"He's attacking us!!" Mars snaps at her ally, cutting her off, "If we don't find a way to take that thing out, we're toast!"
The boy's... What did he call it? "Persona"? Thanatos roars in response, brandishing its sword. He is missing intentionally. Why...?
"Fire... Soul!" Mars tries again...
(RESIST: 1/2 DMG.)
...With Thanatos ignoring the attack. Thanatos swings his sword...
(INTENTIONAL MISS.)
He could've landed a decisive blow! Why is he holding back?!
>>"I'm not your enemy!"
>"Why aren't you running?"
>"Stop trying to kill me."
"Listen to me, damnit!" The boy shouts, holding his odd armament to his head, "We aren't the enemy here!"
"Youmas are the enemy, moron!" Mars shoots back, "And if you aren't with the Dark Kingdom, then--?!"
"Moon Tiara...!"
Everyone turns to see...
"Action!"
...Sailor Moon...!
(WEAKPOINT!!)
(MAKOTO ENDURED THE HIT!)
Sailor Moon's attack ripped right through Thanatos, causing it to disappear. You look back to the boy, who...
"Gyaaaah!"
...He's clutching where the tiara hit Thanatos, on his hands and knees. His breathing is unsteady and shallow.
No.
"Took you long enough, Sailor Moon!" Mars crosses her arms.
"I was getting my beauty sleep!" Moon crosses her arms right back, "I've got a busy day tomorrow!"
No.
"Now, Sailor Moon!" The cat shouts, "Destroy the Youma!"
"Oh, uh, right!" Sailor Moon readies her attack...
>"Don't...!"
>>Reach out to her.
>Try to attack.
His voice fails him as he reaches out to Sailor Moon.
No!
"Moon..."
You can't move. You're like a deer in headlights.
"Tia--?!"
"Sailor Moon, stop!" Mercury shouts, "They aren't a threat!"
"Wh-- Not a threat?! He was trying to attack us!" Mars growls, "What part of that is "not a threat"?!"
"He's never hit you, Sailor Mars!" Mercury argues fiercely.
"Because I dodged, duh!" Mars retorts, "Besides, he has a Youma with him! He's absolutely evil!"
The two Sailor Guardians argue amongst themselves, while Moon looks between them, unsure of what to do.
>"I'll hold them off."
>>"Just run."
>"When I attack, fall back."
"...Just run." The boy tells you, gritting his teeth, "I'll... Think of something."
Run?
Abandon him to their cruelty?
For what, to save yourself?
You have nowhere to return to.
...?! A voice...?!
He protected you.
From both Zoisite, and the Guardians.
Do you truly wish to condemn him to death?
"...No." You quietly shake your head.
So, you stand in the face of your demise, facing their punishment head on?
...Very well. I have heeded to your resolve, oh castaway.
Now, the pact must be sealed.
The very air around you changes. Your breathing hitches.
I am thou, thou art I.
Thou, who stands at the precipice of losing all that you hold dear, call upon me in thy hour of need!
Thou shalt no longer be faceless! Thou shall live thy life as thou seest fit!
Now, call thy power!
"I...!" You clench your fists, your claws digging into your palms, "I will not let you harm him!" You glare at your adversaries, flaring your wings, "You'll take no more from me this day!"
Mercury gasps, bringing down her visor. "Everyone, get--!!"
How would the members SEES fair as Pokemon Trainers? I asked this a while ago, and I've been thinking about it for a while, so...
Makoto Yuki: "It's kinda like fighting in Tartarus." I'd imagine he'd take to Pokemon training pretty well, as he's used to leading the rest of his friends through countless battles already. May act a little aloof with his party at times, but he really cares for his Pokemon. Usually, he just catches whatever is around and works from there.
Kotone Yuki (I call her this because they're twins): "Live a little, guys! The cave is right here!" She would adjust as quickly as Makoto does (if not moreso), and usually be spotted around or in strange areas and "dungeons". Somehow, she ends up befriending her Pokemon before catching them.
Junpei Iori: "Aw, hell yeah! You're going on the team for sure!" He would probably find all of the Pokemon he thinks look cool, and bring them into his party. He doesn't like that he only gets to have six at a time, though. He's surprisingly good at throwing Pokeballs, too!
Yukari Takeba: "Come here, Sylveon! Let's get you ready for the contest!" Total. Contest. Girl. No question. She's probably not into battling, but if her Pokemon get injured, she might just use her Persona to fix them up. May or may not even take the Gym Challenge.
Akihiko Sanada: "I need an HM to smash rocks? No, thanks. I got this." Best Pokemon Trainer, hands down. Notice how I italicized "Trainer"? There's a reason for that. He could train a Pokemon to fight, no problem. The problems come from other areas, like type matchups and move sets. Other than that, he'd be fine.
Mitsuru Kirijo: "Every battle should be fought with elegance, Gardevoir." Mitsuru would value status effects and strategy more than the actual battle itself. She constantly tries to think two steps ahead of her opponent, setting up traps and keeping an eye on her own party's buffs and debuffs. Extremely competitive.
Fuuka Yamagishi: "You guys got this...!" Not a battler. She would most likely have one or two Pokemon, but she would stick to the sidelines like she's used to doing.
Aigis: "It is odd to be the one giving commands after only receiving them for so long." Fighting against Aigis is a nightmare. She would attempt to find and catch only the exact Pokemon she needed, and then build a competitive-viable team with items and abilities out the wazoo. Expertly destroying the enemy is her favorite pass time.
Koromaru: "Ruff! Woof, woof!" Starts a pack with him as the leader, employing his experience in Tartarus to win the day. He's a good boy, so he'd probably rescue most of his "party" from whatever evil team is around.
Shinjiro Aragaki: "Kotone, get down from the-- I'm not gonna follow you in there." Certified Kotone Wrangler™. Of course, he'd treat his Pokemon about as well as he treats Koromaru, so hunger won't be an issue. Prefers fire types for obvious reasons.
Ken Amada: "This is so cool!! I'm gonna--!!! Um, I'm going to gather a team." He would attempt to mask his enthusiasm by trying to "think tactically", and utterly fail at it. Tries to fill his team with a diverse selection of Pokemon, but it's a bit too much for him. Usually can be found hanging out with Koromaru.
"Yuki, can I ask you a question?" Kohaku pats you on the shoulder to get your attention, "Why do you fight so..."
"...Savagely?" Shoji finishes, "It's like you have no regard for your own safety!"
"I don't." You reply simply.
"You-- what about Kohaku?!" Shoji shouts, his anger fully rearing its head, "What about your friends, your family?! What about us?!"
"You'll be alive." You answer calmly again, "And, before you go off on that tangent of me "not taking anything seriously" again, let me explain." You take a deep breath, and sigh, "Whenever I get into a fight, I don't consider my safety because I'm worried about the people behind me. Every demon I kill is one that can't hurt you guys, and that's the same with every Witch. And, if I happen to fight someone a bit more cognizant, they'll probably be expecting me to fret about my own well-being."
"What about Yum--?!"
"You don't get to say a goddamn word about Yuma!" You spin around on your heel, barely able to keep yourself from throwing a punch.
"Then why'd you just shove her off onto your Gran--?"
"She was supposed to be safe with them!!" Your voice echoes through the night, "How the fuck was I supposed to know that Vic--?!"
"You have all that power, and you still--?!"
"Both of you, stop it!!" Kohaku screams out, snapping you both out of your rage, "We are getting nowhere! It doesn't matter if we could've done things differently, Shoji! Victoria has Yuma's Soul Gem! That's what's in front of us right now!"
You huff out the last of your anger, relieved to finally be back on--
"Of course you'd take his side." Shoji sneers quietly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Loop 12.
"Yuki?" Shoji across from you at the small cafe table, "You, uh, wanted to talk?"
"...Yeah." You can't look him in the face anymore. "Hey, have I been a good friend to you?"
After a moment of confusion and deliberation, he finally replies, "I guess, yeah?"
"...Good."
"Is that why you called me here?" Shoji asks, "You have my phone number, right? You coulda just asked me... Yuki, are you planning anything?"
"Am I that easy to read?" You huff, "Yeah. I am."
"Y-Yuki, you're starting to scare me. What's going on?" His voice is beginning to shake.
"I need your help with something." You admit, "You can't ask any questions, you can't tell anyone, and this stays between us."
"I..." Shoji seems nervous, "...Yeah. What are we doing?"
"I need you to find me anything you can on a foreigner named Victoria Walters." You finally look up at him, "And then, I'm going to kill her."
(Why am I doing this again?): S. Links: Sailor Moon Edition!
SUPPORTING:
Luna: Magician.
Artemis: ????????????
Mamoru Chiba: Sun (???).
Scheduled vote count started by TremendousMilk3 on Apr 19, 2024 at 9:20 PM, finished with 22 posts and 9 votes.
[X] Plan Polite Questions and a Head-Up
-[X] "Hey, since you're here, can I ask ya a few questions?"
--[X] If yes:
---[X] "Is there any way I can more reliably contact you? Even if it's just a dropbox I can put questions in."
---[X] "What exactly is trying to "break in" through my dreams? Ya know, the one screaming 'let me in!'"
---[X] "Is there anything you can do to help with Kohaku's curse?"
---[X] "Is there a bigger reason than 'lots of sustenance' for why all these powerful demons are coming here? I know at least two Greek Goddesses are running around, and I find that a mite suspicious. Especially since one is interested in Shoji."
---[X] "Could I commission gauntlets for some of my friends that don't have phones?"
---[X] "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"
--[X] After all questions or if he says no: "By the way, I tested the Grief Recycler. As far as I can tell, it works as like a charm on both Grief Seeds and Soul Gems. Also, the extra macca is appreciated, so thanks for that."
