Scene Listing || Scene Schedule || Scene Schedule RSS
Owner Pose
Anne Blakely     It's a pretty simple situation! Buzzing well above the city with a booming voice(thanks to a megaphone, nothing special or magical), the little doll-boy riding on the giant clockwork dragonfly doesn't appear armed. He is, however, making threats if the city doesn't turn over the man known as Urist McHenna, who is apparently a coppersmith of some renown if anyone wishes to actually check it out.

    Otherwise, there is something to back up his threat. Five clockwork 'dogs' that are more like the size of a small horse are stalking through the streets, 'sniffing' for their quarry and ignoring the simple gunshots of the local police. The tech here looks to be about 1950's in nature, with some higher tech things due to multiversal bleedover and trade.
Ebon Ribbon      Following the dogs along is a dark unicorn with a purple mane. She has no stake in this really, but she was having a slow day and figured it would be something to pass the time. The pony known as Ebon Ribbon sticks to shadows as much as possible. Her task? To help restrain this Urist McHenna without harming him. The pony's energy draining powers are particularly suited to this, as her Ebon Streamers are almost never lethal.

     And with the doll-boy drawing so much attention up above, she is hoping her search will go unnoticed.
Millium Argent      Millium Argent is on the case!

     A little boy made of wood wants to realize his dreams? Oppressive forces from all around aim to keep him from reaching out, grasping his dream, and attaining happiness? Then she'll just have to assist him!

     It all made perfect sense in her head, okay?

     And so eventually, a girl dressed in white comes soaring through the skies on wings of radiant azure at both her wrists and ankles. Coming to fly right alongside Gepetto, Millium smiles cheerfully and waves. "Hiiii! I heard your plea and I've come to help you realize your dreams!" The blonde girl clenches her fists and dons a determined look. "So don't give up, okay?"

     Aw, she's so nice. It's a shame she's got the wrong idea.

     Oh well.

     Millium peers out across the city landscape, a hand flat above her eyes. "Now then, Mr Uriiiiiist! Where are you? C'mon out! We can talk about this and everyone can be happy!" She calls, zipping through the air like some kind of fairy.
Uriel and Qemuel     The doll boy isn't alone. Flanking him, likely for protection, are two young women. Today, the angels have their wings out... both of them, though this might be the first time that Uriel has had hers out in public. Unlike her sister, Uriel's are a brilliant, pure white in color, contrasting Qemuel's deep jet black. Neither are taking an active hand in actually going after Urist, for some reason, but instead are watching the scene play out.

    Qemuel sighs heavily, opening her mouth as if to say something, but a glance at Uriel silences her. Uriel is just shaking her head, arms crossed, and observing for now. Observing with a very odd concentration.
Staren <X-Union-Chatter> [A] Kyra Hyral says, "He's with Anne Blakely so you should probably go stop him."
<X-Union-Chatter> [A] Emiya Shirou says, "That settles that!"

    Indeed it does.

    So, Anne Blakely, who murdered people outside Staren's hometown, rears her head again. That's all Staren needs to know, really!

    Staren doesn't bother talking. Anne shows a lack of care about people that indicates she's probably beyond saving, as do any who would work with her. Instead, a shining speck in the distance rapidly grows into the Star Hawk in fighter mode, which unleashes large salvoes of those plasma minimissiles in an attempt to melt and burn the dragonfly and boy into slag and ash. He could not use such force on the streets below, but the sky is nice and big and free of ways to inflict collateral damage!
Setsuko Kaminagi     By now, Setsuko has come to recognize the handiwork of Anne Blakely; she doesn't know the wooden boy, but the work that went into the dragonfly and the 'dogs' is instantly recognizable. It's little wonder that she drops the task she'd been involved in to deploy here immediately.

    She might've developed a little bit of a vendetta. Just a smidge.

    It's vendetta enough that she decides to dispense with any attempts at negotiations. Those clockwork hounds represent a singular, immediate threat both to this McHenna in specific and the population in general. Maybe if she brings one of them down, he'll be a little more willing to talk anyway. So the demigod turns sideways and allows herself to simply 'fall' off the hoverbike she rides.

    But it's a controlled fall. It veers and changes course like a rocket, straight for one of the hounds. And halfway down, Zanjintou snaps out, the blade's massive true form appearing just in time for the swordswoman to whip it around and attempt to bring it down on the hound from above. "ZANJINTOU! SHIPPU DOUTOU!"

    Even if she weren't shouting her attack at the top of her lungs, though, that massive divine presence of hers would make it easy for anyone with even the faintest lick of magical sense to feel her coming.
Emiya Shirou Emiya Shirou's getting better at this hero business! Instead of charging straight out yelling like a hothead he's decided to skulk around in the alleys and follow one of the clockwork dogs. This, of course, after checking with some locals about just who this Urist is...

    "The golem up there seems harmless... these dogs would be trouble if they grouped up." They're resistant to GUNFIRE and that tells Shirou he's got to use Noble Phantasms to get through their defenses... serious trouble lies ahead.

    After getting the lay of the land, Shirou takes a series of great leaps up a few buildings, springing from windowsills and low roofs to higher ones until he's gained some altitude. About five stories of altitude.

    The rooftop winds tug at his clothes while the boy extends a hand, clutching a weapon he's yet to create. "Trace, ON!"

    A sizable japanese style bow, jet black, forms in his outstretched hand.

