Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4

[DracoOmega]

>"Water did not seem to think it was so clear-cut as that. Are your orders literally to enslave us, or simply to take down the barrier?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Water did not seem to think it was so clear-cut as that. Are your orders literally to enslave us, or simply to take down the barrier?"

>"I don't think it matters to you, since whatever we do, you're going to try to stop us. You'll fail, but you'll try."

[DracoOmega]

>"It does matters to me, since we are only adversaries so long as you attempt to harm the people of this world. If you pursue your aims without this, then we might even be allies. I do not wish to see your kind suffer the malice of Makai any more than I wish harm to befall my own, but I cannot allow the latter to go unopposed. But ask yourself... do you think Sanae would be okay with that, either?"

[Oldmansour]

>"It does matters to me, since we are only adversaries so long as you attempt to harm the people of this world. If you pursue your aims without this, then we might even be allies. I do not wish to see your kind suffer the malice of Makai any more than I wish harm to befall my own, but I cannot allow the latter to go unopposed. But ask yourself... do you think Sanae would be okay with that, either?"

>Elis regards you silently for a moment before she asks, "What?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Do you think Sanae will be okay will you harming people? With sending youma against them to drain their lifeforce? These people are her friends, too."

[Oldmansour]

>"Do you think Sanae will be okay will you harming people? With sending youma against them to drain their lifeforce? These people are her friends, too."

>"That's where you're wrong, Terran. These people are no different than the ones that killed her. She on my side. Always has been."

[DracoOmega]

>"That killed her?"

[Oldmansour]

>"That killed her?"

>"That's what I said." The Air Champions persistant lack of further explanation is starting to grate on your nerves. But while you are annoyed by Elis's message, her parents, weirdly, seem to have become very pale. It wouldn't be obvious to most people, but a perceptive girl like you gets the feeling that what Elis said means something to them.
>You don't have time to ask again, though, because Patchouli, who has been looking at you hard for a while now, picks this moment to cross the field briskly and approach you, practically glaring at you all the while.

[DracoOmega]

>Turn to her: "What it is?"

[Oldmansour]

>Turn to her: "What it is?"

>"Give it back to me."

[DracoOmega]

>"What?"

[Oldmansour]

>"What?"

>"You have something important to me. I want it back."

[DracoOmega]

>"...do you fully understand what it is you're asking?"

[Oldmansour]

>"...do you fully understand what it is you're asking?"

>"No she doesn't." Reisen asserts, coming up behind her handler, but the neophyte mage sharply holds her arm, stopping Reisen in her tracks.
>"I'm not sure." Patchouli admits, her glower weakening. "But I know you're hiding something from me, something I want, that I need. And I don't know why you are."
>"That's what she does." Elis says, sneering at you. "They've been getting in my way ever since I got here."

>Sanae's coming back down. Rin's silent voice informs you.

[DracoOmega]

>"Patchouli. I promise I will explain fully once this immediate situation is resolved, and stay until you are satisfied. You have my solemn promise."

[Oldmansour]

>"Patchouli. I promise I will explain fully once this immediate situation is resolved, and stay until you are satisfied. You have my solemn promise."

>"But that still doesn't...." the neophyte mage pauses, and her hard look returns. "How did you know my name?"

[DracoOmega]

>Smile gently
>"I'll explain that, too, when I can. For now, consider me an... absent friend."

[Oldmansour]

>Smile gently
>"I'll explain that, too, when I can. For now, consider me an... absent friend."

>"A friend who keeps me from what is mine? What kind of friend is that?" she demands.

[DracoOmega]

>"One who is trying her best to make sure nobody dies from any of this. You can yell at me as much as you like afterward, but please, for now just trust me."

[Oldmansour]

>"One who is trying her best to make sure nobody dies from any of this. You can yell at me as much as you like afterward, but please, for now just trust me."

>"I think you should listen to her, Patchy." Reisen advises.
>The mage scowls. "I do not believe I can wait. Not anymore. I can sense that you hold the key to something I've wanted all my life."
>What she says next is drowned out by a thunderous torrent of wind. Sanae has descended back to hover about ten feet off of the ground, and the air displaced by furious speed and very sudden stop washes over you all like a tide. Once the wind passes, she calls out to Lily, "Why do you ever come down?, her voice now, like Elis, echoing with the power of air.
>Lily gives the Avatar a smile. "There's lots of neat things to do down here, too."
>"Oh, but nothing compares to that. Nothing. And I feel sorry for you and your kind, always have, whenever I saw you on the ground." She spares you a glance. "You're lucky, you know, to work with a flyer.

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm lucky to work with people who care about me. How do you feel?"

[Oldmansour]

>"I'm lucky to work with people who care about me. How do you feel?"

>Sanae's gaze falls to her ring. "For the first time... Whole."

[DracoOmega]

>"It's hard to imagine what a profound kind of experience that must feel like. Do you... remember how this came to be in the first place?"

[Oldmansour]

>"It's hard to imagine what a profound kind of experience that must feel like. Do you... remember how this came to be in the first place?"

>"Hard...? the newly christened Avatar mutters, staring at you quizzically for a moment before shaking her head. "It'd be hard to forget, since it just happened." she replies with a laugh which, you note with a mote of irritation, is joined by Lily.

>The shield around the salt water vial is failing again.

[DracoOmega]

>Then reinforce it; we really can't afford to deal with more problems all at once.
>"Further back, I mean. Elis spoke of very old memories that you seemed to have lost."

[Oldmansour]

>Then reinforce it; we really can't afford to deal with more problems all at once.
>"Further back, I mean. Elis spoke of very old memories that you seemed to have lost."

>You do just that. And hope that the flow of power from Patchy will slack off sometime soon. Though if the hard look on her face is any indication, this may be a vain hope.
>"Ah, those. .. Funny, I... I thought, for a second, that you might have known."
>"It's not her." Elis says sharply. "The Seventh wouldn't be fighting us.
>Sanae ponders that for a moment before she nods. "Yeah. Yeah, that makes sense, the Seventh wouldn't be working against us like this girl is. How did you manage to capture one of the Champions?" she asks you.

[DracoOmega]

>"Against us? Are you aware, then, of Elis's recent activities here? And the number of people who would very likely be dead at her hands right now if we had not intervened to save them?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Against us? Are you aware, then, of Elis's recent activities here? And the number of people who would very likely be dead at her hands right now if we had not intervened to save them?"

> "I don't like when people try to change the subject like that." Sanae answers darkly. "It's rude."

[DracoOmega]

>"We defeated Water in battle after she tried to enthrall a good woman by preying upon the fear in her heart and unleashed a youma in the Center for the Recently Ascended. There's your question; if you could kindly answer mine?"

[Oldmansour]

>"We defeated Water in battle after she tried to enthrall a good woman by preying upon the fear in her heart and unleashed a youma in the Center for the Recently Ascended. There's your question; if you could kindly answer mine?"

>"Water." Patchouli cuts in before Sanae can answer. "Champion of Water?"
>"Yes, Patchy." The Air Avatar answers. "The Champion of Water. YOUR Champion." The flow of power spikes again as Sanae turns her gaze back to you. "Now I will answer you, because I am polite. As a matter of fact, I'm not familiar with everything my Champion's done yet."
>"My Champion." Patchouli breathes. "You're holding my Champion?"