Fortissimo EXS // Trigger: Verzweiflung (IC thread)

[hero]

Kajiki Uta
Location Unknown – Time Unknown (Afternoon?)


"I am the strongest after all."

Recovering in mid-air, your alter ego says so with a wide grin on her face. At first one could confuse it with arrogance, but a single glance at her ecstatic expression would be enough to reveal that she's definitively enjoying fighting against you. Yes, this Kajiki Uta would not get mad if you manage to land a hit on her; quite the opposite actually, for her, the battle is more fun the more challenging it becomes. If there is a difference between false and original, it is that the former already believes herself to be the strongest. While the latter has found plenty of tough enemies to fight against, the former is still searching for one who can match her.

And no wonder she has remained invict... Even as she fights the one she's based of, the results so far have shown that she vastly outclasses the original in terms of creativity alone. That's right, the only reason why this Kajiki Uta has managed to get this far without sustaining a single injury is because she has proved to be able to think outside the box. Coming from an individual who hardly bothers jumping out of the way when an attack is coming, it says something of just much of a terrifying opponent she is. If you don't put forward more effort into this confrontation, not only will you lose, you won't even be able to touch her.

"We're not done yet-!"

A back somersault puts an abrupt girl to the Magus momentum and her feet slam hard against the ground, with so much force that the earth shatters and quakes under the pressure. Cocytus is the river of lamentation, one that will freeze any part of her body that gets caught within its waters. However, when it comes down to it, the strength of its current does not even reach hers... With a single swing she could send the river elsewhere. That's right, when dealing with Cocytus, its offensive power is not as much of a problem as its sheer volume. Even if the replica tries to deflect the torrent of destruction, she will be overpowered by its sheer range.

"...!"

If that's the case, what she needs is to add range to her attacks.

The earth right blow her feet sinks. In contrast, what's in front of them rises from the ground. In a motion that lasts only a second and a half, the dog woman grabs that chunk of terrain with her free hand and tosses it towards you. No, that's wrong... What this Kajiki Uta grabs is not merely a portion but seemingly the entire thing. She lifts a KM² worth of landscape and throws it alongside you. The water collides against this barrier but fails to pierce through, ultimately canceling out your attack and putting a stop to your advance. What's more, since the battlefield wasn't lifted that very high into the air, you quickly lose your balance as the earth overturns.

There's little time to react.

[hero]

Kurokami Hotaru
Near Shopping District​ - Afternoon


"Do you take me for a fool...? That's not how it works, little lady. Even if I know everything while you are still in the dark, I am no hero, I have no obligation to help you, nor any desire to do so."

The man closes his eyes for a brief moment, sounding disappointed. It is true that he has been unable to read your intentions through the entirety of your speech, however, that has never been a requirement to know where you were going with your request. After all, while your blank expression hid everything from view and your voice did not carry any tone that could be associated with any particular emotion, the words spoken have left all that needed to be known pretty clear. Whether Kurokami Hotaru wants information for malicious purposes or simply out of curiosity hardly matters, as she is not getting such information either way.

Having done nothing to prove your value to the man or to gain his trust, the only reason why you are still having a conversation is your proposal at the end. Naturally, it would seem that Seth is more interested in having you by his side than simply turning you into a stain on the street. Do not misunderstand however, he is not a stupid person, and his experience far outshines yours, even if his Magical power might not. Merely playing innocent lamb isn't going to make this man change his mind.

"... And I guess I do not need to kill her. Then again, she is my enemy... And an annoying one at that. I believe the question you should be asking is 'Is there a reason for her to be alive?', to which I cannot think of a more suitable answer than 'no'."

Though his patience has a limit, Seth remains confident even as his response buys you some time. This most likely means that his plan is already in motion... He already has all the pieces where he wants them to be and so, he is neither worried nor in a rush. Caught in this scenario and with all the odds stacked against you, there isn't much you can do to oppose him if you value your life.

"She has no information that I desire or do not all ready know of, and she is not valuable to me as an asset either. Hell, if she wasn't as stubborn as she is, she should already be dead."

As on cue, the bodies of Seth's former comrades turn into stardust, flying up to the heavens to meet the rest of the fallen. Their Magical Reserves do not go to either you or your opponent, instead heading into the unknown...

"But since you appear to be so... Attached to this person, why don't you put an end to her life yourself?"

He does not forget... Whatever your intentions were, you decided to side with Sawai the moment you saved her from that sea of poison. To the man standing in front of you, you are no other than a friend of Mihou. So in order to prove him wrong... He is asking you to do what a friend would not be capable of.

"If you do, I may give you a chance and take you with me."

In your arms, it seems the swordswoman has regained a bit of her consciousness thanks to your touch, now being able to open her eyes and stare at yours. The grip on her weapon tightens, but it does not seem like she has the strength to move her body, much less attack.

[hero]

Nakamura Shinji
Residential District​ - Afternoon


"..."

For the sake of his wish, Nakamura Shinji becomes a lonely existence. Friends, comrades even family, all is tossed into the flame if it means moving a step closer to his desire. This proves it... More than someone who has surpassed human limits and stepped into a new world, the world of Magic, you have become a cold-blooded killer. No matter who dares stand in your way, you can rest assured that you will not lose any sleep over their deaths.

What a selfish yet clever way to eliminate someone stronger than you in every regard: Kushima Chie did not oppose anything other than the end of her own life and yet you managed to fool her to walk straight into it. There were perhaps plenty of reasons for you to keep your new companion alive and only a few to finish her off this early, but it cannot be helped. In the end, the decision you make is the one that's more natural to Nakamura Shinji.

For a moment, the only sound that fills the air is that of the flames engulfing the supply bunker. The timing and the angle of your combination attack was flawless... Though you've lost the skills granted to you by your Magical Weapon, the opening created by the console explosion more than made up for it. What's more, you are confident that your target would not be able to survive even a fraction of the onslaught you unleashed upon her. In hindsight, this wouldn't have been possible without the information about her that the slave shared with you beforehand. It was through that data that you managed to develop a plan to counter her by exploiting her only weakness: Loyalty.

"...!"

Unfortunately, the mistake Nakamura Shinji makes is a glaring one. He does not consider the possibility of Kushima Chie making a move after checkmate. It's impossible, so his mind does not register it. Or perhaps it does, but he never makes an effort to immediately put his Plan B in motion.

And against a Magus, be it a natural or artificial one, anything slower than 'immediate' will not do.

A sword of electricity stabs the man formerly known as the Raven, piercing through his defenses as if they were made of paper. A bolt of lightning slow enough for him to perceive but fast enough to grant him no escape from its wrath. Blood in large amounts stains the street, evidence of your own mortality. As the roar of lightning vanishes, your body drops to the floor to meet the cold blood that was once a part of you. How regrettable, in believing that you had defeated an opponent which you should not have been capable of, you left your body wide open for the counter attack. Even if, in the end, you somehow managed to throw yourself to the side and prevent it from hitting your heart, there is a hole right below your shoulder and your right arm is gone along with it.

You'll die of blood loss soon enough.

Footsteps are heard. With the aid of an adrenaline rush, you put all your remaining strength into retrieving one weapon, any weapon, to defend yourself against the incoming threat... But it is useless. She's five times as fast as you currently are, and just as stronger. A rib crushing kick is all that's necessary to finally separate you from your equipment. You are literally thrown by the force of the impact and you crash against the vehicle which you already started up before hand. Above the pain that you experience, your entire body feels heavy and about to give... That's right, this pain is nothing to someone like you who've been through so much, but it is to your now mortal body.

If only, if only you could reach the inside of the vehicle, maybe you'd stand a chance of living through this.

"..."

Kushima Chie stands there, staring into nothingness. A good part of her clothing has been torn and destroyed, and a good forty percent of her body reveals burn injuries. However, she is very much alive, slowly healing those injuries. Alongside her is a railgun almost too big for her to be able to carry... Her 'Miracle', the equivalent of a Mahou-tsukai Magical Weapon. So that's what she used in order to survive: Kiseki-Tsukai are not bound to their weapons the same way Mahou-tsukai are to theirs. Losing their weapon does not mean losing their lives. If that is the case, what a Kiseki-Tsukai must protect is not the weapon but their own lives. Being far more durable than Chie's own body, the weapon has done a good job in shielding the little girl from death. Furthermore, Kushima appears to have cauterized her wounds with self-inflicted burns. It must have been a painful procedure...

"Only through living can I obtain something worth knowing... Therefore, I will live through this and learn. No matter who it might be, a person who wants me dead is my enemy."

There is no pity or mercy within those eyes. There is no condemning glare within them, either. It's the gaze of something who announces an absolute truth with confidence. Striping you of your half-broken helmet and any other equipment you might have to defend yourself in your sad state before you even get the chance of taking her down with you, the girl proceeds to board the vehicle and seal its entrance.