    "My body is made of swords, a shell of steel with fire for blood." The words escape his lips in a reverent chanting tone of deep focus... and baleful, ominous crimson light shines in his other hand, his projectile begins forming. Slim, glossy black, and twisted up irregularly, whatever blade of legend this is... it bears an almost sinister air. Demonic, or perhaps cursed, it's a weapon that won't fail to strike no matter how swift of a beast it needs to bring down!

    Shirou readies his arrow, but doesn't draw or release just yet...

    Because BOOOM! Staren thunders in and kills his concentration! Shirou throws an arm up to shield his face from the winds kicked up by explosives and the Star Hawk's passage. "Geeze, a little warning next time..."

    He quickly readies his aim again...

    There's a chance the dogs will run away. But they're equally likely to go ballistic, he reasons.

    Shirou will fire the moment it looks like the one near him's going to go on the offensive!
Anne Blakely     A surprise ally joins the fight! Gepetto(that's the doll boy) looks a little startled, the tiny gears atop his eyes turning to make eyebrows lift. "Yes! Someone who understands my need! This man is the best way for me to reunite with my beloved Penelope, and I want nothing to stop us from- HEY!"

    Missiles! Gepetto nearly falls off the dragonfly, the clockwork mount buzzing and diving back to force him to grip more tightly. He's going to let his bodyguards, the angels, handle the salvo, but it was still pretty terrifying! "Watch out! What's wtih the hostility?"

    Then there's more distractions. One of the hounds looks up just in time to see a divine blade slicing downward. They are INCREDIBLY tough, these models, tough enough to survive that attack... but a demigod of war slashing downward that fast, in a surprise attack... there's an obvious difference in power. While still 'functional' the dog is cleaved almost in half, with one leg outright falling off as it staggers backward. A synthetic bark is heard, while it drags itself toward Setsuko in futility. Shouldn't be hard to dispatch, but Setsuko now has their measure. A PACK of these things might even give her pause, but individually she vastly outmatches them.

    Shirou doesn't have long to wait. The hounds click and whirr, and move stiffly. They aren't sapient like some of Blakely's creations - including Gepetto - seem to be. Yet one of them seems to 'know' Shirou, and starts bounding toward him with sharp metal fangs bared!

    Ebon Ribbon and Millium explore! And like the hounds are doing, there's a lot of ground to cover. The panic seems to be concentrated toward the west end of downtown though, and a large police force is moving that way with sirens blaring. It isn't hard to figure out and overhear that people are starting to question if maybe they should just hand him over, because the police don't seem very effective against the attack dogs. Unfortunately, this means the police are going to be between Millium and Ribbon and the target.
Uriel and Qemuel     Qemuel sighs as the Star Hawk comes right for Gepetto. Resigned to defending him, the dark-winged Fallen manifests a tarnished blade, a lance in this case, and spreads her wings as if to take action...

    But it isn't her who reacts first. Surprising Qemuel, Uriel darts forward with wings outspread, hand stretched forward and splayed fingers open. A shimmering haze surrounds her as the air heats up dramatically, and the plasma missiles encounter a blast wave of brilliant fire, roaring across the sky to soak up most of the assault by simple virtue of incinerating the incoming missiles before they reach detonation range.

    When the smoke clears, Uriel is holding a blazing sword of flame, floating in the air with her hair down and her clothes singed, light bruising and burns from the unnatural heat of the plasma showing she didn't get through unscathed. Uriel is highly resistant to fire, but plasma is not natural fire is it? "I'm sorry," she says, finally speaking. "But the doll is under our protection."
Emiya Shirou "Fine, go down like a beast! Make it happen, HRUNTING!!" With its name called, the weapon Shirou mounted and readied glows from within, an accursed crimson light pulsing at its core. The light twists down the arrowshaft... then WHOOOOOSH, he lets it fly!

    And Hrunting CHANGES COURSE in flight, curving DOWNWARDS right as the beast reaches the building wall... and flies straight down to meet the climbing creature!

    "Sword barrels, open. Readying continuous fire..."

    Arcs of prana crackle across Shirou's empty hand, the air thrums with potential violence... but nothing's happening just yet.

    Not where anyone can see it, anyways. Forges blaze tirelessly in Shirou's mind and soul, readying weapon after weapon!

    He's determined to PINCUSHION that Hound if it makes it past Hrunting! Absolutely pincushion it.
Ebon Ribbon      Setsuko focuses on the clockwork hounds, which suits Ebon Ribbon just fine. While that apparently hot-headed divine is fighting robots, Ebon continues down the streets, moving at a swift pace. There is a light echo of her clopping hooves as the pony gallops along, following the sirens to the concentration of police forces.

     Since no one seems to have noticed the pony, she makes her way in close to where the police are no doubt establishing a perimeter around wherever Urist is. She chooses a spot in an alley just beyond the perimeter and with good cover from any bullets that might be flying, then she smirks lightly before calling out loudly enough that it echoes about in the alley. "Surrender Urist and no one will be injured! Refuse, and..."

     The dark pony gives a demonstration of her power. Her five Ebon Streamers lash out, striking at five of the officers. But, rather than being harmed, they are simply drained of their energy, leaving them feeling lethargic and possibly without the will to fight or defend. Once struck, those dark purple ribbons withdraw rapidly, and Ebon Ribbon takes off, heading for another nearby alley to keep the authorities guessing.
Millium Argent      Millium smiles wide, eyes shimmering with the threatening onset of tears. "I knew it! Well, don't worry! I'll do my best to help you reunite with your loved on- WHA!" MISSILES. The white clad girl veers aside out of surprise, falling out the sky and landing onto a rooftop with a burst of azure energy. "So violent!" She huffs, following the trajectory of the assault to te Star Hawk.

