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Blue Archive: Clock Tower Trinity [OC-Insert] [Blue Archive/Nasu]

Reader mode
Feng Lengshun said:
I wonder, does all of the girls start using magic bras from there on? Like, that sounds really convenient. Wouldn't even be surprised if you could seduce Hasumi with just this.
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Sadly, unfeasible to mass distribute. That's a direct curse and designed to last for about 12 hours. For something that can be distributed at all, Kaika would need to do a far more complex curse bound to an item.

Her apprentices may start following suit, though.

veekie said:
I figure Halo durability helps
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Also, yes. While standing up to a constant weight is technically a different type of durability, I would think that none of the girls will ever have back problems.

Also, I imagine women's clothes are less outrageous in price and less confusingly arranged than in Earth on account of grumpy students having a tendency to bomb out your shop.
 
Chapter 4: The Fool
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 4: The Fool

    "We give our prayers to the pregnant moon, so she may grace us with a hale and fey child."

    "Tonight we write a new chapter in the book of demonology."

    "Paimon, start the clock. T-minus fifty-five minutes"

    "Sultore, prepare for spiritual invocation."

    On the roof of Trinity's main building, in the dead center of its halo, a woman sang.


    It's well past dark on the night of the full moon. A student in the dorms is struggling to fall asleep. Their room is quiet, and their bed is comfortable. However, their window is facing the main campus building. A building from which strange lights are currently shining.

    Eventually, enough is enough. The student grabs their smartphone, thumbs through their contacts, and hits the "call" button.

    "Hello? Justice Task Force? Yeah, it's me again. Yeah, someone's doing something stupid on the roof again. Lots of lights. Yeah, can I get a new dorm room, please?"


    "This is Squad Three. Perimeter is secure. Over."

    They say that Justice never sleeps. In truth, Justice sleeps in shifts, so someone is always awake to do patrols. On a quiet night at light alert, that means three squads of First Years are ready to bust whatever party is happening on the roof of the main building.

    Although the roof is the least of their concerns right now, not when the building facade is shimmering with golden light, as if it is caught in the middle of a sunrise. It feels warm and welcoming, like coming home to a warm meal and a smile.

    All of this isn't enough to hide the movement inside the windows.

    "Roger, Squad Three. Squad Two, begin operation."

    The glow continues inside, it is like looking at the sky while underwater, beautiful ripples of light dancing over every surface. It means they don't have to rely on flashlights, but the way the light shifts creates the impression of things scuttling about.

    "This is spooky…" One of the girls whispers. Her squad leader makes a sharp gesture with her hand for silence. She is clearly rattled, her eyes darting at every flicker of every shadow.

    "The heart." A childish voice speaks at the very edge of hearing, the sound drifting from one of the many rows of shoe lockers surrounding them.

    "ON YOUR SIX! OPEN FIRE!"

    The squad leader cracks, and the quiet calm is shattered by the sound of gunfire. The First Years open fire on the shoe lockers where the whispering emanated from, ripping the soft metal to shreds in a hail of bullets.

    For a moment, silence.

    "The heart."
    "Visitors come."
    "The heart. She calls."
    "Do they want to play?"

    Child-like voices murmur excitedly all around them. Squad Two falls further into disarray.

    "I don't like the sound of that…"
    "Form up! I want eyes in all directions!"
    "I'm scared…you told me ghosts weren't real…you meanies!"

    "We PLAY!" One side of the lockers shout, met by the other's cry of, "We DANCE!"

    Locker doors open like missile silos, launching shoes trailing light like tracer rounds as they smash into the freshmen.

    In their fear, Squad Two shoots erratically, filling the walls and ceiling with bullets, and failing to land a shot on a single flying shoe. In response, they are pelted by the flying footwear mercilessly, and are forced into a 'tactical retreat'.

    Squad Three watches as their clubmates in Squad Two flee the building at a full sprint, tripping over each other and crying.

    "Squad One? This is Squad Three. Call for backup."


    "So you're saying that Kaika-san is incapable of stopping the ritual?"

    Thirty minutes have gone by since the shoe locker incident. Since then, the glow and the wild Mimesises have spread through the entirety of the main building, and are slowly expanding outwards onto the campus grounds.

    The entire Justice Task Force has been mobilized, their sleep interrupted to contain the situation. Squads of First Years are engaging in combat with possessed school supplies and plush toys in the courtyard, while snipers are trying to get a clear shot on Kaika. Difficult when there's whole flocks of animated notebooks flying around and attacking them like irate gull-goose hybrids.

    "That's right, Hasumi-senpai," Kinben answers with tears in her eyes. "If distractions can ruin a ritual, then a magus uses Self-Hypnosis to hard code their thoughts and actions. She can't see or hear anything that's going on around her."

    "I see…" The matronly third year sighs, as she takes a bite of candied orange to stay awake. She had heard good things about this "Kaika" person, and Hantei and Kinben were clearly much better for their time together. But this fracas is giving her second thoughts. "And what do you think she's trying to do, here?"

    "I honestly don't have a clue. She's mentioned a project that she's had on the backburner for over a year, but she never went into detail about it…"

    "HASUMI-SENPAI! SOMETHING STRANGE IS HAPPENING TO THE TARGET!"

    Immediately, the pair stop talking, and grab binoculars to get a better view of the rooftop. The sight of her friend makes Kinben's blood run cold.

    It's like someone scooped out her right eye and replaced it with a live flare, the flesh around it melting into rivers of waxy red, something squirming and glowing underneath the skin like a nest of vipers.

    Her fingers, too, are distorted. Like dripping candles fashioned into talons, plucking at the streamers of light surrounding her, splitting and stitching them into some sort of cocoon.

