2026-07-10: A Joka's Vengeance
- Log: A Joka's Vengeance
- Cast: Leon Saito, Ririka Kawase, Ichika Kawase, Niko Kirisaki, Misato Fushihara, Hyousuke Suzuki, Jin Shirato
- Where: Seven Sisters High School - Clocktower
- OOC Date: July 10, 2026
- IC Date: December 07, 2012
- Summary: A rampaging Joka is on the loose, cutting down all those who wronged him in the past. It will take a bunch of heroes and maybe some villains to stop the Joka and make sure they don't fall into the dastardly hands of the NWO. Who is this Joka who would do such Joka-like things?
(|================== Seven Sisters High School - Clocktower ==================|)
-=============================================== Sumaru City/Rengedai Ward ====-
Normally off limits to students, the clocktower at Seven Sisters High School is
accessible off a stairwell that leads to a limited fourth floor. The door that
leads to the clocktower itself is kept locked, and only school staff have copies
of the key.
The gears are enormous--big enough to fight on, if one were an absurd enough
human being to want to do that--and are accessible via two railed accessways,
one next to the gears, one overlooking them. The clock face overlooks the school
grounds, visible as one approaches the main building.
AS: Leon Saito has readied for combat as Demon Blade Smith: Joker! He is now fully healed! Ready for 7 opponents!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
A week had roughly passed since that day in the alley, a week since Leon had been taken over for his desire of revenge and cut down that first Seven student leaving them for dead. Since then Leon had taken the scenic route to Seven Sisters High School, dragging his own supernatural pocket with him, and guided by his supernatural co-pilot, the Demon Blade Smith: Joker. A persona like incarnation, that has slowly grown more monstrous than when it first manifested.
Originally the Joker incarnation had looked almost like an Edo period swordsmith, wearing a joker mask, but it was mutated and continued to mutate as skeletal-like arms had grown from it's back and more were continuing to grow. By now this thing had almost twenty arms growing from it's back, longer and longer. In a few hands were black smithing tools, tongs, hammers, etc, in others were unfinished swords of different variety. One of the swords even looks like the one that a certain paper bag killer use to wear.
The duo had made it's way to Seven high school, but had arrived a bit too late. Most of the students had gone home by now but that didn't mean that the poor Sevens student who had stayed late at the library to study for upcoming finals didn't bump into Leon and was now having to deal with a giant sword slash across their chest.
Perhaps it was fate, perhaps the Joker persona knew a few things from a previous incarnation, or perhaps it was just a dumb coincidence, but Leon had made his way through the high school and had found his way to the clocktower. He was simply going to wait here for now and would have his vengeance come morning tomorrow. That is unless some heroes stop him.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka should be resting. And she's tried! Honest she has. But some things are too important to ignore, and Ririka feels too guilty if she doesn't take action when she could.
And the rise of another Joka... lots of people could potentially get hurt. She's rushing to Sevens, and as soon as she feels the tug of the supernatural--and that utterly rancid Resonance--she ducks into cover and dives into her bag for her Evoker. "Amphion!"
Monents later the stone man is strumming as Ririka listens. Someone's injured, several Persona users around, and--
There. The clocktower.
She leaves a trail of music for the Awakened to follow, and book it for the clocktower. "Saito-san..." she gasps. "So you..." She was worried about Leon--she hadn't realized she needed to be this worried. "Don't worry--we can help you."
She points and shouts, "Amphion! Analysis!" Amphion strmstrums his lyre, and Ririka clutches her headphones to listen to what comes back.
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Full Analysis on Leon Saito! | Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Full Analysis. AS: Ririka Kawase's Strength Scan! Leon Saito resists Strike, Fire, and Light! AS: Ririka Kawase's Weakness Scan! Leon Saito is weak against Slash, Water, and Dark! AS: Ririka Kawase's Support Scan! Leon Saito has passive skills Apt Pupil, Auto-Rebellion, Break Limit, Light Amp, Mind Shield, Peerless Skill, and Sharp Student!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ichika Kawase wouldn't usually be going to Seven Sisters High School at all. She has bad memories of this place, and it has bad memories of her. But, Newspaper to Newspaper, there's some things she wants to know from their club...
So here she came. At least, that was the plan, but it may have to wait for another day, because Ichika feels the awful heartbeat of Resonance--of the Joker Curse. Narrowing her eyes as she steps up, Ichika darts around the corner from the bike racks.
Ogre thus walks the street of Seven Sisters High, a girl with a cracked, horned oni mask and a set of modern riot armor over samurai-style clothing. Her high-tech shoes make little noise as she sneaks through the halls, evading the demons drawn by the Joker's aura.
"HEY FUCKER!" Ogre calls as she reaches the clocktower, "Eyes over here!"
She doesn't know this guy--but she knows the solution to the Joker Curse. ...And she knows they won't have a chance to even try if they don't get to the fighting.
As she does, Ogre rips off her own mask, and the blood and fire that sprays as a result gives rise to Momiji, her Persona. The kimono-clad Oni brings out her clawed hand, and suddenly, a brace of great stones rocket down for the Joker!
AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Earth skill Sequence Magna on Leon Saito! 2 Hits!
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Shame about those people getting slashed up in an alley a while back, and again in school today. Yup. Real shame. Anyway!
It sure was a funny coincidence that someone on Strega's radar suddenly went off the radar right as that whole mess began. It wasn't difficult to do the math, even if the exact reasons behind it weren't entirely clear. But there was that whole sense of supernatural strangeness surrounding Leon, first noticed by Takaya. Something interesting had most definitely occured, something worth getting to the bottom of. It took a bit of tracking, but finally...
"Wow, I didn't think you were cursed like THAT, go figure!"
Niko's voice is just suddenly there, and right beside her is another familiar face of Strega. They must have employed their usual trickery, just popping out of nowhere like that with no Resonance warning or anything. As for Niko, she follows up her words with a hand going to her mouth. "Oh, or, don't tell me! Did it come true? Did your curse attract another curse??"
Even so, this is a great opportunity, by her reckoning. She is VERY interested in this Joka-affliction. It's a bit like the Joker Killer's legacy, a promise of something greater, perhaps. Not that she will handle this any different than she handles most dangerous situations. Straight on. "Alright you, hold still. Promise we'll take real good care of you~"
So saying, Niko swings her chain towards those many arms of the Joker Persona. No way she's going to be able to get the weapon around all of them, but she'll do her best to restrict as many as she can.
AS: Weapon! Niko Kirisaki has used the Strike skill Ensnaring Embrace on Leon Saito! | Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!
<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.
Exams are coming up. Misato... finds it hard to get motivated for them. But if her grades drop even lower she might start having trouble, so even if it sucks, she forces herself to the library after school to study. At the very least, it's an excuse to stick around the school for just a little longer.
But just as she feels her attention span begin to fray and her mind beginning to wander... she feels it. That horrible, stomach-twisting feeling that snaps her right back to reality.
Something's happening. Something - someone? - is here, will ill intent. Misato snaps her book shut, stows it into her bag, and races out of the library. She pauses in her tracks as she sees the unconscious form outside the library doors, a sword-wound across their chest.
