Meguca 3.4: Fight the Knight (and Burn the City)

[16:48] <Genshuku> THE YEAR IS 20XX
[16:49] <Genshuku> SOMEONE TOOK THE CHALLENGE. ICICLE MOUNTAIN. ITEM FREQUENCY MAXIMUM.
[16:49] <Genshuku> THEY NEVER STOOD A CHANCE.
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[16:51] * ChanServ sets mode: +ao Hayasaka_Kumiko Hayasaka_Kumiko
[16:54] <Genshuku> ...In their efforts to lose the knight (who turned out to actually be the knight, much to Hayasaka's exasperation), the party had flown quite far. ...And Miyu had not shortly joined them.
[16:55] <Genshuku> While some people might know how this tale ends, these girls are entirely unawares! In their efforts to make up for this mistake, they attempt to rejoin Miyu, hastily.
[16:55] <Genshuku> If they'd like to have a chat as they go, they may feel free! Flying does not particularly physically wind them, so it's perfectly fine to waste your breath!
[16:58] * Kasuga_Makoto didn't seem to want to say much of anything. She was cursing herself for turning tail like that...she couldn't turned back at any time. Assuming getting the new girl out of danger was her first mistake. Not turning back to save her teammate was the second. "...We'll catch up with her, soon, I'm sure of it! She's...she HAS to be somewhere!"
[16:59] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko was... oddly silent. Well that's because she was looking back. With her powers this time!
[17:00] * %Matsubara_Hotaru is starting to feel some regret for leaving Miyu behind as well. "I don't know what to say about ourselves if we really end up leaving Miyu to die. I really do hope she'll be fine. She's... the most powerful one on our side after all, right?!"
[17:02] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...For our sakes, I hope so. If we fail...her fate might even be worse than death. I just... get this feeling about what that monster...told us..."
[17:02] * Kasuga_Makoto eventually goes silent after musing this, flying along, ahead of the others. It seems she wasn't in the mood to talk much, anymore.
[17:09] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> And Kumiko sees... two heat signatures! One is familar... that of her old frenzied friend... the other smaller one... that's probably Miyu! She looks... her body seems to be unstable! Like it's about to blow!
[17:09] <Genshuku> Hey!
[17:09] <Genshuku> Stop that!
[17:09] <Genshuku> You don't get to fluff that!
[17:09] * Genshuku comes from the fourth wall solely to beat the line down!
[17:10] <Genshuku> Er-hem.
[17:11] <Genshuku> ...Alas, while talking IS possible, the mood weighs upon them like a sack of bricks. It does not get better when Kumiko turns on her infared vision, for among the many sources of heat a city would normally provide, there's one thing that she can see clearly: a large sphere in which your vision cannot penetrate (but can recognize), a sphere so uniform it couldn't be anything but a youma's barrier. ...It seems youma barriers are warm, almost as if they're alive. A scary thought to be had amongst many others...but since it's up, it means there's a youma fighting something in there.
[17:13] <Genshuku> ...OK, it MIGHT be better! It means there's someone alive in there getting beat down savagely, probably. Your old friend, while a protecting sort of person, did not skimp out on the beatdowns, especially when pressured.
[17:18] <Genshuku> ...But then, you see something else. Well, not you specifically.
[17:21] <Genshuku> Everyone sees it. A familiar, brilliant light that they had been caught in earlier, though from a much safer distance. A light that shatters the barrier that only Kumiko can properly see, destroying all in its wake. A light that grows large...then stops suddenly, and if you look at it carefully, you could swear it faded downwards when it goes.
[17:21] <Genshuku> The magical feedback kind of reboots Kumiko's normal vision once the explosion fades. What a time to go out, huh?
[17:23] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko's eyes shut without her wanting to.... that was bright... too bright... too unnatural... this can't be good.
[17:24] <Genshuku> Kumiko hadn't properly seen this, she was too busy going in the opposite direction, so it seems quite unnatural indeed! The others DEFINITELY saw that before.
[17:25] <Genshuku> ...though they were caught inside last time. That was messy.
