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Libra's Lament, a Magical Girl Quest [Complete]
- Thread starter Naron
- Start date
- Original
- Location
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
To be fair, most of those "shiny distractions" turned out to be integral to gameplay, and some in particular I would have liked to get earlier.
If we're talking hindsight-induced restructuring of purchases, I would have rushed into purchasing lots of things for Moon rather than getting Super Abilities for Sun - mostly because Sun was the only one at the time to have her big numbers obviously presented, while Moon with her two Supers would have covered for Sun's weaknesses.
Sun would have gotten her Scorching Sunlight 15 and Supernova 10 early on then, probably with Neverending Sunlight. But her weapons and defenses would have stayed at 10/5/5 or so.
And Moon would have gotten Mistress of the Tide and pushed her Veil to its limits. Making it safe to always have Ludger around (and probably getting his chompers to 20 already with 8'000-170'000 damage range).
EDIT 1. After reviewing first 4 reader mode pages, there are exactly three changes we could have done to be better.
1) Generally speaking, the only mistake we've made was the plan against Queen of Darkness. Should have gone with a KISS approach to hold out on the first turn then team up to strike on the second. We could have won.
1.5) The one premature shiny was All is Equal bought a couple updates prior. 250 exp better spent on Moon Health would have also done the trick.
2) After Transcending Battle and going onward to Exalted Moonlight, we got Moon's Veil, Sun's Scepter 10 (approved), Sunlight 7-9 and Incandescent Armor (70+80+300)... Had we purchased Shining Protector and (present at the time) Radiant Conductor (200+180) instead of Incandescent Armor and Scorching Sunlight 8-9, it could have gone better.
2.4) As Radiant Conductor would have given Moon ability to siphon up to 25% of Scorching Sunlight damage and hold it for up to 2 turns as boost to her Scepter, it would have given us incentive to split Sun and Moon into Flying Artillery and Flying Brick types.
2.7) And Shining Protector would have given us incentive to aim for Moon as defense-provider, and to get Mistress of the Tide early.
3) Also, we would have likely bought back 9th level of Sunlight prior to March of the Seasons, guaranteeing no change in outcome.
At the time it was Sun 10/5/5 and Moon 5/12 on weapon and defenses, as well as Sunlight 9 and Moonlight 8. And Flight 4 on both.
And we had both 1023 exp by end of March of the Seasons up from 133, and IIRC Mistress of the Tide was fresh in the Shop, costing 700 exp (and all prerequisites bought already had the changes been made).
1.5) The one premature shiny was All is Equal bought a couple updates prior. 250 exp better spent on Moon Health would have also done the trick.
2) After Transcending Battle and going onward to Exalted Moonlight, we got Moon's Veil, Sun's Scepter 10 (approved), Sunlight 7-9 and Incandescent Armor (70+80+300)... Had we purchased Shining Protector and (present at the time) Radiant Conductor (200+180) instead of Incandescent Armor and Scorching Sunlight 8-9, it could have gone better.
2.4) As Radiant Conductor would have given Moon ability to siphon up to 25% of Scorching Sunlight damage and hold it for up to 2 turns as boost to her Scepter, it would have given us incentive to split Sun and Moon into Flying Artillery and Flying Brick types.
2.7) And Shining Protector would have given us incentive to aim for Moon as defense-provider, and to get Mistress of the Tide early.
3) Also, we would have likely bought back 9th level of Sunlight prior to March of the Seasons, guaranteeing no change in outcome.
At the time it was Sun 10/5/5 and Moon 5/12 on weapon and defenses, as well as Sunlight 9 and Moonlight 8. And Flight 4 on both.
And we had both 1023 exp by end of March of the Seasons up from 133, and IIRC Mistress of the Tide was fresh in the Shop, costing 700 exp (and all prerequisites bought already had the changes been made).
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Incidentally I just realized she cast Summon Evil Twin on us except we're already each other's Evil Twins. 
Downright diplomatic really.
Got the voices right? I figured Small Rico won't need to say anything, she already knows.
Also haha, Godlike Strength is a little funny coming from miss "slightly pudgy" not that long ago.
Good thing she ran into this relatively merciful lot or she'd have been killed before anything could be done.
*Sisterly Judging Intensifies Again*
Come on Big Rico, be a little classier.
Though I wonder how tall they are compared to Bianca.
[] Go on a 'date' with Ming
WAFFs. I think Ming feels kind of bad that things ended up like that, so this is sort of apology and also letting HER get some play time as well.
*Vaguely wonders if this means she's aiming at joining the Hivemind*
[] Help out with a new building they are constructing
Mainly an Eva thing. Godlike Strength can do a fair bit of bulk hauling. Still, nothing a crane couldn't do.
[] Assist with patrolling the countryside until all three factions are done unifying their border patrols.
For security, though from what I can tell there isn't really a major need for something, though at the same time Ana DOES make a good border patrol with a decent fly speed and sensor powers.
But of course, with our luck it might well just FUBAR into something.
Depends on how paranoid we're feeling today.
(Unlocked Level 2 Character Sheet: Magical Girl Forsaken God)
What'd Magical Good Boy buy? I think its a rankup. Didn't notice a new ability.
Good thing we practiced control or she'd have been a red stain.
Well...its pretty low key for a magical girl scuffle.
Downright diplomatic really.
@Naron
Got the voices right? I figured Small Rico won't need to say anything, she already knows.
Also haha, Godlike Strength is a little funny coming from miss "slightly pudgy" not that long ago.
*Sisterly Judging Intensifies*
These things just happen. You get used to it, Ming.
Perhaps we should suplex her for being a bad girl?
A bit. Looks classier than puking on them though.
...so she was acting edgier than she really was?
It sounds a lot like she was taught negotiations by an internet badass, and she's never been challenged by someone who could take her, since that stance works only as long as you're the supreme power in every exchange.
Good thing she ran into this relatively merciful lot or she'd have been killed before anything could be done.
Unfortunate side effect of being a hp based meatwall. Takes a lot for others to fill you back up.
I somewhat doubt that. Styx's particular combination of being just badass enough that nobody wanted to push her and that dumb stunt of refusing everything, AND Ming being unwilling to be too pushy means they'd have been stuck like that for a while.
*Sisterly Judging Intensifies Again*
Come on Big Rico, be a little classier.
I dunno, twice as many twins is only a good thing.
Though I wonder how tall they are compared to Bianca.
[] Go on a 'date' with Ming
WAFFs. I think Ming feels kind of bad that things ended up like that, so this is sort of apology and also letting HER get some play time as well.
*Vaguely wonders if this means she's aiming at joining the Hivemind*
[] Help out with a new building they are constructing
Mainly an Eva thing. Godlike Strength can do a fair bit of bulk hauling. Still, nothing a crane couldn't do.
[] Assist with patrolling the countryside until all three factions are done unifying their border patrols.
For security, though from what I can tell there isn't really a major need for something, though at the same time Ana DOES make a good border patrol with a decent fly speed and sensor powers.
But of course, with our luck it might well just FUBAR into something.
