Difference between revisions of "2692/WMAT Preliminary: HOMURA vs. SEIKOU!"

Latest revision as of 14:45, 29 July 2015

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
Fireworks ignite the purple-orange skies hanging over Papaya Island as a cheering throng gathers inside the island's famous Tournament Stadium to welcome the tournament's stylish return!

Raucous enough to challenge the most vicious riots for energy output, the abnormally-cheerful population stuffing the stadium to capacity is so loud and celebratory that neither the humming shield generators nor blaring music can be heard. Mister Satan's voice -- booming from every speaker in a heroic baritone growl of excitement -- is loud and vivacious enough to be recognizable, at least. "Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to the first battle of the 28th Annual World Martial Arts Tournament! Tonight, live from Tournament Stadium, you will be treated to a fierce contest between two renowned champions of the ring -- World Champion HOMURA AKEMI, and World Champion SEIKOU STARKS! Join me, former World Champion MISTER SATAN, as I ring in this year's tournament with a special competition the likes of which you'll find out is rare indeed!"

As his amplified words die down to inaudible echoes, the throng swells again to wave their flags and call out the names of their favorite champions. HO-MU-RA! HO-MU-RA! SEI-KOOOU! SEI-KOOOU!

Mister Satan, down in the commentator's booth stationed along the fighting square's sidelines, gets a bright sparkle in his blue eyes as he leans into his microphone to address the crowds again. "What a sight! TOURNAMENT STADIUM IS ALIVE! Are you ready for action?! Are you ready for a contest of true FIGHTING SKILL?! Do you want to see who among us most embodies the SPIRIT OF TRUE MARTIAL ARTS?!"

The crowd roars back at Mister Satan. Enthused, his heart pounding, Mister Satan jumps up on top of the table he's seated at -- microphone still in hand -- and waves his free pointer finger at the audience. "THEN LET'S WELCOME OUR CHAMPIONS!! LET'S GET THE TOURNAMENT STARTED!"

He turns on a dime, like he's powered by the fireworks going off overhead. "HOMURA AKEMIII!"

A broad spotlight ignites one half of the square.

"SEIKOU STAAARKS!"

Another spotlight flashes to life.

"Your fans await you!"

Ziggy Grover has posed:
Ziggy Grover taps on the mike after doing a bit of testing. Ahem.

"I'm Ziggy Grover! I'm from Corinth, where I'm serving as Ranger Green, from the Power Rangers! I'm here to add a bit of color... hahaha, some greenery, you know? Because I'm Ranger Green, and... um... well, color commentary is very very crucial!"

Pause. Covering his mike, Ziggy peers over at Mister Satan. "You know, this was easier when I was doing a race. A fight is a little trickier."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    'When in Rome...'

    Fighting Seikou 'Material-S' Starks is a fairly stressful matter. Her Union file shows a long, long list of victories, and only a bare handful of defeats. The champion of Bracket C may as well be truly undefeated, and it's not firepower she's lacking either. This will be unpleasant, but at least her life isn't at stake.

    Homura's brought plenty of Grief Seeds, at least; periods of low activity mean she's been able to use them more sparingly and build a reasonable pile again, so going all out for just this one tournament match won't be an issue. Best not make a habit of it though.

    As the fireworks in her corner of the arena go off, the Puella Magi appears, without warning, sound effect or flash, standing under the bright lights. Not even the best camera would be able to catch her arrival; blink and you miss it, quite literally. She wears a simple black pair of pants and a white business shirt, formalwear for the occasion, though her typical clothes too. She flicks her hair for the crowd once the fireworks die down, before purple flames wash over her from her feet to her head, replacing her clothes by her magical girl outfit.

    The more standard purple, white and black outfit is likely what most spectators know her for wearing. In her left hand, a very long black bow appears, a magical string of purple light tying the ends together.

    Seems like she's ready, at least.
    And she's got her poker face on to conceal the stress.

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute is sitting in the stands, watching and smiling. A beer in one hand, nachos in the other. He's hooting and hollering for the match to start, cheering along with the crowd. He's cheering, specifically, for Seikou.

     On his right is his I-Class destroyer, floating just above the seat. To ihs left, is somethign a bit more beautiful. His wife, Harp. She's sitting a bit more casually and calmly, not getting in on the cheering nearly as much. She's just relaxing, annoyed that she has to be around /so many people/. She's not a big fan of fighting tournaments. Or people.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber is here. Like any responsible father, adoptive or otherwise, he has two driving purposes that compel him to be here. They are as follows:

1) Encourage Homura.
2) Embarass Homura

    That's why, seated in the front row, the half-angel is wearing a pair of cargo shorts and some flip-flop sandals. He has a big t-shirt on that has a picture of Homura's face which reads 'Akemi Beatdown' in vibrant purple letters. He's also wearing a baseball cap with a chibi-Homura on it giving a thumbs up which reads 'Homura Homu-Run'. In his hands are two little pennant flags. One has Homura's face and says 'Tyrfing 3:16' and the other has chibi-Homura and says 'Paladin of Madoka'.

    Despite the ridiculous outfit, he's sitting there with a pretty casual look about it, as if he has no embarassment to be wearing the outfit.

Material-S (177) has posed:
    While Material-S could have swooped in and done something super flashy, that would throw off the introduction. Instead, the small, stoic-looking girl is walking right into the spotlight, already wearing that dark Barrier Jacket. It flutters around her dramatically at just the right time, the modest dress billowing just enough to make it look like real cloth. The staff in her hand, Luciferion, carries a blue orb upon it, and said staff twirls once before she tucks it behind her in order to do a smooth, formal bow of greeting to Homura.

    When the small-looking girl straightens, her face is holding a small, yet oh so rare smile. "It is a pleasure to fight you, Homura Akemi. I hope that this will be a challenging fight for both of us, whichever one is the victor." Her body tenses, bracing for the battle to start, and her staff whips down into a ready position and lets out a single pinging word.

    <READY.>

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma sits up in the box, grinning like a buffoon. As Mister Satan chimes up, she speaks into her microphone. "Fufufu~. "I am Kuma! Nameship of the Kuma-class Light Cruisers, kuma!" She waves out of the booth at the crowd, and leans right up close to the window.