-[X] "Thank you for your time."
[X] Plan Let's talk to Stephen!
-[X] "Oh- Hey Stephen! I actually wanted to talk to you. Do you mind if I take your time? I would say it would be short but... I have questions and requests and stuff ya know? It might be a long while."
--[X] If he says yes, get comfy, cause it's a bit of long talk, "You've been a big help these past few days and without you Sayaka and Madoka and the other new demon summoners wouldn't have had that- Wouldn't have been able to protect themselves from this whole mess and might have... Contracted. So first off, thank you. Seriously. Things could have been a lot worse without your help."
---[X] "Secondly, I wanted to know if there would be a way for us to keep in contact more often? It might be in the gauntlet already so sorry if you have left that and I just never saw it. It's for a lot of reasons really. It's okay if not but that puts a damper into my ask of you."
----[X] "I want to commission you for like a lot of things. And by commission I mean pay you because you do miracle work with this tech stuff and not paying you some way would be a crime. But I know I probably can't afford it all so... maybe we could set up a thing where you give me jobs you need done? I do work for you and that helps pay for the commissions! Of course we start after the whole invasion thing is over with. I just think all that would be fair but what are your thoughts?"
-----[X] If Stephen is okay with being told what you want to Commission, "A few things. One is gauntlets for Yuma, Kohaku, Shoji, and my Uncle. I would say the others as well but maybe you could also extend the odd job thing to them as well? I'm sure there are thing they can help you with that I can't. Oh and... I don't want to have Yuma to be a Demon Summoner. I want her to push on with her own talents so could I also commission a program to help her with Nightmare Summoning? Finally... this is a dumber one but I had the idea- the Magical Girls are able to transform right? Get those outfits that make them tougher? Well that's just magic right? Why not get a device to allow us to get that boon as well? I think there was an Anime that called them Barrier Jackets?"
------[X] "I am also concerned that some dumb demon nonsense will stop Kohaku's curse from breaking when I kill her biological father. Is there another way to help her if that doesn't work? I don't want her to suffer any longer."
-------[X] "There is a... thing trying to get in our world through my dreams and I'm starting to get worried. My dream teacher said he was holding it off but is there anything I can do? What even is it?"
--------[X] "Oh and one last thing. Why are all the Greek deities coming out to play? I mean I get the tear is a big issue but it's just- What's going on with that in specific?"
---------[X] Is there anything Stephen would like to ask in return? Let's be fair to him as well you know!
----------[X] "Thank you for your time Stephen. I may have asked for a lot and I'm sorry about that. Have a great night Stephen and if you need anything let me know!"
[X] Plan Polite Questions
-[X] "Hey, since your here, can I ask ya a few questions?"
--[X] If yes:
---[X] "Is there any way I can more reliably contact you? Even if it's just a dropbox I can put questions in."
---[X] "What exactly is trying to "break in" through my dreams? Ya know, the one screaming 'let me in!'"
---[X] "Is there anything you can do to help with Kohaku's curse?"
---[X] "Is there a bigger reason than 'lots of sustenance' for why all these powerful demons are coming here? I know at least two Greek Goddesses are running around, and I find that a mite suspicious. Especially since one is interested in Shoji."
---[X] "Could I commission gauntlets for some of my friends that don't have phones?"
---[X] "Is there anything you'd like to ask me?"
-[X] "Thank you for your time."
You are Yumi Konishi, and so far you've been having a great day. Athena and Asura are officially out of the picture, you just finished fusing up some new Demons, and you've got enough time left that you might be able to track down Victoria and Eris before din-
"Yumi Konishi, I have some information that you may be interested in."
Of course, Kyubey just has to come along and-
"An unknown Demon Summoner appears to be attempting to kill Mami Tomoe."
You stop dead in your tracks. "WHAT!?!?!?"
A short time prior
You are Yuki Konishi, and you are having a terrible day. You've only just finished recovering from your wounds after your highly unconventional arrival in this new Timeline, it's well after the point when you would normally start, and to top it all off, past-you is probably already dead.
You've been prowling the streets since you woke up this morning, re-attuning to various Terminals around the city and trying to figure out what exactly the situation is and what needs to be done without making any hostile factions aware of your existence. Already, you've heard people talking about a mass cult suicide and a large terrorist attack in the last couple days, so that means the Disciples have hit the Ring, hard, and knowing them, they'll be striking back before long. Not good, the collateral damage from having to take both of them down at the same time won't be insignificant, but you've dealt with wor-
Your gauntlet beeps at you, and upon looking at it, you see a familiar message.
[[BARRIER DETECTED, ABLE TO FORCE ENTRY. PROCEED?]]
You sigh. While you're close to Takeminakata's gang's hideout, if you leave this Witch be then it's only a matter of time before someone gets killed, so with that in mind, you follow the signal to its source and enter the Labyrinth.
The place is all too familiar to you. It's the same one you wound up in that fateful afternoon so many Timelines ago. Hard to believe this Witch is still on the loose, but then again, it's possible Kyubey replanted it at some point. Still, the Familiars prove to be as little of a threat as you've come to expect, each falling with a single swing of your sword as you march deeper into the Labyrinth. As you draw closer to the Witch's chamber, however, you start to hear noises that definitely aren't native to this place or made by you.
Gunshots. Familiar gunshots. You know exactly who's in this Labyrinth with you.
"Demon boy."
"Enemy of light!"
Your gauntleted fist clenches. Mami Tomoe, here, in this Labyrinth. What are the odds? Much as you dislike her, arrogant nuisance that she is at the best of times, you don't truly bear her any ill will. Nevertheless, the fact remains that letting her run around is a good way to cause more complications down the line, especially if Homura hasn't managed to prevent Madoka and Sayaka from meeting her, so with that in mind...
You push the door open, and see that the fight is almost over.
"Tiro... Finale!"
The oversized musket ball, more a cannonball at this point, rockets forward, and the Witch is dead almost before you even set foot in the room, the Labyrinth fading away in moments and depositing you back where you came from. Mami doesn't seem to have noticed you, her attention entirely on collecting the Grief Seed.
Perfect.
One of your Demons, Ongyo-Ki, materializes directly behind her and reaches forward...
(MAMI REACTION: 20)
Unfortunately, Mami seems to realize what's happening and leaps away before he can grab her. That's fine, you can work with this.
You draw your sword, charging forward and swinging. You don't intend to kill her, but you've been surprised by what Magical Girls can live through...
(YUKI ATTACKS: 7+2)
Mami's feet hit the ground just in time, and she drops into a roll, your sword sailing right over her, then rises a short distance away, gun in hand.
(MAMI ATTACKS: 15)
The shot flies past you and straight at your Demon...
(ONGYO-KI REPELS RANGED)
Only to bounce right back at her.
(MAMI TAKES 30 DAMAGE)
Mami takes the hit right in the shoulder, crying out and dropping her gun, though you imagine it's more from shock than pain.
"Just hold still and I'll make this quick," you say, raising your sword as you walk towards her.
Mami grimaces, pulling another gun from... somewhere... pointing it at you, and pulling the trigger.
(YUKI INT ROLL: 3)
You don't bother to dodge, expecting the projectile to just rebound and hit her like it normally does.
That was a big mistake.
The 'musket ball' explodes into a mass of ribbons as it nears you, and before you can attempt to get out of the way, you find yourself completely wrapped in the things, a lock materializing to hold the unconventional restraints in place.
Mami, clearly recognizing that she stands no chance against Ongyo-Ki even with you temporarily incapacitated, turns and runs as quickly as she can. Snarling, you summon two more Demons.
"Volvo, Cybele, don't let her get away, but don't kill her either! Ongyo-Ki, get me out of this!"
You run for the nearest Terminal as soon as Kyubey finishes telling you where Mami is, sending out a message to your friends via M.A.G.E telling them what was happening and to keep an eye out for more hostiles as you go. Upon reaching said nearest Terminal, you warp to the Demon Gang's base and proceed to run like hell, vaguely hearing Rakshasa say something about another human having passed through, but you aren't listening as you summon your Demons.
"Find Mami, quickly!" you order, not slowing down as you run into an alley.
Pixie and Vivian take off, their wings allowing them to search from the sky, while Turbo-Granny dashes down a different path when you hit a fork in the alleyway.
It isn't long before you hear the tell-tale sound of Mami's guns firing, and proceed to follow it to find a blue haired man with a gauntlet that's almost identical to yours on his right arm and a pair of Demons you don't recognize (although one of them resembles a black version of Oni) advancing on Mami, who is attempting to fight off another Demon approaching from the other direction. Before you can move to intervene, however, you see a small object appear in the air between Mami and the man, just a bit higher than Mami's head...
(YUMI REACTION: 1)
It's only after it detonates that you realize it's a flashbang.
You stumble into what you're pretty sure is Ongyo-Ki, snarling as your ears ring and you struggle just to see your hand in front of your face.
Where had that flashbang come from!? You don't think Mami can make those, but at the same time, who would be working with her and using one? And how would they have managed to drop it into exactly the right place for it to blind not only you, Ongyo-Ki and Cybele, but also Volvo, who was attacking Mami from the other direction?
Your frustration only grows when, as your vision clears, you see that Mami has vanished. A glance at Volvo and a shake of one of her heads tells you that she didn't see her escape either.
You're about to order your Demons to spread out and find her when you notice Volvo suddenly gaze very intently at something behind you, and turning around, you see a red haired girl with a gauntlet that looks almost exactly like yours on her left arm pushing herself off the wall of the alley.
"Who are you, and where did you get that?" you ask her, eyes on her gauntlet.
