Fortissimo EXS // Trigger: Verzweiflung (IC thread)

[hero]

Fortissimo EXS // Trigger: Verzweiflung


Oh, chosen ones!

Prepare your mind, body and soul for this war.

Sacrifice everything you hold dear for that wish which lies in the depths of your heart.

Its existence is something which you cannot deny.

Destroy anyone who stands in your way.

And reach out for an opportunity that shall never present itself again.

In this world, there is no room for justice, sadness or regret.

Kill them. Kill everything that is unnecessary. But make sure to keep your fantasy alive.

That is how you win in this game of betrayal.

-------

Nakamura Akio (Airen)
Starlight Academy - Afternoon


It was a good thing that club activities had been suspended for the day.

All your football equipment was inside your locker which, by the way, was jammed. The last bell had rung over half an hour ago and you were still standing there, trying to force open the god damn thing. You were sure Rei could take care of it in a matter of seconds, but he had been summoned by student council president for reasons unknown to you, so it could be said that you were alone in this. Yeah, taking a look around, you realize there was no one there that would care enough to lend you a hand. Surprisingly, the school halls were not as empty as you had expected, and many students walked through them in groups, gossiping about stuff. The grand majority belonged to the 'popular side' of the student base and the only members you could say that you knew were those that belonged to your own class.

Tsukuyomi-jima was a small island, so it only had one school. Even though everyone went to the same place, the number of students wasn't noteworthy and it was unusual to see the halls crowded like this. If you had to guess, you'd say this was a gathering of some sort. And, in a way, you were right. Pretending to be busy with your locker, you overheard a group of students talking:

"So, what's the deal? I heard there were no clubs today cause pest control, but I don't really buy it. Fill me in, girls."

"Ah, haven't you heard? It's all Chisato's doing. She's going to host a party TODAY... HERE. I don't know how she does it, but that girl is magic. I am glad I am her friend."

"And since I didn't get the good news, I guess I am not invited, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Only those on top of the food chain were notified. Although, there is a rumor going on that Chisato is going to personally invite the boy she has a crush on... And you didn't hear it from me, but it seems he isn't one of us."

"Really? Hmmm, spit it out girl, I know that face. You are not letting out everything you know."

"You know me too well. Tell nobody, but my sources say that he is on the soccer team. No clue on who it is, I swear."

At the mention of that, your heart skipped a beat. That person they had been talking about could very well be you and, while a love confession should be something that would make you happy, the idea of dating Yoshiota Chisato frightened you to no end. Yes, without giving it a second thought you could say that Chisato and you were completely incompatible. She was the typical bitch who abused her influence and position as 'queen' to do whatever she wanted. No matter where you started looking, that girl was the devil, and the cause of many miserable student lives in Starlight Academy.

Even if you were invited personally, you were sure that you would simply say no.

As you tried not to think too much about it, the locker door slowly opened, as if enchanted. Finally! However, you quickly identified an object that did certainly not belong. It was a letter envelope. Without thinking, you took it out of your locker and opened it, only to find the letter had a neat handwriting that could only belong to a girl. You quickly skimmed its contents, fearing your worst nightmare might have come true:

'I cannot put in words how I feel about you when I see you walk by. These intense feelings will never go away until I can have you in my arms. Then you will realize that there is only one woman for you and that woman is me. I love you Nakamura Akio, and I do this because of love.

If you are willing to give me a chance to take your heart, meet me at the Sakura Tree after school.'

Not knowing what to think of it, you put the letter back in your locker and you close its door. At that instant... You realize there is someone standing next to you. Someone you know too well.

"Gooooood moorning Akio-niichaaaan~ I brought you luuunch~"

Natsume Raku, one of your neighbors and a friend of yours since you can remember. She, like her father, was a free spirit and seemed to live on her little own world. A world that did not abide by any rules. Because you knew her too well, it didn't take you more than a couple of seconds to determine what was wrong with the picture.

First... She was a little bit too late for lunch.

Second... She smelled like alcohol. And she was drunk. Not the first time she came to school like this.

Third... That lunchbox... It was addressed to somebody else! It even had 'For Keiji, with love' written on it!

"Eheheheheheeeee~"

Enter the drunk thief, Natsume Raku.

-------

Reynard Everheart (Mereo)
Starlight Academy - Afternoon


Hishikawa Nanako was perfect.

She had a beautiful face, an incredibly sexy body, the intelligence to score the highest grades on tests and the skills to be the figure in any sport. In short, she had the natural talent to surpass anybody at anything. As the student council president she had always been quite reserved and efficient, and it was a given that there would never be a better president. When you had been told that she had summoned for you in particular, you couldn't help but to feel alarmed. Maybe she had found out that you had accidentally broken that bench the past week?

"Sit down, please."

There could be only one reason why a student was called into this room. That reason being 'punishment'. When you heard her cold, distant voice, you knew. You knew that whatever was coming had to be bad. Really, really bad.

"Oh? Did I scare you? It's an old habit of mine, sorry." The girl let out an embarrassed laugh. "Relax, Rei. You haven't done anything wrong. In fact, from what I've read about you, your grades are quite outstanding."

Well, you didn't see that one coming. Maybe the reason she brought you here was to congratulate you instead?

"Still, nothing to brag about." Yeah, probably not the case. "Anyhow, Rei... There is someone I'd like you to meet."

With those words as a signal, the door opened and another person stepped into the room. Unlike you, he was not wearing a school uniform; his clothes resembling that of a jungle explorer. Bandages covered his right eye, probably as a result of an accident. But, for some reason, the thing that stood out the most was his cowboy hat. You could tell that this person was definitely a foreigner: An American.

"Yo, PARTNER!" The boy greeted you with a smile and insisted on shaking your hand. "I'm looking forward to having a FUN TIME with ya."

His Japanese was not the best, and he would often mix English words into his sentences. But, all in all, it wasn't that hard for you to understand what he meant. You accepted his handshake and gave the president another look, looking for answers on what the whole deal was. You could already predict what this was about, though.

"This is Johnie Gamble, a exchange student. He'll be in you class starting tomorrow. However, from what I've seen... He's quite... Ummm... airheaded and unreliable." Nanako said this fast enough for Johnie not to get what she meant. "So I thought that maybe you could, dunno, show him around town and then take him home? Sorry to ask you to be his babysitter, but school today is a mess, and you are one of the students I know I can trust for sure.

So, do me a favor, and I might be able to return it, mhm?"

-------

Nakamura Shinji (Neko)
Starlight Academy - Afternoon

Ah, just in time.

There, like a model walking down the catwalk, was Yoshiota Chisato and her two friends. The crowd that had previously been in there had moved elsewhere and you knew why. In a way, Chisato was a 'queen' with enough influence to do as she pleased. So, every time she went to the restroom with her friends to talk about private matters... Well, she liked to make sure there were no spies. Being aware that anyone found near the restrooms would be given a hell of a beating, most of the students tried to avoid being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

But not you. Not the Raven.

You would get that information today and you would leak it to the world as soon as possible. This was your job, this was what you did. Today's 'mission' was especially risky, but you had taken all the security measures you could think of. You hid a cell phone inside the meeting place and you had another one on you. So whatever happened inside, you would hear and record with you cell, which by the way was not yours. Neither of them was. If someone found out about this, they will probably have you killed.

"Hey hey, look at what I found."

Joshuya Ieshige quickly locked your arm behind your back, and pushed you out of your hideout. To think that the stupidest person ever would catch you. Ieshige was pretty good at soccer and quite popular with the girls, but he was one of those bullies that lacked a brain of their own. He 'worked' for Chisato and was often in charge of delivering the beatings. Worst case scenario, you would wake up in the hospital tomorrow.

"Huh? If it isn't Shinji 'four eyes' Nakamura. What the fuck are you doing here during 'Chisato time', huh?" The orange haired queen stared at you for a few seconds and then sighed in disgust. "Pervert. Ieshige, dear? Make sure to give this guy an eight. And make sure he fucks off after that."

Beatings went from one to twenty, the latter being the most dangerous. So, in this case, an eight wasn't that bad. Didn't mean it wouldn't hurt, though.

"Hah!"

An unexpected punch flew straight into your stomach and you fell to your knees from the pain. A kick made sure that you wouldn't stand up after that. Of course, nobody was there to see anything. When Chisato did the things she did, there were no witnesses, and no one could ever oppose her. The only person in the whole institution who had dared to stand against her was the student council president, Hishikawa Nanako, and even she had paid the price.

"Now fuck off, tard."

You made your way out of there in all fours, crippled by the pain. Or that is what you wanted them to believe. Unknown to them, you were a Magus, an existence which transcended humans; the next step in evolution. For you, it would be easy to beat the fuck out of Ieshige and his gang or endure a thousand of his beatings. But of course, that information was one that you kept to yourself. It was your one and only secret.

Checking your phone was okay, you hid in a safe place, far from the restrooms, knowing that distance won't be an issue.

"Party today is going to rock, Chisato-sama."

"Damn right it will. So, where were we?"

"Oh yes. Satomura and Arizuka received a 15 and a 10 respectively. You know, for trying to oppose you last week."

