[Endgame: rise or DROWN]

[warpweft]

[How long have you been exploring Nessa's palace now? You've met her family, viewed her memories, learned how to fight as a witch and tried to find the source of her power and the Treasure of her palace: the Voidheart. And along the way, you've tired your best, with mixed success, to avoid the incarnation of her eldest cousin and the representation of her trauma and fear, the Nightmare of Esmau.]

[Wherever you are in the Palace right now, you feel the ground briefly shake under your feet. Little shakes here and there haven't been out of the ordinary - Esmau is trying to blow the place down to the studs, after all. But that felt different. That felt....worse.]

[Your phone beeps as you receive a message.]

Comments

[messianic]

[ Minato will never get to pretend like he's an average teen ever again with her after this--because in contrast, he's steady on his feet, squinting up at the Void Crystal, and Esmau. This... feels familiar, and he's been here before.

He reaches out to gently touch her elbow. ]

Steady, Sprezzatura-san. We can do this.

[velluminous]

[ gets a 10 on insight. . . well, Minato might be able to pretend. maybe.

he will feel the way she's tremoring slightly from adrenaline. ]

We have to do this.

[messianic]

[ that's hilarious and he'll take it. ]

Yes... we do. And we will. We have you, and Tsumugi-chan, and Akira. Nell-san is here too.

That's a lot of amazing people here to see this through.

[velluminous]

I can feel her power... needling at me.

[messianic]

[ he nods at that, turning his gaze back at their foe. ]

... She's trying to overwhelm us. To keep us from moving forward. That means that if we can break the barrier and get to her--we have a chance.

[velluminous]

What have you filled your book with, Minato?

[messianic]

[ mmm... ]

Mostly healing, mostly support. I--my spells and shard seemed to lend itself that way.

[velluminous]

[ always protect the cleric. ]

I see. Good to know.

[messianic]

What about you, Sprezzatura-san?

[velluminous]

Utility. This is most important facet of any scholar's arcanabula. I have my Shield, my curses, and I will attack her mind's defenses until she crumbles.