Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Airen]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

"They typically vanish, although the specifics of what that actually means are unknown to me... After all, I am still here, at least for the moment."

It's a response made with a hint of grim humor.

"Idealistically, I suppose we would be expected to work for the others. Realistically, I'm not sure if they would take that sort of chance... Charlotte was always a strange older sister, even now, I can't tell how truthful she's really being when she says anything... Yes, she's a strange person. A wild card... It's like rolling dice..." Shaking his head, the man seems to catch that he's getting caught up in bizarre metaphors, "Forgive me, I went off on a bit of a tangent there... I suppose the ultimate point is that their fate is somewhat unknown, my brother Liam disappeared as well under... Odd circumstances. Ones that were a bit less public."

Naturally, he has no idea of his fate either.

---Ultimately, it seems like Lloyd himself hadn't sought to go after his siblings in that regard... Looking back at what he had been trying to create even, there was a certain rebellious air to it all...

Still...

Before you can continue...

You hear the sound of footsteps again... Rather than being caught completely off guard like the last time, your immediate response is to turn to face whoever was violating protocol and wandering into the middle of a KoTR questioning session, but-

"Heya Lily!"

-this time, it's Alexia.

The most casual possible member of the NWAB, but...

A member of the NWAB nonetheless...

One who was calling you by what she probably thought was just a cute nickname in spite of the fact that the two of you were minor acquaintances at best...

"Sorry to interrupt, but they sent me to do a bit of questioning of my own... Not that we don't trust you, but you know, policies. They're gonna try to take it right to us, you know?"

She shrugs at this, friendly nature exploding off of her in spite of her status, and-

"So, is overbearing big sister out there in the lobby being a problem for anyone?"

-apparently spying a certain trouble out in the lobby on her own way in...

[Zurvan]

"So I hope the old geezers didn't plant any strange ideas inside of your head about her... That would be... Unfortunate."

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Brewed Awakenings (Rothschild Branch)
Wednesday - Evening

"No, I can't really say they implanted any strange ideas or anything like it. They were rather contradictory about her truth be told. Her name was treated mostly with reverence whenever I was around, but you could tell in their tone that there was more at play."

The Karlfeldt family. A branch family that, like the others, strives for power. While some branches simply wanted more sway, others had grander ambitions such as claiming the Lagerkvist inheritance, the SLEIPNIR itself.

"They don't like her, or rather they can't stand the amount of power she has attained on her path. They respect that power itself, but their thoughts on the Commander are more a mix of fear, disdain and yet respect. I suppose fear lies in the heart of reverence, so while they don't agree with the person they understand their position as well as her power."

The Karlfeldts didn't aim for the SLEIPNIR, their aim lay elsewhere. The pursuit of an ideal that they truly believed in, a path that must be followed no matter what. A path that opened itself through a certain event.

"Well, their thoughts on her did paint the Commander in a certain light. I was convinced that my affiliation to the family would mean she'd think I was suspicious and not to be trusted."

Don't be embarrassed about that feeling, Ludwig. You should tell Anna that, she'll understand.

Ludwig was hesitant on being honest again, considering what had just transpired. Lydia wasn't joking however, she could be trusted, this time.

"However unlike how the Karlfeldts painted her in their minds, or how the stories of her show her to be. Adala is somehow...

Still maintaining his usual collected expression.

...a warm person. Being here on this ship now, it feels strange. It feels almost like, family? I'm not sure how to describe this feeling, sorry."

Embarrassed, though not as much as moments before, he flashed a smile to Anna regardless.

Surely she'd understand his feelings to some extent.

"As their inheritor, I must apologize for my family's behavior and treatment. Though I cannot disagree with where you've ended up, you have my sympathies for what you've gone through to get here."

He may not be able to fix past mistakes, but there are moments where responsibility should be taken for the future. Even if such a thing is foolish.

This is one of those moments.

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

Disappear… The inner cynic assumes that’s synonymous with death, but perhaps the alternative would be… No, the alternative probably wouldn’t be much better. I don’t have much of an idea, but assuming Lloyd here is the least inhumane… there’s not much to inspire confidence in the rest.

Liam, though… That’s a name that’s worth looking into for later. I’ll keep it in mind.

The door opens with a click and this time I’m not surprised this time, instead checking for the source of the disturbance. The sight that greets me is a reasonably familiar face, someone Akarana mentioned giving him a mouthful earlier—Alexia Wright, famous COMP Smith of the NWAB. Well, if it’s her, then I can trust that she’s here for a good reason.

"Heya Lily!"

"Sorry to interrupt, but they sent me to do a bit of questioning of my own... Not that we don't trust you, but you know, policies. They're gonna try to take it right to us, you know?"

"So, is overbearing big sister out there in the lobby being a problem for anyone?"

...Lily?

Aster: Does it make you flustered to get nicknames from cute girls?

Hey, we’re acquaintances! Anyone would find that sort of thing weird…

Aster: Well, if you were like anyone else I’d leave it at that…

I let out a mental sigh, but at least… Aster has simmered down from the previous exchange. This kind of teasing, even though it’s extremely uncalled for, is an old routine at this point. Much prefer it to her being irritated at me.

That aside… There’s work to be done.

“No, I don’t mind,” I say, treating the scenario as a pleasant surprise. “Though, if it’s possible, I’d like to sit in for this one. It’s possible that he might mention something interesting for the Knights, and I don’t want to go through the hassle of asking for a transcript days after the fact.”

While it’s not likely the NWAB would deny a request, that’s not to say it can’t be slow at times. And that sort of bureaucratic hassle is something I detest with a passion, so, hopefully, I can skip it entirely.

