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

[Oldmansour]

>Dark enough blue that it might be considered nearly black?
>Did we feel a change in the second sensation as this ignited?
>Whether yes or no, focus our senses on the flame and the change in it, but be cautious, approach gently, and be ready to pull back at the very first sign of hostile presence or anything else that might reach out at our mind from it.

>No, it is quite blue. A darker blue, like the ocean or a sapphire, but still blue.
>The second feeling has remained unchanged. And so, too, has the first one.
>Strangely of all, this change in color does not produce a reaction in your mystic senses at all. The room and the flame feels the same now as they did when you entered. Bizarrely. Rin, however, reacted rather strongly, and jumped up slightly with a startled hiss. As you take a step forward, the kasha jumps down off the statue and transforms, landing in her human form on her feet. She looks plainly startled, but before she can say anything, a disembodied voice booms from the blue flame.


>The wheel of time e'er turns.
The Hero of the Heart has come.
Crossroads of that which is and what was
Herald of what is yet to be.

[DracoOmega]

>Does this voice seem to have spoken with actual sound, or is this another mental thing?
>Assuming the later, glance at Rin: "Did you hear that?"

[Oldmansour]

>Does this voice seem to have spoken with actual sound, or is this another mental thing?
>Assuming the later, glance at Rin: "Did you hear that?"

>Aloud. It definately isn't making a secret of itself.

[DracoOmega]

>Which means we're probably going to have company soon, doesn't it...
>Address the flame: "Who is it who speaks?"

[Oldmansour]

>Which means we're probably going to have company soon, doesn't it...
>Address the flame: "Who is it who speaks?"

>A reasonable assumption.

>That which is past, though ne'er truly gone.
A witness to the march of ages.
Blood spilled for the living and the dead,
Four hearts broken, five hearts bound.

>Rin, her face a mix of determination and fear in the blue glow of the fire light, places herself in front of you as she comes up on your left. "Should we transform?"

[DracoOmega]

>I don't feel we're threatened here, but if others come to investigate, it may raise... questions as to why I am being addressed.
>Assuming there are definitely no mundane witnesses to this for the moment, quickly transform. Surely it won't attract more attention than this booming voice is already doing.
>Feel free to play the innocent bystander to this, Rin, if you don't feel comfortable with transforming yet. It does not seem to be talking to you.

>To the flame: "Are you the voice of the Dragon enshrined here?"

[Oldmansour]

>I don't feel we're threatened here, but if others come to investigate, it may raise... questions as to why I am being addressed.
>Assuming there are definitely no mundane witnesses to this for the moment, quickly transform. Surely it won't attract more attention than this booming voice is already doing.
>Feel free to play the innocent bystander to this, Rin, if you don't feel comfortable with transforming yet. It does not seem to be talking to you.

>To the flame: "Are you the voice of the Dragon enshrined here?"

>"Good thinkin'." Rin replies, albiet a little more quietly than before.
>To conceal your identity from any who might barge in on you, your raise your hand with a flourish and call out, with less gusto than previously employed, "Lotus Purity Ascent!" and transform yourself into Magical Lotus.
>Rin visibly blanches, then glances back towards the door. I'll keep my ear open, see if I can hear anyone comin'.

>Blood given for those long gone
Blood given for those come since
Fang and Shell and Scale and Feather
Shield of the world, Shroud of the flesh

[DracoOmega]

>Please do.

>"You speak of the Four Gods, yes?"

[Oldmansour]

>Please do.

>"You speak of the Four Gods, yes?"

>As Rin takes a few steps backwards, though maintaining a wary look at the dancing blue flames, the voice continues,

>Darkness grows in the place beyond
Light fades in the places of the firstborn
The pain of those born not innocent
Boils the waters of those who forgot them

[DracoOmega]

>"Those born not innocent? Are those the demons? And we, those who forgot of them?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Those born not innocent? Are those the demons? And we, those who forgot of them?"

>Dragon's blood spread over hearts of black.
The stones of the void swallowed the weak
The champions of the empty places howl in two voices
Avatars sleeping await their other halves.

>"This guy don't make a lick'a sense!" Rin exclaims.

[Hanzo K.]

>"I wonder if he might mean that the Elemental Champions have a counterpart among the humans and youkai? Or perhaps, we of the ring have a counterpart hidden somewhere, deep in slumber. I suppose it could also mean that the four gods have a physical counterpart hidden somewhere, I surmise that Kiku would be able to make sense of this easier, so we'll consult her tomorrow."
>Do we have anything we could write with? Or does our cellphone have a notepad function that lets us type things down for later?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we have anything we could write with? Or does our cellphone have a notepad function that lets us type things down for later?

