Absolution Beyond Cloudburst | Page 8

Corvella · Jun 1, 2018

17 HP

MAX 113 HP

20 EN

MAX 100 EN

-10EN for Investigate

It was a surprise that the computer-thingy responded for her command to provide information, even if nothing made any sense to her. Langley who? As the lights finally filled the room, they were presented with a rather disturbing view of a girl, attached with machinery and components that's out of this world. At a first glance, Corvella didn't recognize the girl at all, mainly because she never encountered her outside of the astronaut-looking weird suit. But investigation mode revealed everything.

She is a player. More importantly, it's HORIZON, who she had encountered in the past before. How did she ended up here, serving as a core part of the flying whale? Quickly assumed that this 'Trisha Langley' is indeed the girl, it doesn't take long until she planned to free and bring her with them. It doesn't look like she volunteered herself to be in this place, where everything goes through their way to kill them.

Crap, she doesn't feel so good. With every movement she took, Corvella felt weaker and weaker. A thought slipped on her mind that she should let this one slip and close her eyes like the computer thing told her to but no, she gotta do what she need to do. Activating the investigation mode, which drains her almost empty energy already, she circled around the girl, trying to find a way to get the girl out safely. A way that cables, connections, machinery, anything that could be detached, she needed to find.

Those cables were very unusual, the material was unidentified for her. She grabbed and tried to pull some of it, only to be surprised of how heavy and strong it was. "What the?" The cable went into where they were originally, no matter how far Corvella pulled them, tried to tangle them.

She examined the surface of HORIZON's body. Each cable looked like it's fused directly into her body. Well, so much for disconnecting the cables safely. "Great." If someone tried to pull and rip those off, Corvella feared they might rip the poor girl in the process. But maybe we can cut it with some degree of force, maybe. "There's no safe way detaching those cables. It's directly fused to her, but we might be able to cut them." She told the rest of her crew. They have to think fast, for they don't have much time before the antibodies come for them.

Investigate
55
Tracker / Roll

Haru · Jun 1, 2018

48 HP

MAX 58 HP

057 EN

MAX 126 EN

10 HP Shield (Rouse)

<<I will not.>>
He wasn't sure whether to be relieved or not. Did it mean that it wouldn't harm anyone, or that it wouldn't listen to the request he had given? Haru never enjoyed answers like these, but perhaps the next person would get a better response. Yukisa stepped forward and gave his own request- to turn on the lights.
The blinding shine caused Haru to shield his eyes. Cringing under the glare of the overhead, he slowly counted upwards under his breath. "...Eight, nine, ten. Ready or not..." He opened his adjusted eyes to this new environment as slowly as he could.

For a single moment Haru was not ready and wondered if this was just an illusion cast by the blinding light. The white floors, white walls, the horrible smell of sterility- he was back in his world for a faint moment, reliving years on years trapped under the clean yet sordid hospital walls.

And this hospital room had an occupant. He had no clue who this girl was or why she was here or how she had gotten into this state. She didn't belong here, crippled and chained like he himself used to be. This was supposed to be the game where people could be free, so why..?

More messages started appearing in his face, but he wouldn't have any of that yet. "Just a minute, Regalia-Heir," He assured the system, "I'll be gone after that. I just want to speak to her." He stated with calm as he walked past the message in the air entirely, listening on the Comms channel for information from his other friends.

His boots echoed off of the floor along with the reports. Her name, status, and current peril. It seems she didn't have an easy way out of this- the cables were too ingrained. There was still something he needed to try, though. And so he kept walking, fixated on the single thing in front of his eyes.

It had taken this entire expedition but he had finally found something with a soul. It was possible- he could reach out to her!
So he did. Stopping in his tracks, Haru reached. This girl was just like he used to be- his empathy guided his mind's eye to her spirit with greater ease than he had ever beheld in all of his time practicing this art. All he needed to do now was push his will forward and speak--

"HORIZON! I'm here- I can hear you! Please, answer me if you're in there!
Can you respond? You don't have to be here anymore. Please, just let me know that you still have the will to get out!"

But there was no response. His pleas could not budge this girl from the machine.
And so Haru could only growl and bring up his comms to give bad news.

Calling out to Horizon.
97
Tracker / Roll

Seigi · Jun 1, 2018

69 HP

MAX 181 HP

39 EN

MAX 156 EN

-10 EN Rouse

It was truly fascinating. Not as disgusting as Seigi had imagined. Just... fascinating? With all the techno schtick added to it. And then there was this girl. A young one, it seemed like. And immediately, Seigi had the urge to save her.

We must. We must. We must.

She had to. She had to. She had to. Because that was what heroes did, right? Just rip her out and....

Insecurity.

What would happen if she failed? What would happen to the whale? To this 'HORIZON' person herself? What would happen? Corvy said these cables were fused....

Seigi did not act.
A failure of a hero.
Betraying her most own ideals.
A Hero acted on instincts and guts.
Because that was a Hero.

"Horizon? Deadman Kyle? Naraka?" Random words that might have gotten a reaction, yet, nothing. "Oy, System Voice thingy, you still around? Free Horizon please!"

<<Action Denied.>>
<<User ID: Trisha Langley Cannot be Removed.>>

An answer. Negative. Fucking great. Alright, then. "And why can Trisha not be freed?"

<<Access Granted.>>
<<User ID: Trisha Langley is integral to the operation of the Amalgamated Control Center.>>

Also great. So, the whale, or system, or whatever needed her?

That is no excuse to keep a poor little child trapped here...

Dissonance clouded Seigi's eyes. It was indeed not nice of the Skywhale to do that!

"Is... is she still alive? And her lower body all good? Functional? Not absorbed or whatever?"

<<Access Granted.>>
<<User ID: Trisha Langley is Alive.>>

Yay! But... what about her other part? Well, screw the System!

"Can't we do a compromise or something? Maybe help out in return for Trisha's freedom?" There was still hope to resolve this peacefully.

<<Access Granted.>>
<<User ID: Trisha Langley is integral to the operation of the Amalgamated Control Center.>>

Alright, now Seigi just felt being made fun of. Maybe one, two more question, just why. Why didn't Seigi act? GUTS. AND. EFFORT. This was so not like her.

"Why is Trisha Langley integral to the operation of the Amalgamated Control Center?" Maybe if they could find out more about it, then they could find a way.

<<Access Granted.>>
<<User ID: Trisha Langley composes of one half of the Amalgamated Control Center.>>

That... was kind of obvious but... urgh. It was just buying time, wasn't it? Seigi was about done and about to do action instead but—

...

Rouse(Debuff immune) Command @Ashifili
Tracker

Yukisa · Jun 1, 2018

54 HP

MAX 112 HP

104 EN

MAX 104 EN

Though Yukisa was the only one who literally asked for illumination in the dark room, the commands that the rest of the party issued too shed some light on the situation. But the more questions were answered, the more unsolved mysteries began to flood to the surface.

