Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4

[Oldmansour]

>"Obviously we cannot let Air harm anyone here, but there are unusual... social complexities. I assume Air is here for Sanae specifically, so we may not be able to draw it away from the others without actually moving Sanae herself elsewhere somehow - and I don't know that we even have time to try. So many explanations that will probably be asked...."
>"Given that Water cannot have been initiating this power flow from Patchouli, I would be surprised if Air is responsible, either. They may even be as uncertain as we are about what is occurring, and have come to investigate. I know too little to say."
>"I don't suppose you can think of a good excuse to quickly spirit a girl away from her own housewarming? While no one notices either of us missing?"

>Rin ponders that for a moment. "Not a good one, no. If you want keep him away from Sanae, best bet might be to head out and attack it before it gets here."

[DracoOmega]

>"Air has proven quite effective at eluding us when it wants to. I am not sure how effectively we can waylay it if it is intent on being somewhere past us."
>Given the direction Air is coming, do we know of any place that might make a semi-isolated battleground before it reaches here?

[Oldmansour]

>"Air has proven quite effective at eluding us when it wants to. I am not sure how effectively we can waylay it if it is intent on being somewhere past us."
>Given the direction Air is coming, do we know of any place that might make a semi-isolated battleground before it reaches here?

>"It isn't now, though." Rin points out. "I can feel it comin', too. Last time we met, none of us felt it coming 'till it was there."
>Taking into account the speed you've demonstrated you can travel at in your Lotus form, there is a three story parking garage with automated services you could intercept Air at before it arrives. At this time of day, the people who use it have all, or at least largely, have moored their cars there and walked to their jobs, so it should be deserted, barring one or two latecomers.

[DracoOmega]

>How effectively do we think we can leave our apartment and the grounds without being visible to other people in the complex?

[Oldmansour]

>How effectively do we think we can leave our apartment and the grounds without being visible to other people in the complex?

>Leaving via the front gate unobserved should not be difficult, as there no windows in the front of the building. The fact that every resident is currently occupied (hopefully) will help in that aim as well.

[DracoOmega]

>"We might be able to intercept it at the parking garage if we hurry. It should be relatively unoccupied."

[Oldmansour]

>"We might be able to intercept it at the parking garage if we hurry. It should be relatively unoccupied."

>"The one over on Alian Street? Yeah, that could work. But shouldn't we call in Lily and Kiku first?"

[DracoOmega]

>How far away does Lily live from here? Or rather, from that parking garage.

[Oldmansour]

>How far away does Lily live from here? Or rather, from that parking garage.

>You're not entirely sure where Lily lives.

[DracoOmega]

>"We can contact them, but I doubt either of them can be there in time, so we'll have to assume it's just the two of us."
>"We should hurry; we can do it on the way."
>Let's make a subtle, but swift exit from our apartment and head for that parking garage

[Oldmansour]

>"We can contact them, but I doubt either of them can be there in time, so we'll have to assume it's just the two of us."
>"We should hurry; we can do it on the way."
>Let's make a subtle, but swift exit from our apartment and head for that parking garage

>"Understood." Rin says quickly as you both make your escape. Luckily for you, the only person you see outside at the moment is Hyozan, still sitting outside your door. The big dog looks up at you as you leave your apartment, He sniffs the air, then growls out a quiet sound that could be an expression of worry.
>"Nothin' to worry 'bout." White Rose says quietly to him. "We're just passing through."
>The malamute tilts his head slightly, sniffs the air again, then seems to relax.
>Rin lets out a quiet chuckle. "Glad you ain't like me, boy. That'd make this hard to explain." Hyozan dealt with, the two of you make quick but stealthy progress down the stairs, and out the front gate. Mistress. Rin's mental voice says in a dour tone. You know.... We can't win this fight.

[DracoOmega]

>What makes you so certain of that? We defeated Water with just three of us and we're stronger now than we were then. I know we haven't seen Air in direct combat yet, but the fact that it has thus-far avoided it in favor of using youma makes me question how comfortable it feels in that domain.

[Oldmansour]

>What makes you so certain of that? We defeated Water with just three of us and we're stronger now than we were then. I know we haven't seen Air in direct combat yet, but the fact that it has thus-far avoided it in favor of using youma makes me question how comfortable it feels in that domain.

>You and me had all we could handle with that youma of his. And if it makes another one today, it'll probably be stronger than that one. A demon and a youma together would probably be too much for us.
>And even if it doesn't... Air's dangerous, Mistress. That was the gut feeling I got from him the other day. He's different than Louise.

[DracoOmega]

>Aside from its active desire for destruction, for its own sake?
>Actually, hold that thought a moment - the sooner I contact the others, the sooner the chance of them being here in time to help.

