Fortissimo EXS // Trigger: Verzweiflung (IC thread)

[Mereo Flere]

Reynard Everheart
Nakamura Residence - Night

There was something that bothered Rei over Johnny's insistence to avoid Sophie Kaede. While it was true that Johnny was probably looking out for him, in a battle they had gotten caught up in... to be honest, the only way they would probably avoid meeting each other was if one of them was taken out first - a scenario that Rei wanted to avoid at all costs. If possible, he wanted to save as many people as he could. There was also the possibility that they took out the man behind all of this first, but Rei had a feeling that he would need everybody's cooperation before that happened.

On one hand, Rei didn't think that Johnny would try to take her out himself; most likely, Gamble would take his own advice and try to avoid her. On the other hand... he might not be on board with Rei's hopes to cooperate with everybody. Maybe later Rei could try to bring him around, but for now it would probably be best to wait until after he had had a chance to gather some more information before talking to Johnny about it.

Originally, Rei had wanted to bring Johnny over... but now...

If Rei wasn't sure Johnny would be fully committed, it would be best to not involve him in the conversation Rei wanted to have with his roommates. Still, by tomorrow morning, he was sure he'd know how he wanted to handle the boy.

"Ah, there's Akio," Rei said, as he saw his friend approach. "He's one of the other participants, and my closest friend. If you need any help, he'll be glad to back you up...

"Unless, of course, it involves hitting on his sister," Rei noted, with a small smile on his face. Akio was protective of his sister, after all - to the point where Rei had joked Akio was a sis-con.

"Akio," Rei began, as Akio came into earshot. "This is Johnny. He's caught up in this as well - and so are a lot of other people, it seems."

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II- Night

(BGM on)

The scene slowly dissolves into a more light-hearted conflict. While my offer is shot down, it does make me feel good knowing that things can still turn out like this. With tension and suspicious saturating the night air, two women can still argue over a boy. For a second, I almost forget that we've all been drawn into some twisted farce.

With everything seemingly resolved for now, the last of us make our ways home. Ideally, I would have like to talk to Hitomi more at this time; however, given how things have turned out, I'd rather her keep a safe distance from me. With her younger brother already wrapped up in all this, there's no need to make more friends to worry about. With his ability, Naoya is probably the most fit to look out for himself, and this white haired woman seems to be rather capable as well. That of course leaves the newly born magus. Naturally, I can't help but worry myself about her well-being in this battle. But in the end, I can't force someone to accept my help.

"Well, she has Nakamura-san's number. I'm sure she'll be fine."

I whisper to myself, forcing satisfaction. Figuring I've lingering around for long enough, I finally step away from the area and begin my walk home. As I draw the chilling air into my lungs, I reflect on everything. Before I even know it, my mind is drifting off into the future chain of events. Given what we've seen so far, the longer this is allowed to spiral out of control, the more and more we'll be pained by this war's penalties. Just thinking of that... makes me think I'll have to revert to the way I once was...

-- I don't like it, but I'm willing to take on the lesser of two evils.

"..."

With sealed knowledge awakening in my body due to memory, my sense spike in sharpness for a moment and I realize I'm being followed. I take a deep breath and calm myself before I turn around; scolding myself for getting so uptight so easily. When I look to see who it is, I find none other than the fresh mage. While I don't exactly care for being tailed in silence, it's not like I've walked very far. As far as I can see, she's just being cautious of me.

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

I see. So that's what it is?

"Hmmm, well I suppose that depends on the question." Attempting to flush out the tension between us with a light mood, I but on a smile and rub my cheek nervously. "If it's something personal, I might have to decline. Like my weight or something... But! If it's like... stuff about magic or something, then ask away." Clumsily stumbling through my attempted humor, I ease into a friendly stance. "I got the impression that you just awakened earlier. I'm actually still pretty new at this myself, so I know how it can be..."

While I'm not trying to convince this girl that I'm her friend, I at least want her to know that I mean her no harm. I don't want to startle her, so I respect the distance between us and stay right where I am. So for now, all I can do is smile in anticipation of what she says next.

[hero]

Hisamatsu Kanko
Residential District – Evening [Eye Space]


It was not easy to accept reality. It had never been, and to be honest, it would never be. The truth was that this was a battle you could never win in the very first place. These spiders were not enemies you could take on at close range. One punch, one kick, one slash... Granted, so far that had been enough to kill a bunch of them. But with poison that dulled your senses after every strike, and with them growing in numbers every single second... The only conclusion that could be reached was that the two of you wouldn't make it out of it. In the best case scenario, the poison would kill you before the giant snake decided to come back. It was as simple as that: Challenging these monsters at this range had only one outcome, which was defeat.

There was one thing, however, which could not be denied. That outcome could be altered slightly.

One of the two victims could save the other, at the expenses of his own safety. It was certainly impossible for the two of them to escape in these conditions, but with a sacrifice, one of them could make it out alive. Yamada Hayate had realized this earlier than anybody. During his whole life, he had acted as a protective figure. Even so, he was the person who understood that one would not be able to protect anybody else after death. So he had decided to act as the decoy and stay behind. Not just because he was used to it or because he had thought it was the right thing to do, but also because he had believed he was the one who was the most suited for the task.

The boxer had not expected that his only companion, Hisamatsu Kanko, would the same. Neither of them was willing to let the other carry all the responsibility and so, the plan was rendered useless. But... If you were that compatible... Maybe you could fight a little longer. Yeah, your meeting might not have been just a coincidence. The two of you deciding to cope with the other's stubbornness for the time being, you returned to the battlefield with a fiery passion. After all, that energy, that hidden power, that burning determination... That was what kept your body moving despite the circumstances.

"Hah........!!!" It was the same over and over again. Only that now your exhaustion was more noticeable. With each step, you moved closer and closer to your limit. And so did Hayate. On the outside, it looked as if he would never go down. However, you could tell that he wouldn't last long either. In a way, fighting like this defeated the purpose of staying behind... At this rate, you would both die. "T... Take thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiisssssss-!"

No joke, if things continued like this...

---"Ah."

That was you. Having lost your sense of balance, you stumbled, dangerously.

It was the perfect opening. As if sensitive to this kind of thing, the spiders reacted immediately.

Now that you were completely vulnerable, they would attack you all at once if possible.

And then, not even all your barriers stacked together would serve to protect you.

Because their main objective was to immobilize you, not kill you.

One breath. That was all the time you were allowed. And during that time, you were not allowed to do anything but watch.

*Slash**Slash**Slash*

By the time your body hit the floor, every creature that had attempted to move had been cleanly cut in two. The first thing you thought was that your partner had been the one to save your ass, but that assumption did not last more than a second. After all, Yamada Hayate did not fight with sword, he was not blonde... And he was definitely not a girl.

"..."

Her black uniform completely bathed in green, acidic liquid, she stood there, unfazed. When a second wave came, the mysterious person did not allow any of them to touch you. Not even one of them managed to slip past her defenses. She sliced them one after the other, without showing signs of fatigue.

As if admitting defeat, the blue world disappeared. All the wounds you had suffered also vanished with it. And so did the damage caused to the environment. Feeling even more exhausted after this, you decided not to stand up after you made sure you could do it. In the same way, Hayate sat next to a wall, resting his back on it. On the other hand, the girl stood there, unfazed, speechless.

"..."

This person... Looked almost exactly like...

"..."

The girl who showed out of the mall earlier that day...

"..."

Sawai Mihou... That's what you thought she had said her name was.

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Residential District II – Night

For the first time that night, I was truly alone with my own thoughts.

