Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
St. Peter's Basilica
12/22/2026
Noon, Thunder Storm

A march with a grim determination into the crime scene.

The current Cosmos Fairchild took no heed of the somber mood or how nobody is stopping her from entering the crime scene. She doesn't fret or waste time fretting over whether she'd be allowed inside, or whether there's even something that she could do.

She simply marched inside with no hesitation in her steps.

Once she's inside, she felt that she could understand what Alyx is feeling, in a sense.

Supposedly the crime occurred here, in the greatest Church in all of Christendom, as if to intentionally mock Rose Cross and all believers. She wondered how the murderers felt, killing one of the most important figure in the world here, wearing the form of her daughter with none being the wiser.

Even by just being here, she could feel her blood boiling.

If she were asked to kill or torture the ones responsible, she's certain she'd be able to do it without batting an eye, no matter how horrific or immoral.

--But revenge won't bring her mother back.

As much as she wanted to let go of her reasons and humanity to hunt and make sure the ones responsible pay the price, it won't change anything in the end.

So she doused the burning hatred, turning it into an ice-cold determination to find the truth.

--Of course, having said that, Cosmos Fairchild has never been an exceptional investigator or anything of the sort. Even as she took in the signs of battle - wondering whether it's Aunt Alisa's doing - she doesn't really know where to start or what to look for. Thankfully for her, there seems to be a detective - a high-class Tamer - who's mumbling to himself, obviously frustrated with the investigation.

Cosmos decided to use him as a starting point.

'Illia, try to look for mother and aunt's cause of death while I talk with this man.'

'... Are you sure? It might not be pretty.'

'Knowing how they were killed is paramount in understanding the case. How pretty or horrific it is doesn't matter.'

Hearing a hum of agreement in response, Cosmos began to walk until she stood directly in front of the fedora-wearing man. While the normal Cosmos Fairchild would rack her brain on what to say or how to introduce herself without startling the man...

"Can you share the details of this case with me, mister detective?"

The current Cosmos doesn't care for such things.

"I am interested in learning the truth of what happened myself."

She simply get to the point and ask for what she wanted.

"Of course, if there's anything that I could do to help, you are free to ask me."

And it's clear she's not taking a 'no' as an answer.

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
Vatican City ~ Obelisk Square
11/16/2026
Morning, Sunny

“I was wondering if you’ve been feeling better since…?”

"Ah-"

The shorter of the two girls, Cosmos, jumps ever so slightly at the unexpected entrance from you. It's both surprising and unsurprising, after all, she and Alyx had been nitpicking at each other from the moment they had seen it each other, and had seemingly been so engrossed in it, that neither of them had actually noticed your approach until it was already over, even so...

Their response to it is rather telling of their personalities, where Cosmos jumps -even if only so slightly- Alyx just turns to regard you without any real emotion at first, seemingly sizing you up inside of her head again...

Hard to tell what conclusion she comes to, as her expression only goes from a teasing smile to a neutral line, but...

"Um, no, I definitely remember! You're Eva, right?"

Cosmos, having the more obviously emotive reaction (even if you could tell she was trying hard not to show her surprise) bows her head slightly at you, as if apologizing for some sort of perceived slight...

"Sorry again for how I acted back there, but I feel fine now."

She smiles, although it feels somewhat... Uneasy...

Nevertheless, before she can say anything else...

"Yeah this brat's been her usually bratty self, you don't need to worry about her. We went on an assignment the other day, and, as expected, she ran off of on her own and got scared of moving shadows... Monster wasn't even real, and I still had to bail her out, she's pretty helpless really."

"Hey, don't lie! That's not what happened!"

Alyx interjects, shaking her head -and earning a glare from the girl behind her that she ignores- even as she extends her hand towards you for a shake...

"Name's Alyx Kingsleigh. Can't remember if we shook hands or not last week, but I think I saw you in my mom's office? Eva Ellet?"

[Airen]

Raz Stone
Avalon ~ Camelot, Tintagel Gardens
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

"..."

---It's a situation that is easily and rapidly spiraling out of what Zerah Meir could call his comfort zone. While the young man was blessed with a supernaturally pleasing physique, and a calm, courageous personality that seemed to evoke the image of the 'mythological heroes' of the past, there was one area in which the young man is easily out of his depths, and that would be flirting, or to put it more specifically, romance...

He is simply not the type that functions well in such environments.

It is not even the matter of gender, he is known for clamming up regardless of who or what happens to be hitting on him at the time... Really, it's more of a weakness towards social situations in general, he has always simply seemed like the type that is most comfortable inside the confines of a battle, because that is what he seems to know the best, and thus this sudden transformation of yours...

"...Big Brother?"

...It seems to confuse him, or rather, he doesn't seem to know how to respond to exactly what you're implying about him here, if he understands the implication at all...

“Hiya!” Raz? Said brightly. “I’m a knight! Smile with me nee-chan! Introduce yourself to big brother Zerah! We are here to see the king, isn’t that neat?!"

On the other hand, bringing Dejah into it after seeing her obvious interest, well...

"Introduce myself? There's no need, this one should well know who I am!"

...Her introduction obviously makes things worse, as rather than responding in a 'normal' way, and thus freeing Zerah from the confines of an insane conversation, she instead manifests the energy and personality of an empress, obviously expecting him to recognize her for one reason or another, however...

---The white-haired youth (?) begins to sweat slightly at this, because he does not know what anyone is actually talking about anymore, therefore-!

"...I apologize. I understand Raz is being Raz, but have we met somewhere before, little one?"

He falls back on politeness, praying that the world would have mercy on his soul...

Of course, Zerah is certainly a friend to children, they tend to idealize him, seeing as how he invokes the more 'traditional' image of a knight in shining armor, so it's only natural for him to be nicer to kids... That's probably why he had asked about her in the first place, questioning why it would be necessary to arrest a child (a teenager really) for some sort of crime, but now, in the face of his polite question, the blonde girl...

"...!"

...Lets out a sharp intake of breath, as if offended by the very nature of that question-!

"Do you not remember me, Master?"

Tears well up in her eyes at this...

They're fake.

The tears of an actress and manipulator, as someone who knows how to do similar things that much is obvious to you, but...

"And after using me so roughly for all those years too... You're awful! Awful! The worst!"

...She makes it worse.

She absolutely makes it worse.

"Huh? Use you...? What?!"

He seems to notice it too.

As the panic is clearly settling in now...

"I don't... What are you even talking about...?"

Yep.

Clearly confused due to his inner innocence, but instinctively understanding that this conversation is potentially a catastrophe in the making due to it's wording...

"...Raz, who is she?"

...Hisses out a question to you in desperation-!

[Airen]

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

"Okay."

She has a naturally polite sort of voice, a quiet tone of voice that is nevertheless confident in it's own way, failing to stutter or stammer as a number of younger students (she feels like a Tamer) might ordinarily do in your presence, without going overboard in the other direction either...

It was a calm respect, the voice of a polite young woman, or at least...

"Feel free to sit down," her gaze flickering over to Genbu, the girl makes eye contact with the turtle, who sheepishly starts touching at her hair in response, "Don't make your friend stand Gen, it's a little rude..."

That's how it feels.

She disappears down the hallway and into another room soon after (likely the kitchen), leaving you once again in the company of the turtle and the turtle alone, seeing as how the blonde woman doesn't appear to be very interested in anything beyond her television screen, seemingly the type that gets absolutely absorbed into her gaming sessions, likely to a somewhat unhealthy degree, still...

---A part of you is still grateful when Kagura returns with three glasses of ice water, and joins you at a table that you were doing your best to prevent from looking awkward, smiling at Genbu even as she smiles back, making vague talk about the weather and current events, even though in reality, it was perhaps the most awkward thing in the world-!

Nevertheless-!

"So, how did the two of you meet?"

