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>>41398130

The cool breeze that wafts through the city seems to chill you to the bone tonight, not nearly as harshly as the glare on your back. With the time limit placed upon you, never in your life have you felt this kind of pressure. The amount of time that Sen has left can be measured in minutes- almost half of which has seem to have been wasted in the interim. Naru paces back and forth, overcome with worry but with just enough strength to hold herself together. Her nails have seen better days though, as she gnaws at them nervously. You clutch the hard machine in your lap; a mechanical mind that houses Sen's consciousness. You'd hesitate to call Sen innocent, but whether she deserved to be bound to this slowly dying vessel - whether anyone would deserve this fate - you can't say.

Yui and Shun seem to have distracted the crowd well enough to keep them away from you two. You can't imagine they're going to convince any police officers soon- unless this is played off as some elaborate action movie set. Not that you care about anything so trivial right now; not with Mai and Yuuki absent. Hiroko, Umeki, and Shizuko haven't returned with him yet, and you've received no messages - not that you could with the Blackout still in effect. As for Mai; she attempted to jump to Robo's ship using some kind of electrical transference power. It was a dangerous option, but with Sen's life on the line, she was more than willing to attempt it. You're all trying hard... with one exception.

"Aaany time~" You hear Sen jeer nearby, watching the lot of you with a sly, sinister smile. On the surface it certainly looks like Sen, but the only person standing before you is Black Pepper; the 'mastermind' behind Mai, Naru, and Sen. You have nothing but scorn for her right now, as 'helpful' as she's trying to appear.

[1/2]

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>>41398181

"Just one touch, Makoto. That's it." She asks, playing it off like nothing. "Everyone is trying their best - Mai put her life on the line for Sen - and yet you won't lift a finger to save her. How cruel..."

"You shut up!" Naru shrieks, stomping her boot on the ground in front of Pepper. She regards her with an air of disinterest. "If you have even the slightest, most miniscule smudge of humanity - of pure decency! - then you'll put her back where she belongs!"

"And fade away in that dying battery?" She asks, yawning. "I didn't survive breaking out of prison just to die in some metallic orb... Well, I suppose I didn't exactly survive." She mumbles, confusing herself. Naru doesn't seem to care about the details much, and continues to rant. You've all but given up hope of appealing to Pepper. Her callous attitude seems unyielding to you.

But with not even the slightest hint of hope on the horizon, what should you do...?

> Nothing. All you can do is wait.
> If it comes to it, you'll take Pepper's offer.
> Whatever happens, you can't let her have your body. The danger is too great.
> Flee for home. Maybe you can makeshift a recharge...
> Appeal to Pepper. Maybe you can get through to her.
> Try and calm Naru. She's unpredictable in this state.

>>41398209
> Whatever happens, you can't let her have your body. The danger is too great.
> Try and calm Naru. She's unpredictable in this state.

If Naru corrupts, there will be hell to pay and we can't afford that, not with civilians nearby.

>>41398209
>Whatever happens, you can't let her have your body. The danger is too great.
> Flee for home. Maybe you can makeshift a recharge...
Nope, not bodyswapping. It's not even a fetish in this situation.

>>41398209
>Whatever happens, you can't let her have your body the danger is too great
>Try and calm Naru, She's unpredictable in this state

>>41398209
> Whatever happens, you can't let her have your body. The danger is too great.
> Flee for home. Maybe you can makeshift a recharge...

>>41398209
>> Try and calm Naru. She's unpredictable in this state.
>head to the lab. leave someone behind to direct them there when anyone gets back

>>41398209
> Try and calm Naru. She's unpredictable in this state.
> Nothing. All you can do is wait.

>>41398209
>Whatever happens, you can't let her have your body. The danger is too great.
>Try and calm Naru. She's unpredictable in this state.

>>41398350
>>41398356
>>41398379
>>41398422
>>41398436
>>41398494
>>41398716

> Whatever happens, you can't let her have your body. The danger is too great.
> Try and calm Naru. She's unpredictable in this state.
> Flee for home. Maybe you can makeshift a recharge...

Writing

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>>41398731

As much as the thought of abandoning Sen makes your skin crawl, giving Pepper unrestricted access to your powers is undoubtedly the worse option. She's callous, unfeeling, and positively psychopathic. Someone like that with your abilities would be absolutely terrifying, let alone what other kinds of powers she could access with her greater knowledge of foci. It could be that there lies an every greater level of your abilities; one that she's trying to keep you ignorant of.

Still, you can't just abandon Sen. Without Yuuki or Robo, you have no hope of recharging this thing on your own... or do you? You did manage to help out Yuuki in creating his human body, after all. Maybe you can find a way to fix this yourself! If you could just get home and down into Yuuki's laboratory, you could get into his tools and try to find some way to recharge this stuff. No doubt his robots need recharging.

"Naru!" You quickly call out, standing up. She glances your way, taking her lips away from a nail. "I might have a way to save Sen, but I need you to stay here."

"W-What, how?" She asks, walking over to you. "You need to tell me!" She demands.

"Uh, Naru-"

"Please!" She continues, shaking you by the shoulders. She isn't crying like Mai was, but her body language is even more distraught than her. She can barely keep still. Like this, you have a greater concern right now; corruption. Gently, you place a hand at her cheek.

"It's okay, Naru." You tell her, as sweetly as you can. "Everything will be okay. You can trust me, I won't let any of you down."

"But you ARE planning to abandon them." Pepper interjects. You take a sudden jolt back as you notice her at your feet, just out of range. "Easy," she assures you, holding up her hands, "A surprise grab wouldn't work anyway, considering the time I need to switch."

"I'm not going to abandon them!" You quickly shout back. "I just thought of a possible way around your bastardry." You say, gritting your teeth at her.

[1/2]

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>>41399048

"Think you'll find a way in that underground lab of yours? I doubt it." Pepper mumbles, tapping her (Sen's) head. "I know more about their technology than you do. You'd never figure it out."

"Wha-"

"Mind reader." Naru sighs, still agitated. Dammit, that slipped your mind. Sen described her mind reading as 'accurate to surface thoughts', and since that's what wqs on your mind, Pepper easily caught it. She grins, and raises a finger.

"You really think I'm going to just let you run off, Makoto?" She asks. "Don't take my calm and amicable demeanor as a sign that I'm helpless in this situation." She raises a hand vaguely towards Yui and Shun, twitching her fingers. Yui has her back turned when you see Shun sort of jitter in place, before hoisting her bat. You twitch as you ralise what is happening, but call out too late as Shun smacks Yui in the back with her weapon. Yui sails off into the side of a building, bouncing off with a sickening crunch. Your heart sinks, watching Shun wobble for a second before shaking her head, and realising what she's done.

"Y... Yui!?" She shrieks, running over to her.

"True Mind Control might be a power that eludes me in this shrimp of a body, but make no mistake that I have ways of imitating it." She explains, losing her coy smile for the moment. "So don't think you can do as you please."

"Ngh-" You growl, seething with anger at her for hurting your friends. No, for making them hurt each other!

"My offer is the only option you should be concerned with." She says with a leer. You can't help but feel she's acting a little more hostile towards you. Getting nervous, perhaps? Time is ticking down...

> Head for the lab anyway.
> Ask Naru to help keep Pepper's powers on the fritz whilst you leave.
> Stay here, don't risk her ire.

>>41399074
>distance purification of Pepper's focus until nothing is left of it

>>41399074
> Ask Naru to help keep Pepper's powers on the fritz whilst you leave.

