Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3, Part 6 [COMPLETED]

[Oldmansour]

>"What do you mean?"

>"Death comes for everyone. It is unavoidable. But, it does not have to be painful. All your fighting, the fighting of the others, all you are doing is adding pain to your lives." The shrouded figure turns to you. "I give you the chance to change that. To end that pain." The figure raises its arm, and a human-looking hand protrudes from the black sleeve. "Accept my invitation, and you will know only peace."

[DracoOmega]

>"Death comes for everyone, but that does not mean it should come today. So many of those fighting here now have long full lives ahead of them. Some have barely even yet begun to live. Yes, one day all of us will reach the inevitable end of this existence and the journey into the next, but those days in-between matter - to the one who is living, and to all those around them who they touch: friends, family, colleagues, all those whose lives are better because they are in them. Life may be suffering, and suffering may be what awaits us back on that battlefield, but life is also joy and hope and love, and I would not trade all those things to avoid the former."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Furthermore, you offer a false peace. Death is not the end of a journey any more than a night's rest. You, of all things, should know well the cycle of rebirth and the suffering it brings."
>Smile, if we can manage it. "If you would know peace, then I invite you to join me, instead."

[Oldmansour]

>"Furthermore, you offer a false peace. Death is not the end of a journey any more than a night's rest. You, of all things, should know well the cycle of rebirth and the suffering it brings."
>Smile, if we can manage it. "If you would know peace, then I invite you to join me, instead."

>"You have no idea what awaits you." the vile voice answers, it's hand still extended. "I offer you the true knowledge of the end."

>"Death comes for everyone, but that does not mean it should come today. So many of those fighting here now have long full lives ahead of them. Some have barely even yet begun to live. Yes, one day all of us will reach the inevitable end of this existence and the journey into the next, but those days in-between matter - to the one who is living, and to all those around them who they touch: friends, family, colleagues, all those whose lives are better because they are in them. Life may be suffering, and suffering may be what awaits us back on that battlefield, but life is also joy and hope and love, and I would not trade all those things to avoid the former."

>The killer creature's hand drops, dissolving into wisps of smoke. "Then you will die in agony." it snarls, its voice full of nothing but contempt and hatred. In that voice you hear this creature's true character: It is nothing but death, and holds nothing but loathing for the leaving. It exists purely to kill. This realization sends your mind reeling. This thing that has grown inside of Satori is every bit as bad as the Tar you encountered in the CRA building. Maybe even worse, since that Tar seemed to act on instinct and hunger alone, while this thing has a will and a drive to extinguish life. That's all it does, and all it will do. It MUST be destroyed. But if it was telling the truth, can you kill it without killing Satori as well?

>"Lotus, look out!" a voice screams at you, and the sound shatters the empty white world. You are still in the temple yard. Lily is the one who screamed at you, and she now stands next to you, her shield up again. She is looking up at something, and you see the enormous foot of the titan raised high in the air, about to descend upon you and the two near you.

[DracoOmega]

>Do we think there's enough time to grab Koko and leap out of the way? If so, do so, and yell at Lily to get out of the way also.
>Failing that, enough time to erect another small bulwark, with just us and Lily? Enough to muffle at least this blow? If so, try this.
>Failing that, use our Sapphire Lotus alongside Lily's shield, and angle it to deflect the foot away from us (without deflecting it towards anyone else. If it gets deflected enough that no one is immediately under the impact zone, release it and scrabble out of the way - don't expend more energy pushing against it than we have to.

[Oldmansour]

>Do we think there's enough time to grab Koko and leap out of the way? If so, do so, and yell at Lily to get out of the way also.
>Failing that, enough time to erect another small bulwark, with just us and Lily? Enough to muffle at least this blow? If so, try this.
>Failing that, use our Sapphire Lotus alongside Lily's shield, and angle it to deflect the foot away from us (without deflecting it towards anyone else. If it gets deflected enough that no one is immediately under the impact zone, release it and scrabble out of the way - don't expend more energy pushing against it than we have to.