It's an innocent enough question for the girl to ask, although at the same time, you get the feeling that this is a rather studious kid... It's the sort of question that demands a sort of lie from you right off the bat, but moving at absurd speeds in spite of her status as a turtle, Genbu is the first to open her mouth and say something in response to that inquiry:

"I was her sparring buddy back in the day! Right?"

She puffs out her chest at this...

And to be fair, it wasn't... Entirely untrue from a certain point of view, if one designated 'back in the day' as 'within the same month,' but at the same time...

...It feels like this is gonna be a bit of a pain...

Meanwhile...

Aster gets a sudden message, a short message admittedly, and one from an address that doesn't actually seem to exist, but...

Message

Hello!

My name is Burroughs!

If I can, I would like to speak with you face to face about a few things?

Is that okay?

Will not open secure transmission until I receive consent.

---Burroughs.

...Who was this?

And why right now...?

[Airen]

Daisuke
Aoyama, LOVELESS
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

---Shockingly, the one who had taken the sudden, unexpected direction of your vocabulary the best had been Sofia rather than Shuichi; while the both of them had gone quiet at first at the words, shocked, perhaps, that someone so young was speaking in such a way, Sofia again defies the expectations of her apparent role as a spoiled princess, indeed, rather than get offended by that choice of words...

She just laughs.

Once the shock wears off, she starts laughing about it; it's not a deep uproarious laugh, but more of a noble chuckling, of a more rough and tough princess that 'gets' the joke, understands the blunt, brazen words of the more common people...

"Of course, of course! I wouldn't dream of swapping out parts without the user's permission, that would simply be impolite of me!"

Or something like that...

---It wasn't really a joke after all, still-!

"And he keeps going until there's nothing left in him, huh... I'll remember that~"

---This princess is a bit of a vulgar one! That smile she shoots Shuichi's way has implications that your mind is a bit too young to really understand, but the young man in question can only chuckle awkwardly in the face of the obvious pass at him, a parry of sorts that he has developed over the course of his years as a student, and more specifically, as the most popular guy in school...

"...I... Hmm..."

...Yes.

Where the princess is a bit more brazen, this 'prince' seems to be slightly more uptight?

Or perhaps, he simply does not know what to say...?

Either way, in the end, he just seems to shake his head and surrender to his fate, even as you can hear his COMP muttering to herself in the digital sea about how Sofia needed to 'get her perverted hands off of him,' quietly seething now to the point where you're starting to think she can't actually see you anymore...

---Really protective, this one.

Then again, if she was based off of his mother... That might explain some of the quirks...

Nevertheless...

Fifteen minutes later, and the three of you are sitting inside of a booth at one of the local cafes, this one going by the name of "Moon Under Water." It was a small, cozy establishment, very clean, and with tables scattered from one end of the dining area to another, it was obviously the sort of place where sharing tables with your fellow strangers was an encouraged thing, but...

You were here with two others, and you weren't planning to stay that long either...

But Sofia had insisted on going to sit down anyway, seemingly finding some sort of thrill in this 'family esque' imagery...

It was hard to tell with her, she had a lot of sides... Nevertheless...

The waitress -a purple-haired woman with a book- had been quite nice to you, and while a part of you had perhaps expected for Sofia to object to you actually buying her a coffee, she doesn't, no...

She accepts it without much fanfare, and...

"So, tell me about this Chris, Daisuke."

Looking quite overdressed in comparison to everyone else, the princess nevertheless retains her command over... Basically the entirety of the world around her...

Not just with her attitude... Her Soul was quite strong too...

"I haven't heard of any Chris's in the local smithing community. Is this Chris still a student like Namasaki-kun? Her work is admirable."

And while she seems to seek to satisfy her natural curiosity, Shuichi...

...Is quietly making notes of some sort -seems like the start of a schematic- on a napkin?

Surprisingly quiet...

[Bloble]

Daisuke
Aoyama, LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

Daisuke happily sits at the table, sipping on the biggest, sugar-iest drink ever. He's not quite sure what it's made of, but his artificial taste buds are telling him it's the most wonderful thing he has ever tasted.

"Thanks, Ma'am!" he chirps at the book-carrying waitress as she leaves, perhaps a bit uncharacteristically.

Once more, the COMP has returned to adult form, finding it more comfortable. Perhaps it doesn't quite fit Sofia's image of a couple and a small child, and his childish speech patterns are unfitting of his more grown-up features, but Daisuke has no comprehension of such notions, so he pays them no mind.

What he does pay mind, besides the wonderful latte, is...

"Saya, don't worry!"

Above, in cyberspace, he is as fit as a bird, happily bobbing up and down and talking to his friend.

"Miss Sofia might seem scary and aggressive, but... she's definitely a good person. After all, she was waiting here for Shuichi, right?"

The COMP looks down at the scene, having come to a conclusion as they walked.

"She used her connections to wait right here, knew when we were leaving, and insisted on dragging him out to have some fun..."

As Daisuke restates what has happened, it begins to sound more and more like stalking. Not something a good person to do. It should be clear to him as well; he's naive, not stupid. And yet, if he understands what's going on, why has he gone along with it? Why is he content with being ensnared?

"...because he needs a break. Especially now."

Daisuke's conclusion is the same as before. Perhaps not so unfortunately worded, though.

"He's hard-headed, right? I know, 'cus Chris is the same. It's hard to find someone who can drag her away from work when she's really into it. And Shuichi nii-san is someone who'll keep going until he drops. These last few weeks have been really stressful for everyone, so he's probably three times as stressed as the rest of us. Seeing him on the back foot like this is kinda scary, but... I'm relieved he has a friend who can make him put work aside for a bit. Even if it's by force, he's having a bit of fun and unwinding with friends before going off on a big mission. I'm sure Miss Sofia wanted to make sure of that herself. She really must care a lot about him..."

Perhaps it is a conclusion driven by naivete. After all, Daisuke is oblivious to the raunchier or more romantic overtones of the situation. Even so, he sees what he sees, and he believes in what he sees as well. And what he sees is a good person.

"...what's he scribbling on there, anyway?"

While his senses make note of Shuichi's weird actions, Daisuke himself pays more attention to the princess' questions.

"I haven't heard of any Chris's in the local smithing community. Is this Chris still a student like Namasaki-kun? Her work is admirable."

"Ah, Chris is my Tamer! She's a bit older than Shuichi, and she goes to the university instead of the high school. She only started a bit less than a year ago, and she doesn't go out a lot, so no one's really heard of her yet... but she'd be really happy to hear you say that if she were here! I don't really know much about before 'cus I was only born after she joined the SDCD, but I can tell you all sorts of stories if you want!"

Shuichi hadn't warned him away from it, and Sofia is clearly a good person and his friend, so there should be no problem with revealing that info. Especially since she seems interested.

Perhaps she wants to be friends with Chris? That would be great; his Tamer could always use more friends!

Daisuke thinks on what Sofia had said, as he takes another sip of the delicious cold beverage before him.

"I didn't know there was a local community... maybe I could convince her to go and join the meetings or something, talk to other smiths, get out more... oh, right, do you have a COMP, Miss Sofia? Could I say hi to them too?"

Daisuke asks an innocent question. As a COMP himself... he's more inclined to remember that nearly everyone in the world carries a close friend with him. And naturally, he's always curious to talk to other COMPs.

"How do you and Shuichi-nii-san know each other, anyway?"

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama, Devil May Cry
11/16/2026
Afternoon

... What was this sassy unemployed adult?

While Blaise had only heard about this "Tony" in passing, from when his father had been in one of his more talkative moods, what he had expected wasn't exactly... this. He had expected someone, well... someone more like his father. Or perhaps uncle Kazuya. Those were the only type of people that his father got along with, anyways. He certainly wasn't the type to hang out with someone as languid, as unkempt as this... and yet he had this horrible feeling, a pit in stomach, that that just might have been the case. The way he spoke was almost familiar... or at the very least, this Tony referred to him in a familiar way.