    Shigure mmns and fidgets a little, tugging at the hem of her skirt. After Kuma's energetic intro, her softer voice can likely barely be heard over the stadium's crowd. "Shiratsuyu-class. Second ship... m-my name is Shigure." her cheeks flush a little, and she tries to hide behind Chistose.

    Nowaki sighs and shakes her head at her fellow Destroyer, before speaking with a firm purpose. "Kagero-class, number 15. Nowaki." She looks over at Ziggy, and just gives him a nod, she's severe, but she can tell he's doing his best.

    Chitose reaches back, and pulls Shigure out again, patting her soothingly on the head before speaking up. "First of the Japanese Seaplane Tenders! I'm Chitose~." She looks over at Mister Satan, and produces a small ceramic bottle from her rigging. "How about a drink, Mister Champion?"

Ariel (219) has posed:
Despite the fact that Seikou is in the Confederacy and Homura is a good friend of hers now, Ariel couldn't decide who to cheer for! She has a giant foam finger saying 'HOMURA' on it, and is hiking it in the air. Her other hand is free, but... on her horn she's tied a short pennant, waving about with the word 'SEIKOU' on it.

"HAVE FUN, BOTH OF YOU!"

Mamimi Samejima (830) has posed:
"You have to do this right, okay? Raise up the food and call out who wants it." Mamimi just nods to the 'boss'.
"We'll pay you when it's over." Mamimi nods again.
"You can keep any tips too - but you have to fight the crowd's hunger!"

It isn't long before Mamimi is out there with a large packet of food on her. "Hot cats!" "Pop kernals!" She calls out, with little enthusiasm. Must be the summer help. "Ahhh, Takkun, I'm already getting hungry..." She adds to a brick that flies about her shoulder, with little demon wings and legs. "Do you want some?" Mamimi and responsibility don't exactly go hand in hand. "Oh, are they going to fight?" So that's why everyone is here!

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
Mister Satan about falls over laughing at Ziggy's jokes. "GREEN! HAHAHAHAHA!" And it takes him so long to pull himself together that a referee needs to come over and remind the Champ as to his role. Mister Satan turns toward the tugging on his sleeve, blinks in bewilderment, and asks: "Oh, the girls are here already? How did I miss that?"

Were the puns really THAT good?!

Mister Satan hurries over to the stadium's fighting square in a hurry. As he dashes over, a giant gold coin is tossed his way! He catches it without looking, BECAUSE HE'S JUST THAT GOOD!

"So, contenders! Are you ready to begin?! Call it! HEADS! OR! TAAAAAAAILS!"

He points right at Homura, indicating she should call it before he tosses the coin.

Testarossa Fate (401) has posed:
    With the stadium so full of people, a small blonde girl and her puppy are bound to get lost in the crush, while getting to their seats.

    Arf yaps irritably as Fate tries to maneuver with quiet "Umm..."s and soft "Excuse me..."s. But it's to very little avail as the blonde nearly gets lost, has like a bajillion people in her view, and has Arf howling in her ear to buy ramen, popcorn, peanuts, candy, doggie beer, and squirming around a whole lot. This is when the glimmering golden pendant of her Device pings:

    [MOVE!]

    It parts a small, surprised slew of people, allowing Fate to tug on Arf's leash and get to her seat, where she holds up a small 'Go Seikou' flag, just in time for the coin toss.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Challenging. Yeah. Hopefully not one-sided.

    "The same to you, Seikou Starks," Homura answers.

    Her gaze turns towards the announcers, notably the STRONGEST MAN IN THE WORLD (still not disproven conclusively) pointing at her. "Heads." Granted, at the speed they'll be fighting, 'first strike' is just a formality, but rules are rules.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
The crowd GAAAAAAAAASPS as the coin comes down displaying a very visible TAILS!

"It's SEIKOU'S MOVE!" Mister Satan yells into his mic. "Seikou wins the coin flip!" As the SEIKOOOU chants resume, Mister Satan gets the hell outta dodge, because he KNOWS what's about to happen.

He dives (for cover) into the commentary booth, settles himself, and looks smiling over to Chitose. "Did you say something about a drink? Why yes, I think that sounds extraordinary! Nothing but the best food and beverages here at the WMAT, thanks to our sponsors! And -- oh, is that something you brought yourself? I'm honored!"

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma bounces, trying to see the coin, that's when Nowaki taps her on the shoulder and points to the camera feeds showing the stadium from all angles, and the one trained on that coin. "Ou! This'll be interesting, kuma!" she chirps happily.

    Shigure nns and shifts position to let Chitose get a bit closer to Mister Satan's seat, fading into the background a little... so many people, at least she's relatively covered and out of sight inside the booth!

    Chitose nods. "I only stock the best! Must be ready for the Admiral's inspection, after all~!" she trills happily, offering a traditional ceramic saucer to the former Champion. The ceramic bottle has sake in it, good quality stuff too! She takes a saucer for herself too, turning her attention back to the match about to begin.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
Ziggy casts a sideway glance at Kuma. "Uh, was it really that good?" he asks, as he leans forward, tilting his head. "Anyway, what can you tell us about these contestants? I'm not familiar with them, so..."

Material-S (177) has posed:
    As the coin flip lands on tails, Seikou is left with the first move. She does, at least, wait until Mister Satan gets out of the way before doing anything at all. The only reaction she gives to the flip beyond that is a small, acknowledging nod. That's when her Device glimmers and chimes, <PYRO TRAIL.>

    Numerous spinning little spheres of orange power float out and orbit the small girl, who stands very still for a moment. The spheres, each no bigger than a marble, one by one erupt into a pretty display of flames, crackling and glowing in what appears to be an attempt to dazzle Homura. Or is it? Because an instant later Seikou is an orange comet, launching herself full-speed toward Homura. It's a full charge!

    Seikou fully expects Homura to dodge this, though. That's why her initial attack is really in the form of those little flaming sparkles, which are extremely fast homing bullets of mana.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
"Here tonight, we have two unique contenders who are well-suited to testing one another. Miss Homura Akemi, World Champion of Bracket B, defeated two others at the same time to claim last year's title. She's well-known for acts of devastating speed -- and let's just say she knows her way around a firearm."