>Not with the horse. The titan's foot is too big and too fast.
>It won't be nearly as strong as the first one, being created without White Rose and in even more of a hurry. But it can be done, so you join your hand with Lily's, she dismisses her leaf shield, and the two of you hold your hands up and cast up another rainbow colored dome of protective power.
>The Death Titan's stomp shatters your Bulwark, and while the shield deflected the killer creature's foot, the shock of force created by the impact against your shield knocks you and Lily off your feet. Lily falls into Koko, who barely manages to keep the winged girl upright, while you land on your backside.

>Before you can get back to your feet, the titan regenerates its eyes out of its sternum, the blood-red orbs glowing with power. Hastily you erect your Sapphire Lotus as the creature discharges its energy blast, but recalling just how hard its last blast hit you, you're not confidant that your Sapphire light will be enough, and Lily doesn't have enough time to call up another shield.
>And then another blue wall comes into being on top of your Sapphire light as the air around you freezes into thick ice, the sound of rapidly crystallizing water drowning out the sound of the titan's eye beams. You find yourself beneath a dome of glacial ice, which the titan's eyes beams splash against with an explosive sound, and though the dome cracks in places, it remains largely intact.
>You sense her power but a second before an ethereal blue and white owl floats up from the ground, becoming solid once she emerges completely.

[DracoOmega]

>"Thank you."
>Are any of the cracks large enough to fire through without having to penetrate this shield also?
>Does this dome enclose us with Lily and Koko also? Or just us?

[Oldmansour]

>Are any of the cracks large enough to fire through without having to penetrate this shield also?
>Does this dome enclose us with Lily and Koko also? Or just us?

>Not at the moment. Though if the Titan attacks it again, you can't imagine it will hold up.
>Yes. All three of you are protected.

>"Thank you."

>Pulling herself together, Lily stares in wonderment at the sight of the demon coming to your aid. Behind her, Koko asks, "An owl kami?"
>The Champion shakes her head at the miko. Koko starts to say something else, but Ice shakes her head again, as if to say 'later'. The owl's sad eyes turn up, and words start to form in the ice behind her. After a moment, a message is spelled out in the ice - The woman is the key.

[DracoOmega]

>"I know. I need to separate her from that creature somehow - I am growing to suspect it cannot survive without being rooted in her."
>Is Satori still visible on the titan's form? If so, does it seem that our last Violet Lotus did anything to weaken their bond? Or is the icy dome too opaque to tell any of this?

[Oldmansour]

>Is Satori still visible on the titan's form? If so, does it seem that our last Violet Lotus did anything to weaken their bond? Or is the icy dome too opaque to tell any of this?

>Too opaque. And you didn't get a good enough view of the thing to see if any more damage had been done to it by your strike before it attacked you.

>"I know. I need to separate her from that creature somehow - I am growing to suspect it cannot survive without being rooted in her."

>The Champions words fade, and more appear to take its place - I have seen your power. I can help you. There is a slight hesitation and she lowers her head a little before the rest of the message forms. If you can trust me.

[DracoOmega]

>"What do you propose?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What do you propose?"

>As the Ice Champion starts to spell out a new message, Rin's voice explodes in your head, Mistress!! Are you alright?!

[DracoOmega]

>I am fine, yes. The Champion of Ice acted to defend us, not attack.
>Where was Rin last we saw her, anyway?

[Oldmansour]

>Where was Rin last we saw her, anyway?

>On one of her flying discs in midair, not too far away from where the Champion of Fire was, before the Titan knocked him from the air.

>I am fine, yes. The Champion of Ice acted to defend us, not attack.

>Then you better tell her to make that ice thicker-
>Rin's warning is cut off by the sound of something very large hitting the ice dome very hard, causing more cracks to appear across the thing. A chunk of ice slides down the back on Lily's neck, causing the blonde to jump in surprise. "Ohhhh, that's cold!" she squeals.
>The Ice Champions' sorrowful eyes seem to soften just a little at the sight of Lily trying to stretch her arm down the back of her costume, but the sadness returns as she finishes spelling out her message - I can isolate the mortal and keep her safe while you destroy the creature.

