Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
Medical Ward
??? - Afternoon

"Oh, hey! I thought you'd be dropping by again, so I had some glazed donuts brought up! Want some?"

Those are the words that Fujiwara Miyu greets you with as you enter her hospital room for the fourth time this week. Though it is definitely too soon to call the two of you friends, you had found yourself coming back here again and again in a search for answers about the bizarre visions the girl had seemed to trigger in you, although it was a search that wasn't quite as forthcoming as you would like, because...

Miyu herself doesn't seem to know what you're talking about when you bring the dream up; of course the girl's memory seems to be missing quite a few important memories, such as how she had wound up this far away from her home back in Japan, exactly what had happened to her to leave her in a comatose state, and even how her fight with Saria had gone after she had slept jumped out the window, but...

What she lacked in concrete answers, she had made up for with a sincere sense of 'friendliness' and 'familiarity,' or rather...

It felt strangely easy to talk with her, to the point where it almost felt like she was some sort of forgotten friend of yours. Of course, her being someone from outside the church certainly helped you when it came to assuaging your paranoia, since it meant she was far removed from the internal 'politics' that had a number of the Rose Cross keeping their true selves hidden behind a generally inoffensive front, but even without that...

"I've got chocolate glazed, normal glazed, and cream-filled-! Eat as many as you want okay? Don't hold back!"

...She came across as someone who was almost 'childishly' honest. While she had long since recovered from any damage she had sustained in her capture by Saria, she was being kept inside her room under the watch of the medical staff, who wanted to monitor her for a bit longer in order to ensure there was no danger of her 'relapsing' into her berserker-like state again...

If there were no incidents, she would be heading out of here at the end of the week, being transferred into the SDCD's care, or more specifically, back to her home in Aoyama, Tokyo.

---So there was still a bit of time left to try and jog her memory. You had left your descriptions of the dream itself mostly vague up till now, but...

It seems like that won't work in this case.

Waiting a bit for you to either take her offer of food or deny it, the girl that has gotten used to your visits also brings up the point of them again immediately, namely:

"So... You're here to ask me things right?"

...Are you?

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
Medical Ward
??? - Afternoon

"Oh, hey! I thought you'd be dropping by again, so I had some glazed donuts brought up! Want some?"

A small smile graced Cosmos's face at the girl's friendly greeting.

She never really knew how... liberating it would be to have someone not from Rose Cross to talk to. She doesn't have to second guess everything, and she could even lower her guard without fear of being coaxed or led into a conversation that involves the inner politics of the church. They're definitely not friends, at least not yet according to Illia, yet the strange sense of familiarity made it that much easier for her to talk than usual.

"I've got chocolate glazed, normal glazed, and cream-filled-! Eat as many as you want okay? Don't hold back!"

"I'll take the normal glazed one then." She said appreciatively while taking a seat besides the girl's bed before giving her a small frown. "And please, one is enough for someone as petite as myself." She said as she took a bite from her glazed donut.

'Say someone who ate more than one cake during her morning tea time with Mary.'

'That's to make for the lost time when I show Mr. Kenji around!'

'Also, she's just being nice Cosmos. Giving her a frown is a bad manner.'

'But that was made in jest! I didn't really mean it!'

'I know Cosmos. But to anyone else, that seems like a genuine frown.'

Conceding defeat to her COMP, Cosmos gave Miyu an apologetic look after finishing her bite. "...That frown was made in jest and not really because I was offended, so... I apologize if I gave the wrong impression."

Still, it felt nice to hear Illia speaks again. Her COMP's silence after she passed out and experience that strange dream was an oddity that she only realized after leaving Doctor Lynx's office a few days ago, but apparently that was because Illia was trying to figure out why she suddenly passed out without warning; thankfully Illia went back to normal after hearing about what had happened in her dream. She's still the only one she told about it in detail, though that might soon change.

"So... You're here to ask me things right?"

Which leads to the main reason why she had come here.

Cosmos had never been one for small talks. She only does it when she's with her mother, and with everyone else she simply doesn't know what to talk about without making it awkward, not to mention she had to be careful on conversation topics with fellow members of Rose Cross. It simply made it not worth it in her eyes, and even though Miyu is different, in the end they're not really friends; she came here with a purpose in mind, and she would only try to chat after that purpose is fulfilled.

However, with Miyu's memories seemingly missing in certain places, the possibility of her knowing anything about her dream is decreasing. It's true that she's being vague with her, but still...

Perhaps a different approach is needed.

"Yes. But before I ask you about the dream in more detail, I'd like to ask something strange. Something that should be taken literally, and one you can ignore if it doesn't ring any bells." She paused, looking at Miyu's eyes before asking the question. It was something that she thought of as she looked at Miyu and remembered what Mister Kenji said a few days ago upon seeing his friend again:

"...I see. Haven't changed at all have you?"

"What happened to you Miyu? Even the others aged a little bit."

Yes... Fujiwara Miyu apparently doesn't age at all since the last time Mister Kenji saw her. It was certainly strange, but that strangeness became something of a hint for Cosmos.

Because she's the same. She hasn't changed at all since the day Mary found her ten years ago.

"Miss Fujiwara... have you ever wake up without knowing anything about this world?"

[Mooncake]

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


He moves in tranquility, like a dance.

Akiko, the wind, the trees, the scent of autumn, his niece, his brother, his family, his self, his mind, his heart, his spirit...

Ichizen cuts each one, paring it away until the person moving is no longer there, and yet moves still. Each step that he takes brings him one step closer to the 'emptiness' that is achieved through mind-no-mind, and yet...

Something is missing. The emptiness he is achieving is truly empty, like a cold knife. It's lacking something, he can feel it, and that makes it incomplete. Being incomplete means a dull sword, and he cannot let that sharpness be taken from him. If he wasn't beyond frowning, he would have one right now.

And yet, he feels a presence watching him.

How could he not?

He's still a soldier, in the end. A foreign influence at the edge of his perception would always draw his attention.

