Confringentur, Mk.2; a Madoka Magica / Fate/Stay Night crossover

[WanderingTwix]

[X] Talk
-[X] to the rest of your group
--[X] about tactics and their general group set-up. Allow Mami to take lead on this topic as she's the one with the most experience properly working together with other Puella Magi, though chime in with suggestions that worked with the Holy Quintet in past timelines when applicable.
-[x] to Kyouko
--[x] Her Servant
---[x] Try not to remember him naked
----[x] Fail
-----[x] Horribly
[X] Is there anything in particular you're on the lookout for tonight?
-[X] Yes
--[X] Looking out for signs of Assassin's Labyrinth, but only if they come across clues of it while on their venture, to see if they get lucky
[X] The Grief Seed will go to whoever has the lowest amount of Grief Seeds
-[X] The Grief Seed obtained by their Servants will go to the person with the second lowest amount of Grief Seeds, unless the person in question cedes it the the person who already got a Grief Seed, such as due to that person having very little in comparison

Why not both?

 

[SVS]

[X] Both

---

Excluding last Sunday when you went out hunting for Assassin, how long has it been since you were able to go hunting as part of a team? Five years ago? Ten, perhaps, even? The number of times you've had to relive these same forty-five days is a blur in your mind, something you don't even consider anymore. Since that day, saving Madoka has been your sole concern, and ever since that timeline you've been unable to trust or work together in a group with any of the people you once called your friends.

But this timeline has been different. After so long, you've finally been able to connect to Madoka's heart once again; Sayaka is no longer an obstacle to keeping Madoka safe, and Hitomi is no longer a background player in your story. Tomoe-san has won back her long-lost place as your valued ally, and you've even managed to make an uneasy peace with two people with whom peace had never before been an option. Seeing Mikuni Oriko at your side where once was Madoka in frilly pink, is a sight that will take some getting used to, as will the sight of Kure Kirika in place of Sayaka in knightly blue; but even with these changes, to be a part of the complete holy quintet again is a strange, yet satisfying feeling.

But not one without its own share of problems.

Four pairs of feet touch down on the roof of a building overlooking the river, the hunt unsuccessful up until now. While Tomoe-san and Kyouko are occupied taking a survey of the terrain ahead, you think that now would be the perfect time to address the legless elephant in the room. "Listen," you say, pulling Mikuni Oriko to the side "Whatever that was that Kure Kirika did back at my apartment; that kind of behaviour is completely inexcusable. You have to get a handle on her, because that kind of selfish and reckless thinking is going to make her a serious liability in combat. And if her idiocy gets herself killed or further maimed that's going to have an adverse effect on you, and suddenly we're out forty per cent of our fighting force."

"I know, Akemi-san." Mikuni Oriko doesn't want to look you in the eye as she speaks, but from her tone and body language it's easy enough to see that it comes from a place of shame, not of disrespect. "All Kirika has ever wanted from our relationship is to be useful to me, but I fear that, after all I've asked her to do in the past, I may have given her a warped sense of what makes her useful."

"Have you tried talking to her about this? Or, to someone else who might have an idea of what happened to make her like this?"

"I spoke with her mother last night, briefly, and I asked her what Kirika was like before we started dating. I had hoped that she might be able to give me some insight into how I can help Kirika get better, but... Well, I don't think it's my place to tell you what her mother said to me, but at least from her perspective she is happier with Kirika the way that she is now."

What. What kind of mother would be happy to have a daughter that acts like Kure Kirika? "Why? What could possibly make her think that?"

"Kirika... Did not have the happiest childhood, and I'll leave it at that. Her mother sees how happy Kirika is with me, but because of the hours she works that's about all of Kirika that she gets to see. She's only saying it out of ignorance of what Kirika is like around other people, and not from a place of malice."

You can't help but shake your head. "Even if she isn't acting out against the rest of us anymore, this needs to stop, and you have to be the one to make her stop. You're the only one she cares about or will listen to; talk to her, reprimand her, do whatever you have to do to make her realize that this kind of behaviour is no longer acceptable if she wants to be a useful and contributing member of the team."

