Magical Lotus - Mahou Shoujou Byakuren - Episode 3, Part 5

[Oldmansour]

>"Our powers are of a different nature than yours. These beings seem to possess an enormous resilience to most magical and spiritual arts - on previous occasions we have seen them be similarly ineffective against them. Why precisely our powers are so effective where those of others have not been, I cannot say for sure - merely that the difference has been nearly absolute."

>Are you at the hospital now?

>"In other words, you don't know." the elder Knowledge says simply.
>"Well, isn't it enough that she CAN hurt them?" the beared man asks.
>"Not if we plan to fight them ourselves." Haruka says with a shake of her head. "Those two demons, or whatever you want to call them," she adds with a glance at Madame Knowledge, "are still out there, and if Lotus and her fellows aren't around, we'll need a plan."
>"They call themselves 'Champions'." White Rose supplies.

>Yeah. Me and Papa have been here ever since.

[DracoOmega]

>I'm sure your mother will be fine. She's in good hands. And if she has even half your spirit, I expect there'll be a smile back on her face before you know it.

>"I mean no offense to anyone present, but I want to strongly caution against any attempt to engage these beings directly using conventional means. No matter how confident you are in your abilities in any other circumstance, their power is immense and their resilience extraordinary, and most will not hesitate to kill anyone trying to interfere with them. Trying to deal with them as you might some other magical threat stands a very real chance of simply getting people killed or enthralled by them. I do not say this lightly; several times in the last week we have had to intercede to prevent this very thing."

[Oldmansour]

>I'm sure your mother will be fine. She's in good hands. And if she has even half your spirit, I expect there'll be a smile back on her face before you know it.

>"I mean no offense to anyone present, but I want to strongly caution against any attempt to engage these beings directly using conventional means. No matter how confident you are in your abilities in any other circumstance, their power is immense and their resilience extraordinary, and most will not hesitate to kill anyone trying to interfere with them. Trying to deal with them as you might some other magical threat stands a very real chance of simply getting people killed or enthralled by them. I do not say this lightly; several times in the last week we have had to intercede to prevent this very thing."

>You draw a little giggle from the blonde woman. Aw, gee, thanks.

>"And who are you, young lady, to speak with such authority on the subject?" Madame Knowledge inquires.

[DracoOmega]

>"We have fought them several times in past, and as best I know are potentially the only ones in living memory to have done so successfully. I have seen those highly skilled in other arts try and fail to injure them despite using the fullest extent of their power. I do not want to see anyone injured because they underestimated the power of what they were confronting. Even if you have misgivings about us, surely you can at least agree that acting with the utmost prudence is warranted in such extraordinary circumstances. I am sure those others who were present can testify to the scale of the power the Ice Champion unleashed."

[Oldmansour]

>"We have fought them several times in past, and as best I know are potentially the only ones in living memory to have done so successfully. I have seen those highly skilled in other arts try and fail to injure them despite using the fullest extent of their power. I do not want to see anyone injured because they underestimated the power of what they were confronting. Even if you have misgivings about us, surely you can at least agree that acting with the utmost prudence is warranted in such extraordinary circumstances. I am sure those others who were present can testify to the scale of the power the Ice Champion unleashed."

>"You can say that again." Chisato says with a nod. "That overgrown owl probably has power enough to freeze the whole city if it wanted. And the Fire Champion walked through a seal I threw up like it wasn't even there. If you ask me, we were all pretty lucky to make it outta there with all our feathers attached."
>"Speaking of that, Magical Lotus." Makie says to you, looking a bit concerned. "You took one of Ice's attacks almost head-on. And you kept fighting afterwards. I think you expended more energy than any of us. Are you unhurt after all that?"

[DracoOmega]

>How DO we feel, actually? Physically, energy-wise, and so on.

[Oldmansour]

>How DO we feel, actually? Physically, energy-wise, and so on.

>Despite your earlier excursions, you actually feel pretty close to tip-top shape. Your legs are just a touch on the sore side, but that's probably as much to do with the walk here as the earlier brawls.

