Crusader Lord

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Sophia von Zeerover

"Eh?! Dontcha' wanna' stay fer' a free meal? Mah' treat fer everyone, swear on mah' patron!" Sophia called out to Hilaria and Mariette, after looking back at the two Mariette once the horror girl made clear she was going to leave. As much as the pirate's accent was thick, however, she truly felt she was doing her best to be genuinely nice here! They had all fought well, and a good fighin' crew was always welcome to a good feast to celebrate. Such was her mindset. Well...if any of these girls were up to it anyways to boot.

Though Sophia looked back forwards after the mafioso boy began to speak again...albeit with a pause and somewhat awkward seeming smile...the pirate lightly rolled her eyes in exasperation. It was like some people couldn't understand plain ENGLISH around here! Then again, she was a pirate and pirates tended to speak rather uniquely. Though what about "Talk Like a Pirate Day"?! Didn't mundane people have that to give them some means of understanding-...ugh, nevermind. At least the mafioso-sounding guy seemed to have the manners to introduce himself and do some explaining, though the obvious questions seemed to follow right after. Well, at least the questions seemed obvious to her. After being asked for an explanation it was only proper to give one in return!

However, the guy's eyes seemed to obviously wander a bit over the swordswoman's body as he walked up to Amaryllis (and her). A pang of light frustration pushed Sophia to let out a small sigh in response. Sure the goo lass was pretty sexy, such was her lot in becomin' a magical girl, but she also wasn't a hunk of meat! Amaryllis was her friend, after all! She wasn't going to sit around and let her friend be ogled like that by people, after all. Even she had some standards for a pirate!

"Ey', Nuncio, please keep yer' eyes up to her face will yeh'? Just ta' ask fer' politeness' sake, if ah' may interject as ah' friend ere'." the magical girl interjected, keeping her tone as polite as possible in the process.

Perhaps those words would be more easily heard and grasped? She was trying at least, to enunciate and pronounce her words as clearly as possible, and that's what counted in her mind. At least she was also more understandable than the creaking buncha' planks that was her patron! Though she was perhaps a special case in grasping what her patron would tell her. Something about those sounds seemed to just plunk out words in her head. Handy, that was.

Sophia pulled her arm of camaraderie back politely, before tilting back her axe-gun to sit back on one shoulder as she put her other free arm on her hip. A wide grin came onto her face once more, then, as she let out a proud laugh.

"Ah'll let mah' friend introduce herself, but ah' am Sophia von Zeerover! The Number One Pirate in all ah've Penrose, new ta' the block despite tha' time nonsense, and friend to the lass next to meh' here! Good ta' meet ya'!"

Sophia took her free hand off of her hip, before extending it outwards with confidence towards Nuncio to offer a proper handshake. Such was the pirate's life! Plus one less person apt to try to kill her was nice. Always nice.

Speaking such, what was that maid girl doing right now? Hopefully stayin' alive and such, she hoped. Poor lass had been pretty shaken up when they first met, after all.

@PlatinumSkink@BrokenPromise@ERode@FamishedPants

---

Serenity Gates

The maid girl had happily made sure to show and give her number to Juliana in return, though too felt some enjoyment in the following casual chat the two underwent before she had been forced to run off with the others. Something was special about the Valkyrie girl...but what was it that stoked her curiosity and interest in her so? What was drawing her to the other girl even now? It was nothing she knew of right now anyways, and...well, it would take time to figure that all out anyways. Time talking, being around each other, and getting to better know each other would maybe reveal the answer. Such was the nature of being human, right? To find these things out, to build those bonds, and keep moving forward!

Though after arriving the white haired girl let out a small and surprised 'eep!' when Aurelio suddenly pulled her into a one-armed embrace and gave her a light shake. Yet the magician's following words and those of Alicia were in some sense a comfort as well. They hadn't forgotten her...they wouldn't forget her.

Despite the good feelings still around after the end of the trial, however, Rachael seemed apt to stomp on it and assert her authority. Had trying to get them excommunicated an executed not been enough for her? It seemed not. But perhaps she was being emotional about it all as well. What was clear was that Rachael was noting that the Ascendancy's mission was to continue, she didn't trust Alicia to not "mess up" her plans, they were keeping separate for the most part, and they'd be tolerated merely out of duty. Had she missed much beyond that? Indeed, they were even being asked to help deal with a situation conjured by corrupted magical girls. Serenity almost wished she had scribbled some sigils and runes to...no. That would have been bad. Very bad. Ugh.

She and the others could only really go one thing at a time, and there had to be a better solution to the Ascendancy problem. Not that they had been useless or all terrible either...they'd helped this place in their absence whilst they were stuck in a time dilation kidnapping event and swimsuits. The maid magical girl had to give credit where it was due, at the very least. There were even those within that organization, like Juliana, that seemed to be more compassionate and kind than she'd ever expected. So there had to be hope that things would work out well with all of this too!

Aurelio also Alicia also brought up some good points, however. This dark magical girl/monster girl event was more than suspicious, they all did want Penrose back to normal, and the locations of the ShineSpark-infused monster girl were another thing entirely as welll. In Serenity's mind the direct attacks on Beacon were also nothing short of a trap.

Though between her prior thoughts and now, however, an idea of sorts did some to her mind. "An idea of sorts" being the emphasis here. Looking up at the visibly more tense and worried Alicia, however, pushed the white haired magical girl to step forward and place a comforting hand on Alicia's shoulder.

"I haven't heard from Penny, but...I know we can do this! But we need to be organized, that is the key! If I may?"

Serenity spoke as best as she could, though a relatively minor slight chill ran down her back. Even so, she as confidently as possible moved before their small group, taking control of the projection table they were at and changing the display on it to help visualize her explanation. They had to figure something out, have some sort of plan at least. To just rush out was...the thought of it worried her a lot.

"From what little I saw 'before' I became as I am now, especially here in Penrose and of its inhabitants, Penny might be a potential key to figuring what's going on. But if Chloe gets to her, or if some other dark force like Cindy Ford and her self-proclaimed queenship, I...well, I feel there is enough worry about it all already.

But from here we can break things down, to try to figure this out better."

The projection on the table shifted again, splitting from a tree diagram of connections and images and information into several distinct groupings.

"One thing we need to do is help Penny. For that, sending someone she trusts most from here might work best. But if she's with Cindy, or Chloe, or those at the 'rave' I...I don't know how it would go down. At all. I have all of what my former self saw in regards to Penrose, and what he dug up otherwise in his boredom, but that is all I have to work on. I worry we could trigger something bad with Penny caught in the middle, especially with the situation the Ascendancy has created in our absence.

Next, in regards to the 'concert' and 'rave', between the feeling of it being a gigantic and obvious trap, especially with the attacks made on Beacon in its 'advertisement', how do we get info? We have no idea about Penny right now, and we need to help her before anything else. Plus we don't know everything going on at this 'concert' and what detection magic or other things could be set up there."

The maid girl then let out a long, exasperated sigh.

"I know of someone, well 'something', who would be very happy to help us with at least one of these things. She's, ahm, not alien to Beacon...and has actually worked with the Hawaiian Branch sometimes.

But I...I don't want to get too far ahead. Does anyone else have suggestions or ideas?"

The projection on the table shifted again, though barely, tossing in a small black silhouette into a new and very small small side grouping. This one in particular seemed to contain a strangely familiar black silhouette from human eldritch fiction, surrounded strangely by party hats and ocean and the like.

@Ariamis@Flamelord@Shifter_Master

Eden(Small-scale Space NRP)

Location:

Raygon 8 - The Belt, Raygon 8’s orbital space station.

Foreign Traffic Port 221-010

Traffic Levels: Moderate - estimated wait time for dock space: 63 minutes.

