■■; the wheel of fate is turning

[centralfiction]

WHO: Ragna, Aoko Juusan, the infiltration team, and the observation team
WHERE: The outskirts of town and the Labyrinth
WHEN: March 7 (sorry, cotton candy)
WHAT: Ragna's possession plot
WARNINGS: arson, immolation, potential child death, body degradation, dismemberment, hypothermia, starvation, suffocation, human experimentation, torture of children, implied body horror, ptsd, mental breakdowns, effects of poison on the body. PLEASE mind these going in.







Not long ago, Ragna’s cry for help on the network was shared. The only way he could manage to do so, stubborn as he was. He'd fought with his clingy, vengeful possessor for over a decade and thought that after compassion for her story was shown, her name was revealed, and her memory immortalized in Kaisou she had considered giving the city a chance. But overtime that willingness turned her desire to trust and protect into something overzealous and paranoid and frightened of being forgotten again, thus making her impulsively activate the volatile power Ragna's right arm held.

On the outskirts of town, his Labyrinth was finally discovered. There is evidence of another Gate being nearby, but it seems to have been cleared out as only the remnants remain. Or perhaps it was absorbed by the one that took Ragna.

With Venti's realm and Hermes' power allowing them a way into the realm, will the man be spared from an abysmal fate? Will the young woman within him live in fear and destruction until the end of time? How will the end of this tale be written?

You bear the red pen. Where will you use it?

[[ ooc: Directions for each route will be shown in their respective top-levels. This’ll be a similar structure to Blade’s possession plot from last year, anyone can solve the puzzles or fail them if you want some spice to your rolls. The network is accessible and per Effy, Belle’s Bangboo Eous will be assisting with some navigation on the inside.

For the sake of my and your sanity, please limit the two mini-bosses to teams of three max and the final boss to teams of four max.]]

Quick Jump:

- OUTSIDE TL

- INSIDE TL, PROLOGUE AND PREPARATION

- PHASE SHIFT 1 (Find Aoko and VS Jin)

- PHASE SHIFT 2 (Krusnik Base and VS Terumi)

- PHASE SHIFT 3 (Talk to Aoko)

Comments

OUTSIDE

[centralfiction]

♪ Altar

Per Ardyn, the power that Ragna used can drain life from the surrounding area and those within it. Approaching it from the front door, so to speak, will reveal that within a ten foot radius of where the Gate stood all of the plant life that was set to emerge with the spring was completely dead, down to the roots. The land itself even looked as if it had been through a decades long drought with the one sign of color being the Electro Vision Ragna tossed to keep it out of his possessor’s hands.

A sight of things to expect should this drag on too long. This is a danger to the city that Aoko Juusan did not take into consideration in her desire to keep the place that remembered her from forgetting.

Regardless, a team needed to be posted outside. Be it as reinforcements for the inside, guards to keep people away from the danger, or bystanders monitoring the situation for other reasons.

Or just to give some other poor schmuck their bicurious awakening.

outside prep

[threebetrayals]

[Kunikaki is.

Well.

He's calmer than he was on the app, at least, but that is a low bar and he is still clearly unhappy and antsy. He's hovering around the area, almost like he's afraid to touch down on the dead grass, looking over his supplies and making sure he has enough.]

I swear to god, Tsuki, if you're dead...

[whiteshroud]

[Shroud has volunteered to stay outside for now, in order to help monitor the situation and go where he's needed- if it's either to rush in to help, or to guard against any monsters that are drawn to the situation. He had spent the evening previous helping deal with any nearby Greed gates, to make sure they were less of a threat.... but he hasn't made mention to that, nor does he look any worse for wear.

And so, he stands at the ready, frequently checking his senses to see if there's been any change in the situation. If he sees any of the party going in...]