"I am glad that bitch got what was coming to her. Anything else?"

"Yeah~ Chisatooooo, tell us who your loved one is! We beg of you."

"What does this have to do with anything?! Agh, close the doors, the windows, everything!"

"So, tell us... We heard he is part of the soccer team. Is it Nakamura?"

"Shinji?"

"No, silly, Akio. Nakamura Akio."

"Oh, him? Nah. What made you think so? He's too generic for me. But you are not too far off~ The person I fell in love with at first sight is..."

"yeeeeeeeeeeesss~?"

"...Reynard Everheart"

"Kyaaaaaaaaaa! So... So... You are taking him to the Sakura Tree to confess you feelings?"

"Nah, that's too overrated. I'll simply intercept him on his way home and when I tell him about the party, he won't be able to say no!"

"Hahahahaha!"

"Hahahahaha!"

... It seemed the conversation had ended. It was a shame, they hadn't talked about the important dirty matters you thought they would, but at least you got a name. If Chisato had a crush with this boy... Maybe you could use this information as blackmail... No, she said she was going to confess to the guy today... Well, at least you would be the first to provide the news to the public!

Now there was just one thing more to take care of. The cell phone you had left inside the bathroom. Were the girls to find it, they would know someone had been spying on them. So you had to go back to retrieve the last piece of evidence against you. On the other hand, such a thing might be risky, and maybe you should leave it for a later time. Maybe upload the information first?

Whatever it would be, you had to make a decision.

-------

Fukami Mikoto (Sei)
Road 2 - Afternoon

Strange.

Tsukuyomi-jima had one rule that every Magi that lived there knew of: 'If something fishy is going on the island, you will know. You will feel it in the air'. And no wonder, this feeling of uneasiness had been with you for a week now. But today... Today you had noticed the first drastic change. This morning, when you had tried to activate your Magical Weapon, you had found yourself unable to. It was not as if you had lost your powers as a Magus -You were still capable of superhuman feats-, you simply couldn't summon the golden ring that unlocked your true, unique power.

So you had decided that you would investigate after school. There had to be some kind of lead as to what was preventing Magi from calling out their weapons. No, in the first place, you weren't even sure if this was something that went beyond you and your weapon. And, while your gut feeling told you that indeed that was the case, you needed to be sure.

That's why you were headed towards the Nakamura house. Although you had only seen her a couple of times, you were sure that Hitomi Nakamura was Magus, and if you had to guess, you would say that his younger brother Akio was one as well. You figured that at least the latter should be home by this time. After all, club activities had been suspended for the day. There was no reason for him to stay at the academy.

"FUUUUUUUUUUKAMIIIIIIIII MIKOTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

As you tried to come up with a convincing speech to use with the Nakamuras, a sudden shout brought you back to your senses. Sensing danger coming from behind, you quickly spun 180 degrees and raised your arms to block the flying kick aimed at your face. The sheer power behind the blow forced you to take a couple of steps back and left your arms numb.

"As expected of you, sempai. You blocked my surprise attack with no sweat." The attacker commented, as he prudently retreated outside of your range. "Let's go again. I will make sure to show you the fruits of my training-!"

Shinozaki Tobei was no stranger. You had first met him the day you had set foot on this island and you had been friends since that day onwards, kind of. Back then, he had challenged you to a fight on a whim -He had claimed that he could 'sense' how strong you were- and he had lost. Now, he would show up every now and then with a new technique or tactic to try and defeat your 'creative' -as he called it- fighting style. So it was safe to say that these encounters, these fights, were the central point of the relationship between you two.

"Sempai! Come, or I will come for you...!"

Not the best timing for a fight... But could you really decline his challenge?

-------

Hisamatsu Kanko (Sunco)
Shopping District - Afternoon

After two long hours, you finally made it out of that hellish mall.

It had only been natural that such a big place would catch the attention of someone like you, who had just arrived at the island the past week. But you had certainly not expected to be that big, and you couldn't help but to get lost inside. Thankfully, a female blonde student from Starlight Academy had shown you the way out of the labyrinth.

Well, now you knew why they called it 'The Milky Way'.

Did you really have a reason to stay in Tsukuyomi-jima? Truth was that you didn't. It was just another stop in your journey as a 'hero of justice'. But you just couldn't let go of the premonition that something bad was going to happen soon. It was something that you couldn't explain; rather you just felt it. And while you had patrolled the island during the night and had seen no suspicious individuals, you couldn't shake that ominous feeling. You were starting to believe that you had gotten sick when suddenly, you spot trouble in a close by alley:

"Get her...!"

At first it seemed like a fight between two small gangs, but with a closer look you determine that, in fact, it's just a red haired girl against them all. From the looks of it, she was having the advantage. Even if she was outnumbered and punches came from every possible direction, she just gracefully stepped out of danger as if she were dancing. Her counterattacks, however, were brutal and did not resemble a dance at all. Once she kicked a guy in the face, he wouldn't stand up. But you had seen many fights and you knew that no matter how skilled she actually was...

... She was going to lose.

And you prediction came true. Taking advantage of a mistake she had made, the thugs cornered her and effectively restrained her. It was obvious, from what you could see, that they would hold her still for their boss to do the honors and give her a beating. Things changed drastically when you saw the man pull out a knife out of his pocket. That was the signal for you to act.

But, as if trying to ridiculize you, your weapon did not come out when called out its name. And, at nearly the same time, you saw a shop in the distance burst into flames. Both scenarios looked so bad, that it was easy to tell that if no one acted soon enough, someone would die.

If one tried to save everyone, one would end up saving no one. That was the harsh truth behind the word 'hero'.

So you had to make a decision. Who to save was up to you.

-------

Lucille Fairiday(KT)
Residential District 1 - Afternoon


The Fairiday had always been obscenely rich.

Probably the main reason why you were today on the back seat of this car with your hands and feet tied up, your mouth sealed with duck tape and a fucking headache from hearing these amateurs talk out loud. Yes, it wasn't hard to conclude that whoever had kidnapped you had not the slightest idea of what they were doing. For one, they had forgotten to cover their faces with a mask, or cover your eyes. Which meant you could see their faces and which meant that you would likely die for doing so. Second, what the hell? They had kidnapped you when there were the most witnesses around... Which leads us to point three:

"Speed up damn it!" One of them yelled in desperation. "Fuck fuck! Speed up, bro! The police is right behind us!"

Yeah.

To you this was nothing more than a pathetic act. Even if they had done things properly, you were out of their league. Because not only you were a fucking rich fag, you were also a Magus. And a Magus laughed at bullets. You could easily free yourself at any time, watch them as they shoot you in the leg or something, and enjoy the look on their faces when they realize that does nothing to someone like you. But so far, you had resisted your urges to do something of the sort.

At the time, you simply wondered if you should do anything at all.

You didn't care about the money, so it was okay if they took some cash away from your parents. They couldn't kill you either, not without a Magical Weapon. They wouldn't get to that anyways: The cops were catching up. So why bother? Why lift a finger?

But then you remembered.

That your fights with him were the only memory you treasured. And you realized... That maybe, right now and from up there, he just wanted to see you smile lose it.

'Kill them' A voice inside your head told you that, without him, you were starting to go insane. 'Kill them' it said once again.

Fortunately, you still retained your sanity enough to make the call yourself.

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Starlight Academy - Afternoon

Honestly, I really hated my sports locker sometimes. It was the only locker I knew that had a tendency to jam, and while I could easily rip the door off of it's hinges if I really wanted too, I was pretty sure that doing something like that would be rather difficult to explain to the student council president tomorrow, not to mention the crowds of students that were still lining the halls even this late in the afternoon. Since club activities had been canceled for the day, I had assumed that everyone would just head on home.

Judging from all the gossiping, it seems that my original guess had been a wrong one.

Still fiddling with the door to my locker, I couldn't help but overhear bits and pieces of the various conversations that were filling the normally silent hallways. One conversation in particular, which stemmed from a group right next to my locker, was clear enough that I could hear everything they said, even if I tried to block it out.

"So, what's the deal? I heard there were no clubs today cause pest control, but I don't really buy it. Fill me in, girls."

"Ah, haven't you heard? It's all Chisato's doing. She's going to host a party TODAY... HERE. I don't know how she does it, but that girl is magic. I am glad I am her friend."

"And since I didn't get the good news, I guess I am not invited, huh?"

"Yeah, sorry about that. Only those on top of the food chain were notified. Although, there is a rumor going on that Chisato is going to personally invite the boy she has a crush on... And you didn't hear it from me, but it seems he isn't one of us."

"Really? Hmmm, spit it out girl, I know that face. You are not letting out everything you know."

"You know me too well. Tell nobody, but my sources say that he is on the soccer team. No clue on who it is, I swear."

...The soccer team?

I liked to think that I was a pretty friendly guy, but if there was a girl in this school that I knew, without a shadow of a doubt, that I wouldn't get along with, it would be Yoshiota Chisato. She was almost like a tyrant, stomping on those students that existed 'below' her using her influence and position as 'Queen.' She wasn't particularly rude to the more popular students, and I myself was at least treated decently by the girl when we happened to interact for one reason or another, but I had seen the way she treated most of the student body, and so I kept a cold distance from her and her little followers-

Ah! I got the locker open!

