Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[palad1n]

Intermission
'God Slaying Sword'

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

As she floated high in the sky of Vatican, white dress and blonde hair fluttering from the rain and wind, Sariel could feel the wheel of fate beginning to turn as she eyed the mysterious, beautiful stranger.

Her investigations for the past few days hasn't really turn up anything big, merely things that she knew or expect would happen, and there's still no sign or hint to a greater plot or machinations. Whether that means the plot is well-concealed or merely a figment of her overactive imagination remains to be seen, but Sariel had been feeling pretty dejected from the lack of results.

And then, today happened.

As if the gears started moving all at once, Cosmos left her room today, and just a few hours ago departed with a NWAB agent somewhere, while Alyx seems to be accompanied with a blonde woman she doesn't recognize - a sign that the white-haired girl weren't staying still. She's happy for them both - the future could only be seized by your own hands, whether for better or worse, and God wouldn't help those who don't even try - and prayed that the two girls would be able to overcome their respective trials.

And now, her part to play has seemingly come with the appearance of the mysterious goddess.

She could, of course, do nothing and let events unfold by themselves, and normally that is what Sariel would have done.

But nothing about the events unfolding since their return from another world has been normal. And seeing both Cosmos and Alyx taking action inspired the normally meek, clumsy, and shy angel to perhaps do a little bit better, to overcome her own personal limitations and go just a little bit further beyond her programming and usual self.

After all, it was her, and no other angel, who first noticed the goddess.

It was as if, for the first time in her existence, God has given her a choice.

--Free will is a heavy thing indeed.

Thus, taking a deep breath and praying that her choice is right, Sariel gently descends upon the goddess, making sure that her wing flaps could be felt and heard as to not surprise her, and stopped just a few inches above the ground, directly in front of the red-haired woman.

"Greetings, foreign goddess, and welcome to the Holy City." She greeted, and Sariel found herself surprised at the lack of stutter or nervousness in her own tone. "Perhaps I could help you to your business here, seeing as the city is still grieving?"

--Yes, she could feel another gear clicking into place with this action.

Just as surely as she could feel the wheel of fate beginning to turn...

[Airen]

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

---And so, making your presence clear, you fly down to meet the Goddess.

There were a few camps even amongst the angels as to how to feel about 'divine' beings other than the Creator, some saw it as blasphemous, others saw the presence of other divinities as a sign of 'His' existence, thinking of them as something similar to angels, and thus something that can be far more easily tolerated by the ranks of the Heavenly Host...

So long as they do not seek to take 'his' Throne, indeed...

There is no reason you simply cannot talk to this person; it is almost like God has presented you with a choice of whether or not to do so, right? In such cases, choosing not to do anything is the same as doing nothing at all, the easy path out, a choice that isn't a choice, and thus something that would automatically fail whatever sort of 'trial,' this happens to be, so...

Down you go.

Wings flapping gently even in the winds of a storm, going so far as to make them audible so as not to alarm the person down below...

Indeed, while a small thing, it is more than an angel would usually do, but...

"..."

This one doesn't seem to notice you until you actually speak to her... It's the mannerisms of a distracted person, someone who -now that you were close- was showing body movements that seemed outright bizarre, yes... While you had seen that she was doing something like limping before, as if she was pushing through pain in order to reach her destination, now you can see that it's... Actually the opposite...

She looks like she's trying to stop herself from moving forward...

Her legs spasm every once in awhile, the right arm comes to life to keep pushing down the left, and every couple of paces she bends over in place, shaking as if at war with every other part of her body... Before moving ahead anyway, a look of something like agony crossing her face everytime, like she didn't want to keep moving forward, but had to do so anyway...

Was this the reason why she doesn't hear you until you speak?

It seems possible, but...

"Oh... A kind angel... That's good..."

Watching her finally regard you after the latest spasms -spasms in which you can see something that looks like light (but that feels like a God's Reiki) leaking out from beneath her traveler's cloak, in such a manner as if she was trying and failing to suppress it inside of herself rather than let it flow as most do- the woman's voice remains relatively strong, almost motherly in nature, although much like with her body...

She seems to be struggling with it.

Not in terms of pain... But with simple heavy pauses in between it all...

"Listen to me please, little one... Fly away from me... Tell... Tell everyone to run..."

Heavy pauses that show a bizarre request, as her body starts spasming out again...

"I don't think I can... Hold it..."

[palad1n]

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

Something is wrong with the woman.

Sariel was worried when she thought the woman was limping, ready to cast a healing spell, but when she realized the fact that the woman seemed to be trying to hold her reiki in - reiki that unmistakably belongs to a god - that worry turned into a different kind of concern. And when the red-haired woman gave her the warning, it's all too clear that something bad will happen once the woman lost control of her reiki.

Sariel's first thoughts were to heed the woman's warning and try to evacuate everyone, but then what would she say? Most of the humans are cooped up inside, the angels would likely try to fight or kill her off, and even if everyone believed her and try to evacuate, is there even enough time?

Probably not.

That's why rather than flying off, Sariel moved closer to the woman, her face both determined and concerned as she speaks.

"Could you tell me more on what's happening to you? Your reiki seems to be leaking out, so perhaps you need help to contain it?" Sariel asked, careful not to touch the apparent goddess. "If you can't hold it in, or we can't help to contain it, then rather than evacuating an entire city perhaps I could move you to somewhere more isolated?"

Those were the few possibilities that crossed her mind at least, but Sariel needs more information for now. So she try to give the struggling woman a smile, even if it must have looked forced due to realizing the potential alarm of the situation.

"Rest assured that I-I want to help."

Oh, and she's starting to stutter again.

[Airen]

Ayra Lilygrove
Nameless Forest ~ Kuzunoha Village
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

---It certainly is a bizarre scenario.

While you had obviously been invited over to this place as an additional security measure for your dealings with Laplace, there is still something inherently strange about being invited over to a meal with the woman's family; it's the sort of thing that seems like it should be reserved for other family members or family friends, and while you had worked with Laplace for awhile, it would be hard to say that the two of you were 'friends.'

Perhaps its just in your nature, but those sorts of long-distance communications...

