second trial

[airlockedmods]

[You get a little time after your investigation is over, but not too long. Your Overseer is right there, after all, and he can tell when you're finished. But at least this time he's bringing breakfast in the way of Starbucks sandwiches and paper cups of coffee.

Xander will lead you all out the door near Fourt's, opening what had been impenetrable sheet metal with a few taps and swipes on his tablet. This won't take you outside either; instead, it leads to a long hallway. Like a walk-through aquarium, the walls and ceiling are all made of thick glass, giving you an even better view of the stars outside. There's no sign that the mall is attached to some kind of large-scale station. There's really not going to be an easy way to escape here, unless you get transportation.

You're led to a wide-open area, empty except for a circle of podiums in its center. They're labeled so you can easily find yours. Thomasin and Natsuhi's grey-scale portraits have joined Yuuri's this time in the places they previously stood. Three of the podiums remain empty and nameless. The walls here are equally transparent, and they seem to have lines of large hatches going along them, as if this is where one might park one's spaceship when going on a fun space mall adventure. Shame you don't know anything about those.

You already know what you're here to do. You'd best be getting along with it.]

Comments

[power_of_dominance]

[Oh, you don't get off that easily. Dracula pulls at Xander's lifeblood until he can feel the first tremors of weakness. Then he pulls his fangs free roughly and shoves the Overseer to the floor.]

You don't get to die yet, foolish child. I still need to reward you for setting me free.

[It doesn't even sound like Soma anymore, the voice older, deeper, far more sinister. He stands over the fallen man, looking up at the Champions with a savage, bloody grin.]

I am Vlad Dracula Tepes, and you are all the greatest of fools. Whether you spared the boy known as Soma or not, you have released me upon the world once again.

[His attention turns back to Xander, the vampire raising a wrist to his own mouth. He slashes the vein there with a fang, then attempts to press the cut to Xander's mouth.]

You will be my first thrall, boy. Now drink.

[kingshaming]

[Xander jerks his head away, glaring at the thing baring down on him, teeth bared.

He's, at least, not so stupid as to try and talk so the vampire could try and jam it in his mouth]

[power_of_dominance]

Stubborn mortal! I said drink, or I'll pour it into your open wounds!

[He grabs Xander's hair and yanks, trying to force him to open his mouth.]

[kingshaming]

[He thrashes a bit, but between the bloodloss and the exhaustion of the fight, he really doesn't have a chance, and gags on the foulness]

Damn it-!

[power_of_dominance]

There, that's better.

[And he lets Xander go to turn toward the exit. He's coming for the rest of you now.]

[burninglight]

[Whatever Soma had said, whatever it meant, Ardyn had frozen on the spot still at Heart's side. All color had vanished from his face in an instant, and he stared in blank shock for what felt like an eternity.]

[But then Soma got up, with blackened eyes Ardyn had seen in enough mirrors that the reminder gave him a cold chill. His sword was in his hand before Ardyn knew what he was doing, dropping into a defensive stance as shock turned to a defiant snarl-]

Get behind me. Noctis, get the others out of here. Now.

[induality]

[This finally seems to snap Fukawa from her frozen terror as she shuffles back from the glass but doesn't quite follow orders just yet. She's trembling, and rightfully so-- but she's not just going to leave...]

Wh-what are you going to do?

[burninglight]

Just go, Touko!

[nightcure]

I'll get them out of here.

Don't you dare die on me now, Ardyn.

[burninglight]

Who is it you believe you're speaking to?

I am Ardyn Lucis Caelum, and this is not the first daemon I've slain.

[daughterofthemark]

Be on your guard!

[Guard Order: Raises physical and elemental defense of one enemy line for three turns. She has one thing she can do to help and she's going to do it gdi.]

[ratherdoweddings]

Everyone! Get the people who can't fight to the exit. If he gets in...

[a10tionplz]

No, no no no no no no-!

[This is bad, this is unbelievably bad. But he's holding his ground by Ardyn, brandishing. His screwdriver.]

[This is probably a spectacularly bad idea.]

[cyan_maid]

[There had been fear in Jane, seeing Xander fight, and she didn't know why.

She had screamed, raw and horrified, when the thing that was not Soma ripped into Xander's neck, and she didn't know why.

And she still doesn't know why she gets her knife out, but Xander's on the ground, he had to drink blood or something? He's going to lose blood? He's going to die he's going to die she can't let him he can't die he's-

Jane is literally hyperventilating.]

Why aren't they doing anything why aren't they fighting him HE'S THE ONE WHO KILLED NATSUHI-

[ratherdoweddings]

Jane-chan! [Yurika stands beside her.] Jane-chan, we're right here. Ardyn-san said he can deal with him. We're right here. I'm here. You saved me last night, now I'm here for you. Okay?

[tokencanadian]

[Pyrrha definitely heard her. At some point. Right now there's a rushing in her ears.]

Jane.

[She's over by the girl, everything's kind of a blur, but she spotted her hyperventilating.]

Jane, look at me. We need to leave.

[desperateprayer]

[ Clarith has fallen to her knees, frozen in absolute terror. This can't be happening. It can't be happening. They're all going to die because of the stupid rules not allowing them to vote the correct culprit who wasn't Soma, and killing him immediately instead of Soma.

Sorry fam, she's having a breakdown right now. ]

[daughterofthemark]

[Well Arianna was occupied, but now that this is happening she just... grabs Clarith by the arm and pulls. WE GOTTA GO.]

[tokencanadian]

Oh shit-!

[Language aside, Pyrrha Nikos is utterly panicking. She's never seen a thing like this before, and the frankly disgusting display of it all.

She rips herself from her podium, stumbling back as adrenaline takes charge.]

We have to go, right now!

[Let's get the heck out of here!]

[kingshaming]

[If Dracula gets through that door, things are going to go bad very very fast.

Thankfully the creature was so very very sure his blood would put his foe down. Xander groans from the floor, and slowly stands up, and yanks his sliced up tablet from his waistcoat-

-and with a few fast swipes the exit opens]

All of you, go. I need to clean up my mess.

[As they leave there's the sounds of electricity in the air. Once. Twice. Three times before it finally stops.]

[burninglight]

...If that thing shows up outside of this room, I'm going to kill it and you, Xander.

[TIME TO GO EVERYONE OUT.]

[ratherdoweddings]

...Thank you, Xander-san.

[Yurika goes around to make sure everyone's out before she can leave.]

[cyan_maid]

[She's terrified and can't comprehend why she's more terrified for Xander than for herself, but...but someone's going to get her out of here, probably Yurika and Pyrrha, and when they drag her out she shouts,]

Don't you dare die!

[daughterofthemark]

We--we must flee!

[HURRY AND USE YOUR IN-GAME VOICE CLIPS APPARENTLY]

[a10tionplz]

Out out out, EVERYONE OUT-!

[Which, presumably they're already doing? But he's already shouty and he's not going to waste it.]