Accelerating, the little girl leaves you to your own death.

-------

Wise up!

name: Kushima Chie
Codename: Kirin

HP: 150
MP: 500
WHP: 480
REGEN: 10

Power: C (40)
Speed: C (40)
Range: A (60)
Vitality: F (10)
Precision: A (60)
Mana: B (50)
Potential: C (40)


Armament:

Raiden- Thunder and Lightning
Chie’s magical armament takes on the form of a massive railgun. As one would guess, the gun itself utilizes lightning to attack instead of bullets and, for this same reason, is not a weapon suited for rapid fire. Furthermore, because of the weapon’s size and weight, it is troublesome for Chie to utilize effectively should she have to face an opponent head-on. It is for these reasons that Chie has opted to utilize her weapon in a more tactical manner; much like a sniper rifle. Though it lacks the ability to be used in standard combat, the speed and high impact of the rounds it fires makes up for this.


Runes:

Jibashi- Electromagnetic Murder
Starting off Chie’s modest arsenal is her base power- the ability to manipulate electricity. Though she is capable of powerful and destructive discharges, because of her limited magic pool, Chie prefers to utilize controlled, precise applications of this ability. Possessing an exceptional level of skill with this spell, Chie can use it both to attack and attach herself to conductive surfaces in order to gain a vantage point most wouldn’t.


Other Skills:

Artificial Mage
Unlike the average magic user, Chie is a special case which was assisted both in creation and awakening. She is a unique existence which was manipulated and altered in order to become compatible with OOPArts so that she may be sculpted into a mage and used as a prototype for a new generation of mages. However, because her transformation was forced, Chie’s abilities as a mage seem to be stunted. Her powers appear to grow at a much slower rate and it takes notably longer for her magical weapon to repair itself. On the other hand, the alterations she has received to her body have notably increased her physical condition, boosting her rate of recovery and augmenting her basic senses and reflexes to some degree.

Brutal Training
As a part of preparing her to become a mage, Chie was taken at a young age and put through intense training. Taking her base instinct of self-preservation and stretching it to its absolute limit, Chie’s handlers raised her under the notion that “you must kill or be killed.” Placed in a harsh environment with only minimal comfort, Chie was sculpted into a ‘loyal drone’ who follows orders without question. Trained in firearms and espionage tactics, Chie is an effective covert agent. However, having undergone years of rigorous training, she herself has been left apathetic and drained of emotion.


Other Actions:

3. Rail Bolt (Normal Weapon Attack): Deals MP spent x 15 in damage. Current maximum damage output per turn is 120. This output can be halved to perform an AoE attack with a chance of hitting the primary target and any nearby targets. This attack has a 1 turn cooldown.

4. Kill or Be Killed: !? (Critical Action)

[MssrNeko]

Nakamura Shinji
Residential District​ - Afternoon

The injured boy laughs for the first time in ages.

Pushing his injured body farther than it should have, Shinji rises from his would-be grave. His unfocused eyes glare at the retreating vehicle with a emotionless stare. Reaching inside his pocket, Shinji retrieves a small device. His unsteady hands shake violently as he brings up the detonator.

"If you're gonna kill someone, Chie, finish the job."

Click!

Inside the vehicle, sitting on the passenger seat was the dufflebag Shinji had filled with several grenades and plasma cartridges that would have been used to storm the other buildings that belonged to Sophie. But everything was over pointless now. A grenade hidden inside activates within the bag and within seconds, it detonates. A chain of explosions engulfs the small girl and the truck in a fireball of plasma and fire. The blast flips the vehicle into the air as Shinji hears within the cacophony of destruction a small scream of terror and pain. But it is quickly swallowed by the inferno of twisted metal and flaring plasma.

Shinji turns away from the wreckage and begins to walk only to falter in his step. The blood was flowing freely now from his shoulder, the girl had probably cut an artery. Clever girl, Shinji thinks as he collapses to the ground. A pool of blood quickly forms around Shinji's crumpled form. His breathing slows to a fearful pace but Shinji is calm. With the last of his strength, Shinji Nakamura stares at the sky one last time. He had sacrificed many things in an effort to obtain the prize. Now, it seemed, he was next.

Shinji's vision blackens.

Darkness takes him.

Spoiler:

Everything has an end. Now comes the angel of the crossroads. Dance o' Masque of Death. Up another soul is back in your embrace. Ruler o'er the land of the dead. Everlasting peace for the resting.

Nakamura Shinji Dead End

[hero]

Nakamura Akio
Woods- Afternoon


"You make it sound like I am playing dead, Aesop." Nakamura Hitomi draws a smile as she answers, her eyes still closed. "Although I guess I should have said something sooner... Don't worry, I am fine. I don't think I can go on without a little nap, though. I couldn't sleep well last night either..."

Your sister appears to be half asleep already. Her request is a little selfish considering the situation the island is in, but it is undeniable that she deserves at least that much. Not only did she went as far as fighting toe to toe with the Tireless Knight, she also used up all her energy to save your life from its assured end. And that's not counting the battles that must have come before that... When you take everything into account, not sleeping through the night sounds like the least influencing factor to her immense exhaustion.

You are still not sure what Hitomi did but... It does feel as if a part of her now lives within you.

"..."

As for your partner and Magical Weapon, it looks like her exterior suffered considerable damage while you weren't conscious. In spite of the fact that she is now calm, it's not hard to find the clues left behind by her outburst and understand exactly what happened when you were out. In the end, Aesop and you are one, so you can at least understand how she must have felt when you left her alone all of a sudden. And... It would appear Hitomi's miracle was double... In saving you, she also saved her as well. The connection between you two remains as tight as ever.

Ultimately, the three of you end up laying next to each other on the grass. It's the only natural conclusion, for you are exhausted as well... Aesop's trump card took out what little remained of your Magical Energy. In a sense, it shouldn't have been possible for her to remain materialized as long as she did, leaving the reason as to why she's still here with you remains a mystery. An unexplainable phenomena some would call a 'feat of will power'.

"At this rate, we'll have to call in another Nakamura to take over from where we left it." The blue haired girl, still in the same sleeping position, jokes and lets a small laugh, one that might have even been a little painful. "... Think Rei is done beating the big bad yet?"

A smile after hearing your response.

"Yeah, I thought so too."

-------

None of you can tell how much time has gone by since you closed your eyes, it might have been two minutes like it might have been ten, but... It does feel refreshing in the end. Sadly, good things are not meant to last long and soon you are all preparing yourselves to continue on. With Magical Energy or without it, it is up to you to protect the island and the people who live in it. Taking the day off has never been an option. Promising to repeat the experience some other day, the three of you leave the clearing behind and venture once more into the woods. Little do you know that your trip will not take you very far...

"...!"

Aesop being the sword, she decided to lead the group not willing to listen to any objections. Now it's hear hand that halts your advance, safeguarding you from the danger that lies ahead. Spreading through the forest in a circuit like pattern, this mark stops for no one. Though you try to avoid it in response to its sudden presence, in the space of two seconds all three of you are caught within its domain, for no place on Heaven or Earth is exempt from its rule. With a zap, your stamina begins to quickly evaporate, making you grow weaker and weaker. At some point it does feel as if you are reverting to a much younger age, but your physical appearance barely changes.

What you lose is something more important: Your status as a Magus.

To put it into words anyone can understand... You are back to being nothing more than a mere human.

"...?!"

Hitomi is alerted by this sudden development. Sharing your thoughts, her eyes fix on Aesop, as if already anticipating the worst but...

... Aesop does not disappear.

Instead she remains in this world as one of you, as a fellow human being. It's a phenomena beyond reason, an occurrence that nobody can explain. Something that perhaps exceeds the limit of 'will power' itself.

"Ooof-!"

The former weapon tackles both of you to the ground, which now feels more painful than ever. And because she did, the bullets that would have caught you during your momentary shock miss their targets completely. No, to call these projectiles bullets would be an understatement. These plasma spheres have a destructive power that easily surpasses that of a cannon ball. Light pieces of wood fall over your bodies, the remains of the trees that took the hit in your place.

This is the danger Aesop felt.

Nearby, an impossible enemy gets ready for a second attack.

[Airen]

It doesn't take long for the young woman to react to their presence.

Although she has long since lost the ability to accurately track the passage of time, their appearance outside signals the beginning of the time of day where the pain and agony will begin anew. Around the girl is a substance that looks similar to water, it is clear like water, but thicker than what water should be, thick enough that she can't move in spite of her monstrous strength, the young woman can't tell what it is, has never been able to discover what it is, it is just the contents of a jar that also happened to serve as her prison cell.

