[center][img]https://txt.1001fonts.net/img/txt/dHRmLjk2LmNiNWViNS5RV3RwYTI4LjA/otaku-rant.regular.png[/img][/center][hr]
[color=hotpink]"It's simple, Thomas. We need to kill it."[/color]

She turned towards Riku momentarily as she snapped back from Kanbaru's comments. [color=hotpink]"Talking here isn't going to work. You've tried a couple of times before, it's never worked..."[/color] She glanced back at the dragon for a couple of seconds before she hesitated. That was Katie, whether Akiko wanted to admit it or not. Call her crazy for actually growing a heart, but... Katie meant something to Riku. Maybe it was the multiple times prying at her, but as rocks came crashing down onto the group they shattered over Riku and (the soon-to-be-moving) Thomas, Castle having stepped in.

[color=hotpink]"... but if you want to try again, I'll stay by you."[/color] Akiko nodded to Riku, taking a fighting position and staring at the monster. Never did she imagine that she'd be playing the role she craved, but here she was. A future queen fighting for a past princess. The irony was thick enough to stab.

Akiko's words had landed, but the group's actions worked before she could. Her eyes were flashing a myriad of colors, Castle standing at the ready as Akiko moved before she thought. They'd had a similar fight before this in another loop, they could do it again. The issue was how big this monster was, but the adage from ages ago gave Akiko the hope she needed. The bigger they are, the harder they fall, of course.

Runa and Nephy sat brooding, Kanbaru was watching the crew perform, Thomas had already jumped into action, and Riku was going to try and talk to it. The dragon still rushed for the group and it make Akiko need to act. With a flash of green and red, Castle emerged and chimed with its rush, uncaring of who heard or saw. [color=red]"MUDAMUDAMUDAMUDAMUDA!"[/color] It beat against the ground, the world starting to shatter and restructure itself as if it had always been something else - a roof, catching a few of the meteoric projectiles and Castle's fist even smashing through a couple of them itself! Of course, it wasn't a perfect fit, Hellsword stepping in to provide support and piece everything together with bones and fungus, but it held up as more and more fire crashed into it.

[color=hotpink]"If you're going to reason with it, Riku, now would be a good time to start!"[/color] Akiko shook the blood off her hands, ignoring the wounds and lacerations that resulted in punching through stone. Hellsword felt the need to chime in.

[color=forestgreen][b]"Why are we not assaulting it? Why aren't you and your stand attempting to break its jaws?"[/b][/color]

[color=hotpink]"Well I didn't see growing a conscience in my future, Hellsword, now keep the barrier up!"[/color] Akiko's fists sputtered more blood as Castle pushed its range, taking out more fireballs but being unable to pursue further. Seems its range was capped at 7 meters maximum. An odd number, but Akiko never really contemplated how far Castle could go out.