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>>5434284
Heiwa no Mori park has a lot of good memories for you. Throughout the difficult years of childhood, you constantly went with friends to scramble over the specially made obstacles to play. It was a weekly event since you were hell-bent on trying to get away from the problems at home, between your parents.
It's a shame that the place is subject to supernatural shenanigans. It's been so long since you've visited here with your childhood friends and you can't even enjoy it. The boys are all supernaturally induced to be hyper-competitive, you can't even enjoy being out and here with them because of it.

Another aspect is the realization that your childhood friendship with Masato has faded badly. Years ago, you would never dream of casually ditching the boy like you did earlier at the park entrance. The old elementary school kid Ruka would have gritted her teeth and stuck with him no matter what. Masato going to another class did no favors in maintaining ties of friendship. It's painful to acknowledge.

"You seem sad, Ruka. Your face has been frowning this entire time." Minako pokes your cheek suddenly to gain your instant attention.

"Just thinking about things. Also, this place is mostly transformed." You wave off Minako's poke and stash the packed lunch you've brought into a locker. The majority of the obstacles in the park have been transformed into larger and more complex creations. There are towers, swinging logs, rollers, water obstacles, ropes and a whole lot more. Yet some buildings remain the same, like the picnic area you're in with Minako.

"Mostly? How much is 'mostly'?" She asks with a seriousness that you have never witnessed before. From the smitten maiden to a serious warrior within seconds. Artemis is watching the proceedings with a serious feline eye too.

You don't immediately answer Minako. You take time to review the images Azul transmitted to you through your link as you pull out your equipment; lockpicks, lapis lazuli, and 3 ofuda talismans are stuffed into your jacket's pockets. The pockets bulge with their cargo, it's obvious you're holding on to something, but there's nothing you can do. The unusually serious girl raises an eyebrow at the sight of some of your items, though she refrains from making any comment. But it's Artemis's reaction that strikes you as bizarre, you're observant and note that the cat raises his back in reaction to your load out. In particular, at the sight of your lapis lazulis.

"All the obstacles look like they've been replaced. Also the fence only encloses a small portion of the park, but somehow hundreds of people can fit in here. It feels as though it's become three times as big."

It's odd. You're unusually relaxed around Minako, enough that you don't feel like making any special effort to hide your tools. It's probably because of her attitude towards the weirdness, she's used to it. You feel less lonely knowing there's another girl out there who knows what's going on.

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>>5434285
And she quite obviously intends to do something about it.

"Is that so? Well, the first order of business is to tackle the first obstacle." Minako excitedly points to the top of the first obstacle. The designated start of the competition is crowded with impatient competitors gathered at the foot of it. It's a large obstacle structure with features that should easily eliminate half the competitors. Even you would find it difficult to get up the thing at a good time.

"What? Why?" You are startled by the suggestion of even bothering with the competition. You've already decided to look for that strange glowing energy orb with Azul. Your partner sends a response through your link disapproving the suggestion, he's anxious for you to ditch Minako and Artemis.

"Oh don't be like that. We should try to have some fun and get up as high as possible to see the surrounding area first! Then we can go on our own thing separately. I know you're up to something, you know I'm up to something."
"Fun? What is this fun you speak of? We are in a supernaturally modified obstacle park surrounded by mostly possessed competitors." You point out the facts, but Minako is not listening to you anymore. Tomio and Yuuji draw near to the locker area to deposit their backpacks.

"Oh, he's such a hunk. You have got to introduce me to your friend Ruka!" Minako squeals. Her eyes shine with admiration as she swoons over your childhood friend's handsome features.

You grit your teeth and grab Minako by the hand to drag her away to the start line. You'll do the first obstacle with her and then sneak away afterwards. There should be plenty of opportunities to do that. Azul squawks a protest but you ignore it.

'Sorry buddy, but I'm sticking with Minako for a little longer.' You message back to the blue penguin.

The crowd at the obstacle is massive but you can see your friends scattered about.

Aya and Mamoru are eyeing the structure and the competitors with apprehension. Your club president being so physically inept will be a major handicap for the older boy. Yet Aya seems oddly serene and calm with Mamoru looking increasingly uncomfortable while staring at your best friend.

Usagi and Mizuno are close by, but something must be wrong. The genius seems to be lecturing a teary-eyed Usagi about something. Mizuno is throwing something away in the garbage can.

Then there's Tomio and Yuuji, they seem to be talking with Masato who is partnered with a pink haired man.... Wait a second, you recognize that pink haired dude! It's the Conductor! The swishy looking man smiles benignly at the trashtalk between the boys.

It's almost time to start, but you could try to meet up with one of the groups...

>Go over to Aya and Mamoru...
>Try to see what Mizuno is saying to Usagi...
>You have got to know why the Conductor is here, even if it means Minako getting close to Tomio...
>Don't do a thing. Just talk with Minako...

Rolled 3 (1d4)

>>5434286
I’ll roll for my option. I want to do everything, so this is a nice compromise.

>>5434286
>>Try to see what Mizuno is saying to Usagi...
Welcome back Crescent

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5434340
>>5434708
Hm, well, I better roll to see what we get then
1 Conductor
2 Mizuno

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You don't know what the pink-haired Conductor is doing here. Heck, you didn't even know that he could even leave the strange bar in the first place.

'The Coalsack, a Hole in the Sky' bar is located in Shinjuku. Or rather, it might still be located there. You didn't bother trying to find it again after your visit to Kakutani when you had the opportunity. You half suspect it moved location because the last time you met the Conductor he spoke about it would 'appear as required elsewhere'.

And he has a bizarre ability to create some sort of 'door' to elsewhere. It saved you from the Puppet trying to get at you at the bar, you had to pick the lock but you ended up going through a door to a bar located a block away.

But going over to find out what he's doing means letting Minako get in close contact with Tomio. That's something you do not want! But you need to get close to figuring out what the Conductor is doing here.
"Curse your stupid handsome face," you mutter while walking towards the boys. Minako follows along with a smile so bright it hurts to see.

"Oh, that pink guy is pretty cute too!" Minako follows eagerly.

Your childhood friends are arguing with each other, as the Conductor observes with amusement. Yuuji and Masato look like they're about to come to blows while Tomio glares at the Conductor. The tall pink-haired man is first to notice your approach.

"My, my, I see that you're in good health. This competition is positively electrifying. The fire of youthful passions, crackling the very air," the Conductor says with a smile as he flips his hair dramatically. It's a touch too feminine for Tomio's taste. He frowns at the display of pink hair billowing out dramatically from the hair flip.

"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be at your bar?" You simply ask. You are banking on Tomio's marked disinterest in girls to stymie Minako's attempts to get an introduction to your childhood friend.

"My, my, straight to questions. Not even a hello. Well, I'm very interested in the obsidian fence surrounding us. A professional interest, you could say. And Mr. Yuunagi Masato was so desperate to enter the competition, he invited me to partner with him. " The Conductor smiles while Tomio frowns upon seeing you with Minako.

"Who's that with you?" Tomio asks with hostility. You have forgotten that Tomio's competitiveness has been increased to such a pitch that he won't ignore girls as they're potential rivals.

Before you can answer, Minako takes the question as an opportunity to introduce herself. At some point in time, she took the opportunity to grab two cups of water at the refreshment table. You don't know when, but it doesn't matter. The smitten girl takes the opportunity to shove the cup into Tomio's hand as an opening to her introduction.

"I am Aino Minako, Shiba Public School, 2nd year. Pleased to meet you." Minako speaks very quickly.

>>5435363
This isn't what you wanted to happen! The greeting is only the first of many bombardments of excited questions and factoids about herself aimed directly at your childhood friend, who is overwhelmed by Minako's relentless interest. He takes a gulp of water from the cup in a vain attempt to ignore the excitable girl.

Your intent to question the Conductor falls to the wayside because of it. Minako happily drinks her cup of water before throwing it away in the trash at the end of her long monologue about herself.

"So, Harada Tomio, are you single? Ruka didn't say anything about you." Minako smiles winningly at your childhood friend.

"Oh god, Ruka, she's like Aya..." Tomio's voice sounded downtrodden at the thought.

"Minako, we've got to get to the start line!" You shout this out and grab Minako's hand. You drag her away a second time as the blonde-haired announcer gets up on stage. The Conductor waves you good bye with a serene smile on his face, completely unbothered by your abrupt departure.

"Ladies and gentlemen! It is time! Get ready! We've got only one minute left!"

A roar of approval erupts from the crowd. As you take position far away from the boys and the Conductor.

"Oh Ruka, why did you take me away!? Also, who is this Aya? Is she Tomio's girlfriend?" Minako frowns at her missed chance to impress Tomio even more.

"GAH! Look, we need to get to the top of the obstacle and survey enemy territory. Please focus on that!" You are utterly irritated. Of course, Minako is a normal teen girl. She would be interested in handsome boys, what were you thinking putting her near one?

With Tomio around, she'll never be interested in you! That stupid oblivious...

You shove that thought away and try to calm down. It is not Tomio's fault, also he's never going to be interested in Minako.

You need to focus getting through the first obstacle with Minako...

>roll 3d6+2, dc ???

Rolled 3, 2, 3 + 2 = 10 (3d6 + 2)

>>5435364

Rolled 2, 5, 3 + 2 = 12 (3d6 + 2)

>>5435364

Rolled 6, 5, 3 + 2 = 16 (3d6 + 2)

>>5435364

Rolled 5, 4, 6 + 4 = 19 (3d6 + 4)

>>5435405
>>5435412
>>5435448
Good job
Now to see how minako does

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You don't know what the Conductor is really up to but now wasn't the time to speculate. He helped you out before in Shinjuku, you assume he's harmless.

... Okay, he might be mostly harmless. He does have some sort of supernatural ability, and anyone who has those could be dangerous.

At the site of the first obstacle course, a large structure looms above you. It's massive, both horizontally and vertically. Whoever designed it didn't care much for safety. Falling off it would be incredibly painful. Sure there's water surrounding it but that's not going to cushion a fall very much.

The only bright side is that Water, Water is in effect, so using your abilities will be easier to use. The enemy inadvertently designed a very favorable terrain for you.

But all of this pales to a more important task. How are you going to impress Minako?

Wait, you're getting ahead of yourself. Does Minako even think of girls the same way she thinks of boys? She goes googly-eyed over Tomio, but you haven't seen any evidence she would do the same over a girl. Also, are you actually even in love? Maybe it's just a phase of intense admiration and you're just mistaking the feeling as love. You've heard of girls at school admiring older girls but nothing comes out of it beyond some pretty intense friendship.

These thoughts, these sighs, these longings will never reach you. Like smoke rising to the moon, doomed to never reach its destination.

"Well, Ruka, let's get ready to win this. No way I'm letting anyone clinch first place!" Minako gives you a grin as she stretches in preparation.

"I hope you can keep up with me. If you need help, just ask me," you shove away the depressing thoughts plaguing you. You can at least impress the other girl by showing off at the obstacle.

"Tsk, tsk, my poor uninformed partner. It's you who will struggle to keep up with me. Don't worry, I'll be there to help you out," Minako boasts and wags her finger at you.

