Crystallum (IC)

[Spinach]

Nakiri Jun
7:10 AM
The Saints’ Cradle

Jun’s eyes slightly narrowed in modest surprise at the unexpectedly honest, and unexpectedly unexpected reason for Midori’s trepidation. As well as, to a lesser extent, get a better look at certain highlighted features of hers.

It wasn’t like he’d for even a second forgotten how things went the last time he met her. Jun was a lot of things, but never the forgetful type. He simply was surprised that she was still hung up on an official match from last year’s placement tournament. Especially now that she officially ranked above him, even if he had thoroughly thrashed her once before. If anything, he expected her to hold her head a bit higher when talking to him now.

“Please, Nakiri-senpai?”

Truth be told, he had a weakness for younger girls. As a person, Jun had firmly established by now that he was a man who moved solely out of self-interest. Anyone in Akashi who knew anything would tell you to bring something #22 might want if you had business with him. But here stood a client he expected wouldn’t have much to offer for furthering his agenda. Not only that, but helping her would be unnecessary, tedious work piled into his otherwise carefree schedule. His quiet days of staring out the window and occasionally checking his phone would be gone for however long it took to help her.

As the invisible wall behind him crumbled into nothing, Jun continued leaning into the invisible cushion at his back and sighed.

He couldn’t find the strength to validate the excuse of refusing on the grounds of it being too much work. He had recently been pondering making a move to curb the recent appearance of an ESP performance enhancing drug called Stigmata, largely out of personal disdain for the substance, as well as to indebt the Disciplinary Committee and, to a lesser extent, the Student Council to him for the good deed.

Just as well, Jun knew that the problem would eventually solve itself. Soon enough that 1^st year, self-stylized revolutionary with a wallet deeper than the Challenger Deep would likely get involved, and even further down the line the Disciplinary Committee would be forced to take a proactive approach to the problem.

Releasing the support at his back, Jun turned around to continue his commute to school, gesturing for Midori to join him with a jerk of his chin.

“To think the mighty #21 would swallow her fear of the terrifying #22 for the sake of a friend.” With a smile, Jun pulled his phone out and cycled through some older messages, and at the same time, expanded himself, claiming ownership of the air. At his peak he could make every nook and cranny of Akashi’s grounds his, but the Nakiri Jun in his 3^rd year could only flex Monsoon far enough to make sure that there were no immediate concerns of eavesdroppers. Still, its range now left gaps for certain Gemstones to listen in if they had the method, but this matter could afford a leak or two, should it happen. “Careful there, guys lose their minds for girls like that.”

With a cocky grin, Jun swiped his way to a folder labelled “DA D.” Inside were a handful of already read messages marked with a star, which he opened one by one and reread.

“I’ll lend a hand. You can figure out your own way to pay me back once we’ve found Ms. 39.” Truthfully, having Kitamura Kaede owe him a favor was payment enough.

It was just a hunch, as one who had climbed the ranks before, just the intuition of a man who knew how to climb, what kind of people could climb, but he didn’t doubt it for a second. If she had the ambition, #39 wouldn’t be just #39. He pitied the future students who’d have to contend with her if she ever felt the need to place higher.

“I’ve got one lead right now on her, but it’s not solid.” Adjusting his glasses, Jun returned to the homescreen of his phone and pocketed it. “There’s been more than one sighting of someone who looks like #39 taking part in money matches on the streets of the lower rank districts.”

Lower rank districts, a more tasteful way to say “the slums.” Jun didn’t care for calling it something so derisive. He’d been there plenty and knew it had its good and its bad.

“You have a good head on your shoulders, so I doubt it’s any surprise that the PMC’s getting ready to swoop on her. Normally, you’d have already lost at this point, but, well.” Jun smiled a little wider. “Coming to me was the right call. At the very least, I can make sure you reach her before they get to her.”

[Reiu]

Minase Mizuru
6:48 AM
???

Seeing Nao admit defeat surprised Mizuru to say the least; he might've even felt some measure of satisfaction, were he a less complacent person.

Before he could respond, though, the offer caught him off-guard. While he wasn’t sure if Nao was serious, he thought about it all the same.

Assuming he said yes, what would happen to the maid? While she had her quirks for sure, she was still doing her job. It would be a bit cruel to deprive her of that. Then again, he didn’t have any reason to care about someone whose name he didn't even know, or did he?

...Well, better a familiar menace than an unknown one, he reasoned. Who knew what Nao would send after him next.

“Should I switch her out with someone else? She’s quite special, but if you prefer women of another kind…”

Giving a strained smile, he refrained from either affirming or denying her question and instead said, as diplomatically as he could, “I wouldn’t want to trouble you over my preferences, Amami-senpai." He pauses. "What was it you called me here for?”

He keeps his gaze firmly leveled, away from the strange sweater she wore.

[Katie]

Minase Mizuru
6:50 AM
???

Nao sighs in response, and you cannot tell if it was a sigh of relief or frustration. Perhaps it was both, as such an answer coming from you was hardly unexpected, yet the neutral response seemed to have bothered her all the same. She clicks her tongue, the sound almost seeming to echo in the quiet room. If anything, she looks a bit tired, or perhaps bored.

“Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned,” Nao says as she begins to take bites of her food, making sure that she never does something as uncouth as talking with her mouth full. “You’ve probably made the right decision, even if it was for admittedly bland reasons.”

Her smile disappears off her face as she grows coldly serious, the sparkling, mischievous gleam in her eyes fading like a dying star. This was Nao when she approached work-related topics—frigid like the winter, with the biting ferocity to match.

