Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Airen]

Logan Starbright
Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

---It's dangerous to look.

---This is a self-defense mechanism.

---Only

Death

pain

awaits you if you continue to acknowledge this.

It's not something you are able to consciously realize, of course, the situation being what it is, what you've long forgotten it is, it's actually dangerous for you to realize a lot of things, but in some ways it is certainly too late now.

Nevertheless, your brain makes a gallant effort at the task.

Censor the image you can see with your eyes, inflict painful backlash on the body, do something, anything, to keep from comprehending what this photo means, because if you

wake up

become aware

of it, there won't be any going back, not under your own power anyway, so...

---You struggle.

Unconsciously.

As pain and as grunts and as sound and as noise, you struggle, and the floating girl, Rice...

"..."

...A flash of pain crosses her face at the sight, a hint of guilt perhaps? The photo had clearly been the cause of this sudden mental fit of yours after all, the melting colors and swirling memories of an apparent

past

future

but she makes a visible attempt at steeling herself in the face of it, because she has to do so, that's right, she had failed to do so before, so...

This time, even if it hurts a little, she would protect everyone instead of just watching it happen, but...

Her plan falls through...

She had meant to isolate it, like a quarantine, observe the effects of forced lucidity, the movements of the enemies, and act based off that, but...

"...!"

...A door slams open, and all of her plans fall through casually, easily...

As a Goddess forcibly enters the reality.

In the face of her direct might, there is nothing the current Rice can do to prevent her entrance; she has some degree of what many might call reality warping herself, but in the face of that Goddess's existence, without the aid of her sister units, there is nothing she can do to keep her from breaking into this small pocket world, the cut off reality, the pocket dimension that was meant to contain a fatal sort of 'virus.'

But.

This is still salvageable, or rather, if it had been anyone else it would've been salvageable, but...

"...Rice?"

A questioning voice, from the Goddess in the doorway, as flickers of memory cross the surface of her mind and...

"...Not you."

In response, the A.I can only say this, the face she had been trying to keep calm, collected, well...

Breaking in the face of the Goddess.

Breaking in both relief and despair, because if there was one person that would absolutely protect others, it was Yamuna, on the other hand, if there was someone who absolutely could not be allowed to casually learn of the 'truth,' behind this World, it was also this Woman, yes...

---Because they won't allow it.

---They'd rather crash this whole damn system first.

And it's true, it's true enough, we would, this can't be allowed to happen you see?

Ah well, it was a good attempt Verity, but she trusted people she shouldn't have... Stupid girl, haven't you learned yet that humans will just let you down every time?

Well, not like she was helping matters either, totally looked like a villain herself... Heh...

Still, doesn't really matter, right?

We've been fighting over this script for a long time, you want it to go one way, we want it to go another, it's always so messy when it comes down to this, but it can't be helped, let's go, full scorched earth-!

You guys were always the weak point of the brats anyway; was unconditional love something you humans programmed into them? Has to be right? You sort of treat them like shit, you know? Ah well, can't complain about flaws that play to our advantage...

Let's see if we can drag that last one out of hiding, break this last-ditch shitty defense system of yours.









---The strange girl retreats immediately.

A flash of light in the face of a Goddess, a beam of energy that rises into the sky and is quickly lost, scattering like stardust in the wind as the girl moves from here to somewhere else with something close to desperation, and...

"Ugh..."

Holding her head now, seemingly afflicted by the same sort of pain you had felt from looking at the photo, purely from looking at the girl who had just fled this area like the devil itself was on her heels, Yamuna...

"Sorry I'm late... What's going on?"

Asks the obvious question...

[Airen]

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

---A bright smile, and a simple enough question.

Zerah Meir.

The Radiant Knight, Eternal Swordsman, Fiend Slayer... A man with many titles, one of the most powerful and famous Spirit Tamers in the World, known for bearing the classical attitude and grace that one might expect from a knight in shining armor from the mythological era, rather than the more modern aesthetics that the other Knights tended to go for nowadays, yes...

Someone like that probably wouldn't harm you, but...

A person's public persona can be misleading; it's not the sort of thing that you put too much thought into yourself of course, Hyakka Onjouji has maintained a certain level of innocence that wouldn't be out of place on a child many times younger than her, but...

"...Yeah, I guess he wouldn't."

...In the end, Alice (who actually knows the man personally) seems to agree with your sudden assertions that the situation is fine...

"That guy's too straightforward and honest for pranks."

She sighs at this, as if this realization is somehow tiring for her, while Honoka...

Honoka

I'd like to talk with you for awhile yes, I would certainly appreciate the opportunity, but...

There's something wrong...

Give me a moment please, I will try to figure out what's going on...

...Has a sudden change in tone, the cheery, almost bubbly voice you had been able to mentally picture before, replaced by words that read a bit more serious, as if the book had realized something you hadn't, and was showing a sudden sense of gravitas, enough that you -mostly out of curiosity- make an attempt at doing the same, at examining your surroundings, and...

"..."

...It's quiet.

The normal echoing sounds of the other children have vanished, as have the sounds of the cars outside, and even the wind, as if the planet had suddenly spun itself to a stop, yes...

It's almost like...

Everyone had suddenly vanished somehow?

You couldn't even sense them anymore...

And as you notice that, well...

Honoka

Oh no.

It seems we've fallen into a nightmare.

Please exit the tub in an orderly manner.

There is no need to panic, everything will be just fine.

Honoka starts writing out some...

Rather alarming things...

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

A door slams open, piercing the dusk with brilliant light. The miniature world pops and the movie loses all immersion as the theater door opens, changing a brilliant tableau into a faded photograph. His skin warms and his blood calms because Yamuna is here to bring this cryptic and painful encounter to an end, and with one final firework Verity disappears, bringing an end to the revelry in the reverie.

Logan makes his way to the exit, beckoning Eve to follow him. He leaves the simulation and sighs, deactivating Amelia and returning her to his pocket.

"Sorry I'm late... What's going on?"

“I’m not quite certain, to be honest. Mokujima and Eve,” Logan pauses to confirm their whereabouts, “fled into the simulator, so I shut it down and entered to assess the situation. Then someone who I believe is the girl you just saw, trapped the three of us within that video simulation to show us something. She mentioned some sort of conspiracy involving shadowy figures she never did elaborate on and then showed me-” Logan winces as a fresh lance of pain drives itself through his brain. “-an image I can’t quite remember. Then you appeared, and she left. Sorry for making you go through the trouble.”

He sighs again, then looks at her pained face.

“You said her nickname just now, do you know her? That reaction of hers made it seem like she’d met you before.”

[Airen]

Illia
LOVELESS, Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

---With your User down, it's up to you to pay attention to the proceedings...

Indeed, you more than most are aware of the weakness inside of her heart; it's nothing to be ashamed of really, every person has their cracks and weak points, places that just might give if you know which buttons to push...

It just so happens that Cosmos's buttons are easy to guess at, and also easy to press, thus...

"..."

...In Sofia's eyes, the trembling, shaking girl is perhaps a bit too much?

It's not a matter of being strangers or not, from the start this person wasn't bothered too much by the idea of physical contact with others, and indeed, throwing her back to the screen with an obvious aura of disgust, the blonde-haired princess lifts Cosmos up without too much of a hassle, arms slipping beneath the smaller girl's legs, as she starts away from the screen with the obvious intention of removing her from where the clown could see her, showing a surprising strength all the while, at least for a person that didn't seem to be wearing a COMP...

