[ ] Observe her pattern and attempt to attack Ran as she materializes.


You reach out with your will, gripping the black fires of rage and forcing them back into the deepest recesses of your mind. Calm and insight will win the day, not blind anger. Watchful like unblinking Heimdall, sharp-eyed guard of Bifrost, keen-eyed like the soaring eagle. Thus you watch the beautiful and deadly dance of the golden-tailed fox.

Ran shows no signs of relenting her assault, blinking in and out of sight while raining magic upon you. You dodge the bursts of sorcery, noting that her attacks follow a strict pattern. Disappear, reappear, burst of danmaku, then repeating the process. Easy to predict, but somewhat harder to avoid. Regardless you quickly find the trick to staying out of harm's way. Like a serpent you weave around the magic, avoiding her bullets with relative ease.

Ran notices this, scowling at your success. But she does so with a slight hint of disbelief on her face, as if she can not believe that a mere human can dodge her attacks like this. But despite the lack of effect she still keeps repeating the same pattern time and again. Maybe she is too arrogant to change it? Or maybe she can't? You look up and meet Ran's gaze for a long second. She bares her fangs at you before blinking out again, the blue circle of magic blurring to the side.

Within your mind the rage, the wisdom and the hidden whispers converge into insight. You have seen how she will attack. You have the strenght to strike back. And thus you suddenly know how to defeat the mage fox.

You reach down towards your belt and bare your own fangs, but yours are of steel, and that makes all the difference. The wizard fox may be powerful, but she's still a beast. A beast knows not the riddle of steel, trusting only in the might of flesh and bone. This truth is clear to you as you grasp the hilt of your fang, hearing the hymn of forged metal, the song earth and fire bound into tool of war.

As the circle of magic draws together you draw back your arm. As the sorcerous cloud begins to swirl and coalesce into a shape you snap it forward, sending your dagger hurtling through the air. As Ran materializes fully she reels back in shock, her wide eyes slowly moving down to stare dumbly at the fang of steel piercing her chest. She clutches feebly at the hilt, then shudders and begins coughing up dark red blood. The deep, free-flowing crimson soils her dress as it pours out. The fox-woman throws back her head and roars in fury and agony, grasps the hilt of the dagger and tears it out. A shower of red blood follows your dagger, but stops almost immediately. It seems apparent that this foe will be hard to kill.

Regardless it is obvious that Ran wasn't expecting this at all. Her hands are trembling as she mutely gazes down on the bloody piece of steel in her hands. She drops the dagger and turns her head towards you, revealing a mask of pure animal rage. She looks down on you as if you were a nuisance to be squashed without mercy for having the temerity to fight back against her. The nine-tailed wizard fox opens her mouth to speak, and a palpable aura of power wreathes her in a terrible embrace. Something within you mind screams for you to act, to do something before the golden-tailed one brings down a fury to rival that of the gods themselves on your head.

Luckily Ran is interrupted before she can do just that. Ten thousand stars suddenly shoot down from the heavens, crashing into Ran like the fist of a giant. She goes down, nearly hitting the ground before managing to halt her descent. You jump slightly at this unexpected development and turn your gaze upwards.

Far above you there is an unmistakable figure raining down sorcerous doom. She brushes back her golden locks and adjusts her pointy hat. Then the bold black-white reaches out her arm towards Ran, a gesture that can only mean on thing.

"MASTER SPARK, BITCH!"

The beam of power flashes into existence, brilliant like Skinfaxi's mane, blinding you momentarily. As the white slowly fades you notice that Marisa has joined you on the ground, grinning madly like only she can.

"Hah, didja see that -ze? Man I'm good!" She winks conspiratorically at you before adding "Good that you stopped her spellcard tough, hard to spark people when they're teleporting around y'know -ze. Was helpful." You feel vaguely offended to have your noble battle relegated to some mere sideshow and your glory stolen by this sudden ambush from above.

"Delighted am I, my spirit soaring as I could contribute to wise witch's victory." Your voice practically drips venom and sarcasm at this point.

"Don't mention it, don't mention it. Gotta let your underlings help out sometimes y'know -ze. Good for morale." Marisa replies, while waving her hand at you in an indulgent manner. You quietly contemplate murder for a moment, but dismiss the idea and acknowledge your defeat. Marisa's grin only widens, somehow sweeping away your bitterness. Damn it all, why must she be so endearing?

But enough of that, you still have work to do. The two of you wordlessly turn back towards the low crater where Marisa's beam impacted. You can't imagine anyone surviving that, but then again stranger things have happened.

"RAAN-SAMAAA!" Chen's horrified wail ehoes as you and Marisa approach the point of impact. You find her sobbing over Ran, while the fox-woman slowly pats Chen's head, murmuring reassuring words in her ear. Ran herself is alive, but obviously in a great deal of pain. Her skin is cracked and bruised, her dress torn and bloody. She struggles to draw breath as you walk up to her, staring coldly into her eyes. Defiant to the last the golden-tailed one meets your gaze without flinching.

"So... you've won outsider. For now..." She stops speaking and coughs up more blood. "But when my mistress returns she'll deal with you."

"It is her that I have sought, it is her that I will find. All the better if she comes to me." You reply while keeping your voice flat. Your quest draws closer to its goal, and your words ring true. But in the meantime, what shall you do with her servant?


[ ] Keep your promise from earlier. Gift her the wings of the blood-eagle.

[ ] Kill her cleanly. Unwise is the one who leaves a foeman alive.

[ ] Knock her out. You don't want to kill her, but you can't have her interfering either.

[ ] Sweep up Ran in your arms and carry her back inside. Her wounds need treatment.

[ ] Rape

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And as I said in the last thread my studies are atrating up again. Thus updates will probably be more sporadic in the future.