Ga Rei: Exodus Nine (IC)

[Airen]

Amamiya Mashiro (Ziodyne)
New Aoyoma, Mashiro's House
Evening

"Heh, no hesitation?" Expression unreadable, the older man sighed after a moment, "Well, to be honest, I was actually hoping you'd say no... Ah well, here."

So saying, the man held out his hand, a thin envelope clenched between two of his fingers, "It's not much really. Just a taunt. Doesn't mean much without prior knowledge."

It was difficult to tell if he was lying or not, and it was rather offensive that he had read a letter that was presumably meant for you and you alone, but in the end, you decided to let it go, and opened the envelope with newly determined eyes.

Hey.

You know who this is.

It's been awhile, right?

Still haven't found me? Or maybe you stopped looking?

Well hey, I'm back in town for a bit.

Nine days.

I'll be here for nine more days.

Do your best.

I'm waiting.

"Looks like his handwriting right? But there's nothing really there," staring at the ceiling now, the man drummed his fingers on the table in an absentminded manner, "Still, the guy who dropped off the letter was wearing a blue robe. One of those cult freaks, you know, Order of Eden? Always preaching about that damn tree of theirs... Going to meet with them might be the best place to start. There's apparently some sort of ceremony going on during the next nine days with them. No idea what that means, but that's why I'm going after them... Private detectives have a bit more leeway with this sort of thing."

Standing up, the man adjusted his jacket once, before turning to you again, the same blank expression on his face.

"Wanna come along?"

[Airen]

William Levilius
New Aoyama, Subway
Evening

For a moment, there was nothing in the alleyway but silence.

Having placed yourself between the girl, Izumi, and the young man, your body was tense, prepared for battle even as you questioned the man's motives. His stance did not change, even at your appearance, and while you had managed to slip past him, you got the sudden feeling that he had more or less allowed it to occur.

After all, the gaze he had fixed upon you was not a surprised one, but rather a resolved one.

Behind your back, Izumi had moved closer to you, watching the opposing man with a timid gaze.

"...Alright, I know this looks bad, and in a way, I guess I am pushing her around," raising one hand to his head, the young man sighed, "But if you have the knowledge to call me an exorcist, then you should be able to feel the problem with that girl. Look, she's having trouble controlling it already."

Problem?

"..."

While you got the idea that taking your eyes off this Nimura guy might be a bad idea, you took a quick glance back at Izumi...

And noticed dark vapor, light, like smoke, emanating from her figure.

Miasma.

The aura given off by evil spirits, manifested dark emotions, hate, anger, despair...

"Her presence attracts vengeful spirits. Everywhere she goes, they will follow."

He had moved closer.

It was just a step, but even you, with your inhuman senses were surprised... Perhaps it was the lack of killing intent.

"They'll be small at first. And she may even be able to fight them off, but eventually, she'll attract singularities to this city. A-Classes... Or maybe a few remnants of the Kyuubi?" Sighing again, the man's grip on the 'poster' tightened, "And I can't allow that. So for her sake, as well as for the people in this town... I need to bring her back with me."

"Nimura-kun..."

Her shaking having ceased, the girl was just staring at the young man now.

"I'll go through you if I have too, Child of Kyuubi," face regretful, the man took a step forward, "If I wasn't so weak... The event of eight years ago would have never happened so..." His gaze hardened, "I can't afford to just back down anymore. I will protect this city."

He was serious.

"So please, move out of the way."

[Erlkonig]

William Levilius
New Aoyama, Back Alley
Evening

"..." William quietly took in the Exorcist's words, as his golden eyes reflected a troubled gaze. The alley had been cast in a dark haze, the secluded alley having been contaminated with the miasma that was set upon the air. William was familiar with this fog- Any normal human that walked into it was highly vulnerable to possession... or death.

"Her presence attracts vengeful spirits. Everywhere she goes, they will follow."

Step.

The exorcist had taken a single step, but the pressure behind that step was unmeasurable. It did not hold a single drop of killing intent; even so, it beared a massive weight. Even the graveness behind his words could not compare to the severity of his stance.

William refused to flinch, but a shiver ran down his spine. Slowly, the fog clouding the situation he'd walked into was beginning to clear. But as it did, an even darker mist was setting in...

"They'll be small at first. And she may even be able to fight them off, but eventually, she'll attract singularities to this city. A-Classes... Or maybe a few remnants of the Kyuubi?" The exorcist sighed. It was not a sigh of exasperation- But one of resignation, and inevitability. It can't be helped, was the unspoken phrase that remained within his head.

As the stance of the man tightened, William slowly clenched one fist. He already knew what the exorcist was going to say, but even so, there was something that stopped him from saying anything. There was something about his posture that drew William to him- A feeling he couldn't yet grasp.

"And I can't allow that. So for her sake, as well as for the people in this town... I need to bring her back with me."

For her sake...? William's eyes widened at that, and the girl behind him seemed to echo a similar feeling. A complicated feeling sunk in William's stomach- Just as he had expected, the feeling of deja vu that ran through him had not been a false warning.

"I'll go through you if I have too, Child of Kyuubi."

Another step. William's hairs stood up on end. There was no killing intent, but William understood- The resolve behind this man was much greater than a simple desire to destroy another. In this man's eyes, William was in the way. Even though many would have laughed at a person who looked ready to fight holding an object wrapped in cloth, William could sense the power behind the man's gaze.

Even still, even though the man's intentions seemed pure, there was still something William couldn't shake off...!

"If I wasn't so weak... The event of eight years ago would have never happened so..."

...! At that moment, he understood. The resolve behind the man, and why he couldn't feel himself agreeing with it... He could now see it.

The deep, painful sentiment of loss that wracked his soul.

He had been unable to stop something in the past, and because of it, something very dear to him had been lost... The fact that he had mentioned the incident from eight years ago didn't even faze William. He had already expected that his bonds would lead him to its truth- But that didn't even matter now.

"I can't afford to just back down anymore. I will protect this city."

I will do everything to prevent that from happening again.

The words echoed through the back alley, even though they had never been mentioned. But William could hear them nonetheless, and he knew the person before him was making a mistake. Certainly, he wasn't wrong- As far as the exorcist saw it, that was his only choice. What he believed in was a way to protect his bonds, both to the city and to the girl. Even though it might cause pain or sadness, he was prepared to bear that burden if it meant that somebody could be saved.

It was a splendid feeling.

-But even so, it was a mistake.

"So please, move out of the way."

"-Hold on, Mister Exorcist." William cut in sharply, his troubled gaze having vanished. "Do you really think that's the only way to help her-!?" William took a step forwards, to match the exorcist's own pressure. His arm extended outwards, grasping out at the air, as if seeking something that couldn't be seen.

