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The apes could not easily reach the Mogalls, however, they hindered Shatterscape's friend. And while one could hardly expect summoned creatures to be as intelligent as the mind behind them, surely they could understand a message rooted in violence. Armed with that thought, the High Priestess observed their movements for a while before she saw one of them leap towards a Mogall - so she [i]moved[/i], cracking the pavement beneath her as she put all of her strength into her legs. Muscles tightened, magic flared, the resulting shower of debris exploding outwards like fireworks as she leapt through dozens of metres in an instant, then her claws tightened around an ape. 

The summon had little chance to react as she yanked, smashing the thing into concrete with enough strength to daze, but not to destroy, a display of force calculated for precise effect.

[color=gold]"This high priestess would prefer, especially if your august self can hear through these minions,"[/color] she spoke as she stepped forward, then turned her torso back towards the ape, [color=gold]"that you leave her comrades' constructs alone lest you incur her wrath. As a gesture between equals, I shall refrain from going further if you do the same."[/color] She lingered for a moment, literally looking down at the construct. Her eyes all but bore into the sight of whoever happened to look through the eyes of this particular one, a pair of cold, crimson-coloured daggers that cared not of how the summoner decided.

Then Shatterscape leapt again, almost losing her balance. Curiously, the ground shifted beneath her feet. Street lights swayed. The taller buildings creaked. The ground rippled as the second earthquake of the day struck, quickly followed by the feeling of two massive balls of hatred manifesting right in the direction the light girl had been.

[color=#D8CD9F][i]"I'm going to kill that bitch."[/i][/color] Hotaru all but growled. She snarled as she stomped, the motion carrying over to real life to Shatterscape's body.

[color=red][i]"You aren't killing anyone, 'Ru. We don't know what caused it."[/i][/color] Ember's hand wrapped around the warrior's wrist, turning her around so they would come face to face with each other. [color=red][i]"She's not those girls. Get it through your thick skull already!"[/i][/color]

[color=#D8CD9F][i]"She's a prissy, stuck-up light-girl you keep defending! She doesn't have the [b]right[/b] to be here! This is our city!"[/i][/color] Hotaru grit her teeth, her yellow eyes locking with Ember's brown ones. [color=#D8CD9F][i]"I won't accept anything less than kicking her ass all the way to the City of Light."[/i][/color] 

[color=red][i]"'Ru, please. I know you're angry and I under-"[/i][/color]

[color=#D8CD9F][i]"The fuck you do! If you understood, you'd be with-"[/i][/color] 

[color=teal][i]"Ember! Hotaru! The miseria are clumping together!"[/i][/color] The argument froze as Sylvia called out the phenomenon. Both the schemer and the warrior forced their attention back outwards to see that it was indeed happening. The miseria started to merge into wretched bird-creatures that felt more powerful than the sum of their parts. Radiating a feeling of malice that bordered on the oppressive, their presences were like nails against the chalkboard for Sylvia in particular.

[color=red][i]"The others need to know right away. Hotaru?"[/i][/color] The question filled with meaning as Hotaru grit her teeth, then yanked her hand out of Ember's.

[color=#D8CD9F][i]"Fine. Fine! I won't attack. Happy?"[/i][/color] Or at least so she lied through grit teeth, causing Ember to nod, the schemer too occupied by the path they had to take to notice the subtle venom in the warrior's words. She did not, after all, need to tell the truth now and the more she talked, the more convinced she became that there was no saving these two. They did need saving from themselves, though and while they could stop her from putting the light girl's head on a pike, it would be too late by then. A swipe at the peak of her strength would no doubt get through to that prissy asshole, no matter how thick her skull was. She only needed a proper moment to do it.

Now with a plan in mind, Hotaru had Shatterscape's body blitz through the streets. They were close; so close that she saw Evil Eye hit the pavement, followed by one of the bird abominations. The world seemed to slow to a crawl as the bird tried to impale the dark girl, only for the latter's summon to intercept it perfectly, then be carried away by Willow's spectral wolves before being tossed into the air, the bird following them and trying to strike.

This could not stand.

Shatterscape's magic flared as she smashed her gauntlets into the ground, launching herself at the bird with surprising precision. The ground beneath her trembled in response, one of the nearby streetlights sparking and dying as it collapsed on itself while she cut through the air like scythe through wheat, then her leg impacted the Miseria. Both of them went flying with a sharp rack of material collapsing on itself, with Shatterscape bringing her arms forward so she could rake the claws across her opponent.

[color=gold]"None shall harm the observer of the heavens,"[/color] she declared as if her opponent could hear her.