It's a girl, standing in the air above the ground, hovering, clothed in blue.

Then.

There's only one thing to do.

Himura's instinct tells him that she isn't a threat, and so he moves, having swept the leaves fully away from the shrine, leaving it free from the moment of dust and confusion, a transient moment of peace before autumn comes in to scatter its bounty across the shrine once more, holding his broom like a sword.

He moves slowly, so, so slowly, and cuts down, and up, and to the side, and back, and thrusts, and spins, and thrusts, and cuts.

The kata is without flaw.

He is someone who, after all, has never made a mistake with his sword in all his years of living.

Not even once.

Not ever.

Not even if a mistake was desired.

The final blow slowly, slowly comes towards the girl, moving slower than water freezing on the shore.

It descends, so slowly, towards her head.

[Airen]

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

"..."

A gentle dance amidst the autumn leaves.

The waving broom is not something that would really harm anyone, but the refinement that exists even in the midst of a glacial strike is enough that no one would take their eyes off of it.

And indeed, the floating girl watches you silently, eyes curious but not judgemental, and...

The 'wind' moving her gently out of the way of each and every strike.

Her limbs do not move, she glides without twitching so much as a single muscle. In that regard the tells are few, the speed of her evasion is such that she only ever 'barely' manages to avoid your strikes, and yet...

When the last approaches, slowly, slowly, ever so slowly...

The girl freezes in place, or rather, the world stops moving her out of the way of the waving broom, yes...

Slowly...

Slowly...

Slowly...

Eyes that watch a broom fall, eyes that watch the world play out in infinite stagnation, and...

Eyes that blink when she is tapped lightly with the head of a broom.

"..."

For a moment, silence, then:

"...Not going to swing any faster?"

A voice that was also like the wind, empty, androgynous, but curious...

Yes.

Both empty and curious.

A voice full of contradictions, and an emptiness that is seemingly just as flawed as your own.

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama - Abandoned Apartment Complex
??? - Morning

"...I used to live here, a long time ago... Although it looks kinda like a haunted house now..."

"Uh-huh."

Giving a somewhat non-committed response, Blaise was occupied with fishing a pack of Lucky Bastard brand cigarettes from the pocket of his jacket. Taking one, he gently blew on its head, causing dark blue flames to dance in the air - and light up the cigarette in the process. Taking a drag from the thing, he then exhaled a cloud of smoke high up in the air. For a few seconds, he enjoyed the sensation, watching the wisps of grey flutter to and fro, before turning towards the bespectacled girl.

"Well, doesn't that fit you even better now, then?" Blaise asked with a crooked, subdued grin, glancing at the house. "I bet if you stared from one of the windows at night, Aoyama could add yet another ghost story into its urban legends..."

He wasn't totally wrong either, with his joke. Thanks to Tsukiko Aido's pale complexion, she was a right fit for an abandoned, spooky Japanese-style house. Though she might have had to switch to a more traditional garb. Nevertheless, both Blaise and Tsukiko could hear Kaguya snicker at the bespectacled girl's (or four-eyes, as Kaguya insisted calling her) expense. The COMP AI stayed invisible, but made her presence still known.

"Doesn't look like anyone's living here anymore, though," Blaise continued, cigarette on his lips. "Guess we don't need to worry about current residents..."

With his free hand, he pointed his thumb towards the building an turned to look at the girl besides him.

"Planning on heading inside?"

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
Airport
??? - Morning

Nakamura Megumi was certainly the most mysterious of the "Big Three," or at least, she was the only one whose face wasn't wildly known to most of the world, even if her work had spread itself throughout the entire planet.

Where Namasaki Kenji was one of the Faction Leaders of the Big Four, and Dr. Matsuda was known for randomly appearing to dispense advice and technological support all around the world, Nakamura Megumi was the sort that simply stayed at her workshop in Japan most of the time. Of the Big Three, she was most known for being the creator of the first "Anti-Spirit Suppression Weapon," and could thus, in a certain sense, be thought of as a sort of "grandmother" to those that existed today, but...

She turned down interviews with magazines, was never seen on television, and simply seemed to live life like a normal person in spite of being anything but-!

Still...

Even if her face isn't well-known -you don't actually know what she looks like yourself- her fame exceeds her anyway, as the number of people present inside of this place -clearly waiting to speak with her- have certainly packed the area leading to the "Pulse Network," or as it is sometimes called, the "Spirit Pulse." While the actual mechanics behind it were a bit beyond you, the "Spirit Pulse," was essentially a form of transportation that utilized the leylines around the planet to move users from one point on the globe to another, with all four Tamer Major Tamer Organizations... As far as 'teleportation' type transports went, it was easily the most accurate one available to humans -who are notoriously difficult to teleport otherwise-, but...

As those with 'weaker' spiritual constitutions are also known to get "intensely ill" after using the network, it's the sort of transport that only Tamers commonly use, with most civilians preferring planes even in the magic age; considering Megumi is who she is, it's pretty obvious that she'll come through the network rather than use any other method, and thus most people are scoping it out, with you hanging around in the back due to underestimating exactly how sought after a meeting with this person was gonna be...

Well... Even if you failed to meet her, seeing her is still something rare enough that it could be called an "experience."

Yes...

Not embracing her fame made it possible she preferred not to get involved with crowds too much anyways, so if you saw her and she looked uncomfortable, you figured it might be best to just leave and not add onto what was proving to be a sizable crowd, but as you wait near the back, a group of people from a nearby flight gate moving towards the luggage rack...

"Ah, sorry."

Someone bumps into you.

She's tall, with long blue hair that almost reminds you of Agatha's for a moment... But this person's eyes lack that brief flash of shyness that Agatha has, replaced with a warm, almost motherly gaze...

"I didn't mean to bump into you," speaking respectfully, the woman's apology is sincere, "I didn't expect this place to be so crowded... Is this group waiting for Nakamura-san?"

Friendly.

Just like that...

