File: MIra.jpg (210 KB, 1280x1024)

210 KB JPG

>>31978081
“Come forth spear of thunder, bring forth judgment! Descend Gungnir!” Gathering her magical power, Mira raised her cursed spear as lighting gathered at its tip!

>Gunfight II Active!
>Thunder Break Spieß

The Enforcer tosses her spear, as its golden glow separated the darkened sky in two! With no mercy the lighting spear accelerates, breaking the sound barrier as it pierces the target. Immediately several lightning bolts descend from the sky, as each struck the silver dragon.

This cruel power of destruction was the true purpose of this cursed spear, once thrown its destructive power will never allow its victim to escape alive!

> S. Drake HP: 7->0/40, Banished!

Now the Silverion Dragon is defeated, as he slowly fades from the world surrounded by blue light, the clear indication of a spent summon.
Still that was not all, taking the opportunity Vivio moves in to attack, her fist first strikes the head of the fire dragon with great force! But sadly the head of the creature was too hard, and her blow barely managed to stun the beast.

“Let me aid you, Vivio!” With a loud roar Einhard attacks, “Break the sky in two, Hegemon Sky Severing Fist!” The tough hide of the viral dragon can offer no resistance to the fists of the king, with no effort they break the flame dragon ruler in two halves that are consumed in blue light!

> F. Drake HP 6->0/35, Banished!

>Limiters Off, Barrel Expanded! All is set! Tohma we are ready, you can shoot now!

“Roger!” Silver particles start to gather at the tip of your gunblade preparing your most powerful skill, your targets the Earth Dragon and Julia “Fire, Divide Zero!” With a pull of your trigger, your most destructive and powerful attack was released, an overflowing flow of silver light that will erase anything in its path.

>Tohma HP 14/20
>VL: 70->90%

>[1/2]

File: Divide Zero.png (436 KB, 1698x1200)

436 KB PNG

If your attack connected with your old childhood friend, you were sure that she would not escape unharmed; but right now this was your only hope to finish now!

>Support Defender! Great Defender! Iron Mountain Style! Guardian Knight!
>BLOCK!

But the Earth Dragon, with a powerful roar, jump in the way of your attack! Its rock-like body growing in size until it blocked the full blast of your beam! The monstrous earth dragon devoured minerals from the streets and concrete buildings to constantly repair its body, until it managed to withstand your attack!

>E. Drake HP 41->25/45

Julia jumped over the still smoking body of what was the earth dragon (who was quickly recovering from the Divide Zero!), “Tohma, you may have defeated two of my Dragon Rulers, but I won’t give up! Come forth Ruler of the Sacred Winds! Dragon of the Tempests!”

>0/3 Circles Prepared, 1 Dragon Ruler Left; 3/3 Turns for Regen of S/F Drakes!

>[Eclipse Dragon: Tempest Drake]<
>HP: 35/35

The three magic circles are instantly consumed and in that ritual the fourth Dragon Rule is summoned and infected. The Ruler of the Winds has a body covered in green scales and protected by a cocoon of viciously fast winds. In your heart you knew who this monster was, it was the sole ruler of the atmosphere and all the winds!

Just like your old friend told you so many years ago.

With a single wingbeat the wind dragon took control of the air, sending blades of wind powerful enough to behead you! But that wasn’t all, in the distance you see the Dragon Princess with a black book in hand, a copy of the silver cross… could she be using an EC Casting?

What do you do? The Cloudy field is still up, but you feel those wind blades will blow it off.
>Shoot the Wind Blades Down?
>Dodge? Quick Move Away!
>Tank the hit and counter?
>Forget about the wind blades, attack Julia?
>Trust your friends to protect you, you will prepare another massive attack!
>Other?

>>31978198
>Shoot the Wind Blades Down?

>>31978909
Right roll me a 4x d100
DC is 40

Rolled 100

>>31978992
Rollan!

Rolled 56

>>31978992
No no no no no!

Rolled 91

>>31978992
Crit!!!!

Rolled 6

>>31978992
Curse you dice!!!

Rolled 81, 73, 8, 97 = 259

>>31979026
Crit Failure...
>Writing!

File: Dragon WInd.png (281 KB, 300x441)

281 KB PNG

>>31979245

You are Tohma Avenir, and there is no way you will allow those wind blades to reach you. You know that the true purpose of this attack is to blow away Mira’s Cloudy Field and leave your team at the mercy of the snipers!

“Silv-“You prepare your spell to gundown the enemy attack, but- it’s too fast! You weren’t able to even get a lock on the wind blades before they struck!
Vacuum blades made by the Lord of the Winds gouge your body without mercy and blow the windy field as well!

