Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
Monday - Noon
11/16/2026

"Lailah?"

Daniel smiles at the name, stars once again dancing excitedly in golden eyes.

"'Night,' then... Yes, that should be an appropriate assistant for our purposes."

Night?

It takes you a moment to realize what the man means, but...

It's one of Lailah's titles as an angel, she is the angel of night, the entity who aided Abraham in his attack on Sodom and Gomorrah as well as the angel that was in charge of human conception. This secondary task was likely the source of her mother-like attitude towards humans, as an angel who was present at the birth (even if only in a conceptual sense) of every human on the planet was someone that was probably going to be rather fond of humans and their offspring...

Yeah...

In retrospect... Everyone calling her 'Mom' sort of made sense, nevertheless...

"That task will be yours and mine then, we will locate Lailah and enlist her help in locating the appropriate demons." Daniel nods at you, before turning his gaze to Sofia. "Can I leave the preparations for the ambush to you then? In theory a Dreamcatcher would bind our opponents to this space, but they will likely still be able to exert some power, so..."

He coughs into a fist.

"I will... Overlook... Any... Less than legal spiritual armaments you may deem fit to employ."

Sofia gasps, as if offended by the implication that she would ever build something that wasn't allowed by common law, and-

"Naturally I resent the implications that I have anything I'm not authorized to possess..." She says, a bit of a mad scientist glint in her eyes now, "But of course! Leave it to me!"

The mischievous grin widens.

"I've needed to do some testing with my perfectly legal creations anyway... Simulations of weapon tests can only take you so far~"

Ah.

There's the scarier Sofia...

But still...

Seems like something resembling a plan is starting to come together, huh?

But now the question was, was there anything else you could add here, or was just this fine...?

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
Monday - Noon
11/16/2026

Finally a plan is starting to come together, and Cosmos found herself smiling a little at this small but significant progress.

Normally, Cosmos Fairchild would have balked at what Daniel and Sofia is doing - after all, the law exist for a reason and not to be broken as seen fit - and yet in this moment, she found herself ignoring such a blatant intent of violating the law.

Was this growth, or merely pragmatism?

She wasn't sure either.

But Cosmos thought she could understand Alyx's rebellious attitude a little better now. Just a little bit.

With a plan of action in mind, Cosmos almost suggested to start moving immediately - she had nothing else to add to the plan - until her stomach started growling to remind her of the reason why they're currently in the restaurant in the first place.

"...Is everyone ready to order?" She asked quietly, pink dusting her cheeks from embarrassment. "We better eat while we still can..."

That ridiculously expensive Kobe Beef Bento on the menu is looking more tantalizing by the minute.

[Airen]

Rossweisse & Hiyori
Tokyo ~ JAXA
11/16/2026
Afternoon

"...Give it back."

---In the end, it just repeats it's last statement. While Hiyori has done her best to start negotiations here, the nature of the entity opposing you is one that likely makes such things impossible, after all-

"Give it back."

-if it is just a ball of will, a rampaging fragment of someone's 'last wish' desperately trying to fulfill it's final goal... Then it doesn't really have a mind to respond to your questions with, it can't think about the answers, certainly it has a primal sort of thought process, but only the sort that will allow it to carry out the task it has been assigned, straightforward and direct, allowing no deviation from it's path, in other words...

"Give it back."

...This is the most it can say, no, even this is likely just the last words of whoever it was, a determined demand to have something returned to them-!

But if that was the case... Then who was the you that had spoken before? That one had seemed capable of complex thought, that one had seemed to know some things about you that even you didn't know, that one had been showing obvious malice rather than overwhelming rage, so...

Was it two separate entities?

Was the one from before trying to pass itself off as this one?

---Questions you lack the time to answer.

"Give it back!"

After all...

The armor you seems to be running out of it's already limited patience...

[Kuroyuki]

Rossweisse & Hiyori
Tokyo ~ JAXA
11/16/2026
Afternoon

"...Give it back."

‘Ehhhhh? Give what back!’

It merely repeated its words back to me despite Hiyori’s attempt to negotiate. ‘I’ didn’t even look at Hiyori, instead it kept staring at me unflinchingly. Given that ‘I’ spoke to me very fluently earlier, why couldn’t it now? If it wanted something specifically and we were willing to negotiate then why didn’t it answer Hiyori’s question was mystifying. If they wanted to fight outright, then it wouldn’t have asked for ‘it’ to be given back.

"Give it back."

But then I thought about what we knew about it. If it was merely just the body and spirit running without a mind to control it, then a different question came up. How did it speak to me? If it was just running on emotions and could only think about the easiest and first plan. Then what spoke to me earlier? If it wasn’t the ‘me’ right in front of me, then that means something else was here. Was it the Alchera that Hiyori and Ms. Charlotte were talking about? What was this third party’s goal? Why did it target only me?

"Give it back."

As I stared ‘myself’ down, I kept trying to figure out what this third party would win. How did they know that ‘I’ would come to find me?