[DracoOmega]

>"Are you confident in this?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Are you confident in this?"

>The owl nods.
>"But why?" Koko asks her. "Even I can tell you're not any kind of benign spirit. Why would you help us?"
>Ice turns her deeply sad eyes up to meet you, then the words - I see more than the others.

[DracoOmega]

>Nod slowly
>"Very well. If you swear that you can keep Satori safe from this creature's destruction, then I shall trust you."
>"Lily, do you think you have another shot in you like the last one?"

[Oldmansour]

>Nod slowly
>"Very well. If you swear that you can keep Satori safe from this creature's destruction, then I shall trust you."
>"Lily, do you think you have another shot in you like the last one?"

>The icy owl draws one of its wings across its belly, leaving a shallow cut in its wake. As a trail of blue blood trickles down Ice's feathered belly, the words - This I swear - appear in the ice behind her.
>"Sworn in blood." Koko breathes. "A sacred oath." A roaring sound, which you recognize as a blast of White Rose's fire, hurtles over the top of the ice dome, and the Champion of Fire's scream penetrates the dome. "Well, you'd better do it soon." the horse miko asserts.

>Your fellow magical girl doesn't answer right away, watching the blood trickle down Ice's stomach before the demon passes her wing over the wound she made, freezing it shut. "Doesn't that hurt?" she asks gently.
>Ice's eyes quiver in sadness as she nods once, silently.
>"So why?"
>The owl shakes her head slowly, as if to say 'it doesn't matter'. Lily bites her lip, but the Koko places her hand gently on the blonde's shoulder and jerks her head in your direction. Startled, Lily looks at you. "Oh. Right. Yeah, I can do that again, no problem."

[DracoOmega]

>"Then let us put an end to this."
>Rin! Ice is going to isolate Satori so that we can destroy that creature without harming her. We will need you to join your power with ours again.

[Oldmansour]

>"Then let us put an end to this."
>Rin! Ice is going to isolate Satori so that we can destroy that creature without harming her. We will need you to join your power with ours again.

>The demon nods. The words Good luck. appear in the ice as the Champion turns and fans her wings out. She brings them forward and the ice dome shatters into dozens of textbook sized pieces, each one blasting forward at the Death Titan's left leg. This gives you the chance to examine the battlefield. Two shrine maidens, Anya and Risa, have moved out into the yard, engaged in hand to hand combat with a small group of bugs. The Champion of Fire is still on the ground where the playground used to be, but has now disappeared, leaving a handful of pieces of scrap metal leaking black smoke into the air. A shimmering barrier of light covers the front door of the temple, and two more mikos, Kiku and one you don't recognize have moved around behind the titan, talismans out and magic gathering.
>As for the titan itself, it isn't quite as you left it. A large puddle of black fluid is lying a couple of feet away from its left foot, and while it has regenerated the damage Fire dealt it with its opening blasts, there are sizable holes blown in its arms, left thigh and lower torso, in addition to the damage your first attack dealt it. It also seems somehow shorter than it was before. Considering that puddle is about where its foot was before, you formulate the idea that your Violet Lotus may somehow have melted some of the titan away.

>Understood. White Rose replies. The kasha is currently flying around the Titan, and dodges away from the giant's arm as its takes a somewhat clumsy swing at her. Going up and over the limb, Rin changes course and heads in your direction, but as she flies past the titan the thing takes another shot at her, in the form of its eye beams. As it starts to fire, though, Ice's attack strikes home, the torrent of large, jagged ice punching a line through the titan's leg, nearly separating it from the trunk of its body. The titan staggers and its beams go off-target, managing only to graze the back of Rin's flying disc. Even this glancing blow is enough to send the disc flying and White Rose flying off of it. Immediately Lily takes to wing, dashing up into the air to catch the tumbling kasha. As she does, Koko hefts her mace and gallops off towards her two sisters engaged with the bugs.
>Ice also flies into the air as Lily comes back down towards you. There is no immediate sign of Satori, but as Lily lands, Kiku and her fellow miko grab their heads and scream, testament to a psychic attack. Satori's still in there somewhere. Now it's up to Ice to find her and isolate her from the titan.
>"You okay? The Champs're on our side this time?" White Rose asks just before she and Lily touch down.

