[center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qXVwWBs.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/UZad3rZ.png[/img][/center] As the Queen lifted her sword and swung, an excessive amount of artifacts in Taihei’s skin suddenly sprung to life. A giant shield swung up, clear white, to shield from any harm that was to come to Taihei or Josefin or the mirror. As someone who lived with constant horrible misfortune, Taihei had devised an excessive amount of artifacts meant to reduce the chance of death to nothing. A meteor could land upon it, reducing the very apartment to dust and leaving a crater, but Taihei and those under her protection would still be there. As someone fate tries to kill every few hours, this came as natural to her, and it would protect from physical as well as mental attacks… And for the moment, it even opposed the strike of the Storyslayer. Taihei, shocked at the power of the blow that suddenly came through the opened portal, raised both hands and staff to amplify her artifacts, to keep the shield intact, her eyes widened. The attack wasn’t even coming from in front of her, it was like it came from within her. Yet, despite this, Taihei’s artifacts [i]still[/i] defended her, even against the most unnatural of blows…! Next to her, Josefin immediately collapsed. Taihei but grunted, unable to provide the same protection to her ally. While alarmed at the collapse of her friend, she didn’t have the time to focus away from the attack currently striking at her very existence. It was strong, so strong, and yet… yet her defense was working. She was holding it at bay. [color=2a9283]‘Heh… hah!’[/color] Taihei let a rare smile spread across her lips. She knew who was on the other side. The Queen of Wonderland. Not even [i]her[/i] power could break through Taihei’s defenses! … Was what she was thinking while they were barely holding together, but at this moment, tentacles flaring and her shields holding firm against the Storyslayer’s strike, Taihei felt invincible. Josefin slowly stood up next to her. Taihei chuckled in relief. Figures someone as lucky as her wouldn’t fall to a random slice like that. She didn’t know what convenience allowed the supernaturally lucky girl to survive, but right now, she didn’t care. The strike at her existence still remained, but it was waning in power. [color=2a9283]‘It would seem even the Queen can’t strike through our defences!’[/color] Taihei shouted, emboldened. [color=2a9283]‘Come, Josefin, it’s time to mount our counter-’[/color] [i]SLASH[/i] Taihei fumbled, unprepared for what had just happened. There stood Josefin, giant sword in hand, eyes wide with small pupils. She’d just slashed straight across Taihei’s body. The thing was, Josefin’s strength and her sword was no match for Taihei’s superior toughness; it had inflicted no physical damage whatsoever. But the slice had come filled with the full might of Josefin’s Mana specialization, struck directly to Taihei’s magic defense. No matter the defense, it uses mana to materialize, and being in close quarters with Josefin could cause any such magic to destabilize, if but for a moment. Josefin’s strike had cut the slightest, tiniest hole in Taihei’s protective magic shield… and the Queen’s strike passed through. Had the Queen somehow mind-bent Josefin with her strike? Or had Josefin been a traitor in their midst, the entire time? Regardless, the fact that the one and only one who could make a hole in Taihei’s defense was next to her the entire time, and that when it mattered the most she turned her sword on Taihei… Her own closest, most trusted friend, of all people… There could be no other culprit than… [color=2a9283]‘Tsk… fucking bad luck…’[/color] Taihei cursed her own Soul Mutation, just as the Storyslayer’s slice broke through and cleaved into her identity… She expected to die. … Taihei gasped, staggering as a new clarity flushed her mind. What… what were these thoughts? [hider=The case of Taihei][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/qXVwWBs.png[/img][/center] In his world, Taihei was a magical smith with extraordinary power. His works made people come from far and wide, across dimensions and plains of existence, for the possibility of wielding his work. He had a loving family, funds, resources, fame and glory, all he could ever need. Unfortunately for him, Asengav too desired his coveted power. Asengav staged an invasion. While Taihei was out, Asengav had a jealous rival attack his home. His family was killed, and Taihei came home to a home in ruins. As the master smith burned in rage, Asengav showed up, propositioning Taihei the power to take revenge. No longer caring, Taihei took the deal, transformed into a monster girl, and then slaughtered her rival. With that done, Taihei entered Asengav’s eternal servitude, tirelessly making magic items for the shadow lord’s minions, none the wiser that the attack that killed Taihei’s family had been orchestrated by Asengav himself. Now, with the brainwashing lifted… Taihei was able to ask herself. What actually happened all that time ago? Hadn’t he put magical guards on his home for this exact reason, yet it was like the attackers had just emerged in the middle of his home, completely bypassing all his traps? How come Asengav knew to be there, when Taihei was at his weakest? Who had the power to enter even Taihei’s mighty home… and then stood to gain the most from this altercation? And… what was Josefin doing?