when he is introduced to...Eikichi's head starts to hurt when he looks at the woman. The Death Boss winces for a moment before he's just fine. "Heh, pretty good simple starter but there are many more courses to the meal that is mois!" Then it is mentioned what this woman's job is. OPPORTUNITY! "Oh? You're from COOLEST? I'll need to reach out after we're done...Nothing creepy. I'm a -taken- rock star." No sense of irony in his voice.
Eikichi's smile fades when he looks back at Sudou. Why did this prick piss him off so much? The Death Boss clicks his tongue and tilts his head as he considers whats next. More water? Yeah. Thats the ticket. Rhadamanthus begins to charge a more powerful attack. Eikichi's head turns when Katsuya mentions Fusion attacks. He nods, redirecting his attack into the Fusion spell. "Alright, man, lets do thissssssss!!!" Eikichi calls into his microphone, his voice booming.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Katsuya gives Eikichi the ocular patdown and assures Maya that he's all clear. It's hard for her not to smile a little at that, even in spite of their present situation.
"Oh, someone did a feature on your band for Coolest!" Maya says with a spark of realization, as though they aren't in the midst of combat. Still... she doesn't get the feeling that's where she recognizes him from...
But there's no time for that! Sudou launches an attack at all of them, and though Maya tries to evade the attack, it still clips her. Thanks to everyone else, though, it doesn't hit nearly as hard as she feared it would.
Thanks, everyone!
"'How things are supposed to be?'" she repeats. "How are things supposed to be, exactly?"
What was Sudou fighting for?
Maya doesn't await an answer. Instead, she gives the others a nod. She's all in.
"Iris!"
AS: Maya Amano has joined Katsuya Suou's fusion spell! The spell still requires 1 Weak attacks and Water! Anyone can join! AS: Block Best! Yua Ijuuin takes 16 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Agilao. AS: Eikichi Mishina has joined Katsuya Suou's fusion spell! The spell is ready! AS: Persona! Maya Amano, Katsuya Suou, and Eikichi Mishina has used the Water skill Bane Splash on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Maya Amano: Fast Heal! Def_Up and Spd_Up removed! AS: Eikichi Mishina: Spd_Up removed! AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate!
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
"FFf--!" Masao recoils visibly as Ogun is struck with a return blow unexpectedly, both Persona and wielder flinching in tandem as the Groom shows but a taste of her strength and mastery in that moment. He staggers back some towards Eriko and Tamaki before he can steady himself in a crouch and subsequent rise.
He can feel Nike's protection and Arianrhod's blessing convene upon hm as he cracks his neck. Eriko in particular for a moment, some time ago, acted like she was seeing him for the very first time after forever, in... some... fashion, or another. He hadn't ever seen her look that shocked as far as he can remember.
...Well, he's here for her and the rest now, in a time and place where he can do that, and that's what's important.
"'Dear' is kinda pushin' it," he admits. But he's still not going to overlook Hannya's murder despite it being, well, Hannya. The counter-slash is enough to shut him up and not shout over things like 'this world is false,' which is good, because Masao's the kind of guy that if angry enough will shout over important exposition and not stop.
Nuclear flames manifest, and Masao braces with axe raised and another arm firmly placed against himself as he gives a death glare that doesn't last when even a solid defense of will leaves him scalded and looking a little more brightly reddish-orange than usual.
Miyu sees them for who they are, for their experience (...give or take ten or fifteen levels on one specific friend here). Masao huffs, flexing out an arm as Media settles against present (not at all trivial) aches.
"Well, what you see is what you get," he smiles widely (under the respirator he has yet to take off), "and what you're gettin'..." He throws his free hand up. "Is this! Ogun!" The Persona re-appears again in that column of light. "Hit 'em!"
He does, wobbling back and forth before hurling himself forward in a wide flat strike of their arm. There's no witchcraft here - just a guy clearing the way.
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
The skeletal figure is faster than the biker had anticipated. Moriko is... once more glad she showed up on her bike today though. The jagged bone puncturing the leather, but not as bad as it could have been even if it about takes her off her feet. She forces her balance with her bisentou. Even if she's grimacing behind the visor. "Yeah. Through works." There's a grimace that forms. That is a myth she knows. That is also a thing for later contemplation. It does inspire her to take a wild guess as she mutters, "If you need a Shinto charm..." Trailing off as she pulls her evoker back to her chin. Hers is, at the very least, reminiscent.
She readjusts her stance, "Always have." A reply to Yua. Not that she recognizes her immediately. The trigger is pulled then. Head jerking aside as the fox makes her appearance again. Twisting partially around Moriko in an almost protective manner. Glaring at her opponent as motes of light trail, then suddenly plunge towards him.
"I think he made that choice for us Arisato." Her drawl's very pronounced at this point. Not bothering in the slightest to suppress it. Eyes on Kurou the whole time, "Watch your feet. " as she shifts, swinging her own polearm out defensively.
She'd have thoughts on someone suggesting they have the guide to the way the world should be. That's also a later problem.
Hyousuke's definitely showing both a side she hadn't seen before and a reason to really lean into it. "I'll trust you on that-" She calls out to Hyousuke. "We'll take him down, but you're explaining it later."
She looks less than happy not being the one trying to help punch. She also knows that magical support IS probably the right call right now.
She does press. Applying pressure
AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Light skill Kouha on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Ruin: Moriko Kumamoto gains 1 Limit! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 209 Water damage from Katsuya Suou's Bane Splash. Weak! AS: Masao Inaba spends Limit on Psych! AS: Persona! Masao Inaba has used the Strike skill Heavenly Hit on Miho Ijuuin! AS: Masao Inaba: Psych removed! AS: Avoid Neutral! Miho Ijuuin takes 121 Strike damage from Masao Inaba's Heavenly Hit. Safety! Magical damage reduced!0
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
Water joins fire, and water joins water: fire forms the nucleus around which its elemental opposites spin, gathering power in their antipodal force. It is water that falls as a deluge for Sudou, a great wave pinpointed upon one single target.
AS: Avoid Best! Kurou Ryouhara takes 26 Light damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Kouha. Weak! AS: Haze added! AS: Take! Remi Ryuuja takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Strike Break. AS: Strike_Break added! AS: Block Neutral! Remi Ryuuja takes 25 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Sweeping Strike. AS: Block Worst! Remi Ryuuja takes 38 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Sweeping Strike.
<Pose Tracker> Eriko Kirishima has posed.
"...We can explain it later," Eriko says, her voice pained. "I just... need to check with Maki-chan first..."
Across the battlefield, she sees an unexpected face- Junko Kurosu's son, Jun Kashihara, who was attacked by the Joker Killer. "...Is that why you were so obsessed with him?" Eriko asks out loud, mostly to herself. He has a Persona too, it seems... But what would Nyarlethotep want with the boy?
"That poem," Eriko responds, as the groom recites it. "...Have you been into his room? If you have, why wait until now?" And if she hasn't... how does she know that stanza giving her such agonizing Deja Vu.
And that powerful counterslash on Ogun looks vicious. "Mark!" Eriko shouts, worried, that's a lot of damage. She's already off kilter, and the deja vu gets worse- especially when Tamaki too is targeted by Miyu's sabre. "Tamaki, please, be careful!"
When the fire comes for her though, Eriko feels the way the air heats and is already moving. Blue flame washes over where she was, but the worst of it misses her while only a little touches her, as Nike's winds safeguard her from flame. The gold and onyx garter on her left leg glints in the flame, catching the blue flame's light majestically- even if now is not the time to appreciate the artisan's work.
Yumi and Miyu, the Bride and Groom. A terrifying pair- still, a thought occurs to Eriko, and and odd one. "Bride and Groom, but not Husband and Wife?" Eriko replies, thoughtful a moment. "Then I take it your wedding ceremony is yet to happen...?" Or... is it like Gretchen and Faust, where the suitor's intentions are rejected because of the taint on his soul?
Eriko is not a sabre fencer, epee is her style, but she can see her skill with the blade- and Eriko moves to rise her blade alongside Tamaki. "...I can tell. You're dangerous- you wouldn't have gone after him if you weren't. Unfortunately, we can't let you kill him yet. He has answers we need." Eriko pauses for a moment. "Of course, if you'll just give us half and hour, I'm not entirely sure I'd mind letting you do what you want with him after- but I don't think that's a deal you or my friends will take."
Look, Eriko's a nice person- but it would be a lie to say she doesn't have a dash of ruthlessness.
With her Epee positioned beside Tamaki, Eriko waits for an opening for Miho to commit, and when she does, she moves- her time in fencing club with Tamaki prepared her for fighting sabre fighters, if not ones as skilled as Miyu. Epee cares not for tageting zones or right of way, it cares for defending yourself, waiting for an opportunity-
And striking the moment you see an opening, as Eriko thrusts forward with her rapier, a silver thing, one continuous piece of metal, like the one wielded by the Emperor Shadow, straight towards Miho's masked face.
AS: Weapon! Eriko Kirishima has used the Pierce skill Stop-Thrust on Miho Ijuuin! AS: Pressure: Eriko Kirishima gains 1 Limit! AS: Counter Neutral! Miho Ijuuin takes 60 Pierce damage from Eriko Kirishima's Stop-Thrust. Safety! Magical damage reduced!0 AS: COUNTER! Eriko Kirishima takes 27 Slash damage in return for her attack! Unescaped comma in final arg of ANSI by #457. This behavior is deprecated.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
If only, Yukari. "It's... not just a weird poem the Joker Killer wrote," Umie says to Yukari. "Otherwise..."
From the sounds of it, Yukari caught where Umie herself has looking towards. While it's possible Miyu had sighted it before, that doesn't erase Umie's own uneasy feeling of familiarity. Deja vu, maybe? Or is it just the way it scratches that same terrible itch in her brain?
And as for Kurou--
Ah, no, scratch that (no pun intended). Hyousuke, Minako, and Moriko are capable fighters, but they don't understand how Kurou is built. Hell, even Umie's not sure; she's only fought alongside him once.
The people fighting her current roommate may be in more danger than Kurou himself is in.
"Don't talk to me about 'sparing'... I've never been a part of _your group_." The field of cloying lies is trumpeted right back at Umie, draining her initial push. She's getting distracted; while she knows Yukari better than Hitomi, seeing the SEES member fumble for her glasses.
Are they doing the right thing? They have Sudou in this cage, and if they work together...
_Screw that_, she wants them gone as much as Sudou.
But she's pregnant, right?
Too late, Umie is already acting like a complete hypocrite.
The Badb, now as the portent of doom, the ghostly gleaming flesh of her arm exposed as she points towards the Bride, potentially with child.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
If only, Yukari. "It's... not just a weird poem the Joker Killer wrote," Umie says to Yukari. "Otherwise..."
From the sounds of it, Yukari caught where Umie herself has looking towards. While it's possible Miyu had sighted it before, that doesn't erase Umie's own uneasy feeling of familiarity. Deja vu, maybe? Or is it just the way it scratches that same terrible itch in her brain?
Or... Yes. Miho was chosen. Perhaps like Umie herself, is-- "Bullshit!!" Umie cries.
And as for Kurou--
Ah, no, scratch that (no pun intended). Hyousuke, Minako, and Moriko are capable fighters, but they don't understand how Kurou is built. Hell, even Umie's not sure; she's only fought alongside him once.
The people fighting her current roommate may be in more danger than Kurou himself is in.
"Don't talk to me about 'sparing'... I've never been a part of _your group_." The field of cloying lies is trumpeted right back at Umie, draining her initial push. She's getting distracted; while she knows Yukari better than Hitomi, seeing the SEES member fumble for her glasses.
Are they doing the right thing? They have Sudou in this cage, and if they work together...
_Screw that_, she wants them gone as much as Sudou.
But she's pregnant, right?
Too late, Umie is already acting like a complete hypocrite.
The Badb, now as the portent of doom, the ghostly gleaming flesh of her arm exposed as she points towards the Bride, potentially with child.
AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Shock Noise! Fire_Break applied to Yua Ijuuin! AS: That attack doesn't seem to match one on your list. AS: That attack doesn't seem to match one on your list. AS: Persona! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Bad Moon Rising on Yua Ijuuin! AS: Umie Akabane takes 45 damage from Stress! AS: Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit! AS: Umie Akabane regains 3 SP from Invigorate! AS: Nerve Up! Yua Ijuuin's SP +8! AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Bad Moon Rising. AS: Omen added!
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
To Yukari Miho retorts, "The Oracle. He's not the only one who has Seen the Other Side... the True World. But his methods are doomed to fail, as he is doomed now to die." Miho does not answer Remi's look. Instead she says to Yukari next, "The Bride has no choice. It is not something from which I can protect her..."
"But you could always remove yourself from our path."
Tamaki, though... Tamaki counters. "So, it is a personal choice. So be it."
Remi supports Miho as does Yua, both of them empowering her. Hoewever...
Tamaki parries, and then does something that isn't swordfighting: she calls on Arianrhod. The spell does keep ehr occupied, and Miho tries to cut through it--but it batters past her defenses anyway, leaving her forced to step-step-step back to keep her balance. "Gh," she murmurs. "...So be it."
"You did invoke more than Heaven... it seems you both understand and do not. That symphony is not enough--she and I cannot be free until the world is Changed."
Mark says that 'dear' is pushing it. "So? Then 'connected." Eriko has a question for her, too. "I have not been into his room. I know the ways of the Oracle because I have Seen them in my dreams. Do you wish to know the next stanza?"
Bride and Groom, Eriko says. "...We cannot marry until the world is changed. Surely you know this country's laws."
Eriko suggests half an hour... and here's where Mark comes in. he swings at her again with his Persona, Ogun clearing the way, and Miho dives, unable to entirely avoid the attack but able to get her feet under her a moment later again.
"Alas," Miho says to Eriko as she wobbles her way back to a stable stance after Mark's attack, "I am not at liberty to grant your wish. Would that we could ally on this matter."
Elly goes for it--and when the Groom sees her opportunity to counter, Elly takes hers to go for the mask. A great line; is carved in her mask, but it doesn't break fully--her face is not revealed.
"...I underestimated you," she decides. "I will not do so again."
She lifts her hand, and in a rush of red light, Faust appears to stare down Ogun--and lifts her hand, some strange sigill in the air to fill Mark and his Persona with joy--so much joy that he will have a hard time fighting for exhaustion.
In the meantime, Miyu advances on both sword-wielders, clashing blade to blade, steel to steel. Thrust, parry, riposte--and then a hack with a glowing red blade, magical itsself, aginsst each torso. She does not ahve to followthe rules; this is not sport.
Healing light sparkles down on Yua, then, as Faust wwaves her hand one more time. Not much... but some.
"My Bride!" Miyu calls. "Stand strong!"
AS: Miho Ijuuin spends Limit on Broad! AS: Persona! Miho Ijuuin has used the Almighty skill Hapirma on Masao Inaba! AS: Pressure: Miho Ijuuin gains 1 Limit! AS: Weapon! Miho Ijuuin has used the Slash skill Black Card on Eriko Kirishima and Tamaki Uchida! 3 Hits! AS: Persona! Miho Ijuuin has used the Recovery skill Dia on Yua Ijuuin! AS: Miho Ijuuin: Broad removed! AS: Miho Ijuuin's Magi_Safety tactic expires on Miho Ijuuin! AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 104 Recovery healing from Miho Ijuuin's Dia. AS: Avoid Worst! Tamaki Uchida takes 125 Slash damage from Miho Ijuuin's Black Card. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Neutral! Tamaki Uchida takes 53 Slash damage from Miho Ijuuin's Black Card. AS: Avoid Best! Tamaki Uchida takes 38 Slash damage from Miho Ijuuin's Black Card. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 0 Almighty damage from Miho Ijuuin's Hapirma. AS: Exhaust added!
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Water weaves around Kurou at Gretchen's call, and he breathes in deeply, stretching his neck to one side before regarding his foes. Remi's winds join, and he taps the toe of his foot to the ground in a quickened bounce.
Minako and Linos respond as he requests, first the naginata's shaft and then the harp, smashing against Kurou as his deflections with his blade can only mean so much against the strength of a Persona. He he stands his ground in the face of it -- if you do not count the way the force of impact pushes him against it, friction kicking up dust from his skidding shoes.
He looks at her, sword still poised by his own cheek to protect it, less than an inch away.
"... Good," he says, though his subdued manner may not fully express how impressed he is.
Ironically enough, extrapolating on Hyousuke's words is not Kurou's place to explain either. He has agreed on a few different levels to not go spreading information about Tsubasa around. Even if he hadn't verbally agreed, it would not be in his nature to be so careless with such secrets.
But he does appreciate that look in Hyousuke's eyes. "... Hm," Kurou notes, with what might be a vexing lack of emotion under the circumstances. "I am not uninterested, but... you seem even more eager...?"
That's about all Kurou has the space to speculate on before Achilles descends. Kurou pushes through the attack, scraping sword against sword with the determination to land a strike at the cost of forcing his way through.
It leaves him with a bright red line across his cheek.
Moriko's instinct about Shinto charms is correct: the light of Kouha throttles Kurou and his Persona with a trembling from the boy and rattling bones from the skeleton. She comments that he made the choice for them. "...You selected your target," he reminds her. "Commit."
