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

[Oldmansour]

>"...it is a strange thing for someone to say that they shouldn't be trusted, least of all someone like yourself who is so clearly trusted by the people around them."

>"And I value that trust immensely. But there are levels of trust, Lotus, in all things. The power you offer is not only unusual and unresearched, it is profound in its scope. Beings of power like us should always be wary about who we offer power to. I don't mean to sound ungrateful; you obviously feel that you can trust me with this power, and for that, I thank you. But I feel that you don't me well enough to fully understand what I might do with that power. And I don't believe that you understand your power enough to fully grasp the extent of what I might do with it, or COULD do with it. Would it combine with my own summoning magic to enable me to create literally anything I can imagine? Would it enhance my summoning to be able to call the Gods back to this world?"

[DracoOmega]

>Do we feel that it would be possible for anyone to use their power if we disapproved of it? Like, if this is all in some way coming from us, can we 'cut someone off', as it were?
>"And you don't feel certain yourself what you would do with it, if you were given the opportunity?"

[Oldmansour]

>Do we feel that it would be possible for anyone to use their power if we disapproved of it? Like, if this is all in some way coming from us, can we 'cut someone off', as it were?

>It's... hard to say. But you don't think so. At least not easily. All the other rings did come from yours, but they're fueled by the emotions of the ones that wield them. Following that, the rings may have been generated by the emotional connection you shared with these people, at least in part. If that's the case, severing your own emotional connection to that person might cause their ring to shut down, perhaps even vanish entirely. But you're not certain. If they still have an emotional connection to you, their ring might keep functioning. Assuming their own emotions don't keep the ring going on their own.
>On another hand, outright destroying their ring would work, you think. There's no easy way to replace them, and they seem to be necessary to generate this power. If you were to destroy a ring and then refuse to recreate it, there would be little they could do about it.

>"And you don't feel certain yourself what you would do with it, if you were given the opportunity?"

>"It's a chance I don't want to take. I would be too dangerous if I were to give in to the temptations of power."
>"Just how strong ARE you, Haruka?" White Rose asks quietly.
>The big eagle turns her old eyes to the kasha. "Powerful enough to make a difference. To fight the evils that would prey upon ordinary men and women. And wise enough to understand that with that power comes risk and responsibility. I have accepted the responsibility that comes with the power I have acquired. But I do not know enough about the power you have to know if I can accept the responsibility for it." She turns her head back to you. "However, I know that your power is the one force in this world that is sure to affect the Champions. I do not know if any of the magics that I have can do the same. The time may come when I need the power you offer to make a difference in this fight. If and when that time comes, I shall remember this talk, and the trust you have shown me. But until that time comes, I will keep faith in you girls."

[DracoOmega]

>Nod
>"I understand. And... thank you for being so frank with us. I appreciate it and I will keep what you've said in mind."

>How difficult would it actually be to break one of these rings, though? Clearly they shrug off regular battle damage pretty well or we'd have been in trouble long before now. Are we somehow better-equipped to do this than most people would be?
>...not that we really anticipate ever having to do this, mind, but it can be useful to know these things

[Oldmansour]

>How difficult would it actually be to break one of these rings, though? Clearly they shrug off regular battle damage pretty well or we'd have been in trouble long before now. Are we somehow better-equipped to do this than most people would be?
>...not that we really anticipate ever having to do this, mind, but it can be useful to know these things

>You are better equipped to do such a thing without damaging the person the ring is attached to. Your Amber Lotus would be able to remove a ring from someone's finger if you could hit it directly. A powerful enough blast of Amber Light would probably be enough to destroy it. And if you need to incapacitate the person first, you know that your spells don't inflict harm on people that you don't mean to. Even your offensive Lights like Scarlet and Cerulean are inherantly non-lethal to most forms of life, including the five people you have thus far gifted rings to.
>Assuming you choose to keep them way.

>Nod
>"I understand. And... thank you for being so frank with us. I appreciate it and I will keep what you've said in mind."

>"And in the meantime, while we wait for the Protectors and my girls to finish dressing, perhaps you'd be willing to tell me more about your power? I hardly need to know all your secrets, but the more I know about what you can do, the better."

[DracoOmega]

>"Is there anywhere you'd like me to start?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Is there anywhere you'd like me to start?"

>"Let's go back to the Stuntrons." she says, sitting back down on a piece of debris. She chuckles. "Not the most comfortable place to hold a conversation, but, I've known worse. Anyway. The way you transformed that Coven. Is that power limited to the Blackbloods, or can you use it on other lifeforms?"

[DracoOmega]

>What do we think about the answer to that question?