But her strength isn't important no, the movements have a naturally practiced and maternal air to them, a princess ironically performing a princess carry herself, moving your user away from the screen and onto a nearby examination table where both pillow and blanket await, probably because of the overworking nature of the owner of this laboratory...

"Deep breaths Fairchild girl, deep breaths..."

...On some level, Sofia must be used to taking care of others, nevertheless...

Your focus is elsewhere.

On the literal stare-down between Daniel and JESTER, a silence that rides on a razor's edge, where it feels like they'll somehow tear into each other in just a few moments, in spite of the sheer physical impossibility of the task, that was the sort of hostility that was radiating from both ends, the sort that appears not before a fight to subdue, but rather a fight to the death, where one must erase both their opponent and everything they stand for, but...

"...I'd miss. Not worth wasting the energy. I'll crush you later."

Daniel makes a simple remark in the end, as his hostility flares away.

Or rather... Is buried beneath the calm that you can now tell is manufactured, controlled, meant to hide the fact that this person's blood was actually rather easy to get boiling if you knew what you were doing...

He'd miss?

"You're just chicken."

The clown cackles.

"But you're right. You'd miss. Horribly. Guess you're a bit smarter than you used to be, eh Daniel? That why you got the NWAB promotion? Thought for sure you'd lose your temper and be a disappointment, but hey, I guess at least some people in this room can control their emotions! Puts you ahead of the church moron!"

It's upside down now.

Mask split in a Cheshire grin..

"But let's see, now that one brat is off crying cuz her world was crushed, who's left? The computer? Or as she thinks of you, the less cool version of mom, right? Unloved second best, can't even slip in and be number one now that your rival is gone, huh? Man, sucks to hear that. It hurts me, it really does, but hey, at least you're not sobbing in a corner right? So..."

Throwing out a barrage of insults at you too (now that it seems aware that Cosmos isn't quite so close anymore) the clown's already demented smile widens even further...

"How you feel about making a deal with me? You heard Mr. Proctor here right? I can grant wishes! I'm the goddamn tooth fairy! A genie in a bottle! Revive the dead? Easy! Favor for a favor! How about it?"

[palad1n]

Illia
LOVELESS, Vatican City
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

"But let's see, now that one brat is off crying cuz her world was crushed, who's left? The computer? Or as she thinks of you, the less cool version of mom, right? Unloved second best, can't even slip in and be number one now that your rival is gone, huh? Man, sucks to hear that. It hurts me, it really does, but hey, at least you're not sobbing in a corner right? So... How you feel about making a deal with me? You heard Mr. Proctor here right? I can grant wishes! I'm the goddamn tooth fairy! A genie in a bottle! Revive the dead? Easy! Favor for a favor! How about it?"

--A barrage of insults attacked Illia like a machine gun.

What made JESTER's attacks so effective compared to others were definitely their accuracy; none of the insults he threw around were actually wrong, which was why Cosmos took such a huge damage from it. Unearthing their secrets and fears before laughing at them, prodding at every mistakes and faults if they took the bait and replied...

Needless to say, what he said on Illia was true.

The less cool version of Mary is such an apt way to summarize how Cosmos viewed her. It was the very reason why Illia had never liked Mary, why she's always absent whenever Cosmos spends time with the woman who became her base unless asked, and why for so many years she never bothered to push Cosmos to socialize more. She envied Mary, and in an act of petty retaliation, did her best to make sure that Cosmos has a limited social interaction despite Mary's wishes so that Cosmos spends more time with her.

And more than anyone else, Illia is perfectly aware of this fact.

With someone like Mary as the base of her looks and personality, Illia knew that she's far from being a good person. She knew she's selfish for trying to hog her user all to herself. She knew that she'd never replace Mary as Cosmos' number one.

But that's why Illia is mentally stronger than Cosmos.

If Cosmos' mental strength was like diamond, unbreakable and strong yet fragile if one knew where and how to cut it, then Illia's mental strength was like steel; not as strong or unbreakable in the right conditions, but flexible enough that it can bend under pressure.

That's why she could stare unflinchingly at the screen as JESTER's words washed over her.

Because Illia has long accepted that she'll always be number two.

Besides, being number two has its advantages, as she found out. There are things that Cosmos kept hidden from Mary because she felt that it's not worth her time, and no matter how much Cosmos loved her mother, there's still a barrier of sorts simply because of how much the girl loved and idolized the woman. There are times where Cosmos will be ashamed to face Mary, times where she felt unworthy to be Mary's daughter, times where she got hurt...

Being number two, and one who shared a mind space, means that there were no such barriers. Cosmos always told her everything, from the mundane to the important, always asked her for opinions and advice; she grumbled, shared her happiness and woes, cried and aired her frustrations until late at night whenever Mary went abroad with Alyx...

There were no secrets that Cosmos kept from her, and...

It made Illia happy. So very happy, to be trusted so much.

That's why, despite her envy at Mary, she didn't mind being number two.

Because it was enough.

Because in some way, despite the fact that Cosmos will never look at her with the same admiration and love as she looked at Mary, being number two is better than number one.

"Are you finished?" She asked calmly. "I admit, making a deal with you to revive Mary sounds tempting, especially if you can really do it. You must be a being of tremendous power to be able to do something like bringing someone back from the dead. However..."

Illia narrowed her eyes, and it was filled with so much disdain and hatred that if looks could kill, JESTER would have died several times over. It was a testament to Illia's control over her emotions that she's still speaking with relative calmness despite the apparent tranquil fury burning within her.

"I'd never make a deal with someone who made Cosmos cry."

[Airen]

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

---Out of all of the relics present on the Isles, the Round Table was the one that was perhaps the most sacred; it is a Legacy Image, a manifestation of the genuine article from the old stories, an item of ancient power and meaning that literally thrums with heat when one touches it, an impossible storm of power swirling almost violently within it, yes...

A table that is meant to "remove the distinction between lord and subject," it is a meeting place for heroes (one that is said to hold the power to summon them forth even) and thus, a natural meeting place for this sort of thing, an ancient tradition, kept alive in the modern day as a means of invoking the 'power' that had existed in this realm in the past, of the legendary Knights and their King, it is perhaps a place where Raz Stone's usual mannerisms may be a bit too much, or perhaps one might think so, but...

---Those that sit at this table are brothers in arms when they do so, thus...

While the air is that of a grand temple, a room lit by the golden rays of dawn, sheltered within a storm of power that cannot be seen but can certainly be felt, there is little sense of unease in you, after all...

It's not your first time here...

And the King?

Well...

"I could hear the screaming from in here, trying your hand at cooking again eh?"

...He's sitting at your side, your right side specifically, while Zerah has wound up at your left... Considering the circumstances, it is not a meeting of the entirety of the Knights, such a scenario would only happen shortly before something apocalyptic or distressingly political, as there is almost certainly never a situation in which all the Knights must be deployed at once, so...

Of the Knights, it is yourself, Zerah Meir, and Lord Gabriel...

Those that had come in with you -the guests as they stood- had not taken a place at the table, instinctively understanding that it would probably be seen as questionable for them to do so, so...

Isako was at the back, arms crossed...

The squires were still out in the courtyard...

And the most brazen of the guests, the woman of honor herself, who had caused all of this to happen, a certain princess Dejah, well...

