Ga Rei: Exodus Nine (IC)

[Airen]

Saki Ryuumonbuchi
Location: City's Memory (?)
Time: ???

Immediately, the building, no, the world around you, explodes and is consumed by the clashing flames. You do not attempt to flee, in the split second in which retreat is still possible, and where the building can shield you for a moment, you decide instead to clash with the monster head on, spirit rising along with your feelings, selfish as those feelings may be.

It matters not, they are your own.

There is nothing before your eyes but flame, dancing and scattering, petals against a replication of hellfire, the genuine article not being possible to use in this world in which demons and gods do not belong, you start a fire for the purpose of consuming a fire, and thus, you willingly lock yourself in a 'cage,' of your own spirit, protecting yourself by consuming everything that would hope to harm you. You can no longer follow it with your eyes, the flame that closes in from all sides, that does not try for precision strikes, but rather seeks to simply erase you with brute force is rejected only with the use of your sixth sense, telling you where the cracks in your own world of flame would appear, the points that must be reinforced unless you want to be blown away.

But even then, taking time to eat away at it, remnants of the flame still strike you. Your body does not budge when it happens, but the fire is so dense that it is somehow almost solid, latching onto and slamming into your body with a tangible kinetic force, before latching onto you, greedily, but slowly, consuming your life.

Even so, you do not move.

Your will is so high that you simply do not allow yourself to move.

If you can outlast your opponent, you can win, and retreating is the same thing as admitting that your fire is inferior.

This cannot be, and thus, for you, this is rapidly becoming a scene reminiscent of a "last stand."

If you had infinite spirit power, if you possessed a Bane Stone, it would, perhaps, be possible to overcome the weakened demon "Belial," in this way, but as things stand, you will run out of power before he does. While the monster's existence had seemed almost infinite at first glance, being caught in this struggle had taught you many things, namely, that the colossus of fire was weakening over time...

But not enough...

It's not weakening fast enough-!

Not only that-!

Once more, a massive arm breaks through the conflicting seas of flame, and this time, this time...

It hits you head on.

Compared to the last blow, which had simply sent you into the building, this time, the blow that distorts your world, that forces your spirit to immediately attempt to shield itself, sends you not just into a building, but through it...

No... Even then...

Not just one, like a rocket, your body shoots straight through one building and into another, the loud cracks of concrete and glass shattering into pieces accompanying the sudden dark overtone that your world takes with each blink as your mind threatens to give out from the damage, and your muscles start to twitch, all signs that, if things did not change, you would be the one that falls here-!

In the distance, roaring triumphantly, a sphere of flame, almost mockingly small, as if he knew only this much was necessary to kill you now, burns a hole straight the building before you, before streaking through the air to your position at what seems like godspeed-!

Only-

"What are you doing?"

-To slam into a wall of ice as the entire front half of the building you had been knocked into freezes over.

And behind you, the cause of the ice, the one whose voice sounded familiar.

Was your assailant from the previous night.

[Airen]

Hitoshira Nagi
Location: ???
Time: ???

The other you accepts everything you say without complaint.

As your mind shatters of it's own accord, tipped over the scale by something as simple as words written on a stone, you cry at how unfair it is, at this world that has taken you aside, knocked you down for the sole purpose of stepping on you, crushing everything you are, denying everything you were, a complete erasure of existence that goes beyond anything possible by humans.

Those tears mix with laughter, and that laughter bleeds into tears.

You can't see much, your body is shaking, somewhere along the line you had lost whatever warmth you had, as if the realization itself was enough for your body to begin the road towards the grave. While something else, something warm, does seem to have erupted within you, it's something half awake, luke-warm, just the beginning of something that could be much greater, and, as it is, even with it, your body still feels cold.

Yes.

Your body shaking as you try to warm yourself, your emotions still a turbulent mess, you blink, and in that fraction of an instant....

The other you has risen, her eyes staring into your own without blinking. As this is the first movement she's made, it's one that you note, a sign that, at the very least this person is alive, but-

She's not breathing, her chest does not rise or fall, and now that she's closer, that she's standing to face you.

Yes...

Just like a cold corpse...

"The sun has gone out, Nagi."

Speaking quietly, so quietly you almost have to read her lips to make out what she's saying, the girl reaches out for you with a laugh, her footsteps light, hollow...

"I do not wish to die. Did that thought go through your head?"

You take a step back.

You hit something.

Another one.

Another you.

"Let me make this clear to you."

Dozens of voices.

There's at least thirteen of you there now, more coming...

Yes...

In this world, each and every grave in it... Belonged to you.

"You're going to die, kid."

For an instant, the voice of your caretaker mixes with your own.

And then...

Hands close around your neck.

[Frantic Author]

Hitoshira Nagi
Location: ???
Time: ???

She stands up, the other me, as tears blur my vision and I shake them free, staring back at a girl who is me, and yet is not me, as she whispers words that I am not supposed to hear, and my body goes cold at the the choice of words. "The sun has gone out, Nagi."

I am the sun.

The 'sun' that is 'Hitoshira Nagi' is unquenched. But she reaches for me as she laughs, a hollow sound that sends chills up my spine as I take a step away from her, her words harsh and unforgiving.

"I do not wish to die. Did that thought go through your head?"

I open my mouth to respond, but my back touches something. It is cold, hard, and has the feeling of walking along a razor's edge in an impossible world. My eyes glimpse a red dress, and green hair and - oh. Oh.

It is me. I have run into another 'me'. Another corpse, that walks amidst humanity.

"Let me make this clear to you."

There are more voices, far too many, and a part of me does not know what to do, that small, evil little voice in the back of one's head that wishes it harm. A dangerous and deadly proposition is put forth, one that I cannot abide by.

