[i][color=A2DFF6]‘Reinforcements are already coming. You need to finish it ASAP.’[/color][/i] [right][sub]Starting this post slightly before Aurelio makes his switch.[/sub][/right] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/5o9ObXJ.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/ErNsL6x.png[/img][/url][/center] The entire mission hung on her. Freya was the one heading for the coin itself. The reason for this was because she was to be like a physical juggernaut, unstoppable, the one of their number that should be able to flawlessly obtain the White Coin in the shortest amount of time with no issue. There was nobody present that could match her sheer physical might. She was Asengav’s strongest physical soldier, a destructive force that could tear through armies and structures alike with impunity. There was [i]NO WAY[/i] that she’d be held up by the “magical might” of a [i][b]MERE CLONE[/b][/i]. Her arms turned into a blur. Her eyes glowed red through the illusion hiding her body, and she unleashed her [i]Barrage[/i]. Each of the small, spherical barriers shielding the clones was bashed repeatedly by an uncountable amount of Freya’s supercharged punches. It didn’t matter what sort of power he’d put into these shields, Freya was going to leave them in pieces as each of her clawed strikes slammed into the shields and what lay beyond. It didn’t matter to her when Aurelio replaced his clone with himself. Her assault was unchanged. There was no indication she even listened to his words. There were no barriers that could hold her off for long. Her strikes and punches were going off like the bullets of a minigun. She swiftly slithered left and right to do circles around him to strike from different angles to throw him off, all while striking. She’d use her Awareness and exceptional agility to dodge attacks but quickly be at it again to hunt for the coin. There was no way she’d be held back for long. If she ever got an opening, she pounced. As a Were-Lamia, she had a very thin and long body, and she spun to crack herself around her target as a whip and attempted to just utterly knock him out with a straight punch when he was restrained as she went for the White Coin. If there was even the slightest of a moment for Freya to reach and grab that White Coin, she’d take it, her claw going to tear it, or the arm that held it, off Aurelio’s person with extreme strength so that Jelena could then confirm if it was the real thing. She was always striking with the speed of Barrage, here. Her assault would not be satisfied by anything but the recovery of the White Coin. [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/MkfZ90q.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/eNfA4dD.png[/img][/url][/center] Jelena blinked a bit at the Blue Aurelio before her, her eye confirming the lack of magic. Jelena gave a short burst of laughter… then punched at him thrice, a one-two-punch with left and right arm. Air-punches, they wouldn’t hit anything but air, but with each punch came a blast of metal, like the shrapnel from a shotgun, shot off to just utterly tear the clone apart along with any defenses or dodging he could muster. New metal quickly spilled from Jelena’s Hammerspace Handbag overcoat and she was drawing back the metal she’d launched, as she kicked off for a new target. Specifically, she jumped to get behind Aurelio’s new position, as the target she was to hold at a distance was no longer a threat. [color=4C7D1B]‘Just drop the coin, you’d get away without a scratch~!’[/color] Jelena shouted as she swung her arm… and it detached at her wrist, sending her giant metal clawed hand flying for Aurelio’s back and steered by Jelena’s metal magic. The fingers on the hand aimed for him would clamp down like a vice on him in the event it actually caught him, but mostly it was simply to distract him from the far more threatening entity that was Freya. As she did, she was also slowly extending her shards to form a semi-circle around the battlefield, floating ominously in the air to ensure Aurelio had nowhere to run. Jelena was exceptionally ready to freeze the hand if Aurelio tried to make her hit Freya with it, and was half-way through her own skip just in case Aurelio did something silly, which her Third Eye was prepared to pick up. [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/PYJSxqe.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/q7NoTzR.png[/img][/url][/center] Under the ground, Esther’s roots were spreading from her new location. She couldn’t take the area before now, because then somebody might have detected it, but now she was free to be rooted in place as her roots spread underground. From some of these roots, she immediately raised a decently thick reinforced tree to block Kimble’s blast. It was torn asunder, but it lightened the slices upon her own body. Esther did not even the slightest react to the sudden cleaving wounds into her her tree-form caused by Kimble’s wind. She wasn’t bleeding from them. There was no indication of pain. In fact, the wounds upon her body started [i]Regenerating[/i] immediately. Time to counter-attack. Esther’s job was not to win, here. It was simply to hold Kimble back while the rest secured the White Coin. To that end… she formed the slices of the tree Kimble had cut up into javelins. Vines kept erupting from the ground, trying to grip at Kimble, more of them showing up between Kimble and the action to cause a wall of vegetation. That, and… Funny thing, they