Ouroboros - Magus Wars IC

[Snax]

Scribes
Tokyo, Scribe Headquarters at Ginza
July 7th, 2041
10 : 30 AM

After parting ways, each of you return to your quarters first to get your other equipment and a change of civilian clothes in order to blend in with the general crowd. The silver GMDs were inconspicuous enough in general, hidden under sleeves. It might not deceive the discerning eye or a Sensor type individual with good senses, but at any rate some level of concealment would be fine for general cases.

Stepping out, each of you take a different means of transportation to your designated locations, just in case.

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

Morrigan Blackmore
Tokyo, Aoyama, Bus Terminal
July 7th, 2041
11:05 AM

Arriving in Aoyama by bus, you arrive in one of the biggest boutique-shopping streets in Japan. Known for its wares regarding fashion or architecture, this would probably be somewhere more fitted to looking for some new clothing, or perhaps planning for a new house.

You were here for neither.

The mission was to search for Ouroborus or any other individuals who might disturb the peace, and bring them to justice, while trying to avoid Resistance mages in particular. You looked through some files telepathically using the GMD on your way in the bus, so you had a better idea of where to avoid, and what not to get involved with.

There were no freelancer hubs in Aoyama, at least. There seemed to be one in Roppongi though, meaning more rabble would be gathered there. While Aoyama wasn’t exactly a suburb district, it was definitely less major in terms of mage population. The only major Resistance family in this area would definitely be the long-holding Aoyamas, who used to be the landowners of the area as well. Aoyama Shuuhei, the family head, was not much of a mage - but he still held significant hold over the region, and it wouldn’t be nice to mess with him or his subordinates.

Then there was the Aoyama Cemetery, the first municipal cemetery in the region, and the country. There were some pretty old graves in that area, and it was quite likely any kind of necromancer or hideaway mage to make a nest around that area.

Still, you were some ways away from the cemetery for now. Sitting around in the middle of a bustling shopping district wasn’t going to get you far in your mission. At least you couldn’t sense much mana around…

Although, you do seem to sense something made of quite concentrated mana somewhere around the area. It doesn’t seem to be a living creature, probably a spiritual familiar of sorts - although you can’t quite pinpoint its location from where you are.

There also seems to be a faint mana signal coming from one of the shops around the corner. A flower shop, it seems...As you check the store out, the owner doesn’t look special in particular, albeit rather good looking and young for a store owner.

Spoiler:

“Oh, welcome. Looking for anything, young miss?”

'Young Miss' sounds rather out of place when said by someone nearly as tall as yourself, with a face to match, though.

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

Morisaku Ryosuke
Tokyo, Roppongi-Icchome Station
July 7th, 2041
11:00 AM

A bit of a ride, but you get to the Roppongi area with no complications at all. Arriving at the station, you are somewhat surprised at the number of foreigners in the area. Maybe you were wrong. This area was actually not too bad for a foreigner. Consulting your phone and Googling the area, you find out that there is actually quite a expat population, not to mention some of the higher-class foreigners actually living here due to the number of embassies around the area.

Well, no matter. Apparently Akasaka too was full of foreigners, and no matter where, gaijin where gaijin in Japan. That would never change, considering some of the night-life traps in Japan were specifically targeting those from foreign lands.

Still, the day-roads weren’t too full of life. The station wasn’t quite active, not as crowded. This town was more of a night-town after all.

Traditional mages tended to stay away from this area at least, meaning there were to be more of the general rabble concentrated around the pubs and bars in the alleyways. There was a Freelancer hub as well, the only one in the district. Even bigger an excuse for the general ragtag to gather around for drinks or some other pleasure.

Your appearance does seem to draw some attention, at least not in the very good way. Considering your sharp looks and the casual clothes you are sporting, as well as the reputation for this area, some people might even think you as yakuza. At least you aren’t wearing a black suit and black sunglasses to make out the full effect. Might even want to get a few lackeys in the meantime and swagger out into the sunlight like some newbie.

Sighing as you remember the good ol’ days, you walk out of the station and into the big roads. Some business buildings, hotels, and a street with quite some traffic. It was near lunchtime, no wonder things would be getting busy especially around the eateries. Talking of food, your appetite was also rearing its head. About an hour until you’d start getting rip-roarin’ hungry, evidently.

You walk into one of the smaller pedestrian streets, full of restaurants not yet open but getting ready to open in 30 minutes. You also see some older men, sitting by stools and chairs near convenience stores smoking and chatting, clearly on a early lunch break.

You turn right at a fork in the road, passing by various shops - yakitori, korean barbeque, chicken, sushi, pasta...so many choices. Even a bar or two, although not yet open. As you pass an alleyway, however, you see a few thugs sitting at the other end of the dark alleyway, smoking away while keeping a lookout apparently. Not much of a lookout, as you crouch behind a wall, out of sight. Your hearing picks up some grunts and sounds of fists hitting flesh. A mugging, probably. Mundane business, nothing to really get involved in.

In broad daylight though? Things get even more suspicious as you sense a little mana coming from each of the thugs, as unspecialized as you are with sensing stuff as such. It was as if they were being controlled on a light level, perhaps layered suggestions like how many mages would set up barriers.

Apparently one of the thugs got a whiff of you, though. The hooded guy sidles up through the alleyway, not even throwing away his cig. He stops at a few steps away from the edge, squinting, as if he is not sure if he really saw you or not.


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

Alastair Garald
Tokyo, Akasaka, Taxi station
July 7th, 2041
11:02 AM

Having took a taxi and paying off everything with the Scribe credit card you had, you step out into the daylight and look around. Picking out a suit for this occasion wasn’t the wrong choice - this was a full-on business district, although there was also plenty of bars and restaurants and nightclubs around the area. It was still day - the nightlife districts were sleeping.

You take a brief walk around the area, searching for mana trails. Nothing yet. Considering most of the rabble gathered around Roppongi and the traditional mage did not have much love for the bustle of the city, there wasn’t going to be much luck looking for those types. The most likely type of mage to be around here would be those who preferred to live like a mundane would, mixing into the society of normal humans and keeping magecraft to the minimum. Those types were also quite talented in hiding their tracks, so it would be a pain trying to hunt out any of them.

That was not even part of the mission though - and considering the cause to not irritate any resistance members, it wouldn’t be wise to beat about the area looking for hidden mages that didn’t want to cause trouble. So how exactly would you be looking around for clues?

As you walk across the roads, your eyes rest upon a old fortune-telling woman in one of the alleyways. She looks rather out of place in this business center, as there isn’t really much space for business of those types. If it was in the evening, with a dumb couple or two around maybe the situation would be different - but in broad daylight?

Spoiler:

You do sense some faint mana coming from her way. She also appears to be waving towards you, and smiling. Some twist of fate? As you approach her, you are enveloped in a small barrier of sorts. It doesn’t seem hostile, but it sure would keep the mundanes out. It was as if she had anticipated you coming.

“Hello sonny, lovely day isn’t it. How about some fortune telling?”

She smiles, a knowing, wise smile.

“Don’t be too wary, I have no affiliations. Just a peddler woman, selling her wares. This is your first time though, so it’s on the house. Think of it as service for the days to come. What about it? Any specific questions you'd like to ask, or any issues you'd like council for? Or would it be the whereabouts of a certain person you're looking for, fufufu."

She chuckles, with a stare that seems to be looking straight into your mind.

[Katie]

Morrigan Blackmore
Tokyo, Aoyama, Bus Terminal
July 7th, 2041
11:05 AM

“Are there any beautiful bouquets you would recommend for one like myself? Shameless as it is, I think a bundle of flowers would cheer me up.” Morrigan let out a half-hearted smile, a cover story already formulating in her brain. It was really embarrassing, to be honest, and if she was caught lying, she’d never live it down. But at the same time, it was the only thing that quickly and easily came to her mind. She needed to read better books, she decided.