After she had made it clear that she wanted to "present" something to him and the Knights, he had more or less given her the floor (and she was now busy preparing some sort of presentation it seems) a remarkably casual move for the leader of one of the Four Great Tamer Organizations, and one that well fit his more relaxed nature, after all...

Gabriel wasn't your usual, uptight King, no...

He could be a stoic monster in combat, an easy to see manifestation of an 'invincible king' that will crush all evil and cannot be defeated by anyone or anything, wielding a blade crafted from the largest of Excalibur's broken shards, but outside of those scenarios, well...

He had the heart of a prankster.

He could take jokers, dish em out too...

Really, it was probably Merlin's fault, those two hung out together too much, yeah...

"Was it moving around this time? Crawl around and try to eat anyone? It seems to get stronger every time it's made, so I can't help but be curious about it...?"

That vaguely mischievous smile on that far too perfect face...

"Laws might have to be made if it did, you know?"

...Was definitely talking more to the DTG than to Raz, after all...

Raz was incapable of seeing his food as anything other than masterful, an unfortunate trait for those who possessed the "Mystery Food" skill, of which...

There were a lamentable amount...

[Tobias]

DTG
Camelot, Round Table
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"Haaaah..."

The more things changed, the more things stayed the same.

Oh, and there were certainly things changing. He was still working on decrypting some of the data from the school house. the Cypher, if there even was one, was byzantine, dysmorphic in places, if not actively insane. Of course, a new riddle wasn't that big of a change. Not when compared to a time traveling vampire or a time travelling COMP or a time travelling schoolhouse.

Just another day in Avalon. Must be time travel Tuesday.

The old COMP sighed again, idly rolling up another paper cigarette before giving it a desultory lick to close.

"Look yer lordship," The DTG started, lifting the unlit source of comfort and letting it hand from tired lips. The king deserved respect. It was all the detective COMP could due to keep the antics of one insane knight and keem him more or less aimed at the bad guys. The King functionally did that with an entire city full of them! No, anybody willing to jump on that grenade deserved a nod and a free drink at least.

"I don't know how many ways I can tell you. I wanna help, believe me, I wanna, but I can't do what I can't do. I can chin at him till the day is gone, the dames have danced their last and the stars are out, he don't listen. I can distract him with work or skirts or what have you, and he just keeps at it. I cant even slip him the old mickey because he eats so much of his own food you cant even poison him it seems like. If you wanna clap him in bracelets, i'll help you make the collar and testify in front of the robes and hammer. S'all I can offer you sheriff."

Yup. time travelling so and so's and kids more powerful then freaking Wishing Stars and the thing people wanted to talk to him about was keeping Raz in line.

To be fair, Raz's awful cooking was plausibly the greatest threat to the kingdom, but still, He was a detective not a magician!

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

Pity Ada hadn't come along. She was probably still out enjoying his love filled chocolates. Or maybe flirting with Ryan. Seemed like their might be some chemistry there. Raz wondered what it would take to get them together. It could be fun to play match maker. Of course, Ada would likely reject anyone Raz set her up with because having her brother's approval was a proven deal breaker.

That could make it more fun in the long run though! The dark haired man thought to himself, idly picking away at a holographic six-stringed guitar. He usually preferred a bit more zest to his music then a little campfire side strumming, but sandwiched in between zerah and the king, he didn't have to much room to perform and anyway considered himself just the warm up act intended to keep everyone somewhat amused while the little tyke did whatever it was she was doing.

Mmmm...sandwiched in-between Zerah and the king... Raz shook his head. No, no, later! For now there some kind of plot development doing on, courtesy of the DTG's plus one. Raz hadn't really made up his mind on Dejah yet. She was full of herself and had a lot of cryptic clues to offer so it was about 50 50 she was actually someone deadly serious trying to spool out information in the correct manner to get the help she was seeking out or the big bad behind the whole thing. Either way, should make for a pretty good story. The kingdom's bard was excited to see how it all played out. Seemed like the king was of a similar mindset.

"By the way, oh wise and virile king. I see you took my advice and left the queen behind. Good! She just gets in the way when I wish to...kneel...before your royal self. Oh, I but also see you didn't listen to me, as you didn't bring the wife this time, that's a shame! You know me, I am always looking for ways to lavish praise...and other things, upon the royal person."

[Airen]

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

---Gabriel chuckles.

"It's quite the bizarre skill isn't it? You yell at them that it's inedible, that they have literally made a curse in the form of 'cuisine,' and yet they are completely incapable of recognizing it as such."

Saying such things aloud, mostly because he knows that Raz will be unable to truly comprehend these words for one reason or another, the King ultimately can't help but laugh at the absurdity, a smaller absurdity than what Dejah will likely manifest, but an absurdity all the same...

Yes.

He will focus on her problem when she makes it known what it is, until then...

"It's not just Raz that shows these symptoms either, everyone that can make that 'curse' behaves in the same way... It's like they literally cannot comprehend what they've done wrong, quite a twisted form of cognition, no?"

He will just tease.

"Then again, it is a powerful curse, maybe we should just embrace it and start using it like weaponry... No, no that's probably bioterrorism isn't it?"

And make vaguely horrifying remarks, still, when his attention turns from DTG to Raz, and the comments about the queen emerge, the blonde man simply raises an eyebrow for a moment before opening his mouth as if to speak, but-

"Ok! Ready! Attention please!"

-before he can, Dejah's voice rings out from the other side of the table...

Naturally, it's the voice of a princess. In spite of the polite 'please' at the end, it is thus a voice that more or less naturally demands the attention of everyone that can hear it, and thus...

Everyone turns to face her automatically.

---A symptom perhaps, of their shared status as 'knights.'

"I have confirmed that this space is completely enclosed, as such, we can finally talk about why the World is currently ending, and why I need your assistance in order to stop it!"

---Or perhaps, because everyone had just seen this coming, deep down inside...

"Alright, here we go again..."

Yes.

Even Gabriel mutters that unconsciously as his gaze fixes on the short girl across the room; one who has pulled a set of glasses and a pointer stick out of nowhere, brandishing said stick at a hologram that -somewhat pointlessly- seems to have taken the form of an old-fashioned chalkboard with the words "Dejah Sensei" on the front of it, in essence, purposefully dressing in the stereotypical manner of an old-fashioned sort of teacher...

"I will pause throughout my explanation for the sake of questions, so please hold those for the appointed times, okay~"

So saying...

The girl begins...

"Mission Statement: I have come here today to request the aid of the Knights in retrieving the sword "Xanadu" from the grasp of an alternate world, this sword is my actual body, and, in the current situation, an artifact responsible for the stability of this World, which is also named Xanadu. In essence, the moment my body was taken from this place, the World itself began the gradual process of collapse."

With some rather odd statements, concepts that make sense to a degree, but also aren't exactly things you have heard before...

Although, considering the way the King frowns at this, it seems he accepts it as a form of truth...

Perhaps he knows about this Xanadu?

Wouldn't surprise you.

Higher-ups knew a lot of things other Tamers didn't...

"Of course, ordinarily, this would not happen, however the World as you know it right now... Is a bit more fragile than it normally is... My current data on that particular topic is somewhat lacking due to my separation from my body and memory files, but I am certain the World will collapse if we do not bring my body back here. Deadline... I think we have until Christmas Day. But really, we should do it as soon as possible."

