Now then, time to close the votes. Crys' insanity wins.
I like the plan name, by the by.
However, due to how much stuff may happen in this chapter, chances are it will not go up this week. I will need a while to actually write it. Expect this... sometime approaching the weekend next week.
Adhoc vote count started by Naron on Nov 21, 2019 at 4:52 AM, finished with 33 posts and 7 votes.
[X] Crystalwatcher's Peerless Defiant Star
-[X] Configure The Weapon into Aetheric Tide.
-[X]Tie Aethric Tide's ribbon around our wrist to make sure we don't drop it, and we can pull our weapon back to us/manipulate it as necessary for the rest of the plan.
-[X] Pass our command to Orux and Dragul so we can focus on the Doom Bloops.
-[X] Jump to Paoras' mount. Explain to her the actions we need her to take in order to fulfill our plan, namely getting us in range as necessary and keeping her/our mount alive.
-[X] Conundrum on all three of us before continuing. Survivability is key here.
-[X] Have Paoras guide Mokutuuk closer to the Voidsteppers. Once in range of one of them, layer Arcane Slash over Aetheric Tide and throw.
-[X] Aim For Absolute Maximum Damage!!! The idea is to nail one or the other in the single hit. If the target is impaled but still alive, pull the ribbon to toss the poor shit into one of our still active balls of Argent Star.
-[X] Rinse and repeat until Fatality is achieved.
-[X] Once Fatality is achieved, use that death to piss off the other guy.
-[X] Insult and goad them if necessary. Make sure they're mad. Preferably to the point they're not thinking with a full deck.
-[X] Make sure they're focused on you.
-[X] Once you have their undivided attention, have Paoras guide Mokutuuk towards where Argus' forces are engaging the Imperial Golem.
-[X] Keep periodically attacking and insulting to keep our kite mad and focused on us, but remember keeping ourselves and our ride alive is more important. We can always piss them off again later.
-[X] Abuse our Agility to stay attached to Mokutuuk as Paoras focuses on dodging as much as they can while going to the fight while not sacrificing our ability to engage the Doom Bloop.
-[X] Once we're close enough to join the fight around the Imperial Golem, send Paoras to explain what you're doing to Argus and hitch a ride on the Warcrime.
-[X] Abuse the fuck out of our Agility again to stay attached to the intelligent Golem while it's focused on Argus and his peeps.
-[X] Use the Golem as cover for the incoming Doom Bloop's spells. Hopefully by now they're still pissed enough they're not paying much more attention outside the fact you're still alive and their target is immune to the current spell being cast so change.
-[X] Keep this up until the Warcrime is destroyed or the Fairy runs out of usable spells.
-[X] Once the above is resolved, leap at the Doom Bloop and nail the fucker with Arcane Slash like the previous guy.
[X] Go after the teleporters immediately
-[X] Possible additional tactics - Hell Beasts chase them down, and/or shoot paired fireballs at them to force them to expend actions. Not necessarily on this very turn.
--[X] Due to Wrathful Shroud buff, Hell Beasts chase them down solo (one beast per teleporter), their enhanced damage should suffice. Have them spread out for that.
--[X] When chasing/shooting down the teleporters, preference is to focus on the same one as much as possible to force them to exhaust their blink-teleports.
-[X] Possible additional tactics - cast Conundrum and make it shine brightly, to blind the faeries.
-Switch weapon mode during a series of attacks to get different weapon Abilities on the unified string [1 Training Action]
--Switch out Aetheric Tide during an attack, Multi-Slash's speed boost shorts out, but still allows to add one different weapon to the offensive string; any hits that would normally follow fall away (e.g. if the weapon switches after the first hit, there is no third) [1 Training Action]
-forego the third Multi-Slash hit to aim the other one more accurately and attack vital areas [Aetheric Tide] [1 Training Action]
-leave glowing afterimages through quick movements and confuse slower or not completely focussed opponents [Aetheric Tide] [1 Training Action]
-create a quick flash to blind enemies for a few moments (Falsify Dazzle, only lasts for a single action [somewhere between a moment and half a turn, depending on opponent's ApT]) [1 Training Action]
On the other hand, considering that this seems to be "one string of Aetheric Tide, and another of a different weapon, but still as one action"...
One has to wonder how well this exploit synergizes with all the other Aetheric Tide-based Exploits - from "Critical Strike at the cost of the third damage string", to "confuse opponent with afterimages" to make an even better opening for the other weapon, to "quick flash to blind enemy for a moment" to make a yet again better opening for the other weapon...
-Impale an enemy on Stardust Striker and switch to Aetheric Tide, or impale them on either of the former and switch to Stygian Tempest, to inflict nasty Body Damage Modifiers by the expanding weapon being within the enemy's body.
Well... Maya and Dragul would have rather similar reactions, if with different inflection.
"What an idiot."
In regard to the guy who tried to invade Earth.
Lu is more of a "Oh well, not my problem" situation mixed with "That culture is interesting".
While writing, it occurred to me that the genre-distribution is honestly kind of jarring.
For Heidi, this is a gritty Fantasy/Sword And Sorcery adventure.
For Orux and Dragul, it is a 40k-esque grimdark War/Survival story where uncountable numbers die.
For Lucifer, we have a Seinen/Horror story mixed with spoiler-related elements.
For Elisabeth and Argus, it is a story about political maneuvering and war on both the individual and strategic level.
For Paoras, it is a Shoujo story interspersed with brutal combat.
And for Maya, it is... a wholesome eroge with lots of emphasis on raising a family and a few dark undertones here and there.
[X] Crystalwatcher's Peerless Defiant Star
-[X] Configure The Weapon into Aetheric Tide.
--[X]Tie Aethric Tide's ribbon around our wrist to make sure we don't drop it, and we can pull our weapon back to us/manipulate it as necessary for the rest of the plan. -[X] Pass our command to Orux and Dragul so we can focus on the Doom Bloops.
--[X] Jump to Paoras' mount. Explain to her the actions we need her to take in order to fulfill our plan, namely getting us in range as necessary and keeping her/our mount alive.
---[X]Conundrum on all three of us before continuing. Survivability is key here.
---[X] Have Paoras guide Mokutuuk closer to the Voidsteppers. Once in range of one of them, layer Arcane Slash over Aetheric Tide and throw.
----[X]Aim For Absolute Maximum Damage!!!The idea is to nail one or the other in the single hit. If the target is impaled but still alive, pull the ribbon to toss the poor shit into one of our still active balls of Argent Star.
-----[X] Rinse and repeat until Fatality is achieved.
-[X] Once Fatality is achieved, use that death to piss off the other guy.
--[X] Insult and goad them if necessary. Make sure they're mad. Preferably to the point they're not thinking with a full deck.
---[X] Make sure they're focused on you.
---[X] Once you have their undivided attention, have Paoras guide Mokutuuk towards where Argus' forces are engaging the Imperial Golem.
----[X] Keep periodically attacking and insulting to keep our kite mad and focused on us, but remember keeping ourselves and our ride alive is more important. We can always piss them off again later.
-----[X] Abuse our Agility to stay attached to Mokutuuk as Paoras focuses on dodging as much as they can while going to the fight while not sacrificing our ability to engage the Doom Bloop.
-[X] Once we're close enough to join the fight around the Imperial Golem, send Paoras to explain what you're doing to Argus and hitch a ride on the Warcrime.
--[X] Abuse the fuck out of our Agility again to stay attached to the intelligent Golem while it's focused on Argus and his peeps.
--[X] Use the Golem as cover for the incoming Doom Bloop's spells. Hopefully by now they're still pissed enough they're not paying much more attention outside the fact you're still alive and their target is immune to the current spell being cast so change.
---[X] Keep this up until the Warcrime is destroyed or the Fairy runs out of usable spells.
----[X] Once the above is resolved, leap at the Doom Bloop and nail the fucker with Arcane Slash like the previous guy.
-[X] If this all works, rub it in Argus' face.
