Keine Quest (Part 6): Broken History (Complete)

[DracoOmega]

>"In any event, let's see if we can find Gengetsu again."

>"She is here," Mugetsu says. "Or at least I believe she is. We came to this place following her. We simply got... sidetracked. I'll search for her again." She closes her eyes.
>"Uh..." Marisa says, looking off behind you. "Not sure you're gonna have to."

[Hello Purvis]

>Look toward where Marisa is.

[DracoOmega]

>Look toward where Marisa is.

>You turn around and look where Marisa is looking. Through the trees in the distance you can see another figure moving slowly towards you. You think it may be Gengetsu, although you can't see her clearly with all the branches in the way.
>Mugetsu opens her eyes and squints in that direction. "Yes, it is certainly her."
>Maribel looks towards her as well. "Is she... after me, you said?"
>Marisa puts a hand on her shoulder. "We're not gonna let anything happen to you. You've got my word on it!"

[Hello Purvis]

>"We honestly don't know what she'll do if she gets to you. It's quite possible she doesn't know either. But don't worry, it is exactly as Marisa says."
>Observe oncoming Gengetsu.

[DracoOmega]

>"We honestly don't know what she'll do if she gets to you. It's quite possible she doesn't know either. But don't worry, it is exactly as Marisa says."
>Observe oncoming Gengetsu.

>"Ok, I'll do my best to trust in that," Maribel says.
>You watch as Gengetsu approaches you. Once you get a clear enough view to make out more details, you feel comfortable it's the same fragment you encountered earlier. Or at least it still has similar parts of the left side of its body missing. Wait. As it gets closer, you begin to think something about it may be different about it after all. The void seems to be... reaching out?
>Maribel takes a step or two back.

[Hello Purvis]

>Step between Gengetsu and Maribel.
>"What are you doing, Gengetsu?"
>Observe those void bits, for foul play.

[DracoOmega]

>Step between Gengetsu and Maribel.
>"What are you doing, Gengetsu?"
>Observe those void bits, for foul play.

>You step between Gengetsu and Maribel, who looks all too happy to have someone do so.
>"She is the one," Gengetsu says. "She is the one I was searching for. I came here to find her."
>You look at the void along Gengetsu's side. Parts of it seem to be growing into the air beside her. You... think that may be the vague form of an arm reaching out from part of her torso.

[Hello Purvis]

>"And now that you've found her, there's no hurry. What are you going to do, Gengetsu?"

[DracoOmega]

>"And now that you've found her, there's no hurry. What are you going to do, Gengetsu?"

>"She's the one I was searching for," she repeats, not slowing as she continues forward. "That is why I came here. I came here to find her."
>The shadow 'arm' reaches further out; you think you can see the form of a shoulder emerge after it. A shadowy wing bursts out of the void along Gengetsu's arm. Other forms shift and roil in the blackness.
>Marisa grimaces. "Aw, man..."
>Maribel back up another couple steps.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Don't get too far from me, Maribel, or I won't be able to protect you. And whatever you do, don't run. We'll be here."
>Does this arm and shoulder look familiar?

[DracoOmega]

>"Don't get too far from me, Maribel, or I won't be able to protect you. And whatever you do, don't run. We'll be here."
>Does this arm and shoulder look familiar?

>"I- I'll try," she replies, fear clearly audible in her voice.
>It reminds you distinctly of the shadow creatures you saw earlier.
>Gengetsu continues steadily forward. A shoulder follows the wing along her arm, while the first shadow continues to emerge from her torso; you think you can see a head now. Another hand reaches out from the left side of her back.
>"Please stop..." Mugetsu says weakly. "Please. If there's any part of you that remembers who I am."
>"Why should I know you?" Gengetsu responds flatly. "I came here seeking her. You are not her."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Then how about you stop stepping forward for the time being before we beat you so badly you remember everything and then forget it all again. Because if you take one more step, you're pretty much telling me there's no reason I shouldn't take you down. One more step. Take just one more. I dare you."
>Summon familiars.

[DracoOmega]

>"Then how about you stop stepping forward for the time being before we beat you so badly you remember everything and then forget it all again. Because if you take one more step, you're pretty much telling me there's no reason I shouldn't take you down. One more step. Take just one more. I dare you."
>Summon familiars.

>"I don't understand," Gengetsu says, still walking slowly forward. "If I stop, I will not reach her. This is what I came here to do."
>You conjure a formation of familiars in front of yourself. In the corner of your eye, you note Marisa readying herself to strike as well.
>The first shadow is now a significant portion of Gengetsu's own size, while the second rapidly approaches it. There may be a third and a fourth, but it's getting a bit hard to make them out amongst all the shadow limbs.
>"P- please don't," Mugetsu says. "Please, it's not her fault."

[Hello Purvis]

>"It may not be her fault, but unless one of you can whip out something, we're not going to have many options. And what the hell are those things?"
>"You can reach her later, Gengetsu. Now stop!"

[DracoOmega]

>"It may not be her fault, but unless one of you can whip out something, we're not going to have many options. And what the hell are those things?"
>"You can reach her later, Gengetsu. Now stop!"