"You're right. Hatred, regret, agony, despair... All these feelings only bring sadness, and they attract those who have lost their way in that despair. Even so... Do you think containing those feelings with brute force will save anyone?" William's eyes pleaded at the man before him to understand- He had already ran into many other exorcists, and all of them shared what the man in front of him also had.

They all failed to understand, the nature of bonds...!

"I once held those same feelings. Eight years ago, I lost somebody very dear to me. I thought he was gone, and I was overcome by crushing despair. If I hadn't realized it back then, I probably would've become lost as well... But I didn't." William's eyes were narrowed as he spoke. Not in anger, but in passion. Even as the miasma was beginning to spread, something inside William was threatening to seep out. There was a glimpse of blue light, as the air almost began to shimmer.

"-I can do it."

At that moment, William's posture suddenly changed. He had straightened up, and looked straight ahead at the exorcist with an unshakeable resolve. "You say that taking her away from the city is the only way to protect her, but I can do it."

The words flowed from William's mouth as if it was an obvious statement, an undeniable fact built by his belief.

"There's a dream I have- It's why I came back to this place. Even though everyone I knew said it was too dangerous, I still did it. That's because I had hope. I want to believe- No, I will believe that he can be saved- That my bonds will guide me to him." William's eyes blazed with his hope, an intense flame that surged from deep within his soul.

He had just made an incredible claim, and he had also revealed something about himself. But even so, he felt that his words weren't falling on deaf ears: if these people had experienced that incident from before, then surely they could understand the meaning behind his words.

-Suddenly, William turned. His head looked back at the girl, who's shaking had stopped. She was silent as she stared at the exchange between the two men with surprise and mixed emotions on her face.

His expression softened, as he directed himself to her. "I know we don't know each other and have never met, but I still want to help you. I don't care about your power- I just want to ask you something. Even if you agree with this man- Do you truly want to be forced to go away?"

William turned more, to extend his hand. "If you have even the smallest hope to find what you came to this city for- If you want to fight for that dream, then I'll ask you-"

"Will you believe in me?"

The question hung on the air heavily, as William's spirit barely held itself back from exploding in response to the miasma surrounding the three.

[I3uster]

Suzume Oshino
New Aoyoma, 'Brewed Awakenings'
Evening

A bit too much mischief in that one's attitude for my taste. But whatever, I think for now she's trustworthy insofar that she doesn't seem to be malicious. Troublesome down the road, maybe, but not wanting to do us any harm.

"We're aware of some of the dangers, I would lie if I'd tell you we know all of them. But that's what these odd jobs are for, aren't they? Learning by doing."

I don't want to seem to arrogant in her presence, probably only makes her tease us more and take us even less seriously. But she needs to get that we can do this, so letting a bit of confidence shine through probably won't be too bad. Maybe it'll stop her from worrying too much.

"We'd definitely honored to accompany you in your mission. Me and my friend might seem a bit...different but don't let that think we're any less competent than other Exorcists. Just a bit harder to deal with." I smile at her while lowering my head slightly. My hand reaches around to Saki's head and pushes it down to my level.

"Let us look forward to a cooperation of mutual benefit."

Bit high-strung, but this was an official alliance after all. Don't want to make a career start with high fives and hollers.

[Spinach]

Saki Ryuumonbuchi
New Aoyoma, 'Brewed Awakenings'
Evening

With a spirited grunt Saki forced her head up in defiance of Suzume’s forced bow, enough so that her beaming red eyes could lock onto Liane’s own. Excitement danced over Saki’s eyes as she burnt a fierce, spirited stare into Liane, grinning with unrestrained happiness.

“To receive tutelage directly under the,” Saki began, struggling against Suzume’s enforced bow, straining her voice as she forced her head up with a sudden surge of strength that no doubt Saki would claim was given to her by Great King Enma himself. Breaking free from Suzume’s hand Saki rushed forward, leaned over the counter and shoved her face forward, putting herself so close to Liane that their noses almost touched. “Under the Master of the Dark Spark would be a great honor!”

“Surely, surely this meeting was orchestrated by the Stars of Fate hanging in the night sky, which have foretold my grand destiny, and sent unto me a fitting master!” Wide, crimson eyes put on a lightshow of glee as Saki spoke, her enthusiasm itself manifesting as an orange and yellow light that shined through her red contacts. “Yes, a wildflower can bloom splendidly in the harsh wilderness, untouched by the hands of man, but under a gardener a fierce wildflower will bloom into an elegant, but bold specimen.”

Leaning back from the counter Saki lowered herself to one knee, bowed her head, and pushed her hands forward, palms up as if to receive a sword.

“My lord has consented to your tutelage, Queen of Clarity. We are in your care.”

[Airen]

Koga Ran
New Aoyoma, Memorial
Evening

It was an act that impressed both your new partner and the red-haired man. While you were turned away from her, and unable to see it, a brief look of surprise had crossed the face of Tachibana Kimiko when you had stepped forward to volunteer for the task of carrier. As someone who existed in the world beyond the veil of death, you had to know the risks and consequences of even being close to a bane-stone, and so throwing yourself at the task without any hesitation in your voice...

It was either the mark of bravery, or stupidity.

As she had just met you, she was more willing to think of it as the first rather than the second... For now.

"Alright," the ring held above your hand, in between two of his fingers, the young red haired man glanced at Kimiko, "This fine with you, Tachibana-san?"

"It's fine... I can handle the fighting," her gaze on you, the younger girl sighed, "Although if you start blanking out, give it to me, alright? I won't lose to a bane stone."

She seemed pretty confident in that statement, for some reason.

Tachibana Kimiko ~ Spirit Nullifier
A Faint Link forms...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

.................. ..8 9 10

And thus, the cold red stone fell into your outstretched hand.

Acquired Sessho-seki (Unsealed) x1
A pure crystallized form of spirit power, and one that is capable of greatly augmenting the abilities of the one who holds it, should they give into it's influence. As spirit power is affected by one's emotions, it can also be called a cluster of 'dark feelings.' When unsealed, it can warp the heart and mind of it's owner when used. Extremely dangerous.
[When activated, triggers ???. Activates on it's own after having it in one's possession for 10 turns, however, utilizing Spiritual Abilities while holding it will take extra away from that count. Turn count can be reset by resting without it in your possession.]

It was surprisingly warm.

Glowing softly, the blood-red stone continually 'pulsed' in your hand, and an oddly pleasant tingling feeling made it's way up your arm, slowly, as if taking it's time...

And voices, unintelligible but constant, emerged at the back of your thoughts, their whispers just audible enough that it might have only been your imagination...

"Well then ladies," a look of barely suppressed relief on his face, the red-haired man leaned back against the memorial, "It's up to you now... Good luck."

"Yeah, yeah," uncrossing her arms, the silver haired young woman moved forward, "Let's get moving Koga... It gets worse as time passes."

