This isn't the best team for a full brawl, but it could manage. Homura and Oriko handle range reasonably well, and Sayaka and Kirika are strong at melee. Sayaka is a weak link at the moment. I forget that the sword doesn't really boost her body. On the other hand, it seemed she had traced some pretty strong weapon options before, so she should be reasonably solid on offense.
Homura sucks at stealth. (4/100). I wouldn't expect Sayaka to be much higher. I have a vague feeling that Kirika might actually be pretty good at stealth, and Oriko is always good at avoiding being noticed. Sneaking through would be purely a matter of luck.
I'd like to avoid burning grief, but am willing to go that way if people want to avoid the other options.
For the moment, I'll vote for the Kyouko plan:
[X] Charge in. You will be spotted and attacked, but hopefully you can cut a path and find the door before you are overwhelmed.
It'll depend a lot on speed, and how well Kirika and Sayaka can shred shrubbery.
And I blame Kinematics, because of Kirika and Shred being in the same sentence made this happen for some reason. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.
Homura with a higher Mechanics and Magic skill: *Creates large clockwork gear under Kirika*
Kirika: "Eh?"
Oriko: *Looks confused for a second before burying her face in her hands* "I don't know who's sanity to question, because it will work."
Homura: *ignores Oriko and sets Kirika up in a T-pose on top the gear* "T-pose for Dominance plus Spin to Win equals..."
Kirika: *turns into a buzzsaw going through everything* "AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!"
Homura: *Nods and follows* "Murder blender."
Sayaka: "... What just happened? Is that normal?"
Oriko: *Picks up Sayaka and follows as well* "No. Though I'm beginning to suspect that may be Homura's normal. Which is frightening for all the reasons. All of them."
The Kusanagi no Tsurugi? Now that I think about it...that probably would be rather effective here... Though I'd prefer not to find and fight an 8 headed snake dragon to get the sword.
And after double-checking stealth, yeah, not a good option. And Homura's Grief isn't that high, but it is above 50% which makes large Grief expenditures problematic, especially if Sachiel's Seed only has 1 charge left.
I also think Sayaka might be getting a bit antsy for some action and/or something she can do to help after that climb. She's the gung-ho action first thinking later type and I see her getting frustrated easily if there's nothing for her to do. While there should be something for her to do once we find Gertrude, better to get a good look at how much she's improved with her self training, and how much she lost from her self-inflicted brain damage now before we get to the real battle.
[X] Charge in. You will be spotted and attacked, but hopefully you can cut a path and find the door before you are overwhelmed.
The Kusanagi no Tsurugi? Now that I think about it...that probably would be rather effective here... Though I'd prefer not to find and fight an 8 headed snake dragon to get the sword.
The Sword and Shield were both lost a long time ago, though with PMMM being what it is I imagine they got them back because someone might have wished for them to be found really.
I wonder if there is anything special about them though... I could see arguments both for and against honestly.
Last I heard, the status of the Kusanagi was in question by scholars. It was allegedly recovered and enshrined as one of Japan's three national treasures, but no one is ever really allowed to see them so it can't be verified that it is the right sword, or even the right style of sword.
QM Note: With the holidays behind us and life back to the regular routine, it's time to get this moving again. Hope you enjoy it!
[ ] Charge in. You will be spotted and attacked, but hopefully you can cut a path and find the door before you are overwhelmed.
"A direct assault. We wouldn't want to be ambushed while attempting to move stealthily; at least we'll be ready, this way."
Oriko turns to face you, eyebrows rising, "Are you certain that's a good idea? We will potentially be wasting a great amount of magic, guaranteeing conflict, and revealing our abilities to the Witch."
You frown, considering it, "…That's true, but we also don't have any experience battling as a group. Learning how to work together now, before we confront the Witch's main body, may save us in the long run."
Oriko's eyes narrow, and she cuts a glance at Sayaka, who stands with Kirika a short distance away, keeping watch. You nod minutely, and she grimaces, "A reasonable concern. I am not sure this is wise, but I will trust your judgement."
You quickly draw a pair of machine guns--the best option you have for mowing down familiars at range--and head up to Kirika and Sayaka. Oriko follows, orbs beginning to glow faintly.
"We're breaking through." You declare, drawing their attention in an instant.
Kirika perks up, "Sounds crazy! Let's do it! Err…that okay, Oriko?" At her girlfriend's slightly hesitant nod, Kirika flourishes her claws, a wide, bloodthirsty smile tearing its way across her face.