"I know, Akemi-san. I will talk with Kirika as soon as I get the chance."

"I don't mean to interrupt," Tomoe-san says, approaching your corner with Kyouko in tow. Tomoe-san calls back her string of Berkano-laden ribbons, while Kyouko puts away a pair of candy-dotted binoculars. "But we've found something, just a little bit ahead by the river."

"Is it Assassin?"

Both Tomoe-san and Kyouko shake their heads, with Kyouko saying "Nah, but it's still a witch. Here, take a look fer yerself-" Before either you or Mikuni Oriko can protest, Kyouko has grabbed you both and shoved binoculars in front of each of your faces. "It's over that way. See the water that's just falling from nowhere?" You look, and sure enough Kyouko speaks the truth. A steady stream of water falls from a hole in reality into the river below.

"Yes, that's definitely a witch."

"Do we have a plan?" You look to Tomoe-san as you speak; in the past, she was always the one to come up with plans when the group was going into battle. You want to see if she has retained that ability through this timeline, or if you will have to reignite that ability in her. Fortunately, it looks like she can take the hint.

"Out team is at something of an imbalance, I think. Between Akemi-san and myself, we have two dedicated long-range attackers, on top of Akemi-san and Mikuni-san playing the roles of both a ranged attacker and rear support. And, until Kure-san has recovered, Sakura-san is our only close-range combatant. An exceptional one, to be sure, but I believe that both she and the team as a whole would benefit from a more even distribution of our forces. So we'll have to compromise, and make due with what we have."

Using her ribbons, Tomoe-san makes a small grid pattern in the air, forming coloured dots each in red, purple, white, and gold, arranging them like so- "Mikuni-san, since you have your shields, you'll be at the front of our formation. Your job will be to soften the enemy's blows and funnel them into range of Sakura-san, who will be moving behind you. Akemi-san and I will take up the rear and support you both." The line of dots on Tomoe-san's grid shows the pattern of white at the front, followed by red, then purple, with gold taking up the rear. "Akemi-san, you'll have to be closer to the action than I. If any one of us is in trouble, we'll need you to use your time-stop, so you'll be serving double duty as our pivot."

It's as if nothing had ever changed. Tomoe-san at the rear, Kyouko in front, and you with your time stop acting as the team's pivot. It's a bit strange, having to also take up Madoka's role as the secondary long-range attacker, and the addition of Mikuni Oriko as a defensive barrier and funnel for the forward vanguard, rather than having Sayaka and Kyouko engage the enemy in a pincer attack is wholly original. But on the whole, Tomoe-san's plan of attack is nothing new to you. "When Kure Kirika is healed and can join us in battle, will she be-" replacing Sayaka? "working with Kyouko to engage the enemy in a pincer?"

"An excellent question, Akemi-san. I think-"

"Yes." Kyouko cuts her off. "Bitch might be crazy, but she's got a damn good pair'a legs and she's fast enough ta keep up with me. If we're all gunna be working together from now on, then I want her as my forward partner. But-" Kyouko turns to Mikuni Oriko. "-This one's gotta learn ta keep her pet in line before that'll happen."

"I've already spoken with Mikuni Oriko about what needs to happen before Kure Kirika can work with us." You may have come to her defense, but you'll still shoot her a glare to remind her of her responsibilities. "Rest assured, she will make sure that Kure Kirika is able to work with us." At least, that's what you sincerely hope.

Tomoe-san clears her throat, reminding Kyouko that she had been speaking prior to the interruption. "As I was saying, Sakura-san; yes, Kure-san willl be acting as your forward partner. I expect for you to take the lead and treat her as you would any other junior. In addition, if time permits on Sunday I think we could all benefit from another round of team-building exercises."