“As for Charlotte Akarana… she barged in here earlier, interrupting the conversation I was having with him.” I motion towards Lloyd. While I’m not sure how deep she has her claws into the situation, I don’t think the room is tapped, so…

“She’s trouble,” I conclude.

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
Vatican City
??? - Morning

It seems that I was able to successfully convey my gratitude to Nakamura-san, which is good. That, together with everything else that happened today- meeting with her despite my embarrassing miscalculation, getting to ask about what’s been on my mind recently, and receiving something that seems like an answer- makes today a good day, I think.

It’s not perfect. I would be lying if I said I wasn’t at least a little unsatisfied, since I don’t really feel any different from before, but that’s something that should change given time... compared to before, things are really looking up.

With that in mind, I prepare to say my goodbyes, as I’m sure that Nakamura-san will be busy in the upcoming days, when…

"Actually here," fishing through one of the pockets of her long-coat, the woman withdraws a card with her name and a certain number attached, a remarkably old-practice from one of the people most involved with the world's technological and spiritual evolutions, "It's my COMP address. Go ahead and give it a ring if you ever need me."

Taken aback by her offer, all I do in response is-

“T-thank you.”

Offer a couple simple words of gratitude, as I accept the card.

I’m sure it must be a somewhat comedic sight, since I am here treating this card as if it were something valuable and delicate, rather than the durable and robust piece of board it probably is, but…

As one might have surmised, there aren’t many people that I talk to on the subject. My creator would be the natural choice, but she is otherwise indisposed, so that’s simply not possible… and as much as it pains me to think about it, I don’t think she would be a good choice for a number of reasons. As for someone who I am somewhat close to like Catherine, whose opinion I hold in high regard- the possibility of receiving a negative response is one that I’d rather not risk, so if I can, I’d like to avoid the subject. And of course, it’s not something I would like to share with a stranger, shrinking down my options down to essentially nothing.

I don’t think I would have even brought it up if Nakamura-san hadn’t already essentially figured out.

So, I really am grateful for the offer, whatever her reasons for it are.

Still unsure how to react, I stare at the card for a little while longer, before it occurs to me it’s best not to be doing this in public. I put it away, reminding myself to remember the number for later, before turning to face her again.

“Umm… Likewise, if you ever feel like exploring the city, then please, feel free to ask me.”

It occurs to me that it’s probably not a very reliable or attractive offer since I might also be too busy, but it’s too late to retract now. If that’s the case, then my only alternative is to make it attractive- and while I don’t know how good of a tour guide I’ve been today, I think as far as raw knowledge goes I’m not lacking much.

“I… can’t guarantee I’ll be free because of my duties, but I’ve lived in this town for a long time, so I know about it quite a lot. I’m sure that I can be of help.”

[Airen]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

"You think so too? She kinda gave me that vibe, so I guess I'll have to kick her out of here later."

Saying so with a casual air and the usual smile, the woman retrieves one of the chairs from the wall with a flick of her wrist, before spinning it around so that it's back was facing the window into Akarana's cell, going out of her way to sit in a manner may reminiscent of teenagers or delinquents... It was the sort of casual air that fit the woman -at least as far as rumors went- she wasn't the type that would take herself too seriously, at times, she came across as more civilian-like than international-tamer-like, but...

That was probably another reason why people liked her, she always seemed pretty easy to get along with-

"As for sitting in... Sure? You're involved in all of this anyway, so I figure it's fine if you hear about it."

-case in point, she doesn't make a big deal out of your request, not in the slightest.

"You fine with that Lloyd?"

She also treats a certain criminal with a completely casual air, as if she had just run into him on the street and...

"...So long as you deal with Charlotte, I do not particularly care what you do with me Ms. Wright."

"Like I said I'll take care of it, no worries."

And with that...

"So, let's cut straight to the chase here Lloyd, I'm here about that crystal of yours. There's been some reports of... Similar -if not identical- substances overseas. Cognitive effects, rapid generation of spiritual power... Our findings aren't complete yet, but the rock has been classified as something similar to a Sesshoseki in nature... It's not on the same level as the Kyuubi, but the things do seem to have a weird will to them... So my question is this, did you make it yourself, or did you get it from somewhere else?"

A pause, then...

"...I cannot recall completely, but, if I were to hazard a guess..."

His eyes sharpen slightly in thought, then...

"I'd say I found it. Considering the damage to my memory is more recent than long term, it is likely something I came to possess within the past couple of months."

Anther pause, before he looks at you...

"...I believe I made that sword around the same time."

[Airen]

Mokujima Chris / Daisuke
Aoyama Gakuen ~ S.O.S Club
??? - Afternoon

"A bracelet?"

Already in the process of redressing himself -and bringing a certain scandal to it's end- the dark-haired ace narrows his eyes in thought as he readjusts his shirt, showing no signs of lingering pain in spite of his little lingering curse...

"Yes... She did have something like that, didn't she?"

His own confrontation with her had been both brief and one-sided, having put most of his focus on simply diverting her attacks at the time, the young man hadn't paid any special attention to the girl's accessories, but looking at this now that the connection's been drawn to his attention, he...

"Well then, I suppose we have to look a bit deeper into this, hmm?"

Pushes the board to the side for now, walking along with it to the left side of the room, where a number of lab-coats lie in wait... Of course, when it comes to magical protections, a COMP is often the best thing you can have, a simple lab-coat wouldn't do much for a supernatural acid for instance, so...

It must be a certain flair for the scientific on his part?

Either way, he grabs two of them and...