---

The busy, overcrowded spaceport over Raygon 8 stretches like a fat belt around the whole planet, thus its name. It handles the vast majority of all incoming and outgoing traffic, sporting hundreds of thousands of enormous piers and loading bays for space ships to dock to in order to load or unload their cargo. Hundreds of control towers coordinate the congested traffic into every nook and cranny where there is space to trade, and the private security forces keep a tight regime to make sure smugglers and thieves can’t take advantage of the chaos.

Of course, that job is essentially impossible to fulfill, and the Belt is home to a great deal of mischief and corruption perpetrated by profit-hungry corporations and corrupt harbourmasters. In the shadow of colossal cargo freighters, drugs, weapons and top-secret technology are traded under the very nose of private tax collectors and upholders of company law.

One such emissary of a very powerful company stood leaning against a metallic pillar by the space dock, his helmet active and his body ready for when they would ventilate the room to invite in the ship she was waiting for.

Any minute now.

---

“We have the green light to land at the space dock, Assistant Chief Engineer Amem.”

The female Ka’thir’s ears perked up as the co-pilot’s news reached her ears, sitting up in her seat and stretching her arms languidly before looking about the cabin. Though in truth she was more than the only other one in the sleek, silvery spaceship of Dominion make. There were the pilots, the staff, and even several undercover elite human troops. There were even a couple of Valkyrians sitting there, their brilliant white hair and red eyes visible, donned in casual attire and their shield-lance combo weapons on their backs. Amem almost chuckled to herself at how common a sight like this was for her...though this was Raygon of all places, and not exactly the proper territory of the Dominion.

Though this was a place of business...and Amem indeed had some important business here indeed. It wasn’t her first time arriving in Raygon space to meet with some clients, after all. As ever, however, a certain level of discretion would be required.

“Initiating docking procedure. Space dock ventilation system has been initialized.”

Amem let out a small sigh, standing up and grabbing onto one of the straps hanging from the roof of the passenger cabin of the ship. Noticing her get up, the two Valkyrians also stood without a word, grabbing onto their straps as well. Soon the rest of the ‘passengers’ would follow suit themselves, waiting for the ship to finish docking as the slight rattling of the cabin indicated they’d be ready to depart soon.

---

“There you are, finally,” buzzed the emissary’s radio sourly. “I’m not getting paid to wait, y’know. That’s literally in my contract.” The only person to greet them on the dock was a vacuum-suit-dressed Raygonian, helmet still on his head despite now standing in the air-filled plastic tunnel that had been linked between the ship’s door and the entrance further into the station.

---

Ah, Raygonian contracts and their stipulations never ceased to amaze her sometimes...at least with how precise they could be. Of course that was one reason any paperwork regarding the nation was meticulously looked over by the Dominion. Though admittedly, this little venture was rather “off the books” than those other deals. Yes, and Amem did not want to keep the other party waiting as well. Of course, they had all been through this song and dance before more than a few times~

“Apologies. Unfortunately, it took some time to load the ‘gifts’ we brought with us. I am sure your superiors will be pleased with them, however, so please accept a little…’compensation’ for your troubles, not that anyone has to know~” Amem said with a small smile and a wink to the Raygonian representative, walking up to him down the plastic tunnel before subtly passing him a small but heavy bag of cash, “In the meantime, I will let you lead the way.”

As Amem spoke, her Valkyrian bodyguards stood silently behind and to the sides of her, vigilant and silent as they ever had been. Their height was imposing for many species of the galaxy, that much was certain, but beyond these two Valkyrians the rest of the crew back at the ship was getting to work with their ‘cargo’.

The Raygonian raised the bag up and down, the weight being rather reduced in zero G. He zipped it open and stared at its contents hungrily. “Right, your papers seem to be in order. If you’d follow me…” The creature trundled down a corridor with the guests in tow. Whatever other people they encountered seemed to intentionally look the other way. A gorilla Simmie approached them with its menacing form, the police uniform shining a silvery white in contrast with its fur. However, as it reached their guide, they discreetly shook hands before the police officer continued on as if nothing had happened. A few feet beyond and the group had arrived at a small door, which slid open to reveal a meeting room.

“Wait here,” the Raygonian requested and gestured at the entrance.

Giving a polite nod, Amem walked into the room calmly...albeit with her bodyguards in tow. The two towering Valkyrians’ eyes also continued scanning over their surroundings like watchful guard dogs, looking for anything out of place or that even remotely eked of ill intent. A mere precaution, combined with years of military training and experience. Amem had put her trust in these guards of hers time and time again, after all, and had by now learned to trust their insight instinctively. They’d even saved her life a couple of times, haha!

However, the lack of looks from the crowd along the way was something most appreciated for such an occasion as this, and was indeed a sign of this particular business partner’s power. Yet business was business, and when both parties got something out of it the spoils and profits were all the better. Though with this particular meeting among many, well, a very special gift was inbound for both sides during this ‘auspicious’ occasion...at least based on the reports.

All that was needed was the other side to arrive.

A moment passed before a tall, slim Petalos in a silver suit entered through the doorway with two black-suited and sunglass wearing Quroks in tow. He gave a gracious bow and extracted a small, square box from the hem of his arm, placing it on the middle table and pushing it towards her. “Miss Amem - allow me to extend my personal welcome to Raygon 8’s central station.” He eyed the glass panel walls still showing the hallway and commanded, “Private.” The glass panels immediately fogged over and the door closed automatically and clicked with several locks. The Petalos turned back with a smile. “Forgive the ominous sounds and all that - when our customer requests for us to be discreet, it will be made a priority. I am Lucifer Restaran, by the way.” He walked over to Amem with an extended hand. “A pleasure to meet you.”

Amem gently pulled the box towards herself, a small smile on her face, before looking back to the Petalos before her. Extending a hand in return as was proper, she formally shook the hand of the other representative firmly.

”A pleasure to meet you as well, Mr. Restaran, and...many thanks for your party’s continued discretion. It is one reason this relationship has been able to blossom, after all~,” the engineer said, standing there in her formal engineering attire and big white lab coat as was befitting of the occasion, “In fact, the ‘donations’ we brought today should be arriving at the requested location as we speak. Along with a little something…’special’, which I am sure your employers will most enjoy.”

“Of course, of course - always a pleasure to fiddle under the table. What sort of speciality have you sent them, if I may ask? My employer is not too keen on surprises, you must know.” Restaran’s tone grew sour towards the end and his polite smile waned somewhat.

“Of course, of course. But rest assured, this speciality is something most valuable indeed,” Amem noted, as she reached into her coat and pulled out a well-kept folder...placing it on the table and sliding it towards the Petalos before her, “Last time your employers noted some ’interest’ in how the Dominion synthesizes Umbhite, and other...potential applications of such technology. So we worked on something special just for them as ‘incentive’ for our continued partnership~

In those documents are blueprints and formulae for synthetic thorium production, tweaked to work with Raygonian tech and designed to mass produce the substance. Testing of this technology yielded synthetic thorium in mass and stable quantities, which should cut costs nicely for your superiors on that front. With the plans and blueprints, your people should be easily able to build more, and we have included both the usual lower-quality Umbhite shipment and what synthetic thorium we produced in testing.

Yet the true specialty we bring to you today are the ten of these machines we have made, which as I speak are being assembled by my crew on-site for you as we speak.”

Looking down before her, Amem then picked up the small box she had been slid, opening it to look inside as she again began to speak.

“Though if our special gifts are an unwelcome surprise of any sort, I can of course provide proper compensation and tell the crew to withdraw things for now.”

While Amem had been talking, the Petalos had skimmed through the first few pages of the documents, occasionally casting glances back at her over the tip of the file case. He closed it after a time and smacked his lips dryly. As he put the file down on the table, he said, “A stellar offer, miss Amem. Forgive me for asking though, but… Is there a catch?”

