Spirit Pulse : Mugen No Sekai [IC]

[Rafflesiac]

Logan Starbright
Simulator
11/16/2026
Monday - Late Morning

He doesn’t need her finger to see it, just a proper look. The face of his enemy, painstakingly tugged from the depths of cognition. He sees the twitch of Chris’s jaw as she steps out of the door. He feels the sickening crawl on his skin as he steps out of the room, Amelia at the ready, like he’s swimming through cobwebs. He feels, quite keenly, more than spirit power or rationality that he’s being watched. Every step through the hallways that ought not to be deserted stamps that truth.

He’s being watched.

He’s being watched.

He’s being watched.

He’s being watched.

He’s being watched.

He’s bein-

Logan grits his teeth. I should’ve honed my senses more. This is all thanks to my complacency. If I could track this guy, then we wouldn’t have to go through this. He spares a glance at Yamuna, the eternal idol laid low by reality’s bitter grasp. This is all my fault. I should’ve learned a curse release spell. I should’ve realized that she was sickened from the start. Christ, I was so arrogant, thinking I understood it all! You imbecile! His grip tightens.

He takes a deep breath. But from the looks of things, whatever the target’s doing to Yamuna requires her to be in this World. Eve’s Auto-Skill doesn’t have a healing effect, nor does it stop time, which means that this spell requires a connection between the target and the caster. Is it single-target or AOE? If it was AOE, then Chris and I would’ve felt its effects far sooner. There’s also the possibility that it divides its power among a select number of targets, but… yeah, that wouldn’t make a difference for this. Does the enemy think it’s stronger than Eve and I and believes it’s won the moment it eliminates Yamuna? Or does it believe that it’d lose to Yamuna even if she had to worry about the rest of us collapsing in infirmity? Logan flexes his left hand. That doesn’t matter. Curse, poison, conceptual attack, no matter what the enemy’s using, they’re constantly targeting Yamuna. If it’s an attack that remains activated so long as the caster is within range, then there’s nothing I can do but wait, but if not… Yeah, let’s go with that. I won’t let Yamuna suffer any longer.

: You’re about to do something stupid, aren’t you Logan?

: ...Nothing passes you by, does it?

: Anyways, the answer is no. Even if it’s only 999% stupid instead of an even 1K No Way, the answer’s still no.

: But Yamuna-!

: Will last a little bit longer. Besides, no one can find this bastard. Your opening’s just gonna go to waste.

“Tch.” No matter how many times it is, confronting his impotence always stings.

Finally, they reach the lobby. Logan rounds the corner and immediately stops, taking in the bizarre sight. The SDCD lobby, once a welcoming and brightly lit space with a charming mural of all manner of Demons and humans on the far wall is now a twisted kaleidoscope dumped on its side, its iridescent filling glued to the wall. The crystals throb as they encroach upon the tableau. Deliberately. Disgustingly. But that’s not all that gives Logan pause. After all, what use is a tableau without an actor?

A crystal man awaits, sword in hand. He watches the gate, a lone warden in a silent prison.

Logan steps forward, weapon brought to bear. Chris’s explanation rings through his mind, and he curses his spell selection. Nothing he can do about that now. He’s not leaving the others behind with a likely hostile. Logan rockets forward to smash the glittering blade from the crystal man’s hand before following up with a blow to its head.

Amelia. The moment they’re in danger or Yamuna can’t take any more, use that spell.

---

Spoiler:

Auto-Skill: ???
Spells Set: ???, ???, ???, ???, ???, Eye of the Fates
Spells Used: Eye of the Fates
Heat: 6/10

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

"They could destroy it if they wanted, it wouldn't realize until it was too late to do anything about it... Or they could trick it into coming with them, it probably wouldn't see anything wrong with that either, considering it was already granting human desires for them... And in my history with people, well... If they can preserve power they do it, so it's a rumor... But I think they probably did take the entity away somewhere... Might have even seen it as the moral option, or perhaps, the better way to seal it in the long run... Yeah, that's probably what they did, but you know, best to still call it a rumor."

“That sequence of events does make sense. Although, well, this may be a little rude to say, but…”

The story of the Master System, as Alexia described it, was certainly an unfortunate one. It held no blame in this course of events: if anything, in the circumstance (unlikely given Alexia’s account of it) that it had been destroyed, it could be considered nothing but a victim. Tragic… might not be too strong a choice of words, since she didn’t know it personally and the story was almost entirely speculation, but it sounded like a regrettable sequence of events.

But even though she thought that…

“While it does sound rather pitiful, perhaps it would have been better if it had been destroyed. That much power and innocence sounds like a disastrous combination. Assuming it is kept away somewhere, I hope someone has made an effort to, well, raise doesn’t seem appropriate given its status… educate? Educate it better.”

It didn’t change the fact that from her descriptor, the Master System sounded like nothing but danger. Eva Ellet viewed her duty as a Tamer, to counterattack supernatural threats, fairly seriously- it was hard not for her to see the entity described as anything but a ticking time bomb.

“Anyways, rumors aside… “

Charlotte Akarana- it was a name that failed to bring to mind any notable memories, but Eva decided to keep it in her memory for the future. Considering Alexia’s own words, there probably weren’t many other details she could provide: it was a subject that was worth looking into on her own in the future, perhaps.

Eva couldn’t help but feel like that list had kept growing much faster than it was shrinking the past couple days.

As for something that Alexia did seem to be very knowledgeable on…

“This is the first I’ve heard of changing the world with perception.” It sounded rather fantastical- absurd, even. The world from her perspective was and always had been immutable to any changes of the sort.

“If you’ll forgive the question- I don’t mean to suggest you are lying- but how do you even know it’s a thing? According to your conditions, changes occur when most people believe in it: but from their perspective, nothing would happen, correct? The world would simply appear as it always was.”

Giving a confused look at Alexia, she continued.

“Did you witness such a change yourself- were you one of the few whose perception was not tricked? Or is there some way to detect such a shift?”

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

“If you’ll forgive the question- I don’t mean to suggest you are lying- but how do you even know it’s a thing? According to your conditions, changes occur when most people believe in it: but from their perspective, nothing would happen, correct? The world would simply appear as it always was.”

Giving a confused look at Alexia, she continued.

“Did you witness such a change yourself- were you one of the few whose perception was not tricked? Or is there some way to detect such a shift?”

"...Well, this fossil has seen quite a bit in her time."

She chuckles.

"But yes, I've seen it, quite a few times in fact. Back in the old days, before world-wide communication became such a simple thing, it was something you were able to see all the time."

Then stands again, wandering back over to the board and wiping it clear in a few broad strokes with a rather ancient looking eraser; from there, she draws a massive circle on the board, and...

Labels it the "World."

"Reality as we know it is based on the consensus of everyone on the planet. This is called Consensus Reality, although some call it the Cognition or the Logic instead... Humans have the greatest effect on it for reasons we're not quite sure of, but Demons and other lifeforms do affect it to a degree... This process is almost entirely unconscious, belief is something that lies deep in the self after all, but there are things you simply wouldn't doubt right? Like gravity? For the entirety of your life gravity has existed, thus, it's something that you know exists, and thus it does, and because it does, it can be observed and determined to be real... It's much like a self-perpetuating cycle in that regard, belief creates something, that something comes to be, and because that something exists others come to believe in it's existence, eventually it becomes a fact of life."

Again, jabbing at the board with the poker in a way that made it clear she was having some fun with this-!

"Demons are examples of beings born from such things, back before Science, the many stories the people told about how certain phenomena came to be, once widespread enough, caused the entities of those stories to manifest themselves in reality. They became real, and thus were able to be seen and interacted with, and consequently, belief about them would go on to spread, further affirming their existence... Of course, once something becomes real they are real, it doesn't matter if humans decide reality works a different way later on, the idea behind that entities creation will remain firm in the unconscious, and thus their existence is assured, although exactly how much power they hold may ebb and flow with the beliefs of the people around them... Faith makes and breaks Gods, as it were..."

Another chuckle.

"But this brings us to the next topic I suppose, more aligned to what you asked me earlier, about shifts in the cognition, well..."

