[hr]ATTN: [@PaulHaynek], [@The Irish Tree] (Eula/Liliana), [@Rezod92] (Kerry) & [@AzureKnight] (Shizuka)[hr][hider=Forward Motion! “Heroes” To The Rescue!]
In the approach to try and save the Hangai Sisters, a few Varjans would peel off of them to strike at the approaching mamono. Liliana wasn’t a primary concern for the Varjan warriors, while Eula would utilize her energy bursts to launch herself into the air to dodge the horizontal sweep, planting a kick into the would-be-slayer’s chin.

All the while, a certain wooden sword was rather cross from Dinah’s earlier display.

And, while Liliana wasn’t one to care about Dinah copying from her repertoire, the Splinterblade in her hand was currently fuming within her wooden vessel. [color=ed145b][i]"Don’t just let her steal my tricks like that! Go on! Fire off whatever spell your peabrain can consider, and I’ll make it happen!"[/i][/color] 

Blinking a few times before beaming, Liliana would hold Whimsy aloft. [color=f49ac2][b]"Alright then! Whimsy, Triple Sundae Cherry on Top pleaaaase!"[/b][/color] the Bladeflower said, before Whimsy flashed several different colors, her voice calling out: [color=f49ac2][b]"Go, go, go! Gaia Hazard: Summon Cow!"[/b][/color]

Those present would bear witness to Liliana’s summoning circles manifesting, a deep rumbling escaping from the portals as a plethora of cows flooded out of them. Delicate summons that could only take one hit, but right now, she just needed the stampede to head to the Hangai sisters to bail them out.

[color=f49ac2][b]"Ride’em Cowgirl!"[/b][/color] Liliana whooped, while Eula hopped atop the backs of the rampaging cows in order to get to the sisters faster.

Being backed into a corner, the Sisters Hangai did their best to remain together and keep their aggressors at bay. Atsuha, due to her hard carapace, and Hinami, due to her pain tolerance as an undead, were able to shrug off the attacks from the Iron Grinders up to this point. 

However, it was a different matter entirely when it came to the Heavenly Strike students.

One had managed to hit Atsuha with a clean blow, having realized that she was a healer he opted to take her out first. Blood splattered to the floor as the Jorougumo let out a pained cry. 

[color=7bcdc8]”Nee-san!”[/color] Hinami exclaimed. She immediately made to down the attacker with a conjured sickle chain. Her blow connected, but another student struck her from the back, causing her to stubble a bit. A red gash could be seen where part of her clothing was torn. Atsuha used some ofuda in an attempt to heal themselves, but it couldn’t account for their depleted stamina. She then tried to cripple the movement of the students by using her webbing. The Iron Grinders tackled her, causing her to stubble as well and for her webbing to miss its mark. 

The Sisters were in dire straits, and Hinami looked at her sister with desperate eyes as she tried to think of a way to help her older sibling. 

That was until all combatants stopped when they heard the odd sound of stampeding hooves and loud mooing sounds…

[center][color=f49ac2][b]"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE-HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!"[/b][/color][/center]

A certain fairy’s voice cried out, rising above the clashing steel of the battlefield. Instead, rather than resounding steel, Varjan footfalls would have to substitute, lest they fall beneath a tide of bovine hooves fast approaching.

The Varjans and students looked on with shock as Liliana and Eula rode toward the group atop a stampede of bovine. The Sisters shared in the brigands’ wide-eyed stupor as their saviors rushed toward them, with a group of cows tackling the Iron Grinder away from Atsuha and trampling him. A couple of students that surrounded Hinami were also knocked out of the way. 

As Lili and Eula arrived in front of Hinami, the Jiangshi looked up at them with eyes of childlike wonder. 

[color=7bcdc8]”Holy cow!”[/color] She said, pun possibly intended. [color=7bcdc8]”When did you guys get here?”[/color]

[color=9e0b0f]”Never mind that now, pay attention!”[/color] Atusha said, as the remaining grinder and the other students began closing in. Atsuha cast more buffing spells on the yokai trio, not having enough for the horde of cows now present.

[color=fff79a][i]This has got to be the weirdest strat I’ve ever seen, but it’s working so who cares![/i][/color]

An idea springing in her mind, Kerry flew down and landed on her feet on top of a cow, riding next to Eula. She then held her hand up to the sky as a sphere of wind accumulated in her palm.

[color=fff79a][i]”Wind Art: Slipstream!”[/i][/color]

Upon uttering the spell, the sphere in her hand vanished as a wind tunnel manifested around the stampede, increasing the speed and the charging cows to nigh-unstoppable levels.

[color=fff79a]”Now, we ride like the wind!”[/color], shouted Kerry, a savage grin on her lips as she held both Dusk and Mort in her hands, stabbing and slashing any enemy foolish enough to get in their way.

[color=f49ac2][b]"Wah-Ha-Ha-Ha!"[/b][/color] Liliana cackled as the cows rode on, before suddenly getting knocked off of her’s by a buck out of nowhere, and…promptly falling victim to the trampling herself. However, O’ Frabjous Day, combined with her Queen’s Blessing, piled atop Io’s ongoing regenerative spell, effectively meant that every time Liliana was crushed she was fixed up at lightning speed…and consequently stomped again. 

