If there's one thing about you that isn't catlike, it's your sleep schedule. It's too early for you.
yeah i couldn't sleep all that well
It's still early. You have the chance to rest a bit more, you know. I have the oddest feeling we won't get such a long break before the next Imperial shows its face, so you should take care of yourself.
But it's so... quiet. Relatively speaking. And...
Shouldn't you be sleeping?
I'm used to being tired. Don't worry about me.
Too late.
At the very least, you're gonna need to let me sleep in with you sometime soon!
That's a line to walk in on, ain't it?
See, you I can understand. You already got some sleep. I—
Oh, I know what's happening. Let me guess—you're in the mood to take down notes on account of feeling antsy, and you, knowing I have an early chronotype, came to find me so I could lecture you on the intricacies of psychokinesis.
An astonishing observation, Revenant of the Bloody Claw. Your intellect is staggering.
I know. Basic pattern recognition! Isn't it incredible?
Hello, Richter.
Please tell me the three of you are doing something I can participate in! I don't have anyone I need to wake up early to deliver coffee to, and I find myself unable to go back to bed!
Great news! It's time for Koron to talk about fire!
Oh thank goodness.
Stats
To begin with—
Coffee.
Youka?! You're awake awfully early!
Cof-fee.
Yes, ma'am.
—obviously you're aware that I'm not very sturdy. The usage of psychokinesis of most stripes consumes calories and/or hydration, and the development of the brain's psychic abilities uses resources the body would ordinarily use for muscular and skeletal development. Those with weaker psychic abilities suffer few side-effects from this, but S-class patients like myself run the risk of growing ragged at an accelerated rate when overusing their abilities, and high-grade Akaneno's patients have a tendency to exhibit symptoms of arrested physical development.
In my case, at the very least I would've likely been at least five centimeters taller had I not developed the condition. My pale skin is also a symptom—the melanin in my skin is one of the substances that was consumed during my development as a psychic.
Huh. You know, I had wondered why you were so much paler than your parents. What about the red hair?
Oh, that was just recessive genes. An astonishing coincidence, that both of them had the trait hidden within their genes, no?
Good morning, by the way. Sleep well?
Could've gone better. Atrocities have a way of making me sleep poorly.
A lot of Psychic's skills are very to the point, so I won't have that much to say this time.
Tier 1 Skills
Flame
Initial skill. Deals ranged MAT-based fire damage. Can target one enemy or, at levels 3 and above, all enemies.
Freeze
Deals ranged MAT-based ice damage. Can target one enemy or, at levels 3 and above, all enemies.
Psychokinesis itself is a power that manifests in any number of ways, but all through the manipulation of cell movement. The psychokinesis I possess is by no means the only psychic power that exists in this world—however, the direct uses of psychokinesis are flashy and effective enough that by Murakumo's standards, those with non-psychokinetic abilities are hardly worthwhile—except in cases such as the Navigators, of course.
Wait, those two are Akaneno's patients?
Not necessarily by the strict definition of the condition, but I have no doubt that the experiments conducted on the two of them, as well as those conducted on the three from SKY, were to forcibly exhibit Akaneno's-like symptoms.
Anyhow, in my case, rapidly speeding cell motion to spark a flame is as easy as a flick of the wrist. You would be astonished how easy it is to ignite the elements that we breathe, really—it boggles the mind how our humble race has survived.
Slowing cell motion is slightly more difficult for me, as I have to deal with the issue of inertia in doing so. I also lack a certain fine control where ice is concerned—a true cryokinetic like our mutual acquaintance Neko is capable of creating fine ice particles or coordinating with other Akaneno's patients' informational fields to use them as a rebound point to generate ice particles.
Just having the ability to do both is impressive by itself.
Oh, I know, I'm just being honest.
They really do be basic spells tho
Decoy Mirror
Creates a shield that absorbs all damage directed at the user until it is destroyed.
The process of creating a shield entails essentially creating a separate informational field from myself around myself—attacks thus strike a sort of 'phantom mind', as opposed to myself. The division of my senses into physical and psychic is part of the reason I'm capable of this—I experience enough sensory information that in most cases, I would undergo a process called 'cognitive parallel processing', but instead much of this sensory information is used in preventing myself from harm through the creation of phantom minds.