     "...Oooooh..."

     She intones with wonder. But she turns away soon enough, seeing as how Uriel and Qemuel appear to have the situation handled. ...Which brings her to the sight of one Emiya Shirou firing down a single arrow that... curves through the air? No way, really? Those poor dogs! They belong to that boy, yes?

     Then she's got to stop it!

     "Here goes..." Millium mumbles to herself, crouching low as blue energy ripples around her figure, tousling her hair endlessly as her fragmented anklets and bracelets spin faster and faster...

     Her eyes light up with a blue glow and she frowns with focus. "...Nothing!" Two sets of seraphic wings form at the blonde girl's anklets and bracelets, and then she SHOOTS upward into the air like a bullet, flying right for the archer's higher vantage point!

     "Blade Mode: Claimh Solais"

     Millium rears back with both hands clasped together, and her bracelets and anklets flow into her clasped hands, forming into a wide, ornate blade of azure light. And then once in range of Shirou, she lashes out with an inward slash to his side on the upward pass by!

     ...But something was off. The power in her swing seems to hve dispersed at the last second? It was as if she were hesitating to actually harm another person in any great way.
Setsuko Kaminagi     Setsuko leaps back from her initial assault into a guarded stance, swinging that tremendous weapon around to one side where it can easily be brought to bear on attack or defense. But the hound... only /just/ survived her opening strike. Hm. Strong, but... not /as/ strong, if she and Shirou can keep them from gathering. The demigod slings Zanjintou around once, and then brings it straight down again, intending to finish the job of carving the thing apart.

    But no sooner has she done so, than she hears /something/ up ahead. A voice threatening the police. The sound, and /feel/, of some sort of hostile attack. Realization sets in immediately. They'll be defenseless against whoever or whatever it is on their own.

    With a *snap*, Zanjintou's immense blade disappears, the katana returning to its smaller state. Silver hair fluttering behind her, Setsuko leaps, turning it into a short, speedy flight that flings her right down beside the police, blade at the ready. "Whatever just attacked you, I'm here to stop it," she declares smoothly, hoping to forestall any panic from the cops. Because she needs to focus, sharp and calm, using her superhuman sight and hearing to try and detect Ebon Ribbon's position - or at least the next attack, before it can hit anyone else.
Staren     Hey, Shirou, at least Staren had the decency to come in subsonic! He could have broken all the windows! Seeing the wave of flame, Staren transforms his machine, arms and legs coming out from under the fuselage and directing thrust to slow it to a hover.

    Ugh, /angels/. How do you even fight angels? Staren's been briefed on fighting demons and deevils, sure, but angels?

    He makes a quick calculation: They are supernaturally tough, they can probably regenerate, and the weapon he brought the /most/ of doesn't work well on them. He has no idea if the Annihilator will work on them IF he can hit them, and the Anti-Wireless Railgun probably isn't a good choice either -- given their obvious flame elemental affiliation, they'll be resistant to half the damage of the magic shells.

    This is not a good fight, and the doll and dragonfly aren't actually /doing/ anything.

    He considers just dropping down to engage the dogs... but then the angels will surely follow him. So, Plan C...

    The Star Hawk begins to dart this way and that, as if looking for a way past the angels. The leg packs periodically fire curved streaks of light towards Gepetto -- Slow, easy to intercept and not particularly damaging. Staren is hesitant to use most of his non-missile weapons on airborne targets because any misses may go on to ruin some bystander's day. Instead... He's actually trying to get a fix on the dogs. If he can track any of them, two dozen anti-tank missiles launch downward (less than a third are the full-size ones -- the rest are magic-marker-sized and correspondingly weaker, but even making an anti-tank missile that size is an accomplishment of advanced technology,) turning to skim low over buildingtops and then dive down towards their targets to spear them with shaped-charge detonations like lances made of light and high-energy physics.

    If Staren can actually maintain a clear shot on one of the dogs, he'll send a burst of railgun fire its way too. Given the damage the dogs cause, some ruined pavement is acceptable collateral damage.
Anne Blakely     The police around the building are both herding away the crowd, and some are inside trying to figure out why Urist is a wanted man. Sure, he's a famous coppersmith, but this isn't exactly a skill in demand by mad geniuses and the like. Either way, the ribbons whipping out find them to be competent, but still just normal humans. "What?" "HEY!" "What the?"

    Several slump to the ground while the others dive behind cover and look about, only to get BACKUP from Setsuko. Thankfully.

    As for the dog getting slammed by Hrunting, it SURVIVES! But... a rent right in its chest is pretty bad, and it slams into the ground, knocked off its climbing perch. The 'beast' shakes itself and begins stalking upward again, making for Shirou relentlessly. It can't fly though, so by the time it gets up there it's going to be in VERY bad shape.

    Gepetto buzzes about and dives for a building. "What is with you heroes? I just want to be reunited with my true love! The world OWES Penelope another chance! Look at the great things she could accomplish with me!"
Ebon Ribbon      Ebon Ribbon's ears perk as Kaminagi moves to join the police. From the shadow of an alley she smirks lightly. That should make things more interesting. Ebon moves to another spot near the barricade, just out of sight. But, she has no special stealth powers, just her natural talent as a predator. Those hooves make a pretty obvious sound against the pavement, but the nature of cities makes it hard to pinpoint just where the sound might be coming from.