She draws smaller circles within the larger circle, and labels these "sub-worlds."

"Consensus Reality is not exactly omnipotent or omniscient... Areas where people gather, such as cities and towns, tend to have their own 'consensus' about reality that differs slightly from the majority, they have stronger thoughts about the area they live in, because they live in it, and thus, their beliefs about it form a little... Bubble of reality, a smaller consensus, a 'sub-world' as it were around the city... This is why urban legends typically only have power inside of their places of origin, local stories can come to life with the thoughts of the locals. But to use an example closer to an outright shift, well, let's say I could convince everyone in a town, through one means or another, that today was actually the 20th of November... If the majority of the town agreed upon that, then for that town, it might as well be the truth, and thus it is, things like weather may even change to what was expected to reflect this belief, it would thus seem to be true, and thus even those that didn't believe it originally would have a reason to do so now, you see?"

She smiles at you, before-!

"However-!"

Slapping the pointer on the table.

"In the modern world this is difficult, people come in and out of cities all the time and that sort of obviously incorrect information would create contradictions with them, things like the internet exist in order to double-check information, there are just so many ways to check what's actually real that it's difficult for most cities to really differ too much from the global consensus... So what you would want is a truly isolated area, one where the local community keeps mostly to itself or has strong unified beliefs, like an island village or some lost community in the woods. If you ever visit those sorts of places as an outsider, it often seems like 'reality' shifts a bit around you... To use my date changing example from earlier, you would literally find yourself walking into what is essentially a different time. Your Personal Reality would conflict with the Consensus, and naturally you would notice the difference, after all, to you, it would still seem like it should be Monday even if everything around you is saying otherwise."

Yep.

A cheerful teacher, that is what this person seems to be...

Pacing back and forth with a smile on her face, jabbing at the board at the appropriate times (mostly appropriate, sometimes she seems to jab it just because) the woman pauses for a moment as if realizing something around this part, going...

"Ah, maybe I'm getting a bit too far from the spirit of the question huh? I'm not boring you am I?"

A brief note of panic, as if she realized she had been rambling, then:

"As far as detecting such a shift goes, well... You are right in that most people wouldn't see it due to the nature of it, it would be as if it was always like that to most of those that were involved, bending the Logic to your will always requires some degree of trickery after all, because the World punishes those that try to directly manipulate it too much, if it finds out about it you tend to be killed by it, but..."

She hums.

"If I wanted to try to find a change... I'd try to compare information with other parts of the World, after all, like I said earlier, the nature of the modern world makes it hard for Global Shifts to occur, tricking a city of people is much easier than tricking most of the people on the planet, and even then you only have to trick the majority... Some people can slip through the cracks, a handful of contradictory reports won't challenge what the majority thinks is real."

...And a mischievous smile appears shortly after...

"If it's your mother attempting this sort of thing you're worried about... Then check to see if she was spreading any rumors around town, or seemed to be trying to instill certain beliefs or doubts into people... If she was going to attempt something like that, she'd do it locally first to make sure it worked before getting any let's say... Bigger ideas in her head."

A moment of silence, then...

"Like, maybe... How she got a certain report of a certain death re-overturned from 'killed in action' to 'missing in action' once again, and wanted all records from the other factions to reflect this, to the point of asking me personally to ensure the NWAB records reflect it... Like she really wants doubt to exist..."

...She shrugs.

"But eh, like I said, cognitive science is a pain. It's playing with fire, a form of 'magic' that will really come back to bite you if you screw it up, and it's really easy to screw it up-!"

[Airen]

Lydia
Main Processing Unit Online
Partner Condition: 403
Location: Astrolabe, Fields
Date: ERROR, Unknown
Time: ERROR, Unknown

"...Honestly, I'd settle for a decent start."

---In the end, this is Sarah's response to your little rant about the future and happy endings... Indeed, there had been a certain amount of ambiguity in the woman's words earlier, a sense that her definition of a happy ending was perhaps a bit less restrictive than your own, the sort of psyche that goes 'if my family and friends are okay, then I guess it's fine,' or something along those lines, but...

"We haven't accomplished a single thing we set out to do inside this... Complex. It's like we're stuck in the prologue of a particularly twisted story, spinning our wheels in the mud without realizing it."

She sighs.

"Although... This time around things finally started to move forward a little bit, so I want to give it as much time as possible... Not like I ever intend to die anyway, honestly, do I look like someone that likes to lose?"

She chuckles.

"I hate it. Sore loser to the core. I'd rather burn myself up than be killed, just how it is. So hey, why not go for the happy ending too, eh? Xanadu's been obstinate enough to get one once, what's doing it again?"

She says it casually.

Nonchalantly.

It's neither an acceptance or denial of your words, just a commentary on them, but before you can respond-

"...If a happy ending is what you want, you should just stop right now."

-a new voice enters this flower-filled clearing, this bizarre placed called the Astrolabe. It's a voice that offers no sign of it's presence until now, the scattering of flower petals in this massive field the only other sign of someone's entrance, yes-

"Honestly, why are kids these days always so determined to get themselves killed...?"

-it's coming from behind both you and Sarah, and seemed for all the world as if it had literally came out of nowhere-!

Sarah spins reflexively and you're dragged along with her.

The person waiting on the other side is a woman in a lab-coat. Hands in the pockets of her white garment, and with an obvious rosary around her neck, the intelligent eyes that peer at you from beneath this endless twilight do so with absolutely no real emotion in them at all, yes...

---You can't feel anything from this person at all, it's a purposeful emotionless state, like you were looking at some sort of animated doll, but...

While her looks are relatively youthful, the air about her is that of an older woman, somewhere in her thirties? The voice certainly feels like it, deep for a woman, and a bit rough and coarse, as if she had taken up smoking sometime in her past, and indeed, as you both turn to look at her-

"It's particularly brazen coming from you, Sarah Starbright, if you put an end to this, then the things supporting your existence collapse along with it... So blindly suicidal, eager to break the hearts of your family again, or perhaps you just don't think of the feelings of others?"

"Leah... What the hell...?"

Sarah mutters.

-she's already lighting a cigarette, taking in a lungful of the vice between her words...

"The happiest outcome will come if you simply do nothing, understand? Paradise. Salvation. The return of that Device's lost one... It's all just around the corner... Hours away really. No need for any more battles. Just sit here and wait. Doesn't that sound so much better... Lydia?"

Encountered: Leah Ellet

[Zurvan]

Lydia
Main Processing Unit Online
Partner Condition: 403
Location: Astrolabe, Fields
Date: ERROR, Unknown
Time: ERROR, Unknown

"..."

Lydia looks at this stranger, this complete stranger, with a truly dumbfounded expression.

As if she doesn't get what she just said at all, or maybe as if this person before her just said something incredibly staggering.

"I'm sorry, I don't know who you are but that's not how reality works."

She simply states thus, full of confidence as if she knows the full machinations of reality.

"The World is fracturing, and you tell me to wait? Salvation will arrive without doing anything? And here I thought these two were competing who the bigger idiot was."

She may not remember who it was that wielded her, but the circumstances reveal a clear enough picture.

A COMP alone usually can only mean one of two things.

Either she had just awakened to bond to a soul for as long as they could keep that bond alive. This however was clearly not the case, as she had already formed a personality, a form to call her own, a voice with which to air her views, an armor to protect her wielder.

Meaning she likely found herself in the second possibility... that she had outlasted her User. A feeling she had silently accepted, as sentiments of a past she has forgotten still dwell in her mind, especially after seeing Lara.

A person she has a strong resemblance to, even if only appearance-wise seemingly. That had stated her purpose for being here to be one of very personal reasons.

Thus Lydia concluded that she had lost her partner, as Lara came her with her own intentions about this User's demise.

So revealing that her bonded partner was lost doesn't faze the lone COMP. She had known that all along, and is strong enough to not it drag her down.

No, instead she focuses on the words this stranger offers.

"You can keep whatever Salvation it is that's offered. Being saved while doing nothing only means one thing."

Standing in front of Sarah now, as she couldn't help but get a little protective when she hears this wonderous fool is risking her existence for her girlfriend.