He already knew who Blaise was.

And more importantly, he had immediately blurted out something that was more or less a horrible baby-hood secret.

... Was this homeless-looking person really such a good family friend that he had helped look after Blaise when he was but a kid?

"... Yeah. I'm Blaise. Blaise Pendragon," the blonde youth finally grunted as response, folding his arms. "And you gotta be Tony, then. My old man spoke about you. Though... he never said you were a family-friend. Just someone he knew from... somewhere. He should you'd be the one to find when I need something to do - to stave off boredom."

A slight frown adorned Blaise's face.

He really wished that this man hadn't gone ahead and blurted out something so awkward the moment they met.

Though while Blaise himself was wearing a frown... Kaguya, on the other hand, was glaring at him with a look of pure disdain.

"Ugh... Banchou, ya sure this is the right guy? I hafta say, he's lookin' more like a bum than a pal of Mr. Pendragon," the COMP AI said, gazing around the room with slight disgust. "Mabbe we should'a checked the other offices 'round here? Gotta be a more trustworthy guy 'round, right? I mean, he's smellin' totes like a scam-artist. Even I can tell."

The bunny-eared delinquent glared at the man.

"--- I can't even bloody smell a thing!"

Blaise had to admit... the AI had a point. Not only was this white-haired old man way too theatrical for his liking, the way he had ridden an empty pizza box like it had been a skateboard... there was this fishy smell about this whole deal that he couldn't just shake off. The more he looked at him, the more he looked at his office, the more it started to dawn upon Blaise that trusting this man might be the worst mistake he could make.

And therefore (and certainly not to save face in front of his friends, so as to not let more embarrassing things be talked about), Blaise made his decision.

"... You got a point. Maybe we got the wrong place. Sorry to bother you, but I think we'll just be on our---"

Suddenly, Blaise's words screeched to a halt.

It was if his brain had finally processed something that had been said.

Having turned halfway around already, his head and gaze swiveled back to the older man and.

"Wait..."

Blaise's eyes narrowed at Tony, and for some reason, he could feel his fists starts to itch - like he was getting excited.

"... Invade hell?"

[Airen]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Brewed Awakenings (Rothschild Branch)
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

---And thus, the contract is signed without hesitation.

Of course it's only natural, even though there is still a certain sort of danger present in written contracts even in the modern day (unsurprisingly, jinxes are often placed on such things to punish those that violate the terms, which are rather powerful due to how strong the idea of a 'magical contract' is in the public consciousness) there was never a chance that Ludwig Karlfeldt would not have agreed to these sorts of terms...

Indeed.

It is the same sort of stubbornness that manifested against Fenrir... Ludwig Karlfeldt operates under a certain set of ideas and beliefs, and thus he will always follow certain sorts of path...

This is no different really.

The signing of the contract itself is nothing flashy at first, while there is certainly a 'weight' of sorts to the pen in your hands, it's only at the end, when you've signed your name in full, that the paper detaches itself from the clipboard in a flash of blue light, rolls itself up into a circle, and...

Places itself upon your wrist...

Like a glowing blue bracelet, thin, so thin that it looks obviously fragile, but...

It's metallic to the touch...

"...And there we go, looks like a deal's a deal."

And with that, Vincent snaps his fingers.

---A door appears nearby, specifically, it seems to pop into existence right next to the bathroom; it would be rather mundane in nature, if not for the fact that a dim blue light is radiating out from behind it's windows, and...

The figure of a carved sheep, engraved into the wood?

"We'll call that door the manual entrance, go through it and you'll fall asleep."

Completely casual about the fact that he had seemingly just added a room onto the ship with a snap of his fingers, the bartender responds to the seriousness of your response, the lack of hesitation in your signing of the contract, by going into a form of serious mode himself...

"Otherwise, if you feel like visiting the room in your sleep, leave that bracelet on when you go to bed. I'll take that as a sign that you want to train that night... If I can anyway, I might not be able to help you out all the time if I have my own assignments. But I'll do my best."

He laughs.

---It's a human laugh, but those sheep-like irises of his had flashed back into existence again for a second, nevertheless...

This person does not feel hostile.

Regardless of his quirks, he genuinely feels like a person that wants the best for the people around him, although why that is...

You have no idea...

"If you want, you can go ahead and check the layout of it now, although it won't do much today. You'll wake back up once you decide to the leave the room, my magic is rather airtight about those sorts of things. Afterwards..."

He chuckles again...

"You might want to head to the bridge yourself, I do believe the Commander got interrupted on her way back, you might have to go to her, she's a hopelessly busy woman after all... Although I suppose I have a few things of my own to check before the new kids get here, so for now, later."

...And disappears entirely.

You blink.

You hadn't seen him leave, nor had you felt his Reiki begin to move away, nevertheless...

The spot where he had just been is now vacant, as if he had simply melted away into nothing, and...

For some odd reason...

It's five minutes later...

[Airen]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama, Devil May Cry
11/16/2026
Afternoon

"Hah, so that got your attention did it?"

---If one wanted to speak on a purely technical level, Hell in the context of the modern day society was just another name for the "Demonic Server" rather than of the traditional mental image of a world of fire and brimstone where souls go to pay for their sins in life... That's not to say that a place like hell doesn't exist of course, almost all supernatural phenomena were seemingly born of the deepset beliefs in it's existence after all, so there might be some area out in the Reimyaku where souls go to be punished, but...

The Demonic Server wasn't that place.

Of course, that doesn't mean the Demonic Server doesn't have area of fire and brimstone in it either, because that would be an absolute lie; you had gone to it a number of times over the years, mostly as a field trip of sorts at school, and the Server was... Interesting...

If the Human World could be called a place of 'moderates,' then the Demonic Server was a world of 'extremes.' Burning seas of magma, plains of ice so cold they seep into your bones, insanely aggressive thunderstorms that are sometimes aware enough to chase people down, and a populace that was made up almost exclusively of supernatural beings, to the point where no 'normal' human goes there at all, although...

The question of whether or not any 'normal' humans exist at all nowadays was a valid one.

Nevertheless...

"Go into the Server and pick a few fights! It's a fun time all around, a party that's a bit different every time you show up!"

Tony -judging by the sudden, obvious love of battle that's shining through him- is certainly not the best role model in the world, indeed, the more you hear him talk, the more obvious it is why your family hadn't ever properly introduced him as a 'family friend' to you, although...

Your family had a lot of family friends, so some of them might have also just slipped through the cracks of your childhood...

Or at least you hope that's the case.

Because if it's not, then a distressing amount of people in this city might have photos of you as a baby-!

"Isamu, we're having an emergency meeting, now!"

"B-But Tsuki, invading Hell sounds cool-"

"Quiet!"

Meanwhile, a certain vampire drags a certain underling of yours into a huddle of whispers and suspicious looks at the man (who does his best to ignore them much as he ignored Kaguya) before continuing on his with slow, pretty purposeful walk back to his desk, where he once again puts his feet up as if he has all the time in the world...

"I mean, you're the type that likes to fight, right Kid?"

...Was he trying to get a read on your personality under all of that sass, using it as a cover of sorts, or....?

"I'm pretty sure you and I have some... Things in common after all."

...Perhaps he is what he said he is, and just happens to know a bit about you...

[Airen]

Daisuke
Aoyama, LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

---Splitting your attention in a number of ways, you attempt to get a grip on the sudden onslaught of information that comes roaring into existence all around you; in terms of priority it's rather simple to check a few of them off, as some of your attempts are less successful than others, namely:

"...I just can't trust her."

Saya's somewhat irrational distrust of Sofia...

While she does listen to your own theory on the matter (and even seems to begrudgingly acknowledge some parts of it) the A.I ultimately can't help but fall down on the other side of the line, purely for her own reasons-!

