Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Zurvan]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR ~ Flight Deck (South)
Monday ~ Morning

She had run off to protect her ally, and now was stood alone before three Rothschild Tamers. A battle of three on one, and she couldn't even bring herself to look at one.
The odds were not in her favor.

However, both she and Ludwig knew that this wouldn't be it. Both of them are Karlfeldts, stubborn and persistent. Something as minor as the tides of battle wouldn't dissuade them from continuing to try and accomplish their mission. Tamers are existences who can effectively fight the supernatural and their abilities are numerous and terrifying.

Yes, both of them had learned new abilities since they last had contact, much had changed. And now, it seems the time has come to reveal more of their abilities.

Motionless she stood on the field of battle, however the battle itself was changing rapidly. The air surrounding Lara became overwhelming with energy, with countless spiritual signatures layering their power along with her own. In its own way, it was an ability that the Karlfeldt elders sought. The power to unify the powers of many under a single wielder. A power known under the name of 'Eclipse'.

Her power is skyrocketing insanely quick Lud.

However, Ludwig's expression retains its calmness. Something like was to be expected from his big sister after all.

So, she's gotten serious.

You never described her as a spiritual monster like this before.

No, this is something entirely new to me as well, however she always was ahead of me in talent and ability. Something like this isn't really surprising.
What is surprising is that she isn't doing anything else with all that power.

That is indeed qui-- no, she's already made her move! Look at your fingers.

Ludwig raises his hand to inspect it. On both his hands a darkness is growing, it's already swallowed his fingers, and grows further still.

"Agent Starbright, Karlfeldt. This is Star II. A hostile Eclipse User has been detected, as such, you have become my primary support target."

"Analysis indicates she is using a known Eclipse Ability. Technique Name is not in our databases, but the Original User is a man by the name of Jacques Dussault. Effect on the body is transformation into spiritual matter over time, this transformed matter resembles tangible shadows, and the transformation itself exists as an area of effect around the user. It is unlikely you can escape it's range without retreating from the battlefield completely."

"Eclipse Users have traditionally poor stamina, they are burst fighters, although they are often impossible to critically damage in that state. If you can get her to burn enough energy, she should revert to her previous state, in the best case she might even revert to a weakened state. Would you like me to continue deep dive analysis of the target? Or would you prefer supporting fire? I will leave it to your discretion."

Hmmph, an ability that transforms the body into spiritual matter huh. Activate the Restoration Field Auto Skill, that should slow it down the effects if nothing else.

Done. Oh, Astra has begun her attack.

“Continue analysis please, Anna.”

"No complaints here, keep us up to speed Anna."

And now Logan's charges her as well. Don't tell me you also want to jump in there?

No, if she's begun taking this fight seriously, then I so will I.

You mean?

Yes, get ready to cast Peace of Mind Lydia. Let's hope this works.

The enemy had gathered an obscene amount of power, and now had to contend with the two rapidly advancing Tamers. However, now that she's gathered this much, it was no longer necessarily a losing battle for her. It wouldn't be unlikely that she were to shrug off their assault, or defend herself remarkably well. Adding in shooting spells from range may help Astra and Logan, but the effectiveness of such a strategy was likely low. Moreover, she would likely deal with any magic shot her way and continue to avoid facing her third enemy. Another action was preferred, something that could not be dodged and would force her to react to her little brother.

Luckily, there was another target on this battlefield. The ally she went to save, now knocked out and encased in ice. An enemy that could not dodge the incoming attack, nor was this attack something she could ignore.

Ludwig took in the latent magic from the previous battle here, fueling his COMP's magic and his own along with it, as two orbs started to form in his hands.

He lifted the orbs upwards, the orbs readily growing in size, until with a smack the orbs collided with one another, shattering them. The remnant's of the collision were dozens of smaller shards, who now hang stationary as they form webs of electricity giving off a faint blue light.

A visage not too dissimilar of a miniature galaxy, the smaller shards like stars in a cosmic web. The product of an Almighty spell, something Ludwig created after his sister had vanished.

The electro cloud spreading to cover the air above Ludwig and his potential targets, the two Rothschild Tamers now having reached their enemy, their close quarters battle starts.

It would be during their strikes, that Ludwig would call out to his sister once more.

"Look at me, face me in earnest Lara. Or the ally you came here to save will experience a world of pain. Only you have the power to stop this."

The star-like shards came flying down to meet their frozen target, homing in on the enemy that could do nothing to defend himself.

Wise Up!

Custom Spell: Peace of Mind
Rank: C
Element: Almighty

One of the strongest offensive spells in Ludwig’s arsenal, Ludwig channels power from any source, be it latent magic on the battlefield, his own ESPer abilities, his COMP’s magical prowess, or anything else he can use, and forms it into two spheres, one in each of his hands.

The individual orbs can be fired relatively quickly, useful in tight do or die situations, and will deal considerable damage to anyone unfortunate enough to be hit by it. However, it isn’t the true application of the spell. The two orbs can be forced together, breaking off into dozens of smaller shards, hanging stationary, forming a weblike network of electricity and providing a faint blue light. The visage is reminiscent of a small galaxy, anyone that is distracted by such a phenomena could be surprised when the individual star-like shards fly in. Thanks to Ludwig’s Blue of Soul trait, instead of these shards raining down over an area, the shards have gained the ability to hone in on their target.


COMP Heat: 6/10 (Almighty Spells is double the Heat cost)

Harmonizer Field: Restoration Field
Adds a small amount of regeneration to the User as well as other allies in the field’s radius. A very straightforward auto effect that may well reverse the tide of battle, combined with Ludwig’s ESPer regenerative ability, the effect is reinforced for him as long as this field is active. The timing of when to use this field is perhaps the trickiest part of this skill.

[hero]

Amamiya Sho
Combat Simulator - Old Combat School
Monday - Morning


"Is that so...?"

Nothing but the truth comes out of Takigawa's mouth. He deploys an array of insults in record time and uses them to attack my pride relentlessly. And indeed, a few of them cause something to stirr within me. Not too long ago, I also was an emotional youth and things like looking down on my weapon, my friends, my family, even myself, would get on my nerves, and it would be a lie to say I never got involved in fights I had no chance of winning just for the sake of defending my beliefs. Even now, I still haven't fully overcome the emotions that emerge when someone talks to me like that. And yet, the only thing that Yoshino's words appear to invoke is the wide grin of a devil.

"If you eager to fight, then by all means, do your worst."

I feel no sympathy for the person in front of me. The least thing I need is to apologize for something I am not responsible for. So what if his parents are in a coma? At least he can go and talk to them whenever he wants, he knows where they are. He shouldn't come to me crying just because his life turned out to be more difficult than he expected. I have enough problems of my own already.

"Tch!"

I effortlessly repel one of his familiars' swings, using it to vent some of my frustration.

I open my mouth, but instead of talking, I take one deep breath.

Hmmm... Given his stance and demeanor, it doesn't look like my opponent is waiting for an opening to strike, rather, it feels like he's just waiting for me to become exhausted, so he can overwhelm me with numbers. If I had to guess, I'd say his familiars are flexible in the sense that they can be used for attack and defense, so it wouldn't be outrageous to think its goal is to get its foes tired by forcing them to make wasted efforts. If that's the case, it would make for a perfect tool against someone who is in a rush, because they'd be more prone to make mistakes. It's unfortunate though, while its true that my friends got kidnapped and there are other fights going on that need to be won in order to solve this whole matter, I'm not worried in the slightest about them. Call it blind hope or extreme self-awareness, but I'll be happy if I can stall this guy for a while as Nadia and the others get stuff done.

"Is that all...?" I calmly parry one lunge after another. Even when I get hit, its nothing that can affect the final outcome. "I can do this all day, you know?"

Yes, if this is a battle of attrition, then I don't know about winning, but I am definitely not going to lose if he does not up his game. There must be more to his fighting style, so if anything, I'll force him to show me most of his hand.