The girl glares at you, and three Demons materialize around her.
"I'm Mami's friend, and that's none of your business," she says, a sheathed katana materializing in her gauntleted hand, her free one grabbing the handle as a familiar swirl of power tells you what she's preparing to do.
(YUMI: CHARGE)
Meanwhile, two of the Demons she's summoned, Vivian and Kikuri-Hime, clearly have their own ideas on how to make this hurt.
(VIVIAN AND KIKURI-HIME: LUSTER CANDY)
Finally, just as you finish swapping Ongyo-Ki for Norn, the last of the girl's Demons, a Nue, breathes yellow mist at you.
(NUE: ACID BREATH)
You scoff. "Volvo," you order, raising your sword to strike.
(VOLVO: SILENT PRAYER)
With a snap of Volvo's fingers, both of the Luster Candies and Nue's Acid Breath are dispersed.
Almost as soon as she's finished, Cybele and Norn cast their own spells
(CYBELE: DEBILITATE)
(NORN: LUSTER CANDY)
The flash of light surrounds you even as multi-colored orbs of light shoot straight for the girl and her Demons and find their mark.
The Nue all but explodes into Magatsuhi as your second strike tears through it as though it was air.
Glancing at the girl, you see her eyes widen in shock and a hint of fear.
You have to admit, watching this guy carve up two of your Demons in as many moves was frankly terrifying, but you do your best to calm yourself. If he only has physical attacks, he can't actually hurt you... unless that sword of his is like Dante's, then you're in trouble.
"I would advise you to surrender," the man says coldly, his icy blue eyes meeting your red ones.
"Thanks, but I'll pass," you reply, summoning Nadja and Devil Dog to replace the fallen, the former getting to work immediately alongside Kikuri-Hime.
(NADJA: DEKAJA)
(KIKURI-HIME: LUSTER CANDY)
You won't be able to keep this up forever, Kikuri-Hime doesn't have the casting stamina for it, but you don't need to. You just need to keep it up long enough, so with that in mind...
Two of them burst into Magatsuhi almost immediately, while the third, Volvo, grimaces, but remains standing, seemingly highly resistant to the attack.
You struggle to regain your balance, a heavy grimace on your face as you summon Isis and Ongyo-Ki to replace the fallen. That attack had been far more powerful than you had expected, and Volvo had clearly only survived by resisting two of its component elements... and speaking of which, how the hell had this girl performed a Fusion Spell entirely unassisted!?
"Vol-" you begin, but are interrupted by the sound of gunfire.
You and Ongyo-Ki make no effort to dodge, the bullets aimed at the two of you ricocheting right back at the demonic soldier the girl has summoned.
(DEVIL DOG TAKES 76 DAMAGE)
"Gah!" the Demon yells, before smirking... or at least, you think he does, it's hard to tell with how much of a mess his face is. "Is that it!? Give me your best shots, you lousy pieces of shit!"
(DEVIL DOG CHR ROLL: 15)
(YUKI INT ROLL: 20)
(VOLVO INT ROLL: 3)
(ISIS INT ROLL: 17)
(ONGYO-KI INT ROLL: 16)
You can feel the magical compulsion attempting to take hold, and growl as you resist it with little effort. Volvo, on the other hand...
"How dare you!?" all three of her heads screech in unison as she takes aim at the object of her ire.
(VOLVO ATTACKS: RIOT GUN: 5)
Her shot misses by about a foot and blows a chunk out of the wall to his left after it flies past him.
You hold back a sigh, not even bothering to listen to his subsequent insult. At least your other Demons seem to still have their wits about them. "Isis!" you call out, and she heeds the command immediately.
(ISIS: SALVATION)
(YUKI AND VOLVO WERE HEALED)
(VOLVO IS NO LONGER PROVOKED)
Healing magic washes over you, your wounds fading away, and Volvo seems to come to her senses. "Wha-" she begins, before glaring at the demonic soldier, this time out of entirely mundane anger.
"Ongyo-Ki!" you order, already raising your sword.
"Yeah, yeah, Boss," the oni replies, already casting...
... and, of course, being countered by Kikuri-Hime. Still, equilibrium suits you just fine...
(YUKI ATTACKS: 13+2)
You rush forward, aiming to bypass the girl and take out Nadja before her healing abilities make things take longer than they need to, but the girl has other plans, jumping directly into your path and swinging her sword at yours.
(YUMI DEX ROLL: 15+6)
Your sword, thankfully in this case, veers off course as she successfully parries your attack.
(YUMI: CHARGE)
More irritatingly, power once again swirls around her, and she very clearly has no intention of letting you pass. All right, then. If she insists on planting herself in your way, she will have to face the consequences.
(DEVIL DOG ATTACKS: AIRSHOT: 12, 5, 6, 15)
(YUKI RETALIATES: 7)
(ONGYO-KI RETALIATES: 8)
(DEVIL DOG TAKES 76 DAMAGE)
More gunfire rings out, bouncing off of you and Ongyo-Ki and right back at the shooter while missing Volvo and Isis entirely.
(DEVIL DOG CHR ROLL: 1)
You completely ignore the drivel he starts spouting afterward, and from the looks of things, so do your Demons.
The windstorm that Isis conjures does further damage to the demonic soldier and leaves him struggling to stand, but it unfortunately misses the girl and her other Demons, Nadja already moving to heal her wounded ally even as Volvo begins to dance.
Volvo's dance utterly fails to achieve anything, and many of the soldier's wounds fade, though not all of them.
Regardless, even as this is happening, you can see an opening in the girl's defenses, and you take it.
(YUKI ATTACKS: 20)
(DAMAGE: (4+35))
(TOTAL: 137)
Your fist connects with the girl's stomach, and with some effort, you're able to launch her clean across the alleyway, sailing right over Nadja's head before slamming into the wall opposite from you.
You slide down the alley wall, gasping as you attempt to regain your breath. That had actually hurt, which meant that not only could this man bypass your immunity to Physical attacks, but it wasn't dependent on his sword. Not good. Still, there's no time to hesitate, you need to strike now.
Sheathing your sword, you charge right back at the man...
The man cries out as the flaming sword slashes across him, the sound seeming to be one of frustration as much as pain, while more flames shoot toward his Demons.
(OTHER ATTACK ROLLS: 13, 15, 11)
(WEAKPOINT DISCOVERED ON VOLVO: FIRE)
(WEAKPOINT DISCOVERED ON ONGYO-KI: LIGHT)
(TOTAL: 1,034, 690, 1,034)
All three are burned away, dissolving into Magatsuhi.
"You can give up any time, you know," you taunt.
You snarl as you summon a fresh set of Demons. This girl is proving to be far, far more troublesome than she has any right to be.
(DEVIL DOG ATTACKS: AIRSHOT: 15, 13, 17, 12)
Gunfire rings out once more, and your Demons are a hair too slow to dodge.
(DAMAGE ROLL: 8+22)
(TOTAL: 45)
Fortunately, it barely fazes them, and of course, the bullets simply rebound off of you.
(DEVIL DOG TAKES 39 DAMAGE)
The demonic soldier grunts, but remains standing. "Come on, give me your best shot, I can take it! You won't have any more luck than your pals did!"
(DEVIL DOG CHR ROLL: 12)
(YUKI INT ROLL: 13)
(IXTAB INT ROLL: 15)
(NERGAL INT ROLL: 2)
(THOR INT ROLL: 17)
You ignore his taunts and keep your attention on the girl. Ixtab and Thor likewise manage to keep their heads on straight. Nergal, on the other hand...
Searing light washes over you, and you hear Devil Dog actually scream in pain before abruptly going silent. When you can see again, he's gone.
You're down three Demons to his five, but Kikuri-Hime is running out of steam, and if you take your eyes off the man, he'll rip your Demons apart with ease...
(IXTAB: SALVATION)
(YUKI WAS HEALED)
Healing magic washes over your opponent and his Demons once more. Great, another healer. This may take some time...
(YUMI: RECARM)
(VIVIAN WAS REVIVED)
You cast Recarm even as you summon Pixie to fill the empty space in your active team.
"Oh, boy, are we in over our heads..." Pixie mutters as she materializes.
(THOR: DEBILITATE)
(KIKURI-HIME: LUSTER CANDY)
Kikuri-Hime's last Luster Candy once again manages to negate an enemy Demon's magic, while your other Demons act.
(NERGAL: LUSTER CANDY)
(NADJA: DEKAJA)
The Demon that killed Devil Dog attempts buff the enemy team, but Nadja shuts that down immediately.
The last Demon throws out a familiar form of Dark Magic that you make no effort to avoid.
(YUMI HEALS 78 HP)
The spell certainly helps you, although Nadja and Kikuri-Hime are another story, especially the latter.
(KIKURI-HIME END ROLL: 3+3)
After a brief moment of struggling, Kikuri-Hime dissolves into Magatsuhi.
(YUKI STR ROLL: 15+20)
(YUMI DEX ROLL: 19+6)
The man, after a moment of ever so slightly wide-eyed surprise at the effect the blast of Dark magic had on you, swings his sword straight at yours, and though you try to parry, the shear force behind his swing sends Dawn flying out of your hand and leaves you off balance.
(YUKI ATTACKS: 13)
(DAMAGE: (3+35))
(TOTAL: 67)
His fist hits you in the temple, and you stagger backwards before Pixie springs into action.
(PIXIE: MEDIARAMA)
Your wounds fade under the effect of Pixie's magic, and you plant your feet, resummon Dawn to her sheathe, and resummon Vivian to the field.
(THOR: DEBILITATE)
(VIVIAN: LUSTER CANDY)
Once again, a stalemate ensues, but you know it won't last long.
