FINAL TRIAL

[strangerpeople]

FINAL TRIAL

[Soon after the final clue it found, the large set of double doors at the end of the hall finally open.

And beyond is what Nyaf-ya calls the Room of Reckoning. And this room is...]





[...rather impressive. Large, for certain. Maybe a bit too large for the space it would have to occupy beneath the mall, or to have light streaming from the windows, all things considered. But given everything else that the surviving strangers have encountered, this might not be the strangest thing with this situation overall.

There is a wooden throne at the top of the staircase, and at the bottom of the staircase are four large, comfortable-looking sitting pillows - one green, one orchid, one gold, and one pink. The red pillars surrounding the staircase are also decorated with markings that definitely don't look like they fit the aesthetic of the room.

There are also two low hot pot induction cooker tables in the great hall area before the staircase. One table has six spots, all with sitting pillows, each with a name written onto a paper placed carefully on a plate. When everyone sits at their place, they will find that the stove in the center is already heated and ready to go, and every imaginable ingredient for a proper barbecue and hot pot meal is available to them for cooking. A pitcher of their favorite drink is also next to each respective cup.

And, once everyone finds their place, their phone pings with a message.]

Once you've figured everything out, the Boss....wants to talk to you. She doesn't want to fight. Not this time. Please, take your time, but please be careful, ok? The rules of the Game are still in effect.

We're rooting for you. I know you'll find a way!

[So it's time, then. The objectives are simple in this trial.

It's time to finally answer the questions the Titled have about why they are here - and face the Masterminds behind the Game.

Good luck, Titled.]

Comments

BOSS: ATTACK

[bendwiththewind]

[The knife does nothing.

And, indeed, admittedly, the creature is slightly distracted, using its water whip tail to lash at Chariot as she stabs. Its not painful. It's simply annoying.

Then, she is hit by Karma's punch. Hard. It staggers her for a moment. But, only a moment.

And one moment later, she flaps her wings, hard, and screams.

It turns out that the glowing circles - now fiery circles on the ground - are in fact the safest spots all around the area. They would still damage the two who stood in them, but probably not as much as the sudden gale force winds, with giant falling rocks being tossed around in completely random directions.

Indeed, the spots with the fire seem to be shielded from the damage of what could only be described as a "rocks fall, everyone dies" attack. Well, more like a "rock are flung around in hurricane-force winds, everyone is having a bad time" attack. But the result is the same.

Injury is not going to be easy to avoid this time. Even if this lasts for only a few seconds.]

[ourmagic]

[ It only takes Chariot a moment to realize all of their mistakes. She's going to try to ignore the tail once she realizes her attacks are doing nothing, literally toss the sword to the ground, and, racing with all the speed she's got, bound after Croix to grab her with her good arm and make a jump for one of those rings. It might burn her, she's not sure, but she's used to a little fire. It's better that than death rocks, if her theory is right. She's used to quick battles on her feet, after all.

If her assumption is right, all she can do is put some barbed wire around Karma--to try to protect him from the falling rocks. Here's hoping.

Either way she is probably going to at least get a little scorched, at worst get the tail end of a rock. She is making sure Croix is safe no matter what. ]

[scienceofmagic]

[ Croix is very thankful for Chariot dragging her along, because otherwise she's kind of terrified about how dead they'd probably be otherwise? But she's going to have her phone ready just in case Karma needs that heal. Because holy shit that is an attack, and even if this burns it probably hurts a lot less than being knocked around by boulders. ]

[comesaround]

[ Okay. On the one side? It's notable that his punch at least did something, but not so good was what followed.

The winds picked up and he wasn't blind to the rocks that were being tossed about, causing him to frown and pull back from where he'd been, ducking to avoid a rock and looking over to see Chariot grabbing Croix to take her to one of those flaming circles, followed by wires suddenly materializing around him in a protective manner. It was better than being left completely exposed, and yet it didn't entirely prepare him for one that he hadn't seen coming that collided with his left side.

It felt awful as the force threw him into the other side of the protective barbed wires around him, the thick material of his jacket and gloves stopping him from being injured by them. Not like the awful pain that lanced through his side, leaving his ears ringing and the breath somewhat knocked out of him, his shoulder having took the worst of the hit and there'd be bruising later. ]

...Damn it...