------




For Kyp, the sphere turns out to be what humans would call a 'strong drink': Intoxicating, extremely cold, but ultimately satisfying. In the end, the slime is unable to react to the events that follow after its unexpected meal, simply because the parties involved have a 'much higher level' than it has. As a slime, some of its movements might be hard to predict and surprisingly fast, but at its core, its not a summon that can hold its on in a prolonged melee fight. It might be that Nadia's barrage is not just well-timed but also well-placed that it allows it to avoid being thrown away by a stray fist, but it wouldn't be surprising if the cause turned out to be sheer luck.

By the time Kyp comes back to its senses, its position has shifted. Having lost its grip on Nadia, it now rests on the shoulder of the female demon. To the slime, this doesn't seem to be a problem, although a nagging thought inside its tiny head cause it to become somewhat uneasy of its current situation. You see, it wasn't born to be airborne, it knew that much, so as much as it enjoyed being thrown by its master, free fall is a completely different matter. Even when the opponent Nadia is against makes an effort to halt its fall, Kyp can't help but desire to be elsewhere, most likely on solid ground. Naturally, it still hasn't even registered the pool below.

As the tables are turned once more and Nadia begins her counter-attack, Kyp easily loses its former composure and quickly attempts to retreat. One thing were Nadia's punches and another were the bullets her COMP and vehicle could fire. But before the slime can hide by clinging to the back of the demon or perhaps make a leap of faith, it is caught by her and firmly placed under its arm, alongside its pal and food rival, Jack Frost.

Jack Frost is a demon that can speak both human language and the demon tongue. It's... Unlikely that Kyp understands a word of what the snowman is trying to say either way, but it can understand its intent somewhat. And in that sense, it must agree, it's getting way too packed and the slime does not enjoy it. One of them is going to have to leave the safety of being under the demon's 'wings', and being rather selfish in that regard, at least until the rain of bullets ends, it rather kick its rival out instead of accepting exile itself-!

Using it's slightly frozen form, the slime does as told and with a few simple movements, the job is completed in a natural manner.

[Tobias]

Raz Stone
Forest, Treetops
Monday - Morning


There was more to being an idol then just singing and dancing. For every second in front of one's adoring fans, hours of preparation was involved. Writing music, practicing stagecraft. Producing one's brand. Raz's caffiene addiction probably had a lot to do with many a night practicing song and magic, building himself of into something that could be an "idol" Such efforts naturally required diplomatic training. He had to be able to handle hard hitting interviews and paparazzi as both a knight and as a musician, as a result, there were probably few quicker and more capable of reacting to verbal sparring.

However...Raz was only human. And sometimes despite everything, all the training, all the practice, all the cunningly prepared witty repartee devised over dozens of nights at the writing desk, sometimes somebody will catch you so off guard that you just blurted out your honest feelings.

"...Huh. Kind of a shame you went with a life of crime mate. If you had just shown up like that earlier with a camera and a bottle of oil, we could have spent 10 minutes making out and been rich beyond our wildest dreams!"

Raz's stage presence and self awareness caught back up to him before he could take that train of thought even further wherein he would have noted he was pretty sure you could fine such images already on new age otome road.

Preparing to investigate the new daisy.

No you aren't. ...Also doesn't Daisy mean guy who looks like a chick?

Yup. It does.

...

So what did you want me to do?

Interface with the stage. Harden our systems and keep him out. I can only come up with two reasons for him to look like that

Long lost twin?

...Dammit. Three reasons. Reason one is just to screw with my head. A lot of work just to troll me, but whatever, no big deal. The second is as insurance. If folks cant tell the difference between us in a fight...

Then he gets a chance to shake things up, maybe escape in the confusion or get a few free shots in. But whatever illusion he is using...Ah, not bad flatfoot. He cant control the stage unless he hacks it.

Now then...

There was one thing that had to be addressed, even more so then his newfound doppelganger.

With a giant flicker, one of the stage lights flickered and settled over Raz, who stood with his microphone pointing at the stage's newest occupant.

"Ryan, baby, I wanna tease you for suddenly trying to be the guy but the brother showing off for his sister look is great. I love it."

...Raz drew himself up, an obvious smirk peeling his teeth back. ...He had enjoyed his fight with the Matador. But the primary job of a Bard was to provide strength, willpower, surety, confidence. Ryan already was under the benefit of multiple magical supports because Raz had been throwing them around.

...In truth, he had been doing that for a completely different reason, but there was no reason not to utilize that now.

"Ryan, you wanna take the stage? You wanna show off to the little sister? Know what that makes you to me? You're a Rock star!

At the telltale creation of songcraft, two things became quite clear. One, when the lights of the stage began to swirl and alight on the suddenly pugilistic brown haired boy, That Raz was using a unique spellcraft of his own creation.

And secondly...songcraft was a bit of a cheat. Because the second spell utilized by Raz in that moment, white light flaring throughout the area, was Diarama.

The Dia spell line was a sword with two edges. Magic could be used to return a warrior to battle. At its most powerful variants, were the two powers known as Diaharan and Mediaharan. Using either overheated the COMP and therefor caused a significant detriment. Diaharan was a spell of such potency that it could return a warrior to fighting trim even if he had been a second from death. Mediaharan instead was a spell that could give an entire team a second wind. One had to choose between the two generally. However this led to a question parts of Raz's spellwork raised.

Why choose at all! Baby, you just gotta believe!

NGhhhh...systems going hay wire...!

I know. But the kid needs it. So do the others. hell, so do I.

Even though Raz's regeneration was (finally) working, it would take significant time to repair a significant amount of incidental trauma.

...Besides, if he was going to heal Ryan and the others anyway...might as well get himself too.

It probably said a lot....a hell of a lot...that when Raz began throwing magic around...buff spells, heals to Ryan, the squires, even Matador...for the first time in the fight, he left someone else out.

When he declined to provide support magic to the new opponent...well. Perhaps underneath his cheery demeanor, he was pretty pissed about someone trying to shoot him in the back.


COMP action: Fortify System
Heat usage: 6:8

Wise up!

Spells utilized:
Encore
Diarama
Song of battle
Back up Dancer

...Information on Back up Dancer has been gained!

Back up dancer

Rank D

A selfless cadence that can be added to the song of battle, with a dance move, that player gains unique buff (Spot Light) which is a visual manifestation of the microphone linking to the allied comp and activating a sub-routine that allows for higher level computations to be realized without extreme penalty. In effect, the target of Spot Light will be able to use a single high level ability without reducing maximum heat. There is some limitation in that this buff is obvious to be seen and cannot under any circumstances affect more than one player at a time due to the computational requirements of linking COMP systems, but used wisely this can create a truly devastating combination battle beat.

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
Rose Cross ~ Command Chambers
Monday – Morning

I make my journey towards the medical ward, alone. Catherine decided to stay behind- no doubt she was currently questioning the Vice Director about all sorts of specifics and details. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but it’s not really for me- I wouldn’t say I don’t have any interest, but it doesn’t seem like information that’s essential for me to have. Either way, knowing or unknowing, what I’ll do will be the same, and thus there’s no need to overthink the details… Catherine has her way or doing things, and I have mine.

It’s not a problem. I’m not some lost child who needs to have someone guide them around.

Especially not for this. The journey to the medical ward is one I’m familiar with- an unordinary, uneventful walk…

…or at least, it is supposed to be.

"Ah, is that you Eva?"

Startled at this strange encounter, I respond.

“Yes…”

I’m not really sure what to make of this situation, and it seeps into my voice. Were this under more ordinary circumstances, I would have given a more polite greeting- Issac is a person who deserves some respect, in my opinion, for his conduct is perfect and certainly something worth striving for. But a good day hardly seems appropriate right now, seeing as it must be anything but for the person lying on the floor.

Just what happened here…?

"I found Ms. Fairchild here unconscious a moment ago. You wouldn't happen to have heard any sort of struggle happening around here, would you? I can't see any obvious wounds, but it never hurts to be careful."

I shake my head.

“I haven’t heard anything of the sort. However, I’ve just arrived as well, so it’s possible that I missed it...”

Even though I voice it, the idea seems pretty doubtful to me. Ms. Fairchild is a spirit tamer after all, and given the pristine condition of the room and the lack of any apparent injuries, it’s an unlikely hypothesis. But unfortunately, I don’t have any alternative insights to share in this situation. Seeing as Issac doesn’t seem to either, the question of what happened seems like it will have to wait until the person in question wakes up.