"They do say that when a doctor treats himself, he has a fool for a patient," shaking his head with a chuckle, he extends one arm out, as if he meant for you to take the other coat, "But I am somewhat more competent when it comes spiritual smithing than surgery, so would you like to join me on a brief study? Might as well see what we can learn while we're both here, hmm?"

---

Meanwhile...

"There is a certain... Interest on my part. But I am also fine with my current existence."

Blunt but honest, and also the sort that doesn't seem to emote very much...

That is what 'Saya' seems to be, of course, like people, COMP A.Is are always more complex than they first appear to be at a glance but...

Her shell seems a bit difficult to crack...

"Even in this form I can subdue criminals well enough, so I suppose I'm familiar with that sensation... But at times, I do feel I might be even more useful if I had a physical shell of my own. Shuichi is somewhat stubborn, so being able to forcibly restrain him at times would be a useful ability for me to have, I could ensure he eats, sleeps, and heals himself properly."

A sigh, then...

"Instead of that lousy patch job he used on himself... He's too busy, too often."

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

Like a sesshouseki… In other words, Akarana utilized it knowing full-well the consequences could be catastrophic. Even if it is weaker in scale, possession certainly isn’t something to be trifled with, and we see the result here, clear as day. It’s probably a miracle he’s mostly intact and can still give out helpful tidbits like this, but I wish figuring out what Maken does wasn’t some sort of mystery. I’ve never been fond of those. Things in life should be more straightforward…

Still, this is a good start. If the sword and the crystals came about around the same time, it’s natural to conclude that the former was created to defeat the latter… or at least something related to the latter.

Aster: …

Have you thought of something?

Aster: Nothing noteworthy.

Well, at least she’s seriously thinking about the matter and being cooperative for the first time. Two minds are better than one, after all, and I’m certain Aster will notice something I’ve missed.

But for now, let’s first take the obvious stab at it.

“Is it possible that Maken was designed to fight users exploiting this crystal substance? Or even whatever creates it…” I ask, musing about the possibilities. It’s possible that Maken’s development cycle was finalized earlier than before Lloyd obtained the crystals, but if the purpose of Maken is to cut something, it’d make sense if it was developed to cut this mysterious substance. Better to see if that can uncover a memory before straying away to even weirder ideas.

[Bloble]

Mokujima Chris / Daisuke
Aoyama Gakuen ~ S.O.S Club
??? - Afternoon

That person. That person. That person.

Is it the same one that had knocked her out? Chris isn't sure at all, which means it must have been her. And the Master, she was probably that person as well. Everything wrong with Sakurako, everything bad that had happened, it was nobody's fault but hers, that vague, amorphous person that only existed in the mind of Mokujima Chris. That person. That-!

"Well then, I suppose we have to look a bit deeper into this, hmm?"

Mokujima Chris blinks, not quite understanding. Even after that, he's still willing to go on as if nothing had happened?

"They do say that when a doctor treats himself, he has a fool for a patient. But I am somewhat more competent when it comes spiritual smithing than surgery, so would you like to join me on a brief study? Might as well see what we can learn while we're both here, hmm?"

She stares for a moment at the jacket, not quite realizing what the situation has turned into.

But then Chris' tensed up body visibly relaxes, and something blooms.

"...hah... better at spiritual smithing, you say...? And... even in that condition... you're ready to continue... Then, let's have a nice group study, 'Sempai'."

Chris takes the offered coat, sweeps it behind her, and in a practiced motion slips her hands through the sleeves.

Somehow, she's gotten fired up!

...

As if to mirror his User, but in fact completely by coincidence, at that same time...

"I get it!"

Someone else is also getting fired up!

"He's just like Chris!"

Daisuke has either reached or jumped to a conclusion that excites him way too much. That conclusion... needs elaboration, as he instantly realizes, deflating somewhat. "Um, well, okay, no, they're totally different. For starters, rather than overworking, most of the time Chris works hard to avoid having to do anything... but she's also way too horrible at taking care of herself!"

Having found - or perhaps manufactured - a sense of kinship with the stern COMP in front of him, Daisuke won't let it slip away that easily.

"Does Shuichi also do that thing, where he'll 'forget' to eat in the morning because he's too busy, or say 'cup noodles is enough' for the seventh time that week?" (In Chris' case, usually due to rates and action points being in short supply.) "And then he'll also forget to sleep until it's four in the morning because apparently whatever he's doing is more important? Sometimes I have to threaten to shut down the main and backup power to the room to get Chris to go to bed, but lately she's been hiding battery packs everywhere. It's like she's at the bottom of her own list!"

Daisuke's excited blabbering... suddenly stops as quickly as it had begun.

"Um. Sorry, Ma'am. T-that was probably inappropriate."

Yes, with adults, being honest like that never ends well. That's why he usually lets Chris deal with them... but this time, she's fighting a battle of her own.

Timidly, Daisuke tries again.

"Does... does Shuichi end up like this a lot, helping others?"

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
Aoyama, Tokyo
??? - Morning

Logan blinked rapidly, wincing at the bright sunlight. It’d been a while since he’d been in a city. He wasn’t a stranger to them, having lived in San Francisco, New York City, and London for extended periods of time and visited many more - Aoyama included - but after a year of skulking through cold steel halls, sunlight sliding through window panes in flashes among shadows before the hiss of automatic doors heralded its synthetic replacements of measured illumination set to the required levels, and no more, where the presence of others was merely a happenstance, more like rain than the trees of a forest - the bustle of a city was something Logan was no longer quite used to. Like a sweater brought out during a particularly chilly fall day, or a smile.