On the outside, lips move as the people talk amongst themselves, two women and a man, a man she recognized as someone she had once called family, discus matters that have to do with her. She has only rarely heard their words, since she awoke in this place she had yet to hear any pleasant human voices at all, none of her siblings, or her parents, not even her Master's voice, the calm woman that had always known what to say, had appeared to make her suffering any more bearable.

It was probably because they didn't know.

She didn't know if she was happy they weren't suffering here, or if she hated them for not coming to rescue her.

It was probably a bit of both.

Machines start up with a gentle whir, and her thoughts are scrambled by an electrical current. Muscles convulse of their own accord as a torture made by the hands of science, not magic, enters her reality and denies her even the bliss of unconsciousness. There is no rhyme or reason to it, she doesn't know what they want, but the eyes that stare at her from outside the container, eyes that were watching not her, but rather, her reactions to the stimulus they were putting her through.

Was this some research to see how close to a human a Magical Weapon could get?

She didnt know, no one had ever told her anything, she had just woken up in this hell for no reason-!

"Stop it..."

Even though her mouth isn't moving, the words she wants to scream still well up in her heart.

"Why are you just standing there? Looking at me? Do you like what you see? Do you find some perverse joy in my suffering? I am no tool... I am not a tool!"

Outside, as if hearing her thoughts, the dark haired man's eyes meet her own. There is no emotion in them, he was someone she knew, a family member, but out of all the people watching her...

...His eyes were always the coldest.

"I said stop hurting me! Help me! Forgive me... I didnt do anything wrong... Why are you doing this to me...? I hate you... I hate you... I hate all of you-!"

"Her emotions are flaring... So, it seems that her consciousness still exists... What a resilient magic... But I don't need a puppet with it's own will."

With his words comes an increase in current, and the body that had slowly started to get used to the pain once more convulses violently in spite of her restrictions, limbs flailing in a cruel mockery of someone clinging to life.

"This would be much easier on you if you would give in, Kanade. Its for your sake as well as mine. Let your thoughts disappear. A weapon that can think will only bring misery to itself."

"No no no no no no no no no no no. Stop it-!"

-----It can't be real.

------This memory on playback.

------It has to belong to someone else.



"NO!"

---

Nakamura Akio
Woods- Afternoon

My nap was ruined by partner slamming her head into my own. I don't think she meant to do it; much like the imprompt nap we had all taken in the middle of the woods, it wasn't something that was planned, just something that had happened, her loud scream from some sort of nightmare and the sudden direct bash into my temple that came as a result leaving the both of us momentarily stunned and on the ground. She had apologized, her eyes distant and confused, and while I had wanted to ask about it, she was constantly keeping my thoughts away from her own now, and, since she didn't seem to want me to ask, focusing instead on simply leading the way forward, I had just decided to support Hitomi for now, making sure she could stay on her own two feet...

But, naturally, we don't get too far before something out of the ordinary happens.

A mark on the ground, something like a circuit, twisting and reaching like shadowy limbs at speeds that even a magus cannot avoid, something I wasn't sure could be stopped even if I had the energy to use magic right now.

It catches me, as well as the other two.

And I lose something in a flash.

It's something fundamental, like someone had reached inside of me and ripped out the power that made one a magus. I feel weaker, much weaker... I haven't moved since it hit me, it's only been a moment, less than an instant really, but I can tell what happened, the feeling is too familiar to forget, one that I had carried for eight years, and one that I had made sure to never lose touch with, as my teacher had advised I do from time to time.

Yes.

Somehow or another, I had just returned to being a normal human. It's alarming, not the fact that I just lost my powers, but rather, the instant I recognize that they are gone, my eyes shoot in alarm to where partner is standing, heart threatening to stop if she had disappeared, consumed by that mark. But somehow, in spite of the fact that her existence was definitely tied to my magic, she was still there, body weakened, but not fading, just a normal human one, like my own, and-

Tackles me and sis to the ground without hesitation, something above us explodes, a tree, hit by the gun of a nearby mecha, something that would have bothered me little if I had encountered it thirty seconds ago, but something that, with the way I am now, would easily crush me in one shot.

"Run. Keep the trees between us and it, stay low and be ready to duck at the flash. Go."

Without hesitation, and with a voice that's surprisingly calm, partner orders our retreat as if it was the most natural thing in the world. This conclusion is natural, if we really have become human again, a single shot of that cannon would put us down for good, however, they were dodgeable, that had been proved just now, and there seemed to be time needed to reload or cool off between the shots...

The average marksman can only sight on a target within 3 to 4 seconds, so...

Retreating to the forest to hinder the massive metal body?

It might work, it can probably break the trees with physical force or gunfire, but it should still be slowed, and if we can just get far enough away, deep enough into the woods, that pursuing us becomes inconvenient for it... No, even then it's probably not that easy, there were more than one of these things, running away might just lead us to others, but...

"Tch, got it-!"

Even if its not the best plan, we just don't have any better options.

Fighting a giant robot as a human tends to not work out for the human.

[Spinach]

Kajiki Uta
Location Unknown – Time Unknown (Afternoon?)

A sapphire curtain falls over the battlefield. The battered body of Cocytus drenches the earth as an unending rain, as if the sea itself had been cast down from the heavens. The sheer volume of the deluge paints everything in the colors of the predatory waters, an endless blue that smothers all other hues under its weight.

Beneath the fallen sea a single black figure stares skyward, her golden eyes piercing through the endless blue to the attack that had repelled the waters of Cocytus. An attack so massive in scale that it could put a stop to the relentless River of Lamentation, a feat of raw physical power that only a magus specializing in brute strength could hope to match. An attack that perfectly suited the clone of herself, the girl who wished completely and solely for strength.

Magi, by their very nature, are strong. Wishes, ideals or feelings entrenched in one’s heart. These are what give every magus strength, and those wishes, ideals, those feelings, are reflected in the Magical Weapon of each magus. Magi are beings that turn their desires into strength, those who are given strength to uphold their ideals, to make their wishes into reality or to protect those feelings. The nature of the wish, too, takes shape in the strength a magus gains. No two magi are exactly the same, as no two wishes are exactly the same. The abilities they wield spring from the desires that birthed them as magi.

This is how Kajiki Uta understands magi. This is how Cerberus understands that she is the strongest. Because her wish, the desire that awakened her as a magus, was a wish for power.

Accepting the downpour, Cerberus slams the hilt of her blade into the quivering earth in a flash, digging the metal into the ground and regaining her balance with Hades as her support. A shockwave generated by the action knocks away the waters surrounding her, creating an opening within the body of water. Through the clearing generated by her strength, the magus grins at the landscape that will soon crush her, ears perked up in excitement.

Releasing her grip on Hades, the canine magus raises her left hand over her head, and with a jovial wag of her tail, catches her clone’s attack. All momentum behind the overturned earth is lost as the original Cerberus’ fingers dig into the chunk of land, sinking into the solid rock as easily as if it were fine sand.

“That’s right. I am the strongest.” Still smiling, Cerberus says so, agreeing with her clone. There are many shapes that ‘strength’ takes, but in this one, in raw, sheer, simple physical power, Kajiki Uta knows without a doubt that she is the strongest.

Years ago a dying girl wished for nothing but strength, a selfish wish that only existed to benefit herself, a wish that restored her lost life and gave her the body of unrivaled power that overwhelmed all. For the woman who could destroy the fabric of reality itself with her strength, whose attacks could break down barriers between this world and the next, the weight she held in her left hand could be considered nothing.

Her confident grin turning feral, Kajiki Uta pours her strength into her grip. Cracks spread across the landscape, originating from the vicelike grip she held it up with. Like the shape of countless savage heartbeats displayed on a heart monitor the cracks run across the surface of the earth.

“…!”

With one single push, Cerberus puts everything into her hand, the destructive power contained within her five fingers surges through the landscape and culminates in a deafening, explosive crack.

“That isn’t all, is it?” Staring through the fractured remains of the clone’s attack, Cerberus locks eyes with her clone. Yet even though her bestial smile, brimming with the will to fight, is directed at the mirror image of herself, the words she speaks are in no way meant for her. “Go.”

The endless blue throbs. Beckoned by its master, Cocytus pulses, as if its heart revived at its conjurer’s will. An endless crashing sound, of water striking rock, fills the air, and like a reversed waterfall, Cocytus rises from the earth to resume its hunt.

At the same time, darkness envelops the left hand of Kajiki Uta, still held aloft and tightened into a fist. A black stream swallows the magus’ hand, body, and weapon. The head of the dark river, Charon, twists into a spiral, rotating like a drill as it digs through the destroyed chunk of earth, still falling lifelessly to the ground.

Following Cocytus’ lead, Charon drills through the remnants of the overturned earth as it carries its conjurer on a direct course to her clone.

[hero]

Mitsurugi Katou
Akazora Monogatari - Afternoon


"Hoh...? So you continue to struggle even thought its pointless. Tch, I was trying to make things easier for you."