The bond doesn't feel as strong?

And yet, in spite of that, here you are...

Enjoying breakfast with her family.

---The strangeness of it all cranks up to eleven shortly after this particular event starts, of course, you aren't the sort who is used to family-style meals anyway (the realities of your workaholic lifestyle more or less made that impossible) being mostly content with things you can get on the go, food that is relatively mobile, not constrained to tables or people, or seas of almost rabid students who want your attention, so this...

A table where you're not treated particularly differently, it's... A little strange...

Of course that's not the only strange thing, this table is frankly absurd; three ESPers, a Demon, a Human whose Reiki was so absurd she might as well be a Demon and the Sword (yes, really) were all seated around the table, all relatively relaxed in spite of the power they obviously had, or at least...

All seemingly relaxed...

Kagura and Genbu were maintaining their bullyesque relationship, throwing jabs back and forth as the sword chimes in with an occasional remark at one of their expenses, dealt in a childish voice, the NWAB Agent, Sora, was talking to one of the ESPers (Nami, you had been told, one of Kagura's parents and seemingly Laplace's mate) about her adventures in the world of video games and what she should play next, and Laplace herself...

Or rather, Mika, as she had introduced herself to you with a smile...

Was... Well... A person?

Somehow you had been built her up in your mind as some sort of cold, calculating machine-type of person, but the woman that had gestured you to the table alongside the others with a smile seemed like your standard mom-type at a glance, warm, but with the sort of underlying strictness in her voice that sort of seemed to keep the rest of the household in line, in spite of the fact that the NWAB Agent was obviously the oldest of them, of course...

---ESPers tended to come with eternal youth, so looks alone wasn't the best way to gauge how actually old they were... Heck, life-spans had increased along the board for everyone nowadays with the advent of magical medicine, so appearances were often the least useful method of gauging the age of another person, but...

In spite of her obvious sense of warmth beneath the more 'cool' exterior, you are someone who is easily able to feel when they're being observed by others, and well...

---She was watching you.

From the very start of breakfast to it's end, there is a very subtle eye watching what you do; it's not a hostile eye by any means (or at least that's not the feeling you get) but it does become very clear very quickly that she is keeping an eye on you, looking at what you do, how you behave, a flicker of a sympathetic grin crossing her face at times as you do your best to hide your discomfort...

Yes...

This situation isn't exactly comfortable, but...

You do your best.

You aren't able to talk much about video games, but the family is obviously some sort of Tamer family, so things like magic, sports, magical sports, and martial arts come up too, and you're able to avoid being a completely unfun guest for the most part, so...

In the end, you make it through the bizarre scenario mostly unscathed-!

In the end, you are left alone with Laplace, no, Mika, as the others file out of the kitchen to get ready for the rest of their day. You're left alone with her in a room that goes dead silent as they leave, the bizarre walls in this place again blocking out all sound that comes from the other side of them, and with their departure, Mika...

"...You must be confused, right?"

Says this as she stands, walks over to the sink, and starts...

Doing dishes?

"Invited over for a family meal? Seems like a big skip for a working relationship, right?"

Her voice is calm, and her posture is impeccable in spite of the mundane nature of her task...

"It was. I agree. But it was also the easiest way to confirm something."

So saying, she raises one hand slightly into the air without looking back at you, and-

"There are some things I can only discuss with a good-hearted, honest to a fault, idiot."

-makes this declaration without any sort of shame.

"So, you passed."

She laughs.

"I mean this in the best possible way of course, I don't hate idiots."

...And it's here, when everyone else has vanished...

That you're starting to think...

You're seeing the actual Laplace...

One who talks with a hint of a smirk on her face...

"I am married to a moron after all, I'm quite fond of them."

Or maybe it was simple self deprecation?

Either way...

Never mind...

...She definitely wasn't the normal Mom-type.

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Nameless Forest ~ Kuzunoha Village
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

With nobody left to spy on them, Ayra drops the act of polite guest. She lets out an exhausted sigh, but as Laplace, or rather, Mika continues on, her weariness quickly turns into annoyance. Not bothering to hide the pout on her face, she immediately dives into the reason for irritation. No matter how gently Mika dresses those words, she won't accept them regardless.

“I’m not an idiot,” Ayra says out of indignation and bruised pride. Truthfully, it’s too immature of a thing to be caught up on, but she is not the type of person to take any slight. Or rather, despite her passive indifference in the public eye, Ayra Lilygrove was a sensitive person. The price of being a perfectionist.

Aster: Wow, someone who agrees with me! There truly are people with common sense in this world!

Shut up, Aster.

Aster: Look, Ayra. You’re talking to one of the top hackers in the world, so if she calls you an idiot she might be onto something.

Just because she’s excellent in one field doesn’t mean she can call me an idiot in general.

Aster: God, you get so butthurt over anything that attacks your fragile ego.

I’m going to wring your stupid neck, Aster.

Aster: Not like you haven't given this neck bruises before, am I right?

Shut up!

Trying to hide the reddening of her face, Ayra turns away and sighs, letting out the exasperation.

“Anyway, Laplace—or would you prefer Mika?—what was so important you had to vet me personally?”

[Spinach]

Hyakka Onjouji
Aoyama, Brighter Days Orphanage
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

Stillness, silence. The hustle and bustle of ‘life’ that paraded down the halls ground to a halt. It wasn’t the sort of change that Hyakka would easily notice on her own, but once made aware of it her mind couldn’t free itself of it. There is a kind of silence that harbors peace, but a silence that precludes such lifelessness…

“Oh no. It seems we’ve fallen into a nightmare. Please exit the tub in an orderly manner. There is no need to panic, everything will be just fine.”

Nightmarish. That is one way to describe it. A troubled expression flashed on the girl’s face, her eyes flickering for a moment. At the least, while awake, nightmares were supposed to leave her be…

She shook her head from side to side, dispelling anxiety.

“Everything will definitely, super, absolutely be just fine.” Rising to her feat, the girl’s clenched fist rose with her. “I am on the road to heroism. To defeat nightmares without panicking is a natural thing to do. Just as I will not capitulate to milk, a nightmare or two or three or one for every night is not enough to vanquish me!”

