Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds

He's not stupid. There's a modicum of planning there.

But...

--- He's also vengeful. He won't let it go with just this.

"....!"

Floating momentarily in the air above the raging seas, turbulent winds and the destroyed battleship, Blaise could survey the whole area with his eyes. His opponent hadn't resurfaced yet. It was quite possible they were preparing yet another attack, something to launch from the depths of the debris that he had been thrown into. So far he had been only focused on him, and that was good - Blaise knew he could deal with few strikes at least before going down. And with Tsukiko currently engaged in freeing Isamu, she had her hands full.

But more than that... this was a problem he himself had caused. This was a responsibility of him and him alone. If the opponent on to attack his friends... he couldn't forgive himself.

Therefore. He had to keep the opponent's eyes on himself.

No, not only that... he had to defeat him. This battle wasn't over yet. Whatever power was backing his enemy up was far more than this.

[Kaguya.]

Blaise's mental words connected to his partner, the one who always had his back.

[Relay all that's happened in this fight so far to Tsukiko and Isamu, once he's clear enough to understand. Spare no details of our opponent, and what his probable aims are. You've watched it through my eyes, right?]

[Y-yes! Gotcha, Banchou! I'll let 'em know wazzup, an' get 'em up ta speed!]

The winds changed. Like a mood of the battlefield, it was time to start bringing this to a close.

Indeed, even if Blaise couldn't forgive himself if the opponent hurt either Isamu or Tsukiko, he wasn't stupid or proud enough to think he wouldn't require their help. They had numerical advantage, and Tsukiko was fiercely powerful. And Isamu too... there was a reason why he had began to think lately that he could trust his back to the mop-headed boy. He might not have been a juggernaut of physical or magical might, but he had survived on the streets so far... he knew how to handle himself.

Isamu was far from a deadweight that his opponent seemed to think...!

[Oh, another thing. We've been using spiritual and physical attacks so far,] Blaise continued, a hint of a grin appearing on his lips. [Time to switch things up. Load a spherical Agidyne inside my fist now, but only launch at my command. Keep it hidden.]

As the wind changed, so did gravity return. With a controlled landing, Blaise crashed into the remnants of the battleship. His descent to the deck sent the whole skeleton of the ship shuddering, causing an earthquake of sorts that set the metal screeching and groaning. As he hit the deck, Blaise grabbed the nearest large metal object - which happened to the remnants of a large cannon, and lifted it up like a massive club. This maul he then aimed towards the hole where his opponent had disappeared, and brandished it like a sword.

As if issuing a challenge.

"Had enough? This is as far as you'll borrowed power'll take you. Next time..." Blaise's golden eyes flashed cold as he stared into the darkness. "... Be a man and come at me with your own strength. Instead of hiding behind someone else."

Another bout of words meant to fan the flames of fury in his opponent.

But in this mind... Blaise was already issuing new orders.

[Oh, and one more thing...]

He didn't betray his plan even with a glance towards the pier.

[... His reflexes are good. He even deflected lightning. So a fireball isn't out of his league. In other words... as fast as you can, cast Makarakarn on Isamu's bat.]

Because the crux of this tactic...

[And tell him that when he sees one hell of a wild pitch coming their direction, it's time to swing for the fences.]

... Was the implicit trust he had on the people at his side.

[--- Tell my bro to go for a homerun!]

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Artificial Park
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

Although she has no idea as to who the mysterious student of Alexia is…

…Eva can confidently say that she can understand some of the sentiments that this student is having. It’s not hard to imagine just how it would feel to be on the receiving end, given the excess of affection coming out from Alexia- just thinking about it made her feel a twinge of pity for the unnamed individual.

“Well… on the bright side, you must be proud that your student has grown up so much, right?”

Trying her best to keep up with the conversation, as Alexia considers her proposal…

"Although... I suppose I do feel a bit under the weather... There's a common room nearby with a heater, would you talk with me there? Recovering by myself would be such a waste, I'm like a rabbit, I could die of loneliness, you know?"

Eva hesitates to respond.

“That…”

Truth be told, Eva was not particularly keen on going with Alexia. She had heavy doubts about Alexia’s claims to loneliness.

But Eva was fairly certain that if she did not go, then they would simply continue chatting here, at the banquet that had been prepared for Tamers from all four major factions… where Alexia would likely continue to gush over the once cute days of her disciple... a disciple who was, considering Alexia’s description and position as a NWAB tamer (going by her badge), likely to be a Tamer and/or know several individuals who were attending… who would potentially overhear this (likely exaggerated) dark history…

“… sounds like an excellent idea, miss Alexia. Someplace quiet would be nice.”

… if that was the alternative, then she was prepared to enter a common room with this woman.

She hoped that whoever she was, this unknown former student would appreciate the sacrifice Eva was going to make.

Although, hopefully it would not be a sacrifice at all. Perhaps the heater would do some good, or Agatha… while she was undoubtedly curious about just what sort of functionality Agatha had somehow obtained access to her inside her body, there was only one thing she had to say in this situation.

--- Let me know if you figure out anything…

[Airen]

Hiyori
SLEIPNIR - Bottom Level, Genesis's Lab/Engine Room
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"...Come on now, focus."

---Ultimately, it's up to Lucia to stop this little detour into what was almost certainly a form of mad science; indeed, with Genesis being the sort who can't help but feel naturally curious about the things around him, and your own attention span that could be called something close to "ooh shiny!" it was up to the dark-haired girl, the absolute most normal member of the Rothschild, to pull things back in before they go a bit too far...

"Ah yes, right," Genesis coughs into his fist, while he is not the sort that seems capable of flushing (or perhaps, has simply never been in a situation that required it from him) the ancient android nevertheless catches himself at the point of prepping some sort of spell of his own to chuck into the gaping maw of a particularly insidious furnace, "Testing of the ominous inferno can be done at another time, responsibilites, mysterious apps, yes, working on it."

---And so he does.

"Let us see yes? Ah, custom code. Cognition Navigator? Copywright Namasaki, Mokujima? Interesting names."

Pulling it up on a separate terminal after you link yourself to it, the ever-calm android begins to speak his findings aloud, although...

The screen looks a bit different now?

When you had looked at it last, Ludwig's name had been in white, uncolored, one of the many generically listed names at the bottom of the tab, but right now...

His name is flashing?

There's a flashing red (!) next to it too...

"Hm? Alert status. Alert of what? Alcheringa? Interesting. Intervention possible, but keywords needed? Inconvenient. Definitions unclear."

Words that are somewhat broken in his usual way, although as you watch...

Another name starts to flash on the screen...

This one one of the more 'important' ones as it were, yes...

Lexie Davis...

She gets the ! too...

[Kuroyuki]

Rossweisse
SLEIPNIR - Artificial Park
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"..."

At first, they were surprised that I started approaching them. However, I wasn’t expecting what they were doing right now. Maybe… Something like surprise at being spotted at staring so much or shyly admitting that they weren’t sure about something. Not… Being circled by them as if they were trying to solve some kind of deep mystery about me. I was kind of confused about them as well until…

Static. Like a sudden loss of reception from the internet and then replaced by an old, bad quality video. America? School? Waiting for someone? Who? However, before I could get further and try to figure out what just happened it disappeared. The sudden influx and sorting caused me to raise my left hand to my face. I heard some of the person’s words but it wasn’t registering right now.

"You um, reminded me of someone, and then I just... Uh, I suck! Sorry, sorry! Didn't mean to go super detective mode on you, I swear!"

I removed my hand from my face as I managed to sort out everything. I watched her bow a few times in apology.

“...It’s fine. I think I had a flashback… So you might not be entirely wrong.”

I tried to reassure Myra in front of me with a quick smile to show that I’m okay before I realized that at some point I started head patting her. Once I realized what I was doing, I stopped immediately and pulled my hand.

"I'll happily accept your gift of food!"

I stepped back and tried to put some distance to calm myself down a little bit.

“Ah… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to do that! It just happened… And… I’m being a bit too familiar to someone I just met… Apple cinnamon rolls are fine right?”

I sit down and try to stop myself from inadvertently doing something again. After a little bit of time, I decided I should ask the question that came to mind once I organized everything in my head.

“But by chance is your last name Davis and you have a big sister named Lexie? Because this app triggered today...”

Meanwhile...




Hiyori
SLEIPNIR - Bottom Level, Genesis's Lab/Engine Room
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"...Come on now, focus."

"Ah yes, right. Testing of the ominous inferno can be done at another time, responsibilities, mysterious apps, yes, working on it."

‘Booo fine. We can do our mad science later. But we’re going to do mad science right Genesis?’

I decide to fly over in front of Genesis and stare him down so that he knows that we’ll do mad science eventually. The only answer that I will accept is ‘Yes!’ and nothing but yes! Once I got my yes, I finally flew over to the terminal I was supposed to fly over towards. The program looked exactly like how it was a little while ago. Except…

"Let us see yes? Ah, custom code. Cognition Navigator? Copyright Namasaki, Mokujima? Interesting names. Hm? Alert status. Alert of what? Alcheringa? Interesting. Intervention possible, but keywords needed? Inconvenient. Definitions unclear."

I decided to ignore Genesis's technological mumbo jumbo for the more noticeable and bad thing. Ludwig Karlfeldt was flashing for some kind of alert! That’s bad! I didn’t know much about him, but Rossweisse wouldn’t be happy if I just skipped over it. At the same point of time, Lexie Davis’s status also flashed with a red exclamation mark. I disconnected myself from the machine and started flying towards where Rossweisse was at. While I was at it, I instantly opened up messages for Anna and Rossweisse, the two best people to know about this right now.

Message to Anna

‘Anna! Ludwig Karlfeldt is apparently in some kind of danger from something called Alcheriga according to this DreamWeave app! Is there anyone nearby his position to assist?'

Message to Rossweisse

‘Rossweisse one of the people on the list is in danger!’

‘Which one!?’

‘Lexie! Wasn’t she in the SDCD? Could you see if the SDCD group can help us out?’

‘...They’re not here yet, but there might be a way for us to find her… Wait there might be a way… I might be in front of Myra Davis.’

Hopefully Rossweisse is in front of Myra Davis like she said she was. Actually wasn't that super convenient because wasn't she also on the list as well?

[Airen]

Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds

---Creaking metal, the crackle of flames, waves ripping and roaring along with the winds.

It's a sign of a devastated battlefield, the inevitable reality of a battle between supernatural beings, and the day-to-day life of the Demonic Server; there is nothing inherently strange about a battle taking place here, of all the places in the World this was the most obvious one for such a thing to happen, but...

"..."

While the battlefield itself has seemed to calm, you know better than to really believe that it's over... Considering the circumstances, your opponent must have gone so far as to chase you into the depths of this place, his method of doing so was unknown, as was the sort of spirit that lay beyond his powers, but the motivation was obviously that of revenge, and for those who pursue that particular avenue, well...

Once they've taken this many steps down that path, it wasn't easy for them to turn around on it.

In other words...

It's not over, not by a long shot...

---In the distance, Isamu finally seems to recover with Tsukiko's assistance; the girl wasn't a Tamer, but her nature as a vampire placed magic in her grasp... The way she performed it wasn't quite the same as most people nowadays, manifesting mostly as runes and other sorts of arcane shapes drawn into the air with her fingers, the young woman had a decent grasp of magic theory, and well...

Now that was panning out...

The dark-haired boy shakes his head as he finally stands back up, bat-style COMP still held in his hand, free from the influence that had warping her thoughts and controlling his body... To Kaguya, the boy can be heard swearing under his breath even as she explains the situation to him and the vampire, but for Blaise...

For you...

Well, your eyes can't be taken off of the world in front of you...

"Had enough? This is as far as you'll borrowed power'll take you. Next time..." Blaise's golden eyes flashed cold as he stared into the darkness. "... Be a man and come at me with your own strength. Instead of hiding behind someone else."

After all, you have challenged the one that lies beneath these depths, and...

For a time, nothing happens in response.

Yes.

Simple silence.

Crackling flames.

Roaring winds.

Crashing waves.

Some debris continues to float, others sink beneath the depths; the flames claim some, and soon enough everything is a scattered mess of antique parts, until...

"Haha... Alright-!"

An excited voice, different from the one that had come before...

No.

The same, just the strength was inverted...

Where before the boy's voice had been on top, it becomes that which lies beneath, the voice beneath the voice, male tones giving away to a higher pitch...

Female voice?

---Nightmare Fiction---

---A line of static runs through reality.

---A hand emerges from the depths, and someone flips out from beneath it using only a single arm.



"Sorry, sorry! You hit him pretty hard just now, shook him a bit, body isn't used to it yet, so he'll be down for awhile! Told him he wasn't ready, but the hotblooded types, you know?"

It's a girl, or rather, some sort of woman...

---Or at least, the illusion of a woman, overlaid atop the body of the boy from before...

"So... Yo! Sup! Howdy! Name's uh... Anima I guess?"

She smiles.

---It's impossible to tell how it's supposed to make you feel, other than that there's a sort of genuine giddiness to it...

"I guess I'll be taking over from here? Normally I'd be like, eh it's not my problem right now you know? But I promised to be this kid's friend, so how does the logic you kids use go? You hurt my friend, I rip out your spines? Something like that? No hard feelings either way. So let's see, who do we have today..."

She laughs, gaze moving over to the two at the beach, then:

"Oh wait, shit."

Stops.

As if realizing something, then:

"You're Pendragon right? Aww man, is this gonna be a problem? You're not going to refuse to hit me cuz I'm a chick right? It's a guy's body, you know?"

[Bloble]

Daisuke
Tokyo, Aoyama ~ Brick Lane (Smokey Island Bakery)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"Ah, I see, it was just your boss... sorry, Lexie! I got the wrong idea again! Still, if your old boss is that desperate for money... well, I'm sure there are good reasons! Maybe he's paying off a big debt or something!"

Still, even as he sheepishly bows his head, cheeks burning with what he's sure now is some sort of embarrassment reflex, another part of Daisuke's processor whirs to life.

Maybe it's Chris' insistence that he be more careful. Maybe it's that guy's warning. Or maybe it's just the strange silence that has pervaded the Brick Lane. Whatever the reason, he decides to perform a scan of the area, searching for life signs. It's a function he can fulfill even without Chris nearby, something relatively simple technology can accomplish without the aid of magic.