---If you were older, perhaps you would be able to spot the slight distrust of a 'protective mom' type encountering a 'girlfriend' type, but in this case, with your youth, it's probably impossible, nevertheless...

"...He does need a break though, so I'll let it pass."

She does huff and turn her gaze to the side, folding her digital arms and pouting to herself...

Meanwhile, with your body...

Shuichi is definitely making some sort of schematic off the top of his head; of course his father being who he is, it's obvious that the youth would develop some skill as a Spirit Smith himself, but here in the opening stages of his drawings it's a bit... Hard to tell exactly what it is he's making? The figure is that of an octagonal block, with eight stone sized 'slots' penned in around the center of the device, which itself is empty, so...

Some sort of furnace?

Without Chris here to tell you the specifics it's a bit hard to tell what it is, but it seems like a device that's supposed to 'emit' something or other...

And while that's all you can glean from that...

The waitress had certainly been carrying an odd book, and more than that...

She also walked in a strange way, a way that you only notice as strange after looking at her for a bit, namely...

She seems to be unconsciously moving to show as little of the 'book' she was holding as possible, she does it in a natural way, so much so that you wouldn't question it if not for the fact that you wanted to get a look at it and were having trouble doing so, but...

Event Check: Investigation (SEN)
"Mysterious Book."

Target of interest is resisting...

Challenge

12

Initial Roll

Daisuke: 8

Stat Bonuses

+6

Success!

---An odd design.

Yes. If there was one thing about that book that strikes you as odd, it was that the design was bizarre; it's not a restaurant menu, and it looks old... Like antique old, but it also seems to be well cared for, or rather...

You don't really get the feeling that this sort of book can be damaged easily...

It's like a magical tome of some sort, a bit old-fashioned in the modern day, and large enough that clubbing someone with it as makeshift weapon might produce good results, still... The book and it's cover are rather plain at first glance, pitch black, with white lines spidering across it in a manner that's clearly deliberate, forming a pattern that you don't recognize, and as for the title...

Well, it doesn't seem to have one...

Still, if there was another thing you could observe about this tome, it's that, for one reason or another...

It doesn't feel like it fits the girl...?

Nevertheless, that's all you can tell from a distance...

And finally...

"I didn't know there was a local community... maybe I could convince her to go and join the meetings or something, talk to other smiths, get out more... oh, right, do you have a COMP, Miss Sofia? Could I say hi to them too?"

To this, Sofia's smile becomes a bit more enigmatic...

"Technically speaking, I do not have my license as a Tamer."

She speaks softly, but with an obvious air of mystery... Of course this comes across as surprising, after all, those with strong souls can typically sense each other, and well...

Hers isn't subtle in any way.

She's had some form of training, and shouldn't have a problem with a military-level COMP, of course her words don't destroy the possibility of a civilian grade COMP (who have more simple personalities) but...

"But perhaps, if you think aloud to yourself here in the mall... You might find someone willing to talk to you."

She ultimately answers in an enigmatic way, although the hint-hint, nudge-nudge aspect of it was...

Rather blatant.

"How do you and Shuichi-nii-san know each other, anyway?"

And finally, at this...

"Oh, that."

She laughs, raises one finger in an explaining sort of way, and:

"When we were kids, he got one of my toys out of a really tall, really mean tree~ It was super heroic!"

The boy sighs in response to this, setting down his pen, and-

"It wasn't a big deal."

-responds in the Shuichi way, to which she responds with a loud-!

"The tree was fighting you the whole time, Namasaki!"

Ah.

So it was a demon tree then...

That's... Certainly something...

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
St. Peter's Basilica
12/22/2026
Noon, Thunder Storm

---Divide and Conquer.

The existence of COMP A.I's as a partner for their Tamers was ultimately for this very thing, the ability to tackle tasks in a simultaneous manner, getting things done faster, supporting one another...

Where Cosmos goes to speak with the enigmatic man, Ilia...

Opens her sensors up to the world...

Event Check: Investigation (SEN)
"What happened here..."

The Atmosphere Here is Strange, Sensors are having trouble...

Challenge

10

Initial Roll (Ilia)

3

Stat Bonuses

+6

Skill Bonuses

Librarian of Stored Knowledge
+2

Final Score

11

Success!

---At least four spiritual signatures can be confirmed, although it's been so long since the crime now that the signs have mostly worn away; naturally, those signatures belong to Cosmos, Alyx, Alisa, and Mary, confirming that all four of them had in fact cast some sort of spell during the course of the confrontation... Of course, what's most disturbing about this is that the spiritual signatures seem to match exactly, yes...

They seem legitimate, but as far as you know, as far as you witnessed, that is actually impossible, nevertheless...

The bullet holes seem to be from Alyx's COMP, the impact they make in solid matter is familiar to you; as are the marks Alisa's cane has made in the tiles around the area, precise stabs into walls, although the gouges in the floor don't seem to be the result of an attack, rather, it looks more like she plunged her blade into the ground in an attempt to stabilize herself, and was pushed away by some sort of force...

That force being... Some sort of wave of energy...?

There's a different, bigger gouge amongst the smaller ones, the result of some sort of energy wave attack...

And as for what seems to have dealt the final blow, well...

There's some sort of lingering curse here... It's basically dissipated, so there's not much to go off of in terms of effect, but...

Dark Magic?

Something that attacks the soul directly? No...

Something that rips it out...

It's been too long, so it's hard for you to say for sure... But...

They were both probably killed by the same attack...

Meanwhile...

"Of course, if there's anything that I could do to help, you are free to ask me."

"..."

---He doesn't jump at your words.

Indeed, while he had certainly seemed unaware of your presence, the way in which he responds to your appearance is that of a self-assured person, eyes casually flicking up to you and away from the crime scene...

Even so, you had certainly seemed to catch him off guard, as he hadn't actually made any sign of awareness to your presence until you were standing directly in front of him, indeed...

He actually seems to be... Narrowing his eyes at you a bit?

As if you were hard to see for some reason?

Nevertheless...

He doesn't make a big deal out of it...

"And you are... Cosmos Fairchild...?"

When he does speak, it's with a calm, thoughtful voice. While your emotions are clear on your face, and thus your desire to not mess around here is also radiating off of you, this guy...

Doesn't seem too affected by it, his voice is friendly if questioning, but those eyes...

Are piercing...

It feels almost like he's looking right through you (or is at least trying to) and seeing a golden mark of a crescent moon on his chest, the reality of why that is becomes clear almost immediately...

He's an NWAB Tamer.

The Bureau, in other words...

Seeing as how a Faction Head had been assassinated, their presence here was more or less expected, still, with the way this incident had happened, it was obvious that you were a suspect of sorts, even if no one would say it out-loud, and running into the Bureau and more or less demanding answers...

It was something that might seem doomed to fail, nevertheless...

"...I see."

After giving it a bit of thought, the man doesn't accuse you of anything, at least not right away, instead...

"Very well, if you don't mind answering my questions first, I don't mind giving you an overview of what I know."

His voice goes straight to friendly.

"My name is Daniel. Daniel Proctor with the New World Administrative Bureau," smiling at you, the man removes his hat as he does a quick bow, the shine of his golden badge prevalent even in the dim lighting of the ransacked church, "You can just call me Dan if you'd like, that's what most people call me nowadays. I'm aware that these are... Trying circumstances for you, but if you are willing to answer questions I do have a few for you."

Of course these sorts of agents are always friendly, after all...

That's an easy way to get people to talk...

"First being: Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

...Eh?

What was with this approach...?

[Zurvan]

Ludwig Karlfeldt
SLEIPNIR - Brewed Awakenings (Rothschild Branch)
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

Once again the sacred duty of the bartender surfaces to the forefront, as another secret is added to what must be Vincent’s extensive catalog by now.

So many secrets in a single person, without a doubt he’ll have his own way of safekeeping those secrets, both for his own sake as well as the sake of others.