In any case, the next most urgent thing to do is…

“Well, regardless of whether it was assault or simply exhaustion, getting her some medical attention would be best.”

Thankfully, we’re already in the hospital. It shouldn’t be hard to find.

“I can carry her, if you’d like. Or would you rather do that yourself?”

I leave the decision up to him.

[Airen]

Cosmos "Fairchild"
??????

"Why?"

An amused voice that's accompanied by a single comforting hand resting on your head.

"Well, it is only natural for me to find joy in my disciples growth and happiness. While I am stuck here for now, my release in the future is inevitable, therefore, I am content with my current existence."

Infinite patience.

Once again coming across as someone who has already crossed the line towards enlightenment, the man just states his motivations with a smile that you cannot see, but that carries on his voice like music carries on the wind...

It's a motive that comes across as completely selfless, the long-winded equivalent of him saying that your happiness was also his happiness, your joy was his joy, the pride of a teacher that wants to watch a student excel, but...

There's also a twinge of unease at those words, a twinge that is covered up by 'yourself for the most part, but one that exists nonetheless; it is not like you think that he's lying, no, you are pretty sure he hasn't lied a single time since you've arrived, but there was something about his words that bothered you in a way you couldn't quite discern, like an itch whose source you simply couldn't identify...

Still, it's a fleeting feeling, one that's followed up by:

"Regardless, I believe that is all the time you and I will have today. Someone is trying to wake you up it seems."

The transformation of the world into a foggy haze, as details fade from existence, the light colors turn dark and-

----

Eva Ellet & Cosmos "Fairchild"
Medical Ward ~ Hallways
Monday – Morning

"I appreciate the offer. Ordinarily I would simply carry her myself, but in this case it might be better if you do it... Prior experience has told me that Ms. Fairchild isn't very fond of me I'm afraid, so she might not take kindly to that sort of action from me."

Ultimately, while he had asked your opinion of the situation, it seems that the both of you had come to the same general conclusion about the situation; even a weak Spirit Tamer doesn't go down easily, there would definitely be signs of a struggle if Cosmos had been assaulted by someone, which made that particular conclusion unlikely; not only that, you're in the city that serves as the Rose Cross's seat of power, the idea of someone being assaulted within the confines of the main base undetected was more or less impossible...

Much more likely was a simple case of exhaustion... That sort of thing wasn't exactly uncommon for Spirit Tamers, after all, the nature of the job was such that it attracted passionate heroic types to it, the sort of people that would give everything they had and then some in order to maintain the "world peace" inherent to the newfound Magic Age...

Passing out from pushing a bit too hard happened enough that the nurse tended to get upset about it, still, moving forward to make good on your offer, you are nevertheless a bit too slow, as in that instant...

"Ah, never mind... Seems she is already waking up on her own... How are you feeling Ms. Fairchild? Are you alright?"

Cosmos opens her eyes, mind and body taking a moment to readjust to the "real world" rather than that distracting "Dream."

Her body feels fine of course, but...

With two people kneeling over her, and her body being specifically supported by the arms of a certain golden-haired Ace, well...

[Airen]

Mokujima Chris
Aoyama, Starlight Aquarium
Monday - Afternoon

"..."

For a moment, there is nothing but silence as the dark-haired girl processes all of your words.

Of course, she had giggled and nudged your shoulder with her elbow a few times during the picture sharing session, but the sudden shift from a light-hearted conversation to one that skirts the boundaries of a certain dark past is one that has the girl withdraw back into herself for a moment, and indeed...

It is that sudden shift towards silence that really makes you realize exactly how much more sociable she had been with you up till now, shared stories of the past had indicated she had a certain fear of people, of busy places, but there had been none of that in her demeanor up until now, or rather, even the fact that she had set a public locale as the 'meeting place' indicated a certain increase in her confidence, and...

"I'm doing better."

...With the same mischievous smile, that girl seems to overcome her own introverted nature once more-!

"I found a Master of my own over there, not a Tamer, but someone who can make dreams come true~"

Her words are both enlightening and vague, an answer that manages to raise a number of other questions in it's passing...

"So there's no need to worry about me... Really, I'm more worried about you."

And...

"Are you doing well now? Forget about me for a second... Are you fine with how your life is right now?"

Wide eyes.

Leaning in a bit closer to you, unblinking, with gradient eyes that are just as unsettling as they are hypnotizing...

That girl reflects your own question back at you, and for some reason...

It holds a surprising weight.

As if the answer itself... Was something she was very interested in...

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
Medical Ward ~ Hallways
Monday – Morning

While it took Cosmos a few moments to adjust herself from the dream world to reality, the moment she realized that not only had she collapsed on the hospital's floor, but that the one holding her right now is none other than Isaac...

Her body had moved on its own before her mind could catch up, and in but a second Cosmos had launched herself away from the arms of the golden-haired Ace of Rose Cross, her breathing ragged while her eyes widened in a hint of fear and realization as her mind connect the dots between dream and reality. Then she realized what she had done, the question that Isaac had asked, and that there is one more Tamer - one with white hair and red eyes - watching her...

Cosmos realized she had done something she should never had done in public.

"I-I'm sorry-!" She quickly said while standing up before bowing. "I - my body moved before I could tell what is happening and I am quite alright... Thank you for your concern and for taking care of me when I was unconscious, Mister Isaac and Miss..." Cosmos stuttered - which she seems to do a lot today - and when she realized she didn't know the girl's name, she silently cursed her panicked state before bowing once again in apology to the girl.

She screwed up. Ten years of maintaining her image as to not blemish her mother's name, and she had potentially ruined it just because she wakes up in Isaac's arms. If rumors starts circulating around that she's seemingly hostile to Isaac, then people will assume that Mary might have a problem with the Ace of the organization, and if that happens...

Cosmos could felt her eyes starts watering, but held the tears back; she'll cry and apologize to her mother later, if worst come to worst. For now, she should maintain her composure and try to minimize the damage, and thankfully it seems that no one else but these two are present in the hallway at the moment... Isaac is not the type of person to spread rumors, so as long as she could convince the girl that it was nothing more than a knee-jerk reaction of being suddenly awake...

Cosmos prayed that God would help her and made all those fears just that, and not a reality.

"I... My reaction just now was unbecoming of a Rose Cross spirit tamer." Cosmos began, blinking what little tears she had in her eyes away before straightening up, taking her hat off, and bowing again after looking at both in the eyes. "Please forgive me for showing such a shameful display." She finished.

Normally, Cosmos would never act like this, even in a panicked state.

But that twinge of unease that she felt in the corner of her heart during the last moment of her dream was magnified tenfold when she had laid her eyes on Isaac, and realization had struck her like a thunderbolt; after all, while the man in her dream was closer in nature to Mary rather than Isaac, both men shared something: that of being seemingly 'perfect.' Seeing Isaac immediately after her initial confusion over her feeling of unease towards the man in her dream gave her an idea why she felt so, namely because Cosmos only felt paranoid and uneasy to people who are very devoted and perfect, with the only exception being Mary and Alisa.

But Cosmos tried to ignore it, at least for now. The dream was something that she'd need to process for a while, and adding her paranoia on top of the already confusing dream will make matters worse; it was all baseless conjecture after all, just like how her suspicion of Isaac was purely based on a single encounter with someone else and the feeling of unease that she felt whenever she does interact with him, even if logically she could not point out any fault from the man.

Yes, she should shelve the thought for now and focus more on what's currently going on.

After all, if her fears were true, then...

It would be the same as doubting Mary like she doubts Isaac, and that is a line of thought that she would never want to approach.

[Airen]

Logan Starbright & Ludwig
SLEIPNIR ~ Flight Deck (South)
Monday ~ Morning

+10 Will

A fearless charge.

Where the opponent summons up seemingly limitless spiritual power, the response of two of her opponents is a dazzling charge straight for her position. It's an action that lacks hesitation, years of activity as a Spirit Tamer giving birth to a resolve that conquers the unease of opposing this radiant opponent, and indeed, when faced with such a courageous charge, one that seems to believe entirely in their own victory...