hadn’t used all their sticky grenades. They’d prepared for far more than two opponents, and as such had more than two of those prepared. So while Kimble was busy trying to fight through that, a vine was seeking through the ground to the other side of her, and from there it’d erupt, direct the output, and then it’d blow towards Kimble from behind blasting another dose of that grey fluid that’d instantly harden and attempt to restrain the one who’d been captured in it. In case it missed, Esther had a unit of vines ready to collect the wall, which they could then use against Kimble once again. … Oh, and as she spread her roots… After the attack with the leftover grenade, her roots would eventually spread to where Aurelio was fending off Freya and Jelena. With Absolute Direction, she just directed a portion of her mind to raise a vine or two to catch his foot. Esther was a skilled multitasker. In the same vein, she without a word directed the counter-attack on the Beacon forces that were arriving. Under the rain that was starting, her tree-men swung their trunk-limbs and defended against the incoming attacks, as they grouped up to fend off the attackers. Even if the tree-men were defeated, the barrier itself was strong, and would not fall easily. That said, the barrier was a limited time deal. They had to finish this quickly. Two more posts, tops. [@Shifter_Master][@Ariamis] [hr] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/iLfQK1p.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/2C1b19j.png[/img][/url][/center] So hungry. Did it matter if she took just a little nibble? All dark, can’t see. Where did Justine and Veronica go? Where’s the exit? Her Third Eye was still blind. She didn’t even have regular eyes right now. Where was she? She needed to eat. Was this a foot? Eli couldn’t even tell. But one thing for sure. She didn’t even have a choice anymore. There was nothing else to it but to- and suddenly the puddle of slime that was Eli fell through a portal. [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/Y8OSnvr.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/OPMf9l2.png[/img][/url][/center] Eli fell with a splash down in front of Mariette, who had already recovered a whole chicken from a marketplace from her Hammerspace Handbag to lob into Eli’s form. Her cells were onto it like piranhas, giving an ample taste of the descriptor of “Devourer”. For good measure, Mariette took out a rib and threw that one in, too, flinging with her hand a bit for the disgusting feeling of touching raw meat was still on it. [color=077ae6]‘Are you alright?’[/color] Mariette asked her little attendant, who had very quickly digested the pieces within her. [color=57a345]‘I’m… fine…’[/color] Eli breathed out, slowly composing herself and building herself up as the darkness harpy she was again. [color=077ae6]‘Good,’[/color] she said. It seemed like Nuncio and Amaryllis had their thing covered, so Mariette turned and whispered. [color=077ae6]‘Send Josefin to watch the party. She should be lucky enough not to end up in danger…’[/color] [s][sub]Who will be a regular NPC right now, not a combat one, so, please don’t fight her[/sub][/s] Then she was told something very concerning. [color=077ae6]‘… Who? And which one?’[/color] She got her answer. [color=077ae6]‘Grr,’[/color] Mariette made a noise. So an out-of-town thief had somehow found one of their mirrors… [color=077ae6]‘Keep an eye on her. I have a situation to settle,’[/color] she responded. With that, she spun towards her own situation. … Except, Amaryllis seemed to have that settled, seeing how she utterly tore the warehouse apart. Mariette simply stood with slightly raised eyebrows. It started to rain, so Mariette abscently Absolute Directioned to an umbrella that she retrieved through a quick portal and held above her head, a basic black one. Eli slithered to hold onto her mistress to take cover for the rain, which was especially unpleasant to a slime. Mariette was mildly aware of how the presence of Eli’s Third Eye was convenient to make sure they weren’t rescuing a fake Sammy or something. Under the assumption that everyone was able to return through the portal [sub][sub]like ERode implies[/sub][/sub] then Mariette waved her free hand a bit and the portal closed. With that, Mariette felt she’d done her part for today. … Well, almost. She’d watch whatever celebration took place here with neutral eyes, slightly interested in this Sammy now, while she was actually sending her magic through a subspace to prepare to portal to Penrose Garden. Just… in case. In case obtaining the coin proved more important than keeping the identity of the thief safe. It wasn’t, really, but. [@BrokenPromise][@ERode][@Ariamis] [hr] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/gmRTrWA.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/5ZqyPyV.png[/img][/url][/center][right][sub][sub]And some feedback from BrokenPromise about Veronica[/sub][/sub][/right] Ronin arrived with Cindy, her sandals screeching to a halt as she arrived there. Oh, man, she’s actually facing up against Beacon, as she didn’t want. And there… Cindy shouted about the monsters being hunted, being swept under a rug… yeah, no, this had little to do with the assassination. Cindy was going to attack no matter what. The assassin was just a convenient excuse. There would be no stopping her. Ronin sent a quick message to Veronica. [sub][i][color=9b83de]“Okay, it's shaping up to be a battle between two small groups here! Can't tell who'll win! Beacon's trying to talk down a very angry Cindy who isn't listening...”