The Soul Still Burns, Part Two

[dontrunawayfromliving]

Who: Sarah and OPEN
When: 13th Hour
Summary: Still hunting, but now there's a reason.
Warnings: Same as before.

A few days after the rescue team returns, Sarah sends out another broadcast. This time, it's from the Knight's Academy, where she stores her God Arc - which has undergone a transformation. Instead of a loose grouping of mechanical parts with no set theme, it now looks...almost organic, blood dripping down the length of the blade.

"Greetings. Those of you familiar with my God Arc might notice how she's changed - this is what happened after she ate all those Susano'o last week. I took the parts she didn't eat over to M.A.G.I. and they're pretty confident that with enough materials they'll be able to make more God Arcs. I'll be heading out into the city during the 13th Hour tonight to bring back more of the raw materials. I'd appreciate it if I could get some backup again."

With a courteous nod, she shuts off the COMP and prepares to head out. That night, during the 13th Hour, she can be found battling titanic creatures all over the city.

Comments

[empiricalpride]

Flames? He's struck frozen on the spot for a moment, staring, before he can lift his shield into place - for all the good that an ice elemental shield might do against a flaming blast. He pulls closer to Sarah to try and get what benefit he can from her own shield, not caring about the steaming blood - he'd take it over fire any day.

[dontrunawayfromliving]

Sarah glances over at Even, does some quick calculations, and drops her shield. She immediately spins around, fire scorching into her back as she does so, before slamming her shield back up - in front of Even, taking the combined brunt of both of the blasts in his place.

[empiricalpride]

For a moment, he's stunned.

No-one. No-one - has ever volunteered to take a hit for him in that way.

He stares for a moment, heart thumping, before whispering, "Th-thank you. I have some healing magic available - if you require it, please, allow me."

[dontrunawayfromliving]

As the Flare Caller tapers off, Sarah readies her Persona.

"No need, Fenrir'll have it healed by the time this is over. Zionga!"

[empiricalpride]

"Very well." He takes a breath, nods, and gets his focus back to get another Earth Dance fired off.

[dontrunawayfromliving]

As the Amaterasu lumbers at them, the Earth Dance impacts heavily against its tentacles, which shatter much like the horns did, revealing their strangely crystalline cores. Sarah grins fiercely, smashing down another Zionga on the thing's statue.

The Amaterasu staggers under the assault, collapsing forward and going still.

"...I think that did it."

[empiricalpride]

"Unless there is anything else that I should know about the beast, I would have to agree."

Cautiously, he starts to move forward.

[dontrunawayfromliving]

"They don't retain enough sapience to play dead, really."

'Retain'. Odd choice of words.

Sarah marches over to the Aragami's head and lets her Arc chow down.

[empiricalpride]

Odd choice, indeed. Even watches coolly and dispassionately, letting his shield vanish for the moment and folding his arms.

[dontrunawayfromliving]

There's far, far too much there for the Arc to consume all of it, but a sizable portion of the Aragami is consumed before it cocoons itself. When it clears up, the Arc is no longer bleeding, but instead glowing from within with a harsh, somehow uncomfortable-looking light. The faint susurrus of far-off whispers can be heard, distantly, as Sarah gives the Arc a few practice swings.

[empiricalpride]

Ah, so this is what she meant. While he's squinting against the glow a little as he gets used to looking at it, he eventually gives a faint smile of approval.

"The - metamorphosis is completed, then?"

[dontrunawayfromliving]

A nod.

"For now. I'll drop off the leftovers at the MAGI lab tomorrow."

[empiricalpride]

"Thank you. I'll be there." At least now he had a better idea of just what that whole project was about.