Quietly examining the scarf Mikoto had entrusted me with as I walked, I was rather interested to find that, no matter how much I examined the cloth, I couldn't find anything out of the ordinary about it, other than the fact that, even if it had been made through magic, it was still allowed to exist in this material world. From what I had put together about this world and that other one, it seemed that whoever had created that other world had placed a new sort of 'law' on this island, making it so that the participants of their twisted little game couldn't kill each other outside of that place.

I suppose it could have also been a simple sealing type magic, but if that was the case, I would've been able to break through it through the sheer force of my magical energy, but no matter how much I called for it, I had already proven to myself that such a thing was impossible, at least for myself.

So... It had to be conceptual in effect. Something you couldn't just brute force past.

Carefully folding the scarf back up, I place it in the pocket of my school jacket, noting for the first time the many holes that had appeared in the black material from my earlier dance with a storm of blades.

...On reflection, it seemed that I had been a bit closer to being wounded than I had thought I was.

Still, I suppose that is what adrenaline does to a person.

Laughing quietly to myself, I turn my gaze up towards the moon, my voice fading away so that I can simply enjoy the peace and quiet that was known as normal here in Tsukuyomi-jima. Things hadn't been so great in the city lately with the appearance of gangs and violent crime, but here, in the residential district, things were as peaceful as they had always been...

...That blue world didn't belong on this island. Being forced to kill or be killed, a twisted game like that had no business existing in such a peaceful place. I hadn't been able to do anything about it today, but as much as I would like it to never happen again, at some point in the future, that blue world of death would make itself known again.

But my own path was clear, no matter what, I would protect as many of my fellow magi as I could, even if it was foolish to assume I could protect everyone, there was no harm in giving it my all.

In the end, the only thing that would truly stop this, would be to take out the Mastermind behind it all...

...Heh, I'm stressing out too much.

Letting out a deep breath, I put some energy into my steps, wanting to get home as soon as possible, Hitomi was in a bad mood, so I guess it was time to make her watch Van Helsing with me again. It wasn't that good a movie, but she liked criticizing parts of it, and I'm sure that deep down, she really just got a kick out of the whole vampire hunting thing, thought it was cool.

It kinda was, in a way.

Heck, maybe I'd make Rei and Raku watch it with me as well, (once the inevitable strategy meeting was over anyway) turn it into a real family night.

I smiled.

Could be fun.

The tall figure of my house appearing in the distance, I slowed back down to a walk, seeing Rei standing with someone I didn't recognize outside of the house.

"Akio," Rei began, as Akio came into earshot. "This is Johnny. He's caught up in this as well - and so are a lot of other people, it seems."

“Johnny eh? Nice to meet you.” Smiling politely for a moment, my expression faded back to a serious one, “Sorry you got caught up in this mess. The island doesn't normally host magic based elimination games.” My tone was humorous enough, but I'm sure my serious expression killed whatever power the bad joke had, so I turned back towards Rei, “How many people exactly? I met four new magi in that place, and heard that Hitomi was in it as well.”

It would probably be better to talk about this inside, where prying ears couldn't hear, but I wasn't sure if this Johnny guy was going to be invited over or not.

Waiting for Rei's response, I looked over at Raku's house, wondering if the girl was still asleep...

Knowing her, she was probably waiting for me inside my house, but hey, who knows?

[MssrNeko]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy - Front Entrance
Evening

(BGM on)

Seeing as the main entrance was being guarded by Ieshige's friends, Shinji retreats behind the outer school walls. While he was confidant in his abilities to disable the muscle guarding the entrance, Shinji would not risk his chances. If one were to escape and warn the others, he would be run out of the school by their sheer numbers. So Shinji had only one choice left to him: to sneak inside the school building to reach the person who was injured by Chisato's Last Resort.

Starlight Academy was larger than the average Japanese school and Shinji knew every feasible entrance to it. However, knowing Chisato and her gang, they too knew where they were and positioned teams to watch them. Shinji expected that all the ground level entrances were covered by teams of two boys of Ieshige's friends. But they aren't guarding from people who wanted to gain entrance to Starlight; they are probably making sure that the students inside could not get out. As Chisato had initiated a school-wide lockdown before coming into contact with Shinji, most of the student body was inside the gym enjoying the party Chisato was holding. And judging from the sounds, they were still there, oblivious to the fact that their Queen was dead. Taking these facts together, Ieshige's muscle would probably be closer in proximity to gym, leaving the most of the school unguarded save for a few patrols. That left some entrances open for which Shinji could use.

.......

Shinji's eyes hover towards the rooftops, his mind on his bag that was dropped in the midst of the battle.

While he could abandon it along with his laptop, it would be a hassle to obtain a new device.

.......

A small smile flashes on the Raven's face. Maybe he could kill two birds with one stone.

----------------------

The sun falls below the horizon as the moon rises. The darkness will mask his coming actions from all but those like him. The two boys at the entrance are engaged in conversation about their Queen. He awaits for the opportune moment to move...

They turn their backs.

The Raven flies, running swiftly and silently across the field. His target is not the main entrance but the imposing wall of the school building. He soars past the entrance and jumps at the vertical surface. The Raven flies up the wall, his legs pushing off the surface to give him more momentum. Within seconds Shinji lands on the rooftop. Quickly retrieving his bag, he descends into the school to find the eavesdropper of his battle.

[hero]

Reynard Everheart & Nakamura Akio
Nakamura Residence - Night


"Nice to meet you, too." Johnie said with a grin, as he adjusted his hat in a respectful way. "A friend of partner is a friend of mine." Pretty aware that he would not be invited into the house, the American looked up at the sky and took a deep breath. There were no hard feelings. "Well, it's getting late, so I will be taking my leave." Ready to leave, Johnie Gamble said goodbye with two tight handshakes. "See you tomorrow, pals." And with that, the boy started away, headed towards his house... Or at least that was what you hoped. When he was already at a considerable distance, he raised his right arm to shoulder length and gave you a thumbs up, without even bothering to turn around or stop his march. Then he spoke, loud enough for you to hear his poetic words clearly. "An elimination game is like the ultimate trial of love. A woman's heart can only accept one man: The Last Man Standing. I sincerely wish you luck with your quest, Siscon Banchou."

This had been the first time you two had met, and yet he was already calling you a Siscon? What a weird person. Wait, how did he even know that you had a sister...? There was something fishy going on here. As your eyes landed on the only suspect present, your friend Rei, you could swear you uttered the words 'Of course...'

Moving on, you placed the key on the keyhole and turned, only to discover that the door had never been locked in the first place. Knowing that you would come after her, Hitomi probably had not bothered with such a thing. When you placed your hand on the handle, you felt a chill run down your spine. A little worried with what you could find at the other side of the door, you make a pause to take a deep breath. Gathering some courage, you finally opened the door, ready to have a talk with your sister, no matter in which emotional state you would find her in.

But this...

This far surpassed your expectations. It was extraordinary... Ridiculous...

Blood everywhere.

Moans of pain.

Sounds that simply did not belong.

Heavy breathing.

...And a strong battlecry.

And at the same time it was so simple and straightforward...

Nakamura Hitomi...

...

...

Was playing Castlevania.

"Welcome home, you two." She said calmly, as she kept imputing crazy series of commands that made the character on the screen hardcore and night untouchable. Or maybe it would be more precise to say 'characters'. That was right; your older sister was playing Castlevania in multiplayer mode... And she was acting as both players at once. Holding a controller on each hand, you couldn't help but stare at her as if she were some kind of goddess. "We're short on food again, and there is only water to drink." Letting go of a single controller for a couple of seconds, she made a gesture as if to say 'Same old same old'. It was not hard to think of the cause. It was always one person.