To 'kill' myself. To attack that which is me because it is me. To annihilate it, destroy it, and crush it beneath me as though it does not deserve to exist. This is the 'sun'. The flame in my soul demands me to respond in kind, to attack when attacked, to dare to do what must not be dared.

I quiet it momentarily, as more of 'me' come closer, and a phrase is said, a phrase that I have heard before and will hear again, from a man I refused to see before I left.

"You're going to die, kid."

I freeze. And in that moment, in that piece of freedom, hands close around my neck, ending my supply of air as I struggle for more. The sun - the unconquered, endless fire that burns white hot in my gut whispers in my ears, and demands my attention.

"

end

Kill

it.

you

It

does us no service. Move beyond yourself."

Yes.

I should. I should. Even if only momentarily, it would reprieve me of my own pain, to see myself shattered as I laugh, to crush it as if it is a plaything of my own making, rather then 'me'. But this is an impossibility. I refuse it. This 'fire', the unconquered sun that is 'me', is not something that I am willing to unleash to destroy myself. But these hands are too cold around my neck, and I reach up to remove them, hesitating.

If I remove them --

Am I no better then Yagami? I am 'attacking' one who does not understand why they are being attacked. I am fighting someone who has no reason to fight. It is an evil thing to do, to attack when one has no reason to. To 'kill' myself, I would need to 'wish to die'. And there is nothing so fervent, as my wish to live. Even if...

Even if I am dead.

If they are me, then should they not wish to live? Or are they a version of the 'me' that would not wish that? A time when Hitoshira Nagi did not wish to exist. Yes. That is it. These are 'me', but they are a variant. They do not have my experiences. They do not know what it means to exist. They are, in essence --

while dead

Living

, whilst I am

while living

dead

. Two equal and opposites. A reaction that was inevitable. To 'kill' the one that is dead but does not wish to die - is that a crime? I would not consider it a crime. There is no 'crime' in putting the dead to rest. It simply... is.

My lungs tighten, desperate for air, as a fire, a raging burning pit in my gut demands to be released, to quench that which harms me, to burn all of creation to ash as to allow those who view it to gasp at the glory of the 'Unconquered Sun'. They are flames twice, thrice, four, five, six times as hot as those I felt on my back when Belial roared. And yet, I quench them, I snuff out these flames in my gut because it is true.

I am terrified.

I am petrified beyond any ordinary person at the power that hides inside of my own body. It is too hot, too tempting, too much for Hitoshira Nagi, the girl who is dead, to control. There is strength in that power, and I am not strong. I am weak. I am so very, very weak. My lungs are burning with a searing pain, and I am too weak to force the me that is trying to kill me to let go. I wish too, yes, but if I do, then are I not just as weak as she is?

I would kill that which only does me harm because it knows no other way of living. I cannot do that. Even in a hundred years, I would not be able to convince myself to do that. And so, I must die, and allow her to rise. Because if I kill her, then do I not kill myself? Do I not end the existence, the ideology, the very thing I was striving towards for so long? That is impossible.

And so, I close my eyes, and try for a feeble breath. In the end, this is...

This is...

Fine, right?

This is the way someone like me deserves to die. Killed by my own inaction, because to act would be to defy what I desire to be. Killed not by human hands, not by monstrous desires, but by designs that I crafted with my own mind. So of course, it is fine. I acknowledge it.

I...

I...

No.

It is simply impossible. I refuse it. Reject it. No matter how polite I am --

No matter how lackluster I am --

There is no possible world in which I can accept that. There is no timeframe that will force me to believe in that. I am me. To accept such a thing would turn 'Hitoshira Nagi' into something she is not.

I refuse it.

I do not wish to refuse it. I am a person who accepts. No matter what. I can acknowledge it. I can accept it. Even unreal things - vampires, demons, angels -- I can accept them. But... but this? This thing? This idea? I cannot possibly ever accept it. The very thought of it makes my body quiver with something I can barely recognize.

I reach up with my own hands, and rip the hands attached to me away, gasping for air as it fills my lungs, that cool breeze not ending the burning that rages in my gut. This fire -- what is it? Why does the sun care? It is a concept, an unconquered, unending thing. So why...

Why does it hurt so much that I almost disappointed it?

"I... I..." I say, staring with lost eyes at an empty sky, feeling a chill run through my sundress as an icy wind slices at my skin. What is this feeling? This dangerous, vicious thing that I can feel growing in my heart? A fire that is spreading from my center to every point of my body - from the ends of my hair to the tips of my toes?

Ah. This feeling. I can recognize it now. It is a nostalgic feeling. Blood, rushing through every vein in my body. A fire in my gut that I had ignored for so long. A burning sensation, that desires nothing more then to be let out. It is an ancient thing, as old as time itself. Anger. I am angry. I am furiously, insatiably enraged. Before me is a lie. A beautiful lie, yes, but nevertheless a lie. A total rejection of what it means to be 'human'. And it enrages me. Despite my inability to comprehend such things - it infuriates me.

But am I human? How could I be?

I do not feel things as normal people do. I left my home behind for a sea and a blue sky, without a second thought to the people I was leaving behind. I casually betrayed others as a child, and was the 'strange one'. I accepted that title, and gorged myself on that idea. It is not that the world was different, but I was merely 'too strange' for it. That is wrong. I am the one who was incorrect. I did not try to be human. I did not seek to please my parents. I acted as if they were the ones in the wrong, for not understanding me. So I suppose..

That in the end, I was never truly human, was I?

I went to places that did not matter.

I had conversations that meant nothing.

I did not cry. Laugh. Rage. Fight. I existed.

This is not what it means to be human. This is what it means to be Hitoshira Nagi. A girl who cannot cry. But this feeling -- this fire that burns inside of me, with nothing to strike at but my own insides -- can it be contained any longer? Can I stare into the depths of such an abyss, and accept that there is nothing I can do to stop it?