Having accomplished my goal without the use of magic, I couldn't help but feel relieved as the metallic door of my locker finally swung open with a light creaking sound. Reaching for my stuff so I could finally start my walk home, I was rather surprised to find the clear white paper of an envelope sitting neatly upon my normal shoes.

This was new.

Opening up the envelope with a genuine curiosity, I swiftly skimmed the paper with my eyes, realizing pretty quickly that this handwriting seemed like a girls.

'I cannot put in words how I feel about you when I see you walk by. These intense feelings will never go away until I can have you in my arms. Then you will realize that there is only one woman for you and that woman is me. I love you Nakamura Akio, and I do this because of love.

If you are willing to give me a chance to take your heart, meet me at the Sakura Tree after school.'

I had a secret admirer?

This wasn't the sort of thing Chisato would do, so I was pretty sure I had dodged that particular bullet, but I was honestly curious as to this girl who had apparently been watching me all this time was. From the way the letter was written, it seemed like whoever it was was pretty serious about her feelings for me.

I couldn't see a reason why I shouldn't give this girl a chance...

Putting the letter back amongst the remaining items in my locker, I closed it firmly, hoping it wouldn't jam tomorrow, when-

"Gooooood moorning Akio-niichaaaan~ I brought you luuunch~"

-Someone I knew very well appeared before me.

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't sure exactly how I was supposed to respond to Raku's small gift to me. She smelled of alcohol, and the name on the lunchbox made it pretty clear that she had stolen it from someone else, but she was looking at me with such hopeful, if slightly mischievous eyes, that I immediately knew I would regret it if I turned the lunch down. Regardless of the origin, she had clearly gotten it for my sake, so the least I could do was accept it, even if I didn't really agree with the method in which she had... Acquired it.

Still, even if I had wanted too, she was far too drunk to understand any sort of lecture I may have given anyway.

"Ah, for me eh?" Smiling, I reached out and accepted the lunchbox from my inebriated friend, who giggled to herself as I brought it to my side, "Thank you Raku-chan, I'll make sure to eat it later."

It was probably the safest answer I could have possibly given in a situation such as this, it would probably make Raku happy, and enable me to give this lunchbox back to it's rightful owner when I got a chance. Still, happy or not, Raku was drunk, and while I had been planning on heading home alone today, as her friend, I couldn't just leave her alone in the school like this, especially not when she was in this sort of state. Some of the more popular students were glaring at us now, and while it wasn't too big of a deal at the moment, I wasn't really in the mood for dealing with the sort of drama they were likely to bring into the situation.

"Still, it's a bit late for lunch Raku," smiling, I threw my backpack over one shoulder, "School's out for the day. You wanna walk home with me?"

[Katie]

Lucille Fairiday(KT)
Residential District 1 - Afternoon

The longer this went on, the more she had to suppress the urge to full on out kill them. After all, with their inadequacy, they'd soon get caught by the cops anyway.

Lucille gently untied the bonds around her hands, lamenting how they didn't have the skills to make a good not or tie her hands from behind her back. It was if they really did want this to be the easiest kidnapping escape in history. She slowly removed the duct tape - she didn't want to mar her oh so perfect face - and then untied her legs. Amateurs, if they were any competent she could think it was simply amusing bondage. But this was absolutely horrid, and she had the right mind to tell them about it.

After all, she did untie herself in such a way for it to be painfully obvious, and if they didn't, they'd certainly notice now.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. How dare you not tie a beautiful woman such as myself properly? At least I could've thought that this was bondage and a twisted form of roleplay, but I am simply saying too much. Your mothers would be very ashamed of you, as I am sad to admit; not only are you kidnappers, you are terrible ones at that. Woe upon them, for you can't even seem to tie a competent knot. Or are your mothers such corrupted whores that they would not care? It doesn't matter, because to be honest, everyone is quite ashamed of the both of you. Why not spend a lifetime flipping burgers instead of kidnapping a lovely maiden such as myself? The former, while not proud, at least lets you be somewhat socially accepted in society, in contrast with being in prison for a criminal offense. It's either disdain or disrespect, and yet you choose the irredeemable option. How saddening."

Lucille took a deep breath and continued on, not even caring about what was happening to the pair in front of her.

"And I thought men were the smarter sex, too. After all, Adam was not stupid enough to be tempted to eat from the Tree of Knowledge, until his bitch of a wife made him do it. Honestly, I have to say, even though he lost at the end, at least he wasn't enamored by the talking snake. But, I digress, I'm getting off topic. But maybe the pair of you wouldn't know? After all, you two are uncultured Japanese dipshits, so maybe the contents of the Bible are unknown to you. I swear, you two should use that gun to put a bullet through your heads. Good riddance, and no one would miss you, for I'm sure your parents have given up on you already. Hell, I bet if they had the chance to have a child that wasn't you, they'd take that chance each and every time."

She smiled a twisted grin, and folded her arms.

Any minute now...

"By the way, shooting me won't solve anything. Shoot me, I die, you lose the ransom. Basic logic, no? But maybe that was hard for you to comprehend."

She slowed down, every word more like a sentence in itself.

"You shoot me, I'm dead, no ransom. Capiche?"

Lucille sighed, and wondered if she could convince the police she was a sweet angel. Probably could, but she really didn't know how gullible Japanese law enforcement was except for that one time, when she clearly had the advantage. What a pain...

"You might as well stop the car now and turn yourselves in. No way you're making this unscathed, so would you do everyone a favor and make it easy for the rest of us? You could even put on a sob story too, maybe the court will be lenient and give you less time for attempted kidnapping. just saying."

She leaned back in her chair, waiting for her pathetic "kidnappers" to make their next move.

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Road 2- Afternoon

(BGM on)
Walking down the street, I take the time to enjoy the beautiful scenery. The afternoon air bears a crisp sensation and the smell of flowers drifts through the air. Unlike my humble hometown, it is always summer here on Tsukiyo-jima. The heat took me some getting used to at first, but I've come to enjoy it as the days have gone by. It's a rather small island, so nothing is never too far and you find yourself learning names and faces fairly quickly. So, while I've only been on this island for a short period of time, I can honestly say that I love this place.

Overall, the island location is a nice change of pace from all the traveling I've done with Sensei. For the past couple of years, as I've studied to become a someone who can use magic, a magus, I've never really gotten the chance to slow down. While Sensei and I might not have parted in the best of ways, I'm glad it led me here. However, the recent change in the atmosphere does strike me as odd. In a place where seemingly nothing happens, for the symbol of my ability to suddenly be locked off is a mystery. Even though I'm still fairly new at this, I'm certain this is something which extends beyond myself. It's for this reason that I'm heading towards the Nakamura household. It's a bit of a stab in the dark, but I figure if Hitomi is a magus, she would have noticed something by now too.

"Ehhh... But it really is such a nice day today..."

Distracting myself from my own thoughts, I set aside my worries and return my attention to my surroundings. With the vivid colors easing my mind, I begin to think about what I'm going to say once I do reach the Nakamura's. After all, it's not like we know each other that well.

(BGM off)

"FUUUUUUUUUUKAMIIIIIIIII MIKOTOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

A sudden yell breaks through my peaceful duldrum and my body turns around on it's own. Catching only the end of the attack thrown at me, my arms fly up subconsciously to protect me from the flying kick. The impact sends a numbing shock racing through my bones and it forces me to step back a few paces to maintain my balance. With my instinct flaring on alert, I immediately assume a combat stance, but my intent vanishes the minute I see the face of my assailant.

"As expected of you, sempai. You blocked my surprise attack with no sweat." The attacker commented, as he prudently retreated outside of your range. "Let's go again. I will make sure to show you the fruits of my training-!"

(BGM on)
As it turns out, the person who attacked me is none other than Shinozaki Tobei. He may be a bit of an oddball, but he's no stranger to me. Actually, I dare say he's the first friend I've made since I've come here. That is, if you can call our relationship a friendship. Personally, I'd like to think so.

"Oh, Shinozaki-san. You seem to be in high spirits today." As the boy creates some distance, I try to shake off the numbness by weaving my arms through the air. To some, it might seem like I'm mocking Shinozaki, but this is actually my way of complementing him for his strength. "Although... I've gotta say... Sneak attacks aren't cool. If you're a real man, you'd come at me face to face!"

Shifting from a pout to a friendly smile, I greet Shinozaki and tighten my stance. While I wasn't planning on a fight today, I can already see where this is going. Seeing how as Shinozaki is already pumped up, there's no way in hell he's taking no as an answer. It would seem as though I've been suckered into another match. And seeing how as I wasn't able to train my magic today, I might as well train my body. So really, Shinozaki couldn't have come at a better time.

"Sempai! Come, or I will come for you...!"

With my "kohai" getting restless, I adjust my goggles before spotting a hole in his guard and going in for the charge. As I close the gap, I control my momentum and move it into my leg for a powerful kick. This attack... will be "punishment" for sneaking up on me!

