Pound on the Gates of Heaven! Akyu Quest Concluded!

[Mr_Bob]

>Slowly fall forward, catch ourselves in mid-fall on one foot, then propel ourselves forward in a great leap, land on the opposite foot and push into the earth, hard.
>Simultaneously, with our arm (on the same side we landed on) strike, aiming just short of Reimu's chin, and at the last moment of the strike, tense our entire body.

[Fightest]

Fightest's note: It would be helpful if you stated your intentions for this sort of thing - are you feinting, setting up for another attack, or something else entirely?

[Mr_Bob]

Apologies.
By stopping "just short of Reimu's chin", I mean I don't want to hit her, just show a display of power, speed, and technique.

[Fightest]

>Slowly fall forward, catch ourselves in mid-fall on one foot, then propel ourselves forward in a great leap, land on the opposite foot and push into the earth, hard.
>Simultaneously, with our arm (on the same side we landed on) strike, aiming just short of Reimu's chin, and at the last moment of the strike, tense our entire body.

> The Shrine Maiden does not so much as bat an eye, let alone move a muscle in response to your display.
> "A perfectly successful display of power against a perfectly successful display of indomitability. We will be at this until the world ends, not to mention that this is hardly a challenge for you," she says.
> She claps her hands together and slowly slides them apart, revealing a glowing white rectangle in her left hand.
> "Show your best, Hieda. I will accept nothing less."
> The rectangle flashes and disappears.

> Elsewhere, a crowd groans as letters and characters run at breakneck pace down an enormous, everchanging scroll.
> "Bets are off," says someone. "Can't bet against someone who's invincible."
> "Infinity to one, correct? I'll take those odds," says a quiet, but steady voice, its speaker's mouth concealed by a butterfly-themed hand-fan.

> You catch a glimpse of a grin as the Shrine Maiden passes through you, and barely dodge her incorporeal hand brushing against your throat chakra.
> A sharp pain lances through your left side.
> Two needles, each as long as your forearm, are embedded deep in your flank - you can see two more such needles in the Shrine Maiden's right hand as she floats to a halt just ahead of you. You do not bleed, however - you know that they are there to stimulate nerve centres for the specific purpose of causing as much discomfort as possible.
> You withstand the pain for the time being - you have experienced worse.

[Jq1790]

>What do we sense about the Shrine Maiden's Spell Card and the energies causing her incorporeality?  Do we know which Spell Card it is, and if so, what do we know about its workings?

[Fightest]

>What do we sense about the Shrine Maiden's Spell Card and the energies causing her incorporeality?  Do we know which Spell Card it is, and if so, what do we know about its workings?

> Encountered Stance: Spell Card: Fantasy Heaven.
> This must be what Rinnosuke talked about so long ago, the Shrine Maiden's greatest weapon. You know that it automatically and completely defends Reimu from any and every attack by letting it harmlessly pass through her for as long as she chooses to maintain the stance, whilst allowing her to fight unimpeded. Needless to say, the Spell Card has an immense magical and spiritual component.
> Your concentration is broken by Reimu flinging the needles in her right hand at you. You snatch them out of the air.
> There is more to find out about the Spell Card. You just need to get yourself enough time to analyze it.

[Jq1790]

If we defend well enough, we can get the time we need...
>Switch to Marble Bulwark stance while we try to learn more about Fantasy Heaven.

[Mr_Bob]

>Can we remove the needles without causing harm?
>Make sure Reimu's needles don't hit their mark properly so as to disrupt the efficiency of the attack.

[Fightest]

>Can we remove the needles without causing harm?
>Make sure Reimu's needles don't hit their mark properly so as to disrupt the efficiency of the attack.

> You carefully pull out the needles.
> The pair of flung needles clatter harmlessly to the ground as you parry them mid-flight.

>Switch to Marble Bulwark stance while we try to learn more about Fantasy Heaven.

> You focus on defending yourself as the Shrine Maiden seems to shimmer and disappear from view.
> You feel an icy coldness wrap itself around your gut.
> Looking down, you see the Shrine Maiden's hand protruding from your abdomen before forming into a fist and forcefully pulling out through your back.
> Your focus on defense allows you to twist yourself away, protecting your lower-body chakras. It will be impossible to parry the Shrine Maiden's attacks while she is incorporeal, you realise.

[Jq1790]

>Is there more to learn about this Spell Card still?  Did we sense anything or learn anything of the nature of her strikes thanks to being impaled on her arm just now?

[Fightest]

>Is there more to learn about this Spell Card still?  Did we sense anything or learn anything of the nature of her strikes thanks to being impaled on her arm just now?

> There is more to learn. You have not been able to concentrate on analysing it for long enough, instead having to use your awareness on avoiding the Shrine Maiden's unblockable attacks.