It seems she wants some form of small talk...

[hero]

Amamiya Sho
Combat Simulator - Old SDCD Combat Academy
Monday - Morning


"... Definitely." I have to agree with Jack on this one even if it's for a completely different reason. "I mean, I asked for your help, ended up getting you in trouble and, far from being mad at me, you invite me to breakfast? I am not sure I know how to feel."

I do my best to laugh it off, even if I actually feel responsible for what happened. No matter how you look at it, it was me Yoshino showed a grudge against, and it was me the one who selfishly crafted a lie to pointlessly antagonize a figure of authority. Nadia and Jack just got dragged into the whole thing by coincidence. If you look at it that way, then it would be only natural for me, the victimizer, to make it up to them in some way. And yet, somehow, I find myself in a situation that's the complete opposite of what it should be. Even if I can tell that Nadia is being prudent so as to not to hurt my pride more than it already is, her suggestion alone makes me uncomfortable.

It's not like I don't like the idea. A part of me wants to go with the flow, after all, it would be foolish to pretend that the possibility of sharing a precious time isn't there. That said, it's a proposal I cannot bring myself to accept. Believe me, it's not about the money, and surprisingly, not about a man's pride.

This is less about us being friends and more about Nadia's predisposition to help those around her. Had this happened during our first meeting, I'm sure the outcome would have been similar, if not the same as now. For that sort of kindness, I feel both admiration and jealousy, but more importantly, uneasiness, as it reminds me of someone that's no longer a part of my life. That's the biggest reason why I've doing my best to keep my distance, her driving skills also playing a relevant role in the matter.

In other words, I...

"Master will definitely take on that offer-!"

"_____!"

I nearly jump back, startled. More often than not, Kioka and Kyp would be at odds. One is the voice of reason, the other the voice of freedom, it's only natural that their personalities would be fundamentally different (even though they both adore praise). For them to form an united front is unprecedented, so I can't help but be surprised.

"Hey, what the hell, you...?!"

Just what is this team-up born from the depths of hell-?!

I try to start a counter-offensive, but it's useless. Kyp has adapted to become as close to a duct tape as possible and is set on not letting me speak by sealing my lips, quite literally. Meanwhile, Kioka encourages the others and reassures them that I would be happy to accept this invitation. I wonder if anyone realizes that I am being coerced into this...

"Fine, fine-!" I finally speak out, defeated, after somehow managing to get my slime companion out of the way. "We're are all going out to have breakfast, alright!"

At this point, it's not like I have choice in the matter.

After giving my discounted loot a final farewell, I take a step forward, following the only road allowed to me.

[Airen]

Amamiya Sho
Combat Simulator - Old SDCD Combat Academy
Monday - Morning

"Not sure how to feel? Why? It's not like you forced me to come with you."

Ultimately, a simple answer that adds fuel to the flames of your internal struggle. For Nadia Starr this sort of kindness was simply natural, or rather, the moment she had taken your side earlier in the day on this mission, was the moment in which she had put the two of you inside the "same boat," content to remain loyal to her friend regardless of whether or not it got her in trouble.

If this is how things turned out, then in her eyes, this was just how things had turned out. There was nothing to be angry at you about, if anything, the people she would really blame for this whole situation were Yoshino and his Demon... Although it seems she was determined to punish Jack a little as well, even if only in an attempt to break that 'backstabbing' habit of his...

Yes...

It's a heart that's troublingly pure in some ways, while that sort of sentiment isn't exactly unheard of inside the ranks of the SDCD, there is something bizarre about the fact that you're pretty sure she would do the same for most people she met, regardless of how long she had known them, yes...

It almost feels like she's too trusting in some ways, too kind?

Something along those lines... Even so...

"I tagged along because I wanted too, simple as that... Well, I also needed to get Jack back, but I'm starting to think that rescuing him might have been a bit of a mistake..."

"Do you hee this, Amamiya? She pierces my heart with her words, hee-ho!"

"Yeah, yeah, you'll be fine. Come on, let's get out of here."

Ultimately, the argument that erupts between Demon and Summoner is enough for them to not notice when a certain A.I and Slime both jump you at the same time and force your hand... Of course, they may just be forcing you to do what you actually want to do instead of what your uneasiness dictates you should do, but all the same...

Making your way back to the entrance hall, Nadia and Jack go ahead to prepare the bike for a -promised to be much slower- ride back to the city, while you...

"...A moment please, Mr. Amamiya."

Are stopped at the door by the Headmaster, who has seemed content with simply waiting here for those under his care to finally leave this restricted zone. Of course you stop when you are told to stop, his voice having that strange power that compelled his students to listen to him -even if only initially- and...

"Ms. Starr is someone with a... Potentially troublesome destiny."

...when he does talk in this moment, it's to say something that can only be called strange.

"Do not misunderstand me. I am not discouraging you from being her friend, in fact I would say I encourage it, however-"

A pause, then:

"-while she is famous, she does not have many companions. I would ask that you remain loyal if you choose to become one, even if that path becomes... Difficult."

A surprisingly emotionally rooted statement made in an entirely emotionless voice.

Of course, you turn to respond in some way at this point, but...

Even as you do, you already know...

The enigmatic headmaster is probably already gone.

Man.

...What a pain.

----

Sho has entered Free Phase (Off Screen)
Length of Free Phase: Seven Days
5 AP is available. 2 EP are also available, but cannot be spent until Free Phase (On Screen)

[Spinach]

Hyakka Onjouji
Neo Aoyama, City Center (Simulation)
Monday ~ Morning

“This is bad-! Hana, you have to stop her! Now!”

“Camelia?”

“Those trees… that fire, she’s going to… this is a theory, but it’s ALL going to blow up like a bomb!”

“Wha-? But what about Nakahara-senpai? He’s in the forest too! Won’t he get caught up in it?”

“Maybe he has some way to protect himself, or maybe she can control the blast somehow. I’m not sure, and it doesn’t matter! Hana, you have to act!”

