Anima Kiseki // Gate: Future (IC thread)

[hero]

Nakamura Amaya
Starlight Academy - Park
Monday - Morning


Sparks fly as you defends against a seemingly endless rains of swords. It's an spectacle to behold... After all, no ordinary person should be able to challenge the 'first-half' of Beagalltach with such reckless method. The average person would spare themselves the trouble and move to avoid them or, should it be impossible to do so, summon a 'wall-type' shield to absorb most of the damage. After all, while perfectly capable of eliminating a Miracle Wielder after a good number of direct hits, its offensive power isn't anything but low. The trick is unleashing volleys of projectiles one after the other in rapid succession, hoping to overwhelm the opponent with speed and numbers. Which is precisely why what you are doing defies reason. To stand your ground and defy the absolute defeat that awaits those who do... Is a fool's errand. However, you are far from ordinary. Far from being an ordinary person and far from being an ordinary Kiseki-Tsukai.

"...!"

---Before your eyes, everything becomes clear.

A mere glance is enough to read through an attack, trace it back to its origin and predict the trajectory the next will take. Your body moves faster because it know what it has to do beforehand and acts when it has to. Still, this is probably your limit. Even though this is an attack that shares similarities to one you've seen countless times in the past, it has been slightly tampered with. Beneath its surface you can see the effort your opponent has put into it to claim it as her own. Each wave is stronger and faster than the one prior and you begin to feel it... You won't be overwhelmed, however, a single distraction, a single external factor will cause the house of cards you've built to crumble and from that point on there will only be ruin ahead.

You are wide open.

But that is okay. You haven't jumped straight into danger with just the promise of proving something, you've a plan to back it up. Crest Arts is a finely crafted trap that will take care of anyone who tries to abuse the window of opportunity you've purposefully created. Yes, against a foe who has not seen it before and who 'stands on a higher level', it can effectively turn the tide of the battle in your favor, to the point it might even become the deciding factor.

---Within the realm of Miracle Wielders, her natural speed has no rival.

Shiomi Misao moves, attacks, defends and recovers in record time. She's a demon. But that also means she must make decisions with a much smaller window. Having inherited experience and techniques from a generation that's not hers, it relies on a developed instinctive sixth sense rather than her actual thought process. When you combine it with her rash and daring personality, the result is a goddess of war who doesn't let an opportunity go to waste.

Above all, she hates losing, so...

She won't hesitate to cut you down if you fail to keep up-!

Beneath the Sakura Tree, two souls set on paving their own path clash.

---But only one is granted the honor of drawing first blood.---

"You know, for a Nakamura, you are fairly ruthless."

Misao winces from the pain, but forces it back with a grin and a good line to accompany it. Her hand is covering an injury on her right side. Compared to what it could have been, it's rather shallow and does not present a real threat. She won't be eliminated for that alone. However, it might make fighting through this round a little more difficult.

Still, she has to give credit where credit is due.

Crest Arts could have definitely eliminate her in an instant. It's no surprise to see an 'ace' or even a 'pro' lose a limb or two during a fight. This is because, in terms of physical durability, everyone is mostly on the same level. When one stands within a realm where every attack can be called 'lethal', taking damage often becomes a necessary sacrifice if one means to emerge victorious. So fighters who win without a single scratch are rare among rare, even in the higher leagues. That very same reason is what allows you to stand on the same level as your opponent, even though, in terms of experience, you might be world's apart.

"Branwen."

When your eyes meet, you notice that your foe's possesses a rather familiar glow. Could it be that she has mastered 'Heaven's Eye', as well? Without Hitomi's or Kimiko's tutelage... That should be impossible. However, before her eyes, everything becomes clear. Just like you, she is someone who can defy the laws of common sense to enact miracles. She won't be held back by such small shackles-!

That said...

"Heh... So it's not just your vision, but all other senses are also enhanced... Heaven's Eye, huh? Nice. Mine's called Branwen. It teaches me all sort of things about my rivals in real time... It's how I was able to avoid that trap in time."

Though guided by instinct for the most part, it appears Misao also relies on this formula to end encounters swiftly without exposing herself to danger too much. Still, if she has been caught, even if partially, it cannot be as unfair as it sounds.

"Keh... There is small delay before the information that reaches the brain can be processes, though..."

The swordswoman admits, much to her dismay. Yet, her expression changes to one of excitement shortly enough.

"Look, Nakamura. The spectator count is close to the hundreds already."

Because those who watch a fight cannot distract or interrupt the fighters in any way, you cannot see them. However, their number can be kept in check much like your Miracle's heat just by thinking about it. The bond one shares with their weapon allows them to do such things.

"We ought to give them a good show, don't you think?"

Looks like she's asking you to come at her with everything you have.

-------

Wise-Up!

Branwen- Blessed White Raven
C-rank - Semi-UniqueThis particular spell is a special formula which was created after carefully analyzing the magics of Nakamura Shinji and Nakamura Hitomi. By combining the magically properties of Shinji’s HrafnsmáI and Hitomi’s Heaven’s Gaze, it has become possible to create a visual spell capable of perceiving and analyzing skills and techniques through vision alone. In effect, it is a superior information gathering rune which allows the user to effectively know the opponent simply by laying eyes on them.

[Mellon]

Ishikawa Aoi
Starlight Academy - The Sleeping Bishop
Monday - Morning

The two former colleagues kept drinking their liquor in quantities wholly unfitting for the early hours of the day. True Magi usually never got drunk, or at the very least it would take excessive amounts of alcohol for them to even show the slightest amount of inebriation. Aoi had never, not even once, won a drinking contest against a True Magi, a fact she was wholly grateful for.

She would be, without a doubt, completely broke if that was the case. Well, even more penniless then she was now.

Downing her glass in a large gulp, Aoi’s voice echoed out away from the table and towards the distant bar counter.

“Kaaaat~! Can you make me another one of these? Just put it on my bill, okaaay!”

"Have you heard about the term 'Messiah'?"

Only to have her mood somewhat soured by the next words out of the B.A.L.D.R officer in front of her. For Aoi, the word messiah only brought an overwhelming feeling of resignation. Everything involving Yoshino Sousei had been a hassle, whether that be before or after the man’s death. No exceptions. The less Aoi had to think about that particular segment of her past, the better. In Aoi’s limited experience, everything associated with “messiahs” ended up being nothing more than a “mess”.

“They should just dump the kid onto a desk job and forget about training him. It would be for the best.”

“Didn’t they learn anything from the last time? Even if they manage to awaken him, that much strength wielded by a single person will lead to no good outcomes for anyone. Especially wielded by some witless teenager with raging hormones.”

Her last mutterings were almost an imperceivable grumble, said mainly to herself and no-one else.

“...times may change, but those idiots never will. ”

The file contains a list of known benefactors for an unauthorized, secret 'outer space' expedition carried out a couple of years ago.

“You are shitting me.”

An “unauthorized secret space mission”? What the hell? How does one even conduct a “secret” space mission? It's not like going to space is a goddamn subtle endeavor. There was absolutely no way that something like that would remain hidden. This entire thing was a massive signal of the governments (and B.A.L.D.R’s) incompetence or it was indicating that someone relatively high up in the brass was involved with this.

“There is no way that this would slip under the radar under normal circumstances, especially for years. Someone had to have enough clout or skill to keep this entire thing under wraps. And this “list” of benefactors...”

Aoi’s index finger pointed at the USB Drive in Cain’s hand.

“...is too damn long. Something would have leaked, even as a rumor. And never mind unregistered Miracles, they could even find new OOPArts out there. We could have a crop of new True Magi on our hands if we are unlucky enough. There would be no way that B.A.L.D.R wouldn’t investigate something like that, even if it was in the shape of an unverifiable rumor.”

Her eyes crossed with Tsukabe’s.

“...right?”

“... And it has come at a price."

Silence filled the table for a brief moment. Taking out a cigarette package from the inner pocket of her white lab coat, Aoi pulled out one of the smokes from the package and placed it on her lips. An azure spark lit the cigarette almost instantly, causing its tip to glow with a deep blue hue.