"That you're not saved at all. That you weren't worthy to be saved in the first place. No one is saved by doing nothing, people toil and struggle and fight with their own two hands to forge their own fate. Their own ending... If you take away their struggle, simply being saved by another, their struggle would become meaningless. I refuse to accept that, and I refuse whatever salvation awaits, as I'm sure he did."

She's... genuinely mad.

"Shove that paradise up your ass, don't you dare stop these fools... Or I'll get real nasty."

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

“Boring?”

For Eva Ellet, who had been listening with rapt attention ever since Alexia pulled out the whiteboard, it was a rather bizarre question. The girl was no stranger to lengthy lectures- it was a trait that came with being familiar with Catherine. If anything, she actually somewhat enjoyed them: there was a certain feeling of satisfaction to be had in learning something new and in detail.

“Not at all. It’s interesting. I’m not sure how strongly I believe it- from what you’re saying, it would be hard to observe. But this explanation for the localization of urban legends and… demons, does seem to make sense, and it doesn’t seem like you are making this up…”

Having given her intellectual opinion, her voice trailed off.

To tell the truth, if it weren’t for Alexia’s rather impressive history, she would have placed herself in the ‘only half convinced’ camp. As it was, she couldn’t imagine the woman making up all of this. What Alexia was telling her then, had to be true to some extent. From an intellectual perspective, that was nice to know.

At the same time, from a different perspective what she said was very troubling.

From Alexia’s words, it was very likely in Eva’s opinion that her mother, Leah, was or had been attempting to exploit this law of the world. And to do what exactly… it didn’t take much thought to figure out what that was…

……but that wasn’t a problem. If it made Leah happy, then Eva was happy too.

What troubled Eva was the idea her mother might be in danger from it. Alexia had alluded to issues with the process- some sort of danger or risk involved… that was not something she could ignore.

Making up her mind, she began to speak again.

“If I may be a little blunt: it sounds like you know a lot more about what my mother was trying than I do…” Not surprisingly, really. “So I have to ask: when you say that this… trick, is easy to mess up… what do you mean?”

Looking directly at Alexia, Eva asked.

“Is my mother in... some kind of danger? Is this related to what happened to her?”

[Airen]

Amamiya Sho
Aoyama, Streets
11/16/2026
Monday - Dark Hour

"...Heh."

---In the end, that's the sound the troublemaker responds to all of your words with; indeed, having more or less assaulted her with your words, it wouldn't have been surprising if she had simply decided to attack you mid-sentence... There are people that simply aren't tolerant of insults after all, and this person sort of strikes you as a chaotic one, one who does as her whims demand her to do, but...

"Finally. Geez, I was wondering how cliche I'd have to act before someone took the bait! At least you have more fighting spirit than the brats at the beach! Acting like it's not their problem when it definitely is, all of you are stuck in this mess and you're the only ones that can get you out of it... But well, I guess they'll learn soon enough... Everyone will..."

...That single chuckle becomes actual laughter.

"Oh wait, I shouldn't talk about that, hasn't happened yet... Does it even happen in this line...? Eh... Doesn't matter. Sorry. Being locked up by myself for so long wasn't good for the old sanity, talk to myself sometimes...!"

...And from here on, it becomes harder and harder for you to read her, because...

This line wasn't some sort of mistake, she makes it sound like it's something she shouldn't have even said at all, and yet you are strangely sure it was entirely on purpose. Of course, it's not a line that really seems to mean anything either, just more gibberish to put on the pile of all of the things slamming into you today, but...

"But alright, alright, cool, you're gonna try and put me under arrest? But only if I handicap myself right? Neat. Awesome. Sure. No problem!"

...She takes your bait.

That being said, it's difficult to tell if you've just tricked a moron or overly arrogant person, or if you had fallen for some sort of trap yourself, after all, she follows this up with:

"It's a deal then, I'll handicap myself."

She chuckles.

"I'll even do you one better than closing my eyes, I'll fight you as something weaker than myself! Heck, I'll turn into some shadows! That should be fine right? You call yourself the weakest, but I learned a long time ago that the people that say that are the ones you really gotta watch out for!"

She seems excited...

Again, strangely so...

Although...

"That sound fair to you? I'll turn into some monster with way weaker abilities, something you could actually beat, is that enough of a handicap for you?"

Saying this as she extends her hand...

It's hard to tell what the atmosphere around here is supposed to be anymore... But...

Looking around...

...While the mute girl is simply staring at the one-eyed woman with a single raised eyebrow, as if she herself wasn't sure if this person was actually a threat or not anymore, you can't see Jack anywhere...

Had he wandered off...?

[Airen]

Hyakka Onjouji
Dark Side of the Moon
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning (?)

"...Through the Looking Glass?"

---Alice's expression is that of someone who has just heard an old, tired sort of story.

"Like... Alice Through the Looking Glass...?"

Yes.

It's somewhat of a rhetorical question, the sort made by a woman that has put together the same sort of conclusion that you had earlier, namely that her namesake made this situation slightly more uncomfortable than usual, after all...

Alice Through the Looking Glass...

A story about a girl named Alice, who walks through her mirror and finds a fantastical world on the other side, becoming an allegorical pawn in what was essentially a game of chess... Of course, it's a sequel to the more famous story "Alice in Wonderland," and both settings are ultimately revealed to have taken place within a dream by the end of their respective tales, but...

Through the Looking Glass had raised the question of exactly whose dream it was, Alice's dream of the Red Queen, or the Red Queen's dream of Alice...?

Perhaps it was simply a shared experience?

Dreams were powerful but mysterious things after all, taking place somewhere deep within the collective consciousness... It wouldn't be unheard of for multiple people to share a dream with each other, and things like prophecy and other seer-like visions of the future or past are apparently also possible for some to grasp from the realm of dreams... But it was a very vague art, one that the era of 'the Science of Magic' had yet to decipher completely, perhaps as a result of the collective consciousness's own desire to be a puzzle that can't ever truly be solved?

But...

Such things are simple thoughts for now, when it comes to Alice...

Well, her full name was -in a twist of fate- Alice Liddell; the same name as the girl that was thought to be Lewis Carrol's inspiration for the 'Alice' found in his stories... Of course, the two Alice's likely aren't the same person, if anything, the demon Alice was the manifestation of the girl from the story, a girl driven insane by the madness of humanity's so called "Logic," and whose powers skirt the line of dream and reality quite easily, but...

Symbolism was a powerful thing when it came to magic, really, one could argue that it was basically everything...

So a girl named "Alice Liddell" finding herself in this sort of situation could be... Uncomfortable...

Or maybe it was her presence that allowed such things to easily happen at all? Certainly a girl with that name might have an uncanny affinity for slipping into other worlds, right...?

---She certainly seems troubled by the implications, or rather, more like... Annoyed...?

"Not again..."

Ah.

Yeah, that probably makes sense.

She sighs.

"This name has haunted me my whole life, parents really picked a heck of a thing to call me... Although I guess they couldn't see the whole, magic will be a widespread thing when she hits her preteens coming..."

Another sight, then...

"Ah well, take em as they come eh? It'll work out!"

The positivity of an older sister returns full force-!

---Just in time for this apparent moon palace, or perhaps capital, to really come into view...

"...Huh, looks... Surprisingly earth-like...?"

Alice's eyes widen slightly, and the car slows down a bit as it passes through some sort of invisible bubble... An invisible bounded field of some sort... It doesn't hurt you, and the rabbit doesn't panic when it happens, so you don't either, but...

"..."

---Up ahead, it's much like a metropolis... There's no wall surrounding the city, rather, there are buildings of sky-scraper like size dotting the landscape, spotless streets made of some sort of cobblestone-like material rather than the familiar concrete streets of home, all heading towards some massive palace-like building in the back, one that is actually guarded by some sort of gate, and...

It's spotless.

Spotless... But also silent.

Silent and... Crystal-like...

Yes.

---There are patches of that gradient substance all over the buildings, buildings that are still lit up with lights, as if the city had been bustling about just mere hours before, but now...

Now it's dead silent.

"Eh...?"

Even the rabbit seems surprised, so much so that it doesn't even start screaming like it usually would, and indeed, the bizarreness of the scenario shifts the car's more lighthearted atmosphere almost immediately, even more so when...