Following his command, light flooded the previously dark room, causing the four to have to squint in order to adjust to the brightness.

Before them stood a sight that caused Yuki’s heart to sink.

It wasn’t the disgusting, shriveled gray meat that disturbed him. It wasn’t the sheer size of the massive organ that caused his eyes to widen. But the girl - that was what made his stomach churn.

She was fused with the whale’s brain, cables embedded into her skin. And, gods, did it hurt to see someone so young in such a state. Perhaps it would’ve been easier to dismiss if she were an NPC, but opening investigation mode proved that she was a player, and she was alive.

Every human instinct in Yukisa’s body flared to lend a hand.

But as the heroes agreed to lend a hand, they also knew they needed to deepen their understanding of the situation, and so the barrage of questions continued.

The majority of the commands were entirely technical. What’s this? Why’s that? And though they were fair questions, the more were asked, the more Yukisa realized that he was more concerned with the girl’s feelings than anything.

Initially, he, too, asked things that were informational. “What is the Amalgamated Control Center?” and “Why does it exist?” were those that he had settled on asking for now.

<<Access Granted.>>

<<The Amalgamated Control Center is Regana-Hier.>>

<<Access Granted.>>

<<The Amalgamated Control Center controls Regana-Hier.>>

In truth, those answers only served to confuse the boy more. Maybe he should’ve been a bit more specific, or asked what Regana-Hier is…

At that point, though, his attitude made a switch. None of that really mattered, because what he truly desired to know was not facts, but what lied in HORIZON’s heart.

“Can we communicate with Trisha Langley?”

<<Action Uncertain.>>

<<You are communicating with User ID: Trisha Langley.>>

Ah… so that’s how it was. This wasn’t just some automated system - it was her. Then…

"Do you want freedom from the Amalgamated Control Center?"

<<What I want does not matter.>>

A sharp pang pierced Yukisa’s heart at that. He was someone who firmly believed in one’s freedom to do as they desire. If the universe stabbed him in the back and decided to clip his wings, he wouldn’t allow that to repeat to someone else.

But first, there was just a little more he needed to be certain of.

“What’s… Naraka?”

<<Access Granted.>>

<<The End.>>

That answer could have meant a million things, and once again he was left with far more unresolved questions than cleared ones. However, of all those questions, there was one that his human side screamed at him to ask the most.

“If it’s The End… is it a happy ending for you?”

Silence filled the room as the words “The End” remained flashing upon the screen, unchanging. If his inquiry was heard, Trisha Langley chose not to answer.

Yuki bit his lip, and his eyes gleamed with the hint of tears. ‘It hurts…’ he thought, placing a hand on his chest. He felt terrible, his heart attempting to leap out of his body out of sympathy for her.

He desperately wanted to free her. She didn’t say it directly, but from what she did and didn’t say… it seemed she didn’t want this. There was something else driving her, but if it wouldn’t end well for her…

“What you want matters!” he blurted out suddenly, his voice trembling with a turmoil of emotion. “Please don’t act like you don’t have feelings, even if… you’re part of this thing, you’re still a person and you should follow your desires!”

If he could, he would have pulled her out at that moment. But, as Corvella mentioned, that wouldn’t be a safe option, especially considering these “anti-bodies” that were about to come.

“I don’t know what exactly you want… but whatever it is, I’ll do everything in my power to help! If not today… then I’ll come back, I’ll go through everything we went through just now as many times as it takes.” At this point, it really seemed like he was on the verge of tears. Perhaps it was a little overdramatic for a video game.

“And that’s a promise!”

one speechy boi @Ashifilli
Tracker

Ashifili · Jun 1, 2018

Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

<<Warning: Antibodies are approaching. Intruders should vacate the premises immediately.>>

Corvella turned away, investigating away as she tested the spiderweb of cables that surrounded the room, even as her muscles remained weakned and atrophied, exhaustion dogging her every movement.

<<Warning: Antibodies are approaching. Intruders should vacate the premises immediately.>>

Haru dove deep, deeper than he ever did before, lost to the world as he attempted to speak to the child’s very soul, only to find that his words were dispersed before they could even reach her.

<<Warning: Antibodies are approaching. Intruders should vacate the premises immediately.>>

Seigi, consumed by indecision, interrogated the machine, words leading nowhere as she talked herself into a meaningless spiral.

<<Warning: Antibodies are approaching. Intruders should vacate the premises immediately.>>

Yukisa did the same, following Seigi's lead, trying to get answers, trying to encourage emotion, trying, trying, trying futilely.

<<Warning: Antibodies have arrived.>>

And, before any one of them could turn to face their foes, a brilliant light filled their minds, shearing away all fantasy, all deceit, all fiction, until what remained was…

It was a white room. So white. So sterile. So quiet.

It was his room. The bed, sheets unwashed for months. The clock, digital because he could not stand the sound of the ticking anymore. A bookshelf with no books. A window, obscured by curtains.

Terrasphere, that world of fiction, that world where he was still a strong, young man, that was a wonderful dream.

But of course something like that couldn’t exist.

In a white, windowless room, Tomomi Hiraku did not live.

He existed, mortality fading away as his muscles became nothing more than skin and bone.

The dreamer had awoken.

The cicadas droned on, the afternoon haze burning against his back.

It was stifling. It was humid. It was raw.

He couldn’t breathe. His head was pounding against his heart, pulverizing thought and breath.

Blood dripped down the object. Blood pooled on the floor. Blood evaporated into the air. Blood flowed through his veins. Blood flowed out of his body.

Blood, blood, blood.

Madness. Disbelief. Homicide? Self defense? Accident? Who, who, who? Who was this?

It rattled in his flesh-skull, a crude black marker obscuring the victim and the perpetrator.

But there was no answer to the question.

And no action he could take.

As now, as before, Isao Yukimura could only watch.

“What are you doing?”

There was no answer for that.

“What are you doing?!”

There was no answer for that.

“WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!”

She had no answer for that.

There was nothing she could offer to her mother that would be sufficient. Nothing that would make it stop. Nothing that would make it end.

Because it was justified. Because it was fair. Because it made sense, even as it crushed her to little bits, squishing her cranium and scrambling her loathing and grinding her affection.

“How can you survive? How can you get a job? What are you doing with your life? Stop wasting time on this! Can you even imagine how hard I worked to give you these opportunities? Do you just want to be some worthless nobody? When I was your age, I studied AND worked full time. What are you doing with your time? You can’t make a career out of this!”

Mother was always right. Mother was always right. Mother was always right.

Freya Eleria could not respond.

Mother was always right.

Couldn’t move.

Couldn’t resist.

Wasn’t right, but she couldn’t right this wrong.

Because she was worthless, her only value in her last name.