As your group moves out and heads towards the entrance to the waterfall labyrinth, you remind yourself to temper that earlier hope that Kure Kirika can improve andcome a passable and worthwhile ally, with a much-needed dash of reality. Sometimes, you can hope all you want and never find what you're hoping for.

"So, uh, not fer nuthing or anything, but..." Kyouko's voice rings in your ear as she poses a very unexpected query. "I, uh, saw ya staring at Rider earlier. Got sumthing ya wanna say, maybe ta Pinkie?"

"I was not 'staring' at Rider. In fact, I was actively trying to avoid staring."

"Whatever you say, Spooky. I ain't the one in denial about what she saw."

"And neither am I." You end the matter there. It wouldn't do to go into battle thinking distracting thoughts.

Here's the labyrinth. [ ] Wat do?​

 

[Enetious]

[X] Proceed following Mami's suggested formation and general stratagem
-[X] Use your Isa arrows to lock down this Witch's familiars, and when you get a safe chance test out using Isa in combat by only drawing it in the air
-[X] Capitalize on any obvious weaknesses that the familiars and/or the Witch may have

Until we know more about this Witch, it's familiars, and it's Labyrinth, we can't really plan very much other than going ahead with Mami's general Holy Quintet formation. The last part refers mostly to whatever behaviors that may be programmed into the Witch's familiars/the Witch itself or special features of it's Labyrinth, seeing as how these things vary wildly between Witches.

 

[NMS]

[X] Proceed following Mami's suggested formation and general stratagem
-[X] Use your Isa arrows to lock down this Witch's familiars, and when you get a safe chance test out using Isa in combat by only drawing it in the air
-[X] Capitalize on any obvious weaknesses that the familiars and/or the Witch may have

Don't see why not.

 

[CMAzrael]

>Achilles gets his woman taken away from him
>spends the rest of the Trojan War in his tent crying about it like a bitch
>Akemi Homura gets her woman taken away from her
>uses time travel to turn herself into a hardened killing machine to makes sure it'll never happen again, then breaks reality when it does anyway

I don't think that Homura has anything to fear from Rider.

 

[WanderingTwix]

[X] Proceed following Mami's suggested formation and general stratagem
-[X] Use your Isa arrows to lock down this Witch's familiars, and when you get a safe chance test out using Isa in combat by only drawing it in the air
-[X] Capitalize on any obvious weaknesses that the familiars and/or the Witch may have

 

[SVS]

[X] Proceed following Mami's suggested formation and general stratagem
-[X] Use your Isa arrows to lock down this Witch's familiars, and when you get a safe chance test out using Isa in combat by only drawing it in the air
-[X] Capitalize on any obvious weaknesses that the familiars and/or the Witch may have

---

*splash* goes the sound of Mikuni Oriko's feet into the water, taking up her prescribed defensive position upon being the first to enter the labyrinth. *splash* Kyouko *splash* Yourself *splash* Tomoe-san.

The water pouring out from the entrance of the labyrinth isn't just for show, apparently. The entire floor is flooded - thankfully only up to the ankle - and autumn leaves fall from the treeless skies into the water below, piling up at your feet with each step. Brass basins and tarnished golden chalices sit strewn about, and from their mouths is where the font of water originates, bubbling over their rims and spilling out onto the floor.

You aren't entirely sure what you should make of this labyrinth, or what the large amount of tarnished golden chalices littering the floor are supposed to represent. With all the changes that this timeline has brought to the world, that their appearance is in the shape of what could be described as grails is suspect to you. "We should be on our guard," you say, quickening your pace as the four of you move into formation. "I don't trust the decorations."

"Agreed." Kyouko readies her spear, crouching low as she advances with an aggressive posture. "This witch's either got a lotta Christ's blood on its hands, or we're looking at someone who could'a been the last of us."

Outside of Sayaka, Caster had identified two other possible masters of the Saber servant, though he had seemed confident in his assurance that the rightful master was indeed Sayaka over the other two. Is it possible that he was wrong; that another puella magi was able to summon the last servant? You look ahead to Mikuni Oriko, wondering whether this witch had once been someone on her list of those to die. And whether a puella magi can keep their servant after turning.