Usually, such an arrogant boast would annoy you. But somehow, you have a feeling that Minako is more than capable of living up to it. You've observed how very lithe and fit she is... Actually, you need to be a little less observant in that regard. Right now, what really gets you is that Artemis is nowhere to be seen. The cat had slunk off elsewhere, your eyes roam among the competitors and you wonder where he went.

The announcer mounts a stage with his soliticious assistant. The blonde-haired man wears a pleasant, easy-going smile despite his massive burn wound on his face. It's quite a mark on his handsome face, a good part of the cheek is brownish and rough. The assistant is quite a stand out in terms of looks too. She hovers over the announcer protectively. They make quite an attractive pair.

The restless crowd readies themselves for the formal start of the competition. You recognize the rough location of your friends in the crowd.

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>>5436030
"Ladies and gentlemen, are you ready? Then go!" The announcer fires off a starting gun, which triggers a stampede.

You're too focused on following after Minako to pay attention to anyone else. Also, it takes everything you got to chase after the athletic girl who runs out ahead at a speed that is truly breathtaking. If you hadn't been prepared to go all out, there would have been no way to catch up to her without abusing burst of speed.

You gape at the sheer athleticism of the other girl. She's not only faster than you but also far more skilled at getting through the obstacles. To your embarrassment, she occasionally has to slow down so you can catch up. If partners weren't a requirement, the vivacious girl would have cleared the obstacle with time to spare.

And you were trying to impress her by showing off? You're glad she didn't have to help you out on the obstacles, it would have been too embarassing. The other girl isn't even breathing hard. Behind you, there are shouts of dismay and splashes of water as competitors fail to get past obstacles. A few are even knocking fellow competitors off platforms. They're all far behind though.

Now you're at the top! A commanding view of the park grounds reveals just how changed the entire place is. The black stone fences stand prouder and taller than ever. While the structures dotting the area get bigger and bigger successively. The first obstacle course is big but the second is bigger... and the third is gigantic! You cast your eyes to look beyond the fence and the sight is startling.

" I don't think we're in Tokyo any more..." You comment as you take in the view of endless expanses of water beyond the fence. Tokyo's tall buildings is nowhere in sight.

Where the heck are you? You feel a bit of panic rise within and breathe hard. Fear starts to bite in, and your shoulders shake. Just how powerful is the enemy? Did they just transport everyone to another dimension or something? Is this what the Conductor meant by 'professional interest'?

"Yeah, and whoever designed this wanted to make sure no one got out," Minako states, she reaches out and touches you on the shoulder. You're startled by the touch but it forces you to calm down a little.

"Sorry, this is... a bit beyond my expectation," you manage to choke out. How Minako can remain so calm is beyond you.

"It's okay, breathe. Or better yet! Think about your boyfriend Tomio!" Minako grins at you, her eyes shine with good humor.

How do you respond to that!?

>Nani the fuck?...
>What?...
>He's not my boyfriend!...
>He's just a childhood friend...
>You got the wrong idea...
>Write in

>>5436034
> You got the wrong idea...
While Ruka is definitely here to get Tomio and the rest of her friends/acquaintances back to their normal selves, this isn’t being done out of any romantic interest. Tomio is more like a brother than anything else.

>>5436034
>You got the wrong idea...

>>5436034
>>You got the wrong idea...
>>He's just a childhood friend...

>>5436115
>>5436120
>>5436161
Came home late, I'll try to post tonight!

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You are so stunned by Minako's response that you cannot react. You remain silent and stare at her bewildered. The wind whistles in your ears, drowning out the angry shouts of competitors scrambling to reach the top where you stand.

Minako's smile doesn't waver at all.

"C'mon, you dragged me away right at the moment I was getting somewhere! You should have seen your face. Try as you might, my sweet Ruka, I recognize jealousy wherever it appears. But I do wonder... who is this Aya?" Minako puts a hand under her chin and does an exaggerated thinking pose to ponder.

"You got the wrong idea..." You choke out the words but Minako steam rolls over the weak protest.

"I get it! This 'Aya' must be your love rival! She is, isn't she? Fear not Ruka, as the reincarnation of the Goddess of Love and War, I shall personally assist you in your pursuit for Tomio's love! Just don't get too jealous if I..."

This monologue is a nightmare of misunderstandings, but something quite unexpected stops it.

Minako's stomach growls. It's so loud that, at first, you thought it is something else. Like the obstacle creaking beneath your feet. The other girl grips her stomach in surprise, and her face transforms into bafflement.

"What was that? Are you okay?" You ask out of concern and then watch Minako's face shift to distress.

"I... I... I gotta go to the little girl's room Ruka!" At that, Minako starts running at full speed away from you. She jumps down platforms and slides, runs the gauntlet of spinning balls, crosses a water obstacle by gripping overhanging ladders and much more in a burst of speed that rivals all previous feats seen. Your jaw drops at the display of athleticism, it's supernatural. There's no way a normal human girl can do that.

As you stand stunned and alone on the very top of the obstacle, you realize you need to get down and find Azul. Minako's potty emergency works to your advantage and you can now sneak away without her noticing. As much as you want to correct her mistaken assumptions, Azul is waiting. You close your eyes briefly and feel out the location of your partner, the blue avian is still hiding close by this obstacle structure.

Azul sends you another image through your link. You sense he's highly distressed, because Artemis and Luna are very close to him. You try to keep your head straight, but the sight of two incredibly cute cats close to each other is just too much. For a moment, you admire the sight of the cats and their matching crescent marks.

Through the mental link, Azul sends an incredibly indignant squawk, as though trying to say 'this isn't the time to moon over cats, get down here'.

You begin to slowly pick your way through the obstacles, there's no need to hurry since the rest of the competitors are so far behind... or so you thought.

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>>5436895
At about halfway through, Tomio comes barrelling through a tricky part of the obstacle and nearly knocks you off the platform. In the nick of time, you grab onto your childhood friend to stop your fall into the water below and instead crash onto the platform with him. Your arms and legs are in a tangle with his, it takes a few painful seconds to free yourself. At first, you genuinely thought Tomio did it on purpose to eliminate you from the competition because of his addled priorities, but that assumption is wrong.

"Oh god, sorry. Gotta go! Washroom!" Tomio babbles as he picks himself up and starts running onwards. You hear ominous grumblings from his stomach and see that he is gripping his stomach in distress.

It's exactly how Minako was acting earlier. Just what is going on? You try to ponder this mystery when you realize that right behind you is the stomping of many running feet. A great wave of humanity comes bearing down with a speed that you had hereto not witnessed from them. It's a stampede of gastrointestinal distressed possessed running to the finish. The possessed competitors could have easily disqualified themselves by deliberately jumping off the obstacle and into the cool waters below. That way, they could quickly reach a toilet but the supernaturally implanted idea of winning the competition clearly whipped them onwards to finish instead. Their faces bulging and red at the stress of containing their miserable groans and sphincters as they raced frantically to reach blessed latrinal relief.

You jump out of the way barely in time, and watch as the possessed competitors dash past you. Quite a few fail to get through the obstacles, many end up inadvertently disqualifying themselves by falling off the many difficult challenges. Stunned, you look behind you and see that fully half the competitors have disqualified themselves from the competition due to such recklessness.

"Oh god, my stomach!"
"Why!? AHHHHH"
"Washroom? Victory? Washroom? Victory?"
"It hurts? Why does it hurt?!"
"I can't keep it in!"

What the hell is going on? You look back and see Aya and Mamoru slowly working their way through the obstacle course with Mizuno and Usagi. Really, it was more Mamoru and Mizuno figuring out how to get through the obstacles in the safest way possible because their partners are physically inept. It's a marvel to see Mamoru carry Aya and Usagi through the obstacles twice, while Mizuno clinically and efficiently pierces them by herself.

Wait.... Mizuno looks inordinately evil and pleased. That wicked smile of satisfaction, it's the sort of smile graced upon the helpless and weak victims at your nonexistent mercy.

>>5436896
You shiver and try not to think about it too much as you make your way to the ground. The finish is completely bereft of people. Every person who reached it went straight to the washroom... and not all of them managed to get a stall for themselves. The announcer's assistant looks rather traumatized as she orders employees to guide competitors to other washrooms.

You should get a drink of water and go. You approach the refreshment table and fill a cup of water... well, actually the dispenser says something else.

'Energy Water'.

Huh? It's not normal water? Well, whatever. You put it to your lips and then spit the water immediately upon tasting it. You expected a neutral tasting cup of water, not whatever the heck this is. Why is the water sweet?!

You stare down at the cup in wonder before dumping the water out.

What should you do now?

>Try to find Tomio, make sure he's okay...
>Try to find Minako, she must have made it to the washroom...
>Wait for Aya and the others to finish, they must realize something is up...
>Get a move on, Azul is waiting...
>Try to approach the assistant, ask where the announcer is...
>Approach an employee, they might know a few things...

>>5436897
>Approach an employee, they might know a few things...

Wow, that was mean of Mizuno

>>5436897
>>Get a move on, Azul is waiting...
No time to waste, gotta get a move on with the mission while everyone is ejecting their stomachs’

>>5436994
Seconding this

The nicest girl amongst the senshi is supposed to be Mizuno Ami, ie sailor mercury, too. I'll leave the vote open a bit longer...

>>5437032
>>5436994
>>5436965
Penguin time!

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Azul is waiting, he's been a pretty patient bird so far but he does have his limit. It wouldn't do to keep him waiting. You're sure that Minako and Tomio are okay. Once they get everything out of their system, they'll be good.

You silently and stealthily steal away unnoticed. With so many disqualified and distressed competitors milling about, no one notices your absence. Sneaky is your middle name! Though there's something bothering you about the situation.

Where is Masato and the Conductor? They're nowhere to be seen. You don't spend too much time looking around for them, but their absence bothers you.

The first obstacle looms above as you pick your way to Azul's hiding place. A humble pile of concrete pipes sitting unused and derelict in a lonely corner far from crowds and competition employees. Probably the pipes were meant to be used for an obstacle but the organizers changed their minds for some reason. Azul comes crawling out from one of the pipes and waves his flipper.

It is time to start exploring the park. Having a bird's eye view at the top of the first obstacle was extremely informative. You know the location of most buildings and obstacles, and the sheer size of the place. Azul's mental images through your link was a ground eye view. You're glad Minako suggested it. In fact, she's a real old hand at this. Keeping calm, thinking ahead and clearly having some sort of ability to fight against these supernatural assholes. The way she managed to keep you from panicking with fear at the realization that the entire area is transported away from Tokyo and isolated completely.

Tashou no En: A sense of trust, when around Aino Minako, get +1 on roll resisting Fearful flaw...

Maybe you'll learn to become braver... with her by your side.

That thought makes you slap your cheeks to focus on the mission. A sharp bit of pain brings your concentration back. You send to Azul through your link what you saw when you were above.

Combining the knowledge gained from scouting, a rough idea of the area forms. There are three massive obstacles created by the bad guys, but the park hasn't been completely transformed. There are buildings that are originally from Heiwa no Mori still around. Heck, there's even a small unmodified obstacle structure hanging about along with the old administration building, locker area slash lunch area and a storage hut. The front gate you entered from is shut with a number of employees milling about aimlessly, probably to prevent people from attempting to turn back. The back gate is firmly shut but unguarded, right behind the last obstacle course. The puzzle lock is the only measure to prevent people from leaving. The enemy probably wants to taunt their victims by showing them how close they are to safety.

