Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 5, Part 2

[Oldmansour]

>"Would that not also apply to the wards here?"
>"Also, I suggest we move as we talk: Poppy seemed to have her hands full and we ought to assist."
>Move out!

>"It's not supposed to." Hiyori says as the three of you set off, White Rose setting a decent pace. "I can't tell you exactly how our wards work, I don't have the authority to talk about that information. But I can tell you that our wards are capable of detecting inactive Blood Jewels. I've been here when that has happened. One of the Stuntrons tried to get in, three, once with her Jewel, twice without using it. We were alerted to her all three times."

[DracoOmega]

>"I see... Another matter to discuss with Haruka afterward, I suppose."
>Let's keep our senses peeled for other traps or nearby Jewel activity

[Oldmansour]

>"I see... Another matter to discuss with Haruka afterward, I suppose."
>Let's keep our senses peeled for other traps or nearby Jewel activity

>That puts a smile back on Hiyori's face. "Everyone always has lots to talk with Onee-sama about."
>"Which one of the Stunts was it?" White Rose asks her.
>"She called herself Drag Strip. I gather she's a bit of a competition junkie."
>"You ain't kidding." White Rose says with a chuckle.
>"That's actually how we convinced her to stop coming back. Well when I say 'we' I mean Onee-sama. Onee-sama challenged Drag Strip to a duel and made her promise not to come back if she lost. So far she's kept her word. Is she still the same way now that you've transformed her?"

[DracoOmega]

>"She, um... she challenged me to a race, with the stakes being that I take over as their leader if she wins."

[Oldmansour]

>"She, um... she challenged me to a race, with the stakes being that I take over as their leader if she wins."

>Hiyori laughs. "Did you win?"

[DracoOmega]

>"It hasn't happened yet, actually. I've never even driven a motorcycle, for that matter."

[Oldmansour]

>"It hasn't happened yet, actually. I've never even driven a motorcycle, for that matter."

>"That would be a bit of a problem if you plan to beat her."

[DracoOmega]

>"Poppy's going to be racing in my stead; she actually knows her way around one."

[Oldmansour]

>"Poppy's going to be racing in my stead; she actually knows her way around one."

>Hiyori chuckles again."That'll work better. Still, I have to ask. You become the leader of the Stuntrons if you lose? Does that mean you don't want to be their leader?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I... frankly, I don't have the first clue about how to lead a biker gang. Though, if I'm being honest, I'm not sure they know what they're about anymore, either. I'm certainly not adverse to giving them help or advice, but I already have leadership responsibilities of my own."

[Oldmansour]

>"I... frankly, I don't have the first clue about how to lead a biker gang. Though, if I'm being honest, I'm not sure they know what they're about anymore, either. I'm certainly not adverse to giving them help or advice, but I already have leadership responsibilities of my own."

>"I can understand why they might want a new leader." Hiyori remarks. "They served under Motormaster for a long time. Now being free from him, they may not have any idea what to do with themselves, as you say. It's natural they'd want a strong leader to guide them now. And natural that the first person they'd look to is the person that freed them. At least, I assume they all feel that way, or was Drag Strip speaking for the whole group?"

[DracoOmega]

>"She was most brusque about it, but I don't think any of them disagreed."

[Oldmansour]

>"She was most brusque about it, but I don't think any of them disagreed."

>"Even Vice? From what I've been told, he was possibly the worst of the bunch other than Motormaster himself."

[DracoOmega]

>"In all honesty, I haven't yet gotten to know most of them very well at all. We were absolutely spent after the fight with Motormaster and then transmuting their gems. But any arguments among them sounded like ones between old friends, not adversaries."

[Oldmansour]

>"In all honesty, I haven't yet gotten to know most of them very well at all. We were absolutely spent after the fight with Motormaster and then transmuting their gems. But any arguments among them sounded like ones between old friends, not adversaries."

>"That's quite the change from how I've heard the Stuntrons treat each other. Our reports indicat-"
>"Hold up." White Rose interrupts her, her ears twitching."I hear something. Sounds like blaster fire."

[DracoOmega]

>Hold up and see what we can pick up with our mystic senses. Are we close to Reisen?

