[i]Void Room - Infiltration Team[/i] When Alicia gave her reply, “not until you let them go”, Mariette sighed slightly inside her room, unheard by the infiltration team but noticed by anyone still in Mariette’s office. [color=077ae6]‘That is no longer within my power to do,’[/color] she gave as a short reply, and then continued with her introduction of the Void Room. [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/TM8WGqZ.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/TM8WGqZl.png[/img][/url][/center] Alicia flew into the air, barraging downwards at the foes available to her. However, as she rose into the air she found herself beset by limbs stretching for her from above as well as below, seeking to catch and crunch her between the two swarms. It became the same for Amalthea flying with Anaya, as they found tentacles coming out of the ceiling predicting their next location to grab them as they flew. When Tenebra and Sonia opened a portal to slightly outside the Void Room that materialized in the wall, the tentacles seemed to realize what that was instantly. As soon as the gateway opened, an eruption of hands and tentacles shot out of portals in the wall around the portal to prevent the escape of the individuals involved, closing around the portal and thickening to keep them out. Meanwhile, sharp, pointy, hardened tentacles launched out of the floor from varying angles trying to skewer Tenebra and Sonia, having realized that they had the means to take their offering away from them. But, assumingly the group supplied teleportation or enough firepower to break through to the portal on the wall. Still, a stream of tentacles emerged from trying to stab and grab and injure any trying to escape their grasp. As Morgan’s ice prevented tentacles from sneaking around Ronin’s barrier, a heavy, larger tentacle suddenly slammed out of the floor and shattered Ronin’s barrier from below, dropping anyone on top of it and making the girl yelp and had to create a bar above herself to grab to prevent herself from falling into the wide portal that had formed right underneath. However, assumingly something happened to rescue those who’d fall as they were then brought along with the rest to safety. Numerous other tentacles and hands reached and attempted to grip the various spirits Anaya had around… though, spirits being somewhat incorporeal made that a challenge. Regardless, Elaine would find that there wasn’t much of a reply to her yell, and while she and Blake cut numerous tentacles, there were always more sliding out to snap around limbs or tried to grip their weapons. Otherwise Ari’s post covers the events here decently accurately. [i]Basement Corridor - Infiltration Team[/i] They got out, ending up in a dark corridor, nobody walking through these corridors meant they didn’t have to be well-lit. They probably had to close that portal immediately, or they’d find the tentacles would reach in behind them to grab them. So, they entered the tiny 90 degree turn in Mariette’s basement… and sudden hail of weak Light-element magical bullets immediately came flying at them, battering harshly into whatever defenses had been placed in the way. Turns out this particular corridor had tiny energy-guns operated into the walls set to turn and fire at any key-less individual noticed within the area, one at every intersection and corner. They were operated into the walls at floor and ceiling level to immediately shoot down Sonia should she dare to appear within these corridors, and now they fired on them. This included one [i]right behind[/i] them at short range, because Mariette didn’t know where their enemies would show up. To avoid [i]most[/i] the shots, get out-of-sight of the long corridor and deal with the two sentries in the tiny south-going corridor. [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/gmRTrWA.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/5ZqyPyV.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=9b83de]‘Woa-!’[/color] Ronin immediately raised her tiny barrier to block what shots she could, but she doesn’t have the Mag-stat to block all of this, somebody help her. What she could do, is spin and slice with her sword to take out the sentry in the corner, stabbing into the bullet-hole to ruin the mechanics. [color=9b83de]‘Splitting up is dangerous, Mariette has portals and can ambush any team she figures she can beat, hah,’[/color] Ronin reminds, but perhaps it’s for the best. Otherwise, she’s fine with whatever split she’s asked to do. So, Ronin had a key. She’d sort of figured maybe she’d be safe from traps. But seeing how these turrets were firing at her, guess it was deactivated already. Should have figured. Hahaha… [hider=Ronin][i]Specialization:[/i] Reinforcement [i]Power:[/i] Twin S., Shapeshifting [i]Perks:[/i] M. Training, Flexibility, Fated, G.o.o. Jail, BigDamn H. [i]Benefits:[/i] Free Agent, Genki Girl [i]Drawbacks:[/i] Alone, also in debt to Crimson Cradle [i]Str:[/i] 7 [i]Agi:[/i] 7 [i]Vit:[/i] 7 [i]Mag:[/i] 8 [i]Lck:[/i] 6[/hider] [@Ariamis][@Flamelord][@Majoras End][@Ponn][@AtomicNut][@MadManMoon] [hr] [i]2nd Floor - Mariette’s Office[/i] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/Y8OSnvr.