“Just a couple, since you asked~

The main catch is that you will deliver all findings done by your own research back to the Dominion, including the provision of one-to-one copies of any and all prototypes created in the process of this research.

The second is more of an aside, though, but we also want a list of any and all of the useful ‘contacts’ your superiors might have within this sector and beyond...this could include other companies, miners, mercs, drug dealers, and beyond. No questions asked.”

The engineer spoke with a smile emerging onto her face, glancing up at the Petalos once more with a knowing look before returning her gaze to the small box she’d been given. Ah. Before her gaze was a beautifully fashioned platinum ring, wrought beautifully, as well as a business card and a few coupons for some local five star restaurants on Raygon. It was all enough for a fine night out on the town with a special friend or alone...all whilst enjoying the best that Raygon’s obsessive and all-consuming capitalist system could provide at minimized cost. Perfect.

As the two representatives spoke, Amem’s two Valkyrian bodyguards kept their seemingly eternal vigil on the room and its occupants. Even when looking over the black-suited Quroks they did not budge or so much as blink in the face of it all. Of course this was all professional in nature. One could not lose face for their superior, after all, as that reflected badly on themselves and their high-up in the process. They had long served Miss Amem as well, and had become accustomed to…’these’ sorts of procedures that were kept far from the public eye.

Restaran drummed his fingers pensively on top of the file. “My employer will provide a list of the items you ask - however, I believe they won’t be as satisfied with the need to disclose all their findings. A tight link of communication between our two organisations is sure to draw plenty of unwanted attention, and I would need more than my four hands to count the number of businesses that would attempt to sabotage our collaboration.” One of the Quroks gave a discreet cough; the other, a quiet sniff.

“Hmm...well that would be quite the bother, now wouldn’t it?” Amem said, pacing back and forth for a moment before looking back to the Petalos, her smile as confident and sly as ever, though her more formal and polite mannerisms hadn’t been lost themselves, “Then perhaps we can arrange a favorable compromise, yes? I believe in have something in mind that might work~”

The black-haired Ka’thir leaned forward, her eyes gleaming almost devilishly before she began to speak again.

“Rather than your employers provide all of the findings in their research, there is...a certain key area or two my own employers have an interest in most of all. Given the full provision of all findings and prototypes in these specific areas, then I would be able to convince my employers that any other findings are…‘unnecessary’ to provide at best.

This in turn would notably remove the need for such tightly-linked communications, which as you have noted would be a risk, and ultimately create a far smoother and more subtle arrangement which could benefit both parties. I can send this information to your employers to give them the specifics before I depart today, of course, but I would need to know if your employers would be more interested in these terms.”

Amem stood back once more, neatening up her appearance as her jackal-like ears turned to ensure she could hear the answer to come. Of course this statement was not a lie, not one bit. She could talk her ‘employers’ down nicely to these more reasonable terms, but if the other party did not want to accept then they’d have to figure something out. Alas. But such was the nature of business and commerce.

Restaran appeared to force his polite smile, but it was a smile nonetheless. “Ms. Amem, with all due respect, may I ask if you are aware of the number of competitors my employer has to keep an eye out for?” For dramatic effect, he took a slight pause. “Any regular communication will be caught, intercepted, decoded and read. I’m sorry, but it’s simply too large a risk for the both of us.” He tapped the table twice and a screen of light appeared before him, switching to a calendar. “We can meet once every year, at different times and at different ports, where we can exchange this information. That’s the best we can do.” To signify his statement, he started bringing up calendars for every planet and starport in the Raygon system.

“Of course, Sir Restaran, we are fully aware of the situation for your employer and will respect this accordingly. To seek otherwise would be...ill-advised for any future business relations,” Amem said, finishing neatening herself back up and looking back to the Petalos, “Though I do give my apologies if I came off as insistent about regular communications...my intent was merely stating a hopefully more favorable alternate arrangement for the provision of findings and the ilk. And meeting once every year, at different times and at different ports, is a perfectly suitable arrangement!”

One of the engineer’s own Valkyrian bodyguard seemed to let out a small, mostly quiet, sigh in response. This was not the first time her boss had been given such a reaction. For one whose knowledge on engineering and machinery was so high, her own words at times were something that needed clarification and detail. The Assistant Chief Engineer could also have her moments of...eccentricity, to say the least.

“Then let’s make it so!” said Restaran with a snap of his fingers and a wry grin. “Let’s see… In approximately 431 Raygonian cycles, the moon of Bick 3, Tetsugami, will be furthest away from the Bick central system surveillance station. We’ll meet by the abandoned tritium mines, which should be in the radio dead zone of the moon at that point. We will wait for half a planetary rotation. Kindly be there in time.”

Amem didn’t skip a beat, pulling out a holo-tablet and jotting down the details of the meeting place, location, time, and the like as the Petalos spoke to her, before looking over to him and giving a polite nod. Yet she also seemed to be rather pleased herself, the sides of her lips somewhat curled upwards themselves, “Of course, and I shall be at the exchange as well personally. We shall also send a rapid-response team for the exchange, to assess and perform the necessary loading and unloading of goods, prototypes, findings, and such materials in the proper timeframe. Her highnesses expect great things, but do not doubt your employer shall live up to these expectations...such is the reason this has all come about in the first place, of course~”

As the Assistant Chief Engineer began to turn about, however, she suddenly stopped, before looking back at the Petalos from the side.

“Ah, and do tell your superiors I hope they only get the best use out of those synthesizers! If I am correct, their assembly should be done by now if your superiors want to give them a test run.”

“Fantastic - that’s wonderful to hear,” Restaran offered back smilingly. “My employer will make certain to have a scientific report ready by time of the meeting.” He tapped a few keys on his holographic screen. He then turned to the window and said, “End private session.” The windows defogged and the doors unlocked themselves with the ticks and clicks of metal and plastic. “With that, I believe we have come to a conclusion?” Restaran flanked the door and held out his hand for Amem to shake. “It’s been a pleasure, Ms. Amem.”

Amem took the hand of the Petalos, politely but firmly shaking it with a smile.

“Indeed, Sir Restaran, it has been a pleasure. Till next time~” the Ka’thir said, a certain playfulness tinting her otherwise formal tone and manner, before she looked back to her bodyguards, “Vyka, Hella, come.”

No more words were needed, as Amem’s bodyguards nodded and followed behind her out of the door. The deal had been set, the date and time and location had been arranged, and all that was needed now...was to wait.

Fate/Lost Epoch

Berserker (Yamato Takeru)

Large Clearing, Fuyuki Park

「Danger: Grail System Degradation」

Of course something, someone would be doing this. At no further sign of the Assassin threat, Yamato had finally deactivated her Berserk skill and let out a long sigh. Then Peachy Boy and the strangely-dressed Caster had begun to say things, the latter's words of which brought on enough concern as it was. The Grail gave her enough information to understand that, and its ramifications.

Her master was an idiot, and sometimes she felt she could barely hold back her fist or blade, but he was her ticket to that Holy Grail. A ticket to that wish she so desperately desired. The enemy would be slain whether it was one of Japan's "Three Great Disasters", like she had just fought, or funnily enough in this case that annoyingly fake "Heracles" from earlier who had been beating children in yoyo tricks. Yet as almost amusing as the situation was there was even more was at stake for this, far more than just the Grail System itself. This very city, yea even the very same Japanese soil she had fought tooth and nail for to preserve and bring peace to so long ago, was in danger and chaos.

..Heh.

It was almost like she could hear those words again, those words from so long ago...

She knelt before the Chrysanthemum Throne of old, armor upon her and a not-so-legendary blade still sheathed by her side. Attendants and guards stood about, silent and vigilant, and yet she could not bear to look up. Her eyes could almost not bear the weight of it all, even as hard as she wanted to stare back into her father's eyes beyond that holy curtain and speak the burning words of her heart. What was he thinking, behind all of this, and in sending her to do this?