“As you are well aware, each part of the Fangs of Wadatsumi has a particular function. The Maze of Lilies, for example, serves to both comfort the people and to deal in knowledge. Secrets you can only hear behind closed doors, in the embrace of someone else, being unconditionally loved. And I, as their leader, should embody all of that.” She looks awfully proud of herself, matching the portrait behind her. It dawns upon you that the other painting next to it isn’t covered like it usually is. The other portrait is that of the Student Council President, one where Amagase looks hesitant and just a bit apprehensive, compared to the flawlessly composed pictures everyone knew her by.

“Your maid and her splendid assistants are like fine scalpels, making the most precise of cuts. But as for you, you and the rest of the Yatagarasu are like a sledgehammer. When I ask you to do things, it is because I want something to be razed to the ground. It is when Lady Kaguya wants something to be mangled to the point of unrecognizability.” It’s an unnerving smile. Her tone of voice was more suited to casually talking about what clothes to buy rather than matters of importance such as this.

“There is a finely crafted Gemstone that particularly irks me, but the good Lady, in her grand capacity for mercy, has deigned to let him be. Instead, I have a different target for you, one that will not be missed by many. I assume you have heard of the Fifteenth Saint, the Dust Queen.” Her eyes narrow in disgust. It’s a rather visceral reaction, especially since it seems that she’s managed to rile herself up in some manner.

“The Dragon’s Alliance has rules. Whether or not we may agree with each other about what these rules should be is of no importance. But the fact we have standards—and the strength they love so—is what prevents the school from stamping us out like the pests we are. And I enjoy my idyllic school life, don’t you?” It’s a lament born of past experience. Nao was the former Student Council Secretary, so obviously she had much more knowledge of what actually happened on the other side of the battle. Even so…

“Mukai Kaoru is a lawless brat who thinks she can do as she pleases because she has that very sort of strength. Children who think the rules can be casually discarded need to be taught a lesson, and I would rather settle this in-house than let her become a martyr to her equally moronic followers. I don’t wee what you do to her, but teach her respect and make sure she never holds her head high ever again.” Nao says these words in a gentle tone, lips fixed in that trademark half-smile. There’s an absence in hostility now, as if everything were fine, perfectly normal. You two are just enjoying breakfast as close friends, if the term could be applied. But this will never be the case. After all…

“You can do this for me, can’t you? We’re teenagers, cruel and selfish beings who only want what is in our interests. The desires and dreams of others matter not.”

This was a request from owner to dog.

Larissa Alessandra and Kogami Ruri
7:52 AM
The Saints’ Cradle

Carried away by Larissa’s overwhelming passion, you two aimlessly darted out into the streets, trying to go this way and that in the ultimate quest for JUSTICE, which seemed less like a moral judgment but more like the ever looming impression of Masahide Ryouta etched into your minds. Nevertheless, you trudged on, inspecting every nook and cranny, window shopping in places that were only somewhat unrelated to the investigation. (You had to admit, Fumizuki Minami had a certain flair for what looked good, even if you couldn’t remember the girl wearing anything particularly stellar.)

It was at the third shop when you realized that maaaaaaybe you should get to doing some real, actual detective work.

This is what led you two back to the dorms, to take a closer inspection at her room, which was ripe with clues, ready for the taking. Search warrants were usually given on a strictly regulated basis, but you were the law and honestly someone would just give you a free pass when you were all done with it anyway. Her room is on the second floor, much like every other second year, and on her door is a simple nameplate.

Nevertheless, it was locked, and locked doors were immensely difficult obstacles to overcome in the name of justice.

At the same time, for Ruri, the fragrance of flowers overwhelmed her senses, with a hint of nostalgia. Someone was no doubt here, but their impression was much stronger than you would have expected. Petals almost seem to appear at the edge of your vision.

And yet, looking around, they were nowhere in view…

Hanaoka Hana
6:44 AM
“The Office”

“Maybe we shoulda stopped ‘em,” Akari says, staring out the door. Outside is the gentle blue sky and falling cherry petals, moving at five centimeters per second. Rather briskly, Mitarai closes the door, removing the object of your gawking. Her movements are so precise, so immaculate, you sometimes wonder if your superior is really just a robot in disguise, made by the school to keep the Disciplinary Committee in check. Or, really, to make them productive.

“She is as she is,” Mitarai says with a sigh, making her way back to her seat. The smell of toast lingers in the air. “Best not to follow in Alessandra’s example.”

There’s the fragrance of coffee as your superior brews a cup, looking a bit more relaxed. Did those two really grate on her nerves that much? It was rather hard to tell, but Mitarai did seem a lot less terse, as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders. Turning to you two, she gives a tender sort of smile, like a teacher doting on her favorite students.

“Feel free to consult me if you have any questions or concerns, but do remember that I have my own schedule and that you should be expected to solve matters on your own the majority of the time. Is that clear?” Mitarai says this rather formally, as if she was much higher-up in the hierarchy (which was true, but not by much, really).

“Crystal, senpai.” Akari gives a solid nod, but before she goes back to her theme park merchandise riddled desk, she gives you a light tap on the shoulder. “Wanna meet up for lunch then? To talk about the case and um, what happened…”

Having nothing else to do, you accepted…

12:10 AM
Cafeteria

It’s very weird, now that you think about it. A member of the Sixteen Jewels is in front of you, eating a hamburger. Not that she looks unrefined—it’s more like she’s eating a hamburger with a sense of delicacy you never thought a person could—but that it’s just so mundane. You would think that someone as rich and as esteemed as that would have a… classier taste in meals, or something like that.