The group advances, with Mikuni Oriko moving ahead at the fastest pace while Kyouko is just a few steps behind her. Behind you, Tomoe-san advances at a slower pace, and you see that with each step, she is laying down tracks of Berkano-laced ribbons which spread out in all directions. You step carefully, letting your feet fall only in the places where the feet ahead of you have tread. Something happens; you hear it before you can see it. Mikuni Oriko's foot slips against the rim of one of the basins, causing her to fall into the murky black water contained within. Immediately as her flesh hits the water, she screams, her voice alive with the most horrifying agony your mind could never imagine. You stop time, rushing to pick her up and assess the damage.

She's unharmed.

From the sound of her screaming, you would have sworn that the flesh was being seared from her bones, but as soon as you've pulled her from the basin, she ceases her screams, looking to the parts of her that had been soaked as she fell. "I... I don't understand," she says with a shaking voice. "It... It was like my whole body was on fire the instant I hit the water, but... I'm fine now. I don't feel a thing."

Tomoe-san purses her lips, staring into the black water of the nearest basin. "Perhaps it's something more to do with the basins themselves, than with the water inside them. Look- See how the water we're standing in is a clear blue, but the water in the basins is black. if it were the water, we'd all be in pain right now; and even if not, Mikuni-san would still be in pain, since she's soaked in the basin-water. But we're all perfectly fine, so it must be a property of the basin."

You hadn't noticed the state of her Soul Gem before she fell, but now that you have a chance to look at it, you can see that it is thick with Grief. "You should get that taken care of," you say, gesturing to the blackened emerald stone with your eyes.

"It's fine, Akemi-san. It might look like there's a lot, but I should still be good for the rest of the night, at least. I'll be sure to clean it up once Kirika and I have returned home."

"I think I get it now." Before you can ask what Tomoe-san meant by that, she has crouched down beside the nearest basin, with her Soul Gem clasped in her right hand. Then, with her left hand, she carefully dips a single finger just below the surface of the black basin water. Her face contorts in agony, but she remains silent as she pulls her finger up and out, shaking it off as one might do for their finger when caught in a door. You can see it, and you know that she can see it too. "There's something about these basins that causes out Grief levels to spike when we enter them," she says, showing off the corruption that had just recently materialised in her Soul Gem. "I don't think I need to say this, but we should all take care to avoid falling in them again."

Between the commotion caused by Mikuni Oriko's screaming, and then the time spend as Tomoe-san stopped to analyze the basin water, your group has managed to draw quite the crowd of admirers. Familiars are, as a rule, quite often hard to figure out, but these ones manage to take the cake. They resemble the creature from the last page of Itō Junji's The Enigma at Amigara Fault, barely capable of standing under their own power and yet somehow able to ambulate along unimpeded all the same, while their rag-covered heads bobble along with every rough and shambling step. Thankfully, it doesn't sound as though they make the distinctive "Drr...Drr...Drr..." sound of the monster, but their uncanny resemblance is still noticeable all the same.

"Alright everyone, let's form up!" Tomoe-san shouts, conjuring several ribbonwork muskets as Mikuni Oriko readies her Othala barriers at the front. You fall back to the middle position and call up your bow, and between you and Mikuni Oriko, Kyouko coils her body tightly, ready to spring as soon as the first familiars are funneled into her kill zone. "Ready? And... Begin!"

With her barriers up, Mikuni Oriko is able to keep herself at a safe distance as she prevents the familiars from advancing or maneuvering along paths that would take them out of range of Kyouko's spear, who with lightning speed cuts down everything that Mikuni Oriko funnels towards her. At the rear, you and Tomoe-san provide ranged support, cutting off the familiars' path of escape, forcing them forward and into the funnel. Just then, you notice- A gap in the rear, a path by which the familiars can escape. Some, you can see, are doing that just now. "Incoming!" you cry, loosing an arrow that's been overcharged with Isa. It collides with an escaping familiar, erupting in a burst of ice that splashes outwards, turning the frozen familiar's own body into the barrier that prevents its siblings from escaping.

