[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

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.]

REACTION

[voidhearts]

[Savage Strike (@ Tsumugi and Akira):
'A reaction attack Esmau releases on any opponents who get within melee range of her. The attack is lightning quick, its speed makes it extremely difficult to dodge or parry.'
Tsumugi and Akira 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 win, take no damage and attack Esmau back for free. If you fail, take full damage.

Final Rush (@ Minato):
'Esmau selects one opponent and rushes at them with her glaive at full speed for devastating damage.'
Minato 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 win, take no damage and attack Esmau back for free. If you fail, take full damage.

Void Eruption (@ Tsumugi, Sprezzatura and Minato)
'Esmau opens up three gates into the Void and fires Void blasts at three random opponents.'
Tsumugi, Sprezzatura and Minato can:
Guard: Take guaranteed, but reduced damage.
Dodge: Attempt to dodge by reducing Esmau's roll to hit.]

[messianic]

[ this seems fine

ANYWAY

First, that final rush -- he'll parry and hope for the best. Minato's immediately flinging up his blade to try to parry away her rush--

--and then he can only really guard against Void Eruption, staggered as he is from the first assault. ]

[voidhearts]

[Parry Roll:
Esmau rolls 1d20: 14
Minato rolls 1d20: 5, Esmau wins

Esmau knocks Balmung out of the way with her left arm and THRUSTS her glaive with her right, slamming it into Minato's shoulder. It pierces him, then the impact sends him flying across the temple for 25 damage. He manages to get his Guard up before the Void Eruption hits, mitigating the worst of it for another 8 damage.

Minato: 44/100 HP]

[messianic]

[ oh

that was a Mistake.

He can only really process that for a moment as her glaive skewers his shoulder, and then he's off flying--and he's barely able to throw his arms up to protect himself as much as possible from the second attack.

And then he kind of... slumps a bit for a moment, stunned.

Ow. ]

[survivaltricks]

[oh. well. now this is a fucking fight]

[Akira can't prevent the wild look in his eyes, the way his mouth curves up sharply, clearly enthralled. this is what he was waiting for. no hiding behind a stupid fucking shield]

[Esmau strikes at him with her assault, and he immediately raises his dagger to parry, because fuck guarding or dodging when he can maybe counter!!]

[voidhearts]

[Parry Roll:
Esmau rolls 1d20: 3
Akira rolls 1d20+2: 14+2=16, Akira wins

Akira knocks Esmau's foot out of the way and then smashes his dagger into the side of her face. He can feel the dagger cut her, just slightly and hear a loud curse out of her as she's hit for 6 damage.]

[survivaltricks]

[HELL YEAH]

[. . . or. . . that would be his reaction, but. . . then Minato goes flying across the room, and whatever daredevil euphoria he was getting from his is immediately drained away, along with the color in his face]

-- Minato!

Re: REACTION

[velluminous]

[ YOU KNOW WHAT I'M DOING ]

Re: REACTION

[voidhearts]

[Threshold to hit: 10
Roll 1d20-9 to hit: 17-9 = 8, miss

Sprezzatura Thundersteps away, avoiding the Void blast, but this time -- it's way closer than it's been so far. Esmau almost anticipating where she was going and managed to hit her anyway.]

Ehehehehehehe.....I'm getting closer to reading that thing! Better be careful~!

DISCUSSION

[voidhearts]

[cosplayed_out]

...Re-writes are nice, but not essential.

You should know that the focus should be on inflicting as much despair as possible!

PLAYER ACTION

[voidhearts]

NELL

[voidhearts]

[Nell is at 50 HP.
Nell is currently visible.
Nell's Invoke will be charged in 150 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 Harmony Bolt on Minato again, healing him for (1d5+3: 4+3=7) 7 HP.

Minato: 51/100 HP]

Re: PLAYER ACTION

[velluminous]

[ Minato goes flying, and with him, what's left of her already-normally tenuous composure ]

You! Look at me!

[ it's a flurry this time! Void Bolt, attuned to Harmony, once! twice! proc the healing (on Minato), proc the Psyshock! both charges go to Tsumugi, though. and then she is getting in VERY close and personal to use Bestow Curse on Esmau, grabbing her in this terrible shaking grip.

and can she use her charged Phantasmal Killer on her this round? I CAN TAKE IT IF NOT. ]

Re: PLAYER ACTION

[voidhearts]

[The Void Bolts strike Esmau twice, each one making the Volatile crackle and burn at Esmau without detonating it thanks to Bestow Curse. With the Volatile Spark roiling over her, she takes 8 damage and 7 damage.

Then, Minato is healed for (1d5+1: 4+1=5) 5 HP (Minato: 56/100 HP) and Esmau gains 2 more Psyshock.

And finally, Phantasmal Killer is unleashed. Esmau growls and swipes at something unseen with her glaive as she holds her head with one hand (Psyshock: Roll 1d20: 3, no activation). Whatever her nightmare is, she manages to fend off the worst of it, but she still takes 15 damage from the Phantasmal Killer on its own.]

[survivaltricks]

[the first thing Akira is doing is casting Well of Life for Minato, because, yeah]

[but once that's taken care of. . . he's leaping back into the fray, activating Rebellion as he moves, darting at Esmau with his dagger drawn, aiming to hit her with Paradise Lost]

EAT SHIT!!!

[and if he manages a critical hit. . . then after that, he'll cry out--]

Come on! Everyone put your all into it!

[-- AND TRY TO RALLY EVERYONE FOR A SHOW'S OVER ALL OUT ATTACK]

[voidhearts]

[Akira, the Joker has Invoked the power of his Heart!
Akira, the Joker casts Rebellion!

Arsene, the Pillager of Twilight appears above Akira, imbuing his spells with greater power. His dagger, Paradise Lost is charged purple with the power of Void Spark. As he breaks from his invisibility, the dagger strikes Esmau in the back of the head and detonates the volatile spark surrounding her for both critical damage AND volatile damage, inflicting 12 damage total.]

[While Esmau is reeling from the blind side critical strike, she stumbles, allowing everyone to surround her.

All players besides Akira, choose an offensive spell you can currently cast to cast via The Show's Over.]

[voidhearts]

[Akira opens another node within the Network, releasing a burst of healing that covers everybody, returning most of them to full health.

Minato: 66/100 HP
Sprezzatura: 100/100 HP
Akira: 100/100 HP
Tsumugi: 100/100 HP]

[cosplayed_out]

...I'm getting bored of despair. Let's bring out something with some firepower.

Keebo! I choose you!

[voidhearts]

"Understood."

[K1-B0, the Ultimate Robot appears above Junko!Tsumugi, floating in the air with a jetpack. He flies around the temple, searching for a good shot, locks onto Esmau and fires his laser at her. Esmau manages to spin and guard herself with her glaive at the last possible second (Psyshock: Roll 1d20: 9, no activation) - she still gets thrown back, taking 22 damage, but if she hadn't blocked it, it could've been way worse.

[messianic]

[ Minato is still listing a little, but he's back up on his feet.

With a hand still pressed to his shoulder, he reaches for his Evoker. He'll summon Beelzebub for a Mamudoon--

Which he follows up with a double Balmung because if he uses more of his HP he'll be in trouble from everyone. ]

[voidhearts]

[The Prince of Flies appears and casts his Dark spell on Esmau. It doesn't instantly kill her, but it does significant damage, with the Volatile Sparks on Esmau crackling and detonating repeatedly, it inflicts 14 damage.

The two Balmung strikes afterwards add insult to injury for 6 damage and 9 damage.]