"Give it back!"

‘This isn’t good, it looks like it’s going to be a fight at this rate!’

However, I don’t have time to think about it. I didn’t know what it wanted, and while Hiyori was willing to negotiate. I wasn’t willing to accept any open ended demand for something. With that in mind, I started walking towards ‘myself’.

‘Wait Ros-’

I strode past Hiyori unhesitantly. If ‘I’ wanted to settle things with just me and her, then I would respond in kind.

> Spirit Armor. Set Up. Auto Skill: Strength's Obstacle.

Once I passed by Hiyori, my own Spirit Armor activated so that I could stare at ‘myself’ at an equal level.

“If you’re not going to tell me what you want, then you’re going to have to take it!”

With that said, I immediately surged towards ‘myself’. Intent on pummeling its face.

Wise Up!

HP: ???
SP: 450 / 500


Auto Skills

Strength's Obstacle
Rank: D
Harmony Cost: 2

Rossweisse may not be the strongest of people… for now. When this auto skill has been activated, Rossweisse will slowly start to accumulate more STR as more turns pass by until it matches the strongest enemy’s strength. Rossweisse must be aware of them for it to take effect.

[Slowly increase STR Score to match the strongest person within thirty meters of Ross, increase is at a rate of 10 points a turn. If the opponent goes beyond this point, reduce strength to match the next strongest individual. If Ross herself is the strongest person on the battlefield, this skill has no effect.]


Actions
Spirit Armor
Activate Spirit Armor Form, encasing oneself in their battle-suit, completely closed off from any insidious effects that might seek to harm them. Drains 30 SP a turn while active, however, in exchange, the user takes no damage from environmental threats (magical or otherwise) and ignores the non-damage aspects of spells that strike them, even if that spell would target a weakness. Physical restraints may still work however.

Surge
In Spirit Armor form, pay an additional 20 SP to increase Strength and Agility by one rank during the course of this round. Does not add additional heat to the system.

[Airen]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
???
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

"..."

Two sets of eyes linger on the obvious intruder, one who doesn't so much as flinch now that she's obviously been put at the center of a spotlight she obviously didn't want to be in... Of course your trick with the maid-outfits does little (she does seem to shiver slightly and make a batting away motion with one of her hands when you do, but that could just be a coincidence) and yet the frown on the cognitive Lara's face as she regards this person only deepens...

Not with malice mind you, but rather...

Something like confusion?

It's an awkward scenario all around, one that only grows more so the longer the silence between the three of you lingers, and so finally...

"...Doubt it."

The girl chooses to answer your first question, while continuing to ignore all implications that she is trespassing in the thoughts of others...

"I came here once as a kid, a long, long time ago... But I only talked to the woman in the room at the top of the house."

Woman at the top of the house?

...Theresia?

While she doesn't seem to think this answer is too big of a deal, instead throwing it out there so you'll get off of her back, such a claim is...

Well...

Grandma doesn't really talk to outsiders most of the time, hell, she barely talks to family...

Still-!

"As for your insinuations I'm committing some sort of crime... Well, the collective consciousness is called that for a reason."

She says this as if it explains anything at all and isn't just a cop-out answer, before brazenly turning in place and starting to walk past the both of you with a confidence that few ever attain, but-!

"...Why are you taking a key from the house?"

Asks Lara.

The girl stops in place, glances back at her, and-

"...The maid gave it to me."

Gives another ridiculous answer.

One that somehow doesn't seem to be a lie.

[Airen]

Raz Stone
???
??/??/????

"...Right."

Now that this sibling group has established themselves, the obvious next step was the rescue of your missing allies. To that end, the slowly healing stage does manage to heft itself back into the crimson skies of this bizarre world-inside-of-a-sphere, the nanotechnology inherent to the device slowly putting itself back together through the harvesting of nearby materials, which in this case...

Was an overabundance of ambient reiki, the atmosphere was polluted with it like a thick crimson smog, actual clouds of the stuff floating around like an ominous blood-mist. The scent of blood itself is absent of course, but the look of the world around you does come across as naturally blood stained in spite of that, it feels like you're inside a genuinely haunted area, a place of mass death and tragedy where the feelings and regrets of the fallen have caused a massive spiritual wound in the land, so much so that it's starting to warp the place physically rather just spiritually, and indeed...

The mud you had been walking on up till now... While you had had your suspicions because of the way it had grabbed onto you initially, further scans with the DTG reveal that it seems to be made entirely of reiki and thus souls, but the mud-like consistency of the black ichor...

It feels more like a manifest curse than anything else...

And yet... It hadn't attacked you while walking upon it? Like it couldn't notice you at all? According to the Kyuubi Incident, where a similar 'mud' had appeared in your world at the end of the year 2008, such manifestations are harmful to life, most commonly attempting to 'dissolve' lifeforms into itself, and yet...

It had done nothing to you.

Strange...

Still-!