Natsume Raku.

Come to think of it, you had expected her to be here already. Maybe she was still sleeping or waiting at her house? You had promised to cook and have dinner with her, and you still intended to carry on that promise, so knowing her whereabouts was important. For a second there, you forgot about everything that had happened and only thought of going to check on her.

As if to remind you that there would no longer exist time to think of such 'trivial' things...

The ground shook.

Once.

Twice.

Thrice.

And it felt dangerous.

Something... Was definitely attacking the Nakamura House from underground. The threat level was so high, that even Nakamura Hitomi turned off the console and stood up, only to make a mad rush to pick a gun from over the table. Your muscles tensed up, and you assumed a battle stance, as you paid close attention to the noise to determine its exact location, and also glanced at your sister every now and then to coordinate what would be your strategy if something bad happened.

Thud.

It hit the wooden floor hard.

Thud. Thud.

Harder.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Noticeably harder.

And then...

Crash.

... The fridge fell through the floor.

"Wha-" Astonished by what she had just witnessed, it took Hitomi a little more than usual to understand that the last of the food that they had was in that fridge... Which was now being carried away through an underground tunnel. "No. Not today." Equipping herself with a couple of extra handguns -There would be never enough-, Hitomi almost jumped into the hole that had opened up, ready to venture into the depths of the abyss to rescue the rations. Fortunately, the two of you managed to convince her -You had to literally hold her at first- that there was a better way to go about it. Yes, you could use the noises to follow and eventually catch the rather obvious culprit.

The chase ended in Akio's room, next to his bed to be precise, where the fridge stood, sloppy, but safe. Next to it was Raku, who had decided not to be stealthy about her doings this time around. She was carrying a dusty shovel on one hand and a safety helmet on top of her head, the latter almost too big for her to wear.

"Heheheheheeheh~" She opened her arms as if to embrace you. It looked as if she was trying to offer your own fridge -Well, technically it was Hitomi's- to you as a present. "Welcome homeeeeeee, Akio-Niiichannn~!"

If this were the first time this happened, you would have been left speechless.

[hero]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy - Night


For a high school boy of your age, such a thing would have been impossible.

But, as The Raven, you were not held back by those limits. Even with your Magical Weapon sealed, you were still capable of performing extraordinary feats. It was with one of those incredible moves that you had found your way to the rooftop, there was nothing left to worry about when it came to being caught. Surely, you would stand out in the crowd -only the most popular students had been invited-, but if you acted stealthily, reaching your destination would be a piece of cake. Confident in your skills, you ran towards the door that led downstairs and opened it without a second thought.

It was then that your heart skipped a beat.

"Ah...?"

It was only natural. After all, on the other side, stood two students who were now well aware of your presence. An instant became an eternity. Your brain processed about a hundred and fifty five different possible reactions, and only a quarter of those had a favorable outcome. But then, you noticed something odd. What were two students doing there in the first place? And two girls at that? Upon reaching the obvious answer, your whole train of thought went off the tracks.

"Heh~"

Perhaps because you had focused too much on what your next move would be... You had failed to see the big picture. Yes, they had and still were making out, one of them pretty much fine with the idea of you joining, the other a little too busy to be concerned with it. This was, probably, a chance that most men would not turn down. You stared at what could be the tallest wall to ever climb...

...

...

... What a joke.

Without any more hesitation, you made a jump down, ignoring the temptation that lay right in front of you. The last thing you heard before arriving at the third floor were the complaints from one of the girls. Words that would make any man take a big blow to his pride barely scratched the surface. In a just a couple of seconds, you had already forgotten about what had happened and now you moved on to finally complete your objective.

...

As you had thought, there had been no miscalculations on your part when it came to Zeus Lightning point of impact. At this point you were sure that the room where the Student Council held its reunions had been hit by the Last Resort. If that was the case, you could only think of one person: Hishikawa Nanako, the President of said club and the sole witness of the fight to the death you'd had with Yoshiota Chisato.

"..." And indeed, when you opened the door, she was there, sitting on her chair and looking through the window, absentmindedly. "Nakamura..." When she turned to look at you, you felt no hatred, fear, confusion or killing intent coming from her persona. You couldn't tell if she was happy about what had happened or if she simply didn't give a damn. The only thing you could be sure of was that she had definitely seen you, that she knew what you were and that she knew what you had done.

Nanako closed her eyes and took a deep breath. As ridiculous as it sounded, it felt as if she was about to hand out a punishment. No, that wasn't quite right. The Student Council President was waiting for something.

With an expression that possessed not one weakness... She seemed to stare right thought you, as if expecting you to do something.

As if expecting you to confess.

[hero]

Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II - Night


Aomori Mana was a very smart person. But, at the same time, she was also very innocent.

Like a person exposed to the world for the very first time, there existed lots of things that she could not hope to comprehend without experience. A part of her was still wary of Fukami Mikoto -like a mechanism engraved deep into her brain-, but the truth was that there was another part of her that was even stronger, and that had managed to win out in the end. It was called curiosity and it continued to prove how suspiciously close Mana's mentality was to that of a little kid. When she had found herself in a place she was not familiar with, she had almost immediately begun to panic. When she had thought she had found the cause of the problem, the culprit, she had given in to anger and shouted without giving it a second thought of what that could cause. And naturally, when she had found someone she liked, she had not wanted to let go of him at all, let alone share him. She had been willing to throw everything to protect that person... So it had been only a matter of time until curiosity's turn arrived.

If Fukami Mikoto wanted to manipulate Aomori Mana, this could be the time to get away with it.

Whatever question the brunette was going to ask first was blown away by the green haired Magus carefree words. Why was she being so friendly with her? ... She did really sound like a good person, but why had she used such mean words against Akio's sister just some minutes ago, then? As a person who could only see in white and black, the girl could not solve this contradiction on her own.

"A-Ah, yeah, ummm..." The simple fact that Mana had to think about it gave it away that most of the question she had brought with her fell under the 'personal' category. "Can my... Magic get stronger? How? Do I have to train or something? And..."

Fresh memories still lingering in her mind, she had one more question to ask:

"... How do I win?"

[Mereo Flere]

Rei Everheart
Nakamura Residence

Akio...

There was a lot Rei wanted to talk to him about - however, everything he wanted to say he would have to tell Hitomi anyway. Rather than talking out here and then repeating it once they got inside, it was better to talk to both of them together. Still, there was one thing that Rei needed to make clear before anything else.

"For the record," Rei said as Johnny left their midst. "I have no idea where the 'banchou' part came from."

XXX

On one hand, Raku being a magus - or a magus candidate - should not have come as a surprise. A normal person, even if they trained for their entire life, simply would not be able to commit the feats she was able to do. Forget about managing to steal their food undetected time and time again; being able to dig a hole and carry a fridge through a tunnel in less than a day for anybody, even if they had industrial grade tools. Raku, managed to do it in a few hours with nothing more than a shovel and a hard hat, without even looking winded.

On the other hand... accepting that someone like Raku was a magus was a frightening thought. Rei liked to think that he had simply been in denial, because the truth was far too terrifying to consider before a day like today.

In the end, though, he had to face the facts. She could use magic - or at least had the potential to use it. She was also in a very dangerous position right now. Never mind the little elimination "game" that had been set up earlier today. There was an immediate danger right now in the form of a hungry gun wielding bro-con who had just seen her house wrecked again. A hero needed to step in, to stop the inevitable fight that would break out right now.

Fortunately for Rei, he didn't have to be that hero. After all, they weren't his sister or his childhood friend.

