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

[Oldmansour]

>"I think there is reason to hope that Fire didn't come here looking for a fight. I intend to try and parlay with them and gauge their intentions; Semitur is quite enough for us to deal with here already."
>We have no emotional connection to this place, but we to do to the people here. Could we, say, create a link that we could use to recall ourselves to Rin?

>Yuna appears to be about to argue, then seems to reconsider. "I wish we had more time to come up with a better idea. But are you sure that's possible?"
>Your emotional connection to Rin is certainly strong enough, but there would be an element of danger involved. You wouldn't be able to see where you'd appear, and would run the risk of teleporting into something or someone. She would also have to brace herself, ground herself, to act as a tether to allow you to pull yourself to her. Otherwise you run the risk of pulling her along the connection, and the two of you could rematerialize somewhere between where you both started.

[DracoOmega]

>But if we gave her a moment's warning to get clear of people, we think it could work?
>How much time/effort would this take to set up first?

>"I think it may be. Fire has had plenty of opportunity to attack openly over the last few days and did not. And even Air left peaceably the last time we confronted each other. If they haven't come here to start a fight with us, I think it best not to start one with them, either; Semitur is quite enough already."

[Oldmansour]

>But if we gave her a moment's warning to get clear of people, we think it could work?
>How much time/effort would this take to set up first?

>"I think it may be. Fire has had plenty of opportunity to attack openly over the last few days and did not. And even Air left peaceably the last time we confronted each other. If they haven't come here to start a fight with us, I think it best not to start one with them, either; Semitur is quite enough already."

>There's a very good chance. You wouldn't want to try it with Reisen or Minoriko, and it might work with Lily or Kiku. Win Rin, given enough warning for her to clear the platform, it could work.
>You'll need to tell Rin what your plan is, of course, but as she was there when you came up with the spell in the first place and helped you cast it, she should be familiar enough with the mechanics to make it work herself. You'll just need to warn her about what she'll have to do.

>"In that case, I guess the best thing I can do is wish you luck." says Yuna gamely. "I'll inform Sawashiro-sama."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod
>"Thank you; I'll take any good fortune I can find these days."

>Might as well drop that disguise for the time-being, short-lived as it was
>Let's make for the airport exit and inform Rin of our plan as we go along

[Oldmansour]

>Nod
>"Thank you; I'll take any good fortune I can find these days."

>Might as well drop that disguise for the time-being, short-lived as it was
>Let's make for the airport exit and inform Rin of our plan as we go along

>Returning to your far flashier garb, you leave the still-upset Kiku on post here and head make for the main exit. Understandably, only Minoriko seems at all comfortable with the idea of you facing a Champion alone. Even Lily, normally the 'throw caution to the wind' type, doesn't seem too keen on the idea. As you spy an overhead sign that redirects you to a closer exit, enabling you to get airborne more quickly, Reisen suggests, At least take Lily with you. If you can't teleport to us, you and Lily together might be able to hold Fire off long enough for the rest of us to get there.

[DracoOmega]

>Would we be able to take Lily with us via that teleport method if we needed to bail?

[Oldmansour]

>Would we be able to take Lily with us via that teleport method if we needed to bail?

>You're not certain. It depends on how strong the emotional connection between Lily and Rin is.

[DracoOmega]

>I'm not certain I could teleport her with me, though. I... might, but....

[Oldmansour]

>I'm not certain I could teleport her with me, though. I... might, but....

>Lily's defensive skill is proven. Reisen points out. You can rely on her if you're not sure you can rely on this spell.
>Aw, gee, thanks! Lily adds.

[DracoOmega]

>...very well, then. Meet me by the entrance, Lily. And here's hoping we don't need either contingency.

[Oldmansour]

>...very well, then. Meet me by the entrance, Lily. And here's hoping we don't need either contingency.

>You got it, boss! Lily says brightly.
>Be careful, Mistress. Rin entreats you.

[DracoOmega]

>I will, don't worry.
>Let's go meet Fire. And keep out fingers crossed.

[Oldmansour]

>I will, don't worry.
>Let's go meet Fire. And keep out fingers crossed.

>If you told anyone that you were entirely comfortable about this idea, you'd be lying. If this was the Water Champion, or the Ice Champion alone, then you wouldn't be quite so concerned about meeting them face to face. But the Fire Champion seems to be more aggressive than those two, and even though you parted on relatively good terms last time, there's no guarantee at all of a similar resolution this time around. You're going to be intercepting the Champion on his way to his Avatar. That's likely to rankle. But, you have a plan for defense, and a plan for escape, and your friends are standing by to assist in short order. Here's hoping all goes well.
>After reuniting with Lily, the two of you take to the air once more, heading away from the airport on an intercept course with the Fire Champion. Even the cheery, chatty Lily seems rather sober as she flies next to you. She winces visibly more than once, though so do you, as it has started snowing since you've been indoors, and the strength of the wind is blowing the precipitation sideways into your face.
>Despite this, you have no trouble spying the Fire Champion coming towards you. Resembling nothing more than a ball of dull red light, the native of Makai hurtles across the sky. Swallowing deeply, you and Lily pull up in midair in the path of the flying Champion. You have to order Lily not to put up her shield. You're not here to fight or make any aggressive move. You're here to talk. She nods, but can't quite banish the nervousness from her face.