For right behind that locked gate, a narrow patch of green grass lies. The last remnant and proof that there was once land, and not endless water, surrounding the park.

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>>5437821
The most eye-catching structure in the entire area though is something so out of place that it's hard to imagine any sane normal person would dismiss it as unimportant. Too bad most of the competitors aren't sane because they're possessed by creepy Black Hands. Any uninfected person should be freaking out after they have reached the top of the first obstacle.

You can only imagine how Mamoru, Aya and Usagi are reacting to the situation right now... God knows what Mizuno thinks of it.

It's a star-shaped building, made entirely of black stone. You suspect it's the same sort of material as the fence surrounding the park. Did the supernatural jerks decide to make that building a trap of some sort or is it something that's important?

"Well buddy, what do you think we should do? We got a super obvious star evil lair which maybe a trap.... and we got other places," you ask with grim humor. Your partner crosses his flippers across his broad chest in a thinking pose, unable to decide.

The competition should last a good while. There are still two more obstacles... Also, Mizuno has caused a lot of chaos with her little stunt. How did she manage to down so many competitors? It clearly knocked the enemy off guard, their plans must be in a bit of disarray.

You still need to make a decision...

>Split up! Azul will go explore a building and you'll explore a building! Choose two structures...
>Stay together, explore one place! Choose a structure...
>Try to find an employee and observe them...
>Cause more chaos and disrupt the enemy more! Water, water is in effect. Use Water Wall to break one of the black OBSTACLES...
>Try to find the Conductor, maybe he can help!... roll 3d6, dc 13 to find him
>Stalk the announcer and his assistant, maybe they're in on this... roll 3d6+2, dc ??? to keep hidden
>Exorcise with the ofuda talisman, slap it on someone or something to see what happens! What or who will you choose?...
>Run around the park and see if anything else might catch your eye...
>Go back and participate in the competition a bit more. Maybe you can convince other people to help, like Mamoru...
>Write in....

>>5437823
>>Stay together, explore one place! Choose a structure...
Star shaped Building

Rolled 1 (1d2)

>>5437823
>>Stay together, explore one place! Choose a structure...
I’m gonna roll for this, both options seem like the most interesting places to check
1 Star Building
2 Original Obstacle

>>Stay together, explore one place! Choose a structure...

>>5437873
>>5437929
>>5438331
We're going for the biggest target

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The star-shaped building is a blatantly supernatural edifice. The sunlight strikes the black stone and returns a dull glint back, an effect similar to obsidian. It crouches over the park grounds and dares witnesses to make a comment on its unnatural presence.

When you saw it from the top of the first obstacle, you were of two minds about it.

Either the enemy is insanely overconfident and wanted to demonstrate their naked power or it is a ploy to trap meddlers seeking to interfere with their plans.

It can't be ignored though.

"I guess it's time to walk into a hive of evil. Let's head towards that black star thing," you tell your partner who appears to have no opinion on where to investigate first. Azul simply nods grimly and sends you another image through your link.

At first you puzzle over what you see. It's an image of a park employee standing about near the entrance. There's nothing about the employee that indicates they're anything special, but Azul sends forth an emotion of concern with the image.

There's clearly something about the employee that concerns him though.

"Uh, he's the enemy behind all this?" You offer your best guess as to what he's trying to explain.

Azul shakes his head and starts drawing in the dirt. He draws a clawed hand and you instantly realize what he's getting at. The park employees are all possessed by a Black Hand. That must mean the announcer and his assistant are unfortunate victims of possession too. Finding the true culprit is going to be difficult.

"Well, let's keep out of sight... Also, buddy, I got a real serious question for you."

Azul drags his feet through the dirt to obliterate the drawing and is listening intently for your question.

"Where's Luna and Artemis?" You look around for the cats. This is no place for innocent, helpless kitty cats.

"Squawk!" Your partner is exasperated and starts dashing off towards the evil-looking structure instead.

Sneaking to it is easy. There are very few people about, and plenty of places to hide. The park employees do not do much beyond standing on guard; they don't make any movement beyond walking aimlessly around in set patterns back and forth. It's hard to imagine they're humans, they wander this way and then back again like robots. You don't dare approach them too closely. Who knows how they'll react to seeing you?

It takes only minutes to arrive at the obsidian-like structure. A touch of the wall confirms what you had suspected earlier. The building is made of the same ice-cold stone that forms the fence. The utterly smooth and glossy face of the material is shiny enough to dimly echo back your reflection, though the shape is more a rough blob than a perfect replication of your figure.

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>>5438647
There's no door or window anywhere to be seen. Instead, there a series of small dark cavities bored randomly in it. None of them is big enough for you to crawl into; even Azul would find it hard to squeeze into the largest one. A quick walk around the perimeter reveals hundreds of these holes in the wall of the structure. Each of them too dark to see into too. You try to use your keen hearing to see if you can hear something but it's just dead silence.

Speaking of dead silence... this section of the park is unnaturally hushed. The second part of the competition must have started by now but there's no sound crashing through the air to shatter the silence.

Azul stares at hard at one of the holes. It's just big enough to let him squeeze in but he is reluctant to enter it.

Well, you're here but what do you want to do now?

>Ask Azul to crawl into the hole and see if he can get inside...
>Stick your hand in the hole, maybe there's something in it...
>Flood one of the holes with water, maybe you can flush something out... (Water, water is in effect)
>Take out your knife and nick the wall with it, maybe you can chip off a chunk of stone...
>Slap an ofuda talisman on the building, maybe it'll do something...
>Use lapis lazuli stone to scan the building with its light...
>Leave, go investigate another structure, which one...
>write in

>>5438648
>>Slap an ofuda talisman on the building, maybe it'll do something...
>Flood one of the holes with water, maybe you can flush something out... (Water, water is in effect)

>>5438648
>>Use lapis lazuli stone to scan the building with its light...

>>5438743
Seconding this. Maybe it will show us something that isn’t readily apparent.

>>5438679
>>5438743
>>5438799
Use the stone. Unfortunately, can't write tonight. Will update tomorrow.

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You're curious to see if there's something about the building that you're not 'seeing'. Last time, you noticed something odd about your possessed friends but never would have suspected that a Black Hand basically commandeering them without using it.

A small lapis lazuli stone of the purest blue you've ever seen with small flecks of pure gold.

A great little gift from the Osaka family. This small but mighty stone allows you to 'see' things that will escape mundane eyes. You take it out from your pocket and bring it near the building.

The soothing light emits from the gem and bathes the black obsidian-like stone building. To your disappointment, it doesn't reveal anything at all. The radiance does not penetrate the blackness to reveal anything particularly unusual.

Rather than anything visual, you hear something instead. It's a low ringing noise, the silence has been broken by it. The longer the stone is out, the greater the ringing becomes. Before you can put away the gem, your ears are in agony from the high pitched scream of the ringing. Azul winces and slaps his flippers over his ears. Hastily, you shove the stone back in your pocket and get ready to hide.

You shake your head to get rid of the ringing in your ear.

Nothing about the building has been revealed. It remains the same insensate edifice it was before.

???

The ringing in your ear stopped but you now hear something else.

tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap

At first, a faint staccato, barely heard. Then it builds and builds until it is like rain drumming the earth. A veritable roar of tapping, scratching, skittering, pattering, and thumping.

Azul takes a step back and is sweating with fear. His beak hangs open and then he looks up at you with panic.

Before you can react, something comes crawling out of the hole... Actually, many things come crawling out of the holes but you are focused on the one closest to eye level. Like a squirming maggot, a dismembered hand comes skittering out into the light. It's fingers acting like legs and feelers, they flex and stretch. It's not entirely black, only partially as though it hadn't quite finished getting colored. The flesh around the wrist is roughly hewn and ragged, as though someone took a particularly dull axe to sever it from an arm.

You called this place a 'hive of evil'. It turns out, you were inadvertently correct. This building is a nest where budding Black Hands gestate and hatch.

"Oh my god..." You whimper and take in the sight of hundreds of hands squirming out of the holes. It is a mistake to speak out aloud, because the tapping sound stops and the hands shift their orientation towards you.

YOU MUST
>roll 3d6, dc 12 to resist Fearful flaw. If you fail, you will not able to use your bonus dice...

What are you going to do!?

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>>5440166
>SCREAM AND RUN!!!! Pick up Azul and use 'Burst of Speed' ability...
>SCREAM AND DEFEND YOURSELF!!! Use Water Wall to hopefully sweep away the hands... 3d6+2, dc 13, easier due to Water, water in effect.
>SCREAM FOR HELP!!! There has to be someone around who can help you.... maybe?
>Calmly and quietly as possible, back away from the hive... maybe the hands only react to sound?.... roll 3d6, dc 14 not to SCREAM AND RUN!!!
>SCREAM AND SLAP A OFUDA ON THE HIVE!!! Maybe the talisman will do something to help you?...
>write in

Sorry for the delay. I walked the equivalent of 35 kilometers and went up and down 100 flights of stairs because of an emergency.

Rolled 1, 2, 5 = 8 (3d6)

>>5440166
Rolling first set of dice

>>5440167
> Calmly and quietly as possible, back away from the hive... maybe the hands only react to sound?.... roll 3d6, dc 14 not to SCREAM AND RUN!!!

This is going to be a hard roll, but let’s see if we make the cut.

Rolled 2, 4, 3 = 9 (3d6)

>>5440183
Forgot my roll, whoops!

Rolled 5, 4, 2 = 11 (3d6)

>>5440166
Oh fuck, here’s my first roll

Rolled 4, 4, 3 + 2 = 13 (3d6 + 2)

>>5440167
>>SCREAM AND DEFEND YOURSELF!!! Use Water Wall to hopefully sweep away the hands... 3d6+2, dc 13, easier due to Water, water in effect.

Shit, guess RNGesus really wants us to fail today. Kind of brutal to have a DC check to avoid getting a penalty in a tough situation though. Pretty easy to get into a death spiral situation, especially since we haven’t had chances to rectify that flaw.

>>5440321
It's deliberate to show that Ruka is just starting out and can get into huge amounts of trouble. And sometimes, it's not really her fault since you had no true idea what the gigantic black building really was.

Also, the previous flaw she had got with in the beginning 'Scaredy Cat: Sometimes, fear is the only appropriate reaction' was actually an even worse flaw that 'Fearful'. Rka actually managed to tamp down the severity of the flaw. You can over time get over the flaw so it doesn't screw over Ruka, it just takes a bit of time and effort which Ruka is showing ever time she decides to confront scary evil stuff.

Is it a little unfair? Well, yes... but if she manages to pull through it's all the more impressive.

I used Hunter the Reckoning from World of Darkness as an example for a reason.

>>5440178
>>5440183
>>5440184
>>5440209

Fear wins out! Poor Ruka. No bonus dice if she screws up on a roll, the stakes are higher until she gets back her morale.

As for trying to stay quiet! Fail! But instead of running, let's start defending!

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You're heart freezes with fear, for a few seconds you cannot react. All you can do is stare at one Hand right in front, never mind that in each hole there's other hands. Hyperfocus cuts down the width and breath of sight to that one hole with that one Hand tense and searching for you.