“O-okay!”

The black and red wings spread out like a fan at the girl’s back. Freezing in place amidst the darkness, the blue brooch at her chest began to gather heat, warmth, and a cold darkness began to swell. The wings lurched forward, gathering together and meeting at the tips.

“Really… I wanted to at least get through the first day without having to use it…”

“Sh-should I do something else?”

“No, better to show your cards and win than sacrifice your teammate just to hold onto some secrets.”

Hyakka nodded. Staring down her forward facing wings, shaped together like the barrel of a gun, she locked in on the spiritual signature of her target.

Akane Nanaya.

Was she really playing as a decoy before? Had she and Nakahara put together a two-stage plan that diverged depending on the actions of the enemies? Use her spiritual signature like a beacon to draw enemies in, and then for Nakahara to strike at the distracted enemy team. In the case that the enemy ignores her, use that unspent energy to create this forest of destruction.

In that case, wouldn’t she have set up a defense in case someone ran interference? Magical energy output of this magnitude is exhausting. With her sharpened senses, Hyakka can see it. Nanaya has spared no expense in the creation of this forest. Could she even have time to prepare any significant defenses?

“We don’t have time to think about that, Hana.”

“Right.”

The girl shelved those thoughts.

“With everything I’ve got!”

The attack is nothing but darkness. A column-like beam shot from the tips of her wings. In the pitch black of Dark Cocoon, the attack is imperceptible to the eye. The only sense that it even exists is on the spiritual, a mass of seething power forging through the darkness.

Careening through a lightless sea, the black beam of Malignancy bores down on its target from high in the sky.

[Airen]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

---A strange sword, and an even stranger message to boot.

Ultimately, the arrest of Lloyd Akarana was an event that was inevitably going to cause waves in the news. With lawyers from all branches of the family up in arms about it, and the NWAB itself -particularly Alexia- getting involved with the legal proceedings, the events of the past few days are events that are destined to explode sooner rather than later, likely with the rest of the Akarana throwing Lloyd under the bus in order to save their own public images...

In other words, this was the sort of battle that you tried to not get too heavily involved in; there would be statements you would need to make in court of course for evidence purposes, but if there was a way for you to avoid the dull paperwork aspect of the job and stay on the streets where the action was, where it felt like you were making a more tangible difference in the day to day life of the civilians...

That was the path you would take, but today, well...

A strange sword, and a strange message that came along with it.

---Not many criminals would give a gift to the person that arrested them, and thus, the strangeness of his behavior has led you right into the heart of the Detention Center to visit him...

Yeah...

Ironic, in some ways.

Indeed...

"...So you decided to come here to see me then?"

Much as you couldn't stand your last formal interaction with him, here you are again of your own volition...

And just like last time...

He seems annoyingly unphased about the fact that his life is more or less falling to pieces beneath him.

"Once again, you honor me with your presence. You have a much more normal aura than that Wright woman... She's a bit too cheerful for my liking I'm afraid, only ever wants to talk about spiritual smithing... It's rather frustrating, but I suppose this is a mess of my own making, so I can't complain about it in good faith."

A pause, then:

"I'd offer you breakfast again, but such things are a bit... Beyond me at the moment, so I'll cut to the chase. Are you here to question me further? As the loser of our little game, I suppose I'll go down with some form of grace and cooperate with you for a bit."

Another pause, a much longer pause, then...

"...Do be careful though, it seems Joker has it's eye on me."

[Airen]

Hyakka Onjouji
Neo Aoyama, City Center (Simulation)
Monday ~ Morning

At this point, holding back will only ensure that you lose.

With Nanaya and Nakahara's endgame but a few breaths away from being completed, you instinctively understand that trying to stop her through half-hearted means could easily mean the defeat of your partner... Seeing as how the ability to tolerate pain in battle was one of those skills that Tamers seemed to acquire naturally, there was no guarantee that your weaker attacks would be able to stop her from setting everything ablaze, thus, the answer becomes rather simple...

Full Power.

A mass of darkness moves unseen through the material realm, even as it's existence blazes to life in that of the spiritual realm, a blast filled with an obscene amount of force, so much so that even those fighting in the distance become aware of it's existence.

---For Akane Nanaya, it is certainly a blast that catches her attention, even if the energy itself feels somewhat strange... Even in the midst of her own Trump Card, the appearance of an opposing Mythic Level Force is enough to send her brain into overdrive, sixth sense screaming that she's under attack even as she turns automatically in an attempt to face it, eyes that cannot see in the world of darkness opening automatically anyway, searching for something that they won't be able to find, as she attempts to determine the direction from which she is being attacked, rather than simply doing as her instincts dictate she should and desperately moving in any random direction-!

---Of course, it is not like she hadn't had defenses set up.

While this world of Darkness is difficult for her to operate in, the sea of trees she had created was essentially it's own little world, a battlefield that would protect her of it's own volition, attacking all those that came within it's interior with the intention of binding them inside of it, keeping them from escaping the follow-up detonation. When it came to normal combat it was an effective enough defense, a trump card that turns the surrounding world into a powerful ally for the user in a variety of ways, but...

Rather than take an energy conscious approach to this battle, Hyakka had simply thrown her all into an attack of her own; it's a move fitting for someone new to the world of Tamers and Demons, a burst tactic that sacrifices longevity for a chance at immediate victory, and in this case, when combined with the disorientation Akane was still feeling from being unable to use her -incredibly sharp- physical eyes in this world...

It's a gamble that just might succeed-!

Yes.

By the time Akane has successfully deciphered what sort of attack is closing in on her, as well as the simple method she had used to get the drop on her, it's far too late for her to actually do anything about it.

"---Hah... Well, that's a blind spot alright..."

Throwing up the strongest barrier she can in defiance, the mass of darkness erases her from the simulation anyway.

Her partner follows soon after her.