He looked around, eyes resting briefly on a headless jester juggling cackling jack-o-lanterns while a crowd of children laughed before moving upward to a brilliant blue sky instead of endless gray. His skin tingled under the pleasant heat and the soothing air damp with spiritual power, and he stretched experimentally. It was weird, not being weighed down with the exhaustion of training or the responsibility of a joint operation. In this colorful and vibrant flood of people, each with their own destinations, their own emotions, their own circumstances, he was hopelessly out of place - a lost child in the big city.

"...I'm a bit surprised. A lot of people really do gather here, huh? It's pretty different from back home..."

He wasn’t the only lost child, at least.

“Yeah. When it comes to the SLEIPNIR or a less dense settlement, people just travel to get to a destination. But when it comes to a city like Aoyama, the city is the destination; just walking around gives you something to see.”

It was admirable then that she went of her own volition to a completely novel place like this. There were some people who spent their entire lives within the borders of their own country. Though it was odd that she picked him for this leisure? Trip. There had to have been someone more experienced. Or more fun.

"Still, I guess this is what an entertainment district should look like. Any requests? I've heard this place is a good tourist spot."

: The amusement park! Pick the amusement park! Close-proximity rollercoasters! Close-proximity teacups! Close-proximity Ferris Wheels!

: Are there even Ferris Wheels that don’t have people near each other?

: Super cheap ones with only one person to a seat made by Scrooge McKrabs for podunk three-ride ‘festivals’ where the other rides are a tractor and a corn maze.

: Maybe Scrooge just wanted to give kids who normally wouldn’t be able to afford it more fun.

: No, that was a figure of- There’s not actually someone named-

: Anyways, a single-person Ferris Wheel is like going to a swimming pool in a diving suit. Oh, a water park! Swimsuits! Splashing! Sharing an inner tube on thrill rides!

: That sounds uncomfortable.

Truth be told, Logan did not hold a particular fondness for beaches and splash parks. Swimming was no problem, but otherwise there were precious few activities that managed to hold his interest for the course of an entire day. If it was at a private beach, then his parents would enjoy drinks and massages, and perhaps one round on a paraglider. Sarah would play with him until a pod of dolphins invariably arrived to whisk her away until night fell; he’d tried following them once, but had gotten caught in an undercurrent and carried back to shore. To say nothing of the shark that showed up once… The second pattern was at a splash park: he’d try to enjoy rides, but as he grew older he got strange furtive looks from people whenever he took off his shirt, and after Sarah shoved him into a tube that was evidently a repurposed torture device meant to drown people by shooting water up their nose he’d refrained from going ever since. Whatever could be done by the water could be done somewhere else more efficiently and more entertainingly.

: Tch, I got my hopes up after you actually agreed to come here. Good job on that by the way; there’s hope for your upside-down rocks-glued-on cancer turtle social life yet!

: Thanks…?

Logan framed his jaw in thought. Given that this was apparently Astra’s first time in Aoyama, her desires really should take precedence over his. But she’d asked him to come along and asked him for his input. That meant his opinion was worth speaking.

“When it comes to Aoyama, I’ve heard good things about their haunted escape rooms and survival game castles.”

: *cough* Googled ‘Top things for tourists to do in Aoyama’ *cough*

: It’s a human’s prerogative to use the knowledge of his forebears.

“But personally speaking… A park, I suppose. Or maybe an arboretum? It’s been a while since I’ve seen greenery larger than a potted plant.”

[Tobias]

DTG
??? Sea ~ ???
Tuesday ~ ???


“What the fu...”

The best and worst thing about kids was their ability to inspire.

Children tested boundaries, challenged preconceptions, questioned rules that seemed inviolate, and they did so with an innocence and purity that compelled candor and forced critical thinking.

They that after a certain point, the only way one could continue to learn about something was to teach. Guiding a bright but unfocused mind would cause an expert to revisit the foundations of his craft with new and deeper understanding. In so doing, they would refine their own understanding, discard small but critical flaws, and move from “expert” to “master”.

As the Burrough’s system described a work of computational magecraft that would normally have required a ritual circle if not a straight up Wishing Star class magecraft, he involuntarily had to revisit certain theories he had regarding the upper limits of his newfound protege’s abilities.

Namely, if she had any.

The older detective wasn’t as verbose as his brash user...but it was rare for him to be struck dumb with surprise.

Or, perhaps awe might describe his feelings closer. As a computer program, manipulating his existence was a bit different then more physical beings. He had an idea that she had not thrown the linchpin of his existence, the plume of dusk into the past, but his intergral software, which had merged and overwritten his past self. This however was still an epic level feat. The implications were mind blowing. Even if information was the only thing she could do...and that was somewhat unlikely, the ability to change the past was almost an unbeatable advantage.

The DTG has been sent back about 60 seconds. He didn’t really have anything he needed to be doing in that time but...

...If, for example, a sniper had killed raz in that time frame, he, the microphone AI sworn to the bard, would now be able to avert such, changing the very foundation of time itself.

Now...he did suspect that the effort had seriously cost the young girl. He wasn’t sure she would even be able to do the observations she said she needed to do. Likely she was somewhere recovering after overheating herself. She had made sure he wasn’t around and didn’t see how taxed she was because...

Heh. Tyke is showing off.

Fear and uncertainty over her abilities and future was motivated by an odd sense of rueful pride.

Once thought I was gonna end up killing her. Now I gotta think if it comes down to it she may kill me.

“Oy, flatfoot!” The older man emoted, drawing his user’s attention.

”You got a new song for me? I’ll make an artist out of you yet!” His weilder replied, drawing an exasperated grimace.

”Wouldn’t be caught dead. Listen, this weekend when we are compiling data, we need to also look into Gypsy tech what has to do with time.”