Be careful in there.

peanut gallery

[greatlydares]

[While Belle's laptop is no HDD, it's a sturdy thing that can handle a lot, which is useful because she's using it as a way to stay connected with Eous and map out the Spirit Realm. There's a map tab she's carefully filling out, notes keeping track of everyone who's come inside, and a window offering a view of what Eous, and therefore Belle riding along in its body, is seeing.]

Don't rely on my laptop, there's a lag in the feed.

[Belle taps away on her keyboard. Her eyes are glowing an eerie blue, but it looks like there's a lull in events, because she's currently fairly quiet.

She does sigh, though.]

This was a lot easier with an AI helping with the Carrot data.

general reactions to the terrible livestream

[venti_late]

[Venti has prepared the area well for the operation. There's food and drinks set out since some people get hungry in stressful situations. Not to mention, it'll help any of the combatants who come out to get an immediate pick-me-up.

The god hasn't been pacing or doing any nervous ticks this entire time. He's highly aware that acting nervous is only going to make the other people around him equally nervous, especially given what he is. So, Venti keeps himself relaxed despite how exhausted he is. The bard hasn't needed to eat since becoming a wind sprite, but he still needs to keep his energy up to maintain the connection. Not to mention, there's another important mission he needs to accomplish in order to truly end this.

So he quietly drinks some apple cider as he watches the video feed from Belle's monitor. The various aftermaths of the trials everyone is going through, the intimate glimpses into the traumas of Ragna's lives, weigh down his heart with pain for his North Wind. Venti sips his drink before saying:]

Gods, what a nightmare you've created, Aoko....

[His tone is a little sad.]

Once they've taken the fight out of her, I'll need to deal with her myself.

[It's only right. It's only fair. Someone has to show her the way home, and considering Ragna is one of his.... Well. There's a reason he's cradling Ragna's Electro Vision so gently in his free hand.]

[reignitions]

[Shio is mainly here to keep nosy outsiders away rather than observing.

That being said, it's not all he's doing.

At some point, he taps someone else to keep a closer eye on anyone who might be too nosy and he leaves-- though when he returns, it's with food from his restaurant, enough for everyone on the outside.]

Here. Nobody's working on an empty stomach, and anyone who might be going in there for potential backup should probably be keeping their strength up.

peanut gallery: boss battle edition

[greatlydares]

[For much of the fight against Aoko, Belle's been quiet, doing her best to keep out of the fight and keep eyes on what's going on. But then this happens, and she gasps.]

Oh. Oh, no, this is going to get really bad.

INSIDE, PHASE SHIFT 0

[centralfiction]

♪ Premonition

Through the power of the two gods, the infiltration team made it inside of the Spirit Realm. The entryway seemed to lead to some place that seemed underground. The air was oppressive, and the visibility was covered by a thin layer of what appeared to be fog or smoke. No matter what it was, it gave the idea that breathing it in for long was not a good idea.

Strangely enough, a cursory glance revealed that they were not underground. They were at ground level as the night sky could be seen through pillars behind them, but not above them.

Above them was a city. A city they had no means to access. And on top of one of the rafters holding this city up came a posh, vaguely bored voice.

"Oh? Have the understudies come to fill in their roles?"

As moonlight filtered through the pillars, the voice is revealed to be an elegantly dressed young woman carrying the air of nobility.

"It is not typical for a member of the audience to require introducing herself to the cast, but within that foolish man’s memory I seemed to manifest do to just that. How tiresome, but I should expect nothing less from such a brute, making a lady work."

Despite her complaints, she floated gently down from the rafters, the scent of roses and tea wafting past, as if the wind itself was her dutiful servant.

"I am Rachel Alucard, or an illusion of her made tangible by his memory."

[[ ooc: I’ll be NPCing Rachel, use this thread for your prep, to talk amongst yourselves about the area or prepare otherwise. If you want to talk with Rachel, ask for her in the subject line! ]]

PREPERATIONS!

[moonlited]

Ragna, we're coming for you!! Hold on!!