Momentarily unable to speak, you simply followed along behind the girl of your own accord. It was a relatively peaceful walk, once you came to terms with the fact that your sudden headache was something that wasn't going to go away... No one jumped out of the bushes to attack you, the shoppers moved out of the way, and the few E-class spirits wandering around didn't seem to particularly care about either of you.

The only odd thing...

Was the way Kimiko kept glancing back at you, a look of slight worry... Or was it guilt... On her face.

"So...You're a martial artist, right? What style?"

After a few minutes, she made a pretty inexperienced attempt at a conversation...

Was she trying to distract you? Or perhaps gauge how you were doing without being blunt...

It was impossible to tell.

[Airen]

William Levilius
New Aoyama, Back Alley
Evening

An outrageous speech by someone who didn't understand anything.

His eyes narrowed for a moment, the young man known as Nimura Kensuke had absolutely every reason to simply go through William Levilius and complete the mission he had taken it upon himself to finish. It would be simple, as strong as those touched by the Kyuubi were, there still existed a vast gap of eight years between him and the boy in front of him. As young as he looked, the exorcist had not aged a single day since the appearance of the strongest Spirit Beast.

His soul was at its sharpest, and his Spirit Sword was hailed as the strongest...

The instant he decided the boy was his enemy, his victory would be assured in the exact moment he drew his blade.

But-

'I can do it.'

Those words, more than any of the others, had struck at the young man's core. It was like looking into an echo of the past, the idealism of youth, the sheer force of will that drove the young on, convincing them that they were invincible, and that so long as they believed, no obstacle was insurmountable.

He had believed that too once.

Absolutely, without a doubt, he had known he would be able to protect someone.

I'll find a way. Fate's a chain that can be broken.

They were words that should have had no meaning but...

"..."

He found himself waiting for the answer of someone else because of it.

"Will you believe in me?

There were many things Isoyama Izumi didn't know about you.

Your name, your age, exactly why you were so willing to help her...

In essence, the two of you were complete strangers.

However...

"There's a dream I have- It's why I came back to this place. Even though everyone I knew said it was too dangerous, I still did it. That's because I had hope. I want to believe- No, I will believe that he can be saved- That my bonds will guide me to him."

Something about this answer had struck a chord within her.

Ones bonds guiding one to someone else.

The chains of memory, experience and friendship that linked one heart to another, and that heart to another...

If you truly believed that such a thing was enough to lead you to your important person then...

"Of course."

She would gamble on you... On that same shared belief as well...

Perhaps there really was something linking the two of you...

Isoyama Izumi ~ Twin-Soul
A Faint Link forms...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

.................. ..8 9 10

"Nimura-kun... I wasn't able to tell you this the last time we talked, but I saw her, she's alive, so... I have to find her."

A brief look of shock, and then, closed eyes and a contemplative expression.

Silence.

Lost in thought, the man's stance had completely relaxed, enough so that he jumped a bit when the phone in his pocket began to ring.

"...Heh."

With nothing more than a light laugh at his own unnecessary tenseness, the young man drew the phone from his pocket, flipping it open and to his ear in a single motion.

"Kensuke here."

His voice calm, the more excited voice of a woman echoes out of the speakers.

"Where the heck did you go, Ken-kun?"

"Located Isoyama. Went off in pursuit... Unfortunately," glancing over at the two of you, the young man made an inaudible sigh, "I lost her. Sorry Light."

"I told you my name isn't Light! Anyway... It's alright I guess, we'll find again her soon... Oh hey, there's some weird readings on the screen... I'll call you back."

Sighing as he flipped the phone closed, the man regarded you with a cool gaze.

"Alright, you win, I'll give you your shot at protecting her, although I'm coming as an escort. Mess up too badly and I'm taking her and bailing, got it?"

His voice made it seem like it was a bad thing, but the look on his face was that of a barely suppressed smile.

Nimura Kensuke~ Exorcist of Revolution
A Faint Link forms...
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

.................. ..

"The city is pretty big, so I guess it would be best to move out now. Oh hey, she's calling back... Be quiet.."

It seemed like everything was gonna work out just fine-

"KENSUKE! GET OUT OF THERE NOW!"

"Huh-"

It wasn't your fault.

It's not something anyone would have been able to see coming.

It happened too fast, and drenched in Izumi's miasma as you were, none of you would have been able to notice the black fog rolling in from outside. And those caught in the fog would have never heard the roar of a creature that shouldn't exist, or the sight of soundless black thunder crossing the skies above the Yamanote Circle.

It wasn't your fault, and there was nothing that could be done.

It was choking, different from the miasma that had emanated from Izumi, and as impossibly strong as your will was, your spirit withered in it's presence.

But it couldn't be helped.

This was something meant to stop those who were still alive.

Inherently... Instinctively... This body that had been augmented by that terrible monster eight years ago understood that fact.

Reaching out for you soundlessly, the strength of the two you had followed seemed to be sapped as well.

You fell to the ground together...

And knew no more.

[Airen]

Watanabe Tomoya
New Aoyama, 'For Pete's Sake'
Evening

"Not sure eh?" Nodding to himself, the teenager looked over at you again with only a single open eye, "That's a pretty human answer. No one can really decide until the actual moment comes... We're weird like that... But it's probably for the best."

In the end, you were pretty sure that he was the weird one here, but you kept that to yourself, glancing up at the hanging television set, the eternally somewhat-dirty glass still clenched in your fingers as the evening news came into view.

"And now we interrupt your daily programming to bring you the following announcement."

As if triggered by the words of the telecaster, the television set immediately cut to static, the harsh sound grating on the ears of everyone in the building, and drawing everyone's eyes to the large screen.

"This is a message for the humans of Tokyo City."

The voice of an older man, tired, and with an inherent charisma, echoed out from beyond the static screen, followed by the voices of others, men, women and children alike, echoing one after the other...

"Understand that what is happening now is something that could have been avoided."

"Your hatred drew the spirit of destruction to this place."

"The human condition is no longer relevant."

"You have ruined your own world..."

In that instant, as the last voice faded, the power cut out with a loud snap, as if the circuit breaker had been overloaded. Outside, an impossibly thick black fog had seemingly emerged from the ground, pressing against the now cracking glass as a chorus of screams erupted in the bar.

"Shit-!"

The girl, Maiya, pulled something long and thin from her jacket, and Kenji, surprisingly nonchalant about this whole thing at first glance, adjusted his glasses once, a brief grimace of fear crossing his face before it was hidden by his usual emotionless expression.

"Well this isn't good..."

Understatement of the century.

*Thud. Thud. Thud.*

Unidentifiable shapes, hidden in the darkness, were pounding on the glass.

*Thud. Thud. CRACK.*

Giving into the pressure, the thick miasma surged into the building the instant the glass shattered.

And everyone inside was instantly drained of whatever strength they had, screams turned to quiet moans, then silence, and even your vision was growing dark...

