Essentia Animus

72-Lakeside Ripples

The three girls finally arrived at the clearing on the other side of the lake, the sandy beach looking almost a trademark from much of their previous conflicts. There, they found three others waiting for them, almost dozing off casually as the night's silence threatened their consciousness.

"Liyuzhe, Fhyernx, snap out of it, they finally showed up. Sryine, you disappoint me, I really expected you a whole lot sooner." "Ah, so I heard. But really, who could resist the chance to go for a nice night stroll through nostalgia. Did you know I used to do the same thing frequently in the past? Come on, don't tell me you weren't also enjoying the night." Ieqyisa was glaring daggers for Sryine having wasted so much of her time, leaving Sryine feeling even more satisfied than she thought she would be. Riyxia really did have the best idea, this was a perfect way to start the confrontation.

"See Fhyernx, there wasn't anything to worry about. Anyway, if we're done, let's get this game started, shall we." "Oh right, so is this when you sick your beasts upon us and hound us into another weakened state? Much like how your augmented beasts had tried earlier?" "Ah, you're referring to how much waste was caused by playing all my beasts at once, a field you three had managed to so generously wipe clean with a few easy maneuvers. Yes, I know, it was very foolish of me, I don't plan on making the same mistake twice." "Ah, so instead, you're going to carefully place your beasts on the field, maximizing the effectiveness of their presence directly?" "Exactly. Games like this care strongly about the numbers, and when you have an armada this large.. carefully making use of each option is important to overall success." As to demonstrate the situation, Liyuzhe indicated several beasts that had prowled out from the very lake itself. Ieqyisa then opened another portal at the other side, which several more beasts came out from in a pincer movement. Fhyernx called down a transportation vehicle to lift them safely out of the way while the flame ignited in the beasts present. Of course, the numbers were small, that was because they were being prepared to control the flow of beasts, to call upon precise strikes in a strategic display.

"It was a quote Khyzae was fond of saying. In a game of minds, a strategic leader never..." "...plays their entire hand at once." Liyuzhe jumped at Riyxia completing the remainder of the quote without warning. Riyxia's sly grin also gave her even more reason for concern, but none of that compared to the shock at what occurred when Riyxia indicated behind her. "Really, you make it sound like you're the only one here with an armada to worry about, that you are only facing three girls. Liyuzhe, how very foolish of you to underestimate me so greatly." Walking from the woods behind Riyxia blinked a series of eyes stepping forward from the trees, hundreds.. no.. thousands of eyes. Sryine and Vwyx spun around too in surprise, bearing witness to the woods behind them shimmering in a blanket beyond. From the shadows of the trees, the first few ersatz stepped forwards, all linked by Riyxia's spectre. Riyxia had promised her father she would not walk alone that night as the only ersatz, and she hadn't. Continuing to draw upon the flame on her back, the flow of the flame from the fragment running unceasingly, Riyxia commanded far more than her original estimate of 800 dolls. More so, these weren't just some simple dolls, every single one of them were life-like creations, designed to be like any other person, and all the elements that included. Beyond anything else, that included the presence of blood trademark to the gift, even if only artificially imbued. None of them flowed with their own blood, each case was based upon her own system, like a vent of her own flame. Containing her essence, containing her will, containing her gift, containing her flame, the foremost among them brought their augmentation to bear and rushed towards the beasts, Riyxia herself stepping back to avoid herself getting involved as well. In that instant, 8 beasts were unmade by the gift, their flames consumed, leaving Riyxia to get even stronger.

"Blast it Khyzae, that's not fair. Hells, why are you always a few steps ahead?" "I told you, someone has to protect you from yourself. It really was only fair, after all, you already have an army of your own design, so I decided to bring my own." Liyuzhe was furious, directing for several other beasts to be dropped on Riyxia. Quite literally too, the gates opened above them, the beast however not even surviving to reach the ground as several more ersatz took to the field. Sryine and Vwyx started wondering why exactly they were even there. Sryine could finally tell why they really had to walk that entire journey.. it would have been quite a large army to have brought with them otherwise. Vwyx now understood that the presence she had felt behind them hadn't just been her imagination, even if hiding the presence of so many ersatz was itself an unreasonable feat. Actually, why exactly had she not noticed anything sooner? Riyxia's spectre was gone from her, she hadn't had any such trademark shimmer the entire time. Behind them should have been an unmissable blanket.. but in the faint haze of the existing flame it appears she had failed to notice. More astounding, her comset had provided no other advantage either, not while she had been so transfixed on the lake instead of her surroundings. Actually, this incredible use of the flame probably explained why Riyxia's own comset had so suddenly failed, it had simply overloaded. Sryine meanwhile could tell just how much strain this much demand of the flame would have put on Riyxia, even with her arm as it was.. the whole thing would have been staggering.