“So, um, before we start…” She pauses and tilts her head awkwardly, eyebrows furrowed. It’s an odd look on Akari, who you had recognized as someone who acted on heart and not brain. “Is there a reason you always eat lunch and do stuff alone? Are you shy or something?”

Awfully blunt of her…

“I mean, it’s a lot of pressure to be a Saint in your first year, right? I-I was wondering if you were having trouble adjusting!” Surprisingly, she sounds quite concerned. Or rather, the concern she has is genuine. If she was trying to mock you, well, the result of that would be more pitiful than your imagination. How nice of her, you suppose.

Excellion Entramallis
7:05 AM
The Streets of Akashi

The man, whose rage was once calm, honed like a weapon’s edge, glares at you. It seems that your boast had inspired something beyond the passion he already felt. What you feel from him is as close as killing intent as it could come in Akashi. Instantly, the students around you started backing away, because what had seemed to be merely friendly had taken a much darker turn.

“I will not let you make a mockery of me! I will earn my position…” He says, his voice growing quiet. His silence is always an uncomfortable thing, now that you think about it. It’s too restrained for someone like him.

“AND I WILL MAKE YOU YIELD TO MY BRILLIANCE!”

The roar of a man. The swing of a shinai. The sonic boom that should not accompany such a movement.

Deafening noise. Shattered windows. An attack that will no doubt maim you if you do not dodge. Even if his blow did not physically connect, the sheer, raw force—it would make a lesser man break.

However.

You are Excellion Entramallis. In the face of adversity, you shine.

mystery shounen man

STR: S?

ESP: ???

Unknown, appears to be related to the amplification of force?

[Kirby]

Kogami Ruri
7:52 AM
The Saints’ Cradle

I look around.

There are a few others here, stragglers and the like who’ve yet to go to class, and, from the looks of it, would probably be skipping out anyway. Witnesses, in other words.

Recall protocol. What theyhad taught me.

Someone’s here beyond this door, their color overwhelming, but that can wait for the moment. The strength of the color responds to the intensity of the feeling. Whatever these strays are feeling, are nothing compared to this.

Regardless, they still must feel something.

I focus, probe the depths of my mind; the colors of blossoms and days past, wistful nostalgia. There, tints of something else, like blemishes of ink on a painting, things that didn’t belong. Those of the strays. I take those strays and pick them up, whatever I can find.

[Katie]

Matsuoka Mark
6:57 AM
Class 2-S

"You the new girl? You can sit with us if you want, no need to be shy."

Realizing she’s been caught in the act, the girl can do nothing but give an embarrassed half-smile and heed your words. She walks into the room, and all eyes turn to her. Definitely new and most definitely foreign. European? American? Your class unsubtly begins debating these details, pocket change and homework assignments at stake. She ignores them, though, and manages to figure out where the empty seat is—right next to yours.

“Thank you very much,” she says in English, before repeating the same thing in Japanese. She laughs at herself a bit nervously, but at least she isn’t falling apart like Yurina usually does. She bows, but it feels a bit awkward, like she isn’t used to it, and takes a seat.

Taking a deep breath, her words come out in an even, calm tone.

“I believe the teacher wanted me to wait outside, but I couldn’t help but be curious when I heard all the noise from inside. I thought something troublesome might have happened, but I guess I didn’t need to peek in after all?” As she says this, the transfer student calmly organizes her school supplies on her desk, pencils, pens, and highlighters in neat little rows. You begin to think she has a bit too much.

Yurina, major offender of all the noise, puts her head down and mutters something about letting death take her already. Shun just eyes the girl warily, for good reason. A transfer student who came here had to have had a high rank, right? And for the majority who weren’t Saints…

That was just more competition.

Nakiri Jun
7:13 AM
The Saints’ Cradle

“To think the mighty #21 would swallow her fear of the terrifying #22 for the sake of a friend.” With a smile, Jun pulled his phone out and cycled through some older messages, and at the same time, expanded himself, claiming ownership of the air. At his peak he could make every nook and cranny of Akashi’s grounds his, but the Nakiri Jun in his 3^rd year could only flex Monsoon far enough to make sure that there were no immediate concerns of eavesdroppers. Still, its range now left gaps for certain Gemstones to listen in if they had the method, but this matter could afford a leak or two, should it happen. “Careful there, guys lose their minds for girls like that.”

“W-what?” Midori’s face turns scarlet, and a wall erupts between the two of you, as if it could miraculously block verbal harassment. “D-don’t mess with me like that.”

Her head held low in embarrassment, she still walks alongside you and pays attention to your every word. When you bring up the fact that someone looks like Kaede has been doing money matches, however, she perks up and her eyes have a determined glimmer. The wall also crumbles as well, not that it mattered. Even someone like you knew it was pretty flimsy from the get-go.

“I’ll just go then. I can afford to skip a day or two,” Midori says, taking a sudden detour from the normal path to school, ponytail swishing from the sudden change in direction. “Senpai, you can… do what you’d like? I think I can work with this.”

While the information you gave was vague, the Platinum Stars knew every money making scheme in the book, just like their shrewd “leader.” She could definitely get to the root of things by herself, but were you really willing to just pass time in class?

Konoe Hana
6:50 AM
The Student Council Room/“The War Room”

“That’s a complicated question,” the Student Council President says, her voice losing its luster. “He tries hard despite his… idiosyncrasies, and only God knows what he’d do if he was a part of the Alliance…”

There’s a brief moment of silence, as if nobody wants to follow up on justifying why Excellion was on the student council. Someone (Tadokoro-chan, which is plainly obvious) coughs and mutters that “Kyrie is too nice.” Nobody objects to that either, although the statement earns Tadokoro a few glares.