She nods decisively.

And doesn't sound like she's lying, still...

The World potentially ending is a normal enough scenario, people freak out about that all the time...

"The only reason the World hasn't collapsed more noticeably is likely due to the efforts of my coworkers, there are three of us in all, and we keep the World stable together, although their main directives are different than mine, and I do not know exactly where their bodies are as a safety precaution, so that if one of us falls the others remain safe even if we are compromised. As a result, I do not expect to get any direct help from them, as if they were capable of doing so, they likely would have contacted me already."

With that she crosses her arms, and...

"Any questions so far? I am basically here pleading after all, so I will answer as best as I can in an attempt to prove I am trustworthy and not a secret villain!"

---At this...

Just like a classroom...

She gestures for people to raise their hands, and well...

[Airen]

Mokujima Chris
Brewed Awakenings, Boundary
To Those That Wish to Escape
???

---It's a sudden shift in fate.

The connection to a conscious Goddess whilst one is in the land of the unconscious, it is a thing that many might think to be impossible, and indeed, the number of factors that have lined up in order to allow this to occur are impossible, so many that it might as well just be a fluke, and yet, this is something that is absolutely happening to you right now.

Perhaps it's a manifestation of a prayer?

No matter how awkward and one-sided the call, the feelings in your words are sincere, a desperate, painful attempt at breaking through your own distortions and asking someone you cannot talk to for help, and in response to that bravery...

"Simulator Two? Okay. I was wondering where you guys went, one moment please and I'll be in to pick you up."

...The Goddess makes this declaration naturally, although the phone line dies soon afterwards...

Was that something that had really just happened?

In the depths of a dream it is perhaps difficult to tell, but your gut feelings, yeah...

That was real...

Something might be a dream, but why would that mean it is not real?

It's that sort of thing in the end, or at least...

That's what it feels like, still...

When the impossible phone call ends, and you are able to put yourself back into a state close to your usual self...

The bar has shifted somewhat, a result perhaps, of Vincent having reached them all while you were distracted? The girl in front of the television set has ceased her aimless perusing of the channels, it's a sudden switch, the aimless gaze replaced by closed eyes and a teacup held like a noble, one that she sips at for a bit, before downing the whole thing in a decisively unnoble gulp, standing up, and...

"No time to sleep just yet..."

Walking back towards the door, towards the storm outside...

At the arcade machine, the youth has ceased his glare into it's depths, and is instead looking at the cup of lemonade in his hands as if he's not quite sure what it is... It's not quite as extreme a reaction as the noble girl had seemed to have, as he does not immediately recover his strength and march off into the night, but the expression on his face now is more contemplative than anything else, less self-pitying, but a bit more frustrated, and behind you...

"J-Jacquie?"

You had heard a sound like that, and then crying, loud, ugly crying as the younger red-haired woman sobs into the chest of the half-demon, half demon who blinks to herself at the action before patting the girl on the back in a motherly sort of way, unable to play her guitar like this, but also seemingly content with being whatever sort of emotional crutch the girl needed right now...

"Where were you?! I messed up bad! I did it to save Nadia, but-"

...And judging by the mumbled, machine gun-like fire of words being directed at said half-demon, it seems like the girl needed quite the crutch for the torrent of emotional problems that were pouring out of her...

Yes.

The bar had certainly shifted as a result of your suggestions...

Were they all good shifts?

Hard to say, but...

Any movement at all was probably a good thing, still...

If Yamuna was coming to pick you up soon should you leave? Or just wait here to 'wake up' as it were? It's a question that's worth considering, especially if this dream bar is the sort of thing that puts your body into a coma while you're in it... Although Vincent had said it wouldn't rob you of time...

Confusing...

Yes.

This place was a bit confusing...

But that is perhaps the nature of Dreams?

Still...

When it comes to Sakurako...

"...That's right... Eve... I remember..."

The girl has a suddenly... Haunted look on her face...

"It made me attack her... The curse... I had to hide her in the basement... To keep her away from 'me'..."

As memories that were perhaps unwanted...

Suddenly swirl back to the front of her thoughts...

[Airen]

Rossweisse
SLEIPNIR - Resource Level
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

"I can't believe it. This is so unprofessional!"

Anna was a maid.

It wasn't something that had been outright confirmed by anyone, but a conclusion that could be easily reached just by seeing how she interacted with the Commander, and all the responsibilities she held on the ship; her relationship with Adala was akin to that of a maid and their mistress, absolute loyalty, familial affections, and being trusted with tasks that she would normally not let anyone else fulfill, like the piloting of the ship itself, or in this case...

The management of diplomatic relations, in other words, Anna had seemingly been assigned to make sure this "cross-faction" mission goes smoothly on the Rothschild base, and that's why...

If looks could kill...

Every other member of the ship would be dead, long dead, frozen solid by the icy wrath of a maid that absolutely could not believe that her perfectly crafted plan for the morning was falling to pieces all around her, yes-!

None of the other agents were here!

There were a number of reasons (excuses Anna called it) as to why, but they still weren't here-!

You had helped her set the tables, then joined her back in the designated meeting zone, the artificial park, and well...

No one else had shown up yet!

They were late!

All late!

As things were right now, it was just you and her, awkwardly standing alone together in the park, or well...

You were standing, Anna was pacing back and forth, scrolling through menus on her portable terminal, and making noises that you were pretty sure were muttered threats, albeit in voice that was somehow really calm all things considered?

It's a scary maid voice, the kind that sounds sweet on the surface, but promises absolute torment and despair just beneath that surface, ah well...

Not really your problem right?

You were here, she couldn't come after you!

"Alexander! Get out of the library this instant! You know what today is! I'm so disappointed in you-!"

Good thing too, cuz she sounded really mad!

Besides, everyone still had time, there were ten minutes or so before they were actually late-

"...!"

-or at least, that should be the case, but...

As always...

Someone comes early...

A flash of light fills the room as the transportation terminal springs to life, and-

---

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

---Using these pulse terminals never feels very pleasant.

There's always a certain sense of nausea that comes after it, a consequence, perhaps, of feeling one's entire body being squeezed down what feels like a way-too-small tube, but the trip itself is rather short.

Yes.

The awkward parts of your conversation with Davis over with, the two of you had walked together onto the Terminal, single-file line, all under the direction of a certain captain friend of yours, the NWAB Agent and the Vice Director waving goodbye to you all as you went, and...

Everything had shifted in a flash of light.

From the carefully crafted stone floors of the Holy Plaza, to what felt like firm grass, smelled like a well-maintained park. and didn't look anything like the massive steel behemoth you had been expecting from all the stories you had heard about the SLEIPNIR, yes...

It seems like you're in some sort of garden?

There are trees and natural trails, and a sun that you're pretty sure is artificial shining down from above...

And in front of you...

Are two girls, one with red hair, another with silver...

They aren't with you.

Lacking the symbol of the Rose Cross on their clothing, the mark they have instead -that of a red shield emblazoned on their clothes- marks them as representatives of Rothschild instead, but...

There's just two of them...

Not exactly the roaring reception you had perhaps expected?

Regardless, the red-head acts quickly. There is a certain awkward silence growing between your group and theirs, a mark, perhaps, of the sudden uncertainty of both sides as to how they should handle this interaction, thus...

"Greetings, Knights of the Rose Cross!"