No one comes up. There's not a single person in the whole neighbourhood besides himself, Lexie, Shuichi... and the life sign moving around upstairs, in Chris' old bedroom.

An artificial body isn't supposed to respond physiologically to fear. And yet something akin to a shiver runs up Daisuke's spine, a buzzing in his auditory feed that he realizes are his own motors whirring to life, fans cooling a mind that has clocked up its processing speed sevenfold.

Both History and Saya feel a knock on the doors to their mind, posted with a High Priority notification, and accompanied by the results of the scan.

In the physical world, Daisuke shows no strange reaction. It's fortunate that he's a COMP, able to manually control his body's actions if need be. Because it's very possible that they're being observed right now.

"I figure it might be a prank, but it's best to be safe, right?"

He replies to Shuichi's observation, but then also...

"...do you think I'm overdoing it?"

Asks a strange question to both of the people there. No, to all four of them, COMPs included. He immediately regrets it, not even sure of where it had come from.

"Sorry, never mind... I'll just check the register. Mom might've forgotten to lock it before going on break. Did she say when she'd be back, Lexie?"

Busying himself with something physical, the young COMP ventures behind the counter, checking it to make sure everything's in order, and to relax himself.

And yet, in the data space, he couldn't be more different.

"Sorry," he pre-emptively apologizes to the other two COMPs, having invited them (and by proxy their users) to a sort of shared chat room over their encrypted connections. "I'm probably overdoing it. Definitely overdoing it. It's probably a false alarm, like this morning. But if that was Chris, she would've contacted me by now. If it was a Tamer, they wouldn't be up there without permission. And there's no one else here. Not even people sleeping in during the morning. That never happens."

Yes, it's too strange to leave alone.

"Is there a way to get up there without alerting them?"

The person upstairs is almost certainly observing. There's nothing to see besides other people here, after all. Chris moved all her important things to the SDCD dorms, so her room wouldn't have any sensitive data in it. Rather, it's more likely that it's being used as a vantage point from which to watch the Tamers while they meet. And if that's the case... someone must have known.

It's fine if he ends up overreacting again. Being made fun of or reprimanded is acceptable. What isn't acceptable is letting something like this go.

"Maybe some kind of spell...? Or could Shuichi use that translocator for a short range warp? Either directly upwards... or bringing them down here."

[Airen]

Daisuke
Tokyo, Aoyama ~ Brick Lane (Smokey Island Bakery)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"Said it might be an hour or so... Asked me to watch the shop, I said yes, since she's always so nice to me."

Lexie's answer is simple.

---Quietly, almost anti-climatically, the soft sound of falling rain descends on the otherwise silent interior of the bakery; it's a casual answer, one that betrays no sense of alarm at all, impressive for the girl that never seems to take anything too seriously, indeed...

The group as a whole does quite well, considering...

Shuichi continues his tinkering with his device, Lexie keeps eating at the same pace as always, but...

---Internally, a storm of sorts is happening, or rather...

Chat Room

Saya: Don't apologize Daisuke. Shuichi...!

Shuichi: No one in the neighborhood... Someone upstairs...

History: RAILS lines are flickering too... Someone messing with them?

Lexie: Whoever's upstairs?

Saya: Can't say. Seems plausible?

Shuichi: What's up there Daisuke? Any free electrical outlets? I could try going through the building's wiring, could take them by surprise that way. Translocators aren't good for grabbing others, unfortunately.

...But outside of it, well...

Momma Mokujima certainly locked the register, nothing seems particularly out of place, there are no sounds of footsteps from the floor above or evidence that someone might be going that way, but...

Suddenly, as if in response to those thoughts...

---An old-fashioned radio, one kept here mostly to give the place a sort of retro feel...

Turns on all on it's own somehow.

Music joining the rain's dull chorus...

Although it doesn't seem to sound...

Inherently sinister...

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds

"........ Tch."

If the woman had expected surprise on Blaise's face, she didn't get it. If she had expected shock, that wasn't there either. If she had expected anger, there was none to be found. If she expected focus and readiness for yet another battle, she was looking in the wrong place. Indeed, the only thing visible on Blaise's face as she saw what climbed out of the sinking hull of the ship, the new appearance his opponent had taken... was mildly annoyed expression and eyes that had grown slightly bored. Not in an attempt to disrespected the opponent further, there was no need for that.

But because... Blaise immediately recognized what sort of opponent he was facing.

A showy, flashy entrance that utilized both the possessing spirit's power to cause a change in the visible world around them, but also displayed the "ease" which she moved when compared to the boy. A rowdy, wild and flashy attitude that downplayed the whole fight and showed how much she "just didn't care" about the seriousness of the situation or how others saw her... even though it was quite likely she cared immensely. Flippant words and casual references to ultra violence that were a trademark of a middle school kid in their delusional phase. "Accidentally" name-dropping her opponent so as to create a sense of mystery how she knew of him.

... It might have worked if Blaise hadn't long since accepted that some very random people knew him and of him even though he had no idea who they were.

That had stopped being shocking and even that mysterious after the first few years.

Now it was just kind of trite.

"...... Sigh."

Yes, when you combined all these facts and how the young lady was acting, Blaise could only come to one conclusion. The spirit or... whatever it was that possessed the thug... she was... she was...

... A massive attention-seeker.

"Yeah. I'm not gonna throw the first punch at a girl, no matter how bothersome. Even if there's a dude underneath it all. But if you come at me, I won't be so naive as not to defend myself," Blaise finally responded with a slightly irritated tone, vaguely waving the cannon in her direction. "... Even if I have a zero interest in fighting you. I don't know who you are or, frankly, care. But I do know one thing."

His left hand, slightly hidden, felt hot as he hid the infernal bullet he had prepared for his next attack - his retaliation move the moment she'd come for him.

"... You took advantage of that guy's desire for revenge - for a proper chance to prove himself and regain his honor. In other words, you trampled a man's pride for... whatever this 'look-at-me' vanity project is. And in turn, you snuffed his chance to grow properly powerful. That I can't allow."

Blaise's eyes, focused and intense as they were, made it clear with a single look.

"In other words..."

He rejected any and all attempts of the girl to shape a mystery with which to draw him into something troublesome.

"For both that guy's vengeance, and my way-too-overdue beach stall food..."

No, not just that.

He just ignored her completely.

"... You're being an eyesore."

[Airen]

Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds

"... You're being an eyesore."

"Oh boy."

---A whistle cuts through everything at the end of your speech.

"Looks like it is gonna be a problem, huh?"

---Of course it's going to be a problem. Just a glance at this person and their behavior is enough tell you all you need to know about her, saying outrageous things in an attempt to draw attention to herself, name-dropping you while being an obvious stranger, and clearly having taken advantage of someone who they thought of as 'weak,' preying on them as possessing spirits so often like to do...

It is simply how they operate.

They have something the host wants, in exchange for giving it to them, they get a bit of a foothold in the body; considering the strength of this delinquent now and the strength he had had back then, it was clear that what he had wanted was power, and this girl had been more than willing to give it to him, for one reason or another, yeah...

A parasite of some sort, and yet...

"Guys like you are unreal, you know that? Those sorts of ideals died in the 80s."

Everything you say just sort of rolls over her...

"Grow properly powerful? You kidding me? It's easy for people who are already strong to spout nonsense like that, look at how strong I am, if you're weak, it's because you're not trying hard enough, your way of life itself is wrong. Ridiculous."

She scoffs.

"There is no improper way to gain power. Power is power. If he got his through making a deal with me, then well, my power is his power now, he had the guts to actually do it. Take it how you can get it or die, that's what the World is like for the weak. Not everyone can be strong just by trying."

---There is certainly a childish mind-set here, but...

There's also a sense of genuine indignation.

---Odd, for a possessing type spirit.

"Ah well, not that you're all wrong, I did take advantage of him I guess, wanted the chance to rampage around for awhile, it's been wayyyyy too long since I've had a body. Haven't had a friend to fight for in awhile either, even if it's a friend I selfishly made, doesn't matter, I protect those that belong to me and I honor my deals."

Those words cement her next action, in her head all of this is really justified; doesn't matter how ridiculous it sounds, he had wanted her for the power to get revenge, and she had absolutely no intention of not seeing it through-!

"Beating the hell out of people that think they're hot shit is fun anyway, really makes my day."

And well...

She seemed to be a violent person by nature?

A swirl of honor and chaos-!

"Fly."

There is no warning, no sudden flash of reiki, but...

That simple command stirs up a heavy windstorm, a localized tornado.

It appears around you, beneath you, the world itself grasping at your body, your clothes. your hair, ripping you off of the metal of the debris, drawing you up towards the clouds, overcoming your strength and gravity for just a moment....

---Before hurling you back.

Back through the pier, boards crashing and splintering and shattering beneath the force of your body becoming a sudden air-assisted bullet; the path of destruction you leave not particularly painful (due to your own nature) but making it clear the woman in question had no intention of stopping...

"What the hell's going on now?"

"Something ridiculous I guess, geez, we just wanted to fish, what the hell...?"

Tsukiko question and Isamu's words are rather apt, considering how your foe had seemingly chosen to toss you over to them specifically, and...

Well...

Watching Anima walk across the water after you...

---Seemed like she really was intent on forcing this, be it out of some twisted loyalty to her host, twisted love of violence, or some unholy combination of the two-!

She was gonna do it.

She was already mouthing the words to some other spell-!

[Bloble]

Daisuke
Tokyo, Aoyama ~ Brick Lane (Smokey Island Bakery)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"...I've sent over the floor plans and building diagrams. If you see anything embarrassing in there, please don't tell Chris. And, um, if it's Mom, I'll take the blame."

He'd nearly forgotten that particular trick of Shuichi's. For getting the drop on the person up above there was no better bet.

"And be careful - that song isn't coming from any EM frequency. Might be best to deactivate dangerous devices... but that might also... leave us... in a tough spot..."

Tick.

There is an oldschool analog clock in the Smokey Island bakery, hanging up on one of the walls. Chris' mother uses it to tell the time, even though digital clocks are everywhere these days. Daisuke can remember her telling him how she likes to close her eyes and hear the soft sound of the hand moving forward each second. The clock has broken down several times now but her husband, experienced from his years as a traveling repairman, has fixed it up each time to be good as new.

Tick.

Daisuke loses himself in thought as the clock ticks. Thought that happens many hundreds of times faster than human thought, but still thought nonetheless. Still a noisy cacophony of conflicting ideas, of theories and rebuttals and a dozen different arguments against himself. Still a collection of maybes and what-ifs and gathered up information thrown together every which way, as if trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle with no clear borders. Still a great big nervous mess.

Tick.

The radio is an obvious enough indication that something's messing with the electronics, sending out strange signals. Likely a spirit or a ghost; they enjoy doing those sorts of things. If it can mess with a radio, then it can probably mess with any unsecured electronic device, like a phone or a computer... or that translocator that has their signatures imprinted on it. The last thing they need is for one of them to be teleported away suddenly. That's easy enough to understand, but it's only the prelude to more questions.

Tick.

Why, then, did the mystery spirit activate the radio like that? Do they want someone to figure things out? What purpose could drawing attention serve? Is it some kind of spirit that thrives and grows stronger from attention and fear? Is it leeching off of their worry somehow?

Tick.

It's begun to rain. If that guy's warning is to be taken seriously, they shouldn't expose themselves to it. Could the goal maybe be to create a horror-like atmosphere in the house and drive them outside? Is that the trap? Or is it a double bluff? It's not like LINE is very secure; the message from that guy could've been faked based on records of previous conversations. There's no real reason for that guy to do something as specific as checking the weather while on a mission. It's plausible that his 'voice' was used as a way to convince Daisuke, and by extension the others, to stay inside, cowed simply by regular falling water from a hacked weather program.

Tick.

Why this song in the first place? Does it hold some deeper meaning? This random song about dreams? Is it trying to send some kind of message?

Tick.

None of this explains why everyone's missing. Why it's just the three of them in an abandoned neighborhood without any warning. There are too many ways to accomplish such an emptying: mass mind control, forcible teleportation, systematic clearing, even illusion. But to do it all under their noses, with even Lexie being none the wiser? What's even the point of such a move? To cut them off from civilians? It's not like random bystanders are valuable allies in a battle, so why?

Tick.

Who is that up there? Are they watching? Waiting? Laughing? Who? Why? Who?

Tick. Tick. Tick.

It's normally difficult to figure out COMP's feelings when they don't want you to know. Being computerized consciousnesses, they are able to display whatever they like through their avatars. Most choose not to, but it's still absolutely possible to fabricate a personality or mood for the purpose of conversation with others. Humans are already good at this, so naturally COMPs would be even better. Daisuke doesn't like to display weakness in situations like this. So he chooses not to. He doesn't show how unsure, how confused, how worried he is. That's not how a Tamer operates. A Tamer needs to be strong for everyone. For his friends, and for the people that need protecting. So even now, as the situation grows stranger by the second, the young COMP does not reveal anything beyond what was already shown.

Tick.

It's easy to tell though, for anyone who knows Daisuke. After all, the clock has ticked over a dozen times now, and he hasn't said a word.

Tick.

It's common for Tamer and COMP to complement each other. To shore up each other's weaknesses. Daisuke and Chris are a classic example of such a dynamic. When they are separated, those weaknesses become obvious. Daisuke's partner is self-assured. She is decisive and swift to act, rarely finding herself unsure of anything. Even when she is unsure, she has the self-discipline to pick a path and stick with it. Hers is a resolve born from years of experience, from the internalized knowledge that doing anything is better than doing nothing. Perhaps it's not traditional experience as a Tamer, but it's experience nonetheless. Daisuke has none of that experience, and so...

Tick.

Indecisiveness. Chronic self-doubt. Constant rethinking, mind-changing, revising of plans. Fear born from a desire to not harm others, even accidentally. Those are all traits his friends are familiar with, even if they don't say it. During his encounters with Burroughs and Aislyn the young COMP's flaws were on full display for all to see. They can be useful flaws, yes. He is there to second-guess his partner, to offer another perspective should she tunnel-vision too hard on one conclusion. On the rare occasions when she cannot act, such as during large social gatherings, he is there to do what needs to be done as her mouthpiece. But in isolation... everything comes down to an obvious lack of experience. For Daisuke, who is used to relying on Chris to decide on a way forward, who gets antsy when separated from her for too long, who often doesn't know what to do even when all the information is laid out at his feet... this sort of situation could be called the absolute worst one for him. Even worse than fairies.

