The Froggy Ninja
The Blade Will Never Die
Remove that X or your full vote won't be counted.
Fledgling Deity Quest
- Thread starter ilbgar123
- Start date
- Location
- Brazil
@ilbgar123 what is the relationship between Aura and Qi?
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
If Qi is weaponized life force, Aura is a protective shell of soulstuff.
Though they are probably the most disconnected as a pair of the Empowerments any complete person can use, they work well together. Qi is better for and against physical attacks, while Aura is more potent where the conceptual is concerned. Aura is better for resisting brainwashing, for example. Qi is better for not dying if you get nuked. It can be said they cover each other's weaknesses.
The Froggy Ninja
The Blade Will Never Die
So aside from Aura and Magic, does Soul boost the other Empowerments? If I had to guess:
Magic: Spiritual power tends to play a part. Also confirmed synergy.
Qi: Souls tend to contribute pretty directly to Life Force. People tend to die if they're cut off, if nothing else.
Psi: Souls are often considered the seat of consciousness, maybe?
Aura: Literally soul based.
Essence: What is the soul if not "you"?
Heart: In Kingdom Hearts, Heart provides direction to the Body which receives animation and will from the Soul.
Heroism: Heroic souls are a very common trope.
Mundane: Everyone's got one.
Wonder: I'm pretty sure the thing that makes High Priests is soul based.
[X] Plan Maintaining Progress
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
This is accurate.
- Location
- Brazil
Mind domain probably resonates with Psi and Magic.
Body and Life domains probably resonate with Qi.
Essence probably resonates with Reality domain.
Emotion and Connection domains probably resonate with Heart.
Heroism probably resonates with Choice and Willpower domains.
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Jack of Olives
Rolled a '3' on their Con score
- Location
- The land of fruits and nuts (California)
[x] Plan Closer to (y)our Roots
- Location
- New Zealand
[X] Plan Maintaining Progress
Puella Magi Guide: On Leto, The Early Days(Canon)(+25 Faith, to be spent either directly by you or tossed in the pot)
[X] Plan Maintaining Progress
Seems reasonable enough.
Also, sudden Omake time, mostly satisfied with how I've got it:
Excerpt from an Unknown Magical Girl's Guide
A sheet of paper that was added to the front of the pages of a binder.
Alright, big enough change up to our situation that this outright merits a new update sent out to everyone that is using The Guide. But massive changes are on the horizon. This is the kind of thing that more knowledge will end up saving your life. Our job is dangerous, but something we need to do. And we need every edge we can get, part of why The Guide even exists. Grief seeds may be a somewhat limited resource, but that doesn't mean we can't help each other out.
And it seems like we're getting brand new assistance right out of nowhere. By now you've probably heard at least some of the rumors. So lets get down to it. The important bits, what might well eventually leading to a new revision of The Guide, more than just a small update packet that this is. It's still early, after all.
What's up with these new Staves?
They're called 'Staves of Leto'. Outright increasing our magic, the power of what we cast. That means you can get away with using less. Grief management has gotten easier, when the big spells aren't needed as often. For those of us that have been struggling, it's a godsend.
Kyubey's been handing them out, so if you don't have one already, ask for one. They make that much of a difference. Even if it's completely out of your combat style. Get one. They're that useful. And hope that there isn't a waiting line for them at the time you ask.
Who even is Leto?
A new god, going by what Kyubey says. And frankly, from what I've seen it seems to be literal. So Kyubey's not being misleading on this. No half-truths here.
And the perks are great, if you believe in him. Tangible proof. Wrangling out a bit more out and it seems like Leto's only going to get more powerful. A bit early to say, but probably praying for specific types of boosts might help direct that strength. At the very least, it'll help Leto figure out what to focus on improving. Or that's the hope.
Any typical god stuff like blessings?
As of now, demand is outpacing supply. Much like with everything else, really. Especially as it seems they'll need to be renewed. Groundwork had to be put down. By the time you end up getting this, that might have been solved. This is early days, after all. But when it's that important, spreading the word early helps. So we'll make do with what we know now.
There's reports of more permanent benefits, in much more limited supply. But given those are permanent, they'll eventually catch up.
Why should I care?
Well, it's essentially free benefits. But here's a tl;dr.
1) The Staff.
2) Noticeable improvement in handling Grief for those who got one of the slots.
3) Still an improvement even without it.
4) Computers work better for you. Yes really.
Unconfirmed Stuff
There's some minor armor boosting rumors, not a whole lot of difference, but every edge counts.
Some of the more mechanically inclined Magical Girls have noticed some of what they're doing is easier, and makes more sense.
Edit: Oh nice, canonized!
For the reward, I'm thinking 10 on Hope, 10 on Despair, and assuming that it effects the Staff of Leto, 5 on Staves. Otherwise that 5 on Dodging. That good? All stuff that'll help out Magical Girls survive. So it even fits the theme of this omake.
Seems reasonable enough.
Also, sudden Omake time, mostly satisfied with how I've got it:
Excerpt from an Unknown Magical Girl's Guide
A sheet of paper that was added to the front of the pages of a binder.
Alright, big enough change up to our situation that this outright merits a new update sent out to everyone that is using The Guide. But massive changes are on the horizon. This is the kind of thing that more knowledge will end up saving your life. Our job is dangerous, but something we need to do. And we need every edge we can get, part of why The Guide even exists. Grief seeds may be a somewhat limited resource, but that doesn't mean we can't help each other out.
And it seems like we're getting brand new assistance right out of nowhere. By now you've probably heard at least some of the rumors. So lets get down to it. The important bits, what might well eventually leading to a new revision of The Guide, more than just a small update packet that this is. It's still early, after all.
What's up with these new Staves?
They're called 'Staves of Leto'. Outright increasing our magic, the power of what we cast. That means you can get away with using less. Grief management has gotten easier, when the big spells aren't needed as often. For those of us that have been struggling, it's a godsend.
Kyubey's been handing them out, so if you don't have one already, ask for one. They make that much of a difference. Even if it's completely out of your combat style. Get one. They're that useful. And hope that there isn't a waiting line for them at the time you ask.
Who even is Leto?
A new god, going by what Kyubey says. And frankly, from what I've seen it seems to be literal. So Kyubey's not being misleading on this. No half-truths here.
And the perks are great, if you believe in him. Tangible proof. Wrangling out a bit more out and it seems like Leto's only going to get more powerful. A bit early to say, but probably praying for specific types of boosts might help direct that strength. At the very least, it'll help Leto figure out what to focus on improving. Or that's the hope.
Any typical god stuff like blessings?
As of now, demand is outpacing supply. Much like with everything else, really. Especially as it seems they'll need to be renewed. Groundwork had to be put down. By the time you end up getting this, that might have been solved. This is early days, after all. But when it's that important, spreading the word early helps. So we'll make do with what we know now.
There's reports of more permanent benefits, in much more limited supply. But given those are permanent, they'll eventually catch up.
Why should I care?
Well, it's essentially free benefits. But here's a tl;dr.
1) The Staff.
2) Noticeable improvement in handling Grief for those who got one of the slots.
3) Still an improvement even without it.
4) Computers work better for you. Yes really.
Unconfirmed Stuff
There's some minor armor boosting rumors, not a whole lot of difference, but every edge counts.
Some of the more mechanically inclined Magical Girls have noticed some of what they're doing is easier, and makes more sense.
Meant to be part of a guide that some Magical Girl ended up making to help others go around. The author's true identity is specifically unknown, not wanting to take credit for various reasons. Of course, there's also the possibility that this isn't the first author of 'The Guide'. But to keep hope alive, whoever is writing the Guide is giving the impression that it is one continuous writer. Might even be multiple current authors working under a penname, different focuses/sections by different people.
I'd imagine that the other parts of the guide deal with the various other aspects. Witch types, various other tips that other Magical Girls pass around. Bits of rumor that might help. Such as "Don't go here." Very much unofficial, really. Mostly a slapdash effort put together over time. Not entirely certain on how it gets passed around either. (Especially as some of the other sections might not be the most flattering to Kyubey, so thus not really wanting to rely on him to spread it out.) Maybe some sort of word or pdf file that gets sent around. In all likelyhood it isn't something that all Magical Girls end up seeing, but given how rumors spread around, it is something that has at least some spread. But for this particular 'copy' if you could call it the owner has it printed out in a three ring binder to better refer to it. And hand write notes in it. Not on the newest addition, since it is the newest bit.
But hey, if anyone else wants to write up what the other sections would be feel free. I don't really have plans to do so at the moment. I've got other ideas to finish up.
I'd imagine that the other parts of the guide deal with the various other aspects. Witch types, various other tips that other Magical Girls pass around. Bits of rumor that might help. Such as "Don't go here." Very much unofficial, really. Mostly a slapdash effort put together over time. Not entirely certain on how it gets passed around either. (Especially as some of the other sections might not be the most flattering to Kyubey, so thus not really wanting to rely on him to spread it out.) Maybe some sort of word or pdf file that gets sent around. In all likelyhood it isn't something that all Magical Girls end up seeing, but given how rumors spread around, it is something that has at least some spread. But for this particular 'copy' if you could call it the owner has it printed out in a three ring binder to better refer to it. And hand write notes in it. Not on the newest addition, since it is the newest bit.
But hey, if anyone else wants to write up what the other sections would be feel free. I don't really have plans to do so at the moment. I've got other ideas to finish up.
Edit: Oh nice, canonized!
For the reward, I'm thinking 10 on Hope, 10 on Despair, and assuming that it effects the Staff of Leto, 5 on Staves. Otherwise that 5 on Dodging. That good? All stuff that'll help out Magical Girls survive. So it even fits the theme of this omake.
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Vote closed
Mau Musings (Probably Canon, not sure on Luna's timeline myself)(+25 Faith)
And here's another omake. Already selected the first one's rewards back in that post in case that edit was missed. Didn't want to double post to just select the rewards. Or when the vote closed, I was close-ish to finishing this up.
Mau Musings
Luna was frustrated. Finding any of the Senshi was rather more difficult than she expected. Finding the princesses could only help with what's going on. And quite a bit actually is, unfortunately muddying the waters in her search. On the plus side, any enemies would likely have even more difficulty in finding them than she was. Hopefully. Well at least it would shortly become clear if they ever did. Not that it would be particularly pleasant.
It really didn't help that there were now so many traces of magic muddling things up now. Sudden, new powerful magic users showing up. Magic tinged in so much Grief and Despair, as well. Luna shuddered at the thought of something like that infecting, for lack of a better word, any of the holders of the Star Seeds. She vaguely had hints of memories implying that it'd take a lot more to pull a feat like that off. But it did lend even more of a sense of urgency to actually find them. And to help train them, especially as she doubted they were even aware of the magic being thrown around.
Most people seemed to be blissfully unaware. There were a few options, from what she could tell from the safe distance she kept to whenever she ran across it. Some form of teleportation, an invisibility/attention diverting spell, or some sort of pocket dimension. Maybe a mix of them. She really didn't feel comfortable being around the sheer power that seemed to be involved, without having some other backup. Preferably not even then, with her current capabilities. Also some amount of glamours covering it up. One less thing to worry about for now at least, no open warzone to have to deal with. The whole situation is something that would no doubt be much easier to deal with when it came time to it if she could actually remember more than the fragments she currently did. She was sure there was something about countering negative emotion influenced magic. It certainly seemed like something that would have come up.
There did seem to be a connection to whatever those emotionless things that popped up. It was decidedly uncomfortable for her to be near them. Thankfully it doesn't seem that any of them noticed her. Plus there was a sense of sadness, of loss, when she looked at them. One she couldn't quite put a reason to it. One of the Moon Kingdom's allies before everything came crashing down? Or a fellow member race? Or just she's recognizing some tragic event that has some similarities.
Whatever happened seemed to have been horrifying. Luna wasn't even sure the end result could be undone. Not if it happened long enough ago. Hopefully there might be something able to be done without using the Silver Crystal, some knowledge that would help. Or some magic she can't quite recall at the moment. Having more allies could only help. Provided that they could actually become allies. She had no clue as to who they were as of now. But solving whatever issue that caused that would help in convincing them to ally, surely? Probably would be best to figure out what they've been doing before approaching them. It wouldn't do to ally with someone even worse than the enemies they already have. That'd just likely to end up making enemies out of other potential allies. Enemies that they could ill afford to gain.
Luna sighed, there were just too many unknowns to be entirely sure now, and not enough time to make them known factors. Too many directions she was being pulled in. Her largest task growing ever more important, before the Dark Kingdom could get more entrenched. Right now, the situation with emotionless beings was more of a distraction, than anything else. It'd be a different story if she could actually do anything about it right now, but she wasn't sure of where to start with the seeming hopelessness that that particular situation held.
The Senshi would likely be able to help out with the problem easily enough in any case, or at least wouldn't make things worse. If she could get them trained up quickly enough to properly defend themselves. It was rather more dangerous than Luna had hoped for the situation to be. Perhaps a bit more stealth for the future is needed, when she finds them? Keep them protected and hidden while she instructs them. Something more than what she already has. There must be something that could help with the increased danger that the princesses will be in. Luna thought there might be something to help train. Or maybe some tool that will give them the edge they need.
Maybe a look through what she has from the Moon Kingdom will inspire new ideas to try? Or maybe just jog her memory. A different track might be just what she needs to get a new lead. Actually, Artemis might have some more ideas. Maybe he has found something new? Certainly couldn't hurt, with what is currently a dead end on her part. That and it was about time to get back in touch.
Edit now that it's threadmarked: Alright I'll stick that 25 on Wonder.
Mau Musings
Luna was frustrated. Finding any of the Senshi was rather more difficult than she expected. Finding the princesses could only help with what's going on. And quite a bit actually is, unfortunately muddying the waters in her search. On the plus side, any enemies would likely have even more difficulty in finding them than she was. Hopefully. Well at least it would shortly become clear if they ever did. Not that it would be particularly pleasant.