(YUMI: CHARGE)
Power swirls around you once more as you watch your opponent, wary in case he tries that trick again.
You're getting very frustrated at this point. Mami is probably long gone by now, and to make matters worse, you're running out of Demons. You don't want to seriously hurt this girl. You don't. But at this point, you think it's worth the risk.
You almost don't react to the incoming blast of wind in time. Almost. As is, you manage to catch the attack on the blade of your sword and reflect it back at its source... which is somehow the Pixie of all things.
(PIXIE TAKES 55 DAMAGE)
The tiny fairy takes the blast that's larger than she is head on and seems less than seriously injured. Your own Demons, meanwhile, failed to dodge, and Thor in particular looks to have taken a nasty hit from that.
(THOR: DEBILITATE)
(VIVIAN: LUSTER CANDY)
Once again, Luster Candy and Debilitate cancel each other out, and you raise your sword, preparing to strike again, but the girl proves quicker on the draw even as she summons what you recognize as Black Frost.
Thor, thankfully, actually seems to be healed by the electrical component of the attack more than he's hurt by the rest of it, but Ixtab and Nergal have no such protection and promptly burst into Magatsuhi.
You growl, about to summon the last of your Demons-
You receive a painful reminder that the girl still has other Demons in play, the freezing gale pressing you back into the wall, and your growl becomes an outright snarl as you summon Vritra and Omoteotl, raising your sword as soon as you get the chance and swinging.
The Vivian falls in two pieces before dissolving into Magatsuhi, but the girl and her Demons all manage to avoid the attack, if only by the skin of their teeth in Black Frost's case.
"Thor!" you call out, and he obeys.
(THOR: MEDIARAHAN)
You watch as all the damage you and your Demons have caused once again melts away as though it was never there. Tsking in annoyance, you nod to Pixie, and she casts exactly the spell you need her to.
(PIXIE: RECARM)
As soon as she finishes, you resummon the now revived Nadja and swap Black Frost for Alice, already preparing for your next attack.
(YUMI: CHARGE)
Meanwhile, your opponent and his Demons clearly don't plan on just sitting around doing nothing.
(VRITRA: LUSTER CANDY)
Light flares around the man and his Demons as he raises his sword, but before he can swing, Nadja springs into action.
(NADJA: DEKAJA)
The light fades as quickly as it appeared, and the man glares furiously as his other Demon acts as well.
(OMOTEOTL: MAKAJAMA: 3)
The spell goes completely wide as the man swings his sword again.
Pixie bursts into Magatsuhi as you barely avoid being cut in half, Nadja and Alice likewise narrowly avoiding death as the latter begins casting.
(THOR: DEBILITATE)
(ALICE: LUSTER CANDY)
Once again, Thor throws out the multi-colored lights, and once again, it winds up being immediately countered. Nevertheless, you have to act, and quickly.
Empowering lights flare twice as Black Frost throws a blast of ice at Thor, hitting him full in the torso and making him stagger briefly, but failing to kill him.
You need a different approach.
(THOR: MEDIARAHAN)
(YUMI: RECARM)
As Thor once again heals himself and his summoner, you take the opportunity to revive one of your Demons, but before you can do anything else, your opponent raises his sword and swings again.
You and your Demons evade as quickly as you can, but in Nadja's case, that isn't quickly enough, and she falls to pieces that promptly dissolve into Magatsuhi. Even so, you notice something important.
The man hasn't summoned any new Demons. He's out!
Quickly, you summon the Demon you'd revived, even as Alice and Black Frost begin casting again.
The blast of ice goes wide as light flares around your party, including the member that just materialized.
"Remember me, shitheads!?" Devil Dog yells, taking aim and firing at Thor.
(DEVIL DOG ATTACKS: HEADSHOT: 19+2)
(DAMAGE: (5+22))
(TOTAL: 51)
(THOR END ROLL: 20)
(DEVIL DOG CHR ROLL: 18)
(THOR INT ROLL: 3)
The shot doesn't seem to do much damage, but it does draw his attention, and the man clearly notices, glowering at Devil Dog almost as though he's the one under the effect of Devil Dog's magic.
(YUMI: CHARGE)
You, meanwhile, take the opportunity to attempt to power up once more.
The man follows up on Thor's barrage with another swing that would've killed all four of you if you had been so much as a hair slower.
(ALICE ATTACKS: DIE FOR ME!: 3+4, 15+4)
(BLACK FROST ATTACKS: BUFUDYNE: 17+4)
(DEVIL DOG ATTACKS: HEADSHOT: 12+2)
(DAMAGE: (3+168), (12+58), (8+22))
(RESISTANCE DISCOVERED ON THOR: DARK)
(TOTAL: 311)
Dark energy, ice and a bullet fly towards Thor, the last striking him right between the eyes...
(THOR END ROLL: 18)
(DEVIL DOG CHR ROLL: 15)
(THOR INT ROLL: 2)
He staggers for a moment, then regains his balance, still angry and more than willing to continue the fight.
Fine with you.
(YUKI: SILENT PRAYER)
Before you can do anything, however, you hear a metallic snap, and all of a sudden, you and your Demons are back to your baselines, and it doesn't take you long to figure out why.
The God of Thunder promptly receives a blast of ice right to his eye for that courtesy of Black Frost, with Alice following up on the attack as quickly as she could.
(ALICE ATTACKS: DIE FOR ME: 4, 15)
(DAMAGE: (15+168))
(TOTAL: 92)
Alice's next blast of dark magic nearly throws the already off-balance Thor off his feet, and Devil Dog takes aim.
(DEVIL DOG ATTACKS: HEADSHOT: 5)
The bullet bounces off of one of the horns on Thor's helmet, doing no noticeable damage.
You have one chance here. If you don't strike now, Thor will heal himself, and you'll have to start the whole process all over again.
The man seems to realize this as well, raising his sword as you place your hand on Dawn's hilt.
You stand back to back, the world seemingly frozen for a moment. You aren't even sure you're breathing.
Then all four of the remaining Demons burst into Magatsuhi, and the two of you whip around before putting some distance between yourselves.
You weren't expecting this much trouble when you started fighting this girl, yet here you stand, every single one of your Demons incapacitated for the second time in your career, while she manages to summon another three. There isn't much point in trying to revive yours now, doing so would just give the girl an opening to power herself up for another super attack. You have to end this, and now.
The girl dodges your strike, sheathing her sword as she does and power swirling around her once again.
(YUMI: CHARGE)
Her Demons, on the other hand, aren't so lucky.
(ONI, IPPON-DATARA AND TURBO-GRANNY TAKE WAY TOO MUCH DAMAGE)
You feel no resistance as your sword carves right through them.
No new Demons appear. Seems like she's out. Still, you know what she's about to try, and you have no intention of letting her pull it off.
(YUKI ATTACKS: FREI SEVER: 19+2)
You grip the handle of your sword with both hands, flames gathering along the blade even as you feel your energy drain. The price of this technique, unavoidable no matter what you did, but well worth it.
(YUKI LOSES 20% OF HIS HP)
You raise your sword above your head and swing, but as you do, you notice the red energy gathering around the girl isn't just a conventional spell.
Nuclear flames meet hellish ones as your blades clash, neither of you willing to budge.
Your gaze wanders, taking in the changes the girl has undergone.
Her veins are glowing red. There are crystals of Magatsuhi almost everywhere. Her hair is floating, energy crackling between the strands. A scarf made of Magatsuhi billows behind her. Her already red eyes glow the color of blood.
There's no question as to what this power is. But how? You're the only one who-
You're distracted from your thoughts when you feel a tug on your wrists, and upon looking back to the blade lock, you see your sword beginning to shift.
No.
Another tug, another shift. You put all of your strength into stopping what is about to happen.
You scream as the burning blade rips through your left arm as though it were air, fingers losing their grip on your sword.
(YUKI RETALIATES: 15)
(YUMI EVASION: 3+10)
In a moment of blind, pained reflex, the fingers of your other hand tighten around the hilt of your sword, and you swing one last time.
(DAMAGE: (5+60+280+5))
(TOTAL: 919)
Your blade cuts right across her torso, leaving a massive gash as blood flies everywhere, and she cries out, stumbling backwards.
You stumble as well, vision darkening. This isn't... what you... meant...
You slump down along the alley wall, dropping your Magatsuhi Form like a hot potato and casting Diarahan.
(YUMI WAS HEALED)
Your wound vanishes as though it was never there, but your jacket is still ruined. Dammit. Still, there's no time to worry about that.
You stand back up as quickly as you can and run forward, dropping beside the now unconscious man and checking his pulse and breathing.
thump, thump, thump
You breath a sigh of relief upon feeling his heart beating and seeing his chest steadily rise and fall, then pull out your phone and call your uncle while also beginning to revive your Demons. He's alive, and hopefully you'll be able to get some answers out of him when he wakes up.
Yuki's Character Sheet:
Basic Info
Name: Yuki Konishi
Age: 19 (physically)
Sex: Male
Hair: Blue
Eyes: Blue
Level: 81
Stats
Max HP: 999
Max MP: ???
STR: 140
DEX: 35
END: 70
AGL: 105
INT: 5
CHR: 5
LUK: 5
- Frei Sever: Adds the Skill "Frei Sever" (20% HP) [DMG: SWORD+FREIKUGEL] {Almighty}
- Barrier Buster: All attacks involving your sword, including non-Sword Skills that involve striking with it, bypass and remove Tetrakarn and Makarakarn.
- Reaper: All attacks involving your sword, including non-Sword Skills that involve striking with it, ignore Endure/Enduring Soul, killing the target regardless.