[Oldmansour]

>What do we think about the answer to that question?

>That particular spell was designed specifically to work on the Blackblood peoples. But taking what you've learned from that spell, it might not be hard to adapt it to affect Brightbloods in a similar manner, assuming their Jewels operate in a similar manner to the Blacks. To try such a thing on non-Jeweled person would require a different kind of spell, but you don't think such a thing would be beyond you if the situation demanded it.

[DracoOmega]

>"The technique we used was tailored specifically to work on Blackbloods, though it might be adapted to work on Brightbloods as well, with some effort - not that I would anticipate us doing so, I should point out! But beyond that... hmmm.... It would require a different kind of spell altogether - we tapped specifically into the power behind their jewel and replaced it with another, which is not something that would apply to most people - but.... I do not know that such a thing would be impossible, if there was need of it."
>"...dangerous-sounding words, I know."

[Oldmansour]

>"The technique we used was tailored specifically to work on Blackbloods, though it might be adapted to work on Brightbloods as well, with some effort - not that I would anticipate us doing so, I should point out! But beyond that... hmmm.... It would require a different kind of spell altogether - we tapped specifically into the power behind their jewel and replaced it with another, which is not something that would apply to most people - but.... I do not know that such a thing would be impossible, if there was need of it."
>"...dangerous-sounding words, I know."

>"Possibly. But it's important to know what you can do, so you can learn how not to do it by accident. Not that I imagine this is the sort of thing one can do by accident, but the principal stands all the same. But what effect would it have on Brightbloods, do you think, if you were to try this on one of them? You said the Stuntrons were changed for the better. Would a Brightblood be changed for the worse?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I don't... I wouldn't think so, if I were to trust my intuition here. No offense intended to our allies here today, but Brightbloods are clearly, um... not inherently sweetness and light, as it were - Celestial power or no. And nothing I've seen of them says they're innately any kinder-hearted than anyone else - some, I'm sure, but not of necessity of their nature. At least, it seems much less true than the inverse is for Blackbloods, at any rate. Am I mistaken?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I don't... I wouldn't think so, if I were to trust my intuition here. No offense intended to our allies here today, but Brightbloods are clearly, um... not inherently sweetness and light, as it were - Celestial power or no. And nothing I've seen of them says they're innately any kinder-hearted than anyone else - some, I'm sure, but not of necessity of their nature. At least, it seems much less true than the inverse is for Blackbloods, at any rate. Am I mistaken?"

>"Not in the least." Haruka confirms. "The Abyss calls to those bound to it with a stronger voice than the Light calls.The Lightsworn- the Brightbloods- are more free, for want of a better word, than the Blackbloods to be their own people. There are still some general truths; a truly evil Brightblood is all but unheard of, though it does happen once every few centuries. A truly good Blackblood is even rarer than that. These aberrations are made even more rare by the fact that both sides tend to hunt down and kill those rare few. In all my long life, I've only ever met two Blackbloods that weren't tainted of heart. And those two were no saints, either."
>"Things aren't the same across all worlds, though." Haruka adds, leaning back and looking up at the false sky. "Living on Earth isn't easy for Blood. It does something to them, something I don't quite understand. Changes them in subtle ways. I've been to the Twilight Realm where the Blood dwell in earnest. Brights there tend to be more benificent in general, more in tune with the Light within them. And the converse is true for the Blackbloods as well. The territories they own in that world are truly disturbing places."

[DracoOmega]

>"I get the impression this isn't a place all that many non-Blood have visited, is it?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I get the impression this isn't a place all that many non-Blood have visited, is it?"

>"More than you might think, but for the reason you'd like to hear." Haruka replies. "Brightbloods do occasionally invite people to their realm, trusted friends or people that have proved valuable to them. A fairly small number, you can imagine. Blackbloods, on the other hand, used to have a habit of taking people to their world whether they wanted to go or not. Usually in the form of slaves, often when they'd run out of disposiable people in their own world."
>"Used to?" Kiku asks.
>"The practice has mostly fallen into disuse over the past thousand years or so. Largely thanks to a rise in power among the Brightbloods. Under the leadership of the White Jeweled King Orion Pax, the Brights have taken the edge the their Forever War. They've made it difficult for the Blackbloods to sneak out of their realm to make fodder runs. And their allies on this side aren't as numerous or as influential as they used to be."
>"I guess you went as a friend?" Lily asks her.
>"Actually I've gone there three different ways. As a friend, on my own power, and as a slave."
>"You were taken?" Lily gapes.
>"I let myself be taken. They didn't realize what I could do to them. It took some time for me to get the opportunity I wanted, but I got out." She smiles faintly. "That was a good day. I actually managed to save everyone around me. A few scars were a small price to pay for the lives I managed to save."

