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For a while, Vi simply stared at the message she received, trying to calculate the risk of relying on him. Was it safe to use a dolt like him? Or would it be better to ignore him? As her anxiety built up, she took a deep breath, and made her decision.

[color=f49ac2][i][quote=Vi-Chan]"To summarize, a lot of people are gonna gun for me when I make my appearance, so protect me until my show’s done, okay? If you’re a good boy, I’ll even let you come to the backstage, so I’m counting on you~"[/quote][/i][/color]

After she sent the message, she programmed the sensors on the backstage door to permit Aurelio in after the show, and took one last look in the mirror. She might have come off as desperate, but when it was for the sake of her survival, it didn’t matter. She had planned for everything, even the PI. She would survive.

[color=f49ac2]"It’s showtime."[/color]

[hr]
Cindy made a step towards the back of the side hall when Tetrad spoke up, turning back with a quizzical look. “Intended to fail?” She asked, baffled by the girl’s logic. “How would you interpret that as nothing but an attempt on my life?” Cindy crossed her arms and tapped her foot, causing little sparks to bounce on the floor. Ronin seemed to agree as well based on her response, resulting in her thinking twice about it. “It is true that they tend to use death squads more than single soldiers...but they might change their tactics given a secluded location like this party.” 

Her eyebrows furrowed upon hearing the suggestion Tetrad gave.
“A trap? I suppose it is not impossible...” She looked confused, unsure of what to believe. “Indeed,” she answered Lotus while Tetrad performed her divination, a hand holding her chin. “To assume the title of a papal power, they must consider themselves akin to the gods. But such false divinity will fall before the Thunderbird’s wrath.”
Then Reaver spoke, in turn casting doubt on Tetrad’s timing. “Such treachery around me...” She mumbled, her eyes having turned to blank blue as she was deep in thought. As she pondered,
she glanced at Shane, and then at Goblina. The monster girl nodded in turn. “Take a right and go to the end of the hallway,” she explained to Shane. “She was taken to the room on the left. Tell Jane that Cindy had sent you to interrogate the assassin.” 

Meanwhile, Cindy smiled at both Ronin and Reaver’s enthusiasm to join her, and felt Faith’s eyes upon her. But still, the circumstances were strange. It was a real risk that it was a trap…

...But then, she heard Ronin’s voice, brimming with valor and courage. She was the very epitome of a warrior, her smile bright as she would charge into the thickest battle. Her example inspired Cindy.

[i]Nobody would follow a cowardly queen.[/i]

“There’s no time for dallying!” Cindy bombastically announced, holding a finger up. “The enemy expects me to hide myself away, waiting for others to fight my battles for them. But they are wrong, for I shall lead the charge! For I am the queen of Penrose, protector of the people!”  Goblina looked pumped up. “Your Highness!” Cindy went up to the back wall where the bar was, and pulled on one of the bottles; it was a disguised lever that caused a section of the wall to shift, revealing a secret passage. She turned to Faith. “You may accompany us on our quest as well; It is an opportune time for me to see how the Outer Alliance protects the people.Now, let us go, to banish the invaders! For Penrose!” She shouted, and like a flash of lightning, dashed into the passage, followed by Goblina riding on the centaur monster girl.

Tetrad gained an impression from her divination: the phone and bracelet were obtained by the girl from someone else, most likely within the day. Shane had entered the interrogation room, the door guarded by Jane. It was here where the Beacon assassin was locked up in one of the go-go-cages sitting on the floor. She had just woken up. “Uhh...Huh?” She mumbled, looking disoriented.

[hr]
Kimble’s sickle bounced off the green shield, and the former catgirl nearly hissed before stopping herself. “Huh? What are you doing?” Kimble asked angrily, before the emotion magic pacified her, causing her to blink. “But she is a monster girl, and-” she attempted excusing herself, only to realize her folly. She floated down, looking apologetic. “I suppose Mistress would have let her go...” She still kept glancing cautiously towards Dorothy as she floated a few inches off the earth, letting Aurelio handle the talking. [i]Maybe she was abandoned too...I got so mad, I didn’t think of that...Mistress will definitely scold me after.[/i]

[hr]