Why? Why?! She had done as he had asked, and had even gained a title from slaying her father's foes!

"By the solemn order of the Emperor, you are to venture into the eastern lands. Your missive is to subdue and subjugate the people and their gods there, who all have shunned the holy authority of the imperial court. Of all of this you shall send report back after you are finished-..."

Yet she was being sent far away from her beloved father, as far from him and the capital as he could send her. Deep into the dangers of rebellious peoples and their deities.

"...-for you are the blade of the Emperor's will, of his very holy bloodline and flesh, and the great warrior he has chosen to bring order to these sacred lands."

...and those words had never been rescinded either. His majesty had never withheld that order, nor had she shunned it all the rest of her days. Such was her duty, and her missive.

She was the Holy Blade of the Emperor, to bring order to Japan! No walking disaster would bring low the land of the rising sun!

'Eh...a warrior's work is never done, is it? I'd headed to the Academy. And you, you complete fool of a man, stay the hell with the Caster and DON'T CAUSE ANY DAMN TROUBLE OR I WILL LEGITIMATELY CASTRATE YOU. Plus I will need the mana you provide for this new fight.

And for future notice: Don't go drawing in more literally damned GREAT DISASTERS OF JAPAN like that oni again either!

So stay still a don't make this even harder on me tonight than it has been, ok? Sheesh...

Not the first time she'd lectured her idiot of a master, but even through her wordless communication to her master through their link she was dead serious. Also exasperated. Also noticeably angry. Perhaps it was nothing normal, but it was something at least.

The Berserker, without a verbal word, nodded to the Caster in agreement. They would need to do something about this, after all.

Having elected to follow the Caster's slingshot shenanigans, Yamato stepped forward before her body would be suddenly fired at the Academy like an arrow.

---

Banquet of Kings, Academy

---

Sticking the hard landing on her feet, pavement cracking under her wind-clad might, Yamato looked up at the heroic spirit before her solemnly. How he had looked before seemed to shimmer away, his power was weaker, and had descended from that false visage he had undertaken prior. Yet there was more to it.

[The] world broke.

A purple miasma took form around him as space bent. A poison, a sentence, while the man himself shone as a glass figurine in the eye of a hurricane. The 'weight' that had settled on all things with his summoning was raised, that degradation accelerating. Beyond even this, though, the academy was a special place, a place where that 'ruin' was made into something truly terrifying.

...This was his true visage, was it not? Yes. She could feel the ruin, the decay, the intensification of ruin and the dangers posed. A man who was himself a monster. The weight upon her had increased much as well. What this fool was doing was so obviously suicide...and yet somehow she smirked at it and felt a sense of familiarity. To burn away one's life to pursue the death of the opponent, to slay one's enemies and come out victorious even if it killed one's self in the process.

It was a resolve that spoke to her as a heroic spirit.

Indeed, the Faker had also seemingly embraced himself finally. Lucius Aurelius Commodus...she would remember that name, and etch it down into legend once more!

「Berserk: A」

Then the disaster's arrow was then loosed truly, and the branching streaks of pure 'ruin' shot out like angry serpents towards their targets with full intent to kill.

Yet-

「Instinct: B」

「Protection from Arrows: B」

「Boon of the Sun: B」

「Kusanagi-no-Tsurugi: A+」

-she could never be felled so easily!

In a single but calculated mighty jet of wind, Yamato sent herself hurtling forward in a surging rush straight at the Emperor of Ruin with all swiftness. The path of the arrow and its trajectory had been already predicted and determined through all factors, including the sound of the cutting air processed and the killing intent of the foe that had been established. Her instincts had too felt out the danger and worked in tandem to determine the correct path to take. Her launch trajectory was the most optimal, her sword was exerting its power over winds in the right ways on herself and otherwise, and the timing had been calculated to the exact moment that-

「Push!」

The pillar of light flying true towards her seemed to be on a direct collision course, at least to the naked eye of a human or mage. Yet at the best possible timing and instant that could be worked out, Yamato via a quick jet of air shot to the right side of the projectile...and then with another instant jet of air shot forward again straight at Commodus at the highest possible speed. All without blinking an eye. A set of calculated movements, her entire focus and wrath and capability channeled, and her blade's power pushing out at the projectile to keep it away from her and facilitate this strategy as strongly as possible as she moved around and shot past the ruinous pillar of light.

Her wind barrier, however, evaporated, as well as the pillar of light destined for her at the same time.

There was no hesitation as Yamato still approached Commodus at blinding speed, though, sword already pointed forward at the walking disaster. The miasma was a concern of course...but amassing her might Yamato unleashed a devastating blast of wind from her blade at the Emperor. An attack unleashed with as much of her might as she could muster, at least the maximum might possible for her to exert without fading away and/or killing/badly injuring her master in the process of course.

It was a silent unleashing of power on par with a true name release. It had no name formally, and yet it had all of Yamato's heart and soul and being poured into it. Indeed...as she struck at the ruinous enemy Yamato cried aloud at the top of her lungs, a mighty roar that would shake the very grounds they were upon! Yet inside her heart and mind she at the same time cried aloud in a silent but true prayer, saying:

'Great Goddess Amaterasu, my ancestor! Hear my heart's more sincere prayer, and cause this thine divine blade to strike again with thy holy fury! Oh Divine Lord of the Storms Susanoo! Make mine blow as mighty as the great kamikaze, yea to strike down another terrible enemy of this great land! Oh father, maybe you watch over me! Oh great kami, scatter forth and scorch away the miasma of ruin and its source...that a new dawn will rise upon Japan once more!

Kusanagi Jōshō Yoake: The Tempest of 10,000 Gods!!!'

「Instinct: B」

Oh.

Yamato's instincts even within Berserk screamed to avoid getting into melee range, to avoid hitting the miasma and running into it. As her mighty attack shot out to hit the miasma and enemy, then, the Berserker let the mighty wind attack send her flying back from Commodus...before quickly landing on her feet safely and fully away from the miasma and Commodus once more. The Berserker grunted in frustration at the situation, however.

@ReallyDumb@Over Illusion@BB@Phonic@Flood@Scallop@Aoko Aozaki[Everyone Else]

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Sophia von Zeerover

For a moment the pirate almost felt sorry for the dying lich's almost human moment, right before it was consumed by the devastating attack of her ally. Yet he had become nothing short of an abominable monster, casting aside all that had made him human in the pursuit of some love long lost. In doing that he had already lost everything he could have had, perhaps, in the magical girl's own mind. More than that, however, the sheer nature of how the goo lass had finished off the undead creature was nothing short of interesting! Horns and tendrils and a monstrous appearance, the wine-color hair due to all of the blood, the palpable lust for blood and feeding, and ultimately that raw voracity that her and that monstrous sword-arm-fusion thing had shown as clear as day. What a way to finish something off, that was for sure, but at least the entire lich was gone in one...bite? Eh, gone in one bite. That felt most appropriate for it all. Also it somehow stoked her own hunger, a rumble arising within her stomach as she-

"CREEEEAAAAK! CREEEAK CREEEAAAAAAK CREEEEAAAK. CREEEEAK? CREEAK, CREEEAK CREEEAK-"

...Eh? So that blade she wielded was her patron? That seemed to make enough sense, but at least her patron was giving her some more useful info finally! Then there was apparently advice on some demonic Japanese swords or something-...bah. Random magic trivia was not what she needed right now! Sophia shook her head lightly at the attempted ramble of her patron, ultimately ignoring it as she flew over to where Amaryllis was and landed beside her. Her hawk-like wings would also swiftly disappear as well.

