Argenti's Palace

[beautifulknight]

The stage is set they say;
They don their masks and shields,
Shadows creep and cover their minds;
Now, what beautiful role shall they play?

𝓜𝓮𝓵𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷𝓲𝓷 𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓽𝓵𝓮


♫

Comments

[bloodweapon]

[Also joining team "walking off without talking to anyone else", Fray's going to wander over to the statues. What's up with these? Is this some kind of puzzle we have to solve, because if so we are so doomed. He's not actively reaching out to touch yet just getting an idea of what we're looking at over here.]

[beautifulknight]

[ They are innocent statues.

On the right of the staircase have the pair of statues containing robed figure alongside the knight, while two to the left has the weird statue and another in robes. Which ones is he choosing to examine today? ]

[bloodweapon]

[Let's start with the knight on the right! Both because it rhymes and because it's a knight, gotta examine that.]

[beautifulknight]

[ Well, in that case, he can examine the knight!

Fortunately for Fray, nothing amiss happens (13).

Though, suddenly one of its arms fall off, and the stone shatters on the ground, leaving it instead as a statue of a one-armed knight. There is nothing else apparent about it at the time, however. ]

[bloodweapon]

[umm??? he totally didn't do that, don't look at him—

Okay. Well. That's weird. Assuming there's nothing else off about this weird one-armed knight statue, he may as well check out the hooded statue nearby, since clearly nothing bad happened the first time... maybe this time he'll actually break it because uh, (1).]

[beautifulknight]

[ ...

Yeah, about that.

Suddenly, he's dealing with two Shiki-Ouji that transform from the singular statue itself.

One of them casts Matarukaja, raising the attack of their two little party. Then, it strikes out at Fray with a normal physical hit that hurts decently well with the buff (15)

The second one attacks with a Psio that goes wide (5), but then it strikes out again (16) ]

[bloodweapon]

[Why are there two of them!!!!!!!!!!!! He can't even close the door and pretend he didn't see them this time!!!!!!!!

Okay ugh, fine, he can handle it, probably. Time to launch his own counterattack with Thunderous Rage, his Electric element attack. (15) He's aiming that at the first one, because how dare you buff your friend, asshole???]

[beautifulknight]

[ They're here just for Fray, apparently.

But, that one gets hit by the Thunderous Rage, before lashing out with a double cast of Psio directed at Fray (11, 13)

The second one thinks it'd be a great idea to copy the strategy... (11, 14)

God, these are annoying flunkies, aren't they. ]

[bloodweapon]

[Ow, rude. He can probably take a few more hits like that, but this is not a great position to be in... Fray pulls back to use Mazio, aiming to hit both of them, but Avrae said "fuck off" (5, 3). So y'know. This is going well!]

[ledbythewind]

[Hi Fray, how does a Diarama sound right about now? Because no offense, but you look like you could probably use one...]

[bloodweapon]

[Oh, just in time. Fray greets Richard with a nod, though doesn't turn his attention away from the enemies.]

Thank you. It would seem I wasn't careful enough while exploring.

[should've stopped after the first statue's arm broke off tbh....]

[beautifulknight]

[ Avrae decided to be rude. One of Shiki-Ouji even tries to charge Fray while he's talking to Richard, rude! But fortunately the enemy misses (3), and then changes gears, to whack Richard (12)

The second one casts Matarukaja on the party again, raising attack. Then, it tosses a Psio at Fray again (14) Bet he's getting sick of these mofos, huh? ]

[bloodweapon]

[ABSOLUTELY, it's Thunderous Rage time again, aiming for the weakened first Shiki-Ouji again! (11) Thanks for the backup, Richard, this should make it more of a fair fight!]

[ledbythewind]

[That is indeed rude and Richard does not approve!! Wow.

Also ow, because that hurt.]

Thank me after we take care of these.

[For now, he's just going to cast Marakukaja on both of them to buff their defenses a bit in anticipation of that raised attack. Man, these things are like cockroaches...]

[beautifulknight]

[ Fray's strategy is good because it does get hit and because of that it seems like its movements are weaker (benefit of it being a lower level), suggested by how it tries to hit Fray again and misses (5), though it tries again because it's stubborn (12)

As for the second one, it focuses on Richard, casting Psio twice on him (13, 16) ]

[bloodweapon]

[Good, maybe he can finally finish it off with a sword stab, since he's going for the kill strike here (14)! If we can finish one off, the fight will be much easier! Heals can wait, stabs only now.]

[ledbythewind]

[Richard is actually in agreement with that, choosing to target the other one with a Tiger's Prowl (13). Heals later when annoying Shiki-Ouji are dead!]

[beautifulknight]

[ Honestly, good on the both of them, because it is deader than dead after their combination attack slays it, wiping it out completely.

The leaves the last one, though, who decides to target Fray for wiping out its friend with a Psio (20), and then that leaves its attempt to hit Richard, only to miss (9) ]

[bloodweapon]

[OW grumble grumble, gotta be a utility character grumble, here's a Media for both of us to get us through the rest of this fight - go Richard, go!]

[ledbythewind]

[HE'S A UTILITY TOO but it's fine, they've (probably) got this???

... things said ten seconds before Richard tries to strike it with his rapier (1).

The faint echo of Yakety Sax plays in the BG.]

[beautifulknight]

[ The Shiki-Ouji laughs at the poor strike.

Then it tries to strike both of them (9, 2)

...

Yeah, well then. ]

[bloodweapon]

[...

Right, well! Fray can totally manage to get a hit in and hopefully we can move on— (9)

yakety sax intensifies.]

[goei]

[Izou and Kirumi came down the stairs to gather everyone... Only to find this???]

You guys were fightin' without me??

[Impatient to fight, Izou hasn't even finished running over when he lashes out with his sword, Medea channeling it into a Eiga (12)]

[bloodweapon]

Good to see you too.

[THANK GOD SOMEONE WHO CAN HIT—]

[ledbythewind]

[LET'S TRY THAT AGAIN. And with a (16) this time, so his strike will connect!

Take that, haters--]