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

[DracoOmega]

>Conjure a flat platform outside the window with Sapphire Lotus, then step onto it

[Oldmansour]

>Conjure a flat platform outside the window with Sapphire Lotus, then step onto it

>Pointing your scepter at the air outside the window, you form your light in a square platform of energy, which curls and swells at the ends and takes the form of a lotus blossom of its own accord. Not quite what you had in mind, but it will do.
>As you step out onto your platform, you find yourself surprised that it holds your weight perfectly. You don't even feel it sink under your weight, nor does placing your weight upon it put any extra strain on you or your powers.
>This is not half as surprising, however, as Rin's method of defenestration is a bit more dramatic than yours: she simply jumps out of the third floor window.

[DracoOmega]

>She does seem okay, yes?
>Glance at Kaguya
>"Coming?"

[Oldmansour]

>She does seem okay, yes?
>Glance at Kaguya
>"Coming?"

>She seems confidant, at least, though she hasn't landed yet.
>Kaguya gives the civilians present one more look, before nodding in your direction. "Look after them, Lily."
>"You can count on me!" Lily replies, fanning her wings for emphasis. You note the look of wonderment and jealousy on Sanae's face as Lily does so, before Kaguya climbs aboard your flower. Her weight, you note, does put a strain on your power.

[DracoOmega]

>Good to note the difference, then
>Let's get us to the ground and the battlefield as quickly as is reasonably safe to do so!

[Oldmansour]

>Good to note the difference, then
>Let's get us to the ground and the battlefield as quickly as is reasonably safe to do so!

>Knowledge is power.
>Naturally Rin lands before you do, hitting the ground feet first and rolling towards the southwall, a ring of light appearing around her as she rolls.
>The police, however, are not faring as well. Keine's lower right arm claws through the electrodes of the taser embedded in her torso, while her upper arm reaches out and claws at the policeman's chest, tearing through the kevlar and metal of his vest. Fortunately, you see no blood as the man falls backwards. The shorter of the two officers still standing, a human female, produces a can of pepper spray and gives Keine a taste, but this has no more effect than the taser did. The taller, a brown haired man with an oni's horn in the forehead, unslings his blaster rifle as you and Kaguya reach the ground.

[DracoOmega]

>Blaster rifle?
>Are we still within the walls of the school? No other civilians around?
>How far away are the group of them?

[Oldmansour]

>Blaster rifle?
>Are we still within the walls of the school? No other civilians around?
>How far away are the group of them?

>You don't recognize the model, but it's definitely a blaster rifle. You just hope he keeps it on the 'stun' setting.

>That is the case. Oh, wait, there a tengu hovering in the air, but she's still on the other side of the wall. You think it's Hatate.

>12 feet to your north.

[DracoOmega]

>Call out to the police: "Get yourselves clear! We'll handle her!"
>Fire another Scarlet Lotus at Keine!

[Oldmansour]

>Call out to the police: "Get yourselves clear! We'll handle her!"
>Fire another Scarlet Lotus at Keine!

>Shouting your warning, you raise your scepter and unleash another barrage of white and red globes. With Keine's back turned to you, her attention fixed on the foes closest to her, your attack strikes her in the back, and she screams as your light pummels her.
>"Keep it up, Lotus." says Kaguya as she half raises her ring again. You appreciate the support, but you hope she doesn't distract you. You'd rather not have one of your stray shots hit one of the police.
>Keine, obviously, would rather not get hit at all, and she turns around to face you and pounces once again, hurtling herself through the air towards you.
>"White Rose Guarding Ring!" Rin calls from behind you, and a glowing white circle of energy flies through the air, crashing against Keine's chest and propelling her backwards, sending her rolling on the ground. The ring of energy falls to the ground and forms a circle of white light about two feet in front of you.

>The three officers take the opportunity to open fire themselves, discharging a trio of blue-white stun blasts at the fallen Keine as she pulls herself back to her feet. The black glow surrounding her body flashes blue as the stun blasts strike home, but it's hard to tell if they have any more effect than the cops' previous attacks.

[DracoOmega]

>Is this ring encircling us, or is it rather on the ground in front of us?
>Did it look like our attack did much to affect the aura around Keine?

[Oldmansour]

>Is this ring encircling us, or is it rather on the ground in front of us?
>Did it look like our attack did much to affect the aura around Keine?

>It is two feet in front of you.
>It does appear to be reduced in strength, size and intensity. And yet, it seems to be growing again, the damage regenerating. There seems to be dark power pouring into her from somewhere else.

[DracoOmega]

>Does this ring seem to be doing anything? Does the circle of light have a 'roof', as it were?
>From somewhere else? Can we see it coming from somewhere else? Or, perhaps more importantly, sense where it might be coming from?

[Oldmansour]

>Does this ring seem to be doing anything? Does the circle of light have a 'roof', as it were?
>From somewhere else? Can we see it coming from somewhere else? Or, perhaps more importantly, sense where it might be coming from?

>Not as such. It is glowing, but beyond that, it is doing nothing and has done nothing since it struck Keine.
>There doesn't seem to be any distinct directionality to it. Or rather, it seems to be coming from everywhere around her at once. But you can tell that it isn't flowing fast. Your Scarlet Lotus can outpace it fairly easily, provided you can hold fire on Keine for long enough.

[DracoOmega]

>How large is this circle, anyway? Does it seem like something one could stand in?

[Oldmansour]

>How large is this circle, anyway? Does it seem like something one could stand in?