You exhale and make your decision, the Handle forming in your hands. It immediately snaps into its most versatile form, almost clicking as the speartip appears out of the light; its change disperses your late Sorcerer's boost, but you do not care much. What you are planning will not need it.
(Weapon mode switched; Wrathful Strike on Defiance is removed.)
It is insanity incarnate, you doubt it will even work, and you are going to do it anyway. It feels oh so right to take these two and use them to hurt their bunch even worse. If they see you grin, they do not react to it. Then you size up your opponents, uncaring of the battle below; Orux and Dragul have the higher number of combatants on their side again, they will be fine.
Curiously, the Fairies eye you carefully; they remain on the defensive, waiting for you to make your move. Using the time they give you, your left hand grabs the fluttering ribbon and winds it around your right wrist with quick movements, tying three knots to make sure it will not let go. Then you slip the weapon into your open palm like a harpoon, ready to be used.
You stir your Hell Beast forward and Paoras follows with the others, toward the female Fairy ahead. She hovers a hundred metres distant, a matter of seconds for your mount to catch up. In these seconds however, the woman winks out and appears a little to the side; almost simultaneously, the forest is filled with magical darts that make a beeline for you.
(Aether Swarm Modifier Roll: 5,094)
You blink at the almost literal wall of projectiles charging right at you; Paoras swivels away, having been a bit behind. You yourself make your mount dip, but the wall changes course to follow; that is when you realise what is going on, your own favourite tool used against you. Well, you know how to fight against it.
You only have to hope that those things are less aggressive in their pursuit than Argent Star. You steer your mount upward again, toward the lower end of the dart wall. They are already too close to follow, but you can not see anything behind them right now.
With a flick, you slide off your Hell Beast's side and hold onto its leg, then swing sideways to be covered by its bulk. It buckles as darts impact and some manage to hit you in the arm, but...
(Aether Swarm: +20 Base Damage, no dice = 20 Total Damage per dart
Heidi: 50 darts; 1,000 Total Damage
Defiance: +100 Base Resilience, +139 dice, +2895 Grand Shroud = 3,134 Total Damage Reduction
Defiance unharmed
Hell Beast: 999 darts; 19,980 Total Damage
Hell Beast: +200 Base Resilience, +8 dice, +2895 Grand Shroud, -100 A Thousand Cuts, -200 Flew Right Into It = 2,803 Total Damage Reduction
17,177 Final End Damage
Hell Beast Health: 20,000 - 17.177 = 2,823
...two Hell Beasts straight up die, three more are wounded)
Your late Dark Star's magic protects you from the few darts that hit you in your hiding spot, but you can feel the brunt of them striking your mount. It shudders and buckles, but it holds, though it swerves dangerously. Moments later, you hear the cries of the following Hell Beasts; looking back, you find a shower of darts slamming into them; two are torn to shreds and three more take heavy damage, following the comet-like descent of their dead kin.
The rest keeps following though, and you quickly swing back up on a leathery back that is now slimy with the blood of a thousand small, gushing wounds. Some darts hit your mount's wings too, but they thankfully held.
Moreover, your target is right ahead. You easily step forward, eyes narrowed in concentration, until you are on top of the Hell Beast's chipped horn, one heel right on top of its top and the other jammed against it to hold your position against the wind. The Fairies seem almost smug as they wait for you now, spear raised like a whaler.
The man flies a bit to the side and the woman braces herself; not that it will help them to know who you are going after. She even waves you closer, an invitation to test the speed of her teleportation. Which is greater than the speed of your strike, she just does not know your little ace. But that also means you only have one shot before they wise up to it. You have to make it count.
Once your mount is close enough, you throw Aetheric Tide with every bit of strength you have. "Arcane-" She opens her mouth just as your weapon passes the threshold. "-Slash!"
Blink
You need a moment to realise she spoke two things at the same time, somehow, but by then everything is happening.
Echo negated by Dispel. Interruption of Arcane Slash breaks Aetheric Tide and The Handle.
Multi-Slash negated, weapon is broken and spell interrupted.
Voidstepper Merry: +50 Base Resilience, +391 dice, -50 How Did She Hit Me? = 391 Total Damage Reduction
512 Final End Damage
Merry Health: 250 - 512 = -262
Vampire triggers for no effect.
The dice hated you, Merry, but you ended up doing the impossible anyway.)
She blinks away before your strike reaches and a wave of anti-magic expands from where she was at the same time. But you see, for a moment, how your weapon impossibly warps through space at a right angle around its middle. A trickle of life force flows into you to no effect and you only barely manage to flick your eyes to the right. The woman you were aiming at stares at the spearhead rammed into her chest.
Then your mount's speed and her spell's own expansion make you crash right into the anti-magic.
It immediately snuffs out the layered magic, even the echo that was about to lash out, and severs the connection between your weapon and the dying Fairy. Except that, as space snaps back to normal, the front half of your spear remains buried within her. In your hands is merely half of the shaft, sparking internals unable to recreate the central parts.
A moment later, as you still stare at the impossibility of what just happened, your Hell Beast screeches and throws you off in pain.
(Hell Beast is hit by Dispel head-on; Hell Beast is blinded.
Hell Beast takes 2000 Final End Damage.
Hell Beast Health: 2,823 - 2,000 = 823
All buffs are removed from the Hell Beast and Defiance)
(Tree: 0 Base Damage, +500 Old and Sturdy = 500 Total Damage
Hell Beast: +200 Base Resilience, -1000 Ramming Speed = 800 Extra Damage
1,300 Final End Damage
Hell Beast Health: 823 - 1,300 = -477
Thonk)
The creature slams into a tree moments after, but a pair of strong arms grab you out of the air before you can actually fall. Paoras pulls you on Mokutuuk's back while the remaining Hell Beasts disperse and return to the battle on the ground, scared by what just happened on top of the many darts. "What do we do?!" your friend shouts at you.
Thankfully, you already know what to do. You quickly grab for one of Paoras' horns with your free hand and hold on, then secure your footing on Mokutuuk. He is smaller than his kin, but there is still enough space on here.
Once you are secure, you whisper to your friend: "On my sign, fly that way." You gently push her horn so her head moves in the direction of the golem and she nods. "Okay," you tell her, then shout up at the stunned Fairy man: "Hey, I thought you guys were better than the rest! Pretty poor showing there, was she new?"
Death Squads have group sizes of five, so this was not one. Yet they are beyond mere battlemages; although you do not know what exactly they are, your words at least drag your remaining opponent out of his stupor. Moku slowed down considerably, so now you are just about two dozen metres distant. You can see his eyes narrow and his mana spark. "How are you still alive?!" he shouts back; with a glance at the falling Hell Beast and its partly molten face that only got partially hit, you understand that anti-magic is rather lethal on beings suffused with magic; meaning, everyone except humans, to various degrees.
But still, you need him a little angrier than that, so you dismiss your weapon and throw him a mock salute. "Because fuck you, that's how!"
And with that, you push Paoras' head forward; she yelps and Mokutuuk aligns his wings, then you take up speed. "See you around!" you call over to the Fairy man, who immediately follows.
God, insulting people like that is fun. You are really starting to get why Orux and Dragul love to fight that way. And with how fast your mind works recently, it is not even difficult.
In that moment, as if to underline the whole situation, Argent Star recasts itself and four lethal spheres rush back to meet your remaining opponent. You watch them go, knowing that nothing will come of it.
(Argent Star: +715 Base Damage, +12 dice = 727 Total Damage
Argent Star: +715 Base Damage, +12 dice = 727 Total Damage
Argent Star: +715 Base Damage, +12 dice = 727 Total Damage
Argent Star: +715 Base Damage, +12 dice = 727 Total Damage
2,908 Unified Damage Blink
Target is not there)
He is gone in an instant once the spheres get close, reappearing in Mokutuuk's wake just a few dozen metres behind and with lightning sparking around his dagger. Your eyes widen a little, but that does not stop you from acting; the moment it is let loose, you grab onto your friend's second horn and lift yourself up to stand above her, upside down.