It heard you earlier and reacted. If you can just remain calm and slowly back away silently...

Heart pounding loudly in your chest, it's a jackhammer of anxiety cracking the concrete of your courage. Cold sweat dripping down your back, so icy and slick, now soaking your shirt. Hands shaking, what used to be steady and nimble when picking locks and petting cats are now inert tight fists. Then the erratic breath, heaving sobbing gulps of air, which are so loud in your ears, but somehow the Hand doesn't hear it.

All the usual signs of crippling physical fear!

Ruka cannot use bonus dice!

Feet are like lead, it's difficult to get them moving! The first step back is an epic battle of will against the rising wave of fear trying to drown out courage. The tiny step back should have helped in the retreat, but physical weakness and uneven ground trips you up.

You don't know what you stepped into, a small depression in the earth seems likely. Gravity drags you down and your butt smacks the earth unexpectedly.

The sound of that collision is enough to get the Hands to react!

They start rapidly climbing down from their holes, some jump to hit the ground and start running at you instead.

You and Azul scream with horror at the incoming surge of Hands about to overrun the two of you.

'About to overrun', luckily, is not the same as 'did overrun'. Your mind automatically twitches to a reaction without giving it much thought. In the blink of an eye, a Water Wall forms around you and your partner in a watery sphere to prevent the Hands from grabbing you. You had never formed this wall so fast before and it barely forms in time.

The sphere shape is a necessity. Splashes of water in every direction reveal how totally surrounded you were. Fortunately, water is everywhere and you borrow the liquid needed to keep broadening and thickening the Water Wall from whatever source you can grab.

The Hands are all helplessly floating in the clear water. It reminds you of the time when the aquarium had a special exhibit on baby jelly fish. The tiny pink thing desperately pulsating with its tiny tentacles to move or remain suspended in the water. The Hands are much the same, but extremely inefficient as they try to use all five fingers to swim about in the wall to try and get out.

With concentration, you force the water to push them away from where the water touches the earth. If those things manage to touch the ground, they'll be able to use it to drag themselves forward and past the barrier. Every enemy within the water is trapped.

"That was close..." The words leave your mouth shakily and Azul simply squawks his agreement.

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>>5441194
You can't relax though. If you lose concentration, the wall collapses and those Hands will get to you. Even now, they are suicidally charging straight into the Water Wall to get at you and you concentrate forcing the Hands upwards into the liquid where they can't get traction.

It's quite clear that these things are unintelligent, they mindlessly continue their attempts to get at you. But at some point in time, there are no more attempts to breach the defenses. Hundreds upon hundreds of them are trapped within the water, you turn to look about and see they're all suspended, unable to move forward or backwards. They're like strange fishes in a dome of water, except there's no glass except they aren't harmless fishes.

Azul stares at the Hands and sends a message through your link.

He imagines an image of pushing the Water Wall outside the fence whereupon you'll just dump the Hands into the sea surrounding the park.

"Whoa! That's a great idea!" You are enthusiastic about the idea and give your Azul a high five of approval.

Summoning your concentration, you reshape the Water Wall from a dome to a simple wall without letting a single Hand escape. This is much harder than you thought, concentration wavers at certain points, but luckily the Hands can't take advantage.

Push. Push. Push.

There's so much water to move, the journey to the fence is painfully slow. You have to hope there are no witnesses, otherwise your identity will be revealed and consequences could be dire. You're pretty sure the enemy will just kill you. But having mundane people seeing you is bad too, just not mortally so. Yet there's no way to hurry the operation, so much water and so many Hands make this transportation very exhausting.

When you arrive at the black fence, you push the water through the gaps and pray that the Hands don't grab onto the poles. But this worry is needless, the coldness of the black stone is too much for the supernatural Hands. You witness over and over a Hand grasping at the fence only to immediately let go. Not a single one of them can use it to delay or prevent being pushed outward.

You can't help but laugh as every single trapped Hand is now over the seemingly endless expanse of water bordering the park. You sense how deep and empty the sea is, there's no way for the Hands to scramble back into the park once they're far enough over and away.

30 meters.

That's enough. You break concentration and watch your Water Wall fall apart. A cascade of water and Hands plummet and sinks into the deep depths without hope of return. Like a drop hitting a pool of water, a small geyser shoots up and then quickly settles back into calmness.

>>5441196
You scramble to find a place to hide, a nearby bush is sufficient for your purpose. You dive into the questionable safety of the humble bush and try to catch your breath. You are exhausted, nerves on edge with fear but satisfied. You just eliminated a bunch of annoying little enemies, they can't be used to attack people now!

You laugh a little and tremble.

Water Wall has a new feature! TRAP: enemies who enter the wall can be prevented from leaving it. They can still try to escape though.

Azul is on guard and peeks out from the bush while you lay on the ground.

You focus on...

>Recovering from your EXHAUSTION...
>Calming down and getting rid of your FEAR...
>Talking at Azul about how much this sucks...
>Figuring out what to do next, you got to get moving now...
>Listening for the sound of the competition, how far along are they...
>You're not doing this anymore, you're done...
>write in

Rolled 2, 2, 2 = 6 (3d6)

Let's see if the scream was heard

>>5441199
>Calming down and getting rid of your FEAR...

>>5441199
>>Calming down and getting rid of your FEAR...
Well that’s a cool trick, can’t wait till we get to Avatar water bending levels of control

>>5441250
>>5441255
Recovering from FEAR...

>>5441849
I need to go to bed, hm, posting tomorrow.

I am also not sure about continuing the quest. I'm glad everyone enjoys it though.

>>5441199
> Calming down and getting rid of your FEAR...

Late vote!

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Your body tingles; warm blood flows through your veins to the very tips of your fingers and unthaws fear-stricken parts.

Right, breathe deeply. Relax. You're alive! You're safe!

You're still trapped within the enemy's domain, so maybe not safe. You're mostly safe.

And you're not in immediate danger! That's a good thing!

Calm down. Think.

Thinking is bad. 'What if I didn't throw up a water wall in time?' echoes in your brain and births a kaleidoscope of other 'what ifs' with no answer. It simply distresses you more.

A few tears escape the corner of your eyes as you struggle not to hyperventilate and keep even breathing. You remember vague snatches of an old Buddhist sutra on mindfulness of breathing. By focusing on your breath, you can focus on your feelings to be 'ardent, alert and mindful, putting aside greed & distress with reference to the world'.

You keep your eyes closed, there's no darkness beneath the eyelids. The sunlight is bright enough that, instead, a dull pink glow of flesh is seen. The small red blood veins of your eyelids are weirdly prominent, they shiver and pulse with each heartbeat.

Fear is gone... for now. You can use your bonus dice in future situations. Ruka can still become fearful again though.

"Squawk." Azul pokes your forehead with his flipper. He knows you need time to get your nerves back, but time is running out.

Out in the distance, there's a roar of chaos as the voices of outraged and angry possessed competitors rise up into the air. The booming voice of the announcer is barely heard over them to declare the start of the third and last obstacle course. The enemy must be so busy with their scheme, they don't realize they have just lost their army of Hands. No one heard your scream and investigated.

"I know partner. We haven't found that stupid glowy orb thing. Maybe the enemy wised up and decided to use something less obvious this time. Also, I'm worried. Where's our heroines? We really need Sailor Venus or Sailor Moon here to kick some supernatural ass. Hell, I'll take that Tuxedo Mask guy if he comes to save everyone's bacon."

Your blood chills at a stray thought. A 'what if'.

What if there's no one coming to save everyone? What if it's just you and Azul alone who can do anything at all?

A girl and penguin stare at each other with forced calm. It's too late to panic. Fear nips at the edges, it'll make a comeback. But not now. It's time to check out the black Hive and see if there's anything else.

The black stones look dull under the sunlight, while the surrounding area is hushed and quiet. It's a weird effect. There must be some sort of strange barrier to absorb or prevent sounds coming in. One moment, you hear the competition, but after walking closer to the Hive, it disappears.

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>>5442647
Azul doesn't hesitate and begins immediately crawling through a larger hole into the hive before you can stop him. He seems determined to get in but since the avian isn't able to verbally explain his intent, you are left outside alone without any idea what he's trying to do.

'Whoa, buddy! Warn me next time what you're going to do. Also, are you sure it's safe to go in there?' You telepathically message the bird but he can't answer. The link is blocked, possibly by the black stones of the Hive. The only thing punching through is a weak idea of where the penguin is. He's getting closer to the center of the Hive.

It is reckless of Azul, there's no telling what's inside and he's pretty hopeless in a fight. He had better run if there's any danger. Five minutes had passed since Azul entered the Hive. You are sick with worry, you search for a hole big enough for you to crawl through but in vain. Worry eats at you, and you feel utterly helpless. Through the still functioning Penguin range detector, the distance of Azul fluctuates constantly as he crawls about searching. Then it suddenly stops, dead center of the Hive.

It's at that moment when Luna and Artemis appear from a bush. You can't feel the usual mania for cats that typically infects your mind, you're too worried about your buddy. The cats stare at you, they are surprised by your unexpected presence by the hive. You stare back at the felines, startled by their sudden appearance.

Are they... suspicious of you? You must be going mad. Cats are cats, cute little critters without human mannerisms such as suspicion. As you think that, the white and black cats dash past you and into a hole.

"Whoa! Artemis! Luna! It's dangerous! Come back!!!!" You bend down to the hole they entered and shout to the cats but too late, they are deep within the hive.

Oh crap! Azul hates cats and he's still inside. You can only pray the two parties don't accidentally meet. Azul is on the move, he's slower coming out than going in. Did he find something?

???

Well, he must have met the cats. He starts moving really really fast!

AND HE EXITED ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE HIVE!!!

You know this immediately because of the sudden return of telepathic communication with a full blast of distressed squawking. Many mental images of glowing feline eyes and claws are delivered to you in rapid succession.

'Azul, stop sending me images!' You ordered just in the nick of time to stop the stream. You reach the limit, any more images from Azul will cause a severely painful backlash.

You run to the opposite side of the building, just in time to see Azul running towards the back of the park. He is carrying an orb of some sort in his beak as he flees. It glows a familiar unnatural light. Azul found the weird glowy orb, but Luna and Artemis are relentless as they dash after the bird with a vengeance.

What are you going to do?

>>5442647
>Go after them! They're heading to the third obstacle, try to find your friends and warn them about the competition...
>Azul will have to deal with it on his own, go and investigate another structure! There might be something important you missed...
>Apologize to Azul, you're going to try to find Masato and the Conductor! You're worried about what they're up to...
>Azul should be able to hide from two cats, you want investigate the announcer and assistant...
>Use Water Wall to trap the cats... (Someone may notice the use of your powers, but the cats will definitely know...)
>Head towards the back gate, you need to unlock it and secure an escape path!...
>Write in your idea!

>>5442649
>>Use Water Wall to trap the cats... (Someone may notice the use of your powers, but the cats will definitely know...)
Shit, would that mean that the cats would know it’s us who created the water wall or will they just know someone can use use water powers?
>>5441999
>not sure about continuing the quest.
I hope it doesn’t come to that but at least your telling us and not abruptly ending it like other QMs have before but how come?

>>5442698
The cats will not know necessarily it's Ruka, after all, she's still mostly paranoid about using it out in the open. She will use it in secret hiding herself... but the cats will definitely know there's a water user around, and they're super suspicious of Ruka already.