     When she thinks it has been enough time that guards should start lowering and the defenders will start questioning if she is still out there, Ebon Ribbon strikes again. Those ominous neon purple ribbons that somehow glow with blackness launch out with incredible speed, one after another, seeking to wrap up Setsuko and start draining her energy. If Ebon can tie Setsuko up, she stays where she is until Setsuko escapes. If not, she moves again immediately after her last ribbon is repelled. Rather than returning to her, the ribbons simply dissolve. The pony knows how to be elusive. It isn't a perfect measure by any means, but even with lightning speed the trail of the ribbons would be gone before they could be followed back.
Emiya Shirou Well it WOULD be in bad shape, but Shirou can't exactly assault it when he's under attack from nowhere! He barely picks up on Millium's presence in time, flinching back and raising a defense from nowhere! Her blade of light crashes into strangely hard light of Shirou's own. A wave of light, a wave of darkness - white and black...

    YIN AND YANG!

    "Ghhhh-k!!" Sparks fly where SERAPH meets the crossed blades. Shirou's swords crack under the strain even as they're forming... and then he ricochets from his perch and goes tumbling and skidding over the rooftop. A tumble he's only half in control of! But he manages to slam a hand to the ground and flip sideways and back onto his feet, displaying far more strength and coordination than any ordinary human should be able to manage.

    Of course, he's giving off faint bits of magic to trained senses. But not enough. Certainly not enough to explain how much power was packed into the yin yang blades that shattered to pieces on impact... and now erode near Millium's feet.

    Yet Shirou seems unconcerned with their loss. He drops into a combat stance and the black-white lights reappear in his grasp. The bow he'd been wielding has been discarded and slowly erodes on the rooftop... but Kanshou and Bakuya are created anew, ready to fight. Two unusually short swords that don't strike anyone as particularly powerful or dangerous, yet...

    Yet they blocked Seraph, if only just barely. Millium holding back certainly worked wonders for that, right?!

    Shirou's amber eyes show clear confusion as he scans over Millium. "What-- WHAT?! You're one of that crazy magus' supporters?!" The confusion switches to doubt and uncertainty as Shirou draws himself up. His gaze flicks frequently over to where he expects the hound's going to be crawling up anytime now.

    Even if it's wounded, this could be very bad if he has to face two at once.

    "No, you don't look like one of those clockwork abominations. These things are awful creatures. Their creator's not good enough to create life so--"

    Up comes the dog-horse thing, just reaching the rooftop!

    "They're all stuffed full of stolen souls!!" Shirou's tone turns bitter and angry at once. He's resigned to the fact that he can't save these souls, only free them. And it makes his gut churn. A righteous fury burns in his eyes as he raises a hand upwards... then gestures for the hound!

    About fifteen dazzling blades of all shapes and sizes, some ornate and others plain, shimmer into existence above his head and fire off in groups of three-five, all aiming to impale the creature and pin it to the roof!

    Even as he keeps his focus on Millium!
Uriel and Qemuel     If Staren was worried about Uriel pursuing... well, he needn't worry about that. Uriel is guarding Gepetto, and she keeps herself to that task. The air cools as the Angel of the Sun alights upon the nearest rooftop, still keeping an eye on Staren but lowering her sword as the attack shifts. She does absolutely nothing to defend the dogs.

    Nor does Qemuel, who grudgingly lets Uriel handle the defense. "Sister, you are acting strange of late. You should talk to Master." She sighs, and the dark-haired Fallen One dives suddenly, moving at a much higher speed than wings would normally carry anyone, causing windows to rattle. She streaks to a stop near the commotion, landing with her tarnished lance, and just... watches, both Shirou's battle on the rooftop and Setsuko's with Ebon Ribbon.
Setsuko Kaminagi     For an ordinary person, the hooves would be impossible to track. But Setsuko could close her eyes and still operate more-or-less as if fully sighted. She holds herself perfectly, stock-still, listening and waiting... and then when those ribbons lash out, the swordswoman snaps around in a heartbeat. Up comes her katana, intercepting the first ribbon by letting it wrap around the blade instead. But the next few manage to snare her around the ankles, the left arm, the waist, perfectly entangling her and letting Ebon Ribbon siphon off energy... quite a bit, in fact. The demigod's reserves of stamina are nigh-limitless. "Ghh..."

    Of course, the downside to that is that it will take a lot of draining to stop her. And it also lets her use tactics that an ordinary person wouldn't dream of. Like snapping her right arm over and grasping hold of the ribbon that's wrapped around her left. Giving it another point of contact, another part of her to drain from, would be suicidal for most people. But Setsuko is hardy and steadfast enough to do it - and to haul back with all her might, yanking as hard as she can on the ribbon with a strength that could upend a pickup truck easily.
Millium Argent      Millium skids across the rooftop, spinning to a stop near the other side, blade form SERAPH held in both hands at the ready. But then she lowers it, blinking slowly. "Huh? Souls? What are you talking about?" She asks, peering down at the shattered sword fragments that dissipate, and then back up at Shirou himself.

     "He just wants to reunite with his friend! Is that really so bad? Why is everyone trying to hard to keep him from doing that? Keep him from following his dreams?" Millium shook her head, blonde locks tumbling this way and that before a frown adorns her features. "Doesn't he deserve a chance to be happy too?" She sweeps an arm out, holding SERAPH with one hand as she gestures to the streets below.

     "I'm sure if those people down there just backed away and we could all talk peacefully, then everyone could be happy!" She really, earnestly believes that. And then Shirou conjures up a rain of swords from seemingly nowhere. "W-What!? How in Tellus did you- wait wait!" Flailing her arms in a panic, Millium lets go of the sword she was holding, and it splits apart into four elongated 'bits' that group together into a single unit.