As he must do himself.
"Gashadokuro," he murmurs, and his Persona rises behind him in perfect silence unfitting its size. Only the upper half of its body is visible, and it still looms well above Kurou as it stares down the trio with burning eye sockets. Eerie winds sweep through the battlefield with a disquieting sense of vulnerability.
It brings the illusion that light has dimmed, and Kurou's eyes all the brighter within it, in the same way a predator's gleam in the night. Shadow engulfs the chain of his weapon, and he dashes through the darkened atmosphere at Minako, Hyousuke, and Moriko with spinning blows of his chain that no longer catches any light to provide better warning. He lets it go, and it moves of its own accord like a serpent that seeks to bite through them with spectral fangs as its final strike.
AS: Kurou Ryouhara spends Limit on Exploit! Kurou Ryouhara can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Almighty skill Ayashii Silence on Minako Arisato, Hyousuke Suzuki, and Moriko Kumamoto! AS: Pressure: Kurou Ryouhara gains 1 Limit! AS: Tandem! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Dark skill Mayonaka Serpent on Minako Arisato! 3 Hits! AS: Tandem! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Dark skill Mayonaka Serpent on Hyousuke Suzuki! 3 Hits! AS: Tandem! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Dark skill Mayonaka Serpent on Moriko Kumamoto! 3 Hits! AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Almighty damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Ayashii Silence. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up removed! AS: Avoid Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 28 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent. AS: Avoid Worst! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 43 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
The flames die down and the Joker stares at Jun, not Sudou the persona itself stares at Jun as if it was a spurned lover. Then it turns to look at Argeiphontes and the jealousy is obvious.
Sudou turns and looks at Eikichi, "Oh you were late, you missed out on the whole putting away the old maid, yada,yada, yada. A few weeks ago I'd have rap battle'd you into the ground, now, well now you simply are beneath me." He is ignoring the threat of Katsuya's silly fusion spell.
This was a mistake as Sudou is struck from the side by a powerful focused attack mixed together that strikes him in the side and knocks him off his feet. With a groan Sudou stands up, "Damn, note to self fusion spells hurt. "
Steadying himself he looks at "Ma-ya. Well first off there are aliens. Second, it is suppose to be Jun who is in charge, not me. I was simply standing in for things, but well here we are. " Sudou continues to talk but the ground under Maya suddenly erupts in flames as Joker works it's magic
Sudou moves toward Jun, "Jun, Jun, Jun ,Jun, don't you see. I am the Tatsuya for you. I always have been. I always will be." The eyes of a predator stare at Jun as the Joker leans down and tries to simply touch Kashihara, as if that touch may spread whatever Sudou is talking about.
Stepping back he shakes his head, " But I think it's to late for us Jun." Turning back to Katsuya, " Why not just help them. Why are all of you defending me if I am a monster. People came to kill me. Isn't that easier for you Katsuya. Don't worry I won't let them kill me so easily." Sudou smiles as the wounds on his body slowly heal in real time.
Turning back he looks at Eikichi, "Oh yes you. I almost forgot about you." A ball of black flames is thrown at Eikichi, it seems safe enough, producing no heat. Comes highly recommended by Sudou to touch it.
AS: Avoid Worst! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 62 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent. Critical Hit! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Inferno on Maya Amano! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill A Nyarly Touch on Jun Kashihara! AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Recovery skill Inhuman Regeneration on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 149 Recovery healing from Tatsuya Sudou's Inhuman Regeneration. AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Fire skill Cursed Flame on Eikichi Mishina! AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Paralyze removed! AS: Avoid Best! Maya Amano takes 50 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Maya Amano takes 30 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Inferno. AS: Mind Up! Jun Kashihara's SP +8! AS: Avoid Best! Jun Kashihara takes 15 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's A Nyarly Touch. AS: Pain added! AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 0 Fire damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Cursed Flame. AS: Fire_Break added! AS: Take! Minako Arisato takes 0 Almighty damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Ayashii Silence. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up removed! AS: Block Best! Minako Arisato takes 27 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent. Weak! AS: Block Worst! Minako Arisato takes 73 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Block Worst! Minako Arisato takes 55 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent. Weak! AS: Eriko Kirishima spends Limit on Shift! Tamaki Uchida can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Avoid Neutral! Eriko Kirishima takes 50 Slash damage from Miho Ijuuin's Black Card. AS: Avoid Worst! Eriko Kirishima takes 122 Slash damage from Miho Ijuuin's Black Card. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Neutral! Eriko Kirishima takes 76 Slash damage from Miho Ijuuin's Black Card. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Vesper nods in turn, to confirm his identity to Shinobu. Though striking an all too casual figure, he's very much keeping an eye on Tsurugi in turn while he considers the situation as described. The identity of the Joker Killer... that much isn't a surprise.
"Indeed... that matches my deductions." He absolutely didn't figure that out on his lonesome, but it sounds more impressive when you put it that way, doesn't it? He didn't have a clue what exactly he would be walking into here otherwise, so that part, he's just going to stay silent on. 'Press your strengths, do not admit your weaknesses.' Words to live by, so he was taught.
The way Shinobu chooses to phrase it, 'someone' wanting the Joker Killer dead... that prompts a chuckle from the Masked Gentleman. "I wager that a great many do. But I understand your meaning."
Tsurugi chooses this moment to empower herself and her fellows, then aggress with her Persona. When Vesper moves this time, it's with urgency and alacrity, evading the incoming blades with precise hops and twists. While he didn't come out entirely unscathed, a brief grimace is all he'll give away before returning to his previous stoic bearing, returning to the previous topic in the same calm tone as before.
"I wager the woman in bridal regalia is responsible for trapping us here... and I have reason to believe her affiliated with the New World Order. Which means..."
He doesn't actually say what it means. They have a fight on their hands, after all. Instead, what he says is, "Let's even the odds!" So saying, his mask glows, and his Persona emits a wave of darkness, briefly obscuring him and Shinobu from view, then lingering about them like a protective cloak. Vesper's eyes then turn to Tsurugi's presented weapon.
"Ah. Fencer, are you? In that case..."
With a twist of Vesper's right arm, the handle of the umbrella dangling off of it smoothly slips into his hand. He briefly points the tip skyward, before lowering it towards Tsurugi. "En garde."
Not exactly the most practical choice for a fencing weapon. It may indeed come off as a mocking gesture, at first. However... Vesper's stance following that maneuver is picture-perfect, not something an amateur would easily imitate. Sufficient warning that this man does indeed have a measure of professional education where it comes to this fighting style, before he proceeds to demonstrate.
With deft movement, he seeks to claim advantage through a series of aggressive thrusts. He'll need to lean on the element of surprise for an early edge, as he highly suspects he's not going to win in a straight up duel. He only recently started polishing up those skills again, having been out of practice for a lengthy period of time. Most likely, anyone carrying a weapon like that will manage to outpace him before long. Which makes this, ultimately, a temporary distraction.
AS: Julian Marlowe spends Limit on Exploit! Julian Marlowe can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Julian Marlowe has used the Almighty skill Shade Revel on Shinobu Shimizu and Julian Marlowe! AS: Defense: Julian Marlowe gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Julian Marlowe takes 0 Almighty damage from Julian Marlowe's Shade Revel. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added! AS: Weapon! Julian Marlowe has used the Strike skill Umbrella-Fu on Remi Ryuuja! 2 Hits!
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Tsurugi might be looking at Miyu, but Yumi bids everyone to look beyond her. Where this fault lies...
It is not, the Bride suggests, with the killing hand.
La Maupin's winds make her feel less heavy, though, and she nods, to her Knight. "Fight well!" She calls, to her, in support.
Miyu introduces herself properly, though, and Yumi places a hand to her cheek. "Ah, the confusion has led me to rudeness," she says, with apology. "I am Yumi, the Bride... Miyu's Bride!" 'Mi and yu', 'Yu and mi'... maybe that's a sign waved at a fencing meet which Maya saw, now and then, in her youth.
But who would remember something like that?
"This world is wrong," Yumi advises Yukari, gravely. "In this place my son will never be safe. In this world my son can never be free. I must... ensure our place. I must--!" How much choice does she have, really?
Winds batter at Gretchen, and she clasps her arms shut again, to trap the Bride in that cell. Yumi's hand presses to the ceramic plate, protecting her abdomen. "... I know," she says, her voice a touch choked. "My duty to manage that stress, yet each day I cry, and I fail him! Do you not think -- I would not do this if -- the Powers that Be did not require it? But if my Groom fails here, she will suffer it! If my Knight fails here, she will suffer it! If that attendant of Night fails here, he will suffer it! Blame them not; the fault is mine. Yet were I to stay home, do you not think the Powers that Be know where I rest?"
(Oh, and Katsuya's worried, too... a little more shame settles on her shoulders, as she realises that.)
Hitomi points out how wrong this place is, though. "... correct," she replies, when Hitomi recovers, bowing her head to her. "What is mine is not soft, or good, or kind. What I hide within myself is cruel and frightening and labyrinthine, chthonic and grave. Nothing good is kept here. But... nothing good was, far before my entry."
There were people here. "I sensed them," she confirms, "there, within, but no so deep as the screaming. I feel regret. These scars they will carry. But they are not our targets; they we need not kill. Would that they are left to weep tomorrow." She pauses, and tilts her head. "I sensed Persona Users alongside those without," she adds, after a brief pause. "You should not tell the likes of me your ambitions... but I do not pray for your failure in this."
(Does that mean the people who went back downstairs to take care of the survivors are there to protect them...? What a relief...)
The card is flipped, and a statue rises, and fire consumes Gretchen's face and chest; her dress flutters, with the force of the flames.
"Ah..." Yumi sighs, as she catches what Eriko has to ask about their ceremony. "... in our better world, our reception will be marvellous."
No. Umie is not Chosen, like Miyu is.
Rather, Umie is far closer to Yumi...
"Please," Yumi urges her, gently. "Do not worry. I will not demand of you the truth. I will allow you to veil yourself. To other places, go. You must be a lovely woman... for these fangs I blame you not. But I see your conviction burns, burns you to ash... I am sorry to cause you such vitriol. I am sorry to make you hate me so."
The Badb points, to her, and she shakes her head, sadly.
"I am sorry, my dear. I was doomed long before you spoke your omen unto me. So long as this world turns... I am doomed."
She turns to Hitomi, then, and smiles, to her. "Badb has weakened me to flames," she advises her, her voice still soft. "Now will I burn, by your leave. I do not wish to startle you, so this truth I will tell you with no demand."
Yumi shakes her head, turning back to Umie. "I will hurt you, now," she warns her. "But you will not die. Gretchen?" At her urging, the Persona opens her arms, gesturing to Umie as spires of darkness rise from the earth to trap her in a shadowy cage -- which collapses down over her, after a moment. She is left physically free... but she may feel the weight of those chains, keeping her down, anyway.
And to Hitomi, she says: "You fear the earth, I saw. Were I here to strike you, this would I do. But for you --" -- more darkness rises up, but more in the form of wispy miasma, Stagnant Air which leeches at her.
"You," she adds, to Yukari, "who worries for me so, I would know your ways. Tell me the truth!" And Yukari has a terrible sense of being seen as Yumi takes her existence into herself, breathes as Yukari breathes, hurts as Yukari hurts.
Miyu's healing settles over Yumi -- though its effects are diminished, thanks to the Badb's anger. "For now," she calls, to her, "I am well, but... but to claim this place entire, I..." She's faltering; perhaps the people fighting her can exploit that."
AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Dark skill Chthonic Cage on Umie Akabane! AS: Yua Ijuuin takes 45 damage from Stress! AS: Ruin: Yua Ijuuin gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Shinobu Shimizu takes 0 Almighty damage from Julian Marlowe's Shade Revel. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up added! AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Dark skill Stagnant Air on Hitomi Mandai! 3 Hits! AS: Persona! Yua Ijuuin has used the Almighty skill Possession on Yukari Takeba! AS: Yua Ijuuin takes 45 damage from Stress! AS: Avoid Neutral! Remi Ryuuja takes 18 Strike damage from Julian Marlowe's Umbrella-Fu. AS: Avoid Worst! Remi Ryuuja takes 37 Strike damage from Julian Marlowe's Umbrella-Fu. AS: Take! Yukari Takeba takes 0 Almighty damage from Yua Ijuuin's Possession. AS: Yua Ijuuin's Strength Scan! Yukari Takeba resists Wind! AS: Yua Ijuuin's Weakness Scan! Yukari Takeba is weak against Elec! AS: Yua Ijuuin's Support Scan! Yukari Takeba has passive skills Break Limit, Invigorate 1, Peerless Skill, Recovery Boost, Skill Card Affinity, Team Player, and Wind Boost! AS: Avoid Neutral! Umie Akabane takes 68 Dark damage from Yua Ijuuin's Chthonic Cage. Critical Hit! Resist! AS: Bomb added! AS: Block Worst! Hitomi Mandai takes 61 Dark damage from Yua Ijuuin's Stagnant Air. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Worst! Hitomi Mandai takes 51 Dark damage from Yua Ijuuin's Stagnant Air. AS: Block Neutral! Hitomi Mandai takes 32 Dark damage from Yua Ijuuin's Stagnant Air.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
Minako frowns, but she nods at Hyousuke. "All right, then. We're with you." Even if he seems angry -- and she wonders what exactly Kurou did to make him so mad -- she has to focus on her opponent, and that makes it straightforward enough.
Moriko, she decides, might be right. She looks at Kurou as he skids away from her -- and sees his sword raised, guarding where she tried to hit him. "Why are you doing this?" she asks. "That guy -- the Old Maid -- he's bad news, but... his own father is trying to kill him!"
She pays a quick glance at Moriko and Hyousuke. Then, her breath catches -- and she hisses as the chain, wreathed in darkness, swings and strikes at her like a serpent. The blows hit Minako -- she deflects one with the haft of her naginata. The other two slam ito her, pitching her back into Linos.
No, through Linos.
The Persona shatters into so much blue glass, as the SEES co-leader hits the ground with a CRACK. A literal crack; her breathing comes harder and pain shoots across her side like fire with a broken rib. Minako stands, haggardly, and lifts up her Evoker. She puts it to her temple and fires -- blue light and glass exploding from the other side of her head.
"Unicorn!"
Then, she holds a hand up into the air. White and green light explodes out like a ring, washing over Hyousuke and Moriko both -- and her. The pain in her side dulls, to a bearable level. Then, Minako looks right at Kurou.
Unicorn fully takes form, then; a white-coated horse, with a golden horn coming off its forehead. Hooves strike the earth, without noise. But the light it summons is quite right. A column of light slams down from the very heavens for both Kurou and his skeletal Persona.
AS: Minako Arisato spends Limit on Exploit! Minako Arisato can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Light skill Hama on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Recovery skill Media on Minako Arisato, Hyousuke Suzuki, and Moriko Kumamoto! AS: Support: Minako Arisato gains 1 Limit! AS: Take! Minako Arisato takes 106 Recovery healing from Minako Arisato's Media. AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 106 Recovery healing from Minako Arisato's Media. AS: Avoid Worst! Kurou Ryouhara takes 188 Light damage from Minako Arisato's Hama. Weak!
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
The Bride may recognize Jun, but Jun certainly doesn't recognize her. He doesn't even realize he's been recognized with her face hidden the way it is. There is body language, of course, but he's far too caught up in dealing with Sudou to take in that sort of nuance in this chaotic an environment. At least, thanks to Umie, he can understand that she and her Persona Gretchen are what made the current environs. Seeing is not the same as comprehending, after all. ...Though when Yukari shouts about Yumi being pregnant, his eyes widen briefly in surprise.
Jun doesn't remark on how Katsuya only says he and Maya can trust Eikichi after Jun has effectively vouched for him. He's aware of how Eikichi looks (fabulous) and how it might be off-putting to someone more... straight-edged, shall we way.
Eikichi takes quickly to Maya, at least. Not that that's surprising to Jun. She has a certain natural, comforting charm to her, on top of her beauty. But Eikichi is taken and says so directly. Good for him and for his girlfriend.
Less so for the Persona that shares Tatsuya Suou's face. The JOKER stares at Jun, and the way he does so just makes his skin crawl. At least this time he can handle JOKER's appearance--hell, its very presence--without feeling like he's about to go mad.
It does give him a bit of heartache, though... Ironic, considering the way it looks at Argeiphontes.
Maya herself, though... makes the mistake of asking how things are supposed to be. One of those things is that Jun is supposed to be in charge. He scoffs, eyes narrowing; after that week of being in Sudou's dubious care, he was already well aware of that much, but it draws his contempt all the same. "Don't bother asking him that," Jun warns her. "Anything he would consider 'how things should be' isn't a world state anyone should desire."
Katsuya calls to everyone to join him in a spell fusion. Maya and Eikichi both follow suit to magnificent effect. "Well done, everyone!" Jun declares, smiling at his companions as their powers combine and drop a deluge down on Sudou. He had no idea spell fusion was possible--though of course he wouldn't, having awakened to his Persona all of three days ago. "Keep it up. I'll continue to lend you my support!"
Sudou approaches Jun himself then. He frowns at him anew. "You are not. But I won't bother arguing with you about it. Your delusions are too much for me," he declares.
