>>2617700

"Miss...Miss Takamachi of the First Officio is here," Astolfo manages after a while, letting the truth out in a frantic babble. "I'm...I don't think I have all the details straight, but I think she was just here for a meeting with the Marshal! And then it suddenly turned into a sparring match, one on one!"

One on one...? But if it's just that, then why does it sound like the entire Officio's going to war back there?

Also, Takamachi of the First...? Was that what Midori meant when she said 'one of her blades', or something? You barely recognize the name, but you briefly remember one of the First having some sort of weird nickname. The Black Angel, or something like that...there's a good chance you got it wrong, but it's something along those lines!

"I...um, I think Miss Takamachi also challenged our entire Sword Order," Astolfo said. "Ourmost experienced Eversors, second only to our Marshal and High Marshal in terms of combat capabilities." The both of you wince as you hear a particularly-loud crash echo from the courtyard, sounding very much like an armored body being pummeled through a brick wall.

"And...and I think they're losing." The pink-haired girl adds. "Really, really badly."

How do you react?

[]Immediately leave for the courtyard, leave Astolfo behind. This you gotta see for yourself! Maybe even see just how good someone from the First actually is!
[]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

>>2617701
>[]Immediately leave for the courtyard, leave Astolfo behind. This you gotta see for yourself! Maybe even see just how good someone from the First actually is!

I wouldn´t miss this for anything in the world

>>2617701
>[]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

>>2617700
>[x]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

No reason to pick a fight with potential allies.

>>2617701
>[x] Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

The best time of the day (or month)!

>>2617701
[x]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

Can we borrow magical cloaking armor from Astolfo? For maximum sneaky.

>[x]Immediately leave for the courtyard, leave Astolfo behind. This you gotta see for yourself! Maybe even see just how good someone from the First actually is!

Serious Kyouko or not, you can't expect an Eversor on the higher end of an Officio to just ignore something like this.

>>2617700
>[]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.
If a bitch from the first is here let's not blow up our cover just yet. Keep options open.

>>2617718
>our cover

We're not there undercover, are we? The Second invited us.

>>2617720
We are "On secret loan to The Second", if I remember correctly

>>2617720
Technically, we are undercover. We came to the 2nd under the auspices that we would help them in finding and killing murderface. However, we are here to find murderface and RECOVER her as Kyouko and Sakaya don't believe the 1st's story.

DESU, I'm rather interested in what other people in the 9th think of the 1st's story. Kumatora and Kharn for instance.

>>2617701
>[X]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

>>2617701
[X]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

Yeah let's not tip off the first that we're here.

>>2617701
>[X]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

They're making you miss out on something this fun?

>>2617701
>[x]Have Astolfo show you to the courtyard. This way, she doesn't get in trouble, and you can decide whether you want to step in or not.

Where does the art come from for this?

I'm in the market for something W I D E, you see.

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>>2617797
Decu, Dan, Hat, other drawfags

>>2617706 >>2617709 >>2617713 >>2617714

Funtime Kyoko is losing it. Seriously losing it! Yeah, alright, you don't think the First is all it's cracked up to be, and honestly you think there's something really strange about them and how they've been acting - especially when taking certain events into consideration - but you've always wanted to see one of them fight, even if it's just in a sparring setting. It's said that such a sight is not really something you see unless you're either completely lucky, or utterly SOL - as not only is it a rare occurence, but the fact that it's happening within sight most likely means that you're the one about to be on the receiving end of a First Officio member's wrath.

But that only made the concept of it all the more exciting, if only to answer the many questions bouncing around in your head. Just how did they fight, anyway? What kind of techniques did they use? Did they use weapons at all or just used raw magical energy to fight? How do they conduct themselves in combat?

You know, that kinda thing. Of course, you've seen Vintage spar once or twice, but...well, and this is something you had to censor yourself on, especially when Sayaka expressly forebade you to express it anywhere else, but - you don't really think that sending an entire zoo's worth of shadow creatures, animals and monsters at someone counts as 'fighting'. Not even if she calls it 'Lair of the Beast King Technique' or 'Waku Waku Animal Land'.

But yeah, Funtime Kyoko would have absolutely left Astolfo in her dust while dashing off to jump into the fray, spear in hand and grin on face. And you would have followed immediately, too, if you hadn't committed yourself into playing Serious Kyoko, at least for now.

So you ignore Funtime Kyoko for now. Instead, you tell Astolfo to lead you to the courtyard, or wherever it is that they're doing the sparring. This way, she won't be getting into too much trouble, while also giving you a chance to decide on whether you want to actually crash the party or not.

Which sounds...yeah, okay, that's boring and watch-wearing dildo as all get out. But you're not the dildo here, really, when you think about it. You're just acting like one. You're not ACTUALLY one.

Thankfully, Astolfo is much more cooperative this time around, leading you through what appears to be a labyrinthine procession of corridors. The sound of the fighting growing more intense as you turn each corner and pass through each corridor.