(Warbook: Thoron: +6000 Base Damage, +2798 dice, +5486 Spell Boost = 14,284 Total Damage
Mokutuuk: +385 Base Resilience, +469 dice, +1750 Iron Shell, +2895 Grand Shroud, -259 Juggernaut, +7,142 Hard to Track = 12,382 Total Damage Reduction
2,102 Total End Damage
Mokutuuk Health: 57,000 - 2,102 = 54,898)
But your ride already took up quite a bit of speed and Paoras immediately flies sideways; then a laser looses itself from your pursuer, buzzing through the air and scorching an ugly wound into Mokutuuk's flank. Most of it rushes past however, slicing through a nearby tree that your friend maneuvers around.
"Do something, that hurts!" Paoras yells at you with tears in her eyes; that is easier said than done, but at least she does not stop directing her mount.
Aerial combat follows different rules than groundbased fighting or ground-to-air / air-to-ground battles. With all parties airbound, the focus shifts from hitting as often and as hard as possible to hitting at all. Thus, all sides' ApT are reduced to 1 (excepting special Abilities or circumstances) to represent them spending most of their time in a turn maneuvering into a better position instead of attacking. In this case, Toaru is capable of using several actions to attack with because he can teleport and thus does not need to spend time changing his position.
Something else to consider is High-Speed Combat, which allows the tracking of fast opponents in battle; it is automatically unlocked with movement-related Abilities (e.g. Flight) reaching a speed where it is required and upgrades automatically when such an Ability passes over the current level's limit. Without it, attacks against opponents moving at such speeds receive hefty maluses or may miss entirely.
You try to resummon your weapon, but it comes back broken. Great, so you have to detransform to repair it. Right now, that is... not a good idea. Moku still takes up speed, his smaller body making it easier to do so and harder for your opponent to line up a shot. Thanks to Paoras steering him, you can move through the forest at far greater speeds.
(Enemy forces out of reach. ApT bonus lost.)
You quickly climb down from your friend, grabbing for your mana battery while shouting orders over the wind: "Watch the path ahead and don't go straight, I tell you when to dodge!" She does not react, but the Hell Beast below you quickly dips sideways. Perfect timing, as your opponent vanishes and reappears about fifty metres behind, magic coalescing in the same moment. That looks much bigger than the other one.
"Up! Conundrum!" Mokutuuk moves the moment the storm is unleashed, at the same time you trigger your mana battery and cast your sole defensive spell. Except that it is different; it flows into your hands and you instinctively throw them sideways, losing the spent battery in the process.
In response, your magic warps outward in a small dome that settles over you and your friends before reforming into the same faintly glowing shroud.
(Conundrum: +1125 Base Boost, +1500 dice = 2625 Total Boost
Damage Block active on Defiance and Paoras/Mokutuuk, Damage Barrier active on Defiance and Paoras/Mokutuuk.)
Except that each of you has one. They gleam in the same colour as always and you feel the magic as still being distinctly yours. Mokutuuk still pulls upward when the Fairy's spell hits.
(Warbook: Galeforce: +4500 Base Damage, +12647 dice, +2951 Spell Boost = 18,098 Total Damage
Mokutuuk: +385 Base Resilience, +442 dice, +1750 Iron Shell, +2895 Grand Shroud, +2625 Conundrum, +9049 Hard to Track, -4525 Wide-Area Effect = 12,621 Total Damage Reduction
Defiance: +100 Base Resilience, +591 dice, +2625 Conundrum, +3016 Attempted Dodge, +10000 Moku Took The Brunt = 16,332 Total Damage Reduction
5,477 Total End Damage for Moku Conundrum (-2,625): 2,852 Final End Damage
1,766 Total End Damage for Defiance Conundrum (-2,626): No Final End Damage
Mokutuuk Health: 54,898 - 2,852 = 52,046)
You are almost slammed into the foliage while a violent storm tears through the forest below; even just the parts of it that caught you are so powerful that they tear on Mokutuuk, though you do not see any direct injuries this time.
The force of it has you clamp down on Paoras, your friend herself holding on to the Hell Beast's horn so as to not get thrown off. Conundrum's outer shroud shines brightly as it absorbs much of the remaining force, turning you all bright like a lantern in the twilight. You have to pull your feet back under you, but your arms held you on your ride.
The storm roars past, having shaved away the barks of ancient trees and torn parts of the ground asunder. You look back and think for a long moment, then sigh. You need your weapon.
Now that the Fairy falls back again, you have a few moments. Despite the danger, you drop your transformation; Conundrum's layers remain, so that at least means nobody can see it that well.
"As stolen flame sets fate ablaze, I rise-" He teleports. "-as Magical Girl Defiance!"
You only barely have enough time to tap into the shrouds and flash them again, all of them, to hopefully hurt your pursuer's eyes while Paoras follows your pull on her horn and steers left. Your transformation reapplies itself at that moment.
Then the lightning laser is back, sparking and racing toward a space at your diminishing height but to the right. This one is much stronger than the first, but thankfully the blinding worked. You consider resummoning your weapon, but your hands are better off left on your friend's head to steer her.
Mokutuuk is still speeding up and by the time you think the Fairy can see again, there is a good bit of distance between you and him. Hm, not good. "Slow down a little, but just a little."
"Aren't we running?!" Paoras does as told and then immediately steers left on your order while you flash Conundrum again, dodging an upcoming tree that explodes in flames as a large glob of lava impacts it.
"No, baiting!" you shout back over the rushing air. Your pursuer always takes a second or two before he teleports again, so you take the moment to turn forward and find the Imperial Golem nearing. Just a bit longer.
Then you hear the melodious magic closing again and snap your head back, finding the Fairy back up close with more flames roaring around him. "Fuck!" You make Paoras steer, but he is now close enough to hit you again despite your greater speed. Another glob of lava is shot at you.
(Warbook: Volcannon: +9000 Base Damage, +9179 dice, +1445 Spell Boost = 19,624 Total Damage
Mokutuuk: +385 Base Resilience, +91 dice, +500 Resistant to Fire, +1750 Iron Shell, +2895 Grand Shroud, +2625 Conundrum, +9812 Hard to Track = 18,058 Total Damage Reduction
1,566 Total End Damage Conundrum (-2625): No Damage
Attack Ineffective)
Most of it still misses due to your much greater speed, though; the rest explodes against your ride's flank, the lava almost burning through Mokutuuk's quadruple-layered shield anyway before losing its heat and flaking off. Curiously, the parts that missed were aimed to your left, another quick glance forward reveals the main forces fighting to the left again, so to the right earlier.
You can not help but grin. He saw it too, and thinks he can box you in against his allied forces.
The spellfire up ahead ignores you in favour of clusters of Hell Beasts swarming in the air, accompanied by Fairy Slayers and Sorcerers. A Tide of Demons rolls against the lesser golems, with various lasers tearing through the main force relentlessly. Yet for each soldier they fell, another takes their place immediately after.
That is all you can see, still too distant to make out individual people. You also need to turn back, just in time to see your pursuer teleport forward again in order to keep up. So you flash Conundrum and push your friend's head forward; Mokutuuk dips down into a sweep while the storm tears a building-sized hole into the canopy. Yep, he is trying to stop you from evading the battle.
Good thing you are not planning to do that. You can hear the sounds of battle over the rushing air by now, too.
"Paoras," you shout to your friend so she can hear you, "aim at the big golem and fly by right next to it. I'm going to jump on it!"
"What? Why!?" She shouts back and you can tell she does not understand what you might be planning. That is fine, though.
"I have a plan, trust me. You go back to where we came from-" "No!"
You blink and almost turn your head, but then flash your shroud when the Fairy teleports close again. This time you gamble and keep Paoras in place, and the lightning laser surges below you; part of it still clips Mokutuuk's feet, though.