The Starlight teacher inhaled deeply, filling her lungs with misty smoke.

Aoi leaned back on her chair, her eyes never breaking away from the man in front of her. A thin line of white escaped from her lips as she broke the momentary silence between the two. Her tone seemed to sound identical to earlier, albeit less emotive, but it now held a certain tension. A sharpness that hadn’t existed there before.

“Hey, I was wondering about this earlier, but…”

"I can think of only a scant few reasons why any Starlight student would have this list. I can think of even fewer reasons why they would hide it and why B.A.L.D.R would be immediately there to pick it up."

"So tell me, Motoshige."

“Are you the one getting my brats involved in this?”

[Typhous]

Noah Habiki
Starlight Academy - Harbor
​Monday - Morning

If only I hadn’t discovered that Miracle so long ago…

I believe that's why my luck dwindled to only a few drops remaining. Here I am dealing with unnecessary shit all the time, and so far not a single thing went the way I wanted it too.

Honestly, these things are too bothersome to deal with. I’m not sure what to do or say.

It’d be impossible to beat this automation miracle or whatever it is. I just lied to it about being its administrator, so any further falsehood might cause hostility, despite the lack of from the machine in front of me.

Onee-sama.

The word only confirmed the right administrator was a woman. Enough damage accumulated to the point that it couldn’t access its records concerning its purpose or reasoning for being here. Both a blessing and a curse if one might say. Information was vital in any situation, and so far the valuable piece was the identity of the gender if the target. Perhaps asking for further clarification such as how she looked or what she would have sufficed.

Good grief, I indeed wasn’t good at these sort of things. Deciding to not make this trouble any future individual was my mistake. Now I’m burden dealing with whatever consequences I may have set forth.

“I’d help if I could, but you might have to be a bit more specific. What exactly does your Onee-sama look like? Blonde hair? Black? Tall or short? Information is key ya know?”

Shut up. Shut up. Shut up!

Just what the hell was I even thinking? A coward like me has to right to pursue nonsense of this magnitude. Left to its own devices who knows what the machine will do. It shouldn’t bother me. It shouldn’t be my problem in the first place!

My mouth felt like it was on autopilot when I denied any desire in continuing this farce. I’ll admit to being curious, but that can only get you so far.

Curiosity killed the cat, right?

I glanced around us for a brief second, taking notice of the formation of the warehouse and its contents. Unleashing in energy bolt, or rather, triggering them all as in attack can provide the necessary distraction for an escape.

No.

The machine would catch up to me in no time with little effort. That difference came with the body were made with. Flesh versus metal would always be one-sided.

Creating a light show for a chance for outsiders to take notice might've helped but then comes the waiting period as well as the ability to keep it away from me.

Guess there weren’t really any other choice to keep going.

“While I’m at it, could I have a look at you, just in case any further damage was caused to you. I admit I’m rather curious about your specs.”

If worst comes to bear, I’ll just rip it’s damn cords out and pray for a shutdown.

[hero]

Shuugetsu Heika
Starlight Academy - Town C
Monday - Morning


"..."

A bot can emulate human behavior, however, they can never truly grasp it. The average sniper would have felt frustrated after missing such clean shot; the rest of them would simply curse their luck for bumping into such a troublesome opponent... One that simply 'cannot be hit'. On the other hand, the bot's programming does not include unnecessary thought processes, and so it merely decides to change its approach, making slight alterations to its battle plan without showing a hint of emotion on its face. Indeed, it will continue to perform its task, despite the odds. That isn't mean to convey that its behavior is foolish, quite the contrary. After all, even if its existence is a purely artificial one, it can understand one basic premise, one that anyone would be able to grasp at the moment, with a single glance: Shuugetsu Heika and Agnethe Grieser are like Heaven and Earth. They are more likely to attack each other than they are to cooperate to reach a common goal. If that is the case...

"..."

Then the only thing it has to do is target the most vulnerable of the two. This is because eliminating one will be enough to make both of them fail the trial. Indeed, whether they acknowledged it or not, both of its enemies are in fact a single 'unit'. Even if it is born from an objective view, this cannot be anything but arrogance. Despite her uninspired performance so far, Agnethe remains as one of the Russian Institute top fighters. For the Bot, she should be an opponent that stands on a completely different level. Indeed, it wouldn't be farfetched to say that it stands no chance against her, either. It might have been a different story if the difficulty were to be adjusted to 'Maniac', but as things stood, the bot is no more than an obstacle to be overcome.

Yet... It's arrogance is justified.

And that is because, unlike you...

The bot is not alone.

-------

"Huuhh...?"

Your performance does little to break the absolute look of disinterest present in the red haired girl's face. However, the atmosphere changes. There is a small, yet clear, glint of hostility in her eyes, where there was none before. It has been summoned in response to the fury hiding within yours. With that glare alone, you've decided to take a step forward and make things more serious than needed, and now she is only responding in kind. Both of you are trying to establish superiority over the other, neither willing to yield. It looks like, from this point onwards, there might be no turning back...

"... I see. Want to play? Then let's play..."

For a moment, the world around the two of you seems to disappear. A second feels like a minute and tension fills the air. Unlike before, this won't be a mere exchange. It will part of a 'death-match', its result decided in no more than an instant. Even if the elimination of the other will mean the end for both, you have chosen to place your pride above it.

---But then...

------The attack comes from a completely unexpected angle.

Or rather, it would be more precise to say that it's not exactly the angle... But the attack that you have not seen coming. The reason for it is one: The swing that resembles a crescent moon does not belong to your sworn opponent, but someone else. Coming out of thin air all of a sudden, there is little you can do before it thoughtlessly puts you in range of its sword-like weapon. Outwardly, it looks like a human being, but in essence, this foe is no more than a mannequin, a program created to perform a certain task before fading into oblivion. It lacks emotions, personal aspirations and goals, it doesn't have what defines humans as such. But it can do one thing well: Kill. It puts all of its effort into the motion, intent on bringing you down with a single swing-!

---Chameleon.---

Through a rather simple formula, it creates an optical illusion which allows the user to become temporarily invisible. Sound and other sources that might reveal the user's presence are not concealed. In addition, it appears there is a small delay between the time of activation and the time when the user's body fades completely from sight. While invisible, the usage of other spells is largely limited and to be able to execute a proper attack, one must discard camouflage completely. Even so, one should be able to get close enough to ensure that their offensive plan will be successful. Particularly popular among Knights who favor 'assassin-like' strategies.

Meanwhile, Grieser's situation is a mirror of yours. Having come from opposite sides, it appears the goal of the two attackers has always been to each eliminate one of you while you were busy staring at each other. Still having not called back her weapon, the student from the Russian institute appears to be at an extreme disadvantage, however. She, for one, has never really been good at close-combat-fighting. She's a demon who thrives in large scale attacks with lots of collateral damage.

"Maggots... Getting in the way...!"

The only thing she has to do, though, is raise her hand. The moment she points her open palm at the enemy, a large chain with a pointy end is called forth. Having been fired at ridiculous speeds, it has no problem in piercing through the ambusher's head, turning it into a corpse in the blink of an eye. She must have been seriously pissed to go straight for the kill, being someone who enjoys extending combat as much as possible.

---Checkmate.

A second shot is fired, aimed straight at the girl. Even if the bullet has to go through the body of its 'teammate' to reach its target, it is a worthy sacrifice. No, this has all been staged from the start. If one had to guess the two assassin's role... It would correct to say they are 'Pawns'. They are there to ensure the sniper will land a clean hit on the opposing team's weakest link...

'Agnethe Grieser'.

[Verg Avesta]

Shuugetsu Heika
Starlight Academy - Town C
Monday - Morning

Dance the dance, dance for the glory of Gods.

The pirouette of Shuugetsu Heika continued on its axis, the back of his foot being the center of his absolute, unwavering gravity. With the mere announcement, a flash of slash signaling a new attack, Heika's mind immediately drew a new pattern to the weave of this battle. No matter how inelegant an opponent or attack he was dealt, he would raise it to perfection.