I'm familiar with normal parallel processing. What is cognitive parallel processing?
Wait wait wait wait wait wait wait, CPP? CPP is a real thing?
Mio, you're better with layman's terms than I am. Why don't you try explaining it?
I heard about it from this sci-fi VN I read once. Basically, it's a mental process when a young person needs to have more mental capacity to process all the sensory information they're getting than one mind is capable of, so they 'split', kind of, into multiple people who handle it separately.
So they have multiple personalities?
Essentially. The separate 'cores' in a CPP system operate off of a single fundamental logic, but have their own thoughts, memories, and personality. It's not the only case in which a human being might contain multiple personalities, but it is a rather consistent one—the majority of CPP cases are in fact psychics with some manner of extrasensory perception. Telepathy, for instance.
So let me get this straight. Every time you make a shield, you're basically making a separate, hollow, intangible yourself out of excess sensory information your body needs to let out instead of having you develop multiple personalities, and the invisible fake you dies for you?
...I suppose so.
Psychic shit is weird.
Trust me, you're preaching to the choir here.
It takes a while to figure out the proper time to use Decoy Mirror, but it's a really strong skill—it can get pretty chunky, but even besides that, there's no upper limit on the amount it can take in a single hit. Excess damage that breaks the shield doesn't redirect to Koron, so she really is fully protected. Good skill.
Cure
Restores HP. Can target one party member or, at levels 4 and above, all party members. Can be used when not in battle.
You mentioned a long time ago that you volunteer at hospitals, yes?
Yes. That operates under a similar idea—temporarily speeding up the body's natural healing ability through targeted acceleration of cell movement.
That must've taken a while to learn.
I had help. Someone to emulate, if you will.
Oh?
...A friend of mine from one of the hospitals. He was another S-class Akaneno's patient, but he wasn't psychokinetic—rather, he had a heavy degree of control over his own biological processes and possessed a talent at... how do I put this... fleshcraft.
...I'm sorry?
Fleshcraft. Altering flesh into various shapes. Primarily altering the shape of his own body within controlled spaces—for example, altering the chemical composition of his arm to shift the flesh-and-bone balance to manifest a blade of hardened keratin?
...I'm... sorry?
OHHHH I get it! Even you'll get this one, Youka!
Really! Lay it on me.
Richter, have you ever read Jojo's Bizarre Adventure?
Some, yes! Or, well, rather I've been watching the anime? Is that alright?
Perfectly. It's a good anime.
Anyway, so what Koron is saying is that her friend is a vampire, in the Jojo's Bizarre Adventure sense.
Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
...You've lost me.
Vampires in Jojo have full control over their bodily functions. Like Dio can flash-freeze all the moisture in his arm to stop blood flow, or project his eyeball fluid as laser beams, they're called Space Ripper Stingy Eyes.
Yes, they're capable of quite the contortion. The vampire's natural predator, the Pillar Men—why, a Pillar Man contorts himself into the air through an air vent, and manages to squeeze inside of a man's arm stump and detonate him from the inside.
Oh, and the arm blade thing is just like Kars!
Or like how Esidisi can control his veins to drip his really hot blood on people! He can like, lift up his nails and use his veins as blood cannons!
Or Bruford's prehensile hair!
OR HOW DIO DRINKS PEOPLE WITH HIS FINGERS
...
...I-I think you understand the base concept, yes, albeit on somewhat of a smaller scale, but... is that what Jojo's Bizarre Adventure is about? There are vampires?
Oh are you not familiar?
No. I don't... tend to read manga. Do they still drink blood? Are they still weak to sunlight?
Oh, terribly. And yes.
...come to think of it, he was rather pale. And had red eyes, and was sensitive to sunlight—
KORON YOU HAVE TO INTRODUCE ME TO YOUR VAMPIRE FRIEND
Healing is good.
Tier 2 Skills
Too Hot to Touch
Places a buff on one party member that, for a set amount of turns, counterattacks contact damage towards that party member with ranged MAT-based fire damage towards the attacker. Counterattacks attempt to inflict burn on the target.
