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Staycee’s “ghost pals” descended upon Oros the Swift, but she was ready for them. With a few ki-enhanced martial arts moves, the Nomad Magical Girl made short work of two of the specters, while fending off the attacks of a third. She then prepared to face the rest of the swirling apparitions as they darted in to make their own attacks with an array of ethereal weapons and clawed hands. At the same time, enough of the smoke had cleared for the quartet of Stacys to see the group of less powerful Carnage Sisters galloping towards them.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Looks like tha cavalry’s arrived,”[/color] Stampede Stacy observed. [color=MediumAquamarine]“But ah don’t reckon they’re fer us!”[/color]

As if to prove that point, a cannon ball shot forth to blast Esperverse Stacy’s head clean off her shoulders. 

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Ah gotcha, darlin’!”[/color] Stampede Stacy called, even as she sent her lightning lasso shooting out to loop around her ally’s wayward noggin, before pulling it back in with a firm yank.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“I’m not much for the deep south, but you’re alright, partner!”[/color] Esperverse Stacy gave her rodeo companion a thumbs up.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Deep South?!”[/color] Stampede Stacy echoed incredulously. [color=MediumAquamarine]“Ah’m from Massachusetts!”[/color]

Meanwhile, the most psychotic-looking of this group of four Carnage Sisters opened up with her twin chain guns, sending a torrent of bullets flying towards the Stacys. Staycee and Stampede Stacy were agile enough to dodge most of the rounds, while the erratic movements of the now headless body of Esperverse Stacy prevented it from taking too many hits. However, the bulk of the fusillade wasn’t even directed at them, but rather at little Crystallis Stacy, who was nowhere near as nimble. The hail of bullets riddled her small body with more holes than a piece of Swiss cheese as it shuddered through a series of violent convulsions, the sheer force of the rapid string of impacts furiously shaking her like a rag doll. Yet, this disturbing sight was accompanied by the equally disturbing sound of hysterical laughter.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“T-T-That t-tickles!”[/color] Stacy squealed amidst her giggling fit, the bullet storm causing the little zombie no harm whatsoever.

By this point, the Carnage Sisters had gotten close enough to engage in melee, and the ditziest member of the foursome promptly tried to impale Staycee on her spear. Now, this was already a poor matchup for the pigtailed airhead, since Staycee’s scythe was sort of like an axe [s](which meant she had weapon triangle advantage)[/s], but it became even worse when one considered just how tough Stacyee was, especially when wearing the Obsidian Armor of Ortvonno. As such, instead of slicing through the spear before it struck her, the ectomancer simply allowed it to strike (and subsequently shatter against) her chest plate, before sweeping Ectolionis in a wide arc to decapitate her bubbly foe.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“En garde, or something like that!”[/color] Staycee shouted triumphantly as the now headless horsewoman galloped past her.

Stampede Stacy found herself in a similar predicament, with the crown-wearing Carnage Sister preparing to skewer her on her lance.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“That’s one mighty peculiar steed ya got there, missy!”[/color] the undead cowgirl remarked, even as she flung Esperverse Stacy’s head into her body’s waiting arms. [color=MediumAquamarine]“But ah reckon if'n ah git it’s legs all tangled up, it’ll go tumblin’ just like tha gen-u-ine article!”[/color] Sending her lighting lasso shooting forth once more, Stampede Stacy wrapped the crackling coil tight around the android steed’s legs. Not only did having its legs whipped out from under it cause the robotic horse to take a sudden nosedive into the pavement, but the subsequent massive jolt of electricity thoroughly fried its electronic innards, and very likely those of its rider as well. 

A short distance away, Nomad Stacy had Oros the Shrewd on the proverbial ropes. However, the animal eared cook was nothing, if not tenacious. Acting with impressive speed, she produced a carrot and shoved it into the mouth of the overly talkative Kung-Fu Corpse Girl. [color=MediumAquamarine]“Glurk?!”[/color] Stacy gagged, before spitting the unwelcome orange intruder out of her mouth. [color=MediumAquamarine]“Yuck! Like, veggies might be, like, super healthy for you an’ junk, but they’re also super [i]gross![/i] That’s why I go for super yummy nutri-shakes! The bubblegum flavor is, like, totally my fav!”[/color]