The JOKER leans in to try to touch him. Jun raises his chin to stare him down until it seems like he might stroke his face--
And then Argeiphontes swoops down behind Jun and SLAPS the other Persona's hand away.
"Don't touch me," Jun says icily, flicking at his cheek as if to rid himself of a bit of grime. It's painful grime, though--for all that it doesn't leave a physical mark, it burns where it only barely grazed his skin. Anything more than that, and Jun would be in a much worse state, and he knows it. But he takes care not to let on about that outwardly. He can't afford to show weakness to this man. "You're right about one thing: it's far too late for you."
Light whorls outwards from the golden-armored Persona as Argeiphontes casts another spell. This time, it's directed at Sudou and the JOKER Persona--a Dormina, to draw them into a soporific state, if not outright slumber for but a crucial moment. He doesn't give the question of why they're trying to take him in rather than let the others kill him outright the dignity of a response. (Besides, Katsuya is the police officer here, not him. Jun just wants to see this through and make sure Sudou can't hurt anyone else ever again.)
AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Almighty skill Dormina on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Jun Kashihara takes 90 damage from Pain! AS: Jun Kashihara: Fast Heal! Pain removed! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Jun Kashihara's Dormina. AS: Sick added!
AS: Take! Moriko Kumamoto takes 0 Almighty damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Ayashii Silence. AS: Def_Up and Spd_Up removed! AS: Avoid Best! Moriko Kumamoto takes 9 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Moriko Kumamoto takes 9 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Moriko Kumamoto takes 7 Dark damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mayonaka Serpent. AS: Take! Moriko Kumamoto takes 106 Recovery healing from Minako Arisato's Media. AS: Jun Kashihara spends Limit on Shift! Eikichi Mishina can use another Weak skill this round! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Jun Kashihara spends Limit on Shift! Maya Amano can use another Weak skill this round! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP!
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"Then what is it!?" She asks Umie, somewhat frantic in the heat of battle, from this wild day of so many emotions being torn this way and the next.
'The Oracle. He's not the only one who has Seen the Other Side... the True World.'
"What do you mean he's some Oracle? He's just- crazy!" Perhaps that's a defense mechanism, denial after all. "Is this the Other Side?"
'Wild. Geez, fine, don't get up my ass about it --'
Hitomi then sees Yukari Takeba's expression as she glower at her with some disappointment. "Say what 'it' is aloud and maybe you'll rethink that one."
Unfortunately, this is perhaps the worst sort of fight for Hitomi, as the party healer, she has to know everyone's weaknesses to compensate.
'Heehh... thanks... That's another one I owe you,'
"Don't mention it." 'I owe you one!' "... Just don't get yourself killed, alright?" That one is likely to both of them.
It is a good question that Hitomi asks. What were they going to do about them.
The answer she predicts is already making her a little queasy.
'Don't talk to me about 'sparing'... I've never been a part of _your group_.'
"... Why are you putting it like that?" She asks Umie, quietly. Perhaps, sometimes, too skeptical for her own good.
'This world is wrong,'
'In this place my son will never be safe.'
'In this world my son can never be free.'
In many ways Yukari Takeba cannot understand what the Bride and Groom are going through. But there is one thing she understands.
"And so you put yourself and especially HIM in mortal peril!? What is wrong with you?!" She shouts back at her with a certain rising heat, "Sure it isn't the world you wanted, it isn't for anyone! But right now you're not doing what's best for him! This is just your own selfishness!"
Over and over she says she's doomed for the way the world is, and she gets a disquieting feeling. "Neither will you. You're going to live in this reality." Yet, she explains that she's failing him because some powers that be require it. "So is it really about a /better world/? Because it sounds like you're just putting the what some guy wants ahead of him!"
And indeed, there is the weight of that burden upon her.
What's a little more?
'You'
'who worries for me so, I would know your ways.'
'Tell me the truth!'
And perhaps she gets an answer from a look around the chaotic field. "My ways?" A look at the people around her. One by one by one, with that Evoker to her forehead.
And then she pulls the trigger. Io redirects, and to each person she looks at, comes a flow of healing, not unlike a fresh breeze on a warm day.
It goes from an eccentric model she met, to a competent Detective she admires, to an adult who always looked out for her and then to her teammates again... even despite the moment of tension from earlier.
"...I don't know about the world you think your son needs, but you both live in this one. And he needs you to be here for him."
And then she asides to Hitomi, "(Be sure to go easy on her this time.)"
AS: Persona! Yukari Takeba has used the Recovery skill Media on Hitomi Mandai, Eriko Kirishima, Tamaki Uchida, and Shinobu Shimizu! AS: Support: Yukari Takeba gains 1 Limit! AS: Yukari Takeba regains 3 SP from Invigorate! AS: Yukari Takeba spends Limit on Shift! Hitomi Mandai can use another Weak skill this round! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 100 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media. AS: Take! Shinobu Shimizu takes 104 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media. AS: Take! Hitomi Mandai takes 100 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media.
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Shinobu correctly points out that their goals aren't the same. "To deny us is to empower him," Tsurugi says in a voice that is far too calm for the pitched battle around them. "It is not my place to question what I must do."
Shinobu summarizes, and... Tsurugi stays silent. She offers no corrections, but neither does she offer any denials.
Tsurgi is fast, as Shinobu notes, and yet she can't resist that pulse of weakness that shudders through her, feeling herself become less solid. The sweep of the staff is designed to catch her, and she brings up her rapier to guard the first strike, but the second one catches her under her guard, squarly in the stomach.
She wheezes for just a moment, and then straightens up, seemingly unpained.
Vesper does not make a conclusion about who may or may not be affiliated with the NWO--which is fine because Tsurugi would not confirm it if he had. Tsurugi is, indeed, a fencer, but she does not use the same kind of weapon as Miyu does--her rapier is not for sport fencing: Vesper may or may not recognize it as having more of a historical bent.
When he calls 'En garde', Trugi simply says, flatly, "Prêts."
She notes the footwork, and she brings up her own blade to match, her footwork also speaking to training and many hours of practice. He may not expect to win a long confrontation, but while the first strike is blocked the second strikes true, connecting even as Tsurugi attempts to sidestep it. Her body jerks back for a moment and she freezes, but she does not go to clutch the space.
"... so you are skilled," she notes simply.
Yumi bids her to fight well, and Tsurugi nods. "Stay safe," is her response. Well, as safe as she can, considering.
But introductions have been made, and without any fanfare Tsurugi simply says, "Tsurugi." She may as well be pointing out the presence of a weapon. (Sadly, by introducing herself, she is doing just that. Her codename is not the kindest.) But at least Vesper has a name to go with the fencing woman.
Tsurugi's eyes scan between her opponentsk opponents, and she holds out her rapier to the side. La Maupin mirrors her motion, and the two blades touch--flames erupt from the length of La Maupin's blade, flowing down the first blade and then up the other. As one they surge forward, weaving a complicated series of steps as their flaming blades woosh and strike out at both Persona users, leaivng trails of fire in the air...
"Now!" shouts Tsurugi--and the flames on both blades burst as rippling winds tear the flames apart, and now their continued strikes are laced with the power of the winds as they dart among the two Persona Users.
"A man must die this day!" she shouts as she goes, her voice suddenly heated with fervor. "'Twould be better it done quickly-- do not keep us from our task!"
AS: Remi Ryuuja spends Limit on Broad! AS: Tandem! Remi Ryuuja has used the Fire skill Firebrand on Shinobu Shimizu and Julian Marlowe! 3 Hits! AS: Tandem! Remi Ryuuja has used the Wind skill Blastbrand on Shinobu Shimizu and Julian Marlowe! 3 Hits! AS: Remi Ryuuja: Broad removed! AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 7 Fire damage from Remi Ryuuja's Firebrand. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Shinobu Shimizu takes 13 Fire damage from Remi Ryuuja's Firebrand. AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 7 Fire damage from Remi Ryuuja's Firebrand. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Shinobu Shimizu takes 4 Wind damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blastbrand. AS: Block Worst! Shinobu Shimizu takes 38 Wind damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blastbrand. Critical Hit! AS: Block Worst! Shinobu Shimizu takes 38 Wind damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blastbrand. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
A faint trail of light returns to Tamaki after the golden X connects with Miho. Tamaki's hairs stand on end as she receives the telltale signal of information on the Groom's vulnerabilities. No wonder she wants to defend against 'witchcraft'. Her shield remains up, but it has to fall sooner or later.
Tamaki almost responds to the Groom's retort about the symphony, but it's what she says next to Eriko that rattles her. The country's laws in that regard were enough cause for her to give up. She grits her teeth and casts her gaze down to the ground, clearly pained by the topic, herself. "I'm well aware. We had -- no, have the same fight. As I said before, you were also subject to the cruelties of the world."
She lunges forward with a feint of her of her own, locking blade against blade and pushing back against the Groom's advance to make sure her opponent can clearly hear above the din: "You're not going to get that world by killing him."
With a smirk, she calls out to the side, " -- now's your moment, Inaba-san!" That shield is enough to ward off a full-on assault from herself and Eriko, but Mark's the bruiser of the bunch. Tamaki flashes him a thumbs-up after she sees (and feels) him land that hit with Ogun.
It's a fine line for Tamaki to tread as she tries to keep the Groom's focus on her. Sabre isn't exactly a discipline oriented towards defensive play, and rounds last a matter of seconds, at most. This isn't a bout on the strip. There's no scoring system, no judge, no safety in a bloodless sport. Under those circumstances, biding her time would be foolish.
It's no different under these circumstances, either. Tamaki soon pays for that foolishness with a cut to her torso as gouts of blue flame spew out from herself and Arianrhod. "Ahh -- !" She was cut once, then grows wiser with the second and third, the initial hack serving as a wake-up call to her senses. Immediately, she scrambles for that same Skill Card to heal their damage with another "Media!"
(Her reaction to Eriko's ruthlessness is plain on her face -- she very much would take issue with that 'thirty minutes' offer.)
And yet -- in the face of that terrifying onslaught, Tamaki spies that Faust's shield is down and sees their moment and proclaims, "For as flawed as Heaven may be, you still fear it!" She nods to Eriko and Mark, especially hoping that the former catches onto her drift: she's weak to light. "All of us, together now! Let us heed their call!"
An illusory pool of water forms underneath the Groom and Faust, the full moon visible in the reflection below even if it isn't present in the sky. The eyes of Heaven are on Miyu, now; she may be able to feel it, to hear the same calling that Tamaki does.
Arianrhod slashes the air twice again, but this time, the golden X waits for a moment longer. Tamaki's Persona remains poised to perform a third strike ...
AS: Tamaki Uchida spends Limit on Exploit! Tamaki Uchida can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Recovery skill Media on Eriko Kirishima, Tamaki Uchida, and Masao Inaba! AS: Take! Tamaki Uchida takes 111 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Media. AS: Tamaki Uchida has no more TP available for healing! AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida has used the Almighty skill Light Break on Miho Ijuuin! AS: Ruin: Tamaki Uchida gains 1 Limit! AS: Tamaki Uchida has initiated a fusion spell! The spell still requires 2 Weak attacks and Light/Any Magical! Anyone can join!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
There's something about what Eriko's remarking on that almost, almost cuts at the palpable mystery about Mikage-cho. Masao had refused to talk about it. The official record was silent. So what is it that happened there, and why? Questions, alas, will have to wait.
What is Sudou fighting for? All he knows is, if Akechi is right, his brother is on the other side of it. Whatever Sudou wants is something that Tatsuya absolutely does not want. And even if he doesn't understand what it is that his brother is trying to do at all, he...
He'll trust Tatsuya on this one. Even if it weren't Sudou on the other side, he thinks, he would trust Tatsuya. Almost certainly...
It's supposed to be Jun who is in charge, Sudou states again. "Don't be ridiculous," he tells Sudou, drawing his firearm at last. He directs the gun towards the ground, reading himself to take advantage of the next opening. "He's an ordinary highschool student, not a murderer like you!"
To be fair, it wasn't just Jun's say-so, though that was the majority of it. Looking at Eikichi, he can't help but think that in spite of his... appearance, the kid isn't really a bad sort. And even if he's finding his mannerisms a little odd (look at Katsuya again and say anyone is surprised by this), he... can't deny his dedication.
...In a fight, at that.
Why not just let them do it? Why not turn and leave? "Of all the... of course you don't understand! My duty is to enforce the law, not to look the other way!" It's an action that Baofu would probably advise, he thinks, and the thought makes him grit his teeth.
"Amano-kun. He's right. I don't know that Sudou can be trusted," Katsuya warns.
But Sudou doesn't attack him. Instead, he attacks the people Katsuya, as a police officer, wants to protect.
"--Sudou! Leave them alone!" The handgun lifts and in that moment, Katsuya takes the shot.
AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Exploit! Hyousuke Suzuki can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Weapon! Katsuya Suou has used the Pierce skill Handgun - Suppression Fire on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Katsuya Suou: Fast Heal! Spd_Up removed! AS: Block Neutral! Julian Marlowe takes 13 Fire damage from Remi Ryuuja's Firebrand. AS: Block Best! Julian Marlowe takes 7 Fire damage from Remi Ryuuja's Firebrand. Critical Hit! AS: Counter Neutral! Julian Marlowe takes 39 Fire damage from Remi Ryuuja's Firebrand. AS: COUNTER! Remi Ryuuja takes 19 Fire damage in return for her attack! Weak! AS: Block Best! Julian Marlowe takes 4 Wind damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blastbrand. AS: Block Worst! Julian Marlowe takes 25 Wind damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blastbrand. AS: Counter Worst! Julian Marlowe takes 74 Wind damage from Remi Ryuuja's Blastbrand. Critical Hit! AS: COUNTER! Remi Ryuuja takes 8 Wind damage in return for her attack! AS: Take! Eriko Kirishima takes 100 Recovery healing from Yukari Takeba's Media. AS: Take! Eriko Kirishima takes 118 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Media. AS: Take! Miho Ijuuin takes 0 Almighty damage from Tamaki Uchida's Light Break. AS: Light_Break added!
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
"Goddamn right I'm eager." Hyousuke spat. He hissed a little as a blade scored a mark across his arm to match the one on Kurou's cheek, but he did not falter. Whether it was adrenaline numbing the pain, or sheer determination pushing him forward and forcing him to work through it, Kurou's counter stopped him for little more than a blink. Instead, it was his teammates that gave him some slight degree of pause. Though Minako seemed to accept his explanation at its face - for now - Moriko pressed, and the part of Hyousuke that still managed to cling onto a semblance of coherence winced. He would grant her as much information as he could - and Minako too, if she deigned to press for it too - but he knew that there was only so much he could reveal.
"When we're out of here." He said, not quite brushing Moriko off, but speaking firmly enough - and with enough of a growl to his tone - that there could be little doubt he did not wish to talk about it at present. There was also the matter of just how much information he was at liberty to reveal, and Hyousuke wondered just what could be said without incurring his friends' ire. A single misplaced thought risked revealing their identities against their will, after all.. Rage and adrenaline scoured those thoughts from his mind for the time being, however, as he threw himself back into the fray. "For now, we-"
The light faded, and stole Hyousuke's words as surely as it did his vision. A predator stalked through the dark, its eyes pinpricks of light amidst the black, but they were met with his own in kind. A single, glaring, streak of gold that burnt with the intensity of a pyre - the glowering of a snarling, snapping, hound. It was that bestial instinct that had him surging out of the way of the first blow, as though he felt the air part around it, or heard the metal carving towards him. It sliced through fabric as surely as flesh, but the wound was minor, and caught only his arm.
He was not so lucky with the other two.
The first crashed into his side, beating the wind from his lungs in a cry of pained shock. He remained standing, retreating with Achilles raised in front of him, but the serpentine chain lashed against him with force enough that he felt something tear. Hyousuke stood, but staggered, his mind still in a haze as he tried to align himself again. He could not fall - he would not. He refused to fall in the endless black, to someone he had yet to take his own pound of flesh from. He would. Not. Fall.
Fists clenched, feet shifted into a stance, and his eyes focussed once more, Hyousuke summoned both his strength and his Persona. Pain shot through his body like lightning, and arced through his veins as he tried to keep himself ready for whatever was levelled at him, but it did not break him.
"You think that's gonna be enough to keep me down?" He snapped, conviction propping him up as strength fought back the ache in his muscles. "Piss off." Suddenly, his wounds - the worst of them, at least - began to stitch themselves shut, and pain receded like the tide. Some fading remnants of it lingered, but Minako had restored him, and for that he was grateful.
"Thanks!" He called out, not facing her nor using her name, but making sure his voice was loud enough to cut through the noise. "Now... let's make this asshole pay." Achilles once more raised his shield, but not to defend. Instead, he surged forwards, a blinding blur that cannoned into Kurou. A wall of sheer metal crashed towards him, then stole back as quickly as it had moved in, shield raised to defend. Another light descended upon the group, but not the Unicorn's healing rays. It was the golden boon of the pantheon, lending the three their protection, while Hyousuke readied himself for whatever came to pass next.