"..."

The woman's lips twitch upwards, suppressing a smile that her brother is nevertheless able to see from where he stands.

---It's not an arrogant smile.

If anything, it's a proud smile, one that looks fondly upon the guardians of the New World even as she raises her fists in preparation to crush all three of them. It's a bit of an odd reaction, something that seems almost hypocritical, a smile that almost seems like it would be inviting it's own defeat, even as the power generated by her soul roars in protective defiance of her ally, yes...

Humans are odd like that, it's perfectly possible for her to feel proud of her opponents and what they represent, even as she sincerely intends to crush all three of them completely.

---But as quickly as that prides appears, she pushes it aside, a cool gaze appearing amidst the azure flames of her spirit power's aura. In terms of combat thought she is similar to her brother, analytical to a fault, knowing that she cannot afford to step aside in this moment or risk losing her ally, she takes the time she would have otherwise spent on positioning in order to more carefully analyze her opponents before they reach her... The reality that appears in front of her eyes is that they have already managed to negate her Eclipse through dual layers of Harmonizer-based regeneration, if that's the case...

There is no use in her using that ability any more, so she changes it out.

That is the nature of her artificial Eclipse, and the answer that her mind presents her with; while she had been artificially granted access to most of the 'powers' the heroes from over a decade ago had used in their final battles, the potency of those abilities was not the same, and thus she had to rely more on her diversity than anything else... She was no fool, if her opponents went out of their way to negate one power, she would simply use something else-!

That's right...

"...Come on then-!"

It doesn't matter how many opponents there are, even if only for the sake of her own pride as a Tamer, her resolve won't weaken-!

---The first to reach her is Astra.

Used to training alongside Logan, there is a certain natural synchronicity to their movements that is somewhat uncommon for Rothschild Tamers; in comparison to her ally who uses a spear, Astra herself takes after her adopted mother when it comes to melee combat, charging into the battle through an explosion of Reiki, her fist blazing a vivid blue as she coats it in her own spiritual power, aiming for her opponent's Solar Plexus, in that same moment, a spear emerges from what is judged as her most likely blind spot, a series of supersonic strikes that leave no sensible method of evasion, and yet-

"I see. That's how you're fighting so well..."

"I think I'll borrow it."

-forcing herself past common sense, what should have been at least a single direct attack instead becomes two glancing blows as she parries them with nothing more than her fists, gashes that are already beginning to heal emerging on her hands and splattering the silver hull of the ship with flecks of crimson as the young woman jerks her head just far enough to the side to avoid the sudden blast of lightning that erupts from Logan's palm.

---In comparison to her previous moves, this one looked more like premonition than reflex, and-

Suddenly, Eye of Fate's premonitions become bizarre.

Ultimately, it is something more akin to deep analysis than true precognition; judging the most likely actions an opponent would take and building the probable future based on all the outcomes, but now, in this instant...

Her 'data' becomes distorted, or to put it another way...

The instant the "Eye of the Fates" spell determines the action she'll take, she somehow becomes aware of it and 'fixes' her movements, consequently changing the prediction, and becoming an unending loop of prediction and revision that leaves her existence a blur at the heart of your enhanced vision, reducing the time you are able to see her from the next five seconds to merely 'one second before'...

Even so...

Even if she is using a precognition ability of her own, all that means is that you have to surpass these new limits. If all you get is a single second before she attacks, then you just have to defeat her in that single second, that is the logic a Tamer must follow, moving ever forward, finding a way to win no matter what, but-!

---It's a painful process.

A fist slams into your shoulder, cracking a bone as you allow yourself to roll away with the blow to keep her from stomping on your prone body with all of her strength; having somehow found a way to weaken the power of your precognition, it is only the fact that it is two on one that enables you to slip any hits in on her in this first exchange... Defensively she was almost perfect, her fists always seemed to zoom in on your weak points, and defending against her attacks didn't seem to slow her down at all, on the contrary, each swing of her fist seemed perfectly designed to gather momentum to make her next attack stronger, and while you have managed to hit her at least six times between the two of you, her regeneration is off the charts...

Gashes fade away mere seconds after she receives them, as do burns and broken bones... Anna had said that Eclipse Users were hard to critically damage, but to have her power through all your attacks so far without flinching, it's abnormal... Even if she's healing from it in a handful of seconds, receiving the wound should make her flinch a bit at the very least, but she powers through it all like someone possessed, to the point where you wonder if she can actually feel pain at all, or is simply one of those Tamers that can endure hell without flinching...

Either way, it's a tactic that has her striking you just as many times as her; your own regeneration -while existent- wasn't quite as good as hers, what she was recovering from in seconds would take you a bit more than a minute to replicate, and her blows were so heavy that every direct hit was a coin flip on whether or not the bones at the impact site would be able to withstand it without splintering...

---If it turns into a simple slug-fest, the two of you will probably lose. Your skills were similar, but she just healed too fast for you to really bridge the gap and put her down before she did the same to you; in that regard, it might be for the best to employ a different sort of magic or tactic to tip the scales back in your favor, but-

"...!"

Before you can, another 'factor' finally seems to push Lara onto her back foot, namely...

The sudden storm of magical power that has erupted from her younger brother's body.

---It's the expression that sells her understanding of what she sees, the usual stoic face becoming one of light shock as she finally turns her gaze from her two close-range opponents to acknowledge the one that had stood behind, and-

By the time she notices it, it seems like it's too late.

A calm voice -stronger than she remembers- and then scattering starlight, light that targets her ally rather than her own self.

---In many ways, her ally was the obvious weak-point. Since she had to fight in a certain way in order to protect him, her behavior could probably be manipulated somewhat with a bit of creativity, and in this instance...

The younger brother has forced his older sister to respond.

While defending against Almighty Magic might just be possible through use of the Eclipse, she would not be able to shift to the necessary ability in time, not just because of her inexperience with the power, but because she is so 'surprised by Ludwig's ability to manifest that sort of power at all, yes...

She recognizes it when she sees it.

While Almighty Magic is rare, you never really forget the feeling of it after being on the receiving end of it. Traditional barriers won't do anything in the face of this starlit fragments, and while she might just be able to grab ahold of Astra or Logan and use them as a body shield if she is quick, Logan catches onto this particular plan a heartbeat before she executes it, and leaps back with Astra in tow, Lara's pursuit halted by the rain that zones in on her ally a moment later.

"..."

Unable to do anything else, the woman makes what is often a natural decision for a hero. She accepts that she has been caught off guard, that she will not be able to employ her more 'conceptual abilities to defend against the storm in time, and thus chooses the only option that remains to her, namely...

She puts her body in the way, arms extended to take as much of the spell as she could with her own body rather than allowing her friend to be harmed in his unconscious state.

She doesn't say anything, she doesn't scream or curse.

No.

Moments before she is overwhelmed by raining light, her eyes simply meet with Ludwig's for a moment.

Just like before...

A small smirk, a proud smile... And then..

"...Heh, not bad."

...An impossible resolve.

---In the aftermath of the detonation, azure light and smoke hides the fate of your opponent.

With the surge of power leaving Ludwig's COMP damaged in it's wake, the three of you take the time out from combat to recover, the scratches and gashes you had received over the course of the battle itching as the bounded field does it's best in stitching you back together... The bones are slower to realign, being relatively more serious injuries, but Tamers are those that can fight even with absurd wounds, so pushing yourself a bit more isn't that big a deal, but...

Having taken the entirety of that attack head on...

You don't expect your opponent to appear again, at least not in an operable condition, but nevertheless, doing absolutely nothing to defend her own body from an Almighty Spell in exchange for protecting her ally, the woman that was already straining herself to the max by maintaining her Eclipse is...

"Hah...Hah... Ha..."

Standing there, still conscious, countless holes, cuts and burns present on her body as she slowly lowers her arms, muscles twitching involuntarily from the damage as her body slowly begins to heal again...

