Fortissimo EXS // Trigger: Verzweiflung (IC thread)

[Mereo Flere]

Reynard Everheart
Milky Way - Evening


Rei now had two lists of people - sixteen names, and sixteen code names. About half of them were familiar, and the other half were ones he couldn't remember. With a little bit of investigating, though, he could probably track those other people down.

If there was something that bothered him, it was the fact that other irregulars could exist. If Johnie had been caught up in this, Rei couldn't believe that Hitomi wouldn't be as well. She was a far more experienced magus than either Johnie or Rei, after all, and her brother was already involved as well.

He was tempted to call the Nakamuras - to see if his suspicions were right, and if they were okay. However...

The Raven...

It might have been just a coincidence, but that name was an infamous one on the island. Apparently an expert at gathering information, Rei wasn't surprised that the person behind that network of secrets was a magus. Unable to know if that person would act as an ally or enemy, Rei knew that he would have to be careful how he would communicate with others.

The Raven - or even someone like Mihou - could be listening in. A careless phone call could give away what he knew. With just a list of names, you could stalk out an opponent until the moment you were transported to the other space. Then, you could pick them off before they even knew there was an enemy around.

Rei didn't want someone he didn't trust with this information.

Still, he was still worried - so he knew that it was time to go. It would be a long walk home, anyway, and the sooner he saw the Nakamuras again the better.

Waving goodbye to Mihou, Rei headed to the exit. He would see her again soon enough.

XXX

Though Rei had not had the chance to show Johnie the entire island, at this point there was only one place to take him: The Nakamura Residence. It would be safer there, and one more for dinner probably wouldn't be a problem. Still, it was a bit of distance, and with Rei's magic sealed again they would have to walk on their own two feet.

The walking wasn't the problem, though. Filling the silence was.

"So..." Rei began, after they had left the Milky Way. "Do you still think girls on this island are easy? To be honest, a lot of them will be tough to handle.

"Maybe not 'trying to kill you' tough," Rei admitted. "But one of the people we're seeing? Nakamura Hitomi? She's pretty stubborn, and she also likes to use a gun to solve all of her problems. Even though she wasn't on the list, she can be just as scary as Mihou was, to be honest.

"Actually, I live with her and her brother Akio at the moment. The other guy on the list, Shinji, though? He's about our age, but he's not actually related to the two of them; I don't know much about him, to be honest. Natsume Raku, though, is our neighbor. She's Akio's childhood friend - and I'm not surprised she knows magic as well, given how she manages to steal anything without anybody catching her. Once I installed a hidden camera watching the fridge, and not only did she steal the food but she also stole the camera as well. I never did find out what she did with it.

"You already met Hishikawa-san, our School President - but Yoshiota Chisato could be described as her... rival, I suppose." That was putting it mildly, of course; trying to get those two to put aside their differences would be like trying to mix oil and water. "Aside from that, I don't really recognize the other names here," Rei said with a shrug. "Lucille Fairiday... well, I do know her. Of her, anyway. If there's any girl on this list you might want to go after, it might be her. She's older than us - but I don't think that's a problem for you, right?" For some reason, Rei had a feeling that Johnie might see it as a challenge - and that was what he was after in women, right?

"She's a rich girl who moved here a few years back and is supposedly a little spoiled, but I also hear she's nice and pretty. I've never heard of her having a boyfriend, though; some say she finds guys here a little boring. Then again, battles like these probably aren't her idea of interesting."

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II- Night

I'm really not sure what all just happened... Or maybe, I'm just not really trying to. Though I'm happy to see that Hitomi has found her brother, my head is still trying to wrap itself around the events of this day. A lot has happened, so by the time that it's revealed that Hitomi and the white-haired woman know each other, I don't question it at all. This is a small island after all and I'm a bit of an outsider. In truth, there's very little which ties me to this place. Compared to everyone who's fighting for something in this 'game', I'm mainly fighting for my own dream.

Not wanting to interrupt the family reunion, I turn to the other odd-man-out and walk over in his direction. I can't see why he has much of a reason to stay here, so I suspect he'll be leaving soon. However, before he does, I want to do one last thing.

"Tsukabe-san..." Carefully approaching the man, I reach into my pocket and take out my cellphone. Going through a few menus, I bring up my personal number and hold it out for him to see. "I know I'm probably bothering you like this, but just as you are you, I am me. So even if you don't use it, I want you to have my number. Just in case. Though I'm not sure if you trust me or not, I won't say that you're my enemy. I'm sure you're fighting for something, so if I can help, I will."

Giving a light smile, I say that much.

"I won't ask for yours in return, so this'll be a one-way deal. I'm sure you've had enough of me talking to you."

Making one last joking remark, my attention is momentarily averted as some other girl makes her way onto the scene. Having climbed over and down someone's fence, it seems that she was hiding in someone's yard and is likely the third person Tsukabe was referring to earlier. Just as soon as she plants her feet on the ground, she shoots a dark glare at Akio and the others.

---Killing intent.

There's no mistaking it. Simply being aware of it eases my body into a combat form; however, my mind holds me back as Akio turns to her rather nonchalantly. She spits out a couple of hostile words, but it would seem that these two are on 'friendly' terms. Regardless, the vibe I'm getting from this girl warns me to keep an eye on her.

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Residential District II

It seemed that Mana was rather upset with me.

Still standing close to my older sister, who hadn't moved too far away from me even after the hug had come to an end, I nonchalantly turned back towards my new friend, a disarming smile crossing my features as I moved to explain exactly who Hitomi was to me. The look on Mana's face, along with a surprising flash of killing intent, made it pretty clear that she was uncomfortable about me being around so many other women...

Jealousy...

It was kind of a cute reaction, in a way.

"Mana," still smiling casually, I motioned towards the woman next to me, "This is my sister Hitomi-"

"If you are fucking done..." The only other male in the group spoke up. "I'd like to talk about what matters here... K? Thanks."

...Well that was kinda rude.

But, I suppose he had a point. This whole day had opened up a lot of questions that I still didn't have answers too, such as the origin and true nature of that azure world that had mimicked the real world. I hadn't had time to explore the place myself due to circumstances, but perhaps my older sister, or the people she had brought here with her, knew something about it?

Turning away from Mana, I looked closely at the other two unknowns, and with a light breath of realization, recognized one of them from the time I had spent wandering the island earlier in the year.

"Fukami-san?"

Her attention seemed oddly focused on Mana, and without thinking about it, I moved a bit closer to the girl, the protective instincts I had been using over the past few minutes still showing itself in my subconscious. Nevertheless, I smiled at my green-haired acquaintance and momentarily raised a single hand in greeting, before responding to the man she was standing next to.

"Talk about what matters? Do you know what's going on here?" Motioning towards Haseno and Mana, I continued, "I'm assuming that, like us, you were dragged into that other world correct? Would you tell me what you know about it?"