"Chaser Kick!"

[Mereo Flere]

Reynard Everheart
Starlight Academy - Afternoon

It was easy to see why the student council president would task Rei with escorting Johnie. It was true that Rei had excellent grades, but as she said it wasn't anything to brag about - and while his record was relatively spotless since entering high school, staying out of trouble wasn't difficult for most of the students. No, if there was any reason Hishikawa trusted Rei with this, it would be because he himself had been born overseas as well; perhaps not from the same state as Johnie, but certainly from the same country.

While their circumstances were a little different, Rei knew what it was like to be a new student. Even if he seemed "airheaded and unreliable" like Hishikawa said, he at least seemed friendly. It wasn't as if he had anything else planned; club activities had been cancelled, so he probably would have ended up walking home. There was absolutely no reason to refuse doing this favor for her.

Still...

"I don't mind doing this for you," Rei said, as he leaned back in his chair, trying to act as nonchalant as possible. It wasn't easy, of course; when faced with someone like Hishikawa Nanako, it was hard to perfectly maintain composure. "But since I will be escorting Mr. Gamble around for today, you should allow me to escort you some other day as well.

"You know, to make sure I did a decent job." It would give Rei some time to discuss a few matters with her as well. Of course, even if she turned Rei down, he would still show Johnie around town. Even now, he was already figuring out the best place to go; the first stop would be the Milky Way. It was where most of the stores and restaurants were, and if Johnie needed anything that would be the best place to find it on the island. After that, Rei supposed there was the hospital, if Johnie somehow got hurt, and the police department, if he somehow got into trouble. There were also some other places as well, mostly dealing with the island's history, but nothing that really held the interest of people their age.

Technically, Rei supposed that he should show Johnie around school - but since there was some sort of event going on here today, he supposed that it could wait until tomorrow, before class.

[Suncofold]

Hisamatsu Kanko
Shopping District – Afternoon

Kanko sighed in relief as he finally came upon the exit to the mall. He hadn’t thought until this day that a mall could be so…complicated. Two long hours of searching, checking directories, stubbornly refusing to ask for directions, and blood, sweat, and tears, he was finally out.

Okay, maybe that last part was a bit of an exaggeration.

Despite his internal turmoil over whether or not to ask for directions, a kind blonde student had recognized his situation and had kindly sent him the right way. Thank goodness this sort of person still existed in the world.

Kanko couldn’t help but have a bad feeling in his gut though. Something was definitely up in Tsukuyomi-jima, even if there was nothing pointing towards that fact. But this feeling inside him, it hadn’t failed him yet. Whatever it was, he wasn’t leaving anytime soon.

"Get her...!"

Kanko’s attention directed to an alleyway. There seems to be two gangs fighting, but upon closer inspection he realized that it was all against a single red-haired girl. She was holding up remarkably well, but even as he watched, she overbalanced and was quickly restrained. Kanko wasn’t too worried, until he saw the glint of a blade. Shit!

He took a step forward and summoned Tekmor. Or, at least, he tried. When he whispered the name, the ring on his hand refused to react. Kanko’s eyes widened, and a black feeling enveloped him. This was bad. Very bad. He’d become so accustomed to having his trusty weapon on hand that he’d lost his composure. However, there had been a time when he’d lacked a weapon like his entirely, and such skills weren’t easily forgotten.

Kanko took another step forward, intending to stop the fight, when a shop in the distance burst into flames. Stupid low luck.

Quickly, he analyzed his options. He could go stop the fight, or he could sprint to the fire and try to save the people inside it. But while emergency services were almost certainly on the way for the burning building, there was nothing for the girl being assaulted unless another random bystander decided to help. Not to mention, the shop was pretty far away, and Kanko wasn’t very confident in his ability to navigate the mall well enough to find the shop.

So what’s it going to be? Save one life with a high chance of success, or possibly save multiple lives with a low chance of success?

Had Kanko had access to Tekmor, the answer would’ve been different. But he didn’t. Shoving all feelings of guilt and doubt to the back of his mind, Kanko kept his eyes on the alley and ran straight it. If he could take out that boss, then the danger would easily become less than lethal. And if he could take possession of the knife, then he’d be in familiar territory. He’d always preferred a blade to fists, after all.

Counting on the element of surprise, Kanko darted into the alley and launched himself into a powerful kick, with all his momentum and body behind it, at the boss, aiming for the boss’s head.

[MssrNeko]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy - Afternoon

The cellphone can wait. It would be too risky to retrieve it since Chisato and her gang were still at school. The information came first, regardless of how meager it is.

Exiting his recent hiding place, Shinji navigated back to his classroom with an eye out for Ieshige or Chisato. He would not make the same mistake twice in one day. The classroom was filled with students socializing with friends and acquaintances. Shinji passes by groups of friends enjoying gossip and picks up his backpack. Inside were several items that a normal high school student would not have, but Shinji was not your average teenager. Not at all.

With backpack in tow, Shinji leaves the classroom and once more travels the hallways of Starlight Academy. His destination, however, was not the restroom but one of the few places he could work in peace. He ascends the school stairwell until he reaches a locked door. In a few seconds the door is opened and Shinji walks into the sunlight of the outside world.

The academy roof was normally closed at all times and students were not allowed to solicit there. But that made it the ideal place for Shinji.

Locking the door behind him the grey haired Magus strides over to his usual spot: a stretch of wall on the side of the entrance. As he sits down, Shinji begins to unpack the necessary things for this afternoon’s session. He places a small laptop on his lap and turns it on. He then pulls out a small antenna and an adaptor of a sort and attaches them to his computer.

With a few keystrokes the computer welcomes its owner back. There was no time to waste. Clicking on an icon, Shinij activates his antenna’s program to seek out internet connection. In truth, the school did not have wireless internet available to its students, only its staff had such privileges. But in no time at all the antenna broke through the academy’s firewall and piggy-backed onto one of the teacher’s IP address, effectively disguising Shinji’s own IP. As this process was going on, Shinji took out the cellphone and started to disassemble its outer layer. Exposing the motherboard and memory he plugs in a few wires that wind from the adapter. Now Shinji could download all the data from the now useless cellphone onto his laptop.

With all preparations complete, the young man clicks on a black feather icon on the desktop. A window pops up requesting his log in information. A few taps of the keyboard and the information is accepted. A feminine voice vocalizes from the speakers.

“Welcome back Raven. Congress is back in session.”

Shinji’s mouth curves into a satisfied smile; this was his element, the thing that made him strive for higher heights. Not the espionage or blackmail oh no, they were just a means to an end.

It was the knowledge. Knowledge was power and Shinji wanted it all.

Opening a path to one of his databanks, Raven peers over some files:

Yoshio Eri’s affair with her favorite student, Second year Ishida Makoto,
Third year Tanaka Yuuko’s pregnancy by first year Wakamoto Tarou,
Third year Iori Masaaki’s favorite foods and drinks,
The varsity lineup for the upcoming baseball season,
The medical history of the Swim team’s star athlete, Nisio Kaoru,
Several measurements belonging to the more popular girls in the academy,

and many other similar files cascaded down the computer screen. And that was only for Starlight Academy. Raven had files concerning many of Tsukuyomi-jima’s citizens from housewives and the homeless to business CEOs and known Undesirables. Not many could escape from the eyes and ears of the Congress.

And if somebody wanted to tap into the Knowledge of the Congress…a “price” can be arranged.

Raven creates a new file in the academy database and opens an extractor program. Soon enough Chisato’s recorded conversation is safely stored in protected digital space. Typing a few lines of description, Raven saves the file and closes the link to the databanks. All that was left to do was send the information school-wide. Free of charge.

Click.
Click.
Click.

A new window pops up. A program designed to mimic a cellphone’s text messaging software, allowing the user to send messages from their computer. Not exactly a legal program but that didn’t matter to Raven. It wasn’t like he was using it for criminal purposes or terrorist activities, just the pursuit of knowledge. He composes a simple message:

Yoshiota Chisato is going to confess to a certain lucky lad later today. A certain Reynard Everheart. Let us all wish them a happy union. <3

After he is done, Raven pulls ups a list of numbers belonging to members of the student body. He puts them into the receiver’s list and adds a timer to the message. It will send itself to every phone in just a few minutes. Except, of course, to Chisato, her two friend, and their dog Ieshige. Raven didn’t like using these tactics but there were often exceptions and special situations that heeded their use.

Raven couldn't help but feel bad for Reynard for getting the attention of Yoshiota Chisato.

Now that his task was done, Raven logs out of the Congress and shutdown the small laptop. Closing the lid he puts away all of the items and pulls out a bento. All this work had made Shinji hungry and he still had leftovers from lunch.

“And now, we wait,” Shinji says taking a bite.

[hero]

Nakamura Akio
Starlight Academy - Afternoon

When you had asked Natsume Raku to walk home together with you, you had not expected it would end this way: With Nakamura Akio carrying her on his back.