Because that was who he was.

The Artist known as Shuugetsu Heika.

Dance the dance, whether it be even or odds.

"You bore me, metal dolls. Disappear from my sight," Heika whispered, chill running through the battlefield. His snake-like eyes whipped their field of vision across the battlefield, sneering down at everything. "This is a disgrace not for me, but for your maker. A mere imitation of human life... not even worth of killing."

------- Indeed.

What Heika was about do could not even be called a 'kill'. To destroy metal men such as these was, to him, nothing more than disposing trash of yesteryear.

And that was exactly what he was about to do.

The warbling naginata, like a thrush bird in its song, sliced the air. It ignored the approaching physical attack completely. It was made with a metal arm, bending and accelerating like human muscle, yet infinitely more boorish in its design. It could not achieve same sort of sophistication as living, breathing being.

After all, not many flesh-and-blood beings achieved any sort of beauty no matter how long they lived.

If one needed an example of a unfortunate individual such as that, Heika could only point at the red-haired tramp behind him.

Dance the dance, Bell of Bishamonten now rings.

It was an obvious question: which was faster, bullet or a melee attack? Well, perhaps not obvious, considering what Heika was about to do... but to the robots facing them, it was a matter of their build. A free-shooting projectile overcame a melee attack with ease, screaming towards Agnethe Grieser, intending to go through Heika's body just like the previous one had.

A look of utter boredom marred with fury crowned Heika's face as he slashed at the approaching bullet.

No... he didn't slash.

He struck the bullet with the flat of his naginata. The blade warped, rippled, and set a new course for the physical attack. A carefully arranged trajectory, made with an eye of one for whom details were everything.

Indeed, by striking the bullet, Heika aimed it towards the head of the poor robot who was striking at him.

With a single flurry of a slash, he meant to take out the bullet and the melee-attacker at the same time.

Empty the field before it could be filled again.

Pawns, knights, queens and kings... Shuugetsu Heika laughed at the simplicity of western chess and their metaphors.

------ For he was the Master of Shogi, a game far more complex!

Dance the dance, it tolls the end of all things.

With the last of his movement, Heika threw glance of utter repulsion and cold judgement towards Agnethe Grieser. From his beautiful lips fell words that left no room to misunderstand what he meant. It had been but a few moments, a mere string of blinks during which this attack happened. Yet nevertheless, Heika had already had enough.

Of this challenge.

And of Agnethe Grieser.

"You're slowing me down. You can either take a knee or be crushed under my heel," Heika announced. "But you will not stand in my way."

This was a judgment - the last warning. Another one would not come.

Either the redhead would get her act together.

Or then Heika would end this challenge by his own hand.

--- It was a small loss, all things considered.

[Sei]

Takumi Hokuto
Starlight Academy- Road I
Monday - Morning

"Takumi Hokuto," Knowing my challenge has been accepted fills me with excitement. So much so that I just can't help but get pumped and burst ear from ear with a smile, "Also a Rook. And I go by the name Fuukami."

Answering my opponent's stance, I shift into my own. While trying to be as natural and comfortable as possible, I also recall all the pointers my master offered to me. Spacing my legs just right. Evenly distributing my weight. Being mindful of the placement of my arms... The end result isn't something I would call completely natural. Yet... But I'd be lying if I said it was uncomfortable.

The scenery shifts around us, asking us fighters to select a field that best suits us. But it doesn't seem like Ibarashi himself intends to have any major input on the selection. So I just stick to something simple that makes it easy for both of us. A traditional dojo hall.

"Sorry, but you'll have to excuse me a bit. The style I've been taught is a bit weird. I've yet to truly make it my own," I sink deeper into my stance. Engraving the sensation of my muscles into my mind and easing further into it, "My master just kinda taught me the basics then up and left. Said that the rest was up to me. So sorry if anything feels a bit sloppy."

I exhale and prepare to attack. Feeling out my opponent's aura, I can tell that going at this haphazardly isn't going to cut it. I shouldn't worry about being able to see his movements entirely. I just have to focus on perceiving his "speed" and "presence". So, for now... Until I get a better idea of what I'm dealing with, I should focus on watching his feet and shoulders. That should give me a rough idea of how he's going to come at me.

"Heh..."

My blood is starting to burn.

Readying my weapon, I draw out its magical power and harmonize that force with my body. I make it my own- treating it like an extension of my own body- and direct it with my fist.

"Sekken Sou'ou Ryuu-!"

Immediately shifting my weight, I move my arms as one as if they're linked by a pulley and turn my waist. I fist snaps forward with satisfying force and, at the same time, that magical energy that I managed to pull out of my gauntlet shoots from my fist like a cannon. The space ahead of me quakes and roars as a violent tempest erupts from my knuckles and spirals directly at Ibarashi Reiji.

"Rasenken!"

[Tobias]

Jade Sapphy
Starlight Academy - Park
Monday - Morning


One of the most important parts of the situation to consider was that Jade being on a vehicle she herself was not in direct control of was highly unusual. Even more importantly, despite all of Jade's enhancements, even a mount that Jade had created and enhanced repeatedly with Heart of the Mountain with an eye towards increasing its speed would also have a mess of secondary and related effects added on for skilled control on the battlefield.

In other words, Jade would seek the fastest ride that she could reliably maneuver and operate. Alexiel however was an entirely different beast. It had clearly been designed for speed first and control second. Actually it was apparently speed first second and 5th and control clocked in at number 19 right after "looking bad ass" and right after "having any sort of capacity to hold a second passenger. It hurt Jade's pride to admit, but as a result Alexiel was probably faster then anything Jade herself could create.

Jade's half assed seating on Ino's lap did not have the stabilization measures undoubtedly protecting the driver of the careening rocket chair. The wind cut at her eyes and every single small change in direction shifted her stomach in a disorienting, nausea inducing fashion. Jade's reaction to this series of events and sensations was of course, entirely predictable.

"WHHHEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!!!"

"Faster, go faster, woo-hoo!" Jade yelled various encouragements and expression of raw, unfiltered delight as they blurred past a jagged painting of surprised looks and reflexive gasps of fear as onlooker's barely had a chance to react to their passage, Jade's eyes sparkling in the sun like their namesake.

...However, like the skilled Rider Jade was, she was able to see that while the artificial reality had prevented the blast off from harming passerby, their were question marks about people who might be in front of the speedy pair. Jade assumed Ino was taking precautions, but it was worth noting Ino had already bowled over Jade herself. Maybe some extra work was needed. Plus if their path wasn't altered in some fashion they would leave the grounds entirely!

When an idea crossed Jade's mine, if possible, her mouth, already in a disturbing rictus sized grin, might have widened even further. Grabbing a one handed grip on alexiel's hand rail, Jade brandished her own miracle in an awkward, one handed grip. She could already feel heat transmitting through the handle. It wasn't apparent quite yet, but Jade was moving a lot of stone.

The effects of such soon became apparent. In front of Alexial's path, a large wake formed, not that dissimilar from what it would look like of a massive shark were arcing just below the surface, its fin just barely breaching the ground. As said wake rose and created, it formed an arc, pushing onlookers to one side or the other, and out of Alexiel's path. This on its own however would hardly be taxing to the petroglyph.

...But even after clearing the danger of hitting civilians, stone continued to rise and undulate. And not just plain rock, colors and shapes began to materialize half formed, yet forming from the earth. Within seconds, as Jade's creation took form, her, Ino and Alexiel found themselves zooming along what appeared to be a jungle path next to the water of the island, mildly curved to keep them more or less along the shore.

For those who understood the usage of miracles, it would quickly become obvious that Jade was taxing herself and her miracle to the limit, running on adrenaline to overcome a very significant amount of exertion. It would also become apparent that Jade was taking shortcuts at times as she crafted the path that her and Ino were now riding. For example, the overly large sun flowers and slightly smaller purple flowers were jest stylized masses of yellow and purple on top of green brown, more impressions then exact replicas, certainly nothing like the flawless replicas Jade had been riding before.