The Champ continues setting the stage. "Facing her is Seikou Starks, a Mid-Childan magic user whose spells and finesse were able to overcome a truly challenging Bracket C. She's been the reigning champion for at least two years, so there's quite a target on her back! You'll see. She's earned her fearsome reputation! Quite powerful in any fight despite appearances!"

Then, the action unfolds! Mister Satan gawps along with the rest of the crowds as the fighting begins. "Ah! Here we go! Seikou initiates the contest with a self-made comet of orange flame and explosive sparks! Can you see anything through the glare, ladies!? Ziggy?!"

Shigure has posed:
    Shigure nns softly. "Air Radar picking up a high speed air contact... it's heading straight for Homura!" her voice is still very quiet, but somehow it overpowers thr crowd this time, letting her deep tone resonate across the arena as the fight starts.

    Kuma blinks at the light show, oooing softly until Shigure speaks. "Looks like it's starting to Heat Up out there, kuma!"

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"I'm not seeing anything, there's an orange streak, who I think is Seikou, and... well... I guess it -would- be kind of obvious who her target is. What she does to respond..." Ziggy responds, scratching his head at Mr. Satan, before covering his mike. "Just how much -power- are we talking about here?" he asks of Kuma.

Mamimi Samejima (830) has posed:
It's when the first shot is fired - fired, indeed! - that Mamimi stops her job and sits down.

That lasted all of a hand-ful of minutes! Placing it on the edge, Mamimi takes one of the popcorn containers and slides off to the front.

She watches, and feeds her Takkun, in a blatant disregard for her job. Jobs are hard, after all. Instead, Mamimi starts to take pictures!

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma blinks, then replies in the way only an experienced combatant and flagship can. "I dunno, kuma."

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    One wonders if those are the only words the two will exchange, the Device's chatter aside. There's probably a poll running. Guess the exact number of words they'll say.

    The volley of flaming sparkles and Seikou present two very different threats; and since the Material is perfectly capable of saturating the area in fire, it'll come down to picking the clearest path. Rather than take a full-on impact from her opponent, the Puella Magi opts to challenge the sparkles instead, dashing forward to pass Seikou.

    The smaller flames buffet her, scorching her outfit already, and the larger fire around the girl makes the pass very uncomfortable-- but a direct hit, she'll do her best to deny. For all she knows, it'd only take Seikou one good hit to knock her out. Best not find out the hard way.

    It's with a few scorch marks that the Puella Magi stops, suddenly reappearing facing the Material from behind. Slow-mo wouldn't even catch the transition between stopping, crouching and suddenly being back up. Her bowstring pulls back, and a volley of pink-purple light arrows attempt to nail the other champion from behind, about a dozen, some fired, some simply appearing out of thin air.

    Hopefully people aren't expecting her to shout attack names.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"We must be looking at -something- over 9000!" Ziggy enthused, before re-activating the mike. "Ohh, Homura dives in headfirst into the orange comet, and countering with ... are those -purple- light beams she's firing with a bow?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber, despite the outfit he carefully chose to embarass Homura, is just quietly sitting in the front row and waving his little flags as he watches the back and forth go on between the two. He doesn't so much watch Homura as he does just predict where she'll be and wind up sort of right. He knows her fighting style well enough by now. He just hopes she doesn't trip, not that anyone would see if she did. But he totally hopes she doesn't.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
Mister Satan quickly tips back another glass of sake. Chitose had better be careful not to share too much! For now, the Champ is sober enough to continue the job.

"Look! At! That! It looks like Homura's caught up in a regular conflagration! But there -- suddenly, from behind Seikou -- "

He stands up and points at the unfolding scene. "BEHIND SEIKOU! ARROWS OF PURPLE LIGHT! It's Homura's brand of magic!"

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma bounces, and claps. "Oh Oh! She's a Carrier! Look at that Archery, kuma! Fly little planes!" chirps the excitable cruiser girl.

    Nowaki sighs and palms her face with a white gloved hand. "No, she's firing arrows made from presumably magic." looking back up, silver eyes take in Homura's state. "But that pass cost her, let us hope it was not for the worse."

Material-S (177) has posed:
    Seikou expected the dodge, but she doesn't even allow herself a smirk of victory when she hears the impacts of her secondaries. She knows this is far from over, and she's in the unusual situation of fighting an opponent who is actually MORE mobile than she is. This is not something she's used to in recent memory.

    She's not inexperienced at it, though. Fate and Levi are both faster than her, and she's expecting a rear attack. A shield glimmers into being, like a globe of protection. She can't manage a full power one fast enough, though, so it only blunts some of the beams, and a few even impact directly at her side and back of the shoulder. The Barrier Jacket absorbs some of it, but the smoking holes left behind make the result pretty clear. A direct hit on Homura's part, too, and enough to stagger the small Material in mid-air.

    "Mn," Seikou mutters, suddenly changing tactics and rocketing into the sky. On her way out, she flicks a hand out in a quick gesture... and that's where the small blast of magic comes from, a buffeting wind. Not from her Device, but a weak pulse from her, meant to distract Homura enough that one of the remaining fire-bullets from before can dart in for an attempted strike.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    That's right, all those small bullets are still around. The ones she didn't take to the chin or face, anyway. From what limited experience and hearsay she has, Mid-Childan mages are experts of bullet storms, and any that linger between attacks can be reused later. As Material-S flicks her hand to produce wind and command some of her bullets to attack again, Homura frowns.

    Lowering her bow in her right hand, her left forearm glows a bright purple, forming a sort of round buckler out of the magic. She seeks over behind it, raising it, and it momentarily grows larger to shield her. The wind blast smashes into it, along with frontal fire bullets!

    The shield cracks, barely holding, but a few impacts from the rear break the Puella Magi's stance as fire once again scorches her outfit, namely behind a knee; before she can fall forward, she disappears completely.

    What people don't see is the B bracket champion hidding the stadium floor, taking a few seconds to get back up, dust herself, and then try to pretend nothing happened.

    What they do see is Homura reappearing to Seikou's far left, crouched atop a gatling gun turret glowing an idle purple. It's a bit smaller than the sort you'd straight up sit inside of, but it's loosely automated, firing an unending stream of rubber pellets towards Seikou. At the speed and quantity they're being fired, they might as well be able to kill a man, but Seikou can take it, she's sure.