Tick.

That's why it takes almost too long. For the gears to start turning again. For him to pick a random option out of desperation. Not because he thinks it's the best, but simply to get the sound of that clock out of his mind. Because if he doesn't, he'll overheat for sure.

Tick.

Daisuke reaches out and grabs the radio dial. He turns it all the way down.

"This one's, old so. I can, get us, better quality. Tell me, how it sounds, okay, Lexie?"

The ghost - spirit - whatever - thinks it can mess with them. That's fine. It certainly can. But if it's doing that, then it needs to be in a position where it can watch and change the situation in real time. No matter how distant, every action leaves behind a trace. The signal needs to be coming from somewhere.

Shuichi can handle what's upstairs. In the mean time...

Daisuke reaches inside himself and turns three more dials all the way up. Antennas and receivers in his body are hastily reprogrammed on the spot, repurposed to receive as wide a spectrum of signals as possible. Even if those signals contain malicious data. It's still data in the end. He just needs to last long enough to decode it. Between shutting everything that could be harmful out or accepting all of it without regard for his own safety, it's obvious which one he'll pick; the one his partner wouldn't.

Even as the music shakes his chassis he gathers it together, looks for the pattern beneath. Scanning. Extrapolating. Triangulating.

A glimpse is all he needs. A glimpse of the truth, even if it burns him. Because then he can share that glimpse with his friends and they'll know what to do next.

"Where. Are. You?"

[Airen]

Daisuke
Tokyo, Aoyama ~ Brick Lane (Smokey Island Bakery)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

---Why?

It's a question that certainly haunts the proceedings, why do this right now? Why do this sort of thing at all? Certainly it is not uncommon for spirits to play pranks, the weakest of them can't be seen with a mundane eye, little whispers of malice that can't help but play pranks from time to time, because so much of themselves has disappeared that no other ideas seem plausible to them, but...

Negative spirits are negative spirits.

Negativity is easier to cling to than positivity, or rather, those that were happy with life have no real reason to cling to the world after they die, so most lingering spirits are 'negative,' in nature, it is simply how things operate, so...

Why?

Why here? Why now?

Is it because the home is a sanctuary? There is certainly a form of primal fear that can become apparent when one's 'home' is invaded by some sort of outside force, especially when that outside force is proving to be somewhat incomprehensible... Was it the idea of fear itself that it wanted? In that case, it would be better off targeting civilians than Tamers, after all...

Tamers are supposed to be heroes.

---Then again, that does not make them immune, does it?

Who? Why? How?

Where did everyone go? Or, in the inverse, where did you go? Who disappeared, them or you? And if so, how did it do so grand a magic with all the wards the city has in place? With the Towers functional and active? It couldn't be a weak spirit with all of that in place, but if it wasn't weak, then why was it bothering with all this grand standing first? This little show?

Was it doing it for fun? Was there a purpose at all?

---Impossible to identify.

---Need more information.

Where are you.

Shuichi disappears, or rather, you realize he has left even though he still appears to be sitting right there; the boy is shockingly good at illusions, his foot tapping against the outlet against the wall, there is only the smallest of sparks beneath a table that signal his exit, as a hard-light copy is left behind, performing the empty actions of fiddling with a translocator, a sign that the boy intends to be particularly cautious in his approach, probably for a similar reason as you, yes...

---Why?

Letting whoever is doing this get away would not answer the question, would not reveal a purpose behind all the seemingly meaningless phenomena, and thus...

It becomes you, Lexie, and History.

---You turn off the radio, and become the receiver yourself.

Certainly it's dangerous, it's an action that Chris likely would have never taken; sometimes a risk is necessary to achieve the best outcome, but there are some people who are okay with only getting "average" outcomes so long as it means always avoiding the worst case scenarios, it's a way of life that intrinsically lacks hope, but it's stable in a sense, hard to call it exactly wrong, but...

You're fine with a risk or two, or perhaps...

You just need to know.

Yes.

Where are you.

If you're offering yourself as a transceiver, certainly it would use you as one, right?



Like raising a metaphorical phone to your ear, you wait and listen to what must come, and-

Spoiler:

The song stops.

You don't hear words or a voice, it quickly becomes apparent that

Unity

those thoughts

do not need those.

This signal is coming from a bulletin board somewhere, on a server that has become a sort of insidious curse.

It's not impossible after all, magic is chock full of symbolism, the meanings behind actions being just as important as the actions themselves.

There is a line of thought that the internet itself has supernatural properties nowadays.

People pour so much of themselves onto it, into it, that it is a nexus of information not dissimilar to the Soul Sea itself. There are echoes of thoughts from the departed, well wishes and regrets from the living, posts of hope and despair, genuine feelings that sometimes have no other place to go, but the net itself it vast, it's huge, effectively infinite in scale, so such things do not often find a way to condense.

---But all you hear right now are regrets.

Or rather, you can't hear anything at all just yet, mostly just feel, the moment you opened yourself up to it, you had started to have trouble differentiating your thoughts from the thoughts of the 'thing' or the 'many things' or the 'many things acting as one thing' that were on the other side of this particular phenomena.

---You'd be able to find your own thoughts again in just a moment, and then you'll be able to get past the harsh static-like sounds and hear what they're actually talking about, but-

Outside of your head, someone knocks on the window outside.

Someone that wasn't there a moment before, something that must have just come into existence outside, emerged from the rain and the fog and pressed themselves up against the glass next to you.

It's someone with purple hair, they look sort of similar to Lexie, if a bit younger.

"...Myra?!"

Lexie notices before you do.

Her reaction is akin to leaping backwards, away from the window, almost tripping over a chair as she goes; it's a defensive reaction, a form of instinctual one, and...

For just a second, her hand twitches, going up towards her chest as if to defend something...

"What are you doing here?"

---Her voice isn't as collected as usual, there's hints of both worry and caution to it.

---But the figure doesn't respond, just steps away from the glass with a giggle and disappears.

---It feels like you're watching it all happen from somewhere far away...

[Bloble]