[/hider] Taihei’s gaze flashed quickly over to Josefin, the determined blonde breathing in sharply as she gazed earnestly at Taihei, and… [color=fcedae]‘AAAAAAAAAAAAH!’[/color] Josefin cried as she hugged around Taihei, clutching tightly. Her giant sword had been dropped, falling clanking to the floor. [color=fcedae]‘I KNEW IT! I knew I had to be here for a reason! It’s finally time! Taihei, you’re finally free…! I’m so happy…!’[/color] Josefin shouted out, Taihei supremely confused, but also frowning at dark thoughts… [hider=The case of Josefin][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/UZad3rZ.png[/img][/center] The ultimate fate of any Magical Girl. To see their loved ones grow old, but be unable to age herself. Josefin became a Magical Girl for unremarkable, unimportant reasons, but she was faced with the reality that life would go on without her. She still tried to continue her life, go on to college, etc, able to show identification showing her date of birth, but appearance-wise she never grew out of being a 12-year old girl. One day, she had enough. She decided she would disappear. Funnily enough that, just as she decided so, was when Asengav decided to kidnap her. No amount of luck could save her when the interdimensional horror decided on his mark. He took her for her unique specialization: Mana. With it, she could absorb the mana of others, and could be a container for vast amounts of mana. He had a special goal for her at the end of the ritual. However, despite being mind-bent, Josefin somehow knew that she was mind-bent. She knew she was being used, she just couldn’t do much about it. She could but trust in her luck and her fate that something would be in store for her, and her dear friend Taihei, somewhere down the road. Taihei, the one who had led the most misfortune existence she’d ever seen, the one she had vowed she would care for… So of course, when she realized the Queen’s slice had removed her mind-bending, she used her power to ensure the same happened to her friend. They were finally free.[/hider] … The Queen broke into the moment to tell that she would see them truly liberated. Taihei had her doubts, this could just be replacing one master with another… [color=fcedae]‘Taihei,’[/color] Josefin clasped one of Taihei’s hands, smiling so eagerly at her. [color=fcedae]‘Believe in me. It’s going to be all right. Trust in me. It will solve itself somehow. I promise,’[/color] Josefin said, looking happier than Taihei had ever seen her. … but at this point, who cared? If there was any chance it was better than Asengav, it was worth it. Taihei wasn’t hopeful, the curse of misfortune was still imprinted into her soul, just like good luck was imprinted in Josefin’s, but what the hell. Josefin looked so happy. [color=2a9283]‘… Alright,’[/color] Taihei merely said, nodding, and eventually the both stood up to look upon the Queen and those who followed her. In Taihei’s mind, questions about the circumstances of Asengav’s recruitment of her still swirled, and a hot, burning rage slowly started to glow within as she pieced various pieces together… [center][url=https://i.imgur.com/Y8OSnvr.png][img]https://i.imgur.com/OPMf9l2.png[/img][/url][/center] [hider=Mariette Pedersen][hider=full picture][center][url=http://i.imgur.com/Y8OSnvr.png][img]http://i.imgur.com/TnA9sHf.png[/img][/url][/center][/hider] [b]Name[/b]: Mariette Pedersen [b]Age (Magical Girl)[/b]: 15 [b]Specializations[/b]: Oddball: Portals, Light. [b]Weapon[/b]: Mystic mirror. [b]Power[/b]: Tentacles. [b]Stats[/b]: [i]STR[/i]: 4 [i]AGI[/i]: 4 [i]VIT[/i]: 4 [i]MAG[/i]: 22 [i]LCK[/i]: 10 [b]Perks[/b]: [list][*][i]Gifted[/i] [*][s][i]Interdimensional Home[/i][/s] - The dimension has collapsed. [*][i]Blood Magic[/i] [*][i]Overcity Shift[/i] [*][i]Interdimensional Tourist[/i] - Joe. [*][i]Hammerspace Handbag[/i] [*][i]Ally[/i] - Mayra [*][i]Awareness[/i] [*][i]Absolute Direction[/i] [*][i]Sealing[/i] [*][i]Cuddlespawn[/i] - Demogorgon, the Prince of Demons.[/list] [b]Patron[/b]: Asengav [b]Patron Benefits[/b]: [list][*][i]Creeping Doom[/i] [*][i]Reasonable[/i] [*][i]Minions[/i] [*][i]Retrieval[/i] [*][i]Mystic Might[/i] [*][i]Mana Font[/i][/list] [b]Patron Drawbacks[/b]: [list][*][i]Quick-Tempered[/i] [*][s][i]Mind-Bent[/i][/s] - Removed. [*][i]Insomnia[/i] [*][i]Bane[/i] - Candles and cracked mirrors. [*][i]Health Sapping[/i][/list] [/hider] [color=077ae6]‘…’[/color] Mariette didn’t really have much to interfere with in that whole scene, so she simply walked in through the portal, walked past the two un-mind-bent followers, and then put a hand on the mirror. With that, as the swirl into the void began again. She knew, the effect would be unmistakable on the surface. This would be the time when normal Magical Girls would have risen to oppose them, and they’d likely have lost. But, now… [color=077ae6]‘This is the last mirror surface mirror,’[/color] Mariette said, to the Queen and to Su and Mika. [color=077ae6]‘All that remains now, is the Black Mirror itself, and the ritual that should take place there…’[/color] she said. A shudder went through her, knowing who was guarding that one. And also… what they would have to do there. [color=077ae6]‘No portal there is necessary…’[/color] Mariette said. [color=077ae6]‘We can head there directly if we go through the mirror,’[/color] she said, gesturing to the mirror in front of them. The time of the ritual was approaching… … She needed to find the time to send a message.