    No, you can't ask where she got that.

    Yes, Mister Satan, this is proof Cell rigged the arena that one time.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
"To answer your question, Ziggy...the advertisements are no exaggeration. These two girls wield destructive powers that only true champions could hope to match! Look! Do you see those machines around the base of the stands? Shield generators! We've reinforced protections around the stadium to keep our audience safe!"

Cue the camera pan around the audience. It goes picture-in-picture on the big screens, showcasing both the ongoing fight, and the crowd reactions! From Mamimi to Sarah Parsle to Testarossa Fate to other famous faces in attendance -- to all the nameless fans cheering their faces off -- everyone gets a chance to be seen.

The camera spends a long time zoomed in on one dad-looking fellow seated in the front row. His support for Homura is obvious, from his Homura-decorated attire, to his fist-pumping cheers! The screen caption reads: MISTER AKEMI, FATHER OF CHAMPIONS!

Maybe Psyber went a little too incognito...

As for Mister Satan -- he yelps as another feint aims right for Homura! "Look at Seikou's tactics! She's using her cleverness as much as her power! That's what makes her so dangerous in the ring!"

Ziggy Grover has posed:
At Mr. Satan's explanation, Ziggy whistles. "Oh... well, if something happens, I guess we -could- teleport out..."

He does a double-take. "Wait, I'd have to suit on first."

Bringing his wrist up to tap his morpher and slide the lever in place, Ziggy exclaims, "RPM, GET IN GEAR!"

A second later, and a transformation sequence, complete with accompanying explosion later, Ranger Green settles in place. "There." Pause. "... oops, did anyone get caught in the backlash?"

Ahem. "The crowd's going wild...! Homura's popped out of nowhere with a hail of bullets!"

Shigure has posed:
    Nowaki pushes Kuma aside, much to the Cruiser's chargrin, though she continues to watch excitedly as bullets fly and magic explodes. "A clever assault indeed, a distraction leading to a direct hit to a vulnerable area." a pause. "Ah, I have lost Homur-- Ah, there she is! A hail of bullets wash over Seikou."

    Shigure mmnfs in surprise as Ziggy transforms... and she gets a bit singed in the resulting explosion. "Um... please don't do that again..."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    By day: heroic action here and Lower-Upper-Class Business Owner, by later in the same day: Embarassing father. Such is Psyber's amazing power as 'Low Key Embarassing Parent Man'. Being identified as 'Mister Akemi' instead of 'Psyber' is actually somewhat of a boon for the low-key dynamic he and Homura keep about the whole thing.

    Still, with the camera on him and him on the viewscreen all the more, his flag waving intensifies even while his head lowers to keep his face from the screen. Though that might just be to show off the 'Homura Homu-Run' Hat, too.

Material-S (177) has posed:
    Oops. Seikou is looking for any new pop-ups, but she can only watch so many places at once, even with Luciferion's help. Too late, the Device tries to raise a shield, but instead the hail of bullets slams into the petite frame of the Material, actually knocking her off-course and making those little orange ankle-wings flutter desperately to pull her out of the spiral toward the ground.

    They succeed, but... only just. Seikou actually slams into the ground and bounces, before righting herself. She still shows no real annoyance on her face, only a whirl about, and a chime from the Device: <SHEAR BLITZ.>

    That's a new one. It's mainly a new name, though... the attack itself is a swift bullet of power, with a concussive wave ahead of it that will hopefully make it harder to dodge.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
Mister Satan's on his third shot of sake, now, and it's showing in the feverish color painting his cheeks and nose. Eyes glittering, excitement frothing from every syllable, his commentary continues: "Seikou takes a direct hit from a hail of unexpected bullets! Homura's sneak attack pays off, driving Seikou to the ground, but -- no! She's not out of it yet! Seikou gets up, and launches an unfamiliar attack right back at Homura, matching bullet for bullet!"

He whumpfs back down into his chair as cries of HO-MU-RA HO-MU-RUN! continue to rumble like thunder from the stands above and behind the commentary booth. Lightning bolts of SEI-KOOOU! SEI-KOU STARKS! pepper the storm of cheers!

Ziggy Grover has posed:
Wincing, Ranger Green tilts his head at Shigure. "Sorry," he apologizes, before returning his attention quickly towards the fight. Correcting Mister Satan, Ziggy comments, "I think that's one -big- bullet, not a hail... it looks like Homura's going for death by a thousand cuts, while Seikou's going for a big blow!" as he makes a big swinging fist to indicate just what Seikou's doing.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    After a solid ten seconds of firing, the turret eventually clicks; and then clickclickclickclick, announcing empty ammo stacks. What's worse, Seikou has not only very quickly risen but produced another bolt of fire.

    The attack impacts with Homura and the turret; a careful eye might see Homura disappear out of the fireball as the turret is destroyed and its cheap parts sent to every corner of the arena, and a more careful one would spot her overhead a moment later.

    The lower half of her body now badly scorched from the explosion, numerous holes in her black and purple tights, with the edges of her skirt burnt off and a few bits of exposed skin bruised (tough, not burnt outright; seems Seikou's still in nonlethal mode!).

    More importantly, she's got pink-purple angelic wings on her back, fairly large compared to her, likely why she's overhead and properly afloat. The air ripples around her, as a swarm of twenty or so RPG rockets appear, all angled down towards the Material.

    There's no gesture to command or guide them; they just fly straight down, past Homura, towards the stadium floor and her opponent. There's definitely magical residue in the air, but it has nothing to do with the rockets themselves or their flight down.

    These aren't the precise, guided fireballs Seikou can fling, but for Homura it's the next best thing right now.

Shigure has posed:
    Kuma takes center again. "That might be one big bullet, but those are a lot of rockets in response, kuma!"

    Shigure mmns softly. "Those wings are beautiful too... like an Angel. A Rocket Angel, maybe."

Mamimi Samejima (830) has posed:
"Hey! What are you doing!?" Mamimi, mouth full of popcorn, tilts towards the sound. Eh? It's the guy that hired her.

"Takkun lets go!" She notes, pocketing a dog or two!

There is a ruckus in the stands as Mamimi high-tails it out to the sound of rpg rockets. With what pictures she had, Mamimi wears out her welcome on the job scene pretty quick!