[17:25] * Kasuga_Makoto turns away slightly, but tries to watch as the flash happens, still a little shocked by what's going on. She can't quite make sense of it, but she seems incredibly troubled by what it might mean for those inside... "...Was that-?" She struggles for words... "It can't be..."
[17:32] <Genshuku> ...She survived the last time she did that, r-right? In those hearts that stretch for hope, she might still be OK...however, after a bit less than a minute, you hear a familiar crashing noise.
[17:32] <Genshuku> It comes. Do you prepare?
[17:35] * %Matsubara_Hotaru is left speechless as she is unable to convey words. All she can think of is the worst case scenario, so her confidence about Miyu's survival shot down. After hearing that crashing noise, tries to prepare herself for the worst and possibly having to fight the Knight real soon.
[17:36] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> "You two look like you know something." Hayasaka_Kumiko said. "What exactly is that explosion?"
[17:36] * Kasuga_Makoto takes a moment to look for the source of the noise. She knows something's coming. It may be the knight, or it may be worse. But still, something was coming. More importantly, she prepares herself, activating her grimoire as it floats along beside her. She's ready to strike, incase the enemy decides to attack out of nowhere...
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[17:39] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...It's a form of magical discharge. I think...we were caught up in one, last time, while following you."
[17:39] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...And that can't at all be good. I hope you're ready..."
[17:41] <Genshuku> Crash. CRASH. CRASH.
[17:43] <Genshuku> And then, it comes. The source of the crashing is revealed to be the knight cutting down buildings with a sword and smashing the cut up buildings with its shield, wasting no time as it makes a relentless advance. It notices Kumiko, and you could swear you hear a noise. It knows who she is...and it wants to cut her down.
[17:44] <Genshuku> ...Not a single part of this knight is spotted with blood, but it looks fairly damaged itself.
[17:44] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> "Did that happen after the discharge as well?" Hayasaka_Kumiko said as she pointed at the trail of destruction.
[17:45] <%Matsubara_Hotaru> "D-Definitely not!" she shouted. "We must prepare ourselves now, something is headed our way!"
[17:47] <Kasuga_Makoto> "...We can't falter here!" Makoto declares! "No matter what happens, we can't fall victim to this youma..." Her eyes glimmer with an inner fire, her grimoire flipping through its countless pages...
[17:48] <Genshuku> Inner fires, outer fires, and fires that can barely burn...will they be able to trump the youma that stands before them? NEXT TIME...
[17:49] <Genshuku> ...which is right now!
[17:49] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko... well okay this group was weird. BUT SHE GOT READY ANYWAYS! Her handle materialized in her hands, and the whip of flame burst to life between her palms!
[17:55] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> She also takes the first step! Literally! She moves forward. "You've changed so much... I can't call you my companion any more." She glares at the knight. "The only thing I can grant you... is peace of mind."
[18:03] <Kasuga_Makoto> If she's taking the first, Makoto's taking the second step! She does exactly that, moving past her companions and getting into range. Once she's at a safe distance, she twists her hand back, allowing several tendrils of light to extend, whipping around the target! The vines, chains, what have you, would burrow into the damaged armour of the knight, inflicting damage over time!
[18:19] * %Matsubara_Hotaru decides to gets into range as well, knowing that her attacks are not long enough to hit from a longer distance. She attempts to attack the youma with her sword's ranged projectile, but unfortunately the attack fails to make any meaningful hit!
[18:20] <Genshuku> It hits the knights shield, and is repelled with excessive force! A perfect parry!
[18:20] * %Matsubara_Hotaru censored swearing.
[18:21] <Genshuku> It's more impressive, because it's feeling its wounds quite aggravated by these chains. And even so, it advances! Steadily.
[18:21] <Genshuku> ...With the sword hand, it...points the sword in the air?
[18:23] <Genshuku> ...It's a signal! ...Are those soldiers? ...Very dated soldiers, but clearly inhuman!
[18:24] <Genshuku> As they burst out of buildings, ones uncomfortably more close to Kumiko, it brings the sword down, creating an energy wave, and sends it directly at her!
