Perhaps the next things we should upgrade should be the Armoured Core ability, bringing that up to level 5, and our weapon, preferably also bringing it up to 5 once we have the XP. I...actually don't remember what upgrading Armoured Core to level 4 did for us, but it is one of our only damage reducers, so we should make sure it's level is decent. The weapon is for when we either can't or don't want to use spells, and its base damage is used in the Intercept ability, so keeping that to a high level seems like a decent use of XP.
Well, we know Armored Core series special purchases tend to be durability/chassis improvement, so we're good here.
And I doubt we'd actually BE able to save for long. Current patterns are saving XP while in 'downtime' arcs where we socialize around the base, and spending every last bit of XP while in action arcs even if the gain is small.
The Armored Core upgrades from the shop are going to go up by 50xp per rank. (I feel safe stating this because it's not like its going into spoilers.)
Iron was 100
Steel is 150
Mythril is going to be 200
Adamantium is going to be 250.
Buying the next level improves the damage barrier and increases the Resilience each level gives out.
Things like Severance Echo, while nice, are more flashy than reliable, as you probably saw during the New York battle and Truth's See No Evil spell. Nice to have. Not something to rely on.
[X] Stick with White Knight and get it over with. The sooner the mission in done, the more time you can spend at Sega's grave.
[X] Purchase Armored Core: Steel
We'll have 10 XP left over, we can level up Starshine as well guys.
[X] Stick with White Knight and get it over with. The sooner the mission in done, the more time you can spend at Sega's grave.
[x] Purchase Armored Core: Steel
[X] Level Starshine to Level 2.
Also probably good plan actually to spend all our XP on DEFENSE, because they'll probably have a much tougher time judging growth rate if we're just getting 'Tougher' especially with how we've survived stuff already.
Actually, yeah. If we spend most of our XP on being ludicrously tanky, then they'll not notice us until we need to go out into something dangerous and end up Core Purging away everything.
[X] Stick with White Knight and get it over with. The sooner the mission in done, the more time you can spend at Sega's grave.
[X] Purchase Armored Core: Steel
Perhaps the next things we should upgrade should be the Armoured Core ability, bringing that up to level 5, and our weapon, preferably also bringing it up to 5 once we have the XP. I...actually don't remember what upgrading Armoured Core to level 4 did for us, but it is one of our only damage reducers, so we should make sure it's level is decent. The weapon is for when we either can't or don't want to use spells, and its base damage is used in the Intercept ability, so keeping that to a high level seems like a decent use of XP.
Well, we know Armored Core series special purchases tend to be durability/chassis improvement, so we're good here.
And I doubt we'd actually BE able to save for long. Current patterns are saving XP while in 'downtime' arcs where we socialize around the base, and spending every last bit of XP while in action arcs even if the gain is small.
Upgrading Core only gives Base Resiliency, the Steel/Mythril/etc. purchases will probably up the percentage in the abilities themselves, which I think is more useful for now.
Lightmage, if he still has his spreadsheet, can probably tell us what's better... well if we knew what kind of upgrade we were looking at from Iron to Steel to Mythril anyway. So ignore this entire last sentence I guess.
Upgrading Core only gives Base Resiliency, the Steel/Mythril/etc. purchases will probably up the percentage in the abilities themselves, which I think is more useful for now.
Lightmage, if he still has his spreadsheet, can probably tell us what's better... well if we knew what kind of upgrade we were looking at from Iron to Steel to Mythril anyway. So ignore this entire last sentence I guess.
I'm guessing either a flat bonus of +5% damage minimum, +5% damage reduction and +10 Resilience/level for every upgrade, or it doubles each time.
First case, we'd have a minimum damage requirement of 20% of HP, 70% of taken damage is reduced(thanks to No Longer Human) and +40 Resilience per level.
Second case, we'd have a minimum damage requirement of 40% of HP, 90% of taken damage is reduced, and +80 Resilience per level.
If I had known that an omake could be submitted for occasions other than when Nepgear went to sleep for the day, I would've developed a second one back when the update was live. I'm not gonna try to rush it this time though, seeing as I only have a vague idea of what I want to write. That and proofread it.