But even before the courtyard itself comes into sight - even before you round the last bend that would bring into view the smoking rubble such a loud and violent melee would have reduced any training or sparring facility into - it's here that you feel it.

The teeth-itching whine of magic. So raw, so untamed, so unrestrained that it infected the very air, turned it thick and charged with its own energy.

[1/2]

>>2617855

And so...so bloodthirsty. That was it. Bloodthirsty. Making your own mouth water through sheer sympathy alone.

"Here we are--" Astolfo says, but you immediately shush her, thrusting Kyuubey's luggage into her arms while you step forward quietly on your own. Peeking out from behind the corner to see just what you might be missing - and what you might be up against.

What you do see makes you freeze in place. Not in fear, but through sheer force of willpower, summoned up in a split-second. Every molecule in your body begging - no, SCREAMING - for you to jump in there, transformed, dual-wielding spears at the soonest opportunity.

It wasn't a sparring match at all. Something so one-sided, so brutal, couldn't be called that.

In the broken courtyard lay the bodies of forty black-armored knights, each one either completely and utterly knocked unconscious or trying to pick themselves up and utterly failing. Their suits of armor in various states of disrepair, with some of them even lying in pieces. Each component glowing orange-hot, scorched and carbon-scored.

The culprit responsible for this wanton devastation standing right in the middle of it. Her auburn hair, tied into two elaborate twintails, gently flowing in the wind as she smoothly and almost casually parries a black-bladed sword with her staff. Her Magical Girl costume - a simple and uncomplicated affair of a pure-white tunic with a barrier jacket worn over it, accented with blue and emblazoned with the sigil of the First on the back - barely sports any damage at all, in complete contrast to the ruined armor of her downed opponents.

She blocks the black blade again, a placid - if bored - look in her blue eyes. The action performed so insultingly effortlessly that it gave the entire scene an air of absurdity it didn't deserve. Moreso with the sword itself being nearly twice as big and tall as she is, and wielded by a Black Templar with what appears to be oversized, wholly robotic arms rather than flesh-and-blood ones encased in armor plating. The multiple servos in the blocky manipulators screeching, whirring desperately as they tried to output the incredible amount of force needed to strike through the First Officio member's guard.

"Yield, Marshal Enyo Karasawa." Says the murderess in white, in the quietest voice you've ever heard anyone speak during a fight. "Surely you must see how pointless it is to keep on fighting like this. We're only sparring, after all - you don't need to adhere to your Officio's crude but admirable ways this much. Take the loss as it's given to you. You don't need to be so dramatic about it."

[2/3]

>>2617856

"A tempting offer, but I will unfortunately have to decline." Comes the equally-calm, equally-composed reply, the robot-armed Marshal smiling faintly through a mask of her own blood. Her black hair, cut in a short and severe bobcut, framing cold crimson eyes. "One of the Black Templars' eternal vows: Accept Any Challenge, No Matter The Odds. I'm sure you're familiar with it."

"...Oh, yes. I nearly forgot about that." The white-garbed staff wielder returns the smile. "You know how easy it is to just glaze over once Kiryuin starts talking. And she does like to talk about this particular branch of the Second in particular."

That seems to get a rise out of the Marshal, with the massive black sword whirling in the air once, before smashing right into the crimson staff that had - presumably - soundly defeated forty other swords just like it. The sudden blow seemingly pushing its wielder quite a few feet back.

"We ARE the Second," The Marshal corrects her opponent. "We are not just a mere 'branch'. Please keep that in mind next time, Miss Takamachi."

"Duly noted." The one addressed as Takamachi returns, just as she steps forward, raising her staff. The crimson gem embedded at its tip blazing with a hellish light as the weapon itself seems to shift, lengthening and unfolding. Encasing the jewel in what appears to be a triangular, spiked speartip of bronze and gold and silver. "Raging Heart. Shooting Mode." The weapon seems to speak, in a harsh machine voice akin to that of a Culexus' vox - but smoother, much more human.

"Since you're proving to be much too stubborn to simply see sense, then I suppose I'll have to force you." The weapon's massive speartip is then leveled right at Enyo, with what appears to be a massive gunmetal slide working its way down its shaft - before being pulled harshly back, ejecting a smoking shell. And then another. The action making the jewel grow brighter. "Pity. You only needed to answer my questions, Enyo. We could have had a wonderful breakfast, you and your Sword Order."

"I did answer them," Enyo says simply as she steps back from this, a single sweatdrop tracking down her cheek, etching a dirty line across the caked blood there. Seemingly bracing herself for what's to come. "But we're still here, regardless. If you wanted more satisfactory answers, you could have at least waited for the High Marshal's return."

"I'm not a patient woman, Enyo. But that's neither here nor there." Takamichi replies, the small smile still on her face. "One last chance, though, and that's it. Yield, and let this tiresome charade end."

"Never." Comes the immediate and instant return.

A sigh. "Suit yourself. Raging Heart?"