[/color][/i] [i][color=#bd71e8]“Beacon has already arrived? They have attacked my agents in the past, It might be best I don't get involved.”[/color][/i] [i][color=9b83de]“Er, am I still supposed to guard Cindy, then!?”[/color][/i][/sub] Ronin asked a bit mentally as Reaver charged. Lotus, whom Ronin didn’t know, was also getting into the fight already. And the members of Beacon… they were trying to appeal to Cindy. The detective dude or whatever also showed up, trying to talk about the assassin. But… a chill went through Deni as they tried to talk about the third party. Tried to talk like it changed something. They didn’t know, they didn’t know! They didn’t know what Deni had seen across the world when she scouted for Mariette! They hadn’t seen the monsters hiding away in their dens, those fearing a sudden inquisition from Beacon to come and claim their lives! The rage within Cindy was that of someone oppressed, someone wishing for a revolution of her time! The assassin didn’t matter, it was likely the third party didn’t work either! Any voice from Beacon would be spoiled! Any- Huh? Wait, that girl was former monster-girl? Ronin looked at her somewhat surprised. Then Anaya dropped Janet’s name. Deni made a couple connections and then further a couple assumptions. … YOU DON’T COUNT! Any amount of time you were a monster was way too brief! Ronin considered what to do as the other girls talked. There was no way she could influence Cindy’s rage-filled mind with such words. The little samurai had wanted to arrive here, place a wall between Cindy and Ishtar and talk it out, but there was too much violence and people already talking here, that just wouldn’t work because those here kept saying the wrong things. She had to approach from a different angle. What if she used- [color=9b83de]‘Cindy!’[/color] Ronin yelled out, suddenly getting an idea, and with no time to lose. [color=9b83de]‘I just got a report that Vi’s making everyone go crazy at the party! Like, dangerously crazy! Was that intended!?’[/color] she asked, loudly, because the only thing she’d gotten about the situation earlier was Veronica’s [i][color=#bd71e8]“Vi-chan appears to be whipping everyone into a frenzy”[/color][/i] that had been told to all agents before. [sub][i][color=9b83de]“Except Vi making people frenzied, what's going on over there!? Might be important!”[/color][/i] [i][color=#bd71e8]“It's-”[/color][/i] Veronica groaned. [i][color=#bd71e8]“It's really complicated, but no longer relevant. Your sister is safe, however.”[/color][/i] [i][color=9b83de]“Thank you! But that doesn’t help me here at all, hahaha!”[/color][/i][/sub] [color=9b83de]‘Beacon still absolutely needs to answer for their actions, but I’m worried something’s going down at the party! The assassin may have been intended to drive you away from the party so you couldn’t interfere with some plan or other! Your people may be in danger…!’[/color] Ronin attempted, hoping that would shake some emotional chord in the lightning queen, to make her think of those under her protection rather than those she wished vengeance against…! Deni had no idea what was going on at the party. However, at this moment Deni’d use [i]ANYTHING[/i] to make Cindy pull back…! Oh, it was starting to rain? … Wonder how that was going to interact with lightning girl over there? Just, like, a strange thought. [@Ariamis][@AtomicNut][@BrokenPromise][@twave][@Majoras End] [hr] [hider=Mildly unimportant][center][url=https://i.imgur.com/NyW3sR1.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/PFwYZKO.png[/img][/url][/center] Something watched Myria as she left, taking in every action with interest. After her departure, it chuckled a little, before glancing up at one of the rooftops, identifying the individual hiding there. Uninterested, it retreated back into the mirror, and the entity within settled once again into its role. Meanwhile. [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/ad92PvD.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/u1b416E.png[/img][/url][/center] [sub][sub][right]I am regular NPC right now, not Combat NPC, please don’t attack me. :([/right][/sub][/sub] Tullia was crouched at the edge of a rooftop clutching a gem filled with darkness-magic looking down as Myria got into a car and started riding off. It appeared the thief had attracted the attention of a certain someone. She was lucky to get away alive. That one was… occasionally very playful. Still, it was honestly the best possible outcome for everyone. Myria escaped alive, and they hadn’t lost a bunch of traps that’d taken Taihei a whole bunch of time and resources to make. Phew. Regardless. As soon as the alarm was tripped someone was sent to investigate, and that someone was Tullia, on account of how everyone else eligible for scouting was already busy with today’s missions. Myria had been confirmed, and with that car she’d be easy to find and identify in the future. Tullia’s mission had partly been to use the Bifrost Staff of hers to wreck Myria’s car so she understood they didn’t like having thieves over, but guess [i]she[/i] had probably been warning enough… With that confirmed, Tullia turned around, walked a couple steps, holding her Bifrost Staff closely by her side, before leaping off. Not like she'd want to keep up with a car, anyway. What a terrible time for rain, she didn't bring an umbrella…[/hider]