Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 5

[Oldmansour]

>Oh, that- that might be the barrier I'm currently inside, actually. At the Bird Shrine. They use it for sparring; it reduces the destructive potential of magic used inside it so they can combat each other safely. I'm perfectly alright.
>...there isn't anything else afoot, is there?

>I believe that calls for the expression of relief.
>Not anymore. I would have noticed your absence sooner, but my attention was diverted by a fissure in myself. Total focus was required to seal it, but it has been sealed. There is a minor flaw in myself not far from your current location, but it is not large and does not appear to have any force acting upon it. I should be able to seal it without your assistance. I believe I was concerned by your unexplained reduction in presence.

[DracoOmega]

>Did anything pass through this fissure before it was sealed? And do you think it was the Champion's doing or something less concerning?

[Oldmansour]

>Did anything pass through this fissure before it was sealed? And do you think it was the Champion's doing or something less concerning?

>No. And I do not believe it was the Champions. Considering how much effort was required to close this aperture, it is possible something was acting upon it, but I do not believe it was one of the demons.

[DracoOmega]

>I guess that sort of thing has happened from time to time over the centuries, anyway?

[Oldmansour]

>I guess that sort of thing has happened from time to time over the centuries, anyway?

>It has. My power has waned over the aeons. The Purpose remains, but it has failed on occasion. The Champions are just the latest failure of the Purpose. But I strive to ensure those are my only failures until your victory. You have enough problems without more demons breaching me.

[DracoOmega]

>That is entirely true. I know you will do your best, just as I will do mine.

[Oldmansour]

>That is entirely true. I know you will do your best, just as I will do mine.

>"Anyway, I'm sure Kenyu has warned you that there may be some Brightbloods who might hold some hostility towards you." Camille says. "Not only am I not one of them, I am one of the Blood that would help you if I could. But I've been told that these Champions seem to be immune to most known forms of attack. Do you happen to know if that includes Jeweled power?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I don't believe I've seen it tried."

[Oldmansour]

>"I don't believe I've seen it tried."

>"What about the reverse? Could Jeweled power be used to defend against a Champion?"

[DracoOmega]

>"As I said, I've never seen the two of them in the same place at the same time. I'd be hesitant to assume that it could, given just completely the Champions have shrugged off other sorts of magic, but I can't rule it out with actual evidence."

[Oldmansour]

>"As I said, I've never seen the two of them in the same place at the same time. I'd be hesitant to assume that it could, given just completely the Champions have shrugged off other sorts of magic, but I can't rule it out with actual evidence."

>"I didn't think it'd be you asking about the best way to fight these demons." Kenyu remarks to Camille with a grin.
>"Think about, Kenyu. If one of these demons shows up at the hospital, I want to know if I can do something about it. Come to think of," she says, returning her attention to you. "I don't suppose you'd know if the Champions have any kind of designs of the hospitals here in town?"

[DracoOmega]

>Give Haruka a meaningful look, as in 'How much confidential information should we consider it okay to share with these people?'. At least as much as you can pack in a meaningful look

[Oldmansour]

>Give Haruka a meaningful look, as in 'How much confidential information should we consider it okay to share with these people?'. At least as much as you can pack in a meaningful look

>The eagle youkai glances briefly at the two Blood and nods her head just ever so slightly. 'They have limits, but they'll help where they can.' her old eyes seem to say.

[DracoOmega]

>"I couldn't speculate whether they have 'designs' on them or not, but... we have reason to believe Ice's Avatar works at one of them.'

[Oldmansour]

>"I couldn't speculate whether they have 'designs' on them or not, but... we have reason to believe Ice's Avatar works at one of them.'

>"Avatars. That's the humans that work for the Champions, right?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Not all humans that work for them are Avatars. There have been others who merely entered into their service and were given power in exchange, but Avatars have some fundamental link to their Champions, the nature of which we do not yet fully understand. But they are very powerful indeed."

[Oldmansour]

>"Not all humans that work for them are Avatars. There have been others who merely entered into their service and were given power in exchange, but Avatars have some fundamental link to their Champions, the nature of which we do not yet fully understand. But they are very powerful indeed."

>"You're talking about that girl you killed at the Knowledges." Kenyu asks.
>"Lotus didn't kill her." Haruka informs him. "She defeated the Water Avatar, but the Avatar's still alive."
>"Who is it?" Camille demands of you.

[DracoOmega]

>"I... I want to emphasize that this is still very much supposition at this point, but I have good reason to believe the Avatar of Ice is Doctor Eirin Yagokoro."

[Oldmansour]

>"I... I want to emphasize that this is still very much supposition at this point, but I have good reason to believe the Avatar of Ice is Doctor Eirin Yagokoro."