Black magic--you have no idea why it doesn't match her yellow soul gem--pours over her body, and her flesh and clothing seem to melt and bubble under its touch, flowing and reforming over the course of moments, her limbs gaining both muscle and length, leaving her form disturbingly stretched-looking. Her teeth sharpen fracture, dissolve, and reflow into a mouth full of points, even as she flexes her arms back and forth, the elbows swinging both forwards and backwards as she does so.
"Ahaha! Feels good to be me again, Oriko-chan!" She looks at her claws contemplatively, and they seem to swell and strain before splitting into five claws per hand, each larger, longer, and crueler than those she normally wields, "Much better. I'll tear them all up for you, don't worry. I won't leave any alive."
Sayaka, staring with wide eyes, turns to you and opens a line of telepathy, 'What the hell?'
'I don't know either. I'll need to talk to Oriko, later. This okay with you?'
She hesitates, understandably, 'Assuming we can trust her, I'm okay with the assault, if you really think it's best. Em--the memories are telling me that moving quietly and eliminating them without being detected is the better move, but you know Witches better than I do.'
'Alright. Get your sword ready.' You order.
She nods and closes her eyes briefly. Her sword shifts and lengthens, becoming a pale, hiltless straight sword. Something about it seems familiar, but you can't quite place it.
"On three, we run. Watch for doors; we'll need to get out of here as quick as possible, before we're overwhelmed. They will not stop coming."
The other three nod, and you count down, speaking at exactly the end of each second.
"One." You check your weapons' safeties. They're off, as they should be.
"Two." Kirika steps up to the corner, seemingly struggling to hold herself back.
"Three." Kirika bursts into motion, the rest of your following close behind as you barrel through the maze, but you only make it a few steps before you hear a blaring noise, a many-eyed creature emerging from one of the hedges and vocalizing the sound of a security alarm.
You quickly shoot the floating familiar down before anyone else needs to, and turn your focus back to searching for a door, hoping the response from the other defenses will be slow. Unfortunately, you find nothing except what you feared--a horde of familiars barreling down the halls of the maze, massed, stacked atop and falling over each over in their rush to kill you. There are too many to get a clear count at a glance, but you'd guess there's at least fifty of Gertrud's small, puffball-like minions, supported by maybe half that number of the flying creatures.
Kirika's distorted form hits them like a bowling ball, claws lashing out in wild, but uncannily accurate attacks--in fact, looking closely, you can see each claw moving independently, the ten blades twisting and arcing out to impale an equal number of the ground-locked minions, before Kirika scatters their substance messily across the surroundings with a grotesque flick of her arms.
"What's with the moustaches?! You wanted an old man to come protect you?! Even though you were a Magical Girl!? Pathetic!!!" Kirika howls out into the barrier, and all of the familiars turn, focusing on her as one as Gertrud grows angry.
Ignoring Kirika's ranting, you follow up with , supporting from her from range as you open fire with both of your machine guns, each bullet finding and ending a target.
By the time Oriko's orbs alight with her power, and streaking lasers begin to be paint death upon the enemy, they're already nearly halved, the shears-wielding minions thoroughly devastated. Oriko's rays are merciless, seeking out half a dozen of the flying familiars and wiping shattering them in bursts of light.
Finally, lagging slightly behind Kirika, Sayaka manages to close with the enemy, swinging that strangely familiar sword about her, the blade cutting beyond its apparent reach as it scythes through familiars it reaches with ease, although several manage to deflect the attack with their shears, leaving only three dead.
And then two of the gardeners are upon you, having closed the gap in only a brief moment, shears cutting at you, trying to pierce and sever you…but, sadly for them, they're not much of a threat to you, and you knock both away with a swing of your shield before popping bullets into each of them and turning your attention to the flying familiars. Nearby, you see everyone, even Sayaka, drive back their attackers and counterattack, slaughtering the rest of the gardeners and leaving only the watchers to deal with.
Sadly, those Watchers are clearer headed on the Gardeners, and unite to swarm Sayaka, having recognized her as the weakest link in your team. They crash down upon her, slamming into her in simple but brutal charges. She does her best to raise her sword and defend herself, but there are too many, and they get past her guard.
In an instant, there's a bright flash, as she does something to her clothing and sets it glowing brightly…only for it to fall apart, large tears opening up in her school uniform as whatever she did backfires.
That's when the Watchers hit, slamming into her repeatedly as a sickening crack cuts through the air. Sayaka lets out an agonized scream, and the world goes grey around you.