---


Ikushima/Hyakka O X O X

Nakahara/Nanaya X O X O

Of course, the moment your opponents regain proper use of their eyes, the battle once again becomes an uphill one, but one that you find yourself enjoying nonetheless. With Nakahara's -temporary- periods of invincibility remaining a powerful aide for his side, the following rounds reveal he can pass whatever it is onto Akane as well, as your next encounter with the girl ends quite differently than the first, being the victim of a particularly demented Golem's baseball-bat like swing of an oak tree, and...

Lots of carnivorous, flying flowers.

Yes...

Where Kaori is a cool senpai type, Akane quickly proves to be a bit more wild with her tactics, employing a number of familiars that all seem to lean towards being mobile plants of some sort, a lot of them really pretty until you see the teeth...

Well, maybe Akane was the "creepy cool" type of senpai, it was hard to say just yet, still...

With the tiebreaker round being postponed to a later date due to the current class period threatening to run a bit late in the schedule, you find yourself standing alone within the shadows of the data world as the system does a final health check on you to ensure you are okay. Of course it is nothing more than a precaution, as the use of 'Digital Bodies' means you were never actually in any real danger to begin with, it seems that this sort of procedure exists for the sake of being extra careful, and yet, while you're waiting to be released back into the real world...

"...Not a bad showing for a new kid. Could stand to be more assertive though, no one takes someone who stammers seriously."

Someone new appears within the world alongside you. While his body is youthful, seemingly around the age of someone in university, you can tell right away that this person is definitely not a student...

No, this aura is...

Definitely more akin to that of a teacher.

...Had you done something wrong somewhere?

"...Name's Belial. Most of the kids call me "Sir." This your first time at a Tamer Academy?"

Yeah...

This one gives off a strange feeling...

Like you're being "investigated" for some reason...

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

I hate prison trips, no matter the reason. As a Knight of the Round, I’m naturally the enemy to criminals everywhere, and even if you’re willing to delve headfirst into a place where everyone hates you… that doesn’t make it any less uncomfortable. Especially if you’re alone…

Normally it wouldn’t bother me as much, but Aster’s been rather quiet since we found the sword in the first place… But I suppose I’ve had this coming for a while now. Still… Even if her banter is annoying, I really do miss it. It’s nice to have someone who cares for you deeply.

Aster?

Aster: ?

Remember how everyone sent me swords in my last unboxing video? Isn’t this kind of like that?

Aster: …

Aster: You’re so dense, goddamn.

…That’s a familiar statement. I can practically hear it, even. I let out a sigh. If she’s anything like the person she copied it from, I’ve stepped on a few toes…

Aster: I’m a mature AI, so let’s just talk about it later. I’m gonna sit and brood for a bit.

…Okay.

The door opens and I take my seat, Akarana’s visage on the other side of a pane of glass. He looks much better than I thought. Perhaps they’re giving him preferential treatment in prison… but he himself said that his family would prefer to clean up loose ends. Still, I’m surprised that usage of that COMP hasn’t taken an immense toll on him… or it’s something not apparent to the naked eye.

"...So you decided to come here to see me then?"

"Once again, you honor me with your presence. You have a much more normal aura than that Wright woman... She's a bit too cheerful for my liking I'm afraid, only ever wants to talk about spiritual smithing... It's rather frustrating, but I suppose this is a mess of my own making, so I can't complain about it in good faith."

“Yeah, I can’t say I can really hold a conversation with Alexia either…” I offer some sympathy for his plight. Only a select few can hold a conversation with Ms. Wright for any length of time, and even then, I’m certain those people can’t handle her enthusiasm for the intricacies of COMP development… Well, not for very long. At least, that’s how her conversations with even our technicians go…

"I'd offer you breakfast again, but such things are a bit... Beyond me at the moment, so I'll cut to the chase. Are you here to question me further? As the loser of our little game, I suppose I'll go down with some form of grace and cooperate with you for a bit."

"...Do be careful though, it seems Joker has it's eye on me."

It’s good that years of PR training let me keep a straight face. Sometimes… the world’s really amusing, you know? No doubt he’s legitimately worried… but I definitely can’t say the same.

“...It’s fine. I had a chance encounter with Joker before I found you back then, so I’m not surprised. And I refuse to lose the next bout.” I state these words as confidently as I can, as if I really had taken those defeats and wanted vengeance. Well, there are a few people I’m thinking of instead to fuel that fire, but that’s something to be discussed for later. I’m here for the real issue at hand.

“As for your help, Mr. Akarana… Most people tend to send gifts to my PO box, not their crime scene.” Not that getting this in my PO box would make me feel any less uncomfortable. I suppose you’re not supposed to look a gift horse in the mouth, but getting gifts from criminals surely warrants some sort of caution.

“Why am I, of all people, the one receiving Maken?”

[Airen]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama - Abandoned Apartment Complex
??? - Morning

"Hmm?"

Having fallen into some sort of deep thought at the sight of the house, the only thing that truly seems to shock the girl back to 'reality' is the question you pose to her at the end of it all; of course this is somewhat uncharacteristic of the pale girl, who would struggle at least a bit more against Kaguya's jokes, but this time...

"Oh, yeah... I guess we should go inside, huh?"

...She seems a bit preoccupied with her own thoughts, answering the question in a way that made it clear she hadn't actually decided what she would do when she had arrived at her old 'home,' or...

Was having second thoughts about it for some reason.

"I'd go in by myself... But I'm not the biggest fan of ghosts..."

Was that... Really why...?

"Even if I do kind of look like one."

Either way, she seems to have steeled herself to go through with her original intentions in the end, walking up to the rusted gate and pushing her way through with unsurprising strength, the dull creak of the metal letting out a sound like a sigh on the wind as you move to follow along behind her automatically, the smoke of your cigarette rising to join an ever-cloudy gray sky.

---Feels like it might rain soon.

With the front door just as unlocked as the gate, the depths of the -massive- house's abandonment can be felt in how stale the air on the inside of it is; the humidity on the inside is intense -likely due to a leaking roof- and while the front hallway of the estate is still visible as such, the cracks in the wooden floor, as well as the various holes torn in the shoji doors, make it clear that no one's been in here in a long time...