The shapes inside the bar... The ones that weren't human... Certainly looked human.... Like shadows...

On the floor, Maiya had Kenji under one of her arms, the other gripping the faint white steel of a katana as if her life depended on it, it's blade glowing slightly in the dark. She was the only one besides you who was still in the world of the conscious, but even as her eyes looked up at you, you could see her body fall into a deep slumber.

"..."

Eyes glowing white in the darkness, they stared at you, the last one standing, and waited, knowing the pendulum of fate would strike you down soon enough.

And taking two steps forward, your hands balling into fists...

Darkness embraced you.

And everything vanished.

[Airen]

Suzume Oshino & Saki Ryuumonbochi
New Aoyoma, 'Brewed Awakenings'
Evening

"It's not something you should thank me for, I could use a few employees~"

Adopting her sing-song voice again, the young woman seemed more amused by Saki's antics then anything else, that same sincere smile appearing on her face. Her brief moment of seriousness passed, Liane seemed fine with going back to her playful personality, rattling off a series of numbers that you quickly realized was her phone number. It was a bit quick for a business arrangement, but she didn't seem to have any malicious intent behind the offer, and when she offered to treat you to free coffee while you discussed the specifics, and you agreed, you noticed a small underlying emotion from her fade, one that was hard to place with 100% percent accuracy, but one that made sense to you on a more instinctive level, helped by your 'gift.'

For some reason or another, despite being surrounded by so many existences, the girl known as Liane Cross possessed faint feelings of loneliness.

She had hid it very well, even being the kind of person you were, it had taken it's absence for you to notice it's existence, but she was definitely taking some sort of small solace out of your company.

Since this place was apparently not very popular, you could sympathize. Living with spirits, and being influenced by their general negativity, while trying to keep them positively inclined by staying positive herself, probably had something to do with her getting a positive vibe out of talking with two living people who might as well have been complete strangers to her.

You got the feeling that the azure haired woman in the corner simply wasn't very talkative.

"Although... Before I actually agree to anything, I should probably find out what you know...

In the end, you passed her little 'pop quiz' with flying colors. The questions weren't very hard, just basic things, like wanting you to confirm whether or not holy water was actually effective, or what types of places drew spirits... The basic starter stuff...

You were slightly annoyed at the fact that she was starting with the easy stuff, assuming it was her underestimating you, and her joking manner of speech also hinted at something like that, but it seemed like she was just trying to kill time...

"Alright so... Do you know anything about Spirit Beasts?"

While you were trying to figure out the best way to answer that, the clear fluorescent lights, buzzing above your heads, cut off with a loud crack.

"Tch, did one of the ghosts short out the circuits again?" Moving to stand from her seat, the blonde haired woman sighed aloud, "Gimme a sec, I'll go check the breaker-"

"Liane. Multiple Singularities. We're in trouble."

Speaking up for what seemed like the first time, the older blue-haired woman, Megumi, casually sipped at the coffee in her hand, the slight edge in her voice the only sign that something was actually wrong.

"Singularity? The Miasma levels aren't high enough for that-"

As if to deny her statement, the walls of the building pulsed inwards, the symbols on the walls glowing a brilliant gold in response to the black fog that had appeared outside the glass windows that lined the front of the coffee shop, holding back the foreign spirit pressure, which was getting thicker and thicker with every passing moment.

It was a large scale incident.

Just like that day eight years ago, the thick clouds outside showed no signs of going away...

"Shit... How many are we talking here, Nakamura?"

Swearing for the first time since you had met her, and the joking smile fading away as she asked an alarming question, the blonde woman moved behind the counter, reaching behind it, and pulling out what you soon recognized as a... Revolver?

There were etchings on the barrel that showed it was unique somehow, but it was still a very unexorcist-like weapon...

"Dunno... More keep showing up, 7 class A's and counting, countless D's... It's getting hard to tell..."

"Tch, well," seeming to struggle for words, the blonde haired girl's voice trailed off as she moved for the door, "I'm going out. I won't be able to stop anything, but there should be some time to bring a few people here at least. Stay here with them, alright-"

While you had meant to speak up at being benched in a situation like this...

"Guh-!"

The sight of the blonde haired girl being tossed across the room from the doorway, the force of the impact enough to send chairs and tables scattering across the floor, was enough to silence any comments you may have had.

The aggressor had simply appeared in the doorway.

No one had seen her coming, and no one had possessed the reflexes necessary to react, her speed had simply been far beyond the line of impossible.

"Found you, Liane~"

The person that had assaulted Liane was dressed in the traditional garb of a shrine maiden, but the aura she gave off was anything but the inherent peace such individuals usually possessed. There was an eerily serene smile on her face, and while there was no real killing intent, miasma rolled off of her in waves, and the only thing your gift informed you of, was that her emotions were an impossible mess.

Joy, Anger, Hate, Sorrow, Humor, Apathy-!

It was the emotional equivalent of someone constantly changing the channel on a television set, everything about her emotional state was inconsistent, flying between extremes in the span of seconds, and the look in her eyes...

There was something wrong with this person.

It was an inherent sense of wrong that reminded you of evil spirits, and set off all of your primal instincts, your body trembling against your will whenever her eyes passed over you.

This person was death.

As special as you were, this was a person... No, a phantom, that could end your life in an instant.

Singularity.

"Aya...?"

Slowly pulling herself to her feet, the blonde haired young woman raised her gun, her movements lagging with what seemed to be hesitation.

"Hey there, lover," still smiling that disturbing smile, the shrine maiden tilted her head, eyes locked on the blonde woman, "Have it in you to kill me this time?"

"Bitch-!"

A gunshot, the sound of shattering glass, and the door being blown off of it's hinges by a stray kick from the now giggling shrine maiden, an act that broke the seal, and let the miasma into the building.

Behind you, someone... Megumi, pulled you away from the two as the black fog sapped away at your consciousness, shouting something at the both of you that never reached your ears in a coherent state, muddled to your mind even as you instinctively dodged the stray pieces of furniture that were exploding against the walls around you.

In the dark, the fog choking the strength out of you, the last things you heard was not the sound of the miko's laughter, but the roar of a monster, far off in the distance.

...Peaceful days had come to an end once more.

[Sei]

Fushigi Sayara
New Aoyama, Entertainment District
Evening

The Entertainment District sure is living up to its names today. First I get called out by some Jump manga zealot... And now I'm being dragged off by some genki high school reporter? You can't make stuff like this up. It's just too left-field.

"Oi, oi, oi!" I cry out and stop the girl before she and start fleeing, "Can't you see I'm trying to pick a fight here? I mean, I may not look like it, but I am the daughter of a priest," Boasting, I puff out my chest with pride, "And as such, it's only natural that I have beef with some false prophet going on about some 'Beast of Revelations', or whatever. Whether or not we get somewhere with words doesn't really matter to me. I could give a damn about that. 'Cus to be perfectly honest, I kinda wanna kick his ass."