”Uh...that’s a bit out of left field, but OK. You got some kind of new deduction?”

”Can’t answer that right now rookie” the old AI stated, drawing his fedora over his eyes. “...it’s a secret.”

[Airen]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

"...I suppose that is certainly possible."

Ultimately, he doesn't see your theory as anything preposterous... It's the natural first conclusion to reach, a sword is a weapon after all, and if his previous self had any amount of distrust towards those bizarre crystals, it was possible he would make a countermeasure against them "just in case" things went south... Of course it doesn't seem to have helped him too much in the end, but then again...

He had been sort of cornered at the time, using a "forbidden power" in an attempt to seize victory from absolute defeat, well...

It's not something unheard of, absolutely reckless yes, but love makes people do stupid things at times.

Still...

His eyes narrow further in thought, and it becomes clear that he's wresting with something internally...

"No, I didn't find it... Someone gave it to me..."

Faint glimmers of a memory perhaps...?

"Yes, there was a supplier... Was it an accomplice of mine... The name... Was..."

One hand balls up into a fist, as the mental struggle seems to slowly morph into a physical one; the light sweat he had been bearing before -when Charlotte had arrived- has suddenly become more obvious at a glance, like you were looking at someone who was rapidly losing all of the color in their face, and then...

The sound of something slamming on a desk.

It's no one's hand, it's simply the sound of Lloyd Akarana suddenly collapsing on the other side of the window.

---A number of possibilities flash through your mind, from an unseen assassination attempt, to the man simply being more ill than he had let on, or having triggered something inside of himself by remembering "too much," but...

Whatever it is, you're already moving before your thoughts can catch up with you.

If there is one fundamental truth about your existence, it is that Ayra Lilygrove is a hero; that heroism takes more than one shape, but it would be a mistake to say that it isn't something that defines your existence, therefore...

It is only natural that you charge into his half of the room, while Alexia had reacted just as fast to the sudden bout of apparent illness, your own speed is superior and thus you reach him first-!

And in that moment, where you first catch his falling body...

Something goes off inside of your head as well, like someone had planted a bomb inside of your thoughts. It sends you reeling, like a series of hypnic jerks that even stutter Aster's consciousness for a time even as you hold on, as you hear Alexia talking to you and yelling for a doctor, Charlotte out in the hallway with a strangely focused look on her face as you are seemingly rushed out on a stretcher and-

----

---It's dark.

You don't know what happened to you, just that it's incredibly dark where you are right now.

You can't feel Aster.

Your mind is swimming, and you can't keep your thoughts straight.

Everyone has been left behind, in this void, the only person is yourself.

---Of course, anyone watching the scene would say that's a lie.

If you could look at it from afar, one would see the body of Ayra Lilygrove floating across from a massive white light, a miniature sun in the shape of a person.

But it's not a person.

It's not one.

That's why no one is here but you, that thing might look like a person but it's not one.

It's gone beyond that.

---It turns it's gaze to you.

The voice is warming, pleasant, but it also shakes you to the core.

---It approaches.

Your right arm starts burning with a blue light, you can hear an eruption of familiar (unfamiliar?) voices all around you, and for some reason...

That foreign 'light' stops in it's tracks as if repulsed...

----

Ayra Lilygrove
Detention Center - Medical Ward
??? - Evening

"Morning, Lily."

When you come to, you're in the hospital's infirmary room, Alexia sitting in a nearby desk, parts of a scattered computer laid out on the table before her, as if she had been entertaining herself while waiting for you to awaken... Lloyd is nearby as well, although he's unconscious, and while you can spot a doctor walking out through the main door as you sit up, it seems that this room was being kept mostly empty, in other words...

Alexia had probably decided to watch over the both of you, considering the circumstances...

"Lloyd had a bit of a fit back there, they had removed the crystal from his body earlier, but it seems to have grown back somehow... That, or they missed a piece somewhere..."

Knowing what the first thing you would ask would probably be, the woman simply makes her way down the list of relevant information...

"You touched him, and that apparently did something to you too? We're not entirely sure why you collapsed, but your medical scans are clean, although..."

At this she pauses, before pointing at your right hand...

"That showed up on you a bit later, around the time you stabilized... I ran some rudimentary tests on it, and it doesn't seem to be dangerous, but we can't get it off... So we're gonna keep you on Observation for a bit anyway, just to be safe."

Where there's a strange tattoo adorning the back of it...

Acquired Trait: World Crest (Xanadu)

Crest

-World Crest (Xanadu)-
A magical crest that marks the bearer as a "chosen representative" of the World "Xanadu." Actual use, effects, and purpose of this crest are unknown as of this time, although it seems like it cannot be dispelled from the body of the host through conventional magics.

[hero]

Amamiya Sho
Aoyama Gakuen - School Grounds
??? - Morning


Having confirmed the nurse's defeat, the strain my body had to endure for our last attack surfaces, and I find myself out of energy. Not letting me have a say on the matter, my balance is broken and I fall on my butt.

"Hah... Ah..."

I take a moment to calm down my breathing and recover from pushing both body and machine to the limit. That last exchange was way too intense, I almost believed it would all be for naught the moment Irmina revealed her own triumph card. Just what on Earth was it...? Though in the end it looked like an ayatori-like weapon made with reinforced steel wire, the moment it was summoned, even if it was for no more than an instant, I felt as if we were fighting a completely different enemy. Even if this is nothing but a simulation, during that second that seemed to extend for an eternity, I actually felt like our lives were in danger.

That sensation of dread is gone now.

The only thing before me is an innocent nurse covered in slime.