She nervously (whether real or false, she couldn’t tell) toyed with her hands, looking around. She’d always liked flowers, but first and foremost, there was a mana signature here. At the very least, she could figure out what the place was for before she moved on to the cemetery. Necromantic mages often tended to be more active at night, anyway—easier to steal corpses in the dark. But back to pretending (okay, maybe she wasn’t really pretending) she just wanted some flowers.

Why was lying so hard?

[Bloble]

Morisaku Ryosuke
Tokyo, Roppongi-Icchome Station
July 7th, 2041
11:00 AM

Tch. Boring, both of them. Stupid professionals and their aversion to fun. Ryo had excepted something, but the Knights' blank refusals had been worse than anything. Stupid do-gooders devoid of personality. Stupid Scribes.

Here, on the other hand, was something actually interesting. The thrill of going against orders by switching his probably carefully picked location with another was enough on its own, but running into a bunch of thugs doing very thug-like things was enough of a blast-from-the-past nostalgia trip to almost bring a tear to Ryosuke's eyes. Those thick-headed dumbasses, useless to society but excellent as unthinking foot soldiers for more cunning gang leaders, were so very similar to people he'd once known well.

But Morisaku Ryosuke wasn't one for sentimentality.

"Yo, dumbass." He stepped into the alley, disappearing from the eyes of those on the street. Alleys were empty places where no one looked. In most countries you'd be hard-pressed to find someone stupid and heroic enough to see a crime in progress and do something about it, but in Japan, it was even harder. The rules of conformity were on his and the thugs' side here. The sheep wandering the streets were compelled to ignore anything out of the ordinary. Things were either excellent or okay, and a mugging fit into neither category, so it was wiped away, out of people's sight and mind, so they didn't have to think about their own weakness and hollow adherence to a set of rules that governed their lives so totally they couldn't ever be separated from it. The same people who went on television and argued for theoretical justice averted their eyes from it every single day.

In short, Ryosuke was in his element now. Fuck looking for Ouroboros. He was no detective, and he didn't need to be. Everything one needed to know could be gotten simply by finding the right person and beating the information out of them. Barring that, all one needed to do to chase the snake out of the trashcan was kick it a few times.

Before the hooded man could say a word, Ryosuke had grabbed a rusted pipe lying near the alleyway entrance and swung it casually into the man's gut, holding back enough that he wouldn't suffer internal injuries, but putting in just enough force to completely knock the wind and lunch out of him.

Ryo pushed, and the man sprawled flew backwards, deeper into the alley, rolling to a stop at his comrades' feet a twitching mess.

"Fucking amateurs," he sighed. The shitty excuse for a Sergeant bent down and picked up the cigarette that had fallen from the thug's lips. He wiped it off on his cheap shirt and stuck it in his mouth, taking a stolen puff. "What the fuck is this? I've seen better muggings in pre-school!"

It was almost like he was home again. The only thing missing was the crowd of whooping voices behind him, affirming his words and driving them deeper into the hearts of the other guys. Now he was flying solo, which was a disadvantage. Power in numbers was a rule, unless one had a weapon, and he wasn't stupid enough to draw his in broad daylight. Unless he aced the intro, they'd all rush at him as a group in a blind attempt to take him down.

So Ryosuke strutted his stuff. His body language was that of someone perfectly in control. He radiated confidence without a scrap of fear or uncertainty for the thugs to take advantage of. Every single instinct in every single one of those gullible losers was screaming that the newcomer was not to be trifled with.

To water the seeds he'd planted, Ryosuke took the act a step further. "Listen up, kids!" An authoritative tone, to capture their attention and proclaim that he was the one to be listened to around here. "You're in our territory now. It takes balls to pull this kind of shit on my front lawn, but balls ain't gonna save you when the boss gets wind of it."

Alluding to a higher organization was all he needed to do. They knew the rules as much as he did. In Japan, yakuza were the ultimate power that the gangs answered to. Even ordinary people knew never to mess with the semi-legal organizations that operated brazenly in front of the police. For these common thugs, getting the attention of someone clearly above their level was akin to a death sentence if they didn't handle it properly. Sure, they might be working for the real yakuza in charge of Roppongi, but rival gangs clashed often enough that the idea of a completely new syndicate moving in wasn't an uncommon one.

"Who do you answer to?" The pipe jabbed forward, and with it, Ryosuke took a single step towards what might be his next victim. He grinned, smelling either a fight or terrified pleading in the near future. Either one would be sweet. "Name yourselves, and maybe your big brother might be able to buy a way out of what's coming for you."

The whole thing was a ritual of sorts, one Ryo was intimately familiar with. If anything could snap the thugs out of the magic controlling them, it was this. Of course, if they'd been turned into mindless zombies it would be useless, but the magic of habit was a great thing. He could care less about the actual target of the mugging. Much more important was the reason why it was happening in the first place.

Magic or the internalized Rules these men lived by. Which would win?

Ryosuke couldn't wait to find out.

[Snax]

Resistance
Tokyo, Shinjuku
July 7th, 2041
10 : 20 AM

Acknowledging your choices, the maid beckons to Jun-Su Yeon, taking her to the hallway of the 2nd floor. Placing her hand on a seal, she opens a doorway to a stairway to the upper levels. While she guides the korean girl to her quarters, Cernunnos leaves the premises and heads towards wherever he was headed for, without a word. The last to leave is Emelie, headed towards the safehouse that Duodecim had gotten for her. It wasn’t too far away from the Resistance Liaison, although on the other edge of town.

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

Cernunnos
Tokyo, Aoyama Train station
July 7th, 2041
10:50 AM

Arriving at Aoyama wasn’t too much of a hassle. While your knowledge of modern mechanisms was limited, you still understood how to get through daily life without a hassle to a certain level. Your concealment magic was still going on along just fine, and nobody was quite noticing you. Your mana signal being rather alien, and closer to that of the fey or the spirituals compared to normal mages also helped avoid detection, although on the way you do notice a few random passerby feel uneasy around you.

At least any Scribe or so from a long distance wouldn’t be able to notice you too easily. Even if they were right next to you, as long as your concealment was done properly, it would take a while for those to notice you properly.

The only issue was, the spell wasn’t exactly very long-lasting. Another hour and it would probably wear off proper.

You yourself had little to no knowledge about the mage distribution in the area, although you assumed apart from the major Mage family of the Aoyamas, which were somewhat known in the Japanese Resistance, there wasn’t anyone significant at all. That also meant Scribe population was low, due to the ceasefire and lack of hostilities on either side. It was a tense cold war though, based off the balance of power, not a peace treaty.

You swiftly make your way through the streets. Having gotten off rather close to the cemetery, you directly make your way to the entrance. As expected, there was a very weak barrier set around the graveyard. The signal that it was already occupied by someone or something, but left alone mostly. There wasn’t much to it, just a brutally efficient barrier that hypnotized normal people into doing one thing...or another.

“Hmm? Who is this that is knocking on my doorstep?”

As you enter the barrier, the scenery takes a change. While the general area looks the same, it also is infested with a creepy fog that emanates from the ground. There was a rather evil aura hanging around the air, just barely stopped by the barrier that was set up for protection from prying eyes. Somehow, it also nullifies your camouflage/disguise magic.

“It would help me rather well if you could leave. You see, I’m pretty busy making myself some /preparations/ for a rather fun event. You don’t look like you’re around here, and since I promised the Aoyamas to be docile for a while - although i could take those weak-asses out myself if i wanted to - I’ll let you turn and leave ASAP. I don’t yet want the Scribes on my asses just yet, warrants outstretched and all.”

A scrawly, thin human form walks out of the shadows. Her skin is a pale color, nearly grey. Her eyes pitch black and inhuman, although the blue pupils were intact, albeit slightly faded. Probably another mage who turned to darker arts of necromancy and revived themselves into their dead bodies, as a lich or a zombie of sorts. Maybe even a vampire, as you note the blood splayed around her body.