The girl puffed up to make herself look, and feel, bigger.

Which gave rise to her remembering that she and Alice were still completely nude.

Not that it bothered her. But apparently it would 'be a problem for everyone else' if she 'ran around naked all the time.' So said a certain onii-chan, and even if she didn't understand why, it must be true. So exiting the tub in an orderly manner would involve getting dressed.

The thought of clothing reminded her. Alice had arrived in the middle of a storm, she and her clothes being spared not a pittance of mercy from the dark rainclouds overhead.

“I’ll be fine leaving the bath, but Alice-chan… This is truly a troubling situation…”

[Airen]

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

---Panic.

While you do your best not to show it, a mere glance at this person is enough to send all kinds of warning signs flaring across the surface of your mind; she's clearly struggling with herself to keep something contained, and the way she speaks and is moving about...

It's clear that whatever it is, it isn't a good thing, yes...

It's natural to panic a bit, to stutter, but...

You still do your best, and in response to that...

"Could you tell me more on what's happening to you? Your reiki seems to be leaking out, so perhaps you need help to contain it?" Sariel asked, careful not to touch the apparent goddess. "If you can't hold it in, or we can't help to contain it, then rather than evacuating an entire city perhaps I could move you to somewhere more isolated?"

"Some sort of clown... Called itself an Alcheringa... Did something to me..."

...The woman struggles to respond to your questions, the clear self-war continuing, a sound like desperation becoming more and more apparent in her voice as she tries to talk faster, probably for the sake of getting you to leave faster:

"This body is... Programmable... Gave me an order to... I can't stop myself...!"

...Of course, her body spasming out again, those words aren't as helpful as you might like, but...

As your mind whirls with this new bit of information, and as you start to wonder why all of the other angels haven't caught sight of this particular incident yet (although their tendency to shoot first and ask questions later made getting their help somewhat risky), you do eventually hear the sound of one moving quickly through the air, a blonde angel with black wings, one that was obviously above the rank and file nature of the others, yes...

It's a familiar angel...

One the Rose Cross Tamers often refer to with a half-joking groan as "Mom," and more seriously as "Night," it was...

Lailah.

The Angel "Closest to Human Hearts," one who kept up a cold face initially, seeming like the usual hardass angel, but who would also come flying up behind Tamers as they left the city, demanding they put on sweaters and the like...

A real fussy mother hen type towards humans, even if she tried not to show it...

She's flying above, looking around at the city with a certain sense of urgency that is not normal for her, and...

[palad1n]

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

"This body is... Programmable... Gave me an order to... I can't stop myself...!"

Oh.

Oh no.

While Sariel doesn't have any idea on who the clown is or what Alcheringa means, she understood well the implication of being programmed against one's will. It doesn't matter how much one resist when it concerns one's 'programming,' just like how every angel will obey Mary without question despite whatever personal feeling they have.

And that means the possibility of her stopping the woman is close to nil.

But thankfully, a familiar angel flew overhead just when Sariel doesn't know what to do, and giving the woman a hopefully reassuring look, the blonde angel immediately took off to the skies.

"L-Lady Lailah, please wait!" She shouted, louder than she ever had, panic entering her voice as she seek counsel from the motherly angel. "T-there's a woman - a goddess heading into the city, and she asked me to evacuate everyone because she had been programmed against her will by a clown or Alcheringa but I don't think we can evacuate everyone in time so what do we do?!"

...God, she hoped Lady Lailah managed to hear that just fine.

[Airen]

Hyakka Onjouji
Aoyama, Brighter Days Orphanage
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

“Everything will definitely, super, absolutely be just fine.” Rising to her feat, the girl’s clenched fist rose with her. “I am on the road to heroism. To defeat nightmares without panicking is a natural thing to do. Just as I will not capitulate to milk, a nightmare or two or three or one for every night is not enough to vanquish me!”

---That's right.

Hyakka Onjouji is no stranger to nightmares. While it's not a reality that you're particularly fond of, the fact of the matter is that your brain seems to enjoy tormenting you with bizarre images and scenarios at night... Most of the time it's simple images of the stars going out in rapid succession as if eaten by some invisible force, other times it is your self wandering through a crystal garden aimlessly, or through burning seas of wrecked buildings, and at even rarer times...

You see a light descend.

It does not always descend in the same place, but it always does the same thing...

It descends like a falling star, crashing into it's destination and swallowing up the planet in a storm of cosmic flames and light...

---Needless to say, you are used to nightmares.

They are not real after all, so there is no reason to fear them! They say that all fear lies in the unknown, and if that is the case, then it is not like nightmares are unknown to you, thus you will be fine!

Although, this nightmare is a bit stranger than the usual, for one thing...

You're not by yourself in this one, yes...

Your COMP is here, the book is here, and Alice-

“I’ll be fine leaving the bath, but Alice-chan… This is truly a troubling situation…”

-she too remains, although for a time, her face is set in deep thought and closed eyes, an automatic response to the shift in the world around her, one that she now senses herself, yes...

"...There should be clothes my size upstairs."

And so there are...

---It may seem like a bit of an unnecessary step, the idea of getting dressed in the middle of what seems like some sort of supernatural phenomena, but clothes are the most mundane form of armor possible, even if only to serve as minor protection from the elements, there is a certain feeling of 'wrong,' that comes with the idea of fighting without wearing anything at all, and thus Alice...

Had led the way upstairs with nothing but an expertly tied towel around her waist; sacrificing any sense of modesty (not that she cared if you saw) for the sheer sake of having her hands free in an unknown situation now that the other Alice was missing, and...

"Carbon Fiber Combat Raiments... Not much... But glad to see they're still here..."

In the upstairs rooms, where the Orphanage Caretakers usually stay the night, she makes this remark as she pulls a black jacket and pants from the closet, moving around in the dark with practiced precision, and...

"What size were you again Hyakka? There's probably something in here that would fit you too, Saki was the one who put this stuff here, and she was always a fan of the teenager hero thing..."

Asks you this without shame, still rummaging in the depths of the closet, while outside the nearby window, blocked by curtains...

Are lights flashing by...

Like cars?