No matter how much she was loved, the Raythean family was above emotions.

So.

She.

Stood.

There.

Enduring.

Holding on.

Tenaciously.

As they engaged her to a stranger.

As she faked her smile towards Wendy and her brother.

As she pretended everything was alright.

Because everything was alright.

Because she was useful.

Because she was happy.

Her family could use her.

Even as worthless and spineless as she was, Raina had value as the one who held the surname of ‘Raythean’.

So she smiled, as Sebastian held her face and consummated their engagement.

<<w̵̧̭̲̖̓͋͗a̸̧̧̘̦̱̫͎̯̫͇͉̭̝̙͊͋͊̏̽̆̓̊͋̾̓͜͠ŗ̴̯̖̖͕̳̤͓̱̣͎̝̪͒͋̽̓́̈́̓̇͘͘n̶̨̹̖̖̰̝̓͑̍i̷̞͎̤͎̩̖͖̝͍͗̏͛̏̈͋̅̿̄̌͒͜͠ṅ̵̢̥̭̘͜͝g̷͉̝̱̥̟̻̫͎͍͇͍̩̻̙̓̉ẁ̸̱̤̳̜͎̌̒̉̅̆̈́ä̶̡̻͇̮̮͚̯͈̱̞̜́̌́̓̊̑̐̆̏͗͘ŗ̴̧͇̣̦̗̬̹̩̝̒͝ņ̴̢̜͚͙̜͇͙̟̖̰̯͌͆͑͐̈̓͊̈̎͜͝͝͝i̸͍̙̜̗̬̥̰͍̔n̷̙̍͆̈́g̸̦̮̳̰̩̞̱͗̍̒̊͑̿̒̄̉̂w̵̢̨͙̻̭̼͓̯̣̽̈́͊̀̈́̾̏̈ą̵͔̰̗̘̦̣̜͕̱̞̖͎̋̍̃̒̌͌̽̈́͑̏̕͜͝r̴̨̘̫͌͛̈̎̉͘͘n̸̢̮̘͖̩̗̳͖̪̹͌̀̋͑̀́̽͆͋̿͊̑̊į̷͚̩́̈́̂͛̒̀͋̉́̎̚n̵̡͙̫̠͇̻͕͚̥̫̩̅̿̎̽̀̍ğ̴̡̞͍̺͎̠̲̀̾͋̐̇͐͒̈́̿̀̈̾͑̌ͅẉ̵̢͖͚̾̒̔ȁ̷̛͇̬̻͍͈͎̾̔̀́̀̎̓̕͘͝r̵̳̘̗͔̈́̊̆͘̕͠n̸̜̯̟͌̈̽͆͗̎̂̀̄͘i̷̛̤̯̝͍̖̤͚̟̬͙̪̰̫̿͂͗̇̀͒̉͐̓̅͘ñ̵̢͔͇́̕g̸̨̤͓̪̙̩͙̤̥̽ẃ̴̺̫̞̉̃͘å̴̡͇͉̤̍͛̔̇͒r̵̙͙͉̬͎̝̱̜̗̂̇̑̾̆͋̉̎͊̇͐͋͆͜ņ̶̨̰͓͚͖̦̫̬͇̪̫̺̆̀i̶͈͕̰̙̟͕̣͆͛̅͆͊̈́̚͘̚ͅn̶̯̘̓͗̉͑̓̓̿̄͗g̵͕̮̩̙͇̟̹͇̙̙͈͌̉>>

OOC
@Seigi @Corvella @Yukisa @Haru

No word limit.

I will be updating every day at 4PM PST. Sometimes, cycle updates will occur earlier, depending on how quickly players post. Due to the predicted length of this challenge, I may not be available at all times.

If you have pressing concerns (and not just meme questions), go ping me on #ask_a_dm. Seriously, you nerds.

If you wanna talk shop and verbally dunk on your newb party members in /all chat, go here and let loose!

If you need to roll dice because you plan on doing something drastic (or just action-y), go here and say a prayer!

Remember, this is a semi-freeform challenge. I will provide you actions, but I am also willing to let you do other stupid things, if I don't find them super stupid. So eyyyy, good luck!

Hahaha, this is a rare oppurtunity.
HTML:
[bg] [HP=100]100[/HP] [EN=100]100[/EN] [/bg]
[hr]x[/hr]
-XX EN for action
-XX HP from source
[hr]x[/hr]
Post here. Blah blah blah.


[tracker][d]Action here and target[/d]
[score]Your roll + Modifiers = Total[/score]
Tracker / Roll
Target: 000 / 000 HP
[/tracker]

Ashifili · Jun 1, 2018

Cycle 15: Absolution

Events:
@Corvella is afflicted with the Drug Addict status effect. She longs for the deliciously powdery taste that comes out of that white and blue fruit. Oh, that was truly an exquisite, delectable aftertaste to accompany a good day of BERSERKing.

@Corvella is afflicted with the Berserk Fatigue status effect. All physical actions performed under this state of mind gets a -25 bonus modifier.

@Haru @Seigi @Yukisa @Corvella are afflicted with the Absolver's Light status effect. All masteries, outside of Awakened and Core masteries, are reduced by 1500 MP, with the lowest possible value being 0. Due to the effects of Rouse, this effect is temporarily cleansed.

@Haru is afflicted with the Windowless Room. A Friend in Solitude has activated.

@Seigi is afflicted with the Pawn of Her Forbearers. All DAs are inactive.

@Yukisa is afflicted with the Scarlet in Summer. Hunger Beyond Dusk has activated.

@Corvella is afflicted with the Uncovered Lies. Hunger Beyond Dusk has activated.

Important Note:
Actions are largely irrelevant now. Treat this as a freeform interaction stage. To set the scene, everything is currently in dense shadow, except for the glowing text.

Depending on this next round, this may be the last cycle.

Actions

As always, there are special actions one can take, depending on whether or not the situation demands it, or whether or not they have an Awakened mastery.

Strenuous Effort [Everyone] By permanently sacrificing HP (reduce both your current HP value and your maximum HP value), you can gain a bonus modifier to your roll equal to the amount of HP spent, up to a maximum of 50. This modifier can not be applied to Support actions.

Reject This Fact [Everyone] Close your eyes to the world around you, deny it with all your heart, and when you open them once more, you will no longer be within Regana-Hier.

Fight Against Reality [Everyone] Deny your circumstances and push on through your trauma and your regrets, your mistakes. After posting, you may roll a d100, with +5 per tier of Energy and the possibility of extra circumstantial modifiers, granted by the DM. If the result is lower than 80, receive 30 HP damage. If the result is higher than 80, receive 15 HP damage and gain an extra action on the next cycle.

Heroic Aura
Stalwart Passive. No matter what maledictions are poured upon you, a hero will not falter. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Heroic Aura grants you a stack of Stalwart at the beginning of combat. Each stack automatically dispels a magical debuff, before being consumed.