"What the...?"

You start passing by human-sized chunks of the bizarre glass... It's gradient nature distorts the inside quite heavily, making it almost impossible to make out exactly what's inside of it with your eyes alone, but...

---For some reason, your eyes naturally focus on them.

Because they're leaking a bit of Reiki, a tiny amount, minuscule, so little that no one else in the car but you would probably be capable of picking it up, but looking harder at it as the car slows to a deliberate, walking-esque speed...

---You can see it.

---There's a person inside of these, no, there's something inside almost all of the chunks of crystal you can see...

Human-like in nature, albeit with rabbit-like ears sprouting from the top of their head...

Encased in crystal, but somehow still alive... Albeit just barely...

Looking for all the world as if they had simply... fallen asleep inside of there...

Yes.

Reaching out with your senses more, you can tell...

---There's hundreds of these 'barely alive' people, sleeping a coma like sleep...

All encased in these bizarre crystal prisons...?

---No monsters can be seen, or if they're around...

You can't feel them out.

[Spinach]

Hyakka Onjouji
Dark Side of the Moon
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning (?)

"Ah well, take em as they come eh? It'll work out!"

“…” The girl’s rebound from what sounded like annoyance to near blinding positivity came so quickly that, for a few seconds, the AI had no immediate response. However, never one to let surprise silence her for too long, Camelia sighed. “I’m not immature enough to blame you for what might be happening, nor would I put the blame upon you for what may happen from hereon either, but…”

As the palace atop the lunar surface came into view, the tranquil-minded AI turned its gaze and thoughts toward what was to come.

“Since we have little choice but to ‘take them as they come,’ I will have certain expectations for you.”

Having explained what little there was to explain, and having said her piece, the AI fell silent once more. The stargazing girl who had until then been the silent one, in turn, spoke up in wonder as the desolate landscape of the moon turned into an abnormally ‘normal’ metropolis.

“Waaa… it’s just like… it is…” The wonder in her voice settled with every syllable into a plainer tone. “It is much like a city back on Earth.”

That plain tone plainly stated the plain truth.

“But silent. It is uncomfortably silent. A city should not be so…”

Her voice trailed off without saying the word on the tip of her tongue, lifeless. Because her eyes turned towards a passing chunk of glass-like crystal. From it she felt it, flowing out so weakly, so faintly that she might have missed it were the city wondrous enough to distract her even slightly. The Reiki of a living thing.

“Alice-chan.”

The small girl addressed the blonde by name, the leapt out of the red convertible. Transparent, metal-like wings of black flashed for a brief instant as the girl gently landed atop the cobblestone street, though visibly unsure of her footing thanks to the pants she was wearing due to necessity (and the assertiveness of the larger girl), Hyakka approached the crystal and stared into it.

“… There is a person inside. They are alive but… only barely.” She spoke aloud, to herself, to her partner, to Alice, to the Hare of Inaba, and to Honoka. Her head turned, counting tens, then hundreds more such crystallized people. “There are so many of them…”

Her hands at her side tightened into fists, and she glanced about at the streets she had nearly mistaken as lifeless.

No sign of any culprit. No signs of a battle. It was as though they had all suddenly, without any struggle, been encased in crystal.

“If left like this they may truly perish.”

Hyakka nodded.

“We have to save them.”

“Destroying the crystals would likely harm the ones inside. I cannot ascertain the nature of this substance either.”

“We have to find who, or what, did this.”

“Yes. Find them, and if necessary, defeat them. Unless someone here knows more about these crystals. Such as...”

Although the AI possessed no proper form to direct its gaze with, the Hare of Inaba no doubt felt Camelia's 'gaze' fall upon it.

[Airen]

Hyakka Onjouji
Dark Side of the Moon
11/16/2026
Monday - Early Morning (?)

"...Hmm."

Ultimately stopping the car soon after you had leaped from it to do your examinations, Alice's examination of the crystals ultimately seems to come to a different sort of conclusion than yours, or rather...

After some muttered conversations with something invisible (probably the other Alice) the blonde woman simply nods to herself, before:

"Well... I don't think they'll die... According to Alice, this seems like it's meant to keep them asleep..."

---Of course, this is a bit bizarre... Certainly there are abilities that are capable of putting others to sleep, but those don't typically encase them inside of crystal either... It almost seems like a bit of an overstep, excessive, something a bit bigger than necessary to simply accomplish the goal of keeping these people in a state of suspended animation, so perhaps...

There's some other method to the madness? Their Reiki levels were low, but lifeforms recover it over time easily enough so long as they're alive... The fact that their condition isn't improving would thus imply that the crystals are draining it from them...?

It's hard to say.

But the crystals themselves... They feel familiar...

Familiar and strong... There's a gentle thrum of magical energy running through them, enough that you're sure it would take a decent effort to break them free from their prison, enough that it would perhaps be less than ideal to do it when the inhabitants are so obviously weakened...

That too may be a reason for it's structure, but...

"...I don't know much, just what the Lord told me."

...The rabbit that would normally be cowering has hit a bizarre sort of calm... There's still a bit of a waver in it's voice, but it's not running around and screaming... Although that could just be because it's too afraid to do so, seeing the act of sticking around you and Alice as the safer one...?

This too is difficult to tell...

"Some sort of hive-mind parasite, grows over and into bodies and attempts to drain their life-force... Sometimes they animate themselves into creatures... But this is the first time I've uh... Seen it get like this... They normally fight it off... Never got this far in..."

---A sense of worry.

Perhaps that's the answer.

Rather than fear, the rabbit has simply been smacked hard by what seems to be the sight of a desolated hometown...?

"As far as the plainness of the town goes..."

At this, it pauses, as if having to seriously consider it's words, then...

"...This is only the uh... Outer layer of the town... There's a uh... Sea nearby..." It points to the northwest, "You get to the inner portions by going through the reflection of the city on the water..."

It's eyes flicker to the side, as if feeling guilt for telling a sort of secret...

"Sometimes you can get here from Earth that way too... Reflection of the full moon on a sea..."

To the point of whispering that, but...

"...Yeah, might be best to figure out who or what did this and take them out. This feels like an ongoing magic, so if the caster goes down, it should go down with them."

Alice, back in a more serious mood, stands and wipes her pants slightly, even though the spotless nature of these bizarre cobblestone streets made that somewhat unnecessary...

"You said the inner city is on the other side of a sea's reflection? Lunar Sea? We'll look there then, unless..."

She looks at you.

---While she is the older one, she knows in which areas you beat her, and this is one of them...

"Anyone moving around out here? Someone that feels strong? Maybe the culprit is watching right now...?"

And it's right in that moment...

That you feel it.

A new signature, walking leisurely about 200 meters or so away, behind the gate that led to what looked like a traditional palace...

[Kuroyuki]

Hiyori
SLEIPNIR - Second Floor, Hallways
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

OST: [You're the Imposter!]

"JUST BECAUSE YOU SAID IT FASTER DOESN'T MEAN IT'S TRUE, YOU'RE THE DOPPLEGANGER, DOPPLEGANGER!"

“BET YOU COULDN’T COPY ME BECAUSE YOU HAD TO WAIT FOR ME TO SAY SOMETHING FIRST! ISN'T THAT RIGHT DOPPELGANGER?!”

This doppelganger was copying me down to a T! They were capable of flying and was even pointing their finger dramatically as well. If I didn’t know any better, you could’ve convinced me I was in some kind of mirror maze instead of seeing this doppelganger!

"Probabilistic Event?"

"We've got a good old fashioned complete collapse on our hands then, don't we? Destruction of Sequential Phenomena, fascinating, possibilities are falling in on each other... Guess more pillars were destroyed than I thought-!"

What is Miss Smug and her doppelganger saying!? Destruction of Sequential Phenomena? Pillars? Miss Smug should quit babbling nonsense! Well her and her doppelganger. Better yet why isn’t freaking out about this as well?! I went to say she was speaking nonsense but…

"Don't babble nonsense to her! What's going on Miss Smug?! Use words that actually make sense!"