“He’s amusing,” Kendo Club President Mitsurugi Tsubaki pipes up, leaning back in her chair. “Besides, he’s not… preppy. We’re all high-class looking and preppy, but he’s just a clown. Makes us look less one dimensional.”

Her words are to the point. Amagase nods in approval, looking a bit relieved. About what, you’re not quite sure, since she could have easily said the same thing. Maybe it was the lack of solidarity?

“And that about sums it, up, I suppose. Any objections, Konoe-san?”

Katsuji Hisa
7:01 AM
Athletics Center - Tennis Court

You arrive at the Athletics Center, where you are confronted with the vast expanse of green grass and sports equipment. With sleek, white walls for every building and lots of glass, you wondered if it was really necessary to show off all of the state of the art equipment inside. It struck you as excessive and altogether too vulnerable. Surely a few Espers could break some glass easily.

The tennis court is much the same, although you can see people putting away tennis rackets and the like. Most importantly though, one of them makes eye contact with you, and his eyes narrow.

“She sent the robot, huh?” The ace player and captain of the Tennis team, Morikawa Kenji, doesn’t even look at you like a human being. To him, you were the enemy. “What’s gonna be cut now, huh? Gonna finally cut us out?”

He says it with derision. It seems that the Tennis Club has been on a bit of a downswing these days, even if it doesn’t appear to be so. You notice the racket in his hands is his CVA, and he points it at you somewhat menacingly.

Misuzawa Malik
6:46
Civitas Headquarters - General Room

“I’ll be on it, sir,” Ken said, vanishing from the room. You’d get a report in time, but who knew how long that would take. Ken would be on top of things, of course, but his efficiency didn’t quite translate to the rest of Civitas. There would inevitably be some delay here or there, so all you could hope for was that it wouldn’t be much.

The boy, whose name was Koizumi Minato, talked quite a bit. He talked about his friends, the many people who occupied the low to middle rankings of Akashi. One of them, Toyotomi Sakura, struck you as odd—you knew the name from when she was the middle of the pack enforcer for the Black Adders, known for her ability to keep up with those above her, albeit barely. She was, in essence, a mascot for the idea that rank didn’t matter, only ingenuity and skill. That is, until she slowly stopped being shown off…

On the other hand…

“If I remember right… the dealer did all of his deals in the slums, near the Pewter Apartment Complex. I don’t know his name, though… just something about a baseball cap?” The Pewter Apartment Complex was a housing establishment for those… who couldn’t climb quite as high. The populace were often members of the Alliance, although recently power had shifted towards the Ruins and Aquamarines being the predominant gangs of the area. Were they really a part of this scheme? Shimizu Aoko was a simpleton, like the other members of the Spectrum, Akashi’s color coded gangs, whereas Mukai Kaoru was a rebel without a cause, fighting against everything. Their participation in the drug trade would be odd…

[Tangerang]

Katsuji Hisa
7:01 AM
Athletics Center - Tennis Court

“She sent the robot, huh? What’s gonna be cut now, huh? Gonna finally cut us out?”

The tennis captain glared at Hisa with hostility, but she let his words pass right through her without caring.

In the grand scheme of things, he didn't matter to Hisa. Therefore his words were of less consequence than the club he attempted to lead.

"I see you already know what this is about. That saves us some time."

Just as quickly as she entered the tennis court area, she turned around to leave. Her task was finished.

"Please enjoy the rest of your morning."

[Spinach]

Nakiri Jun
7:14 AM
The Saints’ Cradle

Standing at the intersection where Midori had taken a turn to skip class from, Jun stared at the girl’s back as she got further and further away.

“Can’t tell if she’s the bashful type or the super energetic type…”

Looking down the path to school, glanced back to the girl, then toward school again.

‘Do what I like…’

With a shrug of sincere apathy for both choices, Jun turned and followed after Midori. The older boy moved at a much slower, far less driven pace. Sluggishly moving his legs step by step. By all means, between the moment he spent debating following her or not, and the snail’s crawl he was moving at, she should have long lost him by now.

Yet, as Jun typed up an email on his phone with an unreal WPM that struck a stark contrast with the speed of his legs, he found himself walking side by side with Midori, having caught up as if carried in on the wind.

“So what’s your plan, #21?” Speaking totally casually, as if it was obvious he would follow along with her, Jun spoke without peeling his eyes away from his phone. A vibration alerted him to another new email, and a second vibration came immediately after notifying him of a reply to the email he had just sent. “I can throw a few curveballs at the other players in this game of hide and seek, but like I said, I don’t have anything concrete about where #39 has run off to.”

Hitting send, he glanced over to her.

“Gonna just walk district to district, ask around, pick fights and hope to stumble into your friend? Tough luck striking gold like that.” Saying so, Jun turned back to his phone, skimming one of the new emails. “Well… I guess you could just throw some stacks at the first person who seems to know something. That seems more your style.”

Grinning, both at the younger girl and the contents of his phone, Jun slid his finger over the screen more slowly now, reading the new email in full.

“Pretty impressive how good your crew is at reeling in money, I won’t lie.” Perfectly splitting his attention between his reading and speaking, the older boy glanced at his fellow Saint, the frames of his glasses adding an air of mischief to his smile. “I’ve been curious how you do it so consistently, but playing the heartthrob routine might just come to you so naturally that people want to get suckered.”