It really didn't help that there were now so many traces of magic muddling things up now. Sudden, new powerful magic users showing up. Magic tinged in so much Grief and Despair, as well. Luna shuddered at the thought of something like that infecting, for lack of a better word, any of the holders of the Star Seeds. She vaguely had hints of memories implying that it'd take a lot more to pull a feat like that off. But it did lend even more of a sense of urgency to actually find them. And to help train them, especially as she doubted they were even aware of the magic being thrown around.
Most people seemed to be blissfully unaware. There were a few options, from what she could tell from the safe distance she kept to whenever she ran across it. Some form of teleportation, an invisibility/attention diverting spell, or some sort of pocket dimension. Maybe a mix of them. She really didn't feel comfortable being around the sheer power that seemed to be involved, without having some other backup. Preferably not even then, with her current capabilities. Also some amount of glamours covering it up. One less thing to worry about for now at least, no open warzone to have to deal with. The whole situation is something that would no doubt be much easier to deal with when it came time to it if she could actually remember more than the fragments she currently did. She was sure there was something about countering negative emotion influenced magic. It certainly seemed like something that would have come up.
There did seem to be a connection to whatever those emotionless things that popped up. It was decidedly uncomfortable for her to be near them. Thankfully it doesn't seem that any of them noticed her. Plus there was a sense of sadness, of loss, when she looked at them. One she couldn't quite put a reason to it. One of the Moon Kingdom's allies before everything came crashing down? Or a fellow member race? Or just she's recognizing some tragic event that has some similarities.
Whatever happened seemed to have been horrifying. Luna wasn't even sure the end result could be undone. Not if it happened long enough ago. Hopefully there might be something able to be done without using the Silver Crystal, some knowledge that would help. Or some magic she can't quite recall at the moment. Having more allies could only help. Provided that they could actually become allies. She had no clue as to who they were as of now. But solving whatever issue that caused that would help in convincing them to ally, surely? Probably would be best to figure out what they've been doing before approaching them. It wouldn't do to ally with someone even worse than the enemies they already have. That'd just likely to end up making enemies out of other potential allies. Enemies that they could ill afford to gain.
Luna sighed, there were just too many unknowns to be entirely sure now, and not enough time to make them known factors. Too many directions she was being pulled in. Her largest task growing ever more important, before the Dark Kingdom could get more entrenched. Right now, the situation with emotionless beings was more of a distraction, than anything else. It'd be a different story if she could actually do anything about it right now, but she wasn't sure of where to start with the seeming hopelessness that that particular situation held.
The Senshi would likely be able to help out with the problem easily enough in any case, or at least wouldn't make things worse. If she could get them trained up quickly enough to properly defend themselves. It was rather more dangerous than Luna had hoped for the situation to be. Perhaps a bit more stealth for the future is needed, when she finds them? Keep them protected and hidden while she instructs them. Something more than what she already has. There must be something that could help with the increased danger that the princesses will be in. Luna thought there might be something to help train. Or maybe some tool that will give them the edge they need.
Maybe a look through what she has from the Moon Kingdom will inspire new ideas to try? Or maybe just jog her memory. A different track might be just what she needs to get a new lead. Actually, Artemis might have some more ideas. Maybe he has found something new? Certainly couldn't hurt, with what is currently a dead end on her part. That and it was about time to get back in touch.
This one kind of fought me for a bit. In terms of there was something that outright missing in there. (Mostly just adding in a couple sentences at various points. Rewording things. Just felt off to me, in a way I couldn't figure out just staring at it. Had to step back and take a few breaks. But now it's in a state that I feel like I can send it out.)
I was working with the idea that this takes place before Luna manages to find Usagi, possibly before she has an idea of where to look since I don't recall offhand of how long she searched in canon. And well, there's quite a few things changed in this AU that would mess with everything. Kyubey's Soul Gem stuff is rattling her as well. And I'd imagine the Moon Kingdom at least came across something involving Emotion Removal that Kyubey's got going on, which doesn't help her feelings towards what that situation is. Regardless as to if she would have any idea of what pre-desperate move Incubators were like. And removing their emotions as they did probably left some other mark, a tell that would be deeply disturbing to anyone that could even vaguely sense it. The whole 'something is horrifically wrong' deal.
I also felt that Luna would have at least some method of sensing how much Despair fills the magic of Witches, and to some extent the Magical Girls. And thus rather unpleasant feeling for her to be anywhere near it.
Kyubey probably didn't notice Luna, or if he did then he didn't really take much notice other than maybe mistaking Luna for an ordinary cat. Probably focused on other things at the time or the like. He certainly didn't make the connection to the Star Seeds.
I was working with the idea that this takes place before Luna manages to find Usagi, possibly before she has an idea of where to look since I don't recall offhand of how long she searched in canon. And well, there's quite a few things changed in this AU that would mess with everything. Kyubey's Soul Gem stuff is rattling her as well. And I'd imagine the Moon Kingdom at least came across something involving Emotion Removal that Kyubey's got going on, which doesn't help her feelings towards what that situation is. Regardless as to if she would have any idea of what pre-desperate move Incubators were like. And removing their emotions as they did probably left some other mark, a tell that would be deeply disturbing to anyone that could even vaguely sense it. The whole 'something is horrifically wrong' deal.
I also felt that Luna would have at least some method of sensing how much Despair fills the magic of Witches, and to some extent the Magical Girls. And thus rather unpleasant feeling for her to be anywhere near it.
Kyubey probably didn't notice Luna, or if he did then he didn't really take much notice other than maybe mistaking Luna for an ordinary cat. Probably focused on other things at the time or the like. He certainly didn't make the connection to the Star Seeds.
Edit now that it's threadmarked: Alright I'll stick that 25 on Wonder.
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- Location
- Dragyxx
- Pronouns
- He/Him/His
Nerg, I've been busy and tired so I haven't had much energy for complicated votings. Somewhat recovered now, I do have some ideas I'm thinking on though.
Behold! An idea for a future Artifact/Marvel! (ideally a mass-produced Artifact, but quite likely that the first prototype would be a Marvel in order to work out the kinks)
The Despair Annihilation Reaction Thruster System (DARTS)
A device built along the lines of thought of both getting rid of some of that excess Despair that bothers magical girls, while also being useful about it, and conniving to get the process to fall under Technology and Engines in order to keep it within Leto's core domains.
The DARTS consists of a worn harness with an armored pouch for the wearer's Soul Gem, hooked up to a complex magitechnological mechanism that siphons Grief/Despair out of it and pushes it into a network of tubes leading to thrusters located on the shoulders, ankles, and wrists. Each thruster consists of little more than a 'combustion chamber' and a nozzle attached to a gimbal for control; inside the thrusters, extracted Despair is combined with artificial Hope/Anti-Despair in a controlled emotion/anti-emotion annihilation reaction, and the resultant burst of violent energy is expelled in order to produce thrust. Exhaust is somewhat dangerous but quickly dissipates; don't breathe the rainbow smoke.
Conventional control systems would be entirely not up to the task of managing this kind of device, and as such the interface is Psi based in order to allow precise thought control of the whole system, supported by a specialized control computer. While this means that it can't be used by people without Psi, the entire device is targeted at a relatively small user base, all of whom should be getting awakened to Psi at some point anyway. Similarly, while the forces involved would be dangerous or downright harmful to ordinary individuals without at least mildly improved durability, it is safe to use for magical girls with even a little bit of Qi training.
While some individuals may balk at strapping a somewhat dangerous metaphysical rocket booster to themselves, the potential gains are great; the system both purges Grief from the user's Soul Gem, and provides access to bursts of speed and power that can easily be life-saving in a life-or-death battle. Outside of combat, it can just be anchored to something solid and used to purge Grief in a quick and efficient manner from as many Soul Gems as are at hand, or help in improving response/travel times.
The fact that it encourages magical girls to keep a little Grief on hand in case they need the boost is a known minor downside, but combined with a quick purging method is usually not harmful. Additionally, the harness is admittedly a bit of a hassle to put on, at least until such a time as it can be upgraded to integrate with the magical girl's transformation mechanics.
Behold! An idea for a future Artifact/Marvel! (ideally a mass-produced Artifact, but quite likely that the first prototype would be a Marvel in order to work out the kinks)
The Despair Annihilation Reaction Thruster System (DARTS)
A device built along the lines of thought of both getting rid of some of that excess Despair that bothers magical girls, while also being useful about it, and conniving to get the process to fall under Technology and Engines in order to keep it within Leto's core domains.
The DARTS consists of a worn harness with an armored pouch for the wearer's Soul Gem, hooked up to a complex magitechnological mechanism that siphons Grief/Despair out of it and pushes it into a network of tubes leading to thrusters located on the shoulders, ankles, and wrists. Each thruster consists of little more than a 'combustion chamber' and a nozzle attached to a gimbal for control; inside the thrusters, extracted Despair is combined with artificial Hope/Anti-Despair in a controlled emotion/anti-emotion annihilation reaction, and the resultant burst of violent energy is expelled in order to produce thrust. Exhaust is somewhat dangerous but quickly dissipates; don't breathe the rainbow smoke.
Conventional control systems would be entirely not up to the task of managing this kind of device, and as such the interface is Psi based in order to allow precise thought control of the whole system, supported by a specialized control computer. While this means that it can't be used by people without Psi, the entire device is targeted at a relatively small user base, all of whom should be getting awakened to Psi at some point anyway. Similarly, while the forces involved would be dangerous or downright harmful to ordinary individuals without at least mildly improved durability, it is safe to use for magical girls with even a little bit of Qi training.
While some individuals may balk at strapping a somewhat dangerous metaphysical rocket booster to themselves, the potential gains are great; the system both purges Grief from the user's Soul Gem, and provides access to bursts of speed and power that can easily be life-saving in a life-or-death battle. Outside of combat, it can just be anchored to something solid and used to purge Grief in a quick and efficient manner from as many Soul Gems as are at hand, or help in improving response/travel times.
The fact that it encourages magical girls to keep a little Grief on hand in case they need the boost is a known minor downside, but combined with a quick purging method is usually not harmful. Additionally, the harness is admittedly a bit of a hassle to put on, at least until such a time as it can be upgraded to integrate with the magical girl's transformation mechanics.
To Believe (Canon)(+25 Faith)
And yet another Omake:
To Believe
Susan was running low on Grief Seeds. Some bad luck with fighting Witches caused her to use a bit too much magic. It wasn't quite to the desperation level, but she'd much rather have a bigger safety net. Because at this rate, she'd run out much sooner than she had planned. There were all those interesting new ideas she had to use her magic. New tricks to figure out how to best use, or if they weren't using. That'd surely make it easier to defeat Witches, using less costly magic and less of it. The cost would surely be worth it in the end.
It's just, now she doesn't have enough to get some of the trickier moves nailed down, tested out to her satisfaction. To the point where they were actually reliable. Both in terms of actually doing what she wanted and her ability to aim them. And not it's not something she wanted to get figured out in the middle of battle. Some actual practice was needed as well, making each new idea something that isn't a desperate last stand move, come up in battle mere moments before being used. Save those for when it's actually a last stand. Rather than causing it to be the last stand in the first place.
She remembered when she first tested out some of those ideas she came up with during various battles. And she was really glad she actually waited. Most of them ended up having downsides that she didn't realize at first. A disappointing amount of them were that she ended up pausing and admiring the effect they had. Not something that Susan wanted to die over. Because leaving an opening like that? Really bad idea. It's not like she wanted to do it either. It's just magic was amazing. Each new facet she discovered, or used a bit differently. Not all of them useful, but that's why she tested and practiced. Some of the more impressive feats were when she combined weapon use with magic. Unfortunately that also counted some of the biggest flubs she had. She had to abandon one of her training areas after an experiment went horribly wrong. There was just a bit too much attention there now.
At least it was an abandoned lot way away from where anyone even spent time at. No businesses or residences. Just some random lot away from anything anyone cared about. So no one should care too much about the lot specifically. It's just a bit unfortunate that people cared about the 'what' that happened. At least she had accidentally removed all traces that she was there, with the very act that brought attention to that location. Trying to cover up her being there was not something she really wanted to do. Or was entirely confident she could do, other than grabbing anything that personally identified her. But she did that anyway every time she left a training area, leaving only things that could reasonably be have been there anyways. Random bottles and cans that made decent enough targets and the like.
Kyubey did say he handled what she missed that could connect her to what happened. And asked how she managed to do it. And any other thoughts she had like that supercharged lightning blast/burst. It did cause a rather impressive amount of dirt to be displaced. And melted together what was left. The news said something about whatever happens when lightning strikes the beach. Kind of pretty pictures of that too. And how that abandoned lot now has a previously unheard of amount. All because she tried to set up a minefield with that lightning mine spell she figured out. And accidentally caused a chain reaction with. Way too dangerous to use, since each mine somehow was more powerful than when she had them solo. Probably something with them interacting with each other. Grief cost was too high to use it in very many situations, even if she made an attempt to lower the 'charge' she gave each one to limit the collateral damage. Kyubey also pointed out a problem she missed. She forgot to determine a way to disarm the things. Preferably without exploding them. She kind of forgot that part, when she kept testing them by throwing rocks at them. Or when fighting against Witches either getting the Familiars to run into them, or knocking them into it.
He really was useful to bounce ideas off of, when he was around. Though she didn't really want to admit or tell him that she also tended to bounce ideas off of inanimate objects as well. Pretending to explain her newest thoughts to someone really helped her figure out some of her dumbest mistakes ahead of time, before she made them. He probably already knew though. And Kyubey's comments did spark a few ideas too, when she talked to him, so it's not like she was saying that she could replace him with an object. Just that when he was busy somewhere else, she had something to fall back on.
And she'd discovered that sometimes there were some tips or knowledge that he'd share if asked. Only if asked. And only if you managed to ask the right questions, the right way. He was very specific in how he answered too, there was that time where she asked if something was possible, figured out how to do it when she was told it was, only to find out that she'd only rediscovered something Kyubey already knew. And would have told her if asked how to do it, rather than if it was possible. Somewhat misleading answers, the answers that were technically true.