[DracoOmega]

>"It seems so. And we must not let their aid go to waste. That thing is nothing but death - exists for no other purpose than to cause death. And if we do not stop it now, that is exactly what it will do. What we hit the titan with last time damaged it. Let's see if we can go one further this time. Trust that Ice can keep Satori safe, and do not hold back one inch."

[Oldmansour]

>"It seems so. And we must not let their aid go to waste. That thing is nothing but death - exists for no other purpose than to cause death. And if we do not stop it now, that is exactly what it will do. What we hit the titan with last time damaged it. Let's see if we can go one further this time. Trust that Ice can keep Satori safe, and do not hold back one inch."

>"How's a demon supposed t'do that?" White Rose asks, but the answer to that seems to come from Ice herself. The owl has flown around to the back of the titan and fires a cold beam of white energy at the titan's back. After a couple of seconds Kiku and her fellow miko cease their pained gestures. Whatever Ice is doing seems to have stopped the psychic attack on the two girls. The Death Titan raises its arm over its head, but before it can bring the huge appendage down to smash the Ice Champion, Fire comes to her fellow Champion's aid. The fox unleashes a very small orb of energy which darts through the air like a bullet, imbedding itself in the titan's left shoulder. A moment later, the projectile detonates in a massive fireball, blowing the titan's arm clean off at the joint.

[DracoOmega]

>"Let's not waste this chance!"
>Unleash another combination attack, and don't hold back. Let's end this now!

[Oldmansour]

>"Let's not waste this chance!"
>Unleash another combination attack, and don't hold back. Let's end this now!

>Your Violet Light, Lily's Springy energy and Rin's fire intertwine once more, slicing through the air and smashing into the giant creature's chest. This time however the deathbringer visibly reacts, hunching over and bracing itself with its damaged leg. It must be weaker than before. Of course it's weaker. Between the efforts of you and your fellow Heroes, the shrine maidens and the two Champions, the death titan has to be weakening.
>But it is not destroyed yet. Though it seems to swell under the assault of your power and streams of rainbow light pulse in waves beneath its bruise-black skin, it refuses to accept its own end. The Death Titan opens its mouth, unleashing its second face again. Before it can fire off another one of those tremendous blasts of power, a torrent of sizzling white lightning launched by the Fire Champion strikes the titan's head, blowing it to smithereens again. You then sense something trying to reach your mind, but it has almost no power, no force, no volume. Whatever the Ice Champion is doing to Satori must be neutralizing her power, as the titan can no longer affect you psionically. You just pray it keeps her safe as well.
>Still not giving in, the titan resorts to its last weapon: its sheer size. The deathbringer raises its leg to kick at you again, shaky though it is, but this time it is Kiku and her comrades who spring into action. From her, the miko next to her, and from within the temple there comes a sizable surge of magical power, and a trigram-rune appears on the ground beneath the titan. A transparent screen of light rises up from the symbol, surrounding the titan. The creature lashes its foot out, but its limb is repulsed by the shield. While the mikos power seems to have the Death Titan contained, their spell does nothing to interrupt either the Ice Champion's power beam or your own power.

>Its weapons either destroyed or muzzled, its body contained, there is nothing to stand between the titan and the power of you and your friends. The giant creature swells even more, and at last, an unstoppable wave of power radiates out from where your power beam hits it, and the titan's body is completely eaten away by the white light of the Heroes' power, leaving nothing but glimmering points of light that gently fall down towards the earth, and an icy cocoon at the end of Ice's power beam.