“Oi! I was going to tell her to quit being a smug know it all and explain things properly!”

I look at my doppelganger upstaging me… How dare she! I’m Hiyori the COMP of Justice and Gaming Empress of the SLEPNIR not her! You're treading close to evil villain territory and that means you'll gain relevance for a little bit before losing it when you lose to me!

"It's simple, we've run into some... Hmm, well this is a first so I would get to name it as a scientist right? A Refraction of Prismatic Essence! They're dispersions, the light of a soul being cast through a prism-!"

"You're saying that like you think that makes you the original, me, you're just as much a dispersion as us, a random possibility, nothing more-!"

"Maybe we share a soul, but I'm certainly better at using it than you."

Refraction like when you dip a pencil into water and it’s not perfectly straight? However I still don’t understand what that has to do with prisms, dispersions and possibilities! If I had access to the web, I could look up all of their fancy smug scientific mumbo jumbo or heck even Ross would be good enough since she’s practically a walking encyclopedia at times.

"Are you getting any of this? These two are just crazy right? I mean, I bet you can't even name all the Rigid Rabbit plot twists, so the two of you are obviously the fakes-!"

The Doppelganger can mindread me?! Well too bad doppelganger, you can't make spoil the plot twists when I'm about to school you hard!

“And this is why you got all of the recessive genes, Solution Rabbit. I understood some of it unlike you!”

I floated a little higher than her so I can show my superiority to her!

“What Miss Smug is implying is that we seem to be entering some kind of different medium that causes us to refract and disperse… somehow or another at the same time… I think… Which means neither of us are both the original but not? Maybe? Am I getting that right Miss Smug?”

I started floating slowly downward as I tried to process what I just thought… If I’m not the original and she’s not the original, then where is the original? And what is she entering that I’m capable of meeting ‘myself.’ And it didn't get better if I was the original... Because what is happening that would cause me to meet my own refraction/dispersion/possibility then?

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

“Is my mother in... some kind of danger? Is this related to what happened to her?”

"Ah."

She doesn't seem to realize until this exact moment...

That her words are the sort that would naturally cause a daughter to worry...

"Leah? In danger? Well if it was anyone else I'd say the risk of messing around with the World's Laws would be hazardous, but Leah was one of my best students, a prodigy in her fields! She's not the type to mess up these sorts of things!"

A somewhat panicked smile, as she tries to soothe what she clearly thinks is some form of panic over...

"But well, when I said it's dangerous, the World is... In a sense I suppose you can say it's alive, it's capable of at least some form of thought and has a tendency to act against events that it would find... Troublesome... For instance, if you were to somehow go back in time and meet yourself, the entity that would enforce the consequence of the resulting paradox and remove both of you from existence would be the World... It's that sort of thing... Tricking the World has it's consequences if the trick is discovered, but like I said before, it's not exactly omniscient either..."

She shrugs.

"She's not doing anything quite as extreme as a time machine anyway, Leah's a genius, but I'm pretty sure she's not the make a time machine sort of genius, something like that doesn't really fall into her specialized fields... That's more of a Xanadu Labs thing... So whatever methods she might use would probably be easier to hide!"

A laugh, another transparent attempt to enlighten the mood-!

"So don't worry about it, I'm sure she'll be fine! If she is off doing this sort of thing, which I don't actually know and can only guess that she might be, then well, she's doing it with a plan, so there's nothing to worry about!"

She nods, then-

"...Here, tea."

-Evita reemerges, that air of a grumpy teenager still present on her face as she slides a tray carrying two green mugs across the table. She sits down herself shortly afterwards, crossing one leg over the other and lifting her own mug to her lips, before...

"...This Leah woman sounds like a troublesome person."

Stating this calmly.

[Airen]

Logan Starbright & Mokujima Chris
Lobby
11/16/2026
Monday - Late Morning

---A forward rush, a dash to meet a crystalline structure that is both dazzling and cancerous.

Certainly, that is the instinctual feeling that Logan Starbright gets when this substance enters his vision, it's a sickening duality, the idea that this bizarre crystal is both beautiful and ugly, an irrational thought that reeks of some sort of supernatural nature, of a dominating presence that exerts at least a fraction of it's will on others simply by existing in their line of sight...

It's almost... Pretty.

Disgusting and pretty, but you ignore the more bizarre, positive feelings, indeed...

More powerful than that... Is the deep understanding that this is some sort of cancer on reality...

---It's almost like you've seen it before, or some strange voice deep inside of you was insisting that was the case... Was it the voice of an inner self? Some sort of lost memory?

Probably impossible for you to tell, either way-!

A graceful flow of motion, the battering of a blade from the creature's hand, followed up with a momentum based strike to the head-!

The creature moves when you pass by the other crystals.

Just like Chris had said, it seems that there's some sort of hive-mind intelligence going on here; the thing doesn't bother to look behind it because it's eyes are everywhere, and the sound that appears the instant you cross the 'threshold' is one that makes your head hurt in it's apparent alienness...

It's not a sound that humans can understand, no...

This is a scratchy, wrong noise, like a record being dragged around against the grain, beneath the sharpest possible needle-!

Even so, even with it's own form of 'foresight,' the entity is far too slow to counter.

It's weaker than you inherently.

Far weaker, or rather...

You could call it a fragile existence, a tough exterior that hides it's real, glass-like nature.

That's right.

Your blow to the head shatters it instantly.

It's not even that the head was a critical point of the body... While such a thing is true for most life-forms, and thus the head is typically the part of the body with the most defenses inherent to it, this creature simply shattered to pieces because it's existence was fragile, much like the glass-like substance it seemed to be made of... It wasn't a hero-type, not a lone warrior that could shift the scale of a massive conflict by itself, it was a monster meant to slay those weaker than it in droves, a crystal-being that was impervious to anything below a certain threshold of power, but that broke in the face of any real strength, and yet-



-when the sword swings at you from below, the way you repel it can only be called desperate, a spinning sweep with Amelia that drives it away from your legs in a fury of sparks-!

Why?

Because your instincts had screamed that it mustn't hit you.

---Or rather, that same voice from before, the nostalgic one from deep inside, the voice that may or may not be some lost memory, screams at you that you must not let it strike your flesh-!

There had been power shimmering in that blade.

---Power you cannot identify.

It does not fit on the elemental scale you know, not at all, even the brimming force of the almighty couldn't be used to explain what you had just felt from that blade as it swung itself at you, no...

It had felt antithetical to life, but it also wasn't a curse.

---Again, the voice speaks.

Void.

It's the Void.

Element of Nothing, a thing that does not and should not exist inside this world... It inherently denies everything, the fact that life ever existed and the very idea of life itself, would be utterly erased within it. The disappearance of not just matter, but of awareness, of ideals, and the fact that life forms have ever existed will completely disappear like it had never existed to begin with within it, but-!

---You deflect it.

While you get the feeling that it would tear through your body in a manner similar to the almighty if it struck you, you deflect it; just as it is antithetical to life, life is antithetical to it, a defense of similar power will cancel it out, and weak as it was inside of a simple slash of a blade, it simply takes a bit of reiki to push it away from you, and shatter the blade with a full-force stomp of your foot-!

Although... As you do...

---You can hear that same screeching sound as before... Coming from the nearby stairwell...

And this time...

It sounds like there's more than a dozen of these... Things...

Meanwhile...


---As Logan strides forward, Eve -left to fight as she deems fit- ultimately seems to choose not to move...

It's not out of cowardice, no, if anything, her nature as a guardian would seem like it should drive her onwards, however...

---She seems to think she's more needed here right now, protecting both you and the Goddess, thus...

She simply stands at the ready, hand on the hilt of her blade, but also not drawing it from it's sheathe; her eyes doing constant scans around the area as if to pick out the shadow that continued to dance at the edges of your vision, yes...

It's still there, and yes...

It continues to be frustrating...

While you are starting to believe that it might be more of an observation based curse than anything else, a sort of memetic agent (after all, all of this had started after you first caught a glimpse of it) the number of countermeasures you can employ against such a thing, especially without Daisuke around, are frustratingly low...

Yes.

Perhaps it's frustrating?