>"They're, uh," Mugetsu hesitates. "I'm not really sure. Maybe we should just leave. She hasn't hurt anyone."
>"Yet!" Marisa counters.
>Gengetsu does not reply, but continues moving forward. She's getting quite close now.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Mugetsu, this is very important. Do you sense any other aspects of Gengetsu anywhere else?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Mugetsu, this is very important. Do you sense any other aspects of Gengetsu anywhere else?"

>"There are others, yes," she says quickly. "I've met some. I could look for them."

[Hello Purvis]

>"Bring one here. Fast!"
>Contemplate how much attention Mugetsu is paying to her footing, and how plausible it is to trip her.

[DracoOmega]

>"Bring one here. Fast!"
>Contemplate how much attention Mugetsu is paying to her footing, and how plausible it is to trip her.

>"I don't know that I could convince one to follow me," she says. "It would be best if we went to it."
>She seems quite agitated. It might probably be possible to catch her off-guard.

[Hello Purvis]

>Meant Gengetsu, bloody dyslexia.
>"Offer to lead her to Maribel! Just go! We can't stall all day!"

[DracoOmega]

>Meant Gengetsu, bloody dyslexia.
>"Offer to lead her to Maribel! Just go! We can't stall all day!"

>She appears to be paying no attention to her footings or surroundings at all, simply looking vacantly towards Maribel. Nonetheless, she seems to have no trouble navigating.
>Mugetsu shakes her head. "I'm not leaving if you're going to hurt her while I'm gone."
>Suddenly the first shadow bursts free of Gengetsu and banks rapidly towards Maribel. She yelps.
>"Ah hell," Marisa says, firing a burst of danmaku at it. Several of them pass through it, but have limited effect.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Will you go, Mugetsu!"
>Turn the familiars onto the one that broke free.

>_

[DracoOmega]

>"Will you go, Mugetsu!"
>Turn the familiars onto the one that broke free.

>"Not unless you come with me!" she replies.
>You open fire on the barreling shadow, sweeping lines of danmaku through its form. More green bolts meet your own fire, and the shadow flickers somewhat but remains stable. It's no more than a foot or two from you at this point, and a couple more from Maribel. She takes another step backwards.
>The second shadow pulls itself free from Gengetsu and flies towards your group.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I'm taking the new one, Marisa!"
>Turn the familiars on the second one to emerge.
>"That's not a damn option, Mugetsu! Get going! I swear if these things get to Maribel while you're standing there like an idiot I'm going to strangle you! Go!"

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm taking the new one, Marisa!"
>Turn the familiars on the second one to emerge.
>"That's not a damn option, Mugetsu! Get going! I swear if these things get to Maribel while you're standing there like an idiot I'm going to strangle you! Go!"

>"Got it!" Marisa cries.
>You switch your fire to the second shadow, weaving a web of bullets through it before it's barely started to move. Its form shimmers slightly, but its pace doesn't waver.
>Mugetsu shakes her head. "No. Not like this." She turns and sweeps a ragged line of yellow spheres through the air that fly out towards the shadows.
>Marisa grimaces as the first shadow nearly reaches melee range. She lowers her hands towards it.
>"Love Sign! Master Spark!"
>The beam blasts forward, engulfing the shadow entirely and sending leaves and branches scattering in its path. Maribel yelps. Marisa smirks. Then you see the shadow drag itself out of the top of beam, ragged and unsteady, but still moving.
>"What the hell are those things made of?" Marisa yells, looking back over her shoulder as she tries to release the energy in the beam. The shadow swoops past her.

[Hello Purvis]

>Shoot down that shadow that got past Marisa
>What are our relative positions?

[DracoOmega]

>Shoot down that shadow that got past Marisa
>What are our relative positions?

>You redirect your fire towards the first shadow. You're forced to be more careful with your fire, so as not to hit either Marisa or Maribel, and this decreased the power you can put into your barrage a little. The shadow wavers further under your assault, but retains enough cohesion to continue moving towards Maribel. She looks like she's clearly thinking of bolting.
>Marisa is a couple feet to your right and a few feet ahead of you. Mugetsu is a couple feet to your left, and behind you slightly. Maribel is about 10 feet behind you, somewhere between Marisa and yourself. Gengetsu is about 10-15 feet ahead. The second shadow is a few feet closer and closing fast, while the first shadow is about level with you, and to your right.

[Hello Purvis]

>Try to keep ourself between Maribel and the shadow.
>"Maribel! See the moon? Make it full!"

[DracoOmega]

>Try to keep ourself between Maribel and the shadow.
>"Maribel! See the moon? Make it full!"

>You dash to put yourself between Maribel and the shadow again and it swoops around you. You're faster than it, particularly in the shape it's in, but at this range you don't think you can keep it off her for more than a couple seconds by doing this, unless Maribel widens the gap between them.
>"The moon?" she cries, looking up at it. "But how do I-"

[Hello Purvis]

>Keep firing on, take to the air and try to stay in its way.
>"Just do it!"