[18:32] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Her bonds to her old friend must have lingered... for Kumiko found herself unable to move while she was being attacked! A middling blow... but a far greater blow to her psyche... this girl... was really not her friend any more... Kumiko noted as she grit her teeth
[18:33] <Genshuku> On impact, you can feel that the knight...was not entirely without the powers that both of their old friends have had. A barrier surrounds it. It's...not quite as potent, maybe? But it's definitely there.
[18:34] <Genshuku> At the very least, the chains begin to tug...!
[18:34] <Genshuku> ...And they don't really care about the barrier around it!
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[18:41] <Genshuku> The soldiers take aim from their buildings...
[18:41] <Genshuku> ...and they all fire upon Kumiko at once!
[18:51] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Kumiko managed to parry away two of the annoying toy soldiers, but gets poked by the other two, resulting in her taking a fair bit of damage! However, with some effort, she calls upon her natural powers to recover her resolve from the subsequent attacks!
[19:24] * Kasuga_Makoto turns back to notice the minions all aiming for Kumiko! She temporarily diverts her attention from their leader. Her grimoire seems to react on its own, a pillar of light opening nearby and bathing her with a healthy, protective glow! It seems Kumiko's healing abilities might be that much stronger. Concentrating, she moves her arm forward, sweeping it in the direction of the nearest nest of minions, the glowin
[19:26] <Genshuku> g tendrils arcing and growing thicker, raking the area!
[19:28] <Genshuku> And rake they do! As Kumiko feels just that little bit more safer (which is nice, all considering), the things that had shot her en masse scream eldritch noises as they dissipate into the air, burned by the magical light!
[19:46] * %Matsubara_Hotaru realizing that Kumiko is in trouble, she decides to hex the knight to slowly reduce its health while putting higher priority towards the soldiers. She attacks but... then misses! Today is just not her day, huh?
[19:47] <Genshuku> It's not her day...but perhaps that might change! She at least realizes she'll have to get serious for this!
[19:47] <Genshuku> The knight, meanwhile, is ALREADY SERIOUS. It draws closer...and sees targets in its immediate area. If it's to advance...it must cut them down!
[19:48] <Genshuku> It swings at Makoto, blade darkening as it approaches!
[20:00] * %Matsubara_Hotaru then takes cover for Makoto! Fortunately, something goes well for once and she has successfully completely blocked the attack. Not only that, but she did not take any sort of damage.
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[20:03] <Genshuku> A cover likely involving magical elements, that ought probably be mentioned next time! You can hear a grunt in response to the antic! Definitely inhuman.
[20:05] <Genshuku> ...A grunt that...continues into a growl.
[20:05] <Genshuku> The visor of the youma's helmet glows red!
[20:06] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> With a powerful surge, Kumiko swung up her whip to the heavens ... and it lingered in the air for but a moment. "Explosion." Kumiko said as a rush of magic surged through her veins. A blinding light... not as powerful as the one she saw earlier... but still enough to cover the battlefield in a sea of flames.
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[20:09] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Following up, the tip of the whip arcs down and entangles itself around the knight before her, coiling it in red rippling chains.
[20:09] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> "Blast Bind!" she shouts as the chains make contact!
[20:10] <Genshuku> The chaos of battle reigns! As the youma undergoes a berserk fury, the city is ravaged with flame! Those soldiers that took refuge on the buildings fall, as the buildings themselves burn. Undoubtably, they'll collapse soon enough.
[20:10] <Genshuku> The youma...suffers EVEN MORE CHAINS, of a different order. But it seems no amount of chains can stop this thing from being FURIOUS.
[20:22] * %Matsubara_Hotaru hexes the knight once again for good measure and then decides to directly strike it as it is in her range! Unfortunately the knight counters, damaging Hotaru in the process. So much for that!
[20:27] <Genshuku> A shield bash! Wait, is that a normal shield or a greatshield? ...Whatever the case, that hurts! Thing was used to bash away weakened buildings, and bashing megucas isn't too far from that!
[20:33] <Genshuku> It follows up the shield bash with a horizontal swipe!