[DracoOmega]

>"That sounds like an incredibly daring approach to take."

[Oldmansour]

>"That sounds like an incredibly daring approach to take."

>"It was either that or fight my way through the front door, as it were. My options at the time were limited. I had to find a way to stop their raids in the area and save as many lives as I could. " She gives you a sage look. "I have a hunch that you might have done the same."

[DracoOmega]

>Smile somewhat sheepishly
>"I don't suppose someone intent on opening dialogue with someone in Makai can fairly argue otherwise, no."

[Oldmansour]

>Smile somewhat sheepishly
>"I don't suppose someone intent on opening dialogue with someone in Makai can fairly argue otherwise, no."

>"I hope that the person you want to talk to is more reasonable than the Black Jeweled Queen I had to deal with."
>"Haruka!" Kenyu's voice bellows out. "You can turn this thing off now!"
>"I don't like when he does that." Rin remarks, her ears flattened against her head.
>"It's a common trick for the Blood. Kenyu's just a little louder than most. I suggest we head back to ground level." Haruka recommends. "No need to fall if we can help it."

[DracoOmega]

>"Agreed."
>Let's go back to ground level

[Oldmansour]

>"Agreed."
>Let's go back to ground level

>"How many of these other worlds have you visited?" Rin asks as your group makes its way off the roof and back towards flat ground.
>"Many. Some more idyllic than others. And almost always on a mission of some kind." she says with a faint hint of regret. "There's only one world I've ever gone to where I could really relax, the planet Flonyard. Once this crisis is over, that's a planet I'd be pleased to offer you girls transport to. It's a very nice world, and I think your unique brand of power would go over well there. You could put on an amazing show."
>"Show?" the kasha asks, baffled.
>Haruka chuckles quietly. "I'll explain later." she says as she touches ground a bit ahead of you. She waits until the five of you are back on the ground, Lily opting to remain afloat as she often does, then holds her hand out before her perpendicular to her body. She speaks a few words aloud and the room shimmers and ripples, returning to the flat surface of the arena a moment later. Four of the six Protectors are grouped together some distance to your northwest, Ioana and Camille missing in action. Of the mikos, Cinnamon is, as usual, flitting her way back towards Poppy, while Sen and Hiyori are conversing with each other. Linia is standing some distance away from anyone else in the room, and of Subala there is no sign.

[DracoOmega]

>...any sign of Razorclaw?

[Oldmansour]

>...any sign of Razorclaw?

>None. He's either left or he's hiding himself. You can't sense his Jewel anymore either.

[DracoOmega]

>That... could be either good or bad. If he doesn't make his presence known soon, we'll need to let Haruka know
>Though in the meantime, just mill

[Oldmansour]

>That... could be either good or bad. If he doesn't make his presence known soon, we'll need to let Haruka know
>Though in the meantime, just mill

>Keeping a wary eye out for the pretty lion with the bad rep, you, well, mill. Most of your crew stick near Haruka, wanting to hear more of her stories. Cinnamon links up with Poppy but also stays near the golden eagle, Reisen wanting to talk to Haruka a while yet. Kiku is the standout, walking apace with you away from Haruka. I must confess that I am disappointed, Lotus. she says privately. Even though it would have meant revealing my... our, deception to Haruka-sama, I would have loved for her to have joined us.

[DracoOmega]

>Likewise. She has a wealth of experience that I can barely fathom and this is a conflict we cannot afford to be underprepared for. Still, I... can understand the point she was making, even if I may not share all of her concerns; though perhaps I would feel differently if I had lived through as much as she had.

[Oldmansour]

>Likewise. She has a wealth of experience that I can barely fathom and this is a conflict we cannot afford to be underprepared for. Still, I... can understand the point she was making, even if I may not share all of her concerns; though perhaps I would feel differently if I had lived through as much as she had.

>Her leadership skill alone would have been invaluable. No disrespect intended. she adds as Kenyu waves you over to him.

[DracoOmega]

>None taken whatsoever.
>Come as beckoned

[Oldmansour]

>None taken whatsoever.
>Come as beckoned

>I'll try to convince her myself if I have the opportunity. Kiku says. Her value to our cause it too great to simply give up.
>"I had to shake your hand, Lotus." Kenyu says as you approach, sticking his hand out to you. "You gave us one hell of a scrap."

[DracoOmega]

>Accept the handshake
>"To you as well."

>At least she sounds willing to take up this power should the need become dire. I take some comfort in that.