...The red-head jumps on it fast.

Faster than Catherine, who seemed like she had been psyching herself up into a self-introduction for all of you, since, just like back in the plaza...

No one on your side seems that talkative either...

"My name is Anna Ashford, Pilot of the SLEIPNIR and personal assistant to Lady Adala Lagerkvist. On behalf of the Rothschild, it would be my honor to welcome you aboard our base. Forgive our smaller reception, a few of our agents are taking care of some last minute business, but Agent Rossweisse and myself should be more than capable as your escorts for the morning~"

She has a cheery voice.

Very maid-esque...

"Isn't that right Rossweisse? Would you mind introducing yourself to our guests?"

As for Ross, well...

Seems like Anna had dragged you into this now...

No escape!

[Bloble]

Mokujima Chris
Brewed Awakenings, Boundary
To Those That Wish to Escape
???

Something changes.

The atmosphere in the bar shifts, ripples like drops of cream falling into coffee, and after stirring is born anew. People, pieces, fidget, fumble, and move. Whether it be to cry, to stand, or to ponder, it is certainly preferable to staying still. Yet at the bar sits a frozen statue, a woman staring straight ahead at the cups and cans behind the counter as her clenched fingers hold an old fashioned phone receiver to her ear. She is too tense to shiver, even after cold sweat runs across her brow. After many sputters and false starts she'd managed to choke out her message, and in response...

"Simulator Two? Okay. I was wondering where you guys went, one moment please and I'll be in to pick you up."

A click. The dial tone rings through her skull.

"..."

Moments later, like a puppet whose strings were just cut, Chris slumps forward. She sighs, the exertion having tired her more than expected, and reaches for the coffee.

It would be nice to believe this call was productive, that the goddess will suddenly appear and rescue them. But of course, this is a dream, so it's all too possible that the result will also remain a dream.

The dial tone rings in her ear while the phone beckons. Vincent hadn't limited her to one call. Should she try again? Maybe she'll get him this time. Spelling out his name in binary might work, if that date didn't. He's the kind of demon that can appear in a dream for real, so Chris had planned from the start to contact him while unconscious and deliver her counterattack that way. But now... has anything changed? Not really, right? Then, she should call again, just to be sure.

"...That's right... Eve... I remember... It made me attack her... The curse... I had to hide her in the basement... To keep her away from 'me'..."

With a click and a clatter, the handset is returned to its resting place.

"She's fine."

A bit of strength returns to Chris' eyes as she reassures her friend.

"Repairs went well, should be no lingering abnormalities. She just woke up, too. Doesn't seem angry. Your 'curse' isn't that potent."

Well, that might be a stretch. After all, they barely spoke before that whole mess happened. It'd been some coincidence, for Eve to finally wake just a short time before the mission began, at the worst possible moment, and to accidentally cause all this...

Chris' hand freezes, cup halfway to her lips. She lowers it, with a click, onto the counter, and frowns.

That would be quite a coincidence, wouldn't it?

"You might wanna hurry back! That girl your Buddy was working on will probably wake up soon! I think you two will get along!"

It is fortunate that Chris let go of the cup, or else it might have shattered in her hand. The sea of so-called coincidences becomes a web, dots connecting to form a logical sequence. For how long had she and the others been under observation, for the enemy to be able to manipulate things to that extent? To predict everyone's behaviour and implant a directive into an unconscious android at just the correct moment to cause this entire sequence of events? No, in fact, she may not even have been unconscious; Eve could have been deliberately kept asleep until now for this exact purpose, right under her caretaker's nose.

The enemy is fearsome indeed.

"...I'll ask her to let me run diagnostics, just to be sure."

[Tobias]

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

"Yes, sensei!" Raz said, actually appearing serious for once, his glasses gleaming against the aura in front of him. "I have several thoughts of a tactical nature."

...Maybe it was to be expected. For one well used to dealing with world ending threats and daily battle, even someone like the bard must have had the ability to flip a switch and focus on the mission at hand.

"First and foremost, if your sword is currently contained on an alternate world, how are we to access it? I assume the attempt that led Isako's arrival was some sort of aborted attempt at such, and the machinery at the school is currently inoperable. Second, should we expect resistance upon arrival beyond the expected 'I don't know, be ready for anything~' response which is standard in these types of situations, by that I mean is their current and ready evidence of a fight and/or threat and what can we do about that?"

Raz ignored the stares from a few people in the room who would not have had the opportunity in the past to observe an Avalon strategy meeting in the past.

"Secondly, according to you the world is collapsing due to the lack of your real body. What is the timeframe that we are therefor placed under? You stated we have until Christmas day, but one would assume that even before then damage would begin resulting including unacceptable losses of human life. Thirdly, considering the situation, I find it unusual and not very compelling to rely on an assumption that your coworkers can not provide information or otherwise useful aid, therefor I would like either a better reason not to seek their aid or for you to instruct us on contacting them so that we can avoid leaving a potentially fruitful line of inquiry uninspected"

The dark haired man stopped to crisscross his fingers in front of his face, his elbows leaning on the table.

"Finally of course, there is our potential success to consider, and potential ramifications of such. if you are only a part of a whole, then I assume once reunited you will undergo a metamorphosis. Will this change present any danger, and most importantly of all, will this age you up and transform you into a beautiful older woman? One presumably willing to repay the favor in some tantric fashion? I am just planning for the future."

[Airen]

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

While the Knights remain unshaken in the face of your sudden seriousness, the expressions that cross the faces of those who have only seen your... Admittedly less professional behavior become somewhat shaken, as if this sudden bout of competence was akin to a hard right hook to their jaw, but...

Well, the way you ended things straightens out those shocked looks, showing that reality hasn't actually made a hard one-hundred and eight degree turn after all, and Dejah...

"First and foremost, if your sword is currently contained on an alternate world, how are we to access it? I assume the attempt that led Isako's arrival was some sort of aborted attempt at such, and the machinery at the school is currently inoperable. Second, should we expect resistance upon arrival beyond the expected 'I don't know, be ready for anything~' response which is standard in these types of situations, by that I mean is their current and ready evidence of a fight and/or threat and what can we do about that?"

...decides to face things in the order in which they were presented to her, but the sudden twinkle in her eyes at the last line -that same almost malicious twinkle that had appeared after she had decided to troll Zerah- shows a certain sort of amusement at how simple an existence you appear to be on the surface...

"In terms of methods to access alternate dimensions, we have a few, although only one of them is feasible under the current circumstances. As I stated before, we will have to request access to the Xanadu Laboratories in Japan, they have the modern day black tech, the Pseudo-Functional Tipler-Cylinder Engines, OOPart Tech, Photonic Computational Automatons, the works!"

She smiles.

"The heads of the company were also the creators of the Pulse Network, so their terminal should be well beyond that of the others, with a bit of tinkering on my end, we should be able to use that terminal to 'ride' over to another dimension... Well, I make it sound simple, but it's anything but simple really..."

She pauses for a moment, then:

"After all, her world has moved from where it used to be -it's actually getting closer to ours, but that's not important right now- and Pulse Terminals require exact coordinates to function properly... We don't have a normal way to get those coordinates, but that's where we ditch science for a bit and rely on symbolism, people forget that the arcane arts aren't just a science, you can rely on the more nonsensical aspects in a pinch, like... The fact that one has an innate connection to their own World, you're always tied to it even if you leave it, home is where your heart is after all, so we just gotta follow the soul of the vampire over there, and we'll be able to find where it went! Souls are funny in that way. Always making connections to people and things of importance to the owner, even if those connections aren't usually possible to see."

