Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 4, Part 2

[Oldmansour]

>Do we have enough control over the barrier to selectively open a small hole somewhere?

>You would need to join your will with your comrades again. It was the four of you who created that amplified Cyclone, it would take the four of you to manipulate it.

[DracoOmega]

>Do we think we think we could even have enough time to open up a precise hole now, before she blows the whole thing up?
>Alternatively, do we think could open a larger hole specifically on the side facing away from everyone, to cause the power which is bulging the barrier to simply surge out through what is now the weakest spot and primarily blast away from everyone? Like, something angled upwards?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we think we think we could even have enough time to open up a precise hole now, before she blows the whole thing up?
>Alternatively, do we think could open a larger hole specifically on the side facing away from everyone, to cause the power which is bulging the barrier to simply surge out through what is now the weakest spot and primarily blast away from everyone? Like, something angled upwards?

>Not with Reisen still trying to get as much distance as she can. By the time she focused her attention on the Cyclone, Patchouli will have broken free, you're quite sure.
>Now, that might work. While you'd need your three friends to manipulate the Cyclone, you wouldn't need them to damage it yourself. A well aimed shot near the top of the cyclone could very well have the effect of uncorking the Avatar, leaving her to, hopefully at least, expel her energy upwards rather than in any other direction.
>However, a Scarlet Lotus might not be precise enough for that kind of shot. You'd ideally like to have a beam, or a single burst of energy, rather than the shotgun-like effect of the Scarlet Lotus.

[DracoOmega]

>Do we think we have something on-tap that would fit the bill better? Or one of our companions?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we think we have something on-tap that would fit the bill better? Or one of our companions?

>Vermillion Lotus might do the trick.

[DracoOmega]

>Going to try and blow a hole in the top; let the blast out away from us.
>Take a quick shot with Vermillion Lotus, aimed to vent the pent-up energy away from us as much as we can
>Then quickly put some more distance between us and it anyway

[Oldmansour]

>Going to try and blow a hole in the top; let the blast out away from us.
>Take a quick shot with Vermillion Lotus, aimed to vent the pent-up energy away from us as much as we can
>Then quickly put some more distance between us and it anyway

>You can do that? Lily asks.
>If she says she can. Rin replies with a confidant smile, as you point your scepter at the top of the bulging Cyclone, an unleash the thermal lance of Vermillion Lotus. The hot beam slices the top off the Cyclone holding the Avatar, who bursts out of her containment cylinder with a tremendous explosion of energy and water, the latter of which drips down off the petals of the cyclone as they dissipate into the air, Lily's magic expiring.
>But the Avatar does not stop rising as you put some more distance between you and her of your own accord. Patchouli flies another hundred or so feet into the air before she stops. The blue sphere of energy spins in place, and even from this distance you can hear Patchouli yell, "Dark Water Monsoon!" The spinning sphere of power that is the Avatar of Water discharges dozens, then hundreds of bolts of chaotic water-elemental energy, like deadly rain. Some head down towards the surface, towards the fence, the gate, the street, the iron-warden metal miko. Others have a less steep angle, heading towards the grounds of the Knowledge Manor, the walk, the drive, and of course, you and your allies.

[DracoOmega]

>Quickly appraise the blast zone. Does this reach far enough away from the grounds that it looks like it could endanger anyone else? Poor passersby on the other side of the street?
>How quickly are the bolts flying? Do we think we could outrun them?
>Is there any spot nearby that seems like the angle between Patchouli and the surrounding terrain would minimize the number of bolts that could strike us directly?

[Oldmansour]

>Quickly appraise the blast zone. Does this reach far enough away from the grounds that it looks like it could endanger anyone else? Poor passersby on the other side of the street?
>How quickly are the bolts flying? Do we think we could outrun them?
>Is there any spot nearby that seems like the angle between Patchouli and the surrounding terrain would minimize the number of bolts that could strike us directly?

>Fortunately for you, there does not appear to be any bystander traffic in the vicinity. And all of Patchouli's shots are aimed at least slightly forward from her as well. You don't think any of them will carry on forward to the manor, either. Based on your observations, the only ones at risk are yourself, your allies and Anya.
>You're pretty sure Lily could, and Reisen's Glider mode seems to have nearly as much speed as the blonde. Yourself and Rin, you're less confidant about. You think the both of you could, but it would be close.
>The simplest way to avoid the most shots you could would be to fly up, since the Monsoon is headed to ground. You'd have to block or dodge at least some bolts, certainly, but not nearly as many as you'd have to closer to ground.