[Jq1790]

> There is more to learn. You have not been able to concentrate on analysing it for long enough, instead having to use your awareness on avoiding the Shrine Maiden's unblockable attacks.

>We need some quicker means of gaining perception on things, since we can't block Reimu's strikes.  Would a kiai be likely to fulfill this need?  If so, use one.

[Fightest]

>We need some quicker means of gaining perception on things, since we can't block Reimu's strikes.  Would a kiai be likely to fulfill this need?  If so, use one.

> Your mighty roar seems to shake the very island itself, sending your nearby audience reeling.
> The Shrine Maiden is unperturbed by the blast of Qi that fills the air like flak.
> The kiai amplifies your already-finely-honed senses, instantly filling your vision with feedback from magical effects around you.
> The Shrine Maiden's Spell Card is a magnificent construct, its energies a barrier that keeps at bay reality itself, letting the Shrine Maiden maintain her little pocket of intangibility.
> You see three nodes in the Spell Card's weave, rapidly spinning and rotating around the Shrine Maiden, where the flow of magic is most complex, most vital.

[Hanzo K.]

Time for Spell-Shattering Palm on the nodes eh?

[Jq1790]

Time for Spell-Shattering Palm on the nodes eh?

Hm...Since Reimu likes to try to strike at us from inside, those nodes should wind up being awfully close to us when she attacks.  Perhaps we can use that to our advantage so that we can still avoid taking a truly direct offensive, merely using the Spell-Shattering Palm on the nodes when she's close?  We'll probably need a quick Stance to do this safely, though, since if she connects with our chakra points while we're in the midst of attacking...  What does the rest of Akyu think?

Also, we should be prepared to change strategies after the first attack, since she'll be onto us then.

[Mr_Bob]

We might be able to use Meiling's Tower as a contingency if things go bad; that is if the stance allows us to redirect our internal Qi too.

[Jq1790]

We might be able to use Meiling's Tower as a contingency if things go bad; that is if the stance allows us to redirect our internal Qi too.

It states in the stance description that to use it on an attack, the attack needs to be affected by touch...(Just looked it up to be sure.)  Given Reimu's incorporeality, I'm not sure if that'll work in this case.

How about trying to formulate a stance where we sacrifice mobility to a degree(so we can't move over long distances well with it active), but where we can focus on agility?  With our Martial Arts ability, we can more than likely pull something like that off without losing much or any attack ability...

Also, when we get attacked, perhaps if we've readied a SSP, we can try doing a dodge(Like a spin out of the way or something) that flows into a strike?

Not committing to any actions on this right now just in case other ideas come to light.

[Mr_Bob]

>Is Meiling's Tower able to redirect internal Qi flow?  If we were to take damage to one of our vital points, is redirecting the Qi/ Nerve channels around the problem zones a possibility?

Thinking Cross Counter! might be what we're looking for to hit the nodes.

[Fightest]

>Is Meiling's Tower able to redirect internal Qi flow?  If we were to take damage to one of our vital points, is redirecting the Qi/ Nerve channels around the problem zones a possibility?

> Meiling's Tower can be turned inwards to amplify your degree of control over your own Qi to an astonishing degree: for a brief time, you can relocate a Chakra entirely. This is a highly strenuous action, and very likely to do damage to its user if sustained.

[Mr_Bob]

>Relax our body, heighten our concentration.  Parry any inbound needles, aim to dodge Reimu's attack.  Follow-up with Spell Shattering Palm counterattack. 
>Beckon Reimu.

[Fightest]

>Relax our body, heighten our concentration.  Parry any inbound needles, aim to dodge Reimu's attack.  Follow-up with Spell Shattering Palm counterattack. 
>Beckon Reimu.

> The Shrine Maiden wastes no time on her offense.
> She looses a swarm of needles even as she sinks into the ground.
> You do not give. In your stance of perfection of action you easily track the needles' path and swat them out of the air with a series of lightning-quick strikes.
> A coldness creeps up through your right leg as the Shrine Maiden reaches out of the ground to strike at your lower-back chakra, but you are prepared.
> Each movement carries with it a vast deliberation and unthinkable precision:
> a single step back out of reach, the foot's motion tracing a perfect arc in the best feng shui traditions
> a single breath in and out, timed to your heartbeat, sending your Qi blazing with synchronous power
> the arc continues as you pivot on your left foot to start a roundhouse kick
> the Qi focused in your striking foot collides with the magical weave of the Spell Card, striking up a trail of flame
> And with a timing so impeccable, you strike at a node, your life-force blasting into it, unraveling it in an instant with the sound of shattering glass.

> The Shrine Maiden accepts the hit and, with a look of utter concentration, spears her hand into your face.
> You feel a brief pain in your eyes, and everything goes black.

