[X] Two against a lot is better than one against a lot. Fight the night-demons alongside Vita.
- [X] … But you're going to have to break into the portal at some point ….
Laevateinn appears in your hand as Vita steps forward and scores of brown night-demons tumble forth from the portal. "Now, now, Vita - I'm not going to let you have all the fun." She snorts.
"This isn't a game." As if it needs to be a game to be fun! The spokes-demon gapes at you, then stamps its cane against the steps as the others falter in confusion.
"What? Why are - no, no, no! You have to -!" Then it stops and cocks its head, controlling itself. "Oh, yes. Yes, if simply calling you isn't enough, I suppose we'll just have to make you our ruler by force!" It cackles and bursts, sending a wave of malevolence washing over its subordinates, and over you and Vita. Vita erects a triangle-shaped shield, but you simply enjoy the sensation for a moment before activating Loki, then grabbing Vita by the collar and leaping back. She glares at you for a moment before you dart forward, clones bursting into existence as you slam into the onrushing horde.
"We need to destroy that portal," you hear in your head as a dozen blazing red orbs punch through the night-demons. One of the armored captains is the only one to survive being hit, Vita's shot smashing into its breastplate and rocking it back, but it snarls, spraying drool everywhere, and charges forward.
"No, don't destroy it." Vita swoops down beside you, Graf Eisen crushing through the skull of a black-and-brown night-demon that tries leaping at you. The look she gives you is almost as bad as the one she sends toward the portal itself. "If we destroy this one, they'll just make another one. But since this one is here, that means we can go through it on our own terms and try to stop them permanently." You send a short burst of power through Laevateinn, scouring one wing of the night-demons' force with cleansing flames - and if the two red lords, the familiar ones, leer at you, that confidence only lasts until your clones tear them apart.
"Huh. So why back up like this?" You grin as your clones simply soar through the charging mass, each a whirling bullet of destruction flailing about with wings and claws and feet. If the night-demons were human, the battlefield would be a lovely morass of blood and death by now.
"Because I want to keep an eye on the big green one and the big blue one. So that you have space to anchor anyone teleporting in, if necessary. So that if anyone does come through, they don't have to deal with the portal being right in front of them. So that if any major surprises do come through the portal, we aren't right in front of it." Vita slows and looks at you, obviously surprised, and you dart across her to catch and deflect a captain's incoming axe before ripping its head off with a backhanded swing. As you do so, dozens of icy-blue daggers appear around you, just missing you, and launch themselves toward the night-demons.
"Huh. That's not bad, actually." You sniff disdainfully, then throw yourself back into the fray, pulling your clones back to keep them from getting too close to the portal and being unable to support Vita if necessary - after all, they could open up another one somewhere else and flank you.
"Of course! So, is anyone else coming to the party?" You cast a suspicious eye toward the portal; all the brown captains have joined the fight, and only two of them still stand, but the lizard-riding red lord is nowhere to be seen - back into the portal, actually - and the large blue and green night-demons haven't done anything. Worse, the green one is still visible, hasn't even tried to hide. Has it lost that ability, somehow? Perhaps related to the injury that cost it an eye? In any case, now there aren't any major defensive forces at the portal itself on this side - you, Vita, and whoever is coming along can just soar over the swarm and into the portal once everyone is here. Of course, there might be something on the other side, but that's why you lead with expendables and violence.
"Gimme a minute." Vita drifts back, Graf Eisen still at the ready. Red night-demons start filtering through the portal, too, and two of your clones float up to attack them with lethal bullets before they can build up enough numbers to be a threat. Then another burst of icy daggers surge through the air, and Vita charges forward to fight alongside you, grinning. "Alright. Fate and Schach will be down in a minute, along with your servant." You match her grin - and the big blue night-demon finally does something, slamming its palms against the ground as its head whips around frantically. Seemingly in response, a disciplined unit of brown night-demons, mounted on bulky, snarling, sharp-featured hounds trots out of the portal. Vita stands frozen for an instant, and the mounted night-demons lower their lances and charge for her; you give them a moment to trample their brethren, then turn Laevateinn on them - but the blue night-demon's real effect becomes apparent as the riders are partially shielded from the flames. Oily smoke erupts from them, and the first two ranks stagger and tumble, the overwhelming power of your gift burning through their protections, but the remainder leap over and around the fallen - and when you realize that the green night-demon is gone, you whirl around, grab Vita, and throw her over the forest as hard as you can, an instant before massive claws punch into your shoulder, apparently ignoring Loki.
You turn to glare evilly into the night-demons lone eye, but before you can jab your precious gift into it, several tons of night-demon and demonic dog slam into the two of you, wrenching your prey's talons from your shoulder and separating you. Your clones dive toward the portal, catching the blue by its sinuous tail and dragging it back for dismemberment. As for the night-demons swarming you … you pour power into your aura, billowing power gleaming scarlet and disintegrating the creatures - and reacting explosively with the malevolence in the air, based on the explosions that ripple through the air. You sweep your head from side to side, still searching for the green night-demon. It sways, seemingly stunned, and searches the night sky, at least until you ram Laevateinn through its brain. Between you and the still-active portal, a fraction of the night-demons rise lethargically - but what catches your attention is a silvery blast from the sky, coming down toward the town. Vita swoops into view, obviously worried.
"They're attacking all over," she says, and looks up into the sky. That must be Hayate up there, then. "We won't be getting any help, except your servant; at least six portals opened up all over the world and they're pouring out, attacking cities." She tears her eyes away from her family and takes a deep breath. "Go in and stop them at the source, right?" You nod.
What do you do?
[ ] Tell Vita to stay here and help out; you'll find your own way back.
- [ ] Have Satsuki tag along with Vivio; neither of them can fly, and the Sankt-Kaiser needs someone competent to watch her back.
- [ ] Avoid fighting, if possible, while looking for someplace that seems important.
- [ ] Cut through the night-demons; the more you kill, the fewer the others have to deal with.
[ ] Have Satsuki stay behind; she can't fly, and you might need the maneuverability.
- [ ] Have her tag along with Vivio; the Sankt-Kaiser needs someone competent to watch her back.
- [ ] Avoid fighting, if possible, while looking for someplace that seems important.
- [ ] Cut through the night-demons while Vita tries to find someplace important.
[ ] Once Satsuki gets here, the three of you are going through that portal.
- [ ] Kill everything.
- [ ] Try to find someplace important.
[ ] Other?