"I'll... go call for some pizzas," Rei said, well aware there probably wouldn't be any cooking done tonight. It also gave him a good excuse to duck out of the room - not that he was running away. It was just that it was probably going to be too loud to talk on the phone in Akio's room, soon, and Rei didn't particularly want to explain away gunshots over the phone. "You'll be okay, right bro?"

[Airen]

Nakamura Akio
Nakamura Residence

(BGM on)

"Welcome homeeeeeee, Akio-Niiichannn~!"

The smile on my face was definitely genuine.

Really, it was inconvenient to have a hole torn up through the floor in my room, but it was such an innocent gesture, and so typical of Raku, that I couldn't help but feel the rest of the day's stress leave me, if only for a moment.

“Thank you, Raku,” laughing, I moved a bit closer to her, “I'll have to move it back to the kitchen if you want me to cook for you though.”

Still smiling, I casually moved between her and Hitomi, willing to act as a sort of buffer between the two of them.

I had been aware for a long time that Raku wasn't exactly the most normal human.

Her feats were, quite simply, impossible for normal humans to accomplish, no matter how hard they tried. She seemed to be able to avoid Heaven's Gaze, and could make a tunnel large enough to move a refrigerator through in the span of a few hours, with only a shovel and a hardhat as her tools.

I wasn't sure she was a magus, but I didn't really think she was just a normal human either.

Regardless, it didn't matter.

No matter what elimination game had appeared on this island, and no matter how bad things might get, I would definitely protect the people who were here with me right now.

I wouldn't be able to call myself a hero if I couldn't protect my family after all.

And speaking of heroes...

"I'll... go call for some pizzas.”

It seemed that Rei was expecting me to be the hero that stopped a fight from breaking out, while he took steps to avoid further conflict in the future.

...The topic of food was a sensitive thing in the Nakamura residence after all, and while I was pretty sure I would end up carrying the fridge back to the kitchen in order to cook for Raku as I had promised, Hitomi had been having a really bad day, so it was probably for the best to get her something that wasn't cup ramen.

...Actually, thinking about it, Raku didn't seem to steal from me specifically that often, so maybe I really should keep the fridge in here...

...Who was I kidding, the food wouldn't be safe anywhere.

"You'll be okay, right bro?"

“Yeah,” feeling the hostility emanating from my sister, I waved Rei out of the room as I once again made sure to stand in front of Raku, “I think I'll be alright.”

The pizza place knew our phone number.

They would hurry.

“Look sis, the house is insured,” laughing nervously, I continued, “You were complaining about that one stain in the wood anyway, so getting new flooring can only be a good thing!”

“Akio,” speaking in a restrained tone, Hitomi moved her gaze from Raku to me, “She took the whole fridge this time.”

“Yes, I know-”

“The whole fridge.”

“Yes, but... At least she left the freezer...?”

Crossing her arms, the older girl sighed once, the fatigue I had noticed this morning before school once again making itself apparent in the way she was carrying herself, the burst of adrenaline from before seeming to fade.

“She did... But there's also nothing in the freezer...”

Admittedly... That would explain it...

“...Well, it was about time to go grocery shopping anyway. Just leave this month's food bill to me, I'll go out and buy some stuff tomorrow.”

I'd been hoping to save the money Sensei had given me on my last birthday, but in this sort of situation... It was my final weapon in a war for damage control.

Sensei had always been pretty generous with her money after all, using it, I could stabilize the food supplies of the Nakamura house for a few weeks no matter how much Raku took...

...Had you seen this situation coming sensei?

Knowing my crimson haired mentor, the answer was probably, 'yes.'

"...Alright. I'll leave it to you."

Fight averted!

Success!

A hint of a smile on her face, Hitomi turned to leave the room, messing with my hair a bit as she passed, her tone of voice returned to it's usual friendliness.

"Don't worry, I didn't kill Dracula," laughing, she stepped out of the room, "I saved right outside the boss room though, so let's finish him off together, okay? You too Rei!"

She didn't need us to beat the game, that had been proven when we walked in, so I figured that was her way of saying, "we'll talk about the elimination game later."

Still.

...I really did want to play.

Ah well, I had a promise to keep before I could even think of doing that.

"So Raku," turning back to my childhood friend with a smile, I focused all of my attention on her, "You kept your end of the bargain, so I'll keep mine. What do you want for dinner?"

[MssrNeko]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy - Student Council Office

The starry night light filters through the windows into the small office where Hishikawa Nanako is. Shinji awaits for Nanako to spark a conversation but finds nothing but her stare. There was no doubt that she was the unfortunate bystander who took the full strength of Chisato's Last Resort: Zeus Lightning. He had expected her to be disabled, if not in critical condition. But here Nanako was, standing in this room as if knowing that he was coming to inspect the impact. Shinji admired her calm mood in spite of what happened to her previously. But since she had been hit, there was little chance that she was conscious for the climax of Chisato's demise.

But there she sat on the desk, staring at Nakamura Shinji as if expecting him to confess his crime.

He couldn't deny that in this light, Nanako looked stunning.

"Good evening, President-san. Did you enjoy watching the dispute between Chisato and I?" asks Shinji as one would ask for the weather.

[Suncofold]

Hisamatsu Kanko
Residential District – Evening [Eye Space]

Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

Kanko’s heartbeat echoed deafeningly, his eyes taking in – with perfect clarity – the seemingly hopeless situation around him. It wasn’t his physical defeat – such a thing could only be achieved with something or someone far more powerful – but his well-being meant nothing if he failed to protect. And that was why he burned with anguish, as he watched himself fall, just short of falling prey to the spiders.

No! No, I can’t let this happen!

And then, in a flash, it was all over.

When he hit the floor, he saw only death around him. Each spider was cleanly cut into pieces, and it was the glint of curved, sharpened steel that brought him relief. Kanko watched as a mystery girl stood her ground, protecting him and Hayate from every spider that charged. There was a mastery in her movements that surpassed his own skill at the blade in nearly every single aspect.

And suddenly, it was all over. The blue world disappeared, and Kanko started to breathe easier. It wasn’t because he was suddenly drained of adrenaline – in fact, that was blatantly false. It was because he was inexplicably cured – of both the poison and every other physical injury he had suffered.

Everything was once again normal.

Kanko rolled over and just lay there, not quite trusting his ability to stand, and stared at the sky. He glanced to the side, seeing Hayate sitting against the wall catching his breath, and the mystery girl just standing there. She had blonde hair and black clothing…

Hmm, she seemed really familiar. Was it…

“Excuse me, but are you Sawai Mihou?” Kanko rasped. He sat up and cracked his neck. “Thanks for saving us there.”

[hero]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy - Night

"Good evening, President-san. Did you enjoy watching the dispute between Chisato and I?"

The minute of silence that came after the question made it clear that Hishikawa Nanako wouldn't answer. But even after being asked something as repulsive and disrespectful like that, her face expression remained the same. There was no weakness to be spotted. The Student Council President must have had a lot of experience with suppressing emotional outbursts to be able to keep such a firm facade. Her face was that of a soldier. If she were one, that would explain how she had managed to stay calm all this time.

But then, the red haired student frowned for the first time.

"Nakamura, I wanted us to talk..." She began, speaking in a neutral tone. "The things I've heard and the things I've seen in the past hour do not make sense." She shook her head slowly. "They do not make any sense at all." Nanako stared at you right in the eyes and the sighed. "That's why I wanted you to explain to me what had happened. I thought we could come to an understanding and forget it ever happened." A little surprising that the one who took pride in enforcing the rules the most would be willing to let you get away with murder just like that. "But Shinji... I see no regret in your eyes." Her voice now sounded a little sad. "No matter how much of a troublesome person Chisato was... You killed her and you feel nothing about it. I am ashamed to have such a horrible person under my care." And then a little bit of anger. "It wasn't self defense; you arranged it all, didn't you...?"