[20:56] <Kasuga_Makoto> Makoto concentrates while the knight's slowed down for the time being...only to find that, in her haste, her salvo of light-tendrils seem to tear right across the armour, but didn't really seem to do much to the raging target. She'll have to try harder, next time! She had no other choice, she'd have to do something right!
[20:57] <Genshuku> In response, it follows up by shooting dark orbs in the chaos...
[20:58] <Genshuku> ...and uses the distraction as another opportunity to make a stab at Hotaru!
[20:58] * Kasuga_Makoto takes a rather nasty hit by these projectiles as she tries to defend! It's just too much for her to hold off, and her guard's broken! She grits her teeth, but she'll stand again...
[21:03] <Genshuku> PIERCE.
[21:04] <Genshuku> It lifts the girl up with the sword, before flinging her off, down, to the ground below.
[21:04] <Genshuku> She untransforms on impact. Luckily, it's not burning down here!
[21:04] <Genshuku> Unlike what you'd expect, the red light fades...replaced by a blue barrier. Figures.
[21:05] <Genshuku> ...The chains constrict once more. It seems to be in pain.
[21:06] <Genshuku> Kumiko...is of the understanding that Sen (that's the knight) was A LOT MORE SCARIER when she's in pain.
[21:08] <Genshuku> Will that trait keep with the youma? You just don't know!
[21:08] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> She's a masochist you know!
[21:08] <Genshuku> *was
[21:08] <Genshuku> The youma does not seem to be enjoying itself.
[21:08] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Still is it seems!
[21:09] <Genshuku> Rather, it's just scary now.
[21:09] <Genshuku> You wonder if youmas can actually know joy!
[21:14] * %Matsubara_Hotaru is in massive pain and on the verge of losing conciousness at that! Is it truly the end of her?
[21:21] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> That looks bad! A wave of her whip and a lashing of love! Kumiko linked the souls of her companions together with a single motion, and surrounded them with soft, warm flames, reducing their fatigue and improving their morale! It had the side-effect of  healing their resolve as well for some reason but Kumiko never ever wasted time on figuring out why, and just did things!
[21:33] * %Matsubara_Hotaru is back on her feet! Realizing the situation, she quickly transforms back. She doesn't feel at her best, but she feels good enough to focus. Hopefully this will be her time to finally strike the knight?! She hexes the knight once again and then attempts another strike...! And the result is...
[21:34] * %Matsubara_Hotaru 's attack failed once again. Great! So much for that comeback, huh? On the bright side, she doesn't seem to be taking a hit this time...
[21:36] <Genshuku> Perhaps it's because it's not in a fury? The earlier liveliness contributed much to the pain, but now it's not quite as bad.
[22:25] <Kasuga_Makoto> Makoto feels as if something's inside her! It's burning up, and she seems to have a serious reaction to...well, something only she can see! Her grimoire opens up under her hand as if it's been wanting to do something for a while. This was it! The letters are buring in her mind! It hurts and sears at her flesh and it's enough to make her want to give up right there. But...no matter how much it hurt, she had to
[22:25] <Kasuga_Makoto>  show this youma as much pain as she could! This searing pain poured from her hands. She was pure, blazing light, ready to exterminate this dark knight! Makoto lets out a scream as chains and tendrils erupt from her, jabbing and weaving into the knight, emblazoned with burning letters from beyond time. Several of those dread sigils assembled in the air, blasting the knight full of their burning wrath. Makoto grit
[22:25] <Kasuga_Makoto>  her teeth and bore the pain, channeling all she had into it!
[22:28] * Kasuga_Makoto immediately tried to come back to her senses as the knight was subjected to a maelstrom of light and pain, riding out the last rush of the attack. It seems that this powerful blow had drained a lot of her power, but...she had just enough to back off and recover as it finished. Her new companion was a healer, right? Right?! Everything hurt...and she couldn't quite remember what happened.
[22:31] <Genshuku> ...And at once, a fearsome display! Everything up to this moment had honestly paled in comparison! But there it was! The pain was worse than she had expected, partially due to the barrier she had to crash through...but this was it! The moment of triumph! Or at least the moment that was a lot more triumphant than most of the ones previously! Ancient texts that she could not even understand entirely, carved upon the youma's armored...exterior? Sure! Exterior!