>>41399074
>> Ask Naru to help keep Pepper's powers on the fritz whilst you leave.

>>41399074
>Ask Naru to help keep Pepper's powers on the firtz whilst you leave

>>41399074
>Head for the lab anyway.

>>41399074
> Ask Naru if she can keep Pepper's powers on the fritz whilst you leave without making the blackout worse or longer.

our best plan is to get Sen to some kind of charger and get instructions or help from Robo or Yuiki

>>41399074
>> Ask Naru to help keep Pepper's powers on the fritz whilst you leave.

>>41399074
can... can we cure the battery to charge it?

>>41399074
> Ask Naru to help keep Pepper's powers on the fritz whilst you leave.
> Take our phone with us so Mai can warp back with a charger if she finds it first.
I remembered throwing it away, but don't know if we picked it back up.

>>41399119
>>41399131
>>41399147
>>41399208
>>41399227
>>41399237
>>41399287
>>41399319

> Ask Naru to help keep Pepper's powers on the fritz whilst you leave.
> Take our phone with us so Mai can warp back with a charger if she finds it first.

Writing

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>>41399342

Dammit, with her threatening you, there's no way you can just leave. However, Naru's power - this 'vibration' or whatever - seems to be capable of disrupting her powers to a degree. You turn towards Naru to ask her, ignoring the sudden flash in Pepper's eyes.

"Naru, I need you to keep Pepper... Naru?" You ask, noticing a strange, glass-eyed expression on her. Either she's not listening, or...

"You just don't learn, do you?" Pepper sighs, lowering one of her hands. She prods at her head with a finger, looking at you with disgust. "Mind. Reader. Any plan you concoct is absolutely pointless."

"D-Dammit..." You mutter. On a whim, you quickly yell at Yui and Shun. "I'm heading home, tell the others if they come!" Before you dart off down the road. Maybe if you act quick enough, you can undermine her. The two of them catch your message before Pepper distracts them, but judging by that face, she isn't going to just let you slide.

"Mnn, why isn't she chasing me?" You mumble, watching Pepper follow slowly. She's magical too, she should have enhanced sp- "Shun!?" You quickly squeak as you see her zoom past Pepper and plant herself on the ground next to you. Shun's speed far exceeds your own, and you quickly see her bat, swinging around towards your gut - her eyes glazed over, still frozen as if tending to Yui.

> Keep going! [Roll]
> Shun, wake up!
> Jump back.
> Take the hit.

>>41399464
>> Keep going! [Roll]

Sometimes I wished we went the hotblooded, toku-esque magical girl route.

>>41399464
> Keep going! [Roll]

>>41399464
>Take the hit.
Just like old times!

But really:
> Keep going! [Roll]

>>41399464
>> Keep going! [Roll]
she has to have a range on the mind control

>>41399464
> Keep going! [Roll]
> think lewd thoughts to pepper to throw her off her game.

>>41399464
>Take the hit.

>>41399464
>Keep going [Roll]
>think of the most depraved and perverted things Yui can do with a alarmclock, make Pepper freak out

Her mind control has to have a maximum range

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>>41399530
brilliant!

>>41399530
>>41399567
Wait a minute! We're an idiot, right?

If I learned anything from the internet, and games, is that the best way to defeat an intellectual superior is to bring them down to our level. Plus, not even an idiot knows what they're gonna do.

>>41399490
>>41399504
>>41399514
>>41399516
>>41399530
>>41399549
>>41399554

> Keep going [Roll]
> Think sexy thoughts.

Alright, 1d100, best of three. DC60

Rolled 67 (1d100)

>>41399618
Here comes the snow

Rolled 21 (1d100)

>>41399618
forgot to do it properly

Rolled 24 (1d100)

>>41399618

Rolled 33 (1d100)

>>41399618

>>41399627
>>41399656
>>41399673
Well, thank god for >>41399627 here.

Writing

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>>41399627
Buddy?

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>>41399686

With only reflexes on your side, you quickly duck under the bat, evading it by the skin of your teeth. You can feel the immense power behind her swing as the air around it ripples and booms in the air.

"Tch!" You grunt as you slide and quickly kick back up onto your heels, heading off. Shun stands there, dazed as Pepper growls at you. She goes to swing her hand again when you hear a sudden, high-pitched sound.

"Agh!" Pepper shrieks, holding her head. She glances back to see Naru, holding her hands out with a smile; blood dripping from her forehead.

"I've got you..." She says, her breath a little strained. You smile, seeing her powers back and active again. Sen mentioned something about having to focus on one person at a time; even Pepper has that weakness, it seems. In a group, and especially with Naru's abilities, maybe she isn't so invincible. Shun seems confused as to where she is, but you don't have time to explain things to her. With a head-start, you easily manage to escape Pepper and head down the street. You can only hope Naru can hold out long enough...

-----=====-----

It takes a few minutes to get from the city to your house, even at super-speed. Or at least your super speed; it's not exactly Shun's level. You can't imagine Sen has more than ten minutes left considering all the time wasted fighting and waiting. Five at the worst. You forgo the house entirely and just land in the backyard, smashing through the laboratory door and crashing down into the hallway. With the elevator in sight, you happily enter and hit one of the buttons.

"Finally..." You sigh, relieved to have made it. For a few seconds, you're relaxed... until you realise nothing is happening.

"...No... No, no, nono-NONOO!!" You start to panic as you realise it takes power to move the elevator, and with the blackout, even the lab is disabled. You slam your hands on the keypad, hitting buttons to no avail. You even try charging with your powers, but nothing happens.

[1/2]

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>>41400152

"N-no... why- GODDAMMIT!" You scream, punching the ground. Frustrated, you slam your hands into the wall of the hallway, viciously carving straight through it and obliterating the solid stone wall.

"Stupid, fucking elevator! Piece of shit blackout! Pepper, Pepper- PEPPER!!" You tear through it effortlessly, venting your anger on the wall until a small room has effectively been hollowed out. Bits of stone and rock hit the ground as you glare, eyes burning with a white-hot rage.

"Haa~ haa~" You pant, tears dropping down to the ground. This can't be it... it just can't...

"Makoto?" You hear a garbled peep. Sen! You glance down at the braincase, sitting there after your little tirade of rage.

"Uh, y-yeah. Did I scare you?" You say, wiping your eyes and faking a smile.

"A l... little." She answers. "Is the elevator not working?"

"Yeah... I'm... I'm sorry." You mutter, not sure of what to say. "Even if I ran back now, I don't know if they'd even be there. I don't know if can..." You shiver, finding it hard to speak. "I... I p-promised you..."

"...Is..." You hear her squeak. "Is there a little slot in the elevator? A round one?" She asks. You blink, glancing at the elevator.

"Mhm." You mumble. You hear a click as something pops out of the brain; a cord with a plug at the end.

"If I have some power l-left, maybe I can activate it?" She asks.

"...B... But even if you could, that would cut your time even shorter!" You shriek, horrified at the suggestion.

"Y-You said yourself, we can't do anything here." She says, shivering in her static-ridden voice. "It's... it's worth a shot, right?"

You can't believe this; the courage on this little girl, even in the face of death.

> Do it, head for the Cloning Lab.
> Do it, head for the MantiCore Hangar.
> No, you can't! Head back to the meeting point.
> Wait it out. The blackout might stop soon.

>>41400211
>> Do it, head for the MantiCore Hangar.