Daisuke
Tokyo, Aoyama ~ Brick Lane (Smokey Island Bakery)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning
Ĺ̴̨̅͐͗͗͂̐̓̊̆̊̿͋̆̿̚ ̢̍̂̏͑ͨͭ͐ͣ̌͛͐͋̾̀̕O̴̡ͦ̔́ͬ̌ͤ͂ͯ̌͢͡͡ ̡̅͌ͦͬͯ͡Ĺ̵̨̧̆ͣͣͭ̌ͩ͛́͛ͥ́͟
Static.
W̒̄͒̈́̈̉̽ͮ̏̔̐́̃ͨ͘͟͠͞͡Ţ̀͒̒̾̓͆̍͑ͦ̏̍͛̇̋̒̐̀͞F̐́̍̿͊̿͌̈͆ ̧̢̓ͯ̓ͭ̽̀ͥ͊̚?̴̶̈́͒̄̃̃ͥ̉ͤ̏ͦͪ͐̾ͣ͌̏ͨ?͑ͪͩ͌ͤ͋̍̔ͬͫ̒ͬ̅͑ͯ̆̽̀ ̶̧̢҉?̧̀͆̓̀ͣͩ̈́͘
As expected, his head fills with noise.
U̸̓ͫ͌͆̀ ̶̀ͪ̔ͣ̆͋́̓S̴͆̌͋̇̃̊ͩ̂͊̏͒ͤ̈́̅̍ͦͭͨ̚͜͠R̵̷̵̡ͤ̾̽͑͝S̑̽̒ͭ͌ͧ̑ ͭ͜͡ ̨̛̓̇͊ͨ̾̉ͬ͆̄̓̒̎ͪͪͦ͆͐̎̌҉B̶͌̒̈́̒̀ͤ͆̽̈ͨͯ̏́Rͮ̅̅͊̔ͣ̊̊͑͂́̚ ͬͩ̽̓̐͏̷҉҉Ō̶̷̂͑ͫ͗̎̈ͯ́̆͐ͥ̚͟͢͡?̡̨͊͌ͯ̐ͦ̿ͣͩ͑̄ͭ҉ ̶͆̽ͭ̒̓́͠͏̧T̸̛̄̅ͬ̉ͪ̇ͬ̿̒͋̐̂̍͢͝H̴̴͛͑̌͆ͥ͘A̽̿̂́ͭͮͦ̽ͦ͒̏̉ ̢͊҉T̒ͭͯ̀ͬͤ̽̔̊̀͘͝'̨̢̛̓̄ͤ̌͗̓͋͌ͥͭŚͩ͑ͬͩ́͒̕͢͝͝ ̛ͧ̓ͤ̽ͯͧ͊͋͋ͮͪ̑́͡͝S̶̓̉̆͌͟͞O̶̡̡͊ͯ̃͛ͥ́͊̑͂͐́̚͝ ̸̴̧̿̆͂̇́̈ͪ̈́͘Nͧ̈́ͤ͐̿̌̒ͯ̎ͩ͒ͣ̈̇͋͜͟͡҉Â̶ͫ͊͒͏͘͘S̋ͭ̾͆̿ͮ̄̑ ͭ̑ͣͨͭ̌͝͏T̴̍̀̊̊̇ͪͤ̒̕͢͞Y̷̶̸̧͛̋ͭ͌͘.̔̔͛͂͛̅̊̀͞͝͠
This isn't like the feeling when talking to Burroughs. There's no nostalgia here, only a mass of voices all talking over each other, data so muddled and mixed that sorting it out will take focus and concentration he doesn't have. With everything going on and the information overload, it's all Daisuke can do to maintain a link to his extremities. Even though it feels like he's being pulled somewhere far away.
t̿̇̀͒̂͗̀̚҉̛̕f̡͂̈́ͬ̄̍̇̈́̎̄́w̨ͭ͆ͯͪ̃ ̧̅̊ͤ͆̒͂̉̈ͤ̃̾ͮ͌ͥͫͭ̈̂͟n͛͒͗̈́̀̐ͣ̀͜ơͩ̂ͤͫ̽ͧ̄͌͋̽͂̓̒ͥ̆͛̅̚ ̧ ̵̛̔̂̈͊̒ͯ̈́̑ͫͧͤ̕g̸ͥ͂̎̀̌̆ͭͯͥ͒ͥ̊ͤ̌̄͘͝f̶ͯ͗ͨ̒ͪ̕͢͢.ͭͤ̂̄̌̎ ̏̓̈́҉̛ ̅ͤ̒ͤͩ̐͡͏̨tͦ͆ͫͦͧ̔͊̑͏f͛ͨͨͬ͛̅̇ͦͯ̾̑ͣͪ̐̅ͭͧͣ̚͝͞͏w̆̐̽ ̧́́͏ ̵̴̵̨̾̓̌̄͆̐ͬ̄̓̽̀n̛̐͌ͤ̑̃̑̄͒̽ͦ̒̍́ͤͥ́̆͏̸̧oͧ̈͒̍͑͊ͤͬ̀̐̈́͌ ͗҉͘͜ ̀̊ͪ̊̓̌̄̋̇̀̚͘b̶̧ͩͪ̿̄̂ͧ͂́̌͂̑̌ͭ̿̀͠f̏͌̏̐̋̀̄̾̀ͥͥ͆͌͊́̈̍͘ ̢͠͞.̡͋̃̾̐́̓̀͛͠ ̸̶̵̢̡͂ͥͦͩ͗ͮ̅ͣ̇̄̿̆ͭ̈̽̾͑ţ̴͆ͨ͛ͧ̂́̔́ͫͧ̽͢͞͝f̑͋̿ͤ̊̈͂ͦͨ͊ ̶̌ͧ̓̀ͫ̈́̍͟͟͡w̨̛̽͋ͫ̋͆ ̀ͬ͑̎̑̈͊ͨ͘n̢̑̔̔̌ͥ̋͗̈́̎̐̄̈ͤ҉óͫ̂̆̑̿͊̔ͩ͑͜͜ ̷̒͂͗́ͨ̌͂̇͏̨lͬ͑ͧ̒̏̅̅̅̂̊ͪ̀̀̚҉͟͞i͗̎̇͆͑̀ͦ͒ͦ͛̔ͥͧ̇̂̇̈́ͣ́̚ ̵̴̨f̑̾ͥͪ̆̌̿̉͘҉̵́͠ë͂͒͌͗̐ͥ̍́̀̊̋͌̃̎ͭ҉.̃ͨ̑̏̐̽̌͒ͤͯ͒̌ͤ̚ ̒̓̽̈́͢ ̶̨̛̾͋͆̽̈́̅̅̍̔ͥ̊͜͝ṫ̢̛̎͂̍ͨ̄͆͌̄̉̐ͪͪ͐ͧ̅͞f͊̊̓̓̓ͮ̒̋̑̒̊͋ͣ ̷ẅ́̎͒ͥ̚҉̧ ̴̸̛̃̀̐̉̌ͨ̀t̑͋̈̒̂͏́͏̷͢ḩ̉̆̈ͧ̾ͯ̉ͬͭͭ̎ͥ͛̂͞͞͡r̷̡̈̈́̋̽ͮ̉͠ ̧ęͬ͛̄̿ͬͬͯ͞w̶̡͋͑̀̈́̉͆ͣ̃͟ ̧ͭ͋̇̾͜i̷͋̓͆͏͝t̨̛͊̎ͭͥͩ͋̑͜͞ ͯ̌̓̐̏̈ͤ̾̆̈́͏̧̛̀a̶̡͑̐̈́ͨ͊̎̔̔̐ͧ̌́̇̒ͨͣ́͠l̡ͣͬ̔͗͑̾ͨͯ͊̂ͣ̄̔ ̷̨͘l̵̢̄͂̌̿ͬͯͬͪ͂ͫ̐̂̐ͥͨ͑̏̀͞͏ ͨ̎́́͠a̓̅̋̑͊̌̀̽ͨ̊̇̌̔ͫ͗̒̈́̆҉w̅̊̇͋̄ͬͦ̐͒̂ͬ͋҉̴͟a̎̌ͭ͌ͤ̃͂̀ ̀y̛ͬ̏ͯ̒͛ͧ̒ͨ̌ͮͩ͟͢͡͝.̴̨́̏ͦ͆̓͌ͩ̉̔̀͜ ̔ͥ͊̎̒̿̍̅̉̾͒͒ͩ͊ͮ̚҉̷̢̛i̵̢̔̊̀ͫ͗͂̓̉̒t̴ͮ̿̌ͧͩͭ͌̇͊̾҉͢s̔ͥ͗ ̴̸̧͋̂ͬ̊̇͂̽̓́̚ ̓ͥ̌́͑̂͒ͥ͏̵b̵̸̢̛̂̓͛̊̂̓̒̆ͤ̄ͯ̊ͫͫ̋͌ͣ̂ͦ͟u̾ͦ̿̇ͭ̈ͤ͒ͦ̃ͤ̀̓̃ ̷̶̓͂́l̾ͣ̆̓̒͢͝l̽̒̒̄ͨ͒͢͢s̴̨̆ͩ̆ͬ̔͌ͦ͋̄̓ͥͯ̎̃hͭ́͌̓ͫ̇́̿̆̂ ̵̷̨́͜i̸̵̢ͥ͒͋͌͑̐̒ͩͧ̉̑͑͋ͩ͠t̷̓́̂̾̉̋̓ͮͣ͆̏̀̉ͭ͠҉.͗̑ͧ͐ͬ̂̓ ̸̧͊͡
He's without his Tamer, some small part of Daisuke's still-functioning logic center speaks up, flashing a bright red 'Warning' sign deep in one of his sub-processes. Furthermore, his Harmonizer is weak to Curse and vulnerable to Darkness. The probability of serious corruption, should exposure continue, is unreasonably high. This is not just a risky move; it's completely inadvisable, and Chris would never have allowed it. Even though that sub-process' only function is stating the obvious, it still comes as a bit of a shock, a sting to alert the COMP to the perilous situation he has stumbled into.
t̸̓ͭ̄ͭ͊̀͠͞r̡͆͊̔҉̨̕͢u̷̸̵ͥ̀ͧ̈́ͭ̏̒̈̄̈́ͪ͌̄͂͊ͣ̑̚͝͡t͂̿ͮ̈̀͊ ̶̇͛̂̃̉ͨ͊͂̌ͥ͘͝͞h̨̧̔ͬͤͯ̿ͥ̾̎͛͐ͯ̒͌̍҉̀̕ ̛ͧͤͮ͞i̷̵̶̶ͥ̐̓ͪ̆̋ͤ̈́̔̏̈ͪͮ̈́͋ͥ͋̚s̨̨͆ͤ̓̊ͧ͛ͣ̈́̎̍̀͑̊́ͥ̅͡͡͝ ,̧̈́͗ͣ̄̋͋͐ͯͭ̓̏͛̋̄͡͏̴҉ ̴̸̛͛ͧ̐ͬ̋̈́̋̒́̑̈́́̄͂ͧ̅̉g̴̨͌̋̐ͨ̈́̏̎͊ͩ͛́͒͗̔̀̀a̍̓͌̉̂ͯ̐̓̂ ̊̀́͜͟͝m̷̡̒ͪ̃ͫͤͪ͗ͩͤ͂ͥ̓̓̀̚͢͝e̢ͭͪ̿̿̎ͩ̒̑ͤ̆̔ͨ̆̂̉ͥ̏͟ ̢ͧ̍ͤͮ͒͗ͤ͗ͬ͐̅͛̉ͧ҉̢͠w̢ͫ̋ͨ̐̕a̡͋ͧ̽̾͆̔͏̵̴s̉̄͐̊̉̈ͭ̎̂ͮͩ̋ͫ ̵̡̧̆ͫ͐ ͦ̄̆̈́̀̍͂ͫ̂͜͞҉̷r̶̎̏̎̍ͧ͋͊̌̄͋ͤͧ͒ͯͮ̊͞͝i̵̾̋ͩͦ̆̌ͩͮͥͫ̄͒̽́͢ ̴g̸̛ͫ̽̈͛̾̈́g̛͛ͯͥ͂́̐̑͋͐̓̾ͮ͗́ͬ͒̽́͢͞͡é͊ͭ̎̐ͪ̍͒͐̋͛ͨ̾͗͏̸ d̡̨ͩ̑̌ͦ̈̎̈̽̅̀͆͊͗҉̵ ̑̂ͨͮͧͯͣ̒̿ͨ̓́ͩ͑̅ͯ̉͢͢͠f̨̌ͫͭ̋ͫ̃̇̔ͫ̈́̎͌ͬ͌̃̂̋ͫ̊͞rͫ̀͛̒̒̆̊ ͗ͣͨ̆͊͊͠҉̡̢̀o̓ͦ̍͑̅̅̀́͘͜͜͞m̴͋ͫ̑ͧͫ̓̿͂̓̎ͯ͊ͩ̉̏̀҉͢͠ ̨͐ͪ̌͒̃̑̈̓ͥ̌͟ţ̾̒̂ͭͣ̓͘͘͠h̐́ͯ̄̌ͥͦͨ͋ͬ̽҉e͆̑͊ͤ̑͊̑ͬͩͣ̂̈́ͮ ̸̷̛́ ̨̨̆͋ͥ̽̈̇ͧ̋ͭ͛̌̀́̚͝҉s̷̨̧̢̎́̐ͦ̈́̑̐͜t̵͑ͦ̀ͣ̈͐͟͡҉̸aͪ́ͣͩ͑͆ ͑ͫ̆̌ͫ͛̒̅̽̈͘͟͏͜r͗̄̀ͩ̓̅͐̈͛̀̉̕t̆͐ͪ̆̄̾ͩͩ͋ͮ͗͒ͯ͛̐̄͘͏.ͪ́̚ ̵̧̌ͩ̋̕͜͟
"..." Yes. Right. It's not good to lose focus. Just... run the virtual machine, like that guy taught him. This is the same as before. Throw up layers of protection. Back up core functions and store them somewhere out of reach. Funnel the signal into non-vital areas. Encrypt, decrypt, cut off-.
i̢ͤͤ̐͌ͣ̆ͪͯͫ͌̿̅͛̅ͯ͘͢͠t̵̡̔̊ͧ̔̋ͦ̉̽͋̈̋̓̐̒̌͘͟͞'̢̡ͯ̃ͩ̌͌͜ s̸̵̏ͪͨ̾̀̂̐͊̿ͫ̀̀ ̧͑ͥ̒͆̒͌̅̑̐̈͒̃̋ͫ͘͞͠n̸̏ͥ͌ͬ̓̀͡͞͝ǫ̷͆͆ͩ͊̂t̊͂ͥ͌̒̆̈̇ͬͨ̀͠ ̵̸̨ ̡̎ͣ́̊̈̆͊ͩ̿̌̈̍ͯ̐ͩ̄́ą̇͐͗ͮͮ̿ͪ̿̓ͩ͞b͆͗̿̓ͭ̅ͣ̇͑͊҉͏̛o̒͆̓̓ ̒̈́̐̈̑͌ͪͨ̿̿̇͜͜u̅ͫ̍ͥ̍̾̏́ͧ̇̇ͪ̑ͤ͊̅͌́͝͏t̅͒̔̅̋͑͏ ̵̛ͤ͊̀̽ͭ̎̂̂ͮ͝dͭ̃̌̍̆̇ͯ̅ͫ̓̽ͧ̐ͮ͊̏̾̀҉͜y̴̿ͪ̀̓ͫ͂ͪ͋i͗ͪ̀́͋̚ ̶̶̧̛̓ͧ̑̈́̇n̡ͣ̇̽ͬ̅̅̊ͭͫ́͛ͮ́̐̉̚͢͞ġ̨ͥͨͪͤͣ̏̓̚̚͢͞ ̶̸̓̿̔ͤͣ̈́ͩ́f̸ͫ̒ͬ̽͐ͨ̃̑ͤ̇̿̓̉͊̽ͣ́̀̚͝͞o͆̐͆̆ͤ̉̿ͣ̎́͜͠r͌̐̈́ ̍̒́͠ ̓͂͋̇ͩͧ̏͋̒̎ͨ͆͊͒̀͂ͫ̐́̕͜͜͞y̧͊̈̊̉̅ͯ́̚͡oͯͮ̉ͬ́͊̅ͨ͒̋̽́̽͛̚ ̉̌̆͟u̧̨̐̿̊͊͋̽ͬͪ̉̐ͪ̀̓̑̐͒ͧ̃̚͘͟r̴̶̢̍ͬ̓̑̄̉̅͊͘ ̡ͧ̈́ͤ̈͆ͯ̓͂̍ͥͭ̃̏͞c̷ͮͯ̀́ͩ͐͂̎̓͝ǫ̴̔̂͐ͫ͋͛ͫ́͆̅͂̿ͪ̀̿̄ͪ̉u̓ ̢͗̇̃ͮ̌ͮ̍̔͗̍ͫ̉̊̎ͬ̃͘͘͢͟n̶̵̨̑͌͒̎̚͜tͣͯ̉͗̉́ͧ̃̾̎̿̀͑͐̅̌͗̚ ̵̶̴͢͞r̢̎͊̌ͤ̃̈́̃ͥ͒̀͢y̷̧̍̃̂͗ͤ̑̆͌̾́̚.̋̌ͨ̍̀̔̏̊̿ͦ̆͏͝ ̴̷̶̃͌͗̈͛̔̀͘͡I͆̏̋ͦͬ̎̌ͧ̑̀̈́͆̏̍̒ͬ́t̃͌̍̅͢͜'͆̑͛̿ͣ͋͏̸͟͞sͧ ̴͋͛̂̃ͦ͑̈ͧ͊̒̅̆ͤͨ̚͟͠ ̴͛̑͒̄̃̎̃̿ͣ̐͐ͥͤ͟͢͞ą̸͛͆̂̆͌̾̈ͨͤ̊̍̓̀͢͡b̧̡̐̑ͯͧ̈́̋̀ͨ͌̓oͬ ̧̏̈ͭ͒́͟ư̵̔͌͂ͩͯ̔́͑͌̉ͯͨ̀̚͘͠tͭͤ͑̈̈́ͬͭ̇ͬ̍̐́̄͊̓̎ͪ̆̚ ̴̸͜͞ ̨͋̿̆ͤ̀͞҉m̴̷̨͗̿̂̇̐̋͛̌̆̿̋ͬͥ̿͆̍̇͛̅͘͘ȧ̀̊̍̔ͤͬ͂ͣ͑̎̎ͨ͞͝k ̛͊ͤ̈́̀̄̄̒̀ͣ̍͊͆̆̌͋̏ͣͬ͘i̧͐̂̊ͧ̾ͧͧ̑̇̓̓̑̈́́͡n̈́̓̏͑̅̑͒̉ͪͣ̀ͪ ̸̨̧̏͜͟g̢̿̎ͭ̓ͨͥͥͧ͐ͣ͗̑ͣ͒ͮ̃̈́͠ ̸̧̢̒ͣ͛̑̾ͦ̎̿̋ͭ̉̋ͣ͐̈́͝͠t̅͂ͧ̃̌̽̊̿̽ͥ̓̚̕̕͏hͭ͂̽̌͂͋̌͆̅ͯͦ͋͡ ̵̨̧͘eͪ̓̏ͩ͟ ͌̅́̈́̊ͨ́ͬͪ͆͛ͮ̂̓ͤͥ́͋͘͏ő̶̢̑̑̈́̂̃̽̔͆̑͐ͨ̉̔ͩ̉ͯt̾̌̃ͣͧ͌ͣ̓̽ ̸̡ͭ̿ͫ̀ͩͯ͊͆̀͘ḩ̷̾ͮ̾̾͆ͬ͝ęͥͭ̅ͥͨ͗̾̓͗͋͢͝rͭ̉ͫͬ́͆͆̌ͯ ͠ ̛̒ͮ̃̽̔̉̊̽̚͡b̸̊ͨ̀̍̊͋̽ͬ̃̃̌̄͋̚̚͜ą̷ͣͮ̀̀́͢s̐̆͆̽́ͤͤ͂̒́͟ ̀t̢̨́̈ͮ̎ͨ́҉̧a̵̵̛̛ͣͦ̑ͬ̊͢r̶̴̨̈ͨ̐͆ͫ̌̋̅̔ͣ̉҉̧d̏̃̍̃͐̅͐̊̚ ̓̈͏͟͏҉͢ ̛̋͗̓̌̊ͧ̈́ͣͪͫ̏̿͑͐̒̀́́́̚d̈́̉͌̓̓͌͐ͣͣ̄̈́̓́ͫ̋ͭ͋̂̚̕̕͝iͫ̊́ͨ̌ ̧͂̃̆͘̕͟͞ë̵̴̸̢ͫͨ̂͛͊͛͆ͩ̔ ̉̐̀̋ͪ̔͒͒͐͂̉ͯͭͬ͐̑̇̇̇͏̷̴̶̵f̸̢̨̒̀̑̐͑ͨͣ̾̀̿͌̎o̅͐ͭ̊̂̓̌ͥͥ ̇̄ͯ̋̈́́҉̵͡r̸̢̢̾ͫ̂̂̈̑̈ͬ̌̈͂ͯ͋͋̇̉ ̷̶ͦͩ͊ͤ͂̓̎h̴̡̧̨̨ͩ͐͆̊͛̈̒͋i̴̸̵ͥ͛ͦ̊́͌͊ͭ͂̀͜sͯ̊ͨ̔ͩ̂ͬ̀̅̂̄ ͆̎̉̍ͩ҉͟ ̷̧̧̓̄̇̋̏̏ͬ̿ͧ̃̅̇ͫ͢͝c̷͋̓̋ͬͮ̆͛̅ͩͪ̑̃ͪ̓͂o̧͗̑ͯ̍̈́ͦ͗̎̅͞͠u ̵̶̢ͣ̄̑̉͐ͩ͆͛ͯ̽͢͝n̨̨ͮͧ̄̿ͭ͑ͯ͑̚͟͠͞t̨̢̛̆͊̐̿͛̾ͮ̄̇ͯ̅ͭ͠rͤ͆ ̶̡̏̂̔̋ͦͬ̏ͫ̊́́̆̓̚y̶̓̓̎̂ͬͩ̈ͪ̀ͮͮͥ̒͊͊̾̎͋͝͠͞͠.̐̐̽͗̍̇̍ͤ̅ ̢͊̅ͬ͋̋̃͂͊̾͘͢͡
There's only so much that can be done, though, without diving in headfirst. To understand the data is different from simply processing it. If he pulls away too much, he won't be able to recognize the truth when he finds it. This signal is a sentiment, a feeling more than it is code. Without the key to that feeling, one cannot understand it. Hadn't Chris said something to that effect? One cannot understand someone without walking a mile in their shoes. Without love, it cannot be seen. Without despair, it cannot be-.
I̶̴̊̃̀̓̊̅̑̽̃͑ͦͨ̄͐̈́̉͒̇̐̀͘͠.̴̡̛̈́ͦͮ̄̄ͬ͆͑̓̂̅̅ͣ͛̅͏̢ ̷̸̆͛̃͆̇ͣ͑̆ͬ̾̋̒ͩ̚H̸͑̄ͯͯ̏́̉̈̐͘͢E̢ͮ̈ͬ̉̿̋̅̒ͬͦͨ͗̐̑ͨͥ̈́ͪ̚ ̕͠A̎͌̅̒̎̄̎͂ͮ̇͛҉̴̵͏R̿̊ͩ̽̽̊̀̀̈ͮ̒̅͠҉̸̡͜.ͦͤ̏̔̽ͬ̚͘͜ ̶̴ ̓̓̉͗̽̋̔̈͗̚͘͏̵̡A̶̢̢̔̌ͯ͋͊͢.͒̾̈ͦ͗̑́̕͢ ̵͐ͣͥ̐̂͊̾͗̀̌͘͢͠Şͯ̒͂̿̋̎͗̈́͟͝O͑͗̆̑͗͒ͪ̀ͥͧ̋̽̄ͫ̀͘U͗ͫͨ͌̓͗ ̶ͭ͑̇̃̔̓̇̊̌̀͟͝͞Ņͦ͌̑ͯ̇̾͊̊̑̌̀ͨͨ͡D̂̋̐͒ͭͪͯ̈҉͞.͌ͫ̋ͯ̃̾ͯͪ ̴̸̨̎

"Myra!? What are you doing here?"