Cannot be stacked with Zero at the Bone.
What I want to know about is this 'veil' business. How do you do that?
Ah, that's a simple extension of my self-shielding ability. Because the rest of you are not me, my shielding ability would not work particularly well—it wouldn't exactly fool anything. However, by using the same property but instead attaching my apparition's function to be reactive, I can cause it to respond in kind to any strikes you take. There's a limited range, as my cognitive ability can only stretch a given manifestation so far, but curiously I find this also causes lingering aftereffects that my own direct strikes cause little of.
It's not all that different from utilizing YUUHI, is it?
That would make sense. Mom only made YUUHI after her initial research into the Psy-Gene, so I guess it's kind of like a way for non-psychics to achieve something like that in their own way.
Hah. Frankly, I envy Richter his versatility—and his kindness. My powers lack any kindness.
...Huh?
Both Veil skills are obviously amazing in a lot of situations—action economy buffs that can also cause status ailments and hit elemental weaknesses is great! They only work on melee attacks, but there are plenty of those.
Shock
Deals ranged MAT-based lightning damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.
The generation of electricity is somewhat more complicated in practice than the creation of flame, but there's little difference in theory. It is curious, though—I've noticed a particular lack of direct response to electricity in most enemies we've faced, besides the Jigowatt. Perhaps its unique evolution is as of yet just that—unique—and the dragons have yet to evolve any particular countermeasure to lightning.
Let's hope we can end this war before they do.
Quite.
Lightning, aside from Jigowatt, its Railguns, and Scorpions, is essentially non-elemental damage. As a result, the two Lightning spells are significantly more powerful, and the stronger Lightning spell is Koron's best tool against lategame enemies with no weaknesses. Plus Chisa can follow up from it!
Plasma Jolt
Deals ranged MAT-based aerial damage to one enemy.
But what about sometimes when the lightning you shoot does work well?
It's because they don't have their feet on the ground to let it course completely through them.
Oh.
Feet! On! The! Ground!
Manafloat
For one turn, all skills will cost 0 MANA, and all party members gain maximum speed.
If a party member gains an extra turn from a React skill on a turn where Manafloat is used, the effects of Manafloat will still apply to them.
It's actually possible for me to lighten the mental load on you all temporarily during combat through my dissociative abilities. I do have to actually actively do it, though, so you'll understand why I don't do it often.
You're doing quite a lot anyhow. Nobody could blame you for picking and choosing.
Not to mention that isn't really an issue for most of the rest of us. Chisa sometimes, maybe.
Well, Satsuki when using her guns, at times...
great shot. excellent.
Manafloat's kind of an awkward skill that I feel might be best suited to parties with multiple Psychics, since using Manafloat does mean you're not doing much else, and Psychic's React doesn't exactly help here. It's got its uses, but I don't really use it.
Recover
Removes ailments. Which ailments are removed, as well as the target type, depend on the skill level. "Limited" ailment recovery means that the skill only removes poison, burn, paralysis, and blind.
Resurrection
Revives one dead party member. Can be used when not in battle.
Unlike most healing, Resurrection's healing amount is not affected by MAT.
But how can you say your powers don't have any 'kindness' when you can heal, and stuff?
All I'm doing is manipulating what's already there—accelerating or decelerating cell movement. I can't truly create anything new—all I'm doing is massaging your body. My powers can't create anything. I have a mind that can only destroy. The power of creation is what's kind.
Bullshit.
What?
You're helping people! That's kind! Even if you're not creating anything new, that doesn't mean your powers are only good for breaking things.
...If you say so.
I do say so, and I'm smart.
Recover is a fascinating case study in how to make every single level of a skill relevant. It's cool for how obvious and simple the skill's concept is.
Resurrection does what it says on the tin. You should get it.
Tier 3 Skills
Ifritbane
Deals ranged MAT-based fire damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.
Icicle Eden
Deals ranged MAT-based ice damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.
Is there anything really stopping you from creating arbitrarily large fires?