>>41400211
>> Do it, head for the MantiCore Hangar.
if Manti isn't coherent we'll just have to find a way to jam Sen in there

>>41400211
>do it, head for hte manticore hanger

Cloning lab is final solution if Pepper takes Sen's body with her.

>>41400211
>> Do it, head for the MantiCore Hangar.

>>41400211
>Do it, head for the MantiCore hangar

Time to get Mandy a soul. Also, the cloning lab might not work, seeing as Sen has said we would never figure it out without Robo's help

>>41400211
why can and why haven't we used our super strength or destruction magic to just cut a hole to the lab or hanger? our super reflexes are good enough to let us control the fall and we can tank the impact if need be.

>>41400211
> Do it, head for the MantiCore Hangar.
We're gonna make a god damn magical girl robot! Fuck yeah!

>>41400211
> Do it, head for the MantiCore Hangar.

>>41400211
> Do it, head for the MantiCore Hangar.
I hope Manti has plug and play.

>>41400333
Temporarily, right? Because I think we wanna get Pepper out of Sen if at all possible.

>>41400316
also I vote hanger avter we use our power to cut a hole. I mean we can use our void magic to cut most anything if we want to we just dont shoot people often.

>>41400353
Do you think she has apps? Do you think she has Minesweeper?

>>41400265
>>41400281
>>41400285
>>41400308
>>41400311
>>41400333
>>41400334
>>41400353

> Do it, head for the MantiCore Hangar.

Writing

>>41400354
If push comes to shove, we might have to kill Sen's body to stop Pepper once and for all.

>>41400405
I hope we have enough genetic material to clone herself a new body if it ever comes to that.

Will be very messy if all that's left is a smear on the pavement.

>>41400354
Yeah, temporarily unless Pepper takes her body as a hostage or something and we're left with only the MantiCore for her to be in. Then we could maybe convince Yuuki to change it into a more girly look.

>>41400211
> Wait it out. The blackout might stop soon.

>>41400396
why can we not just use shining manifest to cut a hole we are at full Maho?

>>41400396
Manticore/Sen is happening.
Poor Sen, she's going to uncontrollably say Hai a lot.

>>41400583
Maybe she can communicate via Morse Code?

Just make the . and - "Hai" at various lengths.

>>41400632

Even if she knows Morse, I'm pretty sure Makoto doesn't

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>>41400396

"Are you sure about this?" You ask Sen, one last time.

"Y-Yes." She replies to you. You can't tell if that's hesitation or static, but there's no time left to wonder. You take the cord and plug it into the elevator. Nothing happens for a second, but you hear some beeping, and it slowly boots up.

"Yes!" You exclaim, pumping your fist. With no time to waste, you hit the button for ManitCore's Hangar. As much as you hate her, Pepper was right; you'd have no change at figuring out Robo's cloning technology. Besides, making Sen a new body feels like you're admitting defeat to Pepper. Worst comes to worst, you may have to attack that body, but just letting Pepper have it is too disgusting to imagine. The elevator quickly zooms off, humming with power. You nervously look down at the brain, wondering just how long it has left. You clutch it to your breast, hoping she can feel at least some of your love. The elevator quickly shifts to a halt as it seems to reach its destination. The doors slide open and-

"HALT!" You hear as the barrel of a cannon is shoved into your field of vision. You almost have a heart attack at seeing it, but the wielder quickly stops, flipping up some goggles on his little head.

"Makoto!?" Yuuki asks, astounded to see you in the elevator. He seems to be wielding a ridiculously large laser cannon, and you recognise his legs, bound by support braces. Hiroko is nearby as well, prepared to flood the elevator, whilst a concoction of metallic junk in the shape of a man is about to attack, with Momoko riding atop it. Umeki and Shizuko also stand read - they have some poles.

It's the thought that counts.

"H-Hey guys." You say, waving nervously.

"Oh, s-sorry." He says, chucking the cannon aside. "I was a little nervous. The elevator shouldn't even be working right now, how did you..."

"You can thank Sen for that. She's a little trooper." You say, showing them the braincase. Yuuki peers at it.

[1/2]

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>>41400957

"They explained the situation to me. Never would have believed Pepper was hiding out in one of these." He sighs, showing you inside. You step out into the hangar, finding it in a state of disarray. The doors leading out have been torn open, enough to let the four of them inside, whilst the rest of the bay is a mess. Wires and humming machines sit on the ground, wired into the MantiCore itself - which waves at you.

"Hai." Manti says, as always. You wave back.

"Makoto, how is she?" Hiroko quickly asks.

"O-Okay, I guess? We used some of her power to get the elevator working. I didn't know what else to do." You sigh, clutching it tightly. "What about you guys?" You ask.

"I'm alright." Yuuki sighs. "What she made me do pales in comparison to what she did to Momoko."

"But I'm okay now." Momoko assures you. Umeki clutches at her like a barnacle, much to her disapproval. "I said I'm fiine, Umeki! Hiroko made it go away." She grumbles, pushing away fruitlessly.

"I, I just did what I could." She mutters, rubbing the back of her head. "I don't think almost drowning someone is worthy of praise." She sighs. Sounds like quite the struggle, but you're glad everyone is okay.

"Did you guys come up with a plan? Can we recharge her?" You ask

"Possibly." Yuuki mutters. "I can makeshift a plug that could recover her energy, but it wouldn't fix the problem. She'd still be in danger. But I also have a solution!" He exclaims, "and the MantiCore is the key!"

"How so?" You ask.

"It can copy powers, Makoto. If we can get it to learn the Mind focus, it could switch Sen back!" He says, excited.

> That could work!?
> Maybe you could replace Manti with Sen?
> We need to keep this secret. If Pepper learns about this plan...
> We should focus on recharging her right now.
> How are your legs?
> Almost drowning, Hiroko?
> Any reception, Shizuko?

>>41400988
>> We need to keep this secret. If Pepper learns about this plan...
>> How are your legs?

>>41400988
> We need to keep this secret. If Pepper learns about this plan...
>Pepper can read minds! Help!!

>>41400988
>> We should focus on recharging her right now
>> We need to keep this secret. If Pepper learns about this plan...
>> Maybe you could replace Manti with Sen?
>> How are your legs?
>any news on Mai I'm worried about her.

>>41400988
>We need to keep this secret, if pepper learns the plan

>>41400988
>We need to keep this secret. If Pepper learns about this plan...
>You have anything that can block mindreading?
>We should focus on recharging her for now
>Any news about Mai?

Let's extend Sen's time for now

>>41400988
>How are your legs?

...how did Umeki and Hiroko get here?

>>41400988
>Maybe you could replace Manti with Sen?
>We need to keep this secret. If Pepper learns about this plan...

>>41400988
> Why did you tell me?
>Pepper can read minds! Help!!
> Maybe you could replace Manti with Sen?
Sen already knows how to do it.
> And do a thing to stop the bot after Sen swaps. Don't tell me what it is!

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>>41400988
> We should focus on recharging her right now.
> We need to keep this secret. If Pepper learns about this plan...

Nobody make a thought

>>41400988
>> That could work!?
> We should focus on recharging her right now.
>worst case scenario, we now have the option of making sen a cyborg clone.

>>41401021
>>41401042
>>41401078
>>41401088
>>41401096
>>41401106
>>41401108
>>41401117
>>41401140

> We need to keep this secret. If Pepper learns about this plan...
> We should focus on recharging her right now.
> How are your legs?
> Any news about Mai?
> You have anything that can block mindreading?