No. Never. I am a quiet person. A weak person. 'Useless' might even be a word easily attributed to the power that I have. But that does not matter. Not in this time. Not in this place. This fire, this burning sensation of existing - it cannot be rejected. It can merely be accepted.

I accept that which I rejected. I accept that my family betrayed me. I accept that society betrayed me. I accept, I accept, I accept that I betrayed myself. But there is no possible way that, in spite of all that, I will ever do something as useless as betraying the world that I live in. Society, family, even I are betrayers. But simply because some can betray, does not mean all are like that. My refusal was exactly that - a 'refusal' of humanity.

But I am human. It is a fact. I am not a 'monster of logic'. There is no way for me to become that. I want to laugh. I want to cry. I want to love. I want to do everything that this world has to offer. So simply because another states that those things are worthless, can never possibly be true.

A person who wants to 'create' by 'destroying' is a stupid person. A weak person. Someone who stared at the hand dealt to them, and bemoaned that it wasn't good enough. I acknowledge that sometimes, things are not nice. There is no clearcut answer to a question. But that cannot possibly be a reason to end it all. Villains are not real. Heroes are not real. Everyone, no matter who they are is exactly as I am.

A

person

human

.

I close my eyes. I breathe air that tastes fresher then anything I've ever felt, and feel the fire in my heart rage with all that i can muster. And then, for the first time ever, I do what I never thought I could possibly do.

I let it out.

I let a fire that could quench everything that was 'me' out, because if I cannot accept what I am, that how can I possibly expect others to do the same? That sort of thing - that sort of childish want - it is not something that can simply be 'realized'. No matter how much time passes, there is always the chance that your dreams will be ended.

But I refuse that. I reject it. Every part of 'it' that 'is', I reject it. No. I don't care if some all powerful, omnipotent God has claimed that I cannot dream. My dream, my hope, my only want, forged in a dying plane as I stared at a sky that burned as red as blood - that cannot be denied.

Even if they don't want it, I will accept them.

Even if they don't desire it, I will protect them.

Even if they don't deserve it, I will save them.

This is what it means to be me. No. This is what it means to be human. Before, I did not truly understand that - I was in, my own words, a 'monster'. But monsters do not try to aid others, and monsters certainly do not dream. I can finally use words that I never thought I would.

I hate it. I detest the very idea of not helping others. There is not a single part of me that could possibly believe in such a egregious concept. Mark, Yagami, Elizabeth, Joanna, my family, everyone I've ever met --

If I have ever passed you when you were hurting, I am sorry. The travesty that that was can never be undone. I can never destroy the harm I did to you, but if I can save even one person, then does that make it better?

No. No it does not. I am not the type of person who would ever dare to believe that. It is sad, but true. I cannot save 'one' person. I cannot undo my own crimes by aiding a single, solitary human through their pain. To redeem the person that I was, to truly accept the fire that exists inside of me, there is only a single option. An obvious answer. Something that, even when I drifted aimlessly through existence without a single thought towards others, I knew, deep in my gut.

No matter what. No matter who. No matter how much it hurts. There is only a single path for me to take.

In order to become 'human', there is only one possible thing I can do.

I will definitely save them.

No specifics. No qualifiers. Nothing so useless a pretense, to prevent me from aiding another. I will definitely save everyone. Just because someone has done something wrong, or does not believe themselves worth saving...

Does that matter to me?

Does that mean that I cannot help them?

This petty, meaningless travesty of a thing that I was, it is not who I want to be. If I am to move away from it, from that lack of understanding, that lack of hope, that lack of dreams, there is only one possible thing I can do.

"I assure you, no matter what," I said, staring at the person opposite of me, and the person that was such a shattered imitation of myself, with a newfound fire in my voice that I had never felt before, "I will always save you."

I am no more then the sum of my parts. And these parts, these pieces of my life that I have so callously ignored for so long, I cannot bear to ignore them any longer. The Sun is unquenched, unconquered, and unrivaled. How can I, his one and only avatar on this world, dare to let him continue to be so?

It does not say 'kill'. It says 'save'. That is obvious now. But to 'save' myself, from myself, how must I do it? I cannot bear to murder myself. I refuse that. As angry as I am, it is not at 'me', but at myself. I am angry that I forced these poor, useless existences to reveal themselves in an attempt to correct my own beliefs. I am angry that someone dared to concoct something so inconsiderate, unenviable, and cruel as this.

But...

Even so...

"You," I inform them, "Are me. And as such, I am you. However, to be a 'fake', of Hitoshira Nagi..."

I smile, and it is cruel. It is a vicious, angry white scar across my mouth, with too many teeth and eyes that glinted like daggers. "Isn't that worse then being the real one? Are you not imitations of what was an imitation? What a..." I pause, momentarily, letting the words drag themselves out of my mouth. "Pitiable existence."

But I am no longer an imitation. I raise my fists, and clench them hard enough to split the sky. These are not me. They could never be me. A fake of a fake of a fake. How boring. The story that Johnathan told, of a reality that was not and a book of fate, while boring, at least had passion. Heart. Hope. These, they have nothing.

"I am going to die?" I ask, watching all of them and none of them. "And who will kill me? Is it one of you?"

Blood drips from my palms as the rage of the sun itself burns inside of me with a fire that can never go out. "I would be fascinated to see you fucking try."

[Airen]

Suzume Oshino
Location: Outside Suzume's Residence
Time: ???

The result is immediate, and the exact opposite of what you had expected.

Reaching out with your mind in a bid to calm the creature down, you find, to your surprise, to your shock, that the thing hovering behind the door really did seem to be almost identical to your spirit beast. It was the same sort of aura, if you opened the door right now, you would probably see something that looked identical to the Aogami that still resided within your body.