At least he explained that there were multiple ways of doing that particular trick. It made her feel better when she realized that she could have potentially found a new, different method. One that could have been way better. As it was, she ended up using her experimenting to figure out several other tricks with her lightning based attacks. That she might well have not even come up with if she had just been told how to do that original trick. And there was a lot of potential in them. Once she figured out how to do them safely. Safe-ish. Where it at least wouldn't strike back at her. She wasn't quite ready to test out the ideas she had for redirecting any incoming bolts of her own magic back out. More than worth the annoyance she felt.
So she asked Kyubey if there was any tricks to squeezing out just that little more cleansing from a Grief Seed, any insight to share that he had. It came somewhat as a surprise that Kyubey had some new information. That he'd discovered a brand new source of help that even he was surprised by. Supposedly an actual god. That all she needed to do was put her Faith into him. A few things to do or try, to send that belief along. She wasn't entirely certain yet if this was a real god, or just a differently powered magic. It wasn't too hard to believe that there would be alternative ways, considering how Grief ended up being so very important for her own, along with all the other Magical Girls that Kyubey made contracts with. So in her opinion it'd be worth the shot. If it worked? Oh boy, she was looking forward to all the magic she'd be able to both use and figure out with the greater breathing room that she got! There were so many neat ideas in fiction that felt out of her reach, without enough practice. Experimentation that she couldn't justify doing just yet, with how limited she was in her resources. Partially because she couldn't figure out a bridging step, something that she could accomplish between what she could do now and what she wanted to achieve. Safely, at least.
Following the instructions on prayer that Kyubey passed on felt a little silly to her. But she kept at it. And then, when she felt like she actually connected to something or someone, presumably Leto, she decided it was time to cleanse her Soul Gem. She grabbed one of her Grief Seeds and got to cleansing.
And when she finished, it was quicker than she expected. Or at least, what she was used to. Maybe a bit more cleansed than she'd gotten before, but that could just be in her head. The Grief Seed she used, however, was less used up than what she was used to. Leto was the real deal. And she was helping him in turn. Maybe eventually he'd get strong enough to easily maintain a stockpile at least twice as large as she'd ever had before. She'd have to get in touch with some of the other Magical Girls. Kyubey wasn't the best at presenting it in a believable manner. Not on his word alone. But her? The words of a honest believer seems like it'd work wonders. And oh, did she believe.
Susan felt lighter. As if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt much more Hopeful for the future. With this newfound belief, its benefits, and her trusty spear, her Lightning Rod, those Witches wouldn't know what hit them. Not for long.
Edit: Since I've been keeping the reward spending with the Omake itself, I'll do the same here. 10 on Knowledge, 15 on Purity. (Not sure if Purity is a 15 domain or not, but even if it's not, that'll help with getting it to 2.)
To Believe
Susan was running low on Grief Seeds. Some bad luck with fighting Witches caused her to use a bit too much magic. It wasn't quite to the desperation level, but she'd much rather have a bigger safety net. Because at this rate, she'd run out much sooner than she had planned. There were all those interesting new ideas she had to use her magic. New tricks to figure out how to best use, or if they weren't using. That'd surely make it easier to defeat Witches, using less costly magic and less of it. The cost would surely be worth it in the end.
It's just, now she doesn't have enough to get some of the trickier moves nailed down, tested out to her satisfaction. To the point where they were actually reliable. Both in terms of actually doing what she wanted and her ability to aim them. And not it's not something she wanted to get figured out in the middle of battle. Some actual practice was needed as well, making each new idea something that isn't a desperate last stand move, come up in battle mere moments before being used. Save those for when it's actually a last stand. Rather than causing it to be the last stand in the first place.
She remembered when she first tested out some of those ideas she came up with during various battles. And she was really glad she actually waited. Most of them ended up having downsides that she didn't realize at first. A disappointing amount of them were that she ended up pausing and admiring the effect they had. Not something that Susan wanted to die over. Because leaving an opening like that? Really bad idea. It's not like she wanted to do it either. It's just magic was amazing. Each new facet she discovered, or used a bit differently. Not all of them useful, but that's why she tested and practiced. Some of the more impressive feats were when she combined weapon use with magic. Unfortunately that also counted some of the biggest flubs she had. She had to abandon one of her training areas after an experiment went horribly wrong. There was just a bit too much attention there now.
At least it was an abandoned lot way away from where anyone even spent time at. No businesses or residences. Just some random lot away from anything anyone cared about. So no one should care too much about the lot specifically. It's just a bit unfortunate that people cared about the 'what' that happened. At least she had accidentally removed all traces that she was there, with the very act that brought attention to that location. Trying to cover up her being there was not something she really wanted to do. Or was entirely confident she could do, other than grabbing anything that personally identified her. But she did that anyway every time she left a training area, leaving only things that could reasonably be have been there anyways. Random bottles and cans that made decent enough targets and the like.
Kyubey did say he handled what she missed that could connect her to what happened. And asked how she managed to do it. And any other thoughts she had like that supercharged lightning blast/burst. It did cause a rather impressive amount of dirt to be displaced. And melted together what was left. The news said something about whatever happens when lightning strikes the beach. Kind of pretty pictures of that too. And how that abandoned lot now has a previously unheard of amount. All because she tried to set up a minefield with that lightning mine spell she figured out. And accidentally caused a chain reaction with. Way too dangerous to use, since each mine somehow was more powerful than when she had them solo. Probably something with them interacting with each other. Grief cost was too high to use it in very many situations, even if she made an attempt to lower the 'charge' she gave each one to limit the collateral damage. Kyubey also pointed out a problem she missed. She forgot to determine a way to disarm the things. Preferably without exploding them. She kind of forgot that part, when she kept testing them by throwing rocks at them. Or when fighting against Witches either getting the Familiars to run into them, or knocking them into it.
He really was useful to bounce ideas off of, when he was around. Though she didn't really want to admit or tell him that she also tended to bounce ideas off of inanimate objects as well. Pretending to explain her newest thoughts to someone really helped her figure out some of her dumbest mistakes ahead of time, before she made them. He probably already knew though. And Kyubey's comments did spark a few ideas too, when she talked to him, so it's not like she was saying that she could replace him with an object. Just that when he was busy somewhere else, she had something to fall back on.
And she'd discovered that sometimes there were some tips or knowledge that he'd share if asked. Only if asked. And only if you managed to ask the right questions, the right way. He was very specific in how he answered too, there was that time where she asked if something was possible, figured out how to do it when she was told it was, only to find out that she'd only rediscovered something Kyubey already knew. And would have told her if asked how to do it, rather than if it was possible. Somewhat misleading answers, the answers that were technically true.
At least he explained that there were multiple ways of doing that particular trick. It made her feel better when she realized that she could have potentially found a new, different method. One that could have been way better. As it was, she ended up using her experimenting to figure out several other tricks with her lightning based attacks. That she might well have not even come up with if she had just been told how to do that original trick. And there was a lot of potential in them. Once she figured out how to do them safely. Safe-ish. Where it at least wouldn't strike back at her. She wasn't quite ready to test out the ideas she had for redirecting any incoming bolts of her own magic back out. More than worth the annoyance she felt.
So she asked Kyubey if there was any tricks to squeezing out just that little more cleansing from a Grief Seed, any insight to share that he had. It came somewhat as a surprise that Kyubey had some new information. That he'd discovered a brand new source of help that even he was surprised by. Supposedly an actual god. That all she needed to do was put her Faith into him. A few things to do or try, to send that belief along. She wasn't entirely certain yet if this was a real god, or just a differently powered magic. It wasn't too hard to believe that there would be alternative ways, considering how Grief ended up being so very important for her own, along with all the other Magical Girls that Kyubey made contracts with. So in her opinion it'd be worth the shot. If it worked? Oh boy, she was looking forward to all the magic she'd be able to both use and figure out with the greater breathing room that she got! There were so many neat ideas in fiction that felt out of her reach, without enough practice. Experimentation that she couldn't justify doing just yet, with how limited she was in her resources. Partially because she couldn't figure out a bridging step, something that she could accomplish between what she could do now and what she wanted to achieve. Safely, at least.
Following the instructions on prayer that Kyubey passed on felt a little silly to her. But she kept at it. And then, when she felt like she actually connected to something or someone, presumably Leto, she decided it was time to cleanse her Soul Gem. She grabbed one of her Grief Seeds and got to cleansing.
And when she finished, it was quicker than she expected. Or at least, what she was used to. Maybe a bit more cleansed than she'd gotten before, but that could just be in her head. The Grief Seed she used, however, was less used up than what she was used to. Leto was the real deal. And she was helping him in turn. Maybe eventually he'd get strong enough to easily maintain a stockpile at least twice as large as she'd ever had before. She'd have to get in touch with some of the other Magical Girls. Kyubey wasn't the best at presenting it in a believable manner. Not on his word alone. But her? The words of a honest believer seems like it'd work wonders. And oh, did she believe.
Susan felt lighter. As if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She felt much more Hopeful for the future. With this newfound belief, its benefits, and her trusty spear, her Lightning Rod, those Witches wouldn't know what hit them. Not for long.
Okay, this originally started with a named, but generic-ish (powerwise) Magical Girl. A sort of look at the impact Leto has already. And then it just kept growing and growing.
The fact that she has Lightning Magic was actually one of the last details to come with there, funnily enough. The line about 'sparking ideas' was written before that. But it certainly fits quite a bit more now. I don't really see Susan being the type to make jokes/puns intentionally based on what her magic could do. Just didn't feel right to add it in when I saw a possibility elsewhere. So I didn't. She might have a friend that makes those puns though.
It was actually that 'destroyed a training area' bit that brought just what she was capable into focus. Before that it was she had a somewhat dangerous/aoe capabilities which could have been lightning but didn't have to be. Could have been some other element turned to area attacks. (Specifically something in either wind/air and earth, actually. Not quite sure.) But no, as I was writing it was suddenly craters. And lightning. And then figuring out how exactly she managed that.
Gonna be honest, Susan's rather terrifying. Kind of worried that some of those Grief Seeds she got were from her unknowingly scaring the Magical Girls she encountered. Probably with saving their lives, and her lamenting that the spells are a bit costly. So they just sort of take it as her asking for payment for saving them. Susan's kind of amazed that they're doing so, though. I'm going to say that Susan then bakes cookies for them, as thanks due to her thinking that they're just giving them to her for no apparent reason. Which in turn baffles said terrified Magical Girls. A few of them are probably starting to figure out that Susan is just being herself. And is thus clueless as to what they're doing. Quietly passing on word to explain things to the others. None of them really wants to outright tell Susan how scared she's been making them.
Of course, now she's going out to spread the word of Leto. And of course, that second to last paragraph was written before Susan became as terrifying as she is now. So now she'll probably come across as a bit more fanatical than she really is, to the Magical Girls she's talking to.
And I'd also guess that without us changing things up, Susan would have likely ended up either using up too much magic, or ending up being a bit too ambitious with her spell work. In any case, I don't really want to imagine what her Witch form would be.
Kyubey's probably really interested in just what she's capable of as well.
For those curious, the Lightning Rod I imagine some of the stuff she uses it for is to throw it around, get it stuck/lodged in the ground, and casting lightning at it, to then spread from there. Along with her making attempts to redirect it mid air, tricks like that. Maybe some lightning tether that lets her pull the spear back, akin to some of the spear fishing methods.
The fact that she has Lightning Magic was actually one of the last details to come with there, funnily enough. The line about 'sparking ideas' was written before that. But it certainly fits quite a bit more now. I don't really see Susan being the type to make jokes/puns intentionally based on what her magic could do. Just didn't feel right to add it in when I saw a possibility elsewhere. So I didn't. She might have a friend that makes those puns though.
It was actually that 'destroyed a training area' bit that brought just what she was capable into focus. Before that it was she had a somewhat dangerous/aoe capabilities which could have been lightning but didn't have to be. Could have been some other element turned to area attacks. (Specifically something in either wind/air and earth, actually. Not quite sure.) But no, as I was writing it was suddenly craters. And lightning. And then figuring out how exactly she managed that.
Gonna be honest, Susan's rather terrifying. Kind of worried that some of those Grief Seeds she got were from her unknowingly scaring the Magical Girls she encountered. Probably with saving their lives, and her lamenting that the spells are a bit costly. So they just sort of take it as her asking for payment for saving them. Susan's kind of amazed that they're doing so, though. I'm going to say that Susan then bakes cookies for them, as thanks due to her thinking that they're just giving them to her for no apparent reason. Which in turn baffles said terrified Magical Girls. A few of them are probably starting to figure out that Susan is just being herself. And is thus clueless as to what they're doing. Quietly passing on word to explain things to the others. None of them really wants to outright tell Susan how scared she's been making them.
Of course, now she's going out to spread the word of Leto. And of course, that second to last paragraph was written before Susan became as terrifying as she is now. So now she'll probably come across as a bit more fanatical than she really is, to the Magical Girls she's talking to.
And I'd also guess that without us changing things up, Susan would have likely ended up either using up too much magic, or ending up being a bit too ambitious with her spell work. In any case, I don't really want to imagine what her Witch form would be.
Kyubey's probably really interested in just what she's capable of as well.
For those curious, the Lightning Rod I imagine some of the stuff she uses it for is to throw it around, get it stuck/lodged in the ground, and casting lightning at it, to then spread from there. Along with her making attempts to redirect it mid air, tricks like that. Maybe some lightning tether that lets her pull the spear back, akin to some of the spear fishing methods.
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I have been wondering if all of Leto followers are girls/female, or Kyubey has begun to approach boys/males?