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
Shrapnel pings off the protective shields as Homura's turret is destroyed in a fiery blast! Mister Satan yelps and ducks his head, and yelps again as the figurative thunder is replaced by the sound of genuine BOOMBOOM BOOMBOOMBOOMS! "WAAA~AH! FOR AN ANGEL, MISS AKEMI SURE KNOWS HOW TO FIGHT! That's at least a dozen rockets, isn't it?! Seikou's got to get caught in that explosion!!"

Material-S (177) has posed:
    A shimmer of a barrier of some kind envelops Seikou an instant before the RPGs hit, but it's impossible to tell what effect they have at first, because everything vanishes in an explosion. It was a lot of fire and shrapnel, though, and not the kind of fire that Seikou can readily control. No one could survive that much dust!

    Well, okay, we all know that Seikou can. The orange blaze shoots out of the explosion, trailing smoke and showing tears and tatters in her Barrier Jacket, looking much worse for wear. If she could bleed right now, she might be bleeding, but as things are she just looks really beat up, and the spinning little spheres around her don't seem to take up nearly as much space as a big attack should.

    <AIR DASH>

    The ping from her Device is the only warning before Seikou blurs, vanishing in the movement boost. She's appearing next to Homura, though her movement CAN be tracked by high-speed cameras and the like. It isn't teleportation, just a speed boost, and a short-term one. One that's meant to allow the glowing orange mana concentration in her palm to connect with Homura, a quick jab trying for an explosive impact.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
The crowd draws a huge GAAASP again as Seikou disappears from sight! Could it be over already?! Could Homura have obliterated her opponent so decisively?!

NO! Seikou appears again to deliver a furious blow aimed right for Homura! Mister Satan clutches the microphone in a shaking grasp. "The fight takes a hard turn as Seikou vanishes from view, only to close for a sudden melee strike! Look at that FORM! Look at that POWER! All her speed is behind that punch! IT'S A MIRACLE OF A PUNCH! How will Homura get away?!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Seikou gets in close, and FAST. Firepower, durability, speed. No wonder she's the top contender. Not a pleasant surprise in the slightest, enough. The little girl's fist connects, and between the explosive magic and the physical blow itself, the Puella Magi is sent flying back, another section of her clothes just scorched right off, this time some of her white shirt. Don't worry, there's two layers to her outfit, a black long-sleeved shirt under the white and purple one, but the fact remains Seikou is tearing through the magical clothes like they're... well, not magical clothes.

    Homura blurrs, going from that knocked back and flying position to a fully recovered and panting one, hovering with idle flaps of her wings. Another flicker, and the exhausted girl's bow disappears.

    She's lucky that didn't catch her jaw, it might have broken it. Not that 'right in the chest' felt much better.

    A black military rifle is raised towards Seikou instead, unloading a full clip of rubber bullets-- Homura disappears, leaving the gun behind in the air. She reappears a bit lower, and from a different angle, unloading twin pistols now-- then she flickers off again, and appears another feet lower, and from yet another angle. This time it's a shotgun, fired only once, and she lets go of the weapon once its payload is off.

    The rifle, twin handguns and shotgun should hit the stadium floor at the exact same time, as added showmanship. Bullets, though; Homura gets a feeling even this many of them isn't going to hold up against the Material. She'd best start trying to actually overpower Seikou, unlikely a feat as that may be.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"The flying orbs that Seikou has seem to be flying around less energetically, so she'd better hope she connects... oooo ow, that's gotta smart! And the gunfire's stopped... wait, -now- she's got a BOOM-STICK! Wonder how much -that- cost at S-Mart!" Ranger Green is practically out of his seat at this point.

Material-S (177) has posed:
    Shop smart. Shop S-Mart. That's a good slogan, and it proves true, since Homura is raining bullets down on all sides. This makes Seikou stagger back in midair, because she doesn't have any single direction to defend from. A protective barrier encircles her, blunting some of the attacks, but it's /considerably/ weaker than her actual shield... which means that it's cracking and letting bullets through anyway, slamming into the small girl hard enough to leave bruises. If she bruised. It still hurts and damages, though, even if the obvious effects aren't as blatant.

    But she's not done yet.

    <LOAD CARTRIDGE> Luciferion announces as the rain of bullets slows for a moment. The loud clatter of something locking into place, then firing, is even heard in the stands before a burst of bright orange mana erupts around Seikou. It's followed by another ping: <BOOSTED PYRO CHAIN>

    The cluster of guided projectiles wasn't true bullet hell, not compared to this. Seikou jinks to the side, starting an evasive pattern as an unrelenting series of tiny projectiles sprays out, flooding the arena and even bouncing off the shields in some places. Many of them impact on the ground harmlessly, but anything that hits hard enough erupts into a painful but non-lethal burn, blasting out its tiny but concentrated payload.

    Bullet spam.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
"Both combatants are showing the signs of wear. Miss Akemi appears to be injured, exhausted, and -- ah! ZIGGY, LOOK! She's not ready to give up! That shotgun -- that gun -- that other gun -- AMAZING!!"

Mister Satan's knuckles go white, he's squeezing the microphone so hard! Spit flies from his mouth as he continues to shout his thrills and chills. "BULLETS FIRE AT SEIKOU FROM ALL DIRECTIONS! But not even this hailstorm can prevent Miss Starks from reacting! Rubber bullets -- all rubber, all non-lethal, we promise you that -- rubber bullets punch through Seikou's magical barrier even as she musters another attack! It's a tiny cloud of projectiles! Bright orange flames rain down on Homura like itty-bitty meteors!!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Seikou might not be producing as many bullets but hers are larger and hit harder, by a degree that more than closes the gap. Even with her wings out, and accounting for a few odd blurrs here and there, Homura zipping between locations without any transit between the points, the Material's aim is good, and she can keep guiding the projectiles until they hit.

    It's probably quite the chase to behold, but sooner or later Homura's speed falters. One bullet hits and knocks her off-course; she keeps dodging another few seconds, and then another impact veers her to the left, with nasty burns to show for it. Then another and another, until recovery is all but impossible.

