Waking Dream - Devil Survivor CYOA

You stay in a defensive position around Bast and Vorvadoss.  The witches close in, stopping just outside of your attack range.  All together, they try to rush past you.  Each of you is able to intercept one group, but two run past you, as if you weren't even there.  They swarm Vorvadoss en masse.  He weaves through the first wave of attacks as best he can, he cloak undulating at he moves, making it difficult to tell where he really is.  One launches a fire spell at him, but he absorbs the blow.  Another launches an ice dance his way.  Vorvadoss freezes in place, injured.

The group of witches that you stopped you poisons King Frost.  You and Frost injure one of the supporting witches, but Thor has a different idea.  He grabs the lead witch by the head and smashes Mjolnir into her.  You're surprised how much damage he did with the others protecting her, but you decide to take a chance and follow up his attack.  You dive, slashing with your talons and pecking with your beak.  The witch dies, seemingly dissolving into thin air.  Her partners disappear alongside her.

When you check on the others, Gregory's killed both the supporting witches and hurt the leader, without taking much damage himself.  Kumiko's a bit worse for wear, and Gagyson is barely standing.  All her enemies are still standing, though they're injured.  One of the witches casts a healing spell, and Kumiko's work is undone.  George answers by healing Kumiko's team.  George himself's managed to take a support witch down without taking much damage himself.

Two more groups of witches appear in the distance, the same way the others did.

"Interesting," you hear Rita muttering to herself as she flaps around above the fight.  "It looks like they must be using some kind of miniaturized wormhole... or really advanced cloaking technology.  Probably the former...  Interesting indeed.  But how are they doing it?"

"Does knowing any of that help us right now!?" Gregory calls up.

"U-um...  No...  N-not by itself, anyway..." Rita admits.

(A) Stay on the defensive
(B) Retreat
(C) Split up and have (choose 1-2) intercept the new witches

You order everyone to stay back and focus on the witches that are already here.  Kumiko takes down her witch with an Assassination attack, though Gagyson doesn't make it through the battle.  Gregory and George team up against the wounded witches, while you take down one of the two attacking Vorvadoss, the one with the ice magic.

The witch attacks Vorvadoss, hitting him with a fire spell. "Haha... That's better!" he laughs. He seems to have gained a bit of health back.

Another two teams of witches step out of the aether.

"Oh, I got a glimpse of how their portals work!  They're connected somewhere else!  So it's like a wormhole...  But how are they-"

"Not helping!" Gregory tells her.

"We're going to get overwhelmed!" George warns as the four new groups of witches begin to advance.

"You're fine!" Bast announces.  "Ready, Vorvi?"

"Let's do it, Bast!" he answers.  A surge of energy erupts from the pair.  You feel a burst of strength, a wave of refreshment.  You feel like you've healed a bit, and your mana's regenerated.

You form a line, ready for the next group of witches.  You can keep this up as long as you-

Another portal opens.  This one's barely visible as a shimmer fluttering within the surrounding air.  It's huge, crackling with energy.  You can sense an overwhelming presence preparing to emerge...

A small brown rat comes scampering through.

A2.

I hate having to keep pushing attack, but we need to stop those wormholes automatically. At this point, we'll die before we even reach Ratty. So I'm all for finding the source of these wormholes...unless Ratty is the source.

If so, we'll just take down his/her honor guard and then finish him. Seriously.

You tell everyone to cut through those witches and take down that stupid rat!

"Now we're talking!" Gregory cheers.  George charges past him, bowling a pair of witches over as he runs by.  Gregory slithers in his wake, calling on Grey.  Grey pulls the rat over, and Gregory pounces on him.  The rat dodges his bite, and starts casting a spell.  Man in Black leaps in front, firing a strange pistol at the rat.  The runes appearing around the rat suddenly dissipate.  It squeaks in apparent confusion.

Kumiko rolls forward, next to challenge the squeaky little demon.  With its magic sealed, it does the only thing it can think of.  It pounces on Kumiko the tanuki, and the two go rolling backwards.  The rat takes several bites out of her before she manages to throw him off.  Lily Black takes care of Kumiko's wounds as she turns around and starts smacking the rat back, ending with a sweep of her tail that sends it sprawling.  It's all the opening you need...

"H-hey... I just remembered an old story..." Rita says from above.

"Is this actually helpful?" Gregory asks.

"Ah..." Rita cries.

"Be nice, Greg!" George demands.  "Go on with yer story, Rita!"

"W-well...  U-um...  T-there's an... an old legend about... about a man condemned for...  f-for witchcraft, but...  but, um...  when they w-went to get him from his cell...  h-he was g-gone, and th-there was... was just a rat.  A-and... um... rumors say the rat's still around..."

"Wait, I think I've heard this story," Gregory thinks aloud.  "You're talking about the legend of... er...  Brown Jenkins, is it?"

The rat whirls around towards Gregory and you swoop down on him.  You cast Agi, and the rat shrugs it off.  Thor tries to smash it with his hammer, but the rat weaves in and out of the blows.  King Frost unleashes a wave of ice, and the rat freezes solid.  You savagely lash out with your talons, sending chunks of rat scattering to the ground.