Although other than yourself and Alice...

You still can't sense anyone...

[Satehi]

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

If asked about which of the four factions Eva thought it would be hardest for her to get along with, then Eva’s answer would without hesitation be Rothschild.

They were just too different. Their rumored reputation as dark summoners, thirst for personal power, and the affinity that they sometimes seemed to have with demons who did not get along with the church… all signs suggesting it would be difficult to get along, in her opinion.

That didn’t mean she thought it was impossible- they were both tamers, protectors of humanity from supernatural threats. Regardless of whatever myriad flaws they might have, she was sure that none could be more important than this one commonality that they had committed to- an indicator that they were, at some level, a good person, and thus in theory, a person she would think she could get along with.

But theory did not always translate into practice.

And Eva was anything but an avid experimenter. While it may have been true that that the entire point of this joint exercise was to get along with tamers from other factions, and that she might have thought that the other Rothschild Tamer who had clumsily offered them a drink of water or food seemed surprisingly approachable….

… there was absolutely no way she was bold enough to try and move the conversation along herself.

Not when the safe option- wait for someone else to do something- was so viable, with the crowd of people around, any one of which she thought could respond much better than she would.

And so, rather than say anything, she merely looked around their group, waiting for someone else with a little more confidence and initiative to respond.

[Tobias]

Raz Stone
Camelot, Round Table
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

Hmm...

There was a lot to unpack in the response of the World COMP. Isako would need to be brought more directly into the conversation, but that could wait a moment. Now, far more importantly however, were several things Dejah had said or implied and one or two things she probably hadn't meant to. First and foremost was her status as "the world". Meeting something claiming to be the planet itself was actually somewhat in line with knightly duties. But her statements about the fraying of the planets tenets, as well as her EXTREMELY disconcerting suggestion that the world itself represented a figment of the primordial soul...

That kind of thought threatened to derail in several directions with disturbing implications. If the Cross organization was willing to accept not just as an individual but an organization drastically different factual evidence such as the current date then almost nothing at all could be trusted. And one had to believe Dejah's statements related to such, it was to easily disprovable. Indeed, having the DTG do a brief skim of Rose calendar dates on social media resulted in a grim nod from the grizzled old COMP.

The problem of course was Raz was somewhat familiar with world wide phenomena and reality warping techniques.

If the entirety of the Rose organization had been warped then he himself had little shield against a similar effect. And given Dejah's ominous statements, then if indeed the world had sprang from the grand cognition, then there would be no way of knowing if such had happened millennia ago ....or mere seconds prior. Perhaps even the distorted memories she referenced were nothing but the hazy preamble to a dream's Nocturne.

...It didn't matter. A song was real to those who heard it. A melody defined the world. If it was nothing but a counter melody, then as a bard it was his duty to ensure the song rang beautifully.

Something else to unpack. This girl stated she was the world. And her sister was named Burroughs.

Raz hadn't heard the name Rice before. But Burroughs? that was the child who shared a bond of secrecy with his own partner. Raz himself had never met the girl. But the DTG's promises were the knight's Bonds.

Therefor, so to did the knight of song take the rare (for him) step of keeping his mouth shut. And (perhaps unfortunately) Burrough's actions indirectly reinforced Dejah's statements. Apparently Burroughs had effected time itself to show off for a paternal figure she fancied. That suggested she had enough ability to influence the disparate world as co-opt one of its oldest Laws.

You realize this means your little niece is one of the Maccguffins, right?

...Just one piece of three though.

Sure you don't want to try to find her now?

I won't say I don't rookie, but ain't nobody pinched her yet, or at least none wuts knows what she really is. We go off half saddled we are like as not to screw up her defenses.

Raz nodded. There was this "operator" Person. But empirical evidence suggested if he understood Burroughs was powerful enough to influence the very world itself he or she wouldn't be wasting time shooting off spy bots and making cheap Chinese knock offs of knights.

One question that should be asked was who had invoked the three sisters. Such a feat must have had a purpose. A question that did NOT need to be asked was where was the true world. That didn't matter. Even if this was nothing but the echoing thrum of a song already sung, it didn't matter. As a knight, he had sworn to protect this world. Therefor, planes not this one, he might take pity on, he might aid, for reward or pretty face, but it was the here and now his honor required him to save.

"Isako, As a knight of this world, I feel I must apologize on this world's behalf." The knight said, after a moment's reflection. "I have not completely convinced myself that the charming lady is who specifically brought you over, but, evidence accrues. I had noticed previously that some of the data we acquired at your school suggested 'twas Dejah herself who had instigated your arrival here, but she has now by her own volition verbalized a significant motive for her to have done exactly that. As our charming princess strikes me as entirely unwilling to apologize when she should, it befalls me to do so on her behalf." The dark haired man stated solemnly, bowing deeply.

That was true. Some of the notes they had found had actually appeared to describe Dejah herself. But up until this point neither Raz nor the DTG had been able to figure out why. However now she had provided that missing motive. Isako was required to approach Dejah's real body. More specifically, Isako needed to be separated from her real world and brought to this one for her to yield such a benefit. It was possible Dejah had been uninvolved and was just making use of a convenient possibility....but Occam's razor instead stated it was much simpler. Dejah, a being of the power and nigh omniscient data gathering computational ability, possessed the triad of means, motive, and opportunity to orchestrate the school's transference so that she might use Isako as a compass to get closer to her true body.

"However...with that said..." Raz continued, enjoying the transformation is half tongue in cheek statement had caused. "It occurs to me that as a knight, and one who has spent many a battle in service to the world, that one could argue that the world itself owes me a debt of gratitude. I had previously been willing to state that such was never to be repaid and it was my honor to fight on behalf of that which was to inanimate to recognize favors done, but now..." Raz said, shamelessly ogling a certain now adult form..."It occurs to me that the world itself stands before me, resplendent and altogether beautiful, and could be said to owe me a few favors, one I am rapidly beginning to have several ideas on how such might be enjoyably repaid..."

[Airen]

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

---The ship is set ablaze.

