Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4, Part 4

[Oldmansour]

>I'd really rather not rap a potential civilian over the head. Do you think we could just sneak past them? Alerting one person by magic is better than alerting five of them.

>Reisen reports, Not unless they move. They're in the wrong position. Rin might be able to manage in her cat form, but the rest of us wouldn't have a chance.

[DracoOmega]

>This may be a silly question, but Lily, can you 'bottle' those sleeping flowers of yours to uncork somewhere else where they wouldn't generate as much proverbial racket as conjuring them in the first place?

[Oldmansour]

>This may be a silly question, but Lily, can you 'bottle' those sleeping flowers of yours to uncork somewhere else where they wouldn't generate as much proverbial racket as conjuring them in the first place?

>The energetic blonde giggles at your phrasing. I don't think so, though.
>Perhaps we can. Kiku suggests. If we combined our spells, I may be able to contain your spell in mine, to facilitate delaying it deployment. The tiger visibly frowns in concentration. But I don't know how long I could suspend the spell.
>I don't think it would work anyway. Reisen says. Your own spell would still be active. Breakdown would sense it coming.
>Maybe not. Kiku counters. My powers are unique among us. I was a spellcaster before gaining the powers Lotus gave me. This has afforded me many different ways to employ my powers, especially now that I am free from Satori's... I mean, free from the deathbringer's influence. If I do this right, this Breakdown person would sense nothing more than inert lead. Until it is too late.

[DracoOmega]

>I think it's worth giving it a try. I don't see an obviously better option for the current situation, and it could be useful for the future to know how well this works.

[Oldmansour]

>I think it's worth giving it a try. I don't see an obviously better option for the current situation, and it could be useful for the future to know how well this works.

>Lily, change course and meet me outside the church near the graveyard. We'll try this there.
>Isn't that a little close? Reisen asks Kiku.
>It's as far away as I want to try to transport an active, untested spell. Especially since we have limited time.
>I see your point. I'll stay on point up here, to keep an eye on things.

[DracoOmega]

>Let's make for that point ourselves

[Oldmansour]

>Let's make for that point ourselves

>Leaving Poppy to keep watch over your quarry, you and White Rose follow Kiku across the street, towards the very western looking church. It doesn't surprise you too terribly to find such a building in this area. If this graveyard is devoted to more western-style magicians, it stands to reason they'd bring their religion with them as well, in the form of this church. The church is encircled by a stand of trees, not incredibly thick, but thick enough to keep your actions away from prying eyes.
>Lily comes winging in a little less than two minutes later, already in her Magical Lily guise. "Sorry for the wait!" she calls out as she alights herself just off the ground.

[DracoOmega]

>"No worries."

[Oldmansour]

>"No worries."

>"Chrysanthemum purity ascent." Kiku says by way of greeting, transforming into her own magical girl guise. "I suggest you and White Rose step back, Lotus." she advises you. "We wouldn't want Lily to put you to sleep in the process of trying this."
>"I wouldn't!" Lily protests.
>"All the same."

[DracoOmega]

>"Of course."
>Do so

[Oldmansour]

>"Of course."
>Do so

>Kiku nods then turns to Lily. "Alright, Lily. Hit me."
>The blonde draws her left hand across her body, then pauses, frowning. "Are you SURE this is gonna work?"
>"If I could channel Lotus' offensive energy, I am sure I can modify your weaker spell in a less invasive way. Now stop wasting time and fire." she says sternly.
>Lily blanches. "All right." With obvious uncertainty, she waves her hand forward, incanting "Spring Evening Dozings.", sending a stream of multihued flowers towards the waiting tiger.
>Kiku slashes her clawed hand forward and recites, "Chrysanthemum Lead Balloon." The grey wave of power left by her glowing hand expands out in a circular shape, growing to encircle the flowers created by Lily's spell. Once the lead has completely enveloped Lily's flowers, Kiku clenches her still-glowing fist, and the sizable ball of lead shrinks, and then separates, as five orbs of dull grey lead drop heavily to the ground, each one just about the size of a ten-pin bowling ball. Kiku growls, frustrated. "That was not supposed to happen." she snarls through clenched teeth.

[DracoOmega]

>"Was it all supposed to stay in one ball?"
>Can we sense Lily's power still active in each of these?