     "I said stop!" She shouts, pointing an arm forward and willing the floating blue bits to quickly charge up their energy, and then FIRE a sizable laser blast across the rooftop, blazing through the air with azure radiance as it aims not for Shirou, but rather the space between the charging construct and the flying swords, aiming to take the soaring weapons out before they could strike.

     Welp.
Anne Blakely     Staren's attacks on the dogs are... well, there are three dogs in good shape left, and that's a lot to spread out and attack. Explosions rattle them and send them tumbling, but they're getting back up and now looking up toward the Star Hawk.

    Unfortunately, none of them can fly.

    However, GEPETTO has a dragonfly, and he hops off with a little rattle. Leaping from building to building, he gestures, "Come on, let's go!" Uriel is waved along with him, while the dragonfly zips off toward Staren to send out a blast of crackling lightning, engaging the Star Hawk in aerial battle since the dogs... kinda have to just sit there and eat it.
Emiya Shirou This is almost surreal. So much so that it sends painful pangs through Shirou's gut. The emotional appeal hits hard, getting him clenching his teeth. But what has his attention more is the fact that Millium's weapon doubles as a LASER CANNON. or rather... floating laser bits. What the heck?! He can't help but gawk a bit. But this...

    This is a problem.

    "Are you kidding?! That thing came straight at me without any warning and you're taking its side?!" Seems fate is just not on Shirou's side today. But this girl's one that he's not keen on fighting.

    If anything's in his favor here, it's that she doesn't seem to understand his abilities and tactics. But most of what he can do is pretty lethal... when he doesn't want to kill, that's pretty awful!

    "Is that what they're telling you?! If that's really all there was to it, why would this Urist person be holed up somewhere and the police be out there trying to stop the clockwork hounds?! Why are they DEMANDING the people TURN HIM OVER like nobody cares what Urist wants?! It's obvious! That flying puppet's up to no good!"

    Now he might have to get even more serious if he's going to take down the Hound before it gets up in his face... Kanshou and Bakuya won't cut it. He needs something with more oomph.

    The Yin-yang swords he simply surrenders into nothingness. They flash to pieces in his hands, only to be replaced with a glorious golden glow. Liquid light shines from Shirou's palm and spreads outwards, bolts of mana sizzling and curling around as the image of his second favorite weapon takes form.

    An ornate blade that might suffer slightly from being overly decorated. A grip of fine royal blue with elaborate golden decorations, construction that no mortal could have achieved. Compared to Kanshou and Bakuya, this weapon seems almost holy, a weapon of heroic aspirations, a symbol of justice. There's really no questioning it, because letters are etched upon the flat: 'Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone is rightwise king of all England.'

    Yeah. It's that sword.

    And as Shirou brings it forth in a ready stance... the weapon shines and ripples from within, a thick, finely textured golden light engulfing the blade in what might be considered 'liquid fairy dust.'

    The weapon's special effects budget is clearly through the roof.

    If the Hound approaches, Shirou's going to cut it down with a heroic slash! If Millium approaches...

    Well, he's really hoping she doesn't.
Staren     Staren watches grimly as the missiles go for the dogs without interference. He hoped that would happen!

    Gepetto, it seems, is having none of this though! Lightning strikes the robot, melting a little armor and scorching a lot more.

    The Star Hawk backs away, then turns and starts flying away, leading Gepetto and the angels away from the city center. If he can keep them distracted while the others take down the dogs, is that a win?

    Also, he fires a small salvo of missiles, like a half-dozen or so instead of the like 30 from before, just to give the angels something to pay attention to.
Ebon Ribbon      Ebon Ribbon's plan seems to have worked perfectly! Setsuko is all wrapped up, and Ebon Ribbon lets out a hiss of delight as she feels the energy flowing in. A -lot- of energy. But, one thing Ebon wasn't expecting was the sudden tug on her ribbon!

     With a startled yelp, Ebon is yanked hard, pulling her out of the shadows, bouncing her off a wall, and dragging her around the alley corner and into the street. She rolls a few times before ending up slingshotted around Kaminagi by the powerful pull. Ebon releases her ribbons, which disappear into sparkling magical dust that quickly disappears, then deploys her ribbons again. This time, they lash out to grab walls, poles, whatever she can to slow herself down before she lowers down to the ground.

     "Well, that was naughty." the pony says, giving her mane a brust with a hoof to try and get it tamed again. She smirks at Kaminagi. "I suppose I will have to be more careful now." She starts running, but not toward Setsuko. Instead, she runs in a circle, her ribbons lashing out but not gripping Kaminagi. Like striking snakes the ribbons are fast and accurate before withdrawing again. But, Ebon Ribbon suspects that in a direct fight she would not beat Kaminagi, so she is simply trying to weaken Kaminagi a bit and draw her away from the building entrance.
Setsuko Kaminagi     "I would advise fleeing," Setsuko replies, her voice cool and even-toned. Those blue eyes follow the pony's circle constantly, the katana in her hand held at the ready - and then whipped up with uncanny speed and reaction time. One ribbon parried, a second- a third slips through her guard, a fourth deflected, a fifth hits her again. She's good, but her defense isn't what it could be when she's standing her ground like this. And she is, indeed, standing her ground. Refusing to move, even under direct assault, despite the drain being visited on her. She's banking on her stamina and regeneration to keep her standing long enough to fight Ebon off.