- Personal Grip: The sword gains a handle fitted specifically for your hand, granting +2 to hit.
- Blinding Slash: Adds the Sword Skill "Blinding Slash" (16 MP) [DMG: HAMAON+SWORD] {PHYS+LIGHT}
- Follow-Up Strike: Once per round of combat, if you make a basic attack with your Sword or use a Sword Skill, you can make another attack as long as it is a basic Sword attack or a Sword Skill
- Magic Guard: If you roll a DEX save higher than an enemy's incoming magic attack, you can redirect the blow to hit the ground.
- UPGRADE: Magic Guard > Magic Bounce: If you roll a DEX save higher than an enemy's incoming magic attack, you can redirect the blow to hit the caster
As I believe I've previously mentioned, Yuki seems to be oriented towards Physical attacks, and I've chosen to assume that his thread went through most if not all of the Yuki Negaquest with the SMT mindset of "put almost everything into your main attacking stat, plus a little into Agility and (if you use HP as a casting stat) Vitality" without really understanding that you can't solve all problems in this setting by stabbing things until they die.
Of course, going all in on one element is very dumb idea without some countermeasure against enemies resisting that element or worse. This is where Phys Pierce* comes in, and was probably Yuki's first Trait and the reason the Yuki Negathread chose to specialize in Physical Skills.
Another assumption I've made is that the Yuki Negathread chose to prioritize getting the most powerful Skills they could for their build over having all the Skills of any of the Demons they had at any given time. While there is a point to doing this, the fact of the matter is that it left Yuki with significantly lower stats than Yumi had and will have at the equivalent points in their respective journeys, with the absolute minimum total he could've had being 293 (3 points per level multiplied by 80 levels, plus the base 5 per stat, plus the 18 points that could be assigned freely at level 1). Granted, it is wildly unlikely that he never had all of the Skills of at least one of his Demons at any point that he gained a level at (if only by accident), not to mention that it's almost impossible that he didn't get any points from sources other than leveling up such as training at the gym (which we got a total of +8 points from, all to stats Yuki would've been interested in raising, and probably could've gotten another +2 if we had managed to use the punching bag like we'd planned). As such, I've chosen to assume his stat total is a bit higher than that minimum.
With all of that said, Yuki has plenty of things going for him in terms of being a massive beatstick, with an extremely high STR stat, multiple Skills boosting his Physical damage even higher, Frei Sever**, and a number of useful Sword Perks, not all of which are listed here for the sake of not needing to come up with names and/or effects for them and because I really didn't feel like putting a bunch of entries that were just things like "Sharpening: +X damage". In particular, he has a STR-based equivalent to the Dancing Blade line of Sword Perks that Yumi has, and has gotten it to the point where it adds double his STR to the damage he does, which chains well with Frei Sever's Freikugal half also running off of his STR stat, meaning he only needs to invest in one stat to get the most mileage out of it as opposed to Yumi needing to juggle her AGL and INT for her Sword Skills.
Blinding Slash was mainly included for the sake of giving him a means of reversing Witchifications that isn't reliant on his Demons. He probably bypassed Blessed Strike like we did with the Tier I's for Fire, Ice and Electric and then passed up on getting the next Tier of that line because it would've made little difference to him, seeing as his INT is abysmal.
His HP is at what I'm assuming is the cap based on how Yumi's is already approaching it at less than half his level and with half his END. On the other hand, I have no idea how much MP he has because his INT is so much lower than Yumi's, meaning I don't have a good frame of reference for what its growth rate would be.
*SMT IV and IV:A had Pierce Skills for each element (with exception of Light and Dark in IV due to them still being insta-kill only elements at the time), and considering that Nocturne's Pierce only applied to Physical Skills (and Freikugel), I figured it would make more sense to use IV and IV:A's Phys Pierce.
**I would like to mention that Frei Sever is meant to be the endpoint of a chain of Sword Perks, similarly to how Blessed Strike upgraded into Blinding Slash and can be further upgraded if we can manage to roll the relevant Sword Perks. I simply chose not to list the previous Tiers of the Skill because they weren't relevant and so that I wouldn't have to come up with names for them.
As you can probably tell, the first five Demons are Yuki's mainstays at this point, being heavily-customized Special Fusions that he invested a lot of Magnetite in, while the others are just a slapdash of whatever he happened to have on hand at the time this fight happened. Originally, I only intended to have the Special Fusions in his Party, but I figured it wouldn't make sense for Yuki to only be lugging around five Demons at any given time, even if they were the only ones he consistently used. As such, I went through the Fusion Calculator's list and grabbed a handful of high level Demons he could plausibly have while still obeying a few rules I set up regarding what Demons he could have.
First Rule: I've chosen to assume that Yuki has issues with certain Demons and types of Demons, mainly ones that were major antagonists (such as Athena) or are too heavily affiliated with either said major antagonists (for example, Lilims are heavily asscosiated with Lilith due to their lore) or Law and Chaos as factions (ruling out the entirety of the Divine Race and at least most of the Heralds, among others) as well as the Fiends, and as such refuses to intentionally fuse or resummon them, even as fusion material to get something else (such as Anat).
Second Rule: Nothing with Victory Cry or Enduring Soul*, otherwise I would find it impossible to justify him not having those Skills. No exceptions.
Third Rule: I've chosen to assume that Yuki doesn't benefit from Yumi's ability to fuse Demons that are up to five levels higher than her, so the level limit for his Demons is 81.
With that said, given the shear number of Demons that have good healing options and are reasonably powerful in their own right, I find it frankly impossible for Yuki to not have any Demons that are capable acting as healers unless he decided to go Full Yakumo. For example, Anubis has Judgement Light, by far the best anti-Witch spell we can get in this Quest, and he also has Samerecarm, which the QM has already mentioned is part of how we reverse MG contracts without completely depowering them, making it increibly hard to justify not picking him up at some point unless Yuki has issues with the Egyption Pantheon, Avatars or gods in general. Likewise, Isis has native access to Salvation and is a fantastic Force caster, while Volvo can inherit Mediarahan from Titania (who is required to fuse Volvo due to her being a Special Fusion) and, being built as a Ranged attacker, doesn't really need anything else that Titania has natively and can get any useful ones that she could inherit from other sources, making both prime picks for the healer role that it's harder to justify not letting them have those Skills without breaking the "No Victory Cry or Enduring Soul" rule. Ixtab and Thor, meanwhile, were given healing abilities partly to indicate some of what was used to fuse them (Kangiten and a Heimdall fused from Isis and Titania in Ixtab's case, Cybele with Heimdall again in Thor's) and partly because said fusion materials didn't have any better Skills to pass on, at least as far as the resulting Demons were concerned.
*This particular rule actually helped with justifying Yuki not having Shaytan, which is very convenient for me since I did not want to have to deal with balancing the fight around him casting Luster Soul whenever he had the MP for it and could be reasonably confident it wouldn't be Dekaja'd away.
Yumi's stats are based on the outline I gave Herofox a while ago and with the assumption that the thread did choose to prioritize getting her DEX high enough for that super-Fusion Spell over more INT and CHR. As such, and combined with her being Level 40 in this Omake, the differences from her stats at present are that her DEX is 42, her AGL is 70 and her INT is 77, along with her HP and MP having hit what I assume to be the cap at 999*.
In terms of Skills, there's a certain degree of trying to maintain a stat gain of at least +8 per level where possible, an assumption of not getting more than two more Skill Slots by the time this fight happens, and a bit of "I didn't think of something until after I already wrote enough that I didn't want to go back and change things to account for that". That last point is at least part of the reason Yumi is combing Tornado Slash with Mabufula instead of Blizzard Slash with Mazandyne.
Speaking of Tornado Slash, the only Sword Perks that I've chosen to assume Yumi obtained between the present and this fight (that would matter in this case, anyway) are upgrading Blustering Strike and Scorching Slash, with the former's upgrade being called Tornado Slash rather than Windstorm Slash because 1) Tornado Slash has come up twice as opposed to Windstorm Slash's once, and 2) the last time we got the option to upgrade Blustering Strike, the upgrade was called Tornado Slash.
The line of Demons used to get to Vivian is a bit too long for me to feel like putting it here, but suffice to say, she was used as fusion material for both Kikuri-Hime and Alice, hence why they have Luster Candy.
Pixie having Mazandyne and Recarm by the point this Omake takes place is mostly an assumption on my part. I have no idea when she'll learn either, but the former can be reasonably assumed to be in her learnable Skills list, and the QM did state way back when that she can learn Recarm.
*Our triple level up after fighting Lilith gave us an HP increase of 115. Assuming that rate remains consistent, we'll hit 930 HP at Level 38 even if we don't increase our END at all before then, after which reaching 999 in two levels seems reasonable, because 69 is less than two thirds of 115.
Her rapier enters your chest, and the chill of her magic seeps through your entire body. Just like that, the battle is over.
"Yuki...!!" Kohaku calls out, her words echoing through the Barrier.
"Finally. Took you long enough!" Victoria gloats, ripping her sword from your body, "I was almost challenged!"
You fall to the ground, your head bobbing to the left. Tears flow from Kohaku's eyes as she watches helplessly, holding Yuma closely. You're thankful that Yuma didn't have to watch you die.
"Okay, now that your little bodyguard is out of the way..." The ends of Victoria's lips curl upwards as she faces your friends, "...Make a Wish or die."
Kohaku puts herself in between the vicious Magical Girl and Yuma, eyes wide in fear. "Stay back!" She warns.
With a dry laugh, Victoria points her sword at the girl you promised to protect, "Or what?"