The rat collapses.  The witches recoil in shock.  You turn, ready to deal with them.  Something small and furry slams into you, knocking you to the ground.  The rat pins you to the ground, tearing into you with its fangs as it screeches in rage.

A gust of wind sends the both of you flying, but at least it disentangles you.  The woman steps out of nowhere, just like the witches before her.  She flings another gust of wind at the rat.

"Wha?  Who's this guy!?" Gregory asks.  "Well, whatever.  As long as he's on our side."

You ask if he's blind.  She's clearly a woman!  And a creepy one, at that!

"You can tell all that?" George asks.  "You must know a whole lot 'bout fish..."

Fish?  What is he talking about...?

"Do you know this fish-lady?" Kumiko asks.

Yes, you tell her.  She's been stalking your dreams for a month, and popping up all over town.

"That's... uh..." Kumiko says.  The woman gives you a grin and walks forward.  "H-hey, don't you have anything to say for yourself?"  The woman shakes her head and keeps menacingly advancing on the rat.

She raises her hand and throws another burst of wind at him.  The rat springs forward, instantly growing in size and changing shape.  He reveals himself as an impossibly ancient man.  He hurls a gust back at the woman, and the two crash harmlessly against each other.  Her confident smirk is replaced by an annoyed frown.

A pair of witches join the old man to form a team.  The rest reform into five teams around him.  The woman summons a Sarasvati and a Mahakala, then waits for the rest of you expectantly.

"Er...  Should we trust her?" Gregory asks.

"I can tell you she's not the one who was trying to abduct you," Vorvadoss says.  "It was that old man.  I'm sure of it."

(A) Fight with the woman
(B) Attack the woman
(C) Avoid the woman and keep fighting the witches

BGM Shift - Devil Summoner 2 ~ Fiend Battle

---

You don't like it, but the enemy of your enemy's your friend... for now.  At the very least, she's not actively trying to kill you, which is more than you can say for the grey-bearded old man in the brown cloak and his gaggle of giggling witches.

You hop forward and take a spot next to the woman.  She gives you a glimpse before returning to staring down the old man.  Your friends follow suit, forming a line beside her.  The old man frowns, and the witch team that's been hounding Vorvadoss returns to his side.  Another two teams materialize and join them.  Eight groups of witches and the old man's team.

To your dismay, another group of witches starts to appear.  The woman raises her palm, points at the distortion, and clenches her fist.  The portal snaps shut, and the witches halfway through fall over several pounds lighter.  She wags a finger at the old man, then folds her arms, cocks her head back, and gives him that smug come-and-get-me smirk she usually reserves for you.

...You somehow feel a small pang of jealousy...

"The stability of the dimension just spiked," Bast calls out.

"So... no more enemy reinforcements?" Rita asks.

"At least as long as... er... Fish-lady stays focused on stopping them!" Bast explains.

"Alright, Kira, I've got more information for you!  About that rat's team, and our new friend!" Vorvadoss calls out.  You feel a bit disoriented as data comes flooding unbidden to the forefront of your mind.

---

Unknown Brown Jenkins
Level 36
Commands: Demon Dance, Life Drain, Dream Eater
Passive: Quick Move, Mana Surge, Mana Aid
Weaknesses: ???
Resistances: ???

Fallen Witch x2
Level 28
Commands: Dormina, Media, Marin Karin
Passive: Mana Aid, Dodge
Weaknesses: Fire
Resistances: Curse (reflect)

Fish-lady ???
Level ???
Commands: ???
Passive: ???
Weaknesses: None
Resistances: ???

---

Mysterious Woman: 
(A) Continue to stop enemy reinforcements (like Bast and Vorvadoss, she'll be unable to fight - though her demons will still be able to)
(B) Fight (each round, 33% chance of 1-3 witches appearing)

Everyone Else: 
(1) Pick off any stragglers
(2) Spread out and try to break their formation
(3) Attack!
(4) Stay on the defensive, but keep well ahead of your supports
(5) Drop back as far as possible

This is it, you tell everyone.  While Fish-Lady keeps more enemies from popping in, you're going to split the enemy's force and chip away at it.

This quickly proves easier said than done.  The enemy horde swarms at Fish-Lady en masse.  George and Gregory only manage to draw off two teams.  Gregory challenges his, Man in Black's silence proving to be absolutely devastating to the witches, who continue to wordlessly, uselessly chant their spells even as Gregory and Grey tear into them.  Kumiko rushes in before the silence wears off, easily destroying what's left of their formation.  George has a bit more trouble, focusing his efforts to bring down one witch while his Battle Aura only absorbs a few hits.  Kijinuma is badly damaged by a fire spell.  Lailah's Diarama brings him back, and Kijinuma soothes the rest of the injuries after the fight with his Fairy Dust.  You come in to mop up, cutting through the two survivors with almost no injury.