>Despite his incredible speed, the red blur comes to an instant halt in the air around 40 feet in front of you, causing a bow wave of superheated air to wash past it and over you and Lily. The heat causes the affected snow in the air to turn to slush as the Champion's physical form emerges from the ball of light, the unearthly fox floating in the air. It does not look happy. "Magical Lotus. Lily. This is an unwelcome sight." the Champion growls.

[DracoOmega]

>"We didn't come here to fight you, Champion of FIre, but I must ask you to state your intentions."

[Oldmansour]

>"We didn't come here to fight you, Champion of FIre, but I must ask you to state your intentions."

>"I don't have time for this. I have more important things to deal with right now than you two. Get out of my way."

[DracoOmega]

>"Are you here to meet your Avatar?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Are you here to meet your Avatar?"

>The Champion's tails snap straight out in amazement, almost as broadly as its eyes widen. "You-" The otherworldly fox's red aura flares as Fire regains his composure, his posture dropping into a canine crouch, like one about to pounce. "I don't know how you know that and right now I don't care. If you think you two can stop me, you're deluding yourselves." the Champion rumbles, violence in his throat. Wisps of fire lick from the corners of his mouth almost every other syllable.

[DracoOmega]

>"I have no intention of trying. Keeping you apart would have a profoundly negative effect on both your health, isn't that right? And I have no desire to see you die."
>"But what I do want is your word that you're not planning to cause an incident at the airport that would endanger the others there."

[Oldmansour]

>"I have no intention of trying. Keeping you apart would have a profoundly negative effect on both your health, isn't that right? And I have no desire to see you die."
>"But what I do want is your word that you're not planning to cause an incident at the airport that would endanger the others there."

>The oversized fox stares at you for a long moment, then relaxes its posture. "How do you... How do you know that?" he asks, seemingly too surprised to be angry.

[DracoOmega]

>"I saw it start to happen to the Champion of Water and her Avatar, before I was able to reunite them."

[Oldmansour]

>"I saw it start to happen to the Champion of Water and her Avatar, before I was able to reunite them."

>"That makes sense. You're the reason they were separated in the first place." The fox's body relaxes completely. "But... If you know that, then you know you could beat us that way. You could have done it already with Water."

[DracoOmega]

>"I didn't want either of them die. I was earnest when I told you that I want to find a way for our kinds to peacefully coexist; for you to be free of Makai and able to live in safety without the need to harm anyone here to do so. I will champion that cause with all my strength."

[Oldmansour]

>"I didn't want either of them die. I was earnest when I told you that I want to find a way for our kinds to peacefully coexist; for you to be free of Makai and able to live in safety without the need to harm anyone here to do so. I will champion that cause with all my strength."

>"So... you want to help us find our Avatars?" Fire asks, disbelieving.

[DracoOmega]

>"I want there to be no reason for you to harm the people of this world. I don't believe your desire to be free of Makai and ours to have our world remain safe need be contradictory. We will still defend the people of this world from harm with everything we have, but I'd rather we not have to be enemies; I think we can forge a better path than that."

[Oldmansour]

>"I want there to be no reason for you to harm the people of this world. I don't believe your desire to be free of Makai and ours to have our world remain safe need be contradictory. We will still defend the people of this world from harm with everything we have, but I'd rather we not have to be enemies; I think we can forge a better path than that."

>"But there is a reason, Magical Lotus." the Fire Champion replies. "My orders. And Mother's orders are absolute. But, my orders also say that finding my Avatar is my most important duty. I have no interest in anyone else that might be there when my Avatar arrives. Only my Avatar. Even fighting you, the biggest threat to us, is second to that order. If I have to fight you to find my Avatar, I will. But I don't have to you, or anyone else, then I won't."

[DracoOmega]

>"I am glad to hear it."
>"And if your Mother's orders demand this, then I will simply have to speak with her myself and convince her to change her mind. I will find a way - you can count on it."

[Oldmansour]

>"I am glad to hear it."
>"And if your Mother's orders demand this, then I will simply have to speak with her myself and convince her to change her mind. I will find a way - you can count on it."

>"You've got a lot of tricks up your sleeve, Lotus, but I don't know how you'd pull that off." the Fire Champion remarks. "It's hard enough getting anything out of Makai, it isn't that much-"

>A sheet of dark light passes quickly over your eyes. The sound of a girl crying rings quietly in your ears for a moment. Briefly, you feel cold.

>"-getting things in."

[DracoOmega]

>What... what was that?

[Oldmansour]

>What... what was that?

>A peculiar experience.

[DracoOmega]

>And we can tell nothing more about it than that? Sense nothing unusual or changed in our vicinity?