[X] Buy Armored Core: Steel No. of votes: 1 veekie
[X]Split up. Visit Sega's grave during the mission and pay what respects you can while White Knight takes care of everything. No. of votes: 1 Locos_Docos
Armored Core: Iron -----> Armored Core: Steel
Level 4
-A barrier that separates you from the mortal. Damage must exceed 25% of your health to pass through. Success reduces the taken damage by 25%.
Armored Core: Iron -----> Armored Core: Steel
Level 4
-A barrier that separates you from the mortal. Damage must exceed 25% of your health to pass through. Success reduces the taken damage by 25%.
Did those percentages just multiply by 5? Uhh... I don't see the math for it, even if the next one dropped to multiplying by 4 it would still leave us at 100%, and it would be even worse if it was actually running on an X^2 principle.
You shake your head, "No. We have a job to do, and it's better to just get it done. So lets get it over with." White Knight looks at you for a moment before grinning and returning a nod.
"Alright. I can respect that. We'll sweep over the cemetery in a clock wise fashion. Keep close to one another, and if you have to choose between loosing sight of each other or scrunching up, crunch up. Don't split up or lose sight of one another, alright?"
You nod with the rest of Team GEAR as they check their equipment and you pull on your power to transform into your Magical Girl outfit. Once the glow of your transformation fades, you share a glance with Michael.
"Who wants to bet we'll run into zombies on this?"
"Sucker bet." Is the unanimous response to the question.
-/LINE BREAK IDENTIFIED\-
The transport helicopter lands in the middle of the main approach to the cemetery, disgorging it's passengers before taking off again, and vanishing into the bright afternoon sky with the steady drone of it's rotors. James stands close to you as Michael and Samael both drift slightly off to the side. White Knight takes the lead as the five of you make your way into the graveyard on foot.
The trees rustle softly in the quiet wind, and the song of birds filter through like music. Otherwise, the silence is almost stifling.
"I've never been to a Cemetery before." Your whisper to James is barely audible. A part of you balks at the thought of talking any louder in the soft silence for fear of breaking it and somehow disrespecting the dead in the graves around you. "What if we don't find anything here?"
"Then we visit your sister's grave. Check to see if they moved Jessica and Richard here after the funeral. Probably pay our respects before leaving. I'd rather whatever was happening around the graveyards is something simple but we're not that lucky."
Considering your first day as a magical girl, and the following days you didn't bother arguing with him. The thought of someone disrespecting Sega's grave filled you with a kind of cold rage that scared you. Thankfully whoever was responsible for this was more likely after military graves then civilian.
Necromancy as a magical school was rare and didn't tend to have many practitioners, on either the Unified Light or Unified Darkness' sides. This was because of how difficult and complicated it was, as well as the fact one of the Unaligned Factions had a rather brutal response to any large-scale necromantic efforts. A neophyte Necromancer was just as likely, if not more, to kill themselves with a spell as they were to succeed in whatever they had set out to do. Even if it was simply attempting to resurrect a dead rat.
Necromancy was one of five schools of magic that didn't require any kind of affinity for one to use. Or even actual magic in the case of some humans. It simply required a very good understanding of base biological functions, and a willingness to use one's own soul to fuel the magic. If a Necromancer botched a spell, they ran the risk of having their soul sucked out through... something, and pureed. Violently.
Thankfully since it didn't recall the victim body's soul from the afterlife in order to pull off, it didn't have the same stigma among the Unified Light as one would expect. True Resurrection on the other hand was an entirely different matter and a lot more complicated.
A matter you didn't feel like distracting yourself with.
"White Knight, I got something over here." Michael's voice drew you out of your thoughts and brought the attention of the group over to the soldier. He stood before a recently dug up grave, dirt thrown willy-nilly across the immediate area, with it's gravestone knocked over and clearly missing coffin. "Seems like we have grave diggers."
"No shit Sherlock. We're in a graveyard. What else would people be doing here if not digging up graves?"
Michael raises an eyebrow at Samael before responding, "A Dark Magical Girl might just get remorseful or something, and come looking for dead family to visit." Samael looks at Mike with annoyance as you try to choke down a giggle before it can escape. Instead you make some kind of sound that was a mix between a drowned rat and a strangled snake. White Knight instead simply covers her mouth with a delicate hand and giggles quietly to herself. "Anyway, I don't see why they would be interested in a dead teenager, or why they'd go out of their way to dig her up and steal her body."