---While exhaustion is beginning to creep up on you as well, it's not so much that you can't keep fighting. Even in the Eclipse State, if her body was that torn up, this was almost certainly the opening you were looking for to win the battle if you moved quickly, but even as you think to step forward to do so-

"Agents come in, this is Star II. I've detected a subtle abnormality in all of your statuses. I can't determine it's exact nature yet, but it looks like you've been cursed with something, likely from touching her, I'm analyzing it now."

-words that threaten to stop you in place appear...

A curse...?

You feel fine -considering the circumstances anyway- but she had apparently got you with some sort of spell...?

If none of you had noticed it, it must be something that avoids more basic COMP scans, but at the same time you've fought up until now just fine, but traps and curses were also the sort that struck when the target was most vulnerable or under certain conditions, or it could be something that was designed to simply scare you, either way...

Body torn up, but threatening to return to normal in just another thirty seconds or so...

A sudden choice has to be made.

Wise-Up (Anna Assisted)

Name: Lara Karlfeldt
Gender: Female
Class: Spirit Tamer/ESPer (Eclipse Diver)
Weapon: Fists, Mind, ???

Stats

STR: A
VIT: A
AGI: A
SEN: A
RES: A

Special Traits

-Battle Beat-
-Second Generation ESPer-
-Catalyst Circuit (Stealth Cast)-

Eclipse Ability

-Old Gates-
Able to use the "Eclipse Abilities" of previous Eclipse Divers. Power of the abilities is reduced however, due to it being forced into her through outside means rather than her developing it naturally on her own. So far, has shown:

-The ability to convert the physical bodies of opponents in a certain range into shadows. (Jacques Dussault)

-Chain of Hearts: An Eclipse Power that enables one to connect their 'soul' to that of another person or group of people, powers and spell effects can be shared through this connection, whether the target is willing or not. If the target is unwilling, physical contact is required before it can be used on them; due to it being weaker in Lara's hands, she can only link herself with one other person at a time. Used to gain the effects of "Eye of Fates" without personally owning the spell formula for it's use.

Other Actions

Eclipse: Activate the Eclipse Diver State, can only be done under certain conditions; typically, when one is in some form of "Critical Condition." Increase physical abilities by a certain amount, and enable the use of Eclipse Ability and Spirit Commands. Considered to be an enhanced form of "Awakening."

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Akarana Estate ~ Laboratory
Monday - Afternoon/Evening

It’s strange. Though those words clearly contain Lloyd’s will, a relic of something admirable from that man’s unflattering moral conduct, it doesn’t feel like him. More akin to a machine programmed with the barest orders, a facsimile of the real thing. It leaves a sour taste in my mouth. To give up everything, yet never truly benefit… that’s unfortunate.

And what’s unfortunate for Tsukiko and I is that this thing is the pinnacle of brute force. Reflexively I assist her shield with my own, hoping it blocks out the impact, but this is not the sort of scenario either of us would like. In my case, overwhelming speed is not the same as overwhelming force, and for her, she’s always preferred a far more convoluted approach.

Then again… that previous slash might be a sign things have changed far more drastically than I can remember.

Tsukiko’s forward positioning makes the next set of plans more awkward. My heart screams out in protest, but it’s merely logical she tries to protect someone that is already injured to my extent. Still, Aster and I only shine with the advance. If I can’t push forward, I think I’m somewhat useless…

Even so—

If there isn’t an opportunity to move forward, I’ll force one out!

“Agidyne!”

---

Heat: 6/10
Spells used: Aura Shield (3), Agidyne (3)

[Zurvan]

A small smirk, a proud smile... And then..

"...Heh, not bad."

Having taken the entirety of that attack head on...

You don't expect your opponent to appear again, at least not in an operable condition, but nevertheless, doing absolutely nothing to defend her own body from an Almighty Spell in exchange for protecting her ally, the woman that was already straining herself to the max by maintaining her Eclipse is...

"Hah...Hah... Ha..."

Standing there, still conscious, countless holes, cuts and burns present on her body as she slowly lowers her arms, muscles twitching involuntarily from the damage as her body slowly begins to heal again...

A sudden choice has to be made.

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR ~ Flight Deck (South)
Monday ~ Morning

There Lara stood, amidst the carnage created mere moments ago, ready to defend herself and her ally for the next round. Hurt, battered and probably broken in multiple places, yet her resolve stands strong.

Still, things weren't looking good for her, her three opponents were in far better condition than she was. Unless she could turn the tables, she'd only lose more.

Are you okay, Lud?

I should be the one asking you, I'm sorry for needing to use that spell.

Huuh, did she hit you on the head or something, I'm not the one who just went through that exchange, are you really okay after what just happened?

It's simply the result of her conduct, failing to finish off her opponent, turning her back on him and once she started facing me properly it was too late.

Your unchanging calmness really makes me worried for you in times like these.

Appreciated, but unlike you I'm not hurt, how is the damage?

It's the usual, though I doubt I'll ever get fully used to it. You won't be able to use that spell anymore of course. So what's the plan now?

A cornered opponent is far more dangerous, and her insane regeneration is most troublesome.

"Agents come in, this is Star II. I've detected a subtle abnormality in all of your statuses. I can't determine it's exact nature yet, but it looks like you've been cursed with something, likely from touching her, I'm analyzing it now."

...

...Oh she is good. No wonder we look so alike.

Most troublesome indeed, every bit as tenacious as I remember. Anything you can find out?

Doubtful, I would've noticed by now if it was placed on you when you last had physical contact, but I can try.

For now, fortify the system and be on your guard.

"Anna, I'll need you to switch over to supporting fire."

You're going to gun her down?!

I sincerely hope it won't come to that. I don't want to lose her, not again.

Ludwig moved forward, placing himself ahead of the two other Rothschild Tamers. Facing his sister once again, but this time circumstances were quite different from their first clash. They have both grown in each other's absence, to what extent is unknown yet the results were evident. She was always ahead of him in both ability and physique, even now. Yet, the current situation was a new development. Ludwig had shown his growth, and she had praised him for it.

Still it would seem she had some tricks up her sleeve left, something described as an anomaly, or a 'curse' of sorts.

Whether this 'curse' is the miracle that allows Lara to turn the tables or a final desperate crutch to stand on, will be revealed soon enough.

The siblings watch each other with their usual stoic eyes. As they do, a message is delivered and heard in the minds of the Rothschild Tamers behind Ludwig.

Logan, I'll give you command over when Anna is allowed to fire. Otherwise both of you don't interfere unless you have to.

The staring match continues, but the silence is broken as Ludwig begins to speak.

"It's time to face reality Lara. You cannot win, no matter how powerful your resolve. Your wounds are too severe, and you're in no condition to protect yourself and your fallen comrade. To not even mention that once your Eclipse power wears off, neither of you two stands a chance. And if you think this anomaly will turn the tide, then let me help you out of that fantasy. We're Rothschild Tamers, the best of the best, existences capable of overcoming any obstacle, and we will overcome that as well."

There's no deception in his words, he sincerely believes everything he's saying.

"-----But, this doesn't need to end in defeat. Throughout my youth you've taught me kindness, so consider this a return of those times.
I won't suggest you surrender, I know you'll never agree to that. So instead I'll offer you a trade. You'll give up this fight and be captured, and we'll spare your frozen friend and let him go."

There's no guarantee that Logan or Astra or anyone else on this ship agrees with such a proposal, but nevertheless he makes it. His sister would never willingly give up, just like he wouldn't. However both are rational and analytical, changing a surrender to a trade increases the chances she'll agree if it saves her comrade. But more importantly, after having dealt a blow of Almighty Magic to her, reliving what separated them in the first place and seeing her in this state----

"You have 5 seconds. After that, well, these two are endurance fighters, but they'll fight you fairly and straight on. I won't be so friendly, so your best bet is to take me out."

----makes Ludwig realize he doesn't want to hurt her even more.

"The choice is yours."




Current Will: 20
COMP Heat: 6/10
COMP Action: Fortify System

[Bloble]

Mokujima Chris
Aoyama, Starlight Aquarium
Monday - Afternoon

"Are you doing well now? Forget about me for a second... Are you fine with how your life is right now?"

Mokujima Chris blinks.