[Katie]

Katsuji Hisa
7:02 AM
Athletics Center - Tennis Court

A tennis ball hits you in the back of the head. You don’t even flinch. After all, you’ve been through much, much worse, and your power would not be to the refined degree that it was if you were anything less than that.

Another ball pelts you, yet you carry on, like a soldier. That is, until you notice the exit has been blocked off by unruly students. Wasn’t this supposed to be a simple delivery? Why were they cutting you off like this? You had class to get to, even if you didn’t feel strongly about such things.

A book sails through the air over your head. You hear the sound of it being caught. Turning around, you see Kenji with a smug grin on his face.

“A Club President can earn the right to appeal against a Student Council decision by defeating a representative in a Ranking Duel.” He points to the associated line. You can’t believe that’s in the school handbook. That is one of the dumbest things you’ve ever heard.

“I, Morikawa Kenji, challenge you to a duel!”

You’re not given the time to respond, because a tennis ball sails straight at you, with a speed that would put a jet to shame.

“GET SERVED!”

Nakiri Jun
7:20 AM
The Streets of Akashi

“So what’s your plan, #21?”

She sort of jumps at hearing your voice before settling back down. A barrier flickers in and out of existence as a response. With a deep breath (rather long and drawn out), she looks at you with a “Don’t scare me like that” glare.

“Ahem, well, I was thinking that—”

“Well… I guess you could just throw some stacks at the first person who seems to know something. That seems more your style.”

“I’m not—I wouldn’t—” She trips over her tongue as she realizes that she can’t actually deny whatever she was about to say. “No, I have a better plan than that!”

You can practically feel her her blood boil, but she isn’t outwardly pushing you away. Didn’t the rumor mill say she had a temper? Many feared the wrath of Akashi’s 21st Saint, for if she would not get you, her gang certainly would, the idolizers that they were. But if there was such a powerful sense of ill-will, you just weren’t seeing it.

“Pretty impressive how good your crew is at reeling in money, I won’t lie.” Perfectly splitting his attention between his reading and speaking, the older boy glanced at his fellow Saint, the frames of his glasses adding an air of mischief to his smile. “I’ve been curious how you do it so consistently, but playing the heartthrob routine might just come to you so naturally that people want to get suckered.”

“They’re just bright in the wrong ways, that’s—”

It takes her a moment to process that last sentence, and through the corner of your eye you see a small sphere form in her hands, and she crushes it like a stress ball.

“H-heartthrob routine? W-what kind of person do you think I am? Y-you’re the first person I’ve talked to one-on-one in m-months…” She stammers out, any train of thought that she had currently broken by your words. She covers her mouth as soon as she replies, and the look on her face says it all as she looks at you apprehensively, like a deer in the headlights.

[Mellon]

Misuzawa Malik
6:52
Civitas Headquarters - General Room

“Hmm…”

Malik’s fingers drummed the surface of the table in front of him in an almost hypnotic manner.

Koizumi-kun’s little monologue had honestly raised more questions than it answered. The fact that the dealer was operating around the Pewter Apartment Complex wasn’t truly a surprise. He was bound to operate around one of the more seedier areas of Akashi and one would be hard pressed to find a seedier residence than that one. No, the real problem was that it really didn’t serve to narrow down the responsible party whatsoever. Ownership over the complex was in constant flux between the numerous gangs located in the area. Any one of them could potentially have a hand in this.

The most prominent gangs contesting over Pewter at the moment were the “Ruins” and the “Aquamarines”, but… it would be out of character for both Shimizu and Mukai. While Shimizu was, at times, a man of questionable mental faculties, dealing drugs wasn’t his style. Besides, the Alliance had no tolerance for something like this. Its entire existence was predicated on a precarious balance where it did not push the envelope far enough to be cracked down. Something like this would completely shatter the status quo. The other Dragons would lynch him themselves, just to purge any guilt by association.

As for the Dust Queen… The woman was a rabid dog, fighting against everyone and everything. While Malik could surely appreciate her rebellious zeal, she lacked the type of self-restraint that was actually necessary in order to fully carry out her ideals. Which, in the end, meant that she was bound to be snuffed out by someone sooner or later. Sooner being the likelier option, considering that Mukai’s increased activity meant that neither Kaguya nor her pets could ignore her for much longer. But for the time being, the Dust Queen was neither desperate nor foolish enough to lose it all by peddling illegal power-boosters.

Tracking down the dealer would probably prove to be difficult as well, considering that the only real lead they had was the fact that he wore a baseball cap. Which left precious few leads to actually follow up on, for the time being.

Malik’s fingers stopped abruptly as he flashed a soft smile to the boy in front of him.

“Thank you, Koizumi-kun. I’ll be sure to help out both you and your friends. You have my word. In the meantime, would you mind staying here at Civitas Headquarters for the next couple of days? There is a risk that this drug dealer is not working alone. If so, it would probably be much safer for you to stay here, rather than head home.”

“Just speak to Alice down the hallway and tell her I sent you. She will organise everything for you."

As the boy left, Malik’s eyes flickered over to Ken’s stoic form.



“Yamato-kun. Would you be so kind and find out the current whereabouts of one Toyotomi Sakura?”

“Oh, and could you call the school and let them know that I won’t be attending today? I’m afraid that I simply won’t have the time. If they pester you about it, just tell them that it’s family business and that they are welcome to lodge a complaint if they so desire.”

“Though considering their typically spineless nature, I doubt that they will so.”

[Airen]

Matsuoka Mark
6:58 AM
Class 2-S

"It's the usual noise, nothing to really worry about. It might sound bad at first, but it becomes endearing pretty easily."