"Oh? I see, so you are The Raven. I hear you."

"... You are the Raven."

LEVEL DOWN!
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

"Get out of my sight." Hishikawa Nanako now held a pistol in her hands. It seemed she had managed to be discrete enough to take it from the drawer without you noticing. However, you caught a detail many would miss. As perfect as she was, Nanako's hands were shaking slightly. If you had to guess, you'd say she had probably never fired a gun before. Even at this distance, there was a high chance that she would miss. But there was not a single thing President couldn't excel at, and anything you could do, she could do better. It wouldn't come as a surprise if she placed a bullet between your eyes with her first shot. Unlike most amateurs, she had remembered to remove the safety, after all. "If I ever see you in my school again, I will break as many rules as I need to take you down, no matter what kind of monster you are. If I see you talking to any of the people I know, I will make my mission to make sure that never happens again."

One step away from a declaration of war-!

[MssrNeko]

Nakamura Shinji
Starlight Academy - Student Council Office - Night

(BGM On)

Nakamura Shinji looks at the fierce look in Nanako's eyes as she shakily aims the pistol at his chest.

He could not blame her for fearing him, seeing as he had killed Chisato. As The Raven, he was privy to many secrets of Tsukuyomi-jima including those of a more darker nature. It was not the first time that Shinji's information had caused the death of another person and he doubted if that would ever change. Information was always a double-edged sword. Shinji knew that ever since that day.

Shinji sighs heavily. "Very well, President-san. But allow me to clarify a few points: first, Chisato attacked me and I acted out in self-defense. She had attacked me because if I had not revealed that I was the one who proliferated the text message, you would be the one dead. I had not anticipated that she was similar to myself and almost died to her frenzied assault." Shinji feels the sting of his healing wound, inflicted by Chisato when she first appeared. "Second, I am fully aware that my actions have led to the deaths of two people; I will not run from that fact. But do not insinuate that I take joy in murder." Shinji's eyes narrow as he mouths the detestable word.

"What happened with Chisato is an unfortunate rule of the 'event' that she and I, and now you, are apart of. For anyone to leave that 'battlefield', one 'contender' must die. No exceptions."

Shinji Nakamura opens the door behind him and pauses in the doorway. He turns his head back towards Nanako. "A warning, Hishikawa-san. Now that you have shown 'potential', you will be dragged down into 'my world'. What will you do if your protectorate are the ones trying to kill you? What will you do if you find not I but someone close to you down the barrel of your gun?"

The question was not asked in malice, but with something that might be interpreted as "genuine concern".

Shinji slowly closes the door.

[Katie]

Lucille Fairiday
Residential District - Evening [Eye Space]

---Thump-thump.

She could count those heartbeats, one by one, staring into the jaws of the serpent of Midgard.

She hated being so helpless. Every fiber in her muscles would not move an inch, except for her eyes, which could take in everything all too well. The impending moment of defeat etched into her mind like an iron brand, burning any other thoughts out of her mind.

There was nothing she could do.

---Thump-thump.

Was that it? Her fate, given by God, to die right here and then, devoured by a mindless snake. What cruel irony was that? A sinner to be done in by a serpent. It wasn't a dignified death, that was for certain. A death just like trash, just like the very people who weren't just as unique as her and Takemori-chan. A death like that wasn't good for the both of them...

---Thump-thump.

...

Give up...?

Had she really sunk this low?

Had she no pride, no dignity?

In fear, she had cast away her very ego because she was afraid of dying. Dying like a goddamn bitch. Accepting defeat because she couldn't see another path ahead.

That was not the Lucille Fairiday that Takemori-chan knew.

That was not what her namesake did. Lucifer rebelled when angels were meant to obey God.

---Thump-thump.

And that...

That was what the hell she would do. If life offered no other paths for her, she would carve her goddamn own with her sheer will! If it got in the way between her and her precious Takemori-chan, she would raze it all to hell and back.

And this slithering bitch would learn what happened when you got in her way.

---Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump.

---Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump-thump.

Like a hummingbird.

She grit her teeth and swung the Snake of Eden into the serpent's gaping jaws, piercing its tongue despite her still clumsy movements. The mighty beast roared in pain, its jaws wide open; wide open enough for her to shove her precious signature move down its throat. Retracting the blade, she aimed as well as she could; with such a massive target, it wasn't difficult in the least.

"Superbia."

The blazing star emerged like a rocket from her fingertips, forcing its way down the snake's throat. If she could not subdue it from the outside, then she would rip it apart from the inside out. It had made a fool out of her, and it was in her way.

Enough reasoning for it to die like this.

[hero]

Hisamatsu Kanko
Residential District – Night


"... I didn't do it to save you. They just happened to be in my way."

The girl, who had remained silent until that moment, only spoke up to clear all doubts and leave only the truth. Following her gaze, your eyes landed on one of the few sewer entrances in the whole island. You understood that what she was trying to say was that, had you been fighting in another place, she wouldn't have showed up to save you. But, to you, that didn't change anything. There were no excuses or reasons needed to save someone. The facts were that you had been saved by the one you suspected was Sawai Mihou, and you were thankful for it.

"... And yeah." The student in the black uniform smiled, clearly pleased. "My name is Sawai Mihou."

Seeing as you were still unable to stand, you took a deep breath and decided to try to relax a bit. Who would have thought that things would end up like this? Who would have thought that such an innocent looking girl would turn out to be a full-fledged Magus? Dragged into a world ruled by conflict, her story was both sad and cruel. Still, there was something incredibly off about Mihou, but you couldn't really tell what it was. Taking a closer look at her, you found what you thought was the thing that bothered you the most.

"Ah, this is..." Realizing what you had realized, the blonde tried to hide it but, at this point, there was little she could do to conceal it. "... This is not a Magical Weapon."

That would explain why her sword had not disappeared like Hayate's gloves or your dagger. But that brought up another question... If she did not possess a magical weapon, that meant she could not be considered a Magus. Then, How had she managed to gain access to a space that allowed only Magi inside? Could it be that your theory had not been entirely accurate, after all? That you were missing something?

"Then what exactly is that?" Yamada, who had not opened her mouth in a while, could not resist the urge to ask that question. "... It cut through all those things like nothing."

Sawai Mihou walked up to the manhole and with a stomp; she tossed it into the sky, as if it were just a coin. Before jumping in, she stared at the boxer for a second, bewildered.

"Isn't it obvious...? It's a sword."

By the time the cover fell, Sawai Mihou had already left the scene.

"Good grief..." Hayate sighed. "That girl..."

[hero]

Interlude

Rogue Flame vs. Nyarlathotep
'Avenger of the Black Flame'

The blue haired girl set foot on the underground parking lot. The space extended as far as she could see, almost in every possible direction. The place had been built as a response to Tsukuyomi-jima's sudden increase in tourism over the past couple of years. However, as the island had always been small and both native and foreign inhabitants rarely used cars, such a big structure had proved to be a bad investment and had recently closed down.

Not like things like that mattered to any of the Magi who were there that night.

There was nowhere else to run to. With this, Rogue Flame was confident that she had cornered her prey.

"... Don't make things any harder. Show your face."

As if she knew the exact position where her opponent was hiding -and perhaps she did-, she informed the truth: The inevitable confrontation in which they both would be involved could no longer be delayed. Rogue Flame didn't say this out of respect. The reason why she had chosen not to launch a surprise attack on her opponent could not be any further from chivalry. She simply wanted to see the face of the person she was about to murder. And she also wanted that person to see her face.