You blink, turning almost in unison with the rest of the group to the over-turned grave marker. Stone face gazing up into the sky you read the inscriptions out loud, trying to figure out why someone would dig this poor person up.
"Alexandria Soft
January 1st, 1990 to December 31st, 2007
A loving daughter and close friend. 'May nothing stand before you in the next life, my juggernaut.'"
The strange epitaph sticks out in your mind, as you mentally go over any significant people you knew of that could match that age. "Who do you think she was?" Your voice jolts the group back to reality. They all trade looks as you contemplate the headstone in silence. Part of you can't help but feel that the epitaph on the stone is incredibly important.
Sadly though the universe doesn't want to give you enough time to contemplate this. You also find out that expecting Zombies does jack shit for you when they actually do show up.
The team is so distracted by the grave that no one caught the thing running up to you until it leaps on Michael in one great lunge. Limbs elongated to inhuman proportions it clears the ten feet with incredible ease. Though emacipated, with loose skin hanging from bones and seemingly no muscles to speak of, it carries the hardened soldier to the ground, and wrestles him for a moment before it's jaws open impossibly wide, and it lurches forward.
Michael, with desperate strength, somehow manages to force it's attack off just enough, so instead of latching onto his face the beast's jaws latch onto the side of his neck.
(Rending Jaws: 25 Base Damage, no dice, +10 Surprise, +15 Grapple = 50 Total Damage
Michael: 100 Base Resilience, no dice, -100 Unarmored Spot, +10 Will to Live = 10 Damage Reduction
40 Total End Damage
Michael's Health: 500 - 40 = 460 Remaining)
A spurt of blood and a scream, the thing's jaws latch onto Mike's neck like a vice clamp. It growls and rears back, tearing a chunk of flesh away. The whole attack takes less than two seconds. You react on instinctual panic. A twist of your ankle, and you bring the Purifier Beam to bear like a club, swinging for all you were worth at Michael's cry.
(Panzer Blade: 45 Base Damage, -11 Semi-Competent, +2 Dice = 36 Total Damage
Assault Zombie: 15 Base Resilience, no dice, +20 Flexible, -10 Distracted = 25 Damage Reduction
11 Total End Damage
Assault Zombie Health: 100 - 11 = 89 Remaining)
It catches the beast mid-dodge across the face, stunning it. Bone caves in, and it stumbles aside in a sudden daze. White Knight, also reacting on instinct, takes the opening and throws her sword.
(White Blade: 1,500 Base Damage, +366 Dice, -1,125 Not a Throwing Weapon = 741 Total Damage
Assault Zombie: 15 Base Resilience, no dice, -25 Took a Panzer to the Face = 5 Extra Damage
746 Total End Damage
Assault Zombie Health: 89 - 746 = -657 Remaining)
The White Blade was never meant to be a throwing weapon. It's beautiful elegance was meant to allow it's wielder to dominate a blade fight. Not act as the impromptu missile that White Knight used it as. But regardless, her magically enhanced strength threw the blade with enough force, that the hilt of the weapon completely obliterated the head and a good chunk of the zombie's torso on impact. It even retained enough force behind it to plow through one of the more ornate stone grave markers that had rested behind the creature as well, and embed itself in the ground behind it.
If the arrival of the helicopter earlier hadn't alerted everything inside the cemetery to your presence earlier, the resounding boom of the headstone's obliteration did.
The difference was: now everything knew where you were.
"Oops?" Knight's strangled apology was drowned out by what sounded like a hundred bestial roars ascending into the once quiet air all at once. Birds took startled flight, and the ground writhed as more of the zombies scrambled into motion.
Michael scrambled to his feet, hand clamped over his wound as he lifted his gun, "Fucking zombies! Of fucking course. This is the second time I got bit by one of the fuckers! Be careful, these thing's claws can tear through armor and love to latch on! I watched them swamp a squad once and tear them to pieces." Well, wasn't that a pleasant thought? You knew from hitting it with your Panzer Blade these things wouldn't go down to your Purifier Beam all that well, and you were leery at the thought of firing off your Celestial Severance due to the way they traveled across the ground. You couldn't be sure you'd even hit any of them if you used it.