[ Arcueid had joined the group of people willing to save Ragna. She can't bear to lose anymore family. So they're going to rescue him from this no matter what. In fact, she's eager to get going because there's no time to waste. Ragna's life is on the line. When she looks at Rachel, she folds her arms together and nods. ]

This must be one of his memories. If we go deeper inside we might encounter danger. Are you prepared?

[ She'd at least hope that they've come up with a plan that might work. They've only got one chance at this. Ragna's made friends with some strong allies. They'll be tested. ]

preparing to go deeper

[loupmorque]

[ The Duke wears a quiet expression on his face as he looks over his things. He hasn't brought much--being a brawler, most of what he needs are his own two fists--as well as the pair of chunky gauntlets he wears. Adjusting a Spirit Bell he'd gotten on his hip just in case of emergencies, he also runs a thumb over a certain bracelet he'd gotten just to make sure it's securely attached.

He turns his attention to those who he'd called on in the group--folks from Meropide and others besides, to give them all a once-over. ]

...Make sure you have everything you might need. In my last experience with this sort of thing, it wasn't a simple in-and-out. We could be in there for hours. Or longer.
Anything can be a useful tool for what we might meet inside--make sure you have it before you regret not taking it after we're in the beating heart of this thing.

[ it's then when he turns his head to look at Rachel, his own sharp senses carrying the scent of tea to him which should be a comfort in this place, but... it isn't. not with how the city hangs heavy overhead, like some bastion of emptiness and a heavy industrial, chemical scent wafting down from it. ]

...As for you.
I'm guessing me and my company shouldn't expect a hint of what's to come in the furthur recesses of this place.

You don't strike me as confrontational, what with how you carry yourself. But I've judged others wrongly before. [ even if she's just an illusion. ]

PHASE SHIFT 1

[centralfiction]

(cw: arson, immolation, potential child death, body degradation, dismemberment)

♪ Mirage

Your goal is set by Rachel Alucard, vague though she was.

"If the saga's 'Central Fiction' ends in the same tragic way each time, would you not grow bored as well and wish for it to change?"

With some thought, it's easy to understand. The tale must be changed and set on the right path. To do that, you must preserve the Central Fiction. And who else could that be but the man dragged into this Labyrinth?

As you descend into the depths below this city, the scenery begins to warp. To glitch, almost. And you're eventually led to some sort of European countryside. Moving forward within it, there's some sort of grave site full of unmarked graves. Though its structure resembles a Japanese grave sight rather than a Western one. And it too is rife with distortions in reality.

Past that cemetery, you spot a humble looking home... or church in the distance, and on the outside an adult woman returning inside of it with two young blonde children. Forebodingly for the observant (roll), two suspicious figures could be seen on the side of it. A short while later, a slightly older blonde teenager manifests some distance away with a familiar scowl and muttering to himself in complaint as he carried a large and heavy IKEA bag. What he's saying could be heard as if speaking above you.

"Jesus, what a drag... I know we finally have money for all this but did we really need three tubs of ice cream, Mom... Whatever, I guess as long as it's for ∎∎∎∎ it's fine..."

The teenager is clearly Ragna, but he's too far to approach, and you cannot advance far past the grave site.

In the time it takes you to blink, however, the scene of the house distorted into suddenly being set ablaze and the young Ragna dropping his bag and running straight into his home.

At this point, you can now approach. Two paths stand before you, both of which must be walked.

STORY: GRIM REAPER'S PATH (no fight)

[centralfiction]

A thunderstorm plagued the grave site, but the sound of quiet weeping and struggling could be heard. The voice is vaguely familiar and may be recognized as that of Ragna's possessor. Along with that in moments where thunder isn't rumbling, the gentle strums of a lyre could be heard. Something about it is coercive, as if encouraging you to follow the sound on the wind.

Looking to the home, you can see that the door has caved in and the foundation is cracking as well. There's no way Ragna or his family will make it out alive. But there is one thing that saved Ragna. Possession. And his possessor was somewhere in this grave site.