As they rode across the newly forming landscape, one of the more amusing parts that Jade noticed was that Ino seemed to be taking a particular pleasure in bouncing alexiel up momentarily to crush some of the smaller, clay creations that formed the course, despite their being no need to do so, Ino's smile seemed to grow larger and larger as she repeatedly collapsed stylized representations of half creature, half robotic hybrids. Additionally, Jade noticed she seemed to be taking additional care to be aiming towards yellow circles painted on parts of the raceway and away from greyish painted spikes again, despite there being no actual reason to do so. Jade could actual feel Ino's chest tighten behind her with excitement as one of the more iconic parts of this particular area came into view, a full circle built out of stone that would put the traveler in a full loop before shooting them forward.

For safety's sake Jade had added ridges to each side. small and almost unnoticeable, these would help keep alexiel going in the right direction instead of careening off the side.

...A very keen eyed observer at this point might notice that in this part, there was one feature that had been added that was not just a slapdash stylized indicator of the scenery hanging from the side, perfectly formed from stone. On the edge of the loop a small, primarily blue figure was dangling by one hand, as if he had fallen while running the course. His back was covered in ridges. The hand that clung desperately to the course was clad in a white glove. It said a lot about Jade that she had used the brownish, original color for the arms as opposed to more modern, blue versions. Obviously the strange creatures feet were wearing red sneakers.

Jade's Miracle over heating from overuse, the trio would see that same creature once more, holding up a peace sign as they passed a painted picture bearing this image. Which made sense, as that was the traditional symbol that ended this particular area.

Which meant that the group of Alexiel, Ino and Jade had indeed successfully completed stage one of Sonic the Hedgehog.

[Ayakashi]

--- Kurokami Nayuta Location: Starlight Academy, Park Day: Monday Time: Morning

Defeat... a normal thing to experience, one should think. It is an inevitable obstacle that one must eventually surmount in life... but there are some losses which are harder to take than others -- for someone to be absolutely flattened like what had just happened to Ogata Hibari, her pride and ego must have taken quite a severe blow. It wasn't just any private fight either, this occurred before the eyes of many others... her chances to get into a team had now severely diminished, if she hadn't found one already.

While Nayuta tries to remain composed, it is visible that even she herself wouldn't have expected to come across such a sight. An outsider of the three schools showing such utter and complete dominance was certainly quite a shock... but then, perhaps it wasn't that much of a shock to Nayuta in the end as the idea sank in and the words that Moirai had spoken to her came to mind -- he was indeed a young man on a mission, someone with determination, and determination can take people very far.

Whatever the cause of these results, may it be determination, or even, the possibility that Ogata simply had zero compatibility with the kind of fighter that Moirai was... what had happened had happened, and now, it was up to Nayuta to see what she could do to add to this situation. Perhaps distill the tense aura?

"Ah, Moirai-san, I thought I had lost you. It is good to see you doing... quite well."

She approaches the duo that had just fought, hand raised as a sign of her coming in peace.

"You seem to have had a rough with him," Nayuta tells Hibari with a formal, respectful tone. Moirai can obviously tell that the two girls do not really know each other, and in fact, it may be the first time that they have talked face to face here. Seemingly spotting some more dirt on Hibari's skirt that the red-haired student had missed, Nayuta appears to randomly invade her personal space and hold the skirt out to give it a few taps, dusting off the fifth. "It may not have been too pleasant, but I suppose that you've learned a few good things from this encounter!"

Ideally she should have. Every engagement is a possibility to expand one's horizon in the ever engrossing world of combat for Miracle Wielders. The key here is to keep optimism... but then, it is rather presumptuous to simply act all positivist with someone you've barely talked before.

Nayuta felt however that she had to speak up and do something though, cold silence would probably be the harshest of things to give to Hibari in this kinda of situation.

Turning back to Moirai, she mutters in a blend of admiration and jest:

"It looks like the opening ceremony has gotten you fired up, Moirai-san."

[hero]

Ishikawa Aoi
Starlight Academy - The Sleeping Bishop
Monday - Morning


"... Is that supposed to be a serious question?"

Tsukabe Motoshige raises an eyebrow in response, before letting out a big sight in defeat. Of course the woman in front of her is being serious... If the tone she uses is not enough to give it away, then the rest of her body language should. A part of him wants to believe this as some sort of trial, that he is being tested. He has been Ishikawa Aoi's student once, after all. However, now that she has stopped working for B.A.L.D.R., he can't just make that assumption. Maybe it has been a mistake to tell her this much, but it couldn't be helped. Knowing the teacher, she probably would have gotten involved at one point or another.

He sighs a second time. Maybe he should have chosen a more suitable codename back in the day. He would change it right now if he could. Being called CAIN certainly doesn't make him sound trustworthy, not even in the shadiest circles.

"Of course not. Give me a break, Aoi. I know the whole thing is fishy, but that's no reason to try and put the blame on me. You know damn well I am worth more than that."

Though Tsukabe has proved himself as a worthy successor in the eyes of the B.A.L.D.R. higher ups, it is not as his record is completely spotless. Three open case files and countless other verbal warnings for constantly crossing the line, going beyond B.A.L.D.R.'s interests at the time. More often than not, these action involved 'reckless' rescue operations, 'unnecessary' arrests, and even arranging psychological therapy for those who had been indirectly affected by the mission's consequences. One wouldn't go as far as to claim he's a modern day hero, but he's truly no villain. In fact, it wouldn't be surprising if 'babysitting' Aichi turned out to be his idea in spite of what he said. He would certainly not remain with arms closed if B.A.L.D.R. tried to do something like locking him up in a cell on 'that place'.

"You want to know if B.A.L.D.R. is involved? Be my guest, I sure don't have the time."

Motoshige is aware that, even if he has more information at his disposal, there are pieces of the puzzle that still don't match. In that sense, doubting the organization he works for would make it a lot easier to grasp the bigger picture. That said, he is not willing to invest in said journey at the time. Right now, he's more interested in preventing something like what happened this morning from happening again in the near future.

"But, before you do that, you should do a background check on the kid you found this morning. Might tell you a thing or two."

Bluntly, he places some paper money on top of the table, a signal that he is about to leave. Its a rare sight, nowadays, as technology allows one to pay for good or services through a couple of clicks. It's not something limited to miracles, either: Most mobile phones and computer devices have the app required to do it. Even if you are behind the times, no one would leave their homes without a debit or credit card. Then, it's perhaps more surprising that paper money still has value in this day and age.

"Been real nice drinking with you. We need to do it again, sometime."

His words are true.

And yet, he's the kind of person that will simply disappear if you let him go.

"You know how to find me."

-------

"Sorry, I didn't want to interrupt."

A few moments after Cain leaves, Kathleen Canavan -waitress, bartender and owner of the place all-in-one- makes a perfectly timed entry. Her expression stoic as ever, there is not even a glint of curiosity in her eyes regarding the contents of the conversation you were having with your colleague minutes ago. It's part of her policy no to pry on private matters.

Still...

"You okay?"

[Dranes]

Ryouji Kurosawa
Starlight Academy - Shopping District
Monday - Morning

"What is with all the weirdos showing up today..."

It was all Ryouji could mutter under his breath as he turned to face where the voice had come from.

There was no way this was happening, after dealing with one kid another showed up just like that? Ryouji could only grimace as he heard the girl vehemently protest his bit-work of charity and then introduce herself. How was he supposed to react to all this? Hell, why did it even matter? He wasn't one for hiding his emotions and the foul look on his face wasn't going to go away any time soon. Absent-mindedly, his hand jingled the small amount of coins that made up the reward, his only outlet for the frustration in front of him. Things needed to get done and another distraction was the last thing he needed

"Never heard of ya."

Blunt and to the point.

All that had to be said about this... cosplayer? She called herself a Witch but did she really need to dress the part too? Was the hat just meant to make her stand out or something? Gets lost in the crowd?

Hell, what does any of that matter?! This was just another waste of time and the last thing anyone had right now was time to waste.

"But hey, you need cash and I have a problem so how about I get you another job instead."

It was a long shot but it was less trouble than dealing with a pouting magic hobo.