She pauses, inhales, does a mental countdown...
and then shrieks.
It's performative, to draw attention to the injured student. She can't remember the last time felt more than a lurch to her stomach at a sight like this. The thought that she doesn't feel it is more upsetting than the scene itself.
"S-someone's been attacked...! Quick, someone, get some help...!" Misato calls out. She makes a show of fumbling for her phone and dials for an ambulance before racing off of.
And so, while Misato Fushihara is seen running off to try and find help...
...Magus emerges from a different hallway, her hooded cloak coalescing about her form and the porcelain half-mask settling over the top half of her face.
Someone's been hurt at her school again... With a grimace, she picks up speed. She needs to find the one responsible for this - fortunately, that sickening feeling helps act as a beacon.
She just needs to follow the sensation of building dread. Perfectly reasonable.
It leads her, then, to the clocktower - where Leon is waiting. Others, it seems, have gotten here before her.
She doesn't need to guess which one is responsible. One look at that twisted Persona is all it takes. Her eyes lock onto Leon.
"...You. Were you the one responsible?" Magus asks, before looking toward Ririka. "...You know him?"
And not just her, it seems. She doesn't need to guess who's on what side, at least.
"I'm butting in." Magus announces - and then races forward toward Leon, drawing a lightly-curved saber and parrying dagger from her cloak. She brings them both down toward him in an X-shaped arc.
AS: Weapon! Misato Fushihara has used the Slash skill Overpower on Leon Saito! 2 Hits! | Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 37 Earth damage from Ichika Kawase's Sequence Magna. Critical Hit! | Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added!
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 27 Earth damage from Ichika Kawase's Sequence Magna.
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Something caused Hyousuke to sit bolt upright, his head tilted up like a hound catching a scent. It was an awful, rancid, feeling - like the very pit of his stomach had started trying to claw its way out through his throat, and a fetid taste infested his mouth. It was sickening, yes, but worse - it was familiar. His lips, once tightened as if to try and hold back a surge of bile, curled into a snarl, while his fists tightened at his sides until the knuckles turned a ghostly shade of white.
"Another one...!" He growled, speaking quietly to himself, before practically launching himself from his seat. Was he close enough to make it? Did he have time to grab his armour before launching into the fray, or would his uniform have to suffice? And what of the prey he'd been looking into, before something so rudely interrupted him? A million thoughts like those stormed demanded his attention at once, but one thing rang clear above the cacophony in his mind - he had to get there. Whatever was happening, it was up to him to stop it.
The pain of healing wounds and the burning of strained lungs were ignored as Hyousuke stormed into Sevens territory. It was not the kind of place he would normally be caught dead in, and he was fairly certain that the pupils there would not normally let someone as rough-looking as him within a mile of the establishment. But those few still on the premises would have to just swallow their pride and let him - a student quite clearly from Kasugayama, given the uniform slung so haphazardly over his frame - work.
The disgust was what led him there, but it was Ririka's music that pinpointed the location. Like a man possessed, he stormed upwards, surging into the clocktower without stopping. Even as he reached the fight itself, he only barely managed to restrain himself from launching into an all-out assault on Leon, instead looking to Ririka and Ogre like a hunting hound waiting for the signal to snap its jaws around its quarry. Their own attacks, he supposed, constituted a good enough one for him.
"Ogre! Kawase-san!" He called out, rushing to the fore without a moment's hesitation. "What's the plan?"
Hyousuke wasn't idle while he awaited an answer, however.
"ACHILLES!" He bellowed, calling forth the general of myth from his slumber. A great mass of bronze armour, dented and scraped from battle, hauled himself from his back, creaking and clanking under the weight of his own wargear. Two piercing, glowering, lights of red gleamed in the black expanse behind his helmet, and he raised both spear and shield in readiness. "Let's keep this asshole busy!" Hyousuke bolted forwards, seeking to close the gap, but it was Achilles that struck first. His sword flashed out in tight and focussed slash, aimed to sever what limbs Niko kept still enough to strike.
Her presence didn't go unnoticed, and drew a snarling glance from Hyousuke as he dared to tear his focus from the enemy for the briefest of moments.
"The hell are you doing he-" He cut himself off, then turned back to face the enemy. "Forget it, questions later. Just don't stab me in the back. We got bigger problems."
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Slash skill Limbsever on Leon Saito!
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
Jin doesn't know what the hell is going on, but if someone's gonna try to play at being some kinda Joker copycat, he wants to get to the bottom of it.
And unfortunately, his contacts didn't know anything, either. So that meant some on-the-ground work (sigh) away from the computer.
Whatever this thing is, Jin isn't sure he'll get any answers out of it. But if there's a chance, maybe he can beat some answers out of it.
"Good work," Jin says to Niko -- a rare compliment. He pulls the pin from his grenades and follows up Niko's attack with one of his own.
AS: Weapon! Jin Shirato has used the Pierce skill Error 429: Too Many Requests on Leon Saito! 2 Hits! AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 56 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Ensnaring Embrace. Critical Hit! Resist! | Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added!
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 53 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Overpower. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 51 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Overpower. Weak! AS: Avoid Worst! Leon Saito takes 180 Slash damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Limbsever. Critical Hit! Weak! | Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!
AS: Avoid Worst! Leon Saito takes 57 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 429: Too Many Requests. AS: Avoid Best! Leon Saito takes 17 Pierce damage from Jin Shirato's Error 429: Too Many Requests.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
Leon's head swivels at his name, Leon's face having lost most of it's features, shadows where the eyes should be, the nose barely standing out, and the normally pale skin, bleach white. the only other real feature is that the giant grin on the face. " Oh it is so nice of you to be concerned but everything is going to be ok. I have it all handled." Leon giggles as if he just made an inside joke.
Leon doesn't get to say much more as Ichika draws his attention and an Oni is throwing rocks at him. The joker covers itself with all it's arms but the rock throws him off balance and the Joker grabs Leon to steady itself, unsettling the kid too. Leon stumbles but looks at Ichika with his eyes blinded by the curse, "Sorry I only have eyes for my true goal."
A sword is raised, but the arms are constrained by Niko's sudden appearance. Leon turns and chuckles, " This is the trial Niko-chan. The one I must succeed at, and then I will be free of it all."
A lightsaber of energy cleaves through a few of the skeletal arms of the joker as it does it's best to shield it self.
The sword of Achilles continuing to chop through the arms as the attempt to sever limbs, does indeed sever a few more.
Leon though recognizes the grenade and stumbles back, "A grenade?! Seriously? " It appears that somewhere in the back of all this the cowardly nature of Leon still exists as the grenade goes off and shrapnel cuts his skin.