A sincere question, but judging from what little I had seen of this man's personality, it probably would have been better to ask Mikoto or Hitomi, but he seemed to be the one most eager to talk about this sort of thing, and if that world had dragged us in there once, I was pretty sure that it would possess a recurrent effect. Or, in essence, it would be something that would happen again, a recurring phenomenon.

And I had to be ready for that if I wanted to protect anyone.

[hero]

Nakamura Akio & Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II - Night

I'm sure you're fighting for something, so if I can help, I will.

"Of course I am fighting for something. I am fighting to stay alive, damn it!" As if he had realized something important with what he had just said, Tsukade Motoshige grew silent. "Tsk..." Then, without warning and in attempt to recover himself from this brief moment of weakness, he snatched the phone off your hands. Quickly taking out his own phone, the man inputted your number and saved it in record time. For someone who was supposed to be a gang leader, a thief and presumably a murderer, holding someone else's belongings shouldn't be something troublesome... But it seemed this was the exception to the rule, as Motoshige seemed to be quite in a hurry to give it back. "... And don't call me like that anymore. Tsukade Motoshige is dead. My name is Naoya. Kubo Naoya." With that said, the Magus known as Cain threw the phone back for you to catch. And you did.

At that time-

"I'm assuming that, like us, you were dragged into that other world correct? Would you tell me what you know about it?"

"Right. Sure. Would you like a cup of coffee with that, too?" It was then that you realized that your question had caused a slightly bad impression on the man. Fortunately, it had not been enough to get on his bad side... Or at least you wanted to think that was not the case. "Seriously, kid... If you are going to ask information out of someone who doesn't really know you, nor trust you, do it right. It's either torture or exchange. For your sake, I suggest the latter."

... With that, he was trying to say that he wanted to hear your side of the story first. What had happened and how, and what little you knew about the world you had been thrown into during that time. It was something that you had planned to do, anyways. If everyone shared a piece of knowledge, you would be a step closer to solving the mystery. However, you couldn't shake the feeling that doing so might not be a good idea. Hitomi was your sister and you trusted her, but what about the other two? Could you really say that you trusted them...? Information was just as dangerous as any weapon, and if it fell on the wrong hands, it could bring suffering not only to you, but to your friends and loved ones. On the other hand, Kubo Naoya certainly knew more than he let out, and this could be a chance to gain his trust...

Hitomi's stare made it evident that it was completely up to you to decide. But then...

"Fu... Very well." Katsurimi Haseno took a step forward. Maybe she wanted you to leave this to her. "The three of us were thrown into that 'world' at about the same time. What we found inside that space was a fake Tsukuyomi-Jima, a perfect 'replica'. The only difference being that said place had been dyed in a cold, blue hue. It was not much later than a strange message was engraved into our hands, ordering us to kill someone nicknamed 'The Fallen Mother' within three hours. The situation we found ourselves in made us believe that we were enemies, and so we ended up fighting each other..." With nothing else to add, Haseno gave Mana a glance and then diverted her vision back to the gang leader. "Your turn."

However, contrary to everyone's expectations of him, Kubo Naoya did not open his mouth. He really had 'You won't get a word out of me' written on his forehead. You had been right in thinking that this man could not be trusted. Indeed, Haseno had just shared part of what happened to the three of you, yet he had nothing to say in return...

"It's been exactly the same for us." Nakamura Hitomi finally decided to enter the conversation. "Although... The target changed before the time was up. That made us stop fighting... And shortly after... We found you."

It was curious.

You had not noticed that. The target had changed... Well, you had probably missed it in the heat of the battle.

"... What was the new target?" Haseno asked, somewhat intrigued. "...?" However, when she got no answer, she frowned. "Is something the matter?"

Only at that point did Nakamura Hitomi realize that she had dug her own grave, and that the conversation was about to take a big twist. Smiling to that, Kubo Naoya acknowledged it as the start of a new battle. But this would be a battle of a different kind. The kind of battle he enjoyed the most: A mental battle. And as much as one would hate to admit, he was the one present with the most evidence in hand.

"Yeah, why don't you tell her the name of the new target?" The man chuckled in amusement. "Could it be... That perhaps you don't know about it?" He adopted a more serious expression. A cruel glare that informed the absolute truth. "Of course you don't. It took me some time to notice, but I did. Nakamura Hitomi... There was no mark to be seen on your hands...

Now, I don't know about the rest, but I say that's really suspicious, right? Damn right it is. The Mastermind wouldn't need one of those marks, me thinks."

"..."

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Residential District II

"Now, I don't know about the rest, but I say that's really suspicious, right? Damn right it is. The Mastermind wouldn't need one of those marks, me thinks."

It was just for a moment, but in the brief instance in which this man accused my sister, I could practically feel my own killing intent radiating off of my body. It only lasted for a second, and those who were not paying close attention may not have noticed it at all, but like a knife, my hostility cut through the air to the strange man as I stepped even closer to Hitomi, eyes narrowing ever so slightly. It was a reaction born from the subconscious, it would not be a lie to say that Hitomi was one of the most important people in my life, if anyone sought to harm her, they would quite simply have to go through me first.

But, I had no intention of attacking the man, and while my killing intent faded, I refused to move from where I stood.

There was a certain truth to his statements, admittedly, looking at it the way he was looking at it, the actions of my older sister did paint her in a suspicious light.

However-

"The truth? The truth is never easy to find, but if one wants to move forward, danger can't be avoided. To find the truth, one must be fully aware that there might be danger in the fog, but keep on going anyway... Don't you agree, Akio-kun?"

This sort of mental battle, a relentless search for the truth, was something that I was trained in as well. The smug look on the face of the other man was somewhat irritating, but if I wanted to defeat him, I would simply have to shatter that absolute truth he seemed to have so much faith in.

Just like Akira taught me.

"You have a point I suppose," shrugging, I closed my eyes for a moment, "The Mastermind of this sort of phenomenon would not need a mark to know the names of the participants or targets. However, if you think that's really enough to prove Hitomi is the mastermind..."

I opened my eyes.

"You've got that wrong!"

Before anyone could even hope to cut me off, I continued, my more serious expression fading into a confident smirk.

"Assuming that event we just experienced is recurrent, there are two important players each time that world appears," raising a hand, I raised my index finger as if to count, "One, the Mastermind, who is likely the trigger of the event, and two, the victim, whose 'name' appears on the hands of the other participants."

Crossing my arms, I looked the man known as Cain right in the eyes, my gaze just as unyielding as his own.

"You get it? In this sort of scenario, why would the victim have their own name marked on their hands? If the point of that world is for the victim to die, then they certainly wouldn't be warned that they were the target. No one would ordinarily want to kill themselves, and I doubt the person who made that place would be fair enough to give a warning..."