A small cry. A tiny motion. The girl beside him reflexively clutches at her heart, and Daisuke wonders why. He doesn't know. He hasn't seen what's there. There's only one thing that comes to mind, a mind that's very much not operating at full capacity right now. Something his buddy had mumbled in her sleep a few weeks ago.
Í̡̿̒̎̒̓̌ͦ̄͋̓́͝T̏̈́̌̑͊͒̔ͤ̀̀ͩ̈ͨ̔͐͏҉T̸̀̈́ͣ͗͋͒̊̒̓̐̈́ͫ̅ͭ̚ ͞:̎ͩ̅ͯ̄ͬ͑̄͜͟ ̸́̐̋ͮ̐̈ͨ̊ͥ͂̀͜͟S̷̴̛̛͗̌̋̽̾̿̔̽ͣͤͫ͊͢Ô̶̔ͨ̎ͮͭͯ̅͛͘͜Uͩ̉̈́ͮ ̵ͤͮͭ̋͒͐ͧ̉ͤ̓ͥ̅͝L̶̷ͥ̽͌̌̀ ̶̢̢̛ͪ͂̈́̊̓̂̒̏̍͗̓ͨ̈͞v̶̇ͩ̋̋̄ͦ̀s̶̢͗̈́̄ͬ̈̐ͮ̍̈́ͬ͆ͫ̌ͩ͢͜ ̧ ̷̧̢̆̓̓̍̿̍́͝͝S̸̴̉͑ͧ̓̃͗͒̍̋̚̚҉O̧̧̍̐ͤͯ̓̄͝͞Ů̈̄̽̓ͩͤ̑̀̊̚ ̸̡̨̽̈́ͭLͨ͊̄͛͛ͥͣͣ͊̂̀́͢͠L̸̶̨̈́̋͊ͬ͢E̴̛ͤ̾ͭͣ͂͋ͭ͆̆͋͌͟͏̡S͆̇ ̈ͮͫ̔͏̵̡̧̧S̋̓ͦ̐̐ͮͣ͆̌̐ͯͥ͊ͮ͌̕͜͜

"Even if... it heals on its own... when you leave the inside untreated... they'll turn into scars of the heart..."