Depends on how paranoid we're feeling today.
Say, what does Ludger think of this?
(Unlocked Level 2 Character Sheet: Magical Girl Forsaken God)
Mikuru Beamu~
Definitely Area Boss material
- Location
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
He ranked up Leviathan Bite (weapon) from 1 to 10 (450 exp).
This made him go from 400 DMG 100 MM and 900 max damage due to Layer of Sunlight, to 4000 DMG 1000 MM and (4000+1000+10*4000)=45'000 max damage, and a decent chance (73.1%) of at least (4000+269+2.69*4000)≈15'000 damage.
Yep, such is the bullshit of Layer of Sunlight with a scaling Magic Modifier.
No new abilities though.
A few more benchmarks:
Leviathan Bite 15: 6000 minimum, 97'500 maximum, ≈30'000 for rolls at slightly above 25% MM.
Leviathan Bite 20: 8000 minimum, 170'000 maximum, ≈50'000 for rolls at slightly above 25% MM.
Leviathan Bite 25: 10'000 minimum, 262'500 maximum, ≈75'000 for rolls at slightly above 25% MM.
Leviathan Bite 30: 12'000 minimum, 375'000 maximum, ≈105'000 for rolls at slightly above 25% MM.
EDIT: Forgot to ask - source of Forsaken God, what is it?
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NHO
Dumb is a state of existence
- Location
- ᓚᘏᗢ
And needs to be hit three times in a turn to be put down, or he shrugs everything.
- Location
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
Up to 4 and above if the damage is a multiple of (501-666)*2^n.
And up to infinity times if Moon is on the field, because that reduces not-insignificant damage to him to negligible damage to her.
Like I said, hindsight-driven purchases should have given us Shining Protector and Mistress of the Tide as early as after the Kibo night battle in lieu of Veil of the Solar Goddess, having us bring him into China and getting him EXP then.
He would have been present during the Lost Cradle mission and would have tackle-KO'd Supreme Tech, leaving us with Eclipsing Paladin and him protecting us from Brave Heart as we took her down.
...We didn't really have many combat missions did we? Just three missions, with two, three, and again three real opponents so far.
Well also one free-for-all with Nightmare Child (probably could have had Scorching Sunlight 15 if were focused).
He would have been present during the Lost Cradle mission and would have tackle-KO'd Supreme Tech, leaving us with Eclipsing Paladin and him protecting us from Brave Heart as we took her down.
...We didn't really have many combat missions did we? Just three missions, with two, three, and again three real opponents so far.
Well also one free-for-all with Nightmare Child (probably could have had Scorching Sunlight 15 if were focused).
[X] Go on a 'date' with Ming
- Location
- Earth
Yes, you got them right.
Maybe a tiny bit smaller than her, though they are still growing.
His thoughts can be summed up as Woof Woof Pant Woof... I think. This should be about right.
Ludger has only one Ability lying around in his Shop, which is plenty expensive. Due to @justinkal making their point on Discord, I instead spent some of his EXP on his weapon. Which means the path to that Ability got longer again.
What source?
Edit: Oh, if you mean where her appearance was
I prefer quality over quantity.
That aside, be aware that if you had tried to cheese everything with Ludger, I would have punished you severely.
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If anything we might be a little too careful with him. He's best doggo and will not be risked unduly!
- Location
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
Thanks for image source, good thing you spent EXP on the weapon, and...
I wasn't goint to just cheese it with Ludger. More like, in hindsight I would have probably made a split of Sun getting no Veil but getting her Sunlight up to 15, Moon getting Mistress of the Tide and Radiant Conductor then focusing on Veil (primary) and Moonlight (secondary), and Ludger being the bodyguard to lower Moon's health loss and to deal with close combat heavy hitters.
China mission got carried by our companions anyway so you can't exactly punish us for it. I assume Leviathan Bite 5 could have been given here, and 2021-12500 damage would have been enough to work on Brave Heart and on Supreme Tech (tackle her into knockout in an amazing spinning cannonball).
Dealing with Brave Heart and Paladin would have been difficult though. Probably requiring us to still purchase Baleful Eclipse, and sending Ludger to open up Brave Heart to Radiant Conductor empowered Moon Scepter. Luckily the wording of RC was "up to 25%" so Moon damage was effectively variable. Still, Paladin was indeed a threat at the time.
Finally, this battle. You explicitly removed Ludger from Twins Showdown. Had we tried to go there we'd have been creamed. Sunlight 15 and Veil 20 do not (effective) winners make. Though with Eclipse 13-15 and likely Neverending Sunlight and improved Supernova (10-ish) we'd have probably managed to go Supernova or Scorching Sunlight on Guardian, get hit by Rogue, then Baleful Eclipse Rogue into submission.
Resulting in Guardian triggering her Super Mode and hitting us for massive damage.
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- Location
- Earth
I saw several people talk about doing it before, though. You could have tried, you still could try.
So I rather say it now to be able to point back here and note you were warned if you actually do try.
Now he's finally got the ability to do some real damage, in addition to being nearly invincible!
So that the rest of you understand why this is EXP well spent, here's some damage numbers for Ludger's Total Damage before and now when he's not using Overwhelm.
- Level 1 Minimum: 405 Damage
- Level 1 Average: 652 Damage
- Level 1 Maximum: 900 Damage
- Level 10 Minimum: 4,041 Damage
- Level 10 Average: 24,520 Damage
- Level 10 Maximum: 45,000 Damage
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- Location
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
Just have Eva use the Fastball Special. Sonic Corgi guaranteed.
Godlike Strength (soft mechanics effects) + Superior Discipline makes it a very fast throw.
Anyone has that gif of Rocket Propelled Zwei?
- Location
- behind you
Sadly I dont have it and I am too lazy to search for it. .... Why I am waiting now too see a Ruby, Qrow and Oobleck in this quest? ARRRRRGHHHHHHHHH!
- Location
- Earth
Here you go:
I do have a Ruby-themed Magical Girl, but she was not made for Libra.
If she was included, her and Rogue would have a duel over who is better (spoiler: It's not Rogue)
- Location
- Ekaterinburg, Russia
Huh, really now?Here you go:
I do have a Ruby-themed Magical Girl, but she was not made for Libra.
If she was included, her and Rogue would have a duel over who is better (spoiler: It's not Rogue)
I am kinda surprised about that, she'd have to have (eyeballing it) a mode change weapon, a Speed Affinity, and an absolutely ridiculous Super Mode to overcome Rogue with sheer speed even against Unmatched Skill and teleport spam.
Edit: unless you also played with Silver Eyes...
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- Location
- Earth
To be fair, Rogue is at her most powerful here and I have not statted out this particular girl for high level. The few things I have written down for her already show her powerful, though. Such as the original version of No Opening Too Small, which I stole for Rogue with slight changes, knowing that they will never exist in the same setting.
Interlude - Meanwhile in America
- Location
- Earth
Fort Wayne was what they called it, but Kaede only saw ruins. No fort in sight anywhere, not that she would have cared much.