Or at least, no one's been actively living here for years, and-

"Hmmm..."

-making a light, thoughtful noise to herself, the dark-haired girl moves gracefully though the hallway, pace slow and hesitant, but...

Growing with familiarity as she goes, as if she had actually forgotten what the place had looked like on the inside, but was slowly starting to remember... Of course, only mildly interested yourself, the gaze that follows after her own out of that same sense of mild curiosity...

Finds itself landing on a bunch of picture frames that have been arranged near the hallway door, as if the inhabitants had always wanted to be reminded of them on the way out... As far as the pictures themselves go they are somewhat faded from the weather, but it's easy to tell that all three are women, not only that...

Two of them... Definitely look familiar... One is definitely Tsukiko, although she is a lot shorter in the picture -which seems to have taken place in one of those mall photo-booths- the other two -both with their arms over her shoulders in a group hug- have facial structures that vaguely remind you of Noriko... Closer inspection reveals a few signatures at the bottom in three distinct hand writings...

-Mochizuki Noriko
-Mochizuki Mio
-Kurogane Tsukiko

Of course, while you're looking at that... The pale girl in question is still moving ahead throughout the house as if rediscovering it all, a blurry shadow going through the door at the end of a hallway in your peripheral vision, and while you're not paying complete attention to her at the moment, her voice comes drifting in from somewhere in the house soon enough...

"Oh, that's right, there was a piano... I remember this... How did it go again...?"

With that question, comes the appearance of music.

It is perhaps, surprising for a girl that didn't seem to do much in her day to day life, but sure enough, while her voice sounds like she's questioning whether or not she could recall the ability to do so, the song that begins reverberating through the house is certainly doing so at her behest, and taking a few steps forward to follow the melody, you find that the girl hasn't gone that far from you at all, no...

The parlor with the piano in it...

Was in the first room on the right from the main entrance.

It didn't have a door.

---As if accompanying a somewhat nostalgic tune, the light patter of rain joins in on the pianos chorus.

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
Medical Ward
??? - Afternoon

"Huh? That's a new one..."

While the question is certainly bizarre, and the girl tilts her head to the side automatically in response to it, the thoughtful frown quickly turns back into the girl's usual smile as she takes a bite out of her own selection of morning sweets.

"Do you mean like amnesia?"

Of course, while the question itself is a bizarre one, she doesn't feel a real need to not answer it either.

"Yeah I did, but that was a longgggg time ago, more than twenty-five years ago I think..."

Eh?

Of course, seeing as how she was apparently an ESPer, the idea that she wouldn't look her age wasn't unbelievable; indeed, you had followed this train of thought because her physical appearance had apparently been bizarre even from Kenji's point of view, but...

It still feels a bit bizarre, to hear someone who was apparently in her -at least twenties- look and sound so childish in her mannerisms...

"Guess it might be a weird quirk of mine though, I can't remember much of how I got here either... Well, it's a bit better now than it was then, I at least know who I am this time..."

While her words imply the thought might bother her a bit, ultimately, her smile seems to overcome even her internal enemies, as it refuses to fade away a second time.

"Why'd you ask?"

[Verg Avesta]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama - Abandoned Apartment Complex
??? - Morning

"..."

Hearing this song, the melody floating inside the long-abandoned house with the pitter-patter of rain accompanying it, Blaise felt that, for the moment, he shouldn't intrude on the memories that Tsukiko had descended into. Indeed, the sound was that of someone tracing back steps they had once taken before, or rather, had taken before many times. Thus (after muting Kaguya who was about to make a snarky comment) Blaise stepped away for the time being, instead slowly walking around the empty building, letting his eyes wander in the furniture and other marks of the past that had been left behind.

After all, he couldn't help it.

Time and time again, his eyes kept returning to that one picture he had seen near the hallway door.

The one with people both familiar and not.

--- It was like Blaise had stumbled upon some sort of hidden past that his sister had never told him about.

And he wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

But, if his mother had taught Blaise anything, it was to always be as polite as the situation demanded, and never to be rude towards girls. Thus he allowed Tsukiko to play that song of hers on the old piano, give her the space she probably needed after returning into this house. The bespectacled girl had certainly acted strangely when they were about to enter the place, and since Blaise didn't know if he'd make things better or worse by intruding further, he had backed off for now.

So, he walked.

He searched around with mild curiosity.

He investigated the various signs of a life that once must have been going on in this house.

The life that involved Tsukiko, his sister, and... someone he didn't know. Someone who shared the same last name as his sister... and Tsukiko who had a different last name than she did these days...

--- Naturally, it made Blaise want to know more.

But, eventually, the time he had to his investigation was over. The song that Tsukiko had been playing faded away, having ended. And at that point, Blaise had made his way back to the parlor, watching the bespectacled girl play those last few notes, her fingers flying on the keys. Leaning on the doorway of the parlor, Blaise kept his eyes at her, focused, while he finished up his cigarette. He enjoyed the last few echoes of the music that he could hear, until the only thing to hear was the rain that fell outside.

A moment of silence. Then...

"... You're quite good with that," Blaise commented, nodding towards the piano. "Never would have expected that, honestly. But, then again, I suppose it sorta fits you."

A pause.

A meaningful pause, during which Blaise glanced back towards the front door.

--- And then back at Tsukiko.

"......... Who's Mio?"

[Airen]

Logan Starbright
SLEIPNIR - Medical Bay
Tuesday - Afternoon

"Name? Uncorrupted memory files indicate I have been designated as Omega-001. Most others simply refer to me as 'Omega.'"

Unlike the being from yesterday, which had seemed to take an almost smug sort of satisfaction in it's attempts at killing you, the version of the entity that was speaking now was almost unrecognizable cooperative with your questions.

