Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 2, part 3

[Oldmansour]

>How do we do that again?

>When you've seen Lily's shield 'charged' before, it was by an enemy attack striking it. By that logic, it sounds like she's asking you to attack her.

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "Alright! We'll take it down together!"
>Try another Realization of Impermanence? But just enough to get her charged.

[Oldmansour]

>Nod. "Alright! We'll take it down together!"
>Try another Realization of Impermanence? But just enough to get her charged.

>Lily grins and nods as Chrysanthe's missiles fly. The batsnake seems more agile than its size would indicate, weaving and rolling around the majority of the metal. The demon, however, gave your newest partner too much material to work with, and proves unable to dodge them all. The second last metal missile strikes the batsnake in its body below where its wings meet its body, skewering the thing. The demon falters, and the last missile strikes it where one of your Scarlet light orbs hit it, this one striking the demon and disappearing.
>The demon's pained howl almost drowns out your invocation, and you employ the Scarlet light again, but only the bare minimum that you can. You want to charge Lily's shield, not pop it. A scant five globes of power fly forth from your scepter and strike Lily's leaf shield, the blonde girl wincing slightly at the impact. Your energy causes the big leaves circling her to change to a matching red.
>"I think just punching it woulda worked too, but this'll get the job done." Lily grins at you.
>"Look out!" comes a warning cry from Chrysanthe, as she begins moving laterally to her left. The demon, recovering from your new partners' attack, has gone on the offensive, beating its wings while hovering, sending forth multiple flying blades of dark blue energy, trailing drops of liquid behind them. Lily turns to her left and starts to move towards the demon, with Chrysanthe moving to its right.
>Four of the blades are an immediate threat to you, one flying towards the left side of your body, one behind it and targeted at the right side of your body. There is a blade in front of them slightly to your left, and a fourth blade behind and between the two aimed at you.

[Hanzo K.]

>Would we be able to hit all four of them with a wide-angle purification beam?
>Would that work to dispel them?

[Oldmansour]

>Would we be able to hit all four of them with a wide-angle purification beam?
>Would that work to dispel them?

>This is possible, though it would consume more energy than a normal use of your Violet light.
>Your Violet light worked to counter the energy aspect of the attack used by the demon's servant against you and Lily. It is possible that it would also work against this energy attack as well. The risk would be in if your light is not strong enough to overcome the demon's energy. It is damaged and weakened, but so are you.

[Hanzo K.]

>Can we sense a connection between the attack and the demon?

[Oldmansour]

>Can we sense a connection between the attack and the demon?

>You cannot. As far as you can determine, the blades are completely separate from the demon.

[Hanzo K.]

Well, how should we go about dealing with the attack? I don't think we can rely on the shield for this one.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Are there any open avenues for evasion?

[Oldmansour]

>Are there any open avenues for evasion?

>There is a gap between the blade heading for the right side of your body, and the blade furthur to your right. A well timed evasive maneuver to your right should take you out of the line of fire of the blades.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Then let's do that.

[Oldmansour]

>There is a gap between the blade heading for the right side of your body, and the blade furthur to your right. A well timed evasive maneuver to your right should take you out of the line of fire of the blades.

>Then let's do that.

>Watching carefully the flying blades of watery energy, you gauge the timing and distance between the rightmost blade and the other further off. Judging the timing to be just right, you thrust yourself to starboard, skidding to a halt before you go too far and put yourself in the line of the second blade. This turns out to be a very near thing indeed, as the second blade passes so close to you, you can feel the air displaced by its flight. Scarily close, but not close enough to damage you, thank be.
>"Wall of iron!" Chrysanthe's voice rings out, and sparing a glance to your left, you see her strike her charm against the ground, and a five foot wide wall of solid metal rises up from the floor, intercepting three of the energy blades flying towards her. The wall shatters after the third impact, and the new magical girl slumps slightly before straightening out. She extends her two hands out to her side, then brings them forward, fingers hooked like claws, leaving orange streaks of light in the air behind them, as she cries, "Chrysanthemum Metal Nails!" The orange streaks come together, sending forth parallel beams of vivid orange energy towards the demon.
>Lily, her shield intact, the ground around her scored as mute testament to the energy blades she's dodged, stands below the demon, watching it.

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>Review of currently-known techniques.

[Oldmansour]

>Review of currently-known techniques.

>Violet Lotus: Realizations of the Wanderings (your purifying ability)
>Sapphire Lotus: Renunciation (your defensive/shield ability, which you can alter the shape of at the cost of additional bodily strain and energy consumption.)
>Scarlet Lotus: Realization of Impermanence (an offensive ability)
>Amber Lotus: Moment's Respite from Dukkha (an offensive ability, used to disarm enemies and break their hold over objects outside their body.)
>Indigo Lotus: Karmic Touch (an ability used to counter enemies attacks while they're forming)

[Hanzo K.]

>Let's try and hit the demon with some more Realization of Impermanence!

[Oldmansour]

>Let's try and hit the demon with some more Realization of Impermanence!