A brief pause, then-

"After all, the fact that a victim is chosen at all hints at 'unfairness' does it not?" Smiling slightly, I closed my eyes again, "So even though my sister lacks a mark, that does not mean she was the mastermind, she could have easily been the intended victim."

It was not a perfect defense, but it opened up another 'possibility.'

There was no way my sister was the Mastermind behind that world, she was not the sort of person that would do something like that, and I would defend her for as long as I had to.

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II- Night

(BGM on)

Tsukabe... Kubo scrabbles a bit as he puts my number into his phone and tosses mine back to me. It's a bit of an unexpected act, but I've seen for myself that this man isn't as cold as he puts on. So as I place my cell back in my pocket, I put on a slight grin, being sure that Kubo didn't see it. The day, though chaotic, finally seemed like it would end on a somewhat easy note. However, at the same time, Nakamura Akio calls out to me, trying to open up discussion about what had happened. However, before I could even respond, Kubo answered first.

The conversation started off with the typical sarcasm I would come to expect from this man, but what he said is indeed true. But then the situation took a more serious turn as the discussion spiraled down towards a revelation as well as a discovery. Hitomi herself didn't have a designation mark. I hadn't noticed myself because of how quickly things were happening, but its true that not once did I see a mark on Hitomi's hands. It is suspicious... and I'm afraid the reasoning cannot be denied.

Of course, as soon as his sister was accused of being behind all this, Akio steps up to defend her. For a minute, I wanted to believe that he would provide a good argument, but in the end, it fails before it can even start. Based off of what we've experienced, his argument just sounds too hopeful.

"And what if the victim themselves is marked too?"

With a feeling of regret welling up inside of me, I speak up in defense of Kubo's argument. While it's true that Hitomi has probably saved me tonight, I still can't place my trust in someone I don't well know. Far too many times have I suffered because of that. So even if I honestly want her to be innocent, I have to look at the facts for what they are and prepare myself.

"My magus name is Izanami... and I was informed of the 'Fallen Mother' being the target. That's the whole reason why Kubo-san attacked us..." Fighting the knot accumulating in my throat, I step forward and place myself between Kubo and Akio. Though it's a little difficult given the circumstances, I look Akio straight in the eye as I continue. "While it's possible that someone else is the 'Fallen Mother', it seems a little unlikely at the moment. You see, Kubo-san has the ability to 'see' mages for who they are and is pretty informed when it comes to this. And out of your sister and I, it deemed me as the target. Furthermore, just as Kubo said, Hitomi-san not once showed signs of having a mark, and I can vouch for this... Even before the target changed..."

Each word feels like it takes a chunk out of my humanity, but it convinces little by little the more I say it out loud. I can feel my eyes dully narrowing on Hitomi, having already bypassed her little brother. I want to believe this woman is innocent, but the evidence is piling up against her and her actions aren't really helping.

"So... Nakamura-san, if we were to go by your argument, then Hitomi-san would have to be both the 'Fallen Mother' and the 'Naughty Fox'. But that's already pretty unlikely, for a handful of reasons. When the target was the 'Fallen Mother', I was attacked. When the target changed to the 'Naughty Fox', Kubo-san searched, despite already knowing Hitomi-san's magical identity..."

Sadness starts to set in with reason. If I consider this much, then the only explanation would be that Hitomi is a part of this somehow. I don't want to say it outright, but I might as well have. The idea alone that I'm accusing someone, who I've called my ally, of toying with other people's lives sickens me to the core.

"But..." I sigh and close my eyes, trying to shift to a more light-hearted tone. "There are still some possibilities. After all, who ever constructed that place sees this whole thing as a game. It could be possible that the mastermind is doing this on purpose to stir up tension. I suppose it's even a possibility that Hitomi-san isn't even involved in all this. In the end, all we can really say for sure is that mages are the only ones who can enter that world. Whether or not it's exclusive to 'the players' is up in the air. Lastly, I know a thing or two about altering space, so I'm sure it's safe to say that maintaining an artificial space like that for as long as it was up would take a hefty amount of mana. And while I can't really belittle Hitomi-san's reserves, I feel that it's nowhere near what it would take to sustain that world."

Opening my eyes again and turning towards Kubo, I look him in the eye and communicate with him non-verbally. I can only feel out the rough scope of Hitomi's abilities and I don't really know what all she can do. Kubo on the other hand does and has a more accurate way of telling what all Hitomi can do. Whether or not he's already thought of this, I'm not sure, but it is something to consider.

Turning back towards the Nakamura siblings, I place my hand on my hip and take a deep breath. There are other things which point the possibility of Hitomi's involvement, but I don't want to make the situation any worse that it already is. I've already gotten my point across and there really isn't much more to say. I can tell already that Akio is a good brother and that he'll defend is sister no matter what we say. In light of all that's happened to today, I'd rather not get into an argument with a potential siscon. After all, there comes a certain point in emotional reasoning where logic is thrown out the window...

"Well then..." cringing slightly at the fleeting thought, I look back to Hitomi as I raise my free hand to my forehead, "I guess all that needs to happen right now is that you give us your side of things, Hitomi-san. While I can't say it'll help the suspicion, at the very least it's fair. We're all tired, I'm sure, and the confusion isn't helping much. But, for whatever reason, you did help me, so I don't want to believe you're the badguy here... Just understand that... if you're involved somehow... I can't forgive that... So, I have to check. Sorry."

This whole thing is giving me a headache.

[MssrNeko]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy

Shinji sits there as the light of reality banishes the blue hue of the "other world". Many things are going through the young man's mind as he contemplates the events that transpired. Yoshiota Chisato was dead, killed by his own hand. It was the first time he had killed a person and yet he felt nothing. No joy or sorrow for the girl whose life he ended. To him, she was now a statistic in this cruel game.

The youth rises and brushes the dirt off on his pants.

"Goodbye, Yoshiota Chisato."

Turning his back on the spot where she died, Shinji directs his attention at the area where Chisato's Last Resort landed. Someone was observing their match but was caught unawares by the fierce attack. In a strange sense of responsibility, he walks to where the black lightning landed. With the arrival of reality, the damage to the building was reversed but he doubted that the onlooker was so lucky.

[hero]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy - Night


You took your time to observe the scene, as you walked back towards the school building. Starlight Academy had been restored to its former glory, but it was easy to conclude that getting back inside would be a little more difficult. Two muscular men guarded the entrance and it was not like you could walk right past them. Even as a Magus, your physical strength was not remarkable, and while your speed surpassed all human expectations, that kind of fight would be a bet. As you decided to take another approach, you were reminded of a text you were sent during the time where things had gone crazy, which said that Chisato had ordered her goons to lock everyone inside the school until she found the culprit. Since she has not come back -And she never would-, you figured that the situation remained the same.

"Fuck off, Four-Eyes!" One of the two boys yelled from a distance. "Get lost!"