Luna and Artemis might have super swiss cheese memories of the Silver Millenium but they aren't stupid. They can connect the dots, it's too much a coincidence. Unless of course, someone or something changes their mind to suspect a different culprit.

You're always welcome to write alternative tactics and choices that aren't listed.

As a fun side note, Artemis thinks Ruka is great! While Luna doesn't because of her manic love of felines and ability to catch her.

As for stopping the quest, it's just a lack of time now that work is picking up a bit. It's a bit tiring to try and make at least an update a day. No one likes having to wait for too long for an update and I make my posts fairly long.

>>5442649
>Go after them! They're heading to the third obstacle, try to find your friends and warn them about the competition...

>>5442649
>>5442698
Always been bad with coming up with plans so for now I’ll go with
>>Head towards the back gate, you need to unlock it and secure an escape path!...
>>5442720
That’s understandable, I don’t really have much to say that might help but I do have a suggestion if you still want to try and run the quest for a bit more. You could try and change the schedule for the quest to something that works well with your current workload, like only running on certain days or doing an update on days you know won’t be too busy. Honestly not sure what plan could work since that’s reliant on you and anons showing up but I’ve seen quests go through multiple schedules and still last long so it definitely possible

>>5442649
>Head towards the back gate, you need to unlock it and secure an escape path!...

>>5442733
>>5442754
>>5442767
Heading towards the back gate

>>5443330
Just a heads-up QM, it seems that your tripcode has fallen off.

I also agree with the other voter about scheduling. If it's too much of a bother to update every day, I wouldn't mind changing to a schedule that accommodates your IRL needs much more comfortably.

Rolled 2, 3, 2 + 2 = 9 (3d6 + 2)

I'll have to consider a new schedule but I don't know if it'll work due to time constraints. After all, I need some interrupted time to write something.

Okay, so maybe Azul has a point about him and cats. It's clear there must be something about him that causes cats to hate him. Is it because he's a bird? A supernatural blue creature not of this world?

It's a mystery.

Unfortunately, pondering on this profound conundrum causes the opportunity to trap the cats with your powers slip away. The three round a corner and disappear from sight.

'Sorry buddy, find a good place to hide using your invisibility ability. I have to go and unlock the back gates!' You send a message out to your partner, who returns nothing but distressed squawks back. From the sound of it... your partner agrees with your decision but he really wishes you could do something about Luna and Artemis chasing after him.

You run towards the back gate, avoiding crowds of employees and disqualified competitors milling about around the final obstacle course. As you pass by though, you can't help but notice how many disqualified there are. Observing the crowd, there are many familiar faces from your school looking incredibly displeased. Some are clearly recovering from their earlier gastrointestinal distress, others clearly fell off obstacles and landed in the water and a few look very scared.

The scared ones are talking and trying to convince the employee to let them out of the park. It makes sense that not everyone here is possessed by the Black Hands. There's enough of a minority unaffected to freak out at what is happening.

"What do you mean the front gate doesn't exist anymore?!"
"Please stop the competition! There's something wrong!"
"I want to go home."
"This is insanity!"

The employees are robotic in their reassurances to distressed individuals. They're clearly willing to use force to keep the people from leaving the area. A line of employees form a semi-circle the group and physically push someone attempting to flee the area to the front gate.

Yikes.

It's a good thing you've kept hidden and didn't try to interact with the park employees. You don't think Aya and the others are amongst the crowd. That means two of the most physically inept girls you know somehow proceeded to the last stage of a very challenging competition. It's hard to imagine.

The back gate stands before you now. It is unguarded and locked. Seeing it is disconcerting. Behind the gates is soft green grass leading towards a shimmering patch of air where it flickers to show the tall buildings of Tokyo. It's like a mirage.

To the side of this strange path is water. Waves lap the sides with regularity but they do not erode the earth at all. Your paternal grandparents live very close to the sea, you're used to seeing bits of earth and sand get worn away from the actions of waves. This 'sea' wasn't acting natural at all.

>>5443623
You reach through the gaps in the fence and feel for the puzzle lock. The stone fence bites with cold every time flesh touches it. The lock is still there, but it's now even harder to pick since you are on the other side of the fence.

>unlock the gate... roll 3d6+2, dc 16...

THAT'S JUST BULLSHIT!

The puzzle lock was already too hard to attempt when it was right in front of you. Trying to pick it backwards is unthinkable. You rage and tousle your hair in frustration.

"Hm, perhaps I can be of assistance?" A low amused chuckle comes from behind and startles you. You jump a foot in the air, and turn back to see who it is.

The Conductor stands alone and smiles. Where is Masato? You don't see your old childhood friend anywhere. Perhaps it's because of the look on your face that prompts the Conductor to answer.

"I had quite an electrifying walk around the fence. Unfortunately, the unique effects are unreplicatable with my abilities. As for Mr. Yuunagi, he is with the other disqualified competitors. I made him join me in my walk instead of participating. He's quite upset."

The placid smile on the man's face never changes as he continues.

"Unlike the previous occasion where I assisted you though, I require compensation this time."

"How much?" You ask with dread at the amount of money required. You're just some broke kid volunteering to mess about with supernatural stuff. It's not as if you can borrow some from Azul, he got robbed of all his money by Basalt. A fact that you haven't told Azul about, he's going to be shocked at the discovery.

"Oh nothing much. Just a certain orb that Mr. Azul has in his possession. That's all."

It's surprising. Last time in the 'Coalsack', Azul apparently forked over a large amount of cash to buy the Apple. Here, the Conductor wants the orb.

"What? Why would you want something like that?"

"Hm, if you want to know the reason... I shall charge you 100,000 yen for the privilege."

GAAAAAH!! What choice do you have here?

>Agree to hand over the orb, get the Conductor to open the gate....
>Screw this, pick the lock on your own! roll 3d6+2, dc 16...
>Try to destroy the lock somehow; maybe you can use your knife or powers...
>It's a lock with a key! Try to find a key, maybe the announcer and his assistant has it...
>Threaten the Conductor to force him to open the gate...
>write in

>>5443625
>Agree to hand over the orb, get the Conductor to open the gate....

Rolled 4, 4, 5 + 2 = 15 (3d6 + 2)

>>5443625
>>Screw this, pick the lock on your own! roll 3d6+2, dc 16...
Don’t know how I feel about just handing him something we currently don’t have at hand, especially when the orb could get taken by some other party before we can get it to the Conductor. Might just end up owing him another orb if we go for the trade and can’t give the orb but it could end up that we owing him two orbs or something harder to get. I’ll take my chances with the dice

>>5443625
>Try to destroy the lock somehow; maybe you can use your knife or powers...
Perhaps we can use our water powers to assist in lockpicking, or to completely bust open the locking mechanism?

>>5443671
>>5443739
>>5443975
Wow, we're all over the place. I'll leave it alone for a little while, but if no one votes or switches votes. I'll do a roll

Rolled 6, 6, 5 + 2 = 19 (3d6 + 2)

>>5444181
I'll throw in another dice roll just in case the lockpick roll succeeds.

>>5444249
In light of this extremely lucky roll, I will change my vote here: >>5443975

to seconding the choice in this post: >>5443739

>Screw this, pick the lock on your own! roll 3d6+2, dc 16...

Now I'm going to go praise RNGesus as I may have spent my luck for the week.

>>5444249
>>5444251
I am unsure if I should accept this. If you had committed to the lock picking when you rolled, it would be fine but you went only after it turned out to be favorable.

... Hm...

Just this once I'll allow it. But next time, if you change your vote, you must roll in the same post.

>>5444357
Roger that QM.

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You know from firsthand experience that the Conductor has some sort of supernatural powers over doors and probably teleporting things. He previously summoned a door to allow passage to another bar several meters away back in Shinjuku. So opening the gate would be a snap for him.

Yet at the same time.... he annoys you. His smug face, his refusal to answer why he wants the orb, his overly white coat that at first glance looks like the sort of thing the Sun cultists wear.

Something else bothers you more than that though.

Within the park, there are people caught up in this crazy situation. They could be bad people, good people, possessed, unpossessed, young or old, whatever. It doesn't matter.

What matters is... The Conductor isn't interested in opening the locked gate to help them. He'll only do it if you pay him.

This man went from a quirky, possibly good guy to buy stuff off from to an asshole who you really don't want to accidentally get indebted to. You don't have the orb he wants right now at hand. It's Azul who has it, and it's not guaranteed that your partner will be able to retain the item. Through your Penguin radar, you sense he has stopped running. The blue penguin probably found a place to hide.

'Azul, do you have the orb?' You message telepathically to the hiding bird.

'Squawk!' An affirmative response.

"Do we have a deal?" The Conductor asks, he acts as though he knows you'll say yes. He only stops acting so sure of your agreement, when you glare back at him.

Without answering, you pull out your lockpicking tools and start probing the puzzle lock from behind. It's a near impossible task and physically painful. Each time your bare flesh hits the fence, the cold painfully burns though it leaves no marks.

"Come now, be reasonable Ms. Houseki. I tell you that there is no way you can unlock it. It's not a normal mundane lock, it has spells on it! Very powerful and infused with dark energy. If you touch it too much, why you'll be harmed." The Conductor looks very amused, he lazily rolls his shoulder and stretches. He's preparing to take over once you give up.

Stupid smug bastard, he just gave you a clue. So the puzzle lock is supernatural and harmful? Well, that means it's time to use an ofuda talisman and make sure your omamori protective charm is on you.

You grab a ofuda talisman from a pocket and concentrate on the idea of purging the evil spell. A shape, a truth and a reason to exist! You know what the puzzle lock is!

"Evil begone!" You cry out and slap the flimsy paper onto it.

Ruka only has 2 ofuda paper talismans left!

Something is happening! A black cloud hisses off the puzzle lock, an unnatural keening issues forth before dying away into silence. Parts of the lock had melted away; a black sludge dribbled on to the grass on the other side of the gate with hiss. It smells horrible and it is definitely not metal that has just melted.

File: minimap.png (15 KB, 704x411)

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>>5444484
Yakuyoke omamori charm is pulled out from your pocket next. You quickly tie the charm onto your right wrist before going back to work on the puzzle lock. It helps a bit, the biting cold of the fence is definitely less severe. It hurts only if you leave your bare skin touching the black stone for too long now.

"Thanks for the hint!" You sarcastically express gratitude to the very surprised Conductor. He hasn't stopped smiling. If anything, he looks even more entertained and interested.

Ignoring the pink-haired jerk, you begin reviewing the many hidden features of the puzzle lock with your yoji. You're pretty sure that's the lingo 'Uncle' used to refer to lockpicks. Careful probing with your yoji reveal blinds and ploys meant to waste time or damage tools. Your hands are steadier than ever, more skilled too, despite the immense pressure.

Even when the Conductor comes to hover over your shoulder to watch closely, you aren't thrown off your concentration.

A click!

You feared that the limited range of your tool set would hinder or make this entire operation impossible, but the first part of the puzzle has been solved! A hidden knob pushed aside revealed a keyhole to pick, this helps reveal another part of the lock. You aren't able to see it clearly but using the tips of your finger you feel a newly revealed indent.

