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[color=tomato]"Evil eye is bein’ SUPER LEWD AND I LOVE IT!"[/color]

[color=888888]— Suki Oyama[/color][/center]

[color=ff6347]"Blanket forts."[/color] Oros wondered out loud. [color=ff6347]"Next time, you should try incorporating a kotatsu into your design. I’m, actually, starting to feel a little cold."[/color]

She was only half listening to everything else, and the reason why became apparent as soon as the golem vanished. While the bone giant was defeated with relative ease compared to their last encounter, it still hit like a truck. Suki’s back had been opened up and the blood mohawk that the golem had been rocking was now coursing up and down Suki’s back. Despite being bludgeoned, the attack was strong enough to tear open her skin. She was slouched, which was either to make room for all the tentacles on her back or because her spine had been wrecked. It wasn’t until Evil Eye took her hand that she seemed to regain her focus. 

[color=ff6347]"Uh, sis?"[/color] Oros tapped the back of Evil Eye’s hand with her thumb. [color=ff6347]"You uh, sure you wanna be holding me like this?"[/color] In truth, her geas acted slowly enough that Evil Eye would have plenty of time to return to Hibusa town before things got weird. Though it usually wasn’t something most wanted to risk. The bone giant and its minions were already dissipating, and her blood skates would keep her high enough off the ground that she wouldn't be at risk of getting burned. 

Though the current arrangement wasn’t something she objected to.

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[b][color=ffffff]"[/color][color=f8f7f8]T[/color][color=f1eff1]h[/color][color=e9e6e9]e[/color] [color=dbd6db]c[/color][color=d4ced4]u[/color][color=cdc6cd]r[/color][color=c5bdc5]t[/color][color=beb5be]a[/color][color=b7adb7]i[/color][color=b0a5b0]n[/color][color=a89ca8]…[/color][color=a194a1]"[/color][/b]

[img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/019d5df0-67bc-733b-b435-dc6f3a9a51b6.webp[/img]

[b][color=ffffff]"[/color][color=f5f4f5].[/color][color=ebe8eb].[/color][color=e1dde1].[/color][color=d7d1d7]F[/color][color=cdc6cd]a[/color][color=c2bac2]l[/color][color=b8afb8]l[/color][color=aea3ae]s[/color][color=a498a4]"[/color][/b]

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The Michis were no longer taking hold of Hizuki. The paladin was hovering in the air, but the dark mass of despair still descended. Maybe she was being assimilated, or maybe she was trying to find the beast's heart. Not to rip it out and destroy it, but to see what it yearned for. But her vision grew darker as she slipped deeper inside the Michi swarm, with their desire to destroy everything surrounding her.

Suika’s plan of attack was set. When the Michis came for her, she reached back. After some consideration, she used most of her remaining power to surge something into the ball of despair. She did not choose to force some idea onto Black Gate, but instead chose to make her content, eventually.

It was hard to overwhelm so many entities. At first it seemed like all Acid Drop was able to do was make the entity swell more. Such a confused array of emotions had a similar effect on the Michis as it did the apes from earlier. But if they reacted strongly to strong emotions, what would happen when they were introduced to something more subtle?

Hizuki was buried, completely shrouded in darkness. Then ribbons of light appeared around her. First one, then two. Then all at once the walls of Hizuki’s tomb lit up. In the center of the mass was a void that containedBlack Gate, curled up like a fetus. She held the plush with one hand and sucked her thumb on the other. 

The ribbons of light were Michis that had been infected by Acid Drop’s magic. Without their deep resentment, they lit up and burned away. But with Acid Drop’s stockpile depleting, and Hizuki’s armor running out of power, there was only one thing to do in this situation. To rescue whatever it was that still remained of Black Gate. 

Hizuki wrapped her arms around the goat woman and, with a sharp tug, was able to tear her free from whatever Mr Bana had turned into. The back lit up and burned away, and Hizuki was able to make a second daring escape today, this time in the real world. 

Mr Banana and what remained of the Michis collapsed on themselves, swirling into nothingness. Like an appeased ghost, there was no reason to haunt the world anymore. What remained of the school was safe, for now. 

Hizuki could not land gracefully. Her armor had depleted most of her mana and was falling off of her body. Her arms gave way and Michi tumbled across the ruined school grounds. Acid drop began to lose altitude as well. 


Black Gate didn’t move from her spot on the floor. She remained in the fetal position, hugging her plush cat against her chest. Typically Haruna would be able to sense what Black Gate wanted, or at least get an idea. But Black Gate wasn’t giving off anything. It was as if she was truly content, and wanted nothing in this moment.