Proceed with caution among the grave mounds, listen carefully between intermittent cracks of thunder and follow the sound of the lyre. Lead Aoko's resentful spirit to the house to find the man who seeks the same vengeance that she does before the fire kills him.

[[ to find Aoko in time, you'll need three success rolls out of five! folks with enhanced hearing get advantage + 2 on their rolls for this segment! ]]

SUCCESS (MIND THE CW'S)

Upon defeat of the illusion of Jin Kisaragi, the scenery will change to a gloomy and rainy sky and the remains of the humble home. Within the wreckage laid the sole survivor next to his unrecognizable mother. If Aoko was led to Ragna, a short "scene" akin to a show or story will play out. Her ghostly figure above Ragna still in the middle of the fire.

Give your power to me and only me and we will make them pay. She said.

Take it. I want to live. Because I am going to destroy them all. He replied before the scene faded and just showed Ragna again.

"Am I... alive...?" he asked no one in particular. "... Mamma...?" He felt someone next to him and tried to reach out, tried to move at all, but he couldn't.

"... That's right... I lost my arm..."

As he looked blankly at the rainy sky... tears started to fall. And only the forlorn screams of an orphaned teenager could be heard.

"Shit... S-Shit...! SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT--!"

And the scene faded, you find yourself further down in the depths and again Rachel's voice can be heard.

"It isn't always an act of mercy, is it? Some tragedies may give way to new futures. I will say this is not part of the story that I know thus far." Said with a rather neutral tone, as if she were also moved to emotion by the dream she never saw in Ragna the Bloodedge's mind.

She'll be watching you the entire way, it would seem, and she was perched above the next way through, some sort of freight elevator. The way forward... or rather the way down, is now available to access...

FAILURE (MIND THE CW'S)

Upon defeat of the illusion of Jin Kisaragi, the scenery will change to a gloomy and rainy sky and the remains of the humble home. Within the wreckage laid the only two still in the house as it burned. Two corpses, unrecognizable due to burns, with a house beam on top of the smaller one's right arm.

Sometimes cruel acts are needed for the protagonist of the story to survive. Be it in mercy or in lack of time, the spirit of Aoko Juusan continued to wander as far as the Swedish countryside, her ghostly image standing before the remains of the home.

And screaming. Crying. As if she was the one now on fire, some sort of pain has overtaken her as she threw herself to the floor writhing in pain.

The scene distorts to her in another place, still European, another, somewhere in the Middle East, another in the Southern Hemisphere and her pain just grew and grew and grew... before one last distortion and you find yourself where you started. Only the seithr in the air seems thicker now. From above, you hear a huffed scoff.

"You're able to defeat Mr. Hero, but you aren't able to lead one little girl to her place? I suppose you all are nothing more than a group of brutes yourselves." Rachel commented, light frustration in her tone before fading into the shadows of night.

Regardless, you can take the same path you did before to see that something made way the way forward... or rather the way down, available to access...

[[ first failure to save ragna in these scenes will cause all your rolls going forward to have a -1 penalty. you got the bad end and there's no kokonoe to give you a cheat sheet. ]]

REBEL 1: VS JIN=KISARAGI (fight)

[centralfiction]

♪ Lust SIN

Going up to the home on fire, you'll find absolutely no way in even trying to destroy the already crumbling foundation in the home. Inside there's panicked shouting of the young Ragna begging his mom to "please wake up, please wake up" in the midst of pain from his own searing wounds that you could still see through a small hole in the wall. Then an intense and sudden agonized scream as a burning beam from their home fell on top of Ragna's right arm.

Just as he screamed, however, a man stepped out from behind the house that bore a striking resemblance to the adult Ragna, tossing a flint to the side and sharing a single comment.

"It was his own fault, seeing her instead of me. Maybe if you were faster, you would like that wouldn't you Brother?"