Not one to let a reprieve go to waste, Oros the Shrewd had removed her bulky backpack and gotten some space between her and her chatty opponent. She’d also used the time to prepare her next attack, a swing of a sizable frying pan that was aimed right at Stacy’s head. Thanks to her “crazy cool” martial arts-type reflexes, the Kung-Fu Corpse Girl was able to leap away before it struck, but the sheer force of Oros the Shrewd’s swing produced a blast of air that sent Stacy flying back much farther than she’d anticipated. And perhaps farther than the pint-sized provisioner had intended as well, seeing as how it caused Stacy to crash into the side of Geina’s robo-horse feet first.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“So, are you one of those people who like to [i]roleplay[/i] roleplay?” [/color]Stacy inquired as she kicked off of the robo-horse to fly back towards Amber with her hands extended in a “crazy cool” martial arts pose, causing mount and rider to tumble over in the process. [color=MediumAquamarine]“Like, there was this one guy in my old group who was, like, suuuper into that kinda thing,”[/color] she continued as she unleashed a crackling bolt of really zappy lightning at her opponent. [color=MediumAquamarine]“He would, like, do a special voice and everything, like one of those actor people!”[/color]

As this transpired, Tactical Triumvirate S.T.A.C.-Y. had managed to place [i]their[/i] monstrous adversary on the back foot as well, but the tables were about to turn against them…

[color=MediumAquamarine][i]External aid is being provided to target,[/i][/color] the trio’s mental voices noted as one. [color=MediumAquamarine][i]Concentration of fire is required to counteract this development. Assuming combat formation Theta-Tertiarius.[/i][/color]

As one, the three bioroids moved to place themselves in a concave arc facing Oros the Savage’s horned head. Firing on full auto, they sent three streams of specialized hybridium rounds drilling into the center of the massive beast’s forehead. However, in order to achieve this more effective firing pattern, the trio had left themselves vulnerable to a surprise decapitating sweep of Oros the Mad’s pitch-black blade. Well, it [i]would[/i] have been a surprise, if not for the fact that the psychotic swordswoman was yelling at the top of her lungs, making her approach so obvious that the supplementary ocular nodes on the back of the Tactical Triumvirate’s armor weren’t even necessary. Thus, just before the eldritch katana made contact with the neck of its first victim, the Magentaite infused hair of each of the bioroids burst into a singular blinding dome of searing flame, one which completely engulfed their pitifully unstealthy foe, before sending her flying away with considerable force.

At the same time, Saw Blade Stacy continued her duel with Oros the Inventive. Despite her fearless nature, the chainsaw-wielding Ars Magi knew that she was at a clear disadvantage against her ultra-tech opponent. If she was going to win, then she would have to show just how inventive [i]she[/i] could be as well…

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Metal, huh?”[/color] Stacy inquired with a smirk. [color=MediumAquamarine]“That sounds almost as bad as a mouthful of paint!”[/color]

Although her massive chainsaw was beginning to slow, the fact that she was locked in melee combat meant that her opponent was close enough to be within arm’s reach. As such, in a single swift motion, Stacy removed one hand from her Gladius and thrust its open palm toward Lada’s face, her fingers slipping under the fake Ars Magi’s massive bangs. The next instant, a blast of bright pink paint shot forth from both fingers and palm, and while some of it might have gotten into her mouth, contrary to Stacy’s quip, her [i]main[/i] target was the inventive young woman’s [i]eyes.[/i] 

Meanwhile, Stitch ‘Em Up Stacy continued to tend to her patient. To the zombie medic’s great relief, Oros the Joyful seemed to be responding very favorably to both her treatment and the bits of medical trivia she’d been providing. If anything, the blood witch was responding a little [i]too[/i] favorably. Indeed, just as Stacy was telling of how nose bleeds often indicated feelings of strong romantic attraction in many anime and manga, Oros the Joyful began slowly pulling her closer for a kiss.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Oh! Um, I really appreciate your desire to thank me,”[/color] Stacy told Suki as she pulled away. [color=MediumAquamarine]“B-But, um, I don’t think it would be very professional of me if I made out with a patient. At least, not before we’ve gotten to know each other a little better,”[/color] she added. [color=MediumAquamarine]“P-Plus, you’ve lost a [i]lot[/i] of blood, which may be impairing your cognitive functions, and I’d [i]never[/i] want to take advantage of anyone when their judgement might be compromised!”[/color]

In another part of the battlefield, a Marrywell teacher’s assistant continued to face off against a copy of the school’s enigmatic guidance counselor. 

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Woah! You’ve always got a trick up your sleeve, huh, Miss Fang?!”[/color] Stacy noted with a laugh when Oros the Wise transformed her rapidly extending hand into another copy of herself. It was easy enough for Stacy to blast the doppelgänger back with a bolt of lightning before it could tackle her, but the attack did little to actually damage the duplicate. However, before she could employ a stronger attack to rectify that, the patchwork young woman found she had a new threat to deal with, in the form of the original Oros the Wise flying toward her, foot first. [color=MediumAquamarine]“Dang, ya really know how to keep a girl on her toes!”[/color] Stacy told the counselor as she used her superhuman reflexes to catch the incoming foot with both hands. Then, leaning back on her heels, she used her foe’s momentum to spin the older woman around, before sending her flying away in the direction of two of her metamorphosed clones that were in the process of menacing the second quartet of Stacys.