[3/4]

>>2617857

[TWO SHELLS LOADED. DIVINE BUSTER CHARGED UP. READY TO FIRE.]

That teeth-itching whine comes on again, just as the digitized voice issues from the weapon. Just as a circle of neon-pink light etches itself underneath Takamachi, its perimeter filled with unknowable sigils and ominous-looking pentagrams. The ground shaking as the jeweled speartip seems to be accruing energy - energy to be sent flying across the courtyard and crashing into Enyo. A blow that even the robot-armed Knight may be too injured to actually tank in any kind of capacity.

How do you react?

[]Interject. That's cheating! You're not supposed to be using magic during a melee sparring session, dammit!
[]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.
[]MAXIMUM FUNTIME. LET'S SEE WHAT THIS BITCH CAN DO.

>>2617858
>[]Interject. That's cheating! You're not supposed to be using magic during a melee sparring session, dammit!

>>2617858
>[x]Interject. That's cheating! You're not supposed to be using magic during a melee sparring session, dammit!
All of these choices seem like bad ideas.

>>2617858
>[x]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.

We should follow Midoris advice and keep our secret mission secret.

>>2617858
[X]MAXIMUM FUNTIME. LET'S SEE WHAT THIS BITCH CAN DO.

Fun time kyouko is bored. Shes been a good girl today, let her have some fun.

>>2617858
[x]Interject. That's cheating! You're not supposed to be using magic during a melee sparring session, dammit!

Let's just ruin the mood completely. We're good at that.

Also probably gonna have to skip on this one, thanks for running anyway, Decu!

>>2617858
>Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.

This is still a sparring match, after all. Let´s not do anything stupid... Yet

>>2617858
>[]MAXIMUM FUNTIME. LET'S SEE WHAT THIS BITCH CAN DO.

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>>2617858
My brain says
[]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.

but my inner Kyoko says
[]Interject. That's cheating! You're not supposed to be using magic during a melee sparring session, dammit!

Considering we haven't even delivered the package proper and we can be somewhat sure of what topic the bitch's questions were about, I'm opting for the former.

>>2617857
>[x]Interject. That's cheating! You're not supposed to be using magic during a melee sparring session, dammit!
If this isnt magic at least we'll know who we might be up against later.

>>2617858
>[]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.

This is an interesting oppotunity.

>>2617858

>[x]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.
Yeah, we need to not draw attention to ourselves. First lady probably won't kill anyone, so we shouldn't have to intervene.

>>2617856
>"Yield, Marshal Enyo Karasawa."
Oh hey she's back

>[x]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.

Decu pn Twitter: "Sorry about taking so long for the post! We'll continue the thread throughout the week!"

Everyone, go to sleep

>>2617858
[x]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.

>>2617858
[x]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.

>>2617858
> []MAXIMUM FUNTIME. LET'S SEE WHAT THIS BITCH CAN DO.

This way she can't beat answers out of us later if we've already taken a beating!

>>2617858
>[]Keep yourself hidden, let things play out the way they should. It's not your problem - not right now, anyway.
Serious Kyoko would realize that revealing herself to stop this admittedly BRAZEN and UTTERLY BLATANT case of OBVIOUS CHEATING here would only cause bigger problems for everyone later on.

That said,
>[] Look at Astolfo. "So, you just gonna let this happen?"

>>2617700
HO SHIT, IT'S ALIVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVE!

>>2617953
fuck, that means threads dead for another 2 weeks.

>>2617817
This may sound crazy, but would it be possible to go.... wider?

>>2617858
>[x]Interject. That's cheating! You're not supposed to be using magic during a melee sparring session, dammit!

this officially has worse pacing than joker quest

>>2618355
Look it takes a while to ship the posts down from the moon ok

>>2617858
>[]MAXIMUM FUNTIME. LET'S SEE WHAT THIS BITCH CAN DO.

>>2617858
Holy shit, the quest is alive again? How long has it been?

>>2630606
>Holy shit, the quest is alive again? How long has it been?
Longer than A Tale Of Witches.

Could someone please archive this, just in case?

>>2634810
Done.

... I hope.

http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/qstarchive/2617700/

Deculture?
Decuuuulture...

Where are you, Decu?

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A̢̜͇̺̦̭̙͖̯̰̤̯̹̗͔̞͆̒̈́ͣ̀͜A̵̧̛̭̼̳͇̦̙͕̣̯̝̩̙̹͚̣͂ͩ͂̇͟A̛͕͙̺̤͇͖̔͗̐̀͗́̾ͯ͛̎ͫ̄A̡͖̫͓̖̞̩͖̪̖̤̩̱̳͇͓̦ͭͤ̐̍̉̀̔͞G̵̴̢̺̻̺̗̬̫̖̬̜̥͈̻̣̿ͣ͊̃̀̍ͬ͗ͯ̋̀̕̕H̵̵̪̰̗͔̳͖̹̻͖͍̓͐̇̓̇̕̕ I just want my MGNQ. I don't want my adventures through the archive to be meaningless.