Ada pilots the 'ship' easily enough even though crimson skies, the clouds of red -while unpleasant- don't seem to be condensed enough curses to actually hurt anyone, so the flight forward is, well...

Uneventful.

---And flying over an endless plain of muck that stretches across the horizon, the setting itself becomes strangely...

Unnerving after awhile?

Things like the mud should be attacking and yet they aren't, the World itself should be hostile and yet it does nothing, it's almost like...

Almost like...

It's waiting for something? But if it was... What would it be...?

It's a question that lacks answers, not just because you haven't been able to investigate long enough to figure it out, but because...

---Two flashes of reiki appear on the edge of that endless horizon in two different directions, one to the east (a flash of golden light) and one to the west, which seemed to be a mix of blue and red and thus... Signs of both a human and a demon fighting something? Each other?

No...

The red seems to be Matador... The blue seems to be Erika...

And the gold... Zerah?

It was of course natural for Tamers to not take any nonsense from supernatural beings, thus, the fact that everyone seems to be fighting something isn't surprising...

But what is surprising...

Is that they somehow wound up separated...?

[Zurvan]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
???
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

"Is that so... Sounds like the family is awfully welcoming towards you."

The storm beyond dies down, the mind that conjured it moving on.

"Still, I can't quite ignore what you've just said, for multiple reasons... but you don't seem to have any ill intentions."

Much like Tsukiko earlier, this girl was clearly being defensive and secretive, major difference being that the Knight was prepared. Whereas this girl seems to be telling the truth, regardless of how bizarre that is.

"You are aware that you're in the mind of another, yet you don't seem to really feel any guilt in regards to that. That's a sentiment I can understand well but, what's more interesting is that you seem to share a connection to this place."

Ludwig's eyes travel away from the stranger, back towards the estate. The ominous castle clutched in a realm of ice and death. A place of ill-omen, where much had transpired.

---And little of it good.

"If what you say is true, I have no power to deny you access. Ida seems to be more approving of you than... mhm, no matter. I'd like to ask what it was you were doing here now but..."

Stoic eyes fall back on the girl, but there's something more to them. Something resembling kindness, or perhaps sympathy or pity. Such is the gaze that regards what should be a complete stranger.

The ESPer continues to try to see if this girl then perhaps was the one from so, so long ago... but it is in vain.

"This house attracts unfortunate souls that have suffered greatly, for one reason or another. I'd urge you not to return however more pressingly..."

"Are you okay?"

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
Saint Vivienne ~ Strange Manor
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

Even though she was the one who had made the choice to fight her urges to run away and try to talk, Eva hadn’t expected much out of it.

This maid had seemed very antagonistic up until now- given how she had acted, Eva would have found it very difficult to believe that she was a good person. A teensy part of her might have wanted to believe that first impressions were not as they seemed- but Eva felt it was a dim hope at best.

And so, fully prepared for things to take a turn for the worse…

"I gave that girl the key you're looking for. I think she still has it now. That room is where Lady Liesl met that Ancient God, so going inside of it may also lead one to a meeting with that God... But it is also the room where her trauma is at it's highest, those that enter may be challenged or swallowed up by it... Is that an acceptable risk to you?"

… when the maid neither attacks nor responds with more scathing comments, it takes a moment for Eva to register what is occurring.

“…?”

The maid was… helping her?

At least, she didn’t seem to be hostile anymore. The information she had given was exactly what Eva was looking for, too- more than she had expected, even. Not only did she now know that there were other people looking for answers about what had happened, but she now even had a potential method to meet with the entity that was responsible.

As for the risks involved-

“Of course.” Composure restored; Eva nodded at the maid’s question. “If I wasn’t prepared for something like that, then I wouldn’t have come here searching for these answers to begin with.”

The information she was looking for was valuable enough to her that it was worth the risk.

“But, regardless… thank you, miss, both for letting me know about the dangers involved and the way to find the answers I’m looking for. I’m not sure what made you decide to help me, but I appreciate it.”

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
Monday - Noon
11/16/2026

"Ah yes, that's right."

Daniel laughs aloud at the reminder, golden eyes once again hidden by the brim of his fedora.

"We came here to eat, forgive me in getting caught up in all the excitement."

Excitement was certainly one way to describe it of course, but it's not the word you yourself would use... But the agent does seem instilled with a new sort of life, a spark of electricity, like all this talk of conspiracies and dream demons was awakening his inner child for some reason...

And perhaps it was?

"Let's see, let's see, it's been awhile since I've come here..." His gaze drifts to the menu before him, "Coffee of course, Carver's Dream seems fitting, I did like the taste this morning after all, and then perhaps something more... Unique? Oho, what is this, Sinner's Sandwich? Comprised of Turkey, Strawberry Jam and Cereal...? Baffling. Truly a sandwich to atone for one's past sins... I'll take it."

He nods to himself as he describes this apparent menu item out loud, one that has you looking down instinctively to see if it's actually there, and lo and behold...

It is.