Spoiler:

“Don’t worry, this blood isn’t from anyone important. Just a rather impudent dog that showed up on my doorstep and wouldn’t stop barking. I’m still a pacifist, you know?”

She chuckles, coughs, and spits out a few bones. After a little more coughing, she takes out a pipe, lights it, and takes a deep swig of the smoke.

“Actually, wait a sec. You feel rather…different. Yeah. Interesting, very interesting. What’s that mask? How come your mana feels different from normal mages? Interesting, interesting, interesting, interesting….oops, no, my bad habit as a researcher. Forgive me, I tend to get overexcited…”

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


Jun Su-Yeon
Tokyo, Shinjuku hideout
July 7th, 2041
10:30 AM

After the maid shows you your room and leaves you to your own devices, which was rather spic and span despite the looks of the rest of the building (well, considering the blond hair’d man was usually cooped up in the first and second floors), you set about busying yourself with making things look a bit more like home. Most of the stuff was already there, like furniture or everyday appliances. The maid also had left a note to put requests for items or other needs in the box down by the stairs, so you would probably not be lacking. The only grievance you had was there was not much equipment for research, like a proper lab, a dissecting table, etc etc. You’d have to do with for the moment, but you could always try and find a secondary base for other stuff later. For now, this would do.

You take a look at the map of Tokyo that was set up in the hallway. Considering the Scribe Headquarters were at Ginza, you would steer clear of that particular area unless urgent business was up and about. You could always look for more clues around the general area, or you could try heading to Roppongi for the biggest freelancer hub in the area. Or well, anywhere else that was suspicious. There was enough time to go pretty much anywhere around the area at least.

Then there was also the drunk blond who was causing a ruckus again downstairs, probably drinking away while researching his own magic or some other silliness. A loud crash soon followed, silencing the drunken singing. Soon enough, the maid came trudging up the steps with some refreshments - tea, cookies, whatnot. It wasn't quite lunchtime, but you were getting slightly pickish, and those treats would do you good. A good brain needed its sugar, after all.

“I’m sorry for the shameful disposition of my master. Hope it doesn’t bother you too much. Miss Jun. Here are some refreshments, I’ll leave them in your room on the desk. Also, if you need anything else, just ask me directly when I’m around, or place the request in the box as I have mentioned before.”

She dips with a quick bow and then picks up a broom, proceeding to sweep around the area. Truly a maid, even though she was apparently very skilled physically considering the tidbits you had heard during the comedy routine between shikigami and master.

Now then, what to do?

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


Emelie Ingesson
Tokyo, Shinjuku Duodecim Safehouse
July 7th, 2041
10:30 AM

As you left the hideout, you catch a cab and head towards the address of your safehouse. The other end of Shibuya, a small western house with a garden and modest furnishings. All the furniture and necessities were supposed to be set down already, and you only had to take the small amount of baggage you had along with your body.

Paying the cab and getting off, you walk into the front gate of your new home. The small garden looked pretty, with a few easily maintained flowerbeds. Taking your key and opening the lock, you step into your new home. You sense the barrier that is supposed to alert you about enemies and other harmful entities, as well as the protective spells wrought into them.

Plopping your stuff down, you take a good look around. The first floor looks rather normal, with a simple living room+kitchen combo. The furniture looks somewhat expensive and wood/stone-ish, mostly in the form Empress preferred. Going to the second floor, you find your bedroom maintained in fine condition, as well as a bookcase full of random books.

You finally go down to the basement, which was a rather rare occasion in Japanese homes. However, you find it to be rather wide, somehow expanded with space-magecraft, a rare spell to expand the space of an area larger than it originally is. You find a underground practicing area with tons of different types of swords, as well as a magical sparring doll made of pure mana. Empress sure outdid herself in going overboard with this underground area.

Going back up, you dial the phone and contact Empress via phone. Time to address Her Highness with due respects and give her the report. Perhaps noting the new acquaintances would be a good idea, which might lead you to more information? Or perhaps you could keep it short, and get out right into investigation.

But where would you search first, that was the question.

[Snax]

Alisa Jett
Tokyo, Shibuya- Yoyogi Park
July 7th, 2041
10: 30 am

As Lae gives you the candy, you sense those two mana signals again. Whoever is tracking you seems to be rather bad at controlling their mana presence, considering their fluctuation and the flickering between sensible and non-sensible frequencies. They were still rather faint - it seemed more of a amateur's attempt at hiding than anything else. As you turn to look at the direction of the signals, suddenly Lae freezes up, her mana signals rising out of control. She collapses to her knees as if in shock, and the other people around you turn to look at you with worry in their eyes.

Suddenly, you hear a sigh. One of the mundanes was fiddling with something on her pocket and then putting it on her arm - wait, no, you knew what that was. A GMD, the Scribe standard use mass-made artifact. The woman turns to face the you two, her child still slurping at one of the candies while holding his mother’s hand. Her expression wasn’t quite readable, but if anything was portrayed in it, it was perhaps sadness.

Spoiler:

“Sigh, and I was on leave too. Why can’t I never get some proper family time…Honey, be a good boy and stay where you are, ok? I don’t want you getting stuck in the middle of all of this.”

The little boy nods, oblivious to what was happening. He is still looking at Lae as if he was worried about her well-being. The mother then raises her hand into the air, flashing a pulse of mana from her bracelet. A barrier is quickly constructed in place, and the mundanes suddenly freeze up, slowly beginning to move out of the area.

“You two can come out now. Jeez, why did you have to come out and start a scene…And it’s supposed to be an off-day for me as well...”

“Ehehe...sorry.”
“Oh cmon, it’s not like you to refuse work, you workaholic!!”

From the brushes pop out two other girls, both sporting silver GMDs on their left wrists. So these two were the amatuer stalkers that had been following you in the roads back then…

Spoiler:

“Jeez, you two are such a pain. I had to come all this way because I was worried about what you were going to pull, and then this kind of thing happens. Do you know how much damage it would cause if you had by accident made her go out of control?”

“Well…it wasn’t intentional…”

“Yeah, it’s not like we wanted her to lose control. It’s her fault for being a faulty prototype.”

“Yeah, yeah. Just sit back there and don’t get too close. I need to stabilize our girlie here.”

As she approaches you, you stand between Lae and her. The woman is obviously from Yggdrasil, as you see the coat of arms etched on the GMD depicting a tree and roots. She stops and raises both hands into the air as if implying she meant no harm.

“Don’t worry, we have no intentions of fighting you or harming you at all. While it would be ideal to take Laevateinn here with us back to Yggdrasil headquarters, you probably wouldn’t let that slide. While those two girls over there are far more than capable of magic combat, I myself am no combatant and more of a pacifist. I will merely give her a medicine that will re-stabilize her body.”

As she starts approaching you again, the two girls from over the bushes also speak up t you. The green-haired girl looks apologetic - the pink haired on the other hand looks rather bored.

“Uh...sorry. All we did is try to contact her through her mind by linking her mind to the Homunculi network, but it seems she doesn’t have those kinds of functions, so it kind of triggered a different response...”

“Yeah, our big sis sure is a handful. Well, at least she looks healthy otherwise, it's a relief. If she had really gone berserk who knows what would have happened to all the children...”

Your eyes widen as you hear them referring to Lae as one of themselves. That meant these two were also…? You did have a feeling that they were...different from normal humans considering the way they felt right now, but you had no idea that they would be of the same model as Lae…

[Snax]

Tyrfing Dragonfriend
Tokyo, Chiyoda - Scribe Area
July 7th, 2041
10:30 AM

Kaname looks at you blankly, wondering what to make of you. She merely hoists her sword up on top of her shoulder. The Scribes too had stopped whatever they were doing after hearing what you had said, obvious confusion popping up within their ranks due to the lack of a commander. They seemed uncertain whether you were an enemy or an ally.

“...All I want...is to leave here and go upon my own...business. Go around and...solve the issues of these souls. Let them...return to the cycle of souls…”

She then looks at the scribes. Her eyes betray no emotion - in fact, it’s as if she does not think anything of the Scribes, apart from being a rather pesky annoyance that follows her around.