Now, sneaking inside the building would normally be something you could pull off with little effort. With your skills and your brain, that was a given. But, this time, fortune had not favored you. You had 'spawned' in an exposed place... So it hadn't taken too long for the guards to notice your presence. With things as they were, you couldn't simply do something suspicious without them taking action. You also deduced that there should be more of them out there. Without an elaborate plan, you would get nowhere.

It was time to make a decision. Did you really want to push the issue any further?

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Residential District II- Night

It was interesting.

I hadn't expected to have my argument show down so quickly, admittedly, I had known that it would not hold out forever, but it seemed that Mikoto was quick to shoot down the sort of reasoning I had used as the basis of my argument. Of course, there was no decisive proof for their side of the argument either, and if I wanted too, I could probably use that as the basis for a counter, but it seemed that they had already convinced themselves of what the lack of a mark really meant. Once people got decided on something, it was difficult to change their mind without some form of decisive evidence, something that would force them to look at the truth...

Even if Akira hadn't told me that point blank, I would have still understood it to be true, after all, no matter what they said, they were not going to convince me Hitomi was behind any of what we had experienced tonight.

Unfortunately however, just like them, I lacked decisive evidence, unlike me however, they had the sort of 'evidence' that implied my sister was guilty in some way. It wasn't decisive by any means, but with the type of personality Cain seemed to possess, I figured it would be enough for him to act on it if we couldn't find some sort of counter-measure...

Tch.

Choosing to stay silent so as to not say anything that would hinder any future arguments, I put my hands into my pockets as I kept my eyes locked on the two other magi across from me, specifically, making sure that Cain didn't take any more than a step in our direction once Hitomi decided to explain her side of the story. If Cain came at her, I'm sure Hitomi could take him out by herself... I had more faith in her abilities than my own after all, but the overprotective part of my personality seemed to be shining today...

Thinking about the current situation, it was with something like a jolt that I remembered my cell phone was still inside of my pocket. It didn't seem to be broken from what I could feel, and so, acting on an impulse, I motionlessly tapped the button I had set for Rei's phone on speed dial, giving it enough time to ring once before quietly ending the call.

Current situation aside, I had already confirmed Hitomi's safety, but my best friend had yet to show me any signs that he hadn't been killed in that alternate world, so this accomplished two things with one stone. His phone would let him know the caller was me, so if he called me back he was clearly alright, and secondly, he was the type that would have gone investigating the moment that world appeared, it was a long shot, and I wasn't really thinking it would work, but perhaps he would know something that would help me ease the suspicions of Fukami and the punk guy whose name I still didn't know.

[hero]

Reynard Everheart
Road 2 - Night


"A forbidden romance between a rich princess and a hopeless commoner?" Johnie pondered for a bit. "I'd totally go for it, but you would fit better for that pairing, partner. I am nothing close to a commoner, after all, wahahaha." Honestly, it was hard to tell if he was implying that he was rich too, or if he was trying to say that he was unique in a different way. Either way, he seemed to be thankful for the Intel. "I'll challenge each of them to a game of strip poker. Only then will I know which is the right one-!" After a jovial laugh, the boy adjusted his hat like he always did, and then turned to you. "You were a real friend with me today. Hell, you even saved my ass back there. I don't want to go around saying girly things, but... Thank you." Before you could respond, he shrugged, as his usual cheerful attitude returned. "That's why I am going to tell you something nice now... You know, so you don't go around saying I owe you or something... That'd be bad... Anyways...

I know of someone in that list."

Well yeah, he knew of Nanako, Mihou and you already... He wasn't going to say one of those three names, was he? ... You didn't put that beyond what Johnie Gamble could do. But as his eyes narrowed, you could tell that, for good or bad, this wouldn't be the case. Your friend probably knew of someone you did not.

"Sophie Kaede." After muttering his name, Johnie sported a troubled expression. "Old man warned me about her. He prohibited me from hitting on her or even inviting her to a friendly match. He said that not even he can defeat her in an argument, and that she is too unpredictable to beat in card games... And that by the time you realize that you owe her, there is no room for escape." It was not easy to grasp what exactly Johnie was talking about but, from what you gathered, you figured this woman belonged to the high-class. "Who is she? Ummm, sorry I can't tell you. If I did, I would have to kill you, partner... Literally." The American boy let out another laugh. "Just kidding."

With timing that could not be better, your cell phone rang. Only an instant later, you were informed of a missing call. Whoever had called you had ended the call before you could answer. Checking the screen, you quickly learn that the one trying to reach you had been Nakamura Akio. With all that had happened and all the information you now held in your hands...

Should you call him back...? If you ran like you really mean it, you could both make it to the Nakamura Residence in five to ten minutes. On the other hand, if your friend was in trouble and needed to talk to you, that time gap was too much of a risk. What to choose was up to you, and would surely affect the events that would follow.

Noticing your concern, Johnie crossed his arms.

"Something wrong?"

[Katie]

Lucille Fairiday
Residential District - Evening [Eye Space]

"... Stop."

"Get any closer to me and I will burn you." She turned around to face you. That's when you realized she was really serious about it. There was not even room for jokes here. "There is something I want to set aflame, and it's not you. But if you give me a reason, I will reduce you to ashes in an instant."

"How harsh."

Lucille's lips curled into a slight grin, as she still tried to steady herself with her precious weapon. Willing to spare her until she became a hindrance, as if she were trash, compost, garbage... Well, not surprising, but atrociously annoying. She had expected someone a bit more... moral, much like her precious Takemori-chan. Bah, he was an exception among the cruel bastards of reality... All the more why he deserved to be back on this tainted Earth.

"Wait-." You didn't really expect the girl that had rejected you to suddenly grab your arm and pull you close to her. "Change of plans." Not even aware that she had pulled you too close for your comfort, Rogue Flame did not let go. The look on her face made it evident that she was about to make a request. "That person is on the run. If we let the one behind all this get away... Then we will regret it later." She seemed to know more than what she was letting out. Had she met the Mastermind before? "I will go after that person. When I do that, I will become Jörmungandr's primary target." The blue haired girl said. Her voice and the expression on her face... Neither of them carried any emotion. And, in a sense, that's what made her words more believable. "That's why I will need you to buy me some time. Create a diversion."

What was she, disposable like a slut with one-night stands? Combat was far from any thought in her mind, and one had to be an imbecile to trust a half-dead person they met a few minutes ago.

She'd prover her right, just this once. The safe option was certainly appealing... but she wanted to get one last stab at that slithering piece of shit. And... well, this mage certainly didn't killer her, and was fairly interesting among the boring cacophony of humanity. Why the hell not.

After all, either way, she would be Takemori. In life or in death, it didn't really matter, as long as they were together~

A blood red fog seeped up from the ground, coating the entire Residential District, rendering it into a twisted hell. And it had worked more successfully than she had thought. Not only was there that mage, but several others as well.