Writing

>>41401171
Qyubey, how did girls arrive in the lab if the elevator was not working?

>>41401232
We aren't asking so we won't find out.

>>41401285
Nah, I'll answer it. Just didn't put it in there because it wasn't a formal question.

>>41401285
>>41401299
I'm sure there is an IC answer, but without an option to ask that, so it looks like a plothole.

>>41401232
there's a door directly from the hanger to out in the woods near the shrine

>>41401336
>The doors leading out have been torn open
I thought that explained it pretty well that the outside hanger doors near the shrine were ripped out and they came in that way.

>>41401344
>>41401406
Uh, somehow I missed that line entirely. My bad.

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>>41401171

Getting MantiCore to copy the mental abilities of Sen does seem like a good plan. Pepper believes herself to be the only option in the world for returning Sen to her body, so this would absolutely destroy her plans. Then again, if she ever caught wind of this, you can't imagine what she'd do to return the status quo...

"Could we just put her in the Manticore?" You ask. Yuuki taps his chin.

"I suppose, but we don't exactly want that switch, now do we?" He asks. God no, you think. Maybe it is better to have Manti as the third party.

"Alright, Yuuki that sounds like a plan!" You tell him firmly. "But for now, it's focus on recharging Sen."

"Right, right, of course." Yuuki nods, taking the braincase. "We'll need to extend her time regardless." Yuuki fusses around on the ground, amid all his wires and cables, plugging some cables into the machine. It is fairly cute how tender and gently he's acting with all the bits and pieces though; making very sure not to shake or jostle her.

"Say... how did the rest of you get here?" You wonder, turning to the others.

"Heh, you think we were just sitting around, doing nothing?" Shizuko asks, throwing her head back proudly. "You should know that we absolutely found Yuuki, and he brought us here!" She says, pointing a finger at you. You could have guessed that by the gash in the door.

"He was in pretty bad shape." Hiroko adds. "But with some first aid, we managed to help him. We probably would have come back sooner, if not for..."

"Ah, enough!" Momoko whines, pushing away from Umeki, who hugs her like a viper constricting its prey.

"I can't- you're always getting into danger, Momo!" Umeki whines, tearing up.

"T-That's because I'm a hero too!" She whines, her cheeks getting smushed. You smile, but Hiroko still seems to be looking at her with worry.

[1/2]

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>>41401642

"Trust me, this is a much nicer sight that what we witnessed." Hiroko sighs, remembering it. Something tells you that you wouldn't want to know what Hiroko saw.

"Hm... have you guys heard from Mai at all? I'm getting worried." You ask them.

"Nope. Why are you worried? I thought you hated her?" Shizuko asks, tilting her head.

"Y-Yeah..." You reply, hanging your head. Doesn't sound like she's been here...

"Mnn... a-anyway." You say, shaking your head. No sense worrying about it, Mai won't die that easy. You instead had over to Yuuki. "How are your legs?"

"I'll live." He replies, focusing on the recharging station. "But I won't exactly be running anytime soon." You lay a hand at his legs and share your power, healing them. He winces as you hear some bones shifting around, but ultimately he looks better at the end.

"T-Thanks." He nods to you.

"Anytime." You say, kissing him on the forehead. You have to protect your little brother, after all. "Do you know how to stop Pepper's mindreading? I don't want her to learn about our plans."

"Can't say I do." He sighs, sitting back as Sen charges. "If I had, I would've given it to you way earlier." That is true, you think, sighing. At least you have some time to rest for now; you just wish you had a way of relaxing the others, but that might alert Pepper.

[2/3]

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>>41401687

"...Yuuki?" You hear Sen ask from her little mechanical prison.

"Uh, S-Sen!" He replies, piping up and leaning forward. "How do you feel- are you okay? Is there enough power? I don't blame you at all for what Pepper did, so please don't feel bad!" He very rapidly assures her.

"...Um, I'm alright, I think. I think I can feel that there's more power." She says. That's the biggest relief to you all day. "Thank you, thank you both."

"Hehe~" Yuuki mutters, blushing a little. You can feel Momo's little jealous glare peeking out from Umeki's iron-grip.

"Hey Makoto," you hear Sen address you. "You kept your promise. I'm glad, so please don't be sad about this."

"I..." You hesitate, taking in her words. "...I said I would, right? I don't go back on my promises."

"Mhm." She replies. "I wish you and Mai liked each other more. I wouldn't want to see either of you sad." You twitch a little, remembering Mai and her plan. The combined joy of her love for you, combined with the guilt of giving Mai that plan is tearing you up inside.

> Tell her what Mai did. She needs to know.
> Keep it secret, there's no need to distress her.
> Put Sen in the Manticore. She knows how to use the power.
> Keep her in the case. It's Pepper's prison.

> Gonna grab some foods.

>>41401714
>> Put Sen in the Manticore. She knows how to use the power.
It's Sen-HAAAIII time

>>41401714
>> Put Sen in the Manticore. She knows how to use the power.
>> Keep it secret, there's no need to distress her.

>>41401714
>> Tell her what Mai did. She needs to know.

>>41401743
Oh yeah also: "Manticore, you're gonna have a room mate for a bit"

>>41401714
>Tell her what Mai did. She needs to know.
>Put Sen in the Manticore. She knows how to use the power.
>Keep the case around, maybe we can use it to trap Pepper again, then destroy her with it inside

>>41401714
>> Tell her what Mai did. She needs to know.
Maybe if things are only slightly wrong we can help.
>> Put Sen in the Manticore. She knows how to use the power.
If Sen can't swap Manti (from the case) and Pepper remotely then why would Manti be able to swap Pepper and Sen. Ether way we expect peeper in the tank.

though Yuiki could rig a fast automatic off switch for Manti for when pepper has the body.
or maybe even a deadman switch keeping her from turning off as long as Yuiki (or someone else) holds down the trigger

>>41401714
>Have Sen remote control it, and cut off the signal when the swap is made.

>>41401714
>Gonna grab some foods.

>>41401935
is that you Q?

>>41401864
Hopefully, Pepper will be disoriented by the fact she has a new non-human body long enough to turn off Manticore.

>>41401714
>Tell her what Mai did. She needs to know.
>How does the Manticore replicate powers? Is there a way to hard disable it with no AI hacking bullshit?

>>41401714
>Keep her in the case. It's Pepper's prison.
> Keep it secret, there's no need to distress her.

>>41401714
>Tell her what Mai did. She needs to know.
>Put Sen in the Manticore. She knows how to use the power.

What are we telling her that Mai did, i forgot

>>41402106
Mai attacked us and listened to pepper.

>>41402106
tried a supper risky jump to Robo's ship to help save Sen.
>>41402136
that to

>>41402106
Essentially: "Mai was against us until she found out there were other options, then she tried to jump to Robo's - that is, other Yuuki - station in orbit to try and help you.

>>41402136
>>41402151
>>41402188
Ah, yeah i guess we could tell her about that.

>>41402188
It's kind of our fault we told Mai to go to the moon.

>>41401991
No? Apparently someone voted for getting food.

...May not be the best time, anon.

>>41401733
>>41401743
>>41401768
>>41401859
>>41401864
>>41401881
>>41402046
>>41402050
>>41402082

> Put Sen in the Manticore. She knows how to use the power.
> Tell her what Mai did. She needs to know.

Writing

>>41401864
>deadman switch
Aren't you trying to keep Sen from dying?