The other figure that was seen earlier is nowhere to be found. It was only this man, elegant, stoic, resentful, empty, staring down at you as the air around him grew freezing cold against the flames.

"You're here for Brother... but I won't let you have him." Said with an expression that grew steadily more crazed.

Whoever this man is, it's clear he will not let you move forward alive.

[[ for the sake of ease a total of three combat round successes are needed for jin to go down! ]]

PHASE SHIFT 2

[centralfiction]

(cw: hypothermia, starvation, suffocation, human experimentation, torture of children, implied body horror, ptsd, mental breakdowns, effects of poison on the body)

♪ Front line

Descending from the freight elevator, the air became thicker with dust now combining with the seithr in the air. Color begins to drain from the area to become desolate, dingy and strangely enough: cold. A piercing cold that chills to the bone, one that only nature could sting with and not magic like the man you faced earlier.

The reason for the cold played in more distorted images before you as you go down. The young Ragna, his hair greying at the roots and huddling under unknown cover as a brutal winter storm slammed the area. Even for someone from Northern Europe and Japan, enough cold will do anyone in. He's shivering and only barely dressed enough for this weather. Some shadows cover him from his own magic. Likely the only way he survived this cold. Again, his voice can be heard above you.

"I don't care... I don't care... Fuck how cold it is, I'm so... f-fucking close to it... I can't fucking die... I can't die here."

For a moment as he rubbed his hands together for friction, he stopped to put them together as if in prayer. His mouth opened to recite something, but even in the cold he scoffed.

"Fuck it... if He were up there... he wouldn't have fucking let this happen...!"

The images faded as you hit the bottom, just before it seemed the young man was about to cry. With it, the cold from the wilderness subsided and was instead replaced with the cold loneliness... of a facility.

A Krusnik facility. One whose halls were rife with claw marks and signs of adult bodies drained completely of their life to be left as husks, some younger bodies with bile at the edges of their mouths and no pulse half stuck in body bags, and blood everywhere.

Battle cries from Ragna himself could be heard in the distance, he was somewhere in here and likely the cause of these adult deaths. But concerningly, there was another voice besides his.

STORY: SUBJECT NU (no fight unless you want, MIND THE CW's)

[centralfiction]

Aoko's voice. And images of her flashing in and out instantly. She was begging; "Please... please help me... I need food..." she said kneeling on the ground behind a door. "Just let me go... why won't you let me go?!" she screamed while being restrained in preparation for some horrifying experimental treatment and "Please... not again... someone PLEASE... HELP ME--!"

It is impossible this time to interact with her, but it's no less chilling than the winter air. What's worse, creatures from the outside corrupted by seithr are surging outward from these distortions. And they were making an immediate beeline towards Ragna.

Due to the previous destruction wrought on the base, however, much of the structure was beginning to fall apart and in the path of the monsters. One such path leading to the end of a corridor with another Gate... though it looked more like a pit of fire.

Keep them away from him at all costs, use the broken terrain to your advantage. These are not actors meant to star in this play. Quell the disruption.

[[ same as last time, three success rolls out of five are needed for success. essentially, you wanna lead the Greed away from Ragna's war path and into another rift that will destroy them. or you can just fight them, but if you can do this in a crafty way you'll get a free +1 ]]

SUCCESS:

With Terumi defeated and the Greed done away with, all there is left to witness is the rest of the Krusnik base's destruction. Walls coming down, claw marks and roars echoing down the hallways, more and more blood the further down you step.

And Aoko's voice still audible above your head.

As you approach the very end of the facility, Ragna had some unknown scientist by the collar that he slammed into the wall. He was screaming at them, as was Aoko's voice above. As if they shared the same sentiment at every step when it came to this damnable faction.

"You piece of SHIT--!" Punctuated with a punch, then slamming the scientist to the ground. "Why?! WHY?! What the FUCK was I doing to you?! What did we EVER do to you?!" Between sentences he just kept punching, his hands being stained with more blood with each blow. His voice cracking at the seams more with each shout.