[22:31] <Genshuku> AN IMPRESSIVE IMPACT, so much that the youma falls immedia--no? It still floats? Oh. I see.
[22:31] <Genshuku> ...It's still floating, but yet barely so! Just a little more...!
[22:34] <Genshuku> ...But it yet resists!
[22:35] <Genshuku> It swings at the only target around, hoping to cleave them in two!
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[22:44] * %Matsubara_Hotaru has managed to block the attack successfully! Things are looking good now! Now perhaps she can finally inflict damage upon this youma? She attempts to strike...! But it failed. Oh well, gg, at least your team is winning and you're still alive.
[22:45] * %Matsubara_Hotaru then hexes the damn knight again as usual. Go figure, the poor girl never gets to inflict real damage otherwise. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
[23:16] <Kasuga_Makoto> On top of the hex, Makoto's newfound strength gives her a bit more confidence as well! She swing another swath of tendrils the knight's way, burning and lashing out, arcing into the knight's wounds and twisting into its armour! It burns into the previous markings, covering the knight in those flaming letters, unleashing a particularily painful type of suffering! The chains already around the knight constrict, threaten
[23:17] <Kasuga_Makoto> *swings
[23:18] <Genshuku> ing to tear it apart!
[23:24] <Genshuku> And twist they do! As it had pierced Hotaru, it itself was pierced...in a multitude of different kinds of ways. It writhes in pain, the visor almost humming red...but then, silence, as it stops struggling. When Makoto is done with her work, all it can do is dissolve in a purple mist, scattered across the winds...leaving behind not one, but TWO of the objects that have been dropped by youma prior. One glows a baleful red, chaotic in its nature, a bitter eternal struggle, the other glows a flickering white, a resolve that had borne too much to bear.
[23:24] <Genshuku> Had there been a Nightmare shield, it would have fallen apart, but at the end of the struggle, you can't help but notice that everything is on fire.
[23:25] <&Hayasaka_Kumiko> Whoops.
[23:35] <Genshuku> ...Seriously, everything's on fire. If Miyu ain't magical, that's some seriously bad news.
[23:39] * %Matsubara_Hotaru raises fist into the air, "Yes! We did it!" she shouted! But then soon after, she noticed everything is really on fire! "Oh... erm... what are we going to do?!"
[23:46] <Kasuga_Makoto> Makoto's still on guard, as everything's still horribly burning. She has a feeling it's not quite over yet. Aching, tired and confused, she's still wondering...is this really the end? "I...I don't know. But we have to collect ourselves and keep an eye out..."
[23:47] <Genshuku> Well, Makoto feels that it's certainly the end of that youma. ...And this particular part of the city. Magical fire is pretty effective, it seems!
[23:48] <Genshuku> Makoto can feel that more than everyone else, because she's the most tired of the bunch, and she managed to take hold of the two seeds.
[23:49] <Genshuku> ...That said, it doesn't seem that, even now, anything is coming for them. At least, not yet.
Session Time: Sat Jul 25 00:00:03 2015
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[00:09] <Genshuku> NEXT TIME
[00:09] <Genshuku> ON MEGUCA
[00:09] <Genshuku> :
[00:09] <Genshuku> ...OK, I DON'T ACTUALLY KNOW WHAT YOU GUYS ARE GONNA DO AT THIS POINT.
[00:10] <Genshuku> AND EVEN IF YOU WENT AND DID SOMETHING
[00:10] <Genshuku> I DON'T KNOW HOW WELL THE DICE WOULD LET YOU DO IT
[00:10] <Genshuku> SO YOU KNOW WHAT? SHRUG. THAT'S IT, THAT'S ALL THERE IS.
[00:11] <%Matsubara_Hotaru> LOL
[00:15] <Raitaki> YOU HANG OUT WITH HIBARI, OBVIOUSLY.
[00:15] <Raitaki> SHE'S VERY LONELY, Y'ALL.