Puella Magi Megami Tensei

[X] The air rhymes here.

Wait, you've seen this in a horror movie before. You actually quite liked it, but you distinctly remember yelling at the teenaged protagonists for going into that place in the dark and without telling anyone.

...Does that make you a hypocrite?

There will be time for those kinds of moral conundrums later. Right now, you think you should just get the Terminal and leave, because this isn't exactly filling you with confidence.

Thankfully, the Terminal rests just outside of the doors. You register to it cautiously, looking over your shoulder and listening for anything out of the ordinary.

(INT ROLL: 15+9)

For better or for worse, you don't hear anything.

Maybe this is the world telling you to go to bed. For once, you think you'll listen. With just a touch...

...You're back at your Grandparents'.

"Eep!" Sayaka yelps as you simply appear, accidentally sending a spell your way--

(SAYAKA "ATTACKS": ZAN: 20)
(YUMI TAKES 14 DMG.)

The ball of... Green whatever Force is hits you square in the stomach, and you stumble back (more out of reflex than anything). You're dazed for a couple of seconds, but you recover pretty quickly.

"Yumi, I'm so sorry! I didn't know you were gonna-- I mean, I knew you were coming back, but-- I didn't mean to--"

Sayaka's panicked apology is almost too fast to keep up with.

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You run another quick calculation, praying the results will be different. But it doesn't change.

Whatever power that boy was using, this Youma seems to have also awakened to it. Although, these readings are all over the place...

...That boy had a blue energy for his "summon", so why is her's red?

"You... You'll take nothing from me!!" The Youma shouts as her new power raises it's hand.

(???????? ATTACKS: MABUFU)

Suddenly, shards of ice materialize just in front of you! You're all lucky that you managed to dodge in time...!

"How come she's got ice now?!" Sailor Moon bemoans, "That's not fair!"

"Stop complaining, start fighting!" Mars orders harshly.

"But she's a bird Youma!!"

"Get back!" You hear the boy shout at you, "Her Persona's gone berserk!"

"Persona...?" Luna repeats from the bushes.

"But we need to--!! Hey!!" Mars protests as she's pulled away by Moon, "We never run from a fight!"

"Think of it as a tactical retreat, then!" Moon continues to pull Mars away despite her... Opinions on the matter.

You stay behind.

"Mercury!" Luna hisses at you, "Get out of here!"

"No." You bring down your visor once again, "We made this mess in the first place. I should at least help clean it up."

Luna looks displeased, but says nothing as the boy gets ready to use his gun.

"Norn!" He calls, surprising you. What happened to Thanatos?!

A pale green glow trails up his body, and... He's healed? It's like he was never hit with Moon Tiara Action!

"I'll take the world...!" The Youma cries out, "I'll take it all, so I'll never lose anything ever again...!"

(?????????? ATTACKS: BUFU)

"King Frost!" He calls again, with a new face answering.

The ice shatters against the large summon, but nothing seems to happen. This may just be a trick of the light, but...

...The boy seems unsure on how to proceed.

"You need to calm down!" The boy, not dismissing his summon, grows closer, "You're going to--!"

(?????????? ATTACKS: BUFU)

Instinctively, the boy raises his arm to shield his eyes from the ice. "You need to control your Persona!"

Wait...

"You can't take what belongs to me!" The Youma screeches, attacking again.

...That power is called "Persona"...

"You're going to hurt yourself!" The boy retorts, "Stop this!"

...If you remember what you read on psychology...

"If you aren't with me..." The Youma glares at her friend.

...Your eyes light up. That's it!

"Bubble..." You prepare your technique, "...Spray!"

Loop 20.

Metal clashes with demonic talons.

"Mr. Yuki!" Nagisa calls to you as you go skidding back after Garuda's attack.

You deflected as much of the blow as you could, but he still managed to get you in the arm with his other claw. Glancing at the wound for only a split second, you adopt a one handed style.

"You cannot endure this forever." Garuda states plainly, your blood dripping from his claws, "Surrender the child, and you shall live."

"You think a little blood's gonna scare me off?!" You roar in response, "I'm a Kuzunoha! There's no way in hell I'm giving up!"

Garuda looks disappointed, "Then you shall die standing in the way of my divinity."

(GARUDA ATTACKS: KILLING WIND)

The air itself cuts into you as you stumble backwards. Some of your blood splatters on Nagisa as she stares in horror at your wounds.

So, this is how it's gonna go this loop? Dying defending someone who can't defend herself?

Garuda prepares another attack.

You can do that, yeah. That's what a Kuzunoha does.

(GARUDA ATT--!!)

Everything goes still for one, solitary moment.

Garuda is about to cast his magic, and it will rip you apart.

There's no hope of you countering, nor can you dodge.

Then, the sky above you darkens with muskets.

They all fire on Garuda.

In just one split second, the battle was shifted and ended by none other than Mami Tomoe. She lands just in front of you, looking...?

"Ms. Mami!!" Nagisa runs past you, "You've gotta help him! He's really hurt!"

Tomoe looks into your eyes, surprise evident on her face. Her ribbons snake their way around you, and wrap themselves around your wounds.

Neither of you speak for what seems like ages. Then...

"...I misjudged you." Tomoe admits.

[X] YOU DIED.

You wait for a moment, registering what just happened.

Sayaka just hit you with a magic attack, and it kind of hurt a little.

How can you spin this for comedy...?

"Oh, I'm hit...!" You grab your stomach over dramatically, beginning to fall to the ground. Sayaka stares at you, dumbfounded. You reach out towards nothing, "Ko..." And you pretend to faint.

...

...

"...Sayaka, this is the part where you--"

"Get up, you dweeb." Sayaka shakes her head, standing over you.

You comply, standing up, "You couldn't have at least played along?" You smile at her, "I had an interesting walk tonight, though. What about you?"

"Me?" Sayaka crosses her arms, "Oh, I just came out here to focus on my magic. Your Grandma said I should try as many spells as I can to find my "affinity"."

"So, what spells call to you?" You put a hand on her shoulder.

"At first I tried Ice, but that fell through after the third time I hit myself in the face with a snowball." She explains, "Then I tried Fire, and... It went badly. Then was Light, and I just ended up blinding myself. Same with Dark, but for a different reason. That brings us to Force, and... At least I hit something else?"

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