Rouse Free action, costing 10 EN. Establish your Heroic Aura, the radiant banner that empowers all your allies. Grant either a +10 damage buff that stacks over other buffs, a +10 HP Shield, or immunity to a single debuff for the next cycle to everyone in your party.

Warcry Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Unleash a devastating roar, stunning all minions on the battlefield and performing a Disruptive Attack upon all those in the same Zone as you. Use Heroic Might as the modifier. If the resulting score is high enough, enemies in the same Zone will be knocked back one space as well.

Limit Break[Seigi Only] ???

Chronomancy
Time Accel Passive. Human might may be limited to one’s muscles, but with the ability to manipulate time, even physical constraints can be overridden. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Chronomancy grants you a stack of Accel at the beginning of combat. Each stack can be consumed during your turn to double the movement speed of either yourself, or your ally. If you choose to, you can consume 3 stacks of Accel instead in order to grant one extra action to yourself or your ally.

Rewind Action, costing 20 EN and 20 max EN. Grasp the fabric of time and pull it back, returning yourself to your original physical state. Set your HP, status, and physical location to what it was in the start of the previous cycle, essentially negating everything that has occurred to your character in the current cycle. This ability can be applied to objects as well.

Terminate Action, costing 30 EN and 30 max EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Dive into the depths of your time manipulation abilities, locking an enemy or ally in time. If this is used on an ally, they are immune to all enemy attacks for the next round. If this is used on an enemy, they are unable to act during the next cycle, and are immune to all damage from players. If this is used on an unwilling target, a d100, modified by Chronomancy, must be rolled to clear a hidden DC.

Limit Break [Ivan Only] ???

Corvella · Jun 2, 2018

17 HP

MAX 113 HP

20 EN

MAX 100 EN

<<Warning: Antibodies have arrived.>>

Those were the last words she heard before her mind was thrown by a binding light. Spiralling and spiralling down until she arrived in a bedroom she haven't been in for years. It was in London, 2024. Freya Eleria was sitting near the bedroom window where it's snowing outside, her eyes kept straight into the floor while her mother's voice rang and rang all over again inside her head. It was mocking her, everything she stood up for, everything she built, everything she believed, and everything she ever wanted to be.

Her mother's on the side of the door, as her mouth kept running, uttering words that Freya had accustomed herself with up until this moment. And mother was right, she was always right. So few months later Freya would found herself studying law in New York, because job and standing and degree, those are what matters, right? All is justified, even the headset, the mic and the camera, now lying in pieces on the floor, these deserved the destruction for her not following her mother's will.

Wrong.

What Freya had been doing was running. Running away so she couldn't hear those words. Keeping her ears closed so she can live with the lie, that she actually kept on doing these things without her mother's knowledge. But at this moment, presented once again to her, she wasn't Freya Eleria anymore. She was Corvella, who will fight for what she believed in.

"You're WRONG!" Her shout filled the room, sending her mother into a state of shock as both pair of green eyes met. Never had Freya shouted to any of her parents, for she was a very obedient daughter, too obedient perhaps.

"Why is it always need to be YOU, mother? Why can't it be me? Isn't this my life? Why am I not in control? Do you ever think of what I wanted? What I wanted to be?!"

Her blood was quickly pumped into her head.

"Was job eveything to you? That very job, that put you so distant with your own daughter. Was degree everything for you? Was living a happy life, not important to you, mother?"

The glass of the window were shattered with a blow, instantly opening wounds on Freya's light skin. Her mother could only gasp at the sudden turn of events. Tears started to fall down the blonde's cheeks as she shouted once more.

"Have you EVER thought of me? My happiness?! All I ever wanted was to make you proud, to make you happy! I've done everything you wanted! But everything was never enough for you, and it never will be!"

She broke down in tears, picking up the broken camera on the floor, before quickly throwing it into her computer's monitor, crushing the LCD layer.

"I'M NOT YOU! I NEVER WANTED TO BE A LAWYER!"

If only things have gone this way... If only..

Fight against reality
Tracker

Seigi · Jun 2, 2018

69 HP

MAX 181 HP

29 EN

MAX 156 EN

-10 EN Rouse

Screw it! No more thinking. Too much thinking. Act first. Think never! Seigi had to just rip her out and—!!!

<<Warning: Antibodies have arrived.>>

"NO!" Raina shoved Sebastian away, head red as a tomato. She agreed to this. Yes. She was finally useful to her father. He'd stop bugging her and everyone was happy. They haven't even started handholding. So a k-k-k-k-kiss!? To 'seal the deal' Just like that? NO. The blonde had to fall in love first, duh! Her signature on a piece of paper was enough.

"Raina..." Her father, gave a stern look with a hunch of disappointment. "Ah, don't worry Mr. Raythean!" Sebastian answered with a sly smile. "I'm sure your daughter will come to her senses, sooner or later. I won't force her. I'll be, mhm, patient. Right, Raina dear?" The 5 or so years older male smiled at Raina. He had just stood up for her, so why did that feel not right? Something was not right. Sebastian was not right. Raina knew their type. Manipulative. Arrogant. With ulterior motives. It was just a matter of time until he showed his true colors.

Smile.

"I'm... I'm sorry Papa! But I need some time... please." Keep smiling. No! Don't. That's not how you feel at all. "Alright Raina. As long as you do not risk this engagement I won't pry too much. Don't disappoint me, daughter." With these words, the CEO of Raythean turned around and left the room. "I'll leave you two alone now. Get acquainted."

Raina kept silent.
This was uncomfortable.
She wanted to not be here.
To be with Wendy.
To have fun.
Eat some skittles.

"Maaan, your father sure is harsh, huh?" Sebastian broke the silence. "Old geezer forcing his daughter to marry? That's sooo not cool!" He shrugged, taking a step closer. Raina took a step back. DO NOT WAVER. PUNCH HIM! "But such is the burden of the upper-class. These low-life citizens will never understand. But don't worry Raina dear, just give it some time and you'll see what an awesome man I am! A-HAHAHAHAHA!" Wrong. Wrong. Wrong. Disgusting. Horrible. Raina wanted to vomit. And how did he dare talk bad about her father!?

"S-Sure! Let's give it our best! A kiss is just... too much for now, sorry." The blonde girl nodded with a smile. PUNCH. THE. FUCKER. "So w-" — "So Raina dear, mhm, how about this. What's your favorite food?" Alright. Even if her Guts told her to put no effort into this, she could try. Right? Give everybody a fair chance! NO! STUPID. HE'S A SNAKE.