You glance down at your shield, which your hand is grasping, for only an instant. You don't clearly remember turning it, but you have, and now you can protect Sayaka.
It takes you only moments to gun down the rest of the familiars, and get close to scoop her up, the girl coming into stark color as you do so. She's panting, clearly in a great amount of pain, and you find yourself thanking Kyubey for giving Magical Girls the ability to ignore pain…because, right now, Sayaka barely seems aware. If you weren't here, you know that one hit would have meant her death.
Looking her over, you don't see any bloody wounds--just a dozen broken bones. If she didn't know a Magical Girl, she would be in the hospital for weeks, and might never fully recover.
As it is, you begin healing her and drop Time Stop, waving your companions over, "Cover us! Sayaka can't move like this!"
Oriko nods firmly, and looks to Kirika. The girl grimaces and nods, and blackness flows over her again, her body reflowing itself as before, but this time into a more natural structure--her limbs return to their normal length, but her entire form seems to bulk up slightly, and a pattern begins to appear slowly, irregularly across her flesh…scales, or something like them. Her claws recede up her arms, becoming bulky gauntlets, and she looks you in the eyes, her gaze focused and calm.
"Don't worry, I'll keep you all safe. Focus on healing Sayaka. I won't let you down." Her voice has changed, deepening slightly and losing the feral edge it previously carried. You find yourself wanting to trust her, although you have the good sense to remain wary anyway.
Nevertheless, you nod and focus on healing while Kirika takes up a position nearby, back to you as she prepares for any attackers. Nearby, Oriko stands, eyes closed, doubtlessly trying to detect the enemy before they arrive.
You, however, pay them little mind, instead trying to make this clumsy healing of yours work, but finding it too slow. Desperate, you try to create something new, a better healing spell…
…but have little success. Healing just isn't coming naturally to you, and you'll have to make do with what you have. You focus on getting the job done, hoping Oriko and Kirika can handle the rest.
"To the right!" Oriko calls out, and you hear Kirika kick off. You glance over for a bare instant to see, Kirika in close melee with a larger, heavily armored variant on the gardener familiars you saw before. It meets her in melee and lands a clean strike, but its shears are deflected off Kirika's apparent scales, and the girl quickly lays into it with her fists, crushing its body and kicking what remains into the distance.
Turning back to your work, you finish healing her collarbone and turn your attention to her hip. Your medical knowledge, combined with a clear look at the injury, tells you it's partially shattered, and likely wouldn't heal properly without magic.
Sayaka stares up at you blearily, eyes slowly regaining some measure of focus, "Homura…" She tries to smile, but grimaces instead as a bone fragment snaps back into position, "Ah! Ah…hah…can I walk?"
"Above!" You hear a loud grunt, and feel the air as Kirika sprints close and leaps upwards to meet whatever was descending upon your team, but ignore it for the moment in favor of finishing the healing on Sayaka's hip.
"We need to move, Akemi-san. Another horde will arrive soon."
You begin to argue, but Sayaka jerks up in your hands, pulling herself to her feet. You, reluctantly, assist, explaining her wounds to her, "You've got several cracked bones still, but nothing's snapped. You can run, but stay close."
She nods, bites her lip, and begins running in the direction you were going before. You keep pace, Oriko taking up the rear as Kirika charges into the front to take the brunt of whatever might come.
You need to find the exit.
You hunt for it as well as you can, trying eyes sharp and alert as you periodically query Oriko for guidance, but, before either of you can find the exit, she calls out to you suddenly.
"They'll have us in a pincer."
You grimace, "Sayaka. Stay in the center. Kirika, take point. Oriko, support at range. I will watch our backs."
Everyone falls into position, albeit reluctantly in Sayaka's case, and Oriko's prediction comes true moments later, as two hordes close in on your team from the front and back.
Kirika, still in her more defensive form from earlier, charges the horde you've assigned her to, while you quickly open fire on the horde in front of you…but the familiars are prepared, this time.
Several of the small familiars you'd previously thought of as gardeners step forward. They wear crude approximations of security uniforms, with black hats and modern body armor hanging loosely off their bodies, and wield large riot shields, marked with roses. As you fire off your weapons upon the group, these new familiars charge to the front and put themselves between you and their fellows, raising their shields.
The shields manage to eat two bullets each before shattering, leaving the horde unharmed, to your frustration.
Behind you, you hear a heavy grunt from Kirika, and she calls out, "The Witch is enhancing them! Even the weakest are stronger than those we faced before!"
