Let Your Fists Do The Talking! Akyu Quest Continued!

[Fightest]

>"What would this imprisoning purpose be?"

> The goddess came and gave her the means to take power, keeping the means to control the power to herself - all to make her the unfeeling, untiring guardian of the solar furnace deep beneath the earth.
> Now she is but a mindless puppet of those that would choose to seize and use this power, unable to resist or choose for herself, trying to scream with a mouth that she cannot open.

[Hello Purvis]

>"I've been told of someone unseen, who is full of hatred. Is she involved with this?"

[Fightest]

>"I've been told of someone unseen, who is full of hatred. Is she involved with this?"

> The phantom hides her body and intentions, but her thoughts betray her.
> She seeks destruction with any means possible at any cost possible, all for the ends of bringing this forsaken tournament to an ignoble end.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Why?"

[Fightest]

>"Why?"

> What a question asked by someone who has seen their share of the ridicule that this affair has spawned.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Perhaps so...but, I've heard some terrible things about her, which leads me to feel there may be more to it than what you have just said."

[Fightest]

>"Perhaps so...but, I've heard some terrible things about her, which leads me to feel there may be more to it than what you have just said."

> I can only gaze so deep into the abyss before it starts to gaze back, and there is nothing else I can say about the phantom's means and ends.
> She floats herself right-way-up and nods towards the door to the small room.
> Dinner would soon be ready, join Orin and I, then I will take you where you wish to be taken.

[Mr_Bob]

>"Madam Satori, would you be able to help me see through the fog of memories that entered me into this contest in the first place?"

[Fightest]

>"Madam Satori, would you be able to help me see through the fog of memories that entered me into this contest in the first place?"

> Time is never lost, merely forgotten and tucked away into a dark corner of a mind already stressed to the breaking point.
> Ask and ye shall receive.
> Satori floats overhead and puts her soft hand on the crown of your head.
> Memories flash by like a flock of birds - you cannot tell them apart, but sometimes, for the briefest of moments, you get a fleeting impression before it flits away.
> Your past few days had been chock-full of experiences that you only got to hear second-hand of before you got involved with this tournament. You relive your learning of your abilities, your fights, your struggles, and new friendships. Just seeing all this fly though your mind hardens your spirit and determination.
> Your Brawling has increased to 4. You are an expert fighter, likely to win against any typical mortal, and pose a great challenge to weaker youkai. You have excellent technique and control of your Moves, and your combat expertise improves many Moves and Stances that you already know.
> You are sitting in your chamber, putting the finishing touches on a recent history scroll that you so painstakingly put together with Keine's aid.
> Carefully, flawlessly, line after line, your brush paints characters on the parchment, each one beautiful to behold - this is your very life, the essence and purpose of your being.
> Noises outside - you ignore them as distractions to your work.
> The sound of something heavy flying through the air and a vast crash as your wall explodes in a shower of splinters as a fairy comes smashing through.
> Coincidence, accident, chance - all these words go through your mind as you behold the ruined remains of your work, ink spilling, mixing with splinters and dirt.
> Coincidence, accident, chance - all these words are drowned out by the fury at the insult, the mockery that was inflicted on your very life, the essence and purpose of your being.
> The fairy, battered and bruised already, is helpless against your flailing, inexperienced onslaught as you beat her with anything that comes to hand, as you drag her against a wall and smash, smash, smash her head against it, reveling in your revenge, your payback, your victory...
> ...and the rage evaporates in an instant, like a demon fleeing an exorcism, and you see the evidence of the past few moments strewn across the room: ripped tatami mats, broken windows, jagged fragments of ornaments and pottery scattered on the floor. In the corner you spot a scroll with your impossibly-neat handwriting, seemingly freshly-written, judging by the glistening of fresh ink. A vast ink stain covers most of the scroll, seeping into the rest of the roll of paper. A fairy lies huddled in the corner of the room, bruised and beaten - she's unconscious, but breathing. Your fists are raw and bloody, and ache like hell...