"Oi lass' yer' patron seems tah' have ah' damn big appetite, an' yeh' as well! Ate ah' entire thin' n' one good bite ya' did, an' finished im' off fer' he could do nuffin' else! Wish ah' could speak teh' yer' blade ere', see what eh' likes tae' eat best! Hahaha!" Sophia spoke to the now-normal-again Amaryllis with a joyful, positive, and victorious tone before letting out a boisterous laugh. Yet she didn't skip a beat as she then put an arm of friendly camaraderie around the silver swordswoman, and before glancing about to the others who had helped in the fight with a supremely proud grin, "Ah'll take everyone out tae' eat affer' this! Least' if yer' all still hungry after all dat'! Moi' treat!"

Though before the joyous pirate could speak more, however, she felt and saw something coming. A new presence seemed to speak to and approach them, a mafia-looking guy and a white tiger with him, commenting on the silver swordswoman's actions with some obvious hesitation. Perhaps it was understandable in a sense, but she herself wasn't one to judge what had just gone on. Was rather badass and impressive, if the pirate had to be honest about her own thoughts! Not that inner demons were new to her either, yet still she had come to find any clues on her own past. It haunted her some. She did know the gist of what she was, due to her patron telling her about a corpse and a coin and magical girls and such. That wasn't the bother. Yet more importantly...who had she been, and why had that other lass with wind tried to murder her outright?

Ultimately the pirate magical girl narrowed her eyes at the mention of the Mint, and merely at the stranger's encroaching upon the end of a battle. After letting her allies speak on the matter, though not bothering to hide another cheeky grin at the mention of the guy needing to have a tortoise rather than a tiger, the pirate then gestured to the mobster-like fellow with her free hand that still held her boarding axe. It wasn't a threat, merely a neutral gesture at his presence, though the axe still being in the pirate's hand perhaps didn't help.

"Ey', ere' isn't anymir' fighting goin' on...less' ya' ah-tak' mah' friend ere'. Tried teh' come tah' elp', or got other resins' fer' comin'? In other words, as mah' friend ere' stated, please state yer' business ere' if ya' will."

She had to make sure, after all.

@PlatinumSkink@BrokenPromise@ERode@FamishedPants

---

Serenity Gates

Serenity smiled at Alicia softly but tiredly after being helped up, though it seemed this was not all. In awe she looked upon the Cardinal as the lovely being spoke, and then let the softly glowing white coin granted to her float all the down into her cupped hands. Though her hands even now still held her Soul Gem, the maid magical girl could not help but take pause. Such warmth and love emanated from that coin, so pure that-...was she...crying? The warmth of those wet tears, streaking down her face, had been almost unnoticeable compared to the coin. Such pure joy and warmth she had not felt in a while, and yet there was only one sensation she could recall feeling it from. Her conversion, even her transformation into a human that came at the power of that radiant beacon that had approached her. That warmth filling every fiber of her being, shaping her and changing her and bringing with it only peace. Yes. Such a lovely memory, even a most precious memory that was all hers...it was not that of the void she had come from.

She would embrace this coin indeed. She would follow the true path, no matter what! Then slowly, gently, and carefully the white coin once more slowly descended and merged into her soul gem. Immediate warmth and love permeated her body so overwhelmingly, bringing on even more of those silent tears as she held back the urge to ugly cry, though there seemed to be more to it than merely this. Her very soul gem seemed to become even more deeply and richly golden, its soft and gentle shine become far stronger than it had once been when she first looked upon it. It even took on a whitish tint! More so, that golden filigree decorating the container of her soul seemed to gain a soft radiance of its own...a very minute white glossiness that was so gentle yet so very distinct.

After her transformation and return to normal, her attire becoming even cleaner and neater than before, the white-haired Serenity gently looked over to Alicia and gave an affirming and happy nod. Truly...all had worked out well for them. In the end. Yet right after her brief confirmation to Alicia, the maid magical girl then looked to Juliana with a warm yet tender smile.

"Juliana. Such a lovely name you have. So strong you are, so dutiful, and yet filled with such compassion and kindness you are. Today it seems our prayers have been answered, and yet I must confess I feel a now greater curiosity about you than before.

I...truly wish to get to know you better, if I may, and if you are willing."

Once more the words rolled right off her tongue, again directed at Julianna, without even a second thought on Serenity's part. It mystified her, and yet it all felt right at the same time. Perhaps she felt such respect for the other girl's kindness and compassion. Perhaps it was her demeanor, or a sense of kinship somehow, that had opened her mouth once more. Regardless, as Sally and Kimble received coins, as the Cardinal handed down decisions of leadership, Serenity turned her head to look upon and listen to what was going on. Though much of these events kept a smile upon her face, Rachael's summons to the Hall of Luminous Valor and the brief sadness of the Cardinal brought back to her mind that not all was still well. They had been saved, freed from death or torment or exile, and yet the Ascendancy's mission was still to continue its course. Such an issue...well, in time the answers would come or be found. She had faith in that, though she couldn't stop letting out a small sigh at things.

Though after listening to Alicia speak to Sylvia, before more directly beckoning her and Aurelio to the hall, the maid magical girl looked once more the Juliana for a moment. Giving a brief nod of respect to the warrior, Serenity then jogged off to catch up with her compatriots. Yes. There was a lot of work to come to figure out and sort Penrose's situation, and many days that would pass of learning now that Alicia had a new position and status. Though doing her best to get to the side of the girl she had called a friend, Serenity could nto help but let out one last exclamation:

"D-Don't forget me! You have my millennia of untold k-knowledge to help as well!"

Well, admittedly the emotional high she had been swept into wasn't going to last forever. Not that she was the same as before either.

@Ariamis@Flamelord@Shifter_Master

Fate/Lost Epoch

Zoe Helena Alexandris

Banquet of Kings, Academy

Allies with whoever killed the spear person? THESEUS?! Altera...did he mean Attila the Hun? Wait. The Fake Hercules was eroding everything and the Grail away?! But he did want to make people smile...ugh. It was all a hell of a lot to go through rapid-fire, from the alliance promise to the barriers popping up around herself and other masters. She was at least able to grasp what was going on, but more than that-

"To become someone who can make the people smile."

-...so that was it, huh?

To become a hero, a great hero who can make the people smile. A cursed life of bringing only ruin to everything, and yet to aspire to rise above the conditions of one's birth to something more. A well intended thing indeed, and yet what had been that saying? "The road to hell is paved with good intentions"? Such felt fitting here, as was a tinge of genuine sorrow.

Though speaking of smiles...

Even her teacher, her servant, now bore a grin that spoke of nothing but pure joy. And yet...Yes. Perhaps it all now made much more sense to her, what she had been told not too long before.

"Set the mood, witness the interactions, and record the stories being told"

Simple advice, yet also so very insightful.

Orpheus was a bringer of civilization through his music, to even the wilds of the world and the Underworld itself. He had made rocks weep, journeyed into the Underworld for his beloved, and was even the origin of the Orphic Mysteries and called "the father of songs". Such was all part of his legend, much like his journey with the Argonauts. Yet as a musician, as a hero, he had ever been a witness to those legends and lives and events and even his own tragic tale. That was what he had desired all along, wasn't it? Wielding music and song to engrave upon the cruel world, and even upon human history and human minds as well, memories of greatness and glory, of tragedy and folly, and of so many lives and deaths long past.

...He was truly a musician. Virtually if not literally a modern day rock star at that, all railing against the world, venturing beyond familiar shores and boundaries with glee, and burning the stories of others and themselves into eternity. It was then no surprise, ultimately, that he was literally a grandson of memory itself.

Heh. So selfish this path to heroism was, and yet she could not help but truly admire it and respect it all the same. It brought a genuine smile to her face, even.

Zoe then turned her head only a little to look over at the man who called himself the "King of Infinite Hells", her gaze like steel even though she kept an eye on the servant battle before them. Something about that guy...hmm...she had to know. That bravado, that personality that seemed to ooze the part of the actor and one who had embraced his own self-proclaimed role so tightly. Yes. It spoke to her somehow, so different and yet so familiar somehow. Though looking hard enough, it wasn't hard to see the oddness in the movement...and in the lack of a Command Seal burning.