"We're too exposed out here. We need to head to the mausoleum if we don't want to get swamped as soon as they reach us."
White Knight grabs her sword and rips it from the ground. "Agreed. We can't stay here, lock and load! We're running for it."
She flourishes her blade, Michael adjusts his grip on his gun, James racks the chamber, Samael takes aim, and you steady the Purifier Beam. The zombies cross more than a dozen yards in the few seconds you plan your attack, calling their hunger to the air. "Go!" White Knight kicks off, and the ground beneath her greaves shatters. Team GEAR breaks and sprints after her, but as fast as the four of you sprint, she is far faster.
A hair's breadth and White Knight hits the line of zombies like a meteor.
(The White Blade: 1,500 Base Damage, +700 Dice, +1,000 Horrific Speed Gap = 3,200
Assault Zombie: 15 Base Resilience, no dice, +20 Flexible = 35 Damage Reduction
3,165 Total End Damage
Assault Zombie A: 100 - 3,185 = -3,065 Remaining Health
The White Blade: 1,500 Base Damage, +341 Dice, +1,000 Horrific Speed Gap = 2,841
Assault Zombie: 15 Base Resilience, no dice, +20 Flexible = 35 Damage Reduction
2,806 Total End Damage
Assault Zombie B: 100 - 2,806 = -2,706 Remaining Health
The White Blade: 1,500 Base Damage, +479 Dice, +1,000 Horrific Speed Gap = 2,979
Assault Zombie: 15 Base Resilience, no dice, +20 Flexible = 35 Damage Reduction
She is less then a blur to you. Three strikes arc through the air in such perfect form that it almost resembles a flourish... and three zombies are diced to pieces between eye blinks. Each strike delivered with precision you had only ever seen from Goddess Grey or Red Rose. She flicks her blade, putrid blood splashing across the ground as it slides from her blade, almost as if it was repulsed to have even touched such a thing. It's gleaming light untarnished.
You and team GEAR sprint past her as the horde of zombies change course to try and stop your escape. But it's of no use as the hole was made too suddenly, and you passed too quickly. White Knight takes up the rear of the group as you all hurry to the mausoleum in the center of the Cemetery.
You barely make it to the door when two zombies outright tackle you to the ground.
(Rending Jaws: 25 Base Damage, no dice, +15 Grapple = 40 Total Damage
Rending Jaws: 25 Base Damage, no dice, +15 Grapple = 40 Total Damage
Solid Core: 85 Base Resilience, +9 Dice = 94 Damage Reduction
0 Total End Damage: Armored Core Negation)
"Gah!" Your shout draws attention, but its too late as the two zombies pile atop you. But their jaws are stopped by your golden barrier, unable to break through.
"Nepgear!" The rest of the zombies are closing. Fast. If you didn't find a way to get up-
"Purge!" Samael's voice has a primal tinge to it as you feel his magic answer.
(Purge: 75 Base Damage, +2 Damage = 79 Total Damage
Assault Zombie: 15 Base Resilience, no dice, -10 Distracted, Flexibility bonus negated, -10 Weak to Purification, -20 Flammable = 25 Extra Damage
Assault Zombie: 15 Base Resilience, no dice, -10 Distracted, Flexibility bonus negated, -10 Weak to Purification, -20 Flammable = 25 Extra Damage
104 Total End Damage Each
Assault Zombie A: 100 - 104 = -4 Health Remaining
Assault Zombie B: 100 - 104 = -4 Health Remaining
Solid Core: Immune to Purity Effects)
The spell washes over you, and you feel when the things atop you burst into flames. Their screams quickly turn to whimpers as James runs up and drag you to your feet. "Come on kid, now's not the time to be laying on the ground!" You scramble to get your feet under you as he half-drag you to the doors of the crypt, just as White Knight kicks them open and you all almost tumble in.
Right out of pan and into the incinerator.
A handful of figures stand in front of you, partially blocking the sight of a small portal of which a pair of Demonic Soldiers are lifting a coffin through, while eight more soldiers stand next to a pile of four more.
