Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3, Part 3

[DracoOmega]

>It may be - it feels similarly, at least, if not exactly the same. I am no more sure of what is inside there than you are, but apparently Wriggle-sensei and some other students are still within the school. I don't think we can afford to delay much longer.

[Oldmansour]

>It may be - it feels similarly, at least, if not exactly the same. I am no more sure of what is inside there than you are, but apparently Wriggle-sensei and some other students are still within the school. I don't think we can afford to delay much longer.

>Yeah, you're right there. Lily agrees, and then she turns towards the school. You sense her probing outward with her thoughts as you did, and she visibly recoils at the sensation she receives. That is ugly. Makes my wings feel dirty. What do you suppose it could be?
>"Impossible!" Rin blurts out suddenly.

[DracoOmega]

>Turn in Rin's direction
>To her: What is it?

[Oldmansour]

>Turn in Rin's direction
>To her: What is it?

>The kasha's ears twitch, and she shakes her head. I must have heard that wrong.
>Hey, I heard that! Lily's telepathic voice declares.
>I'll be damned. I tried to include you in that, didn't know if it's work.

[DracoOmega]

>Heard what wrong?

[Oldmansour]

>Heard what wrong?

>Rin flinches. Sorry. Well, if I heard Mima-sensei right, I think she said that Keine-sensei's the problem.

[DracoOmega]

>The... what? How?

[Oldmansour]

>The... what? How?

>Lily, evidently, is even more surprised than you, and merely gapes at Rin.
>Rin merely holds her arms out to her sides helplessly. Mima said, "I'd rather save Keine as well, but she is now too far gone. Even for you to reach, miko-sama." And the miko just said then, "We won't know until I try."
>Miko? What miko? Lily asks, looking around.
>Rin discreetly points her tail at the coat-wearing woman Mima is talking at. Byakuren and I saw her at the Shell Shrine yesterday.

[DracoOmega]

>Do we know of Keine being anything more than strictly human?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we know of Keine being anything more than strictly human?

>Not really. You've heard the occasional rumor that she's never been seen on nights of the full moon, hinting at a case of lycanthropy. But conventional wisdom tells that there hasn't been a case of lycanthropy in Yamato in over three centuries. That particular condition was largely wiped out during the first Lunarian War, one of the few good things to come from the Occupation.

[DracoOmega]

>I am not fully sure what she might mean, but as far as I am concerned this only means there is one more person in danger here. We should hurry.
>Rin, if you stayed to monitor and report on what is happening at the front here, do you feel you could slip inside on your own afterward? I thought that myself and Lily should try entering from the back, but it would be good to keep an eye on things here and I expect you could sneak in more deftly than either of us.

[Oldmansour]

>I am not fully sure what she might mean, but as far as I am concerned this only means there is one more person in danger here. We should hurry.
>Rin, if you stayed to monitor and report on what is happening at the front here, do you feel you could slip inside on your own afterward? I thought that myself and Lily should try entering from the back, but it would be good to keep an eye on things here and I expect you could sneak in more deftly than either of us.

>Both of your fellow magical girls nod their agreement.

>Rin smirks. A cat gets around a lot easier'n a human. I can get in whenver you want me to.
>Can't we use our magic to get in? Lily asks. Make ourselves invisible or something?
>Too many folks around ta risk changing. Rin counters.

[DracoOmega]

>I agree with Rin, and we do not know if that would even work if we tried, though it's a worthy avenue to investigate for the future. For now, I think we try the conventional approach.
>Start to casually withdraw and work our way around to the back of the school, gesturing for Lily to follow. Do not take the most direct route if it would be obvious to observers where we are trying to go. If we can circle around from some distance, or use the cover of other buildings or treed areas to disguise our course, do so, but try to be casual about it, such that if anyone stopped up, we could have plausible deniability.

[Oldmansour]

>I agree with Rin, and we do not know if that would even work if we tried, though it's a worthy avenue to investigate for the future. For now, I think we try the conventional approach.
>Start to casually withdraw and work our way around to the back of the school, gesturing for Lily to follow. Do not take the most direct route if it would be obvious to observers where we are trying to go. If we can circle around from some distance, or use the cover of other buildings or treed areas to disguise our course, do so, but try to be casual about it, such that if anyone stopped up, we could have plausible deniability.

>Leaving Rin as your ears on the outside, you and Lily excuse yourself and start back towards the Moonside apartments at a casual pace. You hope to the give the impression that, with school obviously off for the day, you and Lily are simply going for a walk.
>And along the way, Lily asks you, So what's her flower?

[DracoOmega]

>I... do not actually know, now that you mention it. I am not certain she does, either - she hasn't yet had cause to transform. Yesterday passed without another altercation, thankfully. I suppose we may yet find out before this morning has passed.

