fourth trial

[airlockedmods]

[With the announcement and the evidence, the Champions are free to decide amongst themselves what order the groups leave in. Once that's done the process of teleporting is automatic and happens in the blink of an eye. Once second they're in the center of the cafeteria before a soft blue light surrounds them and then they're standing in the middle of a circle of podiums.

The room itself it the same shiny, chrome-covered atrocity as most of the rest of the ship save for the sections of floor that aren't the teleporter: those are thick clear glass that show nothing but empty space and stars beneath the Champions' feet. As for the podiums they're the same sort of garish chrome with a digital screen facing toward the center of the circle. More portraits and names in blaring red have been added this week. Karamatsu Matsuno, the Champion of Painful Secondhand Embarrassment That's So Cringe Inducing, Narcissistic, And Eye Blindingly Glittery It Makes You Wish He'd Go Away, Korra, the Champion Avatar, Yuri Plisetsky, the Champion Figure Skater and Max Olguin, the Champion Portrait Artist.

The Overseers are waiting when they all arrive, standing on a floating platform just high enough to be out of reach and back far enough toward a far wall to have a full view of the courtroom. Both are dressed well, Rox in a pressed grey dress jacket and skirt and Blaze in a black suit with the sleeves rolled up to expose his numerous tattoos. He's also sporting a black eye patch with a flaming snowflake embroidered on it over his left eye. Rox is smiling like that cat who ate the canary while Blaze is standing a little farther away than normal and looking uncomfortable.]

Welcome back, Champions! There are ten of you here but, if things go correctly, only nine of you will leave. I don't think I have to explain at this point what will happen if you choose wrong.

As usual there's no time limit but be sure to keep things interesting. [She folds her arms across her chest, looking down on the Champions with a grin.] Let the trial begin.

Comments

[immaculacies]

Um, it's more like... Where I come from, the planet itself breathes, in a sense. But we're on a space station, so there's no planet underneath me, exhaling magical energy.

[andjerry]

It wouldn't, right?

[he just had a really terrible idea, and he flinches for a second]

You get magic from yourself, and from the planet. Can other people give it to you?

[immaculacies]

Eh, well, I guess if I was able to extract someone's soul... I wouldn't need to do anything like what happened to Max to do that, though.

[WHY DOES SHE STILL SOUND SO CASUAL]

[andjerry]

[WHY DOES SHE]

You can do that?

[immaculacies]

Here, or generally?

[STOP SMILING]

[andjerry]

...both?

I mean, you sound like you've done it before...

[immaculacies]

[She shakes her head.]

I've never simply extracted a soul before. I'm not sure if I would be capable of it on this station.

[andjerry]

I know it- it sounds like I'm accusing you, and you could lie to me. But would you have to do?

[le_mat]

So it's like the Aura of Penny's world? Everyone has a little in them? Like a life force?

[immaculacies]

Ah, not quite. There are two types of magical energy: mana and od. Od is the kind produced within the body. Mana is produced by the planet.

[le_mat]

So since we're in space, od would be the only available then?

[immaculacies]

Unless you think there's another source on this space station I could tap into, yes. I would only have access to my own od.

[le_mat]

I see.

Well, even if you don't have the power to do something like this, you're still our main magic expert right now. Have you ever seen a ritual that would need body parts?

... or suffering.

[immaculacies]

[Manaka just

smiles.]

Yes. Black magic, the discipline my family has practiced for generations.

[le_mat]

[He's trembling. The tears that had started when he saw Max's open still damp eyes start up again.

He looks around at the others, wishing this didn't have to come to light]

Max was awake and aware when he was mutilated. He wasn't just killed. He was tortured and able to understand what was happening to him. His eyes were open.

[Normally he'd wait for more evidence. But not this. Not Max. Not after a month of suffering for all of them]

He was aware of what you did to him, wasn't he Manaka?

[in4apounding]

[w h y this]