With a terrible sense of direction.

And a much too large hat.

Ah, regret was already filling him but there's no way this could backfire, right?

"So Super Merc, or whatever school you're a part of, I need teammates who can fight and I'm running outta time."

Once again the coins are flipped up in the air before being easily caught once more. Greed was a strong motivator, Ryouji could understand that much... or this girl was just really hungry and outta luck.

In other words, another problem child.

"You actually in this tournament or just here for the sights?"

[Mellon]

Ishikawa Aoi
Starlight Academy - The Sleeping Bishop
Monday - Morning

"Been real nice drinking with you. We need to do it again, sometime."

The small smile she gave to her departing student held a clear tinge of sadness in it.

“We should. You stay safe out there, you hear?”

As her once-colleague left the room, Aoi let out a deep sigh.

In hindsight, it had been a mistake to ask him that. Recruiting students as informants for an investigation would make sense if the culprits were hiding amongst the larger student population. Active duty investigators rarely overheard criminals discussing their next bank heist, after all. But it was an assumption mainly borne out of her own distorted experiences.

He would have probably never pushed for something like that, no matter how effective it would have been. The risk on inexperienced students would have been too high and Tsukabe Motoshige had always been a good-hearted man. It was, after all, why she pushed for him to replace her in the first place.

And that position required someone with more heart than her.

In the end, his approach of doing things was probably the correct one. Solve the problems taking place in front of his eyes. Save the people that he can clearly save. Looking at the bigger picture often detached one from the realities on the ground and allowed for far too much moral flexibility in the minutiae. Many things could be justified when one fought for the “greater good” and “peace” or chased after some grand conspiracy or another. In the end, most of it was the ken of young and naive idealists. And in the end, Aoi had left B.A.L.D.R precisely because she was sick of looking at the bigger picture. But…

The man had already long left, but Aoi’s mutter still echoed briefly over the small table.

“Nothing will ever change that way, Motoshige. A hero that lets the villain go every time has, in the end, no-one to blame but themselves.”

"You okay?"

Aoi gave the raven-haired bartender a grin, but one could clearly see that her heart was truly not in it. The labcoat wearing teacher slightly pushed the drink that the other woman had brought her to the slight side. As blue as she was feeling right now, more alcohol would only make her wallow in melancholy and self-pity. Not a great combination, all things considered.

“You know, despite his rather gruff-looking exterior, that guy is surprisingly sensitive and kindhearted.”

Aoi flashed another smile at the jacketed woman.

“Or maybe it's just that I’m more callous then I thought.”

It was plain as day that she hadn’t actually answered Kathleen’s question, making the answer, in turn, pretty self-evident. A brief moment of silence came over the two women and Aoi pulled in another deep breath of her still-lit cigarette. A plume of soft white smoke managed to float half-way towards the ceiling before Aoi broke the silence between the two.

“I’ll be fine. I’ll just have to find a way to make it up to him at some point.”

Aoi's attention turned to Kathleen.

“Kat, I…” The violet-haired woman let out another deep sigh. “...I'm sorry, but I might have to ask you for a favor in the near future.”

For a moment, the ghost of her usual grin flickered on the teachers face.

“And I don’t mean just pestering you for a couple more free drinks.”

And as quickly as the brief flicker of lightheartedness had come, it was gone, leaving behind only serious eyes.

“There are dangerous things afoot, Kat. The Tournament is not normal this year. Be careful.”

Aoi’s eyes momentarily flickered over to the bar counter.

“Especially if you plan on allowing yourself to be persuaded into joining a team of young hopefuls, y’know?”

[Airen]

Nakamura Amaya
Starlight Academy - Park
Monday - Morning

"Ruthless?"

In spite of appearing to have failed in her attempt at an assassination, the voice of Nakamura Amaya continues to hold a measure of warmth and amusement within itself as she regards her opponent with completely collected eyes.

"Sorry, I'm not really a 'Seigi no Mikata.'"

It's true.

She wouldn't call herself a hero or even a heroic wannabe; to do so would be to embrace a sort of selflessness that she herself knows she does not quite possess. While she is willing to fight for her friends that is still an action that could be thought of as selfish in a sense, and her motives for beating up bullies that preyed on the weak, well...

"Dad needs more ruthless people around him anyway, he's a bit too trusting, you know? I'm a good dose of cynicism in his life."

Being half-motivated by a sense of payback was not exactly a heroic trait.

Nakamura Akio was a hero, until she reaches the day where she can 'match' him in purity, she will insist on her nature being a tad too villainous to be labeled as a hero.

She had committed a lot of crimes in her life, mostly petty perhaps, but spending your years homeless and alone on the streets, where the possibility of being beaten ruthlessly for the mere crime of existing in the wrong areas, had burned in traits she was still trying to recover from even to this day... She more than anyone else, knew that if Akio had not found her all those years ago, she would have wound up walking down a much darker path in the end...

But that darkness is a part of her; she drew just as much strength from it as her more 'heroic' traits.

Misao called it ruthlessness.

She called it pragmatism, a way for those weaker to combat those stronger.

---Even now, that 'villainous' side has already crafted a dozen other ways to complete the assassination; of course she was not nor has ever been an assassin, but the path of a child thief was one that was prone to sneak attacks and crippling intent.

Knight was not quite as shiny a team choice as most people liked to believe, while she did enjoy the idea of hot-blooded matches of power against power, she's not so into it that she'd fight that sort of battle if she knows she'll lose it.

Power comes in many forms after all, if she didn't have enough brute force, she would have to rely on other things...

Her own desire not to lose is one that shakes awake every bit of those 'powers' inside of her; she won't win if she just challenges the hero to a pure sword-fight, in those terms, Misao is definitely superior, the difference in their body types made that much clear...

"Still, a good show huh? Don't worry, I never intended to show them anything less."

She laughs aloud, but the smirk remains as her voice falls away.

---So the 'thief' side continues to plot with the 'swordswoman.'

There are more than a dozen ways to continue this, but her instincts declare that allowing this round to go on for much longer would definitely be dangerous, and showing more of her runes would make it difficult for her to win following rounds so... Now that her trap has been seen through, her original path towards ending this in a single blow has been blocked off-!

---Or at least, that's probably what Misao thinks.

As if.

No plan, no matter how perfect, is ever implemented unopposed to some degree; while she hadn't been able to bisect her opponent (or even take one of her limbs) there are still a number of ways to take advantage of the way things had actually turned out.

---Confidence comes with knowledge.

---Experience is a blade that can be turned against it's wielder, if you're clever enough for it.

"Get ready-!"

Her body rockets forward, as if propelled onwards by her opponent's desire for a good battle.

To ask for her to approach with 'everything she has,' is an approach that gives the advantage to her opponent, or at least seemingly gives the advantage to her opponent. A flat out brawl is a fight Misao would win, their stamina was too different for her to outlast her, especially with the difference in their base physical strength... She can keep up for a time by increasing the weight of her blade, and maintaining both Crest Arts and Heaven's Eye, but even that will result in her defeat if all she does is stall, even so-!

---That is not what is happening here, she has no intention of bringing this fight back into her opponent's realm of expertise.

While she charges forward, she does it with the full intention of giving ground to her opponent the moment they come into conflict and Misao starts to press; she will fall back of her own accord and fight defensively, such a path is the best way to maximize the potential of Heaven's Eye and Crest Arts-!

It forces the opponent to follow and risk running into the 'trails' of the blade, while allowing her own self to exist beyond the 'casual reach' of her opponent's weapon.

Considering the damage even a single one had done, running headlong into it would absolute defeat her opponent. Of course Misao is also not an idiot; now that she knows the trails are there she will likely be able to attack in a way that circumvents them due to her sheer skill with the blade...

Of course successfully doing such a thing limits both the number of ways and speed in which she can approach, and reveals the 'other side' of Crest Arts, or rather, the true power that makes it a perfect assassination tool, namely...

Even if you know about it, it still opens you up to a defeating strike.