You're in a tight spot. You can stop time, and get all of you through the maze, but you'll burn a tremendous amount of magic.
You reach for your shield anyway, but are cut off by the sound of footsteps behind your back, and Sayaka's voice screaming out a name.
"Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi!"
You turn just in time to see the sword in her hands ignite with red-orange flame, before she swings it forward in a wide arc.
The familiars burn easily, vanishing utterly under the fire, and you take the opportunity she's given you, taking off at a sprint in that direction, "Well done, Sayaka. Everyone, hurry!"
Oriko and Kirika set off immediately, and you quickly scoop Sayaka into your arms--with her injuries, you'll lose less time carrying her than having her try to keep up, and she's looking unsteady on her feet after that attack.
"Hey, I can--eep!" Sayaka, holding the legendary sword tightly, starts to protest your help, but cuts off with a squeak as you glare fiercely at the girl in your arms.
"If you trip, you will die." You explain, "I'd rather not lose you."
She smiles slightly at that, and nods, "Oh, alright. Just don't get yourself killed over me."
You nod--you hate it, but you and your shield are the most valuable things here--and begin the search for the door anew.
Fortunately, you soon hear a call from up ahead, courtesy of Oriko.
"Right, Kirika!"
The dark-haired girl immediately turns right, and Oriko follows. You are only moments behind--although, unfortunately, you can hear the horde of familiars behind you growing closer.
But, as you turn the corner, you find a large pair of sliding double doors, already being pulled forcibly open by Kirika, who holds it wide as Oriko slips in around her girlfriend.
Kirika sees the two of you coming, and smiles slightly, "Do not worry, I will hold fast! Hurry!"
Ignoring the weird personality changes, you nod and go into a sliding dive, slipping under Kirika's arms and through the doors, Sayaka still safely in your grip. Moments later, you hear a loud bang as Kirika throws herself inside and the doors slam violently shut behind her.
Looking around, you take stock of the situation. You're in a massive hallway, lined with portraits of a man with a moustache--as you stare at one of them, though, you see the image shimmer faintly, and you can make out a concealed portrait of her father's real face, hidden behind the façade.
Glancing back at the doors you came in through, you don't hear any sounds of banging--the familiars must not be willing to pursue you this far.
You could try to get back out still--you'd need to abuse Time Stop, but it might be best, with Sayaka's injuries. On the other hand, you'll need the Grief Seed from Gertrud to make up for the magic you've used already, and leaving a Witch like Getrud on the loose is a problem for the city.
You hear the faint sound of heavy footsteps--more guards. You don't think attacking them head on will be best, if you can avoid it. The ones in the last room were dangerous enough, and these are likely to be stronger still, with how Witches usually layer their labyrinths. On top of that, the Witch will adapt to whatever she sees you use on the way in--she'll probably already have a counter for Sayaka's fire, at this point.
[CENTER OF THE MIND]
Time: 8:24:12 P.M.
Date: Sunday, March 20th
Grief: 689/1000
Sanity: 375/1000
Stability Multiplier: 1.0
[ ] Attack the Familiars and force your way through. Homura thinks this is a bad idea, at this point.
[ ] Try to be stealthy. Between careful use of Time Stop and Oriko's foresight, Homura thinks this might work.
[ ] Try to get out of here. Going deeper is very dangerous, but a Grief Seed from Gertrud would go a long way.
I'm going to wait a little bit, see where discussion goes. On the one hand, we do need that Grief Seed sooner rather than later, and this whole thing started as a mission to save Akagi. Leaving now when we are unable to give proper closer to this situation feels wrong. However, Sayaka definitively needs attention and is going to be minimal help and potentially be a major problem trying to cover her in a battle against the Witch. Though if she can use the Kusanagi again that would be helpful, but I wouldn't push it.
So really, torn between attempting stealth and just leaving and can't yet decide.
As a rule, "normal" Witches are never going to be found by pursuing major plot events. You need to go hunting like you did after the fight with the Clara Doll, if you want something easier to kill for Grief Seeds.
Hello! I'm new to Sufficient Velocity (Before registering, I only read PMAS and this Quest), but I'd like to try and contribute.
Or at least, get notifications. I'm hoping that I'll also manage to be a helpful contributor. Either way, I do like PMMM and Type-Moon, so I'm looking forward to the Quest continuing!
Okay, so there should be sufficient warning for Time Stop activation. If the barrier is interfering more as we go, then we should not rule out a lack of precognition when we actually encounter Gertrude.