People connected over food. Maybe, just maybe. "Pizza! With meatballs! And barbecue sauce!" A honest smile, the blonde tool smiled. "... ... ..." For a moment, Sebastian looked at Raina with disgust before. "AHAHAHAHA! Ha..haha! Oh man. You sure got some good humor, Raina!" He teared up from laughter. "Now, just now, you sounded like some filthy low-class citizen!"

...
...
...

"̧He͟.͢..̀ he̛h̀e̵... yès҉!̸ ͡A͢ j̕oke̶. W͞as͝ i͟t ͏fưn͢ny? ͢I'm̧ ̸glad yo͡u͘ lik͘e it̡!" S̕h̴e͢ s͠a͝i͏d̵ ̸wit̵h͡ ̕a ̛smile͝.͘ "̨I r͟ea͞lly ͞l͏i͘ke, ưrm̴,͢ ҉w-w͘a͜gy̡u̧ beȩf͡!͢?"͘

"NO!" Seigi slapped Raina. "You're not that weak, pathetic, little girl that is just a tool to her family anymore! Once, I was simply a mask you wore, but now you have grown out of it! You are me. I am you. Strong. Heroic. Cool. Awesome. The bestest." Another slap. "SO SHOW ME! Wake up, girl! WAKE. UP. To submit or fight? ARE YOU A WUSS OR A FIGHTER? A HERO OR A SLAVE? A HUMAN BEING OR A TOOL? A BURNING SPIRIT OR A WALKING CORPSE? WAKE UP! SCREW THIS FATE. PUNCH HIM. PUNCH. HIM. IN. THE. FACE. OWN UP."

...But did she really have the resolve to do that?

Rouse(Debuff immune) +Fight against reality
Tracker

Yukisa · Jun 2, 2018

54 HP

MAX 112 HP

104 EN

MAX 104 EN

TerraSphere was Isao’s escape. His escape from the cruel reality that left him shackled to the ground, like a bird with clipped wings.

But the universe was persistent, even going so far as to chase him into the virtual world in order to ensure he never forgets what his life is like.

And so he was faced with a painful- no, even worse than that. He was faced with a memory he had, through physical and mental trauma, repressed into the deepest recesses of his subconscious mind in denial. An experience that had shaken him so deeply, he went so far as to “erase” it from existence.

Perhaps this was why they had labeled the game as so dangerous… because it could unlock the deepest, darkest parts of someone and fish out whatever it so pleased.

Yukisa found himself standing in what was clearly no longer a fantasy world. A quick glance around, despite the haziness that clouded his vision, was enough for him to realize this was a high school. And not just any high school - this was his high school.

‘Why is this… in TerraSphere?’ he thought to himself, a slight dread overtaking him. There was no way this was a coincidence. Without a doubt, the game knew this was his old school.

But could he truly say he was still in a game? For when he glanced down at himself, he realized that he was no longer Yukisa, the swift and agile Aeromancer persona he created. Instead, he was back in the original form of Isao. It was almost as if he had been ejected from the game… except, if that were true, he wouldn’t be able to stand the way he was right now. Not on his useless, crippled legs.

Somehow, he had reverted back 2 years, to when all doors were still open before him. It was like he was placed directly back into a nostalgic memory.

‘Then how come everything is so unfamiliar?’ he realized as he continued to inspect his surroundings. On one hand, he had been here countless times - after all, it was his high school. But this specific time and place… he just couldn’t recall being there. ‘This can’t be a memory… can it?’

Drip. Drip. Drip.

It was when Isao heard that sound that he finally looked at what was right before him.

A pool of scarlet. A lifeless body. A dark figure. Familiar, yet foreign.

‘Oh god… did he… kill..?’

His hand went to his mouth, covering it as bile began to rise up his throat from the sight and smell.

He wanted to look away. He wanted to run. But something stopped him, keeping him in place.

‘Why can’t I… leave? I did it once, so-’

His thoughts cut short when he comprehended what he was about to say to himself.

‘I… did it before?’

He wouldn’t have thought something like that… unless this wasn’t just some random cutscene in a video game. This was…

A memory.

A sharp pang struck Isao’s head, causing him to grip his temples in pain.

Deny it. Put it away. It’ll only hurt.

His mind was screaming at him not to pry. To lock what he was seeing away, and dismiss it as an illusion.

But Isao was no longer the same person he was before. If there was something he learned during his time as Yukisa, it was courage. To stand up for what was right, and never back down… especially not in the face of fear.

“This… was the day of the accident, wasn’t it?” he suddenly said aloud, the words only causing his head to ache further. “Then maybe, just maybe… I can know… why everything happened.”

Up until now, he had always blamed himself for his fate. But it wasn’t because there was any real basis… it was because he never found out what truly happened on that day. Sure, he could piece an idea together from what he was told by his peers, but there was always one, massive chunk missing. Something that plagued him, even if he never realized how much it was haunting.

This was it. The deja vu that had been building up within him was more than enough to prove so.

“I… don’t want to forget anymore,” he mumbled, biting his lip momentarily as he tried to fight the pain. “I want- no, I need to know. There’s no going back but… if I understand it, then I can… forgive.”

He lifted his gaze from the floor, and mixed within the yellow, hungry irises was a burning determination.

With one leap, he tackled the dark figure from behind before he could regret his actions.

No more denial.

(Trying to) Fight Against Reality
Tracker

Haru · Jun 2, 2018

48 HP

MAX 58 HP

057 EN

MAX 126 EN

10 HP Shield (Rouse)

Crap. Haru needed to get out. He didn't know what was coming but he could feel it was bad. How could he escape again? He needed to be quick, he only had seconds left. Right, if he just-

<<Warning: Antibodies have arrived.>>

The world was white and clean. Tiles lined the floor neatly as they did the walls and ceiling. While not cleaned often these tiles were rarely seen dirty, as the occupants within hardly ever saw clearly enough to find discrepancy. Along with the consistent smell of cleanliness brought on by artificial chemicals, this was what defined a hospital room. Absolute order, the likes of which were only matched by the walls of actual prison.

Tomomi Hiraku awoke in this place again, just like he always did. Not for the first time did he open his eyes and see the walls and hope that he was looking at a blanket of snow. Snow would be gentle. Snow would be pure.

The tiles were none of these things. They were clean and bright, yet they were terribly harsh under the ceiling lights and reminded him that he was in a house of disease and rot. He had tried so very hard to help these establishments out in his lifetime, and here he was as thanks. A sentence from fate to rot here himself.

"...No, that's not how that happened." Fate? Tomomi couldn't blame anyone but himself. He could have retired early by going to the hospital from day one and asking for treatment to extend his life. As long as he had tried to get regular check-up with the pharmacists and didn't try to do anything stressful like hole himself up in his work like he used to, he could have extended his lifespan to half of the average and life off of sick fare. That's a full fifteen years he'd purposefully shaved off, and why?