Your vision blurs...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You smile as you saunter closer, flicking your rapier in the air. Bits of frozen blood fall to the floor. "Or what?" You ask your prey, "You'll call another summoner to die?"
The older girl begins to silently cry as she looks on at you in horror. How pathetic.
"Do you think you're brave for not doing what I want?" You sneer, vitriol dripping from every word, "You're just stupid. Let's say you don't make a Wish. I kill you, and torture that girl until she does."
"You...!" She whimpers like that dog you shot all those years ago.
"Aww, are you gonna cry for your little friend?" You laugh, "If you'd just hurried and made a Wish, maybe you could've saved him! So, technically, you killed him just as much as I did!"
The green little shit looks just behind you.
"What? You think that the power of friendship is going to save you?" You cackle loudly, "Of fucking course not! This is the real world! And in the real world..." You take a step towards these idiots, "...The strongest one wi--"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
(???: 20)
...
...
...No.
No.
This is not how you'll let this end.
Not by a fucking long shot.
You don't care about your "fatal" wound. You don't care about the cold, or the ice, or anything else but the two people who put their trust into you. And you'll be damned if you're about to let them get hurt.
Your grip tightens on your sword. You refuseto die now.
You still haveworkto do.
And you will see it through.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"...The strongest one wi--"
The sound of thunder echoes through the entire Labyrinth, shaking your very soul as a bright blue light burns from...
...You knew it.
Victoria spins on her heel, facing the boy she thought she could kill.
"WAAAAAALTEEEERS!!" He roars in a voice not quite his own.
The humans, in their towers and buildings, would be at your mercy!
And you will have your revenge!
For months, they've called you a number of horrible, unforgivable things, like "tiny", "cute", and worst of all...
..."Bite-sized". But now is the time for Vengeance™!
You rise up out of the water, laughing as people stop to point at you in terror. Your smile only grows as the horror and shock of your new, humongous body spreads through the crowds.
"Run! It's Mega Pixie!!" One of them cries out, and instantly, chaos spreads.
People are running through the streets, cars are zooming away, and everyone is screaming as you take your first steps on the land. The streets crack under your boots, and the buildings shatter at your touch.
...And let loose your spell. It collides with the skyscraper, knocking it off of its foundation and sending it hurtling into the streets below.
And then it exploded, with a big, fiery boom!
"All of you who had taunted me shall feel my wrath!" You move deeper into the city, causing pandemonium wherever you roam, "For I am the unforgiving and super big and strong Mega Pixie!!"
You find another tall building, and begin to take aim...?
"Pixie...?"
"Who dares speak my name?!" You shout, looking around for your opponent, "No one can hope to stand up to my power!!"
"Pixie?"
Wait...
...You recognize that voice! That's...!
"Pixie, wake up...!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Pixie, wake up...!" You prod her gently with your finger, and she finally stirs from her slumber.
"...Mmmmm...? Yumi...?" She asks, still half asleep, "What time is it...?"
"It's almost time for lunch," You answer, "But you looked like you were having a nightmare!"
"A nightmare? Whuzzat?" She tilts her head, her hair unkempt and bobbing with her. She must still be half asleep.
"You were thrashing around and flapping your wings." You decide to tell her, "And you were talking about destruction or something!"
"Mr. Yuki!" Nagisa calls to you as you go skidding back after Garuda's attack.
You deflected as much of the blow as you could, but he still managed to get you in the arm with his other claw. Glancing at the wound for only a split second, you adopt a one handed style.
"You cannot endure this forever." Garuda states plainly, your blood dripping from his claws, "Surrender the child, and you shall live."
"You think a little blood's gonna scare me off?!" You roar in response, "I'm a Kuzunoha! There's no way in hell I'm giving up!"
Garuda looks disappointed, "Then you shall die standing in the way of my divinity."
(GARUDA ATTACKS: KILLING WIND)
The air itself cuts into you as you stumble backwards. Some of your blood splatters on Nagisa as she stares in horror at your wounds.
So, this is how it's gonna go this loop? Dying defending someone who can't defend herself?
Garuda prepares another attack.
You can do that, yeah. That's what a Kuzunoha does.
(GARUDA ATT--!!)
Everything goes still for one, solitary moment.
Garuda is about to cast his magic, and it will rip you apart.
There's no hope of you countering, nor can you dodge.
Then, the sky above you darkens with muskets.
They all fire on Garuda.
In just one split second, the battle was shifted and ended by none other than Mami Tomoe. She lands just in front of you, looking...?
"Ms. Mami!!" Nagisa runs past you, "You've gotta help him! He's really hurt!"
Tomoe looks into your eyes, surprise evident on her face. Her ribbons snake their way around you, and wrap themselves around your wounds.
Neither of you speak for what seems like ages. Then...
"...I misjudged you." Tomoe admits.
Scheduled vote count started by TremendousMilk3 on Apr 25, 2024 at 10:39 PM, finished with 18 posts and 12 votes.
[X] Over-dramatically clutch at your stomach, and collapse to the ground. Reach out at nothing. "Ko..." Pretend to faint.
[X] "Nice shot!"
-[X] "In other news, I found this old abandoned castle that was giving off 'Horror Movie' vibes..."
--[X] "Thinking of investigating it later!"
[X] "Guh! You may think you have defeated me, but this isn't even my final form!" Dramatically pat your pockets. "Though I appear to have left my artifact of ultimate power in my other robe, so we'll have to have a rain check."
You are Sayaka Miki, rookie Demon Summoner and ownerwielder of a Buster Swordreally big sword, and you are quite certain that you are currently inside a Labyrinth.
The place is full of trees with trunks made out of stacks of pineapples, chains of (unpeeled) bananas for branches and grapes of multiple colors for leaves... most of which have large bites taken out of them, if they haven't been reduced to just the bottom of the lowest of the trunk's pineapples. There are also massive blocks of chocolate that might be meant to be large rocks and boulders scattered here and there, many of which also have large, tooth-mark filled indentions in them.
Wandering through the Labyrinth, you occasionally think you see some Familiars peeking out from behind the fruit-trees and chocolate-rocks, but they always withdraw behind their cover without attacking, so you leave them alone and try to focus on looking for the Witch. What you find, however, is not what you intended to.
"Not a bad haul we've got!"
Demons. Five of them, with the one that spoke being a large, one-eyed humanoid with yellowish skin and what appears to be moss growing along his shoulders, upper arms and from his head, although the latter has a bald patch at the top. The next is a large, black feathered bird with red eyes that you almost mistake for a giant crow before realizing it looks more like a dove aside from its coloration, a black hat with a red feather resting on its head, a ruffled color around its neck and a green tie falling down its torso. The other three, meanwhile, you recognize as Macabres.
Quickly, you hide behind a chocolate-boulder, peering around it to see what they're doing.
"Come on, you lot! The Boss won't be happy if we keep him waiting!" One-Eye says, holding a struggling Familiar over each shoulder. The three Macabres, meanwhile, seem to be attempting to shepherd a group of Familiars together with their scythes.
The boss, huh? you think to yourself, pulling out your sword and summoning a trio of Demons, all of whom know what to do.
(SAYAKA: CHARGE)
(SAYAKA'S MACABRE: TARUKAJA)
(VIRTUE: FOG BREATH)
Power swirls around you as you lift your sword and prepare to rush forward, orange light flashing around your party as Virtue breathes fog at the Demons, obscuring their view.
"What the-"
Those two words are all One-Eye manages to get out before you and your Demons attack.
Doppelganger rushes past you, taking a powerful swing at another of the enemy Macabres, while your own swings his scythe, toxic looking crescents of energy flying at the enemies and tearing the Familiars apart, although the one aimed at the bird misses.
(ONE-EYE END ROLL: 5+2)
(ENEMY MACABRE 2 END ROLL: 18+1)
(ENEMY MACABRE 3 END ROLL: 19+1)
"Uggghhh..." One-Eye groans, sounding ill as he staggers slightly, before straightening back up.
(ONE-EYE IS POISONED)
"Damned brat..." One-Eye mutters, raising his now empty hand, palm down.
(ONE-EYE CASTS ZAN DEFOG)
Wind rushes past you as he slams his hand down into the ground, the fog clearing.
"DON'T JUST STAND THERE!!!" he roars. "KILL THEM ALL!!!"
(BIRD: RAKUKAJA)
"We're gonna die, we're all gonna die..." the bird mutters, flapping his way higher as blue light flashes around him and his allies. One-Eye's glare, however, stops him when it looks like he's about to make a break for it.
(ENEMY MACABRE 2 ATTACKS: BLIGHT: 2, 14, 5, 8)
One of the enemy Macabres, the one that Doppelganger had struck, mimics the move yours made, crescents of toxin rushing at you and your Demons. You, Virtue and your Macabre all dodge, but Doppelganger makes no effort to do the same.
(ENEMY MACABRE 2 TAKES 33 DAMAGE)
The attack rebounds on the Macabre, which staggers backward, looking badly wounded.
(ENEMY MACABRE 3 ATTACKS: MUDOON: 10)
The other enemy Macabre, meanwhile, tries to fire off a blast of dark magic at Virtue, but the angel just barely manages to dodge.
(SAYAKA'S MACABRE: TARUKAJA)
Orange light once again flares around you, and you and your Demons strike again.
The other enemy Macabre falls, bursting into Magatsuhi as it hits the ground.
One-Eye growls, his eye flashing. "I think it's time for you to run away."
(ONE-EYE: BOBASMA: 15)
(SAYAKA INT ROLL: 20+1)
You can feel the magic attempting to take hold, that familiar, all-consuming sense of terror attempting to take over, and you growl right back as you throw the effect off.
"I'm not scared of you," you inform him angrily.