>You always keep a notepad and paper on hand, just in case.

>"I wonder if he might mean that the Elemental Champions have a counterpart among the humans and youkai? Or perhaps, we of the ring have a counterpart hidden somewhere, deep in slumber. I suppose it could also mean that the four gods have a physical counterpart hidden somewhere, I surmise that Kiku would be able to make sense of this easier, so we'll consult her tomorrow."

>"It'd be mighty nice if that big blue torch was more specific." Rin states, keeping her ear pointed firmly at the door.

[DracoOmega]

>To the torch: "Awaiting their other halves? Is it the demons that are awaiting? Or someone else?"

[Oldmansour]

>To the torch: "Awaiting their other halves? Is it the demons that are awaiting? Or someone else?"

>Children of one world taken by another.
The sins of the dark lie upon their sleeping souls.
The Six await the Seventh, who stands above the Six.
The Seventh shall come. The First to Fall. The First to Rise.

[DracoOmega]

>"I am not certain I understand. Do you mean to say some beings here are somehow twinned to the demons, unbeknownst to themselves?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I am not certain I understand. Do you mean to say some beings here are somehow twinned to the demons, unbeknownst to themselves?"

>That which is unknown brings pain to those unknowing.
The children of fear bring death to the land.
Born of one world and drowned in blood beyond them,
They feed the inferno of boiling hate.

[DracoOmega]

>"Do speak just of the havoc the demons would cause here, or of something more?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Do speak just of the havoc the demons would cause here, or of something more?"

>Black's servants deceived. Six led down a false path.
A hidden traitor lurks in thy midst.
Enemies are friends as friends are enemies
The face of an ally. The mask of a foe.

>"Ooh, I don't like the sound of that." Rin mutters.

[DracoOmega]

>"Is the deceit lurking at the shrine of the Metal Tiger what you speak of as the friends who are enemies? Or is this something else?"

[Hanzo K.]

I think I might be able to see it for this part. Black is the color ascribed to Genbu, the Tortoise.
When he refers to 'Black's servants deceived', he could likely be referring to someone from the tortoise shrine.

[DracoOmega]

That's an interesting point, though keep in mind that we did just come from there and none of our senses picked up anything untoward (not that this rules it out by any means)

But weren't the number of demon champions six? At least supposedly (given this mention of the 'seventh'). So I had sort of assumed the six just mentioned might also be them and 'Black' being some other person associated with, or outright in charge of the demons.

[Oldmansour]

>"Is the deceit lurking at the shrine of the Metal Tiger what you speak of as the friends who are enemies? Or is this something else?"

>Ebony fingers cover the eyes of those who wish to see.
Hearts and spirits be clouded by evil from within, and without.
Foes from beyond are not the foes alone in the world,
Yet the world is a foe, for those not created in life or light.

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you know what the black power at the Metal Tiger shrine is? Can you tell me?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Do you know what the black power at the Metal Tiger shrine is? Can you tell me?"

>The blue flame rises and buffets as though struck by a stiff breeze, but the voice does not reply with the motion.

>"Whaddya suppose that means?" Rin asks.

[DracoOmega]

>"Can you not speak freely on this matter?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Can you not speak freely on this matter?"

>That which leads does not control
That which seeks control does not lead.
The bottomless abyss is a reflection of the dead soul,
but drunk deeply of, a source of fuel eternal consumed.

>In Eire, Rin lets out a curse. "That makes things so much clearer."

[DracoOmega]

>"Please forgive my presumption, but... is it not possible for you to speak more plainly? On this or other matters. I feel as though you wish to help me against the foes we share, but it would be much easier for me to do this if I could better understand your words."

[Oldmansour]

>"Please forgive my presumption, but... is it not possible for you to speak more plainly? On this or other matters. I feel as though you wish to help me against the foes we share, but it would be much easier for me to do this if I could better understand your words."

>The flame sputters and dances once more, but does not answer immediately.

>"This is weird." Rin says, sounding rather confused. "Not the flame. I can't hear nobody comin'. Ye'd think someone woulda come to check out this big voice by now."

[DracoOmega]

>"You would indeed. Perhaps it has taken steps to prevent us from being interrupted somehow? Or perhaps the voice cannot be heard outside this room."