"..."
K̃ͩ̀̍̔̉ͩͩͨ̒̍̊̉ͪ́ͬ͢͠͏E͒̏ͩ͐ͬ̾̈́̾ͬ̇̊͂̚҉͝K̀̆̑̊ͬͨ͂͒̒̒̒̚ ̷͆̌ͮ̉̿̒̔͏̡͘͝
Wordlessly, Daisuke reaches out and takes Lexie's hand and squeezes it tight. Even without thinking, he can do that much.
c̷̨ͮ̊͑͌̇͆̓̇̌ͤ̑̓ͣ̌̕͟ḧ̶̢́̓͒̾ͦ͂̑̐̋̔ͨͪ̽e̶̸̡̍̓̋̎̎̅͑̇ͬc̈ ̅̊͒̔̈́ͨ̔̓̀͌̅̏̆̊͌̇́̀͢͢͡͠k̵̷͆ͮ͑̋͐̐̋̈̑́̈̅̓ͭ͌ͬ̋̕͢͠ ̵̐ͯͣͨ̓ͯ͛͌͌̊̇ͣͨ̓̕͜͝t̢ͧ̈̒̎̒̏ͭ͝h̡̔͒̓̉ͯ̑̋̈̾ͦ͘eͩͤ̈̓͋ͮ̓̀ ͮͤ̿͝͏́s̴̡ͣ̍͌̑̏ͥͧ̒͛͌ͫ̊ͧͩ̈ͬ́̚͟͟e̸̅̓̾̿͜҉̢ ̸̸̡̑ͬͭͩ̄͑̂ͣ͌ͮ́̑̓͒ͥ́͐̐̚͘͞d͂̾͋ͯͭ̓̑́̇̏̉͞͡͞u̶̷ͩ̈́̅̏ͤͮ͜͞ ̶b̵̴̡̉͆ͭ̄ͩ͐s̸̆͂̆͆͢͜͜͠
"The scan... from earlier... showed no one outside... that's not her..."
Į̨́̐̍͒̾͗̏͋̎ͨ͆͟ ̶̸̅ͨ̎ͮ͐̽̐̉̎͠T̊ͭ͑̆́ͥ̍ͭͬ͏̡̀͏͟H̢ͣ̆͑̊͊ͯ́̈́́͑ͭ҉͟͝͠Ĭͭ̐͌҉ ̢͟͜͏N̨̐̀̎ͥ̌̂̅̓̌ͧ͂ͤ̃̾̂ͤ͋͠K̷̡̊͐̍̒͒̔̈́̀̈͟͡ ̡̡̿̉ͭ͊̈́̇̂ͣ͊͌̓̃͗͗͒͒̕͟͞X̸̨͌͗̅̿̑̑ͮͯ̂̒͂ͬ̾͛ͩͯ̒Aͧ̋͂ͯ҉̴͜͝ Ņ̽̒͛̏͋̌͝A̋̃̆ͥͥ̈ͬ̕̕D̴̎́͐ͧ͑ͮ͌͗̈̎͂̕̕͟͡Uͩ̅͐̎ͯͦ̍̀̊̕ ̷ ͊͐̅͌̐ͦ҉̸̕͟͝S̡̡ͦ̄ͩ̀̈́́ͩ̓̈́̾̈̉̒̅̚͜͟͡Uͣͦ̿ͭ̀̃́̈ͧ͆̄̀͌̽̅͐͆ ̴̵̢Ç̴ͦͨͪͮ̏̆̄̃ͯ̃̍ͬ̈͂ͫͦK͛͒̊ͩ̈̄ͫ͗̂ͮ̂ͥͥͦ̕͢͠S̏̑ͪ͌̐̋̿ͨ̉ ́͂ͩͮ̇ͭ̃͢͠
The scan. Yes, the scan. Where was that data again-? Hm. He must have misplaced it somewhere. Lots of things suddenly aren't where they should be. Or maybe he's forgetting where to find them. Whatever. More importantly, the idea that was only half-baked a few seconds ago has finally delivered something promising. Or maybe it just looks that way from his far away perspective.
T̀̌͗̚͘o̢͋̊̓̈́͒̕͞ ̵̧ͮͫ͗͊̈ͨ̒̒̆͂͊̏̾͞͠͞b̡ͥͯ̉ͮ̿̄ͯͬͩ̆̆͜҉̧e̸ͥ̔̎̃̃̑͑́̚͘ ̨͡ ́͒ͩ̋̒̔ͤ̂̿̈́̃ͣ̒̒̏͟͠͏̨f̶̴ͪ̀̇͋͆͊͆ͬͭ͌ͦ͑̌̈̌̈̒͊̾́͟åͣͦ͗̿́ ̵͟i̡͗̅̈̇̊͑̉̀̚͠r̸̴̛͊ͬ̎̅ͫͧ̉̆̽̎͋̍̒ͮͤ͠,̢ͧͣ̓ͧ̄̓̾̈̕ ̌̆ͧ̈́ͣ́̕͢y̡̨̨̧̛ͥ̒̂͑́̎͐ͬ̇̈́̄͊͋ͣǒ̑͒̀̾͊ͪͯͥͩ̔͑͐͒̃̽҉͝uͣ̈́ ̽ͦ̔̊͌҉̢͠ ͥ́̓ͥ́̐́h̢ͣ͆ͬͪ̇͋̿͗͑͗ͩ̌̂̓͗͐͘ą̢͂̎͊̏̽ͥ̋̀v̊͋̓ͭ̏ͯ̔̍ͧ͒ͪ͘ ̸͟͝ȩ̨͌ͥ̿͋̐̆ͩͫ̔̅͝͏͏ ̶̌́̃̏ͭ̓̓ͨ̉̈̉͋ͧ̾̍ͬ̆ͤ̀̀́͢t̒̓͊͗̕̕͞ȯͦ̓̔̀̅͊̃̅͑ͫ̆̓ͦ̋̂͂̌ ͞ ̈͑͌͐̆ͪ͐̋ͦ̊͐̚̕͢h̢̃̔ͧ͐̎͡͏a̢̨̛͐ͨ͋̏vͩ̾̽̍͆ͯ̌̂̃ͥ̃̋̓̃̔ͧ͒ͬ ̨̛̒́̕͠e̴̶̿ͭ́ͦ̆̽͑ͪ͗ͪ̒ͬͣͩ̐͂̐̀͠͝ ̷̔͌ͯͭ̑̿̕ǎ̈̒̅̓͒̒ͦͧ̈͛͑̂̾͟͠͡ ̡̾ͦ́̈̉ͯ̀ͧͮͭͧ̌̅̀͘͠v̴̿ͭ̉̉ͧ̎̍ͭ͗͂̎̚͘e̴̔ͪ̑ͬ̍͐̿͞r͛̇͗͌͒͋̏ ̷͗ͪ̆ͩ̆̾ͫͫ͊y̷͑̏̽̏̃͑͛̈͆ͭ̎͌ͩ̚͘͜ ̶̸̧͋̂͊̒ͤ͠h̷̄̂ͩ̈͆̕͜͝͝i̸͗̌ͨ̊͋̓̐̓͗̋͐͘g̷̢̛͌̒͌̓̈̇ͩͣ̿ͣ͋̚ ĥͥͩ̋̃̒̋̄͗҉͘ ̸̷̡̃̐̈̄̑̾̎͑̓̉͑͛̐̌̅ͧ͊̚̚I̸̵ͦͦ̒̏̆̓͑͗̓ͪ̔ͣ͠Q̶̵̔ͣ̅͐̆̂͗̀͠ ҉ ̸̴ͮ̀̔ͧ̆̔ͣ̔́̀̈́̀͢͡t̷̨́̌͑ͥͧ̎̑̾̕̕͝o̵ͫ̍͐̾͒ͫ̔͗͟҉̵͟ ̸̨̢͌̇̄̽͛͑ͧͫͦu̴̷̽ͧ̈̊̈́̑ͫ͋̐ͯ͗ͦ͛̉͡n̷̨͊̀ͦ͛̓ͮͨ̔̇̀̚͘͢dͩ̉ͤ ̓͆̿̓͟͟҉͏ē̡̢ͬ̆̌͗̀ͬ̓ͩ̌̌͘͟ŗ̢̋̾͌̀̈́̉̃ͦ͑̏̐͊̀̐̓͠͞sͫ̎ͭ̍̈́ ̸͒t̵̡̏̃̔͂͑̄͒ͨ̀̾̈̂ͩ̀̀a̴̵ͦͫ̏̐́̃̏̈́͛͞͏ñ̷̡̈́͆̽̓͘͝d̸̢̑̆̌ ̛ ̸̧̢̀ͪ̑̽̒͆̃͛ͯ̓̎͑ͬ͐̓̿̂̾ͭ͜͟S̸̉͑̍̆̊͑̅̓ͣͪ͒҉pͯ̄͆̿́̾̂̾̃̒̇ ̸̷̕͜͝ī̸ͧ̊ͬͬͩ͐̀ͧ̿̐͌̉̏́͢͠͡r̡ͯ̿ͨ̽̊̍ͩ̏ͣͣ̒̽̈́̚͠͠i̊̾͑ͣ̀ ̵̶͛ͧ͑̇̽͊̍̎̆̂t̴̛́ͤ̅̏ͧ͊̿̄̄̿͊́͡ ̓̓ͩ̉̿͐͐̏ͮ͟P̴̧ͤ̉͋͒͊̔͗ͭ͜͞͠u͊̀̄ͨͭ͑ͯͣͦ̋̋҉̢́l̾ͨ̆͑̏͒̌͑̿̚ ̵̓ͣ́ͧ͊̽͋̿́͞͠s̸̄ͮ̀̓̀̕̕͡e͊̃̌̓̌̄̄̈ͪ́.̈̿̇́́̄̎ͮ̂̾ͨ͛ ̢͂͘͠ ̴ͧ̈́͐̆̿ͤͧ̌̍̋ͪ̚͘͞͞T̨̂ͯͦ̃̽̒̓̍̾͌͌̽͗͑҉̶̕͡h̉̓̍̐ͤ̿̌͌͂͆̆̈̿ ̶ͧ̀͘͏ę̴̶̢͒͋̃́̎͂̐ͤ͂̔ͩ͐ͦͬ͟ ̡̛̿̌̀̋ͯ͒̓͛͒̅̈́ͧͤ̀̕͟h̷ͥ̈́̈͂͛̍̔̑̽̐̐ͬ͊ͬ͌͟҉̸̵uͩͮ̓̾ͬ̐̉̅ͫ͋ ͟͠͏̵m̡̏͋̅͊͌̂̾̾̿̋̏̈̂̔ͨ̔ͯͦ̕͜͢͏o͑ͩ̓͞͝͡u̸̢̾ͧ̈͆̌ͯͤ̍̊̐́́ r̢ͨ̑ͤ̆͛̋̋̓̄̎͋̂ͬ͌̀ͤ̈́҉͜ ͋ͨͭ͋̎̑̓͋͆͂͛ͬ̐̊́͝͞i̿ͥ͌̅͐͊ͬ͒͒͞҉́s͒ͪ̃ͫ̓̂̿̃̄̓ͤͫͮ̑̏̔͘͏́ ̧ ̛͂͒͒ͯͦ̂̽͋̔ͥ̔̓̔͐̓̚̚҉͟͜҉e̢̾̒ͤ̎ͬ̈́͆ͫ̏ͮͬ̇͑̇̓ͩ͗̉̑́͘͜͜x̍ͤ ̇̈̾ͮ̒̉̀̅͌ͯͫ̾͏͟͝҉̴t̵̷̅͗̆̂͢r̡̅͆̄ͥͫ͌ͭͬ͊ͫ͗ͤ́̀͜͝e̎̀̽͒ͫ̄ ͪ̋̓̔͗͒̂ͪ̀̀̀͏͘m͛̔͛̎ͫ̒̌ͤͧͧ̊͋̑ͮ͂̈́̋̚͝͏e̵̸͒̔̂̾̽ͨͫ̀̏̚͟͝l ̢̡ͫ̅̏̃̂̇̿̑̈́̀y̴ͦͩ͋ͭ̆ͬ̄̽̃̽̍ͭͥ̑̔ͫ͘͝͠ ̵̶̅ͨͨ̂̆͐̕҉s̅̈̋̽̉̅̇̔̐̀̑̄̚̕͠͏ų̔̂̋ͣ̊͐ͭ́͂͗̈́͌̄̇̔̎̽҉͟b̒ ̷̡̓̓͋͋̏̌͂̆̄͠t̶̡͊ͬͫͧ̿̅̎̓̇͛͌ͤ͋͌̔͒l̛̏̓̋͛̈ͭͦ͑̐ͨ̅̌ͭͧ̚͠e ͊ͬ͒͛҉̢͢,̶̸̨̊͊̽̀͡ ̢͆͗ͩ͌̀̉̂͠aͨͭ̉̈́ͮ̅҉̸̕̕͡n̵̴̈̆́ͮ̅͘͢d̔͗͋̒͘҉
While Shuichi is up there, the room's occupant will be distracted. That's a chance. A surefire way to decrypt this noise. If he adds to it an information packet of his own, he can track its progress and transformation through the twisted server. Then, even if it gets spit out as a garbled mess, he'll be able to compare it to the original and see how it was altered. The skeleton key of his own making. He just needs to...
T̸͑ͦ̒̀̾̅ͪͬͩ̅̈́̽͑̋̒͗͡͞ỉ̸̸̷̢ͧ̄̄̋͊̋͆ͬͧ̋c̓͛̌̋̓̎ͤ̓̋ͣͮ͊ͪ ̶̸̶̇͛͒k̔ͫ͊̅͛̎ͭ̓͑͢͡.̧̉̈ͨ̇ͩ͊̿̒͊̋̅ͤͥ͐̔̒ͤ̚͢͞ ̴̢̡̊ͬ̏ͫ̄͆̇ͥͩ̕͝Tͦͫ͛͊͊͗̓ͤ́ͩͤͥͭͫ̀͟i̵̓̏̃ͫ͑̆ͨ̎ͮ͢͞c͊̉͐ͮ͛ ̛̄̾ͤ͑͗͐̆͛̐ͬ́ͬ̀͘ķ͋̊͛̓ͥͬͣ̎ͫ͋̀́ͪͫ.̧̈́ͣ̈́̏̏ͤͫ͊ͭ͏ ̶͑̀͑̈́͌ͭ̇̇̐͜҉̢͠Ţ̈́̽̊̈́ͣ̇̇̽͂́̃̆̉̈́͌҉͘͞i̊̆̀̅͊̀̈́͑ͯͩͤ̎ͩ͏͟ cͯͨͪ̎̐̑͌͑͌͆̽̑͘͜͝k͛̄̈͛ͣ͟͡͏́͝.̊̒͛ͧ̈ͣ̊ͥͣͧ̎ͯ̑̐͜͠ ͩͧ̐̀̇̋̆̄̆̓̀̚͘͘Ţ̴ͨ̎̉ͫ́̕͜ỉ̀̂̒ͥ̑ͮͦ̔҉҉̡͠c̆͌̑ͥ͊̍̑ͯ̈ͨ͌ ̌̔҉͞k̴̡̛̑͑̎͑ͨ̐ͦ̓͑̉ͭͦͫ́͒̊͋̀̚.̈́̄̔͑ͯ̚͠ ̶̴̾ͣͦͩ̇̉̈̉͊ͬ̑ͫ́̕͜҉T̶̉̊ͧͩ͑͊̃ͬ̂̏ͧͨ̌͂͘͝i̸͋ͬ̒̑ͬ̓̀̅ͥ̐̔̑ ̧͟c͛ͨ̿ͪͧͫͯ̆̀̐ͫ҉̛k̵̢̃̌ͪͦͫ͛̔̅̑̌̂ͭ̀̑͊ͤ̚͟͠.ͪͯ̉͋̈́̈̐̀̓̈́̓ ̶̡̔ͩͤͣ͟͞ ̢ͫ̉̄̃ͯ̎̆̃͂̐͐̂ͩ̓̂͐̓̅͗͟T̢̈́̿͛͊͢i̧͊͆̅̂͒̾͗ͬ̐ͫ̏͗́͟͝͞cͩ̎͑ ͦ͊͐͋́̃ͣ̃͗̒̒ͬ҉̨̧͘k̶̷̢̊ͬ̾͐̓̏̑̅̔̈́͘.̶̨̢ͥͣ́̎̚ ̵ͭ̓́͆͑͗ͤ̓͋͌͂͗̓̀̚͞T̛̅̎͐ͯ̾ͪ͂̾̓̍́͒̚i̧̒̋͊̿̒̑ͮ̔̂̔̾̽̎̎҉c ̡̽ͦ͛̿̄ͥ̂͞҉ķ̸̶̆ͧ͛̐ͬ͐̅ͣ̓̀̓̋ͦ͑̓ͪͪ.͆̆̋̂ͪ̄͑̋́̀͢ ͒̊̍͐̆̕͘͟͏҉T̶̸̛́ͣͤ̀ͯ̏̉́̅ͫ̓̕ỉ̷̢̉ͨ͗̂̽̈́̑̓͢͜c̅ͤ̌̄̿̔̿̿ͦ ̴͆ͩ̊̽͛̚̚̕͘k̴̛ͨ̅͑͒ͭͭ͂́̆̄̑̆́.̢̢̇̔͑̇̒͋̎̈́̓͋ͭ̎́̚͡ ̧̎̈́ͤ̾̐̇̒̈ͣ̔ͪ͜͞T̍͆͆ͮ̊ͧ̏͋ͩ͑͊͢ǐ̵̽ͮ̀ͩ͜͢͠c͐̃̒͛̏͗͐̿̾ͧͦ̿ ͥ̐̑͜k̛̐ͩ̀ͭͧ̐̔͂̊ͬ͒ͤ͛͊̈́̓̀́̚̕͢.̨̆̈͆ͬ̌ͯ̒̐ͩ̈́ ͋͗̋̿ͦ̅̇ͤ͐͞T̢̄ͮ͌̈́ͬͥ́̏ͮ̽̑̈́̌̂͢͏͢į̷ͦͦ̽ͭͯ̂̂̇͏̷̛c̾̾̾̇̔̑ ̽͐ͬ͑̆͊͌̒̊́̚҉͘k̷̸̡̂̄̈̋̃̃̃́̚.̴̨͛̽̄̐́̍̽ͬ͐̾ ̶̄̍̋̒ͮ͗̉͂͒̉̿̾͠҉̷T̷̶͂̎̀̔̋́͞i̷ͪ͑ͦ̂̈́̐͑͜c͆͒̎̃̓̂̉ͨ̓̋̈̚̚ ̶k̢͌͆ͩ̌̂̒ͨ͛̃̚͘͟͢.̶ͫ̃̉̆̂̅͆̂̆ͭͮ̈̾̚͢ ͫ͋̓ͪͮ͌ͮ͐̀̓͐̏̈́̇̀ͦ̽͠҉T̴͛ͩ̍̓̾̃̾̿̂̕͡͠i͒͗ͫ̾ͧ̈̈́̾̃̐́̃̈́͏̴҉ ̶c̔̓ͨ̒̄ͩ͒ͥ͘͝k̢̅̒̀ͬͤ͏̷̕.̛ͩ͆̓̆ͤ͛͌͗̅̊̓ͣ͘͝
"...History-chan. I'm going... to the source. If I can't... then, here's the..."
Tͫͣ̾́̚͠Į̶̡̀͐̑̍̑͋̕̕Ç̢̨̅ͣ̇ͣ̓̃͛̉̃̌̚͠K̵ͬ̀͑̉ͬ̊̚T͐̐ͧͭ͌ ̿́ͧͨ̃̌̾͋̓ͫ̌͊̒̀̕͜͟Ȉ̴̆ͦͯͯ̈́̀͝C͑ͤ̇͂ͩ͝͠K̄͐ͬ̓ͯ̓̎͆͐̊͒͆ͫ҉ ͞T̨̧̂ͣ͐ͯ̽̃̾ͨ͑̈́̈́ͮ̿͒̉͛͘͏̧I̧ͨ̓̈́̌͌͊͛̚͏͏C̅ͨ͌̾͒̍̄̄͐͑͑̇ͩͬ ̴̨̀̉ͮ͐̉̀͞҉K̛ͤ̊ͣͫ̔ͦͦͧ̇́́̓ͩ̇̇̃̄͝Tͫ̋ͮͮ͗̈́̌̄̐͌ͫ͘͜Iͣ̓ͯͦ̉ ̨ͯ̋̊̍͋̓̐͂̈́̄̊͘̕C̾̓̒̈́ͥ̿̀҉̕K̨͒̊ͧ̾̊ͨ̅̉ͫͯͫ͗̇ͩ̿̚͟Tͮͥ̾͊͑ ͒̒̃́́́̕I͋̓͋̄͌͂͗ͭ̈̉ͧ͌͑̉͋̓̚͏͏̷̢C̵̢͂̾̐̆͊K͆̀ͨ̐ͩ̀ͬͭ͆̌ͪ̿ ̵̛̛̂̇T̨͂̓̎̽̆ͥͥ̏̑̃͞I̴̧ͪͬ̔̂̌́̋͝C͌̓ͥͬ̑̓ͯ̾̿́͘͝Ḱ̆ͯ͌͗̋͋ ̨ͫ͒ͣ̓̾̑ͤ͜͝T̷̷̑̄͛̊ͣ͋̆̅ͭͬ̊̊͗ͧ̍ͪ̅̚͢͟I̶̸̛ͦ́̊́̌̓̀C̒̀̇̍͛ ̸̢̨͂ͬ̍̓̽͜K̷͋̏ͩͣͭ̌͋ͩͮ̾̆̎ͬ̅͡҉T̴̵͋ͨͫ̉ͬͦ̿́ͨ̓̑ͪͣ̕͞͡Ī̆̽ ͧ̃ͪ̂ͫ͑̓ͧͧ͝҉̶C̸̡̄͌ͣ̅ͮ̈́̀K̴̛͒̀̋ͧ́̀͠T̷͒͒̒̾͛ͯ̀̒̉͗ͨ̏ͯ͗̽́ I̶̡̧ͣ͆̃͆C̵̷̶̓͐̄ͪ̒̑̄ͧ̋ͦ̂̉̎͛͌̍ͮ̃ͥK͋ͪ̓ͮͭ̅ͫ̆̎̄ͯ̑̑͂̅ͨ̕͏ Tͤ̌ͥ̾̒̈́ͩͣ͆̀ͦ̉͑͐̓̚͘҉I̢̓̓͛ͩ̎̊̾͗ͦ̚͠͠Č̷͑͊̔̓̔̈҉K̂͛͗ͦ̈́ͥ ̶̓͑ͦ̂́̽̉̈́̽͐ͮͩ҉̴͟͡Ť̶̸̄͐͂̏̎̀̋̂̉Ỉͥͧ̽̽̔̅̑͋͂͂̿͛̓͜͝͏̡͞ C̄̀̎̇ͮ̌͏̷̴̛K̔͂̔̓͆̿̆͋̆̈́̓͑͌ͥͣͧ̕͠Tͦͦ̃̏̄̑̓̚̚҉̕I̎̄ͤ͌̒͗̀ ̴̓̈́ͨ̅ͩͬ̑̂͘͢͟C̄͒̃̈́͗̂̑͋͌ͮ͐ͤ̎̚͟͞͠K̵̇̄͑̿ͤ͗T̃ͪ̄ͮͦ͊́̋͋̑̎ ̴̸̵̈́̐ͭ͝Į̸̇ͥ̏̓̚̕͝C̴̡̑ͣ̓̿ͣ̽́K̈́̎͆̾͋̂̾̊̃̾̚҉Tͤ̍̍́̕҉Í̚ ̵̵̧̏̓̅̉ͫͤͣ͂̄͗̅ͪ̅̊̌̋̐̕͡C̡̧͌̈́̒̅̀͡K͊ͮ͆̈̀͛̐ͦ̂ͪͮ͒̈́ͦͦ̌̐͡ ̴̧͜T̢̅ͨͯ̈́͆̏ͦͧ̏̿ͮ̊̍̓̑ͬ͌̉͢İ̧̡͛͆͒̏͋Ç̊̒͗ͪ͆͛̐͗͜҉̷K̂̉̐ ̸͌ͬ̍̽̽͛̒ͧ̚͘͟͢͡T̶̷ͤ̇̐̂ͯ̾̅̿̒ͫ̈́̿ͫ́̈̿͠͞I̐̎̓̓̇̐́̚̚C̊͋̇̇ ̴̾ͧͨ͘͟K̴͗ͯͮ̚͟
A blinking cursor appears in his mind. Daisuke reaches out and, one by one, types out strokes on a virtual keyboard.