Because you have to pay attention to it, or rather, the sword that bears it's edge. Misao herself had admitted her own weakness; it takes her brain a 'moment' to receive the information from those eyes, she likely gets more detailed information as a result, but that doesn't matter.

Her own sense of experience will defeat her.

A trained opponent will absolutely be able to find holes in her defense... So long as they read and recognize the pattern of her movements. Do not enter into a space that her sword has been in, in order to do that, she must focus on that blade and read it's movements accordingly; if it took her a 'moment' to process things, than it was not a rune that predicted the future quite as accurately as Heaven's Eye, but even if it does, that's fine.

Read that blade's movements.

It can't be ignored without risking an immediate loss, so read those movements. That is something an 'expert' or an 'ace' would be able to do, attack right through your opponent's strongest ability and catch them off guard.

That is why she will lose.

Those with experience will watch their opponent carefully and with absolute precision; Everheart is the source of her killing blows and thus those will be the strikes that are watched out for, however...

That is not where the killing blow will come from; the sword is both the most relevant and the least relevant thing right now.

Even so, it will be focused on.

There are a number of techniques used by thieves all around the world that share a similar basis, namely, distractive stimulation; the bump and lift, bottleneck, or even the Nekodamashi, all designed to draw attention to one stimulus, while another is the real 'strike.'

Devoting anything less than absolute attention to Crest Arts is asking for a killing blow to slip through, even 'blowing her away' through sheer physical strength does little to negate the sharpness of the Crest Art trails. Misao doing such a thing and charging in after her recklessly would be akin to potentially bisecting herself, so the approach has to be made carefully or she will risk losing this round immediately, which will hinder that supernatural speed.

That carefulness, that sharp focus that is honed to a razor point through runes, will likely come to a comfortable rhythm eventually and...

Will make the red shield, ladybug, smashing into her face all the more shocking of a stimulus.

Eyes tracking the sword means the off-hand might as well become invisible.

It's a spell meant for parrying, and using it for a punch meant taking one of her hands off of her sword, so using it to deal an almost pointlessly weak strike to her opponent in the middle of their sword fight and potentially allowing herself to be unbalanced should be rather shocking all things considered, and in that moment there will be two possible outcomes:

-Misao retreats. (Unlikely, considering her personality.)

-Misao ignores it and presses forward, because the punch itself isn't fatal like the blade would be...

The first would be less than ideal, the weakest link in her plot, because the punch was not just a punch.

The 'stimulus' of the shield was meant to distract from the grab of the hand, and the subsequent pull of her opponent's body into the trails of magic she had been avoiding up until now, a task made easier if the girl herself chose to press forward, her own momentum and sense of confidence working against her once more.

No enduring it this time.

A trap within a trap, the killing strike that wasn't a killing strike, ultimately deals the final blow in the end.

[hero]

Takumi Hokuto (& Ryuzaki Nanami)
Starlight Academy- Road I
Monday- Morning


"Shield-!"

Without hesitating for even a moment, Ishibashi extends both arms forward, his open palms pointed straight at you. Immediately, a surge of red energy unfolds and projects an energy barrier meant to take the attack in his place. Normally, such arrangement wouldn't be needed against a basic spell such as 'Gust', but given the speed at which 'wind-type' formulas are commonly unleashed and the fact that you concealed the true nature of the projectile behind a 'different name', Meiji simply couldn't afford the luxury of dodging this time around. Still, against someone who is supposed to boast high defenses, 'Gust' is a poor choice. Perhaps it is part of his opponent's core style or maybe he just does not have any spare recipes to use. Regardless, if only for a split of a second, it makes the veteran wonder...

"...!"

Ishibashi's train of thought is brought to a halt by an unexpected 'cracking' sound. Before fading back to nothingness, Rasenken appears to have managed to leave a mark on Meiji's shield. The man cannot help but show a small hint of surprise in his expression upon realizing this. It's only natural... After all, such thing should not be possible. 'Shield's' defensive power vastly surpasses 'Gust's' offensive output. Though at first glance 'Gust' and 'Rasenken' seem to be about the same, there is something... Unsettling about the latter.

"Hmm. An hybrid-style, is it? You combine spell formulas with precise body movement and breathing technique to achieve a greater effect. Am I wrong?"

Though it is only a shot in the dark, Meiji manages to come up with a reasonable explanation for what happened. He can't deny the possibility of Rasenken being an altered formula, but his gut feeling tells him that the answer doesn't lie in the weapon used, but in its wielder. His expression does not shift from his usual poker face, however, this little demonstration has picked up his interest, if only a little.

"Your master. Does he or she have a name?"

Something about it all feels familiar, although he can't quite put his finger on why. However, he does not let the question linger for too long.

"Perhaps I am asking too many questions." Ishibashi shakes his head, dismissing the topic. "Let us continue... I believe it is my turn to attack. Let's see how you do on the defense department, Rook."

Already in a fighting stance, Meiji swings his right in a sweeping motion from one side to the other. Since there is a prudent distance between the two of you, nothing appears to set it apart from a taunt at first glance. However, by this point, it should be quite clear that distance isn't an obstacle even for melee-oriented Miracle Wielders. A close look reveals a muddy-like ball of considerable size hovering some meters away from Ishibashi. When the martial artist finishes his motion, the sphere grows in size and adopts the shape of a giant fist. Following the lead of its master, it moves at a deceptively fast speed in an horizontal arc.

You have been given a reasonable time to anticipate the attack coming for your left side. However, to block it unaided would be without a doubt reckless. The force behind it is comparable to that of an unstoppabble full-speed truck and it doesn't seem to fall behind in size, either-!

-------

Wise UP!

Shield
D-rank - Common
A spell formula that projects a trasparent red barrier to intercept and stop incoming attacks. The size and even the shape can be altered to suit the user's needs. It can even be given curvature. However, at most, it can block attacks from a single direction. Particularly, strong against projectiles and weak melee attacks. Its defensive power is dependent on its density, which is at its lowest when the shield is fully deployed. If one keeps it small enough, it has proven to be able to miraculously stop formulas of a higher rank, even those with 'pierce' traits. Available for everyone at the school's formula shop.

Stone Shape: God's Hand
C-Rank -Common
A formula which makes use of 'Stone Shape' to create a massive fist of earth. It is then launched like a projectile in a single motion, mimiking the user's movements. It has great attack and speed specs, but a great amount of experience is required to control and aim it properly. A few moments after impact, it degrades into mud, giving it a chance to trap and immobilize an opponent.

[hero]

Ryouji Kurosawa
Starlight Academy - Shopping District
Monday - Morning


For a moment, Ohka Mari's expression becomes a mix of frustration and sheer disbelief. To have not heard of someone as famous and powerful and... Formerly rich like her, how ignorant the youths of the current generation have become. However, there is a part of your response that she actually likes, so much in fact, that it makes her forget about the rest: You have mistaken her for a student. Finally, those anti-age cosmetic lotions have paid off-!

"Ha! Fight?" Mari puffs up with pride, eager to reveal her actual role. "No, I am here to supervise it. I'm part of the 'evaluation squad'."

The way she says it, it's honestly hard to tell whether she is lying or actually telling the truth. After a second of silence, the witch adds:

"I am actually too strong to be allowed to compete, you see. I can just snap my fingers and bring everyone down."

Or rather, she's too old to be a mere student, but she cannot say that! In that sense, the only role available for someone like her is that of an operator, but it seems that Ohka herself still hasn't considered it. It's not a job that would suit her tastes, as she is someone who likes to take the spotlight inside the battlefield. The kind of person who disregards any type of plan that doesn't sound good to her, makes no plans of her own and, when things take a turn for the better, claims everything has gone 'just as planned'.

Still, it is not something she wouldn't try, if someone suggested it. She would do a lot of things for money.

Not anything, but most things.

"So how does it feel, boy? To be in front of someone as amazing as the great me?" Mari did her best to look imposing, putting on a smug face. "Surely you want to beg from the top of your lungs for me to teach you something, because you have an important reason to become stronger or something like that. Because you feel this is an encounter orchestrated by fate, isn't that right?"

Well, you are always looking to become stronger, but still...