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- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Well, no. Firstly, because he's focusing on the Puella because Leto told him they were 'priority targets' with their Grief doomclock, secondly, he's actually got a rapport with them and it's much less difficult to convince someone that a deity is real if they're already initiated in the supernatural, thirdly, he's doing his rounds on them on a regular basis anyway, so it's just a lot more efficient.
- Location
- Space between realms
- Pronouns
- He
Praise be to the Machine God
He who hold the flames of Hope and Smoothers the Blight of Despair
He who hold the flames of Hope and Smoothers the Blight of Despair
Omake ideas.
-A religious family of one of Leto followers began to notice that their daughter/son is acting different, they began to put more attention on where their son/daughter is going. The Follower notice this, and began to learn to hide her/his activities.
-Someone like Kyoko, or Kyoko herself that had their father being excommunicated because of heresy, and ended in poverty. Kyoko (or the expy) decides to introduce her/his father to a god that does listen, and gives real blessings (reminds me of Lorgar, and Kor Phaeron, but not shitty).
-An atheist decides to follow Leto because he gives powers, or that the atheist believes that Leto is a good way for humanity advancement/survival. She/He would their relationship with Leto as boss, and subordinate.
-A wannabe inquisition made by amateurs forms to stop the advancement of Leto's "corruption".
-A religious family of one of Leto followers began to notice that their daughter/son is acting different, they began to put more attention on where their son/daughter is going. The Follower notice this, and began to learn to hide her/his activities.
-Someone like Kyoko, or Kyoko herself that had their father being excommunicated because of heresy, and ended in poverty. Kyoko (or the expy) decides to introduce her/his father to a god that does listen, and gives real blessings (reminds me of Lorgar, and Kor Phaeron, but not shitty).
-An atheist decides to follow Leto because he gives powers, or that the atheist believes that Leto is a good way for humanity advancement/survival. She/He would their relationship with Leto as boss, and subordinate.
-A wannabe inquisition made by amateurs forms to stop the advancement of Leto's "corruption".
To Be Empowered(Canon)(+25 Faith)
Finished up yet another Omake that I was working on. The words just sort of flowed and flowed.
To Be Empowered
Megan thought the Staff that Kyubey passed on to her was great. She wasn't the strongest Magical Girl powerwise. Not really close to that. If she was honest with herself, she was a bit below average. She managed to make do, focusing more on the physical, non-magical toolkit, leaving her magic to supplement and for when she was directly fighting the Witch. Dealing with familiars wasn't something she wanted to deal with using her Magic. It was better at a one on one fight, than the fighting she had to do before reaching said Witch.
Yet that 'Staff of Leto' made a huge difference in what she could do to fight. And she already had experience with staff fighting, thanks to what her prior weapon was. She still kept it on her, though. Having it in its shrunken down state and strapped to her left arm as a sort of arm brace, both to help block and as a backup weapon in case she got disarmed. Seemed to work well enough and didn't get in her way.
Leto's provided Staff was good enough that she had decided to, when she cleared out an area of the last wave of the Witch's Familiars, she sent a few thoughts of prayer to Leto. Not quite the same as what Kyubey had suggested prayer-wise, but she felt it was serviceable enough. She repeated it every time there was a lull in things. Because if that cat-rabbit was right, then this Leto gave benefits to his followers, prayer helping him out too. At least, that's what she gathered. It was a bit unclear. Other than 'more power later on'.
And she did incorporate as much of the prayer as she felt comfortable doing in the middle of a Barrier. It's still a dangerous place to be, even with a super powered Staff. Even with the protection of what she was increasingly convinced was an actual god, if not a being that could make a believable impression of one. A new one, or a newly recovered one at least. Megan was a bit curious as to what that implied towards the life cycle of gods in general. Not enough to ask, but still curious. Asking about what happened would be rather personal, and either it's something traumatic and would have implications that likely would not want to be shared on weaknesses, or Leto's new to existing and wouldn't really know enough to answer the question. And it's his business, not hers. Even if she was praying to him. If it ever became relevant, she was sure she would find out.
Then it happened. A sudden noticeable shift in her fight. The next round of Familiars ended up getting wrecked faster, more thoroughly. Her wind spears were actually piercing through now. Enough to hit multiple with one shot. Wind blasts were knocking them further away, and rather than being a delaying tactic are actually knocking them into walls. Some lucky shots outright eliminating them too. The Staff had increased in power. Or rather, it worked more for her now that she became one of Leto's Followers. Flock? Hmm, she'd have to ask Kyubey if there was a specific name to call the group of those who Believe in Leto. If not, then she might be able to come up with suggestions. Later. When she wasn't fighting.
She sort of reached a comfortable zen after that point, making her way closer and closer to where the Witch was. Then, she got close enough to prepare her favorite, goto tactic to open the fight. Close enough to decide if she would or not. One spell she didn't always get a chance to use, since it took a bit of time to setup properly. And well, it wasn't always actually useful even if she did get the chance to charge it up, so she couldn't exactly precast it without running the risk of building up Grief for no useful reason. Meaning that sometimes Familiars got in the way too soon, though at least she did figure out a way to spend the charge and make it so that it wasn't entirely wasted in that situation.
Really, several factors meant she usually ended up relying on other methods instead of it. This time looked like it was one of the all too rare times it was viable. No familiars near the Witch either, which was a shame since she got some amusement when she could hit some of the Familiars with it at the same time as she went for the Witch. Oh well.
She always looked forward to when she could manage her 'Cutting Whirlwind', a sort of defensive barrier that shreds anything around her. Also making it harder to attack her. But she's still able to attack out with her magic, the outside edge of her twister within where she can cast. It took a bit of practice to get it consistent, but well worth it. She hadn't figured out a way to reliably get spells out from where she stood inside it. Outside of something that she intends to stay in the twister. Or affect those winds themselves. Somewhat of a trade off, but the defensive benefits were worth it. Even as she tried to figure out decent attacking variant when she had time. But magic intensive it was, and what she had worked. Probably something smaller, with a smaller eye, and just faded out. Not the persistent effect she had going with this one.
Now though, she was going to take advantage of the main reason she loved this technique, how it always centered the eye on the 'target' she cast it on. Usually that was herself, but she could cast it to defend someone else. There usually wasn't a situation that made it worth it, considering grief build up and the initial setup cost. Better to just defend with something else, and let whoever Megan felt needed defending could also fight back at the same time.
She brought her Whirlwind up to speed, and charged the Witch, staff held ready for when she got close enough to swing. The witch was heavy enough that it didn't get knocked away. Not rooted in place, given that there was a bit of movement there. And the Witch was getting shredded. Excellent. She let the winds die down now that they fulfilled their purpose and to stop their drain.
She switched to coating the staff with a wind spell, blunt this time, to strengthen the impact her swing had. And the Witch crumpled down entirely fading away, before the blunt strike even finished its downward arc. That was much faster than she was expecting. It usually took quite a few more blows, even when she enhanced it with her winds.
Well, she'll take it. Just means that even with the earlier magic use, she probably ended up with less Grief build up than usual. A quick check confirmed that it was about the same, maybe a little less. Hard to tell. Still within the margin of safety she tended to keep to. It was a great feeling, to finish both early and in budget.
Talking with Kyubey after she returned home was easy enough. He mentioned Leto being able to Empower her further. If she accepted it. Empowered not just with Magic, but other abilities as well. That eventually everyone Kyubey was in contact would have the opportunity to do so. Key word was eventually. So being given a shot at it now? She leapt at it.
Soon enough, it was done. She was empowered. And wow was there a kick there. A warmth that filled her body. Megan felt that was probably the Ki. She certainly felt stronger, the boosts from Contracting non-withstanding. It was nice, like she was sitting next to the fireplace, a cozy blanket in the middle of winter sipping on some hot cocoa. Megan thought she heard that description for at least something similar, but even if it was a cliche, it managed to fit it well. Maybe Ki was something that enough people encountered beforehand? As a real, tangible thing rather than something in stories, or as a poetic explanation for something else. She supposed it could have been kept mostly secret, much like Magic was. If not some method of gaining strength that was lost over the centuries.
She even felt a bit smarter. The Psi bit, though she wasn't certain where to start with that one, what she'd pick for her Domain. There was still time. Plus she really wanted to focus on the other Empowerments she got. Figure out where she had a weak point she wanted to cover with whatever her being psychic could do. Other than being smarter. Which was already a plus even without being able to move things with her mind. Nah, she'd pick something different. It was nice and all, but she could probably manage it with her wind magic if she really wanted to.
She did wonder a bit if the Staff would work even better now after this. With the fact that she was Empowered with Magic, even more than she was before with the Contract, making it likely there would be some noticeable improvement. Even if it wasn't actually directly via the Staff. So not something she'd specifically be able to tell, sadly. But getting better at surviving was still getting better at surviving. Always a plus, no matter anything else.
Megan certainly felt more alive than she had before. Faith, and the greater Hope she felt, were powerful things. Maybe she could convince some of her friends to believe as well? Something more to keep them safe from Witches. Something to think about. Not all of them were Magical Girls, so the fact that she was one would be enough of a shock. That she was out there saving people. Well, she'd focus first on the ones who were already aware of the secret side to the world. She wasn't sure if they converted yet or not. No doubt they could help out with the specifics of convincing them. Hopefully without coming off as a cult. Or hurt feelings for keeping the secret.
Since I would otherwise edit it in here anyways, assuming that this one also gets 25 Faith, I'm going to put it 15 on Restoration, and 10 on Replication. Finishing out the 'needed to purify' domains, and helping with making more Staves. Since we did kind of run out when we recruited a bit more Followers than expected. Hopefully we'll have a surplus this turn. Giving all of our followers that nifty bit of extra protection.
To Be Empowered
Megan thought the Staff that Kyubey passed on to her was great. She wasn't the strongest Magical Girl powerwise. Not really close to that. If she was honest with herself, she was a bit below average. She managed to make do, focusing more on the physical, non-magical toolkit, leaving her magic to supplement and for when she was directly fighting the Witch. Dealing with familiars wasn't something she wanted to deal with using her Magic. It was better at a one on one fight, than the fighting she had to do before reaching said Witch.
Yet that 'Staff of Leto' made a huge difference in what she could do to fight. And she already had experience with staff fighting, thanks to what her prior weapon was. She still kept it on her, though. Having it in its shrunken down state and strapped to her left arm as a sort of arm brace, both to help block and as a backup weapon in case she got disarmed. Seemed to work well enough and didn't get in her way.
Leto's provided Staff was good enough that she had decided to, when she cleared out an area of the last wave of the Witch's Familiars, she sent a few thoughts of prayer to Leto. Not quite the same as what Kyubey had suggested prayer-wise, but she felt it was serviceable enough. She repeated it every time there was a lull in things. Because if that cat-rabbit was right, then this Leto gave benefits to his followers, prayer helping him out too. At least, that's what she gathered. It was a bit unclear. Other than 'more power later on'.
And she did incorporate as much of the prayer as she felt comfortable doing in the middle of a Barrier. It's still a dangerous place to be, even with a super powered Staff. Even with the protection of what she was increasingly convinced was an actual god, if not a being that could make a believable impression of one. A new one, or a newly recovered one at least. Megan was a bit curious as to what that implied towards the life cycle of gods in general. Not enough to ask, but still curious. Asking about what happened would be rather personal, and either it's something traumatic and would have implications that likely would not want to be shared on weaknesses, or Leto's new to existing and wouldn't really know enough to answer the question. And it's his business, not hers. Even if she was praying to him. If it ever became relevant, she was sure she would find out.
Then it happened. A sudden noticeable shift in her fight. The next round of Familiars ended up getting wrecked faster, more thoroughly. Her wind spears were actually piercing through now. Enough to hit multiple with one shot. Wind blasts were knocking them further away, and rather than being a delaying tactic are actually knocking them into walls. Some lucky shots outright eliminating them too. The Staff had increased in power. Or rather, it worked more for her now that she became one of Leto's Followers. Flock? Hmm, she'd have to ask Kyubey if there was a specific name to call the group of those who Believe in Leto. If not, then she might be able to come up with suggestions. Later. When she wasn't fighting.
She sort of reached a comfortable zen after that point, making her way closer and closer to where the Witch was. Then, she got close enough to prepare her favorite, goto tactic to open the fight. Close enough to decide if she would or not. One spell she didn't always get a chance to use, since it took a bit of time to setup properly. And well, it wasn't always actually useful even if she did get the chance to charge it up, so she couldn't exactly precast it without running the risk of building up Grief for no useful reason. Meaning that sometimes Familiars got in the way too soon, though at least she did figure out a way to spend the charge and make it so that it wasn't entirely wasted in that situation.
Really, several factors meant she usually ended up relying on other methods instead of it. This time looked like it was one of the all too rare times it was viable. No familiars near the Witch either, which was a shame since she got some amusement when she could hit some of the Familiars with it at the same time as she went for the Witch. Oh well.
She always looked forward to when she could manage her 'Cutting Whirlwind', a sort of defensive barrier that shreds anything around her. Also making it harder to attack her. But she's still able to attack out with her magic, the outside edge of her twister within where she can cast. It took a bit of practice to get it consistent, but well worth it. She hadn't figured out a way to reliably get spells out from where she stood inside it. Outside of something that she intends to stay in the twister. Or affect those winds themselves. Somewhat of a trade off, but the defensive benefits were worth it. Even as she tried to figure out decent attacking variant when she had time. But magic intensive it was, and what she had worked. Probably something smaller, with a smaller eye, and just faded out. Not the persistent effect she had going with this one.
Now though, she was going to take advantage of the main reason she loved this technique, how it always centered the eye on the 'target' she cast it on. Usually that was herself, but she could cast it to defend someone else. There usually wasn't a situation that made it worth it, considering grief build up and the initial setup cost. Better to just defend with something else, and let whoever Megan felt needed defending could also fight back at the same time.
She brought her Whirlwind up to speed, and charged the Witch, staff held ready for when she got close enough to swing. The witch was heavy enough that it didn't get knocked away. Not rooted in place, given that there was a bit of movement there. And the Witch was getting shredded. Excellent. She let the winds die down now that they fulfilled their purpose and to stop their drain.