For all the fun talking to conservative people like this court was, she needed the break; just sitting around in silence for an hour or two, contemplating her choices and decisions. What made it even better was that doing this was helping her task; Sam, Magical Girl Platinum Throne, had frequent trouble with rogue Magical Girls intruding on her territory.
Some, like that weird chick Arbiter Fane living off to the west, were happy just settling down somewhere and being left alone. Some others she could recruit... and then there were a few like the one Kaede herself was here for. The platinum throne had received several notifications about a previously unseen intruder; she wandered the land and spoke to no one, staying to herself but also never taking from anyone. Fair enough, they had thought. One of Sam's retainers went to talk to her... only to get shot at as he neared. It was only a warning shot, but the message was clear.
Then they sent that Gavin person in. Nice fellow, if a bit stiff. Also indestructible by day, and Kaede knew this by heart; she checked with her fists, after all. He lost that spar anyway, though; being indestructible is useless if your opponent can just wait you out.
Or, in this other girl's case, she simply evaded him and ran off at speeds not even their horses could match. So far they refused to bring in lethal force because she had done nothing to them, but she was traveling ever closer to the platinum throne's stronghold, Detroit. The center of Samantha's empire.
So, nice person that she was, Kaede had volunteered to try talking to her... okay, that was a lie. She already assessed all the retainers and found them lacking, none of them particularly interesting as an opponent. The boss girl herself refused to spar with her and she already beat up her brat of a sister after she tried to be condescending once too much.
For Kaede, the funniest part about that afternoon was how Sam actually thanked her in private for disciplining her sister.
All in all, diplomacy was going well... and exactly that bugged her. There was no one here she could hope to actually fight and Kaede was itching for a good fight; she actually had done so for a while now. Her friends had most of the diplomacing down pat, she mostly decided to come along because she was hoping for some trouble she could beat down.
And when the girl came in sight, she could feel her tail starting to wag in excitement.
Maneuvering the battlefield for as long as she did, Transcendent Strength knew exactly how to read an opponent. The one she now saw approaching was... skilled. Very skilled and very dangerous. A thin, muscled frame shrouded by just a tiny sweater. Sharp blue eyes had already spied her, narrowing slightly in response; they were still a hundred metres apart, an open field between them amidst all the ruins. Kaede raised her hand in greeting, spreading steel fingers as far as possible to signal her intentions of not wanting to start a fight before they talked.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Platinum Throne and all of her retainers had gathered nearby to keep an eye on this exchange. With them were the other three envoys, though none of them looked particularly concerned about their leader. Samantha had seen Strength fight, yet she could not understand why those girls were so nonchalant. Her own retainers were always worried when she decided to go into battle herself, even though she came out on top every time.
Perhaps it is because they are all adults.
It was the only explanation she had, seeing that Strength out there never showed much more power than what the young queen herself could bring to bear.
"You really aren't concerned at all?" Her brother Samuel's voice cut through the silence. His question was directed at the three outsiders, whose gazes turned to him for a moment... before going back to the scene far below. The oldest one, Spring's Dream, offered a response while the other two nodded in agreement: "I am one of the Four Seasons, a group that brings the chaos of small natural disasters with every one member. I fought many battles, many monsters, many heroes. Except for one, none were like Strength; if this girl seeks a fight, she will lose."
Down below the steep hills, the two girls had finally reached each other and Kaede appreciatively let her eyes roam for a moment.
Then she forced them back up, ignoring the frivolous amount of exposed belly and legs. A sideway glance went to the large cannon her new acquaintance carried on one shoulder before she spoke, though: "Yo, nice to meet you. Are you around often?"
The other girl did not react to the joke, so Strength dropped her own smirk with a sigh. "Alright, alright."
She did not like the vibes this girl was giving off. If her opponent was scared and hurt like that, fighting them was not as good as it could be. Not that she was not going to fight.
"... why can't you people just leave me alone?"
Kaede blinked a few times while processing the accusation, then pointed one finger over her shoulder. "You mean the middle ages people? I'm not with them, just here to negotiate with them. What brings you here?"
"..."
No response; to make it worse, Kaede could read more than enough out of this girl's body language. She was a formidable fighter without doubt, but the rest of her...
"Look, I mean no harm, but I've got to ask. Those guys aren't that bad and you have been coming right at their home, so of course they get worried if you don't talk to them."
"Their home? ... that way?"
She pointed in the same direction Kaede had indicated before, to which the smaller girl nodded. "Yup, that way. Let me guess, you're going to go elsewhere now?"
"Yes. I don't want anything to do with anyone."
"..."
Now it was for Kaede to sigh; she really wanted to scratch her head right now, but each of her fingers was currently big enough to cover half of it. She heard this kind of thing before and even thought it before. At least she could easily get her to fight and help her at the same time. It just needed the right words. But for now... she needed to stop the other girl from leaving. "No can do."
Her opponent-to-be stopped to turn a glare at the smaller girl, which did little to faze her. If anything, it only made Strength's anticipation rise. "No human can be happy without anyone. We're social creatures by our very nature."
"Our nature brought this fucking war," the taller girl drawled in response. "Leave me-"
(Heartbreaker: +12000 Base Damage, +14 dice = 12,014 Total Damage
Attack negated.
Azure disarmed, counter attack failed)
"-alo-huh?!"
She drew and swung her sword while making her demand, yet the swing was easily redirected, passing by right before the large zipper on Kaede's chest. She immediately turned her wrist for another swing, only to realise the weapon was no longer there. Kaede offered a catlike smirk while waving the weapon with her mechanical tail; it elongated with clacking noises before constricting around the thin, smooth blade. "You know... I like your spirit, but I don't like your words. Refusing to believe things can get better makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy. But whatever, what's your name? I'm Transcendent Strength."
Up top, their observers were stumped as to how this happened; maybe half of them was perceptive enough to even see how fast Strength's tail lashed out to bring the attack off course. What confused the court even more was the fact their unnamed intruder reluctantly shook their guest's hand, her delicate limb vanishing completely within Strength's hand of steel.
"Unwavering Azure," the girl said, giving Kaede another hint to go off of. Fast, comparably strong and with an iron will. That was her impression. She did not even mind the immediate dismissal afterward. "I still disagree with you, though. If you would just let me- Hm?"
Kaede raised one hand with her palm flat and pointed at Azure, a universal gesture to ask for a moment. Then she sighed and gave the girl a flat look. "I will be honest here, we aren't going to agree on this matter, at least not just like that. So I'm going to use one of my big sister's strategies. Step one is punching you in the face, step two is hugging you. So prepare yourself, my dear. Today," the smaller girl closed with a predatory smile, "defeat means friendship."
Her opponent's eyes dilated and she immediately jumped backward, only for a shockwave to follow right after her and rupture the ground where she was landing; Azure twisted her body around to do a flip over the torn earth, but another shockwave messed up her footing. Kaede dropped her captured weapon onto the grass and made to pursue, fists pulling back and snapping forward to produce yet another shockwave. Her opponent only had a gun left, so she must not let her take distance between them.