"If my inquiry confused you I must apologize. I was attempting to understand my own reasons for attacking this ship, as I was built for the purposes of protecting humans. To attack a human vessel in spite of this programming... It is an error I cannot understand, memory banks have suffered extreme errors. Sabotage from an outside source on my cognitive functions is possible."

It even goes so far as to explain it's current circumstances and mental state to you -although it could be lying- although when it comes to answering the second of your questions, it:

"Sarah Starbright? Human woman recruited by the Previous Administrator. Considered to be an ally according to residual memory. Always kind to me and others, further recollection is unfortunately impossible as of this time."

A pause, then:

"...She left me behind here when I was defeated, correct?"

It asks another question of it's own.

...Yeah.

This change in demeanor is definitely strange...

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
Medical Ward
??? - Afternoon

It seems her assumption was correct: Fujiwara Miyu does have an amnesia. This is yet another vital clue - nay, a validation - and Cosmos could felt her hypothesis growing stronger and stronger.

Still, twenty-five years ago...

That was such a long time ago, before even the second Kyuubi incident...

"Why'd you ask?"

"Oh." Caught like a deer in the headlights, Cosmos quickly finished her donut while contemplating on what to say to that question; still, it doesn't take long for her to arrive at a decision.

"Because to tell you the truth... I was the same." Cosmos confessed while looking out of the window. "Ten years ago, I woke up here in Vatican with no memories whatsoever... nothing except for my own name."

She still remember that day clearly as if it happened yesterday: the voice calling out to her, the gentle shaking of her body, and the face of her mother tinted with worry... Those were the first memories that she acquired upon waking up ten years ago. It was something that Cosmos held close to her heart, and she had yet to tell a single soul about it; even Illia knows not because she told her, but because she was basically born from those memories as her foundation, so telling another person about this is... strange. It made her feel vulnerable, somehow.

And yet, it also feels somewhat refreshing. As if she's relieved that she can finally share it with someone else.

"From what I've heard from Mister Kenji, you haven't aged a day Miss Fujiwara... just like how I, too, have yet to age a day for ten years now." Cosmos could felt her courage rising more and more as she continues her story and hypothesis. "Not only that, but I felt a strange sense of familiarity with you... which is strange, as this should have been the first time we met. So here is my hypothesis:" She leaned in closer while maintaining eye contact with the purple-haired girl, her heart beating in excitement. "It is my belief that we knew each other before our amnesia."

Cosmos felt good. Excitement is practically coursing through her veins, and the fact that Miyu might be someone from her past makes her giddy inside; it's true that she does not particularly care and felt content without her previous memories, but the fact that she might be able to find out excites her nonetheless, like having a closure after ten years of blankness-!

'So, where are you going with this?'

Illia's sudden voice brought her thoughts to a halt.

'... What do you mean, Illia?'

'So you revealed your past and share your hypothesis... That is fine. But what will you do now? Will you ask more about the dream? What do you hope to gain from this, Cosmos?'

'I...'

Cosmos looked at Miyu again. For the past few days the girl doesn't know anything at all about the dream, and while she had shared her past and hypothesis now, she doubted that Miyu can suddenly know anything about the dream, even if she told it in more detail...

So why did she do this?

A few seconds later, Cosmos came to an answer.

"... Um, I know this might be a lot to take in. And I don't expect you to remember anything from that either." She fidgeted. "I... I suppose I came here today not to ask more questions about the dream. Of course, I will tell you more if you want, but..." Cosmos paused, took a few moments to compose herself, and took off her hat, hugging it tightly to gain courage before speaking again. "I-if you don't mind, can we be... can we be friends?"

Yes.

The reason why Cosmos felt so excited to share her hypothesis with Miyu was because she felt like finding an old friend; someone with similar circumstances with herself. And didn't she felt at ease talking with Miyu for the past few days? Happy that she doesn't have to be stressed from just talking with another person, that she doesn't have to watch her every move and words lest it be used against her mother?

As someone who doesn't really have a friend, asking such a request took a mountain of effort, and she's not even sure Miyu will accept; the girl is friendly, sure, but Cosmos had done nothing but pester her with questions for the past few days. She couldn't help but think that she's being selfish, and that Miyu will just reject this offer... and yet she asked anyway, to the cheer of Illia from within her mind.

At the moment, the truth of the dream doesn't matter; that can be pursued at a later date, perhaps together with the girl in front of her should she accept the offer of friendship.

That's why at the moment, Cosmos only prayed that Miyu would accept it.

[Airen]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

"Maken? Well, I suppose the answer is rooted in my old fashioned way of thinking," maintaining that perfectly calm expression even now, the man nevertheless shifts slightly in his seat, "I am the sort that thinks things I make should find some sort of use, otherwise their existence is somewhat pointless, no?"

---It's not a lie, but at the same time, it feels like there's more meaning in those words than what is immediately apparent to you...

"Well, I suppose I am also somewhat unsure myself... The events of that evening a few nights ago have... Shall we say, wrecked some havoc on my mental state. Mind you, I have no intention of denying my crimes either, I wouldn't dream of using amnesia as a defense, but I have forgotten the meaning behind some of the actions I took. According to my medical report... It has been deemed a side-effect from my use of an illegal COMP, unsurprising, to use a power beyond your means is bound to have some sort of ill effect on the body and mind."

He speaks lightly of it, and his expression never changes once, but...

Perhaps the 'scars' have become a bit more apparent to you...

"Nevertheless, I know I made that blade for a reason. I do not know why per say, and there is very little chance of me being able to do anything with it myself, therefore, I decided it would be better in the hands of someone that can still act. A tool does no good if no one has it. Of course, I assumed it would also draw you here to me before things got out of hand... I am a loose thread unfortunately, so I'm sure they will attempt to shut me away somewhere before too long... Best that I get the chance to speak with you now."

A pause, a bit of a smile, then:

"I won't let them erase me too easily, but all the same, I believe in taking certain... Precautions. Even with a damaged memory, I know not to let myself fall too far into the background. It's in my best interests to stay relevant, I suppose."

