Protect your people.

After the reverberating words of who you assume to be the Summerlord, there's a long, uncomfortable tension, where nobody yet attacks, not even those of light. Even Gwyn remains still, watching their movements closely. There are many present. You're group is completely surrounded. Some are armed with ranged weapons as well, so you dare not make a move until you know it's the right one. You're powerful, as are your people, though some are weaker than others, and nobody is invincible. Not even a bird makes a noise. The wind dies completely. In the far distance, you can just barely make out the soothing sound of the ocean's waves. You yearn for it now, as it's becoming hotter by the moment. The sun's rays shine down intensely though the opening in the trees above.

Just then, the coconut falls.

The moment it hits the ground, everything happens.

Your eyes widen as the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight. With incredible reaction time, you pivot on your foot and swing out with your blade just before an arrow of light would have struck Meti in the back. Instead, the magic of your blade easily parries away the energy of the projectile, and it shatters into a series of tiny flashes. You peer at one of the Mask-Men up in a tree, carved eyes thin as if squinting down at you. He easily stands within the branches while wielding his bow, garbed in only a loin cloth, as is the same with his brethren. Your Kitty Sense suggests to you that they're nothing more than constructs, however, as you're unable to read any emotion or intention whatsoever from them.

"Got it!" Tom lowers himself down, aims up, and fires a real arrow straight back at him. It sticks into the Mask-Man's shoulder. He then immediately reaches for another arrow, but the melee combatants have already made their way close enough. Before he can even raise his weapon, one wielding a spear and shield comes down at him.

Vodrani snarls and clutches the shield of light between her hands. Even with her strength, however, she can only match the push. She drops the scabbard in the process, which Tom notices a moment after. He lets his bow go, scrambles for his other weapon, and then draws his sword in time to swing at the Mask-Man threatening his partner. It seems she was about to get a spear in the stomach if not for this intervention. While the strike barely connects, the Mask-Man is **** to dodge back.

Niki look back to the bunny behind her with a grin. "Do it."

With a nod and a deep breath, Eva slaps her palm up against the warrior's back. "Here goes nothing. I hope this works... Look Here!" she casts. It's a spell you haven't heard of or seen before, but suddenly you feel a pull on your mind. An invisible shockwave extends well beyond the edges of the clearing, and a moment later, many of the individuals, friend or foe, turn in unison to gaze upon Niki. You resist, as does Gwyn, and a few others between your side and the Mask-Men, but many have their attention stolen.

Niki looks around at the results, a little embarrassed. "Ah. This is weird, but it's also exactly what I wanted. Bring it on, damn it! You'll never break me. Especially not when I use Aegis!" Using some magic of her own, a strange energy sears down along her flesh. From top to bottom, all her skin tints to grey, as if suddenly coated in a fine layer of polished steel. She moves more slowly with this in affect, though that doesn't seem to bother her. She's where she wants to be.

Two foes with masks lung forward with axes, and behind them, a spear threads forward. An addition one from afar fires an arrow at her, immediately followed by a second. This barrage of attacks is violent and sudden, though Niki raises her shield to catch one of the arrows, while the other strikes her chest. The tip of the arrow sticks for only a moment before falling, and then disappearing in a flash of light. Next, she blocks an axe with her shield, and doesn't budge even an inch from the impact. Knowing she can't stop the other two strikes, she throws her weight forwards. The head of the spear cuts past her midsection, cutting through her swimsuit though not her flesh. While tackling the Mask-Men in front of her, the second axe-user can't even find an angle to attack anymore.

"Oh hey. New spell, Eva?" you ask.

She looks back, bright-eyed as if she took that as praise. "I've been sucking on a certain something."

"Uh--"

"Th-The Crystal Star I mean! I didn't want to say anything until I knew I got it. Even now, I didn't mean for that to affect everyone... Spells learned this way are weird, but I was able to absorb its magic, and now I can cast--"

"Gale!" calls out Amara from behind her. She thrusts the head of her staff under Eva's arm, and a hefty blast of wind rushes forth like a concentrated hurricane. A few oncoming Mask-Men go tumbling back into the underbrush. With a heavy breath, she looks to Eva with pink in her cheeks. "P-Please be careful, Eva. We have little time to talk."

"Sorry, Amara. Let's stay close. We might both be casters, but they won't be able to get through both of us."

It doesn't take long before attention is away from Niki again, or rather, those who do attack her do so by their own will. None were really able to take proper advantage of it other than Niki herself, due to so many people on your own side being distracted as well, though your attention is grabbed suddenly by a burst of light followed by the clank of a wooden mask to the ground.

Fang emerges from high in a palm tree, clinging to the trunk with ease. "Got one!" she calls out. It appears one person was able to do so. Eva's spell didn't grab her eyes, and the irony isn't lost on you.

Whether she was pushed to do better by Fang's actions or the timing is coincidence, but as soon as that one perished, Gwyn eliminates two by herself in the center of the clearing. Her movements are swift and precise. She moves with elegance and focus. So far, the Mask-Men have been unable to even touch her, and the point of her rapier slips through their bodies like a hot knife though butter. "Do not fly high, Anyana. They will strike you," she commands. "Stay low, but eliminate those in the trees. Nelli, clear the perimeter. There are too many in the tall grass who wish to take us by surprise."

"Yes, my lady!" the anglermaid calls back, swimming through the air close to the ground, though she's uniquely above to aim upwards with her front towards the sky, as if attacking while laying on her back, while also moving fluidly to dodge any oncoming attacks. From her quiver, she nocks and fires arrow after arrow, striking at all she can.

"It shall be done," says Nelli. She looks perhaps more odd than any other here, though unlike her companion, she has feet to move on. She hustles across the glade to the trees, and strikes out with her flail at unseen targets beyond.

