[center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/ad2ae6e3-c51a-4bbe-8590-205e4def547a.png[/img] [color=c9272c]"Ganbare."[/color] [color=888888]— Elroy Bates[/color][/center] [@Ponn][@Majoraa] Mika kept looking at Ashley after she confirmed her course of action, but she said nothing in return. Perhaps she was content with her promise, or not. They were both professionals, even if they were both young. She swung her eyes over to the nuns, who smiled back once they realized they had the cat girl’s ire. With a huff, she marched over to her companions to help defend them from the spirits. Like Finn, Mika’s weapon was better suited for dealing with monsters, and she was able to swiftly clear the spirits around Cerise and Raven. The specters wouldn’t be an issue so long as the [i]other[/i] espers didn’t attack them. [color=c9272c]”Yes."[/color] Elroy told Finn. [color=c9272c]”Holy man employed me. I don’t think you know him. He came here from rome."[/color] Finn was also ordered to speed up the train, and like the “good little killer” he was, he did it. It was hard to tell if it had any effect. Such a melody would have a noticeable effect on an esper, but it was harder to tell when you were riding on the back of a behemoth that was speeding through the city. Not only was Peace Train much bigger than an esper, it was much faster as well. Thus, the improvement was hard to notice. What was a certainty was that the trains were headed towards each other. Peace train started to gain altitude as it came over one of Pax’s many parks. [hr] [center][img]https://img.roleplayerguild.com/prod/users/89304718-01d4-48d4-9e08-2902809ae001.png[/img] [color=magenta]”My point still stands.”[/color] [color=888888]— Regina Bates[/color][/center] [@Vertigo][@The World][@Nakushita] Extinguishing the fires was trivial, but it would take time to properly do so. Time that the sisters could use to prepare another trick. Again, Nova threw up another smoke barrier in front of Regina as the pyro surged forward. Gunfire ripped through the smoke. While they had no clear view of their target, you could only miss so many times as two espers firing akimbo blind, especially when they were noisy. Regina’s manic laughter was cut off with a yelp as a bullet ripped through her. However, neither pistol toting esper would have the satisfaction of seeing her fall. Before the nuns could appear, Ciri walled them off with shadows. For some reason, creating a physical barrier out of shadow made a lot more sense than a shadow spider catching fire, that she was riding around like a mount. The wall was not particularly tall. In order to stretch the wall across the crazy train it couldn’t be any taller than the nuns were. But better that then some cloud of smoke, which didn’t seem to inhibit their aim at all. The first thing to pop up over the wall was Lenore. She pulled herself on top and looked out at Himiko and Ciri. They moved their guns to fire, but her arm was already crackling with arcane blacklight. She hopped backwards as the dark beam left her fingers. And then… The shadow spider rider was no longer Ciri. Lenore had swapped places with her and, as she was mid fall when the switch took place, had little difficulty plunging her sword into the back of the spider. The creature lost all structure and melted into the ground under Lenore’s feet. She stood up and pointed her blade at the greedy gunslinger. The glow in her eye intensified. [b]”Why not? I’m ready for a duel now!”[/b] But when did Lenore play fair? A flaming eye opened up in the sky, and out came a hail of burning rocks. Regardless of where Himiko moved, They tracked her like the IRS. They looked like falling stalagmites punctuated with neon trails of flame. But as dangerous as it was, it didn’t stop Lenore from rushing towards her position. Even as another nova erupted. Where was this happening? Ciri knew. Her daring escape had been stopped by a melody that placed her on the other side of her wall and in the air. The fall to the ground didn’t hurt. Ciri was able to unfold from her riding position and land on her feet okay. What hurt was being hit by [i]another[/i] flame nova. Regina was just outside of striking distance, clutching her ribs and her knife in one hand. Though now that Ciri was closer, and if she cared to focus while being set aflame, the knifes she held looked strangely like tambourines. Circular blades with small symbols suspended along them. [color=magenta]”Hit and run…”[/color] She lifted her hand off of her wound. Her skin melted like wax, and under the flames on her skin, her wound was closing before Ciri’s very eyes. She stood up strong and tightened her grip on her blades. [color=magenta]”Ain’t exactly my style!”[/color] With a growl, Regina lunged for Ciri. Close quarters wasn’t her specialty, but it was a toss up if this was preferable to being in the vicinity of Lenore. Speaking of the nuns, that creepy one with the cigarette was likely nearby, but she couldn’t be seen. But there was a silver lining. While Trixy wasn’t visible, Ciri could feel [i]it[/i] was very close. And then there was Marrie, seemingly forgotten by all the other combatants. With the train burning up under her, what else could she do but try to give back to the creature they were protecting. She focused her mana into a light healing mist that poured down over Crazy train’s wound. And it seemed like it might have healed some of its pain. Then the burn mark started to turn brown, like a normal bruise. Then the burn mark went away and [i]skin[/i] started to grow on all of the exposed sinew across Crazy Train. Then… Then Peace Train shot past her. It glowed with a [url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9cJRqsKZKo]holy radiance[/url] and mended away the other behemoth’s wounds. Even the other espers could feel its restorative powers in a more subtle way. Just by being near the target of its healing magic, their wounds didn’t feel so severe anymore. Crazy Train’s endless wail finely ceased. But only Marrie could see the Gemini espers, and Elroy. [color=c9272c]"Huh."[/color] Elroy scratched his head. [color=c9272c]"It’s not like Regina to show mercy. She must like you, Shark girl!"[/color]