Still the moment of insecurity is brief as the giggling curse takes over. "Don't you all get it. I am the hero! I must remove the wicked that plagues us." A charming smile, an aura of heroism, maybe Leon has a point. Maybe it is just a moment of distraction before the Joker charges back in. The Joker persona charges in stabbing first at Achilles with one of the many swords. The persona then follows it up by launching a sword in the air, as beams of lights begin to fall and rain down upon Jin ,Ichika, Ririka. The persona turns though and looks at Niko, the Joker smiling before raising one of the many hands that glows with light magic, launching it as a beam intending to pierce Niko. Then Leon and the Joker fall on Misato, "I wasn't expecting one of the evil doers to come to me, at this hour, but I am a hero that does not rest." An arm is raised as it slashes a sword down toward Misato trying to remove the evil of the seven school.
AS: Weapon! Leon Saito has used the Pierce skill Sword of Justice - Stab at Thee on Hyousuke Suzuki! | Pressure: Leon Saito gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Rain of Justice on Jin Shirato! 3 Hits! AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Rain of Justice on Ichika Kawase! 3 Hits! AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Heroic Light on Niko Kirisaki! 2 Hits! AS: Tandem! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Sword of Justice - Begone Evil! on Misato Fushihara! AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Rain of Justice on Ririka Kawase! 3 Hits! AS: Block Best! Ichika Kawase takes 8 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit! AS: Block Worst! Ichika Kawase takes 39 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Misato Fushihara takes 16 Light damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Begone Evil!. AS: Block Worst! Ichika Kawase takes 21 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. AS: Avoid Neutral! Jin Shirato takes 26 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Ririka Kawase takes 9 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Ririka Kawase takes 24 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit! AS: Block Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 25 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. AS: Avoid Best! Jin Shirato takes 6 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. AS: Avoid Best! Jin Shirato takes 10 Light damage from Leon Saito's Rain of Justice. Critical Hit! AS: Block Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 18 Light damage from Leon Saito's Heroic Light. Critical Hit! AS: You have 1 more attack in queue! AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 29 Light damage from Leon Saito's Heroic Light. AS: Avoid Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 11 Pierce damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Stab at Thee.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka's still in her Gekkoukan uniform--she hadn't dared waste time changing, trying to get to Sevens as quick as possible. She glances over at the brace of rocks. "Ogre! Glad to see you here." Does Ogre go to Sevens? She's not gonna question it.
But she startles as she hears Niko's voice, gritting her teeth as she looks at the Strega member."Oh. It's you guys. What do you guys want, Kirisaki?"
She looks at Magus as she enters. Ririka doesn't know her, but she gives the other Persona User a nod. "Yes, I know him. If someone's hurt, it was probably him... and they'll probably need an ambulance. I'm sorry."
"Suzuki-san! We need to subdue him and get him to the Velvet Room! I'll back you up. His name is Leon Saito, he's-- he's a student at Gekkokan. We need to help him."
There's a frown as she sees the other Strega member, too. "So you're here too, huh? Great. Planning another attack on a school?"
But, habits--and ot of Tartarus runs--die hard, and Ririka can't bring herself not to announce the results of her Analysis to everyone. "He's resistant to... striking attacks, and fire and light magic. You should use... slashing attacks, water, or dark attacks." To herself she says, "... good thing I got that skill card..."
But Leon says he has it under control, and Ririka winces. "I don't know what you think this is solving, Saito-san, but... we can help you find a better way, okay? Why don't we talk it out?"
She knows that probably won't work, but... she has to try to reach him.
But a rain of lights come down, and Ririka's gotten her Katana out now, and she parries the first one, but the second and third hit, causing gouts of blue flame to lance across her body. "Guh-- Careful-- we don't know what tricks he has up his sleeve."
She slowly stands upright again, shaking herself off. "Okay. Here goes. Amphion! Help prepare us for what's coming next! Lithomancy!" Amphion raises a hand, and a little bit of power flows into Ogre, Hyousuke, Magus, and Ririka. Echos of potentiality, possible outcomes, and moments-away forewarnings settle on them to help them weather the storm of attacks.
And thn Ririka gestures again at Leon. "Put him off-balance with a Dissonant song!" Amphion strums, and a cascade of sharp, ugly, out-of-tune notes descends on the new Joka.
AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Exploit! Ririka Kawase can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Lithomancy on Ririka Kawase, Ichika Kawase, Hyousuke Suzuki, and Misato Fushihara! | Ririka Kawase takes 45 damage from Stress! | Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Lithomancy. | Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) added!
AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Almighty skill Dissonant Song on Leon Saito! AS: Take! Misato Fushihara takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Lithomancy. | Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) added!
AS: Take! Ichika Kawase takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Lithomancy. | Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) added!
AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Dissonant Song. | Crt_Up removed!
AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Almighty damage from Ririka Kawase's Lithomancy. | Prophecy (Healing in 2 rounds!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Niko's here--and Niko knows this Joker. "You?" Ogre starts, defensive--but it becomes clear they seem to be on the same side for the moment. "Yeah, that's what happened," Ogre tells Niko. "People who used the Joker Curse turn into Jokers now. It's dangerous as shit."
Magus is here. And 'the one responsible'? "What'd he do?" she wonders, unaware of the connection, since she came from the other entrance. And Hyousuke is here, too. They're all fighting, at least.
"My plan is we subdue him!" Ogre calls to Hyousuke, and then nods to Ririka. She can't tell her who she is even now--but, it's not so bad to work with Ririka, either.
"...What goal's that?" she answers Leon. But he answers well enough. He's a 'hero'...
"Evildoers? Hero?" she asks. "What the hell?"
The light crashes down towards her. Ogre suddenly holds a shield, which she lifts up against the spears of light. They crash into its golden surface hard enough to jar her arms, but she's intact by the end of it.
"Kawase-san," Ogre says. "As long as they actually help, I think we need to rely on these guys. I can't take this guy alone." Then she sees Ririka actually use a katana. She stares a moment.
"Uh, right, anyway--" Power flows into her, and some flows right back out as Ogre summons back Momiji. "The power of FUCK OFF!"
Hyousuke, Magus--and even Niko and Jin--will feel the tangled mass of thorned vines spread around them and disappear into a spectral invisibility, granting them more defense against physical attacks, a vibration of great might.
"Rule one: survive. Rule two: save this guy if we can. Got it?" she looks to Hyousuke in particular.
AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Recovery skill Thorn Wall on Hyousuke Suzuki, Misato Fushihara, Niko Kirisaki, and Jin Shirato! | Ichika Kawase takes 45 damage from Stress! | Support: Ichika Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Misato Fushihara takes 0 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Thorn Wall. | Crt_Up (Critical Up!) and Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!
AS: Take! Niko Kirisaki takes 0 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Thorn Wall. | Crt_Up (Critical Up!) and Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!
AS: Take! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 0 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Thorn Wall. | Crt_Up (Critical Up!) and Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Niko holds fast as many arms as she's able, all smiles in spite the situation - which is typical, but it always helps to receive praise from Jin. All it takes to increase her motivation past its natural limits.
"Oh really?" she questions the matter of this being the trial. "That's weird. Takaya-sama didn't say anything like this would happen. Did he, Jin?" She doesn't get told everything, but from what she could tell even Jin didn't know what was going on, that's far more unusual.