[DracoOmega]

>Then let's fly upward and away at best speed, keeping an eye out for incoming fire to dodge or shield as appropriate (favoring the former where possible)

[Oldmansour]

>Then let's fly upward and away at best speed, keeping an eye out for incoming fire to dodge or shield as appropriate (favoring the former where possible)

>With your two wingmen flanking you, you opt for the simplest option and make for the sky. There may be less shots to dodge this way, but that doesn't make the task easy. You hear Lily activate her Leaf Shield as the Monsoon of the Water Avatar streaks in towards you. You navigate your disc left, then dip down beneath another shot, a sideslip to the right to evade a third. A near miss, that time. It soon becomes apparant that even though you and Rin are using similar equipment to fly, you don't have quite the same knack for evasive flying that she does, a point reinforced by another very near miss by a bolt that flies by your right ear. You'd be much  more confortable trying this on the ground.
>Despite your need to focus, a massive detonation from the ground draws your attention for a moment. Patchouli's aquatic energy barrage has blasted the heavy wrought iron gate apart, and blown Anya's iron shell back through the opening like a metallic golf ball. The shell is obviously damaged, but you don't have the time to gauge how badly before you hear White Rose yell "Watch it!" The kasha darts up in front of you, interposing her flying disc between your person and a power shot, her disc cracking under the small explosion caused by the impact. Rin immediately takes another shot for you on the shiled, and you decide that enough's enough. Pointing your scepter over your Rin's shoulder, you evoke a broad Sapphire Lotus before the both of you, blocking a number of bolts from striking either of you. This is somewhat unpleasant, but far less so than any of the alternatives.

>And then you are above the storm, the few remaining shots headed towards the ground at an angle to steep to menace you or Rin.

[DracoOmega]

>Is Patchouli still firing, even if we're no longer really in the blast range?
>Status check on our other allies

[Oldmansour]

>Is Patchouli still firing, even if we're no longer really in the blast range?
>Status check on our other allies

>She doesn't appear to be. She's still up there, but she's no longer in her 'ball of light' form. And although her power aura is still present, she doesn't give you the impression that she's about to fire again.
>Lily is standing a couple of dozen feet off your left wing. Her shield is glowing blue, so she obviously took at least one hit, but she herself is undamaged. Rin's flying disc is badly cracked, but she herself doesn't seem to be... No wait, there's a small burn mark on her upper left arm. One of the explosions from the shots she blocked must have caused some splash damage that got around her disc. But other than that, she appears fine.
>Anya, on the other hand, has obviously had a worser time. Her dome of iron has come to rest on the now-pockmarked drive almost 60 feet inside the gate, and has been blown open, resembling a torn tin can. The miko herself has partly crawled out of her wrecked protective shell, bleeding from new wounds on her arm and apparantly on her head, but still conscious and very alive.
>Magical Poppy, it seems, was unable to completely evade Patchouli's barrage. She is on the ground as well, on the grass about 8 feet to Anya's northeast. She doesn't appear to be bleeding, and she is trying to get to her feet, but smoke is rising from her body and her clothes are damaged.

[DracoOmega]

>Clothing damage. Of course Reisen would be the one to get clothing damage.
>To Reisen: Are you alright?
>That Tranquility Zone we used against Elis - how quickly could we move it around?
>Can we envision any technique we could apply that could cause a sort of 'power leakage' to its target? Either passively sap them, or make magic (perhaps especially destructive ones?) more effortful to cast?
>...speaking of which, how flexible can we set the purpose of our Orange Lotus? Do we think it could safely siphon power from Patchouli as it did against the horse youma?

[Hello Purvis]

>Goddamnit Reisen

[Oldmansour]

>Clothing damage. Of course Reisen would be the one to get clothing damage.

>And then Rin's dress explodes. Happy now?

>That Tranquility Zone we used against Elis - how quickly could we move it around?
>Can we envision any technique we could apply that could cause a sort of 'power leakage' to its target? Either passively sap them, or make magic (perhaps especially destructive ones?) more effortful to cast?
>...speaking of which, how flexible can we set the purpose of our Orange Lotus? Do we think it could safely siphon power from Patchouli as it did against the horse youma?