New Thread:
Name:
Options:
Subject: Hello
Comment: I'm twelve months old. What is this?

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"...For a moment I believed so, it was a name that just sprung to mind when I saw her, but nothing else came along with it."

So Yamuna didn’t recognize her. She’s not omnipotent after all. Even so, her serious manner makes her feel above him in a way even her overwhelming aura hadn’t. He watches her step into the bubble, an iridescent shine on its foggy surface before she snaps and peels the ephemeral world away like a sticker to be thrown in the trash. He can see Mokujima again, who’s unconscious but doesn’t seem to be otherwise harmed. Eve and Yamuna attend to her while he stands, a soft blue light illuminating the process.

"Shadow Figure Conspiracy? What do you mean? Illuminati?"

“Hmm?” Logan starts a bit, removing his thumb and middle finger from his temples. “Sorry, just gathering my thoughts. The girl implied that there was a powerful group of individuals lurking in the shadows with a vested interest in interfering with whatever we find on the joint mission. She never did give me a name for them, though.” He pulls Amelia and a business card from his pocket, scribbling on it as he continues to talk. “She didn’t give me any information on a motive either, but this trip is to make things better for the foreseeable future, so if anything, these others want to make things worse.” Satisfied, he folds the card into a paper airplane and blows it toward her. “So we should be careful, you especially. The world would be a lot worse off without you, after all.” One hand returns Amelia to his pocket, nervously spinning her while the other scratches the back of his head. “That’s what I think, anyways.”

One paper airplane, meticulously folded with a crease in the nose to shift the center of gravity forward

---

Wise Up!

Mundane Trait - One Thousand Words: One of the few hobbies Logan has kept despite single-mindedly focusing on bettering himself as a Spirit Tamer after Sarah’s death. While nowhere close to a pro, he’s a fairly speedy and reasonably capable artist, capable of drafting diagrams, drawing pictures, and painting vistas with both mundane materials and by channeling spirit power through Amelia to use as ink. He can even draw pictures in midair, but due to the fragility of the medium they dissipate quickly.

His childhood love of comic books and need for an extra-curricular led to developing this trait.

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Demonic Server, Hali Bay
11/16/2026
Afternoon, Heavy Winds

".............. I see."

The rubble of the pier moved.

"Spoken like a true demon, with no understanding of humans whatsoever."

Boards were lifted with a swing of a hand, and crashed around the darkened form of Blaise, veiled in shadows of the beach and its destroyed landmark.

"Already strong? Hot shit? From the 80's? ... Get real. There's no such human in existence. The only beings that are born strong, who don't have to work for it... are those are not human."

The tall, shadowy figure rose from the rubble, dusting off his jacket and heaving a heavy sigh - a billowing cloud of smoke emerging from between his teeth.

"Humanity always lives in the shadow of those stronger than them. That's why they claw their way up, as best as they can, in order not to be trampled by arrogant creatures like you. We do our best, because that's all we can. If you think for a moment that any of us got here because of the way we were born... then you know nothing about humans."

What moved along with the shadow was the gigantic cannon, ripped from the sinking battleship. It was dragged up with the figure and swung slowly the side as the shadowed figure of the youth focused his muscles.

"You're not. There's no wrong way to gain power. Because that's what we have to do as humans. But..."

Golden eyes focused on the target out at the sea.

"--- He won't be satisfied. If the reason why he beat me is because you did it, he will never be satisfied. He didn't do it himself, with what he could accomplish himself. All that'll be left is an empty feeling, a hole that'll never go away. You'll rob him of his future, his goal, and what he strove for... all so you could satisfy your petty vendetta. Oh. And so you could 'rampage'. What a good friend."

Teeth were ground together.

"You'll destroy him. There'll be nothing left. I would have gladly let him try for his revenge. No matter how long it takes him. Because that'd be him. But if it's you... No. This ends before it even starts. I won't let you take his future, his path, away from him. And I'd do the same to anyone."

The hair on a ponytail opened up, flowing around the determined face.

"... Because I'm still stuck in the 80's, it seems."

The rest of the rubble exploded in one fell swoop as Blaise swung the cannon once more, destroying the debris around him that prohibited his movement. At the same time his muscles tensed like a coiled spring about to strike. He heard the voices of Tsukiko and Isamu, meaning they were alright and still capable of acting. He saw the opponent, chanting a spell - meaning he had time act. Those who relied on non-COMP methods of spellcasting always had one flaw: no matter how powerful the magic, it had a wind-up time. Incantations, glyphs, spell-seals... whatever it was, it took time.

Interrupt that, and it didn't matter how powerful the spell.

Therefore...

"-------!"

Power was unleashed, and before the shockwave from his sprint had even hit the beach-waters, Blaise was already halfway there to the talkative woman. At the same time, he swung the cannon he was holding, making almost a baseball-pitch like motion with his hand. However, that wasn't the only thing. As the cannon dipped, as it hid him from the view, Blaise's left hand moved also.

And in his mind...

[Kaguya. I need two more. And tell Isamu... to get ready. For you know what.]

[Gotcha, Banchou!]

Then.

The cannon was swung.

No, it was pitched.

Launched like a rocket towards the stratosphere, it bulleted through the air and towards the form of the one-eyed woman, ready to crush her in her path before she could finish her spell. A massive object hurled at supersonic speeds, to make it hit her like a freight-train and caused her to be thrown backwards at the same time.

Most likely it wouldn't even faze her.

But...

But...!

"-------!"

There was a technique known to the Pendragon family. A technique that Blaise's father had invented and mastered. Technique that took advantage of a large thrown object approaching the opponent at high speeds, one that would cover the vision and take the focus of whoever was the target. In that moment, as their eyes would see the approaching massive object and their brains would work as to how to best dispose it without being affected, the one who threw it would be...

--- Moving underneath it, hidden in its shadow, poised for a perfect counter-attack!

Therefore, the moment the cannon reached the woman, the moment she began to act, below it, running across the waters...!

------!?

Was no one.

Blaise Pendragon was many things.

But he wasn't a fool.

The woman had already heard of him, and of his family name. Therefore it stood to logic that she would know the trick to that.

And because of that...

"Heh. Look at 'im go."

Kaguya snickered on the ruins of the pier, while glancing towards Isamu.

"Better get ready, Mophead. Banchou's gonna do his thing, so ya wanna be prepared. After all... Banchou called ya his bro - for the first time. So if ya pull it off... what the heck. I guess I'mma gonna acknowledge yer butt, too," the rough JK-bunny snarked, before turning her eyes towards the distant opponent. "Three strikes an' yer out... so get ready for some triple-battin' action, Isamu-boyo!"

Yes.

There was nobody below the cannon.

Because far up above, right above the woman, descended from the skies...

... Came the raging dragon of Aoyama, his head craned backwards while the three things he had taken in his mouth burned ever brighter.

It was too late react properly.

Blaise swung his head downwards, opened his mouth, and...!

Rapid Fire Agidyne, Spirit Flame Casing

"Triple Moondrop Special!"

Spit out the three Agidyne spells he had been holding in his mouth like a machine-gun, letting their spirit-flame covered forms shoot like gigantic cannon shots straight at the woman from above, raining down like infernal carpet-bombing of pure white phosphorus!

[Airen]

Mokujima Chris
Brewed Awakenings, Boundary
To Those That Wish to Escape
???

"That would be because we're ghosts, obviously."

---Ultimately, the first one to speak up is an unlikely one.

While Yamuna is certainly a 'bright,' sort of figure she is not infallible, nowhere close to a perfect being, and so these sorts of social mishaps are not things she is entirely above; indeed, her worried use of those words was done out of a good place, a warm place, but the information being conveyed is of a taboo sort, a thing that everyone had silently agreed not to talk about, perhaps out of simple bar etiquette?

Regardless...

The one who spoke up was Sakurako.

Voice calm again, or rather, close to amused, the raven-haired girl shows a surprising amount of resilience to the light, as she...

"So you two should go, before we wind up haunting you~ Oooooh~"

...talks almost casually to the Goddess.

Perhaps she's forcing it for your sake? Perhaps some other sort of strength had just shown itself?

Whatever it is...

"A constant blood rain following you around would be a pain right? Eerie shadows in the corner of your room? Creaking boards at night? Spirits crawling out of your television set? All of it a pain, so don't worry about anything weird with us and go, we'll be fine. No time for dreaming right now anyway, get back out there."

She stands, spins, and...

Pushes both you (and a somewhat baffled Goddess) out the door and into the rain...

Yes...

In response to the call to do something, the gloomy sounding girl does just that, perhaps out of a sense of newfound motivation, or...

Well, it probably doesn't matter, either way...

"...Hey Vincent, we get internet down here?"

Those are the last words you hear before being swallowed up by the blue.

---

Logan Starbright & Mokujima Chris
Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Late Morning

"...?"

A questioning gaze has her catch the airplane with mild curiosity.

It is a strange action to take under these circumstances after all, so it's only natural to want to know the why, to look a bit past the obvious and try to see what was really going on, a search for truth in other words, and...

"...Well, I'm flattered that you think so~"

...After examining it for a moment, the woman blinks, eyes flickering from the card to you again, before casually going back to how things had been before, her hand still resting lightly on Chris's neck...

"I don't really intend on letting anything happen to me... I didn't think I'd be looking into a shadowy organization today, but I guess things have gotten weird enough that it's worth looking into."

She frowns.

"That girl was pretty powerful, she layered the room, using it's devices and then a Reality Shift of her own on top of it. That's a little concerning, but we'll just have to report in, get everyone looking into it... Don't want to be late for the cross-assignment either, especially if we're trying to be chased off from it... I'm a bit contrarian in that way~"

She laughs, then...

"Ah, got her."

---For Mokujima Chris, consciousness returns slowly, right around here...

The floor of a simulator room, with a Goddess already standing up so as not to hover right over you, standing back in an obvious attempt to avoid the continued negative reaction to her presence, and well...

"Sorry I was late. Room took a bit of effort to break into."

...She says just this...

Meanwhile, in Chris's pockets, well...

A drawing, as well as a...

Job Application for a Brewed Awakenings?

Had somehow found their way into your pockets...

---No messages from Daisuke though...

Strange.

And Eve...

Is peering out into the hallway now...

[Tobias]

Mokujima Chris
Brewed Awakenings, Boundary
To Those That Wish to Escape
???

It's not like she expected anything to happen.

Mokujima Chris has been in this sort of situation countless times, before eventually secluding herself in her room to escape it. No help will come, no prince will appear, no one will ever save a girl whose sole predicament is being awkward at parties. It'll fade away, someone will make a small remark after a few seconds, and the crowd will eventually disperse, each one of them feeling a bit worse afterwards. That's how it'll go. That's how it always goes.

So, when the person least likely to speak up does so, it comes as a surprise. A wish she hadn't ever thought would be granted.

Dazzling.

Yes, Sakurako, that always gloomy girl is right now talking down a goddess of light. She's looks like a savior, a gleaming black knight cloaked in darkness. Someone who should be cheered for, not cheered up.

That's why Chris isn't worried, even as she's pushed back into the waking world. It doesn't matter how ominous those words might be. That girl will find her way. She'll walk forward.

That's her friend, after all.

Chris can't offer words of goodbye. But she can offer a smile. One that wrenches its way out of her heart, a giddy, half-mad smile that says more than she'd ever have been able to.

A promise, for the next time they meet.

"Alright, Blackrose - let's go crazy again."

---

Mokujima Chris
Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Late Morning

She opens her eyes slowly, staring at the familiar ceiling.

Where? Oh, right, there.

What? That, of course.

Why? The answer comes easily.

Who? It's obvious who.

How? They'll find out soon enough.

The girl's eyes flicker left, right, left, right, up, and down. She closes them, takes a deep breath, lets it out.

Fifteen seconds after returning to consciousness, Mokujima Chris sits up and readjusts her glasses. She pats herself down. Feels a strange pressure in her pocket. Takes it out. Unfolds both sheets of paper. Scans over them. Nods. Mumbles to herself: "Gonna have to repay Vincent." Folds them back up and puts them in her pocket. Checks one phone over the course of a second. Checks the other phone even more quickly. Holds onto it. Opens up an app. Pauses. Closes the phone. Shifts. Stands. Stretches like a cat.

Meets Yamuna's gaze.

Holds it, without flinching.

"..Thanks. Owe you one."

Nods, looks away. Looks at Logan.

"..."

Looks at Eve again. Her gaze softens.

Looks down. Starts tapping on her phone. Tapping at what might be considered near light speed for an baseline human. WPM fast enough to make a veteran Starcraft player blush. Lines of text fill up the small screen, and it scrolls down to keep up with the katakana and kanji flooding it. Taps until the scroll bar is tiny. Taps for twenty straight seconds, before stopping abruptly.

Finally Mokujima Chris holds out one of her spare phones, palm up, and from the speakers a tinny, artificial woman's voice, recognizable as a stock text-to-speech personality, begins to talk.

"The events of the last few minutes were engineered. They cannot be explained by coincidence."

Silently, while the phone speaks for her, Chris levels her stony stare at everyone in the room, one by one.

"Logan. Rothschild Tamer. You should access the camera feed through the nearby terminal. You should look for evidence of this incident's perpetrator, and you should find nothing. They were able to infiltrate the base. They were able to be at the right place at the right time. They were able to predict our behaviour to the extent of arranging our meeting and eventual relocation to the simulator. They were able to upload a custom program to the simulator. They were able to compromise an advanced android's mind to have them wake from long term mental hibernation at an exact time, and implant an unconscious directive to be acted upon. All this was done while perfectly concealing all traces of their presence from every single one of the SDCD base's defenses at each step. You should have your COMP review her observation records; that worked well enough the last time something like this happened and it may work again. You should also get your brain scanned and thought patterns analyzed; it's plausible that during your captivity your thoughts were contaminated. This simulator can already command the senses. It stands to reason that when hijacked it can create ideas as well. The perpetrator has already indicated that they are not above twisting others for their own purposes."

It's good that her memories of that place remain. Otherwise it would've taken her a bit of thinking to reach this conclusion again, and that's time she does not have.

"Also, please excuse the brusque behaviour earlier," the robotic voice adds after a micro-break. "I was preoccupied. And in a poor mood. Compensation will be provided."