From the very beginning, the power of the Magus with no name could be felt with considerable ease. Not his Magical Pressure but rather the talent and experience reflected in his stare. Just like you are determined to cut through him, he wouldn't hesitate even for a moment in killing you. And yet, his words are sincere. Whether it was mercy or pity what he felt, it no longer matters. The man who rules the sky chose not to fight seriously, he chose to kill you in a way that, while unpleasant, would have been less painful than the other options at his disposal... Above all, it would have been quick, for no human being can live long without breathing properly.

However, you... You chose to reject his invitation to a swift death. Knowing it would only be a partial solution, you became one with your blade and allowed it to breathe for you. Under this sunset, if you close your eyes, you can see it... The way this duel will end. Like the death he promised you, the outcome of this match will be decided in a matter of seconds. And, one thing is for sure...

At least one of you will perish.

"..."

The Magus does not move from his throne high in the air. Even as seemingly impossible arcs invade his range, he remains calm and collected. He is not familiar with the technology of a Kiseki-Tsukai. He cannot tell what exactly Mitsurugi Katou is supposed to embody. So far he has shown so many different abilities that it is hard to find the connection between them. In spite of this, there is one thing he can say with confidence:

Cracks spread through the invisible surface that surrounds the man.

---It won't get past his defense.

Oxygen... Pressurized to such extent that it has became a solid boundary field. In a lapse of time no longer than a single instant, it brings your swing to a halt with such ease that it feels surreal. This is why the man willingly sacrificed his arm when pushed against the corner. The truth is... He doesn't even need them to fight. They are of little value... And they can be recovered within the hour.

Now, the swordsman is next to him, kept outside this oxygen bubble that serves as the Magus shield. With two different worlds and two different points of view, it would be only natural for your powers to be universes apart. In that brief moment where your eyes meet, your opponent finally uncovers your illusion, the meaning behind the inexplicable attacks that defied logic. In the end, it was nothing but a trick...

"...?!"

His eyes widen as the terrain behind and below him is cut in half, the resulting shockwave bringing down the already collapsing giant swords and covering the entire place in a cloud of dust. Once more, the drunken king of oni displays its unrivaled strength, destroying all around it. Indeed, eventually the defense that once appeared to be absolute begins to fall apart.

"Tch...-!"

Sadly, your blade never manages to touch the skin of the man a second time. The moment your weapon overcomes the reinforced air cocoon, a strong air current released like an explosion brutally throws you back and you fall all the way down. Though you are not well-equipped to deal with extreme physical trauma, your gear manages to mitigate the damage enough for you to still be able to move.

As you get back on your feet, you find yourself caught in the eye of the dust storm you created. Most likely, neither combatant would be able to tell the other's position unless they remained in the same place.

And that's precisely why you should move.

"You are making this harder than I thought-!"

Suddenly, ripping a hole through the dust a sphere of compressed air impacts against the earth that served as your landing spot, causing yet another explosion and leaving a crater five times the size of the projectile. What follows is a simultaneous discharge of five more of these deadly air bullets. Their aim might not be precise, but, at this rate...

... You will not last.

[Dranes]

Schwarzheit Kyo
Near Shopping District - Afternoon

Out of the frying pain and into the fire or in this case from one fire into another. He hadn't expected to meet another enemy so soon and yet there was one already here waiting for them, this couldn't be simple coincidence which only left two logical conclusions: the enemy was able to follow their movement somehow or there were far more in their ranks then he had first thought, scouring the island leaving little in the way of a safe zone.

But these were thoughts for another time, for now he had to focus on a more immediate goal.

Survival.

Twisting his body, he managed to avoid another attack from the relentless assault. The red mist was both sapping strength while at the same time concealing the weapons. As long as they stayed here, they would be at a disadvantage. His teammate had the right of it then.

However something cause Schwarzheit Kyo to hesitate.

It was but for a moment but he saw something in the mist, the figure of a woman.

The conjurer or just an illusion? Either way if he could see her then she could see him which just made this all the more dangerous. The floor creaked as he ran from both weapon and mist, the sound of the weapons tearing through the environment ringing in his ears as he leaped through the nearby window after her. A ungraceful landing but hardly the time to worry about that, whatever it was that was chasing him would be there soon, he had to keep moving.

"I saw a woman back inside, the magus responsible if anything."

It was at least something to know the enemy was close by but there was little time for more words.

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Shopping District- Afternoon

It's the same no matter where I go. Though the time and day may change, the mages who I encounter here always have it stuck in their head that they must fight. Because this is war. Because lives are on the line. Because they have no choice. Those are the various different reasons that I've been given over the course of this event and, to be honest, I'd be more surprised at this point if I were to hear something different. Over and over I've tried to convince these people otherwise; however, they've repeated these words to themselves so many times that they've suspended their own reality. ...Sadly, this doesn't seem to be a process exclusive to mages.

"Right... If we get moving now, we should be able to get ahead of them," Glancing in the direction of the noises, I respond to the old man's bit of advice, "And if that's true for us, the same is true for you too."

I'm all too familiar with this type of person by now. A worn soul that has reached the pinnacle of their own internal despair- just waiting for a way out. It's sad too watch... and far too common an occurrence.

"Whatever you're planning, I'm not going to try and stop you. To be honest, I've started to grow tired of dealing with the same mentality over and over... And it seems like it's especially strong in you elderly folk," Getting ready to head out, I look back at the old mage, "Just know that picking the easy way out isn't going to change the way things are. ...Take responsibility for the life you've lived."

Raising the sword in my left hand, I glance at my reflection a bit and consider my own words. As I speak them, it's hard to really understand what exactly they mean for myself... But I do know that I don't feel wrong in saying them.

"It's real easy to talk about fighting like it's unavoidable. Trying to sound like you feel bad about it after the fact... And yet no one ever tries not to fight. They just see a mage in front of them and instantly think they're 'the enemy'...All because of some stupid 'war'. ...It's sick."

There's a bunch of things I could say about this situation. About this man and how he just attacked us. But the more I sit here and think about it, the more I just realize I'm repeating myself over and over. Changing this world one person at a time. Slowly. Painfully. It's frustrating beyond all belief.

"...I'm leaving, powers or not," Steeling myself, I set aside the whole conflict and redirect my attention to the main objective, "If you plan on sitting here and dying, you should probably ask yourself what exactly you're 'fighting' for."

[Mooncake]

Yukimura Setsuya
Near Shopping District - Afternoon


Setsuya runs, body streamlining, cutting through the wind and pounding the ground in order to reach the rest of the team. He doesn't look back. If Katou can't handle himself, he'll die, and that's how it is. Still... his hand forms around swords that haven't quite been called out of their treasury, but are still sitting there, waiting to be summoned.

Not even a second later, he was proven right to be cautious.

A great fog covers the land in front of him – he can feel it sapping at his body, his mind, trying to worm itself into his very essence. But Setsuya is more cautious then he appears, and calls forth Regenmacher from his treasury.

Blatt Meister shakes itself from sleep, seeking the next target.

A woman.

He tamps down on his presence, molding it into something unthreatening, which makes it sound less complicated and more concrete than it really is. How does he do it? He has no real answer, only a talent born through years of being outmanned, unequipped - but not outmaneuvered. Not yet. He proceeds cautiously.

The stench of death rings heavy in this place.

[Katie]

Mitsurugi Katou
Akazora Monogatari - Afternoon

His opponent had offered mercy to him.

His opponent had offered a flawed mercy to a tool.

The thought was completely, utterly laughable. His opponent was an existence leagues apart from him. A world where you had such unimaginable power that you could conceive of offering mercy to the enemy. The product of the tremendous amount of arrogance that came from this power.

The sign of their inhumanity.

Such inhumane strength was threatening to eradicate him right now. Without a doubt, any of those spheres had the raw, relentless power to rip him to shreds upon contact. And no matter how fast he was, he was at a disadvantage. His stamina would wane and even if one orb simply clipped him, he would meet his end.

Perhaps this was it.

Perhaps he would meet his sisters in hell today and at long last be reunited. A valiant samurai’s death, following orders until the bitter end.

No. There was no valor in this. His sisters would be disappointed that he had not even come close to taking his opponent down. If he were to truly make them proud, see their smiles amidst an eternity of suffering…

He would need to put everything he had into this single battle.

He subconsciously took a deep breath, his lungs burning, as one of those deadly spheres sailed past his head. Wrong move.

The was no need to breathe. He was a weapon. Weapons had no use for vital functions—anything unrelated to the goal of killing his enemy was unnecessary.

His resolve was stronger than steel, forged in the heat of battle. He would not let his sister blades down. He would fight the insurmountable, destroy the existence that was leagues above his own.

But as he was now, he was but a simple sword, instilled with the fury of ten thousand cold nights. He could not kill a god-like existence like this.