Turning back around, I look every one of these stupid cultists in their hooded faces and give every last one of them a shit-eating grin. Not even feeling half as unnerved as this girl is, I hold my position and stare down their leader with determined eyes. Whether he wants to shrug off my words or not is completely up to him. But, at the end of the day, I'll be damned if I just sit back and watch some crap like this fly. I'm gonna say what I wanna say and I'll be more than happy to back up my words with action. Though it may not be the "holy way" or whatnot, I've never really been that much of a pacifist.

"Hey, listen. You with the hard to say name," Realizing there's still someone attached to my arm, I glance over my shoulder, "If you've got stage fright, that's okay. Me however...? I'm not going to step down once I've already made a scene. You see the trick to these sorts of things is never giving up. Be it comedy or drama."

Turning back around, I look their leader right in the eye. Feeling a fire burning deep down inside me, I clench my fists just at the thought of what's going through his head.

"Besides, if we just run away now, this isn't going to stop. Right? He'll just be back again tomorrow and the next day, rambling on and... 'fear-mongering'."

Finally freeing myself from the girl's grip, I take a few steps forward and cross my arms- waiting for the next move.

"So go ahead and go, if you want. I'll make sure none of these guys bug you if you do."

[hero]

Koga Ran
New Aoyoma, Memorial
Evening


It doesn't matter whether it's guilt or concern what I see in Tachibana Kimiko's eyes, in the end, both conditions lead to a single truth: She is troubled about my decision of becoming the carrier. The stone has already started to take its toll, that I cannot deny, but so far it's not something I cannot handle on my own. While brave and prideful, I am not exactly a reckless person... No one knows what the limits of my body are better than I do. I've only met Tachibana-san recently, so I don't know how she is at the core, but I am not the kind of person who hides things or beats around the bush. If, at any time, the burden of the Sessho-seki becomes too heavy for me to handle, I'll let her know.

"I've taken principles and techniques from several disciplines and adapted them to suit my own personal style. I apologize but it seems that right now I cannot find the proper words to describe it. However, I believe it would be easy for you to understand once you see it in action. Perhaps after the mission, or if our paths cross another time in the future, I could show it to you."

From what I gather Tachibana-san is not very experienced with conversations, at least when it comes to strangers. In that regard, I guess it is unfortunate that she had to be paired with someone like me, who speaks no more than what's necessary. In order to continue our talk about Martial Arts, it would be only logical to ask Tachibana Kimiko whether she's also a martial artist or not. If she asked the question because she was truly curious about it, then that could be one of the reasons why her interest was piqued. However, since at this point that appears obvious, I've deemed such question unnecessary and invoked silence instead.

For what it's worth, there is something else I want to talk about.

"You are concerned about me, are you not, Tachibana-san? If that's the case then, please, do not be. If we start to doubt each other, our team will be like a tower made out of cards... Once the wind comes, it will fall apart. That's why I ask you to trust me to carry this stone like I trust you to protect me while I do so. If we manage to accomplish that our foundation will be solid and our mission is guaranteed to end in success."

At the end of it, I find myself drawing a pleasant smile and closing my eyes briefly, despite the headache. I guess that's because what I've said is what I truly believe.

[Froggie]

Amamiya Mashiro (Ziodyne)
New Aoyoma, Mashiro's House
Evening

The man’s expression never wavered even for an instant as he handed over the envelope over to Mashiro. The glib tone made it difficult to get a bead on his real mood, but Mashiro didn’t much care for the man’s words after he had mentioned the envelope and its contents. His own expression was carefully neutral as he took the envelope, tore it open, and read the letter.

His blood immediately boiled over and he could feel teeth grinding against each other.

Do your best.

I’m waiting.

How long had it been? Eight years? Sometimes it seemed like it had been far longer than that…. No, actually, it was the opposite. It still felt like it was yesterday. Because of how easy it was to forget everything else, this one memory still remained starkly clear and burning in the back of his mind constantly

Let’s meet again when you’re older, okay? It’s a promise.

“Looks like his handwriting, right?”

It did. He nodded as the man explained the source of the letter. It sounded rather dubious, but he really had nothing else to go on… This had been Mashiro’s only clue in the longest time and he couldn’t just let it go.

“Wanna come along?”

So when the man asked he did not hesitate before agreeing, but…

“You haven’t told me your name yet,” he said with a certain note of distrust in his voice, “or any ID either. How do I even know this is true?”

As much as he wanted to simply believe he couldn’t let his hopes get the best of him… He somehow felt that that would have been a mistake he’d made before… Perhaps.

[Airen]

Fushigi Sayara
New Aoyama, Entertainment District
Evening

For a moment, everyone is silent.

Still past the crowd in front of you, his expression unchanged from that small, rather unpleasant smile, the priest doesn't say anything in response to your aggressive words. It's not hard to tell that you didn't exactly stun him, but rather, it seems like he's taking his time with responding to you for the sole purpose of pissing you off...

Johanna, on the other hand...

"So cool~"

...Had reattached herself to your arm mere moments after you had freed yourself from her last vice grip.

"I can't leave, not after that, it would make me look bad!" Talking quickly, the high-energy girl seemed to have gone from nervous to excited, a fact that more or less confirmed her status as a weirdo, "I figured there would be more of a story if we ran and they chased us, but this works too! A lone girl, calling out the false prophet of the Order of Eden without any form of support... It's reckless... But brilliant! I can't leave this kind of smoke before it burns into a fire, that's the news world common sense!"

It's in this instant, that you realize this girl is dangerous in a very indirect way.

Her eyes shining and eager, she had loosened her grip on you, pulled a notebook from somewhere, and seemed to be waiting for what she assumed was going to be an epic clash of some sort. The people around you had still not changed expression, their eyes hidden beneath the hoods of their cloaks, but...

"...Your desire to fight me is understandable. But it would be a wasted effort on your part. I am not your enemy."

The priest seemed to have decided to end his purposefully irritating silence. Of course, he seemed to be missing the point here, and you were rather tempted to show him that your desire to hit him in the face wouldn't fade just because he claimed not to be your opponent. Words were cheap, and at this point, it was clear that someone not only needed to do something to stop these guys, but also give their leader a good smack upside the head in order to wipe that condescending smile off his face.

The moment you stepped forward, deciding that you might as well become that someone, the many lights scattered around the entertainment district went out in a series of crashes and pops. Only the massive televisions, attached to the sides of the nearby buildings, lingered for a moment, the various ads fading to static before they too went completely blank. Around you, the cloaked men and women seemed to become uncomfortable for the first time, and before anyone could really say anything...

---The World around you went dark.