(Warbook: Thoron: +6000 Base Damage, +4771 dice, +4263 Spell Boost = 15,034 Total Damage
Mokutuuk: +385 Base Resilience, +372 dice, +1750 Iron Shell, +2895 Grand Shroud, +2625 Conundrum, +7517 Hard to Track = 15,544 Total Damage Reduction
Attack ineffective)
But the crackling energy only makes it through two of the four defensive layers before being repelled by the third one. Still, Paoras just refused to go back and you need her to leave before something happens to her.
"I'm going to help you," she shouts before you found a proper answer to give her. "I'm not leaving!"
"But it's not safe!" you call on reflex before realising how stupid that sounds. Still, bringing yourself against that horribly dangerous golem is your choice, but making her come along is not okay even if she wants to. She is still too young.
You wrack your brain for a better reason and pull your friend sideways to dodge another storm, which thankfully goes in the other direction. Thanks to Paoras being all but anchored to Mokutuuk's horn, you can just keep a hold on her even as the sharp turn pulls your feet out under you. She makes another turn to force you back onto your ride.
A quick glance ahead gives you the solution. Argus is there, still dueling with a somewhat damaged Imperial Golem; both combatants are lightly injured.
"I need you to tell Argus!" you shout over. "Tell him I have a plan, and to leave the golem to me! Then go back, they need you more than I do!"
"No, I won't!"
"Paoras, you will do as I say!"
(649 enemy combatants on the field.
Determined Soldier: Defiance gains 216 ApT.)
There is some actual anger in you with that last demand and she does not move when you steer her this time; then your magic surges and a shock runs through your system as everything becomes distorted for a nauseating moment. That is when the whirlwind catches you.
(Warbook: Galeforce: +4500 Base Damage, +917 dice, +3876 Spell Boost = 9,293 Total Damage
Mokutuuk: +385 Base Resilience, +329 dice, +1750 Iron Shell, +2895 Grand Shroud, +2625 Conundrum = 7,984 Total Damage Reduction
Defiance: +100 Base Resilience, +113 dice, +2625 Conundrum, +4646 Hiding Behind Mokutuuk = 7,484 Total Damage Reduction
Mokutuuk takes 1,309 Total End Damage Conundrum (-2625): No damage.
Defiances takes 1,809 Total End Damage Conundrum (-2625): No damage
Power sparks through your veins and you almost lose your grip when the wind reaches you, hopping up so it carries you forward and forcing yourself down in front of Paoras. The force of the wind is so great that you feel something snap, but you do not know what and do not care. The hot pain throbbing through your arms only makes you snarl at your sniffling friend as you enter the airspace above the main battle.
Before you can truly comprehend the sheer speed at which you move however, Paoras shouts at you: "You, you bitch!"
Then she makes Mokutuuk turn on his side, right as you pass the Imperial Golem. You leap off in time without trouble, with the hurt in your friend's voice ringing after for a moment. But you do not have time, not right now. The golem comes closer and you twist in mid-air to land, finally adjusting to the speed.
Impacting magically reinforced stone is uncomfortable, but your body can bear it. You quickly grasp for a little hole on the thing's armour, ignoring the pain in your arms and vaulting yourself upward on its shoulder. Then you wave for the Fairy who followed you and is staring down at what you are doing. Spellfire flies through the sky from both sides, blotting out the canopy with its various colours. It almost sings.
The golem itself, distracted by Argus before, turns its head and sees you. So you wave at it as well, materialise your spear in a spark of magic, and start stabbing its stony face.
(50 attacks, Aetheric Tide (Multi-Slash)
320 Base Damage x 150 = 48,000
+213 Horrific Speed Gap x50 = 10,650
+50 d690 total = 16,670
+100 In Your Face x38 = 3,800
79,120 Unified Damage
Imperial Golem: +4500 Base Resilience, no dice, -2250 To The Face = 2,250 Total Damage Reduction
76,870 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%) Negated by Defy the Rules.
Your arms move so fast you can barely follow them, jabbing the gleaming spearhead into the golem's face at breakneck speed. You balance yourself while stepping forward and stabbing along, the spear leaving contrails as each single strike tears an arm-long gauge into the thing far beyond the reach of your weapon. Your magic is at work, counteracting the juggernaut's giant size.
Your arms were hurting for the first one or two strikes, but life force keeps trickling in and heals whatever happened to them.
The golem flinches back at your assault, but the sheer amount of magic rushing through your every fibre makes it trivial to step forward and continue uninterrupted. Only the singing of magic up above makes you leap on top of the creature's head in one smooth motion, then run over to the other side and leap back down, leaving stabs in its surface with every step.
You only realise how fast you are when you turn to find the golem still moving to react to you, and a beam of lightning impacting the shoulder you left what feels long ago but is not.
(Warbook: Thoron: +6000 Base Damage, +8303 dice, +4610 Spell Boost, +2000 Surrounding Mana Residue = 20,913 Total Damage
Target is not there. Imperial Golem is hit.
Imperial Golem: +4500 Base Resilience, no dice, -3375 Juggernaut, -500 Friendly Fire?! = 625 Total Damage Reduction
20,288 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%): 10,144 Final End Damage
Some part of you feels awed at the realisation of how fast you are, but you know you still have a plan to work through, so you laugh loudly and ready your spear again. "And you can't aim, either!"
The golem shudders and swings sideways to shake you off, but you ram your heel into a crack in its pauldron and stab it again as it tries to lean backward; the giant's motion slams a Hell Beast out of the sky in the process.
(25 Attacks, Aetheric Tide (Multi-Slash)
320 Base Damage x 75 = 24,000
+213 Horrific Speed Gap x25 = 5,325
25 d690 total = 8147
37,472 Unified Damage
Imperial Golem: 4500 Base Resilience, no dice = 4500 Total Damage Reduction
32,972 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%) Negated by Defy the Rules.
You can see Mokutuuk setting down next to Argus, crushing a lesser golem underfoot with the weight of his impact. Your friend shouts down at the General while he and his own soldiers fight off a few more.
Meanwhile, you stand horizontally and only on your one heel, held up straight by muscles alone. As long as the golem takes to lean around, you tear through most of its pauldron's outer layer with a barrage of strikes, leaving it a scarred and broken mess.
You can see magic gather from the corner of your eye and interrupt the attack, pulling your rattled heel out of the crack. Then you run, no, dash over the golem's back and to the scorched shoulder you stood on at first while a glob of lava smashes into the other pauldron.
(Warbook: Volcannon: +9000 Base Damage, +8944 dice, +3965 Spell Boost = 21,909 Total Damage
Target is not there. Imperial Golem is hit.
Imperial Golem: +4500 Base Resilience, no dice = 4500 Total Damage Reduction
17,409 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%): 8,704 Final End Damage
You can hear it sizzling against the stone armour, but have to focus on the large hand moving to slap you like a mosquito. But instead of hopping away, you slam the butt of your spear into the solid stone below, then vault yourself upward and above the hand slamming where you just stood.
(Imperial Golem: +2000 Base Damage, no dice = 2000 Total Damage
Target is not there.)
For the moments you are in the air, you take in the Hell Beast taking off with Paoras on top. You see Argus moving for the Imperial Golem again, magic coalescing around his blade. You see the Fairy man who pursued you, grim but determined as he fully turns to where you are now.
But your main attention remains on Argus. You can see darkness roil around his sword when he raises it in a smooth motion, and then... your eyes almost click as they adjust. A moment later, he swings it and four incredibly powerful slash waves of roiling darkness lash out toward the distracted golem.
You can see them fly, but they are far too fast for anyone else to track. One by one, a staccato of an instant, they impact the giant's chest armour.