>Tohma HP 14->9/20

Ein catches you battered body, as she finishes her own casting! “Tohma, please be more careful! Physical Heal!” You allow her magic to affect your body, as you feel some of your wounds restoring themselves!

>Tohma HP->9->11/20

Even though your body is still pained, you do not have time to waste! Right now you are sure that the enemy mirror shields are reposition themselves to allow the snipers to attack you, and there is the fact that the Dragon Princess is preparing something!

What do you do? [Choose any, just remember that each char can only take one action.]
>Ask someone to attack a dragon?
>Ask Mira to cast Cloudy Field again?
>Ask Mira to Gungnir again?
>Ask Isis to blow up a building and create cover?
>Ask Isis to create a perfume wall to shield from attacks? [1 sided-wide covering]
>Ask Ein to use some healing magic on her and Vivio [The two will wait this turn]
>Ask Ein to attack a target with Vivio?
>You should get near and sword a Dragon
>Shoot it at full power- Silver Hammer!
>Shift and attack Julia, you hope that you can avoid its two guardians- the Knight and the E. Dragon!
>Other?

> Tohma's Regen in 1 Turn
> 2 Turns until S/F Drakes can be summoned again!
> 0/3 Circles Set up, 1 Dragon Ruler Available!

>>31979783
Will be taking a break for an hour, sorry about this. Will be back soon!

>>31979783
Taunt the earth dragon. It might have one hell of a heavy shell, but it's weak on the inside. If we can get it to roar, we can boundless shift into its mouth, for an easy stab at the brain, head down the throat, crimson slashing every artery we pass on the way, and into the stomach, where a Divide Zero into its chest cavity will ruin every internal organ it has and likely blast us a way out.

>>31979783
>Vivo block the Knights way.
>Ein, attack the Earth Dragon
>Shift and attack Julia, have faith in your friends.
>Mira, Isis, those shields are an issue, break them.

>>31981166
Eh...I say Ein attack Julia, we handle the ED as per >>31980521, but otherwise I'm okay with it.

Back... so I guess the plan is something like this:
>Tohma, taunt Dragon
>Ein attack Julia
>Mira and Isis break the shields
>Vivio attacks the Knight
Is this right?

>>31981551
I'm good.

>>31981551

>Purposly try to get a monster made of rock angry in the slim hope it 1) will try to eat you instead of trying to crushing you 2) doesn't have insides also made of rock. 3) we don't fail whatever the DC is for being eaten alive.

Terrible idea but natural selection at its finest. But wherever, go for it.

Rolled 86, 98, 33, 4 = 221

>>31981677
>>31981779
Not how I would do it, but who cares, Roll me first a taunt Check, let's see if they fall for it!
3x d100
DC is 45, pretty simple right?

Rolled 90

>>31981829
Okay, first off, Vivio is a motherfuckin BAMF

Rolled 75

>>31981890
Secondly, I need to roll better.

Rolled 76

>>31981829
Rollan

Rolled 35

>>31981890
>>31981915
>>31982066
This is the dice mocking us.

Rolled 64, 95, 71, 50 = 280

>>31982066
>>31981915
>>31981890
Roll a protective check, because you got some mofos really angry at you... just not the ones you wanted angry!
4x d100
DC is 30, a tricky dodge but not impossible!

Rolled 46

>>31982127
Oh dear lord...it doesn't HAVE to be the ED we annihilate with that trick, right?

Rolled 86

>>31982127
Rollin

Rolled 66, 47, 54 = 167

>>31982159
The Good news is that the Earth dragon did not fall for your trick... the bad one is that some other guys fell for it instead... and they do like to attack you!

Rolled 53

>>31982127
terrible rolls for terrible ideas.

Rolled 77

>>31982228
-.- One more try...

Rolled 84

>>31982127

>>31982286
>>31982279
>>31982194
>>31982159
Not that bad Failure, aka not that bad.,

For the record, >>31982228
this roll is for Nanoha, Mr. Saber and Mr. Death... their team is quite sad at the moment.

>>31982384
>Writing!

>>31982384
Wait...Nanoha is one of the snipers?

>>31982436
No, none of the beams were pink, and if Nanoha was sniping you, you would already be dead (and she would be sniping from space too).

The White Devil never misses.

File: Red Fiend.jpg (43 KB, 575x393)

43 KB JPG

>>31982414
Before the snipers could try to shoot, Mira and Isis move to blast the floating silver shields down, while neither of them shot one down, the constant evasive action each shield had to make made the shots impossible for the snipers!

