[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

[cosplayed_out]

[Mukuro draws a cosplay weapon in the form of a handgun and fires a round at the crystal, which explodes with a loud report.]

...

[she then recoils at the sound and blast, holds her wrist, wincing, apparently stunned that her weapon actually worked like a weapon]

[voidhearts]

[Sprezzatura's Void Bolts strike the crystal repeatedly. Cracks start to appear in the purple crystal's surface. Then with a loud BANG, Tsumugi's weapon fires and strikes the crystal, shattering it into shards that fall into the abyss below. The pulses fade and the pain in everyone's chest slowly dulls away.]

[A violet aura surrounds Tsumugi. Some energy released by the crystal has been transferred to her. Tsumugi has gained Umbral Absorber.]

ROUND 2

[voidhearts]

BOSS ACTION

[voidhearts]

[Esmau growls, clearly vexed by the loss of the crystal. But she doesn't come out of the barrier yet. She holds up her hand and twirls it through the air. Two black holes open up behind her and blasts of Void Energy fly out of the holes and shoot through the barrier, targeting Akira and Minato.]

REACTION

[voidhearts]

[Akira and Minato can:
- Guard: Take guaranteed damage, but reduce incoming damage.
- Dodge: Attempt to dodge the attack, taking no damage.]

[Tsumugi and Sprezzatura can:
- Intercept: Choose to intercept an attack targeting your ally.]

[Otherwise, react to the last round of action how you wish.]

Re: REACTION

[velluminous]

Re: REACTION

[velluminous]

[ I GUESS I'M GONNA INTERCEPT ON MINATO'S BEHALF, GODDAMN ]

Re: REACTION

[voidhearts]

[You leap in front of your ally, intercepting the Void Blast and taking 5 damage for them.

Sprezzatura: 95/100 HP]

[messianic]

[ yeah in contrast to Akira, Minato will try to guard, bracing himself for the attack that he can see coming. ]

[voidhearts]

[Sprezzatura leaps in front of Minato, Intercepting the attack. Minato takes no damage.]

[messianic]

[ ?!?!?!?!?! ]

Sprezzatura-san--?!

[survivaltricks]

[WHAT IS STRATEGIZING because Akira moves on instinct to dodge, as phantom thieves do, throwing himself to the side in a tuck-and-roll to attempt to avoid the oncoming blast]

[voidhearts]

[Threshold to hit: 14
Roll 1d20-4: 13-4=9, miss!

Akira rolls out of the way of the blast successfully, taking no damage.]

[cosplayed_out]

[nah, no intercept]

DISCUSS

[voidhearts]

[Make a plan with your allies for what to do.]

[cosplayed_out]

I don't know what just happened to me!

[umbral... absorber??]

[voidhearts]

[Nell runs over to Tsumugi and pats her on the shoulders a couple times, looking her up and down.]

It's some kind of Void Spark...I don't think I've ever seen this one before...

D...do you feel any different?

Re: DISCUSS

[velluminous]

[ wincing, being a petty dramatic baby ]

Did—she she open holes in portal to do that?

[ this near-sighted woman ]

Re: DISCUSS

[voidhearts]

Uhhh...

Okay, I guess there is a way she can attack us from behind it without the crystal...!

PLAYER ACTION

[voidhearts]

[Make your own actions.]

NELL

[voidhearts]

[Nell is at 50 HP.
Nell is currently visible.
Nell's Invoke will be charged in 215 damage.

You can command Nell to Gather Intel, Heal, Go Invisible or Attack. If you do not command her, she will make her own decision.]

Re: NELL

[voidhearts]

[Nell casts Vanishing Step to become Invisible, and her Drop of Escape makes Tsumugi Invisible at the same time.]

[cosplayed_out]

[Tsumugi will try to use Umbral Absorber on the barrier.]

Re: PLAYER ACTION

[velluminous]

Mammon, wait—

[ alright, new plan!! before Nell can make them both invisible, Sprezzatura uses Shield to grant Ironheart x3 on Mukuro Ikusaba.

bye have fun storming the barrier ]

Re: PLAYER ACTION

[voidhearts]

[Surrounded by magical shields and rendered invisible, Tsumugi approaches the barrier and places her hands upon it.

The translucent purple and black barrier shudders briefly against Tsumugi's touch. They are made of similar energy and they recognize each other. But.....it doesn't waver. The barrier has been Unaffected by the attempt to absorb it.]