...Maybe this place took the idea of having everything too far, Sofia seems to agree, as the look on her face as he describes it aloud is one that makes it look like she's struggling not to gag, in that refined and graceful way that nobility tries to pass off disgust, nevertheless...

"Yellow Gold Tea and the breakfast sampler for me. Like the Fairchild girl here, I like to eat things that are actually edible you see?"

She maintains her grace in the end, ordering something that sounds rather mundane at first... Until you realize the Yellow Gold Tea is actually ludicrously, ludicrously expensive and all guilt about your own food choices leaves your mind...

Sofia is... Strange, huh?

Some weird mix of pragmatic and exuberant-!

Still, as the waiter approaches to take the both of their orders -right on time as if called by the winds of fate themselves- you hear a sudden familiar sound amongst all the talking voices, the pleasant ambience of this restaurant, that sound being...

A walking stick tapping along the floors up above?

"...~"

A familiar sounding woman humming to herself?

Yes...

Looking up, near the top of the stairway leaning down into this dining area, tapping her stick on each stair as she descends in that casual manner of hers, was...

Aunt Alisa?

She's not moving towards you though, rather...

It almost feels like she's just wandering around for some reason...? Or perhaps...

Looking for something?

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
Saint Vivienne ~ Strange Manor
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

"Why?"

The woman smiles mysteriously, eyes glinting with moonlight.

"Why wouldn't I? I've always been... Fond of children with courage. Or rather... I guess the real me is fond of those sorts of people..."

She leans closer to you.

Unlike before, there is no sense of danger, so it seems her words are entirely sincere...

"But keep that a secret, understand? If it's discovered that the monster doesn't always want to be a monster, well then, it loses some of it's scare factor does it not?" Her grin widens as she winks at you, before turning swiftly and walking back towards the window, "And if I'm not the monster, then they would come to fear something else, and if that happens, well..."

Silence.

A painful silence that perhaps lingers a bit too long? For some reason it feels like this woman is on the verge of confessing something she had been keeping to herself for awhile, but...

"...Well, it's not got much to do with you. Just ignore me."

She chuckles.

"Still, don't thank me too much child, I may have decided to help you this time... But my whims are like the ever-changing moon, bound to shift as seamlessly as the phases, perhaps the next time we meet I'll feel a different way about all of this?"

She doesn't turn back to look at you.

"...Besides, there's no time for you to play with me anyway. That shade of your friend, her rampaging id... It is docile around you, calmer, because she has a bond with you, but to others..."

But her words do impart one more piece of advice...

"...Perhaps it would be a bit more dangerous. Such beings do not question violence, after all... They are impulse in it's purest form."

[Airen]

Daisuke
Brewed Awakenings, Aoyama
11/16/2026
Monday - Dark Hour

"How's it look?"

"...For a Holy Sword, the Alka Regus is quite merciless."

Vincent frowns.

"It was made from the nails that pierced the Christian Messiah to the Cross after all, symbolically, it means it is a blade that defies all inhuman blessings... After all, if the son of the God who won the war of belief could be pierced by such things, then what hope does any creature of 'lesser' origin have?"

---Yes.

Even in the modern era, where supernatural beings have shown a certain resurgence, the "God" of Christianity maintains a certain uniqueness that continues to separate him from the other Gods. For one thing, he has refused to show up to anyone even now, he apparently doesn't talk to anyone, he doesn't do anything, he simply is. Of course this behavior is in line with his personality and nature as a God, the more widespread his belief became in the World the less he communicated with his subjects after all, and as a God he is one that loves the idea of 'faith,' who would absolutely refuse to show up in person because he believes he shouldn't have to do that for you to believe in him, that he doesn't need to intervene in anything because everything is already set to his design, but...

This makes him odd.

As a God, he is still the most popular one on the planet. Resurgence of other religions and Gods or not, he was a God that had conquered the minds of most of humanity long ago, there was no pushing him from that top throne now, but because he is a God that also doesn't seem to do anything, it's almost like the throne is empty. Of course from time to time you hear accounts of people saying they had communicated with God, but even then...

The reports aren't really... Friendly.

According to rumor after all, the only thing he really says is...

----Leave me alone. Don't bother me.

The obvious conclusion for a perfect being, after all...

Someone that is perfect does not require others, if they do, that is arguably a sign of imperfection.

It's one of the many chinks in the Church's armor, but nevertheless...

"Still, these wounds... Shouldn't be fatal."

Vincent ultimately seems to come to this conclusion, his frown turning to a reassuring smile as he pats you on the shoulder.

"The blade got through her natural defenses and it's gonna take her awhile to heal from these wounds because of what dealt them... But there's nothing fatal here for a child of Nemesis, it's a bit strange really, some of these cuts almost seem..."

He pauses.

"...Half-hearted."

As for the Shrine Maiden...

12 AM.

She signs to you.

Both she and her COMP seem confused about your talk of the moon and of the fog, which further solidifies the fact that they really didn't seem to see it, however...