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, it hurt a bit at the time, but I honestly feel quite fine now - though I appreciate the concern."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, it hurt a bit at the time, but I honestly feel quite fine now - though I appreciate the concern."

>"You heal pretty fast, don'cha?" Lillian drawls.
>"If we may return to the point." the purple-tressed magician interrupts. "Warnings and prudence certainly have their, place, this cannot be disputed. However, young lady, there are only two of you. And in the event you were not aware, this is a rather large city."
>"Actually, there were three who fought the Champions." Komachi corrects. "There was a cute little girl with blonde hair and fluffy wings."
>Madame Knowledge hmphs, the sound containing a generous dollop of disdain. "And I suppose your partner is on patrol at the moment?"

[DracoOmega]

>"She had to attend to a personal matter. And there is actually a forth of our number in the city, though she was not able to make it to the school before the conflict there had already been resolved for the time being."
>"And yes, I do acknowledge the logistical limitations of having so few people defending such a large area, but we are fortunate in that our adversaries here are similarly few in number for the time-being."

[Oldmansour]

>"She had to attend to a personal matter. And there is actually a forth of our number in the city, though she was not able to make it to the school before the conflict there had already been resolved for the time being."
>"And yes, I do acknowledge the logistical limitations of having so few people defending such a large area, but we are fortunate in that our adversaries here are similarly few in number for the time-being."

>"And the two you fought today, Ice and Fire." Haruka asks, leaning forward slightly. "Have those two been the only Champions you've encountered?"

[DracoOmega]

>"No. Four of these beings have crossed over into our world in the last week or so, and we have encountered all of them at least once, and sometimes moreso. One has since gone into hiding, another was defeated and sealed safely away. You witnessed our first encounter with Fire and Ice. I have strong reason to believe that two more of their number are attempting to gain access to our world, though I'm afraid I cannot estimate how long it may take them to do so. But for now I am quite confident there are only three of them within the city."

[Oldmansour]

>"No. Four of these beings have crossed over into our world in the last week or so, and we have encountered all of them at least once, and sometimes moreso. One has since gone into hiding, another was defeated and sealed safely away. You witnessed our first encounter with Fire and Ice. I have strong reason to believe that two more of their number are attempting to gain access to our world, though I'm afraid I cannot estimate how long it may take them to do so. But for now I am quite confident there are only three of them within the city."

>"Then the enemy is based on the six elements of Geddon magic?" the big youkai speculates.
>White Rose blinks in confusion. "Geddon?"
>"It's a kind of sorcery." Haruka explains. With a diplomatic look at the elder magician at the table, she adds, "Though perhaps Madame Knowledge could explain better than me."
>"If I must. Though clearly you're mistaken." she states. "One means of exercising the arcane arts is through power derived from a system of six elements: Fire, Earth, Ice, Water, Air and Forest." Placing her hand upon her breast, she boasts, "I myself am a master of the discipline of Water, though the remaining five are hardly foreign to me. The term 'Geddon' refers to the first documented practicioner of the arts, one Baron Jania Elis Geddon."
>"So other than the two today, which elements are at large?" the bearded policeman asks you.

[DracoOmega]

>"Water has been dealt with. Air's current whereabouts are unknown. Earth and Forest have not yet entered our world."

[Oldmansour]

>"Water has been dealt with. Air's current whereabouts are unknown. Earth and Forest have not yet entered our world."

>"Did Water and Air come as a pair, like Ice and Fire did?" Lillian asks.
>White Rose shakes her head. "No, Air got here first, then Water. We're not real clear on why they're comin' the other they are."

>"A moment, please." Haruka interjects. To Madame Knowledge, she asks, "What did you mean, I was mistaken about the basis of these Champions powers?"
>"Quite simply, my old friend, no disturbance of an arcane nature such as these Champions seem to be could go undetected by those such as I." the elder mage replies.
>"Then how would you explain the titles they bear?"
>Patchouli's mother levels her arrogant eyes at you at your kasha partner. "If I'm not mistaken, that's what they're here to explain, is it not?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Their titles have indeed corresponded to the nature of the powers they wield, though not absolutely - Water was able to wield lightning as well, for example - but if you insist that they could not be wielding this... Geddon magic or you would have sensed it, I do not have grounds to disagree. Perhaps the correspondences with that elemental system are coincidence - merely some alternate form of magic with similarities of terminology but considerable differences of substance. My knowledge of the formal aspects of conventional magic are little more than a layperson, I am afraid. But on their titles, I am quite confident."