A wave of her hand.

"Long story short, I got that part handled... As for what we can expect to find over there, well... I'd assume some form of resistance. The one who carried my body across had been doing experiments on some sort of crystal from the world, a weird gradient sort of rock? I believe one of the knights, Ayra, found something like it in the wreckage of the Akarana Estate? Regardless, it seems to be some form of parasite, infesting life forms and suppressing their consciousnesses with a single, overwhelming will. I wasn't able to access his data directly, but I believe he referred to them as the "Legion," since they are being puppeteered by some other entity, the Refined Voice, acting as it's arms and legs and spreading itself like a cancer.... So, if I had to make a guess, we'd be running into whatever problems were inherent to the vampire's world post brainwashing, so she'd know more about that than me."

At this, Isako's expression goes from surprised, to disbelieving, and then...

Contemplative...

Still...

"Secondly, according to you the world is collapsing due to the lack of your real body. What is the timeframe that we are therefor placed under? You stated we have until Christmas day, but one would assume that even before then damage would begin resulting including unacceptable losses of human life. Thirdly, considering the situation, I find it unusual and not very compelling to rely on an assumption that your coworkers can not provide information or otherwise useful aid, therefor I would like either a better reason not to seek their aid or for you to instruct us on contacting them so that we can avoid leaving a potentially fruitful line of inquiry uninspected"

"I'm not saying send a large force. Just a few people. We can't afford to send large groups anyway, that would draw too much attention to our attempt to retrieve the blade. Someone wanted me gone after all, so they'd be paying attention to anything that would look like me attempting to restore my functionality."

The girl tilts her head to the side.

The almost amused tone is gone, it's completely serious right now.

"And the damage is already underway, you just aren't able to perceive it correctly... For instance, time and space went completely out of sync last week, it happened sure, but do you remember what day you did what? You don't. Because you can't."

She blinks.

"The 'World' is a far grander concept than the Planet after all, the 'World' is the consensus reality, it is the order of things, it is what says the Sky is blue and that gravity will hold to the ground beneath your feet. Everything you know is the World, that cause comes before effect, that today happened before tomorrow... Even things like that are starting to slip if one is not careful, for an example, right now, if we were to hop on over to the jurisdiction of the Rose Cross... The time would be some point in December. They are so convinced of that reality that it has become true for them, because the World is weakening, breaking apart, becoming less and less capable of sustaining itself, of fixing errors."

She sighs.

"That is the sort of damage it will do, not direct loss of life, but loss of the imposed reality. This World will become more and more like it's origin point, like a Dream, until everything becomes a chaotic swirl of cognition and we can no longer function in any capacity."

She crosses her arms.

Even as Zerah mutters "origin point?" under his breath...

"As for my assumption that my coworkers cannot provide direct aid, well... I have seen some evidence that supports this... The two others are named Burroughs, and Rice, they are my sister units, forged from removed pieces of my original plume... So my younger sisters, basically? Normally we send each other status updates, when I awoke after my body's disappearance however, the both of them had gone almost completely quiet. I can sense Burroughs moving from time to time, but she throws up so many barriers around herself whenever she does anything that I can't reach her... It's almost like she thinks something is out to get her, which there might be, and Rice..."

For a moment, it's not the confident face or the serious face, it's a sad one...

"...Rice has always had trust issues. The cloak and dagger nature of all of this probably didn't help that... So the moment my body was thrown out of the World, she probably assumed the worst and went into full lock down mode, changing her identity tags, cutting off all channels, and putting up every other insane defense she knows, because I can't sense any activity from her at all..."

She shrugs.

"Well, even if I could find her, she'd probably say I'm compromised and try to capture this avatar. Like I said, trust issues. She's a good girl though, wants to do the right thing, just a little paranoid..."

"Finally of course, there is our potential success to consider, and potential ramifications of such. if you are only a part of a whole, then I assume once reunited you will undergo a metamorphosis. Will this change present any danger, and most importantly of all, will this age you up and transform you into a beautiful older woman? One presumably willing to repay the favor in some tantric fashion? I am just planning for the future."

And finally...

This...

The wistful look of sibling memories slowly leaving her face, the girl resumes the more mischievous smile soon enough...

"I can actually do the older form whenever I'd like, you know? It is just a powerless avatar to aid with human interaction after all, although it is a correct statement to say I would regain my power upon reuniting with my body... Would you like me to use the older model? There will be no tantric benefits mind you, if anything, all of you owe me this as a favor, since I am basically keeping all of you alive indirectly, but... I guess I am the older sister... Might as well look the part..."

So saying...

"Something like this?"

...She plays along with the request in a flash.

As expected, letting Dejah and Raz interact seems to be a mistake, because...

She'll enable him to a degree...?

Why?

Only the Creator knows...

[Kuroyuki]

Rossweisse
SLEIPNIR - Resource Level
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning

"I can't believe it. This is so unprofessional! Alexander! Get out of the library this instant! You know what today is! I'm so disappointed in you-!"

I would normally try to calm the person in question… But truth be told. It was hard to make excuses when I’ve set the entire reception area’s tables, and returned to find absolutely no one else there. When I heard the list of excuses people were making, it ran the gamut of being highly likely and believable such as being on patrol for the SLEPNIR to ensuring the simulators were “cleaned” and “operational to its peak level.” Of course the simulators were clean and operational to its peak level! If the simulators were to break or malfunction in the slightest, almost everyone would know instantly and ask for it to be repaired ASAP…

“Ah-hahaha... I think I sent off the only group who was going to come willingly…”

I awkwardly laugh to Ms. Anna before thinking a bit about how we were supposed to handle this. Show our guests to the simulators to show how hardworking we are? B-but what if they’re tired and want to relax?! Anna and I can’t entertain everyone arriving! Maybe if Hiyori was here, she could’ve roped some of the members into a gaming tournament in the name of inter-faction unity. But I’m not even sure how many people that will drag in… I guess we need to do it.

“Ms. Anna, I think it should be fine to let them train… But that doesn’t mean they should just be training… At least they should be doing at...”

I think it over a bit before continuing. It wouldn’t do if the simulation was too hard to the point that everyone instantly lost at the first hit taken… Or could it? As if on cue, my COMP returned opinions and research on training against vastly superior foes.

“S level at three times the gravity with randomization schema... Sternenlicht. For anyone outside of the simulators… place them at about three-quarters max gravity.”

I nod briefly as the base difficulty should almost instantly kill most Rothschild tamers. While I considered having the enemy kill them with one hit… If you die in the first hit, you die in the first hit. There’s not much you can about that, but if you almost die… You can see what a person is like. The randomization scheme is just to ensure they don’t get too comfortable with one situation.

“That should keep everyone in the simulator happy. Also if you’d like, I can bring people here before everyone get-”

I forgot one thing… Someone always shows up early… I should know this best since I’m guilty of doing it all the time… Maybe Hiyori was right and that showly up a “little late” was for the best…

Instead now Ms. Anna and I were staring at our first guests by ourselves. I should say something… But what? Should I greet them normally or should I greet them with something dramatic?

"Greetings, Knights of the Rose Cross!"