[color=f49ac2][b]"Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow. Ow…"[/b][/color] the group would hear again and again, until Eula grew tired of the fairy being mulched and gripped her legs around her bovine steed’s torso, sliding to the left and almost entirely touching the ground to grab Liliana and carry her, rather than letting the impulsive fairy ride alone again. 

[color=f49ac2][b]"Fanks!"[/b][/color] Liliana managed, regenerating from having all her tiny bones broken. For the 12th time in a row.[/hider]
[hr]ATTN: [@PaulHaynek][hr][hider=When The Party Ends, What Remains?]Settling on her perch on high, Dinah was content to watch the unfolding display and theatrics. As she took a seat, she looked at everyone below her, and pointed at them, one-by-one. First, the Lich; since she decided to start healing, she didn’t need Dinah’s support. So, she was uninvited. Then, the High Orc; troublemaker of the highest caliber, surely, the Lich could keep him alive without her aid. So, he was uninvited. Swiftly, the Goblin, Jorōgumo, and Jiāngshī were uninvited, just by association with the High Orc, for Dinah wasn’t so rude to kick one without the rest.

Leaning back on her left hand, she crossed her legs, before pointing at the Fairy, and removing her from the guest list. She didn’t want to be accused of playing favourites, after all. And, the [Blessing of the Fairy Queen] was good enough, as is. Poking at the air, she struck off the Hornet and the Automaton, as the Human was going to aid them, and the Lich was healing them.

Speaking of, she struck off both Humans from her guest list, for the aforementioned reason, and eyed her so-called Lord, as her party started to recede to her, and herself, alone. As the party came with an end, the ground no longer healed, and the fires were released of their arrested state, so they could spreading and damage the environment.

Leaning back on both arms, Dinah kicked her legs, as she watched. Due to the distance of the flames, Dinah allowed her eyes to regenerate, and commit to a bit of exposure therapy. It was difficult, but she wouldn’t run. Fire was terrifying, sure, but it was just another part of life.

And, like, anything in life, she just had to get over it.

Phantasmal, Alice appeared to Dinah’s left, while Carroll phased in to her right, and Cecilia materialized behind her.

"[color=976f29][i]Are you truly so confident in their success...[/i][/color]"

[right]"[color=808080][i]...or are you allowing your emotions to rule you?[/i][/color]"[/right]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]A bit of Column A, a bit of Column B.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=4169E1][i]That’s a cruel way to be.[/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]This is a cruel world.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
"[color=976f29][i]That is not untrue...[/i][/color]"

[right]"[color=808080][i]Even so, cruel intentions don’t make things right.[/i][/color]"[/right]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]I’m not trying to make anything right.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=4169E1][i]That much is clear. This rebellion has no righteous purpose.[/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]I was never born to such purpose.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
"[color=976f29][i]Nor was I.[/i][/color]"

[right]"[color=808080][i]Nor was I, being honest.[/i][/color]"[/right]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]Even your purpose was twisted to suit another’s.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]Begs the question, is this not right for us?[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
"[color=976f29][i]...[/i][/color]"

[right]"[color=808080][i]...[/i][/color]"[/right]
[center]"[color=4169E1][i]...[/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]Exactly.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
A stiff breeze blew from the thunderstorm above; lightning cracking the sky wide, thunder ripping the seams wide, and rain pounding down from the wound. Dinah kept her eyes on the field below...

[center]"[color=4169E1][i]I suppose, it’s true: Shizuyama isn’t Wonderland. This isn’t our home.[/i][/color]"[/center]
[right]"[color=808080][i]I would never claim it, either. But, we are stuck here.[/i][/color]"[/right]
"[color=976f29][i]Until we aren’t...[/i][/color]"
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]Until. We. Aren’t.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=4169E1][i]Even then, we are honorbound to defend it.[/i][/color]"[/center]
"[color=976f29][i]To who? Takeshi? A lordling with no command?[/i][/color]"

[right]"[color=808080][i]Kyoko? A overseer that doesn’t dirty her own hands?[/i][/color]"[/right]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]If anything, we are duty-bound to our child, and her alone.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
"[color=976f29][i]Agreed.[/i][/color]"

[right]"[color=808080][i]Agreed[/i][/color]"[/right]
[center]"[color=4169E1][i]Fair point. Looking back, this has been troublesome. Still...[/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]Still what? Water? Stagnant is all this experienced has been.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
"[color=976f29][i]As much as I don’t wish to agree... I don’t feel different, even with my memories back.[/i][/color]"

[right]"[color=808080][i]My edge does feel exceptionally dulled...[/i][/color]"[/right]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]Try as you might, what’s worth saving down there?[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=4169E1][i]Kerry.[/i][/color]"[/center]
"[color=976f29][i]Liliana.[/i][/color]"
[right]"[color=808080][i]Eula.[/i][/color]"[/right]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]And, no-one else.[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]Well... maybe, the bandit...[/b][/i][/color]"[/center]
Dinah smirked, as she dismissed her mental council, and sat up straight to keep watching what remained of the rained-out party. Swaying in the breeze, she hummed, as she observed with detachment as pieces moved about, "[color=5d7947][i][b]Don’t you know, we’re no good for you... we’ve learned to lose... you can’t afford to... I could, lie, and say I like it like, like it like that... and, I’ll call you when the party’s over...[/b][/i][/color]"

[center]"[color=5d7947][i][b]But, nothing is better sometimes... quiet when I’m coming home... and I’m on my own...[/b][/i][/color]"[/center][/hider]