[The fairy wandered over to the Pendragon's place. Said something about being told she was in charge of looking out for the street. Weird lady. Said her name was Robin.]

...Robin huh?

...Surely not, right?

That didn't sound like that person at all-!

Of course, before you can really dig into that avenue of conversation either...

"...Sleep might not be the trigger."

Shuichi strides through the door, tall and powerful as always, figure still sparking with what seemed to be an ambient electrical charge to...

Dry off his clothes?

Magic sure was convenient at times-!

"I've been thinking about it... And it might just be an altered mental state in general that triggers... Whatever the heck this is, not just falling sleep."

Although his words...

Show he's still as goal-focused as always...

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
Monday - Noon
11/16/2026

'What are the odds of this happening?'

As Cosmos turned her attention from Daniel and Sofia to the familiar sound of a walking stick, she knew that the probability of her meeting Alisa in the same restaurant they last met in the dream was small... or at the very least, it should be small. But whether this meeting is a coincidence or something ordained by fate, the fact of the matter is that her aunt is here. She's not sure whether she should bring Alisa into the thick of things just yet (she did made a promise to herself not to endanger her family), but at the very least greeting her should be okay...

"Please excuse me for a moment, I want to greet my aunt."

Getting up from her seat, Cosmos slowly walked to the bottom of the stairs, matching her pace with Alisa as the redhead descends the steps; she noticed that her aunt seems to be looking for something, and that she doesn't seem to be aware of her presence just yet...

Could she actually surprise Alisa for once?

'Oh goodness, to think you're even thinking of pranking Alisa now... where did the innocent, lawful good Cosmos go?'

'Hush Illia.'

Ignoring her COMP and making sure her steps are not only silent, but also matches her aunt's--

"Who or what are you looking for, auntie?"

She greeted Alisa just as the woman got off the stairs.

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
Monday - Noon
11/16/2026

The myth that Alisa Kingsleigh is capable of 'seeing' perfectly without her eyes is just that, a myth. While the woman seems next to invincible when she's serious, capable of weaving through a hell of spellcraft or gunfire, the part of the woman that most people don't see are the times when she's not taking life particularly seriously, and thus the times she screws up, like...

Going over to the coffee machine in the morning and stubbing her toe on the wall, pouring too much soy sauce on her rice, accidentally walking into a pole on the street while cracking jokes about how she didn't see that one coming...

She has her slip ups.

Her cute, clumsy moments-!

So maybe-!

Maybe it was possible to sneak up on her here-!

You match her breathing, you match her footsteps, you bury the noise of your existence in the world around you and-

"A Miss Louisa Ferre."

-she answers plainly, without jumping in the slightest.

[...Oh. This one has an attuned sense for you specifically... How interesting...]

Comments Preciel inside of your head, but...

Alisa smiles her usual smile, unendingly warm and relaxed, facing life with all the casual flair someone would have during lunch time.

"She's one of your mom's old friends. I've been told she's tall and blonde now, but well..."

She chuckles as she gestures at herself.

"...Not the most useful bits of information, you see? So I suppose from a certain perspective... I'm on something of a... Blind date."

The puns flow shamelessly.

She's dressed just like usual, clad in a blue sweater and jeans with a pink scarf draped around her neck and while her clear blue eyes can't see you, she does look in your direction with them, and in spite of being functionally useless...

They still maintain the warmth of a parent.

"I'm a bit surprised to find you here, though..."

She tilts her head.

"Are you out shopping for something?"

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
Monday - Noon
11/16/2026

"Aww, auntie isn't surprised at all..."

Even though she expected to fail, Cosmos still felt somewhat disappointed that she didn't manage to sneak up on Alisa. It might be nice to see her aunt jump a little from surprise...

Ciel's comments is interesting though. She'd assume Alisa just has an attuned sense for everyone in her family, but if not, then... what does that mean, exactly? Not that she had much time to ponder it as she has to focus to listen to her aunt, while Illia sounded like she choked on something when she heard the name of the person Alisa's searching for, seemingly because the name sounds like a pun (though she failed to see it).

"Mother's old friend... tall, blonde... now I'm curious and want to meet her." Cosmos put a finger to her chin while swaying left and right, wondering what kind of person this Louisa Ferre is, though she must be a wonderful person if she's friends with her mother. "I'll keep an eye if I see her then. Do you want me to help look for her?" She offered; at the very least she has some time until her food is served.

"I'm a bit surprised to find you here, though... Are you out shopping for something?"

"Oh... I'm actually here accompanying a NWAB agent on a mission!" She puffed her chest up; the hint of pride in her tone wasn't faked, though the exaggerated gesture is. It helped her get in the mood of being excited for this rare opportunity. "He decided to have a quick lunch break before continuing as we reviewed and discuss the mission, so here I am."

A pause. She suddenly remembers about a peculiar thing that happened this morning.

"...By the way auntie, did you know what happened this morning? Mother wasn't there for our morning tea, and people said something happened at the hospital?"