[ No other rocks seemed to be coming close to hitting him, moving and narrowly missing one that scraped across the surface of the wires afterward. ]

BOSS: ATTACK

[bendwiththewind]

[Well.

The bird is just going to follow up with snapping her water-whip tail at them once the massive attack she unleashed subsides.]

FUSION TIME

[ourmagic]

--Karma! Hang in there!

[ She avoids the tail with ease after that--it's way easier to dodge. And with Croix next to her, and Karma hurt... now seems like the best time. She clutches that blank pin she'd had with her, in her skirt pocket.

She believes in them. They can do this.

She pictures all those smiling faces, Goro, everyone, her students. Pictures the beauty of Akko opening up the Grand Triskellion... ]

Croix! We can do this, it's now or never--extend your hand! Adventure awaits! Noctu... Orfei...

LET'S FUCKIN' DO THIS

[scienceofmagic]

Right! That shining future is just in front of us, so all we need to do is reach out and claim it!

[ She sees it, too, in her head. The brilliant future they're fighting for, shining brightly before them. All they need do is hold on to it. ]

Aude... Fraetor!

[ It's not actually the Claiomh Solais. They don't have that here, and it's gone. But to them, that which granted the future two girls prayed for... Of course it's what they visualize, and what they decide to call out. And what they unleash? Is a brilliant barrage of glimmering, green arrows to rain down upon Yotsuyu. ]

BOSS: ATTACK

[bendwiththewind]

[The Noise cannot express in words how much the barrage of arrows stung as she tries to dodge but in the end could not. But by how her screams rose higher in pitch, she's pissed. She's limping for sure but she's still above the ground...even with those accursed pellets causing damage, she can do much more.

Flapping her wings, it seems that she may prepare another wind storm. However, she simply turns her body and spins quickly, slamming into the ones on the ground. The phrase 'Hits like a bus' is very accurate.]

Re: BOSS: ATTACK

[comesaround]

[ As soon as the rock attack subsided, the wires vanished and he moved back despite the ache in his body, shaking his head. ]

Don't worry about me, I'm fine!!

[ Then there was that impressive attack by the witches, which he would commend them for if it wasn't for the fact that the attack had consequently pissed her off and he didn't have nearly enough time to react as the bird slammed into him around the same time as a sharp, vivid, phantom pain hit him and it was almost too much as he hit the ground, nearly breathless.

That hurt more than he could explain, adding in his pain and what was probably Akira's. He registered that he'd called out to him, too. He was done with playing nice here. There was only one solution and he wasn't about to give up yet. ]

[theirmagic]

[ She was not prepared for that. All she can do is try to shove Croix out of the way, but she doesn't fully get out of it herself. Part of the bird still slams into her, and it really hurts. It's not the worst pain she's ever felt, but damn does it hurt. Chariot refuses to lose, though. Once her pin reboots? She is going to take the opportunity to summon several lines of barbed wire in the bird's path, hoping to wound it further. It's clear the pins are the powers that work best here--so maybe hers can do something?

She hurts. She aches. Being slammed to the ground like that made her vision swim for a minute. But damn it, she is going to hurt this bird if it's the last thing she does. ]

[scienceofmagic]

[ Croix is shoved out of the way, thanks, and that gives her time to check her phone. And then she'll pop off a heal to Britt. Cherish it, it's all you get. And then, she's just. Going to chuck her damn baseball bat at the bird because LISTEN SHE HAS NOTHING ELSE TO DO??? ]

BOSS: ???

[bendwiththewind]

[The baseball bat connects but the bird does not do anything as a reaction. The attack might be a dud but the barbed wire is not. The Noise flails from it as it violently tries to shake Chariot off just until...

It simply stops.

The floor underneath starts to ripple like water and she dives under. The good news however is that Chariot is not taken with her, instead landing a bit away from her team.

...what just happened?]

[theirmagic]

[ She rolls, mainly, and is back to her feet. Her arm is aching. Her body is killing her. But she is okay. She watches the floor, ready to jump if she has to. She takes a position near Croix, watching carefully. All she can do is watch and wait. ]

It's doing something. Be careful!