"Heh."

With a chuckle, a shadow stepped out from behind one of the many columns without losing elegance and seemingly unworried about the situation at hand. A woman in her late twenties; her long dark hair and gleaming red eyes, together with her slender figure, turned her into a deadly seductress ready to strike. Running her hand through her hair, she placed herself in a spot where anyone could see her, and stared back at the other girl without saying a word, with an expression filled with irony that said everything: 'So, what's next?'

"Do you know..." Rogue Flame put down her hood. "...Who I am?"

Finding the question pleasant, the woman smiled.

"Yes, 'Mage of Misfortune', as a matter of fact..." She licked her lips slowly, as if to savor the moment. "I know everything about you."

"Then..." The blue haired Magus took a deep breath and closed her eyes, before opening them again. One could feel an unwavering resolve coming from this person. "... You know why I am here." Rogue Flame wanted her victim to truly know everything. Even if she had claimed she did, the girl was sure that there were plenty of things she didn't know. "My name is Nakayama Haru and I am here to avenge-"

"Quiet." But the mysterious woman interrupted, issuing a single order. She had placed her right hand on her forehead, implying that the girl's speech was giving her a headache and she was getting tired. And, if there was one thing she hated, it was repeating herself: "I told you already. I know everything about you." Then, with a rather cocky tone, she added. "I know exactly who I am messing with. But... Do you?"

"... Nyarlathotep."

(BGM on)

What would soon become a battlefield was filled with otherworldy pressure. Or maybe the tension had reached high enough levels for it to give that impression. The truth was, there was no more room for talk. From now on, they would let their fists do the talking. That was all it came down to.

---A clash between gods was about to occur.

With her superior speed, Rogue Flame was the first to move. With the clear intention to take the battle to close quarters, she tried to close the distance between the two in an instant. Unfortunately, Nyarlathotep had already anticipated her opponent would employ such tactics and jumped outside her range. By the time the woman landed, a curtain of thick black mist already covered a great part of her figure. When she ran her hand through part of it, it didn't slip through her fingers, but instead turned into a lump of dark mud. And, before the blue haired girl could return to the offensive, she threw it in her direction. Nyarlathotep was not aiming at her enemy. Rather, her target was the space right above her. The lump increased in size as it flew, turning into a black sphere of death. The moment it became perfectly aligned with Rogue Flame's body...

"...?!"

---It exploded.

The result was an unavoidable attack. With pieces of mud raining down in every possible direction, there was no way the avenger could hope dodge it. But there was more to it. That mud was literally the most corrosive acid in the whole universe. Even to someone far exceeded human limitations, taking such attack head on was nothing but suicide. The angle, the timing... Everything turned it into something perfectly lethal. Checkmate. Death in one turn. It was over.

---No.

Perhaps that would have been the case if the black haired demon had been fighting against a much weaker opponent. But Nakayama Haru bore her fangs dangerously, and her powers alone turned her into an equal. That was why Nyarlathotep needed to continue her assault. She couldn't afford to give this opponent a single chance of survival-!

"Muspelheim."

A shield of black flames materialized right above the girl to protect her from all harm. Before the eternal flames, 'the most corrosive acid in the whole universe' was nothing close to a threat. It didn't even manage to touch the flames before being consumed by them. But, in focusing all her flames in one point like that, she had left her body wide open from at least four possible directions. Taking advantage of this, the woman had her magical weapon create several other mud balls and shoot them at the enemy like a machinegun. But even so...

Rogue Flame retracted her fist...

"It's useless."

And with her punch came together a giant fire bullet.

"Tch."

Nyarlathotep didn't even bother going into defense. Those flames burnt until the target had been reduced to ashes. So the best way to deal with them was to stay out of their way. However, in such a short period of time, her opponent had managed to turn the tables and become the main attacker. That was what the woman had refused to think, at least until she saw the blue haired girl's next move.

---This time the distance between them had indeed been reduced to nothing.

Predicting the spot where the enemy would move in order to dodge, Haru had managed to stay one step ahead of her opponent and enter her range. With this, her victory had already been determined. But, as if to object to this fact, the woman covered her hand in black mud and turned it into a blade. Without hesitation, she swung it with the firm intention of decapitating her foolish rival. That would teach her to never try something so reckless in the afterlife-!

However.

That was exactly what the Mage of Misfortune had been waiting for...!

"Too slow."

She evaded the attack effortlessly, without slowing down and countering at the same time. The merciless fist that aimed for Nyarlathotep's solar plexus quickly developed into a series of punches and kicks. Although at times they seemed to follow a pattern, they were constantly in change, turning them into attacks that could not be read.

---Ultimate Arts---
The strongest style of mixed martial arts to ever exist, it utilizes deadly speed, power and accuracy to exploit the weakness of the opponent. The basic combo is throwing a barrage of attacks with great speed from all angles toward the opponent, then finishing with a powerful strike propelled by the momentum gained from earlier strikes. Not as simple as it seems to be, it's an art that takes decades to be mastered. The bigger the gap between the user and the opponent when it comes to physical performance and fighting skills, the more effective and dangerous this skill becomes. Furthermore, by enhancing each of her strikes with Magical energy, Rogue Flame can cover her own fists and foot in flames, turning each and every attack into a potential killing blow-!

"HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!"

"...!"

Barely managing to catch a breath, the black haired woman stomps the floor with all her strength, hoping that the debris would slow down her opponent and give her time to open the distance once more. But there was no wasted movement in Rogue Flame's counters, and soon Nyarlathotep found herself back on square one.

"Kuh...!"

But she had no intention of letting this last. Fighting against an unpredictable style with sheer instinct and accumulated experience, the devil managed to find an opening in that seemingly impenetrable stance and...

---Nakayama Haru's fist pierces her, from side to side.

(BGM off)

...But why was Rogue Flame the one who looked surprised?

(BGM on)

"You... What did y-?"

Immediately after, the body itself exploded, turning into a formless mass of mud. The blue haired girl who was unable to move and too close to it to even be able to react, was completely swallowed by the corrupted substance in a matter of seconds. Just a few meters behind stood the real Nyarlathotep, who was pleased to have finally captured such a troublesome opponent.

"You humans are all so foolish." She said, as her amusement faded and was replaced with boredom. "So foolish, foolish."

Inside the sphere of black mud, the pain became unbearable.

"Ahh... guhhh-!!! ahhhggghuuuh...!"

Nakayama Haru was literally being suffocated, crushed, cut, burned and chewed out. All at the same time.

"Guhh... Ahhh... Kuughh... Ahh... U..."

"Eh?" From the outside, the god of crawling chaos thought she heard something. Raising one hand to her ear, she made a humorous yet provocative gesture. "Sorry. It's so noisy in there... I can't hear you~"

"... Fu... U..."

"...?"

"... F... U... C... K...... Y... O... U...-!"

"Pfffft... Hahahahahahahaha!" Nyarlathotep burst into laugher, overjoyed. She had heard many people curse her existence in the past, and she was well aware that insults lead them nowhere. It just meant they were one step away from accepting their deaths. "Hmmm?" But soon the smile was erased from her face. Something was coming. Something extremely dangerous.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

(BGM off)

"Shi-"

"Lævateinn"

The black sword cut through everything, even darkness itself.

-------

The end of a confrontation.

The black haired woman lay on the floor, unmoving. Conscious, but defeated. The flames that had once engulfed her body had been extinguished on purpose, as Rogue Flame had a lot of things she wanted to ask before finishing her off once and for all. But, contrary to her expectations, all the Magus did was laugh as if there were no tomorrow. Annoyed that the whole interrogation process had been a failure, the blue haired girl prepared herself to do what she had come here to do. Her opponent had hurt her pretty badly and, were she let her live, would become an immense threat in the future. No, that thought did never cross her mind. She had never intended to let her live in the very first place. This wasn't about the war or about some ridiculous wish.

