[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]

[ ... ah. Of course. He absolutely reaches for that crystal, and focuses so, so hard on the first memory that comes to mind.

It's a recent memory, with the mistletoe forcing them to stay in place, but Nessa so firm and so certain and so kind. She doesn't want to do anything that could jeopardize Minato and Akira's relationship, because she's a good friend to the both of them--the best of friends, not just to Minato, but to Akira too.

He's always felt so, so grateful for that.

He's so grateful that they both have Nessa in their lives--and he hopes that he can get that gratitude properly across. ]

[voidhearts]

[The crystal absorbs your memory.

....okay.

Cards on the table.

Nessa has been crushing on both Minato and Akira for quite a while.

But she also thinks they're her really, really good friends. Possibly her best (human) friends. And she thinks it's so romantic how they were pulled from different worlds to fall in love with each other. And she didn't want to risk turning this into some kind of weird love triangle, because love triangles are overplayed and hacky and she refuses to be a part of one! Because Akira is her friend, and Minato is her friend, and....

Minato is a great friend.

Seeing him act so selfless all the time makes her want to be like him.

She's grateful that he's in her life too.

The crystal SHATTERS brilliantly, sending purple shards everywhere. Esmau suddenly hunches over--]

ROUND 8

[voidhearts]

[Esmau hunches over as her shield sparks and crackles around her.]

Wh...what's happening?!

[The sparks continue until....a crack reveals itself on her right hip.

Strike the weakness in Esmau's shield to destroy it!]

[Invokes:
Minato: Judgment is 180 damage away from being charged
Sprezzatura: Void Fissure is 110 damage away from being charged
Akira: Rebellion is 10 damage away from being charged
Tsumugi: Re-Writes is 160 damage away from being charged]

[BOSS ACTION]

[voidhearts]

Ha...fuckers...!

[Esmau swings wildly, lunging at Sprezzatura]

REACTION

[voidhearts]

[Sprezzatura can:
Guard: Take guaranteed, but reduced damage.
Dodge: Attempt to dodge by reducing Esmau's roll to hit.
Parry: Immediately roll against Esmau's roll to hit. If you lose, take full damage. If you win, inflict damage to Esmau's shield. If you fail, take full damage.

Another player can:
Intercept: Change the attack target to yourself.]

Re: REACTION

[velluminous]

[ FALSE, BABY. Sprezzatura can: Thunderstep.

(this is just dodging with more caveats, but. thanks, Minato!)

as she disappears in another CRRRK-BOOM, she notes that weak point. she notes it. ]

Re: REACTION

[voidhearts]

[Threshold to hit: 10
Roll 1d20-9 to hit: 16-9=7, miss

Sprezzatura flies away, leaving only the boom of thunder in her wake as the blade misses her.

Additionally, the shockwave of the Thunderstep inflicts 10 damage to Esmau's shield.]

DISCUSSION

[voidhearts]

[messianic]

[ listen he wants to intercept but also he'll be murdered by both Akira and Sprezzatura so. ]

Is that--is that a crack?

[voidhearts]

It -- I think it is!

I saw a crack for just a second when Nessa attacked her earlier, but it vanished...I think that's it!

[messianic]

[ IT'S REAL!! ]

We should see if we can widen it.

PLAYER ACTION

[voidhearts]

NELL

[voidhearts]

[Nell is at 50 HP.
Nell is currently visible.
Nell's Invoke will be charged in 160 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

[survivaltricks]

MINATO. HEAL. IF YOU DON'T MIND.

[i said he was gonna do it]

[messianic]

[ CLOSES HIS EYES OVER HERE

IT'S NOT THAT BAD.... ]

Re: NELL

[voidhearts]

I-I don't!

[Nell casts Harmony Bolt on Minato!

Roll 1d5+3 to heal: 2+3=5 HP restored.

Minato: 74/100 HP]

[survivaltricks]

[HELL YEEEEAH TIME FOR ANOTHER GRAVITY STRIKE TO QUICK STRIKE COMBO. right on that crack!!]

[and if that successfully hits, he'll go for another Gravity Strike. . . and then go invisible with Stylish Phantom]

[he's so speedy this is the perfect spellbook for him]

[voidhearts]

[The blows come quickly, one after another into Esmau's side for 5 damage, 5 damage and 5 damage!]

[messianic]

[ Sprezzatura makes it through okay, which means Minato's gonna attack at that crack at her hip as well!

Double Balmung time, yeah!!

Then he's backing up to follow it up with Umbral Favor--1d2 Volatile Spark to Sprezzatura! ]

[voidhearts]

[Balmung strikes the crack in the shield twice - for 6 damage and 3 damage!

Additionally, a Volatile Spark charges Sprezztura's spellbook!]

Re: PLAYER ACTION

[velluminous]

[ CRKKK-BOOOOOOOOM.

she's getting a little dizzy, little breathless, but there's a crack.

attuning Magic Missile to Harmony again--and two basic casts will be sunk into it, raining down on that crack and prompting both Nodes: Repurposing to heal Minato, and Balance as a byproduct of the heal. then she uses her third cast on Void Bolt, putting a charge towards one of Akira's powerful spells. ]

Sycophant! Pawn!

Re: PLAYER ACTION

[voidhearts]

[Both Magic Missiles strike Esmau's shield - for 3 damage and 4 damage respectively, which opens the Node of Repurposing, releasing a small burst of healing under Minato to restore (1d5+1: 2+1=3) 3 HP.

Minato: 77/100 HP

Node of Repurposing then opens Node of Balance, which inflicts 1 Psyshock on Esmau.

Then the Void Bolt strikes next, inflicting 3 damage and charging one of Akira's spells. Additionally, as the Void Bolt had been charged by Minato's Umbral Favor, Esmau is now Volatile, rings of purple energy crackling over her body as her shield is continuously punished.]

[tsumugi's action]

[voidhearts]

[As Junko Enoshima, Tsumugi attacks with Cosplay Weapon three times, inflict 6 damage, 6 damage, and 3 damage to Esmau's shield and inflicting 3 Psyshock on Esmau.]

ROUND 9

[voidhearts]

[The cracks widen and widen like a spider web under your constant assault until finally....

It shatters.

Esmau's shield breaks away into hundreds of pieces that fade away into dust. It feels like the world itself just held and then released a huge breath. Esmau's eyes widen as if she can't comprehend what just happened. Through everything, through the barrier, through the towers, through all of her attacks, you and Nessa and her family made it through all of her defenses, somehow and now...

She's vulnerable.

At last, you are equals.

At last, the real fight begins.]

[Invokes:
Minato: Judgment is 161 damage away from being charged
Sprezzatura: Void Fissure is 80 damage away from being charged
Akira: Rebellion is charged!
Tsumugi: Re-Writes is 145 damage away from being charged

Esmau is:
Volatile (inflict damage to detonate Volatile, inflicting damage)
Psyshocked x3 (allows certain Harmony spells to inflict critical damage)]

BOSS ACTION

[voidhearts]

[Esmau lets out a roar. She's briefly shocked that you got this far. She is not intimidated.

She snaps one leg out to throw a Reaction Attack: a Savage Strike flies at both Tsumugi and Akira, attempting to punish them for getting within melee range of her.

Then, she looks around and points her glaive at Minato. She flies at him with a Final Rush, thrusting the glaive towards him.

Then finally, she raises her arms up, opening up several holes in the air around them and releasing a Void Eruption, firing pitch-black blasts of energy at Tsumugi, Sprezzatura and Minato.

Somehow, now that she's been stripped of all of her defenses, Lilith's disciple has become even more fierce.]