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Strike skill Stunning Blow on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Pressure: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Recovery skill Pantheon's Boon on Hyousuke Suzuki, Minako Arisato, and Moriko Kumamoto! AS: Hyousuke Suzuki: Haze removed! AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Pantheon's Boon. AS: Magi_Safety applied! AS: Counter Best! Kurou Ryouhara takes 17 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Stunning Blow. AS: Crt_Up removed! AS: COUNTER! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 10 Strike damage in return for his attack! Resist!
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
Without Sudou with them -- and alive -- Maya doubts they'll get any answers to their questions. And Sudou's answer leaves Maya with even more.
"Aliens?" Maya barely has a second to get the words out when she's engulfed in flames. Twice. It really feels like this has been happening a lot lately.
She is relieved that she summoned Iris. These attacks don't hit as hard as they do when she's under Maia's protection.
...Maia...
Maya blinks. Through the noise and chaos, she's able to catch a few scraps of dialogue from the other teams fighting, but they catch her so off-guard that she isn't sure she's really heard them correctly.
Maya will have to find out what's going on from the others later. Her ears had to be tricking her, right?
...right?
Maya finds herself nodding at everything Katsuya says -- he's right, there's no way Jun-kun could be like him!
"If you resent standing in for Jun so much, why don't you stop what you're doing?"
Maya, too, takes aim with her gun, trying to injure, not kill.
AS: Maya Amano spends Limit on Exploit! Maya Amano can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Weapon! Maya Amano has used the Pierce skill Cover Shot on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Weapon! Maya Amano has used the Pierce skill Lead Story on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Weapon! Maya Amano has used the Pierce skill Lead Story on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 54 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Handgun - Suppression Fire. AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 54 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Handgun - Suppression Fire.
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
There's that jaw drop again. Eikichi was being written off as a joke....by the fucking Joker Killer! The blue haired punk just stares, feeling his own trick being used against him. How -dare- he! "Why, you....You son of a--"
The Death Boss feels his fists curl tight as he fights the urge to charge forward and punch the smug bastard in the face. He clicks his tongue again before growling under his breath.
He smiles when the fusion attack hits Sudou, nodding. "Nice! Time to let this asshole have it."
When Sudou's Persona attempts to touch Jun, Eikichi sees red. The Death Boss takes in a breath, putting the mic away surprisingly. Eikichi moves to stands in between Jun and Sudou/Joker. He takes in a sharp breath through his nose, feeling the encouragement from Jun as he begins to sing a note. It ascends. Higher...and higher....and oh god. It's so high. How was he doing this? Was he some sort of magical singing boy? If there is any glass on Sudou, it might be broken.
AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 11 Pierce damage from Maya Amano's Cover Shot. AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 46 Pierce damage from Maya Amano's Lead Story. AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 31 Pierce damage from Maya Amano's Lead Story. AS: Persona! Theurgy! Eikichi Mishina has used the Light skill Insanely High Note on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 147 Light damage from Eikichi Mishina's Insanely High Note. Critical Hit! AS: Charm added! AS: Take! Masao Inaba takes 123 Recovery healing from Tamaki Uchida's Media.
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"So, what? Am I supposed to just let you? Sorry. Not gonna happen." Shinobu replies to Tsurugi with a shake of her head. She says it isn't her place to question what she must do... Shinobu frowns, just slightly. "...Yeah. I know. But just 'cause you can't doesn't mean I won't. One of us has gotta."
Vesper doesn't seem particularly surprised by the revelations, meanwhile. Matches his deductions, huh? Just how much does he know? Shinobu's glance lingers on Vesper briefly - but he smirks, as his comment.
"...Yeah, fair point." She replies. But he gets it, so now that they're on the same page, that makes things easier. She nods, too, as he draws conclusions about who's manipulating this space. "Right on the money there, too."
Vesper provides support. A wave of darkness issues forth, covering her protectively. And he isn't the only one - even through the darkness and the gloom, there's a refreshing, invigorating breeze.
"Thanks. I owe you." Shinobu says, offering Vesper and Yukari both a grateful nod. She looks back toward Tsurugi, then as she prepares to attack. Tsurugi and La Maupin both take up their swords - and together the two of them conduct a devastating dance of wind and flame. It's all Shinobu can do to keep up, gritting her teeth as she tries to deflect their swords with her staff, wincing with each elementally-infused slash that gets through her guard. If it weren't for Vesper's cloak of shadows and Yukari's healing, she doubts she would've gotten through it in one piece.
"Not gonna happen." Shinobu replies, standing firm. She can hear the heat in her voice. "If your task's gotta be done quick, guess you gotta go through me fast."
It's a risky maneuver, trying to draw the ire of someone who usually seems so taciturn. But that's why Lachesis is here, materializing behind her. Her staff is leveled at Tsurugi once more. But when she takes her measure this time, the pulse seems to attempt to draw out that emotion further...
...And, under the cover of fury, bestow a weakness unto her, to make her sword arm feel heavier, and make it harder to react.
Shinobu has no intention of giving her time to realise that either as she races forward. She dodges to the side at the last moment, thrusting her staff rapidly toward Tsurugi's midsection.
AS: Shinobu Shimizu spends Limit on Exploit! Shinobu Shimizu can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Almighty skill Goading Break on Remi Ryuuja! AS: Weapon! Shinobu Shimizu has used the Strike skill Jab Flurry on Remi Ryuuja! 3 Hits! AS: Aggression: Shinobu Shimizu gains 1 Limit! AS: Moriko Kumamoto spends Limit on Shift! Minako Arisato can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Take! Remi Ryuuja takes 0 Almighty damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Goading Break.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
At Yukari's words, Hitomi makes a grimacing face. If it wasn't for the fact that they were battling powerful supernatural enemies - other humans, yet - she might have gone for the full 'I'm frustrated' mrgmrmgr face. As it is, all she can really do is concede the point. It may be something Hitomi will reflect upon later...
... if there is a later.
'It's not just a weird poem the Joker Killer wrote.'
Hitomi's eyes flick towards Umie at that revelation.
From the look on her face, she's not shocked. There's a reason she hasn't actually started laughing yet. Her eyes flick back to their enemy. When's it going to come? They're speaking, fighting, supporting each other.
In a sense, Hitomi thinks to herself: They're on the same footing. We're drawing our strength from our cooperation too.
Except, that they aren't. The Groom says that there's more to it. There's a poem. It's some kind of a prophecy. This isn't the true world. Hitomi's brow furrows slightly at that. The world is wrong. In this place, the Bride's son will never be safe, or free. She's doing this for - for -
Hitomi stands there while this happens. Loose, ready to move perhaps, but not running around. She tends to conserve energy when possible. And there is something about what the Bride is saying that rings... is it true? Or is it more like something echoed strangely?
But the Bride has a truth for her, and a surprisingly merciful one. Dark miasmae rise up around her, and Hitomi recoils, the darkness clinging and cold. Hitomi sways and staggers again, hissing in breath which means she inhales some of it which just means that darkness can seep deeper and--
-- ? --
When it fades, Hitomi is swaying, but Yukari's Persona is supporting her again. Twice she's put her trust in Hitomi, and her faith, too. Are there operational reasons, mechanical things? Maybe you could say that, but it doesn't feel quite like that. Hitomi's eyes swim for a moment, and then turns towards Yua.
Hitomi raises a hand...
And loosely points towards the Bride. "Radical honesty," Hitomi says. "You're signalling positive intentions and sacrificing your advantage. It's persuasive, you know? I... I really feel like you believe what you say," Hitomi says, now clapping her hands, "it might even be true! Relatively true," Hitomi concludes, which may stop Yukari from having a conniption.
Her hands clasped together, Hitomi rocks her head forwards slightly, her eyes turning up to look towards the Bride: "And it means you've got one fewer things to worry about. Your cognitive load is reduced... and once you've established your pattern, you've got an immense leverage that most people don't think of."
Hitomi's clasped hands flatten out, palms together. She turns in a somewhat sinuous way, coming further upright. "When you made that prediction... you can probably tell I'm difficult, huh? That I'd immediately try to do something else. Maybe you'd have been able to bluff me out, even with radical honesty. It's a powerful strategy..."
Another thought begins as Hitomi's hands come up before her in a namaste-like pose. Her palms haven't spread apart yet. "But... I have to think about the people who are precious to me too, you know. You're 'between me and them.' Don't have any regrets about your strategy, alright?"
Yukari again. Hitomi glances at Yukari and nods. "Right," she says, looking back to Yumi, "the top," and then she spreads her hands apart and there was a blue card between them which flicks along in her left hand, Hitomi's arms sweeping as if she's encompassing the entire sanitarium and perhaps all of the lands of Japan and the seas of Asia behind her, as Tyche manifests again. Tyche's gesture is similar, and the statue *does* for a single moment seem to move as both Hitomi and the Persona look towards Gretchen and Yumi alike.
There is a sound like a rippling chain of firecrackers. It is the ignition of a baker's dozen of skyrockets, oriented downwards. Streaking in bursts of hot yellow-white they close in, each of them wailing and screaming as the soupy air of the sanatarium rips apart in their passage. Bursting spangles of red and gold light, all of them centering -- it must be said -- on the *upper* portion of Gretchen.
The barrage ends... and Hitomi snaps up her right hand, which has the blue card in it for a shining moment, Tyche seeming to blink for a moment into a subtle different posture, before the barrage is followed up by a pair of bursting fireballs, again aimed towards the upper half of the anti-Navigator Persona!
"Yukari," Hitomi says - over the explosions - "Don't you think it'd be fun to be a mistress?"
AS: Hitomi Mandai spends Limit on Psych! AS: Persona! Hitomi Mandai has used the Fire skill Explosion of Fortune on Yua Ijuuin! 3 Hits! AS: Aggression: Hitomi Mandai gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Hitomi Mandai has used the Fire skill Double Agi on Yua Ijuuin! 2 Hits! AS: Hitomi Mandai: Psych removed!
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
"Never had a problem leaning into it." Moriko replies to Kurou's commit statement. She beckons with her free hand, a 'come on' gesture. Waving her bisentou somewhat erratically. The biker then twists the spear back around defensively. The battlefield skeleton looms behind Kurou, staring down at them with an eerie vibe.
He swings at them, tossing the chain around cloaked in shadow. Each blow ducked or rolled into. Each blow bruising, painful, but far less severe than they could have been. To the point she tries to catch the chain with the haft of her polearm, clearly ready to yank- but she's unsuccessful.
She steps forward when Minako goes down. "Stay behind me." She states flatly, only breaking her line of sight to Kurou to tell her that. Then she shifts her stance, holding her hand back to help Minato, spear tucked under one arm towards their opponent and evoker in hand. This is less than ideal.
It's fine.
"Least you didn't say if." to Hyousuke. "You lose when you think it's out of sight." She glances his way for a moment as well. Though any further was interrupted by an attack.
This is met with one of her own, "Go figure." She pulls the trigger of the evoker. Her head jerking back. Holstering it to twist and present the spear forward. Both hands on the grip and ready. Even as the fox makes it's presence known again. Glaring once more at Kurou, though the light this time seems to come from on high and grow in intensity. Trying to drown that shadow out. After, she lifts the blade. Ready for the followup.
Her own opinion on the killer, his circumstances and what's going on can be saved for later. "Why the old maid though." Sounding briefly confused, muttering to herself.
AS: Take! Moriko Kumamoto takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Pantheon's Boon. AS: Magi_Safety applied! AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Light skill Hama on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Ruin: Moriko Kumamoto gains 1 Limit! AS: Block Worst! Kurou Ryouhara takes 129 Light damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Hama. Weak! AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 99 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Explosion of Fortune. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 74 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Explosion of Fortune. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Yua Ijuuin takes 74 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Explosion of Fortune. Critical Hit! AS: Mind Up! Yua Ijuuin's SP +8! AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 90 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Double Agi. Critical Hit! AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 43 Fire damage from Hitomi Mandai's Double Agi. AS: Avoid Best! Remi Ryuuja takes 13 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Neutral! Remi Ryuuja takes 16 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. AS: Avoid Neutral! Remi Ryuuja takes 36 Strike damage from Shinobu Shimizu's Jab Flurry. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
'You did invoke more than Heaven... it seems you both understand and do not. That symphony is not enough--she and I cannot be free until the world is Changed.'
"Hold up-- yeah, that, connected, goin' with that," Masao says when he has the opportunity to interject far later in the exchanges. This opportunity comes later as immense, overwhelming joy - like sunshine, out a little tiny two-frame animation window - has him laughing because... he had a thought! A good one.
The spell predated upon it at the best (worst) time.
"Friggin'... you don't gotta 'Change' the world! Hey," he raises his free hand. "...I studied in New York, and... y'know what? Just last year, just... no, really, listen, just last year! They're cool with it there! They passed a law that could let two guys or girls marry."
Land of the free, as the propaganda would say. (Masao's time in New York was incredibly charmed. Happiest time of his life!)
"...Who's to say that can't happen here one day, huh? Times're changin'... these years aren't gonna stay lost!" Long as they can keep their head above water through these years, anyway, the economy sucks. Wow, we're doing this to stop these people from doing in a horrible guy they're probably about to do in, why is he in such a good mood right now, what the hell. He can't even muster a desire to lift that axe to hit someone...
Luckily, Tamaki and Elly are much more sharply focused in terms of what needs to be done, and as a wash of calming, healing energies wash about him anew, he gets the call from Tamaki to fall in line - all of them together.
"We're all gettin' funky, huh... let's do it to it-- haha," it's hard to focus, but a flick of his hand is enough to bring Ogun again, whom kicks out a leg as he conjures a floating mass of purple spheres with yellow ring emanations to loudly hover towards the direction of that golden X to join powers.
AS: Masao Inaba has joined Tamaki Uchida's fusion spell! The spell is ready! AS: Eriko Kirishima has joined Tamaki Uchida's fusion spell! The spell is ready!
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Jun's word cut deep and make him feel sick , or perhaps it is Argeiphontes magic. Either way he shakes his head, "We could have done great together Junie. I won't kill you though, I will simply make you watch. Watch what you could have been a part of. "
Gun fire rains upon Sudou from Maya and Katsuya, he is forced to take evasive manuevers until eh grab a car door to try to hide behind. Unfortunately dodging bullets is easier said then done and then of course, what car doors these days are actually bullet proof. Especially supernaturally enhanced bullets. Fortunately Sudou is ok being a holy man. The bullets stop and Sudou drops the car door. "Jun Kashihara has declined the throne. The real Jun would of thought you all beneath him and gladly wiped you all away."
Turning to Katsuya Suou stares at him, "Mr. Poe-lease-Man, listen up as I need you to do me a couple of favors. As you breathe your last breath, pass on a message to your brother. As I finish things here today with you, I will finish with him at the aerospace museum. He'll know the one. "
Shouting loudly enough for the others to hear, "To the people who are pawns of my father, please let him know the following. I am going to pay him a visit very very soon. In fact it's the very next thing I plan to do. "
That is when a startly high note penetrates Sudou's ears and he is forced to cover them. "Dear Nyarly, that is horrible. No wonder you never go on to achieve great things." Sudou says but he can't hear anything except the ringing, so he says it louder then he obviously means to
Sudou puts aside the ringing ears as he takes the Claymore he hasn't used today. In fact some might be wondering why he was carrying around dead weight, a dark aura appears around Sudou and his Persona as he moves himself so that the four opponents of his are before him. The dark aura moves from around him to around the sword and then Sudou simply slashes it through the air. A dark aura precedes the slash as those who may suffer from it will feel that before the attack actually hits. The attack is one that cuts all in it's path, cars, rubble, what have you fall in half to the cut. To those humans who may be in the path, this is the type of attack that triggers that inate fear between fight and flight. That this single blade may be able to cut their very soul.
AS: Persona! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Almighty skill Burning Spirit on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Charm results in party damage! Tatsuya Sudou takes 90 damage! AS: Take! Tatsuya Sudou takes 0 Almighty damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Burning Spirit. AS: Atk_Up and Crt_Up added!
<Pose Tracker> Eriko Kirishima has posed.
"The lion's roar echoes far and wideFive skulls glow in the depths of the earthThe holy cross shines high up in the sky." Eriko responds, when Miyu asks if she wanted to hear the next stanza. "I've already seen it." ...And again, that deja vu. That stubborn feeling she's read those words before, that there's some meaning she should undertand from them, but doesn't.
"Ah, right," Eriko looks a bit awkward at why they are Bride and Groom, rather than partners. (Also Husband would have been an awkward term maybe? Look. Eriko assumed that if one is the Groom, one would be the husband. Just because she's had queer friends doesn't mean she gets it. Indeed, the way Tamaki seems pained by it too makes Eriko glance to her with concern. And Mark- who was there at the time, reprises a fact about her other hometown. "That's right. Back there, that wouldn't be a problem... Still, I'm not sure the path you're building with bodies will get you the change you want."
Elly catches a slash along her side, but her counterthrust works- and hopefully it rattles the Groom some. Eriko casts back a smile. "A pity, I wouldn't mind if you did!" Ah. She's starting to have fun again, even in the seriousness of the situation.