He needed to ascend.

He soared into the air with a great jump, above the dust and debris.

He needed to transcend.

Mitsurugi Katou needed to reforge himself into

a sword that could slay the mightiest of beasts

天羽々斬

.

His blood and soul became his blade, a simple katana becoming a monstrosity that could cleave mountains.

A blade of such size that it would cleave its opponent as it expanded.

And if that did not work...

To his opponent, it would look like he was preparing another Shutendoji, a half truth. But instead of the small, insignificant sword he once was…

He was now a sword that could slay gods.

No matter how strong that barrier would be…

It would not match his strength, the strength of his blade.

[hero]

Yukimura Setsuya
Near Shopping District - Afternoon


As one of the few who can wield miracles with their bare hands, you strive only for perfection.

Even if your opponent doesn't seem to have caught a glimpse of you, even if she actually looks quite vulnerable, you make the wise choice not to attack when you are first given the opportunity to do so. The powers at your disposal are incredible, however, they do little to reduce the gap between someone who's still a human and someone who has evolved past the limits imposed by such title. A single mistake and no matter how vulnerable she looks, this Magus will completely annihilate you. In other words, you'll lose your life if your plan turns to be anything but flawless.

"..."

Yukimura Setsuya is a man of many talents. One of them is controlling other people's perception of him, being able to make him appear as the most dangerous monster or as the weakest link who lacks presence and does't take anything seriously. He's able to do this without any sort of equipment, having gained complete mastery over his own emotions. If the mist is a jungle, then you are definitely the hunter, moving unhidered and undetected. With the attention of your prey focused on a third party, which you assume are Kyo and Ai, you easily meet all requirements to launch an unavoidable attack any time you want.

Unfortunately, reality doesn't prove to be as kind and foolish as your own thoughts. The moment you take your next step, the girl wildly swings her arm at you, as if to cut something with her sword that is way out of range. At this point, your body reacts on its own, understanding that the cover you thought you had never existed in the first place. However, the speed you are so proud of turns out not to be enough, and the next thing you know the sharp teeth of the mage's blade are right next to you. It was not as if the girl closed the distance in an instant, rather, her weapon extended several times its original length in the blink of an eye, cornering you. In this desperate situation, the one thing you manage to do is to use the tool you summoned to protect your vitals.

"Ghuhh...!"

That's you as the force behind the deceptively strong attack travels through your entire body, before launching you into a nearby building opposite to your teammates' location. As your body flies through numerous walls of concrete, you begin to realize just how strong is the attack you've been hit with. Even Katou woud feel overwhelmed against the massive might that this Magus sports. Luckly, it would seem that your barrier jacket has absorbed most of the damage, saving you the grievous wounds you would have suffered otherwise. That said, another hit like this and you will be in trouble, better be careful about the limits of the protection you wear.

As you pick yourself up from the floor, you recognize no immediate threat. You weren't exactly close to your target when it decided to attack you, and you were pushed even farther by the strike. By this logic, you can assume that you won't have her anywhere near you in the next few seconds, or more depending on how much of a threat she regarded you as. However, with immense strength, speed and range, as well having that mist working as a radar of sorts to constantly keep track on you, you cannot afford to lower your guard. Keeping a firm grasp on your sword, you make your way back into the battlefield using the road you find most appropriate... But unlike before, now you lack any clue as to where to find your opponent or your allies. The mist invades even the inside of the building, reducing your visibility and making it harder to retrace your steps.

All in all, since around a minute ago, things have been going downhill for you. That is okay, for the fastest way to learn is to put oneself in situations like this. Through Ubermensch you feel your body is quickly beginning to grasp the nature of the mist and adapting to cope with its insane draining powers. You might not be able to pull it off with the same ease as you normally would, but you are confident you can put Hermetis Vogelein into use if you tried.

When it comes down to it, that might be the only thing you need to turn the tables.

[hero]

Chisana Risu
Shopping District - Afternoon


"..."

Though it does seem like a lot of time has passed, only ten minutes have gone by since you defeated the shadows of your friends. That said, several things have happened within that time frame, from mysteriously losing your powers as a Magus to being chased by ruthless werewolves, to the situation you are currently in.

"Nanako-san, please slow do-...!"

Aomori Mana's plea is quickly silenced as her head slams against the roof of the car after a violent landing. It was partly her fault for not tightening the seat-belt and choosing to glance back at the hungry familiars chasing after you at supernatural speeds. Next to one window is Natsume Raku, who seems to be fighting against the motion sickness to make a request opposite to Mana's. So far though, you have not heard a single comprehensive word come out of her mouth. Regardless, the Student Council President seems to be in a secluded dimension, her eyes focused solely on the road ahead. Her ears only hear the noise of the tires of the vehicle reaching their utmost limit, and her body dances to the music of speed. As for you, you ended sitting right next to her, placing you much closer to the experience of driving an average car at nearly 140 mph in the narrow streets of the Shopping district, that after the tragedy that befell the island earlier this morning, have been left in a poor state to say the least.

"..."

One of Hishikawa's hands suddenly reaches out for the gear level and pulls it with firm and concise movements, while her other hand forces the steering wheel to make a turn left. At the same time, her feet move so quickly that you have no idea what's going on down there. At some point, she even steps over two pedals with a single foot-!

The result is an insanely risky drift that pulls the car dangerously close to the edge of the street with no perceivable slow-down. For a few moments, it does seem like the vehicle is going to crash, but it manages to recover in the last split of a second, preventing an accident. You are not even allowed to sigh in relief, as despite the effort behind Nanako's driving, the wolves are still too close for comfort. It would appear that Nanako's skills are the only reason they cannot close the gap, but in the end it's just delaying the inevitable. At this rate, if either human or machine makes a single miscalculation, it will be over for you. The real question is... Which of the two will give up first...?

And that's not the only trouble you have to deal with. After all, you've been stripped completely of your powers, being reduced to a mere human, and the same has happened to your friends. Even if you manage to escape... Is there anything you can do to stop this war without Magic to handle the dirty work? And that's not all, the students you were supposed to safeguard have vanished as well... Can you even do anything to bring them back...? Or would it be better if you abandoned that quest in order to preserve those lives...?

Your road might reach an abrupt end before you even manage to find the answer.

"This is bad...! Hold on tight-!"

The driver breaks out of her trance for a moment to deliver an urgent warning. Glancing at what lies ahead, you spot an stampede of wolf familiars charging right at you. As tempting as it would be to attempt to run them over, everyone knows that doing such thing is not a good idea, not in a world that has been stripped of its magic. Realistically speaking, they've got you cornered, except for...

"...!"

Nanako carries out her reckless plan rotating the steering wheel all the way to the right. Leaping through the glass, the car makes a forceful entry into the Milky Way Mall.

Ah, you understand in an instant... The streets were exposed to a great amount of damage, forcing your friend to drive carefully in order to continue your escape. In comparison, the inside of the mall is in good condition and the space it offers would allow Hishikawa to accelerate the car to its limit. With this there is a chance that you will be lose your pursuers.

---At least that would have been the case if Hishikawa Nanako was driving her own car instead of one she borrowed from the streets.

"Tch...!"

In the most critical moment, the vehicle shuts down. In a matter of seconds, your view of what lies ahead is covered in a cloud of black smoke. And you can't say you like what you see when you look back.

... Is this the end?

[hero]

Fukami Mikoto
Shopping District- Afternoon

The three of you leave the rooftop as fast as you can, wolves hot on your tail. Despite losing your magical powers, you conserve a physical might superior to that of the average human being, putting you close to an Olympic athlete. Even so, the familiars can move even faster, easily rivalfing the speed of an average car. To combat this, you are force to take on a 'high-risk, high reward' strategy where reward means your survival.

"Guh... Ahh..."

Naturally, there is one of you who cannot keep up with the rest. Being over sixty-years old and having been wounded right before being stripped of his regenerative factor, the man that so stubbornly refused to continue makes it clear that he's always had a point. In part, yes, he was looking for an easy way out, as nothing more can be done with his life at his age. However, he was also offering to sacrifice himself so as to make things easier for you. He's by far the slowest and his endurance will certainly hit its limit soon. Even if he stands no chance against the wolves, just dying would free you of his burden and buy you the necessary time to at least create a bigger gap between you and your pursuers.

"Ufff..."

As the group descends to the streets with one last jump, the nameless man trips and collapses under the exhaustion. Naturally this makes both Haru and you halt for a moment, heart skipping a beat upon the realization of what a mistake like that can mean to your lives. In that despair inducing split of a second, it becomes clearly apparent that if you run towards him to help him up, you'll only be digging your own grave alongside his. A choice imposed with the heavy weight of reality, it's ultimately your choice whether you throw away your life for someone else or not. As a Magus, such scenario would have been a no-brainer, however, as a mortal human being, it holds a completely different meaning than before. It might still be a no-brainer but the outcome you pick will bring a significantly bigger consequence.