>Reach out to Lily: Lily, we have a problem. Air is on the move and heading for my apartment complex. We plan to intercept it at [insert location of parking garage here] to keep it away from others, but it's just the two of us. How quickly can you be there?

[Oldmansour]

>Aside from its active desire for destruction, for its own sake?
>Actually, hold that thought a moment - the sooner I contact the others, the sooner the chance of them being here in time to help.

>Reach out to Lily: Lily, we have a problem. Air is on the move and heading for my apartment complex. We plan to intercept it at [insert location of parking garage here] to keep it away from others, but it's just the two of us. How quickly can you be there?

>Understood.
>For a moment, the only reply from Lily is a stunned silence. After a moment, though, as you round a corner, the blonde girl replies, H, How close is it?

[DracoOmega]

>We have less than five minutes until contact, I think. ...I'm sure you're not in range to get there that quickly, but I had almost no more notice than you.

[Oldmansour]

>We have less than five minutes until contact, I think. ...I'm sure you're not in range to get there that quickly, but I had almost no more notice than you.

>I don't think I can get downtime in time. Lily says despairingly. I'm at the other end of town.

[DracoOmega]

>Do we.... by any chance think we could use our connection through our rings to summon our fellow magical girls somehow?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we.... by any chance think we could use our connection through our rings to summon our fellow magical girls somehow?

>An interesting proposal. Certainly, your powers have a very wide breadth. You've proven capable of things you'd never imagined possible before, but this somehow seems different. Magically hauling someone across a major city seems somehow more... profound that simply shooting magical bullets.
>And yet, as you think on it, you think more and more that it could very well be possible. Even setting aside the connection you feel with Rin for the moment, the magical connection you share with her, Lily and Kiku is both powerful and profound. You can sense each other through the rings you all wear, the connections leaving paths through the city. Why shouldn't it be possible to move along those lines?
>Yes. The more you think about it, the more you think it could indeed be possible. Certainly with Rin, and almost certainly with Lily. Kiku, however, you're a bit less certain about. Even though you've touched minds with her, and she plainly trusts you deeply, the connection between you and her has never been quite as strong as it is between you and Rin, or Lily.

[DracoOmega]

>So if we were to summon Lily, how would that work? What would the both of us need to do?

[Oldmansour]

>So if we were to summon Lily, how would that work? What would the both of us need to do?

>Getting Rin to help would be a start. Whether or not this works, it will require energy to do so. White Rose could help with that, even if her personal connection with Lily is nowhere is as profound as yours is.
>Beyond that, the approach would probably not be dissimilar to fishing. You would need to reel Lily or Kiku across the city through the tangible connection between you. The stronger the connection, the easier the hauling should be. Assuming this works.

[DracoOmega]

>Make sure both of them can hear this: I... think I may be able to summon you. I've never tried this before, but I think I may be able to draw upon the connection between us to bring you to us. ...it seems worth a try, under the circumstances.

[Oldmansour]

>Make sure both of them can hear this: I... think I may be able to summon you. I've never tried this before, but I think I may be able to draw upon the connection between us to bring you to us. ...it seems worth a try, under the circumstances.

>Once again, Lily's response is a moment of silence. Well, if you think it'll work. Just give me a minute, I need to get away to transform.

[DracoOmega]

>Okay. Let me know when you're ready.

>In the meantime, let's contact Kiku.
>Kiku, I'm sorry to call on you with such short notice, but the Champion of Air has resurfaced and I think a battle is imminent. I don't suppose there's any faint chance you're near [location of the garage] at the moment?

[Oldmansour]

>Okay. Let me know when you're ready.

>In the meantime, let's contact Kiku.
>Kiku, I'm sorry to call on you with such short notice, but the Champion of Air has resurfaced and I think a battle is imminent. I don't suppose there's any faint chance you're near [location of the garage] at the moment?

>Gotcha.

>The dour voice of the tiger miko is a stark contrast to Lily's vivacious tone. No. I am not. I haven't been able to leave the shrine since last night. I have been afraid to.

[DracoOmega]

>Afraid to? ....for Satori's well-being?

[Oldmansour]

>Afraid to? ....for Satori's well-being?

>You're very perceptive, Byakuren. Kiku says. She sounds very weary. You're not sure, but you suspect she hasn't slept much, if at all.

[DracoOmega]

>...how is she?

[Oldmansour]

>...how is she?

>The miko lets out a tired sigh. Do not concern yourself with that right now, Byakuren. Kiku replies, trying to put her best face forward. For want of a better word. The Champions must take priority over such concerns. I will rendezvous with you as soon as I can.

[DracoOmega]

>No. She matters, too, and the well-being of the members of your shrine. And, no offense, but you sound exhausted - have you even had chance to sleep since last night?