    Of course, that becomes difficult if Ebon won't come within reach of a katana blade. So the demigod decides to escalate. She brings that sword down to her right side, shifting her grip on it; the handle suddenly snaps out, extending more than twice its length, while the crossguard suddenly extends as if built to do so. It's the hilt for a much bigger sword than the katana blade... but in a sudden, rapid rush of divine energy, a much bigger blade takes shape. Twice as long as Setsuko is tall, dark steel with bright cutting edges. An immense sword that gives her incredible reach.

    Watch out for that first swing, Ebon. It's a doozy.
Millium Argent      Millium hesitates for a moment, and then shakes her head. "W-Well it's for a good cause, I think! Maybe! I don't think he's going to do anything bad!" She retorts after the laser finishes firing. Those four bits separate and return to her wrists and ankles, orbiting slowly and dully. Looks like they were going to be stuck on cooldown for a while. That meant she had no weapon to defend herself with. But even still...

     Other people might have stopped trying after that magnificent sword is revealed to their eyes. In fact, Millium pauses, staring in wonder at the blade. But... she shakes her head rapidly, and then frowns in determination. "I...I still think that he deserves to have a chance to realize his dreams! He only did this in order to get people's attention!" Have those dogs killed anyone? She didn't think they did, but she could be totally wrong, having dropped in with a singular goal of helping.

     Millium dives forward and runs. She approaches, and then stands in Shirou's path, arms spread out protectively while glaring at him. "I'm not going to let you do it!" She shouts, keeping in his path, but not actually attacking him. After all, she has nothing to fight with at the moment. She's just using herself as a human shield.

     Even if the looming threat of that sword kind of scared the crap out of her. But she wasn't moving!
Anne Blakely     Atop the roof...

    Finally, the Hound is crawling up, littered with attacks. Individually, each is weaker than Shirou, and this has really injured it. Fortunately Millium has provided a distraction for it... and fortunately for HER, it stares for a second before apparently filing her under 'ally' for the time being. Then it POUNCES At Shirou!

    Well... 'pounces' being more like 'slowly dragging its broken ass over to try to bite.'
Ebon Ribbon      Ebon Ribbon has a very long reach with those ribbons of hers, but even so she barely avoids the swing from Kaminagi. A quick leap back and all that is sliced is a bit of her tail. She lets out a very upset 'mmmph!' as she sees a bit of her lovely purple tail float down, and has a rather upset frown as she sees that Kaminagi is not moving away either. With all her ribbons deployed, Ebon tries to wrap them around that sword and drain its power as well. Of course, ribbons aren't renown for their resistance to sharp objects, but wrapped up like a mummy the sword is sure to at least be hindered somewhat.

     What happened before is still on her mind though, and Ebon Ribbon is ready to release these ribbons at a moment's notice. "It has been a while since I encountered prey of your calibur." the pony says to Kaminagi in a silky voice. "But, there is really no reason to be so violent. Mr. McHenna will not be harmed. His expertise is merely required for some repairs."
Uriel and Qemuel     Uriel is Gepetto's defender, and doesn't care one whit about the dragonfly. However, Staren is still attacking! Which means... another wave of flame! The blast scorches the top of the building, and immediately snuffs out. Staren may notice that Uriel's attacks are carefully-guided so that she takes the brunt of any damage, and she could probably nullify more of them... if she weren't avoiding damage to the buildings.

    Qemuel pipes up, "This is the third time I've seen your technique." She's talking casually to Setsuko, but NOT interfering in the battle, neither to help Ebon Ribbon nor hinder her. "We should test that sometime. It's a pity circumstance has kept us apart thus far. If I'm to work for this abomination of a woman, I should at least enjoy it."
Emiya Shirou Shirou's lips peel back in one hell of a grimace as he figures out the nature of these creatures. They can't feel, they can't choose to run.

    His look of amazement turns to exasperation and frustration in a hurry as he takes note of Millium's reaction to that thing. It's so slow and limpy that Shirou has ample time to wait for it to collapse or change its mind. And so he waits. He waits as it puts one paw after the other... and another... and another...

    And his heart turns heavy and conflicted. How he must look to this girl. Some kind of villain with a holy sword, maybe. A tyrant? A jerk? He can only sigh inwardly.

    It has to be done right? He has to free the souls trapped in that creation if nothing else. Save it from a living hell and let it move on.

    But he also can't stand that look on Millium's face. Can't stand it at all. So he hesitates, grinds his teeth...

    The creature woozily lunges in to bite at Shirou's side.. but he simply sidesteps, and brings the blade down with a final chop! "Screw this!"

    Caliburn shines and howls with power, cleaving straight into the creature and unleashing a small burst of holy power. The rooftop's cracked and scorched when the dust clears, but Shirou's weapon is also cracked and crumbling.

    He still can only stare disbelievngly at Millium. SO NAIVE! But...

    That thought only pisses him off more. He remembers staring at the back of a red-clad guy who looked at him that way all the time. And how it pissed him off.

    Yeah no. Shirou's angry at just the idea that anything he's doing like that guy's like him at all...

    "This guy's a famous coppersmith and you need to bring the GOLEM INQUISITION to find him instead of just asking around?! ... Don't tell me... that kind of thing's normal where you're from..."
Anne Blakely     The HOUNDS are fine with chasing Staren! Pointlessly. They aren't very intelligent! They stumble and bark... but the dragonfly zips about, one of its 'legs' now flaming slag from a missile. More crackling shots, but the next few are weaker as it does pursue Staren.

    Gepetto, however, is not on it.