Only my own physical limitations. I do have to fuel the powers somehow, but in my case, my innate psychic ability is sufficient to do as much as my body allows.
Theoretically, according to the latest readings, if I were to accept death and take myself from perfect condition to using all my resources, I could create an inferno of approximately 1.07 kilometers at my current level of ability.
Over a kilometer?!
If I were to allow it to use the number of resources in my body that would result in my death having been used up. My bone marrow, my blood, my neurons... Obviously I'm nowhere near that powerful if I'm not actively intending to die instantly, but I imagine that my capability to serve as a suicide bomb was somewhat tantalizing to the higher brass of Murakumo, especially considering that reading was taken when I was fifteen—it's liable that the radius has increased somewhat.
You have a self-destruct button.
Yes.
That's one ghoulish stat.
These are flat upgrades to the earlier elemental spells, and essentially take their place once you've got them at relevant levels.
Zero at the Bone
Places a buff on one party member that, for a set amount of turns, counterattacks contact damage towards that party member with ranged MAT-based ice damage towards the attacker. Counterattacks attempt to inflict freeze on the target.
Cannot be stacked with Too Hot to Touch.
Having managed to create ice through my veils was quite an accomplishment for me. The fine control required to decelerate cell movement in that matter through remote control is an impressive accomplishment, I'm sure you'll agree.
I'll take your word for it!
That's not agreeing.
I'll take your word for it.
Satsuki.
I'll take your word for it.
God damn it, woman!
It comes at a really good time, considering.
Fantasy Zone
The user gains a chance to deal ranged MAT-based damage to a random enemy at the end of the turn.
Fantasy Zone is unaffected by Concentrate, if that skill is active.
Microburst
Deals ranged MAT-based damage to one enemy. Attempts to inflict bleed on the target.
What are the principles behind the attack with the glowing red-and-black orb?
Ah, those. Essentially, I project the internal logic of my mind into a concentrated zone overlapping with our target's head, then detonate vitals within to cause damage, ideally taking the form of some manner of aneurysm.
What
You can blow people's brains out with your mind?
May I reiterate that my powers lack kindness now, Satsuki?
If it's your own internal logic you're using for those, then your Reality Marble just means you're unkind to yourself.
Bleed is a fairly uncommon ailment to inflict, and it's nice to have around if you need to use Vampire or summat. Microburst is actually non-elemental, so Woodwind Duet can't follow up from it, unforch.
Fantasy Zone is, say it with me, free real estate.
Rescue React
For a set amount of turns, when a party member is killed by an enemy, the user will gain an extra turn.
A party member dying from damage not directly inflicted by an enemy—for example, poison damage—will not activate Rescue React.
I will admit that this is ghoulish of me, but when people die near me, I tend to find myself just a touch more energized.
As a countess of the night,
I believe the principle is that my mind serves as a sort of beacon for excess cognitive energies released upon the ceasing of a human's mental function. It was, I suppose, one perk to spending so much time in hospitals—occasionally I would wake up with a pleasant boost of energy.
...I find it distasteful to experience these days, though, for obvious reasons.
This is basically the worst out of the cast's Reacts. It's obviously intended as an ability to help you instantly get back up on your feet when someone gets knocked out, but it does nothing for the class's offensive prospects, and... frankly if anyone's gonna die, it'll be Koron. It's not USELESS by any means, but of the five it is the least spectacular.
Mana Spring
The user gains a chance to, when their MANA is not full, restore a percentage of their maximum MANA at the end of the turn.
Actually, I imagine as a result of all the death, my body appears to have been working on its efficiency. I don't know that anyone noticed, of course, but I have—lasting just a bit longer in the field without recharging is always nice.
Oh, we've noticed. Proud of you, kiddo!
I hope you know that due to our age gap, you are the only person I permit to call me 'kiddo'.
Oh I'm aware.
But I wanna call Koron 'kiddo'
Wait, no I don't. What am I talking about?
Ah, always desiring what we cannot have. Thus are humans, no?
It's.
Free.
Real.
Estate.
Tier 4 Skills
Bolt Avenge
Deals ranged MAT-based lightning damage. Can target one enemy or all enemies.