---This was about revenge.

"I'll see you in hell. Until we meet again, prepare yourself."

With a single snap of her fingers, the woman was once more set aflame. But her laugher did not stop. Bewildered by this, Haru couldn't help but to ask a single question:

"What... What the hell are you?"

The witch made an inhuman effort to move her head and face her hunter. Then, as her face itself started to melt, she showed Rogue Flame many faces that weren't her own, the last of which resembled the face of certain man.

"I can be any person you want me to be."

Her laugher echoed through the underground parking lot, as her figure was slowly reduced to nothingness.

Interlude Out

[Sei]

Fukami Mikoto
Residential District II- Night

(BGM on)

"A-Ah, yeah, ummm...Can my... Magic get stronger? How? Do I have to train or something? And...... How do I win?"

Honestly, I have to say that the question... Rather, the questions of the wary girl come as somewhat of a shock. However, at the same time, the fact that this girl has approached me does not come as too much of a surprise. She has questions that she wants answers too, and the vibe emanating from her speaks of her anxiety. Judging by her body language, I can tell that something is going on in her head, but I don't dwell on the thought for too long.

"Hmm, that's a tricky one..."

I respond with a carefree tone in order to draw away from the somewhat troubled expression on my face. In light of what the girl wants too know, I have no problem answering her. In fact, it's not even as if the questions are difficult to answer. Growing stronger is easy with the proper guidance; however, using the newfound strength is my primary concern.

In my travels, I've met a variety of different mages. Most of course being more experienced than I; however, there are a few who are getting started just like me. I've seen the process, and know the burden it can bring... Not only does one have to learn to control their power, but they also have to do right in not allowing themselves to be corrupted by it. So when this girl asks me about getting stronger and winning, I can't help but feel a little hesitant...

"I suppose it depends on you yourself..."

Feeling myself become a bit wary, I take a deep breath and put on a smile. Crossing my arms, I nod my head as I figure out what I'm going to say next. Though I suppose I can't tell her the entirety of magic just yet, I can at least tell her enough to where she can understand it.

Given the circumstances, I can see her reason for wanting to 'win'. So the least I can do is push her in the right direction.

"Generally speaking, when a magus awakens, the nature of their magical weapon- the medium of their magic, and their magic itself is revealed in that very instant. Of course their are exceptions to this idea, but it usually applies in one way or another."

I pause for a moment to let that much sink in. There's a lot to say during this crash-course, so I want to be sure I don't speak too fast.

"The magic of a magus is an extension of their desires, aspirations, and existence. Therefore, if you want your magic to develop, then you yourself have to develop. It's a little philosophical in word, but it's fairly simple in action. Training your body, sharpening your mind, or simply growing accustomed to your magic... these are all ways in which a magus can grow. Exactly which method of growth suits you best, is something you'll have to discover."

Remembering the time I awakened, my body recalls the surge of power and emotion I felt. It felt like anything was possible, but at the same time, it seemed like everything could go wrong. For magi, since 'reality' is of little consequence, I suppose that still holds true... However, since then I've learned to at least control my ability and hold more confidence in battle. However, for someone new to this world, I imagine the atmosphere alone becomes threatening in nature...

"...You should also know that if your magical weapon is destroyed, you'll die as well..." My spirit sinks as I utter this bitter truth aloud. To magi, the weapon itself is more important than the body. So needless to say, a magi should protect it at all costs, if possible. "Even if your body is destroyed, so long as your weapon is intact, you'll be fine... So above all else, try to keep this in mind..."

After taking another deep breath, I drop my arms down to my sides and place them in my pockets. Closing my eyes briefly, I determine that I've told Nakamura Akio's friend all that I can without knowing the nature of her abilities. Feeling that she's at least up to speed, I reopen my eyes and look at her, feeling something like pity as I do so. Going through all of this under normal circumstances is stressful enough...

"Well..." Trying my best not to heighten such things, I put on a smile, "Those are the basics..."

With that said, I turn halfway in the other direction, but I don't continue towards home just yet.

"I know it's pretty heavy stuff to take in all at once, but the sooner you know, the better. Truth be told, I feel bad that you have to awaken now of all times... but I suppose, it could've ended up much worse... At the least, you've got some friends around. ...And if you want it, I'm more than happy to help where I can as well."

Recalling the conditions of this war, I can't help but feel anger begin to well up inside of me. For a moment, my forced grin fades and I break eye contact, but I quickly catch myself. Nervously putting on a goofy smile, I rub the back of my head.

"..."

With the uncomfortable silence nudging me in the side, I figure I should say the last thing that's on my mind.

"... Don't fight." Getting straight to the point, I just let the words spill out. "You don't have to fight, so you shouldn't... If you do, you'll just be falling into whatever plan whoever started all this is thinking. So don't fight... If you have to, you should only do it to protect yourself or those close to you... It's not a proven theory, but I feel that's the best way to get 'stronger'."

Taking a step back, I nonverbally announce that I'll be taking my leave.

"Heh. Sorry about that. Guess I got on my soapbox for a bit there." Jokingly downplaying my own words, I wave my hand through the air. "Anyways, you should get home soon. I think it's safe to say that you've been through a lot and should probably lay down. And try not to worry too much about all that's going on. I'm personally going to see to it that this all stops as soon as possible. And I'm sure Nakamura-san will too."

Winking at the girl, I attempt to get a shot in much like the white-haired woman from before.

"By the way, my name is Fukami Mikoto. Miko, for short. It's nice to meet you."

Still facing the brunette in front of me, I look her right in the eye as if to ask if she has anymore questions.

[hero]

Interlude
Aomori Mana & Kubo Naoya
'Prime Suspect'

It was hard to describe how Aomori Mana felt at the time, but maybe 'happy' was a good place to start.

It had been a long day. As the brunette walked her way back home, she recalled everything that had happened. Every emotion she had felt, every face she had seen, every meaningful word she had heard from someone else. Without a doubt, that day full of good and bad happenings would never be forgotten. To put it in a few words, that day would become part of her memories. Her chest filled with a great feeling of accomplishment, she experienced the urge to dance in joy. The more she thought about it, the more she found the day to have been really enjoyable. If like kept on being like that, she wouldn't mind being summoned to that weird space to fight a second time. After all, that had been what had helped her understand other people a little better and, in the end, the weekly villain had been defeated and everyone had survived.

---Bad things were a breeze when compared to all the good she'd had that day.

Nakamura Akio. He had said that their meeting had been fate's doing. Fate? Yeah, Mana could see it now. Although, that made her remember the letter and wonder: 'Who could have sent them?'. Prank or not, Could that person be the personification of fate? Heh, she was thinking silly things again. But, back to topic, it was Akio who taught her what 'friendship' truly meant. He had just met her and he had been willing to protect her as if they had known each other from childhood-! He wasn't sure if there was a man in that island that could be as brave and kind as him, but with one it was enough. 'True friendship' was real...!

Fukami Mikoto. To be honest, Mana's first impression of her had been a bad one. How could she have accused Hitomi-san, Akio's sister, of being the mastermind? That had been just too cruel. But now, the amateur Magus was convinced: It had all been the evil man's doing. That one that looked like a gang member. Tsukabe or Naoya or whatever. After all, how could Mikoto be an evil person? She had been so kind to answer all her questions without asking anything in return. 'Maybe I should work on repaying her somehow' She thought. Or better yet, repaying them both! She had just that much energy to spare.