[Hello Purvis]

>Take a moment to reflect on that.
>Do we remember what we were writing in particular.
>Try not to get too angry at this memory...
>"Thank you."

[Fightest]

>Take a moment to reflect on that.
>Do we remember what we were writing in particular.
>Try not to get too angry at this memory...
>"Thank you."

> It all seems so long ago, yet not even a week has passed since that day.
> Now that your memory is your own again, you recall with vivid clarity the entire contents of the scroll - a comprehensive work on all Incident participants, instigators and resolvers starting from the Scarlet Devil Incident onwards. You had noticed tendencies, patterns and timings that bound them all together, and this was to be a preliminary study before you continued with your main investigation.
> Time heals all wounds, and, with the shield of calm hindsight on your side, you are able to recall the memory without anger. It was surely but an accident.
> Satori smiles, then floats over to the door, beckoning you inside. A tantalising smell from inside reminds you that you haven't eaten in quite a while.

[Hello Purvis]

>Follow her back inside. Food would be nice...
>Try not to think in full sentences once inside. =[

[Fightest]

>Follow her back inside. Food would be nice...
>Try not to think in full sentences once inside. =[

> And remember...
> Small thoughts.
> Thank you.

> Time passes. The hearty stew served up by Rin filled you up without weighing you down. Conversation was sparse in the small room, but the self-discipline of small thoughts required of you both focused and calmed you. You feel ready for anything.

> Satori, true to her promise, leads you down a series of twisting, turning passages. The air gets hotter by the minute, but your stamina and resolve ward off its detrimental effects for the moment.
> A red light illuminates the end of one such tunnel. Led by Satori, you head towards it and, exiting the cramped space, find yourself in another vast cavern.
> The whole place is illuminated by flowing, churning magma flows, flowing out of and into countless orifices in the cavern wall. The heat here is intense, now strong enough for you to feel its effects. You probably won't be able to stay near the bottom of the cavern for very long. However...
> Down at the bottom, where the blood of the earth flows, you will find the passage to the solar furnace where Utsuho resides and where the threads of the mighty tangle.

[Hello Purvis]

>"Is it as bad as it seems down there? The heat, I mean?"

[Fightest]

>"Is it as bad as it seems down there? The heat, I mean?"

> The blood of the earth burns fierce indeed, despite the protection inside the chambers of the solar furnace - you would be wise to conduct your business with the haste it deserves.

[Bardiche]

> Query: does the BURNING SPIRIT OF COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE protect from the heat? Either way, stretch a bit and warm up your muscles in preparation of taking THE PLUNGE!!

[Fightest]

> Query: does the BURNING SPIRIT OF COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE protect from the heat? Either way, stretch a bit and warm up your muscles in preparation of taking THE PLUNGE!!

> No it does not, but your stamina and resolve will allow you weather the effects for a certain amount of time.
> You're limber and focused, ready to take on anything that might come at you down below.

[Kasu]

> Deep breath to calm our self.
> Descend.

[Fightest]

> Deep breath to calm our self.
> Descend.

> The descent is challenging, the paths treacherous, the heat intense. At the bottom you find a set of plate steel doors, twice your height, that have been smashed inwards and gouged open wide enough for a humanoid to pass through.
> Beyond them is another set of similar doors, destroyed in a similar manner. And beyond those...
> A vast, cylindrical structure, dozens of metres tall, stands in the centre of an open space, lights and indicators spread across its entire surface. Beneath the steel-grating floor you see exposed magma flows, no more than ten metres below - the air ripples wildly from the convection currents, and standing above such exposed areas will be like standing over a bonfire. Thankfully, not the entire surface is exposed, with safe islands here and there with blinking equipment that is attached to the central pillar.
> There are others here beside you: you see the witch, Marisa, desperately dodging spheres of plasma that appear out of thin air, whilst trying to chase down a vague, shapeless shadow that effortlessly dodges all of her attacks, and, high above, an unmoving winged shape suspended in mid-air, her arms stretched out ahead of her, a bizarre view of a beautiful starry sky behind her.
> You are, for the moment, unnoticed.