But that was not all, having a safe zone from enemy attacks Vivio and Ein moved past the two Dragon Rulers (who were concentrated on you), reaching Mira with ease! Sensing the enemy, the Silver Knight moved to protect his master!

>Sup. Defender! Iron Hero Style! Defender!

The silver knight prepares to impede the two, but Vivio intercepts the knight, kicking him away from Ein’s path!

>S. Knight HP->25->18/25

Now is the time, with no one left to protect the summoner, Ein has a clear shot at ending this! Raising her fist she prepares her signature move, “I won’t allow you to hurt Tohma anymore, be judged by my hands, Hegemon Sky Severing Fist!” Separating the Earth from the Heavens, the first of the King have no are unmatched!

>Julia HP 20->13/20

The blow of the attack sent Julia flying back, interrupting whatever casting she was doing, and finally turnin the tides of this match in their favor, expect for…
A certain trap!

Below Ein there is another magic circle, one that activates in response to her attack, and thus suddenly a metallic claw rushes upward from the ground!

>Ein HP 9->7/14.
>HATE BUSTER!

Ein had no time to avoid the attack, and in that moment your green-haired friend was injured! Then from the ground a new monster appear. A red fiend, with a single claw made of silver metal, made for the sole purpose of killing and being killed.


>[Eclipse Field: Red Hate Ogre]<
>RHO HP 15/15!

>[1/2]

File: Juliana.jpg (41 KB, 854x480)

41 KB JPG

>[2/2]

But you had no time to worry about her, you need to draw the attention of the Earth Dragon and deal with it now… but how will you do that! Simple, you grab the Silver Cross in hand and start waving it at the Earth Dragon, if it was any sort of Eclipse Infected, surely it will react to your Gospel!

Right?

No… sadly the Earth Dragon did not move, but the Wind Dragon did! With a single roar a powerful tornado formed. The extreme winds picked up debris and scrap metal as the Wind Drake threw them at your team! (except Ein who was luckily outside the area)!

Somehow, Vivio managed to avoid the debris storm, but sadly everyone else was struck! Concrete, Walls, Doors, Steel Posts, Cars, even though any of those items could have been dodged alone, the sheer amount of ammunition made it too hard to dodge!

>Tohma HP 11->7/10
>Vivio HP 9/13
>Mira HP 13->9/18
>Isis HP 10->7/15

>VL: 100% +2 Dice Bonus, Get the Virus Rolling!

Your head was bleeding… and you were feeling strange… but there was no time to waste, the Wind Dragon will soon attack, and now you feel that it will be bad. Plus Julia was standing again, her eyes meeting your as she prepared her book again!


What do you do? [Same as before]
>Ask someone to attack a dragon?
>Ask Mira to cast Cloudy Field again?
>Ask Mira to Gungnir again?
>Ask Isis to blow up a building and create cover?
>Ask Isis to create a perfume wall to shield from attacks? [1 sided-wide covering]
>Ask Ein to use some healing magic on her and Vivio [The two will wait this turn]
>Ask Ein to attack Julia again?
>Ask Vivio to keep the Silver Knight away from Julia!
>Ask Vivio to help and support Ein!
>You should get near and sword a Dragon
>Shoot it at full power- Silver Hammer!
>Shift and attack Julia, you hope that you can avoid its two guardians- the Knight and the E. Dragon!
>[DRAGONSLAYER!]
>Other?

>>31983142
Wind, eh? The answer is simple. Increase gravity via EC particles, make the atmosphere so heavy around the dragon that it simply cannot move easily.

Can we try doing something like that?

>>31983256
Right now you can't, Gravity Control falls under Curren's Variant Strain...

>>31983281
What about an implosion? Make all the EC particles in an area suddenly rush towards a single point in that area, taking everything in the way with it?

>>31983324
Yeah, but you can do that, its how most beam attacks work... aka Silver Hammer and co. If you want an effect like that just use Divide Zero and try to aim up because if you don't you will split the city in two... and kill everything in your way.

>>31983348
No generic singularity effect? Well, alright then. Divide Zero as it's flying around appears to be the answer.

>>31983541
>generic singularity effect
You mean compressing the EC particles into a single point to generate a black hole?
Well right now that is not possible (and you have better things), but there is someone who already researched that application of EC particles and uses it (but not in combat, too troublesome).

>>31983597
Not a black hole, persay...just using EC particles to simulate the effect. A compression.

>>31983597
Well still waiting for someone to give me a concrete vote...

>>31983654
Mmm, that could be done, but not right now, Tohma needs to train a bit more using his powers to do something that extensive (covering the whole area needed), in a way it would be as hard as using the trick Julia does to create empty particle spaces to use magic.