"Nice job, Akemi-san!" Tomoe-san calls, taking out two more familiars at the far end of the advancing column. "Keep it up, everyone! You're all doing great!"

You hear a familiar scream, and look out to see a familiar on top of Mikuni Oriko. One of its tendrils is wrapped around her wrist. Tomoe-san takes aim, but you are faster. The world goes grey, and with a precise arrow, you sever the familiar's tentacle from its grasp on Mikuni Oriko's wrist. For good measure, while time is still frozen you trace Isa into the familiar's misshapen chest, and pull Mikuni Oriko safely back as you unfreeze time. The familiar explodes in a burst of ice, and the battle resumes.

"Are you alright?" you ask, pulling back Mikuni Oriko's dove grey sleeve to take a look at her wrist. She is not alright. The flesh touched by the familiar is blackened, speckled with colours that don't exist in reality and flaking off like the charred fond at the bottom of a fry pan. "What happened? How did you let that familiar get past your barriers?"

"... I don't know. I was so focused on making sure to funnel as many of them in as I could..." She hisses as your movements jostle her wrist, tears forming at the corners of her eyes. "It must have slipped past when I was looking elsewhere... It hurts; it's like falling into the basin again, except the pain won't go away." Remembering what happened at the basin, you check Mikuni Oriko's Soul Gem; there is barely any emerald left to the stone now. "Please... Don't let Kirika see this. I don't want her be mad at you for what happened."

Do you
[ ] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[ ] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to take up Uruz as her next rune
[ ] Send Mikuni Oriko to the rear of the formation; she can handle herself from there
-[ ] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to take up Uruz as her next rune
[ ] Pull Mikuni Oriko out of combat; she needs time to recover from all this
-[ ] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to take up Uruz as her next rune
[ ] Tell her to pull out completely and head home; she's done for the night
-[ ] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed
-[ ] Strongly encourage her to take up Uruz as her next rune
[ ] Other (write-in)
​

---

NEW
Minor character unlocked!

Spoiler: Patan

​

Minions of the ikigami witch. Their role is to be attendants. These minions are usually found swarming around the witch's feet, attending to her needs. The water flowing from the witch's purification rites will dissolve them on contact, forcing them to constantly rush back and forth, but they adore their master nonetheless. They never leave her side, eagerly awaiting the day when her purification is complete. They also happen to feed off the impurity that washes off from the witch, so it seems like they'll be faced with a different problem if she's ever completely purified.​

 

[SVS]

I swear I didn't mean for this post to be so harsh on Oriko, but she kept losing the dice rolls.

 

[NMS]

[x] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[x] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[x] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed

 

[CMAzrael]

[x] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[x] Give her one of your Grief Seeds
-[x] Strongly encourage her to use a Grief Seed

Click to shrink...

How many Grief Seeds would that make her debt to use now?

 

[Enetious]

[X] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[X] Force her to use one of your Grief Seeds, using time-stop to get to her Soul Gem if necessary
-[X] Help Oriko in her job of corralling the familiars by creating ramparts made from Isa before resuming as normal

Oriko's not in a good place right now (as she's currently in a spiral of grief, literally), and therefor may need the Grief Seed forced upon her even if Homura elects to give her one. Hopefully Homura can get some experience in using Isa outside of direct combat applications and aid Oriko to the point that she doesn't get ambushed again in the same action/sub-vote.

 

[SVS]

How many Grief Seeds would that make her debt to use now?

Click to shrink...

Two, if we're contributing both of the seeds necessary to give her a full cleanse, or just one if we only meet her halfway. The last time she owed us seeds she paid up right away.

EDIT: Hey guys, we're at a 1-1 right now and have been for awhile.