(Conqueror's Wave: +60000 Base Damage, no dice, +2250 Unstoppable (False) = 62,250 Total Damage
Conqueror's Wave: +60000 Base Damage, no dice, +2250 Unstoppable (False) = 62,250 Total Damage
Conqueror's Wave: +60000 Base Damage, no dice, +2250 Unstoppable (False) = 62,250 Total Damage
Conqueror's Wave: +60000 Base Damage, no dice, +2250 Unstoppable (False) = 62,250 Total Damage
249,000 Unified Damage
Imperial Golem: +4500 Base Resilience, -4500 Too Fast To React, -10 Distracted = 10 Extra Damage
249,010 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%): 124,505 Final End Damage
The edges of each one are supernaturally sharp, thick darkness compressed into a killing tool. You see them impact and break past the outer layer of armour, then the inner one, and hit whatever lies beneath. The golem takes a long step back, crushing a Demon who fought a lesser version nearby underfoot.
But the darkness does not vanish after hurting its target so badly. No, it remains and starts to hiss like acid, becoming almost liquid as it begins to seep into the golem's body. You throw your spear into one of the gouges you left earlier, holding onto its ribbon to pull yourself back against the displaced giant.
Once your feet connect, you dart back up and pull your weapon out on the move. No more spellfire for now, though. So you brace yourself against the golem's shoulder while it cleaves a few charging Demons in two with a swing of its blade and receives a retaliatory strike from Argus.
(Leading From the Front: Argus gets a free attack against the Imperial Golem.
Chasm's Fang: +12500 Base Damage, +1085 dice = 13,585 Total Damage
Imperial Golem: +4500 Base Resilience, -3375 Juggernaut, -500 Thinner Armour = 625 Total Damage Reduction
12,960 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%): 6,480 Final End Damage
Imperial Golem Health: 176,655 - 6,480 = 170,175)
A shock runs through the large body, the arm being slapped downward from the force of the impact, and then Argus, instead of retreating, vaults onto its wrist; he easily balances himself and charges up to where you are. Meanwhile, you focus on striking the thing a few more times.
(62 Attacks, Aetheric Tide (Multi-Slash)
320 Base Damage, x 186 = 59,520
+213 Horrific Speed Gap x 62 = 13,206
+62 d690 total = 20,967
93,693 Unified Damage
Imperial Golem: +4500 Base Resilience, no dice, -10 Distracted = 4,490 Total Damage Reduction
89,203 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%) Negated by Defy the Rules.
Imperial Golem Health: 170,175 - 89,203 = 80,972
Vampire triggers, but does not do anything)
You do not even count how many times you stab the pauldron and continue to do so as you dash over its back again, mindful of the lava running down from the other shoulder. Then you move to do the same at its front, passing through below the shoulder and whatever the magical array connecting shoulders to arms is, or the purple crystal in-between them.
Then the golem shudders and its movement patterns change, as if a switch had been flipped.
(Imperial Golem adapts to opponents.
Imperial Golem becomes immune to Warbook:Thoron, Warbook: Volcannon, and Conqueror's Wave.)
(575 enemies remain on the field.
Defiance's bonus ApT are reduced to 191)
(Slaughter triggers!
Imperial Golem is immune to Conqueror's Wave. Slaughter negated.
Melt triggers!
Imperial Golem is immune to Warbook: Volcannon. Melt negated.)
Just as you round around to the front however, you see the liquid darkness peel off and fade away, leaving behind a large gash. Argus now stands atop the golem's remaining pauldron, blade crossed with the giant's.
(Arcane Blade: +5000 Base Damage, no dice, -500 Bad Position, +2250 Vorpal = 6750 Total Damage
Intercept!
Chasm's Fang: +12500 Base Damage, +2470 dice, -1250 He is Bigger Than You, -6860 Vorpal = 6,860 Total Damage
Their blades impact in about the moment you can see them, sending a light shockwave through the area. Argus barely manages to pull through, his final swing cleaving the golem's weapon in two, but the force of the assault still throws him off the giant's shoulder.
You carefully dart across the hole Argus left in its chestpiece while the glowing eyes turn back toward you. A mistake.
Argus turns himself around in mid-air and charges back at the golem, a ray of lightning going through the place where he would have been otherwise. He moves instantaneously, slamming into the golem's head blade first.
(Chasm's Fang: +12500 Base Damage, +6500 dice, +12500 Ramming Speed = 31,500 Total Damage
Imperial Golem: +4500 Base Resilience, no dice, -3375 Juggernaut, -2250 Turned Away = 1,125 Extra Damage
32,625 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%): 16,312 Final End Damage
Imperial Golem Health: 80,972 - 16,312 = 64,660)
He slams into the armoured protrusion like a missile, his sword sliding right into it and feet impacting a moment later; the sheer force of his counterattack makes the golem stumble forward and you race back up its shoulder, leaving a row of gouges where you stab it on the way.
(31 Attacks, Aetheric Tide (Multi-Slash)
320 Base Damage x 93 = 29,760
+213 Horrific Speed Gap x 31 = 6,603
31 d690 total = 8,530
44,893 Total Damage Large Enemy (50%) Negated by Defy the Rules.
Imperial Golem Health: 64,660 - 44,893 = 9,767
Vampire triggers, but it does nothing)
You can see small burst of multi-coloured mana spewing out of many gouges all over the golem, its form rattling and shaking; it only intensifies as you continue to tear into it, your feet carrying you to where Argus pulls his sword out of the construct's head. You see the Fairy flying overhead and dash over, your strained heel breaking off and making you stumble.
Blink
He teleports, you see it, but he is also still there; then he shows up right next to... himself? Only the colour of the other one is off, a lot more red running over his body than the original.
That is what you see as you fly forward, carried by your own momentum. An armoured gauntlet steadies you almost immediately, Argus having seen your approach; you roll over his outstretched arm and get to your feet, spearhead receding and turning into a small handle. "Cover me!" you call to the knight, who nods and rears up.
Volcannon Thoron
Your hear the names, but also not hear them; instead, it is but one: Starborn. Bright light and heat smash down on you in the same moment you begin to slice into the shuddering golem.
(Starborn: +200000 Base Damage, +108842 dice, +3509 Spell Boost, +4651 Spell Boost, +20000 Death From Above = 337,002 Total Damage
Block! Tip of the Spear (99%): 3370 Total Damage
Chasm's Aegis: +12500 Base Damage, dice do not matter = 12,500 Total Damage
Attack blocked)
You do not need to see it to know Argus has you covered; yet even though his shield blots out the light somewhat, it is almost blinding in its intensity. You can hear his magic rumble as it weakens the incoming mana considerably, but the synchronised spell still roars against his shield. Heat washes over the area, but you focus on your own task.
(5 Attacks, Reaper's Will
500 Base Damage x 5 = 2,500
+333 Horrific Speed Gap x 5 = 1,665
+2500 Superslayer x 5 = 12,500
+5 d690 total = 2,339
19,004 Unified Damage
Imperial Golem: +4500 Base Resilience, no dice, -1500 Cracked Armour = 3000 Total Damage Reduction
16,004 Total End Damage Large Enemy (50%) Negated by Defy the Rules.
Imperial Golem Health: 9,767 - 16,004 = -6,237
Golem destroyed. Wrath of the Empire: Auto-casting Command: Self-Destruct)
The blade quickly tears trough your enemy's cracked armour and its destructive magic messes up the internal manaflows even more, to the point you feel another shudder going through the golem. Then it slumps forward and begins to draw all mana to its chest.
But you will not stay around to watch whatever that is. You already turn toward the Fairy up above while Argus dashes over the partly molten shoulder and leaps off.
There is not much room to take up speed, but you make do before crouching and leaping off with all your might; he sees you, waits for you to near. This is now a matter of reflexes.
Then the golem behind you explodes. Violently.