Better for her, sucked to be them.

Immediately she repeated the same routine as she had done before; the familiar burst of dark flame and the effects of Avaritia were aimed at the great serpent, intending to cripple it so she could prepare for the next strike.

And from the blood red haze, she could still see her target.

That goddamn snake.

"Superbia!"

The morning star tore through the bloody haze and was aimed directly at Jormungandr's face, in an attempt to eradicate the eyes. If that mage needed a distraction, this would sure as hell be one. Whether or not its sight was crippled by the blow, she readied herself for a mad escape against the next attack, which would no doubt hurt just as much as before.

Maybe being so reckless was a bad thing.

-----
Regeneration: 20 MP

Runes Used:
Acedia
Invidia
Avaritia
Superbia - Last Resort

JERKS DEBUFFED

Sunco(this is what you get for making the snake shoot lasers, jerkface)
Yamada Hayate
Rouge Flame
That guy RF is chasing

Lucille's Awesome Stats

Power: A (60)
Speed: S (80)
Range: S (70)
Vitality: A (60)
Precision: S (80)
Mana: S (100)
Potential: C (40)

Speed: Certain attacks cannot be avoided by opponents with lower speed.
Vitality: +600 temporary HP.
Precision: Non aoe attacks deal double damage.

[Mereo Flere]

Reynard Everheart
Road 2 - Evening

Sophie Kaede. That was the name that Johnie had given up. Rei wasn't familiar with it at all; just because the island wasn't that big, it didn't mean that he had committed everybody's name and face to memory. From what Johnnie had said, however...

She sounded like she was older than the two of them, judging from the way she knew Johnie's father, and she also had a foreign sounding name. If what Johnie said was correct, she was manipulative, unpredictable and mysterious - in other words, a troublesome person to deal with. Before he could worry about how to deal with such a person, though, his phone rang.

"Something wrong?"

"No, I don't think so," Rei said, shaking his head as he unlocked his phone. If he thought about it logically, Akio probably wasn't in trouble. Magic in the real world was, for whatever reason, forbidden; as long as that was the case, nothing could kill them. While it was possible, if not likely, that Akio had gotten caught up in some sort of battle as well, his opponent would have lost their ability to use magic as well. Even Mihou wouldn't be able to kill Akio using a mundane sword, not when his magical armament was sealed.

There were other reasons, too. If it really was an emergency, Akio would have given some indication of what was going on. If that was the case, even if Rei had wanted to run to his side, it would be pointless unless he knew where to run to.

Needlessly panicking... what good would that do? Still, he picked up his pace a little, walking a little bit faster than he had been before. In the meantime, though, Akio would be expecting a response.

After thinking about it for a moment, he sent back a text: "4s6wTo."

It was a simple code, one that wouldn't be difficult for anybody to crack, though its significance would only be immediately clear to those familiar with Akio. It was a simple 3 card tarot reading that could deliver an explanation to his friend in the broadest of terms.

A battle had taken place. He was victorious. More trouble would come.

Delving into greater detail, however... that was something that Rei had decided to go over in person.

With the message sent, Rei pocketed his phone, before looking back to Johnie. There was still the matter of Sophie Kaede - and while he didn't seem to be willing to say any more... well, it couldn't hurt to try to find out a little more. Every little bit could help. Even if he didn't know her true identity, finding out how to identify her if, no, when they met would be a good idea.

"So, about Miss Kaede," Rei said with a smile. "I know you can't tell me who she is - but I gotta know. Is she cute?"

[hero]

Lucille Fairiday
Residential District - Evening [Eye Space]


Stronger.

This was the third time you fired your Last Resort in a day, and while logic dictates that you shouldn't be able to keep that pace for much longer, it was in fact the opposite. So long as a certain condition was met, Lucille Fairiday would hardly ever run out of Magical Reserves. Because of this, you could use your Last Resort as if it were some sort of signature rune, and get away with it. What's more, each time you used Superbia, its output increased, and now it had reached the point where hardly anything could stand against it. You were supposed to create a diversion, but at this rate... It wouldn't be hard to believe that you might actually kill the Midgard Serpent.

Seeing as Rogue Flame was its primary target, and using that to your advantage and taking your sweet time to prepare everything, you unleashed your entire arsenal at the mythological creature. The result was noteworthy...

Jörmungandr has taken 120 HP damage.
Lucille has recovered 60 MP.
Jörmungandr has taken 2030 HP damage.
Lucille has recovered 289 MP.
Lucille has gained an additional 726 MP.

... But not perfect.

After taking severe amounts of damage, the giant snake did not show signs of going down anytime soon. It did seem, however, that it was in great pain. As it managed to calm down, it stared at you with its big eyes -which had not been damaged in the slightest-, finally acknowledging you as an enemy. Even if the commands given to it had been different, the last blow had awakened its instincts to the fullest, and it was clear that it wasn't going to forgive you for all the trouble that you had caused. If a simple tail swipe had been enough to send you flying kilometers away, well... You had the feeling that whatever was left in store was a hundred times more dangerous and deadly. But you had come prepared. After all, you had not expected the battle too end so soon. Now that your physical and magical attributes had risen close to the pinnacle of what a Magi could achieve, it would not be hard to fight on even grounds with the creature.

Or at least that was what you thought, after avoiding being swallowed in one piece twice in a row. However...

---Heartbeat.

Jörmungandr opened its mouth. Gathering Magical Energy there, it became evident that it intended to release a powerful blast and use it to completely obliterate you. You swallowed saliva... You felt threatened... You felt death.

---Heartbeat.

But it didn't matter.

You had your Ego. Your powerful and unmatched Ego. No matter what would come next, you were sure that Superbia could overcome it. The only thing you needed to do was to aim at the target and announce the name of the Last Resort and-Huh?

---Heartbeat.

That was when you realized you couldn't.

You had been 'frozen', paralized from head to toe. You couldn't even open your mouth or move any of your fingers. The poison the Midgard Snake had released had just started showing its effects...

---Heartbeat.

You counted each and every one of them.

Because there might not be any more of them soon.

[hero]

Hisamatsu Kanko
Residential District – Evening [Eye Space]


One, two, three.

The spiders attacked you one by one, with patterns that, to you, were predictable. With your speed, your mentality and your skills, it was not hard to cut apart these enemies as they came, one after the other. Hayate wasn't having much trouble either, crushing each with nothing but a single punch. There was one threat that you had both spotted after killing the first. The arachnids released a poisonous acid when killed, and so fighting them at melee range proved to be dangerous. However, so far, you had managed to avoid this green liquid, and if things kept going the way they were, it would probably stay that way.

Fifteen, sixteen, seventeen.