He was too prideful to ask for assistance from others. Instead of seeking help, he'd holed himself in his research and tried to find a cure for a disease that was fifty years ahead of science at the very least. So here he was, dying for his own arrogance. He was about half a year away from falling victim to a full-body necrosis. There was no cure. He knew that better than anyone alive.

His eyes trailed to the right over to a digital clock on the wall- 12:04. Only his eyes could move to see that. His neck was currently paralyzed. To be more precise, he was too weak to move anything below his jaw besides his vocal chords or similar organs that were more vital to his body's operation. The clock itself was a light blue with traces of silver along the edges. He had always loved colors like that. Things that were so very close to being white while still retaining their sense of color.

Those colors were so free. They reminded him of the dream he just had.

A dream where some technology existed to dive into virtual reality and escape his own. He had been free there. He could have gone anywhere he had wanted to. There were mountains and skies above that he tried to reach out to by climbing them, and perilously deep canyons that fell to an unknown pitch below that housed twilight scenery in the dark. Winter storms and forests and seas, and so many flowers to appreciate on the way to all of these things...

"That was a good dream. I'll never see it again, but I'm glad that I did." Gazing at the ceiling lights above, Tomomi dismisses them all with a grateful smile. Maybe had it been a year or three ago, he would have tried to deny it, but in his short time left he knew better than to take a fantasy as anything more than that. He was mature in that sense. The hospital had really let him mellow out, for which he was grateful. He could think rationally in here, and realize that he didn't even have a shred of evidence to prove that technology as wild as that existed. See, all he needed to do was take a quick look down to see that there was no 'dive headset' on the visitor's chair-

Tomomi looked down and locked his gaze with an eye. It was huge, bulging from his solar plexus and taking up the space of most of his upper torso. The pupil was small and dark and the iris was a baleful red. The veins pulsed with the loud sound of his heartbeat that echoes through his ears like a wardrum. Was his heartbeat always that loud? No, more importantly, what did he even say in a situation like this?

"...What the heck?" No, you absolute buffoon. You don't say 'what' to the giant pulsating eye, you're supposed to wonder why it's here!
And that's really something he should be asking, because this eye shouldn't exist. He would have been shouting for the doctors to grab their research equipment in glee of being the first spontaneous mutant in existence if it weren't for the fact that he knew exactly what this eye was.

It was his. Every time he was alone it came to see him. Every time he felt sad it was there to cheer him up. Titanius had given him a wonderful gift in the form of this eye, and once again it was right here to stay.
On his chest, just like normal.
Then, he was...

Haru grinned wider than he ever had in weeks. It was rather amusing, but perhaps the whale didn't think that someone with a situation like his would maybe pick up some odd hobbies when trapped in a bed. Hobbies like lucid dreams. He had to do something while stuck in bed for years.
"Thanks, buddy, you really do know when to show up at the best times." Trapped in the crippled body of his past life as he was, he could only praise his little tumor for now. After that, though, he began to get to work. He already had a taste of freedom, and that was all he needed to push towards it like a rabid dog with a taste of blood.

All he had to use at the moment were his eyes and speech so he used them well. He eyed every single nook and cranny in the room for discrepancies that could only be made by someone who didn't know him as well as himself. Time after time he opened his mouth to offer chips in the wall like a lawyer picking apart a witness' shoddy statement.

"You put my nightstand on the wrong side of the bed," He explained.

"There's a window in my room, you know. The sun always gets in my eyes around this time and I always whine about it," He chides.

"Doesn't the clock say it's noon? Where's the sound of that lovely nurse Sarah screeching like an angry gorilla? She's here everyday. The poor girl gets worked too hard."

"The 'pill' bottles you labeled on the wall are all wrong. Chlorophacinone does not kill aches or pains, it kills rats."

"Why can't I actually feel my hair? Come on. Are you trolling me?"

Word after complaint after criticism against this false reality's author poured from his mouth, and throughout his constant verbal abuse he focused on doing one thing and one thing alone- move. Even if it was a twitch of a finger or toe it was all he needed to do. Come on. Bend. Bend. Break under the strain of your faulty logic. This place isn't real, and this place has no power over him. He had to get back. Back to his team, and back to his friends. Back to the promise he made with Vincent. He was supposed to be cool. He would not be snuffed like a candle under the bell.

Bend.

Bend!

All he needed was an inch to take the whole mile--

Fight Against Reality. Energy gives a +10 alongside whatever circumstantial bonuses I get (if any).
Tracker

Ashifili · Jun 2, 2018

Absolution Beyond Cloudburst

She was named Freya.

Her namesake was that of a goddess.

Of war? Of knowledge? Of strength? Of wisdom?

No.

A goddess of beauty, loved by all, cherished by all.

Back when she was a baby, crying loudly, healthily in that hospital room, that was what her mother had wanted. A happy child who could find someone who loved her with all their heart, who would raise a family with children that would never want for anything, who could love the world as the world loved her.

Back then, back then, back then…

As reality fragmented away, revealing the vanilla white of hope and despair, so too did her mother fade, breaking into diamond dust.

And now, the child was alone once more, in the echoes of her own rage.

She did.

She really did.

Her fist clenched.

Her will hardened.

Her anger burned.

But she could not.

Because this wasn’t a special day.

Because Raina wasn’t a hero, no matter what her delusions or her dreams.

She had a perfect mask too, and though every day she strived to make her ideal self true, it was never realized. She never fought in real life. Never had the courage, the strength, the determination to face anything with her real face.

Because the hero that she built in her mind…

That hero could only exist in fiction.

That hero could not exist in reality.

Seigi was born from Raina running away.

How could she draw strength from that?

Too late.

He knew instinctively.

Too late.

He knew physically.

Too late.

He ran, he stumbled, he did all he could to fight his weak self, the self that couldn’t accept the past.

What was he denying here?

What could he gain from this?

Nothing.

There was no acceptance. No answers. No interaction. No words.

Just violence to drown out the fear, adrenaline to dull the terror.

The nameless stranger was already dead.

And he still did not question the face of the one before him, the crux of his trauma.

So Isao was blind.

Blind as he rushed into the tip of the blade.

His shackles were not his regrets.

And he never saw that man’s face.

Again and again.

Each truth placed caused another rupture, another shock, another change.

He never ran away. He never denied this world. He never forgot.

Each detail broke, the dream trying to reconstruct itself.

But the errors were a malignant cancer, eating away and away and away until surreality could no longer bend itself any further.

And with the shattering of glass, it all fell apart.

There was never a doubt of his mortality.

He knew that he was no more than a dead man walking.

But certain demise brought him a gift that no normal human could have.

He could not spare a single day stagnating.

Tomomi had to move on.

Before it ran them through fully, Haru and Corvella moved, free from the aberrant illusion that plagued their minds. This was the true form of the Antibody, a devilishly fast creature made of spindly limbs and glowing runes, like a mosquito without wings. Chittering madly at their prey’s escape, they screeched, extending razor sharp blades in preparation for the next assault, but such monstrosities, deadly as they were, were an afterthought compared to the situation that was unfolding before them.