... You would never put it like that.

The witch waits for a moment and then, all of a sudden...

"Well, too bad! Nothing in this life is free, you know?"

She put both hands over her stomach, as if to claim it was in pain...

... From hunger.

"Oh... How long has it been since I've last enjoyed a decent, overpriced, snack..."

She laments out loud.

This person...

-------

Ohka Mari

Yggdrassil Class Witch
A term usually given to the 'strongest human', used back in the day where Miracle Wielders were rare and True Magi fought amongst each other. No one can say for sure if Ohka Mari is actually worthy of bearing such title, be it in the current age or in the past. A mercenary who started her career several years ago during the Fimbulwinter War. She formed an inseparable duo with the 'Tireless Knight', and together, they slaughtered several Magi. She also participated indirectly in the Ragnarok War, hired by Sophie Kaede, but switched sides after being bested by a certain 'stage magician' (She hates stage magicians and their hats, by the way. Witchcraft and pointy hats is where it is at). During a fateful confrontation that involved the use of complex concepts, her soul suffered massive alterations which should have ended her life at the spot, but a 'miracle' allowed her to survive. After months of coma, she awakened and resumed her work as a mercenary. Her near-death experience has caused her aging to slow down much like a True Magus but, much to her dismay, she still needs to use an ultra-expensive brand of cosmetics to look pretty close to how she did in her teens.

[hero]

Kurokami Nayuta
Starlight Academy - Park
Monday - Morning


"A-Ah, no. It was actually Ogata-san who challenged me. I... Didn't have much of a choice."

With an apologetic smile and a shy hand, Sousuke points back at Hibari. It looks like he got unwillingly dragged into the fight by the pink haired girl, but somehow managed to turn the tables on her, much to his dismay. It's true that he has entered the tournament with the goal of bringing his team as close to #1 as possible, but... Making girls angry over a mock battle is not something written in his agenda. He makes a mental note to work on 'holding back', so something like this does not repeat. Hopefully. Meanwhile...

"...!"

The moment she is granted the chance, Ogata swiftly breaks away, clearly not comfortable with a stranger like you standing so close to her. Normally, she would have distanced herself immediately, however, in this case she couldn't afford to do so without the risk of tearing apart her skirt, so she had to wait for the opportunity to do so.

"Yes, that's right. I've learned which bastard not to team up with this tournament."

Quick to recover, Hibari's hostility towards Moirai has not yet been fully cast away. Still, it doesn't look like it will lead to further physical confrontation, so maybe she's just still upset she lost? It's not easy to calm down a sore loser, as mere words of encouragement simply won't have any effect on her. What could Sousuke and you -two mere strangers- do to fix this problem...?

Perhaps desperate times call for desperate measures.

-------

Kurokami Nayuta
Starlight Academy - Shopping District
Monday - Morning

"This is... *munch* not bad...*munch**munch* at all...!"

You watch the hamburger in Ogata's hands disappear at a blindingly fast speed. It's not even lunch yet, but it seems she was -and still is- really hungry. It's not hard to tell that it's been long since she last enjoyed a fast-food meal. Having found out she's part of the Ravensworth Institute, a school that takes pride in the use of etiquette, some of its norms resembling those of a religious school of the past, it makes one wonder if the pink haired girl even get a chance to eat a burger after admission. In hindsight, it also brings up the question of how Hibari ended up becoming such a rebel-like youth.

"Thank goodness it all worked out..."

It was Moirai's idea to make up for the upset by coming here to eat. Or rather, he wanted to invite you two to eat a restaurant, but Hibari insisted this is where she wanted to be and you were left with no choice but to tag along. Burgers and fried potato chips being the order of the day, it doesn't look like anything in the menu can be called healthy. Definitely not something you guardian would approve of... But It's probably fine since you are young and you should enjoy these kind of meals while you have the time, so you indulge in it.

"You... I didn't catch your name. You gonna eat that...?"

That is, if you are not willing to surrender it.

[hero]

Noah Habiki
Starlight Academy - Harbor
​Monday - Morning


Having been proven a liar, you are thrown away with extraordinary force despite how little effort it takes for the robot to discard you in such way. There might not have been a clear display of hostility behind the action, but that doesn't mean that its immediate consequences aren't dangerous. Rubble and shards of broken glass littered across the dark room, a bad landing can prove to be disastrous to your health. Normally, one would rely on their Folding Jacket to protect the body but, for that to happen, it needs to register the current situation as a 'threat', be it to the environment or to yourself. For some reason, that has yet to happen. In the small window of time you are given to react, you can only blame it on the streak of bad luck that has been following you since the start of the day.

"..."

However, turns out, you don't even need time. Before you know it, you have landed flawlessly after instinctively performing a backflip in mid air. Perhaps a side-effect of equipping yourself with 'Nya-Nya Discipline'. That said, although you have avoided a potential injury, you have yet to deal with the man in front of you. It's dark, but your eyes can see better than those of a normal human. It's dark, but for some reason, your vision turns red...

---It's your brain warning you to move, because what formerly appeared to be just a mechanical hand has morphed into what you can understand is now a 'machine-gun'. And while there weren't any signs of hostility before, it seems the man is now intent on shooting you down.

"Oh...?"

That is, until you make your voice be heard.

Time seems to flow back as the weapon turns back into an appendage.

"You are willing to help me out? You are so kind, mister-!"

Its voice is so dead serious that, again, it contrasts heavily with the message the sentence is meant to convey. For instance, a normal person would smile and say those words with surprise and joy, but there are none of those present in its speech. And there is something in its choice of words... Something you can't exactly place your finger on, that makes the whole thing even more strange.

For now, though, all you can do is be happy that you have not been murdered yet.

"Negative. This unit has no information regarding Onee-sama's physical appearance, habits or frequently visited locations."

... It's almost like two different personalities are fighting over to see who speaks the next line. Seriously, one moment it acts like a kid, the next like a heartless machine. The only constant is its low pitched voice.

It takes just a moment for it to inform you that the quest you have willingly (?) undertaken will be much difficult than you initially anticipated. It would be hard to find the right person based on hair color and fashion preference, but based on gender alone it seriously sounds like a fool's errand. Hell, you can't even tell if 'Onee-sama' is currently in the island? Where did these boxes come from, anyways? Right, it doesn't remember that either.

"However, this unit is certain that time would allow it to restore corrupt data, while exposure could help filling the blanks of that which cannot be recovered."

In other words, it wants to 'see the world' outside this warehouse. Only then, it might be able to recall something. It makes sense, but at the same time it feels like you've just jumped into an old movie plot. Oh well, there is no stopping now. How are you going to hide this from the rest...?

For some reason, it has ignored your comment regarding manual repairs. It's safe to say that you can approach it without fear of retaliation, however, 'ripping its cords' isn't going to be easy. For starters, said cords aren't exposed... In fact, being no expert yourself, even if you had a good plan involving the right amount of deception, your chances of success would still remain close to 0%.

Might as well give up.

Once you stand at a reasonable distance, the robot extends it arm towards you... Offering a handshake? It must have been programmed to at least have good manners. That said, the momentary look of surprise on its face tells you that the action itself was 'out of reflex', or involuntary. Regardless, you have literally no choice but to accept it.

"Oh... This unit has remembered something. 'Onee-sama has given this unit a designation: a 'name'."

A name, huh?

"Please refer to me as Tetsu..."

The robot makes a pause, attempting to fill the gaps in its data.

"Tetsuo. Karakuri Tetsuo."

[Mormarth]

Arthur Waynwood
Starlight Academy - The Sleeping Bishop
Monday - Morning

I am silent for a moment, a hush falling like a funeral caul over the table at which we sat.

Her words are harsh, but it is not an instant dismissal, I have not been crushed outright, therefore victory is still within my grasp.

Confidence, absolute sincerity. These have opened the door, so with my blades in hand, I will continue onward, not hesitating, nor stepping back to better ground, a crack has appeared, should I let it pass it may never appear again.

So, without heed to any faux pas or thoughtfulness, I press forward and go with my gut.

This is my first battle of this war.