>At the moment, you can't. You are at present capable only of generating a stationary zone.
>Other than your Orange Lotus?
>Provided you can hit her with it, yes.

>To Reisen: Are you alright?

>Reisen replies with a groan. Wasn't as fast as I thought...

>Goddamnit Reisen

>Lancer scowls. "What, forgot about me?"

[DracoOmega]

>How big a tranquility zone do we think we could generate? Or would making it very large also reduce the power of it significantly?

[Oldmansour]

>How big a tranquility zone do we think we could generate? Or would making it very large also reduce the power of it significantly?

>Right now, you feel like you could manage a fairly sizable one. Large enough to encompass a transport truck, at least. And that size shouldn't affect its effectiveness.

[DracoOmega]

>But not large enough that Patchouli could not easily fly out of it?
>Let's give her just another moment to see if there is even a glimmer of regret for Reisen having been the one of us that took the worst of that
>But if not....

[Oldmansour]

>But not large enough that Patchouli could not easily fly out of it?
>Let's give her just another moment to see if there is even a glimmer of regret for Reisen having been the one of us that took the worst of that
>But if not....

>Not in the position she's in right now, no. She's got hundreds of feet to fly in any direction. You can't make a field that big.
>At this distance, her face isn't completely readable. She does, however, start to descend down towards the ground. But her speed is not the frenzied charge you might have expected from the anger she displayed, and she doesn't seem to be headed towards the Knowledge manor. In fact, she seems to be headed towards Reisen.

[DracoOmega]

>Let's move in to follow. Gently, non-threateningly. Still have to hope our friend's still in there somewhere.

[Oldmansour]

>Let's move in to follow. Gently, non-threateningly. Still have to hope our friend's still in there somewhere.

>Trying to give Patchouli the benefit of whatever doubt is left, you begin your own descent, making sure not to get too close or go too quickly.
>Mistress? Rin's silent voice asks. Let me hop onto ta your wheel for a second, mine's about to give out on me.

[DracoOmega]

>Of course.
>Let her on board

[Oldmansour]

>Of course.
>Let her on board

>Dextrously, the kasha hops aboard your flying disc. Despite the fact that she doesn't weigh a lot, the motion is still enough to upset your balance a little, making you stumble just a little. Just enough that Rin has to steady you, a gesture and a sensation you find rather pleasant. As does she, by the look of the smile on her face. But then she gets back to business and asks, Uh, y'know, I know that's Patchy, but since she ain't paying attention, do ya think that Violet light of yours might work on her if ya hit her now?

[DracoOmega]

>Do we actually think it would, if it's ever going to? Or is it likely she's currently shielded from it by her own power as the youma tended to be before being worn down?

[Oldmansour]

>Do we actually think it would, if it's ever going to? Or is it likely she's currently shielded from it by her own power as the youma tended to be before being worn down?

>Given the unknown quanities concerning her powers and her emotional state, you're not 100% certain it would have any effect at all. But, assuming it can affect her, you'd almost certainly have to wear her down first. Despite the effort of escaping your Cyclone and that big spell of hers, she's still putting out an afully large power signature.

[DracoOmega]

>I'm not sure it would even affect her, and even if it could, she still has far too much power gathered around herself for it to get through. If Violet Lotus is the answer to this problem, I'm afraid we'll need to hit her with a great deal more beforehand.

[Oldmansour]

>I'm not sure it would even affect her, and even if it could, she still has far too much power gathered around herself for it to get through. If Violet Lotus is the answer to this problem, I'm afraid we'll need to hit her with a great deal more beforehand.

>Rin sighs. You think Sanae's gonna turn out like this, too?

[DracoOmega]

>Possibly worse, I fear. Patchouli, at least, still seems to have some concern left for the people she cared about, even though I fear it's not enough. But if the damage done to Reisen by her own hands is not enough to stay them at least a little, then I don't think we can hold back any longer - Patchy or no.

[Oldmansour]

>Possibly worse, I fear. Patchouli, at least, still seems to have some concern left for the people she cared about, even though I fear it's not enough. But if the damage done to Reisen by her own hands is not enough to stay them at least a little, then I don't think we can hold back any longer - Patchy or no.

>But Sanae didn't attack any of us, or her parents. Rin replies as she conjures a fresh flying wheel. That good feeling that Elis felt seemed real to me.