“They won’t...let me. All I do is...absorb a little energy...from passerby to fuel the ghosts existence. Not like I’m...harming anyone. But they track me...tear my ghosts away from me…”

She caresses the a bluebell wisp as it slips out of her sword. Nia - the soul separated from her because of the Scribes.

“This is the...third time this has happened. Even I...would start getting mad...at a certain point.”

She raises her sword higher, into the air.

“ Let me...go on my journey. Then maybe I won’t strike a second time...however. Before that...I cannot comply to your demands.”

As you open your mouth to reply, several gunshot rings through the silence. The mana bullets does nothing as Kaname’s ghosts block the shots, but it is enough to draw her ire.

“I will take that...as a no.”

The wisps around her gather into her sword, giving it a multi-colored glow. She takes up a stance, that of an orient style not too familiar to yourself. Body set low, sword as if about to draw from a scabbard.

“Upon the man’s request...as thanks, I have refrained from...counterattacking immediately. There is no...second chance. This...is the last.”

She addresses the scribes.

“Move. Or die.”

[Frantic Author]

Tyrfing Dragonfriend
Tokyo, Chiyoda - Scribe Area
July 7th, 2041
10:30 AM


Tyr stared at the girl, a smile growing on his face. The slab of metal in his hand, a facsimile of a true weapon - falls to his side. But when he opened his mouth to reply, a shot rang out. Several, and even as the bullets were stopped by the Reverent Swordsman's ghost - Tyr's decision had been made.

"It is not right for them to stop you. But nor is it fair for you to destroy them," he said with a smile like the sun. "But if that is why you fight, then there is no need to worry. I have no ill will towards those with noble intentions; you will leave with or without their consent."

This world was not a land of ice and blood, where the strong ate the weak. This was a place of peace. Of kindness. And if there was a hint - just a speck - of that shining star called 'hope' inside of the girl before him, then it was worth protecting. The people that fought her were just that - worth protecting just as much as she was.

"I love this world, and all of the things inside of it," He told her as he turned around to face a barrier made of gold and symbols he did not know, symbols that belonged to a world he could not comprehend. "If you attack them, I will stop you. If they attack you, I will stop them."

He said it like it was a fact. A thing set in stone, something that could never be changed. As if such a simple statement meant that it was true, an ideology that could not be defied. An ironclad idea - a symbol that meant something, instead of empty words that he spoke without care. That was Tyr's dream; a world of peace, where those who fought had no such wishes anymore.

A sword that was not a sword.

A mage that was not a mage.

That was the person who Tyrfing Odinsson was. That was the person he had never hoped to be, but what he had become. He hefted a blade that was old and worn, thick and heavy, and pointed it towards the sky with a dazzling grin as the sun caught the metal, shining like a star.

"If you wish to fight with someone, then fight with me! I will not strike back, I will not slay you for simply doing your jobs! I have no ice to freeze you with, no blade to cut you down with!"

He laughed, a quiet laugh, and inhaled once more, the scent of thunder and lightning filling his nostrils, as the sword in his hand shook with an unbridled energy, a brilliant, impossible thing that drew more power with every second. A storm was drawing around the man with red eyes and blond hair. The unbridled power of the heavens, a power that made the weapon he held dance and shiver like it was about to transform; a sort of magic in its own right. But not the kind of magic that these Scribes knew, that the girl behind him knew. Tyr was no mage. He had no training, and the only spells he knew were ones that he had been given, that had been tied to him as intricately as he had tied himself to them.

"Even if you do not wish me to - the barrier that prevents this girl from leaving, that traps her here, will be destroyed! Allow her to leave, or I will crush it beneath my own power. It is a meaningless thing; a foolish gesture! Commendable, that you take a stand against someone so far above you, but you do so without reason! If there is no crime, then why continue to attack?! If you have no orders, then why deem her as evil?"

There are no words that can be said to prevent the man with red eyes from destroying the barrier, and the crackle of thunder sends whispers of its demise, a storm whirring around a sword that is a slab, the smile on a blonde man who refuses to allow them to do their jobs.

"My name - it is Tyrfing! My sword - it is a weapon of the Gods! There is nothing in this world that can prevent my strike, and I assure you that I will strike!"

His sword was bursting at the seams with an impossible energy, and still he drew more, and the weapon reveled in it, a blade that was barely a blade, a heavy, useless thing in the hands of any other. That had been the weapon of Tyr.

And it was about to become a weapon worthy of a legend.

[Snax]

Morrigan Blackmore
Tokyo, Aoyama, Flower Shop
July 7th, 2041
11:13 AM

“Of course, just a second please. I don’t really know what you are looking for, but hmm...Lets see, what about some of these…”

The jolly young man takes a few red and white flowers, arranging them into a pretty little bouquet. You see a few roses and lilies, among some others, in the mix. Perhaps he had some kind of theme in mind, or maybe none at all. Either way, he looked rather happy with the small delicate bouquet, which honestly wasn’t too bad. Vibrant colors mixed with simple white, not clashing with each other but blending in like a painting.

“Hmm, perfect. What do you say, miss? Is it to your liking?”

As he hands the bundle over to you, a door creaks from behind the store counter. An young lady in traditional japanese dress steps out of the door and into the shop. Suddenly the mana signal grows stronger, but only a slight amount. Most of it was coming from the girl, although it seemed rather off because the other side had shown no signals of noticing you, not even looking in your way.

Spoiler:

“Nii-san, are you busy?”
“Mm? Yes, a fine young lady customer has entered, Hanako. Say hi, she’s right...over there.”

He turns the girl your way. You notice that her eyes are oddly out of focus. It is as if she is not looking at you, but beyond you, into the distance, a far away place none can reach physically or magically…

“My little sister can’t see, sorry if she touches you a bit. Haha…”

The younger sister who seems to be around her mid-teens approaches you, hands outstretched. As she reaches you, she holds your hands, and then moves them upwards to your face, holding your face in her palms, touching them gently.

“Ah, you’re right Nii-san. A gentle aura, somewhat sad, melancholy...but very kind and bright. Welcome to our shop, Miss Blackmore.”

You twitch slightly at her words. You had never told your name to neither of these people. How did she know? Clairvoyance? Or was it some kind of other scrying magic? Either way, it was magic. A different type of Magic, not a spell, not a learned one, but something more...natural.

“Oh, sorry if she’s startling you in any way. She often says these kinds of unknown things, Hey, Hanako. Don’t just give names to people. It’s not good manners.”

“But it is her name. I just...know.”

The brother pats his little sister’s head and merely grins.

“Well, it seems my sis likes you, Miss Blackmore. She does somehow have this weird side of her, and I dunno how it came to be - but if it startled you in anyway, I’m sorry.”

As he apologizes, you make a quick sensory check. Nobody in the vicinity. Apparently its just the two of the in this house, considering the lack of any other presence. What more is that it seems the brother is totally oblivious to the magical properties his little sister has, and was just another pure human.

Some kind of inherent trait, perhaps. Probably born and raised as a regular human, who somehow acquired this trait. Or maybe you were just overthinking this entire situation.

Either way, normally these types of ‘naturals’ were supposed to be protection cases. However, probably due to the Aoyama family and their presence, probably nobody considered attempting contact with them. It wasn’t like the girl’s power seemed dangerous or anything.

However, as the area had possibilities of becoming a warzone, people such as these would be hard-pressed in terms of evacuation. Normally mundanes would easily leave, but this girl would probably not be affected by low-level suggestions, nor would her brother, who was probably exposed to her mana signal all the time, and thus might have gained some extra resistance against magic, no matter how basic.

Now then, what to do….

As you ponder, a large wave of mana suddenly expands from far away. You identify where with your GMD: and it signals...the graveyard. The girl and her brother don't even seem to notice the mana wave, however, like normal mundanes.