Sharp blades pierced wholly through Seigi and Yukisa, their own monsters having fully wrapped around the pained but awakened adventurers with needle-sharp blades.

Translucent hexagrams were quickly manifesting around the sky whale’s brain, sealing that mind broken girl off from the rest of them, as if whatever force controlled the Antibodies was now exercising their powers over locking away access to the brain as well. Already, certain areas were completely opaque, the magical barricade only growing stronger with time.

And from the many corridors, more of those Antibodies flooded in, a veritable swarm that they had no chance of fending off for even a moment.

The situation was escalating, growing more and more dire by the second.

But they were still alive.

They could still change this ending!

OOC
@Seigi @Corvella @Yukisa @Haru

No word limit.

I will be updating every day at 4PM PST. Sometimes, cycle updates will occur earlier, depending on how quickly players post. Due to the predicted length of this challenge, I may not be available at all times.

If you have pressing concerns (and not just meme questions), go ping me on #ask_a_dm. Seriously, you nerds.

If you wanna talk shop and verbally dunk on your newb party members in /all chat, go here and let loose!

If you need to roll dice because you plan on doing something drastic (or just action-y), go here and say a prayer!

Remember, this is a semi-freeform challenge. I will provide you actions, but I am also willing to let you do other stupid things, if I don't find them super stupid. So eyyyy, good luck!

Let's see how it ends.
HTML:
[bg] [HP=100]100[/HP] [EN=100]100[/EN] [/bg]
[hr]x[/hr]
-XX EN for action
-XX HP from source
[hr]x[/hr]
Post here. Blah blah blah.


[tracker][d]Action here and target[/d]
[score]Your roll + Modifiers = Total[/score]
Tracker / Roll
Target: 000 / 000 HP
[/tracker]

Ashifili · Jun 2, 2018

Cycle 16: Beyond

<<The Birdcage>>
philosophantastical barricade
[1500/1500]
[700/700]

Events:
@Corvella is afflicted with the Drug Addict status effect. She longs for the deliciously powdery taste that comes out of that white and blue fruit. Oh, that was truly an exquisite, delectable aftertaste to accompany a good day of BERSERKing.

@Corvella is afflicted with the Berserk Fatigue status effect. All physical actions performed under this state of mind gets a -25 bonus modifier.

@Haru @Seigi @Yukisa @Corvella are afflicted with the Absolver's Light status effect. All masteries, outside of Awakened and Core masteries, are reduced by 1500 MP, with the lowest possible value being 0. Due to the effects of Rouse, this effect is temporarily cleansed.

@Haru @Corvella receive 15 HP damage. During this cycle, they may take an extra action.

@Seigi @Yukisa receive 30 HP damage. They are afflicted with the Pinned status effect, and are unable to move or take physical actions unless they roll a d100 +5 per Offense Mastery that exceeds 100.

Important Notes:
The Birdcage has a barrier around it that must be destroyed before you can truly go and make your attempts at freeing Trisha Langley. Overkilling the barrier does not bleed damage over to the rest of the frame.

If you are unable to free Trisha in this round, and have not chosen to escape, you will die.

Recall that this is still freeform, in a way.

Actions

As always, there are special actions one can take, depending on whether or not the situation demands it, or whether or not they have an Awakened mastery.

Strenuous Effort [Everyone] By permanently sacrificing HP (reduce both your current HP value and your maximum HP value), you can gain a bonus modifier to your roll equal to the amount of HP spent, up to a maximum of 50. This modifier can not be applied to Support actions.

Close Your Eyes [Everyone] Escape with your lives. Close your eyes and pray that the Sky Whale will eject you from this terrible circumstance.

Overdose [Everyone] Perform any action on your Action sheet, and pay for the cost as many times as you'd like, provided you have enough EN. The amount of times you pay for the cost is the value that you multiply your dice result by.

Spirit Burn [Everyone] Consign your soul and push your body to the brink for one last blow. Gain 100 EN. At the end of the cycle, regardless of success or failure, you die and cannot be revived by magic.

Bulldoze [Corvella and Haru Only] Smash into the strange constructs that have grappled Seigi and Yukisa, instantly freeing them.

Limit Break [Seigi Only] Believe in justice and hold your determination in your fist.

Heroic Aura
Stalwart Passive. No matter what maledictions are poured upon you, a hero will not falter. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Heroic Aura grants you a stack of Stalwart at the beginning of combat. Each stack automatically dispels a magical debuff, before being consumed.

Rouse Free action, costing 10 EN. Establish your Heroic Aura, the radiant banner that empowers all your allies. Grant either a +10 damage buff that stacks over other buffs, a +10 HP Shield, or immunity to a single debuff for the next cycle to everyone in your party.

Warcry Action, costing 20 EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Unleash a devastating roar, stunning all minions on the battlefield and performing a Disruptive Attack upon all those in the same Zone as you. Use Heroic Might as the modifier. If the resulting score is high enough, enemies in the same Zone will be knocked back one space as well.

Limit Break[Seigi Only] ???

Chronomancy
Time Accel Passive. Human might may be limited to one’s muscles, but with the ability to manipulate time, even physical constraints can be overridden. Excluding Beginner, each tier of Chronomancy grants you a stack of Accel at the beginning of combat. Each stack can be consumed during your turn to double the movement speed of either yourself, or your ally. If you choose to, you can consume 3 stacks of Accel instead in order to grant one extra action to yourself or your ally.

Rewind Action, costing 20 EN and 20 max EN. Grasp the fabric of time and pull it back, returning yourself to your original physical state. Set your HP, status, and physical location to what it was in the start of the previous cycle, essentially negating everything that has occurred to your character in the current cycle. This ability can be applied to objects as well.

Terminate Action, costing 30 EN and 30 max EN. Can only be used once every three cycles. Dive into the depths of your time manipulation abilities, locking an enemy or ally in time. If this is used on an ally, they are immune to all enemy attacks for the next round. If this is used on an enemy, they are unable to act during the next cycle, and are immune to all damage from players. If this is used on an unwilling target, a d100, modified by Chronomancy, must be rolled to clear a hidden DC.

Limit Break [Ivan Only] ???

Haru · Jun 3, 2018

43 HP

MAX 58 HP

157 EN

MAX Limit? EN

Reality came to him as quick and seamless as an oncoming car in the middle of the street. He had seen the car coming, and had walked onto the street himself by pushing reality. He knew what was coming.

That didn't make dodging a speeding car any less difficult of a task. Haru leapt out of the way, but the needle of the antibody shredded through his side as if it were paper. Haru grunted as he hit the ground before rolling with it to get back on his feet.