(Command: Self Destruct: +25000 Base Damage, no dice = 25,000 Total Damage
Defiance: +100 Base Resilience, +577 dice, +2625 Conundrum, +20000 Almost Out of Reach = 23,302 Total Damage Reduction
1,698 Total End Damage Conundrum (-2625): No Damage
Reactive Growth Matrix: +5000 Base Resilience, no dice, +10000 Eye of the Storm = 15,000 Total Damage Reduction
10,000 Total End Damage
Reactive Growth Matrix Health: 1,000,000 - 10,000 = 990,000)
You are already out of its effective reach and what remainders of the shockwave touch you are buffered by Conundrum; your shroud shines brightly and you can see the Fairy opening his mouth to speak, too far away for you yet. You are not going to make it-
(Conqueror's Wave: +60000 Base Damage, +25 Unstoppable (False) = 60,025 Total Damage
Voidstepper Toaru: +50 Base Resilience, +1352 dice, -50 Too Fast To React = 1,352 Total Damage Reduction
58,673 Final End Damage
Toaru Health: 250 - 58,673 = -58,423
Argus can do SPLOTCH better than you.)
-only for Argus' spell to slam into the Fairy before he gets a full word out, quite literally making him explode into partly cystallised pieces; a shower of dust and flesh and blood sprays over Conundrum's outer shroud and slides off, making you even more thankful for it to be there.
You twist yourself in mid-air, dismiss your weapon, and move to meet the ground; in the time it takes, you have a chance to look over the charging and shouting forces of Hell; they make room for your descent, allowing you to land on the soft ground. Your arms take the fall well enough, but you still transform it into a roll to bleed off momentum, complete that, and cartwheel out of it to finally stop. The tide parts behind you and fuses back together in front, giving you a moment to watch the fleeing UL-forces.
(No enemies remain on the field. Bonus ApT return to 0)
A moment later, your magic falls silent and your vision swims. Your head begins to ache and you drop to the ground with a groan; the last Demons are passing you by, leaving you to nurse the sudden headache in peace.
Light steps on the forest floor alert you to Argus, weapon drawn, who is looking down at you. His shield was warped by the heat.
Normally, you would be smug about having done what he thought you could not, albeit with his help. Right now, you just feel horrible and let him know with a grunt. "Yeah, I know, I know. Give me a bit before the lecture, I-urgh."
You groan again and roll up into a ball, your stomach revulsing from the whiplash on your sense of balance. But you do not throw up, merely heave a few times and then force yourself to spread out, falling back onto the forest floor.
The knight just shakes his head and dismisses his sword; he then picks you up almost gentle, forming a seat with his hand for you to sit, with your back resting on his shoulder. That way, he starts carrying you back to base.
You can not help but giggle, both about the absurdity of it all and that it is actually over. "Heh, we won."
"That we did," he agrees in his usual calm tone. You thunk your fist against his breastplate, senses slowly getting used to how slow it all is again.
"Thanks for the help. And I totally could take that golem."
In the end, you can not help it after all. This time however, Argus surprises you with a deep sigh; it is perhaps one of the greatest direct expressions of emotion you got from him so far. "Your speed was granted by the many forces arrayed around us. Without that and my assistance, you would not have stood a chance."
You frown at him, but he continues and your expression settles back into content: "Nonetheless, it would have been a close fight even for me and my troops. Your assistance was much appreciated and surely saved many lives today. Now we only need to hope that they manage to secure the golem's core matrix."
"The what?"
"The core that allows the golem to adapt to its opponents so well," he explains; you nod, remembering the overview he gave you earlier in the day. "It was ejected with the explosion and the UL-forces retreated to protect it."
"Ah, I see."
Your dizziness slowly fades and silence falls. A little while later, you hop out from your impromptu seat and start to walk with Argus. Neither of you has anything to say for now, but that's fine.
The silence is almost absolute, and it means that you won.
-------------
This is a partial Update and not a complete one; there are neither regular nor EXP-votes to be made here.
+50xp Defeated Voidstepper Merry
+50xp Defeated Voidstepper Toaru
+20xp "Energizer Bunny of Doom" (quote Crystalwatcher)
+25xp Tag-Team With Argus
+1000xp Defeated An Imperial Golem
+200 Mission Complete
EXP gained: 1,345 Total EXP: 1,561
=====
Soft Mechanics for Conundrum updated.
Soft Exploit updated:
-falsify Dazzle or Blind by artificially making Conundrum's shroud flash really bright, as if it was hit by a titanic attack; also activates by itself when hit by such an attack
--can also be used on shrouds given to other people nearby, but only by Defiance
New Soft Exploits unlocked.
=====
Fallen Foes
(Fairy Home Realms) Imperial Golem
A relic of times the Home Realms are happy to forget. The old Fae Empire created the core of these monstrosities from sacrificing magic-charged newborns, allowing them to adapt to their enemy. Abhorrent but oh so effective, especially when created en mass. Now there are only a few thousand left, yet they are still one of the most fearsome weapons ever seen.
-Archangel Gabriel
Stats
Health: 500,000
Base Damage: 5,000
Base Resilience: 4,500
Magic Modifier: N/A
Reactive Growth Matrix
-Imperial Golems automatically scan and adapt to their current opponent. At the end of every turn, all spells utilized against the Imperial Golem are rendered ineffective, and the number of actions required to negate their action increases by one. At any point should their opponent's entire spell list be rendered ineffective, the Imperial Golem becomes immune to their opponent's magic. At any point should the number of required actions to negate one of the Imperial Golem's actions exceed more than half their opponent's available actions, their opponent can no longer negate any of the Imperial Golam's actions.
Stone Phalanx
-Imperial Golems may automatically intercept all ranged attacks passing by in close vicinity. This includes spells.
Engineered Movement
Level 6
-Imperial Golems possess both the Flight and Sprint Abilities at level 6, being able to fly at 50mph and run at up to 60mph.
Wrath of the Empire
-Upon death, auto-cast Command: Self-Destruct.
Large Enemy
-Imperial Golems take 50% less damage from all enemies smaller than themselves.
High-Speed Combat (Level 2)
-Capable of tracking and reacting to enemies moving at up to 180mph.
(Unified Light / Fairy Home Realms) Voidstepper Toaru
Stats
Health: 250
Base Damage: 1,000
Base Resilience: 50
Magic Modifier: 5,000
Finality
Level 5
Base Damage: Max HP
Magic Modifier: 20,000
Affinity: Magic
Ability: Damage by Health | Kamikaze
War Book: Galeforce
Level 15
Base Damage: 4,500
Magic Modifier: 15,000
Affinity: Magic
Ability: Collateral Damage
War Book: Volcannon
Level 15
Base Damage: 9,000
Magic Modifier: 12,000
Affinity: Magic
Ability: Detonate | Melt
War Book: Thoron
Level 15
Base Damage: 6,000
Magic Modifier: 15,000
Affinity: Magic
Ability: Mana Charge | Juggernaut
Abilities
Flight
Level 3
-Toaru can fly at an average of 20 mph.
Doublespeak
-Toaru can cast two spells in a single action.
Perpetual Motion Mage
-Every time Blink is cast, reset spell limit.
Synchronize
-Toaru is capable of synchronizing his efforts with others in order to create more powerful magical effects otherwise beyond him.
And the spell Toaru just found out existed, by combining Warbook Volcannon, Galeforce, and Thoron:
Starborn A miniature star, reminiscent of a much greater horror that will ravage the fields of battle in the far future
Base Damage: 200,000
Magic Modifier: 500,000
Affinity: Fire | Wind | Lightning
Ability: Incinerate | Total Armor Destruction | Supremacy | (Synchronise Only)
(Unified Light / Fairy Home Realms) Voidstepper Merry
Stats
Health: 250
Base Damage: 800
Base Resilience: 50
Magic Modifier: 6,000
I think that we should spend some time with Paoras at the next opportunity we may have for such a thing, because of her reaction at our decision to go shadow of the colossus on the Imperial Golem.
Once your mount is close enough, you throw Aetheric Tide with every bit of strength you have. "Arcane-" She opens her mouth just as your weapon passes the threshold. "-Slash!"
Blink( Null Spark)
You need a moment to realise she spoke two things at the same time, somehow, but by then everything is happening.