"You, who proclaims himself the King of Infinite Hells! I am The Great Chosen One Who Shall Save The Entire World!

I stand as the hero of the world, and you as the villain of all hells! Yet I feel a strange familiarity from you, from your words, even from behind this mask you wear.

We stand as two sides of the same coin, much like blessings and curses, and so I must ask...what is your true goal in all of this? What do you seek to gain by donning the guise of a villain?

What truth behind the veil of anonymity do you pursue, even by seeking to draw the ire of others upon you by taking on such a status? Ruin? Greed? ...Salvation?"

A heroine had to confront the villain still, of course! Especially ideologically. That was definitely important...er, even though they were on the same side 'technically-kinda-sorta" for the moment? Not like she could currently do anything about the fake Heracles right now anyhow. She had watched enough movies, however, to know how to deliver lines like this though! She'd practiced quite a lot on that, in fact, among other things.

---

Berserker (Yamato Takeru)

Fuyuki Park

The oni had seemingly taken a direct from her attack, even that strike of air unleashed from her blade to try to fell one of Japan's three greatest disasters. Such was good, but the oni wasn't dead yet either. Yet something else, she could feel it enter and jet towards the vulnerable masters, and yet then the other demon-slayers was there and the other servant presence leapt away again. This would not do. No. This could not do. The beast would turn its fangs upon the intruder, and yet it could not before this disaster ignore it. Something would have to be done.

Danger. Idiot Master. Another threat. Kill.

Without skipping a beat, Yamato fired off another burst of wind from her blade at the Oni. After all, her blade was already still pointed at it directly. Yet the gust, as intended, also sent the Berserker flying back from the oni in a powerful but calculated movement. From here, Yamato rapidly unleashed another powerful wind jet to move herself directly and very quickly towards where she'd last felt the other servant initially move in from. With the channeled rage of a brutal wild animal, Yamato sped towards the building Jack was perched on with her sword now pointed out towards it. The Berserker then let loose another mighty jet of wind quickly, aiming to cleave off the top part of the building and anything upon the roof (and above it for that matter) in one shot.

Fate/Lost Epoch

Zoe Helena Alexandris

Banquet of Kings, Academy

Initially Zoe had keep in following alongside her teacher and taking notes from his performance, though soon things began to get more interesting and dangerous as the time passed.

At first she had been sitting back with her servant, playing her guitar and doing her best to act as an accompaniment as she listened to the melodies he played and tried to keep up and in tune. She wasn't doing half bad at least, though it wasn't the first time she'd put her mind to something to hone her skills either. At least the talk about kingship was some form of entertaining, though not much relevant to her own interests and goals. However, what had her servant told her? "Set the mood, witness the interactions, and record the stories being told"? That was right, yes. He was a great hero, but he was also someone who had witnessed other heroes and used his mastery of music to record that! So a hero could be one who did great deeds, but also took note from what was going on around him like a good musician! It was great advice, really, though she was no stranger to putting her effort into something.

Indeed, hard work was a necessity! Every effort was a Herculean labor that pushed one to the brink, every bit of training an absolute measure to dedicate all of one's self to, every bit of-

-...hey, who was that barging in? Wasn't that the fake Heracles guy she'd been told about? He seemed as hammy and fake as she had imagined hours ago, much to her ire, but had he really just brought in a random Japanese guy in a lion suit and chopped his neck?! Zoe had to restrain herself from yelling out at the big fake, who of all things imitating her country's greatest hero of old like some clown! She bet those stupid parameters of his weren't real either, much like his big fake personality! Though wait...the Japanese guy seemed to still be alive. Whew. At least the big, loud servant here seemed to be taking in the false bravado in stride.

Zoe let out a small, slightly exasperated sigh as she played before looking over to her servant. At least that Japanese guy from earlier was here, with his Greek servant in tow.

"Hey teacher, should we see if you know that Japanese kid's servant-"

Her words did not come fast enough. A rain of ruinous spears, falling down from the sky like arrows, shot down towards them all. Her servant clicked his tongue, strummed his instrument, and a barrier arose. The heroine only had time to listen to her instincts at first, diving behind her servant for cover from the spears. Though in her haste she also cast a single-action spell, erecting a small water shield between her servant (who was between her and the spears) and the spears.

Despite not being much to cast on the fly, maybe it would help? She had no idea, but she couldn't just do nothing either!

[@Whine and Dine]

---

Berserker (Yamato Takeru)

Disaster Zone Ground Zero Fuyuki Park

Yamato felt her Berserk skill kick into gear, and her instincts cry aloud as her foes made their move. An oni hurtling at her with lethal intent, a great club hefted at her. A stroke of lightning was being fired her way. She could feel what was going to happen in an instant, and the Berserker's body shot to the side to avoid the attack with the help of an instant jet of wind and her own sheer speed. The oni's club would smash into the earth, and the lightning strike at her position, but the Brave of Yamato was far from being hit by them. No, she had darted to the side, away from the lightning and away from the impact zone of that demonic club.

It would have been so very "samurai" of someone, much less anyone, here to think that anything but a clusterf*** of things would occur. Of course, that had never been the case for her. She was no samurai. She was a warrior. She was a prince of the Emperor. She was the divine blade that smote the unruly peoples and their gods to ash, and that slew evil and brought civilization and order to them! Such was her function. She too wielded her ancestor's divine blade, a holy object that defied evil and smote its foes like a tempest! And now her killing intent was too akin to a tempest, yet glowing hot like the hot fires of the sun. Her fury was channeled into raw skill and instincts that had slain many a foe in her lifetime, into even the form of the peerless warrior that had conquered all before her!

There were no words needed.

EVIL EVIL EVIL EVIL

DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE DIE

Yes, that was correct. This abomination had to die, whether now or later. And it would do so without fail. Even the sword held in the Berserker's hands seemed to pulse somewhat, as if ready to cleave its head in half and tear its body to ribbons.

Without another word, Yamato flowed from finishing her dodge away from danger into a counterattack. The Berserker lashed out, firing off a potent burst of divine wind from her sword at the oni it was pointed towards. Time to rumble.

@Scallop@Froppy@wug@flood@argonaut@BB

Fate/Lost Epoch

Zoe Helena Alexandris

Banquet of Kings, Academy

Zoe could virtually feel her teacher's song crawling up her back as she followed alongside him! So beautiful, and yet so modern. Luckily, she too knew this song! Not that she thought she was the utmost best...trying to say she match Orpheus in anything musical was like trying to say she could imitate a nuclear bomb with a twig. Not that Japan needed another one of those. Yet she would get better for sure, and for now could at least play something alongside her teacher! She has summoned a great servant, after all, and it wasn't like she wasn't going to take the time to learn from him. At least until they either survived or died.

The Greek mage began to play her guitar, now in her hands, to best match her teacher as the song played out in her head. She could almost hum the tune from memory herself, but all of her laborious and hard work so far was going to shine as best as it could! If nothing else, at least initially as an accompaniment of sorts on the side to a great hero of old. It was incredibly exciting, to say the very least, and the confident mage happily played along whilst humming the tune to herself. Sure she wasn't the best...but practice always made perfect! And if nothing else she was keeping in-tune!

Thoughts of her teacher's confidence in her, as well as of the most recent affectionate ruffling of her hair, also only seemed to make her smile beam even more as they crossed her mind. She would reach true Music! She would be the true chosen hero for the world! There was nothing she could not do, if she worked as hard as she could, and that was a fact! Humanity could overcome so much, so what was hard work, practice, and time between her and a bright heroic future? Nothing!

Besides, it made her a bit happier after the...ultimately rejected proposal she had made to that Japanese kid and his servant. However, that too could be remedied in time! She was certain that obstacle could be overcome as well!