And just like that, he was back in the present. It seemed the others hasn't fared as well as he had, but they were alive and already escaping their clutches.

It was clear from step one that they didn't have time to spare anymore. The whale was probably going to kill them off in the next minute or so. So in that case, he needed to get drastic.

He never said he wouldn't die.

All he promised was that he wouldn't do it with a whimper.

All they needed to do was free the girl. He'd put everything on the line for that sake. Haru reached deep within himself and c̢̛͠ơņ͟s̛̛͡į͜g̀͝ņ̡̛͢͞e̶̶̡̕d̵̢̨͡͝ ̴̵̢̕h̸̢͟͞i̵͢͠m̸̵͡s̵҉̷̢͘ȩ͢͏̀͝l̴͟͝f̢͏̴̀ ̀͏̸̡t̷o̴̕͜͟͟ ̶͜t҉̷̀͠͠h̡͞è͘ ̢͝B̨͢͏o̶̡̕͠u͘҉n̵̢̕͝d̸̢͞á̸̀́͞ŕ̨҉̸́y̴̧͢.̴̕

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!" A little trick he had devised came alive in this stage. Haru had pushed himself along to the realm of death, the gate of end opening for his soul- and then he held the gate open.

The power of the realm of death surged through his body. At this very moment he was a single blood vein for the flow of an entire world. Soon, unfit for the task, he would pop and break. His physical body had already mostly evaporated in a number of seconds, leaving only a faint image of where his form used to be. A ghost of willpower that could still act.

One thing was clear- if there was an incarnation of death in this universe, boy was it going to be pissed off when it found out what Haru did.
But that was then. This is now. The spirit turns to the birdcage and calls out to the bird inside.

"Grit your teeth, Trisha. This is going to hurt, okay?"

Spirit Burn
Tracker

Corvella · Jun 4, 2018

2 HP

MAX 113 HP

20 EN

MAX 100 EN

Fight against it. Free yourself from it.

Her rage surpassed everything that could hold her back. Don't treat it as if it's an edgy thing like 'nobody understands my pain'. Channeling an anger, turning it into great power, broke Corvella off from whatever that is, just in time to avoid getting stabbed. Seigi and Yukisa weren't that lucky, however. The room was quickly filled by mosquito alien thingy, so many that it this state, it would be outright impossible to fight them off.

The little power boost was enough for Corvella to try and free both Yukisa and Seigi first. As barrier and birdcage formed, enveloping HORIZON and making things more hopeless by the second, she asked the other free teammate. "Haru, any plan?" She quickly jumped and maneuvered her way to save the others, when Yukisa just broke the blade by himself forcefully. "Yuki, get back. Those creatures are very dangerous."

She kicked the mosquito creature while pulling Seigi out from the blade, blood bursting from the wound, hopefully without causing further damage to the already mangled girl. "Seigi, you okay? This is bad, we gotta act fast. Hey Haru-" Not getting any response from the white-haired man, she looked backwards to witness him turning into a spirit form, leaving his body dissipating in seconds. "Oh my God, Haru what are you doing?!"

Corvella already knew the answer. Haru was going to sacrifice himself to break the barrier.

Free Seigi
Tracker

Seigi · Jun 4, 2018

1 HP

MAX 143 HP

19 EN

MAX 156 EN

-10 EN Rouse
-38 HP Streneous Effort

Screw this!
Screw that!
Screw the narrator who obviously did not know Seigi's mask had become one and the same with Raina since long ago.
Screw things not going how she wanted to be.
Screw listening to reason rather than just ripping the girl out.
Screw apparently still being hung up by the past.
Screw the shadow-blade-thingamajig that painfully woke her up from the nightmare.

Screw. All. The. Things.

Seigi was about to be so done with this. Really done. Yet, she couldn't get free! Screw that too. The orange-hair tried. She tried really, really, hard. Literally going super Saiyan with her heroic aura. YET, SHE STILL DIDN'T MANAGE TO FREE HERSELF.

Thankfully, however, there was Corvy around who just dragged her out. "THANK YOU CORVELLA YOU'RE AWESOME." Seigi said in an even-louder-than-usual voice. A quick glance at Haru reminded her that she was still a failure of a hero, however.

No regrets.

"I am SERIOUSLY pissed. Flying Whales are supposed to be goddamn awesome!" With these words, Seigi disregarded anything else as she took one step forward. She was on fire.

Limiter 1 Released
Bad End Divergence Protocols Initiated
Limiter 2 Released
Synchronizing Soul... ... .... ...
Commence Awakened Fate Ultimatum
Limiter 3 Released
Soul Synchronized
RISE HIGH!

Seigi's heroic soul blazed up. Brighter, and brighter, until it became visible for the naked eye. The girl was basked in her own, golden, flames. Slowly, the wild flames died down a bit. Taking form. Taking shape. Until finally forming an armor around Seigi. Just like a Magical Girl without the transformation dance!

"LET'S ROCK'N'ROLL. Guts n' Effort." Slapping her open palm, the reborn girl dashed towards the Birdcage.

"The Paradisal Flare that Burns all Evil — "

"ORA!" The contraptions around her armor went to work, her first strike, slow, yet powerful.
The barrier was still standing.
"ORA!" Her second one, a kick rather than a strike.
The barrier started to crack.
"ORA! ORA! ORA!" Faster, and faster...
More and more, like an egg that fell on the ground.
"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Shining with radiant brilliance as Seigi delivered more than just 7 strikes. Ten, twenty, fifty, hundred. In just a single moment the mere human eye couldn't follow her motions anymore.
The Birdcages's barrier broke.

But Seigi was not done.
The girl was not saved.

"ORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORAORA!" Brighter and brighter. Two hundred. Her Soul kept burning on.
But A Hero...

"ORAORAORA!" Counting was meaningless as she could feel the momentum of the whale shifting in the direction of her attacks.
...was not...

"ORA!" And then it stopped, with a single, last strike. "SEVEN-HUNDRED-SEVENTY-SEVEN VIRTUES OF JUSTICE!"

But the girl was not saved.
...fighting alone!

"HAAAARRRRUUUU! YUUKKKIIISSSAAAA! COORRRVVVYYYY! GOOOOOO!!!!!!!" Seigi cried out to her allies, her own burning spirit just as infectious as the antibodies.

They. Were. Not. Done. SAVING PEOPLE!

Rouse(Damage Buff)+Attacking Birdcage with Limit Break(+10 dmg rouse,38 Streneous, 7 times critical+supplement
25(Weapon)+25(Mastery)+21(Supplement)+10(Rouse) = 81
(32+81)+(30+81)+((89+81)*2)+((88+81)*2) = 902 — Birdcage barrier down
(51+81)+(9+81)+(2+81)+38= 343 — Birdcage damage
Tracker / Roll
Target: 1157/1500