"There is none," I say bluntly, "I have nothing to truly offer you, I have nothing to promise, save the little I have in my personal possession. I cannot buy you, nor would I insult you by trying. All I can truly say that I am truly, one-hundred percent confident of, is this:

I am going to win this tournament."

I believe this. For if I go forward into this believing anything else, I may as well give up now, so I can say it with all of the calm certainty that the sky is blue.

[hero]

Jade Sapphy
Starlight Academy - Shore
Monday - Morning


Even after passing the emblematic picture, it takes several meters before Alexiel finally comes to a full stop. Despite 'pulling the brakes', its speed has been enough to send the poster sign into a mad spin around its own axis. Though brief, this 'new experience' has proven to be quite exciting, to the point that either of you would be lying if you said you didn't find it satisfying. To some extent, both of you are used to crazy adventures like this, but by working together you managed to take it to the next stage. Ino brought the speed while you provided the creativity necessary to turn a trip across the island into a truly entertaining escapade. You actually put so much effort into it that you feel out of breath, triumphant, but out of breath. Miracles, after all, also tire the user. A lot of attention is put into avoiding overheat because of how precious these tools are, so a lot of people forget that their wielder is only human. Still, the exhaustion you feel is somewhat refreshing. You probably won't need to rest much to recover... However, lying down for a minute or two would likely be appreciated. As for your newfound partner in crime...

"..."

It appears she has fallen asleep, still sitting on her wheelchair. Normally, most people would find this quite alarming. Knowing Ayanokouji's fragile body... What if it turned to be something more serious, something that merited taking her to the nursery? It is the calm and peaceful expression she bears that prevents that thought from crossing your mind. Instead, you can't help but feel like this is the perfect chance to draw something on that pretty, defenseless face of hers. Maybe you'll do, once your little break is over. You sure hope she wakes up soon, though, you still have lots of new stuff to try together.

"Ah... There she goes again."

The approaching voice of a young woman drives your attention away from your friend for a moment. It's a familiar voice, yet one you have probably not heard more than once. In other words, it must be one you have heard fairly recently, otherwise you'd likely not remember it at all...!

"Even at incredible speeds, using a Miracle like Alexiel for just movement alone shouldn't be this taxing. It's just that... Ino-san wanted it to be this way."

Moving closer, the woman draws a nostalgic smile.

"You see, most of Tir Na Nog's classes involve physical training. Be it mountain climbing or parachute diving without actual parachutes, you'll quickly be left out if you can't keep up with Mihou-chan's strict fitness schedule. But, after Ino-san built Alexiel, she noticed that everything required significantly less effort than usual. She felt like she was cheating the system, so she retooled it to put more strain on her stamina than the average miracle..."

Just being close to this person feels recomforting... You feel warmth akin to a mother's embrace, except there is no physical contact here. The energy is coming back to your limbs and the pain from everything your body has gone through during your first day quickly fades away.

Right, this person is a True Magus, so this is just a minuscule extent of what she's capable of. She doesn't even need a miracle or any scientific tools. It wouldn't be wrong to think of her as part of a superior race.

She's...

"Glad to see you two are having fun. Sheesh, I was beginning to worry some students wouldn't get the message. You must be a new student, from the looks of it. I would know otherwise, hehe...! Mind if I chill with you for a bit until Ino-san wakes up?"

Starlight Academy's Headmaster, Hishikawa Nanako.

[hero]

Arthur Waynwood
Starlight Academy - The Sleeping Bishop
Monday - Morning


"Hmm...? Well, if you are so certain of your victory, you should have no need of me. Or... Is it that you intend to use me to achieve victory because you otherwise lack the means to do so...? If that is case, I have no need of you, for any team with me in it is guaranteed to reach the top."

Katsurimi Kiyoko's words are like a blade, both elegant and deadly. Each 'attack' is carefully aimed at a specific weak spot in your argument, so as to make the rest of it fall apart if you fail to defend yourself properly even once. Should this be a videogame about crimes and trials instead of real life, she'd definitely be the final boss you have to face as a defense attorney to prove your client's innocence. Just remaining firm on your seat requires as much courage as entering a dragon's den, unarmed.

"I am strong. Much stronger than the one after me in the solo ladder... And much, much stronger than you. But I am not foolish enough to believe I'm invincible, much less when this is supposed to be a team competition."

If you approach with 'absolute sincerity', then she pays you back with the same coin. Indeed, she's not here to brag about her superiority, just to remind you of a simple fact, so she can explain her point of view. In your experience, the fact that she is willing to talk this much is a good sign... However, a certain spark in her eyes tells you that it is way too soon to relax.

"Like many others, I am looking for people that are reliable. I strive for victory as well, so I can't afford the luxury of just filling the ranks with whoever I cross paths first. They have to contribute in some way to the team's strength... Do you understand? That said, and more importantly, I am looking for someone trustworthy."

It appears that there is still something that you lack. Or rather, something that words alone cannot convey on a first meeting like this one.

"The reason I came to the Sleeping Bishop was not to hang idly, trying out a new drink or two. It was to recruit someone I truly respect, a veteran of old -and not so old- battlefields, and also a friend of my foster mother. I am talking about Kathleen Canavan, the bartender."

Katsurimi's finger slowly rubs the rim of her glass in lament. By this point, you don't need to be a genius to realize that her attempt wasn't successful.

"She's retired, but I just know she wants to come back. And yet, she claimed that, even if someone were to convince her, she'd never join a team that has me in it..."

That's bold and... Pretty harsh.

Enough to leave a mark on Kiyoko's pride, that's for sure.

"I had taken it for granted that anyone I asked would join me without a second thought. I was mistaken. Alas, all I can do is search for a worthy replacement. And while I know we both share the ambition of winning this competition, mister, I am not sure I see any value in your proposal. My gut tells me the streets of the Shopping District are filled with people like you, and I bet I could find someone among them with more potential."

You are a split of a second from being turned down. In hindsght, this has been the expected result from the start.

However, even if the odds are stacked against you, there is still time for one last aggressive and desperate attack, one that may grant you what you seek. On the other hand, if you don't wish to take the risk, you can always cut your loses here now that you have the chance. No one would blame you for such decision.

In the end, it depends on you.

[Typhous]

Noah Habiki
Starlight Academy - Harbor
​Monday - Morning

His hand waited for my response but the truth is I wasn't keen on shaking it at all. Not to mention the harsh actions from earlier but just how would my life rotate if I accompany him or it for that matter?

I knew it. I gotten myself involved in something I have no business being. What most is that it packed my input. No choice for me to make but the obvious.

“...”

First four-eyes and the damn bullies, frost bitch and her horrible handling towards me, then living miracle decides to rear its head.God is damning me for shits and giggles.

Who knew playing the good person would give me so much trouble. Hell, I'm not that good of a individual to care about nameless folks. What was that saying from long ago?

Of course. The road to hell is made from good intentions. Don't mind me though cause this was a one passenger seat vehicle with the brakes cut off.

I chuckled at the depressed thought. Not everyday you go from one shenanigan to another.

… I wonder if teacher would shed a tear or laugh her heart out. Actually, doing both is well within her right.

“Yo, I guess since there's no other way we may as well be Friends. The name's Noah. Noah Habiki.”

Friends. It strangely felt foreign to say that to this thing of all people. During my youth there was those that can be considered associates but never close enough to enter the realm of friendship. I wasn't unappreciated or anything but…

… No one ever enter the friendzone with me. Also that was not a pun!

“Let's get outta her and go the malls at least. Maybe we can rattle that metal brain and get the wheel spinning. Also try not to draw attention, I don't like attracting eyes.”

I grabbed the hand and all that was felt was coldness and hardness. As expected from a man in the form of a machine. Just what kind of person was his Onee-sama had been to create him, also, was she in any dangerous situation to have left him. No doubt that was the case or perhaps a conspiracy?

Nonsense.

Now my brain was making up shit to keep it distracted from how we’ll proceed.

“One last thing I forgot, I'm paying for some cans of tuna while we search. I'm strangely craving it now.”