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/OPMf9l2.png[/img][/url][/center] Mariette nodded to Su, Trixy and Eliza departing, keeping some portals in corners watching over them so that she wouldn’t lose them somehow. Mariette listened to Dina summoning her kobolds and faeries, and a couple minotaurs… [color=077ae6]‘Esther,’[/color] Mariette said into her communicator. [color=077ae6]‘Create small tunnels in the walls for our kobolds and fairies to transport themselves through the mansion.’[/color] There was some noise as the mansion itself readjusted itself. Wood moved, some corridors and rooms got the slightest smaller, as tiny corridors with openings were created for the kobolds to run through and create traps inside of. Esther made the openings slide open a bit by Mariette’s office, so they could enter them and explore from there. [color=077ae6]‘We need all the allies we can get. Josefin, get over here and provide Dina with some excess mana,’[/color] Mariette said, and… [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/OoibQu3.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/UZad3rZ.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=fcedae]‘Will do! I’m here!’[/color] Josefin said, skipping out of a portal to Dina, holding out a hand for her. [color=fcedae]‘A fresh dose of mana, coming right up!’[/color] she said, and if let to touch Dina she’d feel a surge of mana from a different girl flow into her, allowing her to do that extra summon if so required. While she was here, Josefin also put a hand on Mariette and recharged some of what had been used in the battle so far, and then Josefin skipped away back to the firing line. Mariette was still fighting as she listened to Silhouette’s words, nodding to her. [color=077ae6]‘Thank you. That makes me feel safer. Still, you’re not alone,’[/color] Mariette said, and took a brief moment to lift something up on her deck. It was Bunny, the stuffed animal, except he was coloured all black. [color=077ae6]‘Bunny has put on his war-colours. He will protect me, too. I’m safe as long as he’s here,’[/color] Mariette said, lifting Bunny up and squeezing him against her chest. Because this would definitely make a difference. That aside. Mariette was getting a bit concerned with the outdoors. Su was whipping up a storm on the outside, which was making her concerned that their enemies might somehow make as short a work of her as they were making of Mariette’s monsters. She wouldn’t let it happen. [hider=Mariette][i]Specialization:[/i] Portals, Light [i]Power:[/i] Tentacles [i]Perks:[/i] Gifted, I. Home, Blood M., Overcity S., I. Tourist, H. Handbag, Allies, Aware, A. Direction [i]Benefits:[/i] C. Doom, Reason, Minions, Retrieval, M. Might, Mana Font. [i]Drawbacks:[/i] Quick-T., Mind-Bent, Insomnia, Bane, H. Sapping [i]Str:[/i] 4 [i]Agi:[/i] 4 [i]Vit:[/i] 4 [i]Mag:[/i] 22 [i]Lck:[/i] 10[/hider] [@FamishedPants][@AtomicNut] [hr] [i]2nd Floor - Overlooking Foyer[/i] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/4rEtFz1.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/sKJ5riZ.png[/img][/url] [url=https://i.imgur.com/D8A8SOp.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/OGWuw89.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=fc6828]‘Waaaaaaaaa~!’[/color] Mayra made a happy noise as she got herself shocked, but otherwise just laughed about it and kept on what she was doing. So, when Lily said it was alright, Mayra just grinned, and then momentarily clapped a dragonic hand on her shoulder. [color=fc6828]‘You’re alright! We should fight later!’[/color] [color=ffd230]‘Hm,’[/color] Suzette nodded to them, but still kept ready… Meanwhile, Eliza said her piece to the communicator, and it replied. [color=A2DFF6]‘Copy that. Start a sentence with “everyone”, and I’ll patch you through to everyone. Speaking of which,’[/color] information girl said, and then spoke to everyone. [@Ariamis][@Majoras End] [hr] [i]Allies of Mariette - Everyone[/i] The communicator spoke up for everyone. [color=A2DFF6]‘Everyone. A powerful team of twelve Magical Girls led by Alicia has appeared in our basement. The team includes Sonia, making them able to teleport,’[/color] everyone’s communicators told them. [color=A2DFF6]‘Be advised that if they take the stairs up, they’ll arrive in the foyer. Some of them are disguised as Mariette and Eli currently, their forms may change.’[/color] [color=077ae6]‘One of them is probably Leena,’[/color] Mariette followed up, also through communicator. It didn’t make sense for them to attack known magical menace Mariette without bringing their anti-magic girl. That [i]probably[/i] made another FanFan, they were rarely apart, but FanFan wasn’t a fraction as important. [color=077ae6]‘Be aware that she can manifest a field within which magic doesn’t work. Be careful.’[/color] Besides that, this all wasn’t having at all as much impact as Mariette wanted. There was also the threat of opening more portals just let Justine attack more of her girls. It was time for a change in strategy. [@Ariamis][@Majoras End][@FamishedPants][@AtomicNut][@BrokenPromise][@Card Captor] [hr] [i]3rd Floor - Artillery Line[/i] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/iLfQK1p.