But this one was also slightly different.

But just slightly.

Namely, the moment you try to calm it, it reacts with a violent surge, a violent rejection of your feelings that should not have happened, as if it was immune...

Door bursting off of it's hinges, slammed, hard, by a monster that far surpasses human limits, you are caught off guard, able to do nothing but blink in surprise as you are launched back, far far back, almost to the wall of fog, body slamming into the concrete ground with an impact that jarred your whole system. While this seemed to be a dream, the pain was real, the nerves in your body had screamed, but while it was certainly heavy, it wasn't nearly enough to put you down...

You didn't really look it, but being able to take a hit was one of your strongest points.

Rising to your feet as a monster, an out of control Aogami, leaps out of the house to face you in it's full monstrous form, making a sound like a feral cat, the being keeps its gaze fixed on you with eyes that were full of insanity and a deep, seemingly limitless wrath.

Looking at it, the creature lowers it's body, as if about to pounce, and you-

[Airen]

Watanabe Tomoya
Location: Goddess Shrine
Time: ???

For a moment, there is nothing but silence.

Head tilted to the side, the woman frowns, just slightly, at your refusal of her command, but neither the static or the hostility, which your body had begun to associate with her, return in any form that you can sense.

She is displeased, but it seems she isn't going to screw with your head in order to make that clear.

"It was a demon. Belial. 68th spirit of the Goetia. Is of the same order as the fallen angel Lucifer, however, he is not as strong," sitting down on her knees, perhaps to match your own stance, perhaps just so you couldn't look away without seeming rude, the woman's displeased expression remains even as she explains what was requested of her, "It is a monster far greater than the ones with which you are acquainted, the youkai inherent to this world are fakes, humans pretending to be something they are not. To make it simple, consider Demons to be Aliens, they do not belong in this world, when I found it, I sealed it away, that is all."

Another pause, then...

"As for your insinuation that I seek to destroy Tokyo, that is quite false, that desire does not originally belong to me, it belongs to a great number of humans. The dark child, the Kyuubi, that is the doing of your kind, the beast humanity made in order to pass judgement on itself. As it is made from your wishes, as you all continue to feed it, I have decided that it is natural, thus, I allow it to exist. Whatever fate it creates is one desired by the majority, do not blame me for it's crimes."

[Airen]

Jonathan R. Black
Neo Aoyama - Outside Brewed Awakenings
Early Evening
Weather: Chilly, Snowing

The storm was really starting to get intense now.

Stepping back out into the snow, hands in your pockets, and figure as casually existent as possible in order to not seem suspicious, your wait for your ally is abated somewhat by a call from the hospital. It wasn't Auron, the genius head himself rarely showed or spoke with anyone in person, let alone over the phone, but the message was welcome regardless, one of the nurses calling to inform you that you wouldn't be needed for your shift tonight.

Of course, that was also suspicious, knowing what you knew now, it might just be your boss's way of making your disappearance less pronounced, if soul reaping was actually a thing, your body would probably just fall over, and that might cause a bit of a scene...

Not that you were a part of such a plan anymore, but it was a possibility you couldn't help but note.

Wouldn't he be surprised...

Pocketing the phone as the nurse on the other end wishes you a good night, you find, to your surprise, that a police officer is present, and, unlike the few other wanderers, he is actively approaching your position. At first, you are somewhat alarmed, wondering if perhaps you had missed some of the bloodstains on your clothes, but, as the man approaches with a friendly smile, gesturing at a watch on his arm in a manner that made it clear it was broken, it seems he just wanted to speak to you for a trivial reason.

"Sorry to bother you, but could you tell me the time? Think I overslept a bit for my shift, damn hangover..."

Yep.

Trivial.

[Airen]

One-Eyed Man
Underground Arena, Control Room
Weather: N/A

There was no need to rush.

Spirit burning with a rage fostered over eight years, you put aside any care of your own body in a grasp for the power that was unique to you and you alone. Your own blood stains your hands, the normally clear crimson spotted with flecks of white that greatly resembled snow...

If you had resembled a human before, this act of something close to insanity once again affirmed that your mindset was that of a demon.

The pain was irrelevant, as long as your rage was satisfied, as long as you were able to avenge what should never have been taken away, then the methods you had to use were inconsequential, even this pain merely served to focus your spirit.

Yet in spite of this rage, your pace is that of a slow walk.

Allowing the effects of the machine time to dissipate, you take your time, clear thoughts of the steps you would take to annihilate this being already forming in your head of their own accord. On the side of your opponent, you can tell that he is not taking you seriously... His sword remains sheathed at his side, and his golden armor, something that would have seemed fitting in the old days of Greece, shines brilliantly beneath the normal fluorescent lights.

As demonic as your mindset was, in the eyes of this being, you were still a human.

Trash.

Nothing that can stand up to a God.

Perhaps it's overconfidence, no, it's definitely overconfidence.

Because the fist that appears, carrying a terrible weight that is meant to blow off your head in a single strike...

Carries far too many flaws...

You can see it.

As a person who was used to fighting things that could be considered stronger than himself, who had been beaten into the ground, time and time again, been left broken and bleeding on the floor as your opponent lorded their superiority.

Yes.

Having experienced that fist time and time again, with a different owner each and every time, there was just no way-!

"...!"

It was going to hit you again-!

In a blink, you were right past of the range of the War God's casual swing. You had not evaded through speed, as an ESPer, it could not be denied that you were one of the slowest ones, you could momentarily push past that natural barrier if you put your soul to it, but in this instance, against a fist that wasn't taking it's opponent seriously because of your existence as a human, you had already avoided it before it had even been thrown, your bloodlust urging you to target the man's face, but taking a potshot at the God's leg first in order to bring him down to your level.