    Incapable of staying airborne, the Puella Magi freefalls, now badly injured-- but rather than impact the floor hard, she just flickers before impact, suddenly kneeling down rather than falling, and taking a moment to catch her breath.

    Purple lightning cracks around her, forming into the sword Tyrfing (people who have seen Psyber's Einherjar will find it almost identical) in her left hand. Narrowing her gaze up towards Seikou, Homura gathers her strength back up and leaps off the ground, disappearing again. With half a dozen appearances and disappears, the girl would suddenly reappear mid-slash-- none aimed to actually cut straight into Seikou, but rather trailing lightning and magic, trying to catch her in the shockwaves that extend the reach of the sword slightly.

    It's pretty much a time-powers fueled omnislash, although her swordsmanship looks like it has a lot of rough edges. If she can't outgun her opponent, though, it can't hurt to try outmeleeing her. Can it?

Ziggy Grover has posed:
Startled at being asked, Ziggy stammers. "Uh... I dunno. Probaly something like a huge sparkly big spear of light?" he ventures, as Homura dodges here and there. And she's getting knocked about until... she strikes back. Ranger Green's eyes widens behind his helmet. "... Or it could be a lightning sword strike."

Material-S (177) has posed:
    Eventually Seikou's bullet storm has to fade... and it does, with the cartridge popping out, tumbling away with a trail of smoke. It hasn't even hit the ground when the storm of attacks hits, blade lashing out from all directions.

    Incredibly, despite the unnatural and nigh-impossible speed of the strikes, Seikou manages to block one on Luciferion's haft, showing some pretty impressive melee skills. It's impossible, as usual, to take it from all directions. The blade slashes with a crackling burn across her side, opening up a deep gash in the Barrier Jacket and showing vivid red beneath. Seikou doesn't bleed, but if you cut her the wound will show her internals all right. Another impales her leg, and she's left staggering back as deep slice after slice opens up her body, making even the stoic Material flin<span style="color:h.

    corange"><BLAST SABER></span>

    The burning pillar of flame that erupts from Luciferion's tip is immediately resolved into some kind of mana blade, whipping out in a furious, swift counterstrike of a single and powerful stroke. Even if it misses, she reasons, this will give her some breathing room.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
Mister Satan leaps to his feet. A lightning sword?! Unprecedented! "What an incredible turn of events! Homura's putting Seikou back on her heels! The lightning sword she wields presents a great danger to Seikou Starks!"

Of course, Seikou goes on to demonstrate her own breadth of combative skill as she once again turns to melee. "Suddently, it's lightning against fire! Seikou, shredded right through the Barrier Jacket, limps backwards in a desperate move! Her evasion is covered by a burst of flame! THE FLAME BECOMES LIKE A BLADE ITSELF, CRASHING DOWN ON HOMURA IN A SINGLE DEVASTATING SLASH!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Many people have asked, moments after a decision, 'why did I do that'. Homura's decision to engage the Material in melee combat is one such statement-causing decision that'll go down in the great book of bad decisions for ages to come. Even accounting for the damage she was able to inflict to Seikou, this turns out to have been a very bad trade-off.

    If all she wanted as breathing room, she just won the lottery. The blade of fire and mana crashes into Homura, cutting, burning, tearing. It's lucky for her it's still set to nonlethal, but that's still beyond unpleasant. A deep gash is torn from hip to shoulder-- well, more of a burnt bruise on her skin, but her clothes are a different story.

    She falls again, but blurs and reappears on the stadium ground rather than crash. Perhaps viewers have gotten used to her odd zipping around already, at least. From that position, the Puella Magi glares up at the champion, considering her options. Tyrfing hums in her hand, and she decides to go with what gave her the edge against Satsuki.

    She produces her bow again, and slings the blade on it like an arrow. It breaks back into the lightning that forms it, creating a large arrow of purple-pink light, mana and electricity, aimed up at Seikou. Can't outgun her, can't outmelee her. Might as well go for the one-strike methodology.

    "Judgment Arrow."

    She looses the arrow, and it immediatly erupts into a blinding column of light. Less an arrow now and more-- well, as Ziggy put it, a big lance or laser of magic. Maybe, if she lucks out, Seikou won't get to show hers off.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"I don't know if the sword worked, but... wait, what's Homura doing...?" Ranger Green is standing up now, practically shouting into the mic. "... Oh... DAMN! She brought out the BIG SPEAR AND... SHE SPEARED HER! IT'S THE SPEAR!"

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
The camera in the stadium again zooms in on MISTER AKEMI for his FATHERLY REACTION!

Psyber (253) has posed:
    The MYSTERIOUS FATHER A is currently staring intently at the match, hunched over in his seat and watching with the utmost attention as he waves his tiny Homura flags. His allegiance is unwavering, his his showing of it is stoic.

Material-S (177) has posed:
    Even though Seikou earned a solid hit on Homura, the Material isn't exactly fresh. She may not bleed, but her movements are definitely more sluggish than before, and her wings flutter lightly before letting her ease downward some. Her Device has a crack along the haft of it, and she's favoring one arm over the other. Eyes narrow, waiting for Homura's next move... which is, indeed, something to worry about.

    Like a lightning bolt of magic, the eruption of power doesn't worry about Seikou's barriers. The small girl tries to raise one, and it starts to shimmer into existence, but it shatters immediately as the lance of power shears right through it... and her, directly through her midriff. Struck dead to rights, Seikou staggers in midair... and falls.

    It's a strike that would be either lethal, or nearly so to any human girl her size, but Seikou isn't human. She manages to flip around in midair, but still slams HARD into the arena floor, making a dust cloud puff up.

    But she isn't down. A hole is burned in her Barrier Jacket, the armor hidden beneath shattered, but the small, short-haired Material rises to one knee... and smiles. "I may very well lose this. This fight... was everything I hoped for, Homura Akemi."

    <LOAD CARTRIDGE,> Luciferion pings, and this time not one, but for loud clicks can be heard as the concentrated mana cartridges load into the Device's core. The wind picks up, and orange sparkles surround her.

    <TORNADO BUSTER>

    The spell that erupts /tears/ across the pavement, loosening slabs and scorching them at the same time. It's a tornado all right, a tornado of orange mana, flame, and shearing wind saturating the immediate area. Homura's hard to hit, so she'll just fill the entire place with flaming power.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
As Ziggy leans over to raise a question about MISTER AKEMI, Mister Satan pulls at his own tie. "And I'm guessing that's her father the camera keeps showing, Mister Satan? You can see the anticipation."