She switched to coating the staff with a wind spell, blunt this time, to strengthen the impact her swing had. And the Witch crumpled down entirely fading away, before the blunt strike even finished its downward arc. That was much faster than she was expecting. It usually took quite a few more blows, even when she enhanced it with her winds.
Well, she'll take it. Just means that even with the earlier magic use, she probably ended up with less Grief build up than usual. A quick check confirmed that it was about the same, maybe a little less. Hard to tell. Still within the margin of safety she tended to keep to. It was a great feeling, to finish both early and in budget.
Talking with Kyubey after she returned home was easy enough. He mentioned Leto being able to Empower her further. If she accepted it. Empowered not just with Magic, but other abilities as well. That eventually everyone Kyubey was in contact would have the opportunity to do so. Key word was eventually. So being given a shot at it now? She leapt at it.
Soon enough, it was done. She was empowered. And wow was there a kick there. A warmth that filled her body. Megan felt that was probably the Ki. She certainly felt stronger, the boosts from Contracting non-withstanding. It was nice, like she was sitting next to the fireplace, a cozy blanket in the middle of winter sipping on some hot cocoa. Megan thought she heard that description for at least something similar, but even if it was a cliche, it managed to fit it well. Maybe Ki was something that enough people encountered beforehand? As a real, tangible thing rather than something in stories, or as a poetic explanation for something else. She supposed it could have been kept mostly secret, much like Magic was. If not some method of gaining strength that was lost over the centuries.
She even felt a bit smarter. The Psi bit, though she wasn't certain where to start with that one, what she'd pick for her Domain. There was still time. Plus she really wanted to focus on the other Empowerments she got. Figure out where she had a weak point she wanted to cover with whatever her being psychic could do. Other than being smarter. Which was already a plus even without being able to move things with her mind. Nah, she'd pick something different. It was nice and all, but she could probably manage it with her wind magic if she really wanted to.
She did wonder a bit if the Staff would work even better now after this. With the fact that she was Empowered with Magic, even more than she was before with the Contract, making it likely there would be some noticeable improvement. Even if it wasn't actually directly via the Staff. So not something she'd specifically be able to tell, sadly. But getting better at surviving was still getting better at surviving. Always a plus, no matter anything else.
Megan certainly felt more alive than she had before. Faith, and the greater Hope she felt, were powerful things. Maybe she could convince some of her friends to believe as well? Something more to keep them safe from Witches. Something to think about. Not all of them were Magical Girls, so the fact that she was one would be enough of a shock. That she was out there saving people. Well, she'd focus first on the ones who were already aware of the secret side to the world. She wasn't sure if they converted yet or not. No doubt they could help out with the specifics of convincing them. Hopefully without coming off as a cult. Or hurt feelings for keeping the secret.
Thematically similar to the prior one, of how a Magical Girl became a follower. Hence the similar name. Differing situations. Actually started it around the same time as the prior one too. When it was about a third of the length, bare bones. This one was actually shorter than that stub. But then then inspiration struck and bam. There's what their magic is. More details rather than just barely above an essentially nameless 'filler' character. Still don't know where they actually are, though. Just that Susan and Megan likely aren't in the same area. They might have heard of each other, though. Or at least, Megan hearing about Susan. Megan hasn't really done too much to be noted beyond local level. Her Whirlwind is her most impressive move, and she hadn't really had too many good opportunities to use it. And even less with other Magical Girls there to witness. Though now that she's got a Staff, that could change. That and her being Empowered now.
Megan sort of yoinked the Wind magic thing, and made her own terrifying use of it. The wind blasts to get space, something that is used enough in other media. Simple enough stuff, though not previously as effective as that. Not entirely sure what this particular Witch and her Familiars look like. Or the Labyrinth itself. Hence why it wasn't exactly covered in the omake itself. I'd say fairly lightweight Familiars, combined with terrain that either had some low walls or rocky terrain outside of some pathways. But otherwise open area. The Witch was obviously heavy enough to not be easily knocked around, and maybe a bit bulky. Megan got a bit of a lucky shot; the Whirlwind was painfully distracting, and ended up resulting in her grabbing a surprisingly sturdy hit right on the Witch's head, who had no chance to block in time.
I'm also somewhat assuming that the Staff of Leto is pretty sturdy, enough to act as it would in staff fighting. But if it's not , Megan has enough experience to tell, and would double check with Kyubey just in case. And would thus, then swap to her original Magical Girl staff, strapping the Staff of Leto to her back or something. Not quite clear how the various Magical Girls are handling using their regular weapons in addition to the Staff, tbh. Or if just having it on them is enough.
She does have some experience enhancing the blows she has with her wind magic. Not all the time, though. As in the omake, she's used it to make blunt force more. Some kind of bit where she has it accelerate her swings. Also a wind blade style, which sort of converts her staff temporarily into various types of bladed staff. She's at least tried out various weapons that count as 'blade on a stick'. Spears, Halberds, pikes. Even a trident, though it didn't quite work to her satisfaction (the extra prongs made it not really worth it). She might be able to manage a shovel, but at this point it's probably not worth it for her. And certainly not something that she could use as an actual shovel. Nothing for mimicking other blunt weaponry either. So no hammers. She could probably manage similar-ish blunt damage, but not the shape.
Megan sort of yoinked the Wind magic thing, and made her own terrifying use of it. The wind blasts to get space, something that is used enough in other media. Simple enough stuff, though not previously as effective as that. Not entirely sure what this particular Witch and her Familiars look like. Or the Labyrinth itself. Hence why it wasn't exactly covered in the omake itself. I'd say fairly lightweight Familiars, combined with terrain that either had some low walls or rocky terrain outside of some pathways. But otherwise open area. The Witch was obviously heavy enough to not be easily knocked around, and maybe a bit bulky. Megan got a bit of a lucky shot; the Whirlwind was painfully distracting, and ended up resulting in her grabbing a surprisingly sturdy hit right on the Witch's head, who had no chance to block in time.
I'm also somewhat assuming that the Staff of Leto is pretty sturdy, enough to act as it would in staff fighting. But if it's not , Megan has enough experience to tell, and would double check with Kyubey just in case. And would thus, then swap to her original Magical Girl staff, strapping the Staff of Leto to her back or something. Not quite clear how the various Magical Girls are handling using their regular weapons in addition to the Staff, tbh. Or if just having it on them is enough.
She does have some experience enhancing the blows she has with her wind magic. Not all the time, though. As in the omake, she's used it to make blunt force more. Some kind of bit where she has it accelerate her swings. Also a wind blade style, which sort of converts her staff temporarily into various types of bladed staff. She's at least tried out various weapons that count as 'blade on a stick'. Spears, Halberds, pikes. Even a trident, though it didn't quite work to her satisfaction (the extra prongs made it not really worth it). She might be able to manage a shovel, but at this point it's probably not worth it for her. And certainly not something that she could use as an actual shovel. Nothing for mimicking other blunt weaponry either. So no hammers. She could probably manage similar-ish blunt damage, but not the shape.
- Location
- Brazil
@ilbgar123 if we leveled the Heart and Marvel domains enough could we forge a Keyblade?
Of Deity and Incubator(Canon)(+25 Faith)
Travler66
Let her name echo in song!
- Location
- Beyond
Of Diety and Incubator
][
If you were to set eyes upon Linda Bishop, a twelve-year-old girl who lived in a town called Bailley, who wanted to do good in the world, then you think her normal and as cute as a button.][
Linda herself believed this too, such is normal.
But neither you nor Linda could be more wrong.
If you wielded both Magic and Qi with the right practice, then you would see Linda Bishop had been changed.
For her very soul was no longer in her body. She was now something akin to a living corpse, one walking through life completely ignorant of what was missing within. Her soul had a new home now, it was placed in a gemstone, one that always stayed close to her person. If she were to stray from it too far, she would become comatose until her gem was returned. Her body could be torn apart, broken, crushed or atomized, but with a wave of her hand, Magic would simply allow her to get up again.
If Linda Bishop was aware of this, then she would be undoubtedly horrified, this is what the Diety suspected as he watched her skip down the suburban street through a security camera.
The girl was happy, a smile clear on her face. He supposed that after a hard-won victory against that magic monstrosity, it was hard not to be. As far as she was concerned, she had kicked that big monster's butt, protected everyone, and was now on her way to deliver the rock left behind to her cutest friend in the world, the cat-rabbit or whatever it was.
She had no idea that she was holding a corrupted gemstone, the same as her own, yet pure. The implications of that could not be denied.
For a moment he considered calling her on her phone and telling her the truth, even if it destroyed the blissful lie she was living in and left her in misery. Then, he pushed that thought away. She was the key to leading him to that thing, not to mention it was unwise to put such potential emotional strain on a child at this moment.
When it was in range, he jumped into Linda's phone, the girl blissfully unaware.
][
It appeared on the edge of its perception.
A source of energies mixed with Magic that had not been reported by any other previous Incubators on this planet.
It would have decided that this was a concern for another time, but then it quickly realized it was heading directly towards it.
But what truly drew its attention was two types of energy that emanated from this source.
No.
Not a source, a being.
And the energies...
Magic and Psi, two forces of energy that rebelled against Entropy.
Its race did not know that such was possible. Until now, it seemed.
If it still had emotions, would it have been shocked, or perhaps fascinated? It was never quite sure what it would have felt if it still had emotions.
Regardless, this changed a great many things.
][
The phone should have been inconspicuous, to the humans of this planet, it certainly would be.
But with its eyes, it was able to see the unknown entity that resided within.
"Who are you? What are you?" The speakers of the phone were not meant to be pushed to such limits, yet the being within made it so. "I know what you have done to the girl from earlier, Linda Bishop. And many others like her. I sense no malice from your actions but you completely fail to inform them that they turn into monsters, sooner or later."
"I am Kyubey, I am what is known as an Incubator." The creature tilted its head, like a bird. "As for the reasons for my actions, would you like a short explanation or a long explanation?"
"I prefer a detailed explanation, but I would have us talk face-to-face. Touch the phone."
Kyubey was cautious. It could sense no danger from the phone yet it was aware some things could be hidden, even from its own senses. A phone can be made to do many things in the right hands, it could explode, it could unleash a storm of magical energy, it could transform into a tiny robot that could rip its target to pieces, all those things and more. None of these things would kill it but would certainly make things difficult. So it was not unreasonable to assume that this entity greatly disapproved of Kyubey's actions and sought to end it utterly. After all, some girls in the past had tried the same. Did this entity share their unreasonable anger? Did it seek to destroy him too?
Regardless, this entity wielded the energies of Magic and Psi. Such an undeniable fact could not be ignored. An attempt at friendly contact was the most optimal solution to this scenario, any attempt at aggression or deception was unreasonable.
Kyubey reached out with its paw and touched the phone.
It happened in an instant.
The world around him changed, colours drained from objects and light, the phone before Kyubey seemed to dissolve into tiny pieces of metal and plastic before vanishing completely, the floor began to crumble away into dust and even sound began to fade away. Only Kyubey itself remained unchanged.
When it was over, only darkness remained.
Then, there was light.
What Kyubey saw, what would pull at the strings of its heart, if it still had one, was something familiar...
It had no memory of the planet its race lived on, no education of what it was like, no clear understanding. The only thing it knew of its homeworld were twenty-thousand-Earth-year-old pictures of its vast beautiful oceans and blue starry skies. A time before Galaxia, before Entropy, before Chaos...
Kyubey did not know if the world around it was an honest representation of its homeworld from its mind or a trick to lure it into a false sense of security.
"Now..."
Kyubey turned and saw a light before it, the colour of the light was hard to discern as were the finer details about it, but within that light was a figure. Kyubey could only tell that it was a man, other than that, the entity was shrouded in darkness.
"Let's talk."
][
"So you agree to an alliance?"
"Yes. Galaxia must be stopped, I'm not arrogant enough to think I can do this alone."
Kyubey nodded once and did nothing else other than swish it's tail this way and that.
"This is good. I will confer with my race to insure our alliance is stable."
"And no more Magical Girls will be created?"
"Not one more. Contracting of Humans will cease immediately. Any Incubator that continues will be destroyed immediately."
"Good," Leto simply replied. He was not certain that everything Kyubey told him was true, it was possible that he lied about certain things. If it had, Leto would make sure Kyubey regretted ever doing so, even though he pitied it.
"And will you and your race willingly face justice for the atrocities you have committed?"
"We shall do so with our heads held high."
But will you? Leto could not help but wonder. For all his knowledge he was not certain what would become of a species if it lobotomized itself out of the trauma of fighting a battle with no hope of victory. Leto guessed it would become something unspeakable. With that in mind...
"As we are now allies, there is one more thing you need to be aware of."
"What is it?"
"The girl, Miko Kubota and the rest of her family are off-limits. You and your race so much as visit their home or even spy on them, this alliance is finished."
To its small credit, Kyubey did not blink or even look away. "I understand. I look forward to working with you."
][
BIGGAINZGIRL: so...
BIGGAINZGIRL: you're leto?
£*/*: Yes.
BIGGAINZGIRL: kyubey said I can trust you, but I don't!
BIGGAINZGIRL: you're creepy!
BIGGAINZGIRL: mommy and daddy say to never trust strangers who look through your phone
BIGGAINZGIRL: or try to call you
BIGGAINZGIRL: you were on my phone!
BIGGAINZGIRL: so you looked at all my files
BIGGAINZGIRL: why should I trust you?
£*/*: I did not look through your personal files.
£*/*: I did not touch any of them.
BIGGAINZGIRL: how do I know you're not lying?
£*/*: What if I promised I never touched any files?
£*/*: How does that sound?
BIGGAINZGIRL: do you promise?
£*/*: I promise.
BIGGAINZGIRL: do you pinkie promise?
£*/*: Pinkie Promise.