[Snax]

Morisaku Ryosuke
Tokyo, Roppongi-Icchome Station
July 7th, 2041
11:03 AM

While the thug you sent flying was still twitching on the ground, the rest looked at you blankly, almost as if they were on some kind of drug. It was probably the hypnotism magic messing with their brains as they processed the information. However, your looks and actions were enough to hit their inner instincts, awakening the one response most street punks have when they meet a stronger individual.

Run away.

Leaving their collapsed friend and everything else, the thugs fled, yelling and yelping in panic. Rather pathetic, if not sad. It was almost worth shedding a tear. Anyway, having cleared out the road of bothersome things, you go into the side alley where the mugging had been happening.

What you see there wasn’t very odd, just on the surface. A random salaryman had been cornered and hit with a 2x4 plank, which was currently on the ground stained with some blood. The man was then punched and kicked into submission. What was odd, however, was that they had not gone after his wallet or his valuables. It was almost as if they were merely assaulting a man for the fun of it. And these weren’t serial killers in the making - they were just everyday street pinks. It made no sense, unless this was this the effect of whatever suggestion they had been under?

You weren’t a detective, but your instincts were telling you how bizarre this was. Most suggestions did not have the ability to totally remove inhibitions, and they would usually push for people to do whatever acts in their most preferred way. It was more of a case of ‘changing of methods’ to achieve a certain outcome. However, this was the opposite. It had ‘changed the outcome’ while keeping the same methods in place. Despite the light amount of mana being used, it apparently akin to a multi-layered suggestion that twisted even personalities and thoughts...

The salaryman stirred. At least he wasn’t dead. Well, it wasn’t your job to take care of him. Calling an ambulance and leaving would probably get rid of most annoyances.

As you take out your phone, however, a lazy drawl can be heard from the alleyway across. While you weren’t actually scared, it was still the kind of voice that made your hair stand on end. Calm, yet full of a poison that could not be described.

“My, my. Just when things were about to get good...And I was wondering how far they would go, too.”

Spoiler:

A man wearing a simple pure white shirt and with unnaturally white hair stepped out of the alleyway just across. You did not sense any magical energy from him, either. Most likely a perfectly hidden presence. He didn’t seem to have the build of an assassin though - his body wasn’t as trained, or at least it didn’t seem so from his thin figure.

“So are you the man who stopped my experiment? I must say though, you have pretty impressive looks - and a personality to back it up - to chase off my pawns like that.”

He slowly approaches you, and then stops nearby the salaryman, still sprawled upon the ground.

“Well, too bad I couldn’t have them dispose of this. Gonna have to do it myself, aren’t I?”

The man in white takes a small razor blade out of his pocket. Old fashioned, long and foldable. And without a warning -

He slits the man’s throat.

[Mellon]

Elena and Dolores Underwood
Tokyo, Akihabara - Underwood Agency
July 7th, 2041
10:15 AM

“Anyway, I have to finish my ‘job’, so I would be most indebted if you could return that dog to me. I don’t intend to leave assassins alive, if i can help it. Well...if he entertained me at least to a certain extent, I might have let him live. This disappointment, though…”

Elena gave the man in red a smile that could only be described as glacial. It was clear that her estimation of the man in red had not risen one bit. If anything, judging from the look on her face, the opposite was true..

“I have no intention of “handing” anyone over to you, Kyonshi. I knocked him out because I did not want to kill him, not so that I could hand him over to you, like a lamb to a slaughter. Though, judging from the nauseating stench of blood that surrounds you, I am not sure that you are even capable of grasping such a concept.”

Before the argument could escalate, however, the unconscious freelancer seemingly submerged into the very floor, disappearing from the well furbished. Elena’s eyes sharpened and immediately whipped to Dolores, who, for her part, simply responded with a slight smirk and a slightly dismissive wave of her embroidered hand.

“I didn’t kill him, if that is what you are asking. I just sent him away for the time being, as this conversation would go nowhere otherwise and I do not want the office messed up any more then it is for the time being. Unless you want to rebuild the entire place again, sister?”

Elena simply let out a deep breath and a slight shake of her head, withdrew her hand from her blade sheathe and leaned on the nearby wall, her sharp eyes focused on the figure still standing in their doorway.

“Even before me and my parents hired Mr. Red, I’ve been attacked by random freelancers every now and then. They weren’t of high level, but apparently someone wants to kidnap me for...unknown reasons. I’d like to know why - my parents aren’t even high level mages, we don't have anything special to our spells, and I don’t know much magecraft myself either, so there shouldn't be a big reason.”

Dolores let out a silvery chuckle as she listened the younger girl explain her circumstances.

“Hmm… Ms. Fujikawa. If they were not that “high level” enemies, as you put it… have you considered that you might be safer without your bodyguard? He might be a fine gentleman, but there is a large number people that are on the lookout for powerful individuals. You know, with all these rumours floating around about Ouroboros and such.”

Her last words were filled with a hint of mockery, but the disarming twinkle of amusement still remained in her eyes as she continued.

“Honestly, you might be inviting far more trouble then you are solving at the moment.”

“As for danger… what you are asking us to do is dangerous enough. If you are truly being hunted by both the Scribes and Freelancers…” Her dark eyes flickered to “Mr Red” for a moment.”They would have no qualms about hunting us down for information, you see. In fact they may do so already, simply because they might be tracking your movement and might find us as a consequence of that.”

“Well, in any case, before we can make a decision either way, we need to know two things.”

“Firstly, how do you expect us to find out this information? For example, if the Scribes are truly after you, they won’t just tell us this information out of their free will. And if it is simple displays of… force, that you are looking for, then we are unnecessary. Because if you are looking for a professional interrogator, that is unfortunately not our forte. Just ask your companion. I am sure he would not mind getting his hands dirty.”

“Secondly, we come to the matter of price.As the gentleman in red mentioned, you seem to not be in the best financial situation. While he might be so altruistic as to help you without any sort of compensation, we are not in such a convenient situation where we have such an option.

"What are you willing to pay us for this job?"

[Sei]

Alisa Jett
Tokyo, Shibuya- Yoyogi Park
July 7th, 2041

The whole thing happen so quickly, it makes little sense to me. One second I'm sitting back and relaxing with Lae... Then, next thing I know, everyone in the park is walking off like they're under some kind of spell. Lae falls to her knees, crying out in pain for some reason and no one really seems to be paying her any mind. The whole thing causes me to jump to her side to try and see just what the heck is wrong with her, but I'm not really able to pick up on much. However, if there's one thing I know for sure, it's not normal. Lae has never acted like this before... Even on her off days. So if there is any explanation behind all this, I'd have to say it has to do with these weird people. The only people who don't seem to be acting strange.

They start saying a bunch of nonsensical stuff and bickering amongst each other about this and that... I don't really care either way. All that's sticking out in my mind is that they've done something to Lae and they aren't exactly coming off as the friendliest of people. What's more, they're all wearing GMD bracelets... Meaning all of them are Scribes. And as far as I'm concerned, nothing good ever comes out of a situation involving a Scribe. So, naturally, when one of them steps up to us, I instinctively put myself between her and Lae.

Actions speak louder than words, so my mindset should be clear by doing just this much. I was never good at hiding how I feel anyway.

Still, just like with all the other troublesome agents I've come across, a clear message doesn't quite seem to get through this woman's skull. Instead, she raises her hands to try and convince me that they mean no harm... but the harm has already been done.

"Beat it, all of you."

That's all I have to say to these people.

[Bloble]

Morisaku Ryosuke
Tokyo, Roppongi-Icchome Station
July 7th, 2041
11:03 AM

Huh. So it was like that?

Ryo wasn't terribly disappointed by the lack of an answer to his query. Chasing off a half-dozen hypnotized goons with threats alone was almost on his previous level, so the accomplishment was enough to blunt the impact of the undesirable ending. Besides, their groaning friend had been left behind. He could always interrogate that one-!

“My, my. Just when things were about to get good...And I was wondering how far they would go, too.”