"Yes! I don't know! If that's her father, he must be proud, so proud! What power that girl demonstrates! What poise! She's a true champion at heart. Giving her very best, even to what might be her very last! That ARROW splits the air -- that SWORD MADE INTO AN ARROW -- it's a lance thrown to decide the contest! SEIKOU GOES DOWN, PIERCED RIGHT THROUGH THE STOMACH!"

Mister Satan swallows hard. Sweat beads up on his brow. "Seikou's falling -- she's -- no! She's still moving! She's SMILING! Seikou's power targets the arena floor -- high-level winds -- orange fire! We're all threatened by the sheer MASS Seikou unleashes! Tiles are being ripped up from the ground! I can't see Homura in any of this chaos!!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Seikou has giant lasers too. Of course she does. Mid-Childans do two things very well: bullet hell, and LASER. If she was going to try taking the Material out with one, it had to be a decisive hit, or she'd counter in kind.

    It was not a decisive hit.

    The nine year old girl powers up her giant beam of heat and magic, and Homura hurriedly considers her options. It quickly becomes obvious the smartest thing to do is to DODGE and not be stupid enough to try tanking that, in any way whatsoever. There isn't a defensive spell built to handle this.

    The Tornado Buster lances across the stadium for the Puella Magi; too worn out to stop time for long, she settles for a burst of haste on herself, her movements accelerated to extremes. She dashes out of the way, but not quickly enough to avoid being grazed by the orange lightshow.

    The dust clears, and Homura's right leg and arm are very, very badly bruised and burnt, her clothes almost wholly scorched off them. She'd smile nonetheless. "You live up to your reputation yourself. Near-undefeated champion. I think I can spare you some more attention before I reach a worrying state."

    Still hasted, Homura uses her one good leg to launch herself at Seikou; a golf club appears in her remaining good hand, the bow discarded. It gleams purple with magic, and she aims to strike the Material with all the strength she has left, enhanced by her time flowing faster. There are a lot of other things she could try and do, but none that'd have the same immediate payoff. Bullets, rockets, missiles, Seikou has shown the ability to just shield herself from those. A good whack with a golf club, that might work out better.

Material-S (177) has posed:
    Four shells eject, hissing and smoking, as Luciferion vents steam from the powerful magics channelled through it. The shells barely have time to fall before Seikou is forced to haul herself up, definitely favoring one leg now. The burned hole in her front is rather evident now, but she ignores it despite the massive scorch on her belly. She has a match to win... or come close.

    Is she surprised at Homura dodging? Maybe. She's smiling, that's for sure. "I didn't... expect that," she admits in a mutter, bringing her Device up in an agile parry. She's actually pretty good at melee, but she's tired and she has far less mass and momentum than Homura's running body. The golf club still strikes Luciferion... but the damaged haft finally splinters under the magically-empowered club, and the remaining force slams into the damaged Barrier Jacket hard enough to send Seikou staggering back, stunned. She's actually at a disadvantage unless she can get some distan<span style="color:e.

    corange"><REACTOR PURGE></span>

    Luciferion's chime is almost blurt out, and the words aren't something Seikou has used before. The reason why becomes apparent as the outer layer of her Barrier Jacket just ERUPTS into a wave of concussive magic, blasting outward and leaving her only in the tattered bodysuit beneath the looser dress of the protective clothing.

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"If there are any shields left after -that-! Um... you want me to get the teleporter ready? I don't know where we could end up...!" Ziggy responds, before standing up, as Mister Satan leaps up with a "What is that?!"

"I don't knowwwww, but I think she just whipped out a golf club and whacked her with it!" Ziggy responds. "Talk about a bogey shot!"

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
Mister Satan gives the Green Ranger beside him a frantic shake. "Seikou Starks retaliates against Homura's desperate golf club attack with another shockwave of released power! This time, she looks to expel all her reserves in a single blast! Is she out of resources?!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    The impact isn't too kind to Homura's weapon either; it's just a golf club. It bents and breaks under the impact, knocking Homura back as well. When she notices Seikou's clothes glow just a moment before they erupt into an attack, she allows the knockback from the shield to continue guiding her backwards.

    This results in Homura flinging herself backwards, exaggerating the knockback motion from striking Seikou with the golf club in order to hit the ground and roll away from the explosion of magic, only barely in time to avoid a direct hit, instead only being grazed and losing the rest of her outer white shirt to the blast.

    Though it takes her a moment, the Puella Magi manages to get back onto her feet-- more accurately, on one foot, kneeling to compensate for the burnt leg. She points the bent and broken club towards Seikou, still trying to catch her breath.

    "I think we've both proven we didn't get this far on a fluke. Since nothing is riding on this, I'd say we're both at our limit. A tie?"

Lute (188) has posed:
     Lute has been fairly quiet the whole time. Now, as the match looks like it is going to end in a draw, he is no longer awestricken.

     He's furious.

     "BOOOOOO! SEIKOU, FINISH HER! TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE PAUSE AND WIN!"

Ziggy Grover has posed:
"Gglglglkgllgllllletgoooo..." Ziggy manages to free himself. "They're roaring and... she's offered a tie! That's amazing...! Wait, what does her father think...?"

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
The cameras once again fixate on a picture-in-picture examination of MISTER AKEMI and his stoic approach to heartfelt cheer.

Ariel (219) has posed:
Ariel squeals like a little girl! "Oh! That's such a great ending to this!" She shucks her foam finger and claps her hands. "GOOD JOB BOTH OF YOU!"

Material-S (177) has posed:
    Seikou is ready, braced and... offered a draw? She blinks, remembering that this is an exhibition match. She doesn't need to prove anything, and more importantly she got what she came for. In spades.

    Luciferion vanishes in a sparkle of power, and in another moment so too does her suit. Out of nowhere, a casual light sleeveless top and an orange skirt appears, normal casual wear for the girl. Luciferion becomes a tiny blue jewel, which Seikou hangs about her neck.

