[center][url=https://i.imgur.com/gmRTrWA.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/5ZqyPyV.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=9b83de]‘Oh, yeah, of course! I’m Ronin, at your service!’[/color] Ronin said with a grin to Faith’s asking for her name before they encountered Raven. And… Hm? Some of the things Amber here was saying didn’t match Deni’s knowledge of her. Not in the least in the name she gave for herself. Eh! Whatever! There was probably a perfectly viable explanation somewhere! Until then, Ronin was just gonna grin! [color=9b83de]‘And I’m the Tiny Ronin! Now, excuse us, we’re in a slight bit of a hurry…!’[/color] Ronin called, before turning and dashing again, hopefully with Faith, keeping these barriers they were running on stable for both of them was a lot trickier if they weren’t running in tandem…! [color=9b83de]‘Woa-!’[/color] Of course, this meant Ronin and Faith were likely just out of the pathway of Ampodryl’s sea of soul’s beam, Ronin staggering to know it was firing right behind them. Whelp. Just a bit slower and they’d have been pulled along with that! However, their target was the dragon, the one that was targeting the Beacon group… There was a bunch of other things going on right now, too, but Ronin focused on was straight ahead! The dragon had summoned a bunch of spiders that swarmed the air. Ronin grabbed onto her sword, and dashed forward, intending to protect the Beacon people from it…! [color=9b83de]‘Alright, let’s stop this thing from attacking the others…!’[/color] So, Ronin leapt into the air, blade prepared, intending to slice some spiders! … Except, as she was flying, the spiders she was intending on cutting were dying from seemingly nothing due to Nightwing’s curses! Instead, she was flying in an attack-pose towards the dragon’s giant head! [color=9b83de]‘Uh.’[/color] Numerous things occurred to Deni at once. This was Faith’s patron, right? She wouldn’t be pissed due to Deni attacking this thing, right? On a different note, this was a [i]patron[/i], right? What business did Deni have attacking this sort of thing? She’d likely be swatted aside like a fly. However… it also felt like fate itself had somehow put her here, like it had directed her into this perfect attack position. Who was she to argue with fate? After all, it was [i]she herself[/i] that had picked to be [i]Fated[/i] during her [i]Smug contract[/i]…! [color=9b83de]‘[i]Tiny Special…[/i]’[/color] The little samurai whispered, closing her eyes a little and just tuning everything to her Martial Training… [color=9b83de]‘[b][i]RONIN QUICK DRAW![/i][/b]’[/color] Ronin drew her sword with a flash of light and sliced at the neck of the dragon, intent on being carried through and land on the dragon’s back after having gone through the neck of said dragon, sheathing her sword again upon landing. … If it worked or not, that remained to be seen, but right now, she just [i]really[/i] wanted to try doing one of those cuts…! [hr] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/MkfZ90q.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/MtFj7xz.png[/img][/url] [url=https://i.imgur.com/5o9ObXJ.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/Ih8oH7W.png[/img][/url] [url=https://i.imgur.com/PYJSxqe.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/KkciWNJ.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=a699ad]‘Okay, what the hell went wrong?,’[/color] Jelena asked, looking a bit crushed. [color=a699ad]‘There were two of them, three of us, we had a massive ambushing advantage and they somehow still thoroughly defeated us.’[/color] [color=C5DBE7]‘The trickster foresaw our attack and neutralized it. As simple as that,’[/color] Freya replied. [color=C5DBE7]‘It is likely nothing we could have done would have changed the outcome, as long as he was on the scene.’[/color] Esther accompanied them, the silent tree-monster adding no additional words to the conversation, for she never spoke. All three of them had minor cuts on them from Kimble’s last attack, which they’d been unable to completely defend against. [color=077ae6]‘…’[/color] Mariette stared at them where they had gathered, inside a hall of their horror-gifted dark mansion. A mirror with an opened portal was open on the side of the room, allowing Asengav to hear their conversation. So, it was worse than what Mariette had feared. If it ever came to an actual battle with the forces of Penrose, it was likely that they’d just be annihilated. Maintaining a low profile was the right choice. That meant no murders, no real public operations, no kidnapping anyone to attract attention. The only reason to appear in-town was to defend their operations and to make friends. The more friends, the more likely someone would show them sympathy later on. … What a crooked operation. [color=077ae6]‘It is of no matter,’[/color] Mariette said, breathing out. [color=077ae6]‘The loss of the White Coin is of minor consequence. As fascinating as it would have been to investigate, we do not lose anything by not acquiring it. Instead, let us consider this a test-operation of our new jewels and magical traps and devices. From such a perspective, this has been a glorious success…’[/color] [color=c1eb9b]‘And yet, all these resources spent, and you still fail to bring the one meaningless thing that you set out to obtain. What does that say about you as a leader?’[/color] Mariette and the other three turned to look at the entity that had appeared. Floating in the air was an elfin, green monster-girl floating in mid-air… Lea. [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/N53ToUw.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/5TcL6Af.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=c1eb9b]‘Hmpf, how pitiful you look right now, Mariette. Fortunately for you, I took the liberty of obtaining this trinket that you could not obtain, to make sure Asengav’s resources were not wasted,’[/color] Lea told, lifting the White Coin between her fingers, and Mariette couldn’t help but wince a bit. [color=077ae6]‘How did you obtain that?’