Ryosuke turned, the pipe in his hands coming up.

And then back down, once he saw that the newcomer was just some pale dude with nice hair.

Ryo hadn't sensed that person's presence. He still couldn't, actually. Despite the almost certain culprit being before him, the Scribe couldn't percieve any kind of magical energy coming from the white man. Neither could he see evidence of combat training in the newcomer's build, which left two possibilities: That this person was just an ordinary sick fuck who got off on watching beatings, or... Ryo was up against a magi with skill in concealing magical energy.

Either one was good, of course.

“So are you the man who stopped my experiment? I must say though, you have pretty impressive looks - and a personality to back it up - to chase off my pawns like that.”

"Yep, that's right." Ryo grinned, flipping the makeshift weapon in his hands and leaning on it like a cane. "You had bad luck. If it were anyone else, they'd have pissed themselves or ignored it, but I just couldn't stand how shitty of a job those two-bit punks were doing, so I had to break it up. Next time, pick better pawns. Maybe ones that won't run away even from someone like me."

While he postured, Ryo's mind was racing. Why? Who? How? The answers weren't hard for him to reach. Some kind of sick magus, testing hypnosis on ordinary kids. Those spells had been fucked up enough that Ryosuke was wary, even if they posed no threat to him. The fact that the man had chosen to do this meant he wasn't one who valued life particularly highly, which was a bad thing. The ones who thought they were good guys always went down easier.

Just as Ryo was thinking up how he'd approach this next, the White Man made the choice for him.

“Well, too bad I couldn’t have them dispose of this. Gonna have to do it myself, aren’t I?”

Well then.

That changed things.

Those kids had been thugs, but this man was no such thing. Ryo knew it instantly. There was an unwritten rule among gangs that deaths were to be avoided. People got beaten up, sent to the hospital, and maybe chased out of town, but rare was the time when someone died of their injuries. Perhaps in other countries such deaths were commonplace, but Japan was full of softies playing slow ball because the yakuza wanted to look legitimate for the people. In short... punks and thugs were unlikely to kill someone during a mugging. Beating them to within an inch of their life was preferable.

This man wasn't a thug. He wasn't yakuza. He didn't play by those rules. And most importantly...

"You're not one of them sociopathic serial killer types, are you?" Ryosuke wondered idly as the countdown started. Thirty seconds before the salary man bled out beyond the capacity of modern medicine to save. Thirty seconds after that brain damage would set in, and the GMD on his wrist would have limited effect. That gave him a time limit of one minute if he wanted to preserve the life of an innocent, if he so desired.

Ryo decided to think on it for thirty seconds. There were more important things to give his attention to. He took a puff of his stolen cigarette to help clear his mind.

"Or maybe a mad scientist? If this was an experiment on whether you could get a bunch of kids without balls to murder someone, I'd say it would've worked. People will do anything and everything to avoid putting the blame on themselves, but in the heat of the moment, anyone's capable of killing." The musing was vocalized on purpose. Ryo wasn't an idiot, and the White Murderer needed to know it.

"But that guy is a nobody. More importantly, he didn't see anything. He doesn't know your face, so there was no reason to do what you just did in the name of eliminating witnesses. In short, you're just killing a random person, which means... A and B could both be correct. You must be getting off on this."

Pulling up the one remaining thug, the one he planned to interrogate thoroughly, Ryo held the near-catatonic boy up and forced his eyes open, letting the punk see the whole thing clearly, including the White Murderer's face. Then he let the groaning boy fall to the ground at his feet once more.

Ryo stepped over the boy, smiling pleasantly as the salary man bled out near him, putting himself between the White Murderer and a newly created witness. He couldn't and wouldn't do anything to save the first guy, unless the opportunity presented itself and it didn't cost him anything. Yes, there were healing charges in his GMD, but he couldn't use it from this range. Even if he did, the man's throat could easily be slit once more. The only way to get the White Murderer to leave his current prey was to present him with a more appealing target. That would give Ryo both an opportunity to be a good samaritan and a chance to attack if the new guy proved hostile. It was a cursory effort, so that none of the Scribes spying on him through his GMD could say the Sergeant had done nothing to prevent innocent casualties. Ah, the problems of impressing the higher ups.

"So," Ryosuke said. "How about you get rid of this one too?"

[Katie]

Morrigan Blackmore
Tokyo, Aoyama, Flower Shop
July 7th, 2041
11:13 AM

“Hmm, perfect. What do you say, miss? Is it to your liking?”

“Oh, this is lovely. Thank you.” Morrigan idly admired the flowers, not sure of whether or not she was simply wasting time. As he had made the bouquet under such a vague request, she couldn’t refuse it, but at the same time, carrying it around in her bag when she was going to explore around seemed like a waste. Honestly, her and her big mouth.

“Well, it seems my sis likes you, Miss Blackmore. She does somehow have this weird side of her, and I dunno how it came to be - but if it startled you in anyway, I’m sorry.”

“Oh, it’s not a problem. She isn’t wrong, after all, and honestly, seeing people for what they are is a clever skill. Even if it’s weird, it’s hardly anything you need to apologize for.”

All at once, I sense a wave of mana emanating from the graveyard. Me and my curiosity. Pulling out my phone, my face contours into a disappointed expression. I hastily pay him for the bouquet and take it from him, shoving it in my bag without care that it deserves.

“I… have emergent matters to attend to. I’m sorry, but I have to go.” I give a quick wave and rush out, heading towards the cemetery, because I will not allow some mage to do as they please without authorization. I am judge, jury, and executioner, and all must be underneath the eye of the law.

[Zagrin]

Maxim Aeternum
Tokyo, Ikebukuro, Freelancer Hub
July 7th, 2041
10:15 AM

A crestfallen look came over Maxim's face as his most gratuitous of offers had been refused! He could not help but grumble to himself in his disappointment.

"Don't drink, but smokes are just fine, and they call me crazy."

However as the meal came to their table, Maxim's eyes lit up once again and he immediately grabbed the wine bottle. Giving it a good shake (to which he wasn't even sure why he did it, but if others did it then it must be the right thing to do!), he popped the cork open and watched it fly across the restaurant.

It would probably hit someone.

A cry of pain shot through the air.

Yup, it hit someone, but that wasn't his problem!

Lifting the bottle high into the air, he began to chug it down until half of the contents remained. As he put it down, he had a dissatisfied look.

"Ugh disgusting, don't know how people can drink this stuff, although perhaps just a little more...?"

Though he said that, his actions were the opposite as he moved on the steak and began digging in.

"So you say not only do I need to deal with Ouroburos to get to me, but there's also a couple Scribe Knights, Resistance Fanatics and some two bit magic gangs thrown in the mix? Ah it's starting to feel just like home already."

With an unnatural speed, Maxim had devoured the steak and had now moved on to the sides, taking a chug of wine every so often to wash it all down.

"Hm yeah, this is good eating, that's for sure! Thanks so much for bringing me here!"

Tapping his chest, he burped in pleasure as the last of the sides disappeared and then stood up from his seat.

"Ah that was a good last meal, don't you think? Or well I suppose it would be for anyone else other than me! Shame that you can't join me for dispensing some good ol' justice, perhaps we will see each other again Mrs...oh my, it seems I don't even know your name, do I?"

[Snax]

Elena and Dolores Underwood
Tokyo, Akihabara - Underwood Agency
July 7th, 2041
10:20 AM


At Elena’s response and Dolores’ actions regarding the last freelancer, the man in red merely shook his head and chuckled, shrugging. Meanwhile, the girl replies to your question with a slight flicker of uneasiness.

“Well, it seems my parents’ basis for hiring Mr. Red was...first, the ones after him are far higher in terms of ability and also don’t take too much interest in other type of jobs, or lower paying jobs. The men today were people after me, not him - they probably only thought he was a simple bodyguard with a price on his head. It’s not like his face is too well known…”

Stealing a glance at the unrepentant bodyguard, she sighs.