The one item in this particular scene that has taken more damage than any other, the purposes of manifesting this sea of flames were many; your own powers were anti-magic in nature, it would make the environment more suited to you than your opponent, you would be able to test their defenses against spiritual attacks rather than physical ones, and -perhaps more than anything else- it could serve as an intimidation tactic of sorts, a way to emotionally destabilize them, whether it be through anger or fear, either would work, after all...

...This person clearly is not used to these sorts of scenarios.

Talking to himself, showing surprise at his own abilities, these are the sorts of things more experienced members of the supernatural community simply do not do; mastery of the self was an important aspect of battle for any spirit-user, if you had no idea what your own strengths and weaknesses were, well you were practically begging to be torn apart nowadays, so...

Take advantage of that naive spirit, bait him into attacking you, and see what you can do after that, keep him guessing, but...

"--- Well?"

...While he does snarl at this, the cloaked figure does not move to attack you, or rather, he does step forward with clenched fists at first, but...

"What do you mean we're being baited? Why should that matter? You're invincible!"

...He starts arguing with himself again, not quietly either, no...

This was pretty blatant, not hidden at all, another sign that this person was almost definitely out of his element here, and was instead coasting on the power of something far greater than himself, and that voice...

Hearing it again...

It really was familiar... Like...

The moron from the other day?

The one with the hair you had destroyed?

...Was it him?

...It was starting to feel like it, but...

"Fine, fine, I'll follow your idea..."

...Rather than attack you (as he clearly wanted to do) the cloaked figure instead...

Just stares at you.

The azure flames dance around him in a way that makes it clear some sort of power is protecting him, same power that seems to be slowing the degradation of the ship, as while it does seem to be aflame, it is far from being so damaged as to lose it's shape, no...

He just stares.

...Quietly.

Although it seems to take a lot of effort to keep his mouth shut and not respond to your taunts any more than he already has, but as his gaze stays on you...

---That feeling of danger.

Of something not being right here, of some sort of invisible attack approaching...

Slowly start to rise again...

- - - Updated - - -

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

---Words fired like a machine gun.

A panicked repetition of everything you had learned over the past couple of minutes, of foreign programmed Goddesses, orders to evacuate the area, and a pure genuine confusion as to how to proceed, all fired at the much older angel, yes...

The way you speak does seem like it would make it hard to understand, a surge of something like language rather than clear concise speaking, but...

"...Alcheringa?"

...The angel's response is calm. Much like the more robotic members of your kind, it takes quite a bit to get an angel to panic, the emotion they show the most easily is a sort of divine indignation, anger, righteous justice, a fitting sort of emotion for those soldiers of heaven who were charged with the extermination of all things evil, but...

"And a Goddess?"

This one isn't one of the ice-hearted angels, she does emote, the calm in her voice is the naturally infectious kind, the sort that was designed to keep others from falling victim to panic, indeed, the woman turns her eyes down below to see what had gotten you so worked up, perhaps as a planned means of putting your fears to rest with some sort of ancient wisdom, no...

"Yamuna Project-?"

...The sudden upswing in her voice, as something like concern actually does break past her filter...

That is what appears, a response that is entirely unlike her; it's the sudden shift between suppressed concern and actual noticeable concern, something that probably doesn't help your own sense of panic (even as she wrangles her own expression back under control) but still leads to her calm expression becoming contemplative, thoughtful, as she takes in everything around her and...

"I'll see what is wrong with the Goddess, Sariel," using your name as if it was only natural for her to do so, the angel comes up with a plan on the spot, "In return, I need you to see if you can find anyone, Tamer or otherwise, that is what I was doing until just now."

...Makes a strange request.

Find anyone?

This city is full of people? The Tamers should be on base? You had just seen them there a few hours ago, Saria was at the bar, and Alyx and the strange woman had gone to the graveyard, and yet-!

Now that she brought it up...

...All you could see around you was the fog, all you could feel around you was the fog, the angels that had dotted the sky but a few minutes earlier had also seemed to disappear, swallowed up by the grey clouds, the storm that hadn't really stopped since Mary's funeral, and...

"I don't know where they went, everyone seems to have simply disappeared all of a sudden, it's almost like..."

She pauses, then:

"...The fog just swallowed them up."

And it's as she lets loose this particular line, one that comes across as ominous, lightning streaking across the sky as it is spoken...

You can hear a sound.

Just briefly.

In the distance, the same area where the Goddess had come from, buried so deep in the fog that it was like some sort of massive monster was hiding in it, just out of sight, and then...

---A sound like footsteps.

---Many beings marching in succession, doing it professionally, like some sort of military exercise?

---Many things moving in rapid succession, things that can't be seen with the naked eye, moving towards the city suddenly, without warning, like a bad joke that hadn't triggered any of the area's defenses at all, but one that has your sixth sense suddenly screaming that something is wrong with this scenario, and...

"...Go now."

...At this, Lailah gives you an order, and...

Darts down below, towards the Goddess.

[Verg Avesta]

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

Ah... so that's how it is.

Finally, the voice clicks. And at the same time, so do a couple of other things. While it's one hell of a coincidence, Blaise didn't let it bother him now. Indeed, he never believed in coincidences. World wasn't so kind. But what he knew was that overthinking things, questioning how the second-rate delinquent from the other day could be here, right now... well, doing so was meaningless. It wouldn't help with this battle. Answers to all could be gotten later. How he found him, why was he aboard the ship, all that... but for now, there was only one thing to do - press on.

And he knew how to continue.

"Oh... I see."

A cold smirk rose to Blaise's lips.

"Last time wasn't enough for you."

He aimed his eyes at the hooded figure and raised his fist.

"... You want to go completely bald."

The biggest chance he had here was to make the thug so awash with rage that he stopped listening to whatever he had fused with. So, throwing more fuel to the proverbial fire, Blaise moved to his next move. He could sense the attack approaching, and how it seemed to be tied with the stubborn gaze emanating from underneath the hood. So, the next step was clear. The blonde youth swung his fist downwards with all the force in him, tearing through the main deck of the warship - metal screeching and groaning under the weight of his strike.

His aim was two-fold. First, upset the balance of the ship by applying sudden, massive pressure to where he was standing. Second, tear a large hole into the deck, throwing a cloud of dust into the air that hid him for just a moment.