[Oldmansour]

>I... do not actually know, now that you mention it. I am not certain she does, either - she hasn't yet had cause to transform. Yesterday passed without another altercation, thankfully. I suppose we may yet find out before this morning has passed.

>How'd she get her ring? Lily asks. Did you do... With a faint blush, she finishes, Y'know, what we did?

[DracoOmega]

>I have not touched minds with her as I did you. Last night, I simply offered her a true explanation of the events that have transpired since I obtained this power - I felt I owed it to her to be fully honest, even in these circumstances. And almost unbidden, her desire to help manifested as a ring, which she readily accepted.

[Oldmansour]

>I have not touched minds with her as I did you. Last night, I simply offered her a true explanation of the events that have transpired since I obtained this power - I felt I owed it to her to be fully honest, even in these circumstances. And almost unbidden, her desire to help manifested as a ring, which she readily accepted.

>Not a big surprise. Smiling broadly, despite the circumstances, Lily leans in a bit closer to you and says, quietly, "I figured she'd get involved before this was over."

[DracoOmega]

>"It is a comfort to have her along with us."

[Oldmansour]

>"It is a comfort to have her along with us."

>"In more ways than one." Lily replies, and you wonder what she means. She explains, however, before you can ask, "What I saw yesterday, I knew that keeping people in the dark about... what we can do, would be hard on you. Especially her. So I'm happy we don't have to."
>By this point, you have gone a bit afield of the bulk of the crowd, and are approaching the end of the school wall.
>That miko's here to try and resolve the situation herself. Rin reports. It was Komachi here that called her in.

[DracoOmega]

>Have any more particulars emerged? Has she or anyone else actually entered the school building yet?

[Oldmansour]

>Have any more particulars emerged? Has she or anyone else actually entered the school building yet?

>I haven't heard them say anything about that yet. But I am catching whispers of something moving around just outside the school. I think they're cops getting into position. Lot of leather and metal moving; sounds like police equipment.

[DracoOmega]

>Are they spreading out beyond the front entrance?

[Oldmansour]

>Are they spreading out beyond the front entrance?

>After a moment, Rin replies, Can't be sure. They're too quiet.
>I'll check! Lily offers, and launches herself up into the air, hovering there for a moment. Oh, whoa...

[DracoOmega]

>What is it, Lily?

[Oldmansour]

>What is it, Lily?

>Oh, sorry. Lily says, coming down. Never seen cops in action before. They must get hot in all that black with all that gear.
>It isn't so bad at dis time of year. Rin informs her. Summer's awful bad. What are they up to in there?
>There's four of them, and they're moving towards the broken window on the bottom floor, looks like one of the chem lab windows.

[DracoOmega]

>How does this align with our own path? Would we likely come into sight of them if we continued forward?
>For that matter, is there any solid cover nearby, without witnesses? Dense enough, at least, to make a transformation not catch attention?

[Oldmansour]

>How does this align with our own path? Would we likely come into sight of them if we continued forward?
>For that matter, is there any solid cover nearby, without witnesses? Dense enough, at least, to make a transformation not catch attention?

>No. The wall around the school cuts off your sight from them, unless you, or Lily, pops over the wall to see them.
>On this side of the street, once you get around the wall, the way should be clear, barring any guards on the western gate. A stand of trees separates the school grounds from the residences on the other side.

[DracoOmega]

>Let's hurry. We don't want them getting into more trouble than they may be able to handle. And try to stay down from sight.
>Pick up the pace a little, though try not to attract attention in doing so. Let's get ourselves onto school grounds and get some concealment.

[Oldmansour]

>Let's hurry. We don't want them getting into more trouble than they may be able to handle. And try to stay down from sight.
>Pick up the pace a little, though try not to attract attention in doing so. Let's get ourselves onto school grounds and get some concealment.

>Lily's wings seem to droop a little. Okay.
>As quickly as you can manage without drawing any undue attention, you and Lily make your way to the end of the wall and turn right, as Kaguya-sensei's dark blue porsche turns the same corner, coming from the opposite direction, driving a bit faster than she usually does. Not a big surprise, given the events transpiring.
>Despite your hopes, the west gate is not unmanned. Meiling guards this gate, though at present she is more focused on trying to convince the towering oni Yuugi in front of her that she doesn't want a drink. Nazrin, Yuugi's partner in crime, is holding the green glass bottle of sake while Yuugi herself harasses the janitor-turned-gate guard in her boisterously friendly way.

>Got more details. Rin reports as you continue down the road. I think. Could still be hearin' em wrong, but I think Mima's sayin' that Keine's turned into some kinda animal. That she's a... lyc... lycan... A big word.
>Licanthrop? Lily supplies, pronouncing it not entirely correctly but close enough.
>Yeah, that. What is it?