    The 'little boy' bounds across town, and slows only when he nears the clump of officers staying /well away/ from the battle, because why would they mess with a demigod of war and a vampiric pony? It is here, loud and clear, that Gepetto makes his request.

    "Why must you living folk be so resistant?! What she said is true! He won't be harmed!" The puppet twirls around. "I want my Penelope back! The greatest alchemist of last century! And /my wife/, taken from me before her time! All this fighting and resistance just because you hate my apprentice!"
Setsuko Kaminagi     The ribbons wrap around Zanjintou and-

        War.

    Bloody, furious combat. Armies clashing. Roars of anger, desperate yells. A pall of acrid smoke hanging over the battlefield. Standing exultant over one's enemies. Lying in miserable defeat. Killing. Dying. The scent of blood on the wind, the sound of distant blades clashing and cannons firing.

    The blade called 'Zanjintou' is, despite having actual, physical form, comprised /entirely/ of divinity. And that divinity is unquestionably, completely and totally, aspected to War.

    And Setsuko holds it steady, first glancing briefly over her shoulder to declare simply, "If you wish to see my technique, then you have only to either renounce whatever ties you to her and stand beside me in ending her, or stand in my path instead." Her gaze comes back around to Ebon Ribbon, and she adds, "Because I don't care what she wants with McHenna or what she intends to do with him. That Anne Blakely is the one seeking him, is reason enough for me to protect him. I've seen what her work entails, and I will stand against it until the end of time if I must!"

    That immense blade suddenly disappears.

    Faint wisps of sky-blue light are all that remain as the weapon suddenly collapses back to its katana form. In the same heartbeat, Setsuko rushes forward. Fast, astoundingly so. Pushing off hard enough to crack the pavement under her, launching herself at freeway speeds straight towards Ebon Ribbon with the intent to deliver a simple, vicious overhead slash. "CHEESUTO!"
Staren     No more lightning, and the angels continue to fight defensively, blasting most of the missiles sent their way.

    Gepetto's gone, now, but it will be up to others to handle them. At least Staren's keeping the angels and hounds busy!

    Speaking of the hounds, now that the missile launcher's internal mechanisms have had time to load new missiles into position, another salvo of two-dozen anti-tank missiles of varying sizes rain lances of high-energy physics down on the hounds. Even at eight missiles per hound, he could get lucky and hit a critical component, right?
Millium Argent      Millium can only stare stupidly as the Hound crawls past her and drags it's way over to Shirou to try and uselessly bite it. "Huh...?" She blinks. "Wait...Hey! No! Wait wait! Wait a secon-"

     Shirou strikes.

     And after a burst of holy power dispatches the construct, the white clad girl shields her eyes from the blast for a few moments, and then when the light fades and she lowers her arm. "......" Silence as she looks on at the fallen creature. Then she glares at Shirou.

     "How could you!? You have all that power and you're using it to oppress people!?" Her expressen hardens as she points at him. "Don't you have any empathy at all!?"
Anne Blakely     Those poor hounds! Good thing they're just programmed automatons, for the most part. They're blasted enough that finally, the police can manage to rush over to a crippled one and start dismantling it with prybars, which means the other two are going to have short work made of them.

    The dragonfly is still a thing, but much more delicate... and it seems to realize that it is now without support and taking on a dangerous foe. Sure, it has that lightning bolt, but it's mainly a transport. It starts to zigzag a retreat, though the zigzagging is in a VERY predictable pattern.
Emiya Shirou God.

    She just has to rub it in.

    Shirou's expression twists around flabbergastedly. She's accusing him of THAT?! For someone born where he was, an accusation like that is like being told you're the worst person to ever live.

    "Didn't I say it earlier?! There's an evil magus behind all of this!! She turns people into these things and traps their souls for slave minions!"

    Well. He's getting Anne Blakely confused with Adele Rozenbach here, but...

    They're both causing a hell of a lot of trouble with freaky, awful magical hijinx.

    He can't stand the fact that his gut wants to lecture her a little about being too naive. Herejects the impulse with everything he's got because he REFUSES to do anything THAT GUY would do. It would be like saying he's right...

    "You're being duped, miss."
Ebon Ribbon      Ebon Ribbon has never felt energy like that! So raw, so primal, so...tasty! The sword is pure energy, and that simple taste leaves the energy vampire wanting more. "That sword is delicious~" she practically moans, then pauses as Setsuko goes on about Anne. "I am afraid I do not know Anne personally, but I have found that most lives are not as valuable as people make them out to be."

     She has barely finished speaking when...Divine Warrior in her face! It is only thanks to her instincts that her ribbons curl around her, dampening the impact from that slash. The dark unicorn tries to evade, but is still slashed across one side by the attack. Ebon Ribbon lets out a cry of pain and a splash of red appears along her side before she leaps away. "Nnng! Now that was simply uncalled for! I have not hurt anyone so far!" she exclaims in a haughty manner, as if being cut by someone is an insult more than an injury. "Well, as you have drawn blood, let us see how you like it!"

     Ebon Ribbon resumes galloping, but as she does her ribbons all pull in toward her, then lash out as one toward Kaminagi. But, rather than hitting her, they converge on a point in front of her, and the space in that spot seems to warp before what can only be described as a black hole forms. It draws in all the energy and matter that it can in about 10 seconds, then explodes with the power of a mini-nuclear warhead.
Uriel and Qemuel     Uriel, battered and burned and wincing, lands next to Gepetto to flick her wings and put out the sputtering fire on one feather. She frowns, but says nothing about it. But Qemuel? She says something.