With the contract sealed, the man proves that he doesn't only possesses his fair share of secrets, but also that he has plenty of mysteries in stock.

Of course, those mysteries vanish in front of the young Tamer along with the bartender without any sign or warning.

All but one mystery...

"..."

Sigh. I'll contact Anna to find out where Adala-chan is, so you better keep that curiosity in check this time.

"Thanks Sis, knew you'd pull through."

"...Oh no, I'm part of the problem... Maybe Alexia was onto something."

A soft smile appears on Ludwig's face as he's alone --or at least the only one that was awake-- in the bar. After joining the Rothschild faction, bizarrely, he hadn't really had a chance to have a simple chat between men.

Granted, Loki is generally not the person people would go to for a leisurely chat.

And the sole encounter with Alexander, which boiled down to the man saying: “Almighty huh, Interesting.” left much to be desired on a social level.
...His success with male Tamers hasn't exactly been stellar either, after what happened with Logan.

Which has made this little exchange with Vincent all the more valuable, in Ludwig's eyes.

Enough so that he quickly writes down a little note of appreciation.

Vincent note

You have my thanks Vincent. Just hearing me out has helped ease some of last night’s stress, much to my surprise. I will do my best in overcoming the new path you have opened for me, so don't hold back. I'll be seeing you.

-Ludwig

Meanwhile...

"Anna~ hello. Is Adala there? Little Lud's going to do something a little silly, but he's a little worried about her so he'll come looking for her right after... uh, this."

"If his vitals suddenly drop, then don't worry, they're supposed to! Oh and now that I have you anyway, do you know if Chiyoko has come back? It'd be too sad if she's not around to when the other Tamers drop in."

While the sociable Big Sis comp gets to work for Ludwig's next stop, the boy faces the newly appeared door. A simple door from which a faint blue light can be seen, both through the windows as well as from underneath the bottom of the door frame.

The mystery left behind by the SLEIPNIR's bartender, one that gnaws at the curiosity of the Tamer.

---Surely just a little peek wouldn't hurt? Just a quick look around. Get a little taste of the atmosphere inside and then he'll leave. Just like that.

The Commander is already occupied, she will likely not have the time to share her 'mundane concerns' with the boy after all.

But that's okay, there's always another time...

For now, the Karlfeldt Inheritor opens the door, and falls asleep.

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
St. Peter's Basilica
12/22/2026
Noon, Thunder Storm

Eating cookies for breakfast seems to have done wonders for her mind.

The reason why Cosmos hasn't been able to think like she usually does, aside from sheer grief and despair, is because she hasn't been eating well. The brain's fuel is sugar, and so by having cookies and sweet tea Cosmos has basically jump-started her mind back. It is not perfect of course - particularly because grief and despair is still very much hanging over her - but at least she can starts to notice and deduce certain things like she usually does.

"And you are... Cosmos Fairchild...?"

Such as how the man is apparently having difficulties seeing her.

It's bizarre. She was not exactly subtle when she arrived here, and stealth has never been her strong suit, but for an NWAB tamer to miss her until she stands directly in front of him is not right.

But the Man of Light said something about that, didn't he? About how her ties to the world is slipping, and how the world cannot 'see' her...

She wondered if that's the reason nobody stopped her from going in.

Not because they sympathize, but simply because they didn't notice her.

"My name is Daniel. Daniel Proctor with the New World Administrative Bureau," smiling at you, the man removes his hat as he does a quick bow, the shine of his golden badge prevalent even in the dim lighting of the ransacked church, "You can just call me Dan if you'd like, that's what most people call me nowadays. I'm aware that these are... Trying circumstances for you, but if you are willing to answer questions I do have a few for you."

His tone might be friendly, but Cosmos knew that's only because people are more willing to talk to someone friendly. Behind the easygoing smile is someone who's sizing her up as a threat - trying to determine whether she has any involvement in this tragedy or not - and if she has to compare the man to something, then it would be that of a snake.

--That fact puts her at ease.

Because that means he's taking the case seriously. He's not blinded by sympathy or pity - not dismissing her as a suspect just because she's Mary's daughter - but also does not jump to the obvious conclusion that she might have something to do with it. He's willing to tell her what he knows, provided that she answers him first; put it another way, he's willing to listen to what she has to say.

In other words, he's a professional who's doing his job, and Cosmos can work with that.

"First being: Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

Cosmos raised an eyebrow at that, but two possibilities crossed her mind as to why he asked such an open-ended question.

The first is that he knew her senses are sharper than most, and wanted to see if she noticed anything that he might have missed.

The second is that he wanted to see how much does she know, and how much she is willing to divulge that to him.

Whatever the case is, Cosmos thought it's a brilliant move. He realized that she might know something crucial that he doesn't, and rather than trying to get the answer by asking a specific question which might miss the mark, he just gave her the freedom to speak her mind while he's free to listen and look for other clues, like how honest she is or how much she's withholding information.

'I've finished my investigation, Cosmos.'

As if on cue, Illia's voice rang in her head just in time.

She'll play his game, as there are many things that he could tell him. The question is whether he'll believe it or not.

"My COMP has just finished her investigation, Mister Daniel. Would you mind telling us what you've learned, Illia?"

'... You sure don't want to hear this first before telling him?'

'It would be a waste of time. I don't really intend to hide much, if at all.'

"Then allow me." Illia said as the hologram of her form materializes while her voice is channeled through her rosary.

"At least four spiritual signatures could be confirmed: My master, Alyx, Alisa, and Mary. The bullet holes were made by Alyx's COMP, and certain marks by Alisa's cane. It seems at one point she stabs her cane to the ground to stabilize herself before she was pushed away by some kind of force - presumably by some form of energy wave attack - which were the cause for the bigger gouges found here. As for what finished them off..."

A pause as the blonde AI took a glance at her master; She continues after seeing Cosmos gave a small nod.

"... It seems to be some form of curse or dark magic that rips the soul out. They were probably killed by the same attack."

--Upon hearing those words, Cosmos Fairchild found her heart beating faster.

It got harder to breathe, and her chest hurts.

Even though she knew her mother was killed, hearing the cause just affirms that fact.

She was killed alongside Aunt Alisa.

Here, in this very room.

By impostors so good that they not only match her and Alyx's spiritual signature, but also their COMPs and attacks--

"Urk-!"

She keeled over, and nearly threw up her breakfast.

"Cosmos!" Instantly, Illia's hologram was by her side, a look of concern visible on her face. "Deep breaths. Take your time and just concentrate on breathing. Remember why we're here."

She tried to follow her COMP's advice. With shaky breath, Cosmos tried to take deep breaths while clutching her chest. She has to think, to think on the implication of the information Illia just said, but her mind is going haywire and her vision is getting blurry; it took all her effort to not have a breakdown, and she simply doesn't have the capacity to do anything but to focus on keeping herself together.

Seeing her master covering her face with her right hand - possibly to not let the NWAB agent to see her crying - and not being able to physically comfort her in any way, Illia turned to face Daniel with a grim look on her face.

She'll have to take over for Cosmos, at least for now.

"... I needn't remind you, of course, that the ones responsible are impostors. How they're able to match Cosmos and Alyx's spiritual signatures and even COMP is beyond me, and even I couldn't tell the difference." The blonde COMP frowned. "How they died is also a point of interest. Mary, at least, should be immune to magic, so being killed by a curse or dark magic should be out of the question for her. Whether that means she actually died of some other cause, or that the culprit somehow managed to kill her with magic, is a question I don't have the answer for."

"Of course, I understand if you're skeptical." Illia said with a bitter smile. "However, I have to mention that these impostors have been impersonating Cosmos and Alyx since one month ago; in other words, it were the impostors that went on the joint mission. Both Cosmos and Alyx disappeared not on that joint mission, but on an extremely mundane mission just a few days before that."