Before shattering completely, furious tears streaming down both his and Aoko's faces.

"I wanted to live...! I JUST WANTED TO LIVE! THAT'S ALL I EVER WANTED! WHY?! WHY?!?! WHY?!?!?!?"

The scientist was long dead by this point, but both voices kept screaming and sobbing. The one living person in the facility still punching.

"DIE, DIE DIE--! JUST DIE...! I WANT ALL OF YOU TO DIE--!" That was repeated through choked tears... over and over and over again... until the scene faded into nothing like their screams.

Silence lingered in the air for a moment, then Rachel's voice broke it.

"Hm. Even in this life, he still stands after it all. He is far too stubborn for his own good." And yet her tone was tinged with something. Softness? Sadness? It was hard to say. "Come now, Company of Heroes, the Cauldron awaits you. As does that foolish little girl."

Indeed, her voice will lead you to the final way down. To the Cauldron.

FAILURE:

Despite Terumi's defeat, the Greed made their way to Ragna. And between his immobility and whatever other forces Krusnik sent after him, even he could not best them all. Still, a sword was plowed deep into a scientist's chest and split open at the center. Ragna laid unmoving and deceased a short distance away.

And above you was just Aoko's voice, no longer screaming. Aoko's image flashing briefly, completely emaciated on a surgical table.

"Why... why... what... did I...do..." Had her voice not been echoing throughout this Spirit Realm, she'd be barely audible. "Did I... do something wrong... why don't... you all die..."

"Why... is no one here... why did no one come... who am I anymore...

"I wanted to live... I just... wanted..." She stopped suddenly, as if that was all she could say anymore before dying.

And you're forced back to the start of the Labyrinth, where the sky could still be seen. Again, Rachel admonished your group with a tinge of... frustration and sadness in her tone.

"Perhaps it was too much to rely upon the help, after all." She huffed a little. But no less teleported the group back to the deeper point in the realm where the seithr has thickened to an obtrusive degree.

"Come now, 'Company of Heroes'. The Cauldron awaits you. As does that foolish little girl."

Indeed, she will lead you to the final way down. To the Cauldron.

[[ if this is your second failure to keep ragna alive, you'll now be rolling at disadvantage for the final fight. if it's your first you're at -1. another bad ending, i'm afraid. ]]

REBEL 2: VS YUUKI=TERUMI

[centralfiction]

♪ Nightmare Fiction

The voice of a hooded man. And he is laughing. Laughing like he'd seen the funniest moment of his life, and a bunch of comedians were standing in between him and the way forward.

"DAMN, are they good! I couldn't have done this better myself to her or the yapping puppy over there!" He gestured to Ragna, struggling to continue his onslaught because he was no longer moving. He was still fighting but his leg seemed bound in place by a chain, the same ones that this man was spinning in his arms like a toy.

"Shit, if I were somewhere in this life I'd LOVE to be with these guys. They have way more fucking fun than that bitch at the top of the NOL! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!"

The more he spoke, the more the need to kill him arose. As if sensing that from at least one person, he smiled like a filthy snake.

"What? Are you here to help him? Are you here to help the wittle baby dog out of his wittle trap? Now THAT'S a FUCKING RIOT. Know what? Fine. You're mad? Then come at me, I love seeing the light leave heroic LOSER'S eyes like yours!"

And more chains manifested around him, dripping with poison. Kill him to get through, show him that he's nothing more than a worthless apparition.

[[ four cumulative successful combat rolls will be needed to take terumi down! if he hits you once with the snake head of his chains he'll have advantage against you for one hit. ]]

PHASE SHIFT 3

[centralfiction]

♪ Awakening the Chaos

The third elevator goes down. Down, down, down. Or at least, you've felt the sensation of descending throughout all this time. Looking back as you exit the last elevator, you'll see that the path has been a long straight line this entire time.