The fist of a human should not be enough to give a God pause, the fist of an ESPer could perhaps do some damage, but the red skinned giant does not worry about it. He will accept the blow to his leg, laugh at your attempts to damage him, and then end your life in a single blow so he can resume battle with the cambion.

But...

This fist carries a poison that cannot be denied.

Snowfall creates a chink in the armor, and the fist that follows it is one that carries all of your rage.

And it hurts.

Who is more surprised, the Cambion who is watching, or the God who himself has been hurt, even if only a little?

His knee bending slightly, just slightly, at the touch of poison, you are on him like a Berserker once more, capitalizing on the weakness of a fool who had not taken you seriously. You are up, in the air swinging down at his head, and the light tap to his balance bears fruit as your blow knocks him to the ground, fist after fist battering away at a speed that could not be followed by the normal eye.

Somehow, deep inside you know that this will not be enough, perhaps its because the God has yet to die in spite of how many times you have hit him in this exchange, but you know that he will not be dead by the end of this exchange, but...

That does not matter.

Hurt him as much as you possibly can.

That is what your bloodlust demands.

A body hits the ground, blunting the fall for the berserker that follows, and a moment later-

*crash*

You find that you have been launched through the ceiling, up another floor, by a point blank fist that would have dug deep into your self inflicted would if it were not for Snowfall.

Down below, you can hear the sound of a sword being unsheathed even as your body slams into the new floor with a jolt, a sign that you seem to have angered your opponent, and as you recover-

"...!"

You are forced to roll desperately to the side as the ground beneath you explodes, your sword, your own weapon, having been hurled like a spear at your face by the enraged deity below, before it strikes something it can't pierce, the floor above even this one, for some reason you cannot determine, and falls to the ground a distance away, it's hilt the closest part to you.

Below, you can hear the red cloaked man laugh, and then the sound of blades meeting blades becomes clear.

[Airen]

Mikagura Mika
Location: Zweiteturm ~ Infirmary
Time: ???

"Of course you're important enough, if something happened to you I-"

Catching herself, or rather, catching the fact that her emotions had spiked way too quickly for her to really play off as not being a big deal, the azure haired girl flushes, just slightly, before doing as you had done, and focusing on the change in topic that she herself had initially put out there herself, the girl rapidly motions for you to turn around and sit on the bed so she can cut your hair.

Of course, this once again incites the question of does she actually know how to do this, but once more showing her usual confidence, or at least finding the strength to successfully fake it out of embarrassment being worse, the young woman lightly asks the question that may inflict horror in the future.

"So, how short are we talking here?"

...Was her spirit power rising?

Was she about to use her ESP to help her do it?

Part of you thought you were just being paranoid, but...

[Katie]

Mikagura Mika
Location: Zweiteturm ~ Infirmary
Time: ???

“Um… to the bottom of my neck?” This was not a very confident answer, brought upon because of a very large gap in knowledge. As long as I didn’t know whether or not Ayanami Nami could cut hair, there was the nagging suspicion that I would come out looking like ass.

Ah. I’m actually scared. I can feel her Spiritual Power activating. Does she think I don’t notice? Does she think I can’t tell she’s going to do this through sheer luck? Does she realize that that doesn’t make me any comfortable in the least?

K-keep your mouth shut, Mika. It will all pass by. Make yourself believe in this blind stone’s throw into the sea of fortune, and that you will come out looking very nice and definitely not terrible.

…

I was never really good at believing…

[Mormarth]

Watanabe Tomoya
Location: Goddess Shrine
Time: ???

I fold my arms, the... goddess, I suppose has a slight downwards curvation of the lips that I am most certainly not paying attention to, in slight displeasure.

Still, I am not assaulted by staticy pain and awfulness, so it's all gravy.

"It was a demon. Belial. 68th spirit of the Goetia. Is of the same order as the fallen angel Lucifer, however, he is not as strong."

I blinked.

Uh.

"It is a monster far greater than the ones with which you are acquainted, the youkai inherent to this world are fakes, humans pretending to be something they are not. To make it simple, consider Demons to be Aliens, they do not belong in this world, when I found it, I sealed it away, that is all."

I frowned.

So, putting this in terms of half-remembered stuff from however long ago it was when this was beaten into my head, something something collective unconscious human souls turn into monsters because they're angry or something.

Look, I don't sweat big details, I just know enough to know what to do and how to do it. There's a reason I'm running a bar and not running about being a ghostbuster, despite still doing that, and that's because I'm unsuited for it.

But this 'Belial' thing...

"S'like a virus, a foreign entity, and like the body, it was found and thrown before doing any real damage."

See? I don't sweat the lingo too much, but I'm just fine at wrapping it up into something I can understand.

"As for your insinuation that I seek to destroy Tokyo, that is quite false, that desire does not originally belong to me, it belongs to a great number of humans. The dark child, the Kyuubi, that is the doing of your kind, the beast humanity made in order to pass judgement on itself. As it is made from your wishes, as you all continue to feed it, I have decided that it is natural, thus, I allow it to exist. Whatever fate it creates is one desired by the majority, do not blame me for it's crimes."

Hm.

I guess the Godzilla metaphor makes some sense then, for her, at least, the Kyuubi's just a collective bunch of babies that are salty about something dumb.

"Yeesh, scuze me for making a metaphor that you didn't get. Whatever."

I slouch against the wall, rubbing at my head irritably, never been good at Q&A, always feel like I'm asking the wrong questions.

I flick at my head a bit, trying to get it to work.

"So, if this Kyuubi's the desire of man to kill itself, why'd we get superpowers out of it? Human desire to escape death intervening? And what's the deal with what that white-haired little shit with the Stone said, you're what remains of the 'Masters of the Kyuubi', the 'Origin' of why we're like this? Why people gotta keep givin me conflicting reports, s'really annoying."