[Oldmansour]

>"Was it all supposed to stay in one ball?"
>Can we sense Lily's power still active in each of these?

>"Yes. One small ball. This is... less helpful."
>You can, but it's very faint. Had you not been looking for it, you might not have noticed it at all. Kiku's lead sheets should prove to be effective screen against all but the most intense scans.

[DracoOmega]

>"We could always try a second time."

[Oldmansour]

>"We could always try a second time."

>"True. But since I don't know exactly why that happened this time, I can't guarantee it won't happen again."

[DracoOmega]

>"Do we have anything to lose by trying?"
>"Worst case: we can probably still use these. We don't need to smuggle them through a crowd, after all."

[Oldmansour]

>"Do we have anything to lose by trying?"
>"Worst case: we can probably still use these. We don't need to smuggle them through a crowd, after all."

>"Well, there is the risk that we could be detected. I have no way of knowing how sensitive the Jewels are to our power. For all I know, we've already given ourselves away."

[DracoOmega]

>Reisen, any sign anyone there felt that?

[Oldmansour]

>Reisen, any sign anyone there felt that?

>Not yet. I'd have been surprised if there had been. I knew it was coming, and I barely felt anything. At a guess, I'd say it would take at least a Red jewel to have detected that without actively scanning for it.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, I'll leave it up to your discretion, Kiku, whether you wish to try again. But barring that, how do we actually use these?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, I'll leave it up to your discretion, Kiku, whether you wish to try again. But barring that, how do we actually use these?"

>"They can be triggered to open by either Lily or myself at will. Or they detonate on impact."

[DracoOmega]

>"Would they brain someone before the lead shell dissipated?"
>"For that matter, would the effect work on any of us, I wonder, if we were nearby when they were opened?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Would they brain someone before the lead shell dissipated?"
>"For that matter, would the effect work on any of us, I wonder, if we were nearby when they were opened?"

>"I meant impact against a wall, Lotus." Kiku says. "My plan was that, since our target is mostly subterranean, to roll the orb down the stairs into the crypt. Similar to a grenade. If it didn't go off on its own, I could trigger it myself..." Kiku trails off, a thought occurring to her. "Maybe that's what did it. When I used my spell, I was debating the best way to manipulate this spell so as to handle all the targets. That may have split the lead into more parts than I'd wanted, due to the number of targets. Wouldn't explain the weight or the size, but..." She straightens then. "Try it again, Lily. I believe I can make it work this time."

>"It shouldn't." Lily says to you. "It'll work on anyone that isn't one of us."
>"You're sure?" Kiku asks.
>Lily just smiles. "Of course I'm sure. Trust me!" Then the peppy blonde readies her spell again. "You ready Ki- Chrys?" she asks, correcting herself.
>The tiger shakes her head slightly, and nods silently. The two replay their spells one more time, and as before, the large metal orb that Kiku creates shrinks and splits. This time, however, it divides into only two small orbs, one of them slightly larger than the other. Kiku seems much more satisfied with this result.

[DracoOmega]

>"For inside and outside?"

[Oldmansour]

>"For inside and outside?"

>"Precisely."

[DracoOmega]

>"Should they be released at the same time, then?"
>Reisen, is there a good vantage to toss a small sphere at the man outside and the stairs of the crypt without being seen by him in either case?

[Oldmansour]

>"Should they be released at the same time, then?"
>Reisen, is there a good vantage to toss a small sphere at the man outside and the stairs of the crypt without being seen by him in either case?

>"I think they'll have to be. Otherwise, the people in the crypt would sense the discharge and be able to defend themselves. Even now, we still have to hope that they don't react in time."
>From the same location? I think so, yes. If we approach from the south-facing side of the crypt, one of us should be able to get the drop on Vice and throw a sphere down the stair- We have movement here. she breaks off suddenly. One of them just came... It's Breakdown. He just came up out of the crypt.

[DracoOmega]

>Any sign of alert?

[Oldmansour]

>Any sign of alert?

>With him? Always. But he does seem especially agitated. She pauses. Hell's fire. Girls, he's wearing a Grey Jewel, I can see it from here. That's the second strongest Jewel of them all. I think he might have detected you.

[DracoOmega]

>Wouldn't it be rather paranoid to assume that some magic in the vague neighborhood was cause for concern?