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/2C1b19j.png[/img][/url] [url=https://i.imgur.com/m4rTXOi.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/rMgrdyA.png[/img][/url][/center] [color=pink]‘Th-thank you,’[/color] Alexander got as a confused reply from one of the girls he saved as she was helped up to her feet. She wasted no time getting back into the firing line. He then proceeded to put forcefields on people, which helped Mariette come to her next decision. Ronja, ever the arachne, stood with protective barriers while using two unoccupied legs to shoot a spider-web to reign in one of the wounded girls, healed her, and then undid the web to kick her back into line. Eli also helped with the healing, because that’s what she does, and now for the plan. Two portals opened, one linking the 2nd floor top of the foyer where Eliza and Lily was directly to the 3rd floor Artillery Line. From the other one… [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/ad92PvD.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/u1b416E.png[/img][/url][url=https://i.imgur.com/N53ToUw.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/5TcL6Af.png[/img][/url][url=https://i.imgur.com/3tj5n3Y.jpg][img]https://i.imgur.com/P2tVfst.png[/img][/url][/center] Three girls excited from a snow-covered Monster Room, because the Infiltration Team had showed up in the corridor right outside and they needed to move, Lea and Tullia still holding the Bifrost Staff that was causing the blizzard outside. Tullia looked a bit strained, having maintained a massive blizzard with her mana, while Lea didn’t look particularly worse for wear. Then there was just Victoria grinning and giving everyone a wave. [color=077ae6]‘We’re dropping the blizzard! Everyone who can, get to the Artillery Line and prepare to fire out the windows! You can return to the foyer with my portals after! Movement is our advantage!’[/color] Mariette called, and Suzette and Mayra didn’t have to be told twice. Suzette jumped on what appeared to be a yellow board of magic and swooped through the portal to the Artillery Line, while Mayra grinned, already summoning a fireball as she dashed in through the same portal up to the windows that were lining up the Artillery Line-side. [color=077ae6]‘Tullia! Now!’[/color] Mariette called. [@Ariamis][@Majoras End][@FamishedPants][@AtomicNut][@Card Captor] [hr] [i]Outside - Assault Team[/i] [center][img=https://i.imgur.com/3tj5n3Y.jpg]https://i.imgur.com/P2tVfst.png[/img][img=https://i.imgur.com/3tj5n3Y.jpg]https://i.imgur.com/P2tVfst.png[/img][/center] [color=9c87c9]‘What are you talking about!? These are the best of circumstances! I’m so happy we get to fight again!’[/color] the Victoria clone replied to Aurelio with a laugh before being shot by a lucky shot by Sally despite having tried to jump back into the snow before being attacked. But still, the rest of the Victorias shared her sentiment. So, through conflict that has already been described in Ari’s post, the assault team otherwise fought their way through wolves, Victoria clones and also the sudden appearance of the massive Remorhaz, decently without particularly great problems and just a couple of casualties, probably the majority coming from Justine sacrificing girls to trigger traps, honestly. There were still fiery and psychic traps waiting around in the snow, for those unwary and stepping into unknown snow. As they thought they were arriving at the front door, however, Su summoned the tornado Feilian and blocked the way, crossing forward at their numbers. However, whatever their reactions, they’d suddenly find that the massive blizzard was dying down, vision improving… Among the 32 remaining kidnapped girls Mariette had, 21 had ranged capabilities. Of them, 8 were magic focused, 8 held ranged weapons, and the remaining 5 were balanced girls that supplemented physical ability with ranged magic. Of the 11 remaining girls not among those, there were 7 physically powerful girls incapable of range, two support girls with Reinforcement, one magically powerful Dark magic assassin that was currently useless, and a magically powerful Beast girl who probably just held back a couple of wolves for now. The vast majority of the ranged girls were now pointing their guns, bows, magic staffs and charged spells at the enemy force that was probably somewhat scattered by Feilian, and at decently close range because they’d been fighting to get to the mansion. [color=077ae6]‘Fire.’