BIGGAINZGIRL: OK
BIGGAINZGIRL: i still don't trust you though
BIGGAINZGIRL: but I guess we can talk
BIGGAINZGIRL: dont do anything weird tho!
£*/*: That's good. Trust takes time.
£*/*: Even if you don't trust me now, maybe there is someone you can trust.
BIGGAINZGIRL: who?
Me_K.O. has entered the chat!
Me_K.O.: WATS UP MY HOMIES?!?1?!!
][
A/N: I figured the meeting between Kyubey and Leto needed spicing up, also I'm glad Miko now has a friend who can share her secret.
Last edited:
- Location
- Peterborough, NH, USA
Yeah, I liked it enough to make it an Interlude.
To Be Saved(Canon)(+50 Faith)
Good to see it's not just me making omakes now. Don't forget to assign your points. (So many points have been earned. Hope it isn't causing too much trouble with the next update, if they get applied at that point. Though quite a few of these added domains/faith points are going to be useful.)
Speaking of, yet another omake time! I'm not even entirely sure where the ideas keep flowing, but here we are:
To Be Saved
Ann wasn't doing so well. This Witch was just a bit too much for her. It had seemed like a good enough idea to try and solo it at the time. But she couldn't remember what her own reasoning for trying was. Maybe something about how she thought she saw someone get dragged into the Barrier? Or was it that her stupid pride got her in over her head again? That it insisted she was strong enough to charge in ahead, deal with it before her friends showed up. Whatever the case, she was stuck now. Been stuck for who knows how long. So she doesn't even know how long until reinforcements will take. While she was busy swinging her currently giant sword around. Using her magic to enhance how hard she hit, the ease with which she could swing it. Tossing out a few shots of magic when she could. Minimal magic use. She needed to outlast, not be flashy. There was no one here to impress. And there's nothing impressive about over extending and paying for it.
At least her pride had her send a message saying that she'd handle it before they even showed up. So her friends wouldn't just wait outside for her, not even knowing she was inside fighting for survival. Stupid pride. Hopefully her friends will rush in earlier than the planned time. As soon as they all get there. Save her from her own idiocy. Again. This must be the most idiotic thing she'd ever done. And she wasn't even sure if she'd survive it. Unlike some of the other boneheaded mistakes she made. She really needed to work on being overly prideful. It was only a small consolation to herself that she recognized that flaw.
Another swing, another goblin looking thing goes down. Quick glance around. Breathing room, check Soul Gem. Fine for now. Check pouch, double check Grief Seed is there. Wait for a good opportunity. Next Wave's here.
She remembered a rumor of a way to get stronger, something that Kyubey himself was actually starting to spread. Not that he'd made the rounds to her or her friends yet. Prayer. Who was it she was supposed to pray to? There was a specific name. Leto. That was it. She didn't remember exactly how she was supposed to pray, the rumors weren't so clear on that front, so hopefully that didn't matter overly much. So long as she could fight while doing it. Didn't hurt to try at this point. And try multiple different things. As long as she could survive, Ann was going to keep trying.
Slash. Wave done. Goblins gone. Quick glance around, short breather. Next wave is coming from there. Which means that the wave after that will come from over there. Soul Gem holding steady, too close for comfort, but enough to hold on for just the little more she needed. Stomp. Earth Wall in preparation. Here comes the Next Wave.
Praying in her head, from what she remembered from other religions. Something about thanking who you were praying to? Made sense. Do that before asking for help. Which she then did. She remembered a story or two where a character dedicated a monster kill, in a prayer/worshipful way, so she tossed that in what with all the convenient Familiars around. Plus shouting "For Leto!" helped her feel better. No matter if it had an actual effect outside of keeping her morale up. That was enough for now. Letting her eek out a little more.
A kick this time, ending the wave. The wall she prepared will provide her enough time to get this handled. Grabbing the Grief Seed, she started an emergency cleansing. As much as she dared. Enough to last a few more Waves. She secured the Grief Seed. Praise to Leto. She had barely enough breathing room.
Then she took a hit, a dingy rusty little sword swung at her. A hit that she thought was going to stop her, slow her down just that little bit too much. But her armor held out a little better than it should have. It was a turning point. A quick punch to get rid of the Familiar that struck her. A quick readjustment to get her sword ready again, this time in a smaller, nimbler form. Her attacks grow just that little bit stronger, that little bit that would hopefully let her stall for just enough time. She glanced at this latest Wave. It was still near full strength, but they were staying a bit further away now. Seem to have noticed the shift. Now where to strike first...
"Ann! Fall back!" Sweeter words she didn't think she had ever heard before. Her friends made it. Beth's tactical call out bringing much needed relief. She was saved. She got back to safety, risking a bit of magic to boost her way out.
A quick check of her Soul Gem revealed that it was far, far too close for her comfort still. She'd have lasted, but who knows when she'd be able to wrangle an opening between waves for Grief management? She had the breathing room to use a Grief Seed now, thanks to her friends. Grabbing the Grief Seed back out, she got started. Crap. This really was close. This Grief Seed got used up mid-cleaning. She stashed it away and dug for another one, after checking to see no Familiar was sneaking up on her, with Emily on guard for her. Somewhat embarrassing that she didn't notice the assist there, that she didn't keep track of her surroundings enough to notice. Still, she got out the second Grief Seed, and cleansed away. Stashing it away after she finished, she nodded to Emily to let her know.
With that bit of Grief handling, a short breath to refocus herself, and it was back to the fight. Time to handle these seemingly endless waves. She held on long enough for her friends. Got a newfound faith. And now? She was going to win this fight. She's going to survive. Leto certainly lived up to the rumors. Ann came back from the brink, and she vowed to prove worthy of this second chance she's been given.
-
Beth was pissed off. There was a reason why she had planned for them to enter barriers together. Ann was the main muscle. Using Earth magic to strengthen herself, and some terrain modification. And unfortunately a bit of a berserker. Not in the 'angry and charging wildly', but in the sense that she just doesn't think, and just charges in. Usually screaming out the latest battle cry she came up with.
She herself was tactics. Also using her bow at range. She was glad it was sturdy enough to whack any Familiar that got too close. Even if she also got a small sword as an additional bit, glad that she had read about how archers used to handle when an enemy got into melee range. She didn't get a small shield to go with it, but Beth was fine with that. She wasn't exactly trained in their use, and swapping out would take just that bit too much time. Maybe later on she could add a shield in, but not for now. She had the feeling that had she not done the research beforehand she became a Magical Girl, she wouldn't have gotten that bonus sword. Though she'd probably have looked up how archers handled themselves after finding herself with the bow. And gotten a sword herself. Figure out how to let it stand up to use. Information gathering and buffs for the group was also part of her role. She had a few debuffs that she could cast, but that was more Emily's wheelhouse. Not something that she practiced herself all that much.
Emily was defense. Sword and Shield. Taunting the enemy to play as the tank. But also slowing them down. Some sort of Damage over Time effect on those that struck her shield, a delayed partial damage reflection if she understood it correctly. So blocking a fire attack, let her store fire damage. Thankfully it wasn't an always reflect thing. Otherwise the times they had to fight enemies that got healed when attacked by something that they themselves threw out. Sadly didn't keep the damage for too long. Usually by the time they found another Witch after beating the previous one, it was gone. Emily did say she was trying to figure out how to strip the damage type.
"Beth! I'm good now, how are we handling this?" Ann chimes in.
Good. Emily is busy guarding our rear. Now that she didn't have to focus on sniping duty, let's find out what gave Ann so much trouble. A quick cast of information gathering magic reveals it. A Familiar spawner. That is deviously hidden. A small structure mostly buried in the ground, leaving only a bit around the doorway uncovered, but still camouflaged. At first glance, it'd just appear to be a hill. And rickety structures surrounded it. Looking more like decoration, than anything. And if you did manage to figure out this was a spawner setup, you'd think it'd be the distraction buildings. Wasting your time, and opening up the potential of a sneak attack. Which was surprisingly easy with all the nooks and crannies that these buildings provided. Or would, if just outright destroying them wouldn't be the goal anyways. Going after the true spawner, her analysis would be to knock out a clear path as well, since there's no reason at all to keep those buildings standing. Outside of maybe worrying about enraging the Witch. But the way the Spawners are setup, it didn't seem to be a problem this time.
While that spawner would eventually run out of juice, it'd be sometime after the average Magical Girl was tapped out. No, you had to destroy it to get it to stop in any reasonable time-frame. And that would actually weaken this particular Witch, or disable some kind of protection, if she was reading the connection right. That was a handy little weakness. Usually the swarm spawners they dealt with just had that effect how many Familiars the Witch could pump out. Probably a trade off in making them more hidden, and have more endless waves of goblin styled Familiars.
"Spawner, marking now," she said. Ann would know what to do from there. Too bad for that disguising work that it just makes it easy for Earth magic to take it down.
"For Leto!"
What. Who was Leto? Wait, now she remembers. That rumor that was going on, that she hadn't had time to look into. Damn it Ann, if you managed to convince yourself that you had a god on your side, without letting me check to see if there was anything to the rumor at all, we were going to have words. But then, Ann probably would have mentioned it in the texts if she had. In a way, it was so very much like Ann to end up finding religion in a near death experience. Something new, but still very much her.
Now to see just what else is going on. Ah. A closer look, it seems she was mistaken. The spawners are just locks for the next part, that being the 'protection'. They're actually just hiding whatever the next zone is. Well, it's time to slay some goblins. The spawners are actually kind of obvious once you've identified them, especially with the fact that they're in a circular border. And none of these other ones were mostly buried, just stuck out there in plain sight. No need to waste magic to scan for them.
A crash signifies Ann took out the nearby spawner.
"Six more of them! Emily, get ready to move up."
"Got it."
Okay, to the right. Well then. That's a lot of gunpowder. And an easy shot to make. And the goblins are starting to pay attention now. Switching out to a fire arrow, she aims right for the mass of gunpowder. An explosion later, and that's handled, and five more to go.
Ah, looks like one of the goblins grabbed a barrel of gunpowder and is taking it to the next one over. To a spawner surrounded by what looks like every single cannon here. And sort of just piled up, not in any defensive pattern. Just a literal pile. But not any cannonballs. If they needed them. But given that a goblin is taking gunpowder to them, she suspected that to be the case.
Well, no one said Familiars had to be smart. That gunpowder was set in the worst possible location. For the goblins. With another well placed fire arrow, that was reaching the edge of her range, she lit the barrel on fire, and that was it. The cannon pile collapsed, destroying the spawner.
"Dang Beth, you pyro. Took the opportunity to go for two explosions! What's the next one we target?" said Ann.
"Oh be quiet. Let me look. Ah. Emily, you figure out that rage spell?" said Beth, noting the nod in response. "Good. Cast it over the chickens. That spawner's general area. Then we book it over to the cannonballs."
Emily motioned both Ann and her to get a bit closer to where the chickens were, not quite having the range otherwise. And wanting the protection, in case any of the goblins noticed. Which they really should have, given the explosions. But it seems they were too busy arguing over something. Who got to eat the chickens? Didn't really matter, only that it probably made Emily's rage spell more effective, with having to do less work.
A quick red flash, and the results were almost immediate. They all ran towards the cannonball pile. Stopping just a bit short of the spawner's 'camp'.
"I've got this one!" said Ann.
Ann quickly stomped the ground, sending out a wave of force as the earth shook. With nothing happening. Too far away? Or the cannonballs being too stably piled up together to be effected with a simple wave of force? She couldn't quite see what the base of the pyramid stack was. Might have just been some quirk of the Labyrinth that determined that it should be stable, despite all the ramshackle nature of everything else. A grunt of frustration, followed by another stomp. This time harder. And it looked like one of Ann's earth walls destabilized the cannonball pile this time. And that was another spawner down.
A quick check of her Soul Gem showed she was doing fine. Prompting Emily to do the same. And Ann had already cleansed her Soul Gem earlier, so that was handled. Beth looked towards the remaining spawners and blinked in shock. What the hell?
Okay, the rage spell handled the spawner with the chickens. Somehow this then caused mass chaos. Angry chickens fought with angry goblins, spawner got destroyed. But some of those ran to the next spawner over. Then triggering some sort stampede with the cows there. Most of them, at least, given some of them were just standing there. The spawner itself was destroyed in the stampede. Which looked like it was heading right for the last remaining one. Surrounded by cooking supplies for some reason.
Beth wondered what that first spawner camp was 'hording', since that seemed to be the theme for each one. Maybe it was literally hording 'hordes'? Would explain why there weren't nearly as many goblins or waves for the other ones. Ann ended up running into what was the hardest fight first. Well, assuming that destroying that spawner didn't have any effect on the others. It would have been a nightmare to fight the rest of those if they had endless waves too. And they had to find the first one to actually get it to stop. But she had the feeling that this setup wasn't working as the Witch intended. Too unbalanced.
A crashing sound followed by the ground starting to shake signified the stampede destroyed that last spawner. The ground in the center of the circle cracked open. Towers rose up, followed by walls. Until a whole castle finished rising up, on top of a newly formed hill. It gave the impression of a tarnished elegance. As if it used to be beautiful. But now, the stone was cracked. Tattered remains of banners that the 'original' castle owners hung up, but no specific heraldry remained identifiable. As if the castle was looted. And given there were empty spots where cannons clearly were meant to go, it seems clear what the 'story' of the Barrier is telling. Or hints of it. There were hastily put up decorations. No real theming, other than it feeling like what bandits, invaders would put up. Or, she supposed, goblins. Trophies of their misdeeds.
More rumbling, and ground shifting, a moat surrounding the small castle formed. Empty at first, but rapidly filling with toxic, noxious looking 'water'. Thankfully it didn't smell, fighting with something that smelled as bad as that looked felt like it would be a horrible experience. The appearance it had was bad enough.