Anyway, the basic theory you know is that the mind switching replaces the bodies and minds of the two participants, so putting Pepper in the Manticore. But, by using the Manticore to try and switch the Case and Sen's body, you might be able to avoid that possibility altogether. Remember, you don't have a lot of time to work with here; even if Sen isn't dying anymore, you still have to worry about Pepper convincing Naru, or Naru's power failing and Pepper telling them to attack each other.

>>41402290
>Aren't you trying to keep Sen from dying?
a dead-man switch doesn't kill whatever is on the other side. it is just a switch that needs to be continually held and when released it dose something or stops doing something. The safety handle on most push mowers is an active dead-man switch the mower stops when you let go. Many bomb vests are depicted as having active dead-man switches so they blow when the bomber lets go. this is the lawnmower kind to cut off her connection to manti.

>>41402290
if Manti can swap Sen's mind and Peppers mind why can Sen swap Peppers mind and Manti's after Manti swaps with herself and Sen laving Sen in Manti's body and Manti in the case? Then Sen swaps Manti and Pepper at the fight then herself and Manti?

>>41402509
How convoluted do you want to make this, anon?

>>41402428
Or maybe more useful in this case, an switch that physically disconnects Manti's control module or power source so it is impossible for the machine to operate through magic or other bullshit.

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>>41402509

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>>41402290

"L-Look, Sen, there's something I need to tell you, about Mai." You say, sheepishly. "You have to understand, things were really bad. Mai was desperate to help you, in any way she could. She even fell prey to Pepper's schemes for a while there, and we had to stop her." Your thoughts drift back to the bloodied and beaten Mai, doing whatever she could to help Sen.

"I told her about Robo; he's an AI that lives on a satellite."

"I know. Pepper told me about him." Sen replies.

"Well... Mai tried to use her power to reach him, because none of us could. It was dangerous, but she tried it anyway and... I haven't exactly seen her since." You rub your arms, not sure of how to soften the blow.

"...W-Will she be okay?" Sen asks, hesitantly.

"I hope so, but I just thought you should know." You say. Sen doesn't reply that time, which hurts you a little. Still, that's your poison to bear.

"But the sooner we beat Pepper, the sooner we'll know. That's why we need to put you in the MantiCore!" You affirm.

"Eh!?" Yuuki squeaks.

"T-The what?" She asks.

"Er, the MantiCore is a robot I designed." Yuuki explains. "It can mimic powers, so we were thinking you could use it to copy Pepper's abilities; giving you the ability to switch her out and you back inside." He continues on to say.

"I see..."

"Makoto, I'm not so sure she-"

"We don't need a fighting robot, Yuuki." You tell him. "We just need to switch their minds."

"...True." He sighs, nodding. "But putting Pepper in Manti? It just feels... wrong." He shivers.

"Hai." Manti says. You're not sure if that was deliberate on its part.

"Can't you like... science up a switch to keep her in check?" You ask, shrugging. "Or try putting her in the case?"

[1/2]

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>>41402668

"I suppose,. Hmm," He mutters. "...Okay, I've got a plan. I'll connect up the case to MantiCore, then try and rig the machine to eject it once the switch is made. That way, not only do we keep her contained, but away from controlling Manticore!" He says, nodding. "Plus, it'll leave Manti to control the motor functions whilst Sen handles the higher level thinking. Perfect synergy."

"Makes sense to me." You lie with a smile, just as a ding elicits from his machine.

"And that's our cue." He says, plucking Sen out of the recharging station. "She should be good for quite a while now." Deftly, Yuuki clambers onto Manti; she offering a hand to help him up to her cockpit.

"Luckily, Robo and I enlarged the cockpit, so she has plenty of room to be wired up."

"Enlarged!?" You say, excitedly. "Then can I ride-"

"No." He shoots back with a glare. Dammit, so close. Yuuki works fairly quickly, with the rest of you little more than spectators. At the end of it, he wipes his brow.

"Alright, all set. How are... you two?" He asks, rubbing his back. The robot shifts its arms, looking over itself.

"...G-Good?" It says. Finally, something other than-

"Hai." It quickly adds. Spoke too soon. "It's so big..." It says, sheepishly tip-toing around on such gigantic legs. You hear a snicker from Shizuko at that.

"We should be all set then." Yuuki says, opening the hangar doors properly. They open out onto the forest, close to the Yasuka shrine, surprisingly. You can see the city, set out before you. This is it, you think, payback.

> Head out alone.
> Bring Yuuki.
> Bring MantiSen.
> Bring Hiroko. Fluid Azure is sure to be useful.
> Bring Momo, her powers might help.
> Bring Shizuko. But maybe get Yuuki to arm her?
> Bring Umeki. The more bodies, the better.

>>41402728
>> Bring MantiSen.
>> Bring Hiroko. Fluid Azure is sure to be useful.

>>41402728
>Bring Yuuki.
>> Bring MantiSen.
>> Bring Hiroko. Fluid Azure is sure to be useful.
>> Bring Momo, her powers might help.

>>41402728
>Bring MantiSen
>Bring Hiroko. Fluid Azure is sure to be useful
>Bring Momo
>Bring Yuuki

Umeki and Shizuko won't be that useful. Especially with Umeki freaking out everytime Momo does something dangerous.

>>41402728
> Bring MantiSen.
> Bring Umeki. The more bodies, the better.

>>41402728
>Bring fucking everybody.

>>41402728
> Bring Yuuki.
> Bring MantiSen.
> Bring Hiroko. Fluid Azure is sure to be useful.
> Bring Shizuko. But maybe get Yuuki to arm her?

>>41402728
>> Bring Yuuki.
>> Bring MantiSen.
>> Bring Hiroko. Fluid Azure is sure to be useful.

in a separate group out of Peppers Range
> Bring Shizuko. she needs long range monitoring and a means of communication she can be a spotter there is still an unknown a magical girl out there?
> Bring Momo, her powers might help guard Shizuko or be surprise backup.
> Bring Umeki. The more bodies, the better and we are less vulnerable to surprise

>>41402759
>>41402765
>>41402804
>>41402805
>>41402829
>>41402838
>>41402849

> Bring the robot and all the magical girls. (Yes, you too Yuuki~)
> The rest, stay out of range.

Writing

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>>41402900

Going up against Pepper, you need to be in fighting form- that means all the magical girls you can muster.

"Alright; Yuuki, Hiroko, Momoko, you're with MantiCore and I." You command, standing at the threshold of the hangar. Umeki wrings her hands.

"A-Are you sure Momoko has to-"

"Calm down, Umeki." You say, smiling confidently. "Momoko's powers will be useful during this battle, but I'll make absolutely sure that she stays safe."

"Yeah, sis!" Momo adds, excitedly. "I get to be a magical girl- with Makoto-chan! Maiden-chan!" She's practically bouncing up and down, despite the dire situation. Umeki can't exactly resist her sister like this.

"Just... Just be careful, please?" She asks, holding her sister's cheek. Momo nods over and over again, which is some slight assurance at least.

"So, uh, w-what do I do?" Shizuko asks, pointing to herself. "Maybe I could be like a spotter or something. Out there for you-" You think for a second.

"It's too dangerous." You say, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Wh- What, you've got Momo out there but not me?" She asks, offended. You frown.

"Shizuko, this isn't the time to be petty. Momo has powers; she can resist damage and heal. If you get injured, there's a real chance you could die." You say firmly. "I can't fight at full strength if I have to keep you, or Umeki, safe. You need to stay out of range."