It hadn't been a slow, gradual process, rather, it had changed in the blink of an eye, a black fog, miasma, emerging from the ground beneath you even as dark clouds covered the already darkening sky. It wasn't an event that should have been possible, this amount of miasma, negative energy, would take an ungodly amount of evil spirits to bring forth, and while this city did hold it's fair share of apparitions, there was nothing here that could fuel an incident on this level...

Except perhaps the Reimyaku...

But why would it spit out this much malice? It was supposed to purify souls...

It was a question you couldn't help but ponder, your mind instinctively working towards understanding, as well as finding, a quick solution to this incident. With this much miasma in the air, the future appearance of vengeful spirits was more or less confirmed, and in this sort of environment, they would definitely have the advantage over humans... People simply couldn't function in a world like this...

"Guh-"

Around you, those who had gathered to hear the priest, cultist and passerby alike, were coughing, the more fragile ones simply falling to the ground, the strength in their limbs lost. You moved to help the nearest one out of instinct, only for your vision to pulse as the environment took it's toll on you as well. Your limbs were heavy, as if weighed down with stone, and it was getting progressively harder to breathe. You were sure your body could adjust to the new surroundings if given enough time, but just like when dealing with poison, the adaptability of those affected by the incident of eight years ago was not instantaneous.

You would pass out long before your body adjusted to this.

"..."

There were eyes in the dark fog.

Watching you quietly, your body pulled itself into a defensive stance at their appearance. It was under conditions like this that possessions happened, when the target was weakened, but unwilling to give up, you prepared yourself to resist until the darkness clouding your thoughts took you completely, but...

They did nothing but watch.

No attempts at possessing the fallen cult members, or harming those who were still capable of clinging to the land of the conscious. They didn't even whisper, they just stared, nameless white-eyed wraiths that seemed to be watching you more out of curiosity than outright malice. The priest, who didn't seem quite as bothered by the sudden infestation of remnants, was looking out at something in another part of the city, acting for all the world as if he could see more than a few feet in front of him in this black fog.

"...Are they that desperate?"

His voice was quiet, and in your rapidly weakening state it was difficult to hear him speak but...

"An incomplete monster will not be sufficient... I suppose that's just a lesson they'll have to learn on their own.

He definitely knew something.

Summoning the rest of your strength, you took a step forward... And the priests eyes met your own, attracted to you by the sudden movement.

"Still conscious? Well...Do you understand now?

You took one step, and then another... And another...

Your senses were leaving you, your vision was gone, the arms of wraiths touching your skin didn't register as a touch, and your sense of space was fading... Only the sound of his voice stood out in your personal darkness.

"There was nothing false about this prophecy. Do your best, Child of Trial... Whether your wings turn out to be white or black, you will always have a place in this world."

His calm, unchanging voice was the last thing you heard before your world faded completely to nothing.

[Airen]

Koga Ran
New Aoyoma, Park
Evening

"...Alright, guess I won't worry then," responding to your sincere words with a certain blunt sincerity of her own, the silver haired woman turned to face the way she was walking, her hands in her pockets as she kept walking, "If you're clear-headed enough to talk like that, it's not a problem."

Once again, she spoke like she was someone experienced with these stones.

There weren't too many of them in the world, only nine were ever confirmed to exist at any certain point in time, so getting your hands on one was an uncommon event, even for those who walked the line between the mortal world and the spirit world.

"It's just... I thought I saw it glowing like it was having a reaction to something," her eyes narrowed slightly, you saw her shrug after a moment, "Guess I'm just seeing things."

The conversation lapsed into silence after that, it wasn't exactly uncomfortable for either of you, after all, general silence seemed to be a trait that you shared, but it wasn't until later, when the sun had begun to dip below the horizon, and the first stars of the night began to appear, that you noticed the light whispering in the back of your thoughts. It certainly wasn't your voice, and you couldn't make out what they were saying, but-

"Come."

One voice, clearer than the others, seemed to escape the confines of the stone and reach the outside world.

It was a very odd experience, and in a way terrifying.

Not because of the voice itself... But because the one whose mouth had moved to say it was you.

"...?!"

Looking back at you, the other girl's expression tightened as she opened her mouth to say something-

And around you, the lights, the distant electronic screens attached to the walls of Aoyoma's buildings, all went out with a simultaneous crack. In your hand, the blood red stone was shining, your right arm felt like it was on fire, and everything around you seemed to pulse for an instant as you blacked out.

In that brief instant before reawakening-

The world was tainted crimson.

Black moon and dark sky, the area around you was covered in a black fog, Kimiko was shaking your arm and saying something, but you couldn't hear her, your eyes locked onto something in the sky.

Something large was falling from the black moon.

You didn't know how you had known it was there, but your eyes locked onto it out of instinct, a great something that landed in the dark in front of the both of you, it's impact soundless, but terrifying in a nostalgic way.

It was a colossus.

It's head easily towering above the smaller buildings, only the top half of it's body was visible, the lower half seemed to just fade away into fog. An experienced exorcist, it was clear to you, on very first sight, that this thing was at the very least an A-Class existence, but...

The thing that made your heart freeze for a moment.

Was the young woman who was sitting on top of it's head, one leg crossed over the other. She was much smaller than the creature she had seemingly tamed, but-

Her existence felt just like the existence of the Kyuubi.

It as a primal fear born within all those who had been in the city eight years ago. No matter how brave you were, their bodies were simply terrified of that ancient being's existence, of standing in a world with something that could completely erase everything about your existence in the span of a heartbeat. You felt dizzy, a side effect of the miasma surrounding you all, and before you knew it, Kimiko had thrown your arm over her shoulder, her body tense as she looked up at the woman.

A woman she had seen from afar eight years ago.

"Tamamo...?"

You understood instinctively that the young woman known as Tachibana Kimiko was not the type to show fear, and indeed, her voice and eyes were as calm as ever. But her body supporting yours, you could tell, just from how close you were to her, that she was itching to get out of this thing's line of sight.

"The stone... Give it to me..."

The instant the white-haired girl called down to you both, her voice slow but absolute... The stone in your hand started shaking. As well trained as you were, you managed to cling to the thing even as it threatened to pull itself out of your hands, responding to the will of what could only be it's true keeper.

"Tch-"

Seeing you struggle, Kimiko raised the arm that wasn't supporting you, and threw something at the white haired girl. It looked small, like some sort of needle, or a small knife, but you never got to see if it landed or not, as she turned on her heels the second the unknown projectile left her hand, sprinting towards the closest building with you in tow. The building in question seemed to be abandoned, and didn't look too sturdy, but you didn't care, your body clinging to the small rock that seemed to be killing you, simply because it was your mission to do so.

Your vision fading, you heard the sound of a door slam open, Kimiko swearing under her breath, and the feel of gravity taking over as you fell down what seemed to be stairs.

It didn't hurt, but...