>Camille gasps out the name, clearly stunned.
>"But how is that possible?" asks Haruka. "She is a Lunarian. I thought the Champions' influence was confined to the city."
>"Not all fires stay contained." Kenyu remarks darkly. "How sure are you, Lotus?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Air, at least, claimed that Ice's Avatar was a Lunarian and a separate source detected her Avatar at Southern Cross Hospital. Certainly this information points to Dr. Yagokoro if they were not mistaken or lying, though I've not confirmed it with my own eyes yet."

[Oldmansour]

>"Air, at least, claimed that Ice's Avatar was a Lunarian and a separate source detected her Avatar at Southern Cross Hospital. Certainly this information points to Dr. Yagokoro if they were not mistaken or lying, though I've not confirmed it with my own eyes yet."

>Given her reaction, you are slightly surprised to hear Camille say, "I'm glad of that. If it's true, and Dr. Yakogoro has the same kind of power the Water Avatar does, the last thing we want to do is force a confrontation in a hospital."
>"You're the expect on Avatars, too." says Kenyu to you. "Any suggestions how to handle her?"

[DracoOmega]

>"I am still hoping that it may be possible to avoid a direct confrontation altogether. So long as they don't take hostile action first, I'd prefer to investigate the nature of the Avatars and their bond with their Champions first; I feel there is something significant there that might prove pivotal to this entire conflict. In case you were unaware, neither the Avatar of Air or Water were aware of the Champions' existence until they came in close proximity of each other and somehow... changed. This may sounds like I'm reaching, but I have suspicious that they may be reincarnations of people that had been cast into Makai long ago and somehow linked to something there at that time."

[Oldmansour]

>"I am still hoping that it may be possible to avoid a direct confrontation altogether. So long as they don't take hostile action first, I'd prefer to investigate the nature of the Avatars and their bond with their Champions first; I feel there is something significant there that might prove pivotal to this entire conflict. In case you were unaware, neither the Avatar of Air or Water were aware of the Champions' existence until they came in close proximity of each other and somehow... changed. This may sounds like I'm reaching, but I have suspicious that they may be reincarnations of people that had been cast into Makai long ago and somehow linked to something there at that time."

>"That's kind of out there." Kenyu remarks.
>Haruka shakes her head. "I don't think so. The side of history that's known to people in our walk of life tells us that some people have been cast into Makai from this world. The Goddess Kanako's high general, for instance. We also know that the demons we've been dealing with, the Champions, have been in Makai for millenia. It's conceivable the demons might have found a way to use those exiled souls."
>"I still think you're reaching." the firefighter counters. "And more to the point, it's kinda odd for you to just go along with some new girl in the city."
>"I trust Lotus' instincts and intuitions in this field. Perhaps I should say, I have come to trust Lotus."
>"It sounds more like you've come to have faith in her."
>Haruka smiles. "Perhaps that's true, too."

>Your ring pulses at Haruka's words.

[DracoOmega]

>Wow. Enough to do something with or just a glimmer?

[Oldmansour]

>Wow. Enough to do something with or just a glimmer?

>It's not actually 'doing' anything beyond lighting up and making you aware of that reaction, but it's a very noticable reaction.

[DracoOmega]

>"It's... interesting that you mention Kanako's high general because I believe that is exactly who Air's Avatar is. Was. Whatever the proper word is in this context."

[Oldmansour]

>"It's... interesting that you mention Kanako's high general because I believe that is exactly who Air's Avatar is. Was. Whatever the proper word is in this context."

>Haruka blinks. "Really? Well, that's surprising, that's just the first one that came to mind."
>"Quite the knowledge of history you have." Camille compliments the shrine maiden.
>"I was there. I mean I wasn't there at that battle, but I did spend quite a lot of time in Yamato in those days. It was not common, but it was considered an effective tactic to not only kill especially powerful figures in those days, but to banish them from this world. That way their God, or Divine Agent, couldn't simply resurrect them or use them in some other way. I did see that happen personally more than once." Her voice does not waver or quiver, but the quiet strength you hear in her voice does not completely mask the sadness she feels at those events.

[DracoOmega]

>"Both Avatars we've interacted with expressed a history of being wrongfully cast into Makai - if only in vague terms. But if I had to theorize, I could imagine their prior incarnations conspiring with the Champions' kind to take vengeance against a world they felt had wronged them. And I have no doubt that they were wronged, though of course this is not a way to go about redressing this. What I am most concerned about is what became of the personalities these current incarnations had until the moment they manifested their Avatar-hood."

[Oldmansour]

>"Both Avatars we've interacted with expressed a history of being wrongfully cast into Makai - if only in vague terms. But if I had to theorize, I could imagine their prior incarnations conspiring with the Champions' kind to take vengeance against a world they felt had wronged them. And I have no doubt that they were wronged, though of course this is not a way to go about redressing this. What I am most concerned about is what became of the personalities these current incarnations had until the moment they manifested their Avatar-hood."

>"You mean you don't know?" Kenyu asks.

[DracoOmega]

>"I'm afraid not. I only learned of the existence of these Avatars at all on the day we fought Water's and saw both her and Air's transformation. Their change in demeanor was... dramatic."