>>31983143


>Ask Mira to Gungnir the Wind Dragon
>Ask Isis to make us some cover.
>Have Ein and Vivo pull back. Then ask Ein to heal her and Vivio.

>A knight and an Earth Drake against the Digger Hero? I'm just getting warmed up! [Collapse the ground underneath} Julia and her guardians via Silver Rain]

>>31983142
>>31983737

Hmm, guess that 3 at the end was supposed to be a 2.

My bad.

Rolled 3, 1, 49, 55 = 108

>>31983737
>31983737
Well no problem, let's go with this now!
Ground Collapse Success!
>There is no need to roll for something that has a DC over 70...

Roll for Silver Stars: Hundred Million!
5x d100
DC is 25/40/60, each is a tier better result!

Rolled 11

>>31983913
>DC over 70

The Hero has returned.

>>31983913
>>31983976

23 threads in and I thin Tohma just learned how to fight effectively.

>>31984031
>23 threads

This marks the most time I've spent following a single quest.

File: Stat Sheet.pdf (151 KB, PDF)

151 KB PDF

>>31983976
>>31984031

You do have that skill that give all earth related scores something like +30, collapsing the ground is nothing to Tohma, it's the only skill he has been grinding all these years. Its the thing he is good at!

>>31983976
Also Success, Time for Tohma's best and most useful spell! All out shooting spell with a hundred million bullets!

>>31984082
Also will start writing!

>>31984140
I have an idea...if her trick is to move EC particles out of the way, then can we disrupt her focus by increasing the ambient EC level?

>>31984161
Yeah, but to be honest her skill level is high enough that to get to a concentration of ambient EC particles high enough to bother her trick you would have doses of EC particles that would be lethal to other non-infected (The original use of this trick was to protect non-Drivers from EC particles).

Like I said before, the best way to disrupt her trick would be to just stab her circles and divide the magic directly!

>>31984315
Bah. I was hoping it'd be a thing where she'd just have to dissipate the EC particles before she did things. Buy a turn or two where we could flat-out ignore her.

>>31984391

I think your underestimating the Dragon Princess here. She's our childhood friend after all, of course she's crazy strong.

>>31984391
If you two were alone you probably could try that, but if you expelled enough EC particles for that kind of concentrations needed for that, you probably would poison every normal human in the area and would be literally swimming in EC particles. Dragon Princess is really good at this sort of control technique, it is her passion and main strength.

If you want to distract her, just keep shooting at her... or plan explosives or something (a delayed homing mine could work). Sometimes, simple is better.

File: Hole.jpg (11 KB, 275x183)

11 KB JPG

You telepathically relay your orders to your team. First, Ein and Vivio move to the side, hiding inside a building and take the time to heal up! You feel that you will need those two soon (and it has nothing to do with how you feel about them fighting, really it doesn’t).

>Ein HP: 7->11/14
>Vivio HP: 9->13/13

While Mira finishes the Wind Dragon…. “Gungnir!” The fact that the ruler of the storms was banished by the power of the cursed spear does not need to be said…
>Critical Gunfight, Overwhelm, Victorious Knight!

>T. Drake HP: 35->0/35, Banished, Oneshot*

That left you to act… Isis’s black perfume curtain were spinning around you, blocking all beam shots from the snipers that bounced off the shields after you.

But you did not care about them, you cared about Julia and her guardians. With a wave of your left hand you took control of the earth, your element. If your princess had her dragon of the earth, then you always had dominion over the earth itself!

>[1/2]

File: Silver Stars.png (196 KB, 530x533)

196 KB PNG

>[2/2]

Even though the system was different, the end result you desired was something you were familiar with, using EC particles you modify the properties of the terrain, causing the ground under Julia and her guardians to collapse into a 20 meter deep crevice! Trapped by the soil around the, they had no chance to escape your next attack!

How it was time to act! “Thousand holy stars of silver: rain from the skies and grant the wishes of those who wish for a better future, Silver Stars: Hundred Million!” Your EC spell was completed in an instant, as all the pages from your book were ripped appear and floated around you!

Each page shined with a holy silver light, each one of the several thousand was a star that sang of your true victory! With a wave of your gunblade you ignited your spell! “Descend”

With that, enough silver bullets to fill a battlefield shot after your targets.

The Red Fiend tried to destroy them with his claw…

But the rain of silver proved too many and overwhelmed him.

The Silver Knight tried to shield his master….

But the rain of silver proved too many and overwhelmed him.

The Earth Dragon tried to move the earth…

But the rain of silver proved too many and overwhelmed him.

The princess summoned the last Dragon Ruler…

But the rain of silver proved too many and overwhelmed the two.