And within that cloud of debris, he dropped down to the deck below.

Into the depths of the ship.

Internal workings of a large warship, which were always labyrinthian and confusing... and definitely not the place for vision-based attacks.

But as he dropped down, Blaise directed yet another mental command to his partner.

[Change of plans, Kaguya.]

And then, so quietly the order was swallowed up by the booming aftermath of his attack, hidden from view, he spoke out...

"Makarakarn."

[palad1n]

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

The moment Lailah darts down below, to where the foreign Goddess was, Sariel shots forward towards the direction of the bar where she last saw Saria, a million thoughts running in her mind all at once as pure terror slowly gripped her heart. Not terror for herself, bur rather for all the other angels and people that were supposed to be in the city not even a minute ago...

Why the people? Why did Lailah and herself were excluded from whatever is happening? And why didn't she notice that something is amiss until Lailah said it? A large-scale teleportation? A deadly fog that only worked on humans? An enemy so fast that they took down nearly every angel in the city before moving to the humans in the span of a minute?

--The only reason why Sariel could keep moving was because of the order that Lailah gave her.

After all, as an angel, as long as there is something for her to do, an objective that should be done, then even if she internally panicked Sariel could act and function like every other angel.

So she shot forward, the fastest she had ever flew through the wind and rain as the familiar building came to sight, and in a rare moment of grace and finesse that she normally lacked, swung the door open and landed inside the bar in one swift motion before scanning the room for any sign of people.

As she did so, a certain memory was replayed in her mind, the brief sound of footsteps outside reminding her of that conversation so many years ago.

"Why Aster? Why did you design a spell that, if used at B-rank, would be effective against a massive horde?"

Illia had asked that, Sariel remembered, and she remembered being curious too. The lesser-rank versions of the spell would certainly see use, but she had the same doubt on the B-rank version. After all, a tamer's job often doesn't involve fighting against that many opponents, and if they do then the standard form of multi-target magic should work well against multiple enemies just fine. There's literally no conventional wisdom on having such a thing like a B-rank Aster on-hand, so why?

Sariel remembered Cosmos' answer as if it was yesterday.

"Say the Vatican is invaded by a horde of enemies, so many that they blot out the skies. The heavenly hosts and tamers would engage them, of course... But will it be enough? Even if they are skilled, it would be difficult to take down a horde if you are equipped to deal with small-scale battles. So someone has to become a walking artillery if they want to save everyone, just in case."

Both she and Illia didn't prod any further, and she remembered feeling a sense of awe and respect towards the petite girl, but--

There was a flicker in Cosmos' eyes, back then, even as she smiled and said that she likely would never actually use it.

As if the girl feared it would actually happen, someday.

And if that fear is happening right now, when there are no tamers and Cosmos isn't here, then--

[Airen]

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

---It doesn't make sense.

It's a sudden shift in atmosphere that simply does not belong, a turn of the page in the book called reality that throws a swerve into what should be uneventful days; indeed, your mind swims with questions as you fly through the rain and lightning, trying to figure out why things seem so determined to go wrong, constantly wrong, over and over and over and over again no matter how hard anyone in the city tries, and...

You can't find an answer.

It's just like a Nightmare.

That's right, a Nightmare.

Malice without reason, a place where efforts and hopes go to die-!

No.

That's not the sort of thing you should be thinking about-!

No matter how impossible and bizarre all of this seems, the people of this City weren't so weak as to just roll over and die all of a sudden, you were sure they were fine even if you couldn't see them, and this city...

It would be fine.

Everything would be fine.

---It had to be-!

Throwing your all into your movement, you thus arrive at the bar like a flash of lightning yourself-!

---In comparison to the outside it's quite warm, and the lights are still on, but...

At first, you fear it's empty.

While the lights are on, and the television is still going on (some sort of anime movie it looked like) there is no one in the seats, at least not at first glance... There are certainly cups and plates on counters, half-finished and everything, but no one is around to claim then...

Just like Lailah said, it's like everyone else had simply been devoured by the Fog...!

---Perhaps panic begins to set in, yes...

Seeing nobody here, perhaps the mind begins to fracture a bit, or plot a new course of action to find the others you had seen earlier, but...

"..."

...That's when you see her.

Sprawled out along a table near the back, unconscious, one hand wrapped loosely around a bottle of some sort of vodka...

Yeah, that's...

That's definitely Saria...

Unlike everyone else she's still present -albeit seems to have drunk herself to sleep- but at least it's someone-!

Saria was strong!

One of the strongest Tamers the Rose Cross had, so-!

It should bring some hope to this terrible situation, one that even seems to grow worse in your head, as...

---You think you see a flicker of something in the windows beside you.

You only see it for a second, so brief a time that you think you might have imagined it, but...

[palad1n]

Sariel
Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

Relief filled Sariel's heart when she saw the unconscious Sara. At least someone is here, someone that she knew to be strong, and even if the girl had been coping in a rather unhealthy way, she's sure Saria would be able to get up and help in a dire situation like this...

A situation she is reminded of when something flickered in the window besides her.

A quick glance told her that Saria is on the opposite end of the building, out of that window's line of sight, but she wouldn't take any chances by doing something stupid like looking out of the window when the possibility of enemies coming in is high. So Sariel made her way to the unconscious girl silently - but quickly - while avoiding the windows so that if someone - or something - is looking in, they won't be able to see her, or at least not at a glance.

After she managed to reach Saria without incident, Sariel quickly dragged the girl below the table - out of another window's line of sight - and shakes the girl to wake her up.

"Saria... Saria, please wake up..."

A few light slaps to the cheek.

"Something is going wrong with the city Saria, so please wake up..."

All the while, her eyes darted between the unconscious girl and the windows, ready to shield the tamer if something happens.

[Airen]

Ayra Lilygrove
Nameless Forest ~ Kuzunoha Village
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

“Anyway, Laplace—or would you prefer Mika?—what was so important you had to vet me personally?”

A pause, as the older woman turns to face you again; she's got that same vague smile on her face, the sort that had stayed there the entire time after calling you an idiot... But it's not a cruel smile, it's more warm, vaguely amused...?