@ReallyDumb

---

Berserker (Yamato Takeru)

Fuyuki Park

...The idiot. Yes it was nice that, maybe, she'd get something to try to smash and slash to vent her frustrations some. On the other hand, inviting the entirety of the war into an open deathmatch arena was also suicidal as all hell. Sure this class made her angry enough on the average, like her temper was always turned on, but at the same time even she had learned from her own blasted mistakes! Going it alone and trying to be a badass was stupid enough to get her killed for pity's sake! Not that she hadn't been successful...curses. Liking it or not she had been roped into this plan, and at least her idiot of a master had taken time to get ready for this. That had been better than his earlier misadventure, for which she'd properly smacked him after finding an alley to hide in for a moment.

"You had better hope your idea tonight doesn't get us killed. I'm no pushover, but you're also built as strong as wet paper and just invited a veritable disaster in for all we-"

Yamato had finally decided to speak up to her master, when suddenly as great crash landed in the Park. Or rather, what had landed and formed the trench now carved into the park itself. But...

WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG

...This 'thing' was no hero. It was a servant, but it was also something else entirely. Yes. It was easy to tell, and a familiar tingle ran up her own spine that sparked an instant recognition in her mind. That sheer density of the prana pouring off of her, that sickening miasma of heat, those horns and gourd and demeanor.

ONI ONI ONI ONI ONI

A damned oni. Yet this was not just any oni...it was the spawn of 'that'. 'That' which had been slain by a god, and from whose body had been withdrawn this holy blade. Yamato could feel it in her bones, her body remembering a great battle long passed. For the first time, the hero also gritted her teeth. She then only barely turned her head to the left, to see her master out of the farthest corner of her eye whilst keeping the oni before her securely in her sight.

At the same time, before she could speak to William, Yamato also witnessed another servant walk up who was clearly Japanese. That 'peachy' bright smile and disposition, that sharpened steely gaze, and that childlike aspect he seemed to carry all spoke of one thing. One person. Even way he smiled brightly into the face of something monstrous was a hint, being something the Berserker's instincts gleaned some form of familiarity from that reminded her of herself. A monster slayer, one that could look even upon an oni with a readiness to fight.

...Truly fate had a way of repeating itself, did it not? At least it felt like such tonight.

As William could perhaps notice, at least whilst Yamato was glancing back at him with her other eye on the oni, her face was becoming unnaturally and entirely solemn and serious. Not even an ounce of her anger at him, of her frustration at his antics even, was written into her expression. For a brief moment, the face of a serious hero shone back under the light of the moon.

"Master, if you listen to me about anything tonight...listen to this you thrice-damned flowery fool. Listen to me and listen well.

Stay away from this 'thing', whatever you do, and stay the hell away from it at all costs. You know not what you have brought here this night. And if you yet still survive tonight, then we are also going to have serious words indeed. This is my one and only warning."

After speaking to only where her master could hear, Yamato then looked forward once more in full at her two opponents. Well...primarily just one. Her mouth bent, forming into a wide, fang-bearing grin wrought with a mixture of readiness, focus, and a greater fury seething underneath. However, one last thing was in order, perhaps, before they could begin...and it was hard enough to hold herself back as she was right now. Very hard. Such so that the Kusanagi naturally appeared in Yamato's hands without her having to think too hard about it, instantly enveloping both in a mighty barrier of wind that flickered and raged like a furious divine storm.

"Good evening, warrior who conquered the island of demons. I think we both know what must happen...though if you do not state wanting to take a stab at her first, I will be unable to hold back any longer," the Berserker said, her gaze still focused intently on the oni before her before finally addressing the elephant in the room more directly, "But you, beast? I would think that your precious 'otōsan' would have passed word along to you into the afterlife to stay dead. Or was he merely too terrified to say anything, after I slew him with my bare hands upon the mountainside?

By my honor as a the divine sword of the Emperor, by which his enemies are smitten, and as a descendant of the goddess, blessed by her grace...I swear you shall never survive this war!"

@Scallop@Froppy@wug@flood@argonaut

Fate/Lost Epoch

Zoe Helena Alexandris

Miyama -> Shinto, Fuyuki Bridge

Zoe slowed down as she came up to the two men, only huffing lightly as she looked on with a ridiculous grin at the two. Of course despite her rather innocent, if not outright stupid and foolish, approach, she at least up front wasn't up front presenting any ill intent. Not that really anything in this war could be taken lightly or at face value, especially to anyone who had a semblance of survival instincts and tactics. Though as for the city's self-proclaimed heroine...

"Hey, thanks for not, er, attacking me! Name's Zoe, The Great Chosen One Who Shall Save The Entire World...and a Master! Sorry for running up like this, but I wanted to ask if you wanna be friends! Or er, maybe make an alliance? Umm...this is all new to me really. But a hero sometimes finds someone to help, right?"

She then looked between the two males, addressing both of them still while speaking as clearly as possible. That much she could do very well!

"Though I know this is all really out of the blue, not exactly something people can usually trust. Other mages can be kinda assholes sometimes, to say the least. Plus this is a war after all, and there's a lot to worry about I mean. So I wouldn't blame you for being very suspicious...

...but I feel it is fate that we ran into each other on the bridge today! Like the Fates totally wove in this great chance, or something, into the fabric of today!"

Her gaze then moved over to Jigen in particular, a stupid and goofy smile still on her face as she addressed the schoolboy that seemed rather close to her age.

"You don't seem to be the very mage-y type for a master, so if anything so I figured I could try to help ya! Got money and magecraft and all, I mean, so maybe I can try to help ya stay alive! I came to this in the first place so I could defeat evil, protect the weak, and to prove myself to be a great hero!

Don't really have any idea what to use on the Grail, though, if I even survive that long. Though maybe we can all make it out alive together if you want! I've even got a Greek servant myself, and he's pretty cool! Though he did tell me the Heracles people were talking about at the bank was fake...b-but my servant knew the real one, so I have to believe him!"

So sincere were her words, and so utterly genuine her excitement and attentiveness, yet by even basic magus standards she was acting like a grade A idiot. By normal humans standards she was also an idiot, in particular one who had just run up alone to and through potential danger to talk to potentially dangerous strangers. Not just this, but had then spouted on to said strangers about making an alliance based on some first impression and something about 'fate'. Frankly it was an utterly ludicrous offer, and an insane action by any regards in the first place. The sheer fact she hadn't been struck down by a random car, much less something else like a sudden bolt of lightning out of the sky during a sunny day, was nothing short of a miracle. Or perhaps...was it fate?

Though she did seem briefly saddened when talking about the, according to her words, 'fake' Heracles at the bank her servant had told her about. Or perhaps he wasn't still at the bank. Truthfully, she had no idea.

Regardless, it was up to the Japanese schoolboy and his servant to decide what to say and do next. How would they handle a total idiot approaching them like this, however? Only the next few moments would truly show what responses would come to the destined heroine's daringly retarded actions and pleas!

"I can even get you both lunch or dinner if you want! I-If that'd help me prove my words are true!"

At least in all of this she had also only been speaking where Theseus and his master could hear her clearly. Passerby and the ilk would remain ignorant of the heroine's words this day...not that her initial approach had been at all subtle.

@Breo @Yankee

Fate/Lost Epoch

Zoe Helena Alexandris

Miyama -> Shinto, Fuyuki Bridge

Not even the taste of the savory meat on a stick she had procured could bring relief from the the bitterness inside. At least her teacher had been looking out for her somewhat, though having come to a grinding halt from her prior excitement had been itself very grating. In other words: Her disappointment was immeasurable, and her day was ruined.