She should have expected this. After all, she asked something quite the same just moments ago. However, when the lens is turned towards her, she finds herself suddenly without words. It's not an unfamiliar feeling, to not be able to say anything, and yet, here and now, it's more irritating than usual. It's not that she's afraid to answer her friend's question; rather, she herself has never considered it. There is no answer.

"Hm."

Chris furrows her brows. She tilts her head to the side and ponders for a moment. She takes a bit of a flaky pastry, chews, swallows. She lets her eyes drift and follows a jellyfish until it slowly floats out of view.

Bit by bit, she weighs the pros and cons of her life and assembles something resembling an answer. Meeting Sakurako's serious gaze head-on, she replies:

"Seven out of ten. Eight, since you're back. Whereas before... maybe a five. At best."

She is a bit disappointed by her own words. This is a reunion with a dear friend! She should be saying something dramatic, life-affirming! And yet, instead, she has boiled down her life to a simple numerical score. What she wants, what she has, and what she can do.

"It's... it's not that bad, leaving home. Scary, but worth it. I'm... I'm good at something now, Sakurako. Something that isn't just video games. And I like doing it. I like feeling like... like I'm actually giving something back to the world, making it a little better. And there are people here that are nice and interesting to talk to sometimes, that care about each other. I don't get as much free time anymore, but it's not that bad. You saw it, right? I even ended up doing that, y'know, 'socializing' thing today. Mostly by accident."

Chris raises her hand, slowly, hesitantly, and puts it on her friend's shoulder. It may just be the first time she has ever been so close to Sakurako.

"So, um. Thanks. If you hadn't done what you did, I might've been stuck in that room, still."

Her hard gaze softens.

"But, um, that doesn't mean I'm not still a little mad at you for vanishing like that... and you found a Master, too? Geeze, that's even worse! What happened to both of us being rotten undesirables together!? I mean, I haven't even been able to find someone like that yet!"

It seems that, somewhere along the line, her train of thought made a turn onto the wrong path. While dwelling on Sakurako's vague words earlier should have led to one conclusion, Mokujima Chris, who has been on the internet for far too long, has clearly taken another. Her cheeks redden and she averts her gaze.

"I didn't think that was the sort of thing you were into..."

[Airen]

Mokujima Chris
Aoyama, Starlight Aquarium
Monday - Afternoon

"There are no undesirables when it comes to the Master, he accepts everyone as his students~!"

Excited words...

Ones that sound somewhat odd coming from your traditionally more gloomy friend, whose eyes light up when speaking of this vague individual; of course, the way her eyes light up doesn't do much to dispel the more romantic -or perhaps masochistic- conclusions you've managed to reach on your own, the dark-haired woman doesn't seem to realize the more twisted path your thoughts have taken, and seems to simply fan-girl excitedly to you, as if she couldn't help but share her opinions about this mysterious sensei of hers...

"He taught me how to surpass my previous self! He's a wonderful man, enlightened, kinda like a Buddha-!"

Does this count as girl talk?

It feels strange, speaking of it amongst darkness and jellyfish, but...

"I could introduce you, if you want? He could help you reach your dreams as well-! Although..."

A pause, and:

"Are you really still rotten and undesirable yourself? That demon girl out there with your COMP keeps glancing at you... You're being watched, you know?"

...Demon girl?

[Bloble]

Mokujima Chris
Aoyama, Starlight Aquarium
Monday - Afternoon

"Demon?"

Chris turns, blinks.

"Oh, Lexie? She's L_D_gheist_23, from WoU. And matzingaaa in JJBA Online. Remember that time we raided Gio's Mansion with just the three of us? She's the one that tanked the time stop for eight minutes straight." In hindsight, Chris still isn't sure how Lexie had managed such a feat. But then, some people were just that good at video games. "We bumped into each other after I joined the SDCD. Turns out she's a Tamer too. It was a bit shocking, but... there are all sorts here. And this morning sorta just... happened. It's a long story."

A long story beginning with a certain someone teleporting through Chris' bedroom window...

"Maybe neither of us was that rotten in the first place."

It's a strange sentence, especially to be said out loud. But Chris is able to say it now, after all that time, and even begin to believe in it.

Swiftly, though, her thoughts return to Sakurako's earlier words.

"I could introduce you, if you want? He could help you reach your dreams as well-! Although..."

"Eh? A Buddha?"

That isn't the answer Chris had been expecting, or rather, not the one she'd been hoping for. There's nothing wrong with religion, but this is different. The way Sakurako spoke of this Master is setting off alarm bells, even in the mind of someone as accepting of weird things as Chris. After all, she's seen too many news stories and documentaries about strange cult-like religious sects to not be somewhat wary. But saying so would be jumping to conclusions.

"My dream, huh? Hm... I don't know... if I even have something like that."

When you don't sleep, you don't dream. When your world is very, very small, your thoughts also become tiny. For the longest time, Mokujima Chris had nothing to aspire to. That's always been one key difference between her and Sakurako. But ever since becoming a Tamer, that world has expanded, little by little.

Even so, a dream? Something she wants, no matter what? Perhaps she'll be able to identify it one day. There are new feelings being born in her heart every day, every moment she interacts with people like Lexie and Shuichi. But at the moment, Chris' thoughts of the future are still vague, beyond concrete goals like re-establishing contact with lost friends, giving Daisuke the body he deserves, and protecting the world like a proper Spirit Tamer.

"Honestly, Sakurako, it sounds kinda sketchy."

She would never be able to say something so potentially insulting to anyone else. But this is perhaps the one person around whom Chris is not shy about expressing herself.

"But... the common sense of the normal world is overrated. If this 'Master' of yours helped you, then maybe he is a Buddha after all."

Chris nibbles on the corner of her last croissant, but her stomach is full.

"If you're willing to introduce me, I'll meet him. Just, um, don't expect much. I still can't talk like this around people besides you..."

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
SLEIPNIR ~ Flight Deck (South)
Monday ~ Morning

He ached. Even after putting everything he’d had in the one second afforded to him after she’d stolen his spell, even after he’d struck her again and again, his bones creaking and body screaming as she pummeled him-

Countless stars, shining in the morning sky before piercing through a once-indomitable opponent.

-he was still too weak.

At the moment though, Lara Karlfeldt was critically injured - and Logan could still move. There was no better time than now to finish he-

"Agents come in, this is Star II. I've detected a subtle abnormality in all of your statuses. I can't determine its exact nature yet, but it looks like you've been cursed with something, likely from touching her, I'm analyzing it now."

: What the hell? I’m not detecting anything!

: She pierced through my resistance? Ugh, she really is strong.

: I’ll scan you until I find this thing and squash it like a defrosted bell pepper!

: Don’t bother. Fortify yourself instead; if she landed it without either of us noticing than riding it out’s the best course of action.

: You’re just gonna take an unknown curse from an Eclipse User? Did she nail you in the head, dumbass?

: It’s not an automatic curse, otherwise we’d all be a lot worse off. Either it activates when she’s about to go down, in which case there’s nothing I can do, or she has to manually trigger it, in which case all I need to do is be faster than her.

: Logan, you only have a second over her, that’s not enough to guarantee anything!

: She’s healing right now. Ludwig can’t take her down like that again; she has to go down now. Besides, I’m healing the most out of us. I’m the one who can most afford to take the hit.

: ...Fine. I’m not going to crash from some curse, so don’t you dare go down, Logan.

Logan focused on Lara, preparing to strike when a cold voice cut through the air.

"Anna, I'll need you to switch over to supporting fire."

That was surprising. Certainly, supporting fire was an option, likely the most rational one given the unlikeliness of the curse being triggered by an outside party’s attack. But this was the SLEIPNIR. Even in the best of circumstances, withstanding an assault from it from beyond taxing. For Lara in her current condition, it should’ve been impossible. For Ludwig to request such an action, was he really-

“Logan, I'll give you command over when Anna is allowed to fire. Otherwise both of you don't interfere unless you have to.”

Ah.

: That bastard!

"It's time to face reality Lara. You cannot win, no matter how powerful your resolve. Your wounds are too severe, and you're in no condition to protect yourself and your fallen comrade. To not even mention that once your Eclipse power wears off, neither of you two stands a chance. And if you think this anomaly will turn the tide, then let me help you out of that fantasy. We're Rothschild Tamers, the best of the best, existences capable of overcoming any obstacle, and we will overcome that as well.