But what dominates the scene are instead two creatures of witch you had never seen before: their bodies seemingly made of a dark purple rock, emanating a malevolent violet light. They stand individually fifteen feet tall a piece, and emanated power on an impressive scale. (And considering you personally knew Goddess Gold, that said a lot.)
But overshadowing even their dark presence stood quite possibly the worst individual you could have ever personally met.
Goddess Red. The Mother of Monsters. The fourth strongest Magical Girl in existence and second strongest fighter for the Unified Darkness. She was considered the Apocalypse Incarnate and the only 'mortal' force in the universe capable of personally de-populating an entire dimension.
Death held no bar over her, and only one of the other Goddesses posed a true threat to her.
"Hm?" Her voice is shockingly young. Almost like what one would expect from a under-classman at school. Not a living force of nature. "Oh." She turns to your group, and fear locks you in place.
Dead. Dead dead dead deadeadeadeaddeaddead-
Your mind nearly breaks from her gaze resting on you. The entire world seems to tremble around you as your vision funnels down to a single point.
"That explains all the ruckus." She speaks as if talking to someone about what she was planning to do for supper. Sliding through the gravity of the situation like butter. "Well. Good thing we're done here... but I'd feel bad if I didn't leave a parting gift."
The Demonic Soldiers pick up the last of the coffins, but one pair carry their burden to rest in front of Goddess Red without a word.
"Desires of The Impure World."
A wave of power so great that you nearly fall to your knees from the weight of it. Team GEAR, being purely normal humans are unable to resist, and do so in your stead. A crack, and the lid of the coffin falls off, revealing a horrifyingly familiar sight.
A young girl climbs from the inside of the coffin, bare skin of her back filling your tunneled vision, and she kneels in front of Goddess Red.
"Not much of you was left when they buried you... but enough. I need you to take care of this little problem, would you?"
The girl looks up and smiles at the older woman. "I'd love to! You won't need to worry mother!" And with that she spins to her feet, and Goddess Red turns to the portal and walks away, the Necromancers floating into it ahead of her.
"I'll leave my Knight to help you. Stay safe." And as she steps through, a black figure bursts from her back in a wave of dark smoke, moving to stand next to the resurrected girl.
"Understood! Now, time to transform!" Light spills from her hand, and as it arcs around her she speaks words that nearly tear your heart from your chest, "Candy wrappers and cady canes! I am Magical Girl Candy Heart!"
The Purifier Beam nearly drops from your limp fingers as her transformation finishes and you gaze upon the young girl that had tried to save you on day one.
The roar of the zombies outside break the trance on Team GEAR and White Knight, but you feel as if your entire nervous system was frozen.
Weapons are drawn, the group's human members turn to the door, while White Knight sticks her arm out in front of you, blade bare.
The Black Knight draws her own sword, and Candy Heart summons her heart-tipped wand.
Stalling plans for Black, she'll probably fight her... sister? Whenever White shows up to help. Which means Candy's our issue... What's in the way of our Severance currently?
Also, I imagine even supped up undead are vulnerable to Purity? Could drop our other spell as well... not sure the Black Knight is actually Undead though.
So... using Severance may be an issue. Just by our damage, and the Black Knight's HP and Base resilience... we can one-shot her. Candy's a smear on the wall barring any defense based powers.
[X] Plan Matchup
-[X] White Knight handles the Knight, while we handle Candy Heart
-[X] We both open up with our strongest spells on our respective targets, and keep up until one of them is dead
-[X] Whoever kills their opponent first helps the other
-[X] In the mean time, our squad radios Goddess Gold and Blue Sky for backup, then helps White Knight
And for the XP...
[X] XP Plan Safety
-[X] Purchase Armoured Core: Mythril
-[X] Purchase 1 level of Purifier Beam
-[X] Purchase 1 level of Armoured Core
This improves our defense and offense, though it only slightly improves the latter. Really, this plan focuses on making sure we survive this fight more than it does improving our offense, mainly because once we purchase the two upgrades for Armoured Core, we don't have a lot of XP left. Besides, our Intercept works on our base damage, and upgrading our weapon increases that.