"LOVELESS." Cosmos - still on the ground - croaked out weakly in-between breaths, hating herself for being so weak. So useless. "Alyx and I... went to investigate early in the morning. We didn't come back, and-and whoever did aren't us."

Illia gave her master a concerned look, but Cosmos ignored her. Removing her right hand from her face - showing a pale and teary-eyed Cosmos - she took out a certain card from her pocket and held it out for Daniel to see and examine with trembling hands.

"We went to another world. This is the proof."

Wise Up

Mundane Trait
Librarian of Stored Knowledge
An avid reader who is eager to learn more about the world, Cosmos spent her early days with Mary devouring books that are available for her to read. Even after she became a Tamer this never changed; in fact, it perhaps only intensifies after her meeting with Father Abel, as she frequently spends her free time in the library to avoid other people. As a result, Cosmos is quite well-versed in mythology, demons and history, and can often identify a demon or supernatural phenomena quickly from memory alone.

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
St. Peter's Basilica
12/22/2026
Noon, Thunder Storm

The Agent doesn't say anything until the end of your answer. While his smile and tone are that of a friendly person, the snake-like look in his eyes is not something that you missed... This one is someone that acts with a clear purpose, and prefers to be holding as many cards in his hand as he can before engaging with others, nevertheless, there is a marginal shift in expression as the man watches you struggle not to vomit, but...

For now that is all he does, he simply watches, thinking and judging, sizing up your nature by what you had chosen to say in response to his inquiry, and...

"...A fragment of a Magus-type OOPart, huh?"

When he finally does speak again, the card you had gotten from Aesop held in his hand, the man makes a bit of a strange comment... As if he is actually able to recognize this card as something beyond the obvious, although he doesn't comment on it any further than that...

No, instead...

"Alright, guess I'll... Shine a light on a few things."

He seems to move straight towards upholding his end of your verbal contract...

"Regarding the nature of Mary Fairchild's immunity to magic... After looking into the data, it's slightly more complex than a natural immunity," the man kneels down slightly, elbows on his knees, so that he was on the same level as you, "She is able to nullify any supernatural phenomena that strikes her, so long as she actively chooses to resist it. In the case that she does not choose to do so, she's just as fragile as anyone else in that category. I suppose you could say it is a conceptual defense, gifted to her by her nature as a Sephirah. In most cases, magic as a concept is quite literally too far beneath her for her to notice it."

He stands up again at this, his words still remarkably casual, in spite of the term he had just used to refer to Mary...

A Sephirah?

Like the manifestations of God described in the Kabbalah? You knew a bit about it due to all of your years of library diving, but perhaps more troubling than that, is the implication behind those words, namely...

That if Mary was killed by magic, it was because she allowed it to happen...

Still, the man does not seem that willing to stop and let you ponder things, as he continues on with his own explanations without showing any real signs of slowing down...

"As for the matter of the imposters... Well, those two were scanned prior to their activities aboard the SLEIPNIR, I ran into you two myself on the first day. There were no spiritual abnormalities, and as I'm sure you know, it's impossible to completely replicate someone's spiritual signature... You can get it close, close enough to get through cheaper wards perhaps, but a Tamer Base? Unlikely. Are you sure your memories haven't been altered?"

---In some ways those words are harsh.

What he's really saying here is that he does not believe the 'imposter' story at all, to him, both Cosmos Fairchild and Alyx Kingsleigh had absolutely been present at this crime scene at the time of the incident, but...

"That being said, I can't say I believe you're the culprits either; that emotional response of yours seems genuine enough, I've been in this business for years. If a kid was twisted enough to murder their parents, well... I think I'd pick up on it."

...That cruelty comes with a bit of mercy.

"That, and the actual crime itself remains an unknown; all interior cameras were infected by a virus and shut down, there were no witnesses. To be frank, no one other than those directly involved was around to actually observe the crime scene."

He taps the floor with his foot.

"...But if you go back a few days prior to the incident, there are two people that come into this church one morning and seemingly fail to leave it at any point afterwards. They still haven't left in a way we could perceive to be honest... Assuming they were still present here during the confrontation, that would make them suspects for the crime as well, although it proves this whole mess is well... Just that, a convoluted mess, someone jumped through quite a few hoops to make all of this possible."

He shakes his head...

"But you say you went to another world? Through what means?"

Before finally asking the more obvious question...

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
St. Peter's Basilica
12/22/2026
Noon, Thunder Storm

Cosmos was not allowed the luxury to dwell on the fact that her mother is apparently a Sephirah.

No, what she could focus on rather than that fact is that Mary allowed herself to be killed if she was killed by magic. It's absurd and doesn't make sense; why would her mother allow such a thing to happen?

However...

"As for the matter of the imposters... Well, those two were scanned prior to their activities aboard the SLEIPNIR, I ran into you two myself on the first day. There were no spiritual abnormalities, and as I'm sure you know, it's impossible to completely replicate someone's spiritual signature... You can get it close, close enough to get through cheaper wards perhaps, but a Tamer Base? Unlikely. Are you sure your memories haven't been altered?"

Daniel's words brought a dark, uncomfortable feeling in her chest.

It's absurd. Preposterous. Cosmos Fairchild's love and devotion to Mary Fairchild is so high it could be considered absolute; in her mind, there's no scenario where she would ever hurt - let alone kill - her mother. But if Mary allowed herself to be killed when she could otherwise be unscathed, if it's truly impossible to truly copy someone's spiritual signature and even COMP, then...

What if it's really her?

What if her memory was altered in some way?

If she is the one to do it, then... Then perhaps she abused her mother verbally and emotionally first. Cruel words that would have caught her mother off-guard, making her believe that she deserved to die... Making her despair, making her cry--

But she did went to another world. That card is the proof. And even if her memory was altered, that doesn't mean her personality would suddenly change, and there's no way she could ever do this to Mary--

But how much did she know ----- herself?

How could she say that she didn't -- -- with confidence when there's a big part of ------ that she doesn't know or remember?

The truth does not ---- -- lead to hope, as the Man of Light said--

But her ---- for Mary would prevent her from doing it, even -- --- ------ Cosmos Semesta Preciel--

But --- else --- she explain--

---- is all ----

She's --- ----- worth ----

------- ---less - --- -----

"...But if you go back a few days prior to the incident, there are two people that come into this church one morning and seemingly fail to leave it at any point afterwards. They still haven't left in a way we could perceive to be honest... Assuming they were still present here during the confrontation, that would make them suspects for the crime as well, although it proves this whole mess is well... Just that, a convoluted mess, someone jumped through quite a few hoops to make all of this possible."

---!

A lifeline.

Even in her state of mind, she recognized a lifeline when she heard it.

So she clung to it for her life.

If she doesn't, then Cosmos Fairchild would once again be plunged into the pit of despair.

And this time, she might not be able to pick herself up.

So she clung to it tightly, and pour all of her being into believing that these two are the key.

"But you say you went to another world? Through what means?"

"... A fountain." She replied weakly. "A huge fountain that... nearly fill an entire room. With water that reflect starlight." She gave a glance at Illia, silently pleading for her to explain in her stead, and the noticing her state of mind, Illia nodded.

"Both Alyx and Cosmos went into another world by jumping into the fountain and sink into the depths of its waters, but that in itself is strange." Illia said without missing a beat while putting her hand on her chin. "Cosmos had previously tried to do that a few days prior, and yet the fountain seems to have special properties that made anyone who jumped into it not to sink, but to stand on the water instead. The fountain itself is also the reason why Cosmos and Alyx was sent to investigate LOVELESS in the first place."

An unexplained mystery.

Just what exactly that fountain truly is - that seeing it could stir memories of Cosmos Semesta Preciel - was never answered.

Illia then offered to give details on the world Cosmos and Alyx visited to Daniel if he wished to know, but...