Nuncio’s cat, using enhanced agility and stealth, approached warehouse q. It was surrounded by corrupted girls dressed in lback leather jackets and dusters, patrolling the perimeter with eagle eyes. The cat managed to sneak by them, and entered the warehouse. There, it would discover that there were numerous crates stacked, marked with all kinds of logos and writings you’d expect from shipping companies. However, the fact they were all in one place, seemingly sorted at random, hinted at something shady lurking underneath.
“Twerp’s still not talking?” One of the Mint agents asked another as they walked between shelves. “Yeah. We’ve given the standard procedure; a couple of punches and kicks, and shining a light at her,, but with no proper equipment or training it’s useless. A new interrogator’s coming tomorrow; then we might get shifted to new assignments.”
The other one sighed in relief. “Finally. We’ve been stuck here for who knows how long. Pay’s not terrible but I’m not getting any progress on my debt like this.”
“You’re not the only one-” Suddenly, the sound of an alarm began blaring out, as Nuncio’s cat stepped over a magical invisible trip wire.
“It’s a Beast spy! Kill it!”

[hr]
Though she walked forward with charisma and grace, Justine’s bright red eyes stayed affixed on Eli’s quivering form with mad intensity, her smile wide and threatening.
However, just as her sharp claws were about to reach the slime girl, she was intercepted by an imposing figure, causing Justine to scoff.
[color=662d91]“Vermillion Veronica. I had a feeling we would meet again,”[/color] she stated, examining her with her crimson orbs. She smiled at her quip.
[color=662d91]“I am above such simple classifications, Veronica dear,”[/color] she answered in a sophisticated fashion, and tipped her tiny hat in a mocking fashion.
[color=662d91]“I am much more than a mere vampire. An ex-Mint like you should know such basic facts~”[/color]
She glanced towards Eli, and she smirked.
[color=662d91]“Oh, I decided to pay a little visit, for old times’ sake. See the sights, catch up with old friends...Like your mistress.”[/color] She giggled, and sipped on a fancy martini glass Sonia offered to her. 
[color=662d91]“So here’s my offer: lead me to where Mariette Pedersen is, and I will spare you from a fate worse than death. Very simple, isn’t it~?”[/color]

[hr]
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FanFan seemed to be an expert ballerina, tippy toeing across the floor with her arms raised in perfect posture, her single-legged spins and leaps in the air as graceful and light as they were balanced, enjoying the dancing competition she had with Trixy. “I must say, I have never felt such freedom before!” She shouted after she performed a perfect split. “To express myself without being judged by others: it is a dream come true!”

Lily had once again taken a break from dancing, and went over to see how Alex was doing.
[color=fff200]”I thought that Connie girl was scary, but she and her friend Mia turned out to be really nice!”[/color]
She explained, sipping on a new juice.
[color=fff200]”Want me to introduce you to them? They said they’d be at the game hall, so maybe-”[/color]

At that moment, the lights slowly dimmed, and the music’s volume lowered down. Lily blinked rapidly, and spastically looked around. Soon, someone screamed:

“Oh my god, it’s Vi-chan!”

All eyes were drawn to the stage, where a single spotlight now shone. A slender leg peeked out, causing the crowd to holler and whistle. The leg retreated, music began slowly building up and about ten seconds later, pyrotechnics brightened the hall and showy floor-crawling smoke began pouring out. Then, the curtains were pulled open, revealing Vi-chan: she wore a flashy idol costume, and flashed a peace sign with one hand as she stepped up to greet the roaring crowd.

[color=f49ac2]"Welcome to my party, everyone! I’m so glad to see so many of my fans here tonight! Now, let’s rock out, and make some noise!’"[/color]

Then, she began singing and dancing. It was a mesmerizing performance, the crowd cheering at full volume as she twirled and stepped in perfect rhythm to the music. The music was even more intoxicating than before, rocking everyone listening to their very cores as it was delivered from loudspeakers in every corner of the building. The lyrics called to forget your inhibitions and morality, and to fully express who you are, no matter how ugly or nasty, to fully indulge in your every desire. 
The song resonated the most with corrupted girls, causing their Mental Mutations to flare up, like an animal instinct that welled up from inside. Warrior girls found themselves punching the nearest face, and Devourers began chugging down bottles and breaking them.
The cages began swinging back and forth as the girls in them howled in madness, joining the chorus of the song. One of them fell down, crushing a dark magical girl underneath.

Nobody noticed, enraptured by the call of the Dark Rave.

Rachel continued channeling her spell outside as she noticed the clamor coming from her cameras. “Report status! What the hell is happening in there!” She saw a glimpse of Vi-chan on one of the cameras, and she adjusted her glasses. 

“Target confirmed. Send in the purge squads. Nobody else goes in or out.”