[Oldmansour]

>"Their titles have indeed corresponded to the nature of the powers they wield, though not absolutely - Water was able to wield lightning as well, for example - but if you insist that they could not be wielding this... Geddon magic or you would have sensed it, I do not have grounds to disagree. Perhaps the correspondences with that elemental system are coincidence - merely some alternate form of magic with similarities of terminology but considerable differences of substance. My knowledge of the formal aspects of conventional magic are little more than a layperson, I am afraid. But on their titles, I am quite confident."

>"Why so confidant?"

[DracoOmega]

>"Well, they said them themselves."

[Oldmansour]

>"Well, they said them themselves."

>"But not the Champions of Earth and Forest." Madame Knowledge counters.

[DracoOmega]

>"Those here did refer to others of their kind by those titles."

[Oldmansour]

>"Those here did refer to others of their kind by those titles."

>"And you took them at their word."

[DracoOmega]

>"A title is something assumed in the first place, no? If they choose to call themselves that, I see no reason not to do likewise. They made no claims about the system of magic they employ - I do not know if they have enough familiarity with those of our world to even attempt to copy one in form in the first place, nor why they should care to. Is there some reason you object to them being named such?"

[Oldmansour]

>"A title is something assumed in the first place, no? If they choose to call themselves that, I see no reason not to do likewise. They made no claims about the system of magic they employ - I do not know if they have enough familiarity with those of our world to even attempt to copy one in form in the first place, nor why they should care to. Is there some reason you object to them being named such?"

>"How naive." the old Knowledge says with a much put-upon sigh. "It's simple deception, child."

[DracoOmega]

>"And what are they attempting to deceive us of?, exactly?"

[Oldmansour]

>"And what are they attempting to deceive us of?, exactly?"

>Patchouli's mother seems disappointed somehow, but it is Lillian who answers, "Tactics, girl. If the guy you're playing against thinks you've got three of a kind, it makes it easier to drop the flush on 'em."
>"A... crude analogy, but not an ineffective one." the wizard says disdainfully.

[DracoOmega]

>"Oh, are you suggesting that these other champions not here yet simply do not exist?"

[Oldmansour]

>"Oh, are you suggesting that these other champions not here yet simply do not exist?"

>"Now you're catching on. Or, that their real titles are something else entirely. That way, all the effort you put in to learning about the powers you think they possess is time wasted."
>"I've heard some wizards do that to keep their research secret." Lillian says to no one in particular.
>"It has been known to happen now and again." the elder wizard grants. "Now, if some sort of verity detection is part of whatever power you possess, then I shall stand relieved." she adds in your direction.

[DracoOmega]

>We have never felt any better at estimating falsehood in some explicit way since gaining our powers than before, have we?

[Oldmansour]

>We have never felt any better at estimating falsehood in some explicit way since gaining our powers than before, have we?

>Not so far as you've noticed. You've just always been naturally perceptive. It takes a pretty skilled liar to get one over on you, if you do say so yourself.

[DracoOmega]

>"It is not, but I feel we are getting rather sidetracked here. Perhaps we cannot be certain that more of their number are due to arrive, but it seems even more foolhardy to assume they are bluffing, without means to confirm either way. And their powers already explicitly and demonstrably include domains outside that of their stated title, so it seems a very poor attempt at misdirection. I have never had any intention of engaging these beings under the belief that I know fully what they are capable of - I already know better than to assume as much. What we do know beyond any doubt is that their power is vast and beyond the reach of most others to hinder, and that lives are actively at risk so long as they remain unchecked. I do believe the goal of this meeting is about how best we might cooperate to safeguard them?"