"B-But..." She looks pretty saddened by this, but ultimately seems to understand. "F-Fine." She mutters, sitting back down in the hangar. You'll make it up to her, somehow.

[1/2]

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>>41403155

With your team ready, you're prepared to set out. Everyone transforms, flooding the hanagar with light. Momo hangs off of the female Yuuki affectionately as you all climb aboard the MantiCore-Sen. With a burst from it's motors, it flings itself out of the hangar and onto the trees. The sheer bulk of the robot makes traversal easy, and within seconds you're out of the forest and onto the roads. Umeki and Shizuko watch from afar, hoping that you'll come back safe. At least, one of them is just watching.

-----=====-----

A few minutes into your travel, you feel a peculiar click, like your ears popping. Your senses seem clear and the streets seem to flood with light.

"This..." You mutter, seeing the streetlamps flicker to life.

"The blackout is over." Yuuki comments, peering ahead as her magical dress flutters in the wind. You can feel it; your powers are no longer made dull by the sound, and you can sense 4 magical auras nearby; Yui, Shun, Naru, and Pepper. It disturbs you how much Pepper feels like Sen's aura; virtually the exact same. The only thing that disturbs you more is how faint Yui and Naru feel.

"So, what's the plan?" Hiroko asks, peering ahead.

> Blitzkrieg her. Attempt the switch as soon as possible.
> Go aid your allies.
> Let's recon, and keep Manti at bay.
> We need to contact Robo and let him know.
> Try and signal for Mai.

>>41403174
>Blitzkrieg her. Attempt to switch as soon as possible

ZE FÜHRER APPROVES OF THIS OPTION!

>>41403174
>> Blitzkrieg her. Attempt the switch as soon as possible.

>>41403174
>Blitzkrieg her. Attempt the switch as soon as possible.

>>41403174
>> We need to contact Robo and let him know.
>> Blitzkrieg her. Attempt the switch as soon as possible.

>>41403174
> Blitzkrieg her. Attempt the switch as soon as possible.
the less we know, the more likely we can frustrate the mindreader.
probably Mai will just do stuff and interfere somehow, and it's best we don't know how so pepper cant prepare.

Ooooh. I missed, like five of these. I need to go back through the archives so I can contribute intelligent-like choices.

>>41403174
> We need to contact Robo and let him know.
> Blitzkrieg her. Attempt the switch as soon as possible.

>>41403266
>>41403300
>>41403322
>>41403350
>>41403351
>>41403485

> Blitzkrieg her. Attempt the switch as soon as possible.

Writing

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>>41403507

There's no time to lose; the longer you let Pepper run rampant, the longer she had to plot. having the blackout fade could be enough to distract her and allow you a chance to switch her. Even contacting Robo will take time, and not to mention give you more thoughts; time you'll need for Manticore to copy Sen's powers. As stupid as it sounds, going into this with no plan... is the best plan.

"The plan... is whatever you want it to be!" You announce.

"Eh?" All four of them ask.

"Any plan I make, Pepper will instantly know. The best way to trip her up is to be independent. Keep her guessing! Act in the moment!" You say. It makes a degree of sense, ridiculous as it is. "Now let's go stop evil!" You point ahead. That's a plan everyone can get behind.

Your mecha barrels down through the streets, making sure to avoid cars along the way - abandoned from the blackout - until you reach the area. Your heart skips a beat when you see it. The place is absolutely wrecked; gigantic holes litter buildings and the road is ripped to pieces. Bits of leather waft in the breeze, along with concurrently sized craters on the ground. A sudden impact clues you into the situation, as Yui flies past, Shun in her clutches. The two of them are in midair for a second before you hear a deafening sound, and a physical ripple through the air from the shockwave. The two of them slam into a building as Naru appears; Pepper riding on her back.

"Finally..." She pants, hitting the ground. She glances to the side and catches sight of your party, and for once, seems utterly dumbstruck. "W-What the-!?"

> Blind her with light. [Roll]
> Manti, grab her and copy! Immediately!
> Hiroko, freeze her legs! Then Manti can work.
> Go to Yui & Shun. They need healing. [Roll]

>>41403709
>> Blind her with light. [Roll]
Don't think, just do it!

>>41403709
> Blind her with light. [Roll]

>>41403709
> Blind her with light. [Roll]

>>41403709
> Blind her with light. [Roll]
The more distractions, the better.

>>41403709
>Manti, grab her and copy! Immediately!

>>41403709
>Flash her! (with light, you pervs!)
>Hiroko, freeze her legs! Then Manti can work!

>>41403709
>> Go to Yui & Shun. They need healing. [Roll]

>>41403709
>Blind her with light. [Roll]
Deal with the threat first before our casualties grow

>>41403732
>>41403735
>>41403764
>>41403771
>>41403789
>>41403798
>>41403826
>>41403870

> Blind her with light. [Roll]

Alright, 1d100, best of three. DC40

Rolled 97 (1d100)

>>41403909
Rollin

Rolled 72 (1d100)

>>41403909

Rolled 59 (1d100)

Dazzling the stage!>>41403909

Rolled 34 (1d100)

>>41403930
Anon you beautiful bastard.

>>41403909
>>41403909
BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

>>41403930
Did we blind her with a horrific image like someone in the shower?

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>>41403930
>>41403937
>>41403938
Damn, if only we were doing 5% crits. I may play it off as pervy. Makoto was commando, and their outfits can change depending on what they're wearing.[/spoiler[

>>41403972
So he flashed his junk at her?

>>41403972
Yes please. Makoto going commando this day hasn't made any difference.

>>41403930
SOLAR FLARE

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>>41403989
> Makoto's a girl right now.

>>41403972

Without really planning or thinking, you instantly leap off of the Manticore robot and spread your limbs, your clothes hanging loosly around you. Pepper grins, however.

"A light trick? Don't be a fool. I'll just shut my..." Pepper scoffs, until she catches sight of you from below; your dress blown upwards from the movement and wind. "...Wait, a-are you-!?

You blush for a second, realising your mistake, but also the opportunity. Your body itself erupts into a shining light source for a second, obscuring your private parts.

"Dammit!" You hear someone yell as the streets fill with this light for a moment. When you open your eyes, Naru and Pepper are on the ground. Naru still seems dazed - recovering from the control - but Pepper is rolling around, rubbing at her eyes.

"Aagh, d-dammit, you perverted bastard!!" She shrieks, slowly crawling around on her knees. "D-Don't think I need to see, you idiots! I can still sense you..." She growls. Maybe, but that's little more than a vague idea; certainly not enough to really understand what MantiCore is.

"Yes!" You quip. Not wearing underwear saves the day! With Pepper blinded, Manticore can easily collect what data it needs to copy her power; it's not going to be an active thought, after all. Hiroko arrives with Yuuki in tow - the two of them blushing and rubbing their eyes for some reason - and Hiroko gets to work, icing down Pepper. She's still too rattled to actively use her powers right now, so it's an easy enough task. Momo stands next to you.

"Wow, that was so cool~" She mutters, holding her cheeks. You're... not sure whether you want Momo to follow THAT example.

> Tell Momo not to flash people.
>> Unless it makes her feel really good, like it does for you~
> Heal Yui and Shun, you'll need their strength.
> Heal Naru, so she can keep Pepper dulled.
> Stand by, at the ready.

>>41404222
>> Tell Momo not to flash people.

>> Heal Yui and Shun, you'll need their strength.