[/color] Mariette asked. [color=c1eb9b]‘You made everything far too complicated for yourself, Mariette. I simply approached a patrol and asked them to give one to me,’[/color] Lea replied, and turned towards the portal that led eventually to Asengav, bowing before it. [color=c1eb9b]‘As you heard, my lord, I obtained for you what Mariette could not. Do see fit to forgive her for this failure, let her learn, so that she could in the future do better…’[/color] It was bare for all to see what this really was. It was Lea presenting proof to Asengav that Lea was the superior one of the two. Still, Mariette found herself… a bit irked. [color=077ae6]‘You… fool,’[/color] Mariette breathed out. She quickly got a sideways glare from Lea, and also Freya looking on in light surprise, Jelena looking like something exciting was happening, and Esther who was not reacting. Mariette was well aware that this was an attempt of Lea’s part to curry favour with Asengav. It wasn’t even her fault. Her [i]Hoarder[/i] mental pollution meant she wanted all Asengav’s favour for herself, in addition to a lot of other things. It was true that Lea went above and beyond to obtain additional power for Asengav. But… this time… [color=077ae6]‘By asking this of them the same day as my attack on the park, you’ve given Beacon your face and appearance. You’re fairly well-known in the Overcity, so if they go and ask around they’ll be able to identify you as the mouthpiece of Asengav, which in turn identifies the attacker as [i]me[/i],’[/color] she said, breathing out. [color=077ae6]‘You’ve given them a clue that could lead them to me, and with that I might lose whatever few allies I might have in-town. The White Coin was [i]not all that important[/i]. As long as everyone kept secret, they never needed to figure anything out…’[/color] she told, and eventually sighed. [color=c1eb9b]‘Hmpf. You exaggerate,’[/color] Lea told. [color=c1eb9b]‘You are already alone. You have no friends in town. Any that you do have is a single conversation with Beacon away from being your enemies, after how you handled the crisis with Justine. We’ll let Asengav decide who was wrong or right.’[/color] A couple of seconds went, and the attention of the individuals in the room was drawn to the mirror… which promptly shut. Asengav was frankly outrageously disinterested in this matter. Far too minor and petty for him to concern himself with. Only reason he’d been paying attention at all was because he could spare a millionth of his conscience while the rest of him did more important things. [color=c1eb9b]‘… Hmpf,’[/color] Lea made a displeased noise, and then threw the White Coin over at Mariette. Mariette in turn opened a portal, let the coin go inside the portal and then fly up from the floor, until gravity had slowed it down enough to the point where she could naturally grab it out of the air herself. [color=c1eb9b]‘Make sure your next operation does not fail. Neither lord Asengav nor me takes failure lightly…’[/color] With those words, Lea turned around and floated out of the room. [color=C5DBE7]‘… Grr,’[/color] Freya made an irritated noise. [color=a699ad]‘What’s the matter, Freya?’[/color] Jelena asked immediately, slightly concerned. [color=C5DBE7]‘… The trickster tried to seduce me with feelings of comfort and belonging. It didn’t work, of course, but it’s left my beast-half in a bad mood. I need to devour someone to sate it…’[/color] Freya replied, teeth starting to bare themselves. [color=077ae6]‘Then go and do so, in any world that isn’t the one we just came from,’[/color] Mariette ordered. [color=C5DBE7]‘… Will do…’[/color] Freya said, and slank away. Left behind, Mariette turned around and started focusing to reopen a portal into Penrose again… Slithering down a corridor, in the meantime, Freya was retrieving her phone from a pocket somewhere, clicking in a number and then bringing it to her ear. [color=C5DBE7]‘Could you do me a favour?’[/color] she asked mission control on the other side. [color=C5DBE7]‘Tell me what you can about this… “Aurelio”.’[/color] [hr] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/iLfQK1p.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/2C1b19j.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=57a345]‘… Uh, okay,’[/color] Eli replied to Nuncio, a little surprised. So, if he wasn’t allowed to stay in Mariette’s Interdimensional Home, then he didn’t need help at all? That struck Eli as weird, but there was a very simple explanation that answered that mystery rather efficiently. If Nuncio was actually an agent of an unknown enemy that wanted to breach into Mariette’s home for an unknown reason. If he couldn’t get into the Home, then there was no point in getting help from them. So Eli determined, deciding it was probably for the best they kept Nuncio out of their Interdimensional Home perpetually. Then Eli blinked, because her Third Eye detected portal-magic, and there was only one person that could use portal-magic. Except, it was in mid-air, and- [hr] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/Y8OSnvr.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/OPMf9l2.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=077ae6]‘…’[/color] Mariette stood in mid-air on a portal, her hands gently embracing bunny as she stared through portals placed at various angles at the ongoing combat against Hyun Long. This “monster queen” was occupying a good percentage of the capable fighting force of Penrose, and with the roof breached Mariette’s sight could finally reach the inside of the rave after Eli’s departure from it… and it annoyed her. Ascendancy and dark/monster girls alike had been killed. Could you all stop attracting attention to Penrose for once…? [color=077ae6]‘You are occupying an unacceptable amount of Magical Girls that could use their time for something more beneficial,’[/color] Mariette stated, lifting one hand with a hand-mirror to direct at the monster queen. [color=077ae6]‘So that they may be free to engage other problems in this city, I command you to fall.’[/color] And with that, Mariette blasted a single, powerful blast of light at the monstrosity that was gripping hold of Sophia’s ship. It was angled so that she’d only hit Hyun Long and miss the ship should the monster-queen dodge. Should she still be stuck, Mariette would engage with more beams of light from various angles directed by portals to attempt to peel the queen off. Regardless, Mariette was now ready with portals and beams of light to defend and/or assist her allies should they be attacked. This, of course, was another game. Mariette wanted to be known as someone who defended this town. She wanted people to see her as an ally. Amaryllis was already here, and could confirm it. She wanted the rest to see her do this, too. Beacon, among them. [@Ariamis][@BrokenPromise][@ERode][@FamishedPants][@Flamelord][@Crusader Lord][@twave]