Gunboat diplomacy. It had worked multiple times before throughout history; Teddy Roosevelt was a famous proponent of it. But that was only while dealing with enemies willing to yield. Against an enemy with an unshakeable will whose position was improving by the moment, why would he expect it to work?

But, this doesn't need to end in defeat. Throughout my youth you've taught me kindness, so consider this a return of those times. I won't suggest you surrender, I know you'll never agree to that. So instead I'll offer you a trade. You'll give up this fight and be captured, and we'll spare your frozen friend and let him go."

A trade, then. That was what he’d come up with to tip the scales just far enough in her favor. That’s not acceptable. How can he guarantee either end of that agreement? There are too many variables.

: How dare he make you pull the trigger here! Let alone releasing 0°C over there and undoing all your hard work!

: It’s fine.
: I wasn’t strong enough to defeat her properly, so I’ll be as oily as it takes. Besides, I can’t expect a little brother to kill his big sister.

: ...

"You have 5 seconds. After that, well, these two are endurance fighters, but they'll fight you fairly and straight on. I won't be so friendly, so your best bet is to take me out. The choice is yours."

It was fine. He wasn’t a knight, he was a weakling. He never changed. So he’d be the scorpion. If she surrendered, he’d order her to power down lest he order support fire. If not, he’d make the order and knock her out with his fastest blow if she endured.

He’d order the shot after 4.4 seconds.

---

Heat: 5/10
Spells Used: Eye of the Fates, Phantasm Step
Comp Action: Fortify System

[Airen]

Logan Starbright & Ludwig
SLEIPNIR ~ Flight Deck (South)
Monday ~ Morning

Naturally she stands defiant.

While the existence of an unexpected curse had threatened to put a halt to the forward momentum possessed by your side, calm and logical thinking seems to win out in the end; the existence of an outside party enables you to attack without exposing yourselves any more than necessary, and thus, a way to push forward regardless of whatever tricks she might have certainly seems to exist, and indeed...

"..."

In the face of a distant charge of plasma, a skin-tingling distortion that emerges from a group of cannons in the distance, the dark-haired Karlfeldt does not show any signs of fear or hesitation at all; having come here to protect her ally there is no doubt in her mind about what she must do... It might strain her beyond what her body should be able to take in this condition, but she will always place the well-being of her allies before anything else, and she cannot afford to lose herself either, therefore...

Although it will not change the outcome, she will oppose what seems to be her fate every time. Even if it seems insane, even if the power of the Eclipse was ripping apart her body apart even as it pieced her back together again she will use everything she has for the sake of protecting others... It is a spirit that is far closer to that of her aunt's more hidden side -even if she herself has never met Adala- and in that regard, her figure remains that of a decisive heroine even as she herself opposes the 'heroes' of the modern day, but...

Three seconds into this final countdown, as she raises her hand one more time to do the impossible and defy fate... Her body becomes entangled with threads of golden light.

"Wha-?"

Rather than a spell cast by her self, it is something that latches onto her from the outside; spinning rapidly upon reaching her body, spreading like a web cocoon around the form of a spider's unfortunate victim... It is the obvious work of another outside party, and one that Lara herself seems to struggle against the instant it appears, arms trying and failing to break through the golden threads as her gaze darts around, searching for someone that should not be here, and-

---For Logan, it's a spell he can recognize on sight.

One that has already decided this girl's 'fate,' whether she likes it or not.

Yes.

Regardless of her own desires... She's going to be cast from this place.

"You-! Why are you stopping me?! We can't abandon him! I can handle this-! Sa-"

Asking that question aloud, her eyes cast into the distance as if she had found her assailant, the crashing glow of Anna's plasma fire against the deck of the ship misses the woman by a hair's breadth, her form becoming akin to light and vanishing into the sky, as the frozen form of her ally is thrown boldly from the area by the resulting shock-waves, his icy prison seeming to protect him from the majority of the damage as the three of you are left with little more than questions, although...

The nature of those questions...

Might not be exactly the same...

Yes...

Eyes moving to where Lara's gaze had fallen before she had been forcibly removed from the battlefield, there is a person standing there quietly, dressed in the same black cloak as her allies, the one that seemed key to the camouflage techniques they used, and...

"...Sorry about all of this trouble."

Removing it's hood herself...

"We'll be leaving here soon, okay?"

This person doesn't seem particularly eager to fight in the same way as the others.

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
Ten Years Ago

Logan sat at a desk, writing in a notebook as he stared at the article on his COMP’s auxiliary screen. Orion, the hunter. Son of Poseidon and descendent of Minos. Blinded by the King of Chios Oenopion for raping his daughter. Recovered sight due to Helios. Hunted with Artemis. In some myths, she loved him. Was too good of a hunter and killed too much. Apollo/Zeus sent scorpion to kill him. Both became constellations. He groaned and rubbed at straining eyes, wincing as reddened fingers brushed against each other. He still had 54 pages left to do for the night.

A knock on his window.

Logan stood, his legs and feet tingling from disuse. He stumbled to the window, each step punctuated with a wince and opened the curtains to see the upside-down head and torso of a girl, dangling blond hair glowing in the moonlight.

“You wanna come up?”

He opened the window and climbed up, his arm grabbing hers as she helped pull him up. He sat on the roof next to her, shivering a bit at a breeze, and she tugged him closer.

“Dad’ll get mad at me if I don’t finish my studying.”

“Dad gets mad at everything.” She pointed upward. “But who cares about that, look! The light pollution field worked, look at all these stars you can see!”

He looked up, eyes widening at the sparkles of bluish-white amongst the indigo and purple felt of the night.

“You can see the Big Dipper over there! And then the Little Dipper! And is that one Cassiopeia?”

Her arm waved across his gaze, pointing out marvel after marvel. Slowly, Logan’s arm raised as well.

“It’s Orion. The whole constellation and not just the belt. And then there’s Scorpio.”

“Yeah, there he is. Good catch, Logan! Though putting Scorpio next to Orion’s pretty mean, isn’t it? Even in the stars, he still has to run away.”

Logan frowned. “I feel bad for it.”

“For Orion?”

“No, for Scorpio.” She turned to look at him. “How come?”

“Well, Orion did bad things and great things and died, but everything he did, he got to do for himself. But Scorpio only got to kill Orion. In the stars and in the stories he still kills Orion because the gods said to. He just does what they say forever, without any say of his own.” Logan bit his lip. “I think that’s sad.”

She smiled and tousled his hair.

“Hey, that tickles!”

He leaned closer, and she laughed. “I can’t help it, you’re just too cute, and cuties get tousled! Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh!”

“Ahahaha, stop that-”

Logan Starbright
SLEIPNIR ~ Flight Deck (South)
Monday ~ Morning

“Sarah…?”

His heart thudded in his ears. His body shook from tension that had snapped like a power cable writhing wildly. Sweat carved icy lines down his flesh. His gaze swam and burned, and his lip bled.

That’s not possible! She.. Logan? Logan, hey Logan, come in! Logan!

Curse or Psy magic?

It wasn’t.

An illusion?

There’s no faking that spell.

“I... saw you…” He shook. “In the coffin, before the funeral… I…”

He can’t see anything but her.

“It was my…”

He can’t hear anything but her.

“You died!”

[Airen]

Kyp
Combat Simulator - Old Combat School
Monday - Morning

While all of the explosions shaking the sky might imply the opposite, the reality of the situation was that the fact that the demon had hostages meant that Nadia was unable to deploy her powers to the fullest... If looked at objectively it was a bit silly, after all, while the pain inhibitors had been removed from the simulation it was still a simulation, there was nothing she could do -even accidentally- to anyone here that would result in permanent damage to them back in the real world, but the mindsets of heroes were often inconvenient in these sorts of ways...

Even if it wasn't 'real,' she was still unwilling to just blow away the hostages along with the demon herself, and as a result, this much more 'controlled dogfight has taken the place of any real decisive blows...

Knowing his Summoner as he did, that is why Jack Frost wished to have his restraints removed, not because he wanted to save himself per say, but because...