But there was simply no end to them. As pumped as Yamada Hayate was, maybe this was not the way you should be doing things. Possibly focusing on finding an escape route was a good idea. You didn't want to be there when either of you ran out of stamina. However, there is little space for doing any thinking. Granted, they attacked one by one, but the timing left a window of left than a second open, which was nowhere near enough to do anything. At this rate...

Twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty nine.

The assault stopped. It was not as if you had done anything significant, it just took a pause. When that happened, all the strain in your body became noticeable. No, there was something wrong with that. You were a Magi, someone who had exceeded all human limitations and evolved into a superior existence. There was no way something like this could ever exhaust you. Could it be that-

"...?!"

You fell to one knee, as your vision started to blur. There was no doubt about it, you had been poisoned. 'But I never came into contact with the poison', you thought, and you were sure of that. But then you realized you had made a big miscalculation. What if the acid never needed to come in contact with your skin for its poisonous effect to take place? What if, just inhaling it was enough?

"Kuh... Hah!" Surprisingly, your partner was still standing on his two feet. You wondered how much that would last, though. "Heh, even for me this is bad... I know... Gah!" The spiders now focused only on the boxer. "You run, I hold them back."

Was he thinking straight? It was not like you could simply run away. First, you could barely move now, as your legs and arms had started to feel numb. And you two were surrounded, there was literally no escape. Maybe one of your Runes could create a way out of it but...

Could you really leave him behind?

"Here I come..." Yamada Hayate retracted his arm and then... Something incredible happened. "How's this-?! Blaze Star - Sun Storm-!"
A scorching red fireball was shot from his fist. No, to consider that a fireball was nothing but an underestimation. It reduced anything on its path to nothingness. Such power... Could only be compared to the sun itself. This was the rune that had earned him a name in the world of the arcane. The Great Solar God in Egyptian Mythology, Ra-! "Now, Go-!"

It was time for you to take action.

[hero]

Nakamura Akio & Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II - Night


Aomori Mana did not know what to say or do.

As it was Akio's sister the one who was being pushed against a corner and not her, there was no reason for her to get bothered by it. This was the first time Mana and Hitomi met, so it didn't come as a surprise that the brunette felt unsympathetic towards her. But, even so, she wanted to help her. She had to think of an argument that could get Nakamura Hitomi out of this tight situation. Because, stranger or not, in the end she was Akio's sister. When she saw the boy's expression after having his argument being shot down so early, Mana couldn't help but to feel the obligation to do something to turn the tables. It was the least she could do for the one who had saved her life earlier that day.

"...?"

When she came to this realization, it felt a little bit weird. Almost as if she had come to understand the bond the two of them shared, even though she had no brothers or sisters. Quickly shrugging off those feelings to focus on what was important, the girl brainstormed ideas to find a way to solve this mess. But, as hard as she tried, she had to admit that she was no genius, at least when it came to this sort of thing. The one idea that came to mind could prove to be pretty risky. The reason why Hitomi was being accused was because she had no mark during the events that had taken place just minutes ago. If that was the case, then more people showing up without marks could probably weaken the theory that she was the Mastermind. Of course, there was no one present who met the requirement, but that did not mean that she could not lie. However, if she did that, she would be acting as a bait. The situation was serious, and she was not dealing with dumbasses. If she gave away one reason for them to point their guns at her, they probably would. And hardly knowing anyone in the circle, such a reckless action could come back to bite her in the ass. She could easily find herself being the prey during the next round. Even so...

"I-"

"Your argument is sound... And I am afraid I have no counter-argument of my own." With that said, Nakamura Hitomi frowned. "But I don't need one. I don't need to prove anything to you. I am not the person you are looking for and my conscience is clean." Despite looking calm and composed, the fact was that the blue haired girl was quite irritated. She had not slept in days, and it was always in these kind of stressful events that most of her weaknesses surfaced. She couldn't blame Fukami Mikoto for supporting a good theory, but she couldn't hide the fact that she was quite annoyed and disappointed that she had decided to do so. It was only natural, Nakamura Hitomi had blindly trusted her, and even when Cain had tried to put them against each other, she had decided to believe in her and fight by her side. Now that the roles were reversed and Hitomi was the one under suspicion... Why couldn't she had done the same? "My wish is for this to end. If this is an elimination game-"

"You tell us." The man rudely interrupted.

"..." Closing her eyes in annoyement, Hitomi continued. "I don't want any deaths or any sacrifices. But my goal is to stop this and I need as many allies as possible. It's okay if you cannot trust me... But if you get in my way, I won't hesitate to pull the trigger." After taking a deep breath, she let out a big sigh. It had left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she had finally voiced her true feelings. "Mikoto." She turned to face the green haired magus. "Since you know so much about Tsukabe-San-"

"Naoya." He interrupted again.

"Right." Why did that annoy him so much, anyways? "Since you know so much about this guy, Naoya... That means your Magic had something to do with that, right?" It was easy to see where this was going. It would take some time, but it was probably the easiest method to prove Hitomi's innocence. However, contrary to your expectations...

"Use it on me and I will have to kill you."

"...." Putting her guns away, Nakamura Hitomi crossed her arms. After such a threatening declaration, the tension had returned to the streets. "... Don't betray my trust a second time."

With nothing left to say, she turned her back on them, ready to leave. Normally she would have said something like: 'Akio... We are going', but this time it seemed it wouldn't be that way. Nobody stopped her. Everything had grown silent since the last word she had said. Out of those there, it seemed like Cain still had a lot to talk about, but even him decided to keep his mouth shut. It wasn't long until the blue haired girl disappeared into the shadows.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Kubo Naoya Shrugged.

"Bitch couldn't take it."

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Residential District II - Night

"Bitch couldn't take it."

If I was to be honest, my first impulse at these words was to simply hit Naoya. It wouldn't matter where, the face was a good target to stun, as was the stomach, and even if he had a knife on his person, I was sure I could get at least one good hit in before he could pull any sort of blade.

But doing such a thing was both pointless, and an overreaction to the situation. Hitomi had seen fit to walk away, and she was the target of their vague accusations, the one who was actually affected by the things they said to her. If she didn't see the need to fight, there was no reason for me, who wasn't on 'trial', to give into those unheroic impulses of mine and shut Cain up for a bit.

Even knowing this, it took me a moment to unclench my hands.

"Pretty cowardly of you to insult her after she left," my voice surprisingly casual, I turned away, hands back in the pockets of my jacket, "I don't like judging people just from my first impression, but... I don't think I was wrong about you Tsukabe-san."

A pause.

"I'm sure that doesn't surprise you," turning back towards the man, I shrugged, "However, if this really is an elimination game..."

Another pause.

"...Let's not meet again in that world."

And with that, the sense of tension I felt faded a bit, enough that I could now completely ignore Cain and regard Mikoto with a small smile.

"Anyway, seems my sister liked you a bit Fukami-san, she normally doesn't snap like that," still smiling, I turned away again, "Talk to her about it later, okay?"