Casual as ever, the youth does his best to ignore the slight rudeness of his classmates, even as he sympathetically pats Yurina on the back in a show of friendly support.

...Because Death wasn't coming anytime soon for anyone, no escaping in that way.

"Anyways, since I called you over, guess I should do introductions," making note of Shun's wariness, but acting as his usual self in spite of it, the young foreigner starts off with himself, "I'm Matsuoka Mark, this is my sister Aika," motioning briefly towards the dark-haired girl, who was clinging to his shoulder now, she smiles and waves but says nothing else, "And these two are my friends, Minase Yurina and Toramaru Shun. We're all a bit weird, but please bear with us."

Joking around with a smile (was it a joke?) the youth fails to introduce himself as a Saint.

To him, that title only mattered in one or two different scenarios, for just the usual school life...

He didn't really see a need to throw it around meaninglessly.

...Although his fame often preceded him, even amongst new students.

It was likely no different here, especially because she had been watching him specifically but...

Well, this was just how he was.

[Spinach]

Nakiri Jun
7:21 AM
The Streets of Akashi

“See? That’s it, right there.” Temporarily pausing his ceaseless messaging, Jun pointed a finger at the girl’s sealed mouth, his eyes still glued to the screen. “It just comes naturally, and that’s why it’s so effective.”

Returning to his phone, the 3^rd year opened an old document titled “#21” and added a note, writing down word for word what she had said about one-on-one conversation. Then, acting as if he had never heard her say such a thing, as if he hadn’t been having fun teasing the younger girl, Jun looked ahead, taking his eyes off his phone for a few seconds as he spoke.

“Still, I’m a bit surprised that you really did have a plan. So, what is it?”

[Tangerang]

Katsuji Hisa
7:02 AM
Athletics Center - Tennis Court

Hisa doesn't even flinch as a tennis ball rockets past her head, only barely missing. The thing that concerned her more was that the exit was being blocked by other tennis members, preventing her from leaving. Things were certainly becoming more troublesome. Hisa sighed.

“GET SERVED!”

She didn't even bother reacting to the obvious provocation. While what the tennis captain said was technically true...

"...certainly you could challenge me to a ranking duel. Perhaps you can even defeat me and accomplish your goal. But I think you're overlooking something rather important."

"What merit is there in me accepting your challenge? I have no obligation to indulge in your whims. Go bother someone else from the student council; maybe you'll get lucky and find someone with too much free time on their hands."

Having said that, she turns to glare at the students still blocking the way.

"Are we finished here?"

[Lace]

Konoe Hana
6:50 AM
The Student Council Room/"The War Room"

“Amusing?“ Hana's voice already lost it's edge. The kind of answer the Student Council President gave was to be expected from her, but the bone Mitsurugi threw in she couldn't understand. A person not taking their responsibilities serious is disrespectful, not funny. To her, students with an attitude as laid-back as Excellion were beyond comprehension.

“And that about sums it, up, I suppose. Any objections, Konoe-san?”

“...No, I understand.“ Taking the answer as being told there was no point dwelling on it, she decided to drop the topic.

“Seeing as Katsuji-san has already left, I should probably get on my way too." The 1^st year started packing the papers and folders set up in front of her.

“Then, if you'll excuse me.“

Getting up from her seat, she said goodbye to the other members of the Student Council with a bow as polite as ever.

...

...

Arriving at the room occupied by the Cooking Club, Hana took a deep breath before knocking two times. The young girl was to do her best to conceal the fact that she was fairly nervous approaching a club who's members were unknown to her. Entering with a short bow, she made her introduction. “Aplogies for the interruption. I have a small announcement to make.“

[Ayakashi]

--- Larissa Alessandra April 27th, 2037 - 7:52 AM The Saint's Cradle ---

Oh no! My worst enemy, the locked door! Ahhh... what I'd pay to have a search warrant right now... but, it's not like anyone would complain if I blew down their door, right?! Oh... but this is Minamin's room...

Ahhhh, geez, what do I do, what do I do?!

Walking around in circles isn't gonna do me any good, even though the floor looks funny when spinning!

Hum, hum... I guess I could just... knock and ask if anyone's here.

Righto, that's actually a good idea!

Eh? Rururin seems to be spacing out.

"Heeeyyy... are you okay there? Something bothering you?"

Oh... maybe that she's picking up someone inside? that's her power right, mind reading or thingie bingies? Then if I knock... these people might get away! Hmmm... maybe it's time to do some sneaky deaky things... like melting the door hinges! Haha! Larissa-chan, yours and only, the true genius!

Now, if I just deconstruct it here and there... well, the hinges should just disintegrate! That's fine, right? I mean putting new hinges on can be said to even be a healthy form of door maintenance! Teehee, Minamin, how thankful you must be to have such a caring and conscious friend!

Now, let's goooooo!!!! Door kick! Entrance in the name of:

J U S T I C E

[Satehi]

Hanaoka Hana
12:10 AM
Cafeteria

Eh?

Caught off guard by Akari’s question, I find myself unable to respond and simply stare blankly at her, my food forgotten on my table. I wasn’t the best at reading social cues myself, but wasn’t that an incredibly rude question to ask? Not something I would have expected from Akari.

But it all clicks together when I hear the concern in her voice. To be the target of such consideration… it makes me feel like blessed individual, receiving such fortune.

“Ah, no, it’s fine. It’s true that there’s a lot of pressure, but I wouldn’t have joined the Public Morals Committee if I expected to have a laid back high school life. If there’s a reason…” I trailed off, trying to think of a good answer to give.