"G...GO-!"

The former Magus manages to yell with the last of his strength. He's done for, so he's asking that you do not make his death meaningless. You find your hand's grip on the sword to have grown tighter. With time slowing down to a crawl, your brain processes information at a speed that can only belong to a genius. First wave, twenty-five familiar wolves. Chances of getting rid of at least one of them: 50%. Chances of disengage and survival: 0%.

With all the odds stacked against you, you...

[hero]

Schwarzheit Kyo
Near Shopping District - Afternoon


"Yes, I saw her as well. However, it's in our best interest to get rid of these things first."

Matsumoto Ai gains momentum and dashes under a table, kicking it up and shooting it against the projectiles before recovering, all in a clean and swift motion. The spheres seem to react to the sudden threat and speed up their movement, forgetting about your presence for a moment and redirecting their focus towards your companion. Ai fails to predict this behavior and is almost caught off guard, however, the table she has thrown acts as a makeshift shield and buys her enough time to escape the counter-attack. Even after going through walls of concrete and covering a decent amount of distance on their own, it does not seem like this projectiles have any intention of dispersing into the air. In order to dispose of them, you require to hit them with significant force, that is with one of your special attacks. However, in doing so you expose yourself to their own unique quirk.

"Buy me a couple of seconds, Schwarzheit." Hesitation not present in her face, Matsumoto assumes command. "Use 'that' if you have to."

It's not her role to give orders, but right now she doesn't have much of a choice. If you don't take action immediately, there won't be anyone else to take or give orders. A circuit like pattern spreads through Matsumoto's body, momentarily improving her current physical abilities and adding more tools to her arsenal. She is a genius who can control not one but three Miracles, or rather, her Miracle is a three-part weapon equipped with different functions. The gun she carries holds the base for the rest of her abilities, being able to shoot wires instead of bullets, allowing it to either be used as a grappling gun or generate complex webs of wire around an area in a matter of seconds. The second part is located in her left eye and acts as a microscopic super computer, allowing her to solve multiple equations in the spam of an instant, greatly enhancing her prediction and timing.

"Hah...!"

Trusting you've got her back, Matsumoto Ai turns around and pulls the trigger, firing her gun once. The result is a single wire that slips past the opening between the spheres in the split of a second and attaches itself to a nearby wall. No, it bounces against it, bounces against the roof and keeps bouncing, gaining speed by the second. Eventually it pierces the wall and moves to the next room and then the street after that. It creates a resistant web made out of steel wire that heavily diminishes the movement speed of those caught within. By the time you lose sight of the wire shot, assuming you were paying attention to it in the first place, your partner has already fired fire more times, creating a network far more invasive than the first.

"Done..."

And the third part are her gloves, capable of detonating the micro-bombs attached to each wire and giving birth to a never-ending series of devastating explosions.

Regardless of your performance, your companion goes ahead and brings the entire street into chaos, bringing down anything even close to the wires... Even the building you're currently in. On the bright side, the fire and the explosion easily gets rid of the projectiles, and most likely even reach your enemy. On the other hand, you are caught in the middle of the blast and your surroundings threaten to collapse all over you.

"Hang on."

Having already planned a escape route, the girl holds out her hand, not waiting for you more than a second, before her grappling gun launches her through the window and into a parallel street, barely escaping the range of the explosion in time. Still the two of you are hit by the shockwave and thrown heavily against the demolished ground. As you recover, you consider your options: That blast probably failed to kill your opponent but at the very least eliminated the heavy pressure imposed upon you from the start. Now you can use this opportunity to escape, hide or deliver a counter-attack.

It appears Matsumoto is pushing herself harder than usual. Better take it into consideration when making your plan.

[hero]

Sawai Mihou
'My name'

At the rooftop of a certain school, a girl gazes through the fence, her attention focused on the vivid scenery down below. She is doing nothing but admiring a world she recognizes she can't be a part of. Though it is rather lonely, the girl does not seem to envy those playing downstairs, rather, she is fine with both loneliness and friendship coexisting under the same banner. She's only nine, but her reasoning is that of a much more mature person. Her name is Sakiyurai Mirai, the one who'd eventually become Sawai Mihou's best friend.

"... Hmmm?"

"Tch..."

This is their first meeting.

"Oh... You are leaving already? You shouldn't let my presence bother you, really... There is plenty of space for the two of us here, don't you think?"

Rather than an actual invitation to stay with her, Mirai speaks with common sense. Save for the two of them, the rooftop is empty... Meaning each can go their own way and not disturb one another, assuming both of them wish to be alone. However, having already turned her back to her so they would be facing opposite directions, Sawai Mihou, seven years old, wastes no thought in tearing apart the proposal with a line of her own.

"Sorry, I was looking for a place where I could be alone. Had I known you'd be here, I wouldn't have come."

Not just her words... Her entire approach is rude, almost to the point where it appears to be an exaggeration done on purpose. Mirai doesn't make any assumption, and neither does she take those words to heart. Instead, she smiles, still gazing down to the schoolyard, and provides an honest answer.

"I see. You should try the janitor's closet, near the cafeteria. That's where I used to go when I wanted to be alone. There's never anyone around, not even the janitor... I am not sure if we have one, to be honest. Oh, and don't worry, I don't go there anymore, so I won't be a bother."

Pure honesty said in a straightforward way cannot help but sound weird. In fact, so taken aback by it is Sawai Mihou, who's always been quick to respond, that she's falls speechless for the first time. Raising her eyebrow, she looks over her shoulder and acknowledges that there is clearly something wrong with the other girl. Mirai never takes her eyes off their original target below.

"If you want to play with them so badly, you should just go down there and do it."

Mihou speaks all of a sudden, having quickly walked towards the fence, definitively curious about what down there was so attractive. However, the only thing she spotted was a bunch of kids playing tag.

"I can't play sports. The doctor said I am not allowed to, since my health conditions are poor... At least until I recover. But it doesn't take a genius to tell that won't really happen."

Mirai confesses, unbothered by the situation as a whole.

"That's okay though. It's not like I want to play that much, anyways. Why aren't you playing with your class, either?"

"... I don't want to. I don't need their games. I'm forming a gang and then taking over the school."

It's a silly dream from a silly seven year old. However, Mirai accepts it without a moment of doubt. Well, for the most part. There is one problem with the idea, one she notices right off the bat.

"Cool! But shouldn't you be looking for strong members for your gang instead of hanging out alone, then? I think you should pick up fights with club leaders, so you can defeat them and then convince them of joining you. I've read that's how it's done. Anyways, maybe I can be that first member that joins right off the bat, the side-kick."

Sawai ponders for a moment, not really convinced.

"Look, you just said you're frail and all that. You wouldn't be of any use. People like you should stay at home, not do gang things."

"What exactly do you mean by 'Gang things'?"

"You know, fighting... Taking over the school... That sort of thing. I still gotta finish researching some."

Before they knew it, they were talking, the ice and the distance having been cut apart.

Precious were those times, when their innocence allowed friendship to blossom easily, no matter how many worlds apart they were.

"I could be the brain, you know. The one who comes up with the plans."

"I said I don't want you to be doing gang things! If you get hurt, I bet your parents will be all over my ass."

"Do your parents let you do gang things?"

"I don't have any... My aunt looks after me, and she doesn't really care."

"Oh."

The bell rings, announcing the end of the school break. It's time to return to class.

"Name...?"

"Huh?"

"I was asking your name. I'm Sakiyurai Mirai."

"Sawai Mihou. You better remember it next time we meet."

-------

"Hey, Sousei. Why don't you take a little break, you've been training too hard these past few days."

Inside Voluspa's HQ special gym, two people are having a conversation. However, only one of them is exercising. The other... Well, such thin zg has never been an option for her. Sakiyurai Mirai does not seem bothered by this, and instead admires Yoshino Sousei's mysterious tenacity. There is no technique in his style and the way he moves is one that cannot be called efficient, as the user quickly grows exhausted. However, the man has been going at it for at least fourteen hours without pause.

"... Sagara-san keeps defeating me in single combat. No matter what I do, she always comes out on top. If I can, I want to be able to defeat her, even if it's only once. I would feel better if the score was 135-1 than 135-0."

After Magic was discovered, the organization called Voluspa took it upon themselves to gather and investigate the special stones required for its usage. Shortly after the project started, they were accused of hoarding the stones and a war started between them and the nations, a conflict for the sake of owning these powerful artifacts. It's been nine years since that war started here, in the island of Tsukiyomi-jima. The boy known as Yoshino Sousei is Voluspa's last resort and trump card, a messiah capable of wielding any Magical Weapon in existence. At least, in theory. The tests confirmed that he is compatible with every Magical Stone previously found and studied, however, he is unable to awaken and use any of them. In other words, he's hardly anything more than a human.