Another issue to pile onto this day that was slowly getting worse and worse... But...

If the enemy's powers are observation based, then maybe your own gaze will counter whatever it is doing to the Goddess?

Pushing hypothetical frustrations aside for now, and doing your best to ignore the shadow that just isn't getting on with it, you focus your gaze on the Goddess, who seems to be watching Logan in a worried fashion, but has obediently chosen to do as she has been asked for now, and...

Well...

It's the first time you've really focused your gaze in awhile, so it feels a bit weird...

You don't really expect it to do all that much in the grand scheme of things, but at least it's something right?

Those are the thoughts that go through your head, right before reiki seems to gather in your eyes of it's own accord and-

-for an instant, the world flickers from realistic to looking shockingly close to data, like looking at the source code of some sort of website.

It's only a flicker.

---Looking at it causes a sharp pain to rise behind your eyes, as if they were overloading from the sheer strain of processing whatever the hell that was, but...

But...

While you had been looking at it, or more specifically, looking at the bits of 'code' that had been where Yamuna was standing, well...

---You could sort of see... A line of numbers -strangely tinted purple- connecting her to something else, like some sort of cable, and...

It sort of felt like, if you wanted too... You could touch it...?

Break it even?

But...

---At the thought, your new headache threatens to turn into a migraine.

[hero]

Amamiya Sho
Aoyama, Streets
11/16/2026
Monday - Dark Hour


"..."

Amamiya Sho is not fond of handicaps.

While it is possible to understand the thrill that comes from challenging oneself by adding extra difficulty, he sees it ultimately as a way to show off in front of the crowd more than a method of actual improvement. There is no need for said tool in the shed of a man who's constantly being looked down upon. Because every encounter is a challenge, to further cripple oneself out of pride is objectively a bad decision. The only reason why he suggested this sort of approach is because he suspected, based on Jack's description and the conversations shared thus far, that the woman who would eventually introduce herself as Anima might in fact be foolish enough to agree to such terms.

And well, there is this saying... 'Never interrupt an enemy while they are making a mistake.'

"..."

I don't answer her question. There is no need for that.

The moment I declared I would put her under custody is the instant that marked the start of the battle for me. Whether the enemy has already acknowledged that or is too laid back to notice is no longer one of my problems.

A deep breath, as I momentarily shut down my senses.

I need to focus in order to change my perception.

This is not an exercise, it's a real battle. It's not simply about outsmarting the enemy. The same strategies that worked against Irmina and Lianne will not suffice here. That means that I will not be able to quickly claim victory by capturing her through a half-assed method. Yes, under these circumstances, there is little room for anything but concrete results.

---If that is the case, then...

There is no place for a simple high schooler on this battlefield. It's a spot reserved for real tamers.

Well, that's a real shame.

Cause now that I am here, I'm going to have to intrude upon that parade.

Even if making a deal with the devil is to become my entrance ticket.

"Deal..."

I take her hand, fully prepared to deal with the consequences of said action.

The question is... Is she, though? After all...

I really did promise her a good show.

---I'll go all out from the start.

"Kyp! Kioka!"

------


Out of the three, Kioka is the most reserved, kind and insecure. Just like the boy she serves can be called 'the weakest tamer', Kioka herself has been deemed a failure both as a A.I. and as a whole once integrated into a COMP. Her name reveals a lot there is to her. She's a mirror, a reflection of someone else but, at the same time, someone who will never possess the strength nor the courage the original did. Her own weakness is what denied her of a purpose and relegated herself to the role of a regretful shield that could have been an a sword.

Amamiya Sho and Kioka do not really complement one another, as their performance remains poor in many areas, save for a few niche specializations. That's exactly what the two of them have in common, a past filled with mistake after mistake, as well as the shame that engulfed their names since then. That understanding is what allows them to support one another, even in silence, when the odds are stacked against them.

Because it is easier for them to support the other rather than mend their own hearts, all while lacking what the other part seeks, it becomes less about 'complement' and more about 'potentiate'.

"..."

It's another complex sequence.

She's used to the uncomfortable feeling that comes with it.

After all, when it comes to Amamiya Sho, there is no sequence that can be called simple. The elements themselves might be as basic as they get, -perhaps a little bizarre at times but ultimately basic at their core-, however, the string that connects them is anything but.

That's just how the boy fights. Because he needs to push himself in every encounter in order to make a difference, he's constantly experimenting with new methods to get the most out of the weapon that allows him to play the role of a warrior in the first place. He does not hesitate to push his COMP to its limits and seldom asks for permission in order to do so. Given his nature, it wouldn't be too far-fetched to believe that his limit is marked by the repairs that he can afford.

But Kioka has no doubt in her mind that the boy cares for the device, and for her as well. The data simply says so.

---If that is the case, then...

On paper it's an absolutely reckless move, the exact opposite of what a Tamer should be doing right about now. In the presence of an mysterious threat, someone who is categorized as 'Unknown' rather than 'Tamer', 'Civilian' or 'Demon', it's common procedure to act in a conservative way that wouldn't expose oneself or others to unquantifiable danger.

And yet, Kioka voices none of that concern as she proceeds to turn her master's thoughts into a data input that will be more unpleasant than the last.

There will be no praise for her efforts.

There will be no reward for her efforts.

The trust placed in her is enough. Just being acknowledged is enough.

If the beliefs of that boy are being placed upon her shoulders, then she'll boost those beliefs, even if they aren't hers. She'll be the rocket platform that sends them into space-!

---'It's only natural to push myself a little harder, too!'

------

Rapid growth. Infinitely rapid growth.

If slimes have the natural ability to alter its shape by compressing and expanding, then this is the pinnacle of that skill, an aberration created by adding the mind of a human to the equation. A collapsing giant of goo, a gentle drizzle that becomes an ooze meteor rain. In terms of pure damage, it is nothing outstanding, especially for a B-rank spell, but when it comes to capture rate, it is an excellent tool that quickly incapacitates several targets in a relatively large area. The darkness and the weather just raise its success percentage a little bit.

But what does the trick is the sigil engraved in Anima's hand.

That is the result of a generic spell and one of Amamiya Sho's commonly used moves.

"Sorry, Ms. Troublemaker..."

Bullseye.

He took that hand, fully aware of the consequences.

He placed his hand in the jaws of the dragon, willing to offer it as a sacrifice if needed be.

In exchange, he has arranged for all that slimy precipitation to congregate in a single spot.

Even if he finds himself caught in his own attack, in his mind, it is already worth it.

Even if his opponent can turn into a shadow in the blink of an eye...

He'll attempt to bury those phantoms with his very first move--!

"I'm afraid I'll be playing rough from the start!"

-------

Post info

Equipped Spells

1. Bullseye
2. Slime C
3. Slime B
4. Slime V
5. Flash Truth
6. Aura Shield

7. Bullseye 'R' (Auto Skill, C rank).


Spells and Actions used:


Bullseye
A spell commonly used by Tamers who favor long-range attacks, and due to it’s nature, is not really a spell that ever goes “out of style.” A short term enchantment type spell that is most commonly applied to one’s weapon; touching the opponent with whatever was enchanted leaves an invisible crest upon that point of contact.

This Crest acts as a beacon for the spiritual power of the caster, and draws it towards itself, effectively turning all later spells into homing spells. The more crests present on a target’s body, the stronger this homing effect becomes; length of the crest duration is dependent on the target’s current Resistance.


Slime B
A spell that belongs to the Slime series that Sho has developed. Here, ‘B’ stands for ‘Battalion’. It’s a program that takes advantage of the slime’s natural ability to increase its numbers through self-division and uses it to create a numerous army of slimes at one’s disposal. While the process of self-division is one that a slime can normally go about once a month at best and only if it feels the need to reproduce, by increasing the slime’s mass to ridiculous levels, the slime literally has no choice to but to divide. This ultimately leads to a huge volley of slimes that rains upon the enemy before they can understand what’s happening. While slimes are not strong on their own, being fragments of a single entity gives them an incredible rate of synchronicity, and the resulting ‘dogpile’ can neutralize even the strongest of enemies for a while, if not outright knocking them out. Sadly, the excess slime will become lifeless goo in a matter of minutes. Admittedly, Sho’s original intent was to create a giant slime (which he would dub Slime ‘K’), but it appears he needs to find a way to make its composition more stable before he can move to such heights.