>Raising your scepter, you open fire upon the Batsnake again, now threatening it on two fronts. The demon tries to sideslip to its right, but stops when it senses your attack coming. It hisses and dives down towards the floor, but this delay gives Chrystanthe's attack time to catch up to it. Her orange energy claws rake the thing across its back, and it tightens and slows reflexively. This allows you to adjust your aim to follow it, and you bombard it red and white globes of energy.
>Chrysanthe adds her magic to the attack, conjuring forth a single small ball of lead and sending it rocketing towards the demon, catching it on the side of its serpentine head.
>And just for good measure, Lily picks this moment to join the attack, sending her shield flying upwards, clobbering it in the head.
>When this onslaught of offense fades, the winged snake lets out a low rattling hiss, and falls straight down to the floor, collapsing in a heap of battered scales and wings.

>This surge on offense draws a large sigh of relief and exaustion from Chrysanthe, but from Lily, there is only a triumphant, yet somehow uncertain smile. "Did we get 'im?"

[Hanzo K.]

>"Let's wait and see, it might seek to take us with it as a last-ditch effort to remove opposition."

[Oldmansour]

>"Let's wait and see, it might seek to take us with it as a last-ditch effort to remove opposition."

>Lily nods cautiously, and takes a couple steps backwards. Chrysanthemum takes the opportunity to catch her breath. You yourself, after that flurry of offense, are starting to feel fatigued again. You sincerely hope the demon doesn't have any more fight left in it.
>But the sound of the gargling hiss coming from the heap the demon's lying it, it's not anxious to continue fighting, either. "I was... unprepared for your power." it admits. "My sister is a fool, easily beaten. I dismissed you for that."
>Stirring, the demon slowly draws its head up, and looks at you with those vile eyes. "I do not repeat mistakes."

[Hanzo K.]

>Stare right back at it. "It doesn't matter. Anyone who plots to disrupt the peace of the world will always face their appointed judgement in the end. Not even demons can escape it."

[Hello Purvis]

>"As long as you struggle for such ends, there will be no release from your suffering."
>Offer a smile.
>"But it's not as hopeless as it seems. When you are ready to talk, I shall be ready to listen. You may know me as Lotus, how shall I know you?"

[Oldmansour]

>Stare right back at it. "It doesn't matter. Anyone who plots to disrupt the peace of the world will always face their appointed judgement in the end. Not even demons can escape it."

>"That remains to be seen, Terran. The judgement, as you call it, of this world is not over yet.
>"Try all you want." Chrysanthe snarls at the demon. "Your 'sister' won't escape us, either."

>"As long as you struggle for such ends, there will be no release from your suffering."
>Offer a smile.
>"But it's not as hopeless as it seems. When you are ready to talk, I shall be ready to listen. You may know me as Lotus, how shall I know you?"

>As you offer the demon a smile, the creature.. blinks. You're pretty sure it wasn't expecting that. "My kind have no names. But you are wrong... Lotus. Only by taking this world can we have release from our suffering."
>"Not happing, snakebat!" Lily declares. "Not while we're around!"

[Hello Purvis]

>"How?"

[Oldmansour]

>"How?"

>"You've seen how."
>"You've seen how they operate, Lotus." Kiku echoes. "Destruction, slavery and corruption! They'll destroy us, and the survivors will be nothing more than hollow shells."

[Hanzo K.]

>Nod. "Freedom is something that must be treasured, those who would rob another of their freedom are doomed to be reborn in the lowest of the Naraka."

[Hello Purvis]

>"But I am curious how it would truly change anything for you, nameless one? Is it merely leaving your old home?"

[Oldmansour]

>Nod. "Freedom is something that must be treasured, those who would rob another of their freedom are doomed to be reborn in the lowest of the Naraka."

>"Freedom is an illusion, Terran. For your race as much as mine."
>"Freedom is central to us 'Terrans'", Chrysanthe spits back at the demon. "It is the core of what we are." Her hands clench and open slowly. Now that she's no longer in the grip of her own fear, she seems to be growing angrier and angrier.
>"You have only as much freedom as the Celestials give you. You Terrans have the luxury of delusion, but we were stripped of that."

>"But I am curious how it would truly change anything for you, nameless one? Is it merely leaving your old home?"

>The demon's mouth snaps shut as you address it as 'nameless one', and a shuddering ripple runs down its scales, the sound like a hollow drum being played over by a butter knife.
>When it speaks again, it's voice has lost some of the power it had been regaining since you blasted it. "That title... belongs to another denizen of my world.  My title is the Champion of Water. Call me that, if you must call me anything."
>Lily starts to wonder something out loud, but Chrysanthemum cuts her off, iron in her voice. "It doesn't matter. You won't be anything but a bad memory very soon."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

>"I had hoped it would not come to this, but if you are intent on such goals, then, sadly, we are left with no choice. Chrysanthe, Lily, are you prepared for what we have to do?"
>If they are, do it.

[Hello Purvis]

>Let's not cut the conversation short just yet, instead ask.
>"Tell me about these celestials."

[GuyYouMetOnline]

I was planning to ask the Purpose about them. We can trust what it says more than we can trust what the demon says. But if you want to, then go ahead.

[Hello Purvis]

More information is always better. Even if it's not correct, it might well tell us how they regard these things, and that can be useful.