"The one to save the world from destruction... So that Belial thing, or something like it, maybe one of the big nasties hanging around sealed up, one was here, eight years ago, or coming, at the least, Kusumi somehow... did something with the Kyuubi, became the 'Master', and made it go away, then the Kyuubi went 'oh right, job to do' and went about its course in world destroying."

[Airen]

Makoto Fujioka
Aoyama Gakuen - Afternoon
Weather: Chilly, Snowing

Getting really into your sudden plan, the room shifts into one that is forced to achknowledge all of your pent up energy. While her plate has been clear for some time, Kyoko does not move from her place in the chair, a small smile, albeit one that came after a small sigh you didn't notice, adorning her usually mischievous face.

"Pretty sure the prez went home already Makoto, Akio and Hitomi too... Besides, I can take care of any problem we might have myself..."

Killjoy!

As for Sensei...

"Eh? Slumber party? Something like that is a bit out of place," shooting down the direct invitation, as she always did when a student tried, the rose haired woman's expression has turned thoughtful, "Although, I do need to speak with Mongeau-san about a few things... Maybe I'll walk back with the two of you, heaven knows you guys have stayed here late, but I can't stay long, I've got work of my own to take care of, and well, this storm looks like it'll be a bit rough. Don't want to be out in it longer than I have to."

[Vritra]

Makoto Fujioka
Aoyama Gakuen - Afternoon
Weather: Chilly, Snowing

"Pretty sure the prez went home already Makoto, Akio and Hitomi too... Besides, I can take care of any problem we might have myself..."

Tilting my head as I look over at Kyoto as I listen and do my best to take in her words, sooo Namamura wasn't around I wonder why… But it was fine it’s a party so party will happen, after all they are always easy to find not to mention we’re friends so no matter what, no matter what! They will never escape, they are always in my… something? Hmmm what was it supposed to be again, how strange I feel like I know, like I should know? Oh well I'm sure things are fine.

Stare, stare, staring… As I continue to watch Kyoto as I do my best to listen to her I’m struck by something, I realize something that I want to do!

“Kyyyyyooooooooootoooooooooooo.” Practically throwing myself at the girl next to me I wrap her into a great big hug, soft, strong, smart, huggable Kyoto is Kyoto which is maximum Kyoto! “Waaaahahaha ~” hug, hug, creek!

“…creek?” evaluation everything in the hopes of discovering the out noise that seems strange I notice what is wrong, I’m toppling over! Aaa that’s not good if things stay like then I’ll fall, or maybe we’ll both fall. “Ooooooooooowaaaa HA!” Throwing my weight back I drag us out of crisis with flawless skill! I prevent us from falling, I prevent the hug from breaking, I solve the problem perfectly by putting us in the middle of where we were, chairs balanced on their legs everything is solved!

Mmm I should get a medal, or cake, cake would be nice. So with everything solved I go back to enjoying to hug. “Waaarm and niiice aaahehehe”

…wasn’t there more that she said?

"Eh? Slumber party? Something like that is a bit out of place,"

“Sensei is silly, silly, silly! Sensei isn’t looking, Sensei isn’t listening, Sensei doesn’t understand!” Chirping my response I simply dismiss Sensei’s objection. “It would be fun and nice, it would counter the storm and with us you would be well.”

Storm?

"Although, I do need to speak with Mongeau-san about a few things... Maybe I'll walk back with the two of you, heaven knows you guys have stayed here late, but I can't stay long, I've got work of my own to take care of, and well, this storm looks like it'll be a bit rough. Don't want to be out in it longer than I have to."

Ooooh there’s a storm but that’s not much trouble so it won’t stand in my way.

“See, see! Sensei’s coming so she should just leave everything to us that way she’ll be safe and sound. She won’t have to suffer the storm so she’ll be free to rest and recover. Everything will be nice, nice and warm and fuzzy and more It’ll be fun! Aha.” In response to her words I simply smile, simple, warm, and bright I knock down everything set my way. A hand or a neck or maybe even a waist it's all easily within reach and I don't like letting go.

A party, A party, A party that everyone is coming to! Aaaaaaaaaaaaaha! Now that victory is within reach I bubble and vibrate in happiness.

Ah, how strange now I’m hungry again.

[Snax]

Jonathan R. Black
Neo Aoyama - Outside Brewed Awakenings
Early Evening
Weather: Chilly, Snowing

The policeman got on Jonathan's nerves, but that wasn't a good enough reason for him to send the man's neck flying while the sun was still up. He would have liked nothing better, of course, but the Ripper had his own rules...and they did not match the criteria for what the policeman was of right now. Anyway, you merely tap at your phone, bringing up the time.

"Well, you sure seem to be taking it easy, officer. Shouldn't you be rushing off to your post about now?"

Meanwhile, there was still time before Jonathan would have to go back to the little missy back in the alleyways. In the meanwhile, he would try and find some of the other individuals regarding the case, like perhaps the Kagura or Izumi fellows...Not touch didn't equate to 'don't talk to', after all!

[Airen]

William Levilius
Location: Dockyard [01001110 01101001 01100111 01101000 01110100 01101101 01100001 01110010 01100101]
Time: ???

There is no way this person is not William Levilius.

Acknowledging that from the very beginning, a feat that is impossible for most humans, you had steeled yourself to face the shadows that lay within your own heart, the manifestation of what you thought to be darkness, and had locked away because you perceived it as dangerous. In doing so, you could say that this being was something of your own creation, and even if someone else had tossed you into whatever this place was, the grudge such a being would carry would be it's own, unaffected by any sort of magic that had aided in its escape.

Whatever he represented, he was still a part of William Levilius, and the betrayal he had suffered had been one inflicted by his own hands.

Yes.