Only one group of witches manages to make it to Fish-Lady.  It doesn't go well for them.  Even with Fish-Lady completely focused on preventing more witches from appearing, her demons prove quite formidable.  Fish-Lady shrugs off the handful of spells that come her way as Mahakala becomes a whirlwind of blades, unleashing an overwhelming number of strikes in a short period.  Sarasvati lends her music, siphoning one witch's magic power.  In the aftermath of the fight, Fish-Lady barely has a scratch and her demons are untouched, while only two of the witches remain.

The remaining five witch teams all bear down own Fish-Lady.  At this rate, she's going to be surrounded...

(A) Rush the boss
(B) Keep chipping away at the witches
(C) Defend

Your 4 units can be assigned separately.

You send Gregory and George to help Fishy.  They jump to either side of her, stopping the witches from surrounding her - and drawing their attention.  One group of witches attacks Fishy, managing to injure Sarasvati rather severely.  She strums her instrument and heals herself while Mahakala attacks the witches.  The other four groups split between Gregory and George, attacking furiously.  Grey falls under the relentless barrage, while Man in Black and Gregory are stuck on the defensive.  George fairs a bit better, but just a bit - their initial barrage brings his entire team dangerously low, but he manages to barely hang on thanks to his Life Drain and Battle Aura.  He manages to rally enough to deliver a counterattack to one of the teams, at least, though he doesn't do much damage.  Lailah offers some of her blood to the rest of her team, and George hesitantly accepts - drinking it restores his spirit, leaving him ready to keep going.

Kumiko goes after one of the teams attacking Gregory, while you move to assist George.  Kumiko rushes in with her Assassinate skill again.  The witch endures, turning around to unleash a wall of flame.  Kumbhanda isn't able to weather the assault and collapses back into your stock, unusable.  Kumiko shrugs the attack off, lunging in for another attack and bringing the team's leader down - the others scatter.  You flap your new-found wings and unleash a small blizzard at the team George weakened.  Two of the witches freeze solid, one shattering on her own, the other reduced to dust under Thor's hammer.  King Frost crushes the last under a mountain of ice.

The old man finally joins the fray himself, going after Kumiko.  Rita calls down a warning, and she turns just in time to see the bearded warlock twirling, unleashing a Demon Dance spell.  Several bolts rain down, slashing Kumiko's health.  Lilim Black intercedes with a healing spell, taking the brunt of the damage from the former rat's two partners.  Kumiko leaps at the group, attacking wildly with her Multi-Strike.  The old man moves with surprising grace, evading most of the blows.  He reaches out, grabbing at the air in Kumiko's direction.  Exhausted from her wild attack, she gasps and grabs at her chest - as well as her stumpy arms can manage - before collapsing to the ground.  The old man stands tall again, as if shaking off what little damage she was able to deal.

---

Allies:
Kira/Thor/King Frost
George (wounded)/Lailah (wounded)/Kijinuma
Gregory (badly wounded)/Man in Black (lightly wounded)
Fishy (occupied)/Sarasvati (wounded)/Mahakala (lightly wounded)
Bast (occupied)
Vorvadoss (occupied, lightly wounded)

Enemy:
Witch (wounded) x1
Witch (lightly wounded) x2
Old Man/witch (wounded) x2

Kira/George/Gregory:
(A) Keep going after the witches
(B) Switch focus to the old man
(C) Fall back and heal

Fish-Lady:
(1) Continue blocking enemy reinforcements
(2) Start fighting

Kumiko's KO'd. And you don't know/have a demon with Recarm yet.

Gregory and George drop back to heal.  You keep attacking the witches.

A witch attacks Fishy, but it ends as badly for her as every other that attacked her.  You take down another team.  Thor's injuries are starting to add up, and King Frost is running out of magic.

"Hang in there, everyone!  Just a little more!" Bast cheers you on.  A wave of healing spreading from the ground at her feet.

The rat-mage forces his way past the last surviving group of his witches, a furious scowl on his face.  He points at Fishy's Sarasvati and a pale blue aura siphons from her lips, funneling into Rat-man.  His witches unleash a wave of spells at her.  Sarasvati strums her instrument, but no sound comes out.  Mahakala slashes at the transformed rat, but the attack doesn't connect.  The rat's witches finish off Sarasvati.

"Tch."  Fishy is clearly unhappy.

Rat takes aim at Fishy, unleashing a stream of wind.  Fishy loses her concentration for a moment.  She raises her palm, summoning a sigil to ward off the attack.  In the brief instant that she holds the barrier, a portal starts to open.  Fishy drops the barrier and takes the full force of the spell, but manages to slam the portal shut.

You pick off the last of the witch teams.  The old man is left with just his two partners.  One casts media.

---

Allies:
Kira/Thor (wounded)/King Frost
(lightly wounded)
George/Lailah/Kijinuma
Gregory (lightly wounded)/Man in Black
Fishy (wounded, occupied)/Mahakala (wounded)
Bast (occupied)
Vorvadoss (occupied)

Enemy:
Old Man/witch (wounded) x2

Choose an order to attack in.  If you want Fishy to attack, she'll stop blocking reinforcements.