Honestly, I hadn’t even realized that there was anything strange about my behavior. But thinking back on it, if I hadn’t been invited by Akari for lunch I probably would have just found myself some secluded part of campus to eat in peace, so her concerns were definitely well founded. Not that I was averse to company by any means, but it had just been something I’d been doing for such a long time that I hadn’t ever thought about how it might have come off to other people. A rather troubling realization, especially since it wasn’t something I could reasonably fix, given the variety of reasons behind it. My problems belonged only to me, and no one else.

Still, I had to give the girl some sort of answer, to assuage her concerns.

“W-well… I guess it’s just a bit of an old habit? I’ve always been eating lunch alone, before I came to this school. And I don’t really like to involve other people in my problems- I like to try my best to handle them by myself. I wouldn’t want to trouble anyone else with something that I think I should be able to handle by myself, and I won’t grow as a person if I always look for help.”

“So, it’s nothing you should worry about, Akari. But thank you for worrying.”

I tried to give a reassuring smile, before switching the topic.

“Anyways, regarding this case…”

[Plue]

Excellion Entramallis
7:05 AM
The Streets of Akashi

Wiseup - Beam

[Katie]

Nakiri Jun
7:22 AM
The Streets of Akashi

“I’m not acti—rrrgh.” Midori cuts herself off with a groan, realizing that this was going to get nowhere. Her stress ball appears to be surprisingly resilient, because the death grip she had it in would have taken the life of a person easily. Accepting her inability to convince you that she was being genuine, she looks at your phone with a suspicious gaze before deciding to answer your question.

“Well, as everyone is aware, the Platinum Stars are good at… getting funds.” She says this with a somewhat regretful tone—after all, they did everything from fundraisers to scams, and nobody was ever sure which was which. On some level, she had to be held accountable for the actions done under her name, even with her lenient approach. “I’ve… a few people who deal with the fights, though I don’t talk to them much. I figured it’s possible they might know where Kaede is, or if they give me a better clue?”

She cocks her head to the side, as if in thought for a moment. Similarly, her steps also seem to slow down.

“Though, I haven’t checked in on them since school started…”

Matsuoka Mark
7:00 AM
Class 2-S

The new girl just gives you a knowing smile as she looks at the group, and gives a sigh of relief. In a way, the look in her eyes is nostalgic, or rather, homesick.

“Well then, I’m Juliet Kensington, a foreign exchange student from Avalon Academy in London. It’s lovely to meet you all,” she says without missing a beat. “I hope we can be friends.”

A foreign exchange program? That was something you’ve never even heard of before. The majority of nations were rather possessive of their Espers, and people like the Second Saint, Maria, were few and far between. Even then, they had enrolled from a young age, not ever been a transfer student… So, without a doubt, something about this was quite strange.

“Nice to meet ya,” Shun says, the wary look in his eye still there. Yurina also mutters some nervous introduction, her nerves still a bit finicky.

“...What’s your power?” Shun continues out of the blue, breaking a brief silence. The majority of those at the top knew each other’s abilities, if not the specifics that defined them—Shun was a classic pyrokinetic, much like the second in command of the Disciplinary Committee, and Yurina was particularly apt at compressing things, the most memorable moment when she accidentally managed to fold her desk into a ball while she was sleeping on it.

But this foreign exchange student had no previous tells. It was like you were back in your first year again, where everyone was just a tad too paranoid. Any knowledge was something to take for your advantage.

“It’ll be obvious in time,” Juliet says with a slight smirk.

Katsuji Hisa
7:03 AM
Athletics Center - Tennis Court

"What merit is there in me accepting your challenge? I have no obligation to indulge in your whims. Go bother someone else from the student council; maybe you'll get lucky and find someone with too much free time on their hands."

He seems surprised when you dodge the tennis ball, the projectile embedding itself into the ground. He looks quite pleased, although your words do put a bit of a damper on his mood. There’s a new fire in his eyes, that of competitive spirit. An athlete's urge to prove he is the best.

“Are you really sure you should be saying that, you clubless leech? There’s only two members of the Student Council with any reasonable amount of free time, and one of them’s you.”

His words sound a bit angry, but he soon realizes that’s the wrong approach. An expert in trash talk, he realized you were truly unfazed, like an emotionless robot. Insults wouldn’t get him his way.

“But if you want a wager, go ahead. Set the terms, because it doesn’t matter what you say, I’ll win.” Kenji says this with such confidence that his team is awed by his confidence. They rally behind him, loudly chanting his name, his victory. The savior of the tennis team knew no fear!

“...I mean, we can just annoy Honda-chan, if that doesn’t interest you.”

Konoe Hana
7:01 AM
The Cooking Club

As you make your way to the Cooking Club, you can’t help but notice that at some point, the floor became wet. You’re fairly sure it’s water, though, as an instinctive pass with your power tells you it freezes incredibly easily. Not even the door is unscathed, as the doorknob is basically soaked when you turn it. The door offers little resistance.

Inside you see a bunch of people attempting to deal with how soaked everything is. Surprisingly, all the food on the tables is dry. A few students are gathering the water into one spot, their ESP guiding it down a sink drain. It seems pretty efficient, although quite slow.

Someone notices you and seems quite surprised, judging by the slight jump she does in the air. You hope she doesn’t slip on the floor. Grabbing a tray of baked goods off a countertop, she carefully makes her way towards you.

“Konoe-san! Are you here on behalf of the Student Council? Apologies for the mess, someone tried cooking with their ESP and triggered the sprinkler system…” She looks a bit ashamed recounting the incident, before switching to a presumably forced smile. It's a bit hard to tell. “Care for a cookie?”