"I'm sorry but... The truth is, there is no easy way to remove it completely, even after it becomes like this."

By now, the army of smiles has been reduced to just one. I still haven't fully mastered Slime B, so creating actual replicas that can remain in this world for more than a brief period of time is impossible for me. The spare mass of goo becomes just that, a lifeless sticky substance that feels strange to the touch. All I can say is that nine out of ten washing machine powders won't be able to completely deal with it. In a sense, it's almost like dog hair: No matter how much you sweep your clothes off, there will always be at least a few left.

I speak from experience.

After all, techniques like Slime B aren't learnt in a day or two.

"Still, I must admit I am surprised. The average girl would be helplessly screaming right about now. Or maybe trying to beat me up or worse: writing a report about it. In fact, you must be the second person not to do something like that."

You see, Kyp has the habit to glomp others, sometimes even complete strangers.

That can lead to rather awkward situations and a many times the intent behind the action is, understandably, misunderstood.

In other words, I have been given detention for this kind of incidents numerous times in the past.

I guess what I am trying to say is that...

Maybe we're really lucky that Irmina is the way she is.

"Great job, partner."

Kyp returns to me. It is unable to draw a smile, but I am sure it can instinctively understand that we've won.

"Kyoka, how are you faring...? I might have pushed you too far."

'I somehow managed to avoid COMP overheat... Barely.' is the response I get.

Good.

It looks like we've managed to break through our first obstacle without major losses. Granted, I've blown my triumph card early and I don't think it's safe to use it twice in a row on the same day, but our gains easily make up for it.

This is just the first step, though. We need to keep moving forward.

Slowly, I pick myself up.

"Well then, I guess we'll be on your care from now on, school nurse. Please stick to your promise and don't bite the bullet too soon."

Having said that I turn towards Namasaki.

"How are you faring, Sempai...? If you want we could stop here for a minute until you've caught your breath. Since I've been relying on you too much, I would feel guilty if something happened to you for pushing yourself too hard for my sake."

[Airen]

Amamiya Sho
Aoyama Gakuen - School Grounds
??? - Morning

"No easy way hmm?"

---Yes.

Sitting within a pool of mostly lifeless slime, one hand gingerly touching her hair as if to confirm that the worst had indeed taken place, there is nevertheless no sign of outright hostility from the nurse. It's true that many incidents in the past involving this sort of slime had landed you in detention for a number of reasons, but rather than scream or freakout that her hair will essentially be ruined for the next week or so, this silver haired woman...

"Well, screaming never solves anything anyway. There's nothing to do for it but research it and find a solution to it's stubborn composition-!"

Seems to instead fire herself up at the challenge?!

Yes-!

Pulling out a glass beaker from one of the pouches on her waist, the nurse quickly sets about grabbing a few samples of the substance for what you can only assume would be intensive experimentation later on in the chemistry rooms... Indeed, seeing this sort of thing less as a 'sorta perverted' action and more of an 'interesting obstacle' to overcome, she has already put her mind towards solving the problem in front of her, treating it as an illness without a treatment-!

Of course, it is sort of worrying when she starts chuckling to herself as she collects those samples but...

Well, the nurse had always been sort of weird, still...

"Sure, a deal's a deal. I'll help you guys as best I can."

...She's honest to a fault, even if she's obviously sort of a weirdo, still...

"I'm fine."

Speaking with a smile, your sarcasm rolling over him as if he was completely unbothered by it, the senpai's slightly-too-perfect smile is clearly there just to mess with you...

"But please, do not think you have to make excuses for your own fatigue. I am quite ready to wait as long as you need to get back into fighting shape my dear kouhai, you and I are both in this together after all."

...This guy.

Saying all that with a smile, it seems he can't help but point at you as he talks, and...

Acquired Trait: World Crest (Xanadu)

...That's when you notice there's something on his hand, a strange crest that seems to glow a light blue, and even as you take note of it...

You see the same thing on yourself...

It's just there, glowing dimly in the simulated light of the server and...

"...Hmm?"

Doesn't seem to do anything at all...

It doesn't even feel warm... What...?

[Spinach]

Hyakka Onjouji
Aoyama Gakuen, Tokyo
??? ~ Night

Blinking away wet droplets, Hyakka vigorously shook her head side-to-side.

“I w-wasn’t crying! Or afraid! Or scared! Or about to fly as far and as high away as I can! N-no!”

The tiny girl’s red sleeve shot up and began to rub away the mysterious moisture that had accumulated beneath her eyes.

“Just!” She sniffled. “Just what kind of hero has a habit of sneaking around!”

The girls cheeks puffed up and her tone quickly went from weak and shaky to a heavier, scolding voice.

“A sneaky, crafty Tamer won’t inspire the people and lift their hearts!” Although the effort stemmed from an attempt to cover up her moment of weakness, trying to drive the topic away from her fright, it quickly became a genuine lecture. “Nanaya-senpai, a real hero should be bold and shining, something that the innocent can easily look upon and feel their fears and wounds upon their hearts healed!”

“Your own abilities aren’t very close to that image of heroism you preach, Hana.”

A cool voice put the girl’s heated conviction on ice, and the harshness of reality set in.

Two dainty hands flailed about, trying to wave away the truth. Stammered excuses shot into thin air, with less and less conviction as they went on. Things about not being able to choose what she specializes in, trying to make up for her inherent faults, bad habits. It was in the middle of that constant stammering that a moment of self-awareness struck, and the girl tilted her head. Arms falling to her side calmly, Hyakka looked dead on at her classmate.

“Oh.”

“Heh.”