[Bloble]

Daisuke
Brewed Awakenings, Aoyama
11/16/2026
Monday - Dark Hour

He is relieved.

"Phew..."

Lexie will be fine. Her wounds will heal. Her sister doesn't hate her. For a few seconds Daisuke's circuits are flooded with relief, a pleasant emotion that brings down his core's operating temperature by half a degree.

Right before the next revelation kicks it up to near boiling. Daisuke's hair bristles as actual steam vents from tiny holes in his head. The cooling system is suddenly strained to its limit moments after he hears the name - or rather, the alias - of the number one troublemaker in his life.

"That jerk is running around as a girl!? I knew it; he's causing trouble again!"

It is another sign of Daisuke's fundamentally robotic origin that his hands continue to mechanically sign everything he says, even as his processor and voice heat up. No wonder he'd gotten that odd message earlier; Robin clearly knew this was going to happen!

"Don't trust a thing that guy says! He's a prankster, through and through! Capture on sight, maximum caution, Code Red, all that!"

This is it. Clearly he has found the mastermind behind the plot.

"Stalking some sus girl, sending viruses over private message, saying not to go outside 'cus you could get sick, who does he think he is-!" The mere mention of that name is enough to bring out even an SDCD COMP's childish side. Daisuke jerks his head to the left as Shuichi enters. "Nii-san, we need to go to the Pendragon's' place; the worst fairy ever is on the loose - wah!"

The damaged rotors in Daisuke's neck sieze up from the sudden movement, leaving his head turned ninety degrees to the left. The COMP flails wildly, hands on his temples, trying to wrestle it back into place as metal groans and protests. When he goes to run diagnostics a barrage of red warning messages nearly overwhelm his processor, complaining of damage all over. As expected, even after dispersing it, the strength of a White Shroud is not to be underestimated.

"...Robin sent me a message earlier," Daisuke says, pouting, head stuck askew. "Said to stay inside, avoid the rain, and try to get sick. Is anyone here feeling off?"

Maybe a deeper scan is in order. If this is linked to mental state, then the curse might be at the heart of it. A single radio signal in the wrong place is all it takes to spread bad vibes of the magical sort...

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Brighter Days ~ Yuriko's Room
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"W-wait, that's, I mean---"

Danger, Blaise Pendragon! Danger!

First of all, waking Ane-san up for any reason was never a good idea. In all honesty, even if it had been a legimate, completely serious things still might have gotten hairy! But for something like this, a reason that mostly came about because of the boy's own stubborness and what the adults could see as something completely frivolous, then, then....

... Oh god he might never make it to the starting line, even.

Forget Aunt Yuka, this was clear and present danger!

Understanding what was at stake, Blaise turned his head around and...!

"Y-Yuriko, you don't have to---GAGH!"

He had tried.

He had very much tried.

But in the process, the fearsome protector of Aoyama's streets had eaten a mouth full of shampoo, managing to make his tongue, his nostrils and his brain momentarily go into a shock as the sheer essence of eucalyptus washed over him, like a ball lightning bouncing around in his skull. In moments like this the dragon heritage that was part of his body was definitely not for the better - enhanced senses made the experience far more miserable!

And thus, instead of being able to stop her, Blaise ended up shooting a "dragon's breath" of bubbles out of his nose.

... He had tried.

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
Saint Vivienne ~ Strange Manor
11/16/2026
Monday - Evening

“I see… seems complicated.”

From what the maid was saying, it seemed that there were many secrets about, circumstances that she was unaware of. The reason the maid had seemed so antagonistic earlier was related to that- and it didn’t seem like it was Eva’s place to meddle in these affairs.

But even if she wasn’t allowed to know what was going on, nonetheless…

“But even if it was just a whim, and you change your mind about it later, it doesn’t change the fact that I will remember that you helped me today. So, thank you.”

Eva was grateful for the help. That fact did not change.

"...Besides, there's no time for you to play with me anyway. That shade of your friend, her rampaging id... It is docile around you, calmer, because she has a bond with you, but to others... Perhaps it would be a bit more dangerous. Such beings do not question violence, after all... They are impulse in it's purest form."

“…!”

It seemed like that would be all that she could afford to say on the subject.

Catherine’s shadow certainly seemed well behaved to Eva, but what the maid was saying made sense- fit well, with what she knew about shadows. Perhaps it was just unusual that Eva had found such an easy time getting along with Catherine’s shadow.

“In that case… I should really get going.”

Considering the maid had brought it up, it seemed likely that trouble was occurring downstairs. Eva couldn’t imagine what it was in particular- broken doors, maybe, but regardless, since she was talking to someone who seemed to be a caretaker for this mansion… it didn’t feel right to just leave without saying anything.

“Um- if she broke anything, then I apologize. She’s not usually like this…”

[Tobias]

Raz Stone
???
??/??/????

Flickers of light. The sonata of glorious battle.