You were no longer conscious by the time you reached the ground.

[Airen]

???
Asagaya, Shinjuku Station

The streets were choked with crowds.

It wasn't something anyone had expected, Self-Defense Force vehicles appearing within the city limits, and setting up a blockade so no one could get near the train station. At such a busy time of night, when people were finally set free of the chains of slavery, otherwise known as their careers, it was almost heretical to think that such a thing could happen as quickly and efficiently as it did.

And yet-

"Poison gas has leaked in Aoyoma! This area is dangerous! Please stay away from Shinjuku Station!"

Members of the SDF were saying something as ridiculous as this without any signs of remorse.

"All lines, including private rails, are affected. This is a temporary checkpoint made to keep civilians out of the currently affected areas, but the gas could easily spread, so we must ask that you remain calm and head back into the residential district in a calm and orderly fashion!"

"Poison gas...?" Standing alongside her brother, a young teenage girl, who saw far more than most, looked up at the sky in disbelief, her silver eyes shining brightly in the darkness,"What kind of poison gas does that to the sky...?"

The moon had turned black some time ago.

Or rather, the "moon above Aoyoma," had turned black some time ago.

It was something similar to an illusion, that could only be seen if looked at in a certain way, and...

"Nee-san? Is something wrong?"

Something only her brother was also able to see.

"It's nothing Akio. Let's just go home, Mom should be back soon."

--Night 0//Naraku--
"Red Night"

Suzume Oshino & Saki Ryuumonbochi
New Aoyoma, 'Brewed Awakenings'
Night

When you awoke, the air inside the building was cold enough that you could see your breath.

The floor was trashed, broken pieces of chairs and tables scattered across the once clean wooden floors. The fog had eased up slightly, and it seemed that your body had gotten used to it's presence, so it was with minimal groaning that you were able to pull yourself to your feet. A few feet away, the blue-haired woman, Megumi, was sitting against the wall, one hand pressed against some sort of wound on her side. The glass windows of the shop seemed to be frozen over, and the door, which had been smashed by the shrine maiden from before, had been replaced by a thick sheet of ice.

Liane was nowhere to be found.

"Ah, you're awake?" smiling in a pained manner, the woman tried to stand, "You've been out for a couple of hours, I was starting to get worried." Wincing at what seemed to be her pain increasing, the woman paused for a moment before continuing, "Liane ran off in order to keep that... thing... Away from us, but after she left the doors froze over..." Sighing, she continued with a weak smile, "None of my specialties are good for breaking ice, and I'm pretty sure something's lurking out there... So we're pretty stuck, but it doesn't seem like the spirits can get through it either."

Explaining everything in a matter of fact tone, the older woman closed her eyes for a moment.

"I contacted a few colleagues of mine before cell reception was lost though... Someone should be coming soon."

If that was true it was comforting, but...

It was steadily getting colder in here...

Freezing to death was a legitimate possibility...

[I3uster]

Suzume Oshino
New Aoyoma, 'Brewed Awakenings'
Evening

That went too fast.

I rub my head a bit. A bit for the pain, a bit against the cold.

"Your radiator seems to be broken." Maybe an aftershock of the spirit attack.

...lover. She called her a lover. Not like you see a girl saying that to another openly everyday. I don't have a problem with it, but still, kind of unusual. Does that make me sound bigoted?

Oh right, and she was undead too and tried to kill her.

Whelp, now skipping over that part in favor of her orientation probably does make me some kind of bigot. I'll make it up to her somehow. Or maybe that will just make it more awkward. On the other hand it does make me seem like a professional, being used to it like that, right?

In any case she didn't seem to be around.

Now that's concerning. She ran off to keep her lover...her female lover...away from us.

"I'm not too sold on the idea of cracking the ice just yet. But this cold's gonna be a problem soon."

This wasn't a broken radiator. Wait, what time of the year was it again anyways? Maybe a spirit attack. Yuki-onna? Would be the most obvious one anyway. Pretty common too.

"You think it would be okay if we heat it up here a bit, maybe make a little fire? Any stools that you want to get rid off, maybe?"

"Saki..."

I fumble around in a pocket of my jacket. Felt pen, sheets of paper, some more charms (one can never be safe enough after all)...ah, there it was.

A small rectangular package. While the experienced connoisseur would have still been able to make out a brand, almost all of the carton had been covered in thick, black handwriting. Almost picturesque calligraphy that spelled out a message from one of the few people that knew I had these.

They kill you

Thanks, dad. I know. It's the last pack. Not like the last one, that was just a bit of training for the real last pack. I promise. This time for real.

20 left. I pull out a cigarette and put it in my mouth.

"Saki, you mind?"

Rambling in 5, 4...

[Airen]

Watanabe Tomoya
New Aoyama, 'For Pete's Sake'
Night (?)

The sound of bells pulled you from your forced slumber.

It was a low sound, a dull tone that rang in your ears and invaded your dreamless sleep, and with a jolt you pulled yourself into a sitting position, your body alert and awake, the black fog from before no longer being treated as a poison. The bar was just as it had been before you had lost consciousness, shards of glass littering the floor below the windowsill, and the prone forms of your customers on the floor, the gentle rise and fall of their chests the only signs that they were still alive, and as far as you could tell, unpossessed.

In the end, the only thing that was really different about this place was that the white-eyed spirits had left, and seemingly done so in peace.

It was odd, they had taken the time to break into the place, but after that, they had simply left without doing anything...

Outside, you could see the remains of wrecked cars. It wasn't hard to tell the cause, while the black fog had lessened somewhat, it was still rather difficult to see in the darkness outside, and the black moon wasn't providing much light... But perhaps there were some people wandering around out there who knew what was going on..?

"uh..."

Her voice was quiet, so quiet that you could barely notice it beneath the incessant ringing of bells in your ears, but moaning to herself, the girl from before, Maiya, stirred slightly before falling silent once more, her right arm still draped protectively over Kenji. It was the first sign of movement anyone in the bar besides yourself had shown, and for a moment, you were tempted to wake her up, to see if she could help you look around, but...

She didn't seem in very good shape. The fact that she had passed back out instead of pulling herself to her feet attested to that...

But was sleeping in a place like this really a good idea...?

There was nothing around at the moment... But you were aware that something like that could change pretty quickly...

[Airen]

William Levilius
New Aoyama, Back Alley
Night (?)

You were the first of your new 'group' to awaken.

In the darkness of the night, as well as the black fog covering the alley, it was difficult to tell where Kensuke and Izumi were, but after pulling yourself to your feet you managed to spot them in the darkness a bit away, their forms still collapsed and motionless, the shining steel of what seemed to be a sword partially emerged from the 'poster' Kensuke had been carrying. One of his arms was wrapped protectively around Izumi, and while their faces were peaceful, the instant you moved to get near them his grip tightened, as if he was subconsciously aware of someone's presence even in his sleep.