Beth shuddered as 'trumpets' played, out of tune and badly even with that consideration, and a lowering drawbridge. Quickly realizing what it meant and the advantageous environment she got Emily to grease the hill. And all they had to do was wait for this next wave to come straight for them. Almost trivializing this next fight.
Goblin knights on horseback charged out. Only to quickly lose their footing and tumble down the hill. Most of them ending up defeated before they tumbled all the way down to them. The ones that did, were quickly dispatched. All in all, an easy problem to deal with.
Much easier than getting Ann to see reason sometimes. She really cared about her friend, but Ann could be so infuriating sometimes when she just charged right in.
-
Emily always felt her friends were cooler than she was. So much more amazing. She just felt like she didn't measure up. Even when she knew that she did. It was just difficult for her to get her mind to agree, self-doubt creeping in now and then. The feats she managed this time around should hopefully calm down that intrusive thought spiral, on her own. Her friends helped so much in pulling her out of it too. Her friends really were the best. While she was usually quiet, with them she ended up finding her voice. And ever so slowly, she had started to find herself speaking up more even without their prompting, or without them there. For that, she was thankful to them. The battles they fought together even ended up accelerating that process, where she felt like an important part of the team. Where she knew that to be true, even.
Eventually the knights stopped coming down. After a minute or so past that, she let her grease spell wear off. A hand signal to let her friends, her teammates, know. She started the climb up, shield held up in front, her friends following behind. A quiet walk to a creepy castle. She steeled her nerves, walking on the drawbridge. Preparing to swivel her head as soon as she passed the gate.
And nothing. No Familiars charged out. The Witch wasn't in sight. Just a steadily increasing sense of dread. Ambush Witches were an exercise in frustration. Especially when it wasn't just the opening move. She practiced slowing debuffs so much to deal with them. And she tended to go out and figure out the signs when and where they'd occur. Not always useful, considering how twisty the physics could be when dealing with a Witch. Something to note, especially as the area inside the castle walls already looks bigger than it was on the outside. Let's see, the first location that would be prime for an ambush would be. There. And knowing Beth she'd chime in right about -
"Form up in the courtyard. Be ready. I don't like the look of that sole tower there."
- now. Yep. Fit with what Emily was thinking. There was a few other locations she was already not looking forward to, but that courtyard was the first place to checkout. And the fact that the tower didn't seem to have an entrance was a red flag. So form up, facing the ominous tower, and wait. Make sure she was in a steady stance, shield ready and primed to move if need be.
And no sooner than when they finished getting into position, the tower starting wiggling and writhing. The stone brickwork splitting open, the bricks shifting to the left and right. Animated chains revealed, moving like tentacle arms, and small dolls of what looked like both royalty and servants, people you'd expect to live in a castle. Notably not goblins. And in the center was a more life-sized doll of a princess. More completely chained up, and chains anchoring into the tower. All in all, not very pleasant imagery. But then, was there really any Witch that didn't give at least some unsettling feeling? Something that could make your skin crawl.
Surprisingly, there was no sudden roar announcing the start of the battle. Just the lashing of a chain arm, straight towards her. Just as they all expected. It was why she was in front, after all. Her shield took the brunt of the blow, and she felt her bones vibrate. That was a powerful strike. Her shield really was the best. She looked to see where the next strike was coming from. There. She shifted a bit, and activated her rebound. The metal chain arm just disintegrated, a wave of falling metal shavings spreading outward. And then a screech came from the Witch. Like metal ripping itself apart. Another chain arm ripped the rapidly deteriorating arm by the root and threw it away. The dolls that were hanging from the no longer there arm having fallen to the ground. A frenzy when the remaining arms scrambled to pick up the dolls, and add them to themselves. Sometimes even fighting over which one got one. Which gave her an idea.
The chains were already fighting among each other, at times. And clearly can already effectively fight each other, or at least disable each other. Hopefully enough of an opening for Confusion to have the Witch fight itself. Spell cast, and already there was an effect. Chains started shoving each other around. Some were ripping away at the ones attached to the stonework. Others were slamming against the tower itself. The only thing they were avoiding was hurting the dolls. Beth called out to avoid hitting them as well. Interesting. Emily felt that her spell wouldn't have worked nearly as well, if the Witch wasn't already close to fighting itself.
Ann was busy parrying strikes, not really having much to do. And not wanting to upset Beth by throwing her sword at the Witch. Again. The after fight meeting they had that time Ann was chewed out so much by Beth, pointing out both that she didn't have a backup weapon, nor a way to retrieve it quickly or safely. Though she could tell Ann really wanted to try it again this time. But keeping herself from doing so.
Beth was busy pinning down the chains with her arrows, sticking them into the tower walls. Somewhat of a delaying tactic, to create a good opening for her. Especially as just how effective that her shield rebound had proved against this particular foe.
Speaking of, another chain arm struck her shield, priming a counter for the next unlucky chain to strike at her. Just had to wait. There. Perfect counter.
And there goes another arm to rip it out to prevent the destruction from spreading, throwing the bad arm away. But this time Beth was ready. An arrow pierces through a chain-link on the airborne debris, sticking it right into another chain arm. Close enough to be far too late for the Witch to stop. Though it did try. Screeching in anger, upon realizing just what happened.
But it was in its death throws. Dolls started dropping down, chains no longer supporting them. The tower ending up standing firm. Until eventually the Princess doll fell free. The Witch was defeated, and Beth went in to grab their reward.
And after they do their Soul Gem cleansing, they'll have their post battle pizza meeting. And she felt she'd get to pick which pizza they had this time, since it was whoever had the most effect during the battle, got to pick the main pizza. They always did get more than that pick, after Ann's spicy monstrosities and Beth's esoteric topping combos. And sometimes unusual toppings in and of themselves. Apparently other countries had very different ideas of what can go on a pizza, and Beth got it in her head to try them all. Emily just wanted a regular pizza this time. And it's what she earned. What she achieved this time, oh the self-assurance flowed through her. She was going to have to ask Ann who this 'Leto' was.
Not sure if this qualifies as getting extra points based on sheer length or not. Whatever fits it, really. Anyways: 25 onto Heart, and any extra that this earns on Purity.
Speaking of, yet another omake time! I'm not even entirely sure where the ideas keep flowing, but here we are:
To Be Saved
Ann wasn't doing so well. This Witch was just a bit too much for her. It had seemed like a good enough idea to try and solo it at the time. But she couldn't remember what her own reasoning for trying was. Maybe something about how she thought she saw someone get dragged into the Barrier? Or was it that her stupid pride got her in over her head again? That it insisted she was strong enough to charge in ahead, deal with it before her friends showed up. Whatever the case, she was stuck now. Been stuck for who knows how long. So she doesn't even know how long until reinforcements will take. While she was busy swinging her currently giant sword around. Using her magic to enhance how hard she hit, the ease with which she could swing it. Tossing out a few shots of magic when she could. Minimal magic use. She needed to outlast, not be flashy. There was no one here to impress. And there's nothing impressive about over extending and paying for it.
At least her pride had her send a message saying that she'd handle it before they even showed up. So her friends wouldn't just wait outside for her, not even knowing she was inside fighting for survival. Stupid pride. Hopefully her friends will rush in earlier than the planned time. As soon as they all get there. Save her from her own idiocy. Again. This must be the most idiotic thing she'd ever done. And she wasn't even sure if she'd survive it. Unlike some of the other boneheaded mistakes she made. She really needed to work on being overly prideful. It was only a small consolation to herself that she recognized that flaw.
Another swing, another goblin looking thing goes down. Quick glance around. Breathing room, check Soul Gem. Fine for now. Check pouch, double check Grief Seed is there. Wait for a good opportunity. Next Wave's here.
She remembered a rumor of a way to get stronger, something that Kyubey himself was actually starting to spread. Not that he'd made the rounds to her or her friends yet. Prayer. Who was it she was supposed to pray to? There was a specific name. Leto. That was it. She didn't remember exactly how she was supposed to pray, the rumors weren't so clear on that front, so hopefully that didn't matter overly much. So long as she could fight while doing it. Didn't hurt to try at this point. And try multiple different things. As long as she could survive, Ann was going to keep trying.
Slash. Wave done. Goblins gone. Quick glance around, short breather. Next wave is coming from there. Which means that the wave after that will come from over there. Soul Gem holding steady, too close for comfort, but enough to hold on for just the little more she needed. Stomp. Earth Wall in preparation. Here comes the Next Wave.
Praying in her head, from what she remembered from other religions. Something about thanking who you were praying to? Made sense. Do that before asking for help. Which she then did. She remembered a story or two where a character dedicated a monster kill, in a prayer/worshipful way, so she tossed that in what with all the convenient Familiars around. Plus shouting "For Leto!" helped her feel better. No matter if it had an actual effect outside of keeping her morale up. That was enough for now. Letting her eek out a little more.
A kick this time, ending the wave. The wall she prepared will provide her enough time to get this handled. Grabbing the Grief Seed, she started an emergency cleansing. As much as she dared. Enough to last a few more Waves. She secured the Grief Seed. Praise to Leto. She had barely enough breathing room.
Then she took a hit, a dingy rusty little sword swung at her. A hit that she thought was going to stop her, slow her down just that little bit too much. But her armor held out a little better than it should have. It was a turning point. A quick punch to get rid of the Familiar that struck her. A quick readjustment to get her sword ready again, this time in a smaller, nimbler form. Her attacks grow just that little bit stronger, that little bit that would hopefully let her stall for just enough time. She glanced at this latest Wave. It was still near full strength, but they were staying a bit further away now. Seem to have noticed the shift. Now where to strike first...
"Ann! Fall back!" Sweeter words she didn't think she had ever heard before. Her friends made it. Beth's tactical call out bringing much needed relief. She was saved. She got back to safety, risking a bit of magic to boost her way out.
A quick check of her Soul Gem revealed that it was far, far too close for her comfort still. She'd have lasted, but who knows when she'd be able to wrangle an opening between waves for Grief management? She had the breathing room to use a Grief Seed now, thanks to her friends. Grabbing the Grief Seed back out, she got started. Crap. This really was close. This Grief Seed got used up mid-cleaning. She stashed it away and dug for another one, after checking to see no Familiar was sneaking up on her, with Emily on guard for her. Somewhat embarrassing that she didn't notice the assist there, that she didn't keep track of her surroundings enough to notice. Still, she got out the second Grief Seed, and cleansed away. Stashing it away after she finished, she nodded to Emily to let her know.
With that bit of Grief handling, a short breath to refocus herself, and it was back to the fight. Time to handle these seemingly endless waves. She held on long enough for her friends. Got a newfound faith. And now? She was going to win this fight. She's going to survive. Leto certainly lived up to the rumors. Ann came back from the brink, and she vowed to prove worthy of this second chance she's been given.
-
Beth was pissed off. There was a reason why she had planned for them to enter barriers together. Ann was the main muscle. Using Earth magic to strengthen herself, and some terrain modification. And unfortunately a bit of a berserker. Not in the 'angry and charging wildly', but in the sense that she just doesn't think, and just charges in. Usually screaming out the latest battle cry she came up with.
She herself was tactics. Also using her bow at range. She was glad it was sturdy enough to whack any Familiar that got too close. Even if she also got a small sword as an additional bit, glad that she had read about how archers used to handle when an enemy got into melee range. She didn't get a small shield to go with it, but Beth was fine with that. She wasn't exactly trained in their use, and swapping out would take just that bit too much time. Maybe later on she could add a shield in, but not for now. She had the feeling that had she not done the research beforehand she became a Magical Girl, she wouldn't have gotten that bonus sword. Though she'd probably have looked up how archers handled themselves after finding herself with the bow. And gotten a sword herself. Figure out how to let it stand up to use. Information gathering and buffs for the group was also part of her role. She had a few debuffs that she could cast, but that was more Emily's wheelhouse. Not something that she practiced herself all that much.
Emily was defense. Sword and Shield. Taunting the enemy to play as the tank. But also slowing them down. Some sort of Damage over Time effect on those that struck her shield, a delayed partial damage reflection if she understood it correctly. So blocking a fire attack, let her store fire damage. Thankfully it wasn't an always reflect thing. Otherwise the times they had to fight enemies that got healed when attacked by something that they themselves threw out. Sadly didn't keep the damage for too long. Usually by the time they found another Witch after beating the previous one, it was gone. Emily did say she was trying to figure out how to strip the damage type.
"Beth! I'm good now, how are we handling this?" Ann chimes in.
Good. Emily is busy guarding our rear. Now that she didn't have to focus on sniping duty, let's find out what gave Ann so much trouble. A quick cast of information gathering magic reveals it. A Familiar spawner. That is deviously hidden. A small structure mostly buried in the ground, leaving only a bit around the doorway uncovered, but still camouflaged. At first glance, it'd just appear to be a hill. And rickety structures surrounded it. Looking more like decoration, than anything. And if you did manage to figure out this was a spawner setup, you'd think it'd be the distraction buildings. Wasting your time, and opening up the potential of a sneak attack. Which was surprisingly easy with all the nooks and crannies that these buildings provided. Or would, if just outright destroying them wouldn't be the goal anyways. Going after the true spawner, her analysis would be to knock out a clear path as well, since there's no reason at all to keep those buildings standing. Outside of maybe worrying about enraging the Witch. But the way the Spawners are setup, it didn't seem to be a problem this time.
While that spawner would eventually run out of juice, it'd be sometime after the average Magical Girl was tapped out. No, you had to destroy it to get it to stop in any reasonable time-frame. And that would actually weaken this particular Witch, or disable some kind of protection, if she was reading the connection right. That was a handy little weakness. Usually the swarm spawners they dealt with just had that effect how many Familiars the Witch could pump out. Probably a trade off in making them more hidden, and have more endless waves of goblin styled Familiars.
"Spawner, marking now," she said. Ann would know what to do from there. Too bad for that disguising work that it just makes it easy for Earth magic to take it down.
"For Leto!"