It hadn’t been live of art which drew Raz to Avalon. Quite the contrary, his Eye for Art was in fact a coping mechanism. That which at first had been his bulwark against shame and despair, and then later, his weapon.

The Knight of Song still didn’t understand the magic of the Mage of Flowers. And yet, he knew…knew bone deep…that the sword at his side was an “instrument” a tool to create art. That said art was within the realm of battle was beside the point. A true duel was a dance. Just ask the Knight of Wind.

The Bard had been enjoying watching Ada work, for two reasons. One, her usage of the stage was actually markedly different then his. Raz flew with a confident verve. Not damaging but…boisterous. His ride through the fairy lands outside Avalon being a good example. He demanded onlookers acknowledge his passage. Ada did not. The knight in training that was his heart seemed to flow almost literally….under the radar. She constantly adjusted the pitch and windstream so as to never leave evidence of her passing. It was as if…she refused to leave her own mark.

The second reason Raz enjoyed watching her fly was because she was so damn lazy it was unusual to see her work at all.

The DTG used the opportunity to refine the control scheme and update protocols to acclimate the impressionable COMP of the younger girl. Squire to the knight of flowers. Even though he knew in a way the rookie seemed bound and determined to deny…he couldn’t help but be proud too.

The detective Comp rolled his eyes. After Dejah, it was hard to knock the gumshoe for having a blind spot.

Dames man. Can’t live with ‘em, and they will get you killed. But life wasn’t worth much without ‘em either.

Here’s hoping the kid doesn’t buy it. He is a mess and a right sod…but he still had a mess of living yet.

These thoughts and more were derailed by the distant cacophony. Two battles, at least. Well, that was Tamers for you.

Battle analysis.

Rookie, you aren’t ever gonna learn if you are always riding my duster.

That’s why I love you. Now…BATTLE. ANALYSIS.

Tch… threat assessment. Zerah and matador have split up. These represent the strongest direct combatants in normal situations.

Elaborate.

Demons need a contract to sustain themselves away from the demon world. It only left recently, but Matador is likely rapidly weakening. Zerah also likely is still using a damaged blade.

Projections?

Even weakened, Matador will kill Erika Winters. If they are fighting each other, that is.

Run threat assessment.

Isolating variables. Standby. Stand by. Sta sta sta….!!!!!

Stay with me!!

Sorry. Blow back from before. Trying to hold and and isolate the God is drawing resources. Threat assessment complete. One of two things must be true. Matador and Erika are fighting back to back against a greater threat, or their battle is secondary to whatever Zerah is facing, as otherwise the Code would require him to come to the aid of an overmatched squire.

Matador has fought but refused to kill squires in the past.

Premise rejected. Erika Winters would decline to fight a battle of pride in a hostile environment. She would yield before opening herself up to attack in a such a scenario, and empirical evidence suggests matador would not attack a target who surrendered.

It was the machine response that worried the dark haired knight. The DTG was an AI…but he was somewhat limited vs newer models. Sometimes when his subroutines were overtakes his nature as an “alien” crafted by the Plume became more noticeable.

Build scenario.

Stand. Stand by. By. Scenario built. There is something between the trio that all are protecting. They have split their primary weapons to protect this. Matador has weakened considerably and Erika went to support with battle tactics.

Analyze the space between them.

Unable to map. Alien reiki is inter!daring with my informational abilities. As is the God. We could plot a course to examine the sight visibly?

No time. We have to provide reinforcements.

Which one will we approach?

…Heh.

”Ada? Heart of my heart? I have two requests. The first is not me being an overbearing brother, but please protect yourself and this conveyance. I say this because will likely prove to be our only way out. Besides myself, you are the only one with the capacity to direct it. And the second?”

Raz grinned.

”Please, protect yourself. And throw away this simple machine if you need. This is me being an overbearing brother. But I refuse to accept a world that doesn’t have you in it!”

Probably around then, Ada, the DTG, maybe even the guitar COMP processed that something was about to happen. If they didn’t, we’ll, the rapid increase in speed and sudden arc in travel path was a clue as Raz transferred manual control back to him. Something like this had happened before…but at least this time, it was his own choice!


That was what the Bard thought, as the stage sent itself into a rapid spin…and then the spiritron protocols required to hold his person to the floor and against the several dozen Gs suddenly applied were momentarily released before arcing the remaining passengers roughly in Zerah’s direction...



...As Raz and the the DTG were launched towards Erika and the Matador.

If you have to guess, you hedge your bets. Ada and the stage were a potent support unit. As was Raz himself. Why risk being wrong when he could support both combatants simultaneously?

As the G forces tore at his skin, repelled by a purple rakukaja shield, Raz had the DTG interface with the state’s lesser but still impressive sensor suite.

Eavesdropping was a bit rude but… it was every big brother’s prerogative to keep an eye on his little sister!

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
Monday - Noon
11/16/2026

"This morning?"