Jessica's next spin finally allowed her onto yet undisturbed ground and she pushed herself off, away from the nearing juggernaut. Her Rainmaker was directed with one hand and the girl carefully waited for the right moment while taking up speed. When Strength next pulled back her fist to stop her short, the girl smirked and fired. If only she had seen the much more feral smirk directed her way, she might have guessed the second shockwave coming to send bullets flying everywhere.
(Intercept!
Modifier Roll: 59
Rainmaker: +12000 Base Damage, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku = 179,000 Total Damage Attack Negated
Essence of Pain: +33600 Base Damage, +9000 Overwhelm, +42000 Godlike Strength, -20000 Shockwave, -40000 Not Aimed At Target, + 1140 dice = 25,740 Total Damage
25,740 Difference, Essence of Pain wins! Sunder negated because Rainmaker was not hit.
Essence of Pain: +25740 Intercept Damage, +25740 Punch Through, +25740 Queen of the Mighty, +32175 Godlike Strength, +3161 dice = 112,556 Total Damage
Unwavering Azure:+50 Base Resilience, +8 dice = 58 Total Damage Reduction Unstoppable
112,556 Total End Damage
The Insurmountable Gap triggers!
225,112 Total End Damage
I Refuse: Damage Negated
No damage)
A current of air violently made the hail scatter, planting deadly lead into the ground left and right. Jessica did not know what happened next. First she was running, gunning, and trying to get distance... then she was flying, together with pieces of debris thrown into the air by the pure force that impacted the ground. Pain cursed through her body even though magic repelled the shockwave itself; it still thought it was hit when impacing with something like that.
No, that was no actual impact.
The thought wormed its way into her mind while Jessica twisted and aimed her cannon at the -once again- charging girl. As it started to bellow and produce more bullets to fill the air, Jessica wondered how a girl that small could be so terrifying an opponent.
(Modifier Roll:100 10 due to difficult position
Rainmaker: +12000 Base Damage, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku = 72,000 Total Damage
Transcendent Strength: +13600 Base Resilience, +200 Saw it Coming, +2720 Speed Gap, +3570 dice = 20,090 Total Damage Reduction
51,910 Total End Damage
Last of the Trinity: 2, no negation
Last of the Trinity (50%): 25,955 Total End Damage
Transcendent Strength Health: 138,600 - 25,955 = 112,645)
It was insane to watch from the outside. Despite having been sent flying, the intruder managed to twist around and lie down a whole volley of steel; the force she shot with was so great her weapon propelled her further into the air and away from her opponent, right into the maze of buildings surrounding them.
Samantha, Platinum Throne, however looked at Transcendent Strength. She knew full well that most of her own would be easily felled by a hail of lead like this one, yet this girl did not even slow down in pursuit. She simply grabbed for the ground and pulled herself forward, after the fleeing Magical Girl, ignoring the faint trail of red splatters following her or the earth she tore with her hands.
While Azure had to jump over buildings and care not to lose her footing, Kaede simply bulldozed through old wood and brittle stone without slowing down. She chose right to wait for her opponent in the middle of a township, making it more difficult for her to build up speed. Although now that she lost her temporarily, Kaede knew she needed to bring out the big guns lest she lose her prey.
"Bullet Hell!"
Her hands clicked as bullets were pushed into place, muzzles opening in each fingertip before a hidden mechanism started to rotate. Nice.
Oh how she loved getting extra ammunition from her magic. Her fingers spread further and she made sure to give a proper response for the tide of steel Azure tried to drown her in before.
(Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, -25500 Widespread Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +592 dice = 153,592 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, -25500 Widespread Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +8421 dice = 161,421 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, -25500 Widespread Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +7283 dice = 160,283 Damage
Echo: 1, No Echo
475,296 Unified Damage, x3 Hail of Lead = 1,425,888 Total Damage
Nearby Town: Blown to pieces
Unwavering Azure: +50 Base Resilience, +103 dice = 153 Total Damage Reduction
1,425,735 Total End Damage
The Insurmountable Gap (x2): 2,851,470 Total End Damage
I Refuse: Damage Negated
No Damage)
Where Azure's shots had been carefully aimed and precise even while she was incompromised, Kaede's were bigger and more brutal than any bullet she could fit into her little toy. She twirled around twice to make sure to hit absolutely everything around, bringing Armageddon over every last building, tree and hill within hundreds of metres easily. Where one bullet punched through them, dozens and hundreds followed to riddle everything but the earth and the heavens with holes.
When the dust settled, her eyes easily found Azure picking herself out of the rubble. The taller girl quickly swerved her head to find Kaede, who waved cheerfully before starting toward her.
Soon the chase got out of Samantha's sight; only one of them managed to follow them further than a kilometre... but even he was too shocked to comment on it much. They had all seen what just happened and the young queen was still too shocked to even be indignant. Something like that, so much power wielded so casually, was enough to end her reign in but one swoop and annihilate near anyone. Strength knew this, even asked whether there was anyone living nearby and only accepting the location after she was told no.
Magical Girl Platinum Throne sat down on the dirty stone without another word, eyes closed and in contemplation. The others left her alone, though their guests exchanged knowing looks.
Jessica ran, but did not dare using her full speed; something kept nagging at the back of her head, a quiet voice asking why she was running; this girl, Strength, she wanted to be friends. One foot pushed down into another trench so she rolled out of it with her remaining momentum, carefully considering another salvo. The first one was basically meaningless, though a moment of focus would be enough to end this.
But... she did not want to end this. Adrenaline pumped through her veins like never before, a heart used to battle beating with newfound intensity. She had fought often since awakening, but never someone like her. Bandits, guards, travelers, so many... and she left alone any that did not mean harm. This one... this one also meant no harm, ultimately.
For some perverse reason, Jessica found herself starting to enjoy this battle against an opponent who could murder her with a casual flick of her wrist. The excitement of the next second, predicting and reacting to Strength's attacks... it was elating.
This tangent cost her, as yet another shockwave impacted the ground and made her stumble to the ground; while falling, Jessica saw how far Strength fell behind by now. She almost shook her off and still, somehow, she felt dread at looking upon how those hands moved.
Then this dread reaffirmed itself because the other girl slowed down; Jessica pulled on her Rainmaker to stop the fall and twist back onto her feet, but she could hear the words being spoken behind her back: "Bullet Hell!"
She heard them before and knew what was coming. Yet she was not at all prepared for it.
(Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +2677 dice = 181,177 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +2573 dice = 181,073 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +6292 dice = 185,192 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +8169 dice = 186,669 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +8296 dice = 186,796 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +191 dice = 178,691 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +1314 dice = 179,814 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +3428 dice = 181,928 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +4896 dice = 183,396 Damage
Echo: 1, No Echo
1,644,736 Unified Damage, x3 Hail of Lead = 4,934,208 Total Damage
Unwavering Azure: +50 Base Resilience, +126 dice = 176 Total Damage Reduction
4,934,032 Total End Damage
The Insurmountable Gap (x2): 9,868,064 Total End Damage
I Refuse: Damage Negated
No Damage)
What followed felt as if the world was ending. A terrifying stream of steel that put anything Jessica could ever create to shame; lead impacted her body in a torrent, sending spikes of pain into even the smallest parts of her as she was thrown backward like a doll with its strings cut. Grass, dirt, stone, wood, even the water of a nearby lake was cut away by this merciless hail that propelled her forward.