My phone chose this moment to ring, and silently checking my messages, I couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at the fact that my best friend was still alive.

Of course, Rei was Rei, so I had figured he'd be alright...

Regardless, it had been a long day, and I still had an angry older sister to calm down before it was over, not to mention keeping my promises to Raku and Mana...

Mana.

That's right, if she was involved in this, it wouldn't be good for her to stay home alone...

Still, I couldn't watch over everyone forever either...

"Mana," reaching into my pocket for the pen I was hoping was still there, I fumbled around for the letter I had gotten a school, tearing off a piece that was just large enough to fit my cell phone's number on it, "I gotta go," smiling apologetically, I held out the slip of paper, "I know you don't have a phone, but there's some weird stuff happening on this island, so I'd like it if you held onto my number anyway, just in case you need to get ahold of me, alright?"

Hitomi was probably heading home, and while I wanted to catch her as quickly as I possibly could...

I still had to make sure that Mana would be alright here.

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II- Night

Hitomi responds promptly to what I said, and she does so with some degree of grace and composure. But that alone cannot hide the fact that she is visibly irritated. I can understand if she is upset with me, but this couldn't be avoided. Besides, it's better now if we go ahead and get the suspicions out of the way before they hurt us later. And while this may not really solve the problem, Hitomi's answer is good enough for me.

However... As soon as Hitomi finishes her statement, Naoya cuts in as expected and continues to harass her. This upsets Hitomi even more and the thought to cut him off crosses my mind, but he hardly says enough for me to do so. So all I can do is listen to Hitomi as the focus of the conversation slowly shifts towards me. To no surprise, Hitomi points out the nature of my power. Certainly she's right... And the nature of it makes me question my own involvement in all this, so I'm easily wrapped up in her train of thought.

But then...

"Use it on me and I will have to kill you. ...Don't betray my trust a second time."

Hitomi says something I wish she didn't... The second those words reach my ears, something stirs up inside of me. Something from my past which has been crafted through pain and misery... The awakened instinct signals my body to move, but I suppress it by remembering who I am now. Furthermore, I have to remind myself that not everyone enjoys having their lives violated in such a way.

Even still...

"Then I pray you don't give me a reason to, Hitomi-san..."

I can't help but mutter these words as I close my eyes and welcome the silence. While I barely uttered these words, there's no doubt in my mind that Hitomi heard them as well. I trust in her as an ally. At the very least, I want to. However, just as she is resolved to deal with me should I get in her way, I'm prepared to do the same. I'm sure she's smart enough to figure that out.

Opening my eyes once again, I watch as Hitomi ventures off into the night alone.

With his sister gone, Akio turns his attention to Naoya more a moment. As I've said before, he's a good brother so he calmly defends his sister. However, he goes on to threaten Naoya about what would happen should they meet in that world of blue. Such an uncool remark defeats the entire purpose of what we're trying to do here, but it can't be helped. So all I can do is let out a sigh, a shrug, and shake my head.

"Anyway, seems my sister liked you a bit Fukami-san, she normally doesn't snap like that," still smiling, I turned away again, "Talk to her about it later, okay?"

On the bright side, I'm relieved he doesn't seem to be upset with me, as selfish as that may sound. So I simply smile and give a light nod in response. I planned on talking to her later either way. But for now, I want to open up some distance between us... Akio can watch her, so I have no problem in doing so.

"Apologize to her for me, Nakamura-san. I'd be grateful."

Taking two steps towards him, I reach around my neck and remove the red scarf draped around my shoulders. Quickly folding it up, I hand it over to him.

"I made this over in that world. Even when everything returned to normal, this stayed the same. I figure it might be more useful now to you than to me. Besides, I'm done playing hero for the day."

I deliver that message with a serious tone, but a playful face. While I'm not sure what exactly the Nakamuras can gain from this, I have no further use in examining it. So for now, I'll trust in their ability to discover something and ask at a later time.

With the night drawing to a close, I take in a deep breath and mull over all that's happened. My head begins to throb slightly, and I can feel as if a vein in my head is about to burst. Exiting my deep state of thought, I notice the white-haired woman who has remained silent for some time now. And then there's Naoya who's yet to wander off as well. With Akio tending to the unfamiliar girl, I figure I should be heading home soon as well.

"Mana, I gotta go. I know you don't have a phone, but there's some weird stuff happening on this island, so I'd like it if you held onto my number anyway, just in case you need to get ahold of me, alright?

As Akio says his parting words to his friend, I rub my head and wonder what I should do next.

"Well, I guess I should be on my way as well." Glancing at both Naoya and the enigmatic woman, I place both of my hands in my pockets. "So what are you two going to do? I can't imagine you're satisfied with what's happened tonight." Finally, turning my attention from the experienced mages to the apparent newbie, I give her an easy smile. "And what about you? If you would like, I can walk with you for a bit. The place I'm staying at isn't too far away from here. I think you had some questions that didn't get answered, right?"

[hero]

Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II- Night


"... Eh?"

Your proposal had caught Aomori Mana, no, the entire group off guard. During the minute that came next, you realized that, probably for different reasons, the three of them had voted in favor of Mana turning down the offer. It was not hard to see why she herself would reject you. From the very beginning she had seen you as a foe, or at least, since you had decided to support Naoya's argument. Given your cold attitude back then, and the resolve to fight anyone who would stand in your way present in your eyes, there was nothing strange in her being wary of you. Certainly, it would be quite dumb of her to accept that sort of invitation from someone she didn't knew, and who could be potentially dangerous. And no matter what... She couldn't show weaknesses here. In these situations, revealing your vulnerability to others could get you killed. In fact, those who did exactly that usually ended up dead first... Hitomi had been lucky in that regard. As if to throw those thoughts away, Mana looked away, still silent.

What about the other two, though?

With Hitomi and Akio gone, they were acting quite suspiciously. What reasons did they have to be against you having a friendly talk with a newbie? They honestly didn't look like the sort of people who cared for others much. Indeed, whatever was on their minds, it was likely that it had nothing to do with protecting Aomori Mana. Actually, you had a wild guess on what one of the two was thinking...

"... Geh." Katsurimi Haseno frowned. "How come I didn't get his phone number, too?" But that was just an act, and you could tell. She had probably realized how suspiciously she had reacted, and was now trying to change the topic to something else to focus the group's attention on something else. "Mana-chan~" Haseno revealed another of her sadistic smiles, as she walked next to her target in a rather scary way. Naturally, the other girl flinched. "... Share."

But then...

"I dun wanna." The brunette pouted as she tightly held the piece of paper close to her. "This is mine, you will never get it." Saying this, she stuck out her tongue as if to ridicule the white haired girl. "You will never get one~" With a playful smile, it seemed the exchange was helping Mana to ease up a bit at least.