While the original does not know it, this "William Levilius," the 'nightmare,' chosen to torment the soul of this boy, had broken the bonds to his summoner the moment he had been set loose. He was not here because of orders, to be honest, he could give less than a damn about whatever orders he had been given by the puppeteer...

He was here for his own reasons, nothing more, nothing less.

As his original speaks, he stands, Dawn hefted onto his shoulder, pulsing with a crimson light that summoned the regrets of the long ignored dead. As the sun sets, and the air pulses, they appear on the edges of the original's vision, barely tangible shadows, what's left of those who had been absorbed and torn apart in a dark pursuit of a long-held dream, linked to him by countless threads of fate that he could no longer sever, even with Dawn...

Was he afraid of them?

Was he here for their sake?

Was he just throwing a tantrum?

Was all of this pointless rage?

Or...

"Heh..."

It was a question that resounded within his own head, and it was one that he had held the answer to from the very beginning...

That was right...

The reason-!

The sun sets with a red flash.

Like a meteor, death descends on William Levilius in the form of himself, garbed in a fog of crimson and black. The power behind the attack is no joke, it is not something meant to test the abilities of his other, he knew right from the start that William Levilius is not weak, and so, because this battle cannot be avoided, he has decided to put every last bit of his strength behind everyone of his blows.

For that reason, it is a straightforward assault made with godspeed, it is not difficult to tell where it will land, the only problem with defending against such an assault... Was simply not being crushed by it's titanic force.

Technique exists to make up for a lack of power.

If you had enough power, there was simply no need for such a subtle thing as technique.

Dawn meets Dawn on the edge of the horizon.

The screech of the blood-red sword is eager, a sound almost like laughter, seductive and haunting, as she moves to devour her uncorrupted counterpart. Red leeches into blue, it's only been a moment, a single instant, and yet she is already trying to consume your spirit, like a rebuffed lover that has finally decided that she was going to have you, one way or another.

However-

Just as quickly, and without making a sound, it's advance is rebuffed, almost in disgust, by it's self that exists above the horizon. The weapon in your hand pulses, reversing the flow, blue to red instead of red to blue, a result perhaps, of the paradox that even made this possible, a denial of the self, and in that instant-

Both of you are blown away from each other, even as the ground explodes around you. It is in many ways the expected result, the weapon used was the same for both of you, merely different branches of the same tree, ones that led down to the same root, in that sense, it is only natural that one should not be stronger than the other.

Even so-

Feet digging into the ground, leaving behind deep trenches as you fight to stay on your feet, your other self has not only already recovered, but launched himself at you with reckless abandon, propelled by the light of a sword that had just destroyed absolutely everything behind it, the building that had been his perch vanishing in a storm of crimson light.

In the chaos, it's impossible to tell where Keiichi went, and facing this opponent... You wouldn't have time to protect him anyway...

Left with no option but to face him head on, destruction continues as the two of you exchange blows. While Dawn had matched her other easily enough, the sheer fury and raging spirit power behind your opponent's blows was difficult for you to emulate, and for a moment you wonder if he's pulling on the strength of all the shadows that had gathered, but only for a moment...

After all... If he was that you...

Of course he was...

Locking blades that deny each other, are forced to the side by their own conflict, red and blue light spirals out of control, dismissing each other for a moment as your other self, not missing a beat, caring not if he was hurting you with Dawn or his own fist, hauls back to punch you in the face, but seeing it coming, you step towards him and past the fist, slamming your head into his own, and driving him back, the look of cold rage only deepening as his Dawn is quickly reformed, the sound of her existence like nails tearing down your back.

"If you think you can, then take it-!"

Another attack that carried little but pure power.

Dragging Dawn through the ground as he comes, her fierce red light burning away the planet, leaving nothing but molten steel and glassified earth in it's wake, the young man draws his sword up as he reaches you, the force of the shock wave, boosted by Dawn's screams, breaking your stance and launching you into the air-!

The damage is slight, you probably hurt him more with the headbutt than he did with this, but-!

"WILLIAM-!"

Dawn-under-the-horizon held in both hands, the other you does not leap to pursue, no...

The goal had just been to get you into the air, and now...

The laughter of the Red Dawn was reaching a feverish pitch.

[Airen]

Mikagura Mika
Location: Zweiteturm ~ Infirmary
Time: ???

Somehow, you had remained motionless throughout the whole thing, no, the whole... Experience.

With a demeanor that had made it blatantly clear she only had a vague idea of what she was doing, that she was literally going to use her powers as a crutch in order to successfully accomplish this task she had assigned herself, had somehow forced you into agreeing too, the moment she had first cut into your hair you had immediately understood that it was too late to take anything back.

If you stood up now, it would definitely be terrible.

So, there was nothing to do but pray, endure, and believe.

Pray.

Endure.

Believe.

Whose mantra has that become? Yours? Or hers?

The fact that you can't tell is just another sign of the paranoia that exists here, and you close your eyes, perhaps to help you deal with it, and...

"Done."

A completely neutral tone of voice that, in spite of how obvious she had been in everything before, tell you absolutely nothing about how you currently look, as if the world itself wanted to stretch out your suffering as long as possible.

Ah, well...

Opening your eyes, you see...

[I3uster]

Suzume Oshino
Location: Outside Suzume's Residence
Time: ???

There is a numb feeling of a thousand little impacts all over my body, as if I landed in a pool of pebbles. With the onset of this feeling comes a loss of breath and a rush of adrenaline, now fully making me aware of the situation I am in. An attack, unexpected as it is, has hit me. A blunt force catapulting me far off my current place, attacking me from the direction of the impulse I felt before.

I anticipated something, but the speed caught me by surprise.

I cough, once, twice, as I try to get back on my feet.

My eyes widen. My ragged breathing comes to a stop. My shaken body stiffens. The pain vanishes.

"...Blues?"