When Hyousuke addresses her, she turns to him with a scandalized expression. "Whaaat, I'd never stab you in the back!" Her tone abruptly turns frigid as she intones, "If I hated you enough to want to stab you, I'd want you to see me do it." And just like that, back to all sunshine and roses. "But I don't, so why're we talkin' about this? Just get his ass!"
That's good enough for now, Niko thinks. Right now they can use the help to bring Leon down, there'll be plenty of time to think about what comes after when After is actually here. As for Ririka, demanding what she wants...
"Maybe I'll tell you if you'll use the proper address! It's Niko-chan, Ni-ko-chan~" Well of course she wants THAT, at the very least.
Ogre's apparent friendliness is a bit surprising, but she'll take it, as well as that enhancement. "Well, no need to worry now that we're here. We do know a few things about Jokers!" They don't know a single thing about this sort of Joker, but never mind that.
Leon's hero spiel prompts Niko to cant her head quizzically. "Sooo the trial is 'being the hero'? Not much of a trial, that's supposed to be like, a whole commitment to doing the right thing." Or maybe it involves light beams, prompting her back off and let those arms slip back free, twisting the chain in front of her to take the edge off the attack in a blocking maneuver.
Hanging the chain from her neck, she's quick to draw the Evoker from her jacket. "Well damn, if you're dead set on being a hero, we should be getting along! So why don't you calm the hell down?! PERSONA!"
Niko fires the gun-shaped object at her head with the sound of shattering glass, Ate emerging behind her, briefly stationary before the giant head launches itself upward. Only to come crashing down full force towards the Joker two seconds later.
AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Strike skill Savage Assault Dive on Leon Saito! 2 Hits! | Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Avoid Worst! Leon Saito takes 81 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Savage Assault Dive. Resist! | Blast (Magic and Block Penalized!) and Haze (Physical and Block Penalized!) added! Bind removed! Explosion! 120 damage!
AS: Avoid Neutral! Leon Saito takes 43 Strike damage from Niko Kirisaki's Savage Assault Dive. Resist!
<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.
That look on his face... now that's haunting. This must be... the Joker Curse. Magus had kept up with the news, but this is her first time seeing it for herself... And Ogre confirms her suspicions. She looks toward Ririka as she speaks.
Leon Saito, a student at Gekkoukan...
"On my way here, I passed a student he'd cut down." Magus explains. Ririka apologizes, saying the student will probably need an ambulance, and she shakes her head. "That's already taken care of. Just focus on the problem at hand."
She nods toward Ogre.
"...I like her plan. Let's take him down." She says.
Leon, though - even in this form, he declares himself a hero, here to remove the wicked... And he looks upon her, and sees an evildoer.
Leon and Joker both descend and Magus's parrying dagger flashes out. It moves to catch the blade - and her saber soon joins it. She grimaces as she struggles... and then diverts it.
He's powerful, she'll give him that... how much of that is the Joker Curse, and how much is his own strength?
"You're a hero...? Don't make me laugh. Do heroes often leave bodies in their wake?" Magus asks. "'Evildoer'... I've never been called that before. I think you're mistaking me for something I'm not ...But, fine."
Power fills her. From Ririka she feels the pulse of the earth, warning her of incoming danger... and Ogre, a shield of thorns to ward off harm. She offers them both a curt but appreciative nod.
"There's no greater rule." Magus says, of 'survive'. She turns toward Leon, then.
"If you want me to be your 'evildoer', Leon Saito... Magus reaches up, grasping her mask. "...Then I'll become the villain that crushes the hero's dreams and scatters them into the sea...! Nitocris!"
At her call, a woman of regal bearing appears behind her, dressed in Egyptian royal garb.
Nitocris casts her hands forward, and a mist begins to surround Leon - a mist that, if it takes hold, will cause drowsiness to begin to set in. And then, with a snap of her fingers, spheres of highly-pressurized water begin to form in the air around Leon. They're highly-pressurized - a single touch is enough to make them explode.
"Watch your step, 'hero'."
AS: Misato Fushihara spends Limit on Exploit! Misato Fushihara can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Almighty skill Dormina on Leon Saito! | Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Water skill Pressure Mine on Leon Saito! AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Misato Fushihara's Dormina.
<Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
"I'd try being grateful we're here to help," Jin snaps back, though 'help' isn't exactly the right word for it. "Whatever he is, he's powerful."
Still, despite Jin's snipping, he does commit Ririka's analysis to memory; she doesn't have a reason to lie about that -- least of all to her allies. He and Niko just happened to overhear it.
Jin is briefly surprised to find that one of his not-allies uses her buffing magic on him. Still, he's not complaining. But he's also not saying 'thank you', either.
"No," Jin says to Niko. If they were alone, he might say more, but the last thing he wants is for anyone here who isn't part of Team Strega to get any intel out of them. Whatever they had going on right now was only temporary.
"Moros!" Jin fires his evoker and Moros emerges, ready to launch its attack on Leon.
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 97 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Pressure Mine. Weak! AS: Take! Jin Shirato takes 0 Recovery healing from Ichika Kawase's Thorn Wall. | Crt_Up (Critical Up!) and Reflect_Phys (Phys Counter Improved!) added!
AS: Persona! Jin Shirato has used the Dark skill Mudo on Leon Saito! AS: Block Worst! Leon Saito takes 236 Dark damage from Jin Shirato's Mudo. Critical Hit! Weak!
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
The blade pierced through the air, but its edge found no purchase. Achilles, in spite of the creaking mass of bronze heaped upon his form, darted to one side to avoid the blow. Hyousuke surged the other way, suffering only a cut across his cheek for his troubles. Red oozed from the thin line upon his face, but it was of no consequence. Hyousuke simply wiped the back of his hand across the offending mark, then flicked the blood down upon the floor, before raising his hands back into a guard with renewed determination in his eyes.
"Striking? Damn it...!" Hyousuke seemed more disappointed by Ririka's news than unsettled. One only needed to look at how he stood to tell why - he was a brawler by nature, and his muscles were wound like coiled springs. He seemed quite eager to launch himself into the fray, though given that he restrained himself, not quite eager enough that he could ignore their target resisting his favoured methods of attack. "Fine then! I'll keep him busy! Whatever you can do to calm him down, do it quick!" With that, Hyousuke moved forward, bobbing and weaving through what he could, while making Achilles raise his shield against what he could not avoid.
Ogre's instructions were clear, and - if he were to be honest - a little pointed, to his mind. Nevertheless, he nodded sharply, though he did not face her when he spoke. He was like a beast on the hunt, focussed only on its target as he circled in for the kill.
"Don't worry, I'm not going anywhere! We're all making it out of this if I have to drag us out!" Given the hulking, brutish, brawler's determination that bordered on single-minded stubbornness, he might very well have dragged the entire party and Leon out on his back if he had to.
Ririka's song flowed into his mind, and it surged with possibilities. He could hear them, like peals of thunder in the distance, warning him of things to come. Ogre's magic bolstered his body instead of his mind, lending him a surge of strength that left his body feeling as though it were tempered iron.
"Thanks! Both of you!" He shouted, grinning a little, though it was unclear as to whether it was genuine eagerness or simple defiance against someone that sought to lay him low. "I'll put 'em both to good use! As for you..."