Miyu shows how much she chooses not to underestimate Eriko again, as the slashes come for her- she tries to use her epee to have the strike glance, but she underestimates the benefit the weight of her blade gives her. Miyu is much stronger than her physically, especially when aided by her Persona. The second strike catches Eriko clean and brutally, that red blade's aura cutting her, and Eriko cries out in pain, even as she manages to step back enough that the final strike- though strong- does not finish the job. "Ah..." There is definitely blood seeping through her outfit, it's going to need repairs. Any deeper and that cut might have been lethal- it would have been to the unawakened. "And here I thought I might have a favourable matchup. Still, I've no intention on giving up." She shoots a quick glance to Tamaki- a show of trust, and faith. "Well... we never trained for this scenario, did we?"
And yet, that's why she's waiting for Tamaki's next action. Indeed, she smiles at the look on Tamaki's face. "As I thought. My friends are good people."
Better than she is, with her horrid obsession.
Two waves of healing wash over her, one from Yukari and one from Tamaki, and they are much needed as she stands up. "'"Thank you!" Eriko calls out to both in English, before she hears Tamaki's chant, and seems to understand immediately.
She smirks at Mark. "I think I can handle getting funky for once." Which sure is a thing to say coming from Eriko's often dignified voice.
"Of course, if you don't care for Heaven, perhaps Hades will accept you. Tell me, do you think yourself bound for Elysium or Tartarus?" She smiles, and salutes again as she calls her persona. "Nike, oh Goddess of Victory, cast your judgement on our battle!"
As Arianhod's slash holds in the air, Nike's turbines flare to life, and light energy starts to fill the cross, the Titanium Angel "On your mark, Tamaki!"
AS: Tatsuya Sudou spends Limit on Exploit! Tatsuya Sudou can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Tandem! Theurgy! Tatsuya Sudou has used the Dark skill Blade of Nyarlathotep on Jun Kashihara, Katsuya Suou, Maya Amano, and Eikichi Mishina! AS: Aggression: Tatsuya Sudou gains 1 Limit! AS: Tatsuya Sudou: Loses 8 SP and TP from Sick! AS: Avoid Worst! Maya Amano takes 308 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Blade of Nyarlathotep. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Eikichi Mishina takes 109 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Blade of Nyarlathotep. AS: Avoid Best! Jun Kashihara takes 76 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Blade of Nyarlathotep. Critical Hit! AS: Take! Minako Arisato takes 0 Recovery healing from Hyousuke Suzuki's Pantheon's Boon. AS: Magi_Safety applied! AS: Block Worst! Katsuya Suou takes 271 Dark damage from Tatsuya Sudou's Blade of Nyarlathotep. Critical Hit! AS: Persona! Tamaki Uchida, Masao Inaba, and Eriko Kirishima has used the Light skill Alpha Blaster on Miho Ijuuin! 2 Hits! AS: Masao Inaba: Exhaust and Blast removed! AS: Eriko Kirishima: Blast removed!
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
Though Vesper offers no judgment, he does frown behind his mask, at the notion of following instructions unquestionably. A sad state of affairs, though one he can't be entirely surprised by, given the apparent affiliation. Probably little point in debating it, especially in the middle of a fight.
"The pleasure is mine," he responds by way of saying no thanks is owed. Even if their ways of communicating and going about handling things are just about entirely opposite, he doesn't have any issue working with Shinobu on this. He's seen enough in the past to feel that their interests are likely to align.
Although it doesn't show on what little can be seen of his face, there is a measure of satisfaction in that 'still got it' moment, managing to score a point against someone who knows what they're doing with a blade. Under different circumstances, he might stop to admire Tsurugi's more closely - he does appreciate its design. Alas, as it is...
"My humble thanks," he responds to the compliment, and since he didn't speak it directly himself earlier, he confirms his identity as, "Vesper." He knows a codename when he hears one, clearly he is on that same wavelength.
Unfortunately, that gambit doesn't quite proceed the way he hoped. Tsurugi has the presence of mind to not be goaded into a lengthy duel, instead doing what Vesper hoped to avoid and involving her Persona. Elemental blades are not so easily parried, but Julian's umbrella isn't as ordinary (but exactly as fancy) as it looks. He actually manages to makes a decent effort of it, until he chances to mark a few as 'return to sender'. Leaving himself open for even a second costs him, his protective magic unable to protect him from being buffeted and knocked back by the winds.
Landing in a crouch, Vesper now uses his umbrella to lean on as he catches his breath. 'A man must die this day', is the simple stated motivation for the actions here today. He clears his throat, as he straightens back up.
"I would not presume to argue the point. However... I appear to not be the only one who has misgivings in regards to your motivations. I don't suppose you would care to explain the need for your personal involvement in this matter?"
Speed is quickly becoming the name of the game, so that being the case... Vesper extends a hand forward, commanding his Persona, "Raffles! Bind and hold fast!" In response, the dark tendrils that form the Persona's right half slam down into the ground, disappearing into it. A movement later, a shadowy miasma appears underneath Tsurugi, from which spring similar shadowy appendages, seeking to latch on and restrict movement.
AS: Persona! Julian Marlowe has used the Dark skill Blackroot Curse on Remi Ryuuja! 2 Hits!
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
Kurou feels the why of it is implicit in the next request he has of Minako: "Tell me why he should not die today, or use actions to determine it isn't so."
What Kurou's own desire in this perhaps remains unclear. He asserts little more of his intentions beyond his own actions to meet them in combat. He strikes through Linos, but then...
"Another," Kurou notes. "... And a mask of an untameable heart..." So this one has more than one Persona...
... His eyes do glitter slightly at the sight of this particular choice. Or is that just Unicorn's light reflecting in them? Whether he admires the horsie-beast or not, that column of light hits both him and his massive Persona, the latter shattering as Kurou reels.
He rises, wiping his face with the armwarmer covered heel of his hand. "Very good," he says, and though the emphasis is a simple one, there is weight behind it.
Kurou points makes an esoteric set of hand signs, then points two fingers toward the center of Minako's forehead. "However... you said 'one chance'. Play by the rules you set."
Gashadokuro's gaze burns behind him and its maw opens, and there is a haunting sense that any light that comes to her aid will be devoured.
Hyousuke promises to tell his companions 'when they're out of here'. "No. You will seek permission from who would you speak of before you utter a word." He looks to them. "And you should not consent to listen until he does." Is Kurou really in position to be giving that kind of lecture to anyone...?! (And is anyone here in the mood to believe he cares that much about an enemy's secrecy?)
More important than words is Achilles' shield, charging into Kurou with vehicular force. In his own determination, Kurou does not get out of the way. He meets it, slamming into it despite the unfortunate sound it makes when he meets it alongside Gashadokuro's headbutt, to try send some of that kinetic force back into Hyousuke and his Persona, however futile.
Moriko has another blow against the undead with Hama's light. Kurou stumbles into a kneel as he experiences a second Persona Break in quick succession. It is something that ought to wind him, and make it difficult to resummon his Persona.
Kurou breathes deep. He pulls back to his feet, and he steadies his blade before him, chain coiled in the same grip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nk1UqObbpLo
He drops the chain into his other hand, and does not call for Gashadokuro.
Kurou charges the three of them as a whirlwind of violence that dual wields chain and blade together, if not the occasional kick. He moves like a dancer, unceasing in his choreography and willing to use that chain to lasso, bind, and yank back in those who try to evade his assault.
AS: Kurou Ryouhara spends Limit on Exploit! Kurou Ryouhara can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Almighty skill Ohakamairi on Minako Arisato! AS: Pressure: Kurou Ryouhara gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Almighty skill purity on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Take! Kurou Ryouhara takes 0 Almighty damage from Kurou Ryouhara's purity. AS: Rage added! Atk_Dn removed! AS: Kurou Ryouhara spends Limit on Blood! AS: Weapon! Kurou Ryouhara has used the Slash skill Mutual Fate: Michizure on Minako Arisato, Hyousuke Suzuki, and Moriko Kumamoto! 3 Hits! AS: Kurou Ryouhara takes 45 damage from Stress! AS: Kurou Ryouhara: Haze removed! AS: Take! Minako Arisato takes 0 Almighty damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Ohakamairi. AS: Recovery_Wall added! AS: Avoid Best! Minako Arisato takes 21 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Safety! Magical damage reduced!0 AS: Block Best! Minako Arisato takes 40 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Critical Hit! Safety! Magical damage reduced!0 AS: Avoid Worst! Minako Arisato takes 103 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Safety! Magical damage reduced!0 AS: Nerve Up! Remi Ryuuja's SP +8! AS: Avoid Worst! Remi Ryuuja takes 67 Dark damage from Julian Marlowe's Blackroot Curse. Critical Hit! AS: Paralyze added! AS: Avoid Best! Remi Ryuuja takes 10 Dark damage from Julian Marlowe's Blackroot Curse. Critical Hit!
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
"There's a... similarity, in an ability I have," Umie carefully says, tilting her head towards Yukari. "To have it is to be a part of 'something', whether you want it or not, and to talk about it directly spreads the delusion it festers further out. Like a high school rumor." Or rumors in general, at least in Sumaru City.
The answer neatly obfuscates the topic of the NWO veiled within Umie's outburst. Umie may think she's like Miyu, but Yumi knows better in those straying glances and worrying smiles. Umie's had experience veiling it, but in the end, she's like Yumi.
And maybe, that's where Umie cannot stand Yumi's apologies and 'radical honesty', as Hitomi puts it far more elegantly.
Yumi warns Umie, and manifests them into reality. Umie tries to shift backwards with a leap back, but by the time her sneakers hit the pavement, they feel weighted, like her soul has become that much more dense with the weight of the Bride's acknowledgement.
Umie swallows, trying to find the scythe in her soul to bleed into her smile, but it simply comes off weak. "Like I keep saying... it's an illusion. We say these things because it furthers the idea that another world can exist: a perfect one, that can exist if we just do all the right things. It's no better than the belief of the Order, of a 'sinless world', or Old Maid's, of a 'world where everything is as it should be'."
Umie touches a dark red nail to the corner of her chaotic mask, adjusting it; it serves as a reminder, as well as a center, even if it comes with the knowledge of its creator being the same as the boy who fights so resolutely for the NWO. "How many people are you all willing to sacrifice? How long are you willing to work for the same organization that created the problems we suffer under?"
Yukari's words and directness may as well be a healing wind, alleviating the heaviness of Yumi's cage and chains on Umie's soul.
"How will you keep your child from being sucked into the same machine that made you, Bride-san?!"
There, it exists: the rough edge of a nail that needs to be painted, the papercut that stains the finger red, the squint of crow before it leaps into flight.
A thread, that has not been mended.
Umie smiles, and, with a pained gasp, laughs, as Badb erupts from her.
"Scarlet fire cleanses the lion's throat,
a dance of death cast in shadow.
Reset the clock, let the bone pieces fall across the board.
From a child's respite blooms a wretched flower."
Like Yukari (and Hitomi??) have done, the babe to be in Yumi will be shielded from the Badb's shrieking delight; the barbs of those brambles may as well be the ones at the edge of Sleeping Beauty's castle, serving as a warning and a symbol, rather than directly call to the pain of the warrior's field.
'Don't you think it'd be fun to be a mistress?' asks Hitomi. Umie sputters from her temporary daze, hood slipping down as she coughs into her hand. Closing one eye and squinting with the other as she tries to balance the act of 'not coughing on her own spit', she tries to eye Hitomi and Yukari skeptically.
AS: Umie Akabane spends Limit on Exploit! Umie Akabane can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Tandem! Theurgy! Umie Akabane has used the Dark skill Garden of the Crow on Yua Ijuuin! 3 Hits! AS: Umie Akabane takes 150 damage from Bomb and Stress! AS: Ruin: Umie Akabane gains 1 Limit! AS: Umie Akabane regains 3 SP from Invigorate! AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 31 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Garden of the Crow. Block Dark! AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 31 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Garden of the Crow. Block Dark! AS: Block Worst! Yua Ijuuin takes 46 Dark damage from Umie Akabane's Garden of the Crow. Critical Hit! Block Dark!
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
(Let's get funky. BGM: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MHMuuEkGic Blood, Sorrow, and Bile - Christa Lee ft. Jami Lynne - Get In The Car, Loser! Original Sound Version)
As she hears Masao and Eriko add their commentary, the burden in Tamaki's heart lightens. As she hears how her adversary in front of her desires the exact same thing she does, her own lost resolve steels itself again.
Something that had remained long-dormant in her becomes unsealed once more.
She won't be outdone. No more indecision!
Ogun's magic serves as the catalyst and goes first, smashing open the floodgates. The twin arcs forming the X speed towards the Groom and Faust, one empowered by Eriko, the other by Tamaki.
"This is a warning to all under heaven! Do you hear it ring?"
AS: Avoid Worst! Miho Ijuuin takes 157 Light damage from Tamaki Uchida's Alpha Blaster. Weak! AS: Haze added! AS: Avoid Worst! Miho Ijuuin takes 212 Light damage from Tamaki Uchida's Alpha Blaster. Critical Hit! Weak!
AS: Block Worst! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 100 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Critical Hit! Safety! Magical damage reduced!0 AS: Block Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 31 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Safety! Magical damage reduced!0 AS: Block Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 65 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Critical Hit! Safety! Magical damage reduced!0
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
That's Jun's stance on the matter too: he trusts Tatsuya, and even without Sudou being a monster, the fact that what he wants is something Tatsuya vehemently opposes is all the reason Jun needs to oppose it too. As much as he wishes he could remember him... he'll uphold the promise he made to him, that Argeiphontes now enforces.
The dream will stay a dream.
Jun appreciates Katsuya and Maya's faith in him, too. The three of them don't know each other well, but Jun respects and likes both of them, and it would hurt if either of them took anything Sudou said about him seriously. He flashes them both a warm smile, and then to Eikichi as he steps forward to take up a defensive spot between him and Sudou, much like Tatsuya had the other day--which shifts to a cold glare back at Sudou himself.
"I am the real Jun. That's all I have to say on the matter," he declares, as much to him as for everyone else's benefit.
He has no doubt that Sudou will spare him, though--just as he has no doubt he'd force him to watch him murder everyone else. The very thought fills him with a glacial fear that no amount of Persona power can erase. Jun knows it's no idle threat--that only the prospect of getting Jun to join his side ever stayed his hand against anyone. Now that he no longer has that tiny bit of leverage...
"The Aerospace Museum?" he echoes in a mutter, eyebrows furrowing. Does he mean over in Konan Ward? And if Tatsuya might appear there... Jun's heart lifts at the thought, despite the very real danger they're all in. It lifts even higher than that note Eikichi sings. (It's a very good thing Jun doesn't wear glasses...)
Sudou swings that claymore at last. Darkness manifests around it and sweeps out from the blade, its wielder and his Persona, into the four opposing him. Jun shouts, "Watch out--!" But it's too little, too late. What words could defend against such massive force? Jun is lucky that Eikichi is standing in his defense; it makes it easier for him to move out of the blast's direct path and Argeiphontes to move into it to protect him.
He screams in pain as it strikes all the same. His Persona shatters, and it feels like a part of his soul is shattering with it--perhaps because, on some level, that's literally true. Pain wracks through him, unspeakable and nigh immeasurable.
But it doesn't kill him. Sudou told the truth about that.
"Gghh... ugh... E-Eikichi-kun... Suou-san... Amano-san..." he rasps, pushing himself up by his fists from where he scraped the ground. He leans forward to look up, his now-disheveled bangs covering part of his left eye in addition to his right. Both of them widen at the carnage that Sudou's one attack has left in its wake. "No...!!"
Fury transforms Jun's beautiful features as he presses himself upwards. "How dare you... I won't let you kill them!! I won't allow you to force me to stand by and watch anymore!!" He staggers upright and lifts his flower-wielding hand. "Argeiphontes, let us go to their aid!!"
The plane-faced Persona arises once more, arms folded in front of himself. A soothing energy is born from Jun and blows across Eikichi, Maya and Katsuya as a healing wind, taking a portion of their pain and wounds away with it.
AS: Persona! Jun Kashihara has used the Recovery skill Media on Eikichi Mishina, Katsuya Suou, Maya Amano, and Jun Kashihara! AS: Support: Jun Kashihara gains 1 Limit! AS: Jun Kashihara: Fast Heal! Spd_Up removed! AS: Take! Jun Kashihara takes 77 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Take! Eikichi Mishina takes 77 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Take! Katsuya Suou takes 82 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media.
<Pose Tracker> Minako Arisato has posed.
"I'm fine, Kumamoto-san. Don't worry," Minako says. Her voice is still pained; a broken rib hurts, after all. The light of Hyousuke's Persona washes over her -- shielding her for a moment. She spins her naginata in one hand, then she looks back towards Hyousuke.
He looks angry. She sucks a breath in, then she shakes her head. "Hey, don't let him get to you!"
Her eyes turn back to Kurou. "All the people he's killed... I'm not going to argue wanting him dead," she says. "But--his dad killing him--it hides what happened from everyone. I That isn't right!"
Mitsuru, at least, told them the truth. It's a difference that stands out, compared to this."
Then, she stammers -- Gashadokuro's gaze causing a sickly feeling of something being wrong. A moment later, Kurou is on them. Chain and blade spin out, and Minako has to bob -- and weave -- past one swing of the the chain, then block the blade with her naginata. The chain hits her after that.