[Oldmansour]

>Hold up and see what we can pick up with our mystic senses. Are we close to Reisen?

>Relatively close now. You can't hear what Rin is hearing, but you do sense an active Jewel to the west as well as Lily's power and the magic of a miko. Reisen is still to the north and east.

[DracoOmega]

>Does Lily seem closer to us than Reisen?
>And in a direction that offers an obvious route to probably reach her?
>Can we sense any combat activity from Reisen's direction?

[Oldmansour]

>Does Lily seem closer to us than Reisen?
>And in a direction that offers an obvious route to probably reach her?
>Can we sense any combat activity from Reisen's direction?

>Slightly, but the distance is fairly close between the two of them.
>The corridor you are currently in branches to the west just ahead of you.
>You do sense Reisen's active aura as well as that of a miko in that area as well. There doesn't appear to be any Blood from that direction. If Reisen is fighting someone, it's either a Blood that isn't using their Jewel, or it's Youmu.

[DracoOmega]

>To Lily: How're you holding up?

[Oldmansour]

>To Lily: How're you holding up?

>Got a bit of a standoff goin' here, boss. Ioana's too well situated. We can't get a clear shot at her, she's got good shots at us but she can't get past our shields.

[DracoOmega]

>Think you can keep hunkering down for a little bit longer, then?
>Assuming an affirmative: "Keep moving forward."
>Continue doing so
>"Lily's team is in a standoff with Ioana, but I don't think they're in immediate danger. Poppy, on the other hand, may be fighting Youmu. We'll return for Lily afterward."

[Oldmansour]

>Think you can keep hunkering down for a little bit longer, then?
>Assuming an affirmative: "Keep moving forward."
>Continue doing so
>"Lily's team is in a standoff with Ioana, but I don't think they're in immediate danger. Poppy, on the other hand, may be fighting Youmu. We'll return for Lily afterward."

>I think so. There is a brief pause, then Lily adds, We think so. But if Ioana starts using her better Jewel again things might get tough.
>"How do you know?" Hiyori asks as you resume your course.

[DracoOmega]

>"We can communicate with each other telepathically, but Poppy seemed too preoccupied to respond, despite the fact that I don't sense Jewel magic in her vicinity.That would seem to leave few other likely scenarios."

[Oldmansour]

>"We can communicate with each other telepathically, but Poppy seemed too preoccupied to respond, despite the fact that I don't sense Jewel magic in her vicinity.That would seem to leave few other likely scenarios."

>"Let me try Cinnamon." Hiyori produces an ofuda and you sense the whispered activation of a spell. Must be how they communicate without cell phones. After a moment, Hiyori frowns. "I think you're right. I can't reach Cinnamon at all. Either she's too busy to answer, or she's unconscious."
>"You can get knocked out in here?" White Rose asks.
>"Yes. You can't get hurt in this room, but if you take the full brunt of a big attack it can KO you briefly." She grins. "One can also faint in the training room as well."

[DracoOmega]

>"Either way, we should hurry."

[Oldmansour]

>"Either way, we should hurry."

>"Right. Should I run ahead?" White Rose asks.
>"Probably better than we stay together." Hiyori replies. "Konpaku-sama could pick us off one by one if we spread out."
>"She's that good?"
>Hiyori nods. "She doesn't have the experience that Onee-sama does, but she's very powerful and very talented. She can do things with her magic no one else can, and she's extremely talented with her swords."
>As she explains, you sense a change in the mystic auras you're homing in on. Reisen's is still active, but the two magical auras, the ones you've attributed to Youmu and Cinnamon, begin to fade in intensity. You wonder if that means Reisen is the last one standing.

>As the three combatants come within view, you find them in one of the large receptions areas for people embarking and disembarking from smaller aircraft. The signs of combat are present, with a number of seats and benches overturned or showing slash marks, a number of small patches of wall and floor smoldering, and all three women are in fact still standing. In fact two of them, the two in miko's outfits, are standing still. The third one appears to be... dancing.

[DracoOmega]

>...dancing?

[Oldmansour]

>...dancing?

>Dancing.

[DracoOmega]

>Okay, what the heck is going on here?