There was so much steel in the air, it even blotted out the afternoon sun and veiled everything below in darkness for a terrifying moment.
Jessica impacted the ground at meteoric speeds at the wave's head, any attempt to get her legs under her overwhelmed by pain. She even lost her grip on the Rainmaker, her trusted weapon lost somewhere on the way.
As pain threatened to overwhelm her mind and her will began to focus on keeping herself together, Jessica wavered. She wondered just why she even resisted in the first place. The prospect of having a friend again was... nice.
It was at this point that she stopped rolling sideways and came to lie quietly, staring up at the bright blue sky and waiting. Her body soon stopped hurting once it realised there were no wounds despite everything, yet she did not move. It was a first for her; mind and body never disagreed like that even before her transformation... or maybe it was mind and heart?
She only opened her eyes when she heard footsteps and the heavy clicking of machinery, turning them to look at Transcendent Strength. Then however, she saw what lay behind the tiny juggernaut: a trench metres deep and dozens of metres wide, gouged into the earth and vanishing behind the horizon. Strength stood in its center, a pleased smirk on her face.
Both girls pushed themselves up at the same time, though Strength took some extra height to get out of the trench. Jessica quietly took in her ruffled appearance, the now closed wounds where her outfit was torn. "...I give up. You win."
She stood here with no weapons, no damage dealt and no determination to continue this fight. Much to Jessica's confusion however, the smaller girl shook her head. "That's good to hear, but I still need to actually punch you."
Kaede's mirth grew once she saw understanding blossom in Azure's eyes; the other girl immediately became defensive, but relaxed after a moment. Then she sighed and stood straight. "Okay."
Success.
She won again, this time against someone who could have beaten her if she actually wanted to. And to commemorate the occasion, Kaede figured she should not use an ordinary punch. Azure's magic made her shrug off damage at times, no matter how much there was. Which meant it was time to use her trump card again. That was only fair toward a girl that strong. "Alright. Stay still."
Jessica knew something was wrong the moment Strength began to emit steam; her eyes became pools of molten amber, a flame burning from one of them like the power of her own spell did. Each digit on Strength's mechanical hands jerked back and clicked. Then... then the smaller girl offered her a gentle smile that was somehow far more terrifying than anything she showed before.
"One, two, EON CRUSHER!"
And suddenly, Jessica's existence became pain.
(Target is not mortal, Obliterate does not apply.
20,250,000 Unified Damage
Unwavering Azure:+50 Base Resilience Unstoppable, -66 Smited = 66 Extra Damage
20,250,066 Total End Damage
The Insurmountable Gap (x2): 40,500,132 Total End Damage
I Refuse: Damage negated
No Damage)
It was not one punch, it was dozens. Jessica could feel her magic struggling against the titanic force attempting to break her... no, to evaporate her with every strike. Shockwaves from each swing tore deep gouges into the countryside as they both sailed through the air; one was propelled by force, the other by her magic as the spell kept her in striking range. Each of Strength's swings let loose another miniature storm; small forests, hills, lakes, and ruins alike were erased as they went by until, finally, she landed her last punch and catapulted Jessica into the ground. Her body tore that apart as well and a moment later, the sonic boom reached her ears as sound finally caught up with them.
It took a long time until this pain faded, as if something had tried to rip her apart on a level deeper than ever before. Strength walked up and sat by her side in contemplative silence, though Jessica only took note of her without reacting. For now she just wanted to lie down and get her bearings, then... sleep. The last few months were tiring. It had been about as long since she had an actual conversation, too. It was harder than usual to power through the pain.
"You know... I know your magic did some trickery there, but you're still the first person to ever survive my Eon Crusher. Congratulations."
"...fuck you... too."
"That's the spirit!"
It was so surreal, so unbelievable how this situation had come to be. Jessica's feelings continued to roar around and contradict each other until the only thing left was to laugh. Laugh at the absurdity of it all.
She laughed for a long time before rolling up into a small bundle and falling asleep.
It was in the middle of night that the two girls returned, both pristine but also with content expressions on their faces; Unwavering Azure immediately detransformed once they entered the city of Detroit, revealing... a malnourished teenager. While Strength sighed, Samantha swallowed her tirade for a minute longer and basically ordered the girl into the dining hall. Then, once she had left, the young queen rounded on her guest with eyes narrowed so far they were barely visible any longer. "Do you have any idea what you did?"
"Um... terraforming?"
"How very funny. How far did your fight go?"
She memorised a map of the area and already dreaded the additional work this would have brought her. Samantha had thought long and hard about how to proceed before realising she was absolutely justified in being indignant. After talking to Spring's Dream in private to make sure she would not insult Strength, there was no holding back now. That resolve was stumped by shock over the response she got, though: "Well, that sign I saw said 'Indianapolis', I think?"
Indianapolis. Abandoned but still useful. Almost two hundred kilometres from Fort Wayne, where they started. How in the world, she wondered, did they fight until over there?
It also meant a lot of work. Rivers they disrupted had to be rerouted, streets and maybe even bridges needed to be (re-)built... but first of all, she had to assess the damages starting tomorrow. Sam could already feel the vein on her forehead throbbing, though that was only a reminder of how she felt right now.
Sun dawned when Kaede finally left the queen's presence. Some repercussions, a lot of lecturing... that was worth it in her opinion. She had a good fight and made a new friend. And, most of all, she managed to save yet another girl.
"I'm surprised that girl is still alive," a high female voice interrupted those thoughts. A little to the side stood Dame Martha, clad in full armour despite the early hour. Platinum Throne's younger sister, the very same brat Kaede beat up just two days ago. "I wouldn't have thought you to be more than a brute."
Kaede wondered if this was supposed to be a compliment, but ultimately did not care much. She just shrugged and rubbed her tired eyes. "Not every fight is fought with your fists. Azure... Jessica would have easily destroyed me in a fair fight with no holds barred, but she wasn't her best yesterday. I got to put some more doubts into her mind beforehand, so she lost to herself first. It was the truth, mind, but this just shows how much power words have over others."
"Well said. My apologies for my previous behaviour."
Strength just offered a weak "heh" in response before wandering past the younger girl and giving her shoulder a friendly clap. "It's fine."
With that, she left the girl to find her new friend.
For all the fun talking to conservative people like this court was, she needed the break; just sitting around in silence for an hour or two, contemplating her choices and decisions. What made it even better was that doing this was helping her task; Sam, Magical Girl Platinum Throne, had frequent trouble with rogue Magical Girls intruding on her territory.