>>41404222
>> Tell Momo not to flash people.
> Heal Yui and Shun, you'll need their strength.
> Heal Naru, so she can keep Pepper dulled.

>>41404222
> Tell Momo not to flash people.
>> And yes, flashing in THAT way, Momo.
> Heal Naru, so she can keep Pepper dulled.

>>41404222
>Tell Momo not to flash people
Umeki would have our heads if we don't

>Heal Naru, so she can keep Pepper dulled
Yui and Shun have to hang in there for a bit, getting rid of Pepper takes priority

>>41404222
> Tell Momo not to flash people.
>> Unless it makes her feel really good, like it does for you~
No harm in it.

>>41404222
>Tell Momo to flash people.

Wait where did Saito go?

>>41404222
>Tell Momo not to flash people.
>> Unless it makes her feel really good, like it does for you~
> Heal Yui and Shun, you'll need their strength.
> Heal Naru, so she can keep Pepper dulled.
Can't Makoto heal everyone at the same time?

>>41404222
>Tell Momo not to flash people.
>> Unless it makes her feel really good, like it does for you~
> Heal Naru, so she can keep Pepper dulled.

>>41404341
Probably awestruck and trying to see our goods.

>>41404240
>>41404268
>>41404290
>>41404297
>>41404312
>>41404322
>>41404349
>>41404386

>Tell Momo not to flash people
>Heal Naru, so she can keep Pepper dulled

Writing

>>41404349
> No, there's not enough time to heal everyone.

>>41404341
> Well he was hiding from the crowd before. You haven't seen him since you got back.

>>41404391
> I like this.

>>41404401
Well shit I guess I forgot about that part.

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>>41404401

You set aside a second, whilst Manticore is observing Sen's focus, to bob down next to Momo.

"Uh- even if that was cool, keep in mind that you shouldn't flash people, Momo." You quickly advise her, smiling happily.

"...You mean like magical or like this?" She says, starting to lift up her dress. You VERY quickly stop her from demonstration.

"The second one!" You say, patting her on the hand. "Although you should avoid both, I suppose."

"Hm, okay." She says, letting go of her magical dress.

"Only flash people if you think it's absolutely neccessary." You say, finishing your advice. "...Or if it feels really nice~" You absent-mindedly add, thinking of the perverted pleasure of someone catching a glimpse and wondering if what they saw was actually real, or just an imagination.

"Okay!" She says, running off past you. On second thoughts, maybe you shouldn't have said that...

With a sigh, you go over to heal Naru. Yui and Shun can hold themselves together - you don't even know where Saito went off to - but Naru is the closest and most useful person right now. With Pepper nullified, you can act more leisurely. With your hand firmly planted on her, you share your power, taking a deep breath. All this running around, healing, and flashing people is starting to take it's toll on you. Naru blinks and holds her head.

[1/2]

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>>41404577

"Agh... Makoto?" She asks. "What is- What is that!?" She asks, noticing the robot.

"It's what I went to get." You say with a smile. "Sen's plenty safe in there, and fully charged."

"Really!?" She asks, a wide, genuine smile on her face. You nod, sharing her happiness, and she hugs you, planting a kiss on your cheek. "I... I don't know how to thank you." She speaks breathlessly, shivering.

"Don't thank me just yet." You say, pulling her off your shoulders. "We've still got Pepper to deal with." You inform her. She takes a breath and nods, affixing her glasses.

"Of course." She says, holding up a hand. That same white noise fills the air and Pepper shrieks.

"N-No! Naru- stop that, right now! Aaagh!" She shrieks, tugging away as the frozen clamps on her limbs. She's trapped.

"Aaand we're ready!" Yuuki exclaims, looking over something on MantiCore's cockpit. "We're all set, Makoto. You want to perform the switch now?" He asks.

> Immediately.
> Heal Yui & Shun now/Find Saito.
> Appeal to Pepper one last time.
> Contact Robo.
>> Has he seen Mai?

>>41404592
>> Immediately.
Don't lose momentum!

>>41404592
>Immediately.
>>41404577
Perfect~

>>41404592
>Appeal to Pepper one last time.
>Has he seen Mai?

>>41404592
>Immediately.
>> Heal Yui & Shun now/Find Saito.

>>41404592
>> Immediately.
> Contact Robo.
>> Has he seen Mai?

>>41404592
>Immediately.

>>41404609
>>41404610
>>41404616
>>41404632
>>41404644
>>41404678

> Immediately.

Writing

>>41404592
>"Really!?" She asks, a wide, genuine smile on her face. You nod, sharing her happiness, and she hugs you, planting a kiss on your cheek. "I... I don't know how to thank you." She speaks breathlessly, shivering.
Er, Naru, are you... feeling alright?

>>41404816
Guys, I told you.
We must keep them! They are harem material!

(And maybe Mai took the Poochie way and died trying to go back to his planet).

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>>41404816
> It's called gratitude! ...If Mai survives, you can brag about it to her.

>>41404898
> That's awful, but I laughed.

>>41404694

"Immediately!" You say back. You need to rip Pepper out of there like a bandaid - fast. The longer she stays out, the more time she has to plot. You hear a clunking shift from within MantiCore as it raises a robotic hand.

"Hai." It replies, then lays a hand at Pepper's head. Immediately her eyes erupt with light, along with the core within Manti. Invisible to anyone but someone with aurasight, you can actually see Pepper's spirit being ripped from Sen's body. Whatever Pepper was originally, it certainly wasn't human - maybe something similar, but certainly not earth-born. On the other side, Sen's spirit leaves the Manticore machine, and travels down to her body. The two exchange in mere seconds, followed by a burst of light. The Manticore continues to buzz and glow for a few seconds longer before you hear a click and it slumps back. Sen's body crumples to the floor.

[1/2]

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>>41404935

"Sen!" Naru cries, hitting the ground next to her, on her knees. She instantly cradles her head as you look on with concern. Yuuki looks over the MantiCore.

"Well the shut-down worked fine... aha! As did the ejection!" He exclaims, pulling out the braincase. "We've got her!" He exclaims, sitting back on the robot as it hums softly.

"Hai." It replies. You smile.

Sen still seems to be passed out, but it's understandable, given what she's been through.

"I can't imagine the perseverance and courage it took to pull herself through this." You comment, sitting down on the road. "That's some tough girl."

"Eheh, you wouldn't have thought it from a first meeting." Naru mutters, running her hand over Sen's forehead. "She was so scared, so timid. She's changed so much these past few months."

"Yeah... I guess we all have a little." You mutter, imagining yourself a few months ago. It's not exactly courage that changed in you, but you certainly are different. The sun might not be up yet, but you feel like it's the dawning of a new day- Pepper defeated! You briefly wonder what you're going to do with the braincase; what fate Pepper should be left to.

> Check on Pepper.
> Heal your friends.
> Contact Robo.
> Sleep, you're exhausted.
> Try and locate Mai.
> Have Yuuki look over Manti.

>>41404953
>Try and locate Mai

>>41404953
>> Try and locate Mai.

>> Check on Pepper.

>>41404953
>Heal your friends.
> Contact Robo.
Wooo, we did it!

>>41404953
> Heal your friends.
Sen first, make sure she is fine
> Try and locate Mai.

>>41404953
> Heal your friends.
> Try and locate Mai.

>>41404953
> Check on Pepper.
>> Remember, she somehow hijacked Sen from within that thing.
> Contact Robo.
> Try and locate Mai.