At first, when she had suddenly decided to lay on the ground to take a nap, you had thought that she was joking. After all, no one would do such a thing so casually, not without being homeless in the first place. Plus, this girl had always been a teaser and a good liar. You had suspected that she was just baiting you, maybe cause she had wanted company or simply because she had wanted to steal your Student ID for the ninth time. Only when five minutes had passed and you had received no response from her had you approached her -Somewhat worried- and confirmed that she had genuinely fallen asleep.

It was a shame, really. She had been so eager with the offer of walking back home together and her eyes had light up in such a way that you were sure that she would have talked a lot on the trip, that it was kind of sad. But it was okay. You didn't mind carrying her like this: She wasn't heavy. Quite the contrary, she was quite light. With her arms wrapped around your neck and her body so close, it actually felt as if she was hugging you gently.

"Mhhmmmmm~ Warm..." For a second there, you thought that she would wake up, but it seemed she was just talking in her sleep. "... Daddy~"

... Her father, yes. You couldn't imagine how much Raku missed her dad after what had happened to him. Natsume Yasujiro had been the star in a famous exploration show on TV. He and his daughter were pretty close; you could say that all the things she had learned, she had inherited them from him. During a trip to the Amazon, however, he had gone missing. After months of searching, the authorities had given up all hope and he had been simply declared dead. For what is worth, neither you nor Raku believed he was dead, and trusted that he would come back someday. Well, your thoughts on it had probably changed since the time he disappeared, though. You were older now, so it was natural. But deep down, you wanted the old man to be alive, too.

You eventually arrived at her house, which was right next to yours by the way. Naturally, the door was locked. You knew that, despite her age, Raku lived alone, and you'd been to her house more than once, so you knew all the possible entrances there were to it. Your friend barely used the front door anyways. Sliding open the window to her room, you carefully dragged her inside and lay her on the bed. You stared at her for a couple of seconds and then turned around to leave. However, as you did so...

"Akiooo-Niiichannn~ Please stayyyy~"The girl begged, still half-sleep.

-------

Fukami Mikoto (Sei)
Road 2 - Afternoon

"Chaser Kick!"

"?!"

By the time Shinozaki Tobei became aware of the part of his body where your attack had been aimed at, it was already too late for him to try to put up a defense against it. However, there had been no need to do so in the first place. That was the conclusion he had reached after fighting you countless times and losing. Every time he came up with a new offensive attack pattern, you would find its weaknesses, exploit them and emerge victorious. That was the essence of your 'creative' style. Because of this, he had always been on the losing side, since it was impossible for him to accurately predict what move you would pull out next. And, with all the odds against him and refusing to accept defeat, he had reached an 'answer'.

"Iron Skin."

In order to defeat a stronger enemy, he would endure every attack-!

Upon impact, Shinozaki Tobei's body did not even budge. It was only natural, you thought, even if you were holding back, that kick had not been something that could be simply ignored. But, contrary to your expectations, your attack had not left the young boy stunned. No, he had somehow managed to reduce all the damage to zero, and used the pain to fuel his own fighting spirit-!

"... What's wrong, Sempai?" A fearless smile. "... IS THIS ALL THE STRENGTH YOU CAN MUSTER...?!"

Now, once again using the element of surprise and taking advantage of the fact that you had yet to recover your stance, Tobei delivered a fierce counter-attack. It didn't take long for you to realize that what he was going to do was to mirror your earlier movement. Even at this range, he managed to pull its technique off perfectly-!

"How's this?!"

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Raku's Room - Afternoon

"Akiooo-Niiichannn~ Please stayyyy~" The girl begged, still half-sleep.

To be honest, I had kind of expected Raku to wake up right as I was getting ready to leave. Maybe it was simply because we had grown up together, but drunk or not, sleeping or not, that girl had always seemed to have a knack for sensing my presence. Even when we were playing games like hide and seek as kids, she had always managed to quickly come across even my most inventive hiding spots. Of course, Hitomi had always been the winner of those games, but Rei and I were pretty sure that she had just used magic to cheat.

Turning away from the window with a nostalgic smile, I sat down on the edge of the bed, the lunchbox she had stolen still held tightly in my right hand.

"Raku," unable to hide my amused tone, I continued, "You're drunk. If I stay, you'll just end up staying awake all night to talk to me, and you'll regret it in the morning." Knowing that she would protest this answer, I hurriedly continued before she could edge a word in, "But listen to me, okay? If you go to sleep now, get the booze out of your system, I'll make you whatever you want for dinner when I get back."

She normally ate meals at my house anyway, but I figured that if I offered to cook her something myself, she'd grant my humble request. I would normally stay here for a little while if she asked me too, but that letter from before, the one from my apparent secret admirer, had made me honestly curious as to who the girl was, and, even beyond that, I'd feel bad if I made whoever it was wait for me at the Sakura Tree all night.

The least I could do was show up. The letter had sounded pretty passionate, and asking someone to meet you at the Sakura Tree for love confessions was actually a pretty common occurence on this island, almost a tradition, so I had no real reason to doubt that she wasn't being serious. It wasn't like it would take me long to reach the Sakura Tree anyway, and if Raku really needed me for something, all she had to do was call my cell phone.

I'd come running.

It was my role as "Akio-niichan," after all.

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Road 2- Afternoon

Even though it has become accustom to this blissful peace, my body still remembers the years of work I've put into it. It moves exactly as I want it to and I've lost no speed in my charge. My leg extends just as it should as I deliver one of my strongest strikes against Shinozaki. He always leads with a solid offense, so I'll meet him with my own. Seeing how he tends to neglect defense, this should sting nicely.

But...

"Iron Skin."

Just as my shin connects with his side, these words ring in my ear. I can feel the force of the impact with my body and, while I'm not martial artist, I know that attack should send ripples through his body. But Shinozaki doesn't so much as budge... In fighting him, this has never happened, so it takes me a full second to realize just what took place. He blocked! Even if he didn't use his limbs, the power behind my kick was met with equal force and was reduced to zero.

(BGM on)

"Eh...?"

That's all I can manage as I blink in amazement. I seriously wasn't expecting him to change up his style like that. However, as I come to terms with this turn of events, I can't help but put on a subtle smile. To actually bear witness to someone's personal growth is something heart-warming. The fact that said person also calls me Sempai only bolsters the feeling.

"... What's wrong, Sempai? IS THIS ALL THE STRENGTH YOU CAN MUSTER...?!"

With a proud smile blooming on his face, Shinozaki begins his counterattack. Before I even get the chance to readjust my stance his body moves in a way to emulate my move. His right foot sweeps across the ground as rises up towards my side in a fearsome arc. Having felt the force of one of his kicks already, I know that such an attack will surely be felt if it connects.

"How's this?!"

Tobei gives off a taunting battle cry as he copies my Chaser perfectly. Having only seen it once, I'm impressed. But for someone beaming with as much natural talent as him, I suppose it's only a minor feat. However...

"You should have thrown a punch!"

Taking advantage of my opponent's carelessness, I use the added boost from my opponent's turning body to stomp my foot back on the ground. With my foothold reestablished, I push forward slightly to move closer into Tobei's zone of defense. Having decided to counter with a kick when I'm already at close-range, Shinozaki has allowed me to move in where a kick loses more than half of its effectiveness. And I'm going to punish him for it~ Gliding my left fist over his outer thigh, I nail him square in the side just as his leg connects with mine. Needless to say, it hurts a bit, but the force has been lessened to the point where I can easily withstand it without losing my balance. The same however can't be said for my opponent.

As he tumbles over onto the road, I take a step or two back, laughing lightly all the while. Placing my hand on my side, I check to see if there is any numbness. Even if it isn't very ladylike, this is the kind of thing I tend to enjoy. Even though I'm not much of a fighter, it's because of these little sporty competitions that I consider Shinozaki to be someone close to me.

"Your strength is as impressive as always, Shinozaki-san. But, you're still leaving yourself open to your opponent. Even still, I can see that you're making progress. That makes me happy."

Even though that may have sounded a little strange, I can say it with a genuinely proud smile. As I get back into my stance, Shinozaki lifts himself from the ground with a smile of his own. Even after taking that attack, neither his stamina nor his will has wavered. In fact, just as I noticed in that brief moment when he met my kick, I can see a fierce spark ignite in his eyes. His determination to better himself reaches me and resonates within my own heart. It from this that I can feel the strength of our perculiar bond deepening.

"Good. I expect nothing less from you... Keep up with me, reach the place where I stand, and surpass me. If you can~"

Having slipped into a bit of a serious moment, I end with a tease and a wink. After that, the two of us charge at each other again.

(BGM off)

This is my hobby; finding strong people and challenging them to become something more. I do so because I have a dream. Well, I suppose it could be called something of a complex, really. 'To become a hero who guides other heroes'! It's pretty silly and a whole lot of childish, but that's really what I strive for. In this beautiful, yet ugly, world, I want to pave the way to a better tomorrow alongside my friends. Shinozaki is one of them now, I suppose~

The two of us go on like this for who knows how long. I throw out a punch, but her ripostes and meets me with a stronger attack than the last. Heh... Even though I'm a girl, he hits m pretty hard a couple of times. But that's okay, because I just give it back two fold! I'm sure the people in the area are looking on in the utmost confusion.