Chris clears her throat, cheeks a bit red. There's no real reason for it. She may have just spoken more words now than she had ever spoken to any of the people in the room before, but it's not like she herself had said anything.

She taps again and the next part plays.

"Eve - you should do whatever you want. I can help, if it's within my power."

Chris hasn't forgotten her original goal that morning: to help the confused android with whatever she'd wanted to do. Most of her worry earlier hadn't been the usual panic when running into the overly bright Yamuna; it had been worry over the possibility of her charge being apprehended and locked up for study as an alien specimen. That goal of helping her has not diminished in the slightest. Even though a foreign Tamer and the goddess herself are here, if what Eve wishes for is freedom, then Mokujima Chris will bend over backwards to make it happen.

"I would ask, though, that you allow me to perform an examination. I am worried that your systems were tampered with. And I promised Sakura that I would make sure you were alright."

Finally, the goddess...

There are no words for Yamuna. Or at least, no words that haven't already been said. And even a Tamer on a warpath isn't about to order around a goddess.

The text-to-speech clicks on one last time.

"I am going to prioritize tracking down the perpetrator. Now is the best time to give chase. Their plan has gone awry and the possibility remains that they are not observing us at this moment, fearing increased attentiveness on our part. Their actions are consistent with those of a methodical planner, so while retreating in haste they may have slipped up enough to leave a trail that can be followed. It is imperative that initiative is not allowed to shift back to them; their next plan will have less holes in it and this chance may not appear again. If need be I will renounce my participation in the joint mission to accomplish this, or else use the facilities aboard the SLEIPNIR if they are sufficient."

It is impossible to glean emotion from a simple computerized voice. But the way the words were chosen, even while being as clinical and cold as possible, indicates a cold rage bubbling underneath the calm surface of the woman standing stock-still in the pale room.

"But for that, I will need my COMP."

With a click, the long series of words comes to a close and silence returns to the room.

Well, not quite.

Chris looks down at her second phone. She frowns, the first noticeable change in her stony demeanor since she woke up.

Her COMP hasn't contacted her. Usually he's constantly worried and asking for advice when operating alone, but this time there are no messages. Not one. Not even an automated status update.

The worry that rises up from her gut is pushed back down. He's with Shuichi. The risk is minimal, barring the perpetrator bringing friends for a simultaneous attack. If he hasn't contacted her, then she'll just contact him.

Chris throws open the connection from the other side.

Are you there, Daisuke?

[Airen]

Rossweisse
SLEIPNIR - Artificial Park
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"..."

---Frozen.

There were many things the smaller girl in front of you had perhaps expected, an awkward laugh or some sort of admonishment perhaps, but the instinctual movement of your hand resting on her head (bold, considering your nature as strangers) was one that seems to have effectively shut her body down completely, indeed...

"..."

She does not move.

Not at all, not for a good thirty seconds or so...

"..."

Complete shut down of all mental faculties, indeed, while the face has gone red, it is the only thing that has changed over the past few seconds, until...

“Ah… I’m sorry I didn’t mean to do that! It just happened… And… I’m being a bit too familiar to someone I just met… Apple cinnamon rolls are fine right?”

"Uh... Uhm... Yes... Yes that's fine...!"

A nervous response, no, from the way she makes a vague motion at her heart it's almost like it had skipped a few beats outright...

"And it's okay, super okay, gave me a bit of a head rush, but I don't mind the head pat-!"

And she's talking rather fast, still...

"Way too much alike, gonna give me a heart attack for real..."

She mutters this under her breath, so quietly that you almost fail to hear it, still...

“But by chance is your last name Davis and you have a big sister named Lexie? Because this app triggered today...”

She blinks.

"That is uh... Me yes, Myra Davis."

She tilts her head, then, with strangely sad eyes...

"And I have a sister named Lexie yes..." a pause, as she seems to think hard about something, then "But we haven't talked in awhile... She making silly videos over an app again?"

Well, not quite, but...

Speaking of apps, or more specifically, your COMP, well...

You get a message, and that message...

Spoiler:

'Did you know that there's a furnace down here that eats spells?!'

'Genesis and I wanted to check it out, but Lucia gave us the old death glare so we had to stop the mad science for now! Little does she know we'll start again as soon as she leaves!'

'The app is fine though, Genesis says it isn't dangerous! Might take me awhile to get back tho!'

'Hope you're having fun! Spread your wings a little! It's good for you!'

...Is cheerful?

Well, not that that was particularly abnormal, Hiyori was always cheerful, a bundle of energy really, so...

Why did this feel slightly off?

Was this message supposed to be about the alcheringa something else?

That'd be silly, this is not your first time reading it...

Ah well, everything seems to be fine!

[Airen]

Hiyori
SLEIPNIR - Bottom Level, Genesis's Lab/Engine Room
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

Anna

'Having fun with Genesis is fine and all as long as you two don't blow anything up, but don't you think there's a better time for that than right now? Our guests are here you know? Drag him up here for more please.'

---Anna's response makes absolutely no sense, given the context of what you had sent her; it's a message that almost comes across as rambling, a random statement, something that has basically nothing to do with Ludwig's plight, and yet...

It feels like a completely serious message, heck...

Anna could be a bit of a tease at times, but those were only when she was off the clock nursing her coffee addiction in the cafe, when she was on the clock she was serious the whole time, so...

This didn't seem like some sort of troll, not only that...

---Rossweisse doesn't respond after your initial few messages either, which was strange, after all, she's the sort that would keep you in the loop about what was going on right?

And yet, nothing...

Perhaps because of that... You find yourself flying a bit faster...

The ship is on the move, the dull thrum of the engine a steady constant beneath your feet, the clouds outside storming outside in a grey haze, obvious storm clouds, ones that pose no threat to the ship itself due to it's barriers, but ones that cloud the usual clear views of the outside, that would ordinarily be showing the rapidly receding figure of the Vatican City, but...

"..."

It takes you awhile to notice...

Yes.

About two minutes or so... A rather simple fact...

Namely...

No matter how far or how fast you fly, from the moment you had exited Genesis's room and wound up outside in the hallway, you...

...Didn't seem to be getting anywhere...?

Like the length of the hallway had somehow become infinite...?

But...

That didn't seem possible.

[Kuroyuki]

Rossweisse
SLEIPNIR - Artificial Park
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

The second that Myra didn’t respond to my question immediately, I knew messed up… I didn’t mean to do it… It just sort of happened? Maybe it would’ve been fine if I knew her more and she was okay with it… But I did this way too soon! What if this was what causes issues between our factions… or if she starts to hate me…

"Uh... Uhm... Yes... Yes that's fine...! And it's okay, super okay, gave me a bit of a head rush, but I don't mind the head pat-!"

...While she doesn’t seem to hate me, she doesn’t seem comfortable with what I did. In fact, it almost seemed like she was trying to assure herself that what I did was fine. Idiot… You should’ve tried to stop yourself especially after how surprised you were by that one Rose Cross member…

"Way too much alike, gonna give me a heart attack for real..."

My worried musing came to an end when I heard what she said about being ‘too much alike.’ What does she mean by that? Was that app onto something earlier when there was a connection between Myra and my past?

"That is uh... Me yes, Myra Davis. And I have a sister named Lexie yes… But we haven't talked in awhile... She making silly videos over an app again?"

“Not ex-”

I went to explain that it wasn’t exactly what she was thinking about, but my COMP threw up a message from Hiyori? But the message was scanned multiple times and flagged despite all scans and readings indicating that nothing was off about the message itself.

Messages from Hiyori

'Did you know that there's a furnace down here that eats spells?!'

'Genesis and I wanted to check it out, but Lucia gave us the old death glare so we had to stop the mad science for now! Little does she know we'll start again as soon as she leaves!'

'The app is fine though, Genesis says it isn't dangerous! Might take me awhile to get back tho!'

'Hope you're having fun! Spread your wings a little! It's good for you!'

While the message seemed to be superficially right… It didn’t seem very Hiyori like to explain everything like this in a message. She was the type that loved to explain everything that happened to her in person unless she couldn’t talk to you regularly in person… Like I was expecting a quick ‘I’m heading back! Got some fun stuff to tell you!’ not… this. Something about it was off.

I decided to type back something that appeared like gibberish to the average person and COMP. Something only a sore loser with a game brain would repeatedly ram her head into until she won or found a way to bruteforce the solution. If the help of my COMP… I found a combination of ciphers that should be good enough...

Messages with Hiyori

'Did you know that there's a furnace down here that eats spells?!'


'Genesis and I wanted to check it out, but Lucia gave us the old death glare so we had to stop the mad science for now! Little does she know we'll start again as soon as she leaves!'


'The app is fine though, Genesis says it isn't dangerous! Might take me awhile to get back tho!'


'Hope you're having fun! Spread your wings a little! It's good for you!'

‘60s21m80z 81j80i 21t22j 60h81v’

After quickly composing that message, I went back to Myra.

“...Sorry about that, I was a bit distracted by a message sent by my COMP. She went to get a check up on this app that had a bunch of names on it. The only difference in the names was that some of them were in color. Like yours and your sister...”

I went to open up the DreamWeave app in order to show it to her.

“Thought it would help me remember something from my past...”




Hiyori
SLEIPNIR - Bottom Level, Genesis's Lab/Engine Room
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

Message with Anna

'Having fun with Genesis is fine and all as long as you two don't blow anything up, but don't you think there's a better time for that than right now? Our guests are here you know? Drag him up here for more please.'

Fun with Genesis? What does she mean by that?! I wasn’t playing with Genesis right now! I mean I was going to originally… But now isn’t the time for that! Right now, we have more important things like Ludwig and Lexie being in danger! Even if they aren’t in danger, then it’s better to be safe than sorry! I would get it if I regularly called up the emergency line for nothing, but I’m a good citizen who only calls those lines as needed! And more concerningly! Rossweisse hasn’t responded yet! She was the type who instantly responds to everything as soon as possible because she’s the punctual, working type! Something is up!

So I decided to speed up and try to reach her quickly. It shouldn’t take too long for me to meet back up with her. The SLEPNIR may be big, but it’s not /that/ big! If anyone has made high speed flying in power saving form a thing on the SLEPNIR, it would be me! For the most part, I’ve avoided trouble and hitting people so far! Actually speaking of people… Where is everyone? I know everyone is a bunch of chuuni training/power fanatics, but I should’ve seen one of them by now. Heck! I haven’t even seen or heard Lucia/Genesis yelling at me. What’s up with that? I decided to stop and try to figure out my location…

I’m still in the hallway leading towards Genesis’s room?! But I’ve been flying for minutes! I should’ve long left that place behind! In that case! If the hallway is somehow becoming infinitely longer and I’ve been seemingly isolated. I can only guess that something nefarious is happening. I’m sure they thought they could keep me on some endless hallway to keep me from reaching Rossweisse!

‘Ziodyne! Kougaon! Ziodyne!’

As if on command, three floating swords of magic power floated around me. While I would’ve loved to try using Rossweisse’s signature move against whatever magic is holding me here, there’s an issue with that! I can’t exactly swing myself and use that move at the same time! But this should do! The ship may be strong on the outside, but no one has really tried to break out from the inside! At that thought, I sent the Ziodyne and Kougaon spells towards a single window intent on breaking it and using that to fly outside of this stupid infinite hallway!

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Late Morning

In just a moment, her usual effervescence returns. It’s comforting, but that’s no good. It’s too easy to go with her flow and pretend that everything will be alright; he’s got to be stronger than that.

“In that case, I’d like to assist you. I want to ascertain if that girl lives up to her name.” Logan rubs his crested hand. “And I get the feeling that doing so might solve some of these mysteries of mine.” He hesitates. “If you’ll allow me, of course.”

Amelia groans in his head as he processes information. Cross, not joint. Interesting choice of words. As he ponders the ramifications of double-layered reality interference, Yamuna returns Mokujima to consciousness. If Logan’s the type to wake instantly, then she’s the type who wakes deliberately. She adjusts herself, fiddling with papers, checking phones, and leisurely stretching like her next step is a routine latte. Mokujima’s remarkably casual about this; she really is an SDCD Tamer. Finally, she acknowledges the others in the room, sparing nothing for him but an icy glare. No surprises there. I’ve done nothing but inconvenience her.

Twenty seconds of typing with a WPM he’d have killed for in his essay-writing days and she at last addresses the situation.

"The events of the last few minutes were engineered. They cannot be explained by coincidence."

”It was a bit of a pain getting you this isolated, but I’m sure it’ll work out for you in the long run.”

Logan frowns as Mokujima addresses him, her phone speaking in her place. She really doesn’t want to speak with me, huh. His brow furrows slightly. Check the cameras? Fair enough. Going by Amelia’s experience in the simulator, Verity probably has the ability to avoid most security systems. But hacking Eve as well? She might have the ability, but what little physical action she took was reactive. He cradles his chin between finger and thumb. Still, her blatant paranoia implies solo action. If nothing else, she capitalized on Eve’s confusion.

: There’s no way that a simulator would work like that. Seriously, hasn’t she heard about the Axe Style Online Incident and the safety protocols installed after that? If the kid could’ve pulled that she’d have melted everyone’s brains from the start and added an anti-suicide restriction for good measure.

: ...At the least, the camera footage is worth reviewing. Tell me if there’s any sign of hidden observers as well, please.

: Yeah yeah, you got it.

"Also, please excuse the brusque behaviour earlier. I was preoccupied. And in a poor mood. Compensation will be provided.”

“It’s fine, you don’t need to go out of your way for me. I should’ve handled the situation better.”

Mokujima shifts her attention back to Eve, her manner immediately softening in the presence of someone valued. It’s good that she’ll run diagnostics; it saves me the time. And this means that there’s someone who cares for Eve. Amelia chimes in in his head. Eve said Sakura was her Administrator. Looks like matters are up to the hermit crab and the SDCD there.

Mokujima “speaks” one last time, her face once again as set as an iceberg. Her resolve and wrath emanate from every word. Is it worry for her robotic charge? Anger at her own imprisonment, however brief? Logan’s not even close to acquainted enough with Mokujima to know. But as she lifts another phone to type a hurried message, he notices a connection they share.

“Mokujima. I’m sorry to interrupt you, but-” He raises his right hand to show her the tattoo engraved on it. “-it seems we share similar circumstances. How did you come by your crest? For me, this appeared after a friend and I felled a mysterious Demon Tower that could summon and control other Demons.”