Echo negated by Dispel. Interruption of Arcane Slash breaks Aetheric Tide and The Handle.
Multi-Slash negated, weapon is broken and spell interrupted.
Voidstepper Merry: +50 Base Resilience, +391 dice, -50 How Did She Hit Me? = 391 Total Damage Reduction
512 Final End Damage
Merry Health: 250 - 512 = -262
Vampire triggers for no effect.
The dice hated you, Merry, but you ended up doing the impossible anyway.)
She blinks away before your strike reaches and a wave of anti-magic expands from where she was at the same time. But you see, for a moment, how your weapon impossibly warps through space at a right angle around its middle. A trickle of life force flows into you to no effect and you only barely manage to flick your eyes to the right. The woman you were aiming at stares at the spearhead rammed into her chest.
I'm curious - was "-900 Dispel" measured as 75% of Arcane Slash damage? If yes, then (-75 from Total End Damage) the levels purchased in the spell made no ultimate difference. Otherwise, well, they were exactly what was necessary to kill the voidstepper. Alas, Merry, even when thwarting most of the attack (and destroying an Indestructible weapon, wow) you were found wanting.
I think that we should spend some time with Paoras at the next opportunity we may have for such a thing, because of her reaction at our decision to go shadow of the colossus on the Imperial Golem.
Agreed. A part of the tragedy is that she herself couldn't have kept up with us... I think. Not even with her synchronization. Speaking of Synchronization, now may or may not be a decent time (now that our spells are more or less developed) to go around asking for Synch Spells. I'm still wondering if Argus' Conqueror's Wave will combine with our Arcane Slash. Or Elizabeth's Abyssal Layer, with our Conundrum.
1) Arcane Slash and Argent Star, the latter cast via Perpetual Caster (they have corrosive/destructive-to-inimical aspect in Trans Smasher and Purge, they have an aiming assist, they have echoes, and they belong to Magical Girl Defiance - all good reasons to try) 2) Arcane Slash and Conqueror's Wave of Argus (again they have echoes, corrosive aspects, are hard to dodge, AND both are extended weapon slashing attacks) 3) Conundrum and Abyssal Layer of Elizabeth (shield, shield, shield, and shield... Synergy is near-perfect) 4) Argent Star and Hellfire of a Hell Beast (spherical explosive attack...) 5) Argent Star and Decree of a Dark Star Sorcerer - if there are any left (a dedicated anti-air spell) 6-7) Conundrum and both buffing spells of a Dark Star Sorcerer (one of those is defensive, and if the other one isn't, well, we've tested two spells, might as well go for the last one)
That's 7x possible combinations I can think of. Alas, Fairy Slayers and Epsilon Aaron in particular don't seem to have suitable spells for synchronization, nor does Maia.
Though her children, may carry interesting spells of their own.
Kidding in this line. Voyage and Schrodinger of Neverwas... Yeah like Heidi is going to risk it.
Also, just in case - assuming we find one final victim to fall to our SuperSlayer, we'll be in arm's reach of our Super Ability.
I'm curious - was "-900 Dispel" measured as 75% of Arcane Slash damage? If yes, then (-75 from Total End Damage) the levels purchased in the spell made no ultimate difference. Otherwise, well, they were exactly what was necessary to kill the voidstepper. Alas, Merry, even when thwarting most of the attack (and destroying an Indestructible weapon, wow) you were found wanting.
Seriously need to apologize to her. Especially since Heidi could have handled that a bit better, though in hindsight, it's kind of obvious she'd flub that social roll. Though personally?
The walk back is a quiet affair for the most part; you finally manage to shake off the rest of that dizziness and start to go over how that fight went.
At some point, the adrenaline also fades; you still have trouble believing that you actually pulled it off by then. It probably would not have worked without Argus, though. He obviously had a plan to take it down himself, you just made it go much faster.
Or so he says when you ask.
Orux' and Dragul's forces march in front of you when you get out of the forest, almost back at camp. Argus stays by your side for the remainder of the way as well while Hell Beasts settle down and you start looking for Paoras.
"You realise how reckless this was?"
Argus' question is a little unexpected at this point, but you nod at him without much hesitation. "Of course I knew that, but it was my best bet to get that guy... yeah, I know how that sounds. But still, it worked."
"Insanity," the Demon mutters and you do kind of agree. But it worked, so you feel your decision was still okay.
"I'm not denying that. Do you see Paoras anywhere?" You drop the matter there, knowing that you are not going to do something like this all the time. Argus pauses and looks over the heads of the Demons around, his size being an advantage here; you consider climbing on his shoulder to get a better look around, but decide not to push your luck with him.
A few moments pass until he shakes his head. "No." In the meantime, you spot Orux making his way over, and Lu descending to the camp in a downward spiral. Argus sees the latter as well, and makes to walk off. "I shall convene with Lucifer for the time being."
You nod that off and watch him go for a moment, then go to meet your boyfriend with a kiss. He readily bows down to meet you and the both of you then turn toward the camp. "Good to see you made it. How did it go after I left?"
It is a little curious; Orux just shrugs and motions for his battered allies. "Well enough, we were below thirty percent casualties despite only outnumbering the golems two to one initially. The Dark Stars and your Hell Beasts made the difference there. I didn't see much of what happened up above, just saw half of our fliers shot down elsewhere and the rest coming back. Paoras is sulking for some reason, though; she would not say when I asked her."
Oh.
Going by the questioning look he gives you, he knows who is responsible for this; you know it too, and sigh in defeat. "Yeah, that was probably me. I needed her to bring me to where Argus was fighting, but she didn't want to leave despite the Imperial Golem."
He nods calmly. "Ah, so you ordered her to?"
"Pretty much."
In retrospect, you do get why she wanted to stay with you. She cares about you and wants to help. It was still the right decision to make her leave, though. But she is still a child in mind; children are selfish, you know that much yourself. "Do you know where she is?"
He motions for the flier pits. "Looking after that Hell Beast she rode the whole time. Shall we go look for her?"
You think for a moment and nod, taking Orux' hand and motioning for him to lead on. As tempting as it is to kick back for a while, you rather want this out of the way now.
. . .
IDENTIFIED BREAK LINE . . .
Mokutuuk perks up from his straw bed when you wander close, and Paoras looks up from his side a moment later. When she sees you however, she huffs and turns away to look at his injuries; a scant few Demons with healing powers are already making rounds to see to all the injured, Orux told you. It looks like they were not here yet.
You sigh and motion for your boyfriend to wait, but he already took a step back and nods at you. So you offer him a weak smile and move forward.
Paoras keeps ignoring you even when you plop down next to her, though. You consider poking her, but decide against that as a first resort. She is still demonic in nature, so she might bite.
"Hey, Pao." No reaction. "Paoras?" still nothing, aside from a little twitch over your softer tone. She ignores you, and you roll your eyes. "You know this is childish, right?" Another twitch, but she keeps her face turned away.
From the look of it, you really have to say it this time, no matter how much you hate to say it. Taking a deep breath, you shuffle aside to give her some space. "Okay, I'm sorry." She pauses and turns her head a little, so at least she is listening. "I shouldn't have shouted at you like that." Of course you had good reasons, but you are not going to bring that up now.
It takes a moment, then she does turn to you with tear-filled eyes, a mixture of anger and sadness radiating from her entire posture. "Stop, hic, telling me to leave you alone, hic. I w-want to help you." She hiccups several times and almost breaks into sobs, a sight that makes you feel worse than you know you should feel.
Sighing, you shuffle closer again and hug her against your chest; the force she grabs you with elicits a wince, but you bear it for now; your friend starts to cry almost immediately and you soothingly rub her back. "Shh, it's okay. It's okay," you mumble to the crying girl.
Nonetheless, this is a problem; you know Paoras means well, but she can not go where you are starting to go; Magical Girls grow much, much faster than anyone else and despite her own rapid growth, your friend can not keep up. You do not want to draw her into risky things, not with Maya counting on you to keep her safe.