Hyousuke turned his gaze back to Leon, but did not throw a punch. Achilles attacked again, barrelling in with a shield before quickly thrusting out with the point of his spear, striking at more of those skeletal limbs. No risk of a killshot - it was a simple attempt at disarming him while Hyousuke himself spoke.
"A hero? The hell kinda hero are you?" He asked, letting Achilles pierce and tear through whatever he could heave the spear's keen edge into. "There ain't a goddam hero in the world that talks like that! Come on, snap out of it already, and we can talk without that damn thing crawling all over your back!"
Niko's response, meanwhile drew a somewhat disgruntled expression, and a rather exaggerated grunt of disapproval.
"Tch. First thing you've said to me that makes a damn bit of sense. Now let's do this!"
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Counterthrust on Leon Saito! | Defense: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 62 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Counterthrust.
<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
Leon head tilts towards Ririka, " I have found the way. I will simply wipe out everyone who ever even thought of being a bully, and then anyone who thought of hanging out with the bully, and then anyone who thought of hanging out with them and then and then and then...the world will be safe." Another chortle of laughter is given. "Haven't you ever been bullied, didn't you wish they would fall on their own sword. " The song of dissonance is played and Leon stumbles before recovering for as a hero he shall turn any stumble into something awesome as he lands into a cool pose.
Ichika explains what is happen and Leon confirms, "Yep that is what happened. I called and asked the Joker killer to solve my problem, and he did. However I see the light now, I should have done it myself." The Joker persona raises it hands and they all clap sending a wave of light across the clocktower, from the outside the clocktower probably looks like a lighthouse for a brief moment. The light may seem like a positive thing, but behind it is a rather sickening feeling.
"The trial is to have the courage to be the hero myself. To not rely on others, which is why Niko-chan, you and the other followers of the chosen one will need to be removed as well. " The joker moves forward and raises a jagged looking roughly forged claymore, that glows with light magic before bringing it down towards Niko. "The chosen one only needs the hero as his follower." Leon states.
Then there is Niko's friend, the one with the grenade, " Are you another follower of the chosen? Are you here on a trial too? Sorry you are too late to be the hero." The dark attack of Moros crashes into the Joker as arms dissolve. "However we shall accept you as a sacrifice. " Leon's persona has two arms stretch and turn ethereal as they try to grab Jin, aiming to take some of his spirit for it self and recover some of the arms lost.
Misato has already pulled Leon's attention back away from the Strega folks. "Not only do you stand in my way but you care for the evil that I have already dealt with. By my heroic logic, that makes you as much of an evildoer as those who would lay hands on the weak." The 'holy' claymore is wielded once more as the persona charges forward to slash at Misato and Nitocris, but that damn pressure mine catches the persona and throws it aside. At the same time, for another few moments Leon seems a bit more confused, "Huh... where?". However with the joker getting back up, and swinging the claymore once more at the evildoer Leon seems to be back under the curse.
As the Joker finishes it's attack on Misato , Achilles charges in and more of those skeletal limbs that the persona had just regrown were broken off. The persona doesn't drink it milk obviously. Leon looks at Hyousuke, "It must be a sad world to live in without heroes. You can smile now, for I am here." Leon gives Hyousuke a big smile as the Joker persona raises it's hands and lets loose another strong beam of light upon Achilles.
AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Recovery skill Dance of Bravery on Leon Saito! AS: Leon Saito spends Limit on Reach! AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Recovery healing from Leon Saito's Dance of Bravery. | Crt_Up (Critical Up!) added! Atk_Dn removed!
AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Cleanse the wicked on Ichika Kawase, Ririka Kawase, Hyousuke Suzuki, Niko Kirisaki, Jin Shirato, and Misato Fushihara! | Pressure: Leon Saito gains 1 Limit!
AS: Tandem! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Sword of Justice - Holy Slice on Niko Kirisaki! 2 Hits! AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Almighty skill Spirit Drain on Jin Shirato! AS: Tandem! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Sword of Justice - Begone Evil! on Misato Fushihara! AS: Persona! Leon Saito has used the Light skill Heroic Light on Hyousuke Suzuki! 2 Hits! AS: Block Worst! Ririka Kawase takes 59 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked. AS: Avoid Best! Misato Fushihara takes 41 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked. Critical Hit! AS: Counter Best! Misato Fushihara takes 71 Light damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Begone Evil!. | COUNTER! Reflect Phys! Leon Saito takes 110 Light damage in return for his attack! Resist!
AS: Block Best! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 17 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked. AS: Block Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 74 Light damage from Leon Saito's Heroic Light. Critical Hit! AS: Counter Neutral! Hyousuke Suzuki takes 95 Light damage from Leon Saito's Heroic Light. Critical Hit! | COUNTER! Leon Saito takes 26 Light damage in return for his attack! Resist!
AS: Block Best! Ichika Kawase takes 22 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked. AS: Block Neutral! Niko Kirisaki takes 73 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked. Critical Hit! AS: Counter Best! Niko Kirisaki takes 23 Light damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Holy Slice. | COUNTER! Reflect Phys! Leon Saito takes 47 Strike damage in return for his attack! Resist!
AS: You have 1 more attack in queue! AS: Counter Worst! Niko Kirisaki takes 84 Light damage from Leon Saito's Sword of Justice - Holy Slice. Critical Hit! | COUNTER! Reflect Phys! Leon Saito takes 56 Strike damage in return for his attack! Resist!
AS: Avoid Worst! Jin Shirato takes 72 Light damage from Leon Saito's Cleanse the wicked. AS: Take! Jin Shirato takes 29 Almighty SP damage from Leon Saito's Spirit Drain. Drain!
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka appreciates Ogre, too--mainly for helping her sister out, but even so. Even if she has no idea the two are one in the same.
But she lets out an annoyed groan as Ogre reasonably points out they might need Strega's help. "Fine, but--" She glares at Niko and Jin. "Don't think this means I've forgiven you guys." The katana was in her bag, don't worry about it.
(No it's fair to worry about it a little.)
Ririka has to bite back the retort that she and Niko aren't friends when Niko makes her request. "Not happening. I'll support you for this fight but I'm not calling you that."
Someone was hurt, but an ambulance was called. Ririka lets out a small, tense breath. "Okay, I'm glad that's handled... I'll do my best support you. I'm Ririka Kawase," she introduces herself to Magus.
"'Grateful' is pushing it, Shirato. But right now Ogre's right--we have bigger problems to worry about." She might not like Strega... but she'd have a hard time passively standing by and allowing them to die, either.
"Sorry, Suzuki-san," Ririka says. "Manage the best you can, okay? I'll be backing everyone up." This benefit she's providing is especially taxing for her to maintain, but... if it helps them, it's worth it.
Bullying. "Is that what this is about...? Saito-san, I'm sorry if you've been hurt, but--when would this ever stop? You'll just keep lashing out at more and more people, for people who didn't even directly do anything wrong. Does that sound like heroic behavior to you?"