Some, like that weird chick Arbiter Fane living off to the west, were happy just settling down somewhere and being left alone. Some others she could recruit... and then there were a few like the one Kaede herself was here for. The platinum throne had received several notifications about a previously unseen intruder; she wandered the land and spoke to no one, staying to herself but also never taking from anyone. Fair enough, they had thought. One of Sam's retainers went to talk to her... only to get shot at as he neared. It was only a warning shot, but the message was clear.
Then they sent that Gavin person in. Nice fellow, if a bit stiff. Also indestructible by day, and Kaede knew this by heart; she checked with her fists, after all. He lost that spar anyway, though; being indestructible is useless if your opponent can just wait you out.
Or, in this other girl's case, she simply evaded him and ran off at speeds not even their horses could match. So far they refused to bring in lethal force because she had done nothing to them, but she was traveling ever closer to the platinum throne's stronghold, Detroit. The center of Samantha's empire.
So, nice person that she was, Kaede had volunteered to try talking to her... okay, that was a lie. She already assessed all the retainers and found them lacking, none of them particularly interesting as an opponent. The boss girl herself refused to spar with her and she already beat up her brat of a sister after she tried to be condescending once too much.
For Kaede, the funniest part about that afternoon was how Sam actually thanked her in private for disciplining her sister.
All in all, diplomacy was going well... and exactly that bugged her. There was no one here she could hope to actually fight and Kaede was itching for a good fight; she actually had done so for a while now. Her friends had most of the diplomacing down pat, she mostly decided to come along because she was hoping for some trouble she could beat down.
And when the girl came in sight, she could feel her tail starting to wag in excitement.
Maneuvering the battlefield for as long as she did, Transcendent Strength knew exactly how to read an opponent. The one she now saw approaching was... skilled. Very skilled and very dangerous. A thin, muscled frame shrouded by just a tiny sweater. Sharp blue eyes had already spied her, narrowing slightly in response; they were still a hundred metres apart, an open field between them amidst all the ruins. Kaede raised her hand in greeting, spreading steel fingers as far as possible to signal her intentions of not wanting to start a fight before they talked.
Unbeknownst to either of them, Platinum Throne and all of her retainers had gathered nearby to keep an eye on this exchange. With them were the other three envoys, though none of them looked particularly concerned about their leader. Samantha had seen Strength fight, yet she could not understand why those girls were so nonchalant. Her own retainers were always worried when she decided to go into battle herself, even though she came out on top every time.
Perhaps it is because they are all adults.
It was the only explanation she had, seeing that Strength out there never showed much more power than what the young queen herself could bring to bear.
"You really aren't concerned at all?" Her brother Samuel's voice cut through the silence. His question was directed at the three outsiders, whose gazes turned to him for a moment... before going back to the scene far below. The oldest one, Spring's Dream, offered a response while the other two nodded in agreement: "I am one of the Four Seasons, a group that brings the chaos of small natural disasters with every one member. I fought many battles, many monsters, many heroes. Except for one, none were like Strength; if this girl seeks a fight, she will lose."
Down below the steep hills, the two girls had finally reached each other and Kaede appreciatively let her eyes roam for a moment.
Then she forced them back up, ignoring the frivolous amount of exposed belly and legs. A sideway glance went to the large cannon her new acquaintance carried on one shoulder before she spoke, though: "Yo, nice to meet you. Are you around often?"
The other girl did not react to the joke, so Strength dropped her own smirk with a sigh. "Alright, alright."
She did not like the vibes this girl was giving off. If her opponent was scared and hurt like that, fighting them was not as good as it could be. Not that she was not going to fight.
"... why can't you people just leave me alone?"
Kaede blinked a few times while processing the accusation, then pointed one finger over her shoulder. "You mean the middle ages people? I'm not with them, just here to negotiate with them. What brings you here?"
"..."
No response; to make it worse, Kaede could read more than enough out of this girl's body language. She was a formidable fighter without doubt, but the rest of her...
"Look, I mean no harm, but I've got to ask. Those guys aren't that bad and you have been coming right at their home, so of course they get worried if you don't talk to them."
"Their home? ... that way?"
She pointed in the same direction Kaede had indicated before, to which the smaller girl nodded. "Yup, that way. Let me guess, you're going to go elsewhere now?"
"Yes. I don't want anything to do with anyone."
"..."
Now it was for Kaede to sigh; she really wanted to scratch her head right now, but each of her fingers was currently big enough to cover half of it. She heard this kind of thing before and even thought it before. At least she could easily get her to fight and help her at the same time. It just needed the right words. But for now... she needed to stop the other girl from leaving. "No can do."
Her opponent-to-be stopped to turn a glare at the smaller girl, which did little to faze her. If anything, it only made Strength's anticipation rise. "No human can be happy without anyone. We're social creatures by our very nature."
"Our nature brought this fucking war," the taller girl drawled in response. "Leave me-"
(
Attack negated.
Azure disarmed, counter attack failed)
"-alo-huh?!"
She drew and swung her sword while making her demand, yet the swing was easily redirected, passing by right before the large zipper on Kaede's chest. She immediately turned her wrist for another swing, only to realise the weapon was no longer there. Kaede offered a catlike smirk while waving the weapon with her mechanical tail; it elongated with clacking noises before constricting around the thin, smooth blade. "You know... I like your spirit, but I don't like your words. Refusing to believe things can get better makes it a self-fulfilling prophecy. But whatever, what's your name? I'm Transcendent Strength."
Up top, their observers were stumped as to how this happened; maybe half of them was perceptive enough to even see how fast Strength's tail lashed out to bring the attack off course. What confused the court even more was the fact their unnamed intruder reluctantly shook their guest's hand, her delicate limb vanishing completely within Strength's hand of steel.
"Unwavering Azure," the girl said, giving Kaede another hint to go off of. Fast, comparably strong and with an iron will. That was her impression. She did not even mind the immediate dismissal afterward. "I still disagree with you, though. If you would just let me- Hm?"
Kaede raised one hand with her palm flat and pointed at Azure, a universal gesture to ask for a moment. Then she sighed and gave the girl a flat look. "I will be honest here, we aren't going to agree on this matter, at least not just like that. So I'm going to use one of my big sister's strategies. Step one is punching you in the face, step two is hugging you. So prepare yourself, my dear. Today," the smaller girl closed with a predatory smile, "defeat means friendship."
Her opponent's eyes dilated and she immediately jumped backward, only for a shockwave to follow right after her and rupture the ground where she was landing; Azure twisted her body around to do a flip over the torn earth, but another shockwave messed up her footing. Kaede dropped her captured weapon onto the grass and made to pursue, fists pulling back and snapping forward to produce yet another shockwave. Her opponent only had a gun left, so she must not let her take distance between them.
Jessica's next spin finally allowed her onto yet undisturbed ground and she pushed herself off, away from the nearing juggernaut. Her Rainmaker was directed with one hand and the girl carefully waited for the right moment while taking up speed. When Strength next pulled back her fist to stop her short, the girl smirked and fired. If only she had seen the much more feral smirk directed her way, she might have guessed the second shockwave coming to send bullets flying everywhere.