"--The two people."

Cosmos interrupted her COMP.

Her eyes are wide, and she looked at the man with desperation in her eyes.

"The two people that never came out. What do they look like? They must be the culprit. They must be. They have to be."

Yes, there is desperation in her eyes...

"Tell me. They're the lead. I'll hunt them down."

And perhaps, a little bit of mania...

[Tobias]

Raz Stone
Avalon ~ Camelot, Tintagel Gardens
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

You are getting all this right? Right?! The rapidly building joy flowering in Raz’s heart flowed through the internal connection. Hell, if he wasn’t currently cloaked in a hologram, he wasn’t 100% even his trained acting chops would have kept the smirk from his features.

Go teach your grandma to suck eggs flatfoot.

Came the pleasant reply. You want a stream uploaded now?

Tempting, but not yet, I don’t want him to get an alert. I want it front page within 10 minutes of him either storming off or bursting into tears though. Whichever comes first!

Aye aye. How do you want me to handle your costume?

Hmmm...go ahead and prepare a second tape, one that identifies me as Raz. But release the first one and give it a half hour head start. Try and time it juuuuuuuust as people on rewatch realize he used my name and start putting the pieces together. But let’s let the story
y build a bit and then insert me into the conversation.

Rookie, you are evil.

you love it.

Well obviously this had to go online as soon as possible, you couldn’t make this kind of thing up! Was it not the most dignified move? Maybe not, but any idol learned quick that the spotlight was a fickle mistress, quick to love and quicker to hate, but worst of all, quick to forget. As a result, true stars learned one lesson quick or they got the hell out of the game. The name of that lesson?

Ain’t no such thing as bad publicity! A supposedly damaging news cycle was just another word for attention. And no matter how much someone hated him, he knew in his heart that as long as their eyes didn’t turn away, he could sing and sing until that feeling turned to love.

Now...how shall I torture him more? This isn’t the way I incisions getting under his skin but the pleasure is about equal!

”Ah, uwaaa? Is that true aneki? Is this the man that used you...uses all children and then casts them aside, pretending he hasn’t met them before? N-no, say it isn’t so big brother, you wouldn’t have done something like that, right?!”

...If Dejah was a skilled actress in the art of crocodile tears, then Raz was a virtuoso. The hologram crafted by the Hermès shades allowed pinpoint reddening of the tear ducts as well as an ever so slight whitening of his lips due to him biting on his upraised knuckle, held over his mouth in an expression of shocked disappointment.

Another part of his act was he understood trolling. He had an idea that Dejah was referencing something that actually had occurred but phrasing things for maximum impact. Because of that he was going out of his way to avoid using Dejah’s name. That way Zerah wouldn’t be able to start putting pieces together and shaking himself out of the panic attack.

”I-is that the real reason you came to the kingdom field, Mr. Zerah? Did you start feeling guilty and come to confess? I won’t say that’s a bad thing, but shouldn’t you first apologize to the person you hurt first? A-and you can’t hurt her any more! Y-you can’t! If you do, I-I’ll fight you!”

And with that Raz, still in the guise of a smaller, charming boy stepped between Zerah and Dejah, now demonstrating near full body trembles and shakes as the frail protector standing impotently between the much stronger knight and the small waif.

Heh. I bet I get 10 million hits on wootube before tea time!

Wise up!

There is no such thing as bad publicity!
the second minor skill of Raz Stone. As a knight, and as someone whose fame has spread far and wide, Raz has significant restrictions on what behaviors he can and cannot partake in.

...However, as an idol, that is not true at all. Scandalous behavior is a job requirement. As a result, when engaging in attention grabbing hijinx or behaviors, rather then serving as reason to reject him, his credentials as the knight of song and idol of the kingdom will be burnished instead, enhancing and protecting his reputation.

This skill provides absolutely no protection against true violations of the knight’s code such as acts of cowardice or failing to protect the innocent, but it remains a potent defense against the expected response to the acts of sexual misconduct and pleasure seeking behaviors he is well known for.

..That’s just what it means to be an idol!

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
Aoyama, Beneath the Starlit Lake (SDCD Base)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

As Yamuna takes his hand and examines it, Logan can’t help but feel like he’s sitting in a doctor’s office. She speaks, and he feels mental gears shift as he listens.

"But it’s not dangerous, from the way the circles are designed, it seems the power flows only 'one way,' that is, it's designed to flow into you and not out of you. But it's also not active... And these sorts of things normally take an agreement from the human too, they can't put it on you unless you agree... Do you not know how you got it?"

Logan frowns. “I’m afraid I don’t. And since you said it’s not dangerous, I can’t imagine it being the work of the beings I fought yesterday.”

: Does this give you any ideas, Amelia?

: Not a one.

That leaves them effectively at square one. They had theories of course: the mark being the work of some mysterious all-seeing entity, or perhaps an automatic consequence of toppling that strange tower. Amelia had frowned at that first one, but said nothing out of the ordinary. Whoever she was concerned with, she didn’t view them as a culprit, so that was a separate matter. A cursory search hadn’t turned up any results either, so he’d have to do more in-depth studies when time permitted. The other primary theory was that mark appearing as a consequence of defeating the Tower somehow, but that came with its own questions. Who determined that the crest would appear, and why with that condition, assuming that even was the condition? Was it a natural law of some sort? Why didn’t Astra have a crest, despite her spirit power being instrumental to the Tower’s defeat? Was there a direct observer who preferred action to support?

Faced with such circular pondering, Logan had hoped that Yamuna had answers to his queries - but even she wasn’t omnipotent, it seemed.

"Because I think even I'd have a hard time taking it off, so whoever your 'benefactor' here is... They're quite strong."

Logan spins Amelia idly in his other hand as he ruminates. A mysterious and powerful individual or force forges a connection with me out of nowhere… There’s nothing I can do about it right now. All of these strange events recently, they might be connected; I don’t think this is a coincidence. I want to know what this crest means, but given its nature there’s a chance that interfacing with it could cause a forced activation, overloading me with spirit power until I explode or self-immolate. I’ll have to let it sit for now.

Thus, that matter is settled. Which brings Logan back to the prior situation: sitting on the floor in the clutches of an aggressive goddess. He debates his options, and speaks.

“What do you think about this mission, Yamuna? With how things have been going for me, it feels like something else mysterious is going to happen.”

[Bloble]

Daisuke
Aoyama, LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"...that's so cool!"

The story of a child climbing up a giant demonic tree just to save a toy trapped atop its branches is one that'll surely excite anyone who hears it. Daisuke is no different; something like walking an old lady across a street, rescuing a kitten from a high place, or even retrieving a balloon for a crying child, are all examples of the sort of mundane heroism he aspires to. So he can't help but start imagining the scene... and that's no good.

"But you can't leave it like that, Shuichi nii-san! You have to tell the whole story! If you keep trying to brush off all the cool stuff you do, people will just make something up in their head that doesn't match up with reality at all."

That might be why Namasaki Shuichi is so popular... it's one thing to be a hero, but another thing entirely to be genuinely modest about it to the point of absurdity. That sort of modesty is almost irresponsible, forcing others to build up an image of a hero in their minds. And that hero will always be their hero. Not that the real thing is any less heroic, but...

"C'mon, nii-san. It's okay not to worry about work for a bit, y'know. You can just forward that schematic you're working on to Chris and she'll help you out with it, no questions asked. But you can't replace these fifteen minutes, right here. And you can't un-melt that coffee. And you can only tell a story about how you climbed a demon tree for the first time to a captive audience once."

It's true. The coffee Daisuke bought for Shuichi with his (Chris') money is very sweet, very fancy, and very frozen, but looking droopier by the second.