> You know you are still conscious. You feel perfect control over your own body. It seems like all the retaliation strike did was take away your eyesight.

[Mr_Bob]

Poke my eyes will you! *Bob shakes fist*

[Jq1790]

>Do not be perturbed.  Our Qi sense is the only one we truly need, the basic senses are merely more convenient at times.  (We DO have Opening the Mind's Eye, after all.)
>Remain focused, and prepare to deliver our next strike.

[Fightest]

Sorry about that, let's try to finish this before Christmas.

>Do not be perturbed.  Our Qi sense is the only one we truly need, the basic senses are merely more convenient at times.  (We DO have Opening the Mind's Eye, after all.)
>Remain focused, and prepare to deliver our next strike.

> Your eyesight was a hindrance, anyway. No longer are you distracted by worldly sights - all you now know are the ebb and flow of the fundamental forces that shape this world.
> Against the sickly background hum of the world, the Shrine Maiden blazes like a bonfire, surrounded by the impenetrable aura of her Spell Card.
> She is much more careful, now, wary of sacrificial counterattacks, and stops just outside of your striking range.
> The Shrine Maiden shifts her weight onto her back leg, brings her hands close to her body to ward oncoming attacks and lifts her front leg, bent at the knee. You realise that in this battle of mind and magic, you are still at the simplest of disadvantages: reach.

[Mr_Bob]

>How are we clothed? Can we use it as a screen, but remain decent?

[Fightest]

>How are we clothed? Can we use it as a screen, but remain decent?

> You still wear your trademark kimono, a little worse-for-wear for having been used as a makeshift sack for the Hakurei Orb. There, however, is still plenty of material to improvise with.
> Please clarify your intention.

[Mr_Bob]

>Are we able to fling off our kimono to make a visual screen between Reimu and Akyu?
>Can we manipulate Two Fight As One where our double looks like us?

[Fightest]

>Are we able to fling off our kimono to make a visual screen between Reimu and Akyu?
>Can we manipulate Two Fight As One where our double looks like us?

> It could work as a one-time effect. Using it consistently would require ingenuity.
> No.

[Mr_Bob]

>Loosen our belt and rush forward.
>In a smooth movement tuck our arms into our sleeves and fling our kimono in front of us.
>Pitch the Hakurei Orb in an high arc over the spread garb, past Reimu.
>Attack through our screen, as we can easily sense our target with our vision deprived, with another Spell-Shattering Palm.
>Power through the attack, past Reimu, to the spot where the orb will land; hopefully we can detect and catch it if it is a mystical object.

[Fightest]

>Loosen our belt and rush forward.
>In a smooth movement tuck our arms into our sleeves and fling our kimono in front of us.
>Pitch the Hakurei Orb in an high arc over the spread garb, past Reimu.
>Attack through our screen, as we can easily sense our target with our vision deprived, with another Spell-Shattering Palm.
>Power through the attack, past Reimu, to the spot where the orb will land; hopefully we can detect and catch it if it is a mystical object.

> You attempt to re-establish an offensive pace with your surprise maneuver.
> The Shrine Maiden's aura flares as you fling your robe ahead of you, its mundane fabrics doing little to obscure your vision of the blaze ahead of you.
> Your own Qi is sharpened to a razor-edge as you target the second node of the Spell Card with a spearing hand-strike.
> Leaving a trail of her aura behind her, the Shrine Maiden shifts to thwart your strike with an expert parry...
> ...which passes right through you.
> With the sound of shattering glass the second node breaks, its weave unraveling in moments. You can sense the strain the last node is under as you push through the intangible Shrine Maiden, stopping yourself on the other side. A dull thunk a few feet to your right reveals the landing spot of the entirely unmystical Hakurei Orb.
> The Shrine Maiden hmphs.
> "I have never truly had to fight after using this Spell Card, and so you use my lack of expertise against me. You thwart me with my own greatest asset. Intentional or not, your potency on the battlefield is overwhelming."

> Only now do you notice a glowing strand extending from your striking arm to the Shrine Maiden's closed fist. Her aura flares as she clenches her first, unraveling the strand and surging into your body.
> Your legs collapse out from under you, and you fall to the ground like a rag doll. You can hear your heartbeat unsteadily pounding in your ears, weaker and weaker with each beat. You are unable to breathe.
> You hear the Shrine Maiden's voice, muffled, almost at the edge of your consciousness.
> "I have no self-delusion of victory - your resourcefulness has proven to be infinite. But I would be disrespecting your abilities if I did not employ all of mine."

> Encountered Move: Touch of the Golden Sun. Complexity: 6. To feel the caress of the divine is to welcome death. The user of this move attempts to sever her opponent's soul from their body by simultaneous inhibition of their chakras. A single touch is required for this move to succeed. This move can be invoked as a counterattack, provided that touch is involved.