“Second, nobody really replied to their requests for help apart from Mr. Red, who agreed to help despite the little money we had to offer. Considering his abilities, and our desperation, I’m grateful to at least have his help so that I can lead a somewhat normal life. Still, I don’t think I will be able to return to a proper peaceful life without the information I’m asking of you...And of course, payment.”

She looks nervously at the man in red again. He merely opens his mouth, with a more business-like tone compared to before. He still had that smirk on his face though.

“Although she might not have money, the poor little girl she is, we do have some juicy information you’d be able to sell to the freelancer hub for a hefty sum, or use as an exchange tool for a while. Especially you mentioned ‘Ouroborus’ and all…Considering I am ‘him’, I can tell you information on my whereabouts for the next three days, which you can do with as you please.”

“Sorry, Mr. Red. I’m just continuing to rely on you, aren’t I…”

Even as he speaks, the girl seems a bit crestfallen. Not only is she failing to pay him his full worth, considering he is that ‘Ouroborus’, but even the other side payments are being made by him. No wonder she would feel heavily indepted to him regardless of his ruthlessness or lack of tact.

“Well, this is what I signed up for, eh? Don’t be getting cold feet just now lassie, the party hasn’t even begun.”

[Snax]

Alisa Jett
Tokyo, Shibuya- Yoyogi Park
July 7th, 2041
10: 33 am

The researcher with long black hair stops as you tell them to back off. She doesn’t seem too taken aback at your reaction - in fact, it seems she expected it. After all, you had only bad blood with the Scribes, especially Yggdrasil.

“As I said, we have no intentions on fighting you or whatsoever. I was on leave, and while these two girls may have done something to your friend, I assure you it is nothing serious. Just a side effect of trying to resonate their souls to her, which went badly due to differences in specs…”

As she tries to explain, she stops, puts a hand to her head as if having a headache, and stops talking.

“Ahh, forget it. If you really don’t like it, just take the medicine and do with it as you will. It’s nothing but a stabilizer which will reestablish the anchor of her soul to her body. If you don’t believe me, throw it away. The one who will suffer is her, not us, not you.”

As if it was too much of a pain, she throws a small bottle of a whitish liquid, which you catch. It’s of magical make alright, and the label basically is a repeat of what she had already said. As if fed up, she grabs her son and then turns away.

“Not like I get anything for taking care of these girls and kids. I’m a researcher, not a daycare teacher…”

Mumbling and grumbling, she undos the barrier and then leaves the park, moving away with her boy who was now saying something about wanting some ice cream.

That leaves you with the two awkwardly fidgeting girls, or ‘homunculi’ as they have been saying.

“Uhhh...sorry. We just heard Big Sis was in the area and snuck out of the research lab…”
“Hmph.”

The green haired girl looks apologetic, at least. The other one with the hat however has her face turned to the side, as if rather miffed. Whatever she finds unpleasant aside, it seems Lae is showing no signs of getting better - if any, her face color is turning ashen.

“We haven’t introduced ourselves yet, have we? I’m April, from Yggdrasil. This is May, one of my 'sisters'. Come on May, stop pouting just because you got a bit scolded through the comms…”

“That’s not why I’m mad, jeez. I just wanted to see what our 'original’ looked like now, but this shit happens. Aren't you irritated at all, April? Doesn't it bother you that first, she just takes out our sister out of the facility, and then she feels all high and mighty about it? Protective, my ass. She probably doesn't even know shit about what we are, what we feel like...”

“Stop talking like that, girls shouldn't use such dirty words…First of all, Big Sis was a frozen project to be continued later, although the facility ran into disrepair due to a number of administrative problems. Also, it isn't like Yggdrasil was always nice to us. Since Miss Alisa here took Big Sis under her wing, she hasn't had to go through tests or other painful things...Besides, it looked like Big Sis was pretty happy, hanging out like that and stuff. We can't do that without getting collared and being put under watch...even now.”

She eyes her GMD and sighs. The other girl doesn't seem too convinced, though.

“She’s one of us! She belongs with us! Even if Chief Researcher Kudo is all laid back and stuff about it, the higher brass also wants her back with us. Even if Big sis herself is happy, she won't have the proper care she needs out here without help!"

The girl in colorful clothing seems rather pissed about a number of things, at any rate. You see a few sparks of electricity flow around her and dissipate while she rants.

[Sei]

Alisa Jett
Tokyo, Shibuya - Yoyogi Park
July 7th, 2041

A few words and a bottle of goop later, nothing much has really changed. The dark-haired lady and her kid have walked off, sure, but that still leaves the two who are probably irritating the situation the most. They continue on with pretty much the same routine as before. "We aren't the bad guys here" and "you don't understand" and "we just want to help"... Honestly I'd rather have the other two back at this point. Even if that's adding two more Scribes to the equation, at least I don't have to go through this sister rendition of 'good cop, bad cop'.

I can't help but laugh mockingly at their words.

"When I found Lae... she was alone, confused, and scared... She didn't even know how to speak, for goodness sake. I'm not going to pretend like I even understand just what the heck the two of you are talking about, because I honestly don't care. ...You keep calling her your Big Sis and everything, but where were you two then? You say that facility was left in disrepair? Bullcrap! That places was underground! Not because of some stupid secret or anything, but because it was literally left there to rot. That goes beyond negligence, don'tcha think? Who knows how long that place was just sitting there..."

The more I think about their half-baked motives, the more I find myself getting angry. I can feel my nails digging into my skin through my gloves and, honestly, I'm probably just one step away from unleashing the beast all over their faces. Even if the barrier is down, I'm not bound by the same regulations these Scribes are. If I have to burn this whole park down to sate my rage, I'd have no problem with the publicity.

"And don't even think for a second that I'd believe your people manage to lose track of the place. If... 'whatever' Yggdrasil- the information hub of your little organization- managed to lose track of anything, then you guys would be giving negligence a whole new meaning."

Raising my hand, I point my finger at the 'colorful' one and make sure to look her straight in the eye.

"You say that she's one of you? That she belongs with you? Tsch... Don't make me laugh. It's easy to tell just by the way that you talk about her that the only real feeling you have for her is a sense of entitlement. You seem to know my name, but not once have you called Lae by her name. You just keep addressing her like she's some kind of thing to be possessed."

I retract my hand and hold out my thumb, placing it firmly against my chest and redirecting my attention to the two of them.

"...Why the hell would I need to understand what Lae is to understand how or what she feels? If anything, the fact that the two of you can't 'communicate with her soul' is proof enough that you're clueless... She's Lae Valentine: my sister and my friend. Whatever happens, I'm going to take care of her, ya got that?"

Just as I say as much, Lae steps up next to me, quickly, and wraps her hands around my arm, slowly and meekly. She doesn't say anything... And she hangs her head so I can't see her face... But the action in itself is enough to communicate the message.

"Lae was doing just fine until you guys showed up. So if you have any shred of compassion for her, you'll listen to what I said earlier and beat it."

[Snax]

Tyrfing Dragonfriend
Tokyo, Chiyoda - Scribe Area
July 7th, 2041
10:30 AM


As your weapon charges up on energy, the Scribes freeze both in wonder and fear of the woman’s threat. Their cheap mana bullets wouldn’t do anything but irritate her, after all. All they could do now is wait and see what would go on. They do, however, inch away from you in fear of what you were going to do.

One Scribe, however, (presumably the second in command of the squad), raises his gun and points it towards you.

“You’re interfering with our business. I don’t know what your intentions are, but remember this - the moment you break the barrier, you will be a target of the Scribes. That woman is a threat to public security and an indiscriminate absorber of mundane’s life energy. There have been a number of fainting people wherever she goes. Do you know what aiding such a criminal means?”

Still, it wasn’t like he had the power to stop you. All he could do is look on and threaten you.

[Frantic Author]

Tyrfing Dragonfriend
Tokyo, Chiyoda - Scribe Area
July 7th, 2041
10:30 AM

Tyr looked at the man as his sword burned with energy, shining like a hundred suns. "What kind of person... let's down someone who's asked them for help?!"