 

[Enetious]

"Attention all passengers of Mr. KotomineKyuubey's Wild Ride, please be informed that we will be making an unscheduled stop until another vote is cast. We apologize for the inconvenience."

There, to ping people via a new post.

 

[SVS]

While we're waiting for more votes, can I just say that sometimes you guys surprise me in the best of ways? I was really expecting us to have Homura look past Kirika Meltlilith'ing herself and go on with her day thinking "Oh, well she's an even bigger crazy than I thought". But no, instead she got Avalon'd and we proved that Homura has a place in her heart for even the most heartless in her circle.

 

[Enetious]

While we're waiting for more votes, can I just say that sometimes you guys surprise me in the best of ways? I was really expecting us to have Homura look past Kirika Meltlilith'ing herself and go on with her day thinking "Oh, well she's an even bigger crazy than I thought". But no, instead she got Avalon'd and we proved that Homura has a place in her heart for even the most heartless in her circle.

Click to shrink...

I took it more as Homura vehemently disagreeing with how Kirika views love should be, as it is her element and she has plenty of experience in loving and sometimes being with Madoka (tens of years probably) - no one knows Kirika's has an Element and Origin of Love due to her wish after all, which is what's making her seem as if she's on a permanent Love potion for Oriko specifically, to her and everyone else's detriment. Homura's actions are more due to the principle of the matter than anything else, I would think. Also, with the rate that Kirika was harming herself there would be no way she (and subsequently Berserker) would be able to aid in fighting off Walpurgis or the Black Mountain, which is why Homura would have Avalon be implanted within her.

 

[SVS]

I took it more as Homura vehemently disagreeing with how Kirika views love should be, as it is her element and she has plenty of experience in loving and sometimes being with Madoka (tens of years probably) - no one knows Kirika's has an Element and Origin of Love due to her wish after all, which is what's making her seem as if she's on a permanent Love potion for Oriko specifically, to her and everyone else's detriment. Homura's actions are more due to the principle of the matter than anything else, I would think. Also, with the rate that Kirika was harming herself there would be no way she (and subsequently Berserker) would be able to aid in fighting off Walpurgis or the Black Mountain, which is why Homura would have Avalon be implanted within her.

Click to shrink...

I'm not going to say that you're wrong; I did write it as Homura coming from a place of practicality. But it says something to me that direct action was chosen to heal Kirika, rather than just telling Oriko to cram for Uruz until she was proficient enough to heal Kirika completely. That we did, and got Archer to break out Avalon instead of handling the problem in any number of hands-off approaches, says to me that there's at least a modicum of care in Homura's heart, whether or not she's willing to acknowledge it.

Now, maybe the above implications would have turned out differently had more people gone for NMS's idea of "try to find a more elegant solution to Kirika's idiocy" rather than your idea of "Use Avalon", but we were 2-1 with no indication that more votes were coming so I went with what I had.

 

[WanderingTwix]

[X] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[X] Force her to use one of your Grief Seeds, using time-stop to get to her Soul Gem if necessary
-[X] Help Oriko in her job of corralling the familiars by creating ramparts made from Isa before resuming as normal

 

[Diceart]

[X] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[X] Force her to use one of your Grief Seeds, using time-stop to get to her Soul Gem if necessary
-[X] Help Oriko in her job of corralling the familiars by creating ramparts made from Isa before resuming as normal

 

[SVS]

[x] Leave her where she is; she's a big girl, she can pull through just fine on her own
-[X] Force her to use one of your Grief Seeds, using time-stop to get to her Soul Gem if necessary
-[X] Help Oriko in her job of corralling the familiars by creating ramparts made from Isa before resuming as normal

---

"It hurts; it's like falling into the basin again, except the pain won't go away." Remembering what happened at the basin, you check Mikuni Oriko's Soul Gem; there is barely any emerald left to the stone now. "Please... Don't let Kirika see this. I don't want her be mad at you for what happened."