A wave of light comes, and Ririka raises her katana--but it's too late and it blasts her, sending her back and to her knees. "Urgh..." she feels that revolting sickness trying to take hold, but pushes it off as she struggles to her feet. "... this might turn into a long story... Amphion! Energizing Song! Keep everyone's spirits up!"
Amphion strums, and and weaves a bright, energetic melody that weaves and settles in around Ririka, Ichika, Magus, and Jin to keep their energy up for the battle. Ririka concentrates, and Magus hears an audio cue prompting an attack at an adventageous moment. "Here, strike him now, while he's off-balance!"
AS: Ririka Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Misato Fushihara can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) applied to Misato Fushihara! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Persona! Ririka Kawase has used the Recovery skill Energizing Song on Ririka Kawase, Ichika Kawase, Misato Fushihara, and Jin Shirato! | Insight: Ririka Kawase gains 1 Limit!
AS: Take! Misato Fushihara takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song. | Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!
AS: Take! Ichika Kawase takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song. | Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
Ogre isn't planning to forgive, either. That boy that the girl slashed (Chidori slashed) nearly died... But she can be pragmatic when it comes to battle. A Phantom Thief must be adaptable. ...But she hasn't called Niko anything so far, and she doesn't further point at Hyousuke for the moment.
"Cool!" she calls to Hyousuke when he says he's not going anywhere. "But I don't aim to get dragged, either!"
Magus likes her plan--and Magus seems to have a history here... and some demons of her own to contend with. The villain who crushes the hero's dreams... with her greatest rule of survival.
"I'm Ogre," Ogre introduces herself to Magus. "Looks like we're on the same page today."
But they know things about Jokers? "You know about the Velvet Room?" Ogre asks.
Jin seems unfriendly, but that's if anything more reassuring than Niko's cheer to Ogre, anyway. She doesn't have much to say to him for now. Instead--
She listens to Leon. He should've... "I mean, you should be solving your own problems," she agrees, "But killing people isn't the answer!"
Even Strega--his buddies?--seem to be targets. "You're crazy," Ogre points out to Leon, and, with Ririka's blessing stilling her mind, Ichika calls forth Momiji one more time. "All right--let's go harder! Momiji!"
This time, Momiji gestures with her fingernail-clawed hand--and a mountain gale starts, a chill wind that whirls and whirls into a tornado of roiling emotions straight for the Joker.
"Hey! You're on the right track--keep going!" Ogre calls to Magus, whether she knows her moniker now or not.
AS: Persona! Ichika Kawase has used the Wind skill Hell Cyclone on Leon Saito! AS: Ichika Kawase spends Limit on Shift! Misato Fushihara can use another Weak skill this round! Hyper (Next Attack Boosted/Incoming Damage Down!) applied to Misato Fushihara! They both receive 8 SP and 30 HP! AS: Take! Ririka Kawase takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song. | Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!
AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Psych! AS: Hyousuke Suzuki spends Limit on Exploit! Hyousuke Suzuki can use another Weak skill this round!
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Light streaked through the air, and Achilles raised his shield against those searing rays. The first sank almost harmlessly into that bronze bulwark, the heat vanishing as a shimmer in the air. The next one - a stronger one - forced the grinding noise of straining metal to ring out into the air as armour and shield were forced to take a mighty blow, and even his defences began to waver under the assault. Hyousuke didn't know if he had the mental fortitude to force Achilles to take the next blow, but had no intention of finding out the hard way. On his command, Achilles cannoned forwards with his shield raised, heedless of the damage he or his wielder took. Even as the searing lights singed skin, fabric, and metal, the two soldiered on, forever closing that distance.
The very moment that Achilles was close, he thrust his shield out in a quick and bludgeoning strike, battering away the beam of light. It was not a perfect deflection. Hyousuke felt it sink into his gut, drawing a heaving grunt of pain as he wavered from it. But he did not stop. Not even as Leon's words stirred something in him, and forced his jaw to tighten so suddenly that the muscles in his face almost snapped from the suddenness of it.
"I know how you feel." He said, with the kind of anger and conviction that could only have come from someone speaking a bitter truth. "I know how *all* of that feels! But this isn't right!"
Hyousuke spoke through clenched teeth and past clenched fists, his guard ready and his eyes focussed.
"You're dragging people that've got nothing to do with it into this! You're hurting people that don't deserve it!" He wasn't quite close enough to lash out for a heavy-handed strike, but strapped to his hip was the next best thing. With one fluid motion, Hyousuke drew his shotgun, and fired a volley of scattershot at Leon, advancing with every pull of the trigger. Achilles moved with him, shield raised as cover, protecting his wielder as their advanced devoured distance like a starving mutt.
"You want to be a hero that bad?! Then fight back against the people that hurt you! Defend the people that can't! But the second you start making up excuses to hurt innocent people..."
Hyousuke and the general moved forward like twin bolts of lightning, one heaving sword down to cleave again at the monstrous appendages, the other firing off one last salvo as he drew into point-blank range. Close enough that the anger in his eyes could be seen flaring like a wildfire. "...You're no hero."
AS: Tandem! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Pierce skill Shot and Shield on Leon Saito! 3 Hits! | Defense: Hyousuke Suzuki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Hyousuke Suzuki has used the Slash skill Limbsever on Leon Saito! AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 98 Wind damage from Ichika Kawase's Hell Cyclone. Critical Hit! | Haze (Physical and Block Penalized!) and Rage (Weapon Attack and Incoming Damage Up!) added!
AS: Avoid Best! Leon Saito takes 62 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield. Critical Hit! AS: Avoid Best! Leon Saito takes 51 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield. AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 67 Pierce damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Shot and Shield. AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 166 Slash damage from Hyousuke Suzuki's Limbsever. Critical Hit! Weak! | Atk_Dn (Damage down!) added!
<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.
Strega... Magus takes a moment to consider them. It's not like she hasn't heard of them, but this is her first time seeing them in person. There's an obvious rift between them and some of the others here.
They're a rather interesting sort - one seems far too energetic for that kind of business, while the other is the kind of cold and calculating she'd expect...
Well, revenge draws all kinds.
She listens, then, as Leon tells Ririka his dream of the world.
"A chain reaction. You'd have to put the whole world to the sword at that. So that's the safety you desire." Magus notes. And she stands in his way, by caring for the evil he seeks to remove...
"Yes... That's right. I'm in your way. The one standing in the way of your world... is me, Leon Saito!" Magus declares. Light is sent her way and Magus dodges to the side, but the claymore... It's huge, and she's not sure she can dodge it completely. She wouldn't see it coming, if it weren't for Ririka's aid. She readies her parrying dagger - and trusts in Ogre's barrier of thorns. She winces as the claymore digs in, but with a grunt of effort pushes it back.
"Ririka Kawase. I see. And... Ogre." Magus nods back to them both. "You can call me Magus. And, yes... so it would seem. You've both been helpful."
That's kind of like 'thanks'.
Speaking of help - Amphion strums up an invigorating melody. She can feel her mind easing, her focusing sharpening... and Ririka and Ichika both encourage her to strike.