But the sky isn't visible. Nothing is. Only portions of unmarked graves, signs of burning upon the suddenly intricate walls in this final corridor and at the end of it...

Stood Ragna. Stood Aoko Juusan using his body. Again, their voices spoke in unison.

"Loading complete. Enemies detected."

They... she was covered from head to toe in armor crafted from shadow, a long row of blades floated behind them as if they were wings. Her right eye was covered by one of the regulators Ragna once wore on his hand on a silver band that latched onto him like a parasite.

The right arm surged with the same power seen in the video feed and was still out of control. Despite that, she turned around. Slowly.

"You're not allowed to be here. This is our realm."

the wheel of fate

[loupmorque]

[ his ears flick as that dual-toned voice hits his ears. And there's something in him that curdles upon hearing it.
on one hand, watching how Ragna got possessed in the first place makes him appreciate Aoko--she'd saved Ragna's life; she'd kept him alive. But on the other hand, what she was doing now; having stolen him away, locked him in this nightmare realm? it wasn't right. ]

We don't have to be enemies. [ that was the main thing he needs to get across. the thing he NEEDS her to understand. ] And regardless how you feel about us being here: we all have the same goal. We want to see Ragna safe.

Isn't that what you want?

[life_ethereal]

[Harumasa doesn't know Aoko very well, but this has given him an understanding of her. He sees where her current fear is coming from. Yet that doesn't make it right. What she's doing is hurting Ragna, not protecting him. Harumasa doesn't think she sees that... or, perhaps, she's willing to accept that price.]

The more I'm not allowed to be here, the more I wanna be here. You and Ragna should know that by now.

[His smile and tone are easy-going, light-hearted. Pretending that this place isn't slowly killing him. Pretending that he doesn't have a time limit to stay here and see this through.]

You're scared for his safety and you're scared that something's going to take away your name, aren't you? But, Aoko, don't you see this is killing him?

[unreachableside]

[After fighting his way here, Blade looks worse for wear. He goes toward dark colors but the lighter gray pants have a lot of blood on them, and there are new gashes healing on top of old scars where his skin is visible. He steps forward, and again, and again, making his way through the corridor slowly and with determination, blade hanging low in his right hand and leaving little phantasmal red flower petals in his wake. His regeneration has kicked in, making sure he isn't worse... but he still reeks of blood.

At last he stops a few yards away. He could be a savior or executioner. He has yet to choose a path.]

Aren't you tired of it all? Fighting against yourself every single second of every single day... pushing other people away... making plans upon plans... The day has come, and the bell tolls for you, girl.

Ragna is no stranger to fighting against the inevitable, but he deserves a choice. Both him and me... we've sworn to rewrite the ending of this story. I am living proof of the future he wants for himself. I'm here to make sure it comes true.

[He holds out his left hand, bandaged and stained with blood, but an honest offer nevertheless.]

Ragna, wake up. It's time to go home.

FINAL BOSS: VS AOKO=JUUSAN

[centralfiction]

♪ Awakening the Chaos ~ Anothen Blue

After a while of speaking, eventually Aoko would have had enough. You approach a cornered animal, the only result is that it will lash out.

"Shut up, shut up, shut up!!! I don't care anymore!! Its your fault... it's all your fault that he's in danger! That the only place that remembers me is in danger!! I don't CARE anymore, all of you... just DIE--!"

With that, she rose one of her arms and at her command the blade wings behind her ascended then rushed straight at the group as she thrust her hand forward.

"Activate termination protocol."

Everyone must roll to dodge.

Team Health Crisis (Harumasa, Noctis, Blade, Baizhu)

[life_ethereal]

[Harumasa grabs Agent Gulliver and dodges neatly out of the way of the blades (12+2) with a speed that leaves behind an afterimage of himself. Throughout these battles, he's fought like he can see what the opponent is about to do and this is no different. Yet there's no time to shout a warning to the others. He has to trust that they'll be okay.