And then the sword twisted, a blade that was barely a blade reshaping itself in his hand, shaking with an unbridled energy that could not be contained. Another hand reaches up for a sword that explodes, burning with an impossible energy as thunder crackles in the sky.

"Even if you call me a criminal for it - there's nothing else for me to do! I have been asked to destroy the barrier, and I will destroy it! If that is the wall in my way - if that is the price I must pay for doing the right thing, then is there any other option?!"

Lightning strikes down, a raging roar of thunder that is impossible and entirely improbable - and as two hands lift a blade that is not a blade into the sky -

"The only thing I'm being targeted by is the injustice of what you dare to assume! She will escape. I will be arrested in her place. And that - that is what makes it worthwhile is it not?!"

Thunder and lightning shatter it into a new form.

A sword that is not a sword comes down from an impossible sky, resting on the ground as sparks travel up and down the blade of a fake mage, a weapon that glowed with a deadly blue instead of a simple iron sword. The blade looked as if it was made from the energy that Tyr called down from the heavens, tufts of fur popping out of a hilt of gold, black leather wrapped around what had been old iron. The 'weapon' that Tyrfing Odinsson wields was no ordinary weapon. There was no way to classify his newfound weapon as 'ordinary'.

The fake child who told fake stories.

The fake man who fought with fake swords.

The fake mage who wielded fake power.

Tyrfing pointed his sword to the sky once more, and cracked his neck. There was nothing that could 'stop' him from destroying the barrier. A sword that glowed with the power of the Gods rested in his hand, and he turned back briefly with a bright smile.

"Revenant Swordsman. When I break the barrier - run. Do not look back. Do not 'rescue' me from my own choice."

The smile grew and he looked at her with kind eyes as he took a deep breath and twirled the impossible weapon once.

"Make sure that your friend has a good resting place."

The man with a sword that was not a sword took one step closer to the creation before him, and raised his weapon above his head. And swung down, with all the fire and iron of the storm that it embodied, the 'personification' of a being that had died aeons ago.

Tyr was a man from another time. He had no friends in the new era, no magic to call his own. He was a 'fake', as mages went. Not a single spell that he knew was truly his own; there were no special words or phrases that activated the magic he carried. The spells were engraved into his soul, into an ironclad impossible part of him that could not be broken.

If there was a barrier to stop magic, what better to break it then a hammer?

If a person needed to be saved, who better to do so then the God of Heroes?

A useless weapon. A pointless gesture. But that was what made it all the more precious, the lack of reason, of purpose. Clashing against an impossible foe not because it was impossible, but because he knew that someone could be aided because of it. Attacking an unstoppable force. A meager, useless effort. A cry out towards heavens that did not care, a silent protest that nobody would notice. The weapon that Tyrfing Odinsson wields is not that thunderous hammer that rested in the hands of a God for so long - how could it be?

The Gods are dead.

They are fragments of themselves.

The power behind the 'attack' that he smashed against a barrier is not what it had been all that time ago, as he roared in defiance towards the heavens once more. It could not topple a beast of such mythic stature, as he had before. It was a poor substitute for that hammer, a copy of a copy. Barely a fraction of the power it once wielded.

But a fraction of the Gods is a fraction of something unbreakable, and Tyr had never been easily broken. The blade that held the power of 'Mjolnir', the power of an era so long gone that it was maddening, was weak. It would shatter after a single attack. But he did not need more then one, to break down such a barrier.

That is the wall between Kaname Rei and freedom - and if it does not break, then she will strike them down. So it must break. There is no other option.

The 'barrier' brought up by the Scribes that stared at him, and the 'girl' who merely wishes to leave; they are two sides of a similar coin, and fate enticed him to test the odds once more. Will he fold - or will the barrier break into a thousand shards?

-----Wise Up!-----

Spoiler:

[Soul Contract] - Thor: A hero's will can determine a battle, and Tyr has a will like iron. As one of Thor’s chosen, he can grasp at the legendary thunder god’s power and place it into pieces that exist in reality. Unfortunately, Thor’s power is far too mighty for most earthly creations, and it cannot remain for long.


Category: Advent Magic

Borrows a fragment of Thor’s power, mostly Mjolnir. The item imbued with the essence of this power will always break after this attack is over. Costs 100 mana and costs 1 turn to create the weapon.

Hitting the enemy with this weapon in melee will deal major damage. The weapon crackles with magic lightning, also bolstering your physical signals and strength.

[Snax]

Alisa Jett
Tokyo, Shibuya - Yoyogi Park
July 7th, 2041
10: 36 am

Your sharp words cut like hot knives, and the colorful girl flinches at them. You can see that she hasn’t really been thinking all too straight and was rather rambling on whatever came to her mind. However, even though your words are ‘correct’, her feelings have nothing to do with them. She grimaces as more sparks rush across her skin, portraying her current state of mind. She tries to say something back, but fails to find a good argument, and just sputters.

Meanwhile, the girl in green sighs. She doesn’t seem particularly upset, and she merely gives you a deep bow.

“Anyway, I am truly sorry for having bothered you. Since we have seen our sister, this should be enough, and we will leave. However, please understand - all we wanted to do is to see our family. You can understand that much, at least.”

“No, I’m not leaving until I give that woman a piece of my min-”

As May tries to interject, April turns her head and glares at her. Suddenly the surrounding air drops a few degrees - it is almost as if the surrounding area itself had frozen in place. May flinches, takes a few steps back, and starts tearing up. Apparently there was a power difference between the two, not only in actual strength, but also in order of name.

When she turns to face you again, her face is again apologetic. However, perhaps it would be better not to push it too hard.

“The issue of soul incompatibility is because us Homunculi were made on a basis of a single artificial soul...but I guess Big Sister is different. Anyway, we’ll be leaving now. Until we meet again...Oh and by the way, you should make her drink that within 30 minutes, or she’ll start to get real sick. It’s the rejection symptoms from our souls touching hers, so a quick shock therapy is the quickest way to solve it.”

With a wave, she drags the other girl away. As soon as they turn a corner, you lose sight of them.

Meanwhile, it seems Lae’s state of body was getting better as they got further. Probably because of the so called impromptu ‘soul link’ growing weaker due to distance, and thus...less pain. Either way, it would probably be best to give her the medicine soon, considering while Yggdrasil was not to be trusted, if they just wanted to get rid of Lae before, they had so many other chances. Yet they were hell bent on getting her back. That meant something, at least.

Meanwhile, Ichibi was shifting about worriedly in your pocket. In her current form, after all, a single scratch of magic would probably wreck her spiritual core (the paper doll) inside her.

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


Maxim Aeternum
Tokyo, Ikebukuro, Freelancer Hub
July 7th, 2041
10:20 AM

"Oh sorry. Come to think of it, we haven't even been properly introduced to each other. The name's Nora Engelwood, Transporter Freelancer."

She takes a deep swig of her cigarette, blowing smoke circles into the air.

"As for 'dispensing good ol' justice' however, it seems you already drew some attention, dude."

As you wonder what she said, a few men approach you from behind. One seems rather annoyed, while two others are holding the certain wanted poster Nora had been looking at before - the one with your (not your actual) face all over it. Apparently these were actual bounty hunters.

"Well, well. If it isn't the one who smacked a cork right into my face."
"He sure damn looks similar to the poster alright."
"Even if it's not the actual person, we could pass it off and still get some money, probably."

And they seemed rather rearing to go. Nora merely sighs and sits back, waiting for the situation to solve itself.

"If you don't resist, we won't be rough with you, merely tie you up in mana freezing restraints and put you in a cell. Don't resist - well, it doesn't mean we ain't gonna rough you up a bit first? Muhahahaha!!"

Callous laughter, a shitty attitude. Probably part of one of the low level Magus gangs, considering the tattoos on the side of their arms.

Not much of a issue for one like yourself, though.