"Curse my name, call me evil..." Magus says. She starts toward him, and as she moves, she seems to multiply. Several of her lunge forward, but only one is real - the rest a cover for weakening magic. She moves to take advantage of this immediately, rushing in with several pinpoint swipes of her saber. "...but I won't leave this world to a 'hero'."
With these final words and a gesture from Nitocris, water gathers around her blades. Magus jumps forward with one final downward slash with her saber and her parrying dagger both - and as she lands, a geyser of water erupts upward to punctuate the attack.
AS: Persona! Misato Fushihara has used the Almighty skill Falsify on Leon Saito! | Pressure: Misato Fushihara gains 1 Limit!
AS: Weapon! Misato Fushihara has used the Slash skill Press the Advantage on Leon Saito! 3 Hits! AS: Tandem! Misato Fushihara has used the Water skill Tidal Blade on Leon Saito! 3 Hits!
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
Niko was wondering whether she might be able to get Leon on board with her way of thinking. It didn't sound too dissimilar for a bit there. That is, until he starts talking about removing her and Jin too, of course. Gritting her teeth, she gets out the chain again in order to stand against another blast of light. It's getting more difficult, easy enough to tell they can't afford to drag this out too much. But more importantly...
"What the hell, dude? Takaya-sama wouldn't want that! In Strega, we look out for each other, 'cause no one else will! Know what that means? Means that if you mess with us, your dumb trial's gonna be the last of your worries!"
Easy enough to predict what Niko's going to do when she's ticked off. Obviously when the Joker comes at her, she's going to hit back, meeting sword swipes with chain strikes. Neither comes away cleanly, and Niko's breathing is a sign of the exertion involved. But a little venting's all she ever needs to start smiling again in short order.
But before anything else, she need to take a moment to address another certain someone. While she doesn't need Ririka's forgiveness, she does need Ririka to call her Niko-chan. That's important. So when that doesn't happen...
"Rika-chan, Rika-chan, Rika-chan," Niko makes a show of saying. If Ririka won't do it, she'll do it thrice. Setting the right example here. "You're so cold to me these days. I'm sorry for not hanging out more - I'll make it up to you later, okay~?"
No need to worry about whether that was a threat. Worry about whether that was a promise.
But for now, back to Leon. Niko looks back his way with an expression of sympathy. "Poor, poor Leon-chan. You're so confused. But don't worry. Niko-chan's here to help make it alllll better. Ate?"
The giant spectral head lowers down in front of Niko, the glow from its empty eye sockets rapidly switching between the spectrum of colors. This is not helping at all. Not only is this a prelude to a psychic barrage, if Leon was confused before, if anything this is only going to make it worse. But hey, an opponent who can't focus very well is an easier opponent to deal with... and to influence.
"Y'know, for someone who doesn't want to rely on others, you're relying on this jerkface with the arms a whole lot. Sure you're going to pass that trial of yours like this?"
AS: Niko Kirisaki spends Limit on Exploit! Niko Kirisaki can use another Weak skill this round! AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Elec skill Furious Psio on Leon Saito! 3 Hits! | Ruin: Niko Kirisaki gains 1 Limit!
AS: Persona! Niko Kirisaki has used the Almighty skill Soul Break on Leon Saito! AS: Misato Fushihara spends Limit on Shift! Ichika Kawase can use another Weak skill this round! <Pose Tracker> Jin Shirato has posed.
Leon's persona wraps its arms around Jin and contracts tightly around Jin's frame. "Tch!" No way he's going to let the others see him bothered by the pain. By the time the arms of Leon's persona unfurl and Jin drops to the floor, he feels depleted.
At least he manages to land on his feet.
"...D-Dammit." Jin straightens. "I hate guys like you. Always trying to find someone else to protect them because they can't stand on their own feet! If you really want to put a stop to it, do it with your own damn strength!"
Jin's evoker goes to his head again as he calls out his Persona's name. It manifests behind him and launches its attack at Leon as if to demonstrate.
AS: Take! Jin Shirato takes 0 Recovery healing from Ririka Kawase's Energizing Song. | Vigor (SP restored on end of turn!) added!
AS: Persona! Jin Shirato has used the Dark skill Mudo on Leon Saito! AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Misato Fushihara's Falsify. | Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) and Poison (Damage on end of turn!) added! Haze removed! Explosion! 27 damage!
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 31 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage. Weak! AS: Block Worst! Leon Saito takes 50 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage. Weak! AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 31 Slash damage from Misato Fushihara's Press the Advantage. Weak! AS: Avoid Neutral! Leon Saito takes 128 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade. Critical Hit! Weak! AS: Avoid Worst! Leon Saito takes 149 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade. Weak! AS: Take! Leon Saito takes 0 Almighty damage from Niko Kirisaki's Soul Break. AS: Block Worst! Leon Saito takes 135 Water damage from Misato Fushihara's Tidal Blade. Weak! AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 81 Elec damage from Niko Kirisaki's Furious Psio. Critical Hit! | Bind (Magic and Avoid Penalized!) added!
AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 56 Elec damage from Niko Kirisaki's Furious Psio. Critical Hit! AS: Block Neutral! Leon Saito takes 64 Elec damage from Niko Kirisaki's Furious Psio. AS: Block Best! Leon Saito takes 158 Dark damage from Jin Shirato's Mudo. Weak! | Leon Saito is unable to continue fighting!
<Pose Tracker> Leon Saito has posed.
The joker persona attacks and all seems well, but Leon's body is telling another tale. Bruises and slashes are appearing across the cursed teen's body as the damage is reflected, still Leon doesn't notice it. A hero wouldn't let such a thing stop him after all.
Leon's giggles stop as he looks at Ririka, "They can learn to cower in fear as they await for their judgement to come. They should learn how it feels to live a life of fear."
Leon doesn't get to say more though as a tornado of wind takes hold of the Joker persona and launches it into Ichika, something neither of which the two were ready for. Leon slowly gets back to his feet, his frail body not use to combat and the constant pressure of the curse catching up to him. "If you ask other people to solve your problems, you just get cursed. Better to do it yourself."
Again Leon isn't allowed to react as the attacks keep coming, the sight of Hyousuke's shotgun causing the eyeless Leon to go wideeyed as he tries to duck away, the Joker persona forcing itself in the way to defend that which it must to keep going. Arms are sacrificed but more are growing as the Joker persona pulls more and more from Leon.
Leon is looking a little less stable as Magus declares herself the person in his way. "Evil must be stopped." Stepping forward Leon takes one of the swords from the arms and tries to meet Misato, there are signs that he knows how to actually use the sword but well Leon's arms are almost skinnier then the bone arms coming from his persona. Instead both Leon and the persona are struck by Magus's blade and the water geyser. It may seem that they are all washed up.
Niko's psychic barrage does in fact, not help Leon, neither does her words. He doesn't have a response for Niko, at least not yet. Still the Persona is doing it's best to defend Leon, even if it calls Leon in process as it drains Leon of more and more life force to keep going.