The question now is whether you have to remove your tools from the first keyhole and pick the second one. Puzzle locks have a certain order of which keyhole to unlock and if they need to be left in or removed before proceeding to the second one.

You make an assumption you need to leave your picks in the first keyhole to allow the second keyhole to remain accessible. You grab two more tools from the kit, the medium hook pick will be used as a makeshift wrench. It's not ideal, but you'll make do.

The roar of the crowd at the third obstacle has grown to a pitch. The competition is over, already the enthusiastic announcer is ordering everyone to gather for the award ceremony. You still have a few more minutes!

And you don't need those extra minutes.

The puzzle lock yields to skillful ministrations and the shackle comes loose. You rip it off and toss it away. It lands on the soft grass with a thud. The gates are massive but they open immediately with a powerful push. The creaks and groans would normally attract attention but the hubbub from the end of the competition covers up the noise.

"Absolutely amazing work, Ms. Houseki. Shall I offer my services for some other task---"

You gather up the tools and start off to your next task...

>Go to Azul's hiding place, smash the orb...
>Cut the power to the announcer's microphone...
>Go on stage and make your own announcement about the back gate...
>Try to find your friends and Minako...
>The Conductor is trying to get your attention again, pause to listen to him?...
>Cause some chaos, sweep the employees off their feet with your water powers...

>>5444486
>Cut the power to the announcer's microphone...

>>5444486
>>Go to Azul's hiding place, smash the orb...

>>5444486
> Go to Azul's hiding place, smash the orb...

>>5444536
>>5444572
>>5444635
Looks like we're smashing the orb straight away. I arrived home late, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to post tonight. But definitely by tomorrow if not tonight.

File: blade.jpg (20 KB, 1035x219)

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The Conductor is trying to get your attention, but whatever he is selling, you are not interested.

The orb! You need to smash it before anyone gets their hands on it. Azul is hiding somewhere, but though your Penguin radar shows he's close by, the blue penguin is nowhere to be seen. He's hidden himself very well.

'Azul! Where are you?' Communicating through the telepathic link you have is as easy as thinking now. You're pretty sure by now that you don't make strange faces or give obvious clues that you're doing it.

The third obstacle looms over you, a crushing presence. It boggles the mind how extensive and large it is. The number of people who could get through it from start to end is probably in the single digits. There are water obstacles, narrow ledges, ropes, slanted walls, revolving barriers and much more. If it wasn't for the fact that this was some sort of strange supernatural construct, this obstacle course would be a fun challenge to tackle with friends.

'Squawk!' A response comes from Azul. He's very close but you cannot see him. It's odd, the area you are in is very open and lacks obstructions to hide behind. You don't have to ponder for long, the water obstacle is a deep moat and bubbles burble up to the surface of the calm undisturbed liquid.

It should have been obvious; a penguin is an aquatic bird.

You wait at the edge of water and the surface is broken by the head of your partner. In his beak, a single shining orb held tightly by his hard keratin bill.

'Good job!' You praise the Azul while taking out your black bladed knife. The thin, almost fragile piece of metal fits your hand perfectly. The orb is taken and laid on a rock before striking at it in earnest. As usual, it's hard to crack it apart. Each strike on the smooth stone causes sparks of energy to fly into the air and fade. The metal of the knife does not bend despite the thinness of the handle.

You don't stop striking. Even when you realize the makeshift knife is a useless and ineffective tool that should have broken by now.

Black bladed knife (no handle, 2.5 inch blade) with brocade/shinto charm sheath... more durable than it looks!

How tough is this thing? You aren't sure if you are wondering about the knife or the orb. The moment you think of that though, a crack forms on the smooth surface of the orb. Light floods out of the crack!

!!!

Strike! Strike! Strike! The orb must be shattered before someone notices the light! A final mighty blow finishes the job, a loud crack fills the air. The sound has clearly caught the attention of everyone at the front of the obstacle.

File: light.jpg (46 KB, 789x550)

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>>5445918
The announcer had been very enthusiastic about getting the winners on stage but he had paused in his speech. His microphone is on and carries his outraged voice through to the speakers.

"What?! Thetis that was the Manus gem just now! It's been shattered!" The frenzied hate in the voice of the announcer is chilling. A voice that promises much suffering and violence, the snarling rage and anger is such a startling transformation that the crowd watching the ceremony gasps.

Oh shit...

You need to ...

>HIDE!!! Don't let yourself be caught. Roll 3d6+2, dc 11...
>RUN!!! Use 'Burst of Speed', head directly to the back gate...
>FIGHT!!! Use 'Water Wall' on whoever this Thetis person is! You can take her...
>DISTRACTION!!! Use 'Water Wall' to try and bring down the obstacle course, roll 3d6, dc 12...
>TALK!!! Tell the evildoers their schemes have been defeated!... but is that really such a good idea?...
>Write in

Rolled 4, 2, 3 + 2 = 11 (3d6 + 2)

>>5445923
> HIDE!!! Don't let yourself be caught. Roll 3d6+2, dc 11...

Rolled 5, 3, 2 + 2 = 12 (3d6 + 2)

>>5445923
>>HIDE!!! Don't let yourself be caught. Roll 3d6+2, dc 11...

Rolled 5, 5, 4 + 2 = 16 (3d6 + 2)

>>5445923
>HIDE!!! Don't let yourself be caught. Roll 3d6+2, dc 11...

>>5445926
>>5445980
>>5446032
We go and hide

Another delay... hm... it's getting harder and harder to update. Will post tomorrow.

File: thetis.jpg (34 KB, 644x536)

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You need to hide. The assumption that the announcer was like the possessed competitors and not in full control of himself is wrong. Is he the master of this craziness? Actually, you don't care about that right now. It is time to make yourself scarce. The urgency of this course of action boils in your brain.

She is coming.

Yes, she. How do you know that? Was it because of the name Thetis? That's a feminine sounding name. You've heard of the name from somewhere.

No, don't get distracted! The water surrounding the third obstacle course acts as a moat and is acting strangely. Ripples are building into small waves, they slap the foundation pillars with increasing force. A crushing sensation like a giant wave smothering a helpless swimmer far from land presses down.

Not a good sign.

The issue is where to hide? The surrounding area is free and clear of structures to hide in, you can't run fast enough to reach the original obstacle structure closest to where you stand. The bushes and trees are too thin on the ground to hide behind.

Azul splashes you with water to interrupt your frantic scanning of the vicinity. He waves a flipper to get your attention and dives into the water.

Your partner wants you to hide in the water?!

It's a ridiculous idea, but what choice do you have? There are no other locations to hide except for the moat. If you swim towards the obstacle course and hide behind a pillar, you'll be out of sight.

It is hard to get over the inhibitions of diving into the water. Last year during the summer, you slipped and fell into a water obstacle at Heiwa no Mori. The green stagnant water was full of slimy frog eggs, each containing a dark embryo twitching in jelly. You count it as one of the worst experiences ever; the eggs were in your shirt, pants and hair. Worse was when some of the eggs were crushed and spewed their innards onto bare skin. Squishy and wet, you ended up spending a great deal of money at a coin-operated shower to wash it off.

Here the water is unnaturally clean and clear. You take a deep breath, your lungs expand to their maximum capacity before diving in. It's a smooth dive, barely a sound as your body enters and hardly a disturbance on the water surface.

You take long calm strokes under the water to propel after Azul who is in his natural element. He is swift, a human has no way of beating him in a swimming race. You follow as best as possible until you reach a wide concrete pillar. An excellent place to hide behind!

You swim around the new white concrete to get behind it and surface for air. There must be something going on at the front of the obstacle course, there are screams and shouts of people suddenly realizing the unnaturalness of the situation.

"What the hell?"
"I'm so sorry, I don't know what came over me!"
"Let us out, you stupid blonde fuck!"
"Oh my god! What's wrong with them?!"

File: pillars.jpg (23 KB, 454x249)

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>>5448359
It's clear that while you were underwater, all hell has broken lose. You grip the pillar and peek out from your hiding spot. There is someone on the shore, and she does not look human. Her eyes are an unnatural red, while the mouth and nose are completely missing. It reminds you of a featureless mask. A monster is hunting for you, utterly frustrated by your disappearance.

So much so, she summons two towering pillars of water and starts smashing the trees and bushes. Nothing is spared, trees are knocked over and bushes ripped apart. A powerful pillar of water smashes the original park's obstacles into pieces. The monster is clearly hunting you.

Wow.... You really pissed the enemy off.

"How dare you sabotage our plans! For my lord Jadeite, I'll smash you to pieces!" She screams in rage, she draws more water from the moat. The tug of water nearly pulls you away from your hiding place behind the pillar but you use Water Wall to hold firm and in place.

Well, this is a bit of a pickle. You'll just have to keep hiding until the monster goes away. The water is cold enough that you hope it leaves soon. There's also the risk the monster will start toppling the obstacle course above you. Swimming away seems inadvisable, the monster might see you during the attempt to escape.

????

"Hold it right there! You evil fiend, how dare you ruin this year's Golden Week for everyone! I am the Pretty Guardian who fights for love and justice! I am Sailor Moon! And now, in the name of the Moon, I'll punish you!" A heroic girl's voice shatters the air and rings clear above.

Startled, you look up through the gaps of the obstacle course and see the barest hint of someone standing at the very top. There's too many pipes, ropes, walkways and more to see clearly, but you feel the familiar wave of unnatural distortion of features.

Oh thank god, Sailor Moon is finally here to save the day!

The monster instantly attacks with her pillars of water. Combat has begun between the two! The monster leaps up on to the obstacle course where Sailor Moon is. It causes the warrior of justice to wail and cry in panic because of the swiftness of the attack.

"NOOOO! Stay away!" Sailor Moon screeches and starts.... You think she's running away?

You take a few seconds to let that sink in before taking advantage of the distraction. You swim under the obstacle course and arrive at the other side unnoticed. The back gate is still open, but no one has left through it. The air is full of shouts and screams and combat.

>Find the Announcer and beat him up, he's an enemy...
>Run out the gate, you've done enough...
>Help Sailor Moon, see if you can redirect the monster's pillar of water... roll 3d6, dc ???
>Find your friends, they might need your help...
>Attack the monster, maybe Water Wall?... roll 3d6, dc ???
>Find the Conductor, where the hell did he go?...
>Get on stage and announce the back gate is open...

>>5448361
> Find your friends, they might need your help...
Sailor moon might be distracting one, but there’s still another one still at large, from what the monster said earlier. I think that we should help our friends but keep it discreet.

>>5448361
>Help Sailor Moon, see if you can redirect the monster's pillar of water... roll 3d6, dc ???

>>5448361
>>Find your friends, they might need your help...

>>5448430
>>5448465
>>5448490
Going back to get your friends!

File: notemployees.jpg (33 KB, 748x448)

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Every article of clothing on you is soaked. Your feet squish in waterlogged shoes as you trudge forward, a steady stream of excess water dribbles down.

Azul casually shakes excess water like the bird he is.

It's probably possible to use your powers to dry off quickly, but that's not a priority. You have a lot of people you know to worry about.

Aya, Tomio, Masato, Yuuji, Usagi, Mamoru and, the hopefully no longer evil, Mizuno.