Alice throws herself forward, tumbling right by an axe-wielding man of light. The moment she's back on her feet, she fires a blast of magic from her arm cannon, putting a crater into his back. She then kicks out with her foot, not causing him to fall unfortunately, but to stumble at least, which is enough time to blast him in the face. His body of energy comes apart, and it fizzles away until only a mask remains by Alice's feet. She then locks eyes onto both Meti and Luna, who aren't far away. She grabs onto her own shoulder, and pulls it straight off its socket.

"Luna," she calls out. As soon as the moth turns, she tosses her own arcane cannon to the other. Then she raises her other arm, and it transforms in the exact same manner. "Every time you say the word fire, it will charge for exactly one second before a minor blast. If you requite a heavier attack, instead say explosion. I will hear, and I will react. After five seconds, prepare yourself for it to unleash." Then without any more explanation, she runs back into combat.

"Wh--" Luna is caught off guard. She looks to the weapon in her arms, and aims it up like some sort of rifle, not that she has any idea what that would be. She looks to Meti, but the two of them can't do much before a Mask-Man with terrifying eyes lunges at them. "Oh, uhm. Fire!" She then gasps in panic as the weapon blasts the attacker in the stomach, but also causes her to stumble back from the unexpected recoil.

Meti squeezes her fist as if holding something within. "That is quite the weapon," she says.

"I'll say. I think I quite like it actually." Her wings flutter, though she doesn't dare fly up. Instead, she holds the weapon up in both her arms and aims it at the next target. "Fire! Fire! Fire!"

A Mask-Man falls to the ground, and both his shield and spear tumble from his hands. Then, a second does much the same right next to him. This is due to grass and vines sprouting out from the soil to grapple their ankles, and while said bindings snap with ease, their mission is completed. With the enemies on the ground, Ariusia thrusts both her bladed appendages into the back of one of them, slaying him with ease.

Anastasia stares at the other. She freezes.

"Get him, girl! Crush him!" the mantis calls out as she pulls back her blades.

"But I--" She flushes red, looking down at her half-naked body. "I c-can't..."

The second the Mask-Man stands, you dart by like a gust of wind. "Flare Blade," you say as you move, and a stream of pink flames trail behind you. With one swift movement, you bisect the man of light from between his legs to his head. His body erupts into fire, falls back, and shatters to fragments. As you stand there proudly in your trunk, wielding Lauo and staring back at Anastasia, she looks to you in awe. "You can."

After taking a deep breath, her exhale whimpers. "What am I doing?" she asks herself. "I'm a proud cleric of Varat, and I'm the only one not fighting. It doesn't matter if you're wearing those distracting clothes, or if I'm in this embarrassing but admittedly kinda cute outfit. I'll protect my people too! These creatures look like they're made from light, but they're twisted. This is not the light of Lasis at all." She then lifts the censer she carries. With a newfound focus, she swings it calmly left and right as she channels her magic. A rush of pale light causes her vibrant red hair to shine even brighter, and after calling out, "Guardians of Light!" her censor burns bright gold.

Four shapes manifest around her. Each one is near featureless, like a silhouette, though completely golden. They're figures of gorgeous woman with feathered wings, and their alluring bodies are nearly naked. All that covers them are long flowing sheets of paper with a writing you don't recognize coiling around their bodies. All of them wield a mace. They don't stray far from where she stands, but as she moves forward, they shift in space along with her. When they near one of the Mask-Men, they strike. While they do little to dodge, it seems they don't react much to the damage they receive--simply fading more and more as they're hit by axes, spears, and arrows.

"Wowza. So it's all right if you summon naked hotties?" Fang asks right after rising up from yet another kill.

A stroke of red runs across the cleric's face. "Th-This isn't the same! They are not creatures, but symbols of righteousness and beauty. So don't look at them in that way."

"... Oh I'll look at them," Fang mutters with a devious smile.

This place is feeling claustrophobic. We need more room. And while Gwyn knew somewhat of our enemy, she doesn't know much. For all we know, these masks are endless. It's time to switch up our strategy. "Fall back to the beach!" you order. "Stay close together and defend yourselves, but fall back to the beach! Anastasia, protect the rear by Niki with your Guardians of Light. Clear the way forward, Peony and Ariusia. Everyone else, in the center. Go!"

"You will not give me commands," Gwyn says with a furled brow, but after a moment, she waves a hand to her companions. "Come. We shall find new grounds outside of these trees."

While Niki continues to protect those around her by use of her own body, one with a shield and spear dashes up to her specifically. He raises his guard, but she reacts by thrusting her forehead straight into the center, causing it to shatter to pieces in his grasp. The moment he opens up, she drops her Aegis. Her skin returns to normal, as does her speed, and she swings her mace right into the side of his head, obliterating it to pieces. "Keep going!" she yells. "We aren't far!"

While more Mask-Men try to keep up, the stunning and angelic Guardians of Light do work. One falls, and the rest are weakened, but it's difficult for any foes to get close.

Meti then finally throws what she carries. Three pebbles hit the ground. The Mask-Men run right overtop of them as there's nothing yet to see, though they don't notice the rocks rumbling, as well as growing, until it's too late. Each of them turns into a short and stout creature of stone, and they leap onto the backs of the nearest Mask-Men, using their weight to pull them down, as well as their hardy strength to beat them to a pulp.

"Fire!" Luna shouts, blasting one in the face. Right beside her is Alice who is doing much the same.

"Incredible multitasking, Alice," you say.

"It is how I was designed," she replies.

"You were not designed to do anything you've been doing since I met you. That's pure effort and skill."

"Please do not distract me right now. It is difficult to focus while blushing."