What. Who was Leto? Wait, now she remembers. That rumor that was going on, that she hadn't had time to look into. Damn it Ann, if you managed to convince yourself that you had a god on your side, without letting me check to see if there was anything to the rumor at all, we were going to have words. But then, Ann probably would have mentioned it in the texts if she had. In a way, it was so very much like Ann to end up finding religion in a near death experience. Something new, but still very much her.
Now to see just what else is going on. Ah. A closer look, it seems she was mistaken. The spawners are just locks for the next part, that being the 'protection'. They're actually just hiding whatever the next zone is. Well, it's time to slay some goblins. The spawners are actually kind of obvious once you've identified them, especially with the fact that they're in a circular border. And none of these other ones were mostly buried, just stuck out there in plain sight. No need to waste magic to scan for them.
A crash signifies Ann took out the nearby spawner.
"Six more of them! Emily, get ready to move up."
"Got it."
Okay, to the right. Well then. That's a lot of gunpowder. And an easy shot to make. And the goblins are starting to pay attention now. Switching out to a fire arrow, she aims right for the mass of gunpowder. An explosion later, and that's handled, and five more to go.
Ah, looks like one of the goblins grabbed a barrel of gunpowder and is taking it to the next one over. To a spawner surrounded by what looks like every single cannon here. And sort of just piled up, not in any defensive pattern. Just a literal pile. But not any cannonballs. If they needed them. But given that a goblin is taking gunpowder to them, she suspected that to be the case.
Well, no one said Familiars had to be smart. That gunpowder was set in the worst possible location. For the goblins. With another well placed fire arrow, that was reaching the edge of her range, she lit the barrel on fire, and that was it. The cannon pile collapsed, destroying the spawner.
"Dang Beth, you pyro. Took the opportunity to go for two explosions! What's the next one we target?" said Ann.
"Oh be quiet. Let me look. Ah. Emily, you figure out that rage spell?" said Beth, noting the nod in response. "Good. Cast it over the chickens. That spawner's general area. Then we book it over to the cannonballs."
Emily motioned both Ann and her to get a bit closer to where the chickens were, not quite having the range otherwise. And wanting the protection, in case any of the goblins noticed. Which they really should have, given the explosions. But it seems they were too busy arguing over something. Who got to eat the chickens? Didn't really matter, only that it probably made Emily's rage spell more effective, with having to do less work.
A quick red flash, and the results were almost immediate. They all ran towards the cannonball pile. Stopping just a bit short of the spawner's 'camp'.
"I've got this one!" said Ann.
Ann quickly stomped the ground, sending out a wave of force as the earth shook. With nothing happening. Too far away? Or the cannonballs being too stably piled up together to be effected with a simple wave of force? She couldn't quite see what the base of the pyramid stack was. Might have just been some quirk of the Labyrinth that determined that it should be stable, despite all the ramshackle nature of everything else. A grunt of frustration, followed by another stomp. This time harder. And it looked like one of Ann's earth walls destabilized the cannonball pile this time. And that was another spawner down.
A quick check of her Soul Gem showed she was doing fine. Prompting Emily to do the same. And Ann had already cleansed her Soul Gem earlier, so that was handled. Beth looked towards the remaining spawners and blinked in shock. What the hell?
Okay, the rage spell handled the spawner with the chickens. Somehow this then caused mass chaos. Angry chickens fought with angry goblins, spawner got destroyed. But some of those ran to the next spawner over. Then triggering some sort stampede with the cows there. Most of them, at least, given some of them were just standing there. The spawner itself was destroyed in the stampede. Which looked like it was heading right for the last remaining one. Surrounded by cooking supplies for some reason.
Beth wondered what that first spawner camp was 'hording', since that seemed to be the theme for each one. Maybe it was literally hording 'hordes'? Would explain why there weren't nearly as many goblins or waves for the other ones. Ann ended up running into what was the hardest fight first. Well, assuming that destroying that spawner didn't have any effect on the others. It would have been a nightmare to fight the rest of those if they had endless waves too. And they had to find the first one to actually get it to stop. But she had the feeling that this setup wasn't working as the Witch intended. Too unbalanced.
A crashing sound followed by the ground starting to shake signified the stampede destroyed that last spawner. The ground in the center of the circle cracked open. Towers rose up, followed by walls. Until a whole castle finished rising up, on top of a newly formed hill. It gave the impression of a tarnished elegance. As if it used to be beautiful. But now, the stone was cracked. Tattered remains of banners that the 'original' castle owners hung up, but no specific heraldry remained identifiable. As if the castle was looted. And given there were empty spots where cannons clearly were meant to go, it seems clear what the 'story' of the Barrier is telling. Or hints of it. There were hastily put up decorations. No real theming, other than it feeling like what bandits, invaders would put up. Or, she supposed, goblins. Trophies of their misdeeds.
More rumbling, and ground shifting, a moat surrounding the small castle formed. Empty at first, but rapidly filling with toxic, noxious looking 'water'. Thankfully it didn't smell, fighting with something that smelled as bad as that looked felt like it would be a horrible experience. The appearance it had was bad enough.
Beth shuddered as 'trumpets' played, out of tune and badly even with that consideration, and a lowering drawbridge. Quickly realizing what it meant and the advantageous environment she got Emily to grease the hill. And all they had to do was wait for this next wave to come straight for them. Almost trivializing this next fight.
Goblin knights on horseback charged out. Only to quickly lose their footing and tumble down the hill. Most of them ending up defeated before they tumbled all the way down to them. The ones that did, were quickly dispatched. All in all, an easy problem to deal with.
Much easier than getting Ann to see reason sometimes. She really cared about her friend, but Ann could be so infuriating sometimes when she just charged right in.
-
Emily always felt her friends were cooler than she was. So much more amazing. She just felt like she didn't measure up. Even when she knew that she did. It was just difficult for her to get her mind to agree, self-doubt creeping in now and then. The feats she managed this time around should hopefully calm down that intrusive thought spiral, on her own. Her friends helped so much in pulling her out of it too. Her friends really were the best. While she was usually quiet, with them she ended up finding her voice. And ever so slowly, she had started to find herself speaking up more even without their prompting, or without them there. For that, she was thankful to them. The battles they fought together even ended up accelerating that process, where she felt like an important part of the team. Where she knew that to be true, even.
Eventually the knights stopped coming down. After a minute or so past that, she let her grease spell wear off. A hand signal to let her friends, her teammates, know. She started the climb up, shield held up in front, her friends following behind. A quiet walk to a creepy castle. She steeled her nerves, walking on the drawbridge. Preparing to swivel her head as soon as she passed the gate.
And nothing. No Familiars charged out. The Witch wasn't in sight. Just a steadily increasing sense of dread. Ambush Witches were an exercise in frustration. Especially when it wasn't just the opening move. She practiced slowing debuffs so much to deal with them. And she tended to go out and figure out the signs when and where they'd occur. Not always useful, considering how twisty the physics could be when dealing with a Witch. Something to note, especially as the area inside the castle walls already looks bigger than it was on the outside. Let's see, the first location that would be prime for an ambush would be. There. And knowing Beth she'd chime in right about -
"Form up in the courtyard. Be ready. I don't like the look of that sole tower there."
- now. Yep. Fit with what Emily was thinking. There was a few other locations she was already not looking forward to, but that courtyard was the first place to checkout. And the fact that the tower didn't seem to have an entrance was a red flag. So form up, facing the ominous tower, and wait. Make sure she was in a steady stance, shield ready and primed to move if need be.
And no sooner than when they finished getting into position, the tower starting wiggling and writhing. The stone brickwork splitting open, the bricks shifting to the left and right. Animated chains revealed, moving like tentacle arms, and small dolls of what looked like both royalty and servants, people you'd expect to live in a castle. Notably not goblins. And in the center was a more life-sized doll of a princess. More completely chained up, and chains anchoring into the tower. All in all, not very pleasant imagery. But then, was there really any Witch that didn't give at least some unsettling feeling? Something that could make your skin crawl.
Surprisingly, there was no sudden roar announcing the start of the battle. Just the lashing of a chain arm, straight towards her. Just as they all expected. It was why she was in front, after all. Her shield took the brunt of the blow, and she felt her bones vibrate. That was a powerful strike. Her shield really was the best. She looked to see where the next strike was coming from. There. She shifted a bit, and activated her rebound. The metal chain arm just disintegrated, a wave of falling metal shavings spreading outward. And then a screech came from the Witch. Like metal ripping itself apart. Another chain arm ripped the rapidly deteriorating arm by the root and threw it away. The dolls that were hanging from the no longer there arm having fallen to the ground. A frenzy when the remaining arms scrambled to pick up the dolls, and add them to themselves. Sometimes even fighting over which one got one. Which gave her an idea.
The chains were already fighting among each other, at times. And clearly can already effectively fight each other, or at least disable each other. Hopefully enough of an opening for Confusion to have the Witch fight itself. Spell cast, and already there was an effect. Chains started shoving each other around. Some were ripping away at the ones attached to the stonework. Others were slamming against the tower itself. The only thing they were avoiding was hurting the dolls. Beth called out to avoid hitting them as well. Interesting. Emily felt that her spell wouldn't have worked nearly as well, if the Witch wasn't already close to fighting itself.
Ann was busy parrying strikes, not really having much to do. And not wanting to upset Beth by throwing her sword at the Witch. Again. The after fight meeting they had that time Ann was chewed out so much by Beth, pointing out both that she didn't have a backup weapon, nor a way to retrieve it quickly or safely. Though she could tell Ann really wanted to try it again this time. But keeping herself from doing so.
Beth was busy pinning down the chains with her arrows, sticking them into the tower walls. Somewhat of a delaying tactic, to create a good opening for her. Especially as just how effective that her shield rebound had proved against this particular foe.
Speaking of, another chain arm struck her shield, priming a counter for the next unlucky chain to strike at her. Just had to wait. There. Perfect counter.
And there goes another arm to rip it out to prevent the destruction from spreading, throwing the bad arm away. But this time Beth was ready. An arrow pierces through a chain-link on the airborne debris, sticking it right into another chain arm. Close enough to be far too late for the Witch to stop. Though it did try. Screeching in anger, upon realizing just what happened.
But it was in its death throws. Dolls started dropping down, chains no longer supporting them. The tower ending up standing firm. Until eventually the Princess doll fell free. The Witch was defeated, and Beth went in to grab their reward.
And after they do their Soul Gem cleansing, they'll have their post battle pizza meeting. And she felt she'd get to pick which pizza they had this time, since it was whoever had the most effect during the battle, got to pick the main pizza. They always did get more than that pick, after Ann's spicy monstrosities and Beth's esoteric topping combos. And sometimes unusual toppings in and of themselves. Apparently other countries had very different ideas of what can go on a pizza, and Beth got it in her head to try them all. Emily just wanted a regular pizza this time. And it's what she earned. What she achieved this time, oh the self-assurance flowed through her. She was going to have to ask Ann who this 'Leto' was.
And that's done. Seriously. This kept getting bigger and bigger, to the point it's sort of three smashed together. As it is, it's sort of a three-part omake, with the perspective shifts. When I first started writing it was just going to be Ann's perspective. Or well, following her. Obviously ballooned from there. Not gonna split it up either. It works together, so together it shall be.
And ended up having fight scene stuff. Which I hadn't really ever written before. Just imagine there's a bit more repetitiveness/back and forth than is written for some of it, that got glossed over. Went for a more streamlined, as much detail that flowed right. Not entirely happy with it. Specifically there's probably a bit more left out during the Witch fight, a few more counter/blocks, but really repeating it both felt like it'd be dull, the omake was long enough already, and well, I just wanted to get it done. I'm sure a hypothetical animated version would look pretty amazing, though. Way out of what I could do, though.
Beth's fire arrows, I'm imagining it's her summoning arrows designed to be lit on fire, rather than using fire magic to give flames to arrows. But it's possible she also has fire magic. And I have no idea what her debuff spells are. Presumably something mental related, since she's got some sort of sensory spell toolkit. She doesn't have much practice with her sword, though. Even with having it. Also really bad at switching between bow and sword. But it probably will come into play at some point.
Ann herself kind of surprised me with pulling out Earth magic; before that she was just a self-buff magic user. So she's either got both based on whatever her wish was, or using Earth to strengthen herself/her blows. Conceptual level stuff.
Not sure on what all Emily's got debuff-wise. But enough of a spread to be useful in a surprising amount of situations.
And yeah, the Witch stuff there is kind of strange. But it's where inspiration took it.
And ended up having fight scene stuff. Which I hadn't really ever written before. Just imagine there's a bit more repetitiveness/back and forth than is written for some of it, that got glossed over. Went for a more streamlined, as much detail that flowed right. Not entirely happy with it. Specifically there's probably a bit more left out during the Witch fight, a few more counter/blocks, but really repeating it both felt like it'd be dull, the omake was long enough already, and well, I just wanted to get it done. I'm sure a hypothetical animated version would look pretty amazing, though. Way out of what I could do, though.
Beth's fire arrows, I'm imagining it's her summoning arrows designed to be lit on fire, rather than using fire magic to give flames to arrows. But it's possible she also has fire magic. And I have no idea what her debuff spells are. Presumably something mental related, since she's got some sort of sensory spell toolkit. She doesn't have much practice with her sword, though. Even with having it. Also really bad at switching between bow and sword. But it probably will come into play at some point.
Ann herself kind of surprised me with pulling out Earth magic; before that she was just a self-buff magic user. So she's either got both based on whatever her wish was, or using Earth to strengthen herself/her blows. Conceptual level stuff.
Not sure on what all Emily's got debuff-wise. But enough of a spread to be useful in a surprising amount of situations.
And yeah, the Witch stuff there is kind of strange. But it's where inspiration took it.
Not sure if this qualifies as getting extra points based on sheer length or not. Whatever fits it, really. Anyways: 25 onto Heart, and any extra that this earns on Purity.
Wouldn't it make more sense to put that after Turn 2 results, where we met and made an agreement with the Incubators?