    "This battle could have gone either way, and that pleases me. I fight this for the challenge, and you delivered that. I accept." She offers a polite bow. "It was a difficult fight. I enjoyed it and see that despite my victories, I still have much to refine and learn."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    The cameras are fixated on Mister Akemi, the Mysterious Father. The man simply watches the sportsmanship and nods his head stoicly, waving his flags a bit more. Slowly, he stands up and gruffly says, "Akemi're to see a good fight. That Seikou'd set aside their pride and call a draw is pleasing."

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
Mister Satan yells into his microphone through his tears. His echoing voice can hardly be heard above the roaring crowds. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, THIS FIGHT BETWEEN CHAMPIONS HAS ENDED IN A DRAW! After testing one another's boundaries as warriors, Homura Akemi and Seikou Starks have mutually agreed to end their fight! It's the truest gesture of respect I've seen in this arena in years! I can't believe it -- the crowd's going WILD! We're all moved to tears! Congratulations to our champions!!"

A moment later, he adds: "With the match ending in a truce, it's only fair we issue the secret prize to both contenders, isn't it?!"

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    Oh, there was a prize.
    A greedier person might change their mind on the draw, but considering the wealth acquired by winning the WMAT -once-, there's not much Homura is still wanting when it comes to material goods. Greed isn't much something she feels, except sometimes when she sees guns she really likes and, well.
    Look, it's not a problem.
    She CAN stop anytime she wants.

    Purple flames wash over Homura, along with numbers, gauges and clocks, reverting her outfit back to her black pants and white business shirt. She still looks beaten and bruised, but at least she isn't wearing scorched rags anymore.

    "That's why I fight in this also. Lack of experience fighting others fair." For a given definition of fair. "Wouldn't be much experience if it was easy." She finally picks herself up, managing to stand so that she can glance towards Mister Satan-- who is presumably going to brave the open world again, now that things are done exploding.

Mister Satan (TP) (Dropped) has posed:
The shield generators whine down together. A blue flicker in a rough dome shape appears throughout the stadium. It flows and flexes like a gauzy curtain caught in the breeze before disappearing from sight. It's beautiful to behold. Almost...peaceful.

HEROIC MUSIC BLASTS OUT OF THE SPEAKERS ALL AT ONCE AS SPOTLIGHTS TURN TOWARD THE SKY! Soisoisoisoisoisoisoi -- the sounds of a helicopter in flight. Rotors churning, a massive chopper comes flying into view from behind the stadium's west end. Multiple cables dangle from beneath its belly. All are wrapped tight around what looks to be an enormous rectangular shape.

"BEHOOOLD!" Mister Satan's voice rumbles up like a volcano spewing out confetti and birthday cake. "THE ULTIMATE IN SECRET PRIZES! THE ULTIMATE SIGN OF RESPECT FOR OUR ULTIMATE CHAMPIONS!" Oh, he's definitely choking up. He can't take the beauty of the moment.

The helicopter comes to a hovering stop above the very middle of the wrecked fighting square. As the arena's music swells to a powerful strain evoking mental images of Hercules saving the day or old episodes of Iron Chef Japan, the helicopter begins to lower, until the great big rectangle it's carrying is about five feet above the ground. Mister Satan continues to narrate even though his fabulous afro is now blowing wildly in the wind: "Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you..."

The cables snap. The rectangle drops.

It hits the ground with a BOOM!, leaving a square-ish dent in what's left of the arena's floor.

Cracks shoot up along the rectangle's sides. Fragments begin to pop off, first from the corners, then from the object's flat stony surfaces. Mister Satan is still beaming, though, and still wiping away some tears. Whatever's happening can't be bad, even though the crowd is already holding their collective breath in dismay! Is the prize going to be ruined by rough handling?!

Sorry, but NO! Mister Satan laughs aloud into the microphone as the worried murmurs continue. More and more cracks erupt around the stone block's surface. Splinters widen into cracks -- cracks into big chunks of stone cracking to the arena floor --

All at once, the stone block ruptures into a cloud of dust!!

What's left afterward is...

...a statue.

Seikou Starks strikes a pose frozen in smooth-finished marble. It's not too over-the-top -- the pose is something she might demonstrate in a normal fight -- but there's a lift to her head and a slight smile that together manage to give the sculpted girl a rather heroic look. Wings and weapons at the ready, the statue seems to cry out: "I am a champion, I am ready to fight!" But, her hand is curiously extended in a rather open and friendly gesture...

Beside Seikou Starks stands Homura Akemi, looking equally impressive with wings flared and stoic face all proud and barely-smiling. She's carrying a sniper rifle of some sort in one hand (nothing of any official make), leaving her other hand free to accept Seikou's friendly gesture. The girls together represent the WMAT's true purpose and spirit. It's not just about competition; it's about respect for one another, and the honor one can find in martial combat. A truce between champions is the ultimate demonstration of respect between competitors.

Mister Satan points to the statue. The statue's plaque -- already there -- flashes gold in the light reflected by Mister Satan's glittering eyes. He's so proud. "BEHOLD! Our most gracious and humble salute to your excellence as champions! This statue is the very first to stand outside the Hall of Fame, and it's soon to be joined by others! Congratulations on your incredible prize, SEIKOU STARKS, HOMURA AKEMI, OUR CHAMPIONS OF CHAMPIONS!!"

Your prize, revealed.

The helicopter soisois away into the night.

Material-S (177) has posed:
    A prize? Seikou tilts her head, showing some curiosity and revealing she, too, didn't realize it was going to be there. She glances at Homura, shrugs wearily, and moves over to a place where she can see the-

    Statue.

    Well. If Seikou blushed more easily, she'd do so now. Instead she stares for a long moment, and forces herself to give a polite bow to Mister Satan. "Thank you, very much, for the incredible gift." It really is kind of nice, just... wow, way to spring it on her.

Homura Akemi (2) has posed:
    That sure is a prize.

    It certainly isn't the first time Homura is awarded with recognition of this level, but it's still pretty humbling... and in this case, kind of surprising, yes! She's too tired and beaten to blush and show it, thankfully, so she won't be embarassing herself any more than Psyber already has for her.

    She's never coming out of her room once home.

    "I admit as prizes go that's definitely a good one. Maybe with some luck we can be here again next year and settle the tie."

    But she's not so self-confident as to assume it'll be the case.