(BIRD: RAKUKAJA)
"I'm dead, I am so very, very dead..." the bird mutters above you, blue light once again flashing around him and One-Eye.
A blast of light from Virtue strikes One-Eye in the shoulder...
(ONE-EYE END ROLL: 6+1)
... and he slowly disintegrates, eye widening and mouth falling open in horror as he has just enough time to realize what's happening.
You and your Demons turn your gazes to the bird.
(BIRD INT ROLL: 20+2)
"I-I'll give you anything you want, anything, JUST DON'T KILL ME, PLEASE!!!" he begs, eyes flicking wildly between you and your Demons.
"Take us to your leader," you order.
"Y-Yes, ma'am! Right away, ma'am!" the terrified bird says, turning and flying in a direction. You and your Demons follow, careful not to let him out of your sight.
A short time later, you start to hear crashing noises coming from the direction the bird is leading you in, before you emerge into an artificial clearing and see two things.
The first is what you presume to be the Witch. A massive beast made out of bones that look like they came from steaks, hams and other food items, gristle and scraps of meat hanging from many of them, all assembled into a quadrupedal creature with a pair of fish heads acting as eyes and a quartet of t-bones serving as fangs. Tooth-marks riddle the bones comprising the Witch's body, as though something has been biting it, and recently.
The other, meanwhile, is probably the leader of these Demons. A large, yellow being with a body that's somewhat lizard-like, the front end curving upward into a semi-humanoid torso complete with arms before being crowned with the head of a pig. The Demon wears a red and white furred cape as well as a red crown and holds a rod in his right hand. He seems completely uninjured.
"Buono, buono!" the Demon exclaims upon seeing you. "Fresh morsels to consume! You have done well, my servants!"
"Y-Yes, Lord-" the bird begins, only to be cut off as Doppelganger raises her sword threateningly close to him.
"'Fresh morsels', huh?" you say, stepping forward. "I don't think so."
(SAYAKA: CHARGE)
The pigtuar opens his mouth to respond, but before he can speak, the Witch lunges at him.
The Witch sinks its 'fangs' into the pigtuar's arm, and he yells, sounding more angered than hurt.
"BUONO, BUONO!!! Food exists to be eaten, not to eat!" he declares, turning his gaze to the Witch and rearing back his head.
(PIGTUAR ATTACKS: TAKING A BITE: 12)
(WITCH TAKES 34 DAMAGE)
He swings his head forward and literally bites back, teeth scraping the Witch's body...
(SAYAKA INT ROLL: 16+1)
You notice a transfer of energy as the pigtuar's teeth make contact with the Witch, what little damage he had taken fading in an instant.
(PIGTUAR WAS FULLY HEALED)
Not good, you think as you come to the very strange realization that, as counter-intuitive as it sounds, it may be better to not attempt to harm the Witch right now. Reverting it to a Soul Gem while the pigtuar is around risks the Soul Gem being smashed by accident, and you cannot revive the girl this Witch used to be if the pigtuar eats said Witch first. As such, you order your Demons to only target the pigtuar.
(MACABRE: TARUKAJA)
Orange light flashes around your party while the pigtuar is distracted with throwing the Witch away, and you see the bird that guided you here glance at you, then at his boss, before flying off into the treeline.
(DOPPELGANGER: FOG BREATH)
Doppelganger breathes fog, and while it doesn't obscure the pigtuar's vision like it did his minions, you can still see that it has the intended effect on him.
"Buono!?" he exclaims, looking back at your group...
... just in time to catch a blast of light right in the face.
"BUONOOO!!!" the pigtuar cries out, reeling backward for a moment, then catching himself and glaring.
(PIGTUAR: DEKUNDA)
The fog seems to clear from his eyes, and before you can do anything, he leaps into the air.
(PIGTUAR ATTACKS: AIR DIVE: 9, 15, 8, 12)
You dive aside as he comes back down right where you had been standing. Then he leaps back into the air, and Macabre isn't quite so quick, being nearly flattened by the falling pigtuar before he once again leaps back into the air.
(MACABRE TAKES 36 DAMAGE)
Virtue also manages to dodge, and Doppelganger, well...
(PIGTUAR TAKES 32 DAMAGE)
"BUONO!?!?!?" the pigtuar exclaims in surprise as he bounces right off of Doppelganger, landing flat on his rear end.
Seeing an opportunity, both you and the Witch charge.
Whether because it understands that you aren't currently hostile to it, or because it recognizes the pigtuar as the bigger threat, or just because it believes the pigtuar would make for a more filling meal, the Witch completely ignores you and repeatedly bites at the pigtuar, snapping jaws nicking him in places but doing little actual damage.
"The enemy appears to be resistant to physical attacks," you hear your sword comment. "Perhaps a magic attack might be more effective?"
Yeah, but I'm crap at magic, you think back. It's not an entirely true statement, but it's not exactly false either, as while you're definitely good at Physical attacks (according to Yumi, you're actually better than she was back when the Disciples attacked), your other attacks tend not to do nearly as much damage as you'd like.
"Perhaps one of your Demons, then?" your sword suggests.
Before you can respond to that, you hear angry "Buono!" from the pigtuar as he throws the Witch back again and begins casting.
(PIGTUAR: DEKAJA)
Immediately, you feel the boost Macabre had given you fade just as Doppelganger rushes forward.
The Witch bites into the pigtuar's neck, prompting an angry "Buono!" in response...
(SAYAKA INT ROLL: 18+1)
... and you see some of the tooth-marks fade from its body as it does.
(WITCH HEALS 18 HP)
Nue, meanwhile, spits lightning from its mouth.
(NUE ATTACKS: ZIODYNE: 14)
(DAMAGE: (18+36))
"BUONOOOO!!!" the pigtuar exclaims, sounding more distressed than you've heard up to this point as electricity courses through his body and he once again throws the Witch off of himself.
(WEAKPOINT DISCOVERED ON PIGTUAR: LIGHTNING)
(TOTAL: 122)
Gathering himself, the pigtuar once again casts a spell.
(PIGTUAR: DEKUNDA)
Almost as soon as the pigtuar has undone Momunofu's Acid Breath, the armored warrior casts it again.
(MOMUNOFU: ACID BREATH)
Meanwhile, you and Doppelganger are once again on the attack.
This time the Witch latches on to one of the pigtuar's arms, but seems to do so little damage that you're momentarily uncertain as to whether or not he even noticed.
That uncertainty fades when he proceeds to bite down on the Witch, ripping it off as the minor wound vanishes entirely.
(NUE ATTACKS: ZIODYNE: 10)
(PIGTUAR REACTS: 20)
Nue attempts to capitalize on the pigtuar's distraction, only for him to throw the Witch right into the path of the oncoming lightning bolt...
(IMMUNITY DISCOVERED ON WITCH: LIGHTNING)
Fortunately (as strange as it feels to call this that), the Witch seems to be completely unharmed as it lands on the ground once again.
"Buono, buono!" the pigtuar yells in frustration.
(PIGTUAR: DEKUNDA)
(MOMUNOFU: ACID BREATH)
Once again, the pigtuar's attempt at negating Momunofu's debuff is countered by Momunofu reapplying it, but you know that Momunofu doesn't have the casting stamina to do that again... or anything else, really.
Nevertheless, Nue takes the opportunity to fire off another bolt of lightning, Doppelganger following up with another strike to the pigtuar's flank, the two attacks causing him to squeal in pain... only for the pitch to shift into something you don't recognize.
(PIGTUAR: GROCERY RUN)
From out of the fruit-trees, four dark-skinned pigs, much smaller than the pigtuar but still rather large, rush out into the clearing... with the Witch immediately leaping at one of them.
(WITCH ATTACKS: CONSUME: 12)
The pig in question looks up in surprise before being swallowed whole, many of the Witch's wounds fading as it gulps the unfortunate Demon down.
(WITCH HEALS 109 HP)
Now, while you aren't trying to kill this Witch just yet, you're pretty sure that letting it heal that much is a bad idea, so with that in mind...
You rush into the center of the pigs and spin, toxic energy flying from the blade of your sword at the three remaining pigs and the pigtuar.
(PIGTUAR CANNOT BE DIRECTLY POISONED)
(PIG 1 END ROLL: 10+1)
(PIG 2 END ROLL: 3+1)
(PIG 3 END ROLL: 18+1)
Two of the pigs make ill-sounding squeals as the poison takes effect, but the third stands (relatively) strong.
Then you see the pigtuar charging right at you.
(PIGTUAR: BINGE EATING)
Rather than strike at you, however, he instead starts sucking in air, and you briefly consider stabbing your sword into the ground to anchor yourself before realizing he's not aiming for you. Rather, one of the pigs you've poisoned lifts off from the ground and is pulled right into the pigtuar's maw...
(PIGTUAR HEALS 69 HP)
... and then the pigtuar suddenly looks very ill.
(PIGTUAR IS POISONED)
"Buuuooonooo..."
"The enemy appears to be suffering from food poisoning," your sword quips. "Perhaps he can be afflicted with other maladies as well."
You just barely stop yourself from physically nodding in agreement as you swap Momunofu for Virtue.
The lightning bolt strikes the pigtuar in the back and nearly throws him on top of you, but he manages to stay on his feet and takes another swing at you with his rod.
You just barely manage to cast Tarukaja before the pigtuar once again takes a swing at you with his rod, and, not having time to dodge, you raise one arm to mitigate the damage by letting it hit your forearm instead of your head.
(SAYAKA TAKES 11 DAMAGE)
(SAYAKA RETALIATES: 15)
You then grip the hilt of your sword with both hands again and take one final swing.