Eventually the two of us seperate again to catch our breathe. Neither of us has given the other so much as an inch in this competitive fury and it's beginning to show. Despite this, with just a moment's reprieve, Tobei looks at me as if to say 'round two'. His burnig spirit, though a bit trying at times, can only put a grin on my face, even now. So, as his sempai, how can I not meet him with the same determination?

"I'll say it again, Shinozaki-san. You truly are impressive. I've dealt with some impressive opponents over the past couple of years, but to find one such as you in a place like this is a bit of a pleasant surprise. But..."

Taking a deep breathe, I completely calm myself. Once this is done, I tighten my stance and look at my opponent with the intent to win this fight.

(BGM on)

"I can't let you stop here..."

With those words, I don a smile which says 'now I'll get serious'. Granted I can't make light of Shinozaki's ability, I also can't make light of his potential... or my own. Even if this is a friendly match, years of blood, sweat, and tears are currently riding on my shoulders. To simply forget that is something I can't do. If my opponent is going to try his hardest, then I will too. That's my respect.

"Are you ready, Shinozaki?"

Recalling the time I spent with my master, I recall everything he taught me and commit it to memory. Even if I don't agree with the methods, knowledge is knowledge and experience is experience. That being said, whatever is ugly in this world, I'll make it into something beautiful.

"Here I come."

With a smile, I charge. My mind programs my body to become lighter than it is, confusing my muscles, and temporarily releasing the limiters on my body. As I said, I'm going all out. I only hope that my kohai does me the same honor.

[hero]

Reynard Everheart (Mereo)
Road to Shopping District - Afternoon


"It's a date, then. Tomorrow is okay with you?"

She had uttered those words with a grin, as if it had been only natural for her to accept your request. In all honesty, you had expected her turn you down. It had been the first time the two of you had spoken face to face, so it could be said that you had not known Hishikawa Nanako until this day. But a lot of rumors had been floating about her since you could remember, and the most popular one was about how distant she was toward other people. It was said that she had turned down all the boys that had invited her out, and that the word 'boyfriend' did not exist in her dictionary. So now you found yourself wondering why she had picked you out of all people to be her first potential lover. Clearly, you had been selected to show Johnie around because you had been born overseas as well, that was out of the question. But what about the date? Whatever the case, tomorrow you would have your chance to show off with the most beautiful girl in school... No, maybe in the whole island.

"OH MAN..."

Johnie sighed in disappointment for the third time. Come to think of it, he had been silent during most of the trip so far, something which, of course, didn't seem natural for him to do. It didn't take you long to conclude that he was like this because of the whole date deal. You had invited Nanako in front of him without taking his feelings into consideration... Maybe Johnie felt something for the Prez and he was now upset that you had snatched the prize away from him.

"Are all the women in Tsukuyomi-jima like this?" However, contrary to your expectations, it didn't seem to be exactly that. "The real reason why I came here is not to improve my Japanese, but because of THE CHALLENGE." At this point, Johnie clenched his fist. "I am tired of EASY WOMEN. The moment I set foot on this island... I knew that the hardest women IN THE WORLD were here, waiting for me to CHALLENGE them.

But, I guess my SIXTH SENSE is starting to fail me..."

The boy adjusted his hat in melancholy.

[Mereo Flere]

Reynard Everheart
Road to Shopping District - Afternoon
Track 15

Rei had expected her to brush him off, to be honest. It wasn't as though she had never been asked out before; while everybody thought she was intimidating, there was always someone willing to try his luck. Sometimes, that someone was Rei, but in the past there had been plenty of others... and, as far as he knew, she had never been in a relationship. In a way, having his half-joking half-hoping offer be accepted was scarier than being rejected outright; suddenly, there were expectations placed upon him, by a girl who held herself to a standard high above the rest.

Not that Johnie would understand. Rei didn't know if Johnie had arrived today or some time before, but he hadn't been here long enough to know the president's reputation. Then again, telling Johnie all about her, after what he had just seen...

Well, to be honest, it probably would sound like bragging... because it would be. Because there was no modest way to say, "the girl I'm going out with on a date tomorrow is absolutely perfect," and calling her anything less than that would be doing her an injustice. Sure, Nishikawa was a little intimidating; she had scared Rei just by calling him up to the student council room. Sure, the only times she had spoken to him before was in the auditorium, whenever she gave a speech to the whole school. And sure, he had absolutely no idea why she had accepted his offer, but...

In the end, Nishikawa was simply someone people couldn't help but admire.

Still, Rei had to clear up Johnie's misconception.

"Easy women." Rei repeated his companion's English, and chuckled at the thought. "You make it sound like a foregone conclusion, not that I mind the vote of confidence, Partner. Unfortunately, all she did was accept my challenge back there; right now, I haven't even stepped into the Arena. The President... you can't think of her as a prize or trophy to be won, really. She's a champion, you see - and I guess I was lucky enough to be allowed to face her.

"I don't know much about the other girls on the island," Rei admitted as he ran a hand through his hair. Akio's family and neighbors aside, all of the girls he knew were beyond this isle's shores - and even then, all of them were older than Rei. "But I don't think you can call them easy. After all, it's not like girls here are just throwing themselves at guys."

[hero]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy - Afternoon


"Huh?"

Everyone was staring at her. Granted, she was the host of the party and the most popular person at the Academy... But Yoshiota Chisato knew that was not the reason why she was being stared at. She knew that look all too well; it had been the same when she first came to this island. She did not have a clue of what was going on, but she suspected someone was trying to ridicule her. It was not like she cared, really, there was nobody in this island who could touch her. She was the 'Queen' of Tsukuyomi-jima. That was what she had honestly thought, until her cell phone notified her of a new message.

You could say that when Yoshiota Chisato saw that message, she changed completely. Her mocking attitude disappeared, her arrogance vanished; her elegance and rhythm... Completely destroyed. Yes, when she saw that message, the girl couldn't help but to explode in rage. Rage that was directed at a single person: The Sender.

"Oh hi there Chisato, I just tex-"

"Who?"

Kunisada Kami couldn't even finish the sentence, and nobody around her could believe what they were seeing with their own eyes. Yoshiota Chisato was now choking her friend with incredible strength and it seriously looked like she was going to kill her right there, in front of everyone. She had asked the girl a single question, which of course she had not able to answer due to the circumstances.

"Ugh... Ack... Guuuuhh.............................."

And because she hadn't, Kunisada Kami died right there.

Taking her cell phone away, Chisato confirmed that the sender was covering his or her own tracks. However, if there was one thing she was sure of, it was the fact that she knew that the culprit was part of the student body that was present there at the time. She had only told her secret to her two friends and she was certain that they had not betrayed her. Yes, she didn't even need to think twice about it. In her mind there was only one suspect: Hishikawa Nanako.

"The school is now locked! Nobody goes in or out, get it? Or you end up like her. Dear? Take care of this mess. In the meantime, I think I'll pay a visit to the Student Council..."

At that point, Joshuya Ieshige understood that if he did not get rid of the body and convinced everyone not to say a word about it, he would be the next victim. So the boy and a few of his friends quickly dragged the corpse outside the school, placed it on the backseat of their car, and drove away to the beach.

Holding his head with his two hands...

He kind of hoped this had just been a bad dream.

[hero]

Hisamatsu Kanko (Sunco)
Shopping District - Afternoon


Ironing your resolve, you decided to save the one closest to you: The girl in the alley. Taking advantage of the fact that no one had noticed you yet, you launched yourself into combat with a powerful kick aimed at the gang leader's head...!

And the attack connected beautifully.

However, you instantly jumped back out of instinct as you suspected something had gone wrong. Yes, an attack of that magnitude should have knocked the man out. You were a Magus, someone many times stronger than a normal human being, and you had made sure not to hold back against criminal scum like this. But this guy... He had received the full force of the attack and endured it, as if it had been just a wake-up slap.

Indeed, at that time you realized. That man was not a normal person. Like you... He was definitely a Magus-!

"What the fuck..." Kubo Naoya complained, his head hurting like hell after that last kick. "Dude... Do you have any idea of what you are doing...? Do you even know who you are messing with here? You don't fuck with me, I don't fuck with you, that's my motto. But now, man I am going to have to give this girl and you a real beating."

You could sense it... His power. It went beyond anything you had seen before. Thanks to your experience, you had grown used to the feeling of death... But this was different.

---This man was death itself.

Unexpectedly, however, all his intent to kill vanished in a split of a second.

"Huh? It doesn't work?" The man said in a confused tone. "Oh well... I'll guess this will make it a good handicap!"

Fortunately, he did not seem to have much combat experience, because when he pulled back his right arm, he made it obvious that he was going to throw the knife your way. Judging by his strength as a Magus, you were able to determine that the thrown knife would be faster and ten times more dangerous than an actual bullet.

But it didn't matter. Because you were sure you could evade it and use the opportunity to deliver an incapacitating blow.