You have no idea what the familiar did to Mikuni Oriko when it touched her arm, but it's clearly not taking any time in tearing through her like crap through a goose. "You're in really bad shape," you say, fishing for a Grief Seed and forcibly pressing it against her Soul Gem. "I don't know if this will help your wrist-" You don't know if she'd be able to do this on her own with that wrist "-but this should at least help clear your Soul Gem up." Mikuni Oriko's irregularly massive stock of mana is, in this moment, a curse- The time it's taking your Grief Seed to clear up even half of her Soul Gem is time that can't be spent supporting Tomoe-san or Kyouko, and even once you've spent this one in its entirety that will still only have cleared up half of her Soul Gem. "If you can fight through the pain, we need you to get up and back in the fight."

"... I think I can." Mikuni Oriko stands on shaky legs, trying to avoid moving her wrist too much. "It's just - ah - just the one wrist. I should be able to fight through it if I don't move it too much."

"Good." You'll still support her; you want the practice of creating more than just ice-empowered arrows with Isa. You hear a shuffling noise approaching from the direction that your team had just come from. You look up, and "Not a moment too soon." see more familiars shambling their way towards you, now from both sides. You turn to Mikuni Oriko and say "Resume your position. I'll corral the ones coming from that end."

"Right." Three drones appear at Mikuni Oriko's side, binding together into a small triangular barrier which loops itself under and over her wrist. Using barriers to form a makeshift sling. You suppose you'll have to congratulate her on her quick thinking and unique use of available tools, when you make it out of this. "Sakura-san!" she calls out as she returns to her place in the fray "You're with me. Let's get this taken care of while Akemi-san and Tomoe-san cover our rear."

Kyouko smirks, ramming her spear through the nearest familiar, which crumbles into black carbon dust as it dies. "Now that's what I like ta hear!"

Two arrows. That's all you can spare for Tomoe-san's defense without the time to Project any more. Fortunately, the familiars of this timeline haven't yet learned how to shrug off a burst of gunfire from a Howa rifle. Combined with Tomoe-san's own skillful gunnery, and that's good enough to take down the first of the opposite-side wave. But there's still more coming. A barrier- You need to make a barrier to protect Tomoe-san. You trace Isa in the air with your finger, imagining a wall of ice forming between the oncoming familiars and your blonde former senpai teammate. What you get is hardly a perfect result, but it should be enough to block any incoming familiars while still allowing you both to fire back. This time, time having permitted, you are able to put your rifle away and bring out more arrows.

As you draw back your bow, your mind flashes back to a time long gone by; in those earliest loops, it wouldn't have been yourself firing arrows into a crowd of familiars while standing at Tomoe-san's side. "It's just like old times, isn't it?"

Two shots fired; two familiars down; it's good to see that this Tomoe-san isn't one to let herself get distracted in a fight. With effortless precision, she dispatches two more familiars, tossing her muskets aside and conjuring new ones without missing a beat as she says "I beg your pardon, Akemi-san?" Of course. Just because Madoka has shown an inkling of remembrance for previous timelines, that doesn't mean that Tomoe-san would have those memories, either. "Did you say something?" Two shots more fired; two more familiars down.

"I said-" Headshot. The familiar stricken by your arrow erupts in a burst of ice that splashes over more of its own kind. "-being on a team like this, having someone watching your back, who's counting on you to watch theirs; it must take you back to when you and Kyouko worked together, doesn't it?"

"It is a refreshing return to form for me, yes." Two shots fired; two familiars down. "However, I think the witches we used to fight didn't have familiars quite as-" Two shots fired; two familiars down "-tenacious, as any that we've fought recently."

"Ah, fuck!" And everything was going so well, too. This time, the scream doesn't belong to Mikuni Oriko, but to Kyouko. You turn, and immediately see another familiar on top of her. It has her by the leg, but unfortunately for the familiar, grabbing Kyouko anywhere but by her spear puts you in range of - before the familiar has time to react, Kyouko has brought her spear down into its ragged head, pulling her leg back as soon as the carbon dust has finished settling - a devastating killing blow. "Shit, Christ that hurts!"