Or perhaps, nostalgic?

Like looking at you reminded her of someone?

Regardless, she turns back around after a moment, shrugs her shoulders and...

"Well, memes."

Gives you an answer that almost comes across as a verbal slap, so out of left field that it really does feel like a gunshot for a second, before...

"Not in the internet sense mind you, more like an enemy that spreads its influence through information about it's existence... Any stray mentions of them are dangerous, so it's best to keep it between individuals... This is the sort of thing that needs to be nipped in the bud sooner rather than later, a priority target, even more so than the Akarana and all of their obvious corruption..."

She muses aloud, almost more to herself than to you...

"I needed to make sure you weren't the backstab type, seeing you in person, well... I'm pretty sure it's safe. My house is safe too, Eclipse Barrier, Anti-Observation Formulas. Tamer bases have these too, but I'm the paranoid type, best to use ones I know work for a fact."

So... To phrase it another way...

She wanted to test your character... And the thing she wanted to talk about was best done where no one could possibly overhear you, necessitating a face to face communication?

"Anyways, my rantings aside... Ever hear of the Alcheringa?"

A pause, then:

"Oh, and you can call me Mika I suppose, I did invite you over, and you came even though it could have been a trap... So I guess we're friends."

[Zurvan]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
Rothschild - Halls - Eyes Beyond the Veil
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning
Will: 10

Eyes of defiance regard the unreasonable malice before them. This strange new existence, one that should not be roaming these halls.

It’s very presence here doesn’t make sense. A few minutes ago Ludwig had spoken with Vincent, and rushed over to hear the voices of Chiyoko and Adala. Yet as quickly as those moments came, just as rapidly were their existences erased.

But isn’t that impossible?

The SLEIPNIR is one of the Four Major Tamer bases as well as a legendary artifact in its own right. It shouldn’t be possible for the Rothschild homebase to be invaded without anyone realizing it, especially not a figure that stands out like this.

Commander Adala herself also would surely have realized something with those eyes of hers… Furthermore, there should be a special anti-magic field present even now, yet the presence before the two Tamers doesn’t seem afflicted at all.

And beyond just that is the mystery of why everyone else on the ship has disappeared completely, save for the three gathered here? Was this all merely because Astra had shared her revelation with Ludwig?

The mere thought that all this was possible under normal circumstances is too ridiculous for the Karlfeldt Inheritor to even entertain. His mind has already discarded that notion, focusing on instead what could be rather than what shouldn’t be.

And...

The illusion that incomplete memories produce is fleeting.
They disappear into the future, broken parts of a greater a whole; a greater truth.
Until the ruined fragments of yesterday overflow...
For that which falls only to rise is simply the soul awakening of its reverie.
A Daydream.

The World is Strange… no, there’s more to it.

Astra and Ludwig being singled out, souls plucked from their vessel, would be unthinkable... if it hadn’t happened to Ludwig just last night. Walking around in a reality made of memories and thoughts isn’t so unthinkable anymore.

Perhaps this situation is much the same as that Dream. It wasn’t the others that disappeared without trace, but rather it’s only Ludwig and Astra’s souls that were whisked away.

Rather than the real SLEIPNIR and it’s people… this is a mere husk formed of memory.

A place where meaning is carved, where those that awaken to lucidity face the absurdity of a sleeping World. Because the Veil was lifted, the curtain raised, this foe was beckoned forth.

For that is what this enemy is.

An existence that appears before those that venture to the Waking World, to turn those who have awoken during their sleep, back to their slumber. The Reaper that comes to remove Cognition. Send out to eliminate those that had become aware of and looked beyond the Veil.

But if this is a dream... there’s no need to hold back against such an existence-!

The Almighty unfurls as it comes to crush the opponent.

But how did this dream come about?

The Truth revealed has caused a change, but how…?

How long had he been dreaming?

How much did he forget?

Just when did Reality get overturned into this Daydream?

Or perhaps...

The enemy before him won’t allow the boy to continue that line of thinking. Bullets come flying out to respond to the ESPer’s show of force, casting his vision in a searing white.

But that’s not the worst of it. Ludwig’s soul itself is one that is strong against this light, for an opponent that seemed steps ahead it would have been strange to choose this method of attack… if Ludwig were to have been alone.

Despite his mind racing towards the improbably and insane conclusion, nevertheless what the boy had reasoned out was indeed what had happened. Before he could reach his fellow silver haired ally, this SLEIPNIR’s systems took away the only other Tamer he could rely on at this time.

Alone, once again, with the enemy nowhere in sight.

---But that didn’t stop the Karlfeldt Inheritor before. And it won’t stop him now.

After all, that scene hasn’t yet left his mind. Where a boy challenged the divine in a different dream...

It isn’t over, the score has yet to be settled.

Ludwig has some ...unfinished business. A dance with the Divine. A promise to a friend. A coworker that got herself in trouble.
Things he can’t abandon just yet.

So, it can’t be helped.
The Heir of Unity will respond to the Reaper of Cognition in full.

"But this is the script you guys wrote, right? Can't go around changing the play now because you forgot some people, that's just not fair, you know?"

"Not fair? Of course it isn’t, life never has been fair. But... you said it yourself, didn’t you?"

--Four seconds.

That’s what his instincts tell him, in four seconds he’ll be shot from behind.

--It’ll have to do.

The Tamer dashes forward, spiritual energy rising in both his hands and feet as the boy turns around and-!

The enemy is nowhere to be seen…

No matter, this attack is only meant to force LUCID out-!

"Tamers from Xanadu always make things difficult, I’m no exception. If the script needs to be rewritten so no one gets left behind... then that’s what must be done."

The boy’s hands strike the air, forming razor sharp wind-blades that fill the hall as his feet launch him towards the door to Brewed Awakenings.

Their positions reversed.

These winds are unlikely to truly hamper this foe, but their aim and size should at least reveal the foe that awaits...

It's a desperate offense meant only to hinder, but if all else fails… his red flowing robe already hardens in response for the shot that will surely come.

If it can’t be avoided, it will simply have to be endured.

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Nameless Forest ~ Kuzunoha Village
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

Aster: Oooh, memetics.