The Joker persona slashes through the Mudo of Jin, and by slashing more as if just hitting the mudo the spell doing exactly what it was intended to do by hitting its target and hurting it like hell. That's ok, the persona just takes more from Leon.
Leon is but a husk of his normal self so much had been taken but he is still standing. "I ...shall...judge them... and remove all who would hurt...the weak." The persona with the joker mask is standing behind Leon and from certain angles with all those arms almost seems like it is puppeting Leon as Leon steps forward. Raises the giant claymore in the air, stabs it into the ground....
and ...
nothing happens. Instead Leon slumps across the sword as the corrupted persona looks at Leon and tries its best to pull Leon up but that's when the arm doing the pulling shatters. Then another, and another. Slowly the persona shatters in a chain reaction, before the main body looks at the crew and makes one final charge, before shattering into nothing. Leon himself collapsing onto the ground as the supernaturally made sword he was slumped over has disappeared too.
<Pose Tracker> Ririka Kawase has posed.
Ririka sighs in relief as her spell finally comes do, and a wave of healing magic washes over her. "That's better," she says relieved.
Ririka remembers that boy, too--she helped him up out of the air raid shelter. And she's got other grievances against Strega, too.
It's Ririka's turn to double take at a weapon as she notices that Hyousuke has a shotgun. "What the--"
"Magus, then." It's not the first time Ririka's worked with someone using an alias, after all. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, but hang in there!"
'Rika-chan, Rika-chan, Rika-chan.' "I can hear you just fine, you know--if you need something just spit it out." And then she does, and Ririka kicks herself internally. "Maybe it'd be easier to hang out with you if you and your friends hadn't attacked our dorm! Did you ever think of that?"
"Shit-- Ogre, please don't tell my sister about that. You too, Suzuki-san."
Those injuries make Ririka feel uneasy--she doesn't know how easy they'll be to heal after, if he's not Awakened. "If all you want to do is to make people live in fear... then you're playing the part of a bully, not a hero. They shouldn't have hurt you--but it's not right to hurt and scare others in turn."
She watches, then, as Leon slumps--but then the Joker shatters, and Ririka lets out a sigh of relief as she rushes over to kneel and check on him. "Saito-san!" She closes her eyes to listen, trying to discern his condition. "Where's the nearest entrance to the Velvet Room? I'll plot a path..." She's searching, but it's just easier if someone tells her. "And... I hear an ambulance arriving. The injured boy should be alright..." she adds for Magus.
She can explain Navigators as they help Leon, if Magus comes with.
<Pose Tracker> Ichika Kawase has posed.
"Magus, then. ...Heroes aren't all bad, but I'm not going to wait for one to show up, either."
Takaya-sama; Strega looks out for each other...
Ogre looks over Niko and Jin both, thoughtful. But soon, Leon's down... and Ririka is still ok. Rika-chan, Niko had said.
"They what?" Ogre asks, and then frowns. "...Whatever, it's done now. Since we all helped, I think we can all let each other go... right?"
She won't tell Ichika! Well. Oops.
"...Think I saw an entrance on my way in," Ichika says. Sometimes, the Velvet Room is where you need it, rather than just where it usually is. Ogre then walks up to scoop Leon up in her arms. "Up we go, dude. We're gonna get you there before you wake back up..."
"And hope Igor can help."
<Pose Tracker> Hyousuke Suzuki has posed.
Hyousuke wished he'd had the mask. Not for any reasons relating to protection, but because he very much could not look Ririka in the eye when she requested he keep quiet in regards to the attack on the SEES dorms.
"I won't tell her a thing." He reassured Ririka. It was not a lie, even on a technicality. But that didn't make the situation any less awkward. "But you're gonna have to fill me in about it when we're done with this." With his attention turned back to Leon, he did not notice Ririka's surprise at his shotgun, nor was he of the mind to comment on it.
Even if he himself had questions about the sword.
Whatever weapons Hyousuke and his allies used, they did the trick. It wasn't long before Leon's body gave out and collapsed, though even with him supposedly neutralised, Hyousuke kept the barrel of his gun trained on his foe. Then, when he was certain that Leon was no longer a threat, and Ichika had hoisted him up, he turned the barrel back to the members of Strega. He didn't even attempt to hide how much he distrusted them - Takaya for the park incident, Niko for various others, and Jun by association.
"We're leaving. You lot try anything I don't like, and I'm pulling the trigger. Got it?" He asked, his voice a threatening snarl.
He then glanced to Magus, and fixed her with a stern - though not hostile - look.
"And you... No idea who you are, but thanks for the help. Magus, ain't it?" There was an edge to his words, though not directed at her. Whether they were the result of him coming down from a battle high, or lingering tensions with Strega putting him on edge, he did not think to make clear.
<Pose Tracker> Misato Fushihara has posed.
"You should be more worried about him. ...But I echo the sentiment." Magus replies to Ririka.
Leon says evil must be stopped.
"Then stop me, hero." Magus replies. He's struck. He declares his intent to judge them, to remove all who would hurt the weak... Magus backpedals, bracing herself. It feels like something big is coming...!
...But before he can finish it, Leon collapses. The Persona can puppet him no longer. She watches him carefully... but he doesn't seem about to get up. She straightens up, returning her weapons to her cloak. She looks toward Ririka.
"Good. So it got through." She replies, then looks toward Ichika. Heroes...
"They're too unreliable for me to put my trust in. I don't plan on waiting for one, either." Magus replies to Ichika. It seems they agree, at least that much. She looks toward Hyousuke, then, offering him a similar assessing look.
"That's right." She confirms with a nod. "I heard them calling you 'Suzuki'. ...You fight well."
For now, the Velvet Room. Magus nods, when she says there's one on the way in. "In that case, I'll accompany you - just in case he wakes up before we get there."
She doesn't need the refresher on Navigators, but she listens all the same. It saves her from having to talk about herself.
<Pose Tracker> Niko Kirisaki has posed.
It's hard not to notice what the Joker Persona is doing to Leon as the fight drags out. If it even is a Persona. Niko may not know a lot about it all works, but she's pretty sure you're supposed to be the one who calls on your Persona's power. That Persona just seemed to be doing whatever it wants, making Leon suffer for it. Her bearing, however, seems far from concerned by it all when Leon's body gives out.
"Borrowed power, huh. Rough deal." She stretches herself out. "And sooo disappointing. I was expecting like a sequel to the Joker Killer, but this isn't like his deal at all."
Non-plussed by Hyousuke's threat, she just shrugs a little. "C'mon man, no need for any for that. We were just here because it seemed interesting. Turns out it wasn't. Oh well."
She looks over to Ririka, still entirely unconcerned. "You're still not over that? Man. You really need to learn about burying the hatchet, Rika-chan. You're not gonna keep any friends that way."
She starts to calmly saunter away with her arms behind her head, but turns around after a few steps. "You know, a little birdy" - Jin - "told me SEES was involved with the Joker Killer's death. You don't see me giving you shit about that, do you? Think about that. C'mon Jin-- oh." There's a dotted outline where Jin once stood. "Well sor-ry for boring you!" she calls down the hallway as she stomps out after him.