"But, above that, I want to prove Sawai-san just how strong I've become, so that she finally acknowledges me."

Sawai Mihou became Yoshino Sousei's bodyguard, appointed to the task by Sakiyurai Mirai's request. Never part of the organization and disappointed with how weak the Messiah was, she saw the mission as a chore and continuously treated the boy in the least kind of ways. That's why Yoshino works hard every day so eventually he would gain her approval.

"Mihou ain't as tough as she looks. I think she's just giving you the cold shoulder because she cares about you."

"Huh? ... No way."

"For a man with plenty of will power, you are pretty dull, Yoshino-san. Well then, I'll stay here a while longer and watch over you. Show me what you've got!"

"Yes, Ma'am!"

From the other side of the door, a swordswoman happens to accidentally overhear their conversation.

-------

"You are truly an idiot, aren't you?"

The one resting in a hospital bed is Sawai Mihou. Even though she's a Magus gifted with an amazing regenerative factor, a good 70% of her body is currently wrapped under bandages. It's been only a few hours since she awoke from her three day coma. The one sitting next to her is Yoshino Sousei, who's been there a lot the past few days... And it appears he is getting scolded from doing just that.

"I am not dead, so you can leave already. You should go see your girlfriend instead of wasting your time here. What kind of man are you, making SAKURA wait?"

The man smiles apologetically, like a complete fool. However, the words that come out of his mouth are serious, absolute... innocent.

"What kind of man would I be if I left my sempai alone? Besides, SAKURA is staying at the same hospital, so I can totally take turns to see you both. I've been doing that, actually. You're my friend, Sawai-san... I am not leaving any of my friends alone."

"..."

"Come on, I'll read you a story."

The girl submits to the unavoidable future.

-------

When the girl comes to, she finds herself in a burning field. Raging flames of destruction have taken over the city, ending all life in their path. There is no strength left in Sawai Mihou's body to move. There is no reason to, either... She has just put an end to the cause of all this chaos, the great evil nicknamed 'Rogue Flame', at the cost of everything else. Through this war, all of her friends have fallen, one by one, consumed by a pointless conflict that could not be stopped. Now, at the end of it all, the swordswoman rests alone.

She ponders suicide...

... But she proves to be too much of a 'coward' to go through with it. Cursed with a body that can heal itself, only she can put an end to her life now. Therefore, her suffering won't end unless she puts an end to it herself.

"Come...!"

It's surprisingly easy for her to stand up. It's because she replaced grief with rage, sadness with a grudge.

"Come out you bastards...! I know you are there...! Take me down...! I am right here...!"

But there is nobody left. No more enemies to defeat. No more allies to rely upon. There is only the corpses of the innocent that had nothing to do with this, and the memories of those that were forgotten by everyone else.

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH-!!!"

Unable to protect anything, Sawai Mihou curses the heavens...

... In order to stay alive.

-------

At the rooftop of a certain school, a girl gazes through the fence, her attention focused on the vivid scenery down below. She is doing nothing but admiring a world she has chosen not to be a part of. Though it is rather lonely, this realization does not seem to bother her.

Her name is Sawai Mihou.

"So you've come."

"Yes."

It's a meeting neither Sawai nor Nakayama arranged, and yet, both of them know what it is all about: Revenge. Whether he was good or evil never mattered in the first place, to Haru it is her father who was killed and Mihou one of those responsible. At the same time, the swordswoman does nothing to defend her case and is willing to have judgment be passed down on her, even if that means surrendering her own life. Today, the cycle she created through her own powerlessness comes to an end.

"Well then... Let's get this over with. If we take too long, the others will notice."

"You are not a bad person, Sawai-san. Through the time spent together, I at least managed to determine that. However, taking the life of my father is not something I can allow myself to forgive."

Minutes before the math test, the rooftop becomes a field of battle, as tension quickly envelops the area. Sawai Mihou knows that this is a battle she cannot win. The reason behind this is that this will not be a conventional duel, but rather an exchange of Last Resorts. Up here, theirs should not bring any harm to those below, and it's the only method they have to finish the fight before they get interrupted. That's why Sawai Mihou has lost before the start. Her Last Resort isn't likely to cut through Haru's black flames, and even if it does, in her current condition, it has only one charge left before the weapon cannot handle the overload of Magical Energy and shatters. In other words, the only possible outcome in this scenario is death.

"But you aren't someone who deserves the same fate as his... And neither am I someone who deserves to continue walking along the path of an 'avenger'. For years, revenge has been all I've had, and it eventually became the motivation that ruled over my actions. However, now I've found something more important than revenge and I wish to treasure it. I wish to live through it and I cannot do that and avenge my father at the same time."

The battle never takes place.

"You are a good person. That is why I wish you to stay with us. And, if you happened to know my father, then perhaps you can tell me a word or two about him."

The bell rings, announcing the start of class.

"I understand you want to be alone for a moment. I'll be downstairs."

"..."

As soon as Nakayama Haru leaves the rooftop, Sawai Mihou falls to her knees, her hands firmly clutching the fence.

-------

"Ah..."

The sword goes through her chest. It's her own sword, which Kurokami Hotaru used to 'kill' her. No explanation as to why she did such thing comes to mind, however, it has an air of irony and it is perhaps the most fitting end for the swordswoman. In truth, such thing has not the power to end her life, Sawai Mihou is a Magus who can endure the worst kind of punishment and even if her bones are broken and her heart is torn apart, it is likely that she will survive. However, what Kurokami Hotaru did was not meaningless... It denied the help that the girl so much needed and removed the protection she had against the poison. So while a single thurst of gunshot have no influence over the final outcome, the gesture as a whole defines it. It is over.

"Haha... Hahahaha! I can't believe it! You actually did it...!"

The Magus known as Seth laughs in joy and disbelief from a safe distance. It seems that it never crossed his mind that the Void Empress would comply with his demands. He expected her to turn against him in order to protect her 'friend'. However, what is funny about this situation is that the outcome he planned was never supposed to change. That is right... This man is the disciple of a snake, someone who takes advantage of the smallest flaw and uses it to quickly snatch and devour its prey. In other words, he intended to kill Kurokami Hotaru from the start... And she played right into his hands.

"T...han...k..."

Sawai Mihou cannot finish the sentence. She is being consumed by a poison that cannot be stopped. Even if Kurokami Hotaru realizes how bad her current situation is, she would not be able to revive the swordswoman if she wanted to. Not without using up all of her Magical Reserves, and maybe more.

She thanks the one who 'killed' her because she did what she never had the courage to do.

She's almost out of time, literally, figuratively and any other sense of the word.

In life there are things we do because we need them, or because we want them or because we think we should do them.

And there also things that we only do because we are desperate and there is no other choice.

Normally, they include a fairly big, almost absolute, chance of dying.

This is one of those things.

There is no need to fool oneself. What she's doing could easily kill her as fast as the poison attached to her soul, or perhaps even faster.

If that is the case, she'll at least deny her opponent the pleasure of taking her own life and possibly her Magical Energy.

It's not of great consolation, but it is all she has.

Enough Magical Energy from one Last Resort... positive.

Levels of punishment the body can tolerate...

Unknown. She can only control how much 'Power' she injects into her body.

Too little will not have any effect, assuming this method can produce any result at all.

Too much and the sheer overload of Magical Energy will burn her blood, fry her internal organs, melt her arteries, cook her heart and tear apart her body hundreds of time faster than a giant microwave.

What the hell...

It's not like she can think of any better option than this.

A seal was placed upon her to drastically lower her abilities so she wouldn't become a threat to the world itself. Even since that moment, Sawai Mihou asked herself if she could undo it by attacking it with her own power; if she could survive such a strong discharge of life-ending Magical Energy from one of the four absolutes or if she would die instantly for such foolishness. But she never had a reason to put herself to the test, to draw the equation and find the true outcome. She never had a reason to put her life at risk.

Until this very moment.

Until this fight.

The hero rises.

It doesn't take her a split of a second to do so. Her speed is beyond what mortals or immortals can comprehend, and she is unaffected by any concept weaker than her own. Poison is no such exception... It is purged in an instant, and the damage done is repaired even faster than that. Yes, it wouldn't be wrong to compare Sawai Mihou's current state to that of a 'God'.

A slash that cannot be surpassed. It cuts through Magical Weapons as if they were butter.

No, if it were within range, it's an attack that can effortlessly cleave the entire solar system in half.

It holds the strength of not one Mage, but many.

This is the power of Fragarach's core ability, Heroic Legacy.

Just like the weapon was passed down from hero to hero in celtic legends...

The memories, the wishes and the weight of all the people Sawai Mihou has lost rest in this blade.