"Sakura-san, you shouldn't take the Lord's name in vain," Mikuni Oriko says, throwing up an additional barrier between her partner and the - now thinning - onslaught.

"Fuck him!" Kyouko thrusts her spear in-between the narrow gap between barriers, skewering through the head of another familiar. "Christ ain't done shit fer me, so stop worrying that I ain't been a good Christian and keep yer eyes on these fucks!"

Between the four of you, it isn't much longer until the familiars have all been defeated. You and Tomoe-san have - and for this you are very grateful - come out unscathed, but Mikuni Oriko has nearly lost the use of one of her wrists; and Kyouko is trying to stand despite a heavily blackened leg, her every step bringing with it a pained expression. "Here, let me get those for you both." With her mind no longer focused on battle, Tomoe-san is able to take the time needed to bandage their injuries, applying Wunjo-laced ribbons to the blackened areas. "It won't help with the pain, I'm afraid, but it will give you the strength to keep going in spite of it."

That is, assuming your party can keep going in spite of their injuries. Your close-range fighter has a badly wounded leg; and your defensive barrier setter, on top of being badly injured herself, is either woefully unprepared for the realities of team combat, or is so worried about her girlfriend that she can't keep her head in the game. And you still haven't found the witch, either.

[ ] Suggest that the party head back; we're in no shape to fight any further
[ ] Suggest that the party push forward; we can do it in spite of our injuries

Regardless, [ ] Wat do?​

 

[Enetious]

[X] Suggest that the party head back; we're in no shape to fight any further
-[X] Head on back and tend to their injuries, and ask Mami to give a debriefing on their teamwork to improve upon it in the future
[X] Switch perspectives to Archer

Yeesh, that's some Grade-EX fodder this Witch has got there. Don't think I've ever heard of regular familiars of a regular Witch pushing back a Puella Magi (much less a team of them) before, this Witch ain't messing around.

 

[SVS]

Yeesh, that's some Grade-EX fodder this Witch has got there. Don't think I've ever heard of regular familiars of a regular Witch pushing back a Puella Magi (much less a team of them) before, this Witch ain't messing around.

Click to shrink...

I did say that this was the point at which witches become strong enough to mess with us on even footing, did I not? Read their blurb again. They feed on the impurities that wash off their witch. Their bodies are soaked in her witch juices. Now imagine what happens when something that's soaked in witch juice touches a meguca. Now imagine how the team is going to have to fight that witch without getting her witch juice all over them. This is not a witch where you can just go in and fuck with it, team of PMs or not.

 

[NMS]

So we should have sent the Servants this way and had the Holy Quintet, minus one, go the other way?

 

[SVS]

So we should have sent the Servants this way and had the Holy Quintet, minus one, go the other way?

Click to shrink...

We don't know what the servants are up against, so for as much trouble as the girls are having here I don't think we can say one way or another that going the other way would have been the better choice.

 

[CMAzrael]

[X] Call your Servants over to take care of this Witch while you go find a different Witch to kill because this one has anti-Magical Girl properties.

 

[Enetious]

[X] Call your Servants over to take care of this Witch while you go find a different Witch to kill because this one has anti-Magical Girl properties.

Click to shrink...

The group of Servants are in the complete opposite end of the city. Also, both groups set out at the same time, so it's likely that they've already encountered a Witch seeing as how I'm pretty sure Servants can cover a lot more ground than Puella Magi.

I don't think Kyoko and Oriko are completely combat-capable at the moment, Oriko mentally and Kyoko physically, and it would be antithetical to push on in what amounts to a training exercise with their current conditions. They just got really unlucky with the Witch they encountered and their dice rolls. Best to recuperate and not get any more injured from a training exercise and have a debrief with Mami on what they can do better in the future to better coordinate with one another.

Of course nothing's stopping them from assaulting the Witch again later on with their Servants.