Before I could make up my mind on how to present myself or someone else from the Rose Cross could introduce themselves, Anna took the lead as expected of the Commander’s Maid. Cheerful and in control despite everything going wrong up until this point…

"My name is Anna Ashford, Pilot of the SLEIPNIR and personal assistant to Lady Adala Lagerkvist. On behalf of the Rothschild, it would be my honor to welcome you aboard our base. Forgive our smaller reception, a few of our agents are taking care of some last minute business, but Agent Rossweisse and myself should be more than capable as your escorts for the morning~"

Eh?! We’re going to handle everyone by ourselves?!

"Isn't that right Rossweisse? Would you mind introducing yourself to our guests?"

Are we really going to?! Shouldn’t we wait until Alexander shows up?!

“Y-yes! I’m Agent Rossweisse! I’m looking forward to e-escort y-you!”

During my introduction, I intentionally started doing a bow before I tried to correct myself into a proper curtsy. In the end, I ended up doing some weird thing that was in between the two. Once I did that, I ended up so embarrassed that I ended up stammering. Why didn’t I just go with Hiyori, Xavier, and Lucia? At the very least, I wouldn’t be disgracing everyone else here... No... Calm down! Calm down... You can do it... Just take a deep breath... You can salvage this... Probably.

"Is anyone hungry or thirsty? If you are, we have some tables setup for you this way."

I gesture in the general direction of the tables I just setup.

[Airen]

Logan Starbright
Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

---The infinitely calming presence brings an end to the stress of what had ultimately turned out to be a rather bizarre event; it's the sort of thing that sounds rather absurd even as you say it, a bizarre series of events -a string of coincidences- that almost feel like one has played out the actions of a puppet-master, one that lords above with invisible strings, but...

Yamuna listens carefully.

The usual cheerful face is not quite there now, it's a serious expression, the look of a Goddess that has appeared to enact Divine Intervention, or rather, one who has heard the cries of the humanity she had sworn to protect, and was moving to do so automatically, as her sense of love for them dictates she should, and-

“You said her nickname just now, do you know her? That reaction of hers made it seem like she’d met you before.”

-when she does speak at the end, after your question, it's with a voice that sounds about as serious as her expression...

"...For a moment I believed so, it was a name that just sprung to mind when I saw her, but nothing else came along with it."

Although it somehow retains it's warmth all the same, even as her gaze moves from you to the interior of the suspended world, world that she had seemingly been unable to completely collapse for one reason or another, but one that she steps into brazenly now, clear blue eyes searching for the others, but...

"...This space is strong. Really strong, but... Hmph...!"

...A snap of her fingers finally breaks it to pieces from the inside; for you it's no grand sensation, it's the 'simple' removal of a layer over the world, a flicker that brings you back to the usual 'emptiness' of a server room, a seamless transition back to your body the usual process, and indeed, for you there is no difference. But the flicker of the World reveals other things that were lost, Eve kneeling down next to an unconscious Mokujima Chris, an event that naturally draws the Goddess to it, the tall woman striding over to where the girl lies in but two steps, and kneeling down in a similar manner to Eve, two fingers moving to rest on the girl's neck in a practiced motion...

"Soul is... Away...? I see..."

Blue light shines at the contact.

Then her voice comes back towards you...

"Shadow Figure Conspiracy? What do you mean? Illuminati?"

---Seems like she's a good multi-tasker.

[Airen]

Mokujima Chris
Brewed Awakenings, Boundary
To Those That Wish to Escape
???

---Coincidences.

Indeed, this entire morning has seemed like a bizarre string of 'coincidences,' a series of motions that play out like a song, delicate strings being plucked one by one by some sort of puppet master...

It is certainly a reasonable conclusion to come too, after all...

Burroughs had shown a remarkable knowledge of events she should not be able to see, Eve had woken up at just the right moment to screw things up in the Dorms, a Simulator had just so happened to be ready and waiting while you were running away...

It's a bit too convenient, right?

If enough coincidences start to pile up, the nature of those coincidences as coincidences becomes suspect...

But what does that mean?

That some sort of Machine God is currently watching over the World? An artificial intelligence that had gone out of control and reaching singularity status? Some other sort of entity? Entities?

---It's hard to say.

There's nothing decisive saying this is the case, the behavior of the one who had locked all of you in that place was one that you hadn't been able to observe directly, trying to escape through sheer force of will as you were, but...

If your suspicions are true... Or hell... If there's even a grain of truth...

Then everything becomes much more troublesome, still...

"Repairs went well, should be no lingering abnormalities. She just woke up, too. Doesn't seem angry. Your 'curse' isn't that potent."

...When it comes to this, your attempt at comforting the girl for an action she clearly regrets taking, the dark-haired young woman ultimately takes awhile to respond, squirming a bit as if she doesn't think it's quite that simple, and indeed...

Even if no long-term damage was done, and even if Eve didn't seem to mind, if she was telling the truth then...

It was like a family member attacking... No, almost killing another one...

Even if done under the influence of something else, from her own perspective, it almost certainly feels awful, still...

"That's good..."

When she does talk, she does so with a smile that's more relieved than happy...

"Eve is... She's protected me for awhile..."

As she admits to something that may have already been obvious, after all...

That robot's actions had almost always been those of a guardian, it seemed to be a primary directive of sorts...

"If you could make sure she's really alright for me, that'd be doing me a huge favor... Although I don't think I can pay you back..."

A bit of a depressed sigh as she goes quiet again...

In her silence, the bar comes back to a sort of life...

The girl behind you is still crying, the boy at the arcade machine has stood up and started pacing, and Vincent has returned to his post behind the counter, naturally reaching for a glass as he assumes the usual 'bartender' pose, meticulously cleaning and shining until the vessel sparkles in his hands, although the rain outside growing louder has him pause for a moment to regard it with a raised eyebrow, but...

It's also in this instance, that...

"Sorry I'm late, as promised, I'm here to pick you up Chris!"

A Goddess steps through the doorway of the bar herself, one hand rising to wipe the hair from her eyes as she steps into the bar with clothing that seems to be somewhat damp...

Was the storm outside actually a storm?

...No.

No that probably wasn't the important part.

The important part...

"But a bar huh? And this deep down in the Sea? That's sort of wild..."

Is that... She really seems...

To have somehow brute forced her way into the world of dreams...

Unless...

Your brain was just trying to be consistent, you suppose?

"Oh hey, Vincent!"

She waves, and Vincent...

"...That's who you called, huh?"

Actually seems surprised for once...

[Bloble]

Mokujima Chris
Brewed Awakenings, Boundary
To Those That Wish to Escape
???

Once more the door opens. Once more the atmosphere in the bar changes.

This time, however, it's not someone that can just be ignored.

"Sorry I'm late, as promised, I'm here to pick you up Chris!"

"...That's who you called, huh?"

Mokujima Chris sighs.

"...wrong number."

Even in a dream, there's just no escaping her. And unlike before, there really is no way out. Or is there? She eyes the pencil on the counter next to the now useless drawing... and decides against it. There's been enough headache today without making another one.

"Thanks for taking care of me, Vincent."

Chris pushes away from the counter and stands, back to the goddess behind her, whose radiance makes the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end.

"Blackrose. You haven't gotten any better at moping, so give up on it."

It's time to go, so... for a moment, before the light at her back melts away her self-confidence again, Mokujima Chris brings 'herself' to bear against the only other person who knows her in her entirety.