[Hello Purvis]

>Take a few moments to assess the terrain. Is there much in the way of cover or hiding spots? Are there any areas of exposed magma? How much of the place is grating and how much is rock? Is there any sign of Kanako? How dense are the shots that Utsuho is throwing?

[Fightest]

>Take a few moments to assess the terrain. Is there much in the way of cover or hiding spots? Are there any areas of exposed magma? How much of the place is grating and how much is rock? Is there any sign of Kanako? How dense are the shots that Utsuho is throwing?

> Rocks are strewn around the place, and equipment stands here and there - cover is a-plenty.
> There is no exposed magma per se, but some of those gratings look awfully rickety.
> It's about 60% grating, 40% rock, most of the rock being around the reactor and the supporting equipment.
> No Kanakoes here that you can see.
> Utsuho is less throwing than making them appear out of thin air. As such, she has a great deal of control over their density. The real limiting factor here is her reaction speed and the delay in plasma sphere formation, which, you notice, is just under a second, judging by her arm and finger movements.

[Hello Purvis]

>Move from cover to cover. The goal is not to be seen. And if possible to get behind the machine with with Utusho. Or at least approach it from the sides.
>As well, examine the machinery for breakable bits.

[Fightest]

>Move from cover to cover. The goal is not to be seen. And if possible to get behind the machine with with Utusho. Or at least approach it from the sides.
>As well, examine the machinery for breakable bits.

> The heat warping the air and the frantic action around serve as excellent distractions as you scoot into the chamber proper. You can immediately feel the heat from the under-floor magma flows, even on the safer rocky areas. You break out into a sweat immediately.
> You've been through fire before - this is nowhere near as bad as being in melee with Kaguya's Spell Card. You are currently suffering no penalties.
> Utsuho is out of immediate reach - she is about five metres up, so as to get a good line of sight to Marisa.
> All the machinery looks very delicate, fragile and, most of all, important. Breakable bits are everywhere, but who knows what might happen to the reactor.

[Hello Purvis]

>What do we know about reactors?
>Can we see anything that looks like ways to control it?

[Fightest]

>What do we know about reactors?
>Can we see anything that looks like ways to control it?

> Oh gosh no. It's unlikely that anyone in Gensokyo really knows the nitty-gritty about this thing, really, or the whole of it, anyway.
> Considering the above, you do not.

[Hello Purvis]

>Consider Utsuho. Is there anything obviously connecting her to any machine? Or just anything that looks weird?

[Fightest]

>Consider Utsuho. Is there anything obviously connecting her to any machine? Or just anything that looks weird?

> Utsuho, a cold, unfeeling look in her eyes, hovers almost motionlessly, framed by her jet-black wings and the odd view of a starry sky. You do not recognise any of the constellations in it. She is wearing close-fitting metallic plates that protect her legs, upper body and shoulders. An undercoat of fine black scales that can be seen through the armour covers her body completely save her head.
> She is not physically attached to anything.
> However, strands of magic, resonating in your Qi sense, connect her to a mind-bogglingly intricate matrix of energy that weaves its way into and around the reactor. They pulse every time Utsuho creates a plasma sphere, as if she is drawing power from the reactor itself.

[Hello Purvis]

>Are there any other significant sources of Qi we can note?

[Fightest]

>Are there any other significant sources of Qi we can note?

> Not Qi, but there's lots of magic flying about, and you pick it up all over the place. The most decidedly magical, however, are the combatants immediately involved - the shadow, now a more smallish humanoid shape now that you see its Qi, Marisa, blazing with magical energy, and Utsuho, absorbing power from the reactor.
> The shadow has an immense source of Qi located somewhere on its chest, completely out-of-line with the rest of it.

[Mr_Bob]

Considering the lifelessness Hell Raven is sporting, the problem might be mind control. We could give a Kiai to see what's up, and attempt to disable any connections....

>How much can we extend Qi from our body?  Can we create a sharp edge with it?