You dash off to get to the front of the third obstacle where everyone has gathered. Behind you, the monster and the unfortunate warrior of love and justice do combat.... Well actually, it's more like Sailor Moon is screaming her head off and dodging the many water attacks by 'Thetis'. You consider using your own powers to maybe blunt the water attacks and help Sailor Moon, but the consequences are too much to bear.

That monster 'Thetis' might decide to turn her attention on you!

So you run to find your friends and soon come upon an eerie scene. On stage is the announcer who has shed his white suit in favor of a grey militaristic uniform. The burn on his face is livid and red, it's barely healed and suppurating a little with pus. His hands dramatically point and order his minions to attack the crowd.

The things attacking the crowd are not human. They're made entirely of blue slime, seemingly held together by no other force than 'magic'. These rough humanoid things form a rough semi-circle around the crowd, herding people closer to the obstacle. So the 'employees' weren't human either?!

Turning your attention away from the unnatural things, you scan the crowd and quickly see a few of your friends.

The most striking is Aya. The short, dark-haired girl is absurdly serene and leading in a surging crowd of people, but she's alone. Where is Mamoru? Did that guy abandon your best friend? Or did something happen to him? You can't see where that tall jerk is. The crowd is moving with your best friend towards back gate you just opened. A good thing, they'll be the first to escape.

Soon you catch sight of another friend. A pool of vomit is on the ground with Yuuji bent over it. And in that pool of vomit is a very familiar Black Hand. It's like a dead animal. The corpse is completely coated with food, stomach fluids and god knows what else. Your friend isn't the only person who has spewed out everything in his stomach. There are more than a few dry heaving people staggering in shock and panic. In fact, there are Black Hands on the ground everywhere. Some Hands were vomited out, but most others were clean as though they fell off like a blood-satiated tick and died.

They're everywhere.... And they can be seen by the formerly possessed, which adds to the distress and panic.

File: hands2.jpg (47 KB, 481x581)

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>>5449122
Adding to the chaos is the scent of something burning. Confused, you look around and see smoke rising in the air. Something is on fire; the smell of flaming wood and other unidentifiable things burns the nostrils. Where the fire is hard to determine, but it's not anywhere close to where you are. The fire is somewhere behind the line of slime humanoids.

Speaking of which, those monsters are very slow and uncoordinated. How they retain their humanoid shape is a mystery. A lot of power must go into keeping themselves formed. That isn't to say they're harmless, they push back competitors with more than human strength. Some competitors are fighting back though, like Tomio and Masato who are armed with folding chairs and bashing away at them. You also catch sight of Mizuno Ami tending to injured people and leading them away from the line of monsters. The evil look of disdain no longer stains the gentle girl's eyes, she much more approachable.

But.... she's alone. Where is Usagi?! Minako is nowhere in sight either!

You aren't too worried about Minako, she gives the impression she can handle herself, but Usagi is another matter entirely. That cry baby can't take care of herself at all.

"Stop struggling you pathetic fools! There's no point," the man spits out his words in frustration and anger since no one is listening. Realizing this, he summons an arc of black energy crackles in his hand as he surveys the crowd for a victim.

Kill one to warn a hundred.

The Chinese idiom comes to mind and chills your blood at the realization what the man intends to do.

"Crescent beam!" A heroic shout and golden lance of energy cuts through the noise. Startled by the sudden attack, the enemy unleashes his crackling arc to defend himself and teleports away from where he is standing.

The crowd roars with surprise and delight. The heroine of Tokyo, the mysterious Sailor V, is here to save the day! Yet no matter how hard everyone looks to see where she is, no one can find her. Even your vaunted abilities of observation can't see her.

'Well buddy, this is one hell of a situation.' You can't help but comment to your avian partner.

Azul looks incredibly discomfited by the sheer mass of people. His invisibility is a liability, he'll just get trampled upon and injured.

You need to make a decision...

>Look for Usagi! Where could that girl gone to? You need to talk with Mizuno...
>Check on Aya, how the hell can she look so damn calm...
>Defend the crowd from the slime monsters with Tomio and Masato! They are pressing in closer... roll 3d6, dc 12
>You're worried about Minako! You haven't seen her since the first obstacle course, go find her...
>Check on Yuuji, is he injured from puking out a Black Hand?....
>Did something happen to Mamoru!? You don't like the guy, but he might need help...
>write in

Rolled 2, 2, 1 = 5 (3d6)

>>5449124
>Defend the crowd from the slime monsters with Tomio and Masato! They are pressing in closer... roll 3d6, dc 12

>>5449198
oof

Rolled 5, 1, 1 = 7 (3d6)

>>5449124
>>Defend the crowd from the slime monsters with Tomio and Masato! They are pressing in closer... roll 3d6, dc 12

Rolled 2, 6, 5 = 13 (3d6)

>>5449124
> Defend the crowd from the slime monsters with Tomio and Masato! They are pressing in closer... roll 3d6, dc 12

>>5449198
>>5449230
>>5449274
Narrow but a win nonetheless.

>>5449750
My arm has started to ache from flu vaccination I got today. Also, I once again ran out of time. Will post tomorrow.
It seems for the week it'll every 2 days, and not daily.

We're almost at the end of this particular event.

File: reforming.jpg (31 KB, 677x502)

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Strictly speaking, it isn't just Masato and Tomio fighting off the strange creatures. Other adults are in the fray, frantically warding them off desperately with everything they can get their hands on. A good hit at the right time with a chair can burst them into a puddle of water, it's akin to poking a needle into a water balloon. Of course, it can't be that easy to defeat the thing. The monsters within seconds reform, and are back in the fight.

It's like an ever-regenerating stream, the constant pressure on the lines is too much for some people. Occasionally someone would lose their nerves and run away, thus weakening the defenders. You charge in to take the place of a man who took a punch and no longer wanted to hold his place in the line. It's right by Tomio and Masato, so you slip in to take his place.

"Hello, Tomio, Masato. Glad to see you're normal again." You take an opportunity to slash at a monster with a knife. The blade cuts through the neck and it turns into a splash of water.

"I am so glad to see you, Ruka! I couldn't find you anywhere.... Why are you soaking wet? Did you go for a swim or something?" Tomio says as he beats away a watery fist. His folding chair is very dented, a testament to the strength these things are hitting.

"Never mind that! The back gate is open. There's a way out! We can-" A fist narrowly passes your face, interrupting what you want to say.

Masato slams his chair on the assailing monster before it can attack again.

"Watch it Ruka! Don't let these bastards hit you. I'm glad you're okay," Masato's grim face breaks into a smile at seeing you. The three of you act as a unit, covering each other's blind spots and assisting. Other than looking a bit tired from defending, it doesn't seem the Conductor did anything to him.

"A way out!? That's great news, too bad we can't exactly take advantage of it," Tomio comments through gritted teeth.

"We can! If we take a few steps back as a line!" A man who overheard your conversation then passes word down the line of defenders. A cheer goes up at the news, as people begin shouting about the back gate being open.

Everyone knows the way out! Out of the corner of your eye, you can see Mizuno take charge and organize a little convoy of injured. She's going to be guiding them out, so all your group has to do is slowly back up as a line to give them time to evacuate.

It is a slow, exhausting retreat to the back gate. There are numerous explosions and battle cries of supernatural combat somewhere in the park, but they don't tell you how Sailor Moon or Sailor V are faring in their battles. The best you can do is hope and pray they're winning.

Slash. A step back. Slash slash. Another step back.

The closer you get to the gate though, the more of a temptation it is to break away and run to safety. The defensive line becomes more ragged until at last it cannot hold back the attacking monsters. Too many people have given into the siren call of safety.

File: retaliation.jpg (38 KB, 599x387)

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>>5451014
Which means you, Tomio and Masato are in deep shit. The adults to your left and right have peeled away while you dealt with a particularly nasty cluster of enemies. Perhaps it was the sense of comradery and confidence that did your little group in, leaving people high and dry just didn't occur to any of you. So now enemies surround you and block the path to safety.

"We are so screwed," Tomio tries to make a joke but chokes on the levity.

"Don't say that! We're close to the exit!" Masato shouts as he desperately bashes another monster.

It's probably time for you to use your powers and get away. Keeping it a secret is fine, but not when your friends and you are potentially going to die at the hands of monsters. You feel the water around you, everything is available at your fingertips to wield.

"RUUUUUKKKKKAAAA!!!!" You hear a banshee screaming your name and disrupt your concentration. Actually, it's Aya and she has quite a set of lungs. Even the monsters seemed stunned by the incredible scream of your Club President. It gives your group enough time to look and see what exactly Aya has planned.

Aya is doing nothing. She's caught the attention of the monster by screaming out your name. That seems to have been her role.

The true advance party consists of Mizuno and Yuuji who are bashing their way through. Yuuji looks very pale, splashes of vomit are staining his shirt, but he advances forward fearlessly to reach your group. Good old Yuuji, he must be traumatized, but he's not going to abandon everyone.

But in terms of sheer effectiveness, the honor goes to Mizuno Ami. The girl genius seems to have an incredible knack of hitting the monsters and disrupting them. In fact, each time she bashes one with her chair, the time it takes the monster reform is a few seconds longer than usual.

"Whoa, amazing. It goes to show a genius would figure out how to take these things down more efficiently. Heck, she was amazing during the competition." Tomio comments as he renews his attack to connect with your rescue group.

"Tell me about it, she wiped out half the competition on the second course by messing around with the obstacle mechanism." Masato gives a mighty shove to one of the monsters and it knocks down a few of them.

"Less talk, more bash!" You bark out. It's at this point in time that you realize you don't know where Azul is. The Penguin Radar can't be used as you're too frantic to concentrate on sensing his presence.

You're safe now though, you're past the gate! The monsters don't even bother coming close to the grass pathway. It's as though they are blocked. They stand stock still at the gate before they wander away back into the park.

"Let's keep moving! We aren't completely out yet," Mizuno urges everyone on, but you need to find Azul. You concentrate, the Penguin Radar shows he's still in the park?! He's scrambling to the gate right now, but why did he stay in there?

File: moving away.png (5 KB, 704x411)

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>>5451017
It soon became very obvious why he did it. Past the gates, you see Azul leading Sailor Moon, Luna and Tuxedo Mask to the exit. They're sprinting as fast as possible. It looks like they'll make it!

It's at this point you realize that the park is starting to drift away from the pathway like a ship slipping away from port. Everyone is shocked by the unnatural sight and realizes that if the drift gets too wide it will be impossible for anyone to escape. That means they'll be trapped.

"Curse you all! I'll sink everything beneath the waves to kill you!" The voice of Jadeite is everywhere and nowhere. It is a voice of rage beyond reasoning. True to his word, the park begins to sink beneath the strange sea.

Wait, what happened to Sailor V? You know she's in there, somewhere. She had made her attack earlier.

Azul is first out the gate, the gap is large but he simply dives into the water and swims across. Despite the powerful waves battering him, he cuts through them with amazing speed. When he gets back on land, only Mizuno reacts to his presence, as she is the only one who can see through his invisibility.

"WAAAAH!!! I can't believe this is happening!" Sailor Moon screams and grips Luna tightly. The poor cat looks like she's about to die from the death grip.

"We're almost there Sailor Moon, don't give up!" Tuxedo Mask encourages the dismayed warrior.