For a moment the older woman just blinks at you, her head tilting the other way in obvious thought, until-

"Ah. That. You didn't hear?"

-she snaps her fingers as if the memory had just come to mind, a bit of an oddity considering the event in question had taken place but a few hours ago, but...

"You know that weird illness that's been spreading around the country these past few months? That strange sleeping sickness even your Mom couldn't cure?"

She smiles at you.

"Everyone woke up this morning!" She chuckles, both hands returning to her cane as she straightens out her posture. "Mary was doing her early morning rounds at the hospital around that time, so I guess she must have gotten stuck for some reason... You know how she gets when people are sick, that's when the real fussy part of her comes out."

She chuckles.

"Getting stuck at the hospital explains why she's having me run all her other errands today too... Well, not that I mind really, I needed to talk to Louisa about some stuff of my own too, so it's pretty convenient for me."

Sleeping sickness...

That's what Miyu had been diagnosed with back before all of this had started, right?

And all those other people too...

The scene from earlier makes a bit more sense too then, right? If a bunch of coma patients had miraculously regained consciousness over night, of course the family and friends of the victims would storm the hospital in question...

Of course, it may raise some other questions, but...

"So don't worry about helping me find her, I'll track her down eventually, besides..."

Her smile becomes a bit mischievous, unseeing eyes taking on a bit of a shine...

"You said you were here with a NWAB Agent, correct?" She turns her head slightly, as if trying to better take in the sounds around the both of you, "That must be the fabled Mr. Proctor. He's apparently been quite popular during his stay here, not that surprising... It's rare to find men like him nowadays, from what I've seen, he's a real old-fashioned kind of gentleman..."

"And yes... Yes I think I can hear his voice, but there's... Another girl over there too?"

Her smile widens.

"Are you making work friends? Would it embarrass you if I go over to meet them~?"

---

Logan Starbright
SLEIPNIR - Flight Deck
11/16/2026
Monday ~ Evening

If your enemy's endgame is to drown you in this lake, then priority number one is to shatter the bounds of that trap.

"...!"

Perhaps your movements were too sudden? Perhaps the once-babbling bastard had expected you to be slowed down a lot more than you were? But the reality of the situation that erupts in the depths of the abyss, is your hands successfully locking around the arms of your opponent, gale force winds rocketing you up towards the golden flashes of the storming sky above.

---There is something wrong with gravity.

The lake continuing to ascend as you rose had already hinted at this reality, but breaking the surface of the lake with a gasp, keeping trained eyes on an opponent that had suddenly failed to move in that bizarre, nonsensical way it had been doing before, made it all the clearer exactly how bizarre the world had become, namely:

Even as you break the surface, free yourself from the maw of the abyssal lake without stars, everything continues to rise around and beneath you. It's not moving particularly fast anymore however, indeed, it simply seems like everything is falling towards the sky rather than towards the ground... A set of circumstances that could perhaps be somewhat problematic if you managed to make it all the way to space, but one that proves to be a less imminently lethal threat under these circumstances, so-

---Most attention goes, as it should, to your opponent.

Opponent that has failed for the first time to materialize that bizarre speed of theirs, that has been caught in your grip, that has been breathing as quietly and controlled as a marital artist for some time now, and who-

"...I see. So it was the eyes."

-hasn't broken their visual lock on you this whole time.

---It doesn't feel right.

The body is definitely the same as the clown, the clothes and mask are those of the clown, even the reiki signature -faint as it is- matches the same general feel as the clown's, and yet...

Call it experience or simple intuition, but something...

Just doesn't feel right.

This calm, martial artist-esque air doesn't fit the manic, babbling bastard and-

"...!"

-neither does the sudden explosion of pain that shoots down your nerves, as the clown headbutts you in the face, somehow not shattering it's tacky, porcelain mask.

It was meant to make you let go.

Experience tells you it was meant to make you let go, make an opening for them to break your grip on their body, but-!

"...Decent pain tolerance."

Notes the clown, still continuing to not sound anything like the clown.

Your grapple remains strong, even as the force of your opponent's attack sends the both of you into a somewhat uncomfortable spin as you plummet up towards the sky-!

"Good, good, this might be fun for once."

...What the hell was it talking about?

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Saint Vivienne ~ Ayra's Room
11/16/2026
Monday - Night

Right, the clock tower. She’d practically forgotten among the other revelations she was getting. She needs to stop being in the moment and take a more distant view of things. If she loses track of what’s happening, she’ll only get more and more overwhelmed.

A part of Ayra wants to take Asuka’s offer, but she knows she can’t. If she’s offered her help, she’s offered her help. Besides, the new headmaster would never let her hear the end of it if she flaked. And, as an alumnus of the school, she feels responsible for fixing the issue.

Aster: And yet...

Not another word from you!

“No, I’ll be fine, Asuka. I’ve just ended up with a lot more on my plate than I’ve realized.” Ayra says her approximate of the truth, with a smile that screams “leave it at that.” “Let’s get going then, if it’s about time?”