“Nanaya-senpai has her own circumstances too, just like everyone else… it wasn’t very heroic of me to judge her like that…”

“You should leave judging people to me. I’m not the one dreaming of heroism, so I can afford to be a hypocrite.”

“Tsubaki…”

For a minute she hung in silence, then finally nodded her head.

“I’m sorry!” As always, Hyakka bowed deeply. Facing the older girl head on, she raised up. “I was too quick to criticize you, Nanaya-senpai. The truth is, I was scared, and I lashed out because of it.”

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Detention Center - Medical Ward
??? - Evening

My head hurts… Just what was that dream? I can’t… I grabbed Akarana, but what happened after… Just what was I trying to touch? What stopped me?

Ayra.

The call of my name sends me frantically looking around. Akarana in the bed next to me. Alexia in front of me, busying herself with assembly of who knows what. Nobody else. That voice, then… I don’t have the heart to ask Aster to switch to text. Her mood… is still bad, isn’t it?

A member of the NWAB.

Ah, just like how we’ve arranged. Concussion check, but I don’t really think it’s a concussion…

Alexia, I tell her, as the mentioned woman notices I’ve come to. Aster sighs, and then continues.

A Knight of the Round Table.

My thoughts halt a bit as I try to resist saying myself or Tsukiko. These are meant to test mental faculties as well, right?

Eliza? Zerah? Raz?

Don’t list them all, geez. Something you hate.

Swimming, I answer, that distant yet unpleasant memory suddenly surfacing to the forefront of my mind. Not one Aster knows. I told that story to Tsukiko… well before I got Aster.

You swim pretty often, she states, incredulously. She has a point. I do it pretty often.

Force of habit.

If you’re going to give me a confusing answer like that, you’re probably somewhat fine. Try to give me less of a scare, will you? It's just you and me.

It isn’t really my fault, but Aster is right. It’s just her and I…

Sorry.

Alexia begins explaining what happened just then, but it’s a bit hard to focus. I feel so bleary… Though, once the explanation’s concluded, the marking on my hand gives me a distinct feeling of annoyance. How am I going to cover this up? Gloves? Concealer? I’m not very fond of either, to be honest, but walking around with an elaborate pattern on my hand is definitely going to raise questions…

Don’t waste time thinking about that. Get some rest. I’m poking around to see if anyone else knows anything about what’s on your hand.

Aster barks orders… Reminds me of the old days when I had an even worse working schedule and she yelled at me all the time…

I guess I’ll listen. Even after waking up, I don’t feel so hot. Not enough to go back out on patrol or fill paperwork, at least.

And maybe… Nevermind. I’m going to sleep. It doesn’t matter.

“Thanks for getting me over here,” I say to Alexia, the tired tone in my voice all too evident. It feels shameful that I can’t muster enough strength to look tough… “Sorry about the trouble. I’ll make it up to you some time.”

“Aster’s yelling at me to lie down, so I’m gonna get some rest. Message me if something interesting happens relating to the case,” I force out, my brain straining to focus on the issue at hand. The case is important, but so is my health…

I lean back on my pillow and close my eyes.

[Airen]

Hyakka Onjouji
Aoyama Gakuen, Tokyo
??? ~ Night

"..."

As far as she had been concerned, your little lecture had been an almost-amazing outburst of different emotions... From fear to anger, anger to determination, determination to self-realization, and from there to guilt... Yes, there's a lot that can be said about how honest your emotions were, in some ways it was refreshing, in others it was naive, but above all else, at least in this girl's eyes...

"...Oh my gosh, you're so adorable!"

...It's just cute.

Absolutely adorable, so much so that there's little you could have said to her that she would have taken as an actual insult-!

"It's super okay! No worries! We all judge people without meaning too from time to time!" A little too excited that someone so cute was continuing to call her 'senpai' unironically, a certain girl's cheer seems to be slowly elevating towards space, "And you're sorta right! People like a nice, shiny public hero! But from time to time you gotta be sneaky, you see?"

Looking around the both of you conspiratorially, as if she expected to find something else stalking these slightly spooky school grounds, the older girl throws one arm around your shoulder before drawing you in closer, probably to make sure you could hear her when she starts to whisper...

"The Headmaster doesn't like people wandering around here at night... Well, his actual words on it were 'you can do it as long as I don't catch you doing it,' which means it's kinda sorta like optional training if you look at it in a certain way? The search for the truth has it's risks... More than once I've been carted off to detention because he caught me hiding in a classroom, but today, today we succeed-!"

---Well she hadn't told you this earlier, but it seems that wandering around here at night was a "detention-worthy" offense for some reason... Of course, applying a little common sense might have made that sort of conclusion obvious, but...

"High-school memories are made of this sort of rule-bending thing anyway! These sorts of magic schools totally have some strange things hiding inside of them! You remember the rumors we talked about earlier right? You think about which one you wanna investigate today? It's your first time here, so I'll let you do the honors..."

...She's not leaving you much room to back out of this either...

Really...

She might be counting on the fact that turning back down would mean all of your earlier fear was pointless-!

[Airen]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama - Abandoned Apartment Complex, Tsukiko's Room
??? - Morning

"...Eh?"

Of course, her reaction had made it clear that she hadn't seen what you had seen...

Casually throwing out a weak joke of sorts in spite of her earlier, generally more dreary mood today, the no-nonsense answer she gets in response to her question is one that forces her mind to stop for a second to process it. Of course, while she had always seemed slightly unaware of how the current world worked -like someone who had woken up after a years long nap- she was still the sort who understood the existence of both spirits and demons, but...

"A doppelganger? No, there shouldn't be anyone else that looks like me..."