Your attack barely lasted half a minute, but now the small crevice you had made had been turned into a wide crater…. with your old friend in the center.

She is now defeated… what do you do?
>Go and ask her, you have many questions for her. [Gunpoint interrogations]
>Hug her… and ask her to stop.
>Deal with the snipers.
>Leave, you have dealt with the main sniper, you do not care anymore.
>Capture her…
>Other?

>>31985022
>hug her, ask her to stop

Ladies and gentlemen, we have discovered our variant of the friendship cannon.

>>31985022

>Have Silber Engle deal with the snipers.
>Hug her… and ask her to stop.

She did promise she'd tell us what's going on if we beat her, so the interrogation is unnecessary.

>>31985342
>>31985134
Writing.... time for some friendship!

File: Hugs 2.png (399 KB, 536x799)

399 KB PNG

>>31985484
You quickly order your team to deal with the snipers… and when you feel the presence of your friends leave the area, you finally descend into the crater you made.

Right now, you want to be alone, but you do not know why. Is it because she is someone from your past, or is it because you do not want your friends to hear whatever she might say…

Or maybe you do not want them to see you cry like an idiot.

But even so, in the center of the crater you see a familiar figure. Her hair is disheveled and her tired body bruised, but even so she is trying to stand again. Her legs are uneven, too weak to hold her, but even so she tries to stand.

Even though she does not have any energy to even stand straight, she is trying to fight again.

Her armor is destroyed.

Her body is broken.

Her weapon unusable.

Her powers depleted.

Her partner unreachable.

Her dragonic servants are all banished.

Her Silver Cross Replica is burnt.

Right now this girl has nothing left to fight with, but even so, she won’t yield…

Because her pride was still unbroken!

Such a stubborn idiot… but that is how your princess has always been… an idiot too stubborn to stop, but you have always liked that about her.

Plus, you too were an idiot. Without caring about what she might think, you fly before her, and pull her into your arms. “Princess, please stop.”

“Stupid, I haven’t lost yet…” Her voice is tired, weak; just like her body, but even so you know that she will try to continue fighting!

“No, you are the idiot, you have been defeated by me, the Hero, so give up, Princess.”

“You…really are an idiot, if you have beaten me, then kill me. Don’t spare enemy drivers, they are the type to hold surprises for idiots like you.” Who her? If it had been anyone else you might have worried but an idiot like her would never do anything.

>[1/2]

File: Julia Smile 2.jpg (93 KB, 720x405)

93 KB JPG

“Who you? You still have to answer my question, so I know you won’t do anything.” Hearing this she stiffens, before giving up, and leaning against your shoulder.

She is really tired, because back then she only allowed you this close to her when she was too tired to even move and asked you to carry her.

“Right, you are the victor Mr. Hero, so please ask away. I will answer everything I can, that is the duty of the defeated.” Even though her voice is still weak, you feel it a bit stronger, more resolute. You can tell that whatever she will say will be the truth and only the truth. "That is the only thing I can do for you now, Tohma."

The smile on her face tells you this.

What do you ask her? [One at the time]
>Our Hometown.
>Why are you doing this? Why were you attacking me and the Ships, be honest this time?
>Why were you this weak… the old you?
>What caused the outbreak, who is the Crystal Devil?
>Someone told me about a guy in the Central Area, someone who knows about the Eclipse… tell me about him.
>Who is researching the Eclipse, why here? Tell me about that?
>Do you know how to cure the outbreak? Help me!
>Other?

>>31985918
>>Our Hometown.

We'd be hated if we didn't ask this first. By her and ourselves.

>>31985975
Well writing, you guys don't pull your punches do you.

>>31985918
If I offered to take you with me to the TSAB, where we can do some good and make sure outbreaks like this never become so devestating...would you do it?"

>>31986290
Asking her to join you will come later. Ease her in.

>>31986307
>not being as subtle as a rabid rhino carrying a death metal band on his back farting fireballs

>>31986358
There was something you had to ask first, something you both know you need to ask before asking anything else.

If you don’t ask this first now, you know that you will be hated by her and by yourself. “Princess, I need to know this right now, what happened that day… what happened in our hometown.” Thinking about it makes you range, but you calm yourself now.

Getting angry will do no one any good.

“You don’t you really don’t remember… “The princess takes a moment to meet your eyes before continuing, “You really don’t... well, there is not much to it. What happened there was what happened here, an EC Virus Outbreak!” What… but… no, you remember the storm, and everything breaking apart, and the man and the woman, the blue wing tattoos.