"... Just kidding." And just like that, he stabbed the girl next to him before your brain could even process what was going on. "Welcome to the real world, kid. This is how we deal with stuff in the streets. Backstab, or get backstabbed."

The underlings laughed, as you witnessed how the girl fell, defeated. Soon, she was laying on a pool of her own blood. Calming yourself down before trying to do something reckless, you calculated how much time the red head had left and thought of a proper plan of action to get her to safety in time. The Hospital was pretty far from the Shopping District, so you'd probably need a car or some sort of vehicle...

Before you can put said plan into practice, however, something extraordinary happened: After a sudden flash of light, Kubo Naoya disappeared from the scene, leaving you with three conscious thugs and the fallen girl...

Maybe fate was giving you a second chance to save her because...

Against this... You didn't even need your magical weapon-!


Lucille Fairiday(KT)
Residential District 1 - Afternoon


If there was one thing that people were advised not to do during a kidnapping, it was to provoke the people who held one captive. However, after having easily freed yourself from the ropes that bound you, the first thing you made sure to do was to insult them to your heart content. You humiliated them, hurt their pride and tried to convince them into giving up.

And what could you know? For Joshizawa Shunsuke, it had worked. Because he was god damn tired of doing this. He was tired of his brother being a retard. He was tired of his brother trying to act smart and always telling him what to do. And above all, he was tired of the path he had been walking till now. But it was too late for him to change... So he figured that, if he was going to prison, he might as well do it with grace.

So he stopped the car, pulled out his gun and pointed it straight at you.

"Wait, bro! Don't do something you might regret, man! You don't wanna go to jail for murder, bro."

Yeah, you had probably seen it coming, but those were the last words Joshizawa Tenshin uttered before he died. Without mercy, the one who he had once called brother, had shot him between the eyes with no hesitation. It was incredible how much of a change words could provoke on a person, especially when under stress. If you had shut your mouth, nothing like this would had happened, and who knows? Maybe the kidnapper duo would have managed to make it to their hideout.

"It's too late..." Shunzuke cried, regretting what he had just done out of frustration. But just one instant later, he gathered his strength and focused all his hatred and sorrow on the girl named Lucille Fairiday. "... Y-ou..." Not being capable of blaming himself, the man decided to judge you for his own crimes before it was all over.

*Bang*

Everything went white.

...

When you finally opened your eyes, you found yourself in a fantastic world. The first thing that came to mind was that it resembled The Paradise, and while you had no idea of what had happened to you, it was simply impossible for you not to admire this scenery. Soon, you forgot all about the kidnapping and found yourself walking through its beautiful plains.

"I am late, I am late." You heard a voice in the distance and decided to check it out. "Curses, I am going to be late!"

After some running, you found yourself before something ridiculous. Standing next to you was a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and holding an enormous pocket watch. It reminded you of something...

"Late late lateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

The funny creature looked in both directions, agitated.

It really reminded you of something... Familiar.

[Katie]

Lucille Fairiday
Residential District 1 - Afternoon

Her plan...

She thought it worked too well. But she couldn't really tell. Everything was fuzzy, like a fogged mirror. A useless projection of the truth.

And everything went white.

Like him, like him, like him~

But the white went away, and now she was in a beautiful world, one that almost reminded her of him. The sky such a precious blue, the grass such a luscious green...

It would be the world for him. A Paradise for him, and she'd make this place a reality. So he could be happy happy happy~

Just for him~

She absentmindedly checked her head. She was... She was... Bah, she couldn't remember anything right before that beautiful white. That Takemori-chan white~

"I am late, I am late." You heard a voice in the distance and decided to check it out. "Curses, I am going to be late!"

After some running, you found yourself before something ridiculous. Standing next to you was a white rabbit wearing a waistcoat and holding an enormous pocket watch. It reminded you of something...

"Late late lateeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"L-late?" Lucille tilted her head in confusion, and ran after the rabbit, wanting to see where the rabbit would go. She was kinda... lost, and if the rabbit took her somewhere fun, then great! If not, she could horribly maim it and steal the pocket watch. Then she could bludgeon someone with it.

Good things could be done with that pocket watch, no doubt.

"Wait, slow down!"

Something... was familiar about the whole thing.

But what was it? Something about a girl. And teapots. And that rabbit. Was it a book? Something like A-

Al-

Ali-

...Whatever. She could figure it out later, maybe after she killed the rabbit. Maybe that would stir up some memories.

[hero]

Nakamura Akio
Starlight Academy - Afternoon


You slowly made your way to the Sakura Tree.

After you had left Raku -Who had seemed really enthusiastic about having you cook for her-, you had accelerated your pace considerably, somewhat worried that you would be late for your meeting with the mysterious girl. Now that you were actually close to the designated spot, you couldn't help but to feel a little nervous. Come to think of it, you had no speech for the occasion or topic to talk about... Or anything. You didn't even know how you would respond to the confession, given that the only force that had driven you here had been curiosity.

In the end, there was no one standing next to the Sakura Tree. This automatically made you feel both guilty and relieved. However, your conflict of emotions did not get to last, as a sigh revealed that there was actually someone there. She had waiting on the other side-!

"Ahh~"

At first she didn't notice you there.

The girl was cute and definitely your type, but you were convinced you had never seen her before in your life. She was about your age but she was not wearing a school uniform and again, you were absolutely sure this girl did not attend to Starlight Academy. This brought up the question of how this girl had sneaked into the school, opened your locker and placed the letter there...

"Oh, Hey there." The girl finally noticed you were standing there. "I was kind of wondering if you would even come... Haha."

There was a brief silence and then...

"Sorry, it's just... This is awkward." She said with an apologetic look on her face. "So... Let's do this. My name is Aomori Mana, and you must be the guy who sent me this letter, yes?"

She just handed you a familiar piece of writing.

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Sakura Tree - Afternoon

There had always been something comfortable about this place.

I knew that I wasn't the only person who held such thoughts about this place, but I was pretty sure that my reason for loving this place were a bit different from the other people of this island. For others, their affection may have just stemmed from the fact that it was always quiet here, or perhaps they were simply drawn to the almost sacred aura this part of the island gave off, feeling that it would heal whatever wounds bothered ones soul.

But for me, my reason for loving this place was simple.

Sensei had always taught me out here, right in front of this very tree.

Even though she was my teacher, she hadn't been that much older than me, really, she was barely older than Hitomi, who had claimed the woman as her best friend even at that young age. Perhaps it was because of that rather small age difference, that she had never really seemed to like to being called Sensei. But being stubborn, I had gotten her to grudgingly accept the title over the years, even though she had always seemed to prefer being referred to as our "Onee-Sama."

Still, using that title didn't quite feel right unless I was talking about my actual sister, so to me, she had simply remained as Sensei... And Kimiko-Sensei for when I was being particularly polite in regards to her.

To be honest, I thought she was better that way anyway.

Even though I was a magus myself, she had been miles ahead of me in every possible way. She ran faster than me, hit harder than me, and could take hits that should have honestly ended any sort of life that existed in this world. My view on her may have idealized with time, but even if that was true, I was still certain that I had thought she was an amazing person, even back then.

---

"Come on, tell me," poking me in the forehead once, the red haired teenager leaned back against the Sakura Tree, a small smile on her face, "What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I can't tell you."

"Why?"

"...It's dumb."

"Maybe it is, and maybe it isn't," leaning forward a bit, she messed with my hair like she always did, "But come on, you just found out you were a magus a few weeks ago! What are you going to do with that sort of power?"

"I can't tell-"

"Look," winking once at me, she cut me off mid-sentence, "Now that I think about it, if you want to rob a bank or something, you might not want to tell me." Smiling in a teasing manner now, she poked me once more before she continued, "Your sister would never let me hear the end of it if I just let you do something like that-"

"I want to be a hero okay! Like you and sis!"

"Oh?" Blinking, her amused smile vanished for a moment, replaced by a genuinely surprised expression, "Something like that huh?"

"Yeah!"

I didn't know where my confidence was coming from, but she seemed impressed by it all the same.

"Man," leaning back again, she closed her eyes, "Kids these days and heroics... I wonder if I'm a bad influence."

"Kids? You're only fourteen yourself-"

"Hey! You should show some more respect to your sensei!"

"But you don't like the name-"

"Not important!"


---


The memory made me laugh.

That was just the sort of person Sensei was I suppose, having grown to the age of ten as an orphan, she had possessed a sort of maturity that I still lacked, even today.

"Kimiko-sensei..."

Seeing the tree again, made me wonder where she had disappeared to...

Ah.

I was getting too nostalgic.

Shaking my head as if to banish the memories, I took a few steps towards the Sakura Tree.

"No one?"

The area around the tree seemed deserted, and even though I had been drawn here by simple curiosity, I'll admit that I was a bit disappointed in this outcome.

But right as I turned to leave-

"Ahh~"

The person on the other side of the tree made herself known.

"Oh, Hey there."

I was pretty sure I had never seen this girl before in my life, and her lack of a school uniform simply reinforced my suspicions that she wasn't a student of Starlight Academy, but-

"I was kind of wondering if you would even come... Haha."