...Her mind is processing it slowly for some reason, and her questioning voice becomes something like mutters, talking quietly to herself as she tries to logic her way through this current scenario...

"Could it be her...? No, she doesn't look like that anymore... A shadow? I guess that sort of thing is possible here, but..."

...Yes.

As dreary as she had been before, now there's a certain sense of... disorder in her words? Talking aloud is already a warning sign for the normally chill girl, but now...

"Hmm~"

...Before she can mutter more theories to herself, her voice appears again from the entryway of the house.

She looks back, as do you, and...

The fake hums to itself as it walks through and out the front door, stepping out into the pouring rain and closing it behind itself in a casual devil-may-care way and...

"Hey you-!"

In what seems like a single stride, the real one reaches the door, throws it open with obviously excessive force, and-

"Get back here!"

-starts out into the rain after 'herself' recklessly, of course, in this sort of heavy rain...

Hesitation would certainly lead to losing someone in it...

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
Velvet Room
??? ~ ???

These sorts of dreams were the only ones that you seemed to have nowadays.

Dreams filled with the color blue, of invisible songstresses, bizarrely prevalent disco balls, and enigmatic spiritual secretaries. Of course they are always interesting dreams, interesting because you are sure that this place is real in spite of being a 'dream,' and interesting because your 'guide' was seemingly always here to talk with you, be it to simply chat, or to play along with her many attempts at finding a 'fun' activity that the both of you could enjoy...

Last time it had been dancing, the activity most suited for a room that seemed purposefully designed to resemble a club, a place where people from all different walks came together to enjoy themselves but...

With just the two of you it had been a little awkward, still...

Today...

She is not here, or at least, you aren't able to see her even after blinking the 'sleep' from your eyes. While Agatha -from the little you could glean from your time with her- always had some self-conscious awkward moments, she had never actively hid herself from you after taking your contract, no, she had always been waiting upon that couch for your arrival, but...

This time she's not.

A deep inspection doesn't reveal her either, however, what it does reveal...

Are a number of bookcases propped up around the outer walls of the room, as if this club was doing it's best to double down as a library of sorts, and even beyond that...

There's a television sitting in front of the usual couch, it's faced away from you -so you can't see what's on it- but just like the bookshelves, it is definitely something that wasn't in this room before, and consequently, something that draws your interest, especially because Agatha had always told you to 'feel free' to look through her things, still...

These dreams also had a bad habit of ending at inopportune times, you could come back after waking up with through use of your key, but somehow...

You felt like this particular 'manifestation' of the room was special, in other words...

...You might only be able to investigate one of them this time around...

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama - Abandoned Apartment Complex, Tsukiko's Room
??? - Morning

"Kaguya."

A simple order.

"Got'cha, Banchou!"

A simple answer.

--- That was everything Blaise Pendragon and his COMP AI needed.

There was a sound of something like huge wings of a gigantic creature striking the air as the blonde boy struck the wooden floor with his foot. Magical energy was gathered at the bottom of his feet and at the same time, it resonated behind him almost like a ramjet ready to proper him forward. The most straightforward, the most inelegant way of propelling oneself forward - achieved with pure force and nothing but pure force. Fine-tuning, minute-control, steering... that was all left for those who specialized into that sort of thing.

For Blaise Pendragon, the art of "flash stepping" was nothing but gathering a large amount of energy and making it explode behind himself, propelling himself in an instant.

[DRAGON STEP!]

Magical energy roared.

Blaise Pendragon soared.

And since he didn't, and never had had to, worry about physical objects impeding with his progress...

... The blonde youth blasted through the flimsy wood, through the rooms, through the outer walls of the house and straight into the streets.

No hesitation whatsoever.

After all, while running down the hallway and throwing the door open took time, same couldn't be said for simply rushing through every physical obstacle in one's way, making a road where there was none, just in order to catch whoever this imposter was. After all, while Blaise had less and less understanding of what was actually going on, from what he could see catching the "other" Tsukiko was important to the original one, and thus...

... He shot himself through a house in order to catch up to the impostor immediately.

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
Velvet Room
??? ~ ???

This dream feels a little different.

…Although lately I’ve been wondering if it’s really appropriate to call this a dream.

Whatever they are, they’ve been enjoyable, so I haven’t thought about it much. But I am certain it is a real place- the regularity of our meetings, the phone call, and the key all suggest to me that much. And more importantly, it seems like Agatha lives here, for reasons I don’t really know too much about. Something that happened in her past? Regardless, she seems content to stay here, and it’s not my business to interfere.

But I wonder if she might take offense to it being called as such, given that it is her home…?

Anyways, if I were to put the difference between the usual dreams and this particular instance into words, then whereas it would normally be a kind of lobby or a club, then this feels more personal, like someone’s room. At least, that’s what it feels like seeing the presence of the bookshelves and the television.

Given the context, this feels like a rare opportunity to check out Agatha’s room while she’s away.

…I probably shouldn’t.

But I’m pretty curious about what’s here, especially since I feel like I still don’t know that much about her. Not as much as she seems to know about me, at least. That, and she said I should feel free to look through her things, so… if I find something that I shouldn’t have, then I’ll just apologize and hope for the best. Even if it’s not correct thing to do, it’s only a little wrong, so I think it can be forgiven.

As for what to check out in particular…

The television does catch my interest, but I don’t know how long I’ll have… and I don’t really know Agatha’s personal taste in books. I might not have time to look through them all, but I can always remember any names or keywords and look them up when I wake up. Although not as much lately, I read in my spare time occasionally- chatting about that might be a little less awkward than the dancing we did last time.

With that in mind, I head over to the bookshelves.