>It's about four feet in diameter. You could stand in it and have room to spare.

[DracoOmega]

>Charge up another volley
>Rin, is that circle a barrier of some kind? Could one stand inside it?

[Oldmansour]

>Charge up another volley
>Rin, is that circle a barrier of some kind? Could one stand inside it?

>If you're on our side, it's a barrier. Rin informs you. If you're not, it's a trap.

>"They won't listen to you, Lotus." Kaguya ventures as you twirl your scepter. "The force of Mayoiga never gives up."
>The classics teacher seems to be right, as the trio of police unleash another trio of stun blasts as Keine gets back to her feet. Keine's heavy breath escapes her in deep, gutteral bursts, but the blasts fail to put her down just as they did before. If anything, she seems torn, like she can't settle on which threat was the greater.

[DracoOmega]

>Well, that is good. The more distracted she is, the less likely she is to mount a proper response.
>Fire another blast of Scarlet Lotus at Keine. If she moves towards us, try to position ourselves so that the ring is between her and us.

[Oldmansour]

>Well, that is good. The more distracted she is, the less likely she is to mount a proper response.
>Fire another blast of Scarlet Lotus at Keine. If she moves towards us, try to position ourselves so that the ring is between her and us.

>Joining the police's assault, you send a third volley of Scarlet energy towards the corrupted schoolteacher. Keine howls again under the impact of your strikes, the sound more pained than enraged, and she crouches down. You brace yourself for another one of her pounces, but this time, when she jumps, she leaps towards the school. Her massive hands and feet dig into the side of the building as easily as if it were butter, and she starts climbing up the side, like great lizard.
>"Hold your fire!" the officer with the damaged armor shouts, holding up her arm and lowering her rifle. Her comrades follow suit.

[DracoOmega]

>Where does she seem to be headed?

[Oldmansour]

>Where does she seem to be headed?

>At the moment, she seems to be heading towards the broken window leading into her classroom.

[DracoOmega]

>How fast is she moving?
>How do we peg our odds of being able to hit her while she moves, before she can reenter the classroom?
>How fast does Violet Lotus travel compared to Scarlet? Also in terms of startup time?

[Oldmansour]

>How fast is she moving?
>How do we peg our odds of being able to hit her while she moves, before she can reenter the classroom?
>How fast does Violet Lotus travel compared to Scarlet? Also in terms of startup time?

>Surprisingly fast. You suspect it will be only a matter of seconds before she reaches her destination.
>You have a sense for her speed, and you're confidant of your aim. You believe you have the dexterity to hit her. Perhaps not with a full-on impact, but you can land at least a glancing blow.
>Violet Lotus is a faster starting spell, it takes form and fires the fastest between the two. Scarlet Lotus, however, travels faster when it's in flight. Between the two, it would be a toss up as to which one has a better chance of hitting her.

[DracoOmega]

>Rin, can you hit her with your ring? Try to knock her back to the ground?
>If we get an affirmative, tell her to do so
>If the above happens, but we don't think the ring will intercept her in time, try to cast a Sapphire Lotus around the entrance to the classroom from the position she's climbing towards it. It doesn't need to stop her so much as delay her, perhaps make it harder for her to find purchase to climb.

[Oldmansour]

>Rin, can you hit her with your ring? Try to knock her back to the ground?
>If we get an affirmative, tell her to do so
>If the above happens, but we don't think the ring will intercept her in time, try to cast a Sapphire Lotus around the entrance to the classroom from the position she's climbing towards it. It doesn't need to stop her so much as delay her, perhaps make it harder for her to find purchase to climb.

>She's too fast. Rin replies with a shake of the head.

[DracoOmega]

>How quickly does Sapphire Lotus travel if we're trying to project a remote barrier, anyway? Fast enough to reach the other side of Keine before she reaches the window again?

[Oldmansour]

>How quickly does Sapphire Lotus travel if we're trying to project a remote barrier, anyway? Fast enough to reach the other side of Keine before she reaches the window again?

>The speed of that technique seems to be a bit variable. It moved faster when you were trying to catch those two back at Ran's place, as well as the miko after Keine threw her, than when you formed your flying lotus. If it moves at the same speed as the former, there's a good chance your Lotus will reach the window before Keine does, though perhaps not by a lot.

[DracoOmega]

>Well, let's try anyway
>Try anyway. I'll try to slow her.
>Project a Sapphire Lotus barrier and try to angle it not just straight across the window, but ideally somewhat before that and slightly away. As best we can, try to position such that where her claws would try to dig into building for purchase, they would instead meet barrier. And, hopefully, if we can keep them from penetrating immediately, it may cause her to lose part of her grip. If we see her fumble, perhaps even try to draw the barrier backwards, with her against it, and sort of 'peel' her off the building.

[Oldmansour]

>Well, let's try anyway
>Try anyway. I'll try to slow her.
>Project a Sapphire Lotus barrier and try to angle it not just straight across the window, but ideally somewhat before that and slightly away. As best we can, try to position such that where her claws would try to dig into building for purchase, they would instead meet barrier. And, hopefully, if we can keep them from penetrating immediately, it may cause her to lose part of her grip. If we see her fumble, perhaps even try to draw the barrier backwards, with her against it, and sort of 'peel' her off the building.

>Got it.

>A shaft of blue light emerges from your scepter once more, racing out to strike the wall of the school at the lower right hand corner of the open window.
>"I said hold your fire!" the police woman repeats, now directing her attention at you as your light spreads out across the wall.