"If you want to pay me back... make some noise. Terrorize the night like the old days. A curse is just another tool in your grimoire, isn't it? If it's that annoying, just seal it into your right hand or something."

With that, and one last long look at her friend, Chris turns and steps away from the counter. She meets Yamuna's eyes for a moment, purely by accident.

"..."

She stares at the goddess, at that annoyingly bright smile and clear gaze.

The moment ends, and Chris averts her eyes. Staring at the floor, she walks forward, stopping near that source of brightness.

"...sorry for the inconvenience."

Time to go.

[Airen]

Mokujima Chris
Brewed Awakenings, Boundary
To Those That Wish to Escape
???

"..."

For a moment, Sakurako simply stares at you.

She seems to be a person of many faces, of volatile out of control emotions, a far-too-human person that may have sought out the more stable life of a demon in the end perhaps? A person with many curses, a person who life has not treated very well it seems, who hides away in the darkness, but does her best to emerge from that shell from time to time, yes...

A person who keeps giving up... And then changing her mind about giving up...

Humans are full of contradictions in the end, but your words this time...

"Ha..."

...It's so absurd, but at the same time...

"Hahahaha~"

...The extent of that absurdity makes her laugh, because it's not that easy, but it should be that easy-! That's the sort of thing she should be saying, rather than moping at bars and regretting her sins, deal with the problem once and for all and move on-!

It's not a broken laugh.

Some that hear it might think so, but it's not...

It's a sincere one.

---It almost doesn't fit her.

Hunched over the table in clothes that are like black robes, a pale-skinned thin girl that doesn't really seem like she could harm anyone, and yet harbors a darkness so deep that people might just get lost in it if they're not careful...

That kind of gut laugh...

It only almost doesn't fit her.

Almost.

"I'll put it in my left. That's the evil hand, right?"

---Somehow, it seems fine, even if it clashes with everything else, so...

"No worries~"

With a Goddess almost humming behind you, it seems like it's time to go... The process should be simple right? Just let her lead you out the door and things will be what they will be, but...

"But what is this place really though? Are you catching souls that go too deep Vincent? That's awfully nice of you! But you shouldn't let them linger too long, you know~?"

...She seems to spend a bit really looking around the place, at the people inside of it, and while her naturally kind gaze is drawn towards the crying girl and the half-demon for a bit, ultimately...

She looks at Sakurako... And the boy at the arcade... And...

"...?"

...Her expression becomes troubled, yes...

It's the same troubled look as when you had ran away from her earlier, and one that's quickly becoming a sign of bad things being afoot, but...

"...You two are different from the rest...?"

A questioning voice...?

"I can't feel a link to your bodies at all..."

---One that brings a sudden... painful... silence to the bar.

Even the crying girl stops in her tracks.

[Bloble]

Mokujima Chris
Brewed Awakenings, Boundary
To Those That Wish to Escape
???

An awkward silence covers the room.

A silence so complete and total that it would take a real party animal to shatter it, a hero able to wield the legendary weapon [Ice Breaker] to its fullest extent.

It need not be said, but...

"..."

Mokujima Chris is most assuredly not that hero.

Even on a good day, she would be the worst person to ask for this sort of thing. And it has most certainly not been a good day. It's taking all of her strength just to stand next to the sun without melting into nothing, so something like 'speaking' is out of the question.

It's a complete 180 from before. The woman that had once talked freely is now a statue. Only her eyes move, flicking from face to face, the boy, the girls, Vincent, Sakurako, and the floor, as the rest of her body goes completely still and tries to turn invisible. Her expression says nothing, but her eyes say "someone please do something".

Ah, the dream has really become an all too familiar nightmare now... and this time there's no buddy to bail her out of it.

[Airen]

Intermission
'God Slaying Sword'

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

---Almost as silent as the grave.

Storm clouds without end, a city filled to the brim with silent angels, a foreboding rain that just won't stop...

These are the things that have swallowed up your past days. Well aware that nothing could be accomplished simply by sitting in the room with Cosmos and watching her sulk, you had departed for the world outside, determined to at least make a dent in the strangeness of this reality, find a reason -a real reason- as to why the World had seemingly gone insane in such a short period of time, as well as the plans of the angels now that they have failed in their task of protecting Mary, but...

This whole city... It's almost like it died along with Mary.

The energy that had once swept through the place is gone, no one but the angels are outside, and the angels themselves, well...

---They've been quiet.

Way too quiet.

So quiet that it comes off as distressing, as if -just like the humans- they have shut down to a degree in the absence of their spiritual leader. Of course it's not like they've gone completely silent, they'll still talk to you if you talk to them, but...

Angels are much like machines most of the time.

Not like the A.I the COMPs use either; where the COMPs seem to embrace emotion, embrace humanity, angels themselves are akin to a machine that exists simply to fulfill a certain task... Some grow beyond this mentality and become more human -like yourself- but the vast majority of them see things in a very black and white sort of light, there are wrong and right things, righteous and sinful actions, facts and lies, yes...

Even on a good day, getting an angel into a real conversation is a bit of a pain, but...

From what you can gather...

---They are simply waiting, waiting silently in the sky, performing their duties the same as they had when Mary had been alive; they do this because no one has ordered them not too, or rather, no one around has the authority to do so other than the archangels, who are...

Debating things, in the server.

---You aren't able to get close enough to them to find out what, but it's rather obvious, all things considered...

They are trying to determine the next step. For angels this is difficult, after all, they are those who were born to be something like tools, for the majority of them, having a strong voice of leadership was a pleasant enough thing, it meant that they were able to do as they were born to do, serve the Lord, but...

When left to their own devices they struggle to think of a new path.

---For them, for the majority, it may take some time.

That's why you're out here now, in the human world, simply...

Wandering.

Searching for answers that seem to elude you...

---There are a few things of note of course, transmissions from outside the city have become somewhat uncommon -although you're not sure what that sort of thing would signify- and the humans have taken to simply staying in there homes rather than wander about, and today...

Yes today...

There is fog out amongst the streets...

---Cosmos had left with the NWAB Agent a few hours ago, you had seen them on your wandering around the city.

They haven't come back yet, although Alyx had stopped by to see her (same time as she always did this time with a blonde woman) and failed to find her...

But it's good that she got out of her room right?

...Hard to say.

That child is one who is also easily lost.

Just like your fellow angels.

---Ironic, really.

Still...

It's as you wander today, in a city where few humans ever seem to walk the streets now, that you find...

---A lone figure, walking slowly into the city from the outside. Travelers would ordinarily be no big thing of course, people used to come to this city all the time for a number of reasons, but...

This one is cloaked all in black, torn black cloth, fluttering around a body that seems to be holding the cloth around itself with it's hands alone; the hands are human (or at least appear to be so) and somewhat slim, a bit feminine, with a labored sort of pace that seems to indicate either pain or fatigue or hesitance, and...

Well...

Considering the lack of anything else going on, it becomes a rather eye-catching event...

Probably not important in the grand scheme of things, you're sure the other angels will note the presence of the traveler themselves if she becomes a problem, but at the same time.

---Part of you can't help but think of it as strange.

Especially when the hood of the cloak falls down, and...

...the face beneath reveals itself to be someone remarkably pretty.

Pretty in an unnatural way, like...

Those demons some humans refer to as Goddesses...