“No… it was… a man, a woman…” They had to be the ones, they had to be, if not… did your hate was…

“Tohma, our town was used as a site to test the EC Virus. They infected everyone there, took the ones who became EC Drivers and killed everyone else.” Julia takes a moment to take a deep break, calming herself, “You have probably heard about the recent cases of villages that were attacked, they all probably were also sites to test the virus.” This probably was the easiest way to make more Drivers. By using small villages as experiments, they are able to test different stains of the virus and see which ones work best while adding more EC Drivers to their group,

Still, something bothered you, “Then that mean that you… survived the outbreak, and the ones who did it took you in?” Surviving a place like this, seeing everyone you know turn into monsters, and then having to join the ones who did it.
You can see why her heart has been filled with such hate until now.

>[1/2]

>[2/2]

“Yeah, I wasn’t the only survivor from our hometown, but everyone else is probably dead by now, they either were killed for trying to escape or lost control of the virus. The only one alive are you and me, the only monsters that came from the mines of Vaizen.” Hearing this you hug her even tighter, even more closely.

Someone was attacking small frontier villages in small planets, staging controlled outbreaks to farm EC Drivers… and your hometown had been one of the victims.

That was fine, you could understand that, but then… why did you not remember any of that? And also why weren’t you infected with the virus too?

Is any of this even really true, she could be lying for all you know. No, you won't doubt her, but... where would that leave you?

No, you have to ask your princess questions now, you will have time to think later…
>Who did this, who is doing this?
>Why haven’t you escaped, why are you doing this?
>Why were you this weak… the old you?
>What caused the outbreak, who is the Crystal Devil?
>Someone told me about a guy in the Central Area, someone who knows about the Eclipse… tell me about him.
>Who is researching the Eclipse, why here? Tell me about that?
>Do you know how to cure the outbreak? Help me!
>Other?

>>31986897
>>Who did this, who is doing this?

>>31986897
"I get the odd feeling you're about to tell me it was the TSAB. However, I believe the outbreak was orchestrated by the Huckebein family...so who is right?"

>>31987042
>>31986940


Anyhow writing?

>>31987042
>>31987233

Eh, can we not say this? It's really just a painfully bad way of saying we know nothing.

But poor wording aside, yes please proceed.

>>31987294

I was going to reword it into something like this....

Who did this? Who is doing this? Tell me. I get the odd feeling that you will tell me it was the TSAB, however I believe that the Huckebein family was the one behind the outbreak in our hometown. So who was it?”

Would this work better...

>>31987334
It would. Just get across that we have our own theories on who's behind it.

>>31987354
How about..,.
"Part of me thinks it was the TSAB, however I remember that the Huckebein family was the one behind the outbreak in our hometown. So who was it?"

>>31987403
That'll work.

File: Spoiler Image (684 KB, 1700x1200)

684 KB PNG

>>31987454
“Who did this? Who is doing this? Part of me thinks it was the TSAB, however I remember that the Huckebein family was the one behind the outbreak in our hometown. So who was it?" You weren’t sure that your memories were right, but you had to make sure.

“He, you are probably not wrong about the TSAB, someone in it has to be involved one way or another, that’s the only way they could keep the outbreaks secret for so many years, but I doubt that commander who helped you was involved in it.” Yeah, that makes sense, that is why the investigation on your hometown where always blockaded when Su-chan and you tried to open the case. “But our group is not part of the TSAB, we are independent from them.

And about that fowl bird… I once heard that she was once a part of our group, but she ran off with her Silver Cross some years before I joined… so I don’t think she was involved… probably.” So it wasn’t the Huckebein, then… you owed an apology to that man.

Maybe. You still think he is a dick.

“Then who was it. If it wasn’t the TSAB or the Huckebein, who was it?” Who did this, who was your enemy?

File: Julia Smile.png (302 KB, 800x450)

302 KB PNG

“Sorry, but I can’t tell you. I literally can’t tell you. Sorry Tohma.” She averts her eyes from you, as she returns you hug, “The only thing I can tell you is that they have been researching the Eclipse for several years, making experiments on it to refine the virus while working from the Shadows. They have been infecting villages, developing new Dividers, creating the Strosek-Series, and building weapons for a single goal. To change the world.... or something like that."

"What?" Change the world using the EC? Do they mean to turn everyone into an EC Driver?

"Hehe, I really don't know what our goal is, and I can't give you our name, but if you want to call us something, call us Nameless, we lost our pasts, our names and ourselves… we were infected by this poison and became monsters who live to spread this virus under the orders of our masters. Dogs of War who jump when ordered… that what we are. In the end the only thing I have is this curse, and my hate, Tohma, that’s all I have.” Julia just laughs bitterly at the end, she laughs at her fate, at her hate.

