[BitP:R] Mortal World

[Prime32]

"Guh!"
Ayase Heart Angel (who is definitely not Ayase) clutches her chest. What's going on? Using that attack doesn't normally take so much out of me. I... I don't think I can beat this thing.

Spoiler

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Normally her finishing move would absorb the reiatsu of her opponent before the effects of using so much energy at once can set in.

For the first time Ayase Heart Angel's gaze drifts from her target. As it nears Kaito she blinks as she notices what the others have been doing. The balls he'd been hurling are floating around his head. That girl's scarf is moving on its own and appears to have grown claws. And what's more...

They're actually hurting it. Waaaah, I wanted to be special!
None of the people here could be described as normal humans.

...maybe Ken.

"The mask! That's the only way to defeat one!"

Sayaka knew about Akumushi? Then was she a Warrior of Pure Love too? She didn't seem to be worried about Valeria at least - Ayase Heart Angel figured she could trust her.

"Michiko, it's dangerous here. I-I have to get a seal on it's face. Maybe a bow. I don't know. All I have are a few talisman now. This space is protected, but this can't continue."

Either get to a safe distance or go help them Michiko. I can take care of myself." Sayaka said.

Ayase Heart Angel comes to her feet and places a hand on Sayaka's shoulder. "Let me try." she says, seriously. She was going to make up for this.

[strawberryman]

Valeria continues to strafe, listening to the others talk and debating what to do... and decides it would be best if she allowed Sayaka a window to attack. When "Heart Angel" offers... she steps up, as well.

"...I'll help."

[Frozen_Feet]

The Janitor jumps up, howling, as Erima bites into his leg, trying to grab the animated scarf with its left hand and try to squeeze the life out of it. His other hand swipes away the baseballs aimed at his face, even grabbing one in his palm and crushing it to pieces. His eyes fix on Kaito - for a moment, the fledgling kineticist can see the face of a bleeding man from the cracks of the crumbling dummy head.

Then the Hollow charges towards him, pushing his way past Ayase, Michiko, Sayaka and Val, covering the ground between them with but a few mighty strides. That moment, the normally vast gym feels painfully small. A beastly hand reaches for Kaito with alarming speed...

[Dorizzit]

Nakahiro

Throughout the battle, Nakahiro has felt helpless. He has watched his friends use their new powers or previously unseen skills to fight against the powerful Hollow that threatened them all. He...has an umbrella. No weapon, no powers, nothing he can do. Despite his brave words before the battle, he is totally useless now beyond a few comments that had served little purpose.

Then the beast lunges at Kaito. At this moment, something inside Nakahiro snaps; Kaito's new powers had proven effective so far, but they wouldn't be able to protect him from the monster. Everyone else is too far away to help, the Hollow's attack blasting past them before they can react. Nakahiro then moves on instinct. With a wordless battle cry, he launches himself forward at the Hollow. Without thinking, he lifts his umbrella with both hands over his head and brings it down heavily at the monster's extended arm. Suddenly, Nakahiro explodes in a brilliant flash of white light, illuminating the corners of the room before it returns to the form a shell around his body. The light rapidly spirals around the umbrella, and the now empowered weapon blazing brightly. It cleaves through the air towards the janitor's arm, cutting through it unless the Hollow moves out of the way quickly.

[Purple Rose]

[Takara]

Takara and Erima are linked. One being born of two. Takara's movements blend with Erima's subconsciously as they lash out at the hollow. The girl ducks back, withdrawing Erima at the last moment to prevent the hollow from reaching her. Things were going well, but Takara was not a spiritual being, nearly tireless and capable of such activity for extended periods. It was taking a lot out of her just to keep up without letting Erima get caught. She was getting tired.

Eri... We need to help end this quickly.

Takara sprinted behind the hollow, sending Erima out as far as she could, trying to lasso her around the monster's neck so she could haul back, hopefully halting its attacks long enough to give the others a chance at its mask.

"You heard her! Attack the mask!"

[Kasanip]

Erima

"This fight is already over. Let's hurry up and do it Takara!"

Erima said to Takara as they moved to strike.


Sayaka

Sayaka looked around briefly, and nodded.

"Everyone, together! We'll defeat it in one attack!" She pulled the last of her talisman out and closed her eyes for prayer.

Please don't let me make a mistake now!

With such a prayer, she was ready. And so Sayaka ran towards the hollow, prepared to throw the talisman at the last second.

[nothingclever]

Already being behind the monster and unable to bring it to its knees or do it much harm on his own Ken decided to support Takara. He too would grab the scarf and pull on it to help keep the hollow restrained if she could manage to wrap it around him.

[Shades of Gray]

Yuudai

The delinquent had been paralyzed with indecision during the entire fight. Everyone was displaying all of these incredible powers, all of a sudden. How could this happen? Could that girl from earlier really see ghosts?

He suddenly remembered the sword he was holding, and the promise he made. Fight or die. "Here goes nothing." He said, shaking off the last of his fear before charging forward and plunging the dull blade into one of the creature's legs.

[strawberryman]

Valeria darts to the side as the janitor barrels through, suffering some minor bruising. As Sayaka shouts out, she prepares a slightly stronger blast, charging up for a second before letting the black energy shoot forward.

[Frozen_Feet]

The Janitor keeps reaching for Kaito, even as his outstretched arm is severed at the elbow, despair-brought madness keeping him numb to the pain. He just switches to his other hand when the other fails. He barely notices as Erima wraps around his neck, almost dragging poor Takara with him before Ken also grabs the scarf, but that doesn't stop him. He stumbles when Yuudai stabs his blade through his leg, but his momentum carries him forward, even as his damaged limb tears itself apart.

The cracked dummy head shatters to pieces and black blood is splattered around the room as Valeria shoots her eldritch bolt, but even that doesn't bring the beast to halt. A bloodied, desparate face of an old man twisted in the most disgusting grimace now visible to each student, he keeps stumbling forwards, the only thought driving him being an injured animal's primal instict to slay its wounder, despite being already dead...

And so, the Janitor practically falls on Kaito, snarling and roaring and spewing thick black smoke on his face, doing his best to bludgeon the hapless student with his remaining arm, though each blow is grows weaker as his body slowly starts to crumble into dust.

Then, the talisman is thrown. It floats before the Hollow's maddened eyes for a moment before attaching itself on his forehead. There's a flash of light, and for a moment Kaito can see the wrath on the old man's face turn into confusion, and then into peace.

The bulk of the apish monster dissolves and fades away like a bad dream, and the air becomes easy to breathe again. The gymnasium doesn't seem nearly as gloomy anymore, and it even seems sun is shining through the rain clouds, painting a rainbow across the horizon.

A small butterfly flutters over Kaito briefly casting a blue, spectral radiance in the room before flying through one of the broken windows and vanishing to the evening sky.

---

In Mori Souta's eyes, there is only light. He faintly remembers he was angry at someone, but for what, he can't tell. "Ah well. Could be nuttin' important, den", he muses. Maybe it was Hasunaga throwing him off the building? Surely, that had just been a jest, nothing you could hold against his old pal...

... really, why had he even come here? There doesn't seem to be much here, just whiteness. Wait, what is that? Something moving against the bleached canvas? The old man reaches towards the flickering object... a butterfly it seems... but it flutters just an inch away, just outside his grasp, almost as if it is teasing him or beckoning him to follow.

"Oi! Come back 'ere!", the old man shouts, and takes a step forwards. He feels very light, just like in his young days, before the disease ate away his lungs. With the pain in his chest gone, he runs after the whimsical insect, feeling better than in years.

((OoC: New thread here))