[/color] A volley of lightning, fire, metal, ice and light came shooting at the assault team, in addition to some sound-blasts, some psychic shots and one girl with an empathic spec. Joining them was arrows and bullets, even Eli joining in having turned her arms into rifles to shoot at the incoming enemy. Having dropped the blizzard, while gasping for breath a bit the resident Ice Beam shooter Tullia pointed forth her Bifrost Staff to join in, firing a blast of ice straight for Hyun Long. Suzette had recently joined the line, so with a little chuckle she revelled in the feelings of tension before blasting a ray of power directly for Sakura’s captured Remorhaz, that by the way should be burning her pretty badly due to the monster’s extremely high skin-temperature. Mayra’s going to throw her fireballs at whatever’s closest, albeit she’d be told that the Remorhaz is immune to fire so perhaps not that one. While all that firepower was going, Mariette simply had to rely on Alex, Hilaria and Ronja to minimize the enemy firepower striking them in return. Meanwhile, inside. [color=077ae6]‘Lea, prepare to help save Su and Helga should things go wrong,’[/color] Mariette asked the elfin monster girl, just as Josefin had skipped to them to recharge her and Tullia’s mana a bit by grabbing their arms, after they’d used a significant portion making a blizzard. [color=c1eb9b]‘I remind that my survival is more important than-’[/color] Lea started saying, but Mariette interrupted her with a very simple… [color=077ae6]‘Please,’[/color] Mariette asked, before opening a portal to the roof again, a place easier for Lea to reach Su and Helga from without taking fire. Lea gave Mariette an analytical stare, before simply complying by flying out through the portal and then kept a specific distance from the tornado below. [@Ariamis][@Majoras End][@FamishedPants][@AtomicNut][@Card Captor][@BrokenPromise][@Shifter_Master] [hr] [i]2nd Floor - Taihei’s Room[/i] [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/sqHfYs3.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/qXVwWBs.png[/img][/url][/center] … Why, of course someone saw her tiny, spherical bomb travelling through a howling blizzard made to hamper sight and managed to easily intercept it with a single throwaway lightning bolt. That makes perfect sense. Assuming you’re Taihei, anyway. Regardless, seemed like the time had come to simply throw projectiles at the enemy. Taihei would do her part. So, she used her gravity speciality to attract to herself some weapons she’d made specifically for that particular specialization. They were large, heavy lances, long and far too heavy to simply cast aside once thrown. They were basically artillery, and would provide more firepower than most the girls in the Artillery Line. [color=4e5478]‘They’re just hunks of magically heavy metal. How could I be unlucky with these?’[/color] she asked, obviously rhetorically on account she knew all kinds of things could go wrong. Regardless, she summoned her gravity magic, held up a monstrous hand forward, and sent a couple giant metal lances flying at the assault forces, targeting the largest masses. Just some giant flying metal lances to thin out the numbers a bit. The storm shouldn’t prevent their flight excessively. [same as above] [hr] [i]???[/i] Inside a small room with a bunch of screens, a girl was sitting clicking buttons to make cameras display across the mansion. A view showed her that the infiltration team had just entered the basement corridor and were currently being subjected to the sentries she’d had installed there. Wonder if they enjoyed the little taste? That was tech from a different world, more technologically advanced than this one, that she’d been bringing over with her Supplier perk. Very much fun for them to experience, her little automatic turrets. They were, of course, only the first thing they’d have to deal with. On a different screen, though, she’d been receiving a warning. The phone she’d made for Mariette was saying it was being tracked. She’d taken the time to pinpoint where exactly it was being tracked from, because it could be that it was the technology girl they knew Beacon had, Elora… but unless the relations between the monsters and Beacon were much closer than previously thought, the source being within the Sanctuary seemed to strike contrary to such a claim. Still, the new monster queen had Beacon ties. Best block it to be safe. She absently clicked a couple buttons, and… [@Shifter_Master] Penny’d find that her system’s could suddenly no longer find Mariette’s phone. … She was absently listening in on the conversations of the Infiltration Team… Oh? Were they splitting up? Sounded like fun. She flexed her fingers a bit and brought up the list of traps she could trigger from this room. Where would they go? What traps would she trigger on them? Time would tell. [hr] [i]2nd Floor - Mariette’s Office[/i] All in all… it was looking worse than she’d hoped. She hadn’t imagined Beacon would show up, too. That team in the basement was uncomfortably powerful. There seemed like little would stop the assaulting group ahead of them. Guess there was little choice. She’d hoped to avoid calling [i]her[/i], but if she was going to call [i]her[/i] anyway, it made sense to do it as early as possible. Besides glancing with a bit of unsurety at those still in her office, she opened a small portal in front of her mouth to speak. [color=077ae6]‘This is Mariette. It seems I’ll need your help, after all. Be ready, I’ll open the path.’[/color] A slight shiver went through her as she focused her power through the Black Mirror, which was located somewhere completely different in the mansion, in order to summon a specific entity… [anyone left in the office]