Nameless, you feel that this is not the real name of the organization, but it’s a start, so what do you ask?

>Why can’t you tell me more, why haven’t you escaped, why are you doing this?
>Why were you this weak… the old you?
>What caused the outbreak, who is the Crystal Devil?
>The Monk told me about a guy in the Central Area, someone who knows about the Eclipse… tell me about him.
>Who is researching the Eclipse, why here? Tell me about that?
>Do you know how to cure the outbreak? Help me!
>Other?
>No, you have something else... your magic and me, your friend?

>>31987857
If you want to ask her to join you, you can do it now too.

>>31987857
>No, you have something else... your magic and me, your friend?

Diplomacy is overpowered.

>>31988115
You can tell her this and ask her another question...

That option should have been a bit separate.

>>31988145

Well then!

>Why were you this weak… the old you?

Keep this focused on her, it should let her know how important she still is to Tohma.

>>31987857
>>No, you have something else... your magic and me.

>We're not monsters and Eclipse doesn't have to be a curse. Come with me Julia, help stop this from happening again.

>>31987857
>>31988145

>No, you have something else... your magic and me, your friend?
>Tell her what you know about "saving" the infected. Ask her to help you.

>>31988237
>>31988197
Can't choose both, so will wait for another vote or until you guys agree on it.

>>31988237
Gonna go with this one, then.

>>31988533
Well, you do not have to roll for this one... writing!

>>31988540
“No, you are wrong, Princess, you still have something else… your magic and me.” You want to tell your old friend this, because you don’t like the hate you feel from her. The hate she has for herself, you friend should not be the type of person to live like that.

She was better than that, she had to be, the princess you remember and cherish had been better.

“Ha… I guess I do, I now remember that you are also a stubborn idiot.” Her voice cheers up a bit, as she pokes your chest with a finger!

“Hey, you can’t call me that, not when you are the idiot here!” With that you two start arguing over something silly and stupid, just like you two did before everything.
You really missed her.

After a while you take a moment to ask something important, you know this won’t be easy, but you feel you have to do it, “We are not monster, and the Eclipse does not have to be a curse. Come with me Princess, and help me stop this from ever happening again!”

When she hears you words you feel her stiffen in your arms, her arms snake around you as they tighten the hug you share. “You really are an idiot, aren’t you, Tohma you know I can’t join you.” You feel her forehead rest on your chest as you feel that she wants to tell you something.

“Why? Why can’t you join me, if you hate it, just run away, the Huckebein Family did it right?” You already know that she probably has her reasons, but you still want to ask. Even if it is stupid, you still have hope.

>[1/2]

“How do you think they get us to work for them Tohma? Why do you think they allow me to be here, away from them? It’s because they keep a tight leash on me and the others. They use all sort of things to control us, be them keeping the drugs that control the virus away from us, using brainwashing techniques or blackmailing us with our loved ones and their favorite one: having an explosive inside our heads!”

“What?”

“Tohma, if I tell you anything important or betray them, the bomb in my head is triggered to explode instantly. Damage to the brain is tricky to regenerate, so most head damage is fatal even to us Drivers. This is the only way I can live, with this bomb as my leach as I work to get near the ones who did this. So sorry, Tohma, I can’t join you. Unless you had the best brain surgeon ever and managed to block the signal, I don’t think I will be able to join you.”

A bomb… how can you deal with that? Do you want to ask her something else?

>You will take her anyway, the TSAB will be able to help you!
>The ZERO, you will destroy the bomb with it!
>There is no use, just help her and say your goodbyes.
>Why were you this weak… the old you?
>What caused the outbreak, who is the Crystal Devil?
>The Monk told me about a guy in the Central Area, someone who knows about the Eclipse… tell me about him.
>Why here, why were they researching the EC here? Tell me about that?
>Do you know how to cure the outbreak? Help me!

>>31988910
>The ZERO

That thing that's covered in question marks on our stat sheet? Does Tohma even understand what it is?

>>31988969
SO-SO, he has some vague idea, the poison in his blood knows enough to tell him that it is something that exists to destroy, completely. If you manage to control it enough erasing the bomb might be possible, if you fail you might blow off her head.

>>31989026
Is there something in the book we can use? Something that will let us use the EC virus surging through her own blood to disable the bomb?

>>31989026
Can we test it first? Like on a rock or something I mean. It's not that difficult to know if you can or can't control what's basically a micro-blackhole.

>>31989219
I concur, consult the librarian.

>>31989219
No, that would leave the bomb inside her, and if you break it like that the fragments could damage her brain. Plus Tohma lacks the skill to do something that delicate with the EC particles inside another person.