Said second quartet was also being menaced by the second (much more fearsome) quartet of Carnage Sisters. At least, until the four robotic young women and their equally robotic steeds were quickly annihilated by a barrage of lightning arcs, energy beams, missiles, and shimmerlings.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Wow, that was totally awesome!”[/color] Storm Witch Stacy cheered.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“I know, right?!”[/color] Cyberslime Stacy agreed.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Hey! Let’s do one of those crazy cool team combo attack things on those crazy freaky guys over there!”[/color] OG Stacy Stitches suggested, using her recently reattached arm to point at Oros the Wise and the two masses of teeth she’d been thrown into.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“That sounds totally super [i]gibbous![/i]”[/color] Staceella replied, her enthusiasm causing even more tiny stars to pour forth from her mouth. [color=MediumAquamarine]“But, like, I’m not really good at fighting, and stuff,”[/color] she added. [color=MediumAquamarine]“So I’ll just cheer you guys on!”[/color]

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Okay! So, like, how should do our crazy cool team combo attack thing?!”[/color] Cyberslime Stacy inquired.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Oh! I know!”[/color] Storm Witch Stacy spoke up, waving her hand excitedly. [color=MediumAquamarine]“I can make these crazy cool portal dealies, so, like, what if I opened up portals to the inside each of those toothy guys, and then [i]you[/i] guys fire all your lightning and lasers into ‘em?!”[/color]

[color=MediumAquamarine]“That sounds super freaking [i]awesome![/i]”[/color] OG Stacy replied with a big grin. [color=MediumAquamarine]“And, like, since this is a super combo attack type dealie, we gotta go [i]all out![/i]”[/color] she added, her grin growing even wider. [color=MediumAquamarine]“So I’m gonna use my Super Mega Ultra Zappy Zap!”[/color]

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Hells yeah!”[/color] Cyberslime Stacy agreed. [color=MediumAquamarine]“And [i]I’ll[/i] use my Big Blastacular Blamo Barrage! (That’s the name I just thought up for my ultimate attack thing!)”[/color]

[color=MediumAquamarine]“All right!”[/color] Storm Witch Stacy called. [color=MediumAquamarine]“Let’s, like, totally [i]do[/i] this!”[/color]

With a wave of her Stormy Staff, the witch-themed girl tore open two circular portals, rimmed with crackling blue lightning. A moment later, OG Stacy and Cyberslime Stacy called out the names of their ultimate attacks and sent said massively overpowered expulsions of destructive force surging through the twin portals. Unfortunately, as was all too often the case, Storm Witch Stacy’s portals didn’t actually lead where she’d intended them to. On the bright side, their destination wasn’t someplace on another planet, or in another universe, but rather a location relatively nearby. Thus it was that two random rooms inside Axis Mundai would experience the full, cataclysmic force of a lightning-themed Killing Blow and a hyper laser/nanoslime bullet/mega missile maelstrom, respectively. 

Hopefully the rooms in question didn’t contain anything important… 

Speaking of Axis Mundai, it had just received a new patient, although rather than B@B, it was Scylla that crashed through one of its towers mouth first, the flying toaster-like Framewerk having easily dodged out of the path of the plummeting pink meteor. No sooner had the multi-headed monstrosity come to rest, then the hospital’s apparent owner began shouting obscenities. Simultaneously, four more Carnage Sisters showed up and began making a series of feeble (and one possibly not-so-feeble) attempts to cause Scylla harm. And if that wasn’t enough, far above, B@B had morphed into a very odd flying saucer and fired a pair of sausage-shaped railgun rounds.

[color=MediumAquamarine]“Cool story, loser!”[/color] Shark Tooth Stacy mocked the ranting man over her external speakers as she activated Scylla’s Phase Shifter. [color=MediumAquamarine]“But ya know what they say. When life gives ya lemons, SQUIRT ‘EM IN SOMEONE’S FACE!!!”[/color]

With the twin railgun sausages in all likelihood obliterating the various Carnage Sisters assailing Scylla’s now incorporeal hull, only the “totally not a virus” one remained. While the Cruxi had never attacked invasively before, at least as far as Stacy knew, her Framewerk had still been equipped with the most potent anti-virus system Project Grand Slam could devise. Only time would tell if that untested system was up to the task of eliminating her current unwelcome visitor…