(Intercept!
Modifier Roll: 59
Essence of Pain: +33600 Base Damage, +9000 Overwhelm, +42000 Godlike Strength, -20000 Shockwave, -40000 Not Aimed At Target, + 1140 dice = 25,740 Total Damage
25,740 Difference, Essence of Pain wins! Sunder negated because Rainmaker was not hit.
Essence of Pain: +25740 Intercept Damage, +25740 Punch Through, +25740 Queen of the Mighty, +32175 Godlike Strength, +3161 dice = 112,556 Total Damage
Unwavering Azure:
112,556 Total End Damage
The Insurmountable Gap triggers!
225,112 Total End Damage
I Refuse: Damage Negated
No damage)
A current of air violently made the hail scatter, planting deadly lead into the ground left and right. Jessica did not know what happened next. First she was running, gunning, and trying to get distance... then she was flying, together with pieces of debris thrown into the air by the pure force that impacted the ground. Pain cursed through her body even though magic repelled the shockwave itself; it still thought it was hit when impacing with something like that.
No, that was no actual impact.
The thought wormed its way into her mind while Jessica twisted and aimed her cannon at the -once again- charging girl. As it started to bellow and produce more bullets to fill the air, Jessica wondered how a girl that small could be so terrifying an opponent.
(Modifier Roll:
Rainmaker: +12000 Base Damage, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku, +3000 Danmaku = 72,000 Total Damage
Transcendent Strength: +13600 Base Resilience, +200 Saw it Coming, +2720 Speed Gap, +3570 dice = 20,090 Total Damage Reduction
51,910 Total End Damage
Last of the Trinity: 2, no negation
Last of the Trinity (50%): 25,955 Total End Damage
Transcendent Strength Health: 138,600 - 25,955 = 112,645)
It was insane to watch from the outside. Despite having been sent flying, the intruder managed to twist around and lie down a whole volley of steel; the force she shot with was so great her weapon propelled her further into the air and away from her opponent, right into the maze of buildings surrounding them.
Samantha, Platinum Throne, however looked at Transcendent Strength. She knew full well that most of her own would be easily felled by a hail of lead like this one, yet this girl did not even slow down in pursuit. She simply grabbed for the ground and pulled herself forward, after the fleeing Magical Girl, ignoring the faint trail of red splatters following her or the earth she tore with her hands.
While Azure had to jump over buildings and care not to lose her footing, Kaede simply bulldozed through old wood and brittle stone without slowing down. She chose right to wait for her opponent in the middle of a township, making it more difficult for her to build up speed. Although now that she lost her temporarily, Kaede knew she needed to bring out the big guns lest she lose her prey.
"Bullet Hell!"
Her hands clicked as bullets were pushed into place, muzzles opening in each fingertip before a hidden mechanism started to rotate. Nice.
Oh how she loved getting extra ammunition from her magic. Her fingers spread further and she made sure to give a proper response for the tide of steel Azure tried to drown her in before.
(Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, -25500 Widespread Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +592 dice = 153,592 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, -25500 Widespread Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +8421 dice = 161,421 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, -25500 Widespread Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +7283 dice = 160,283 Damage
Echo: 1, No Echo
475,296 Unified Damage, x3 Hail of Lead = 1,425,888 Total Damage
Nearby Town: Blown to pieces
Unwavering Azure: +50 Base Resilience, +103 dice = 153 Total Damage Reduction
1,425,735 Total End Damage
The Insurmountable Gap (x2): 2,851,470 Total End Damage
I Refuse: Damage Negated
No Damage)
Where Azure's shots had been carefully aimed and precise even while she was incompromised, Kaede's were bigger and more brutal than any bullet she could fit into her little toy. She twirled around twice to make sure to hit absolutely everything around, bringing Armageddon over every last building, tree and hill within hundreds of metres easily. Where one bullet punched through them, dozens and hundreds followed to riddle everything but the earth and the heavens with holes.
When the dust settled, her eyes easily found Azure picking herself out of the rubble. The taller girl quickly swerved her head to find Kaede, who waved cheerfully before starting toward her.
Soon the chase got out of Samantha's sight; only one of them managed to follow them further than a kilometre... but even he was too shocked to comment on it much. They had all seen what just happened and the young queen was still too shocked to even be indignant. Something like that, so much power wielded so casually, was enough to end her reign in but one swoop and annihilate near anyone. Strength knew this, even asked whether there was anyone living nearby and only accepting the location after she was told no.
Magical Girl Platinum Throne sat down on the dirty stone without another word, eyes closed and in contemplation. The others left her alone, though their guests exchanged knowing looks.
Jessica ran, but did not dare using her full speed; something kept nagging at the back of her head, a quiet voice asking why she was running; this girl, Strength, she wanted to be friends. One foot pushed down into another trench so she rolled out of it with her remaining momentum, carefully considering another salvo. The first one was basically meaningless, though a moment of focus would be enough to end this.
But... she did not want to end this. Adrenaline pumped through her veins like never before, a heart used to battle beating with newfound intensity. She had fought often since awakening, but never someone like her. Bandits, guards, travelers, so many... and she left alone any that did not mean harm. This one... this one also meant no harm, ultimately.
For some perverse reason, Jessica found herself starting to enjoy this battle against an opponent who could murder her with a casual flick of her wrist. The excitement of the next second, predicting and reacting to Strength's attacks... it was elating.
This tangent cost her, as yet another shockwave impacted the ground and made her stumble to the ground; while falling, Jessica saw how far Strength fell behind by now. She almost shook her off and still, somehow, she felt dread at looking upon how those hands moved.
Then this dread reaffirmed itself because the other girl slowed down; Jessica pulled on her Rainmaker to stop the fall and twist back onto her feet, but she could hear the words being spoken behind her back: "Bullet Hell!"
She heard them before and knew what was coming. Yet she was not at all prepared for it.
(Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +2677 dice = 181,177 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +2573 dice = 181,073 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +6292 dice = 185,192 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +8169 dice = 186,669 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +8296 dice = 186,796 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +191 dice = 178,691 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +1314 dice = 179,814 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +3428 dice = 181,928 Damage
Echo: 2, Echo Activates!
Bullet Hell: +51000 Base Damage, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +12750 Danmaku, +4896 dice = 183,396 Damage
Echo: 1, No Echo
1,644,736 Unified Damage, x3 Hail of Lead = 4,934,208 Total Damage
Unwavering Azure: +50 Base Resilience, +126 dice = 176 Total Damage Reduction
4,934,032 Total End Damage
The Insurmountable Gap (x2): 9,868,064 Total End Damage
I Refuse: Damage Negated
No Damage)
What followed felt as if the world was ending. A terrifying stream of steel that put anything Jessica could ever create to shame; lead impacted her body in a torrent, sending spikes of pain into even the smallest parts of her as she was thrown backward like a doll with its strings cut. Grass, dirt, stone, wood, even the water of a nearby lake was cut away by this merciless hail that propelled her forward.