>>41404953
>Check on Pepper.

>>41404974
>>41404985
>>41404991
>>41404994
>>41404998
>>41405063
>>41405066

> Try and locate Mai
> Heal your friends.
> Check on Pepper.

Writing

>>41404953
>> Contact Robo.
>locate Mai

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>>41405084

With both Sen and Naru safe, you turn your eyes towards the skies to scan for Mai properly. Unfortunately, you can't sense her aura anywhere - though you do see Saito... engh, underneath a car. Your heart skips a beat until you realise she's okay.

"Remind me to heal her..." You mutter before resuming your scan. Whether you can even sense Mai when she's zapping from one device to another, or as far away as a satellite, you can't say. Still, without an absolute confirmation, you can't give up hope. It woudn't be like Mai to die like that - it wouldn't be nearly annoying enough. Or at least, that's what you tell yourself...

For now, you focus on the friends you have here and now. Saito is easy enough to locate, under that car and coated in gold. It's less of a suit and more of a tin can, really. You slowly push the car aside until it tumbles over.

"Saito, you okay?" You ask, knocking on the coat.

"...Makoto?" She asks, slowly opening some of the metal with a screech and popping her head out. "S-Sorry.. Shun was beating on me and Pepper kept trying to control me. This was all I could do under the assault." She whimpers.

"It's alright, you bought us time. And we used that to defeat her!" You assure him. "Come on out."

"...I... Can you give me a minute?" She asks, glancing back down.

"Hm?" You squeak, watching her shift around.

"I... had to use all my armour to make this, so right now I'm..." She mumbles.

"...Oh." You say, raising a hand to your mouth. "I'll give you a minute." You say, smirking.\

"T-Thank-"

"Unless there's room for two~?" You ask, rubbing a hand across her cheek. She blushes and seems to stumble back into the golden ball, much to your amusement. Good to know she's alright though.

[1/2]

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>>41405488

Yui and Shun are easier to locate, but from what you can tell by aura, they seem to be up and walking. They're both very sweaty though. That's interesting. If they're fine for the second, you run back over to Yuuki and Manti, just to be sure of Pepper. Currently he's looking over the braincase.

"So, how is our little prisoner?" You ask, hands at your hips. "And how's Manti?"

"Hard to tell right now. I'm running diagnostics." Yuuki replies. "There was a weird spike of energy at the end there, so maybe the power use is a little inefficient. It seemed to work though; there's definitely an active mind in here." He smirks, fiddling with a few things on the surface.

"Be careful, she managed to hijack Sen from that thing. There's no telling what she might do." You say, warning him.

"She only did that when Sen initiated it. These kinds of machines, now this is my business; ain't no-one better. Like this, she's absolutely harmless." He assures you, leaning back, relaxed. You sigh and turn away, taking a few steps. He shouldn't be so relaxed around her, considering what just happened.

"See, I'll flip her audio back on. Aren't you a harmless little brain in a jar?" He asks, smirking deviously.

"Hai! Hai!" The braincase replies, strangely frantic.

"Huh, didn't expect... that..." Yuuki mumbles, trailing off. You hear a sudden clamp of metal behind you and a crunch. You spin around just in time to see Yuuki clutched in a claw of the MantiCore, slowly clamping down on his body.

"Hai! Hai! Hai!" The case continues to squeak as it tumbles to the floor.

"Diagnostic complete. All systems operational; no errors found. Booting..." The Manticore beeps, still crushing Yuuki. The central eye blinks on as it pauses for a second.

"Haa~" You hear as the vents blast their exhaust like a gasp of air. "...Close. It's always so very close." It mutters in a robotic tone before the central eye shifts towards you, and emits a dull, digitized cackle.

END OF SESSION

>>41405609
Aw crap...

>>41405609
So much for ending today. FFS, Pepper.

>>41405609
so giant robot with ALL the powers and we are already ragged this going to be fun

>>41405609
Can light cure Manticore?
I mean... It's a robot. Can we heal robots?

>>41405729
>>41405685
>>41405736
You know, once we get this all sorted out, we are going to be spending the next R&R thread lying down in order to recover from this ordeal.

>>41405609
Q I have several questions
1 would you have let us stop this if Check on Pepper were first or second?
2 would Have Yuuki look over Manti have stomped this?
3 as far as i can tell no one needed immediate assistance (though Yui and Shun may have been making out) if we had caught this would you have sprung some other suffering on us (if it was going to hit us either way and has not drooped yet it doesn't count).

I really hope Mai and Robo make some sort of heroic entrance. Hopefully with an EMP weapon.

>>41405609
next session we are wrecking that shit with extreme prejudice

>>41406080
Certainly feels less morally ambiguous when destroying a robot. At least the AI is safe.

I hope you brought your hotblooded Magical Girl attack names, anons.

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>>41405609

> Status: http://pastebin.com/DYqXyhCz
> Twitter: https://twitter.com/questqyubey
> Ask: http://ask.fm/Qyubey

Alright, we're here. Pepper, Mai, MantiCore, Naru, Sen, Cinnamon, all the nonsense up till now should be clashing next session. As for what'll happen... honestly, not exactly all mapped out. But if anyone wanted to wreck some shit, it'll be your time to shine.

Thanks everyone for attending, next session (Sat) is the last of the arc.


>>41405685
*liquid voice* IT'S NOT OVAH YET!

>>41405736
No, it enhances natural healing. Can't purify her out of Sen, can't purify her out of Manti.

>>41405816
Oh definitely. Makoto needs healing. Sexual healing.

>>41405819
1. Possibly. You'd have the chance to shut her down, but not entirely do it without ripping her brain out. Either you'd have failed, succeeded minorly and disabled parts of her, or have just wiffed entirely. I might give a similar option in next thread, since this fight is going to be dangerous.

2. No, he was assuming Pepper couldn't transfer between 3 participants. That was for flavour text mostly, but you might have gotten a hint about it coming.

3. Nah, this is the final suffering. I was actually wondering if I'd have gotten to spring it or not (it wasn't certain, but I was pushing towards it). If I didn't get to, I'd be super bummed because it'll factor into whether or not Manti becomes her own character later.

>>41406109
For now. Manti is pretty vulnerable on the ground. She can't say any more than Hai, but she still tried to warn him.

So no end status today as well?

>>41406208
>it'll factor into whether or not Manti becomes her own character later
I already think she is her own character she did her best to warn us.

If we plug her in to the slot will she have control of the magic unit and no power over the body or would it be an all out mental brawl winner take all?

>>41406308
Probably a 'takes all' affair. Yuuki rigged it so that the main core (which was supposed to have Manti, but now has Pepper) would retain complete control. Sen's in the right place at least.

>>41405609
What did I say? Rig it so no AI bullshit could happen. Hard shutoff switch. Kill. Dead. Easy. A whole fucking lot of machinery contains these things, how hard would it have been?

>>41406359
we had one Yuiki is just a security No0b and booted Manti in normal mode before testing the safe little case or booting the think tank in paralysis debug mode.

>>41406358
on your twiitter you said "Also last thread" do you mean of the ark or period?

>>41406414
Robo's gonna be pissed when he finds out how lax Yuuki has gotten.

>>41406431
Of the arc. I plan to do some relax and messing around sessions after this though. After that, *shrugs*

>>41406506
still haven't met papa yet. maybe we could get sucked into one of his escapades. would be a change of pace.

>>41406506
And were going to give Robo an ear for not being a good father then.