"Bam, Bam."

She could not help but imagine herself fighting together with them against evil, like some sort of hero group. Granted, Miko had told her not to fight unless there was something out there that she needed to protect but still. A mere daydream could cause no harm to anybody, right?

Sadly, her happiness didn't last for much...

"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" A familiar voice addressing her, Mana spotted Cain leaning against a wall. It looked like he had been waiting for her for quite some time. "If it isn't Ms. Mysterious. Happy your plans for the first round worked okay...?"

Aomori Mana frowned.

This man was a bad person. A really, really bad person. All he did was mock others, and if he was there to talk to her, then he surely had no good intentions. Still, she would not falter. If what this guy wanted was to pick up a fight, then she would not give in to his desires. After she had been taught not to fight needlessly, an opponent had showed up, ready to start an argument without a good reason. It could only be a test imposed by fate. And she was fine with it. She would show this man just how much she valued friendship and love over everything else-!

So, without a word, the girl walked past the man, completely ignoring his provocations.

However...

"Sorry, sorry." Cain scratched the back of his head with an apologetic look on his face. "Actually, I am here to apologize."

Mana stopped her march, curious.

"Apologize?" She said, without turning around.

"Yeah, I didn't mean to be rude to that kid and his sister. I was just playing around, you know? That's how I do things, I guess."

"Really?"

"Yeah. I couldn't find them after they left, though. So I thought you could tell them for me? I mean, you seemed to be pretty close to the kid, at least."

Well, that was an interesting turn of events.

Guess this person was not so bad after all. It was more like... He had a different way to demonstrate his affection. Or that's what Aomori Mana thought. With a smile on his face, the girl decided to give the man another chance.

"Ummm, sure! Don't worry, I'll deliver the message without fail!" Still feeling a little uncomfortable, she decided it was time to leave. "I got to go now, though. It's getting late. See you!"

"Hehe..." Naoya chuckled in amazement. Then, after a brief pause, he called out to the girl a second time. "Hey! Actually... I had another thing I wanted to tell you." His face became as cold as ice, as the following words escaped his mouth: "The person I should have framed... The person I honestly think is the brain behind everything that has happened today... It's you, girly."

Aomori Mana's world froze.

"That's a pretty nice reaction. I guess that means I was right." Crain cracked his neck before proceeding to explain how he had reached that conclusion. "You know, my Magical Weapon has a very interesting ability. I think that brat mentioned it during our earlier discussion. Black Bible not only allows me to record and analyze past events so long as it's active, it also provides me with basic information of every individual in a certain area. Most of it is useless junk, but I can also see the real name of the person, and the nickname that person uses in the world of Magi. Do you get where I am going?"

"..."

Damn, this man was trying to put the blame on her now? She had been wrong for trusting him, even it had been only for a couple of minutes. Mana did not know what he was talking about or where he was going with all this, but she already felt like punching the man. However, she said nothing and continued walking down the road. Her house was less than half a block away.

"But you have no name. At all. It's the first time it happens, and I don't know, it seems quite suspicious doesn't it? Even if you were trying to conceal your name and title in some way, I would be informed of such a thing. What I mean is that whatever name you are using is false, and the real you has no name. You don't have a Magus title either. I guess that means you will never become a target in this game. Hell, I am not sure of what the hell you are supposed to be. But maybe, knowning this, the next time we meet I won't be as friendly."

"... Is that a threat?"

Before the girl could realize, those words had already been said by her.

"Nah. I think that I will play your game for now. But if my name ever shows up as a target, then you better watch your back, because I am going to kill you before you get me killed. And just like you, I won't give a fuck about the rules when I do."

"..."

With nothing else to be said, Tsukabe Motoshige made a 'see you later' gesture and walked away.

Aomori Mana was left alone in the darkness of the night.

Confused, angry and powerless.

Interlude Out

[hero]

Interlude
'Reverse Side I'

Like a kid inside a stranger's house, Aomori Mana explored her surroundings with caution.

She searched every room, looked behind every door and confirmed that no monster was hiding under her bed. She was alone; completely alone inside a house that, to her, felt haunted. This was not a place where she could sleep with tranquility. The girl could not explain why her own home didn't feel safe, or why every second she spent in there seemed to poison her peace of mind. It was just how it was.

"..."

Mana took a deep breath, as if to prepare herself. Yes, there was one place she had yet to visit. Probably the most scary of them all: The basement. Walking down the wooden stairs, slowly, step by step, the images inside her head became more vivid. So vivid that...

The next thing she knew, she was sitting there by herself...

-------

Hishikawa Nanako washed herself under the shower.

It had been a while since something had managed to make her lose her cool like the incident at the school had. It had to do with the fact that she couldn't comprehend a thing of what had happened. She couldn't deny the things that she had seen, but at the same time she was having trouble trying to accept them. If what Shinji Nakamura had told her was the truth, then why wasn't she looking for a way to stop it? Why did she lack all sense of urgency? The whole situation was too unreal for her brain to swallow it all in one night. With a sigh, she closed the tap and walked out. Feeling a cold breeze, the red head reached out for the towel and used it to cover her nude body.

"You should be thinking about the date." Nanako told herself.

But there were still a lot of things she couldn't shake off. About an hour after Nakamura had left, She had felt the urge to tell everyone that Chisato had been murdered. As the Student Council President, it was her duty to make sure there existed transparency in every matter that happened within the premises of the school. But when she had approached the students to deliver the sad news, nobody had seemed to recognize Yoshiota Chisato. When Nanako told them that Chisato had been the host of the party, they had responded: 'I thought the school was hosting this party...'. It was as if someone had wiped off their memories. Well, after all she had seen that day, it sounded plausible.

And then there was the fact that all the wounds she had suffered from the explosion had been healed in an instant. Not to mention that she had managed to walk out of that alive, which by all logic seemed impossible. And finally...

"What happened with Chisato is an unfortunate rule of the 'event' that she and I, and now you, are apart of. For anyone to leave that 'battlefield', one 'contender' must die. No exceptions."

"A warning, Hishikawa-san. Now that you have shown 'potential', you will be dragged down into 'my world'. What will you do if your protectorate are the ones trying to kill you? What will you do if you find not I but someone close to you down the barrel of your gun?"

"What will I do if I find not you, but someone close to me down the barrel of my gun...?" Hishikawa Nanako asked herself.

It didn't take her five seconds to reach the answer.

"... Isn't it obvious?"

Her mouth curved into an ironic smile.

------

Nakayama Haru was not okay.

She had sustained heavy amounts of damage during her battle with Nyarlathotep, wounds that would not heal in a couple of days. She held one hand over her stomatch as she dragged her body through the streets. A normal Magus would have been neutralized for at least one hour after taking that much of a beating, but Rogue Flame had no time to rest. She had promised not to rest until her revenge against the people who took everything from her sixteen years ago was completed.

But, that night, there was another reason why 'The Mage of Misfortune' needed to get to the hotel room where she was staying as soon as possible.

"Uughhrrr..." Her throat, her chest, her whole body burned from the inside. It took no longer than three seconds for it to become unbearable. "Ah... Ahhh... Ah... N-Not... Now..."

Finally overwhelmed by the powerful, yet familiar sensation, Nakayama Haru leaned against a wall, as the last of her strength slipped away. Before losing consciousness, she heard the shouts of a young boy asking for help. But Rogue Flame knew that such a thing was pointless. There was nothing mere humans could do to cure this decease.

"Hey...! Are you alright...?! Hang on, help is on their way here, okay? So stay with me. Hey! Hey-! Damn it-!"

How... Unfortunate.

Interlude Out