They make a mighty leap across the chasm, it's astounding to see. They land on the green grass and before you can react or ask questions, they continue to flee!

"Whoa! It's Sailor Moon!" "Someone take a picture!"
"Amazing, she must have opened the gate earlier!"
"Hurray! Our hero!"

Words of praise shower down but the two keep on running.

"Ruka, what are you doing?! Stop standing there!" Tomio shouts at you as you stand on the now rapidly diminishing green pathway. You take a few steps away as the waves eat away at the ground but you don't budge.

You see her. Sailor V is making her way to the exit. Her hair is streaming in the air from the sheer speed she's moving at. By the time she arrives, the gap between the pathway and the park will be too big to cross. Despite the sheer distance between the gate and the pathway, she doesn't seem worried at all. There's a grin on her face, as though the mere idea of not escaping is unthinkable.

But there's no way she could leap that far.

You walk toward the very edge of the pathway and reach out your hand.

"Come on! I'll grab your hand!" You scream out to the magical warrior and stretch out your right hand. You lean out as far as possible without falling in.

"Wait, Ruka! I got you!" Tomio shouts as he charges back and grabs your left hand. With the added support, you can now lean a bit further over the water. It starts a reaction. Masato grabs on to Tomio's hand, Yuuji grabs onto Masato's and Mizuno joins in to grab onto Yuuji's. A veritable chain of people to anchor you and keep you from falling into the water.

>>5451019
Sailor V arrives at the gate, and makes a leap.

It's too far, even for her. But good thing we can make a bridge...

roll 3d6+2, dc 11 to create a water bridge secretly... fail, and everyone witnesses the power at work.

Rolled 2, 4, 3 + 2 = 11 (3d6 + 2)

>>5451020

Rolled 4, 3, 2 + 2 = 11 (3d6 + 2)

>>5451020
We already made it but in case you want three rolls

Rolled 1, 2, 6 + 2 = 11 (3d6 + 2)

>>5451020

>>5451028
>>5451069
>>5451138
Oooooh, just made it. Hopefully I can post tomorrow.

>>5451657
I just came back from work exhausted. So no post tonight.

>>5452484
No post tonight. If I can't get a post tomorrow, then will put the thread on hold as I can't get to the conclusion.

File: pillarofwater.jpg (24 KB, 634x554)

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Magical powers are not subtle. Anyone witnessing them at work automatically knows they are seeing something utterly impossible. It is a violation of reality, forever destroying the sense of normality.

This day at Heiwa No Mori Park is a spectacular instance of the wholesale destruction of the flimsy fiction known as 'normality'.

You don't need to add to the insanity with a blatant display of supernatural powers. Also, you really don't want people to see your powers in action and wonder who used them. That leads to speculation, and speculation can become the basis of accurate inference the more evidence piles up. Thus, the longer you fly under the radar, the longer you live a healthy life. The Shadow Players did tell you that getting a disguise is a good idea, but you'll think up something later.

Right now, you have to help Sailor V!

In the span of an eyeblink, you set up your Water Wall as a bridge beneath Sailor Venus while she is still mid-air. The warrior has quick reflexes; you can only hope that she's quick enough to take advantage of having something solid beneath her feet to move immediately. The bridge sits just below the surface of the swelling water, just out of sight.

The 'bridge' runs into something odd. You realize there's something brewing in the water. The moment you laid down your 'bridge', you sensed another power was lurking just beneath it. It is waiting to be activated the moment Sailor V comes over it. A spout of water powerful enough to smash metal!

You don't have enough power to block the attack!

... But you do have enough power to redirect it. Instead of fighting against the force to stop it, you'll have to nudge towards a different direction. Nudge is being very generous; the overwhelming energy packed into the attack is magnitudes greater than yours. It must be 'Thetis'. You saw her ability to form powerful spouts of water earlier.

It's almost impossible to pull off the twin actions at the same time. Good thing it's only 'almost impossible' and not 'impossible', you managed to achieve both.

There's no more time.

Sailor V face is frowning with consternation; her body is tense with preparation to hit the water. Yet when she hits the surface of the water, her face transforms into shock and surprise at the solidity of your bridge beneath her feet.

An even greater look of shock registers on her face when the powerful waterspout aimed beneath her fires off... to the left, just barely missing the magical warrior. The air is saturated with moisture from the waterspout, the air misting with a fine cloud of salty water. Behind you, your little group lets out a gasp of shock at the sight of the towering pillar of water and sound of the roaring explosion, but they don't let go.

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>>5454754
Sailor V leaps once more to finish her journey to safety. It's a short hop really. There's no need for her to jump too far, your hands are out to pull her to safety. Or so you hoped, the force of the supposedly short hop is far greater than expected. She's like a freight train, bowling you over instead.

"OW!"
"ARGH!"
"WHOA!"
"OUCH!"

It starts off a chain reaction of falling for the group. You are now lying on your back, staring upwards at a strange, unnatural sky with the warm body of Sailor V in your arms.

Seconds tick by. Wait, you don't have time to just lie here with the other girl in your arms.

You need to do something...

>Keep holding Sailor V in your arms
>Keep holding Sailor V in your arms
>Keep holding Sailor V in your arms
>Keep holding Sailor V in your arms
>Keep holding Sailor V in your arms

You keep holding Sailor V in your arms, you simply don't want to let her go. A warm flush colors your face.

Wait a second. What about Minako? Are your affections really so shallow that any girl will get your heart racing? Sure we're talking about a mysterious magical girl who is beautiful, smells really great and has an unusually furry back...

Furry back?

You shift your head a bit to the side to see what you're touching. The white fur of a cat clinging to the back of Sailor V greets your sight. Its claws are deep into the fabric of Sailor V's unusual clothing. You think it's Artemis, you don't see the crescent because his head is buried into the long hair of Sailor V.

A sudden movement cuts off the sight of the cat on Sailor V's back. The warrior rises to her feet in one swift movement with you in her arms!

"No time to waste! Let's get out of here!" A ringing voice of command galvanizes everyone to scramble to obey. You hear the desperate shuffling of bodies and the pounding of feet as Sailor V carries you out in her arms.

Uh.... Wow... What can you say? Memories of all those shoujo manga about the 'princess carry' flash through your head. But you're carried in the arms of a beautiful girl...

This also gives a prime view of the rapidly sinking 'island'. In fact, you're privileged as the only witness of a chilling sight.

Between the gates, there stands a tall woman-like creature. Glaring red eyes glint as she limps and bleeds blue blood from many deep cuts. The monster is still alive, Sailor Moon and Tuxedo Mask didn't finish her.

'Thetis'.

She knows someone with water powers just interfered with hers.

But she doesn't know who and she's too weak to press an attack. All Thetis can do is glare and gnash her teeth with frustration. Then she suddenly disappears from sight because you have just gone past something. It's like a curtain dropped, obliterating and complete. A portal? A strange sensation washes over you as the sun of the real world showers down light.

You're out!

>Start crying out of relief...
>Babble nonsense...
>Hug Sailor V more...
>Faint...
>Bury your face in her shoulder...
>write in

>>5454757
>Babble nonsense...

>>5454757
>>Bury your face in her shoulder...

>>5454757
>Bury your face in her shoulder...
>write in

By some unknown means, Ruka is somehow holding Artemis and is absent-mindedly petting him as the scene plays out.

>>5454757
>Bury your face in her shoulder...

>>5454832
>>5454879
>>5455119
>>5455151
let's see if I can post tonight!

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The stress of the day has definitely caught up with you. Your body shivers and shakes as tension drains away like water flowing away. The sight of the sun above with the correct blue patina painting the sky is enough to make you cry. During the entire time you were in that strange dimension mimicking Heiwa No Mori, you did not immediately realize that the firmament above was completely unnatural.

It was a swirling mix of blue, green and purple that seemed completely natural while you were trapped within. It's only now with the proper azure blue above that you realize how utterly fucked it was to be wandering under such a sky earlier.

Tears start forming from the corner of your eyes, stopping them from flowing freely seems impossible. You hide your face on the comforting and solid shoulder of Sailor V to suppress sobs. It's hard to think of confronting reality right now.

Today has been a trying day. Danger lurked everywhere and creepy insane monsters were in abundance. Sure there were guardian warriors like Sailor Moon and Sailor V to save the day, but things could have gone wrong very badly.

"Meow!" A sweet comforting chatter from the cat clinging to Sailor V's back barely manages to make things better. Your hands automatically seek out the soft white fur of Artemis and start petting him. The warmth of life and silky fur does much to still the tremors shaking your body.

"It's okay Ruka! You did well. In fact, better than well! Most people would run away screaming but you stood your ground. A brave warrior, worthy defender of Gaia!" Sailor V's praise is makes you feel happy and unworthy at the same time.

????

Wait a second. How did Sailor V know your name?

Bewildered, you pull your face away from her shoulder to look straight into the face of the mysterious warrior. As usual, the powerful magical glamour prevents recognition of who Sailor V truly is.

But she's someone who apparently knows your name.

Now that you think about it, didn't Sailor Moon also know your name? Back at Osaka Jewelry, Sailor Moon most definitely knew your name.

Why?!

>>5455905
The shocked look on your face is enough to make Sailor V stop smiling. It has dawned on the other girl she has said something she probably shouldn't have.

"Got to get going! See you later stranger." Sailor V attempts to take back screw up but it's too late. She knows your name somehow. Before you can attempt to demand an explanation, Sailor V drops you onto the ground unceremoniously to prevent it. The shock of impact leaves you sprawled on the ground as the warrior leaps high up into the air. The sun itself glares in everyone's eye with a brightness that blinds. You try to track her escape but the light becomes so powerful that you must shut your eyes from it. She just did something to pull off her escape. You aren't sure what it is but you're sure it was magic.

When you open your eyes again, you see many people in the crowd rubbing their eyes.

The fire department is here, you can see the trucks are pulling in.

First thing is...

>Try to find your missing friends. Where is Usagi? Minako? Or even Mamoru?
>You get immediately tackled by Aya, she's super worried about you...
>You give Tomio, Yuuji and Masato the secret handshake of victory...
>Give instructions to Azul to get ready to go home...
>Ask Mizuno if she's normal. As in, not feeling particularly evil right now...
>See where the Conductor is, is he still around?...
>Leave the Park, people seem eager to ask you about Sailor V since you were carried by her...
>Go into the Park and get your backpack...

>>5455906
>>Ask Mizuno if she's normal. As in, not feeling particularly evil right now...

>>5455906
>Try to find your missing friends. Where is Usagi? Minako? Or even Mamoru?

>>5455906
> Try to find your missing friends. Where is Usagi? Minako? Or even Mamoru?

>>5455939
>>5456009
>>5456149
We're missing people!

>>5456708
I'll try to post tomorrow.

>>5456915
I arrived at my parents place. I'm going to try and figure out a new schedule for the quest as my work is getting far too busy to post almost daily.

I'll do one last post with a vote and then put a stop to the thread.

>>5458166
Hm, too late. I shall take this opportunity to end the thread here since I just can't seem to get to the next post.

Let's hope my schedule can get hammered out and a new thread to continue the adventure.

Have a great week everyone.

>>5459373
See you then, Crescent. Hope everything works out for you.

>>5459373
Thanks for the run Crescent, it was a good one