Yet...even so the heroine could not give up totally over one little hardship! Sure not meeting her favorite mythological hero was sad, that much was certain. But not all was lost for this entire 24 hour period! Tonight there would be battles, amazing fights, heroes of legend throwing themselves against each other, and the like! She would get to meet and battle her enemies, seek out allies, and conquer at length the struggles that war would hold for her and her teacher! Of course her brother had said to come home alive...b-but still, going down like a true hero was n-never a bad thing! Right?

Attempting to pump herself back up, Zoe even stopped for a moment and struck a strange pose whilst walking along the bridge...before laughing to herself and returning to 'normal'. Yes indeed, that one manga from Japan had proven to be a fun read with its supremely buff men posing oddly whilst fighting things like vampires and ghosts and the ilk! It was inspiring, even. But rather than strike such a menacing pose on the bridge all day, perhaps, it would be better to get to practicing? She really didn't need her teacher fussing at her later about that in particular.

Looking back ahead of her, however, Zoe found a strange sight. No...it was familiar kind of sight! A bold man, dressed like the ancient Greeks of old, walking alongside a Japanese schoolboy whilst seemingly talking. The command seals on her own right hand were basically tingling already as well! Such could only be the sign of a potential friend or associate! Or maybe a rival! She had no idea which, but before her own conscience could speak up...she had already begun to run at top speed towards what had to be another servant and master pair!

"HEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY, GREEK GUY AND JAPANESE KID, CAN I TALK TO YOU GUYS FOR A SECOND???"

Zoe shouted out to the pair as she ran, at nothing short of the top of her lungs and an excited stint wormed its back back through her. Finally, another Greek servant she could say hi to! Surely the fates had woven in such a fortuitous event, the stars aligning to provide her with the chance to recover her excitement for the day period. Indeed this was an event wrought by the hands of fate, and a part of her fated destiny for sure this time!

@Breo @Yankee

Darkest Before the Dawn: A CYOA Magical Girl Roleplay [Completed]

Sophia von Zeerover

Between Amaryllis' call to strike, and Eli's blustering and shouting about the car hood ornament on the Lich's club, Sophia felt a surge of adrenaline kick in. Or perhaps it was...excitement? It had been one thing after another since she'd awoken in those ruins of a graveyard, and been attacked out of the blue, and then kidnapped to some beach dimension. Her body and mind were craving the thrill of putting her all into something, of letting out all of that frustration and pent up energy. With such in mind, however, there was only one thing she could do at this venture.

Mariette and her goons had some of the work in part, and Amaryllis had done some as well. So now it was her turn!

"TIME TEH' REAP YER ASS NOW, YA BONY FECKER!!!"

Sophia charged forward in flight, dodging about the finger bullets fired at herself and the other girls. Her axe was readied for striking, and she was willing to invest much of the rest of her mana in striking down the foe before her. Specifically she focused and aimed to cleave the hood ornament on Billy's club, whilst not caring if she slashed through even the bony monster's right hand in the process if she could. She would put her all into this, to strike down her opponent with mighty force that could not be matched! She would cleave bone in twain, rend his blasted club into hamster sized chunks, and destroy that blasted hood ornament with all she could do to it!

Then if she could, she'd mount the lifeless skull of this thing on the prow of her ship. Such would be so very pirate-y indeed!

@PlatinumSkink@BrokenPromise@ERode

---

Serenity Gates

...Had her silent prayers been answered? A brilliant set of golden eyes, a voice like a chorus of angels that brought tears too all that heard it, and a miracle come forth before her eyes. A holy miracle of Beacon, untainted by the Ascendancy's bloodlust. Mercy. Love. Even that seeming angel herself, who watched over these proceedings as the judge, wept tears of her own. Alicia's words had rung true, the judge had deemed her worthy, and yet there remained one last elephant in the room to take care of. Indeed, there was one last issue that had to be taken care of...herself. Though it had been said her Spark was true, that she lacked corruption even, would this do to convince others completely about her? Would it convince them she wasn't some horror or horror-affliate in disguise, trying to destroy them from within? She knew not, but to stand up for herself for once and reinforce the truths of the friend that had spoken up for her...that was the right thing to do.

Summing up all the bravery she could muster, and all of her willpower to boot, Serenity stepped forward next to Alicia and before the enraptured assembly's attention. After she briefly glanced at the white coin floated there before Alicia, its glow soft and gentle, Serenity breathed in and out before reaching into her own pocket. After a brief moment of struggle, due to her hands being cuffed together in front of her, the magical girl then withdrew a small object she held aloft before the crowd.

The object itself was small, however, in the shape of a deep blue gem enclosed tightly in a small golden cage. The gem itself seemed to bear a soft glow within, however, a familiar 'spark' that could not be denied. So too did the small golden cage have something unique to it, an almost light-like appearance to it that was engraved with an ornate golden filigree beyond any mortal make.

"The cardinal's words ring true! Without compassion, we will not survive these darker times! Without a true and pure love to encompass all...our 'justice' becomes false, and so very woefully blind, cutting down all in its path without care or remorse!

Shall we let ourselves be blinded to the point the world fears us, and we become akin to the terrible horrors that slither in the darkness of the universe?

Because...I was once part of one of those horrors, and was something that could not understand love or the light of true justice! I made light of it, jeered at the concept of love, and abused the lives of the innocent...yet in those moments before my death, the light of Beacon came to me!

It spoke to me of compassion, of penance, and of an understanding I once fully lacked!"

In that moment something seemed to...click within Serenity, and a before unseen boldness surged to the surface as she shouted aloud to the assembly. Her voice eked with of a truly ironclad conviction. Her face too seemed to change, becoming the very picture of determined resolution. Perhaps it was the heat and emotion of the moment, perhaps it was her pouring all of her feelings into her plea, but in the end it did not matter to Serenity. She had to do what was right in this moment, or risk standing silent before a world that had before been reviling her.

Never again would she merely stand idly by. Never would she let a friend stand alone before the world. Never again would she back down from what she knew to be right, to be truly right, at her very core. Such was the conviction of her compassion...such was her vow, which she cherished so much.

"It spoke that this spark would glow brightly within my very soul, that my will and fate would be reforged by it, but in return I could never escape those memories I bore nor the knowledge of my former self's many sins and deeds. Such is the nature of my penance...and of my eternal existence as a magical girl, bound forever to Beacon's holy light of my own free will and volition!

If any of you still doubt my dedication to true justice, to a true love and compassion that encompasses all, and to the pure light and true path of Beacon that my friend Alicia has proven to be in line with this day, I will humbly offer you this.

This container is my very soul, made bear and vulnerable to all, which shall shine forth as a witness of my convictions! Let the holy light of true love, of true justice and compassion, of the true path, pour forth upon all to witness! Let it prove that I AM BEACON!!!"

Before the eyes of the onlooking crowd, and the cardinal whose subtle smile and voice pierced the hearts of all in the room, Serenity's Soul Gem suddenly began to glow. A brilliant golden light, just like that of the cardinal's eyes, shot forth from the small and fragile-looking object that would illuminate the room. Yet the light itself was not blinding...indeed, it was instead a truly warm light, gently but distinctly caressing the forms of those in the room with a holy and easily-recognizable radiance. Yet after a few moments, the light once again faded, returning to the far more humble golden glow that Serenity's Soul Gem had originally been emanating.

Yet as the spectacle faded, so too did some amount of Serenity's strength. The girl fell down on her knees, huffing and puffing as the mental, physical, and emotional highs began to fade...though some other tiredness seemed to also be taking hold after that brilliant light. Indeed, for her that light had been so warm, so reminiscent of her rebirth and conversion it had brought on some tears now streaming down her face. Remaining conscious, however, Serenity pulled her hands back down, placing the soul gem close to her chest.

"If you doubt my resolve...then let me bear one of those White Coin...as a sign of my conviction...," the girl spoke, her huffing and puffing very much audible as she spoke, "And if any must pay for my past sins...let it be all upon me...but spare the others who have shown kindness to me....i beg you..."