She calms down after a little bit and you let go, ignoring the wet spots on your shirt; you gather up a bit of your long sleeve in one hand and dry her eyes, then ruffle her hair. "I don't want to send you away, either, okay?" She nods mutely and you sigh. "It's just, the stuff I do is dangerous and I don't want you to get hurt."
Paoras actually goes back to pouting at that, even if it looks more miserable than cute with the red spots around her eyes. She jabs a finger into your chest that makes you wince again. "Yeah, the stuff you do is dangerous. And I don't want you to get hurt." She jabs you again for emphasis, displaying a lot more strength than you have despite her softer appearance.
"Urgh, I get it. But I'm stronger than you and will get stronger still. You had a growth spurt in your magic," you silence her protest before it even begins, "but it won't happen again, not like this. I will keep growing this fast."
She stays quiet and stares at you, obviously still angry but unable to say anything; you gently card through her hair and try to salvage the situation. "I can't promise I will stay out of trouble, you know I won't." A soft nod; she has been in your head, kind of, so she is aware of how you are like. "But I can promise you I will only take risks like that when I have to. So please listen to me when I tell you to stay back or run, okay?"
"Mhm... I don't like it, but okay." She pouts at you again, less angry now than she was before. You just smile back, then blink when she huffs at you. "And don't pull on my horns like that again, it hurt and now I have a headache!"
She glowers at you at the end, so you gently pat her head. "Okay, sorry about that. I promise I'll be more careful with your horns if I ever have to pull on them again."
"And don't you forget it!"
You can not help but chuckle over that, which even returns the cute pout to your friend's expression.
. . .
IDENTIFIED BREAK LINE . . .
"Interesting," Lu notes as she looks herself over. Conundrum spread over her larger form without any trouble; you just need to move as if you threw something around and the shroud goes where you want it, within reason; you already know that this will never become wide enough to cover an army, though you are confident that you can spread it over a few dozen metres without much trouble. It flickers out once you cancel it, as responsive as before despite covering someone else.
You also told her about your destroyed weapon, which you previously determined to be indestructible at least around the Handle. It must have been some kind of interaction between that anti-magic effect and Arcane Slash, but you can not say for sure how it happened; aside from the obvious, of course. The spell was interrupted while about half of your weapon was dozens of metres away. That does not tell you why it happened, though.
Evening is approaching and after spending some time with Orux, you pulled Paoras over to Lu for a small training session for the both of you as well as an earful from your angelic friend about being reckless. It looks like Argus snitched on you, the traitor. Or maybe he -rightfully- figured that Lu is the only person around who you might listen to if she chews you out.
Which is why you had to promise, again, that you will not take great risks unless you actually have to. The promise itself does not bother you too much, but the fact you are not sure you can keep it does.
Paoras has been working with her club for a while now, trying to figure out what exactly it does and how she could use it. After many failed attempts of doing anything worthwhile with it, you can identify the face she makes when the metaphorical lightbulb goes off in her head. "Uh oh. Lu?"
Your friend follows your gaze and both of you take a step back; it often rains debris when she has an idea.
Paoras, in turn, ignores you, eyes focussed on her spiked club. She hefts it with both hands and giggles when it moves much more freely; to her and her alone, you know by now, its weight is reduced by a good bit. You could carry it and swing it, but that would be a lot more difficult.
On top of the ease of use however, Paoras' small body has a surprising amount of strength. She hammers it into the ground with all of it and jumps at the same time. Then, much to your surprise, she pulses the kinetic energy her club can emit on hit, propelling herself dozens of metres into the air with a whoop.
Both you and Lu watch her reach the apex of her jump, then the Angel glides upward to catch her before she hurts herself. "Work on landing properly next," she tells the cheering child.
"I'm still amazed by how strong she is," you note once Lu is back down, both of you watching the youngest one test her new idea. "She looks so soft and fragile, and then she does-" wham -"that."
Your angelic friends nods quietly, careful eyes on the practicing half-Elf. "I understand that. It is a property of both Angels and Demons to require no outward reflection of their true strength. Our being, the way we initially form, is the true form of our soul. This one," she indicates for Paoras, "is more Demon than Elf, likely immortal as well. Her form is at least similar to the ideal of her soul."
"Her ideal is probably a good bit taller, with those tits," you throw in. The crude comment almost draws a snort from Lu, but she suppresses it in favour of an unamused stare.
"Likely. Then again, it robs her of the satisfaction of honing her body." Your friend's eyes run over your form for a moment and you nod quietly, lifting your shirt to take another look at your own toned stomach. "You put on a lot of muscle under my tutelage."
Who would not? Lu's training regimen was brutal and only the fact you had a ton of magic keeping you going allowed you to actually make it through. You let your shirt drop and shrug, sleeves and cape fluttering in the light breeze. "Yeah; I think I'm a lot stronger untransformed, too. And I think my muscle memory stays around."
The look your friend gives you is telling, underlined by another rumble as spiked wood hits the earth. You return the look with another shrug. "What? Magical Girls are weird, so it might not have. I'm a lot slower and without a weapon while untransformed, but I think I could at least stop one attack with some trouble."
At least now, once you made it back home, you can defend yourself from other humans even while untransformed. Given that whoever it is does not have magic of their own.
Your eyes wander from the scene in front of you to your surroundings, illuminated by fading sunlight. Large swaths of forest were trampled and burned within a single week. Large pits were dug for the attackers to hole up in, housing many more Demons than could normally fit in this much space. You can not see them from here, but you know that dozens of Hell Gates are active below the ground, spewing out more troops and taking others in as they are cycled out.
Argus leads the forces attacking the castles in a pincer attack while more battlegroups are pushing further into Valhalla. You heard that there are plans to crack the first castle in the following week.
Then, in an instant, the evening turns into brightest day. Holy choirs begin to sing up high.
Light shines down from above and the moment it takes to turn your head is enough for them to fill the sky. Decorated and uniquely armoured Angels in the hundreds, and Fairies in the thousands.
With them come the presences; you see them lashing out, see Lu wince under the strain as light and dark fight in the aether; but her unholy power ultimately wins out, keeping death from the entire camp as it snuffs out the light.
Yet not all light is gone.
There is more there, something that pings your most basic instincts; your eyes snap over the Angels arrayed until falling on a figure that floats alone, the source of the radiant shine. Wings of pure white and armour as blue as the deep sea. She stands before the distant sky, floating as her eyes search the field below.
Your gazes meet and a whimper escapes your throat as you realise you are on different sides; every fibre of your body freezes in fear when her eyes do not turn any further, remaining on you.
You know this Angel. Everyone does. Even with Lucifer's aura counteracting hers, you can feel the presence of light itself atop the heavens.
Supreme Leader of the Unified Light, Grand Archangel and most powerful combatant the Light can field. Even five thousand years younger than at her peak, her gaze alone makes you shudder; it takes all of your will to keep yourself from casting the spell and fleeing; not from just this world but from this very time.
A sharp pain knocks you back to your senses, Paoras' panicked eyes right in front of yours; she slapped you. Lu is right next to you, weapon drawn. The camp breaks into disarray within moments; horns are blown while everyone scrambles to start a fighting retreat.
Magic begins to rain down, illuminating the artificial day in a myriad of colours.
Allied Forces:
-About a billion demonic soldiers
-Several tens of thousands of Hellbeasts and assorted fliers
-About ten thousand Dark Stars
-General Argus
-Lucifer
Enemy Forces:
-Archangel Gabriel
-Heaven's First Host (300)
-Fairy Home Realms (8,200)
Active Effects:
-The Land of Heroes: Unified Light entities do not suffer from fatigue and can not die unless killed in direct combat.
-Absence of Light: Presence of Light and all of its derivatives are suppressed
-Irony Tide: Paoras' stats are added to Defiance
-Supremacy of the Light: Automatically kills all Demons of Class 3 or lower that enter the same combat zone as Gabriel.