[DracoOmega]

>Is it... is it really gone? Is it really over?
>Can we sense anything about Satori's condition? Does she seem to have made it through this intact?

[Oldmansour]

>Is it... is it really gone? Is it really over?
>Can we sense anything about Satori's condition? Does she seem to have made it through this intact?

>Although you can scarcely believe it, there it no more sign, physically or otherwise, of the deadly entity. It appears to have been completely eradicated by the power of you and your two friends.
>Your senses cannot detect her either, but there is a humanoid shape that can be discerned in the cocoon created by the Ice Champion, which the demonic bird is presently lowering to the ground. In fact, as she does, the cocoon dissolves in a fine mist, revealing Satori Komeji. The shrine maiden's eyes are open but somehow vacant.
>"Get her down." you hear Kiku growl at the Ice Champion. "Now."
>Her command seems unnecessary as the owl does just that. Satori comes down on her feet but immediately lowers herself to sit on the ground. She is indeed alive, but she seems to be in shock.

[DracoOmega]

>Kiku, please. The Champion of Ice swore to keep her safe during the end, and I do not know that we could have otherwise. For the moment, let us assume the best rather than the worst.
>Approach Satori, though not without still keeping an eye on Fire - we may have been allies up to this point, but who can say what he will choose to do now?
>As we get closer, can we assess Satori's condition any better?

[Oldmansour]

>Kiku, please. The Champion of Ice swore to keep her safe during the end, and I do not know that we could have otherwise. For the moment, let us assume the best rather than the worst.
>Approach Satori, though not without still keeping an eye on Fire - we may have been allies up to this point, but who can say what he will choose to do now?
>As we get closer, can we assess Satori's condition any better?

>Not on your life. the miko grumbles. Not with these demons.

>You aren't the only one keeping an eye on Fire. After glaring down Ice, Kiku turns her attention to the fox, who is no longer surrounded by a fireball. "Why? Why did you two come here?"
>The Fire Champion smiles. "Does it matter?"
>The tiger miko puffs up in anger, then visibly calms herself before accusing Ice again, "And why did you save this woman?"
>The Champion does not answer, nor did you expect her to, but the Fire Champion then says "I'll come back and tell you once I get the answer from her myself." He doesn't sound too happy with his partner's actions.

>"Is as well you did." Anya intones grimly as you more closely examine Satori. The shrine maiden definately seems to be in shock, but is physically undamaged. She doesn't seem to have a scratch on her, and more importantly, the vile splinter that had been imbedded in her third eye is gone. "Woman has much to answer for." Both she and her fellows join you in advancing on Satori, and they clearly don't have benevolence in mind. Even the overly emotional squirrel youkai Risa seems very sober.

[DracoOmega]

>Address both of the Champions, though start with Ice and make sure she understands this is even more for her: "You have my sincere gratitude, Champions - both of you. I am glad for the chance to have fought alongside you, rather than against you."
>Let's try not to let any of the shrine maidens get to Satori first, though be subtle about it unless some of them start to get pushy - we may have to put ourselves in the middle of two irritated factions shortly....

[Oldmansour]

>Address both of the Champions, though start with Ice and make sure she understands this is even more for her: "You have my sincere gratitude, Champions - both of you. I am glad for the chance to have fought alongside you, rather than against you."
>Let's try not to let any of the shrine maidens get to Satori first, though be subtle about it unless some of them start to get pushy - we may have to put ourselves in the middle of two irritated factions shortly....

>The Ice Champion bows her head in acceptance of your gratitude. In typical fashion, it is Fire who answers, "You know, we could make this a permanent thing, Terran."
>"What that's supposed t'mean?" White Rose demands of him.
>"Even an idiot can see the kind of power you three have. You could help us. You could save our world, save us." The fox takes a couple of casual steps towards you and White Rose instantly tenses up. "The Fire Champion remembers the ones that help us. I would repay you in kind."
>The Ice Champions sad eyes grow wide with a pleading hope as she looks at you. From her feather-message before, you know she wants this as well.