???
Sho has used another spell this turn! But it's not important right now, as it will have no immediately noticeable effect on the battlefield! It's a C-rank, by the way!


Emergency Vent (Kioka Action)
Once per battle, Kioka can forcibly reduce her own heat counter to zero through use of custom emergency systems. Afterwards, she will only vent her systems naturally every three turns rather than every two. Cannot be used alongside other COMP Actions.


Formation C-T-S (Mundane Trait)
A form of team play developed through experience and time together. COMP, Tamer and Slime have all learned to fight together as a unit, fostering future interactions between them -and between peers- inside and outside of combat. At this stage, a solid bond isn’t needed to fight together with someone, so long as one adapts one’s strategy accordingly.



Sequence

1. Bullseye (C) 03/10 Heat
2. ??? (C) 06/10 Heat
3. Emergency Vent 0/10 (Heat now refreshes every three turns, as opposed to two turns)
4. Slime B (B) 04/10 Heat => B rank spell, max heat reduced by 4 => 04/06 Heat

[Bloble]

Mokujima Chris
Lobby
11/16/2026
Monday - Late Morning

She sees something.

As Chris stares, finally, truly looking at something again instead of allowing her gaze to drift by, she sees it. A change. A seam. A flicker. The shape shifting behind the curtain that is reality. This is not a hall. That is not Yamuna standing there. Any plan or idea she may have had is halted in its tracks. She hadn't expected anything. Certainly not what looks like code. Letters. Numbers. Symbols in the shape of-.

A sharp spike. Something cuts through the empty place where her thoughts had been. If is as if she's been struck a blow, like the glimpse itself had been enough to sear her mind.

"...hm."

Chris closed her eyes and rubs at them. She gathers her thoughts again. This will take a moment to consider.

A hallucination. The next step of the enemy's illusion. Had it progressed further? Confusing her? Perhaps it wishes to drive her mad. A world of code? What sort of nonsense is that? Terrifying nonsense. That's what it would be. Had she never left the simulator after all? Is it being revealed, now, that this is all merely another fabrication? That she's been dancing on the enemy's palm this whole time? Does she need to break out again? Or is that just what the illusion wants her to think, to exploit her confusion-?

No. The part of Mokujima Chris that judges provides an answer to the part that worries. Stop thinking. Look again.

But what about Logan? The sounds of battle are reaching her even now. And the shadow is still around here. She can't afford to waste time.

He's a Tamer. He'll be fine. And the enemy won't attack while Eve's watching, her instinct tells her. Look. Again.

She looks again.

Reiki gathers in her eyes of its own accord. The curtain is pulled aside once more. The world shifts. Colours change. Bright blue. Purple. Green. Wireframes. Just for a moment.

That's not Yamuna. That's an amalgamation, a glowing mass of bright blue words and circuits. That 'link' attached to her, the other end of which matches up exactly with the movements of the shadow, is a deep purple. And when Chris extends her own hand... it is not there. All she can see are azure phrases, glowing with magical energy. She is not there. Then, is nothing there-?

"Tch-!"

Immediately another spike throws her back as soon as she attempts to consider what lies before her.

With this much pain, it cannot be an enemy's ploy. Neither is it a coincidence. For all her enjoyment of the medium, Chris is enough of an adult to know that random anime power-ups out of nowhere do not actually happen in real life. Even if an unexplained surge of strength were to grace her, it is certain that she would not accept it. You can't rely on something unreliable and unknown, after all. It's the same as wagering your life on a weapon you randomly picked up off the ground. And while trusting your life to such an unknown is irresponsible, trusting someone else's life to it is an act of unforgivable foolishness. For all you know, it may be a trojan horse sent in by your enemies, a tempting taste of power coming in a moment of weakness.

However, this is different. Whatever this is, whatever she has done, it is clearly forbidden. Wrong. Someone, something, doesn't want her seeing this. It is telling her to back away, through the pounding pain in her head. It is telling her that she shouldn't be looking this hard at something that should not be seen.

And if something is telling her this is wrong...

Then surely it is right. The sight before her can be nothing less than the result of her own efforts.

"...Yamuna. Hold still. I'm going to try something."

She looks again.

Conscious thoughts end. From here on out, Mokujima Chris moves by instinct.

Her body knows, even if her mind doesn't. Her hands have been working all this time. She has memorized the patterns and flows of spell and soul that should only be able to be deciphered by a COMP. So, surely, it will lead her to the right decision.

In an instant, the purple code is pinched between two phrases that must surely look like fingers. It is held still by the base, and...

A scalpel made up of her own code, something she once considered her hand, descends, brushing against Yamuna's blue. Her sense of touch feels bare skin, but her eyes show something different. Even as her head pounds from the inside, telling her to back off, it does not so much as cause Chris to flinch. If it is mere pain, then at least ten times as much would be needed before she even considers stopping.

She cuts between purple and blue. Weaving between them, excising it in a single motion. Not to destroy, but rather, to separate.

"Got you."

Now that she has a grip on that code, there's no way Mokujima Chris willl let it wriggle out of her grasp.

After all, it's going to lead her right to the bastard that dared to curse

her

humanity's

idol.

[Satehi]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

…Upon hearing Alexia’s reassurances, Eva breathed a small sigh of relief.

“I see… that’s very reassuring to hear.”

What she said was a bit convincing- Eva had a bit of faith in Leah’s judgement and ability, so she could believe that Leah wouldn’t screw up. But she could also tell that Alexia was trying to make her less worried- a meaningless gesture, in her opinion. Whether or not her mother was OK, looking at the scale of the things she had gotten up to, there was nothing Eva could do about the situation, really…

Still, she appreciated the gesture, and gave Alexia a small smile to show her gratitude before reaching for the tea.

"...This Leah woman sounds like a troublesome person."

“Troublesome, huh…”

Putting down the tea without having yet taken a sip, her smile faded as she thought about the statement.

It was not a word she would have ever used to describe her mother. After all, Eva Ellet had never once thought of her like that; but to a stranger who said that, there was only one way in which she could respond.

“… I can see why you might say that. You might be right, even.”

Certainly, from the perspective of an outsider, it was a sensible judgement. Eva didn’t know how familiar Evita was with her mother (if at all), but from only this conversation, her mother was a person with radical ideas who wasn’t shy about pushing them into reality. She was engaged in a plan that involved changing worldwide perception and putting herself in significant danger to do so, all the while keeping her ‘daughter’ in the dark.

From Eva’s perspective, that last part wasn’t nearly as bad as it might sound to someone who didn’t know much about their relationship. However, it was a reasonable judgement from their discussion just now, and she knew her perspective was not objective. She cared about Leah very much: her opinion could never be objective for that reason alone.

But even she thought that Leah’s ideas were… a little much.

And putting aside the revelations just now and going solely by her own experiences, then the fact that Leah did not seem to care much about the things that Eva did for her; whether that be cooking, cleaning, her daily efforts, or even her existence, made her a difficult person to care about.

Still…

Even so…

There was one more thing she felt she had to say in response to Evita’s statement.

“I care a lot about her though, even if she is like this…”





Uncertain about what she just said, she looked down.

“Maybe that’s weird…”

[Airen]

Eva Ellet
SLEIPNIR - Common Room (?)
11/16/2026
Monday - Morning

---A moment of vulnerability.

Certainly, the other blue-haired girl's words had been designed to get some sort of reaction out of you... She was effectively a stranger yes, but the way she had spoken to you up until now, the little jabs and insincere apologies, had all shown that she had some sort of bizarre interest in you at least, or rather, had already formed some sort of opinion about you the instant you met, as if this wasn't actually the first time you had met, but...

"..."

In the face of what can only be called shocking honesty, it seems even she can't think of anything to say...

This wasn't the expected reaction, the brief flash of shock that crosses her face tells you that much at least, then...

After about fifteen seconds of silence...

"..."

A hand lands lightly on your head in a -somewhat inexperienced- attempt at a calming gesture.