(DAMAGE: (5+8+35))
(TOTAL: 189)
Your sword cuts clean through the pigtuar's neck, and his head sails into the air, his body falling to the ground before dissolving into Magatsuhi.
You hear movement behind you, and you aren't quite quick enough to dodge as the Witch attempts to bite your arm off, 'fangs' scraping across the shoulder that the pigtuar had previously slashed with his claws.
(SAYAKA RETALIATES: 18)
As the Witch rears back to strike again, you grip your sword and whirl around, countering the second attack with one of your own.
(DAMAGE: (10+10+35))
(TOTAL: 124)
You get a good hit in, too, one of the Witch's lower 'fangs' being sliced off almost down to the 'gumline'.
Light fills your vision as the final blow lands and the Labyrinth fades, and the next thing you know, you're back in the... normal, for lack of a better word, world.
"You... You won?"
Glancing to your right, you see the bird Demon from earlier standing there. Honestly, you'd forgotten about him.
"Yeah, we did," you say, looking away and scanning the area for... "Hey, where's the Soul Gem?"
You and your Demons quickly search the immediate area, but the colorful gemstone proves elusive, and you're starting to freak out. Did you do something wrong? Is that poor girl lost forever because you screwed-
"Miss Miki? Is something wrong?"
You look up from your search and see Oriko and Kirika.
"Hey, are you okay?" Kirika asks, looking at your shoulder. "You're kinda bleeding."
"What?" you ask, before you remember the blows you'd taken to your shoulder. "Oh, yeah, it's just a scratch. Nothing to worry about," you reassure her, casting Diarama on yourself. Honestly, you'd forgotten about that. Did that attack the pigtuar hit you with have some kind of numbing effect?
(SAYAKA WAS HEALED)
"What are you two doing here?" you ask.
"I had a vision showing me that a Mitama will be here in a few minutes," Oriko says. "But nevermind that right now. You seem... quite distressed."
"It's that obvious, huh?" you ask, trying to sound sheepish but otherwise calm. "... I just fought a Witch," you admit after a pause, "and Virtue finished it with a Hamaon, but I can't find the Soul Gem, or even a Grief Seed!" Your voice starts rising towards the end, your panic seeping through. "Did I mess up!? Is-"
"Miss Miki, stop!" Oriko cuts you off. "Breath."
You take several sharp, deep breaths, trying to calm down and not entirely succeeding.
"Now then," Oriko begins. "Hmm... This is just a hypothesis, but... Miss Miki, how much do you know about the origins of Witches?"
"How much do I- Oriko, you were there when we told Madoka and Hitomi!" you exclaim in disbelief at the question.
"'Beyond'?" you repeat, confused. "You mean there's more!?"
Oriko sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Yes, Miss Miki, there is," she says tiredly. "As we covered with Miss Kaname and Miss Shizuki, Witches are born when a Magical Girl's Soul Gem becomes filled with impurities. What we did not cover is that their Familiars can leave their Labyrinths and grow into duplicates of the original Witch if given enough time and people to kill."
"I see," you say in acknowledgement. "But what does that have to do with this?"
Oriko places a hand on her chin thoughtfully. "I suspect, though I currently have no way to confirm this, that the Witch you fought was one such ascended Familiar, and as such it was unable to revert to a Soul Gem because it never was a Soul Gem in the first place."
"Ohhh," you say, comprehension dawning. "And I'm guessing that also means that Virtue's attack just flat out erased the Grief Seed entirely," you guess.
"Most likely," Oriko agrees.
"Hey, Sayaka!" Kirika says suddenly. "One of your Demons is trying to sneak away!"
You turn, and sure enough, you see the bird Demon doing his equivalent of tip-toeing as he tries to leave without being noticed.
"Oh, don't you go anywhere," you order, and he stops dead in his tracks, one foot still in the air.
"I assume that's not actually your Demon," Oriko guesses.
"Yeah, I found him in the Labyrinth," you explain. "He and a few others were rounding up Familiars so their boss could eat them."
"I see," Oriko says in acknowledgement. "And what do you plan to do with him now?"
"I-I'll give you anything you want!" the Demon declares, clearly terrified. "Macca! Items! I'll even become your Demon if you like! Just don't kill me, I'm begging you!"
"Hmm..." You don't think you really need this Demon, but then a thought occurs to you. "Hey, Oriko," you begin. "You have the Demon Summoning Program, right?"
"As a matter of fact, I do," Oriko confirms. "Although I have yet to obtain any Demons to summon with it."
"Well, how would you like this one?" you ask.
"That would be one place to start," Oriko says. "Very well, I accept."
"You heard her," you say to the Demon.
"Yes, yes, thank you, young Summoner, and you, Mistress," the Demon says, calming down somewhat. He then bows and adds, "I am Fallen Halphas, and I am at your service."
"Welcome to the Cathedral of Shadows, where Demons gather," Mido greets you later that evening.
"Hey, Mido," you greet back, registering your Demons in the Compendium.
"You seem to have unlocked the ability to perform a special fusion!" Mido notes, sounding excited. "If you fuse Macabre, Momunofu and Doppelganger, you can create Horkos!"
"Horkos, huh?" you say. "Sounds good to me."
"What skills would you like to pass on?" Mido asks.
"Charge, Berserker God, and Fog Breath, thanks!" you say, before something Yumi once told you drifts across your mind and you pull out some Magnetite cubes. "Oh, and can you use these to upgrade Berserker God?"
Mido counts out the MAG as you place it down next to his computer, then nods. "Yes, you have enough!" Without further ado, Mido begins the Fusion and-
(FUSION ROLL: N/A)
"BUONO, BUONO!!!"
"OH, NOT YOU AGAIN!!!"
The Witch of Table Scraps. She constantly prowls her Labyrinth for anything edible, immediately attempting to devour whatever she finds without regard for what it is, but no matter how much she consumes, she continues to Starve.
Stats:
- HP: ??? (was down to 328 when Sayaka arrived due to Horkos, then regenerated to a high of 468 during the fight, but probably didn't reach Max HP)
- MP: ???
- STR: 26
- DEX: 18
- END: 21
- AGL: 24
- INT: ? (modifier is -2)
- CHR: N/A
- LUK: 15
Skills:
- Consume: Light Physical damage to one target. Absorb half damage dealt. When used on one of Karla's Familiars or one of the Katakirauwas summoned by Horkos's Grocery Run, instead functions identically to Horkos's Binge Eating
- Chomp: Moderate Physical damage to one target
- Frenzied Bites: Light Physical damage to random targets, makes 1d4 attacks
Minions of the Witch of Table Scraps. They wander the Labyrinth, attempting to avoid their mistress lest they be eaten in her vain attempts at sating her never-ending hunger.
While it didn't come up within the Omake, Karla and its Familiars have a weakness to Fire and a resistance to Ice, as well as the presumed-to-be-standardized-for-Witches reaction to Dark. Karla also has a general immunity to Status Ailments.
In case it wasn't clear from the description, Karla's Nature is Starving.
Cheryls are made out of various fruits and vegetables, while Hamptons are made out of meat (of the kind humans would normally eat, such as pork and beef) and occasionally have visible bones. They both have the Duty of Being Consumed.
"Buster Sword": 2d12+STR
Firstly, I primarily drew from his boss version in Strange Journey, albeit with some alterations to how Grocery Run works (which I will come back to in a moment). I also gave him two actions per round of combat to make him able to put up at least a bit more of a fight as a boss.
Secondly, I chose to give him access to Hades Blast as per the playable version having that as a D-Source Skill, but he never got around to using it, at first because he wasn't taking things seriously (hence his use of Air Dive), then because he found out the hard way that Doppelganger Repels Physical, making Hades Blast a bad idea.
Thirdly, I altered both how Grocery Run works and (probably) how he uses it and Binge Eating. Grocery Run now summons four Katakirauwas rather than one, but he only uses it after falling to 50% HP or lower, after which he uses Grocery Run as his second action, then prioritizes Binge Eating until he either runs out of Katakirauwas or gets his HP back up to 51% or higher.
I've had this rattling around in my brain since around our conversation with Hitomi in the park, because I realized that Momunofu would be a great Demon for Sayaka to pick up due to natively having Berserker God and Charge and being able inherit both Tarukaja and Acid Breath with the right fusion chain, and Macabre would be a decent pick up as well for the elemental coverage for hunting Mitamas (the idea being that we would loan her some cash so she could fuse a team of demons that would give her access to all elements as well as healing, then she would go hunting for Mitamas with Oriko to get the funds to pay us back), and then I subsequently found out that Horkos is Special Fused using Doppelganger, Momunofu and Macabre and would make a fantastic way for Sayaka to get early access to Hades Blast and (with a bit of Magnetite) Mortal Jihad, which led to the punchline of this Omake; Sayaka fusing Horkos after defeating him in a boss battle.
Later, it occurred to me that of course Horkos would turn up in a food-themed Labyrinth, and with Charlotte unavailable, that meant I had to get creative, which led to Karla, whose name started with me getting the name "Carolina" stuck in my head (I think I had Carola drifting around in my subconscious), and from there I remembered how the Madoka franchise likes to use German, so I went looking for the nearest German equivalent to that name that I could find.
I did not actually factor in the damage Yamawaro (AKA One-Eye) and Horkos took from being poisoned because I don't know how much damage that actually does, though I'm assuming it would not be enough to meaningfully alter the progression of the fights.
I chose to make Sayaka's sword as powerful as I did because I felt it needs to have something going for it to justify the STR requirement of 32 in order to use it, but at the same time I am making no assumptions regarding any effects it may have or be capable of obtaining beyond direct damage, at least for the purposes of this Omake.