It was nice to see that he truly did want to help her, but-

Somewhere, off in the distance, you could hear the sound of car alarms, as well as the occasional loud crunch of metal slamming into metal... The sound of numerous accidents...

What was going on...?

The black fog didn't seem to be too much of an issue for you anymore, so you moved to try to awaken the others, a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach informing you in no uncertain terms that you needed to get out of this place, when...

You heard the sound of someone crying, a girl, if the tone of voice was any indication, who seemed to be right outside of the alleyway... You couldn't see her from where you were, but it wasn't a half-hearted cry, it was the sort of sound someone would make if they were seriously hurt...

----

Fushigi Sayara
New Aoyama, Church Building (?)
Night (?)

Things had happened way too fast for your liking...

Awakening not in the street where you had passed out, but in the main room of what seemed to be a church, your body strewn over one of the pews, it was clear that someone had moved you while you were taking your forced nap. Around you, there were others, like the reporter girl Johanna, a few seemingly random civilians, as well as the cultists from before, also laying carelessly on the traditional church seating as if someone had just tossed them onto it, but while they were breathing, and didn't seem to be suffering from any sort of possession, none of them seemed to be awake either...

Except of course, for-

"Amazing Vitality!" His voice booming like it always seemed too, the priest from before had returned to his usual charismatic self, "I brought everyone here to recover, but I was beginning to think you would slumber until dawn! Such a thing would be a poor showing from one of the Chosen!"

He was still incredibly irritating, but... Had he been the one to bring everyone here...?

And... Until dawn?

What time was it...?

A nearby glance at a wall clock, confirmed that it was just a little bit after four in the morning. The moon outside was still black in appearance, but the humanoid shapes from before, the ones with the white eyes, had ceased their silent vigil in the fog.

"The dead seem to be at odds with the living at the moment," nodding his head once, the man continued with a smile, "But they cannot intrude on a place such as this, the strength of the Lord is far too great."

[Erlkonig]

William Levilius
New Aoyama, Back Alley
Night (?)

As William became aware of his own surroundings, his eyes opened in a start. He stood up, and shivered slightly as he felt it. This fog... William's first thought was to activate his ability, but then he realized that he didn't feel inconvenienced by the black mist. In fact, the feelings of hatred and despair that should've accompanied the dark essence seemed subdued for some reason.

A series of murmurs turned his attention to a part of the alley. When he checked what made the noise, he paused in surprise. His new acquaintances were prone and unconscious, but even still Kensuke had remained near Izumi, somewhat trying to shield her with his arm. The sight made William smile warmly. It was good that all Kensuke needed was a small push to acknowledge the bonds with this girl.

However, after a moment William sobered up. At that time, something had overwhelmed them and put them in this state. Furthermore, it had altered the reality that surrounded them- Or at least appeared to do so. William's sight was almost completely pitch black. When he looked up to the sky, he could see no stars or moon. The black fog's thickness was such that it even gathered above.

Not even for a second did William think that all this had come from Izumi, despite Kensuke's warnings of her strange power. Something of a different nature was affecting the city. Thinking this, William was about to shake the two awake-

-When he heard it.

The sound of chaos.

William started back when the sounds started. -No, they had always been there, but William had been to focused on Izumi and Kensuke to realize the disturbances outside the back alley. Loud crashing sounds, electrical alarms reacting to an outside influence, the sound of twisted metal smashing asphalt apart...

It was a chaos not unlike that of eight years ago.

For some reason, the sounds affected William, not only with panic as he imagined the confusion the people on the streets were in, but they also started a sinking feeling of warning in his stomach. In comparison to the chaos out there, the back alley was unnervingly silent. In fact, the silence coating bordered on the deadly. William's body had already grown tense without him noticing it.

"Izumi, Kensuke! You have to wake up!" He firmly shook their shoulders, but all he got was an unconscious complaint from Kensuke. It was evident to William that they wouldn't be waking up for now. As he straightened up and thought he could do, he was about to make a decision-

-When another noise interrupted William's train of thought.

However, as opposed to the noise of chaos outside, this was one noise that took priority over everything in William's mind. It was not a sound that could be ignored. The heart-wrenching sobs that could only belong to a girl in despair clearly spread through William's brain.

Apparently, his path had been set out for him without even giving him a choice.

Glancing at Kensuke and Izumi, and then at the distant cries out of the alley, William sighed with a wry smile. He had made a promise, but at the same time someone's heart was calling out to him-

Really, Fate could be very demanding at times, couldn't it?

William's eyes suddenly narrowed in determination, and he lowered down to grab Kensuke and Izumi. No normal human could grab such two weights without inconveniencing himself, but William was far beyond the average of any normal human. Something like balancing his weight so he could sling two people over his shoulders was no trouble at all.

Making sure the grip on the two was tight, William quickly hurried out the alley, towards the crying sounds.
There was no hesitation or reluctance. Weathering the weight burdening his shoulders, he quietly accepted his situation and responded as he would have in any other place- Neither the black fog nor the chaotic sounds outside disturbed him-

For William Levilius, the world was the same no matter how ugly it looked. Even if it seemed dark and disturbing, William would always place his hopes where they were meant to lay- In the hearts of people, and the bonds that connected them. That was why, even if he was already protect someone, he would gladly add more weight to that burden.

And so it was that he sprinted out of the alley, knowing that leaving the two behind would always be more dangerous than if he could be there to support them.

[Airen]

Koga Ran
New Aoyoma, Abandoned Shop
Night

The first thing you noticed was that the stone was gone.

It was an instinctive realization, while you had only had it for a short time, it's presence had weighed heavily on everything that made up "Koga Ran." The pain it had caused was gone, and your right hand, which had been clenched in a death grip, was open and loose, but sore, as if someone had forcibly pried it out of your hands.

"...You alright?"

It was only at this point, eyes blinking the darkness away, that you realized that you were laying on that person's lap. The area you were in was rough, concrete floors, and scattered pieces of wood and other debris laying on the concrete ground, and it seemed that Tachibana Kimiko, in some small show of kindness, had let you use her as a pillow instead of the ground. The stone in her hand was glowing, and her eyes were a little harder than usual, but she didn't seem in too bad a shape.

"The girl is gone.... But the guard-dog is still outside."

While it took you a moment to figure out what she was talking about-

"▂▂▃▃▄▄▅▅!!!"

An impossible roar, a sound no man or creature could make, seems to shake the ground and walls around you, bringing to mind the Colossus from before as pieces of the ceiling crack and fall into the basement where you lay. The stairs Kimiko had used to bring you here seemed to have collapsed earlier from the stress, and the sounds of the monster were coming from directly above, hinting that the actual building had probably been crushed as well, there seemed to be a second exit on the opposite side of the room.

"...And it's getting pretty angry."