She stumbles, rolls, and comes up. Her Evoker goes to the side of her head and she pulls the trigger. "LINOS!"
Her Persona returns, swirling to life. Minako leaps -- and Linos catches her with one hand. She is sent flying up into the air, swinging her naginata around. Linos floats there, golden form hovering and red hair and scarf blowing backward.
She holds her hands out at her side. Then, a sphere of pulsating, trembling blue flame forms. Linos thrusts her hands into it -- and it hurtles off, before exploding just before impacting with Kurou. Aquamarine nuclear fire blasts out towards him; the parking lot is lit up with a blinding white glow, for a moment.
And then Minako comes down, not a moment later. Her naginata strikes straight down for Kurou as she crashes down for him. "If it's all the same--" She hits the ground, then swings her naginata around.
The blow comes with the blunt end -- aimed at driving Kurou back, towards Hyousuke.
"--A parent shouldn't do that, even for a bastard like him!"
AS: Minako Arisato spends Limit on Shift! Hyousuke Suzuki can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Minako Arisato has used the Fire skill Frei on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Tandem! Minako Arisato has used the Fire skill Threnody on Kurou Ryouhara! 2 Hits! AS: Aggression: Minako Arisato gains 1 Limit! AS: Minako Arisato: Atk_Up removed! AS: Jun Kashihara spends Limit on Shift! Katsuya Suou can use another Weak skill this round! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Counter Neutral! Kurou Ryouhara takes 311 Fire damage from Minako Arisato's Frei. Critical Hit! AS: Blast added! AS: COUNTER! Minako Arisato takes 41 Fire damage in return for her attack! Resist! AS: Counter Best! Kurou Ryouhara takes 148 Fire damage from Minako Arisato's Threnody. AS: COUNTER! Minako Arisato takes 37 Fire damage in return for her attack! Resist! AS: Counter Best! Kurou Ryouhara takes 148 Fire damage from Minako Arisato's Threnody. AS: COUNTER! Minako Arisato takes 37 Fire damage in return for her attack! Resist! AS: Avoid Neutral! Moriko Kumamoto takes 83 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Weak! Safety! Magical damage reduced!0 AS: Avoid Best! Moriko Kumamoto takes 46 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Weak! Safety! Magical damage reduced!0 AS: Avoid Worst! Moriko Kumamoto takes 127 Slash damage from Kurou Ryouhara's Mutual Fate: Michizure. Weak! Safety! Magical damage reduced!0
<Pose Tracker> Yua Ijuuin has posed.
Yumi is gripped by the truth of Yukari's healing breeze, the vulnerabilities within her stratosphere to electrical disturbance; a girl with a soul full to bursting with her passions, yet weighted by guilt too large for her profile. Her resourcefulness, her adaptivity... she becomes it, in those moments.
"He is no madman," Yumi assures Yukari, when she insists that Sudou is crazy.
Though of what Side this is, she is mum.
(Well, she's mum, anyway... HEYYYY, that's a DAD joke!)
"Many things," Yumi responds, sadly, when Yukari asks what is wrong with her. "More is wrong than right. I do not claim I am not broken, child. Yet if I denied them, they would kill us both."
She pauses, delicately.
"They have tried."
Still, she can perhaps hear the tears, in her eye. "You are right, of course. I am selfish. To have him at all was the height of selfishness... I ruined both our lives with my wishes. Yet -- I only wished -- to leave my Groom with a family, before I..."
Her voice hitches, though Yukari can see she's still trying to smile, under there. "I cannot live in this reality," she corrects her, tearful. "Only in the next. But if this world is to stay... he will stay with her. Hate me as you will... hate me, because I cannot see as she sees! Hate me for my doubt! Hate me for my fear, for my caution and my recklessness both! But know this: it is his soul which now drives me to tear this world down for the next!"
Masao says that times are changing, though. "Times change for you," she says, darkly, and still stained by those tears. "For you who are not bound by the demands of history and convention, for you who must not obey laws distant to the common life of this country! Each time I turn, a new rule, a new demand, and would I know of them?! I could not! We are sacrificed to the altar of appearances, and all they say is how charmed it must be! The bones of before are bigger than we are, and now they are under our skin! But my flesh was carved from different sand, and I am far enough away as I am! I cannot go further! What will change will not change for us!"
She's getting more and more unhinged, there in that cage of hers.
Hitomi suggests it's radical honesty, and Yumi -- laughs? It's not a cruel sound; it's honestly the kind of giggling one might expect from something unexpected. "Hahaha... you're so cute!" In another tone, this might sound threatening, but the way she says it -- the way she says it, it's much like how mothers to be go nuts over adorable children. (That might be worse! Hitomi's a teenager, after all.) "I hadn't thought of it like that... you see, I'm lying about very much, right now. Very, very much. But you're still a little right... you aren't our targets, so I'm trying to be gentler to you. I hate being sent to ensure a man's death... it's no better than stabbing him through myself." Here, Katsuya might feel her gaze on him, for a moment. "But... do I have a pattern? I cannot trace it, with my fingertips. It fragments, stops, and starts... I lose myself so easily."
She giggles, again, as she reflects on Hitomi's difficulty. "Ahh, you're someone who sees the threat in every corner... I'm really fond of people who are switched on like that!" It reminds her of someone really special... "... but, of course, I'm the threat, aren't I? Forgive me, it's a little disrespectful... but no, I'm not trying to trick you. I am Sybilline; to illustrate weaknesses has become my nature, though I am first to blind their sight. It is because you are fighting for your dear friends that I speak thus."
She spreads a hand. "I do not blame you. What an ignoble position, to be forced between a killer and his death."
The fire comes.
Does the statue move, or is the treachery of images betraying her again? Yumi can't say; what she knows is that Hitomi embraces the world in her gesture, and Tyche's firecrackers blast into Gretchen's face and shoulders. One, two, five, ten; her mask splits, but somehow, the Persona manages to survive the terrifying firestorm, until the last spark.
At which point... she shatters.
"Gretchen!" Yumi cries, and for a moment, she is distraught, beside herself now she's no longer beside herself; she brings her Evoker to her eye, again, or at least to the place where her left eye must be beneath all those veils. "Come back to me! COME BACK! PERSONA!"
The flames which erupt from the side of her face are red.
The energy which flares up, around her...
It isn't blue. It's supposed to be blue. Why isn't it blue?
Why does she Summon with such horrible, angry, forboding red light?!
"Yes... you are like us," Yumi confirms, to Umie, calmer when Gretchen appears again around her. "Ah, but it isn't safe for me to describe you too much... it's all right," she says, again. "I will not ask. What I do not know, I cannot say."
Umie, though, says that it's an illusion... and Yumi sighs, shaking her head. "You turn away," she says, and forgives her, in her tone. "It's all right. Perhaps you were as sin-black as we, before you chose to leave... and now you must convince yourself that all those truths are nothing. I'll not blame you for what you must do to survive. Your life is very complicated, isn't it? It must be... that dear young man, he would not be attracted to simplicity, I think."
Yumi tilts her head, thoughtfully, as she considers the rest of Umie's words. "Willing... what an interesting word you've chose. This, I cannot tell you. I feel I could sacrifice anything... but my Groom assures me I am far too gentle. Am I just... frustrated with my own helplessness...?" She wonders, looking up. "... but the question I answer is not the question you have asked. There is the world we seek, and theirs... my desires, and theirs. You would speak of the sacrifices I make for the Powers which control society, that Be? Of this, whatever they require."
She's already explained why.
"He will not escape that machine," she confirms, for her, with sorrow. "Not so long as this world turns. Nor can you, not truly... but I think it is wonderful you have made yourself a small enough target to pretend."
The words drag themself, pained, from her throat, and Yumi bears witness. "Speak, Sybil," she urges her. "This is the power owed you."
And so the Badb's thorns tear at the edges of Gretchen; she will find her particularly inured to them, practiced in their defence. That darkness does not strike Gretchen through the core...
... but Umie spoke a prophecy, minutes before.
The Omen rises, now, above her; with a clash, it strikes Gretchen through the heart. And so it is not Umie's present carefulness but her prior anger which shatters the Persona, a second time, as Yumi shrieks to see her ruined. Two Persona Breaks in a row are hard on anyone, but --
"Gretchen!" Yumi cries, as she brings her Evoker to her head, and pulls the trigger.
Yukari -- and perhaps, through her experience with SEES, Hitomi -- will recognise the impotent click of an Evoker which cannot draw any more will from the soul of its wielder.
"Gretchen... Gretchen...!" Yumi cries, sinking down to the ground, as around her the wrongness of the arena fades. Rust and gloom is replaced with the normal facade of the Sanitarium; the area is still foggy, but it grows lighter, as Yumi's Anti-Navigation can no longer be sustained with her capacity.
It is now possible to escape the Sanitarium!
"Message, message, a message? A messenger? Sake-san, I --" Yumi draws a ragged breath, clutching her chest, as she recalls Sudou's request. "No -- we have to kill you --"
But is that mission more important than her safety?
<Pose Tracker> Miho Ijuuin has posed.
Mark will accept 'connected', it would seem. And what else he says...Yua has started to falter, and Miho look towards her in alarm. "We must finish this quickly!" Miho calls to the Bride.
"Crazy," Miho answers Yukari. "The typical refrain for those who understand greater things. You dismiss what you do not understand, what is outside your experience, and call yourselves 'sane' for knowing who to cast out! You are fools!" A pause. "No. He knows the Oracle--he is not the Oracle himself. And this... This is 'This Side'," she says. "The 'Other Side' is what was and must be. ...At least, parts of it. I cannot rule out that he was shown something else..."
But Yukari... well. "Naive girl," Miho calls to her, "When you are older, you will understand the pressure this world exerts on women. ...if you grow to be older."
But Tamaki... Tamaki understnds, it would seem. Though they cannot see Miho's face, her expression gentles briefly. "Then you comprehend," she says. "At least this much."
Media comes again. Unlike some, Miho does not complain. ...It is natural for them to want to help each other. But Mark has another point, and Miyu turns towards him. "True," she says. "In that place, it can be done. In many places, it canbe done. But are we to leave our shores behind forever? ...You don't know how deeply the rot runs. No, there is much to say it will not 'change' by itself,, nor by any temporal power."
Miho could be Yua's husband from some perspectives! But while she's butcher than most she does prefer being a woman. But the path they'rebuilding with bodies... "Maybe not," Miho says. "But I know no other. Speak to me a sweet magic to correct the world, and perhaps we can be friends."
As flawed as Heaven may be...
Tamaki exploits the vulnerability of Faust's nature, and Miyu returns to a ready stance. "I know fear," she admits. "...The fear of losing those precious to you. The certainty that if you do not act, you will. I believe you know it, as well."
"So be it!"
She tries to shore up her defenses as the light hangs in the air.
The floodgatess open, and those twin arcs rush towards Miho. She hears that warning...
She attempts to dodge the first and then the second, sidestepping once, lunging for the next--but she can't. The light slams into Faust and shatters the Persona, leaving the Groom on one knee, drawing in difficult breaths.
"...I hear it," she says. "And I..."
"Where am I bound...?" Miyu questions in the aftermath of the attack, still smoking. "I care not, so long as my Bride is with me. Yumi..."
Miho rises to her feet and looks to the three veterans before her. "I know no path but that of my dreams. ...So we will meet again."
Yumi has had much to say herself. To Umie, to Masao... to Hitomi, and Yukari. But never has Miyu taken her attention completely off of herl. and when that pophecy strikes and shatters Gretchen--
"NO!" Miyu calls, and turns her back to the others, sprinting across the battlefield towards Yumi. She has favored an arm the entire battle, used just her right--but now she uses both, cradling Yumi as she sinks down. "I will protect you," she says. "From this much, at least."
She turns her head to the others. "It is time!" she shouts to Kurou and Remi. "We withdraw! Our target yet lives, but..."
She looks to Sudou, "He knows, now, that we can trap him. It is a matter of time, yet."
The Groom picks up the Bride bodily, and starts away.
...It's certainly possible to attack her from behind, if her allies don't defend her.
AS: Persona! Miho Ijuuin has used the Recovery skill Ally Guard on Yua Ijuuin! AS: Pressure: Miho Ijuuin gains 1 Limit! AS: Miho Ijuuin: Atk_Up removed!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
It's very much like how Tatsuya had done it, when Eikichi moves to intercede. He... hasn't seen something like that happen another time before this, has he?
"What are you talking about?" he says to Sudou, lowering his weapon to point at the ground again. "Tatsuya's not here!" At the... Aerospace Museum? "The one in Konan? What are you plotting?!" he demands, staring at Sudou as if he could lay him low with his eyes alone.
Alas, even his brother, though he comes close, doesn't actually have that sort of power.
He's still acting like he's going to get out of this. "Sudou! Don't think that you can get away!" Katsuya insists, just as there's a very terrible, very loud noise. "What in the--"
Oh. It's Eikichi. He's... not sure in the moment what to think about this at all.
Truth be told, Katsuya had forgotten about that sword, wondering if it were more prop weapon than the real thing. That alone should have given him pause, though: a fake weapon can become real in a supernatural space. He's seen this for himself. The problem is, the weapon he uses is very real wherever he is. So it's hard sometimes to unlearn what he 'knows' and remember that...
But he's remembering it now, drawing himself up as that dark aura gathers around Sudou, as it bleeds towards the blade. "What-- no, look out!"
He feels pressure. He feels the terrible urge to get away, to run. Yet, as an officer, surely he cannot simply...! Helios rushes to intercede, trying to catch the blade in its hands. For just a moment it holds and
his Persona shatters into pieces. Sudou's blade proceeds in a single, brutal cleaving arc.
It feels, in the moment, how Katsuya imagines dying must be. Even lying here, he's not sure in the space of time that follows where his body begins and ends. Yet, he's still alive: with a groan, he pushes himself up as Jun calls out his name. "I'm-- here," he says, because the thing he wants to say is clearly a lie. "Amano-kun-- everyone--" A healing wind rises and it's all he needs to give him the energy to get back on his feet again, to regard again his, their opponent. Another attack like that... they can't take another attack like that.
"I'm sorry," he says, and to whom he's speaking is not apparent in the moment. "But I won't let them die. Sudou! That's enough!!"
And he raises his firearm and once again, takes the shot. Blue flames burn in the summoning that follows. "Persona--!"
Twin flames, as if heedless to Sudou's own resistance to the same are cast forth, one after the other. As Helios drops back towards Katsuya to itself draw its own gun, Katsuya is stuck by the crawling sense that someone is watching, but looking away now isn't possible, is it?
He'll mark well the parting of the spiritual pressure from Gretchen's user in the moments thereafter, itself a harbinger of the second terrible possibility tonight:
That the Joker Killer, Tatsuya Sudou, escapes, and as promised, heads to the Aerospace Museum.
AS: Katsuya Suou spends Limit on Exploit! Katsuya Suou can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Weapon! Katsuya Suou has used the Pierce skill Handgun - Suppression Fire on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Katsuya Suou has used the Fire skill Double Agi on Tatsuya Sudou! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Katsuya Suou has used the Pierce skill Torrent Shot on Tatsuya Sudou! 3 Hits! AS: Take! Yua Ijuuin takes 0 Recovery healing from Miho Ijuuin's Ally Guard. AS: Full_Cover applied! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 88 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Handgun - Suppression Fire. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Tatsuya Sudou takes 44 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Handgun - Suppression Fire. AS: Avoid Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 8 Fire damage from Katsuya Suou's Double Agi. Resist! AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 57 Fire damage from Katsuya Suou's Double Agi. Resist! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 31 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Torrent Shot. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Tatsuya Sudou takes 21 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Torrent Shot. AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 61 Pierce damage from Katsuya Suou's Torrent Shot.
<Pose Tracker> Maya Amano has posed.
After Sudou gives his next answer, Maya comes to the conclusion that it's not worth asking any more questions right now... he's not going to give them the answers they're looking for.
What Katsuya said earlier was true; they couldn't trust what Sudou was saying. But Maya was sure that even if everything else he said about tonight was a lie, what he was saying about the Aerospace Museum was true.
Maya turns to look at Katsuya. If Sudou escaped... If they could find some way to deliver this message to his younger brother... maybe the two of them could have that brotherly heart-to-heart Maya wishes for them.
But then Sudou attacks, cleaving through Iris as if she were nothing more than glass.
Pain jolts through Maya's body like a lightning bolt; the sparks of pain stretch out endlessly, the pain only intensifying when they touch. And they do, again, and again, and again.
It's all she can think about for a full 30 seconds. All other awareness petered off so that she couldn't feel the cracked gravel beneath her or taste the stale air around her. The pain was all that existed in those moments, and the lack of distraction made the pain all the more else.
It's Jun's words that pull her out of it. She can't even make out what he was saying; all she could recognize was the sound of his voice. I've got to do something, she thinks. The others... They were going through this pain too and she couldn't let them be hurt like this again. She _wouldn't_.
She hears Katsuya's voice join the fray as she slams her knuckle into the ground to push herself upright; she feels the impact of that too. She even sees Eikichi -- the boy who so eagerly wanted to talk to her later -- still grounded. She might not be able to get up any further than she has already, but she's still going to give it her everything.
"Iris!" she calls out, and she returns with a flourish, seemingly revived by Maya's desire to protect the others.