Ah...

It was something like that too, huh...?

"Of course, the sword itself should not be dangerous. I remember that much at least... You are free to disregard that information, however, I am aware I have become inherently untrustworthy."

[Katie]

Ayra Lilygrove
Avalon - Detention Center
??? - Noon

“That’s very unfortunate.”

It’s an answer, but not really one that paints a clearer image of what is to come. Obviously, he brought it upon himself for risking everything he had on that gamble, but to have your memory filled with such gaps… There’s something tragic about it nonetheless. Still, I have to wring out what I can. After all, Akarana is right.

His days are numbered. Even if we put him under the strictest watch, I don’t know how long it will be until someone like him disappears like a leaf in the wind. The most pragmatic thing is to get all I can now, and leave his fate up into the air. Yet my duty as a Knight, or rather, my heart as a person… Even deplorable people deserve some fundamental kindness.

But those are things to dwell on later.

“Even if you can’t remember why it was created… surely there’s something about it that made you think I should have it. Nevertheless, I’ll accept it. If it came to mind as a gift, subconsciously, at least, you know it’s safe to be given. And besides… this is your swan song, isn’t it?” I say those words in a nonjudgmental tone. I don’t fault him for being this way.

He doesn’t want to disappear, but he knows it’s an inevitability at this point. The least he can do… the least he can do is pettily arm the enemies of his enemies. In other words, me. One last act of defiance before disappearing into the void.

If you look at it positively, it’s a tad like atonement, so I’m not too bothered. It’s a net gain for the world, so there’s no point in being annoyed for how it comes to fruition.

“Well, before we discuss whomever is trying to clean up loose ends, how was your maid? Joker… was not kind to her, to say the least, when I found her.” It’s a nagging feeling on my mind, but I wanted to know.

I want to know how much he lost.

…It’s too tragic if he forgot what he threw away everything for.

[Airen]

Amamiya Sho
Aoyama Gakuen - Dojo
??? - Morning

Starting in the school's dojo rather than the classrooms was always a sign that the day was going to be an abnormal one.

With the SDCD easily being the most relaxed of the four Major Tamer Factions by a long shot, the methods their main school -Aoyama Gakuen- uses when training potential magic users -Tamers or otherwise- often manifest in ways that foreign Tamers may consider to be somewhat bizarre. It is not an academy that is above using games like dodge-ball for training, effectively putting the entire student body into a simulated scenario where magic is allowed and a single hit is considered to be 'fatal,' while also allowing bonds to form through actions that are considered "fun."

Yes... It is a place that seemingly has a method for every sort of student...

A necessity, perhaps, due to their nature as the Faction that is rarely anyone's first choice, the net that catches all those who fall out of -or do not align ideologically- with the other three...

The last time everyone had been gathered here had certainly been for a magical dodge-ball game in retrospect, of course, while Saki Ryuumonbuchi is normally in charge of the more combative classes, the prevailing rumor that was being passed around by the students was that the entire faculty was going to oversee this particular class period together.

Alarming in some ways, but it's also not like you can do much about it other than bear with whatever they come up with-!

Still...

With everyone gathered together like this, it's easy to sort out the more popular students from their peers, namely, while the area around you is somewhat sparse, for a certain dark-haired acquaintance of yours...

"Yes. Don't worry, I'll be sure to help you study later. No, the formula won't work that way, and-"

...Life is certainly lived well-loved by his classmates.

No matter where he goes people flock to him. It's not just the girls either no, while he is distressingly popular with your female classmates there are just as many guys who seem strangely drawn to him as well, like younger brothers following after their "impossibly cool" older brother...

Yeah.

He's the most popular guy in the university, and morally speaking... There's nothing about him to complain about there either.

He's the sort that would stop to get a cat out of a tree, or to help an old lady cross the road; there has never been an instance where he has seemed to abuse his popularity in any real way, or even snapped at anyone for anything...

But still, even if he seems perfect, that's not what you really find annoying about him.

He puts up with everyone perfectly, is always polite, and yet...

That's the problem. He just seems to "put up with it," or rather...

---You can tell he doesn't enjoy it as much as he pretends too, but he continues the perfect act anyway, as if he thought he would lose something important if he wasn't everyone's superhero...

Yeah.

Something about that... About him...

---Really rubs you the wrong way.

Still, strangely enough...

You do get a wider variety of emotions out of him, albeit...

It's something like annoyance...

Still-!

"..."

Glancing over at you through the crowd of his admirers, as if he could sense your gaze on him, the youth's own expression changes ever so slightly, as if he wanted to call you out for standing off on your own or some other annoying nag at your personality, but even as he steps past his little group of admirers, apparently planning to walk right over to you as if he's got something to say-

"Alright guys, everyone get ready-! We've got a bit of a special event today before lunch-!"

-the Vice Director of the SDCD, Liane Cross, makes her way into the dojo with her usual energy, flanked by the headmaster and the other teachers.

Along with them...

Comes the familiar hum of the school's auto-skill generators kicking to life, plunging the entire student body into the digital realm.

---It's a bad sign.

Yes.

Because if they're going this far, if they're putting up these sorts of protections...

---Then they have every intention of having some sort of 'fight' break out in here, but what could they be-

"Our pre-lunch exercise will be something of an obstacle course-! At my call, everyone is going to attempt to get to the cafeteria from here-! During that time, your teachers and I will be doing our best to eliminate you through any and all means! It's a sudden survival challenge! Top-ten will be rewarded!"

...What.

No seriously, what...?

Giving the students little time to really comprehend it, the sudden shift in the place's tone, as something similar to panic sets in...

No.

...This is just another bizarre day at the academy, you can handle this-!

Especially when-!

"...I'll limit myself to your speed. See you at the finish line?"

Shuichi taunts you in that annoyingly good-natured-but-still-slightlyyyy-smug way-!

"We'll start in ten seconds-! If you don't want to participate, don't leave the building, okay? TEN-