Though, after having your offer turned down, you didn't really have a reason to stay there. Nevertheless, the combo seemed to be slightly amusing, so you couldn't help but to stand there and listen, as the two of them 'fought over the heart of a man'. Granted, Haseno was just playing along, but hey, Akio seemed to be quite the popular guy. It was then that, on a whim, you turned to face Cain, only to realize he was not there anymore. Knowing him, he probably couldn't stand not arguing with someone and had escaped the second you had decided to lower you guard. Nothing you could do about it now.

"Ohooo~, is someone in love?" With an unexpected counter-attack, Haseno's smile turns into a malicious grin. It seemed that she was ready to take this to the next level. "... Well?"

"I-it's n-nothing like that-!" Innocent at the core, Mana answered almost too fast to even think about what she was saying. Blushing furiously, she retreated, again pouting. "uu..."

"What? Seriously? I was expecting a confession~" Looking somewhat disappointed, Haseno shrugged in a rather carefree way. "Ah well, that makes it so much easier to say..." She made eye to eye contact, pointed towards a familiar place and...

"...We had sex in that alley."

"... Wha-?!"

Black and White. Negative. For a second there, it really looked as if Aomori Mana's reality had shattered in an instant. Part surprise, part horror, the hilarious reaction the blunt comment had created made even you laugh a little.

"Ah, youuu~!" Realizing Haseno was simply joking, the girl frowned once more, but admitted her defeat this time. "Don't say stuff like that..."

"Anyways..." Its usual seriousness returned to Katsurimi's face. "I'll be going now. Unlike you two, I live pretty far away from here, so I got to start walking now or I won't make it." The look on her face and her tone were quite close to what you would expect of a military captain addressing her subordinates. "Think you can go home on your own?"

"Yeah, my home is just a block away so..."

"Then," Without waiting to hear your answer, the woman turned around and started walking away. "See you."

...

.....

.........

... You had waited enough. You figured it was time for you to return 'home' as well. Leaving Mana on her own, you started to walk your own way home. However, after walking just one block, you realized you were being followed. Turning around, you discover that it was the brunette girl the one who had been following you. With her arms crossed, she stared at you from a safe distance.

"Will you answer... Any... Questions?"

[Suncofold]

Hisamatsu Kanko
Residential District – Evening [Eye Space]

It was happening again.

Kanko trembled violently, still fallen upon one knee. With wide, fearful eyes, he forced his hand up and stared at it. Shaking. How could he not have noticed? His legs – no, his body was deadened, heavy as lead. The hand in front of him blurred in and out of focus.

“You run, I hold them back.”

No.

No no no. No way in hell. This was not happening! He’d come so far, how could he still be so weak.

That’s what you’ll always be. Too weak. Too slow. Too cowardly.
you’ll never have the strength

You bastard. This isn’t about your fucked up morals! This is about you! This is your life, and you’ll have it wither away doing this!
you’ll never be fulfilled

NOOO! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAVE HER? YOU COULD’VE SAVED HER; WHY DID YOU FUCKING HESITATE?
you’ll never have the determination

mommy…i’m scared…
you’ll never succeed

I can’t forgive you—
drown in your ideals and die

“No,” Kanko rasped quietly, and tightened his hand around Tekmor’s hilt. There was no more time. Grunting with effort, a red energy began to coalesce around his body.

A yell from Hayate drew his attention, and he watched grimly as a scorching red fireball tore through the spiders almost effortlessly. But it wasn’t enough. They were too numerous, and the fireball only went in one direction.

It wasn’t enough.

"Now, Go-!"

“No!” The scream tore at Kanko’s throat. “No,” he repeated quietly. “I won’t let you die. I can’t let anyone die.” Madness swelled within him, yet it was quickly crushed by a cold determination that overcame all emotion. With a burst of effort, he pushed himself up onto his feet, and walked forward. Past Hayate.

“Even if it means my life.”

Kanko sprinted forward, ignoring his weakening body. For the first time, he went on the offensive, Tekmor brandished and ready. As he neared the spiders, a blue flame sparked over Tekmor’s blade, and it quickly expanded to completely sheathe the blade in its sapphire light.

It didn’t matter if he was poisoned. It didn’t matter how much his flesh was torn. It didn’t matter how much of his blood was spilled.

As long as he saved a life, nothing else mattered.

Superpowahs

Runes:

Neikea
Eris

[hero]

Reynard Everheart
Road 2 - Night


"... Heh." Johnie smirked. "I see what you are trying to do, partner. Unfortunately, it's not going to work." It sounded like he was determined not to let you know anything else about Sophie Kaede. On another note, his expression had once again turned serious. Come to think of it, his personality seemed to switch almost too often between an overly cheerful attitude and a somewhat grim one. "If it's possible for you not to meet this woman, partner... I'd rather you don't get involved with her at all." Then, unexpectedly, Johnie Gamble shot a smile at you and, a moment later, he shrugged. "But it's not like I can hide much about her appearance. Or more like, there is no need for me to tell you anything about it." The American boy adjusted his hat with a nostalgic look. "I am sure you would recognize her immediately. I don't know about cute, but she is a woman many men lust after. You'll know its her when you see her." Johnie paused, gave you another look and then let out a small laugh. "...You wouldn't stand a chance even if you tried, anyways."

Slowly but surely, you made your way into the Residential District. The night was still young, but it was getting quite dark and staying out in the streets more than needed could be dangerous. Well, it had not always been like this. Most of your memories assured you that Tsukuyomi-jima was the safest and most peaceful place in the world. However, you could not deny that lately the island... Simply felt different. With the appearance of gangs, the crime rate had increased considerably, and now that a new, certainly bigger threat had surfaced... These changes would only keep growing. If Tsukuyomi-jima lost that unique scent it had... If it stopped being what it was supposed to be and represent... Then that would surely leave a hole in more than one person's heart. As Reynard Everheart you had your own opinion and your own motives but, regardless, as someone who had been accepted by the population, the sense of belonging to this island and the urge to protect it had been engraved deep into your heart...

At least, you arrived at the Nakamura Residence. From the outside, you could see that the lights were on. That probably meant that either Hitomi or Akio had made their way back home safely, too. Hopefully, the two of them had. The one thing you realized at that moment was that you were hungry. It was only natural after the fierce battle you'd had, and the fact that your wounds had been traded for exhaustion only served to increase the body's need for food. It was probably safe to assume that Johnie felt the same way. To be honest, it looked as if he was looking for the right moment to say something like 'This is where we split'. His house was close enough and you doubted he would have trouble on the way home. If you invited him for dinner, it would probably end up in a sleep-over, so you had to think of the consequences that would bring. Whatever your decision might be, it was time to voice it. Standing next to the entrance for a few more seconds would only result in awkwardness.

In the end, the arrival of another person interrupted you. Namely, Nakamura Akio. Again, his timing couldn't be any more precise. You both had a lot to catch up on.