He sets the Bangboo down before counterattacking her. Or he tries to. As he nocks his arrow and charges it with electricity, he feels an unexpected pain in his chest. He releases the shot, but it goes wide (3+2). Harumasa coughs lightly into his hand afterwards, and takes deep, steadying breaths to try to control it as best he can. His condition is beginning to deteriorate, as Aoko said, but he doesn't need the emergency medication just yet.

Agent Gulliver seems to know what's going on and moves immediately to provide the former Executive Officer covering fire. The robotic rabbit fires a blue laser at Aoko for a direct hit (10).]

Man, you really know how to make us work for it, huh....

[Thinking that Baizhu might be concerned considering that he's the guy's patient, he waves at the healer.]

I'm alright for now, doc!

Team Impact (Wrio + any who'd like to join)

[loupmorque]

[ he should have known that reasoning with a mad spirit wasn't going to be possible. It's probably why he didn't bother putting his gautlets away, and why the icy fog that seemed to leech out around him when his vision was glowing didn't dissipate. He knew it'd come to blows, he just wasn't sure how quickly. Or when.

But as she starts to scream and lose what bit of cohesiveness she had, he knew this was it. All that was left was to fight. ]

On your guard! [ the duke calls out moments before those blades fly up behind her, and the Duke is already on the move. With a quick jump and roll, he manages to dodge out of the way of the first volley(13), hitting his knees and throwing out a wave of ice towards Aoko, in the next motion. (8). ]

cotton candy vengeance (march, ana, room for 1-2 more)

[trailblazingspirit]

[March gets hit almost immediately and sent flying back into a wall (...nat 1), which is not a very auspicious start to the fight. But she gets to her feet and shakes her head with a muttered curse, before she reaches out to cast her shield onto Ana. The cool, friendly chill of a perfect winter evening will tickle over the back of her neck, and in the meantime March nocks an ice arrow.]

Hey, ghostie! Let him go!

[Her arrow flies...and goes completely wide (2). But at least it bursts into pretty ice crystals?]

...jeez.

TRUE ENDING

[centralfiction]

♪ Stardust memory

sendoff

With the two finally separated and Ragna gravely injured, Aoko's spirit remained. She was beaten down, half clad in the shadowy armor she donned not long ago. But she had no strength to fight any longer.

"Why... why does everyone have to take from me... I just wanted to live..."

From where he was injured, Ragna managed to speak.

"Aoko... you need to move on... it's not fair to you to keep wandering... you deserve another chance. I'm sorry... I can't give it to you..."

To which she stared at him and tears started to fall...

There is a means for Aoko to move on. For her spirit to finally be allowed to cross over and be born again into a better life.

aftermath

But for now... rest, recuperate, tend to the severely wounded, and make your way out of this Labyrinth. As you exit, though, you swear you hear the sound of soft, ladylike clapping. One final comment from Rachel Alucard as she faded as well.

"A tale I can finally call entertaining... Hehe, I never thought I would see the day..."

[whiteshroud]

[Dante, Venti, and Shroud had traveled together. It had been a long journey, and honestly a bit of an embarrassing one since Dante decided to bridal carry him for half the trip. As soon as they reach the area.... Jun spots that something serious is going on, and does his best to quickly get out of Dante's hold before anyone notices-- but of course, there was always a chance you caught seeing it anyway.

But now that they were here.... it was time to get to work.

Jun will first focus on making sure everyone will have a way out. Without addressing anyone. he'll begin working an incantation in the background. Soon, a large portal will appear, linking the depths of this labyrinth to the outside area where everyone is waiting. It's then he'll actually speak up]

This portal will take you out of the labyrinth.

[With that being said.... his work wasn't finished. As people began to gather the wounded and check on each other, he'll quietly walk over to the power source he's detecting: the blazblue.

Time to deal with this as well.

OOC: Thanks to the portal, anyone who is outside of the labyrinth will be able to enter to attend the aftermath stuff!]