"...Nah, that ain't weird at all."

That's right.

...When it seems like even Alexia is at a temporary loss as to what to say, Evita, the culprit behind said hand on your head, lets loose with this, the first truly sincere sounding words that have come out of her mouth throughout this entire scene...

"Only natural for a kid to care about their folks, even if the parent is a bit of an awkward, troublesome person."

The rough nature of her voice makes her words sound rough too, but there's no lies in it, no hidden meanings...

Although the addition of 'awkward' to the list of traits she had applied to your mom was...

...Surprisingly fitting, actually.

"From what I know, Leah is the uh... Stubborn type, the kind with grand, lofty goals, but she ain't a cruel person or anything... Not the best at relationships, but she don't do stuff out of malice, so... Uh... Yeah..."

Her eyes divert to the side, as if she couldn't look at you head on, and...

"Like... cheer up and stuff... Kicked puppy look is a bit too much, you know?"

...It's because of embarrassment.

As if she couldn't believe she was saying something like this to someone else...

[Airen]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

---How long does it last?

It's a question that perhaps only you can truly answer...

After all, the person standing here alongside you will not be the first one to pull away... While her presence here is an impossibility, the warmth of her body makes it clear that she is actually physically present, it seems impossible, and yet...

It is the truth.

While it is strange, and bizarre, it is not a lie that Alisa Kingsleigh has appeared to Cosmos Fairchild right at the precipice of despair, and perhaps because she understands that, the older woman is in no rush to make you let go of her, nor is she in a rush to let you go...

No.

She simply lets you cry.

Cry as long as you feel you must, lost in the depths of a bad dream as you are, but...

---Perhaps, you do notice some things.

Like how the clothes of this Alisa do not match the more youthful memory from down below, or how her presence is tangible and warm, a fact that was also very unlike the one from down below, who should just be some sort of video file...

---Or the feathers.

White and shining, fluttering down around you not out of some conscious effort on the older woman's part, but more...

Like a consequence of her presence? Of her simply existing here in this moment?

Like the invisible wings of some grand angel were wrapped around you both?

Regardless of whether you notice these things or not...

Regardless of whether you question these things or not...

This moment won't end until you let it go.

Indeed...

It is much like time itself has stopped.

[palad1n]

Cosmos Fairchild
LOVELESS, Moon Under Water
12/22/2026
Evening, Thunder Storm

Cosmos Fairchild didn't know how long she cried her heart out.

It certainly felt long. Long enough that somewhere in the back of her head, she thought this moment would surely get interrupted by one thing or another, that she'd find herself all alone, or that this was all just a delusion her mind cooked up to cope with everything...

But nothing of the sort happened.

There was no interruptions, and Alisa didn't disappear.

As if time had truly stopped.

--Time passed, and eventually...

Eventually, her cries and wails quieted down, and realizing that the red-haired woman wouldn't be the one who release the hug or speak, Cosmos slowly did so, though not completely; her hands still held Alisa's own, as if she's afraid that her aunt would disappear the moment she truly let go.

Cosmos hiccupped, and even though her eyes are still red from crying, she finally truly looked at her aunt who's supposed to be dead, and noticed the different clothes from the one Alisa wears in the memory file and the feathers fluttering down around them.

Her thoughts are clearer now, and her heart also feels lighter, but--

Cosmos doesn't know what to say.

It's not as if that feeling of betrayal is completely gone, but in the face of a seemingly genuine miracle, of the dead truly being alive once again, it felt so... insignificant. Like she had been freaking out over nothing, when there are more important things to do. She even cursed her mother and Aunt Alisa, somewhere deep within her heart, over this revelation...

Guilt and shame soon swallowed her whole, and--

"I'm sorry..."

Cosmos sobbed.

"I'm sorry... I'm so sorry for hitting you, auntie... I'm such a bad and ungrateful girl..."

In the end, the first words that came out was that of an apology.

"What kind of daughter freaked out from seeing her mother attending a concert? Or seeing her aunt being a singer?" She murmured quietly, not daring to look at her aunt in the eyes. "It's so stupid... So insignificant... And yet, I..."

The words were left unsaid, but the meaning is clear enough.

I felt betrayed all the same.

And she hated herself for it. Hated herself for dwelling on such a useless and minor thing.

Unconsciously, she gripped Alisa's hands tighter.

She should move on. Move on from these thoughts and ask more important questions, like how her auntie is here or if her mother is alive too, but...

'Take your time, Cosmos. There's no need to rush...'

But she couldn't.

Because those insignificant matters mattered to her.

But she couldn't get angry either, because she truly felt happy to see her auntie again.

"I... I..."

In the end...

"Auntie... please tell me the truth..."

Cosmos Fairchild asked a single question.

"After seeing me like this... what do you think of me...?"

She might not be able to trust her mother's answer for this question, but if it's Aunt Alisa, then...

Maybe she'd be able to accept whatever answer comes her way.

[Airen]

Blaise Pendragon
Aoyama, Soba Shop -Gen-
11/16/2026
Night, Clear Skies

"Were you testing that theory about how Paul Blart the Mall Cop 2 synchs perfectly with the album?" Blaise asked with a raised eyebrow. "And here I thought you had been out doing something important..."

"..."

For a moment, silence.

Indeed, thinking about the nature of the images he had described to you, it certainly was similar in nature to the cover of The Dark Side of the Moon... It was an older album to be sure, but gramps was an older guy, someone who would surely appreciate that sort of thing for what it was, bawking at the youngsters and their modern music in that ever-polite way of his, but...

---This person also loves technology.

Indeed, he loves the very concept of the internet itself as an information haven; he may look like an old man (and behaves like one in a number of ways) but he was absolutely also the sort that could get dragged into meme culture, regardless of how bizarre the nature of his existence was, and thus...

"...Well, I was simply curious you see?"

...He doesn't exactly deny it.

"Humans can get carried away with coincidences, so I had to watch it in it's entirety, see if the theory held up to any real scrutiny. I was a disbeliever up until the end of Money, with the gunshots? The entire production team must have been in on the joke, or at least, one very determined editor must have quite the sense of humor."

He smiles, amused...

Although the even nature of his words make it difficult to tell if he had simply decided to roll along with your words (with surprisingly indepth knowledge of the topic at hand) or had actually been polluting his subconscious with that sort of thing...

Yes.

While he is the second sanest member of the house, he is still a member of the house.

---There's a bit of weirdness to him still-!

"But yes, I suppose it could simply just be the album cover messing with my thoughts," he raises a hand to his chin in a thoughtful sort of way, "Dreams can occasionally contain prophecy, but such things are rare..."

He shakes his head.

"And our family does tend to look a bit too closely into things, don't we? It's a fair enough point, most likely nothing to worry about, just the ramblings of an old man's subconscious thoughts."

---Perfectly willing to accept your interpretation of events.

Compared to the other members of the house, who would be ranting about the World dragging them into something strange again (which to be fair, did actually seem to happen) the older man just lets it all pass him by-!

"But yes, I see now... The Einzbern girl, Irmina."

He sets down his tea, hands folding together in front of his face as he leans forward ever so slightly, eyes twinkling with what seemed like tiny excited stars.

"A wandering Doctor who lost her home, she works at the school because it reminds her of her old life with her friends in a flying city... Although the role of a teacher is different from that of a student... But perhaps she'll realize that on her own, in time?"

A slight smile.

---It's a little scary that gramps is that good at reading people with their name alone, but it had always been something he could do...

Good at figuring out who took the last of something from the fridge, or who forgot to fill up the ice trays...

A bizarre sort of pseudo-omniscience...

"Her common sense is far removed from the rest of the faculty, so perhaps she would be a good person to befriend, if that's what you are after? Not the sort to be swayed by popular opinion."

He nods again, then...

"...Although you had a flash of something just now yourself, did you not? Soft, pale-white thighs was it?"

---A smirk that somehow comes across as both polite and teasing.

"...Could it be that you are actually into older women after all...? That one is actually twenty-two, young for a doctor, but there are no lies in it..."

---Sometimes those flashes of bizarre insight were a pain-!

And should he really be encouraging something like that with a completely straight face but laughing eyes-!