    Qemuel straightens up! "This is pointless. Fighting here will only endanger innocent lives, and THAT I will not condone. My reasons for helping Blakely are my own, but they are not by choice. She is a horrible, evil woman."

    Uriel suddenly states, "Actually, she is remarkably clean of sin considering what she does. It's very curious."
Setsuko Kaminagi     "It doesn't matter the value of the lives she takes. Only that she takes them, without care or compunction. I will *end* her, with my own blade if at all possible."

    The demigod leaps back at the sudden assault - but her instincts warn her that it won't be enough. Fly. Get away. Retreat from that powerful, consuming hole in space. But it opens too close. She's unable to get away entirely, unable to push back with her flight before it opens up. She's able to just get free of its pull with a roar of pained fury, and in the last second before that blast goes off-

    *SNAP*

    When the blast clears, at first all that can be seen is the bulk of Zanjintou's full form, resting against the street like a barrier. She's used it to shield herself, and anything directly behind her. And somehow, the weapon is completely and utterly unscathed despite taking that incredible explosion.

    Setsuko, on the other hand, is not. Setsuko grits her teeth slightly as she stands, her right arm reaching down to take the colossal blade's grip. As if it were far less than it actually weighs, she hefts the weapon up one-handed, holding it perfectly horizontal, pointing the tip of it directly at Ebon Ribbon, glaring hard at her from behind the weapon, blue eyes framed by ribbons of crimson blood pouring down either side of her face.

    She holds it out one-handed because, at this particular moment, she does not have two hands to hold it with. Her left is gone above the elbow, nothing but a stump and streaming crimson.

    And yet despite missing her arm, she stands, fully prepared to continue fighting. "I don't know who you are, or what your association with Anne Blakely is. But you have made your choice. And I am not a kind person. You will have one more chance to leave. And then I'll make every effort to claim your head."
Millium Argent      "That's ridiculous!" Millim retorts, jabbing her finger in Shirou's general direction again. "How am I supposed to believe that when you and your people came barreling in here to crush that poor boy, when all he wants is to be reunited with a friend!?"

     She crosses her arms in a huff.

     "I may not be a professor at Evance University, but I'm not stupid either!"

     Actually...
Uriel and Qemuel     Qemuel stares at Uriel, then steps forward. "Take custody of the man. Both sides are tired-" Okay, she's mostly uninjured, but Uriel is burned and injured, which makes her less inclined to fight while Staren is still on the loose and largely operational. "But an extended battle here will only hurt the civilians. GEPETTO may not care about that, but we do." She glances at Gepetto, then Uriel.

    Uriel speaks softly, "I can't get a good read on him."

    Anyway. "Shall we have a more formal duel to settle this? Perhaps with negotiated terms? Master Gepetto, would you be willing to pay for the work?"
Ebon Ribbon      Ebon Ribbon grins as the explosion clears, but then stares wide-eyed at Setsuko. "...if you wish to save this man so badly, then by all means. I have no stake in this, therefor I shall leave you be. A powerful warrior who weathers that attack and still holds that sword in one hand is not one I wish to challenge. I am a hunter, not a warrior." she says, making a froofroo gesture with a forehoof at that last part. "I do hope you recover from your injuries! I usually try not to kill, and your energy was quite tasty."

     With that, the pony gallops away. If Gepetto and his mechanical mooks want to continue this battle, they will do so without the help of the vampiric pony. "You fought well! If I were a warrior, I would complement you on your prowess!" she calls out, her steps half limps thanks to the injury to her side.
Anne Blakely     Most of the hounds are... trash now. The dragonfly zips down to where Gepetto is, watching the battle from a safe distance, and lets the puppet-boy climb on again.

    Then Qemuel asks that silly question. "Pay...?" The odd doll tilts his head. "A craftsman such as this should be /honored/ to work on Penelope! It would be a magnum opus! His greatest achievement!" He clicks his jaw. "But if we would sully such an act with mere monetary exchange... my apprentice is quite wealthy. I will ask her and make an offer. I'm afraid my own finances are gone decades ago."

    Setsuko doesn't need to look far, just up higher. Gepetto is near Uriel, it appears.
Emiya Shirou Shirou struggles hard, so that only the barest bit of how dumbfounded he is by this girl shows on his face. Only a little. It clears up in a hurry though. Nothing but frustration and amazement really strikes him.

    "...again, do you really need to hunt down a craftsman with magical hunting dogs if your cause is that noble..." Mumble mutter. His shoulders sag some.

    He has never had to deal with someone like this. It's really making him think.
Setsuko Kaminagi     When Ebon Ribbon settles on retreat, only then does Zanjintou emit that telltale snap of its hilt returning to normal. With a flourish, she brings the sword around and sheathes it, freeing her right hand. She's not sure where the boy went; Qemuel speaks to her, however, and she can follow the angel's gaze upward to find Gepetto and Uriel. The demigod meets Qemuel's eyes for a moment, and frowns. "If she can entice this McHenna to work for her of his own will, without threat and without bringing harm to him before, during or after. If he's foolhardy enough to agree after you came here in force to kidnap him... then that's his business alone. But neither I nor any of my allies have any intent of ceasing our hunt for her. Not after the things she's done."
Anne Blakely     Gepetto speaks up, "Eh, my apprentice makes a lot of enemies, it seems. Not my business, except that it inconveniences me!" He looks a little bewildered though... which is a testament to how much detail has gone into his construction. "Fine, fine. Pay. What an odd concept. If I were asked to build a puppet like this, I'd do it for free. If only I remembered how."

    Jaw clicks shut. "Deal."