They look good, at least.

Misuzawa Malik
7:25
Civitas Headquarters - General Room

“Yamato-kun. Would you be so kind and find out the current whereabouts of one Toyotomi Sakura?”

“Consider it done,” he says with finality. Wordlessly, he leaves the room, and the waiting game begins.

It only takes him half an hour or so, time passing by in the relatively slow manner it did all weekday mornings. Even delinquents had to attend school to maintain their life in Akashi, so the majority of contacts were busy being in class. Nevertheless, Ken always knew which set of people to talk to, with enough cajoling.

The school, of course, lets you go free. There was a minimum attendance rule, of course, but the rules imposed on the brilliant Saints were even more lenient than one could believe. The Disciplinary Committee could only deal with notable displays of truancy.

Ken comes back with a manilla folder labeled “Stigmata” and a piece of paper that he quickly pockets.

“This is all we have on ‘Stigmata,’ and Toyotomi Sakura is at her apartment. She has called in sick. She apparently bought groceries rather uneventfully last evening, so the veracity of her illness is possibly suspect.” He says this with an impassive tone, checking his phone to see if everything was in order. “Are you willing to give her a personal visit, or should we bring her back here?”

[Lace]

Konoe Hana
7:01 AM
The Cooking Club

The purple-haired girl approached her with a sense of familiarity, but Hana couldn't quite put a finger on who she was. She did recall that she had talked to her before, but as all details about their previous encounters seemed to be missing from her memories, it couldn't have been of much importance to her.

As the girl explained the situation, Hana cautiously stepped further into the room, making sure to walk on her toes as to not get her shoes wet. One could note the subtle mix of curiosity and surprise written on her face as her gaze wandered through the room. The group of hydrokinetics moving the water down a sink weren't particularly elegant in their display of abilities, as expected of a group of students hurriedly cleaning up their mess before someone could scold them.

Examining their use of ESP, Hana didn't show any immediate reaction to the girl's offering of fresh cookies. The girl nudged the basket of baked goods towards her again, this time getting her attention back.

“Oh, thank you, but I already had breakfast.“ Although her answer came off almost like an automated response to being offered food, her eyes lingered on the insides of the basket for a few seconds. She couldn't help but admit that it looked surprisingly good for homemade pastries.

“But I did come here on behalf of the Student Council, yes. I know this is an unfortunate circumstance considering this incident might be pricey should there be lasting damage, but..“

Witnessing this scene was almost like blackmail. Delivering the news to someone who just went through a stressful situation wasn't the most empathetic thing to do, and it didn't help that she felt impolite not being able to address the girl by name.

“We've had to make a budget cut. I'm sorry, um..“

At this point it was evident how bothered her inability to put a name to the girl's face made her.

[Airen]

Matsuoka Mark
7:00 AM
Class 2-S

"Oh? Going for the mysterious angle, eh? I like it, fits the new student vibe."

Smiling, the blonde young Saint fails to even pause at the behavior that reminded him a bit too much of the old years. There were a number of reasons for this, even without the innate boost to the self-confidence that was being a Saint, he was well aware of the fact that the him that existed now was very different from the him that had existed back in those years.

The one who had been absolutely determined to crush everyone in his way to the top.

The him from back then would have been far more curious, a transfer student coming to this school... It was such a bizarre occurrence at this age that he can only assume the school would only bother with it if the student in question was someone particularly gifted, and back then, he would have seen something like that as a threat, or at the very least, he would have had to note her as an opponent he may have to crush in the future...

But the him now-

"Brings me back a bit... Never managed to hide my power too well myself, I have a bit too much fun being purposefully flashy."

-Just took everything in stride.

No need to get worked up, the school life was better without the rampant paranoia, so he had just stopped bothering with it.

When you focus on your own strengths, the weaknesses of the enemy become less and less relevant.

Whether such a philosophy was a sign of being strong, being reckless, or merely the result of a growing overconfidence, well...

It was probably a mix of it all.

[Tangerang]

Katsuji Hisa
7:03 AM
Athletics Center - Tennis Court

If there was a single word that described Katsuji Hisa, it would be 'empty'. An empty human being. A shell of a person. A living corpse. Someone who for one reason or another, lacks everything that is necessary to be a human.

A girl who everything about her scraped away: she possessed no convictions, no hopes, no dreams, no desires, no emotions, nothing. A blank existence that extends past her personality. Any attack is ineffective, insults simply pass right through her, compliments slide right off her.

A static existence that would have been simply passed on by the flow of time. But for better or for worse, by some quirk of fate or miracle, somehow a single person was able to add their value to her world of zero.

It was an infinitesimally small addition, and yet there is an infinitely large gap between 'nothing' and 'something'.

And now...

“...I mean, we can just annoy Honda-chan, if that doesn’t interest you.”

While his previous taunts had no effect, this line had an effect. Hisa's eyes narrowed slightly. Contrasting to the captain's fire and burning spirit, there was only one thing reflected in her eyes.

Boundless animosity.

To begin with, expecting a person as broken as Hisa to react the same as an ordinary person was already a dire miscalculation.

For an outside observer, it would appear like she began to calmly walk towards the captain. Even though her dead expression had not changed in the slightest, his words had clearly had the desired effect. The duel was on. The club would be saved.

10 feet away. 6 feet away. 4 feet away. 2 feet away. A foot away.

Before anybody realized it, she was already standing face to face with the tennis captain.

A few seconds passed.

"Go."

At the same time as Hisa spoke, without any warning her arm shot out, aiming to grab his neck.