No. This can't be. I did not call him yet. He's still in the bell. Did the thing I lived in fear of finally happen? Is this the day he broke free? No. He trusted me. He is my partner. He would not do something like this. Not attack me. I treat him well. I feed him. I pet him! This can not be.

There was only one way to confirm that he is not though.

I clap my hands. The creature is ready to pounce at me.

"Release: Ga-Rei Aogami!"

[Five_X]

Farimah Rajavi
Gargantuan Library
???

Huh. Well, at least he's able to do something. I can only hope that this didn't secretly put some kind of heretical curse on me that will someday bind me to his will, but I sense nothing inherently wrong with the magic used to heal my sister and I. Even she seems fine with it, despite not exactly warming up to the Heresiarch when we arrived here. It, uh... doesn't heal out clothes much, though, and I make a mental note to go shopping. Maybe my sister could enjoy that, too!

His explanation seems to hint at something that he doesn't outright say: if out there was Hell, then this is Heaven. I frown.

"The world is corrupt, overcome by Satan's fell influence," I tell him, staring into his eyes. "And so the world should end, but it is my duty to ensure that the souls of all those who can be saved find the Light; then the world we know can rot away while we ascend to Heaven, to join God in His Kingdom. Even this place is ultimately part of the realm which Satan has influence over, and I fear for the knowledge in this place."

I look around the vast library, seeing the repository of information for what it is, still awed by the sheer size of it. Anything that has ever been known can be found here, I believe, but at the same time, it is only stored knowledge: this place contains only that which is known, and that which remains unknown has yet to find its way even here. There is no point to knowledge if it leads nowhere, just as an answer has no meaning if there is no question to precede it. There are many answers to be found here, but if you look for questions, those can only be found in the hearts of men and women, both those who have reached the Light and those who are yet to be saved.

Then I turn back to him, my words cold with their honesty.

"If the worst comes and God's grace fails to save humanity, then can you say those who remain deserve to live? It seems to me such a distinctly flawed and human thing to seek salvation in ourselves, rather than in God's plan, his ultimate Will."

However, I don't wish to start a fight with the Heresiarch - not here and now, at least. Perhaps eventually he will understand that I am right, but now something more pressing attracts my interest. I imagine it's what my sister is keenly looking forward to hearing, as well, and with a slight smile I glance at her before asking one final question.

"Now, tell me: how do we get back to Tokyo? I hope it doesn't involve anything to do with a wizard and a pair of magical slippers..."

[Airen]

Farimah Rajavi
Gargantuan Library
???

"...It's not so much that I think they deserve to live... It's more like I just don't think they deserve to die..."

Saying something that contradicts itself, the young man doesn't seem to get angry at your words, but he did seem to feel the need to answer them, even as you turn the topic towards perhaps the most pressing concern that all of you should have, namely:

How to get out of here.

And in answer to that...

"We can't. Normally the woman I work for would be able to send us back, but whoever is responsible for the destruction outside has locked all of us in. We're safe as long as we stay in here, but until we find whoever locked the door, we're pretty stuck."

Another pause, then...

"Of course, I'm sure that person will show themselves eventually, I have a hunch about who it is... But it might take some time for him to come out... Hours is the low estimate, we might be in here for days."

A casual, business-like tone of voice.

"If that becomes the case, you are welcome to use one of the spare rooms to sleep, or even this one."

[Katie]

Mikagura Mika
Location: Zweiteturm ~ Infirmary
Time: ???

Fate, that indomitable entity I want to crush with my very own hands, has won again. Due to Nami’s insistence, I have been left at the mercy of probability, praying to a deity I don’t believe in, that somehow, in some way, in some form, my hair doesn’t look like complete ass.

There’s no use in delaying what has happened.

I open my eyes.

…

Ah.

…

“Gimme that,” I say, any sense of polite articulation utterly crushed under a bizarre sense of frustration. I grab the scissors and my mind kicks into gear, calculating the right angle and entry of approach about how to trim this slightly uneven spot so it’s straight and my hair can look symmetrical and therefore very nice.

Snip.

It’s done. I look fine. Were I a bit more prideful, I would say I look great. In fact, I do, but the fact she somehow managed to leave a spot clearly uneven is a testament to Nami, not the impractical probability of her power. Just like her to screw it up somehow.

“Thanks,” I say, getting up and brushing away stray hairs off my clothes and whatnot. Haircuts are rather messy—but what overcame me overcame me. I can toss logic aside, as a human being.

“Now what?”

[Airen]

Jonathan R. Black
Neo Aoyama - Outside Brewed Awakenings
Early Evening
Weather: Chilly, Snowing

"Aye aye, I probably should! But this storm is getting dreadful, might just radio in!"

Still annoyingly friendly, the young man admits to the fact that he's really not in any hurry to go out into the traffic with the weather being what it is, or rather, what he thinks it will be in the near future. It's annoying, almost as annoying as a certain red-haired ally of yours had been but a few hours earlier, but aware that killing someone in broad daylight would most likely draw the wrong kinds of attention to you, you sigh, in your head, and read off the time so that he'll hurry up and go off to do his job in what you can only assume would be some sort of half-assed manner.

It was around 4 or so.

Telling him this, the man curses his luck, and striding past you, pats you on the shoulder twice in that innately friendly sort of way that violates personal space as he goes. Normally, you would have, perhaps, had a rather bad reaction to this, but shortly afterwards, less than a second really, your head starts to feel light, as if you had stood up far too fast after hours of laying on your back. You close your eyes and reach for your head involuntarily, and when the feeling finally passes after a few moments, and you are able to open your eyes, the position of the sun in the sky has changed, namely...

It is no longer in the sky at all, it's setting on the distant horizon.

The police officer is gone, as is your temporary partner, and, to cap off all the oddities...

The clock now read sometime after 8.