Now that it's true potential has been unleashed, Sawai Mihou has become the Messiah herself.

And the name of this attack is...







"---未歩 (Mihou)!!!---"



This is more than just a name. More than just her name.

In Japanese culture, words and even names can adopt different meanings depending on the kanji used to write them.

Mihou's name shares a kanji with the word Mirai, or future.

As a whole, it means 'A step towards the future'

It took her quite a while to realize it.

There were those who succeeded and those who failed.

And then there was her, who watched it all unfold.

It was hell, like people of this generation cannot imagine.

But that is not a excuse to stop or take the easy way out.

That's not an excuse to give up.

To make amends for all her failures, this is the path she has chosen to take.

To move forward and cut open the path towards the future everyone envisions.

From the ashes a hero is reborn.

[Bloble]

Chisana Risu
Shopping District - Afternoon

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

I'm not usually a screamer, really.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

But, y'know... isn't that a bit of a mean thing to say? I mean, no one likes to think of themselves as someone that's easily frightened, but it's not like there aren't people who can't take scary movies. And there's no shame in being afraid of haunted houses and Halloween, and dark, scary basements. Sometimes, even if you're not easily spooked...

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

Well. Everyone has their breaking points, right?

"NANAKO-SAN, DO YOU EVEN HAVE A LICENSE?!"

Oh. She's doing something crazy. Hey, isn't that-!?

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

And there I go again. See? It's like a roller coaster. People yell on those, don't they? I mean, sometimes there's people who scream when there's no reason to. Like if they got a free gift card, or showed up on TV, or if they get asked out by that cute boy they like-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAA-"

Sorry, Nanako-san! I can't seem to stay quiet. Gimme a sec. I'll work on it.

"AAAAAAaaaaaaaa...."

There we go! I've gotcha, vocal chords! Even without magic, you're not fooling me.

Oh. Wait. Are we inside the mall? When did that happen? One moment everything was fine, then the magic was gone and the students were gone and we were running, and now we're in a car that Nanako-san stole and is driving through a mall, while a bunch of scary wolf monsters are chasing us.

I, uh, don't understand. I don't understand and that's almost as scary as these wolf monsters.

...well, okay. Maybe not that scary.

But hey! At least Nanako-san's keeping us away from them. The car's fast enough to stay ahead, and with so much room we have the space to maneuver. I can calm down now, right? It's okay to stop panicking and start processing what's going on, right, Nanako-san?

...oh. It's dead. The engine just died. And now it's smelly and there's smoke everywhere and I can't see much. We were somewhere around the fashion section, and then...

Oh.

Ooooooooh.

We're screwed, aren't we?

...

One of my hands is holding onto the handle above my passenger side door, to keep me from bumping the roof. The other, though... well, I haven't been able to let go of it. Even if it's just a normal pen now, it's still something I grew up with. Right, Ratatoskr? Even if you don't have magic, you can still write, can't you?

"Nanako-san."

Dammit. If this is all I can do, then I'll do it to my best!

"It's not over yet."

I'm in the front seat, so I can do a bit more than Mana-san and Raku-san. In short, if Nanako-san is stuck, it's my job to support her.

So I reach forward and grab the keys, since Nanako's holding onto the wheel with all of her might.

"Keep going!"

The car's still moving. We have momentum. This mall isn't that big, so we might make it to the other side before the wolves catch up. Even if we can't see, there's still something there, on the other side of the smoke.

Yes: hope.

Betting on that uncertain potential, I turn the keys.

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Shopping District- Afternoon

Once again, time slows down to a crawl. In our desperate attempt to flee from the enemy, the ever-present reality of our efforts slowly creeps closer and closer up on our heels. Eventually... it just catches up, snags at our ankles, and tries with the utmost effort to drag us down into despair. It's an outcome we knew was coming. It's an outcome I knew was coming... Because the odds are just too high for us to even catch a break. That's just how these things tend to work out. Even still...

"G...GO-!"

A man who's name I don't even know raises his voice at us. Caught by circumstance's petty whim- lying pitifully on the ground- he yells at both Haru and I and tells us to keep running. He does this because he is all too knowledgeable of his own circumstance. Being that he has been robbed of his abilities as a magus, his old body simply cannot keep up with this pressure or this strain. In short, this old man will do nothing but slow us down. He knew this even before we left the rooftop. Still, he heeded the words of a selfish little girl and set aside his own perception of reality.

For me, the answer is simple... and immediate.

Before the man's words can even form, my body turns and my muscles tighten. Swords in hand, I go back for a man to whom I owe nothing. Despite the fact that going back will surely place me in the heart of the storm, my legs carry me forward without the slightest bit of hesitation. It's crazy, I know; however, there's nothing in me that's taking a moment to contemplate what 'death' is. All that I can think of is that life is precious. Whether that life is my own or that of another, all I can think of is that something of value is wrongfully being threatened. I need no other reason to act outside of that...

Though I may no longer be a magus, this body of mine still draws breath and it's still within my power to make a difference... However small it may be. In the end, it's not the miracles I brought forth with magic that has led me to lead such a self-destructive life. The magic I gained as Izanami was nothing more than an enabler... When it comes down to it, it's the heart beating in my chest that has given me the strength and courage to fight all these battles until now. And whether or not I'm a mage or a normal human, that fact will never change.

[hero]

KAJIKI UTA
'Shadow'

This is Kajiki Uta's reflection.

Not what Kajiki Uta sees when she looks at the mirror, but rather what the mirror sees when it looks at Kajiki Uta. Ultimately, these shadows are a part of the being they are based on and can feel emotions just like they do. Then, if it's only natural for a caged bird to resent the one who holds it captive, it's logical for these reflections to hate their owners. Indeed, there was a time when the fake detested the original. How could she not? Kajiki Uta was nothing but a dying girl back then. Can you imagine how it must have felt to look at her miserable shape and be able to do nothing about it? No... Can you imagine how it must have felt to be chained to a bed because of someone else?

But now.

Now none of that matters. There are no traces of anger within her feral gaze. It does not matter who took everything from her or who gave it all back. All that matters is that both combatants are strong. And what matters the most is who is the strongest. Therefore, even if only a couple of lines were spoken throughout the fight...

"Enough talk."

There is no need for more.

Suddenly, an attack performed with supreme might and no technique. A huge portion of land is claimed and tossed at the rest of the world with indiference. Against another opponent, maybe she would have allowed herself to lower her guard after confirming a hit. Waste sometime so the other side can have some time to show off so everyone can enjoy the fight. However, against Kajiki Uta that won't be enough. Knowing her like no one else does, she knows that the immense projectile is nothing but a paper ball when thrown against this enemy. And that is exactly why its purpose is not to destroy Kajiki Uta, just block her vision for a few moments. The moments needed to finish her off.

It's nothing personal. She goes for the kill simply because that's what strong people do. If her opponent dies because of it is not her fault. It just means they were too weak to survive it. It's nothing personal... But she will be breaking free now.

"...?!"

The earth shatters ahead of time. That seriously catches her off guard. For a moment, seconds become minutes, and the glares of two identical beasts meet in the suspended space. Shock is replaced by a smile that could easily belong to a devil. Things aren't going accoding to plan. There is nothing good about the situation she finds herself in. Rather, this sudden turn in events have put her in a vulnerable position where all she can do is wait for her inevitable demise. Yeah, the reason for her confidence comes from just that.

Because KAJIKI UTA doesn't want to lose.

Because KAJIKI UTA becomes stronger when she is in the losing side.

So long as the battle continues, so long as she is losing...

So long as these conditions are met, she can continue to grow.

That is what it means to be the strongest.

There is no upper limit.

"...!"

At that moment, the tables turn yet again.

If Kajiki Uta's attack is an spiral that can drill through an entire planet, then KAJIKI UTA's counterattack is a black abyss that can devour an entire galaxy with a single bite. Moving and releasing Acheron, she unleshes a dark hole upon the battlefield that, when combined with her own Rhadamanthus becomes an unparalleled force.

The two fighters trade blows.

By swallowing Kajiki Uta and then spitting her afterwards, she managed to keep herself outside the path of the magical drill, taking only a portion of its original power as damage, all while hitting her foe with the full brunt of her own ability. It's an unfair trade in every sense of the word. For not only does Kajiki Uta has to bear the wounds that were inflicted upon her, but also those sustained by her clone.

Causality and effect are reversed.

An unfair ability born out of a contradiction.

If the reflection is injured, shouldn't the one looking at the mirror also be hurt?

The link is broken.

The reverse doesn't apply.

But that doesn't put an end to the fight. As soon as she lands, she unleashes another attack against her 'owner'. It is met by one of the latter's own. Kajiki Uta won't go down so easy. She would not, either.

It all becomes a dance of blood and sweat.



And.

At the end of it all.

Only one of them stands.

Interlude Out