At times before, I've managed feats thought impossible without killing myself, but I will admit that even with all of this practice, I'm not truly at full form, and likely never will be. This body of mine forbids it.
But I can summon lightning from the heavens, so I suppose that'll do for the time being.
'That'll do', she says.
Have you looked in a mirror lately, 'Raging Bomber'?
Seriously, you're both making the rest of us normies look bad.
True true
I think you're all quite pretty, regardless of your capabilities.
What?
Richter. That's not what that phrase means.
It's not?
This is basically Koron's ultimate offensive skill, and come endgame she'll be hurling it a lot—meaning she'll be running out of MP quick, mind you, but the numbers do not lie. Bolt Avenge does a lot of damage.
Concentrate
Increases the damage of the user's next magic attack.
Does not affect Fantasy Zone.
Seeing Chisa in action lately has actually made me consider attempting to mimic that technique of hers where her movements still.
Oh, yes! I've been trying to figure out how that works. You see—
Considering Chisa's unique powerset, I imagine it works through the building of cognitive energy to create a slingshot-like magnification to her strike. I doubt I could manage something quite so effective, but I imagine with time that I'll be able to mimic at least some of it.
You know, you're the only person who's ever really managed to keep up with her.
Pardon?
I mean, even back in Iorys, there was nobody who really worked together with her like you do. You keep up with her when you're talking, and when you're fighting. You two kinda just fit together great.
Plus you've got those lovely opposed color schemes and vibes. I couldn't ask for a better duo with my lovely ladyfriend.
...Is that so. I'm glad I pass muster.
It's just she hasn't really had a friend like you in a long time. So, thanks!
Mmhm.
Concentrate + Bolt Avenge is conditionless huge damage. Concentrate has no fancy tricks like Motionless, but nevertheless it's obviously a gain in overall damage.
Auto-Recover
The user gains a chance to, when a party member has an ailment inflicted on them, immediately cure the afflicted party member of all ailments.
Is it possible that your cognitive duplicates could eventually start acting on their own, if you became more capable?
Perhaps. I imagine it would be nice if they could. I do value my mind being as whole as I could manage, but even some manner of autonomy would be pleasant.
Yeah, Koron has three Auto Skills. I don't know why they gave her so many, but they did!
I find myself somewhat fascinated by that idea of creating a small zone of your own internal logic, though. How do you manage that? Through a similar idea?
To be honest, I can only manage it in such small bursts that I'm unsure exactly how to describe it. For once, I'm at a loss for words.
...It's likely a frightening place, in my world. Perhaps I could drag the dragons into it were I figure out how.
Koron...
What?
...Nothing.
If you say so.
i'd like to see your world someday
...I heard that.
BWAHHH
EX Skill
Dark Invasion
Deals ranged MAT-based damage to one enemy. Reduces the target's damage dealt and increases their damage taken for a set amount of turns.
You can use this with Concentrate, yanno. Of the three damaging EX Skills it deals the least damage, but the debuff is pretty sexy, and with Concentrate it's not like it doesn't do some damage.
That's about it, then?
Yes. That'll be all. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to attempt to rest my head. It seems that lack of sleep is catching up with me, and I should take what I can get.
So should you, Satsuki.
lol
Right, yes, well, I can't really sleep in very well, so I'll find something or another to do!
Thanks for the chat!
Of course. I'm sorry I couldn't be as flashy or stunning as the rest of you.
...
You're awfully worried about her, huh?
Mmhm. I get this feeling like she kind of hates herself, and... well, I don't think she should, but I'm not sure how to say something.
That's not the only thing you're not sure how to say, is it?
GWAAAAA
Is it that obvious
Knowing Koron, I imagine she thinks it's mostly a joke, or just totally casual.
WELL,
that's actually not surprising at all considering the way i, y'know, talk, so,
But y'know like
How do I say something about that?! I've never done it before?!
You're asking the wrong lady, Satsuki.
oh yeah i guess i am huh
But hey, if you ask me, maybe just... keep hanging out with her, and knowing you, it'll come out when the time's right. Right?
true true
I donno, I guess I just... want her to think I'm special. Y'know?