He needs several more years of practice or something. Using the Zero Effect is more instinctual for Tohma, so he would gamble on his own skills to wing it. With her own control over the EC particles, the Princess could help Tohma isolate/find the bomb for destruction, but she can't remove the bomb herself.

The other thing the Book has that could help would be a freezing spell. You could put her to sleep under eternal ice the would block the signal and wake her up when you have everything set for saving her.

You can only destroy the bomb, where remote activation of the bomb is no issue, or let her go to set something up later.

You could practice the operation real quick, like say on a rock and trying to do something similar. Do you want to roll for practice.

>>31989352
>Do you want to roll for practice.

Yes please

>>31989352
We could freeze her and have a TSAB brain surgeon remove it...while we watch very, very, VERY carefully.

>>31989384
The moment you unfreeze her to do the surgery the signal would come, but that is a good idea. Maybe hacking the bomb could work instead?

>>31989427
True. Well...who else is for this idea? I know there's one other person here.

>>31989381
Well for the fun of it, here are the rolls for the operation.
3x d 100
DC is 15/30/65, each is a tier of how well it goes, with 15 being you get a new member in S.E.

Rolled 22

>>31989449
Well, let's get a random crit! :D

Rolled 11

>>31989449
The what's a 65 going to do? Make her pertinently dizzy?

>>31989517
Coma... or something, and the rolls here are for the practice one.

>>31989538

Well considering we've sank all our luck into that 11.

Does doing well here give us a bonus if we do the real thing?

>>31989566
Yes, it would change the DCs slightly,
20/40/70

>>31989577
You guys know, you could let her leave, and have her spy on Nameless for you or something. You can get her to join you later.

>>31989612
And put someone so dear to us in such serious danger just so our own job can be easier? We'll know how to friendship crater soon enough.

>>31989661
Or just freeze her and buy time, hack the bomb or ask someone else... if you feel the operation is too risky, you have that option.

>>31989661
The last option is to try to find the EC Project head and ask him nicely to give you your princess and deactivate the stupid bomb. But hey, how will you manage to convince that guy to help you like that.

>>31989703
>>31989684
Shush, you. I'm voting for freezing her.

>>31989703
>>31989717

I'm voting for asking the Princess if she prefers being frozen or killing time in Nameless until we've prepared.

Kind of a slush answer, but it's what Tohma would do.

>>31989751
>>31989717
Well you know the drill, only one vote.

Also if you want you can leave the choice for the next thread. Although that would cut on the Sacchin time I have planned!
The flesh is asking me to sleep.

>>31989770

Got it, sorry Belkan.

Let's go with freezing. We'll deal with the repercussions later. Like we always do.

>>31989795
So Penguin Time...

Let's Freeze!

>>31989830
For a moment you consider using the Zero in you to destroy the bomb inside the princess, but you feel using a power to erase completely to operate on your dear friend might be too stupid… so that leaves plan B.

Will this work, Lily?

>Yeah, don’t worry, just sing the aria like I told you and I will handle the rest! Believe in me, I your reactor plug will never fail you!

But this aria, Lily is this… feels stupid.

>Tohma, JUST READ IT!

Right… you feel your partner getting a bit angry with you so you hurry with it. Opening the book you land on the page where Lily wrote the newly coded spell made using the data from earlier today.

“Tohma… why are you taking the book in your hands… Tohma why are you looking at me like-“ Sorry Princess but this is for your own good!

“Under the power of the Great Penguin, I call upon the ice cursed in silver, freeze eternally, Silver Frost!” Your princess could not react to the spell in time, and with no resistance she was encased in the permafrost called by your EC Spell.

Standing in front of the gigantic ice cube that holds your friend frozen in time, you wonder how you will explain this to your friends and Commander Hayate.

>Nanoha FORCE Part 21.5 END
Next Time: Sacchin Strikes Back! Operation Sempai will Notice Me 2

>>31989942
If you guys have some questions before we end this, please ask them now.

>>31989942
>Under the power of the Great Penguin

Feels like I'm playing Ar Tonelico.

>>31989983

So is The Zero also going to be a developable skill? And if so is it a type of Viral Strain, or is it a kind of general EC power?

>>31990153
The Zero is Tohma's Viral Strain, his unique power that makes him special. The General Manager of the EC Virus Development Project coined that term after studying Curren's Variant Strain and hypothesizing the properties of the Driver that could work with the Black Silver Cross.

It has not been used that much in this quest until now, except to power up the Divide Zeros and to destroy Gungnir that first time some 20 threads ago. Every skill that uses Zero in the title uses The Zero in one way or another.