There was so much steel in the air, it even blotted out the afternoon sun and veiled everything below in darkness for a terrifying moment.
Jessica impacted the ground at meteoric speeds at the wave's head, any attempt to get her legs under her overwhelmed by pain. She even lost her grip on the Rainmaker, her trusted weapon lost somewhere on the way.
As pain threatened to overwhelm her mind and her will began to focus on keeping herself together, Jessica wavered. She wondered just why she even resisted in the first place. The prospect of having a friend again was... nice.
It was at this point that she stopped rolling sideways and came to lie quietly, staring up at the bright blue sky and waiting. Her body soon stopped hurting once it realised there were no wounds despite everything, yet she did not move. It was a first for her; mind and body never disagreed like that even before her transformation... or maybe it was mind and heart?
She only opened her eyes when she heard footsteps and the heavy clicking of machinery, turning them to look at Transcendent Strength. Then however, she saw what lay behind the tiny juggernaut: a trench metres deep and dozens of metres wide, gouged into the earth and vanishing behind the horizon. Strength stood in its center, a pleased smirk on her face.
Both girls pushed themselves up at the same time, though Strength took some extra height to get out of the trench. Jessica quietly took in her ruffled appearance, the now closed wounds where her outfit was torn. "...I give up. You win."
She stood here with no weapons, no damage dealt and no determination to continue this fight. Much to Jessica's confusion however, the smaller girl shook her head. "That's good to hear, but I still need to actually punch you."
Kaede's mirth grew once she saw understanding blossom in Azure's eyes; the other girl immediately became defensive, but relaxed after a moment. Then she sighed and stood straight. "Okay."
Success.
She won again, this time against someone who could have beaten her if she actually wanted to. And to commemorate the occasion, Kaede figured she should not use an ordinary punch. Azure's magic made her shrug off damage at times, no matter how much there was. Which meant it was time to use her trump card again. That was only fair toward a girl that strong. "Alright. Stay still."
Jessica knew something was wrong the moment Strength began to emit steam; her eyes became pools of molten amber, a flame burning from one of them like the power of her own spell did. Each digit on Strength's mechanical hands jerked back and clicked. Then... then the smaller girl offered her a gentle smile that was somehow far more terrifying than anything she showed before.
"One, two, EON CRUSHER!"
And suddenly, Jessica's existence became pain.
(Target is not mortal, Obliterate does not apply.
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Eon Crusher: +450000 Base Damage, no dice = 450,000 Damage
Unwavering Azure:
20,250,066 Total End Damage
The Insurmountable Gap (x2): 40,500,132 Total End Damage
I Refuse: Damage negated
No Damage)
It was not one punch, it was dozens. Jessica could feel her magic struggling against the titanic force attempting to break her... no, to evaporate her with every strike. Shockwaves from each swing tore deep gouges into the countryside as they both sailed through the air; one was propelled by force, the other by her magic as the spell kept her in striking range. Each of Strength's swings let loose another miniature storm; small forests, hills, lakes, and ruins alike were erased as they went by until, finally, she landed her last punch and catapulted Jessica into the ground. Her body tore that apart as well and a moment later, the sonic boom reached her ears as sound finally caught up with them.
It took a long time until this pain faded, as if something had tried to rip her apart on a level deeper than ever before. Strength walked up and sat by her side in contemplative silence, though Jessica only took note of her without reacting. For now she just wanted to lie down and get her bearings, then... sleep. The last few months were tiring. It had been about as long since she had an actual conversation, too. It was harder than usual to power through the pain.
"You know... I know your magic did some trickery there, but you're still the first person to ever survive my Eon Crusher. Congratulations."
"...fuck you... too."
"That's the spirit!"
It was so surreal, so unbelievable how this situation had come to be. Jessica's feelings continued to roar around and contradict each other until the only thing left was to laugh. Laugh at the absurdity of it all.
She laughed for a long time before rolling up into a small bundle and falling asleep.
. . .
Line Break Recognised
. . .
Line Break Recognised
. . .
It was in the middle of night that the two girls returned, both pristine but also with content expressions on their faces; Unwavering Azure immediately detransformed once they entered the city of Detroit, revealing... a malnourished teenager. While Strength sighed, Samantha swallowed her tirade for a minute longer and basically ordered the girl into the dining hall. Then, once she had left, the young queen rounded on her guest with eyes narrowed so far they were barely visible any longer. "Do you have any idea what you did?"
"Um... terraforming?"
"How very funny. How far did your fight go?"
She memorised a map of the area and already dreaded the additional work this would have brought her. Samantha had thought long and hard about how to proceed before realising she was absolutely justified in being indignant. After talking to Spring's Dream in private to make sure she would not insult Strength, there was no holding back now. That resolve was stumped by shock over the response she got, though: "Well, that sign I saw said 'Indianapolis', I think?"
Indianapolis. Abandoned but still useful. Almost two hundred kilometres from Fort Wayne, where they started. How in the world, she wondered, did they fight until over there?
It also meant a lot of work. Rivers they disrupted had to be rerouted, streets and maybe even bridges needed to be (re-)built... but first of all, she had to assess the damages starting tomorrow. Sam could already feel the vein on her forehead throbbing, though that was only a reminder of how she felt right now.
. . .
Line Break Recognised
. . .
Line Break Recognised
. . .
Sun dawned when Kaede finally left the queen's presence. Some repercussions, a lot of lecturing... that was worth it in her opinion. She had a good fight and made a new friend. And, most of all, she managed to save yet another girl.
"I'm surprised that girl is still alive," a high female voice interrupted those thoughts. A little to the side stood Dame Martha, clad in full armour despite the early hour. Platinum Throne's younger sister, the very same brat Kaede beat up just two days ago. "I wouldn't have thought you to be more than a brute."
Kaede wondered if this was supposed to be a compliment, but ultimately did not care much. She just shrugged and rubbed her tired eyes. "Not every fight is fought with your fists. Azure... Jessica would have easily destroyed me in a fair fight with no holds barred, but she wasn't her best yesterday. I got to put some more doubts into her mind beforehand, so she lost to herself first. It was the truth, mind, but this just shows how much power words have over others."
"Well said. My apologies for my previous behaviour."
Strength just offered a weak "heh" in response before wandering past the younger girl and giving her shoulder a friendly clap. "It's fine."
With that, she left the girl to find her new friend.
. . . . . . .
. .
. . . . . . .
The Challenger
. .
. . . . . . .
The Challenger
- Magical Girl Unwavering Azure
-
Jessica Burke
a.k.a. Enough Dakka
- Stats
- Weapon
-
Rainmaker
Level 8
Attacks per Turn: 3
Affinities: Will
Ability: Danmaku | Punch-Through
Heartbreaker
Level 29
Attacks per Turn: 6
Affinities: Will | Skill | Legend
Ability: Execute
- Spells
- Abilities
Last edited:
ReaperofInterest
Herald of Disaster
Well, Azure is definitely rather impressive, especially her feat of surviving Strength's Eon Crusher. I have to say though, that was a dick move.