AS: Maya Amano spends Limit on Exploit! Maya Amano can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Take! Maya Amano takes 77 Recovery healing from Jun Kashihara's Media. AS: Persona! Maya Amano has used the Elec skill Zionga on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Ruin: Maya Amano gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Maya Amano has used the Recovery skill Media on Katsuya Suou! AS: Maya Amano: Reflect_Magi removed! AS: Block Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 201 Elec damage from Maya Amano's Zionga. Critical Hit! AS: Paralyze added!
<Pose Tracker> Eikichi Mishina has posed.
As Eikichi's masterful note ends, he hears Sudou's commentary, prompting a heavy frown as he feels his fist ball tighter. HOW DARE HE?!
The Death Boss grinds his teeth as he moves to deal with Sudou's fluid movements. The punk swings his guitar case around, using it to block the incoming strikes. Each strike shakes Eikichi as he feels the impact strike. "I don't amount to anything eh? Must be pretty close to whats gonna happen with you...If you're so damn tough, why do you need to harass Kashihara so damn much? Guy isn't a fighter...actually, you're ignoring the guy who can actually put up a fight...Gotta say that's coward shit, Tatsuya Sudou." Thats right Eikichi knows your name. He's getting his stink all over it.
Rhadamanthus roars to life again as it begins to charge up an attack. The Death Boss slouches in his stance as he looks at Maya and Katsuya.
Eikichi's Persona finally finishes shaping the sphere of water, sending the more powerful water attack toward Sudou.
AS: Persona! Eikichi Mishina has used the Water skill Aqua on Tatsuya Sudou! AS: Aggression: Eikichi Mishina gains 1 Limit! AS: Eikichi Mishina regains 8 HP from Regenerate!
<Pose Tracker> Yukari Takeba has posed.
"A 'similarity'?" She asks, eyeing Umie as she tries to explain, for now at least, "What do you mean? Like 'a Rumor'?" It's difficult for her to assess the connection here, she's not certain of where to even start.
"All you owe me is to stay standing!" Yukari Takeba calls back to Shinobu, trying not to make a big deal out of it. She has her pride. She doesn't like to just say out loud...
'I just don't want the people around me to die.'
'Thank you!'
Luckily her English is at least good enough to understand that! "'"You welcome!"'"
Pause.
"I mean- "'"You're! You're!"'"
WHY DID SHE DO THAT AND EMBARASS HERSELF!?
Yukari does not in fact have a conniption over what Hitomi says, she has so many other things to have one over right now! Target rich environment!
"The top." She echoes, when Hitomi goes to work. She takes a breath and- exhales once it's over. Which is why the question takes her entirely off guard.
"Wha-AT!?" She blurts out, taken completely flat-flooted by this. "Why would you even ask that!? Of course I don't think it'd be fun to be some guy's mistress!"
Look, unfortunately Hitomi, her Mother has been the Mistress of a few guys. Which means you just hit one of Yukari Takeba's 'icks' so to speak.
'A parent shouldn't do that, even for a bastard like him!'
She closes her eyes as what Minako says, perhaps that's why this whole thing bothers her so much.
'He is no madman,'
"Isn't he!? Who murders like this? If he were one of you I could at least think someone was ordering him to do it!"
'Crazy, the typical refrain for those who understand greater things'
"What do you call any of this then!? He's killing just because someone CALLS HIM ON THE PHONE! And calls himself a hero!"
'Naive girl,'
'When you are older, you will understand the pressure this world exerts on women.'
"You think I don't!? You think I haven't seen it? I just REFUSE to live my life BOWING to that pressure! I won't!"
'Many things'
'More is wrong than right.'
'I do not claim I am not broken, child.'
'Yet if I denied them, they would kill us both.'
"Then come with us!" She asks, "If that's what's going on, I won't claim to know everything- but we can at least try to help!"
'I cannot live in this reality. only in the next. But if this world is to stay... he will stay with her.'
She doesn't really understand, not all of it, she only gets a feeling of foreboding, "And what if that kills you and him!? You're already risking both of yourselves for something that sounds... crazy! You're here risking your own son to kill the son of someone else!? I don't get why you think this is the only way!"
The Bride calls upon Gretchen, and there is a click. And she looks at her in pity as she cries out. Only looking around in alarm as everything changes, before sighing in relief.
"You need to stop. You're really going to hurt yourself trying to summon a Persona like that right now."
She steps forward, like she intends to just take her Evoker away. But the Groom rushes to her aid, and she stops, quickly holding her Evoker up to her forehead.
As they retreat she almost pulls the trigger, almost, out of sheer frustration, then lets her arm fall to her side before whispering softly, "... In what world is this protecting her?"
She's not sure it is in this one, or the next.
AS: Avoid Worst! Tatsuya Sudou takes 219 Water damage from Eikichi Mishina's Aqua. Critical Hit! Weak! Avoid Water! AS: Paralyze added!
<Pose Tracker> Remi Ryuuja has posed.
Shinobu won't just let her. Tsurugi stares at her, face hidden behind her fencing mask. "... then tell me, will you do the deed yourself?" But one of them has to question Tsurugi's orders...
Tsurugi is silent for a moment, before she nods. "You have the freedom to do so."
She is normally taciturn--but though she loathes the physical act of her task, she is, nonetheless, compelled to do it. And to be kept from it...
She shudders, as Lachesis tries to draw out more anger and that weakness. Only of the latter of those works. Unfortuantely for Shinobu... Tsurugi is always angry.
And she's always trying to restrain herself, because she must still complete her orders. The conflicting demands placed on her... it's a delicate balance.
But Shinobu isn't done yet, and she follows with a series of blows--Tsurugi uses her enhanced speed to try and move and dodge out of the way, deflecting the staff blowws with her rapier--the first two she parries but the third lands a solid hit right in the chest. It knocks her back, sends her down to a knee.
And yet, there is no pained gasp, no shocked outcry. Only a calm motion of her hand to her chest, as if checking for an injury she cannot simply feel. And then she rises again.
It might be a bit creepy to see her so stoic about injury... and it's not the first time.
p Tsurugi might studi more of Vesper's footwork and skill if she had the time (the umbrella... not so much. Though she will respect what it can do in his capable hands.)
There is a simple, almost imperceptible nod given at the offered codename of 'VEsper.'
And likewise, she takes the 'return to sender' hits Julian offers with a similar level of complaint. She may be vocal in her desire to fulfill her orders, but otherwise carries them out with silence, when possible.
Julian asks for an explanation. Tsurugi tilts her head at him. "... There are men who hold my leash. Where the hound is commanded, it must go." So by 'men' she /probably doesn't mean either the Bride or Groom... and /probably/ not Kurou, since she doesn't appear inclined to take orders from him as such.
But otherwise the explanation is simple. She has orders. She cannot go against them.
But despite her lack of complaint with the wounds she's received, she must still be taking some damage, as the tendrils erupt from below her to strike at her. The first one lands a solid hit, smacking her hard, which she takes without complaint. But she is also shoved out of the wqy, and that and her speed let her leap clear of the second attempt.
But she is haggard by this encouner, and she knows her target still lives. She is looking between the Shinobu and Vesper, coldly considering. "... I must end this." She pulls something from a pouch on her hip. "Loading--" she starts to announce.
And then the wrongness around them vanishes, and the tenses. Her gaze instantly snaps over to Yumi, and the tension in her fingertips where she is clutching the cartridge is perhaps the only physical sign of her anger. Her tension.
But perhaps also the spike in her Resonance, that right now seems so strongly of implacable steel might also tell that story.
That click. The two Persona Breaks--she was listening,always listening, even as she conducted her own battle.
"You are right to be wary," she inteones quietly, putting away the cartridge, putting away her rapier. "Of their motivations. But we have no choice but to follow the path set out before us."
"... they will not still their hand for the vulnerable among us."
Whatever that means they might be able to fill in the blanks, but she won't say it directly. Instead, in a burst of wind, she and La Maupin take off across the battlefield in fast, loping strides.
She will cover Miho's back, as she reaches a hand up to the sky. "Come, gales and storms!" La Maupin raises their rapier, and multiple fierce wind spells erupt around them to form a barrier to help cover their retreat.
Whoever dares to brave them will surely meet her steel. Her rapier, after all, will still work once they have cleared the supernatural space.
<Pose Tracker> Tatsuya Sudou has posed.
Sudou stares at Jun, "Only those with power and the willingness to use it have the right to allow delcare what they will and won't allow. You can allow nothing.
Sudou looks at Katsuya, "None of you believe me. Even those that hear him don't believe. So I am tired and don't want to waste energy convincing you. Instead I will simply leave you with a stolen quote. All this has happened before and all of this will happen again. I will make sure of it. " The threat is given before Katsuya starts to unload as much as he can and Sudou takes bullets to the chest. The monster begins to try to avoid the flames, but is pinned down by more gun fire.
Lightning falls and Sudou holds up a sword of metal to block the lightning, to get a lesson in conductivity. It stuns him for a moment which really makes avoiding the blast of water harder to avoid.
"I am wet, I am grumpy, and I taste lightningy" Sudou grumbles as he feels the cage leave, "Oh it looks like it is closing time. " Sudou walks toward where Katsuya is and looks at him for a moment, "The locks on my cell are still good. How do you plan to hold me? Katsuya you should resolve what you are willing to do before we meet again. If you are lacking in conviction maybe you should hand off the responsibility to someone else." Sudou casts a glance towards Umie, "My little sister would pull the trigger." Sudou laughs before he steps into a shadow as if it was a pool of water and sinks into nothing.
AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Exploit! Hyousuke Suzuki can use another Weak skill this round!
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
The reverberating blow of a skull battering against a stalwart shield barely registered - Hyousuke stood against it with grim determination, unfeeling or uncaring. What truly hurt him, and cut him deeper than any blade, was the insinuation that he would so brazenly spill his friend's secrets without any manner of safeguard, or consideration for their feelings.
"Are you fucking with me?!" He shouted at Kurou. He didn't seek an answer, and did not wait to hear one before continuing. "You think I'd just say whatever shit I want?! That I wouldn't put my friends first?!" The mask did nothing to keep his voice in check. What little it managed to stifle all but bludgeoned its way out regardless, filling the air with bellowed indignation.
So incensed was he by such thoughts, that he failed to consider if any information shared was too much, despite how desperately he needed Moriko and Minako to trust his rage.
A lashing chain cut off whatever he opened his mouth to say, changing it into a startled cry as he tried to rip his hand free. His focus was shaken for a moment, but a moment was all that was needed for the first strike to carve into his flesh like a butcher's knife. Blood arced as it was wrenched from torn skin, then leaked down his chest as thick rivulets.
"You're fucking delusional!" He called out, his strained voice more a way to vent his pain than respond to Kurou. Achilles raised his shield in defence of his wielder, but even the general's might could only take so much, and the second blow shattered his Persona like glass.
Sent reeling by the shock to his mind, Hyousuke staggered back onto his heels, and his balance left him again. It was only through a miracle that his mind and his muscles shifted, the memory of hours-long training sessions moving him on instinct rather than active thought. He stepped into Kurou's kick and stifled its power in a blink, then raised his leg to block the rest. The onslaught was over, and Hyousuke was torn and bloodier for it - but he still stood, and he was still alive, through nothing but spite and determination.
"If you think.. for one fucking second... that I'd do that to the people I care about?" His voice was low. Eerily so. Speaking but one word seemed a Herculean task for him, and to form a sentence entire had his voice straining by the end. "Then you don't know a damn thing about me."
The beast rose from behind him, its eyes of crimson glaring out from the black abyss beneath its helm. Like some great and terrible machine, he creaked to life, rising to his full height and readying his shield as Minako's blow impacted against Kurou. Then, he struck.
Achilles struck forth with that god-forged shield first, heaving it forward into Kurou with whatever strength Hyousuke could force into his form. Then the spear came, its legendary edge thrust down at Kurou like a bolt from the blue. But it was not the end. It was a wild and savage pair of blows, backed by the clamorous clanking of metal armour, but Hyousuke's rage could not be contained to just his Persona, and the boy himself surged forward like screaming lightning. His muscles screamed at him to stop, and to rest - he'd exerted himself as far as he could, and the wounds he'd taken threatened to tear his tendons apart with every mote of strain put upon them.
Two blows. The first was a savage left hook, aimed low and sent streaking through dark air like a comet into Kurou's side. The second was a vicious straight, his right beating like a forgehammer into Kurou's form. Then, as quickly as he had stepped in, Hyousuke leapt back, jaw clenched and eyes forward. His breaths were heavy, his fists were tight, and his arms felt leaden, but still he stood, a shield and a sword for the allies that needed him. But something else came into view - and spoke to the very depths of his soul.
It felt like a curse was lifting. Like weight had been taken from his shoulders, and a rope tied around his lungs was loosened enough for him to finally breathe. Darkness began to recede, vision began to return, and he began to speak.
"Your friends are leaving." He said, catching Yua and Miho's exit from the corner of his eye, but not daring to take his own gaze from Kurou. "You gonna join 'em? Or are we finishing this here?" He wanted to finish things. He wanted to hurt Kurou. He wanted to BREAK him. But he was running on fumes, and he couldn't die here. Not while there was work left unfinished.
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Strike skill Shield Slam on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Pressure: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit! AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Pelian Spear Strike on Kurou Ryouhara! AS: Weapon! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Strike skill Chained Strikes on Kurou Ryouhara! 2 Hits! AS: Hyousuke Suzuki's Magi_Safety tactic expires on Hyousuke Suzuki, Moriko Kumamoto, and Minako Arisato! AS: Counter Worst! Kurou Ryouhara takes 98 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shield Slam. AS: COUNTER! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 5 Strike damage in return for his attack! Resist! AS: Kurou Ryouhara is unable to continue fighting! AS: Counter Best! Kurou Ryouhara takes 209 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Pelian Spear Strike. AS: COUNTER! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 111 Pierce damage in return for his attack! AS: Kurou Ryouhara is unable to continue fighting! AS: Counter Best! Kurou Ryouhara takes 92 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Chained Strikes. AS: COUNTER! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 28 Strike damage in return for his attack! Resist! AS: Kurou Ryouhara is unable to continue fighting! AS: Counter Worst! Kurou Ryouhara takes 169 Strike damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Chained Strikes. Critical Hit! AS: COUNTER! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 8 Strike damage in return for his attack! Resist! AS: Kurou Ryouhara is unable to continue fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Moriko Kumamoto has posed.
Moriko looks back, dubious, but accepting it for now. There's only so much you can do, especially with a threat front and foremost. Eyes go forward again. "Just be careful. I don't want to have to-" She trails off. "That's a terrible thought." with a shake of her head. She does adjust the grip on her spear, fingers easing and shifting though.
"I think of everything we've seen he's got it coming-" she agrees. "Burying it isn't the right call." Still in agreement.
Kurou suggests that one of them is cheating. "Ain't trying if you're not." Is her only reply to that. Though she's not entirely sure if she grasped his take, or the exact meaning behind it. That's for later too.
"See, that just makes me want to beat it out of you instead." She's doing alright. Was, up until the attack. Even then there will be a defiant look about her. "And if I wanted your opinion on the matter, I'd have asked you, not him. Shut it."
She about turns her head to do something stupid, but catches herself.
"You are definitely giving at least a rundown Suzuki-" She turns her head towards Hyousuke, though by this point Kurou has begun the onslaught and anything else she might have had on the matter is interrupted by the slashing of the blade. Even with the world starting to return to- less horror? At least no air raid sirens went off as the world shifts to just foggy-ish.
The first slash is met with her persona fading away in a spray. Slicing against her arm as she rolls, trying to get it caught against some of the hidden bits of protection in her leather jacket. The second is more successful. Stopping the worst of it with the haft of her polearm, but she's slow on the third and earns herself a vicious slice. Knocking her back onto one knee. Teeth clenched as she does a grunt of pain. "Aah." She mutters, "Screw it. Back where that thing belongs" And pulls her evoker from one last time. Head jerking back and to the side before strugglign to her feet. The persona appearing, before bounding forward, sinking into the earth, trying to bury the assailant and his bones under crashing shards of rock and earth. Lashing out as much as anything!
Just don't worry that she's moved her hand to hold that slash through her coat closed.
AS: Persona! Moriko Kumamoto has used the Earth skill Riotous Gryva on Kurou Ryouhara! 3 Hits! AS: Ruin: Moriko Kumamoto gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Jun Kashihara has posed.
The maze breaks, and the Groom carries the Bride off. As Maya sends her own Persona's healing energy back around the sub-group, Jun watches them go, then breathes a little easier as the space clears.
There's much left to do, but they've made it through for now. He'll tend to Eikichi, Maya and Katsuya in a moment, then take a cursory look around at everyone else. After that... it's probably best that they all leave.