Aster.

Aster: I’m trying really hard, Ayra. I promise. No jokes from me.

Ayra sighs, before dwelling on the fact this house was as secure, if not more secure than a Tamer base. Originally she had thought Laplace was somewhat carefree about this meeting, but in reality, she truly did have all the cards. In fact, if Laplace was this well-prepared, surrounded by capable people, why wasn’t she in the field herself? Or perhaps she was…

Well, those were questions that could be answered another day, and were wholly unrelated to the topic at hand.

"Anyways, my rantings aside... Ever hear of the Alcheringa?"

Did that informant of yours mention something like this?

Aster: Nope.

“Not at all,” Ayra answers, wondering what sort of issue this was if it couldn’t be spread around.

Aster: Maybe some sort of infohazard that affects people with an insufficient level of spiritual power?

You read too much…

Aster: And whose fault is that, huh?

"Oh, and you can call me Mika I suppose, I did invite you over, and you came even though it could have been a trap... So I guess we're friends."

“I figured even if it was a trap, the rewards were much greater than the risks,” Ayra says, trying to ignore the thought about friends. She’s better off distancing herself from others. Her ideals need every fiber of her being put into them to succeed. “I can’t really think of any member of Joker that would refuse an invitation from Laplace.”

[Airen]

Raz Stone
Camelot, Round Table
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

---A lot of pieces seem to click into place.

Or at least, your brain seems to make some connections that your gut agrees with; the existence of Burroughs serves as a sort of 'confirmation factor' to a lot of the things Dejah was talking about, but it's one thought in particular, one brief musing of your wandering minds, that seems to echo throughout your being long after you had dismissed it and turned to apologies and flirtatious words, yes...

The question that didn't need to be asked...

Where was the true world?

Such a question implies that this is not the true world, an extremely disconcerting suggestion that would nevertheless explain a lot of the oddities going on around you, but one that seems to exist on such a massive scale that it would require a level of power that even the Gods (at least in their modern incarnations) would likely be unable to manifest, a feat of the impossible, in other words, something like "True Magic," a complete warping of the global reality that affects everyone and everything without apparent exception, and...

That thought...

Something about that thought, well-

Brings to mind something strange?

---The half demon smiles at everyone, just like she always does; it's a familiar sight in the hell of the current situation, a smile meant to put fears to rest, or perhaps, simply a smile of someone that does not experience human fear at all...

"The reports are clear, it's a being that feeds off of the wishes for it's existence."

Of course it was, why wouldn't it be?

"Infinite empathic capacity, the more people are suffering the stronger it becomes; a 'Savior' must be able to answer the wishes of those that summon it after all, it is that sort of existence."

This too, was just as expected, thus...

The worst possible scenario, essentially, after all...

The Legion had been destroyed on Xanadu, but...

The same couldn't be said for the others.

"It's gonna crash into us tomorrow morning, if it does so as it is now we've already lost. It's fulfilled enough of it's own conditions to be invincible, we can't fight it in that form, so..."

She turns to everyone.

Outside, the snow falls harshly, like a storm heralding the apocalypse...

"...Here's what we have to do, it's last minute, but-"

-drags some sort of strange memory to the surface of your mind, one that flickers around for a bit, before slowly fading away, slipping out of your mind like water might slip through a sieve...

What was that?

Where was that from?

Some sort of movie? A dream? Repressed childhood memory?

Regardless, life moves on in spite of the sudden surge...

"...Well, I don't think I'm the one that pulled her here, although I suppose it's not impossible... I'm definitely not the Refined Voice though, he called me the "Voice of the World" in his notes..."

Strangely, even Dejah sounds unsure about that one now... Of course it makes sense that it could be her, since she is a COMP, and is claiming to represent the World in some capacity, her primary directive was likely some form of preservation of her humanity, in other words, if she had been caught off guard by the person who had taken her body (or was unable to directly stop him for one reason or another) and realized she was going to be removed from the World, it was certainly possible that she had used a lot of her power to pull a "Beacon" over to this side before her mainframe disappeared...

Her priority would be her World rather than a different World after all, protection of Xanadu above all other things...

It was possible.

And since she was an echo herself, a husk of her actual being, well...

It seems like she can't completely deny the possibility, but...

"...Even if you did I'm not too angry."

Ultimately, Isako just shrugs...

"These sorts of things happen from time to time, as you said... My 'World' as it was wasn't doing particularly well while we were there, there were strange crystal monsters running around outside of town, keeping the students safe was beginning to be rather difficult."

She sighs.

"In comparison your world is rather cheery, carefree, they're much better off here right now. So I won't go around screaming about it... But it sounds like it's a pervasive trouble, gonna follow us here, in that case, I can't sit aside and just do nothing, I'll be your... Beacon was it?"

An amused smile, yes...

While Dejah...

"As for repaying favors, please, I'm the only reason any of you made it out of the early 2000s," the princess puffs out her chest (perhaps not entirely innocently, but certainly with a form of pride) "I was fighting off a final-boss type before you were even born, any favor you do me now would just work towards relieving the debt this World owes me."

Yes, she huffs.

---Mostly out of amusement than any genuine sense of indignation though...

"Although, if we find my body, I suppose I can let you swing it around for awhile. Guys think powerful sacred swords are cool right? That's why you pick up sticks off the side of the road and swing em around even when you're an adult, right?"

That was an awfully specific example of human behavior!

As for Gabriel, well...

"...You really do seem to be the Xanadu I know, in which case... Guess it's actually as bad as you say..."

He sighs himself.

"...Might have to get started on the paperwork. Xanadu Labs doesn't just let anyone in... They'll want it all in triplicate too, tch..."

Although it seems like he's going along with it...

Out of some sort of previous history with the sword?

"Stone. Meir. You two up for this? Sounds like an S-Rank Assignment to me."

Ah.

S-Rank.

In other words "if not completed successfully, the World will ACTUALLY end," which was different from the usual "End of the World" scenarios people were always complaining about, those were typically A-Rank, which was more... "A country or two might disappear."

"If it's a cognition problem she's right to say small groups, I can give you both a squire each, I'll leave the choice of who up to you."