-She seemed nice enough, even if her breaking into my locker had some rather... Interesting implications...

"Sorry, it's just... This is awkward." She said with an apologetic look on her face. "So... Let's do this. My name is Aomori Mana, and you must be the guy who sent me this letter, yes?"

And with that, she handed me a letter that was almost identical to the one I had received at school, the only real difference being the changing of the gender words...

Ah, so it was this sort of thing. Vaguely wishing that I had thought to grab the letter I had received before I left school with Raku, I nervously ran my hand through my hair.

"You got a letter too?" Realizing the nervous motion I was making with my hand, I casually brought my arm back down to my side, hoping she hadn't noticed, "I found a letter just like this in my locker today, asking me to meet someone here..." Handing back the letter, I continued, "But judging from this, it seems we were both led here today." She didn't have any reason to believe my story, but after a moment of awkward silence, I did something that I probably should have done from the beginning, "Still, your name was Aomori Mana, right? My name is Nakamura Akio."

I had gotten introductions out of the way, but I still felt like there was something more I should be doing...

"Well then Mana-san, I might not know what's really going on here, but," pausing for a moment to gather strength, I continued, "Even if the letter was fake, we were both drawn here, right? So maybe someone's trying to get us together?" Smiling confidently now, I continued on without regret, "I can't be as passionate as whoever wrote this letter, but we should do our best with any sort of curve life throws at us, right?"

The moment of truth.

...Why was I nervous?!

"Do you want to go for a walk together or something?" Wincing at the end of that question, I hurried to recover, "If you don't believe me about the letter, we could stop by my school if you want. Or we could go to a ramen place... Really, even if the circumstances are weird, we both came here, so we should at least hang out for awhile, right?"

It would be okay if she didn't want to go, but I kind of felt that I owed her somehow. Even if the letter incident wasn't my fault.

[Suncofold]

Hisamatsu Kanko
Shopping District – Afternoon

Shit! Kanko watched in horror as the girl collapsed limply, blood quickly forming a puddle around her still body.

"Welcome to the real world, kid. This is how we deal with stuff in the streets. Backstab, or get backstabbed."

Kanko felt a surge of rage. That bastard, saying that as if he was some naïve little child! As if he hadn’t witnessed the worst of atrocities and sacrificed so much more than anyone else! He’d spent five years of his live exterminating scum like this, and had more times than he could count felt the bite of icy steel in the place of another.

Almost automatically, his mind calmed and started calculating. The girl was going to die soon – gut wounds always bled a lot and were often fatal in a matter of minutes. Thank the gods that he had memorized the location of the hospital, but it was a fair ways away. If he couldn’t get a vehicle, then it would be very close. He wouldn’t be able to transport the girl very fast without aggravating her wound even more, and emergency services was probably occupied with the fire deeper inside the mall. If only he could defeat this guy, fast!

It was a miracle – it must’ve been! Because right before Kanko’s eyes, the boss disappeared, leaving him only with the three thugs and the girl.

Against this… he didn’t even need his magical weapon.

Kanko launched himself at the nearest thug, smashing a fist into his face faster than he could react. Grabbing at his face, the thug left his gut open to two strong punches, before being felled by a devastating roundhouse kick to his temple.
One of the remaining thugs yelled angrily and charged, his arm pulled back to punch. Before he could punch, Kanko grabbed his head and slammed it into the wall of the alley, almost instantly knocking him out. Sensing the last thug, he ducked, leaving the last thug’s fist to impact the wall with a crunch. After that, it was child’s play to slam a foot into the thug’s crotch as he screamed and clutched at his hand.

Leaving the last body to fall, whimpering in pain, Kanko was left with the unconscious, bleeding girl. There was no time to think, all he could do was act!

Tearing off his shirt, Kanko quickly made an improvised bandage over the stab wound – it was hardly a life-saver but it would suffice to keep the girl alive until he could get her to a hospital. He quickly lifted her into his arms, taking care not to jostle her and make the already dangerous wound worse. She wasn’t a Magus, so wounds that would barely hamper someone like him was much worse for her. Exiting the alley, he ran towards the mall exit, towards a place that no mall would be found without.

A parking lot.

[hero]

Fukami Mikoto (Sei)
Road 2 - Afternoon


"I am going to become the strongest person to ever live."

On that rainy night, Shinozaki Tobei had wiped off his tears and made a 'decision'. Back then, to his brother, the promise had not carried much weight behind it. He had been sure that someone like Tobei, who had always cried like a baby at the smallest hint of provocation, would never be able to keep it. If he could be present today to see the man that weak kid had grown up into, however, he would surely feel very proud.

From the very beginning, there had not been a meaning behind it, no real motivation. He just aimed to be strong. What to do with that power? Truth was that even now he did not know what use he would give to it. There had been a time when this question hunted him, even. But it had been long since Tobei had to worry about such a thing. Because he had realized he would not be reaching the top anytime soon. To do so, there was one person he had to defeat in combat first. To him, that person was the culmination of his dream and the strongest person he had ever fought against. That person was, without a shadow of a doubt, Fukami Mikoto.

He knew that today was simply just another lesson. But that didn't mean he would not give it his very best...!

"Hah...?!" Shinozaki Tobei blocked the punch aimed at his face out of pure instinct. If he hadn't, he might have woken up at the hospital the following day. Yes, this speed... This power... Iron Skin was no match for them. "To think that you've been holding back this much the whole time... SEEEEEMPAIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII...!"

Punch. Kick. Punch. Kick.

A fantastic fight, just like those in the movies. Until...

"Damn..." Finally managing to catch a breath after a merciless exchange of blows, the boy wiped off his sweat. "That really hurt, Sempai... Might have to leave round three for another time... Shit." Exhausted, he let himself fall to the ground to rest. As he laid there, your eyes met. For a second there was silence... Then a smile and... "Hahahahahahahahaha!" He burst into laugher.

But then, all of a sudden, he stopped and his gaze turned serious.

"I want to sign up for the martial arts tournament." He said bluntly. "It's in a few weeks."

Shinozaki Tobei was slowly starting to open up to you. You could feel your bond deepening!

LEVEL UP!
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

"But I need a team of four fighters and someone to act as an agent for that... You are the strongest person I know, Sempai, so..."

He wanted you to be part of it.

[MssrNeko]

Nakamura Shinji (Neko)
Starlight Academy - Rooftop - Afternoon

Events were escalating just as Shinji had predicted. But several of the texts that were being sent shed some unexpected insight on the situation. Shinji had not anticipated that someone would actually be killed, let alone that it would be by Chisato’s own hand. According to witnesses, the crazed Queen of Tsukuyomi-jima grabbed her friend by the neck and choked Kunisada Kami to death. After committing homicide, she imposed lockdown on the whole academy and stormed off. Just few seconds earlier Shinji heard the peeling of tires and saw a truck drive off campus, no doubt carrying the body of the ill-fortuned Kunisada.

It did not take much knowledge to know what or who exactly Chisato was hunting for. But Shinji knew that she would not suspect him as the culprit. In her demented mind, she suspected only one person: Nishikawa Nanako, president of Starlight Academy’s student body. It was common knowledge that the President was the only person brave enough to stand against Chisato and her reign. But even then, Nishikawa paid for her rebellious behavior with budget cuts from the student council.

To Yoshiota Chisato, this event was Nishikawa’s way of payback.

“…What an idiotic girl,” Shinji muses with a sneer.

Her rage was blinding her to truth and she was misdirecting her wrath towards the person who had wronged her before. Shinji could laugh at the Queen’s ineptitude; to him the truth could easily be ascertained by comparing the facts of earlier events. If she actually used what small amount of brainpower her mind could manage Chisato could, at the very least, suspect Shinji of the criminal act. But no, she only wanted the blood of Nishikawa; Shinji was just a useless nobody beneath her.

The question now was how to proceed.

Yoshiota will no doubt be out for the President’s life and will probably succeed. As a Magus, Shinji could no doubt overpower the Queen and subdue her, saving Nishikawa in the process. But that was not Shinji’s modus operandi. He preferred to work behind the scenes, manipulating information to his own ends. And yet Kunisada’s death hung over him like a shadow.

It was not the first time information from the Raven had led to the death of someone. But usually it was someone who deserved it, someone who could afford being sacrificed. But collateral damage was always a factor and someone unrelated always got hurt or killed. Just like Kunisada Kami and soon to be Nishikawa Nanako.

Knowledge is power. But it can be a double-edged sword as well.

With a sigh, the Raven pulls up the list of phone numbers. Soon a dial tone hums through the receiver of one of his spare phones. Wired to it is a machine that synthesized his voice, making it impossible to know who was talking. And with it connected to the computer, a program took his changed vocals and smoothed it out into a more natural sound. In this case, the Raven would speak with a voice that at once sounded both like a woman’s and a man’s.

A harsh voice growls through the phone that demands who dares contact her.

“Hello, Yoshiota Chisato. I believe you may have heard of me, but allow me to introduce myself regardless. I am the Raven.

“I am sure you are quite aware of the malicious rumor that leaked out recently. I believe I may have some answers for you, Yoshiota-san.”