Both himself and Kyp needed to get out of here if his Summoner was going to win; in comparison to other Tamers she might be a bit inexperienced, reliant more on brute force than actual technical skill, but when Nadia Starr got going she was like a storm, a force of nature, the "Boulder Crushing Big Sister," as it were-!

Yes.

If Nadia is going to win, then the two she was trying not to hit needed to get out of her way-!

"Tally-ho! To freedom, hee-!"

For Kyp it is perhaps unexpected, after all, it had intended to kick out it's long-term rival instead of succumbing to the fear of free fall itself; but Jack is Jack, and while humans might be more empathetic to that sort of instinctual primal fear when they sense it, Jack is a Demon, and Demons are typically a lot more impulsive about these sorts of things, in other words-!

"Ow! You little-!"

Stabbing Agiel in the stomach with an icicle the moment it gets free, while leaping away with a struggling slime in it's arms in the same instant...

Well, it's something that should ordinarily be punished by the much bigger -and generally more powerful demon- but seeing as how a certain red-haired woman has actually leapt from her flying bike, becoming a projectile that sends both racer and demon into a tailspin towards the pool below, well...

"Let's help Amamiya, hee-ho!"

In some ways it works, but...

Seeing as how neither demon can fly, their rapidly increasing descent towards the Tamer in question...

Might be problematic in it's own way.

---

Amamiya Sho
Combat Simulator - Old Combat School
Monday - Morning

"...Tch."

While he doesn't say much about it, his growing frustration with the situation can be easily read on his face. Where others might panic in order to join a -more problematic- battle that involves their allies, believing themselves to be the piece that could change the tide, but whether it be a sense of belief in others or self deprecation in yourself, you focus entirely on your own battle, deciding that it's worth it even if you can only identify the particulars of his fighting style, thus...

A featureless arm swings in, opposed only by a stalwart shield; while the blows come in ceaselessly, like machine gun fire, the methodical nature of their movements lends themselves to an easy rhythm, one that you have little trouble defending against due to it's relatively unchanging nature... Even if their movements are slow in comparison to Tamers, there would be a certain difficulty in defending against them if they were well-coordinated, but they are more like machines, ones that lack even a rudimentary form of A.I, and are instead acting out a certain list of commands in response to your actions.

---Many people might get complacent at this, but to you, since you are not one to underestimate others, you treat each of these easy-to-read attacks seriously, waiting for the moment in which your opponent's 'style' will change the flow of combat, and-

"...!"

-that moment comes, as it always does.

A swing that triples in both power and precision, pushing you back through sheer physical force, your back slamming against the wall of a nearby food stand, wood exploding beneath you as you go; it's a movement that should be impossible for the shadows to perform, or at least...

That seems to be the design behind this particular trap, or rather, the functions of this particular COMP.

---There are strings.

It's something you notice only because you put your mind towards analyzing it, but there are certainly strings protruding from that cross-like COMP; in retrospect, rather than a religious item...

It seems to be....

Like a marionette bar, the sort of thing a puppeteer uses to control it's puppets... There are strings protruding from the back of the shade's back, they don't appear to be physical in nature, rather they are translucent and appear to be akin to plasma, or simply spiritual power made manifest... There's nothing around for it to get stuck on, so it's difficult to tell if these strings can get stuck on other things but-

"..."

-this seems to be the trick.

Distract the enemy with the weaker mobs, and then assume direct control over one of them, catching the opponent off guard... A glancing blow from that particular shadow seemed to hint at Demon-level physicals, so-!

With the other shadows scattering in it's wake, and two demons falling down at the chaos from above, you-

[Spinach]

Hyakka Onjouji
Neo Aoyama, City Center
Monday ~ Morning

Blanketed in darkness, any unease or nerves in the training battle slipped away. When the light was robbed from her eyes Hyakka felt comforting warmth in her chest, and closed her eyes instinctively. She wouldn’t be needing them from now on.

Her ears perked up, like a dog’s. Footsteps… were they always so pronounced?

Not likely. It’s only when vision is sealed that one realizes just how loud the world truly is. How sensitive the ears are, yet how regrettably ignored they are in favor of the eyes.

Hyakka didn’t take a single step. She stood motionless. If she could hear them, they can hear her.

Yet, motionless as she was, she felt her feet lift from the pavement beneath. Merging with the dark sky, her wings carried her off the ground. In a bout settled by the strength of the ear, she wasn’t anything special. She was normal there. But if she freed herself from the echoing of her own footsteps, she would reduce the battle to her specialty.

Sensing the unseen.

Eyes still closed, her body tilted toward the location of her partner. Kaori, who had yet to move. Perhaps it was trust, or perhaps she was simply gauging the situation and making a plan of action, taking a stance of inaction until she had a stronger grip on the circumstances.

Either way.

Wings tucked in, Hyakka dove down. A rush of wind buffeted her, sure to make enough noise to make aware her adversaries, but that didn’t matter. Spreading her wings at the last second to halt her momentum, she came to a stop right in front of her partner.

“Senpai,” eyes still sealed shut, the small girl reached out with perfect accuracy and placed her index finger directly between the class president’s eyes, stopping a hair’s breadth from her skin, “it might seem selfish, but I’m entrusting the heavy lifting to you.”

A warmth flowed from that fingertip, spreading through the other girl’s senses. Flowing down the nerves, innervating her.

wiseup

Innervate
[C]
Supplements sensory nerves with spiritual sensory. The effect of Innervate is dependant on the recipient’s SEN attribute. At higher ranks (A? S?) the recipient can essentially see spiritual IDs from a great distance and with extreme clarity, regardless of physical obstructions.

[Mooncake]

Himura Ichizen
Outside Tokyo ~ Mount Tsubaka (Aurora Shrine)
Monday - Morning


Himura grabbed the broom out of the air without looking at it. He was too busy eyeing a particularly heavy buildup of leaves in the corner of the eaves.

He had been here only twice in his life.

The first time, he had been more tired than he had ever been, covered in blood and dirt and smoke. The only reason he hadn't killed the girl who'd found him there was because he had passed out on the spot. Even then, it had been close.

The second time he had been fulfilling a promise, and he was, in a very literal sense, a man of his word.

Himura didn't really dwell on memories.

When he drew his sword, he had to be fast, faster than sight or mind. And if a sword was weighed down, even slightly, by memories of the past... it would be like trying to cut a tree with a stick.

He began to sweep, each stroke like a dance, moving into the familiar repetition that bred tranquility. The two of them worked in complete silence, stepping out of each other's way without even communicating - after all, they'd done this many times before.

With each brush, Himura emptied his thoughts, until he was barely there at all.

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
Medical Ward ~ Hallways
Monday – Morning

“It’s fine. It’s understandable to be somewhat disoriented, given you were just lying on the floor.”

I try to reassure her, but it’s somewhat awkward- after all, the person who really decides that is Isaac.

By itself, I think what I say is true. A bit of an unsightly reaction after such strange conditions isn’t weird. Given that I’m not personally familiar with Miss Fairchild, at most I might think that she’s a little sensitive about her personal space. I would hope that Isaac might come to a similar conclusion, but it’s true that he mentioned that Miss Fairchild doesn’t seem to get along with him very well… it’s possible he will interpret things much differently than I do.

Correctly, perhaps. It’s a little surprising that they might not get along, as I don’t see any reason why that might be the case- but I don’t intend to cast doubt on his judgement. I’ll keep it in mind as a possibility.

Nonetheless, I doubt he’ll be upset. Isaac is a virtuous person, and there are more pressing concerns.

“More importantly, Miss Fairchild...” I try to change the topic. “You were on the floor just now. Are you alright? Do you remember anything from before you collapsed?”

I don’t intend to be mean, but whatever her feelings towards Isaac are, they don’t take precedence over her wellbeing- and whatever made it a cause for concern in the first place. Given that she seems to be doing fine now (physically, anyways, if not emotionally) it was probably just exhaustion, but one can never be too sure…

“Isaac and I were discussing taking you to see some medical attention. Even if you’re feeling better right now, I would advise going to see someone and make sure nothing’s wrong.”