AS: Counter Best! Kurou Ryouhara takes 60 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Riotous Gryva. Resist! AS: Paralyze added! Blast removed! Explosion! 75 damage! AS: COUNTER! Moriko Kumamoto takes 10 Earth damage in return for her attack! Resist! AS: Kurou Ryouhara is unable to continue fighting! AS: Counter Worst! Kurou Ryouhara takes 88 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Riotous Gryva. Resist! AS: COUNTER! Moriko Kumamoto takes 0 Earth damage in return for her attack! Resist! AS: Kurou Ryouhara is unable to continue fighting! AS: Counter Neutral! Kurou Ryouhara takes 74 Earth damage from Moriko Kumamoto's Riotous Gryva. Resist! AS: COUNTER! Moriko Kumamoto takes -0 Earth damage in return for her attack! Resist! AS: Kurou Ryouhara is unable to continue fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Shinobu Shimizu has posed.
"That I can do." Shinobu says, as Yukari says that the only thing she owes is to stay standing. If that's what's being asked of her, then...
Tsurugi stares back. Her face is hidden, but she can practically feel the eyes on her. That question...
"...If that's what it comes down to. Then yeah, I'll do it." Shinobu says. "Better me than any one of these kids."
If it comes down to a fight to the death, then better she take that burden on herself - her, or one of the other adults.
She nods, as Tsurugi says she has the freedom to question her orders, and presses the attack - and Tsurugi is driven to one knee, but without a gasp, or any sign that she was even hurt. Shinobu frowns.
"...Are you the type who just keeps going until you break?" She asks. Is she going to have to find out? Does Tsurugi even have a choice?
Vesper's retaliation is pretty fierce, and Tsurugi seems pushed. Shinobu spots her drawing something -
"Watch out!" Shinobu warns, bracing herself And then -
The attack doesn't come. Instead, the wrongness around them vanishes. Space returns to normal - or as 'normal' as this place can ever be, after what's been done here.
They're right to be wary...
"...Yeah. They seem like the type." Shinobu notes. Tsurugi and La Maupin take off - and it looks like Sudou is gone, too.
Shinobu 'tsks', shaking her head. She jams her staff into the ground, taking a moment to lean against it.
"...Damn. They all got away." She mutters.
...It might be for the best. After everything that's happened, they'll all need a moment to regroup and recover. Mentally, and not just physically.
<Pose Tracker> Hitomi Mandai has posed.
'You're so cute!'
Hitomi's face perks up and she tilts her head to the side at the compliment. "Haha! Thank you, that's so kind of you... I can see why all of this is really difficult for you. But..."
"To me," Hitomi says, "they're not threats."
what does that mean
But then came the bombardment. The Persona is smashed into nothingness and Hitomi's head tilts forwards, her eyes lifting up. Yumi has greater problems, but she is being given a focused, almost blankly predatory stare-at by Hitomi. Then again, perhaps that's just how her face is laid off.
Red fire, Hitomi thinks. I'm almost jealous.
But then she's speaking to the third who's joined them. Hitomi takes the opportunity of the divided focus to step slightly nearer to Yukari (DESPITE JUST SAYIN ALL THAT SHIT A MOMENT AGO) without looking away. Her eyes flick to Yukari for a moment. They might have to blindside a pregnant woman. But then --
Thorns smash, bursting, ripping, and something ELSE strikes against Gretchen for the second time and Hitomi's lips part with an 'oh!' of appreciation, that blank-eyed predatory look turning into complete and innocent delight. And the world...
... feels...
It feels...
It feels like they won. It feels like they're still alive. It feels like they're not trapped in a nightmarish hell-hole, the twisted remnants of some rapacious and grinding conspiracy that none of them knew nor asked for, but which remained completely fine with their complete obliteration. The secrets of the Joker Killer, Yumi's desperation.
Miyu picks up the Bride.
Hitomi balances on a knife's edge - and calls back, "No regrets!" to the departing Miyu - or rather, to Yumi, in the Groom's arms.
She has gotten close enough to hear Yukari. Hitomi exhales hugely. "You're a good person, you know that?" she says, turning her head to look at Yukari. "You don't hesitate. I wish more people were like you." It's said quite conversationally, and after that Hitomi looks around -- and yet, she had been looking for that man, that Joker Killer, the guy who she saw exactly once for about twelve seconds one death-defying escape ago.
Hitomi spots him just as he disappears into shadow. Her head cants to the side about eight degrees, then rights itself.
Then she looks to Umie. "Thank you!" Hitomi says, raising her right hand to give some kind of weird little salute to her. "Without you we couldn't have done it. I didn't catch your name - Yukari," at least she didn't drop the cutie name again, "do you know her?"
Despite this bright dialogue, Hitomi is, quietly, swaying. She is probably going to flop on the ground once the adrenalin wears off.
<Pose Tracker> Kurou Ryouhara has posed.
In the face of Hyousuke's retorts, Kurou's head tilts. Is he fucking with Hyousuke.
"... No?"
There is the slightest lilt of a question. The answer is no, but that's not the first time Kurou's been accused of that sort of behavior. He cannot help but feel his words are being extrapolated for meaning he didn't intend them to have.
This is why he prefers action.
His action, sadly, is violence.
In the fury of Kurou's assault, he seems heedless to the damage that comes his way. He leaps into Frei for the chance to keep striking back at her despite the immense power behind her conviction. He meets her blade with his own, pushing past her superior range for scraps of continued pressure.
It is Minako that has the upper hand and strikes him back toward Hyousuke's postioning in the end.
"You are right," Kurou concedes of a parent and child relationship. "... But does your own desire for his fate change, because of a cruel guardian, unicorn-san?"
Hyousuke continues to carry offense for what Kurou had said. "No. I do not know you," Kurou affirms even in the bloodshed. That's actually why he had said it, but... hm. That probably won't make Hyousuke less angry to say.
That anger does provide the violence and the action Kurou demanded though, should he complain? Blade and chain meet fist and spear. Achilles pins Kurou in place, and Hyousuke gets the satisfaction of his strikes landing. Something cracks and it wasn't (necessarily) his own knuckles.
Moriko tells Kurou to shut it, and he obliges in favor of raw combat. Earth comes for him to finish off what Minako and Hyousuke had started: to bury the restless dead. She can sense the way the bones resist being buried... and can watch as Kurou claws his way from the dirt and earth with a gasp for breath on the other end. He should not be standing after all of that, and yet...
But Yua cries for Gretchen, and Kurou feels the atmosphere shift. He looks up abruptly to the way he Sanitarium defogs some, and becomes lighter. Kurou tenses while he struggles to keep himself standing, but Miho calls for retreat before Kurou must make a call of his own.
Kurou looks back to the three he faces. "... You have asserted your conviction. Walk it to its conclusion without remorse."
He coils the chain of his weapon again, and if they do not watch carefully, they may fail to see exactly the path he takes as he makes his retreat.
<Pose Tracker> Tamaki Uchida has posed.
'Are we to leave our shores behind forever?' "... I'm guessing neither of you are foreigners?" Tamaki shakes her head. "Ironic, isn't it, that the Ministry of Justice recognizes such marriages as long as one partner isn't from here?" Despite everything, despite tension of the moment, she chuckles nervously. "Doesn't do any of us good right now, it looks like."
'You don't know how deeply the rot runs.' 'Speak to me a sweet magic to correct the world...' There's some skepticism visible in Tamaki's expression -- she almost retorts with 'Do you?' -- but this isn't exactly the time to hold a debate over history. The stray glance she gives to her allies more familiar with the States betrays her thoughts in that regard.
Mention of 'the fear of losing those precious to you' causes Tamaki's blood to turn absolutely frigid. She's afraid of loss, sure --
It's a little different in Tamaki's case -- they weren't taken from her. They left, and in the face of their respective reasons, she stepped back to let them do as they will. That was the only way to escape the World of Envy all that time ago; she had to relinquish her hold. On the other hand, the world itself is actively trying to crush both the Bride and Groom underfoot.
Tamaki never got to that much more distant hurdle. She relents in her attack and gently adds, "It is as you say. I concede that I only understand so much."
Crash! Boom! Bang! goes the performance of the symphony consisting of Eriko, Mark, and Tamaki's abilities.
Tamaki affords the fleeing Bride and Groom the same mercy she had demonstrated before. There's no need to attack them while their backs are turned. "Iiiii'm good to let them go, how about you two?"
... In fact, she intends to compassionately help hasten along their retreat. She hopes they interpret it as a gesture which indicates that they are not diametrically opposed.
Finally, she turns her attention back to the other groups in the aftermath of the conflict, tending to anyone who might need some assistance. "I've got first aid kits still. Amano-san? Suou-san?"
AS: Tamaki Uchida spends Limit on X Soul! Fire_Wall applied to Miho Ijuuin!
<Pose Tracker> Katsuya Suou has posed.
That's right. The door to Sudou's room had still been locked from the outside when they got there. How does he plan to hold Sudou...? How does he plan to protect him from assassination, before he goes to trial? How does he plan to make the charges stick, at that?
It... won't work. Can't work, however he looks at it. But what are the alternatives here? As a public servant, execute someone without trial? It's one thing if it happens while defending himself or another, but...
"Enough!" he shouts at Sudou instead, when he says that Katsuya's lacking in conviction. "I won't let--"
He starts forward, realizing that in spite of his pronouncements, Sudou is making his escape. "Wait, Sudou!"
It falls on deaf ears. Nor is he fast enough. Tatsuya Sudou is already gone. And here they stand in the parking lot of a sanitarium that has now truly seen hell.
Where is Baofu, Katsuya thinks fleetingly, as he holsters his gun once it becomes clear that Sudou, along with the NWO group that was apparently sent here to kill him, are done. No, that doesn't matter, he decides, and he pulls out his phone. He... needs to report this. That something's happened at the sanitarium, at least...
"I'm calling emergency services," he says, and that may be the cue others need to get out of here.
Tamaki then offers the first aid kits. Katsuya, for the first time, takes himself in. "That... may be a good idea."
<Pose Tracker> Julian Marlowe has posed.
It's a good thing Vesper's expressions are hard to read due to that mask of his, or it might have shown just how surprised he was to hear Shinobu's words. 'Better me than any one of these kids.' He couldn't have described his motivations better himself.
...Not that he would. That's Julian's motivations. Vesper is someone else.
The explanation he receives from Tsurugi is as expected. He rather hopes that isn't the whole truth, considering the sad alternative of there truly being no more to it than that. A life of nothing but following instructions is no life at all, in his estimation.
Yet stated plainly like this, with full awareness of the situation, there's only one thing a leash could mean. Leverage. There is a reason here, beyond what he can see.
Or perhaps he can see it after all. As it turns out that, while Shinobu's warning prompted him to brace for whatever might be coming next, Tsurugi seems to choose to abandon her course. Considering the timing of it, the very moment the cage falls away, that gives Vesper a strong suspicion as to what the additional words that follow mean. That was fortunate.... and interesting. Given this, Vesper sees no cause to persist, his Persona vanishing as he plants his umbrella on the ground in front of him.
"...After all, a hound is a social animal, and may choose to prioritize the pack above all else."
No need to say any more, in his estimation. He just tips his hat as a sign that he's not going to do anything to keep anyone from leaving. Certainly not after the Joker Killer already has, that likely leaves little reason for anyone to remain.
"Not a victory, but no defeat either, I would say," he comments on the situation. "We'll have our chance yet, on our own terms."
He tips his hat to Shinobu as well, saying, "It's been a pleasure, Shimizu-san," before he turns to casually stroll back the way he came. Leaving just as he arrived, by himself, with the confident bearing of someone who planned things this way all along.
Even if his thoughts at the moment are more like, 'surely I won't get lost again on the way back... right?'
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke stood and faced Kurou. His breaths were heaving, his body was broken, his mind was racing, but he was the one left standing at the end. He said nothing to Kurou as he vanished into the night, fleeing with his allies, and remained silent until he was certain that they had all left the premises. Slowly, he cast his gaze to each side, forcing his eyes to shift around through nothing more than the scraps of willpower he still had left.
"They're gone...?" He asked tentatively, before letting out a long, low, breath. "Good, that's g- GH!"
The adrenaline's effects had finally begun to creep away, and the full weight of Kurou's counter-assault made itself known. He crumpled onto one knee with a sharp cry of pain, and it was only luck that kept him from calling to the ground outright.
"Shit..." He grunted, mostly to himself. "Asshole got me good..." He struggled upwards. Every inch he clawed back was agony, and every staggering step he took left him groaning from the strain. But he could not linger. Not in a place like this. "One of you... mind helping?"
<Pose Tracker> Masao Inaba has posed.
Masao's artificially induced elation starts coming to a cease as the influence of Faust and their power wanes from the collective shared powers of him and his friends in one great fusion of light (and gravity) - but what is said in turn before then. Just... the idea of leaving their shores, from a place they'd call home forever just to... get to have what they want.
"Tch." There's not much to say to that. He loved New York, he'd stay there for the rest of his days if he could... but returning to Japan felt like coming home, even if it was moving to a whole new city in the process.
There's not much he can say to that, as matters involving their entrapment start to give way. The shouting that they're withdrawing, but their target 'yet lives.'
'Iiiii'm good to let them go, how about you two?'
"...He really did friggin' get away, didn't he," Masao grouses. He takes a moment to look to Elly, as Tamaki moves to start coordinating the distribution of first aid, walking over to her to raise a hand up to her shoulder, if he allows.
"...I don't think I'd ever seen you that rattled," he says. "Just, uh... weird as it is," he smiles brightly under the respirator, "I'm here, yeah?"
Beat.
"Okay maybe that wasn't a reassurin' thing a few years ago, but..." He exhales. He's never really seen or heard Elly be so frightened, and he can't look away from that. Good friends don't do that! In time, he'll disengage to make another pass to look for survivors now that demons (probably) aren't bearing down on them as much.
<Pose Tracker> Umie Akabane has posed.
In Yumi, Umie sees the similar tactics she's used, particularly when she's hated on herself. It's not great, to trigger a mirror that directs its glass surface to you when you least expect it.
What's not great either is when Yua says next, as she mentions a certain 'dear young man'. "_Leave him out of this_," she growls, almost protectively. Of course, there'd be complications to that blissful decision, to follow her heart instead of her anger.
How like her.
Umie glances back towards Yukari, who levels her blunt wit at Miyu, and rightfully so. She nods in positive affirmation, meanwhile quietly dodging Yukari's questions for further clarifications.
'... but I think it is wonderful you have made yourself a small enough target to pretend.' There was a barb in Yumi's words that pierces where her earlier words didn't. "...Maybe you should stop _feeling sorry for yourself_ and do something _here_, in this world," says the hypocrite. "Stop making excuses for yourself and put your words to action, instead of telling us to hate you!!"
She looks back towards Kurou and his opponents again, half expecting to feel concern for those he's against, but the tables... have strangely turned.
Too many things are happening at once, and Umie feels like she's the one about to finally give in.
The veil of the Bride lifts, and it's a beautiful feeling, a blessing that removes the need to say anything, or feel anything, as long as they all retreat, *retreat*. *Please*.
No, not you, Sudou
"..._Shut the fuck up_," she hisses at Sudou as she misunderstands his words, hand quivering as she points a finger at the serial killer, walking away. "My prophecy's still in effect!!"
'I'll witness your death.'
(Nevermind this is exactly what Sudou meant, if more directly.)
Miyu is leaving with Yumi, and Kurou also seems to be leaving, though he'll likely be hurting, when they meet up at her Sumaru apartment. Umie should leave too, before--
SUDDEN CONGRATULATIONS?? "...U-uh... you're... welcome..." Umie briefly flashes a helpless look towards Tamaki's general direction, and looks back to Hitomi. ".... Mitsuhide." Nevermind Yukari can correct and/or tell Hitomi Umie's name later. "Takeba-san... well, ah, we've... worked earlier, a time or too.
QUICK.
"Uchida-san." Umie points towards the weaving Hitomi. "I think she's about to fall over."
_the power of an oracle, everyone_
<Pose Tracker> Eriko Kirishima has posed.
'Where am I bound...? "I care not, so long as my Bride is with me. Yumi...'
Of all the things Miyu has to say, that one seems to strike at her. "You say that... but don't you care where your Bride ends up?" Eriko's voice sounds... pained. "When you love someone that much... don't you owe it to them that you drag them down somewhere horrible?"
that's what you deserve, when your love is twisted so
That little bit of joy Eriko had seems to have drained out of her. "I don't see any reason to chase after them right now." Eriko says, quietly. "...And besides. I don't want to force someone to make the choices you make when someone you love that much is that threatened."
What could she be possibly be talking about?
"...He did. I won't say it's fine but... I don't think he's the sort who can stop himself from causing more chaos... and maybe that poem will give us some sort of indication of what he wants..."
Mark, though... Mark finds her easy to see through her. Even if he didn't get to see those moments on their first journey that truly shook her to her core, and Elly sags a bit, and her voice drops to a whisper.
"...That thing... It shouldn't be here, right?" Eriko leans against her old friend in a way that she's sure that many people here will misinterpret, even as Tamaki takes charge of helping people. Whatever. Masao gets it, at least, with that shared second culture.
Her voice is a whisper, desperate not to be overheard, switching to English. "...We killed it. We killed him. Didn't we?"
She lets out a long sigh. "I'll need to call Kei. We should tell Maki too..."
After all, if Nyarlethotep is independent of Kandori... then, was it part of the creation of the DEVA system? Of that other world? Would he still have an interest in Maki now that her world is long collapsed.
"...I don't like this, Mark. I feel like something terrible is coming."
But it could just be Deja Vu.