Normally the young COMP wouldn't bring himself to talk so forcefully to a senior, especially not one his Tamer respects so much... if not for the fact that Chris herself has told him these things herself. Things like "actually an adorable kid" and "less of a prince, more of a hard working villager", and "so he's really a bottom then". So if a bit of pushiness is what it takes to get Namasaki Shuichi to take a break, have a bit of fun, and look his childhood friend in the eye, that's what Daisuke will provide.

Of course, Daisuke still hasn't realized that his perception of Shuichi and Sofia's relationship isn't quite hitting the mark.

"It's actually kind of funny, though, Miss Sofia... that's sorta similar to how Chris met him, too. She was falling out of the sky after a spell accident and nii-san just showed up out of nowhere and caught her all heroically... and then they went to Brewed Awakenings... and right after that the aquarium..."

That lack of realization is what allows him to say something any person the least big knowledgeable about romance would consider a major taboo. Obviously it's risky to mention a man's encounters with other women in front of one very clearly interested in him in that way. Especially when that encounter sounds exactly like a dream date. Such careless words could turn what might have been a good friendship into a mean-spirited rivalry. Or worse, a one-sided war against Mokujima Chris, of which she herself has no knowledge. But Daisuke, ever ignorant of such things, only considers it an interesting tidbit without any particular meaning.

One thing he can't stay ignorant of, however, is that suspicious girl and even more suspicious book.

It's not that Daisuke had any particular reason to suspect her, beyond the surface level. It just seemed a bit weird that a waitress would be carrying such a thick book that wasn't a menu, so he looked closer. Since he's an investigation armament, Daisuke has a above average amount of natural curiosity. Hence, why he paid a little more attention than normal to a mildly strange sight. Now, thanks to that curiosity... his cursory glance is becoming the prelude to an entire investigation.

He needs to get a closer bead on that book. And to see what the girl is doing with it. There are too many possibilities here, too many explanations, with most of them not very good. They range from an enemy spy to a mind-controlling evil artifact, to even more terrifying unknowns. But it's not like he can take active steps in this situation; the girl is wary, trying to keep her book hidden, hidden from them, which means any action on the part of the three customers will surely draw attention and possibly alert her, after which nothing good can happen.

Shuichi and Sofia can't help. It needs to be someone else. A third party who can gather information and manipulate things without drawing any attention or making obvious moves. The options in that case are limited. Fairies are unreliable, he isn't here, Lexie is probably in her room, Chris is too far away, and nobody nearby can be recruited silently... or can they?

Daisuke, while talking in the physical world, has been thinking. Thinking to himself mostly, as COMPs are able to do.

So, he thinks again. But this time he thinks 'out loud', reaching remotely up, up, up, towards the 'web' that covers the entire mall...

"Hiya!" The COMP greets the void. "I'm Daisuke! As of five minutes ago, Miss Sofia and I became friends!"

There is one third party here. One that holds power over everyone in its underbelly. Its name is LOVELESS.

"This is very sudden, but could you help me with something? It's probably nothing, but it might turn out to be super important."

[Katie]

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

Polite, but confident. Perhaps it was somewhat judgmental on her part, but Ayra was the most fond of those sorts of types. People who caused little fuss, yet pursued their dreams nonetheless. Honestly, if only Asuka was like that… She was diligent, to be sure, but such a worrywart… Trust had to go both ways, didn’t it? And to be so worried about the Knight you’re under… that dug at Ayra’s pride, a little, despite the fact she knew it was born from concern.

"I was her sparring buddy back in the day! Right?"

Those thoughts, however, are mere distraction to the lie she has to concoct. Inwardly, Ayra pleads for Aster to give her a save, but the AI has gone dead silent, citing “urgent bullshit” as the reason. Her only relief is that it doesn’t seem to be Aster’s usual sense of mild spite, and that it actually was something important that came up. No, she can’t think about what is occupying Aster now. The longer she stalls, the weirder whatever she says will look.

“I met her for a bit during my training as a squire,” she says, creating a very long timeframe that was just far back enough to be relatively undocumented. The eyes of the people are on Knights, and not their squires. There’s plenty enough she can fabricate about those times without people digging up the truth. “Drills for handling defensive foes, right?”

“They didn’t go so well,” she says with a laugh, the slightest twinge of annoyance leaking out. The feelings of that recent loss couldn’t go away so easily after all. “But you can’t run away from your weaknesses… at some point, there’s no point but to tackle them head-on, the best you can.”

Ayra rambles subconsciously, both to change the topic to not be about her, and because she is so used to giving squires pointers she can’t help but talk like she’s teaching. As a Knight whose identity is about “perfecting the fundamentals,” in a way, she’s the best suited to give combat advice. Or so she would like to think about herself.

“Ah, sorry. Habit.” She gives Kagura a sheepish smile, but her entire being resists the urge to glare at Genbu for putting her on the spot. “You’re probably not looking for a lesson right now.”

---

Aster

Aster can only stare at the message and grit her virtual teeth. Naturally, Ayra’s personal contact information was breached once—because Laplace, under Joker, scoped her out as a candidate. And as much as she disagrees with Ayra’s decision, that’s the grave they have now dug for themselves. With this in mind, it is only natural Aster has to feel careful. Responding to one mysterious message irrevocably changed the course of their lives, so she might as well treat this with equal gravitas.

And for that matter, she already knows it is not from Joker or Laplace. One, they’re in Laplace’s house, so any discussion would probably be done in person. Two, this is too weird to be a trick. It has to be this third-party, making unreasonable demands. “In person?” Don’t make her laugh.

Still, if her judgement of the sender of being on Laplace’s level was correct, there really was no point to consent or not. If they wished, they would get their way. At least asking was polite. That was a small plus in their favor. And she’ll humor them. Someone who contacts her, not Ayra…

It’s twistedly gratifying, being noticed like this, rather than something to be hidden, and so she goes against her better judgment.

My owner wouldn’t appreciate it if we met face to face, but I am interested in what you have to say.

If face to face is the only way, then I want concrete assurance that any recollection of my appearance or voice won’t exist.

If that cannot be arranged, or if any other alternatives are impossible, I’m afraid I must decline.

[Spinach]

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

While Alice acted as temporary playground equipment for the children, Hyakka finished drawing the bath. There is no knowledge of a world before this one, where magic and technology merge seamlessly into a convenience that couldn’t have been imagined just a few decades ago. The inscribed rune and its function is just a given, because there was never any alternative.

This world is all that she has ever known.

So, too, is the body of hers in the mirror all that she has ever known. The white-haired girl looked at her reflection. Her entirely red and black dress had been packed in the changing room, leaving nothing between her eyes and her own form.

The girl thought nothing of such a thing. To be with or without clothes, in the bath or not, alone or not, was nothing she ever spared thought for.

Though.

"Everyone is still so energetic... But that's good... Wouldn't be Brighter Days otherwise!"

The return of a certain someone has given the white-haired girl cause to think about her body. Everyone else had changed over the years. Yet she alone was left behind by time. Her body never budged, her hair did not grow longer, her height did not grow taller. Her voice never deepened or softened. Her hands never grew larger, and even now they could still hold the entirety of her chest, which much like the rest of her had not changed once in all her remembered years.

"How are you doing though? Having fun at the Academy? Met any cool guys yet? Eating your veggies properly? Making sure to drink your milk?"

Unlike a certain someone.

Hyakka seated herself beside the bath and began to wash her hair.

“At school I have made many new friends! Yet because I’m new, it feels like everyone is a senpai to me, even the ones in my own classes. But I will catch up! I’m strong! And I learn! I learned to swim, and even to hold my breath!”

Though her body hadn’t grown, her web of life experiences had. Finding something to boast about, she puffed up her meager chest.

“Cool guys… there’s Nakahara-senpai! And… Belial. He is odd, but cool! Like a villain turned hero but forever a villain with a hero’s heart! … Does that make sense?”

She tilted her head, then began to rinse her hair.

“And of course I eat the vegetables. But I will never surrender to milk. I will not capitulate!”