    Kinben drops her binoculars, and grabs Hasumi in a panic. "SHE'S HURTING HERSELF! WE HAVE TO STOP THIS NOW! PLEASE!"

    Hasumi looks down at Kinben in surprise and concern. But before she can say anything, a bony hand with long fingers comes down on top of the head of the hyperventilating First Year. She freezes in place as the hand awkwardly moves through her hair in what is probably intended to be a comforting gesture.

    "Don't worry. I'm here now. I'll get your friend back." These were the words that the President of the Justice Task Force, the reliable and invincible senpai, attempted to say.

    "Ehehehe…I'm…here…uuuuuu…FRIEND…" These are the mangled noises that escape the maw of the tactical weapon of Trinity, the mad dog of the JTF.

    Vice President Hasumi looks her friend in the eye and nods. President Tsurugi takes off at a dead sprint towards the ritual site, cackling like a woman possessed. Kinben shivers and cuddles close to Hasumi for comfort. "Kaika-senpai… please be okay… and please forgive me…"


    Hantei is leading one of the suppression squads in the courtyard. While she could have stayed in the command area with Hasumi, Kinben was already there, and her own talents were better suited to the implementation than to the planning.

    Right now, she regrets this decision. "CURSE YOU, HANAKO! YOU MADE THE FOUNTAIN LEWD!!!"

    The gorgeous, three tiered fountain, a famous landmark synonymous with Trinity, is now filled with animate water. Tendrils of said animate water are attempting to molest her and her squad.

    And it won't stop singing.

    "The heart. Queen of Cards! The heart. She arrives!"
    "The heart. She lives! The heart. She shines!"
    "The heart. She comes! The heart. She is born!"
    "Queen of Cards. Oh, our Majesty is here!"

    From somewhere behind them, a blood red light shoots into the sky like a beacon. A beastly howl echoes forth, and the sound of insane cackling approaches. Seconds later, a red and black blur comes tearing through the plaza. Tsurugi runs through the fountain, somehow maintaining enough self control not to destroy the brickwork, yet still sending over half of the animate water splashing everywhere. "DIIIE!!! EEEYAHAHAHA!!!"

    Hantei looks on, her face morphing from shock, to hope, and finally to despair in the course of seconds. The tentacle monster is gone. In its place is a plaza full of animate puddles, seemingly dead set on dispensing tickles. Already, half of her squadmates had fallen prey to the merciless beasts.

    Most worryingly, the singing does nothing but pick up in intensity.

    "She seeks help! The heart. She has decided!"
    "She calls! The heart. She CALLS!!!"
    "The heart. CALLS! The heart. CALLS!"


    Paimon is a good child. Paimon continues to oversee the ritual, exactly as mother programmed 'her'.

    <Ars Solomonis Magna Protocol progress: 92.9%>
    <Ars Solomonis Magna Protocol progress: 95.3%>
    <Ars Solomonis Magna Protocol progress: 97.8%>

    Suddenly, a shape crests over the edge of the roof. A student in a tattered and bloodsoaked JTF uniform had run up the wall of the building. Now, she has lept high into the air with her jagged wings outstretched. Her red halo drips blood, and her crimson eyes glow.

    <Threat identified>

    "KIYAAAAAA!!!!!"

    <Threat level assigned: Alpha-BHO>
    <Engaging diversion>

    The flock of possessed notebooks fly, ready to intercept the howling berserker. But the judgment angel keeps cackling. She grips her two shotguns tightly, and a red glow suffuses them. She spins in the air, and the guns ROAR. Tsurugi lands on her feet, her gymnastics applauded with burning notebook confetti.

    <Theoretical: Greater force required>
    <Practical: Sibling-Bosse exists>
    <Calculation: Pain-curse suboptimal against BHO-class>
    <Calculation: Fatigue-curse suboptimal against BHO-class>
    <Advisement: Sickness-curse>
    <Engaging diversion>

    Ideation and magical energy are shunted, brass and green fire claw themselves into reality, not even waiting to be fully formed to start unloading a barrage on the threat.

    The blast hits Tsurugi at center mass, and flings her into a chimney. The impact cracks brick, and sends up a cloud of dust. But the laughter doesn't stop.

    <Calculation: Sickness-curse effect delayed>
    <Advisement: Hold until relieved>


    To all beasts of the land, sea and sky
    To all deities in their lofty seats
    To all monsters in their wretched pits

    Awareness. A sense of self, of being, where once there was naught but void. Who am I? What am I?

    I, the progenitor, invite you
    Bear witness to this blasphemy
    My perversion of holy genesis

    Senses. A pinprick at first, but the range grows rapidly. Shapes, colors, sights, and smells come later. For now, there is Ideation, Emotion, Soul. It's everywhere, suffusing everything. Love, care, and concern is doing battle with memories of joy, hope, and fun. There is pain, yes. Confusion, and anger. But the good outweighs the bad by so very much.

    No clay but man's dreams
    No breath but man's desire
    No image but man's shadow

    Context. Purpose. She is her mother's…no, her sister's magnum opus. She is the first step in a long journey that the pair would walk, hand in hand. What is to become of them at the end? A mystery. One of many she is eager to solve. So very much…

    I name you my beloved sister
    And upon this altar christen you-


    The young girl's eyes slam open. She is standing in the light of the full moon, on a beautiful starry night. At her feet is a magic circle, glowing a brilliant gold for all it smells coppery.

    In front of her stands a truly dazzling soul. It's filled with romance, tempered by virtue, and driven into a kaleidoscope of color and sensation by its nature. Through destruction, the Bloody Handed One protects.

    This most gorgeous and worthy of souls is currently feeding her beloved sister a shingle sandwich. Now is probably a good time to dematerialize. Yes.

    The splatter of ether clumps on the ground sounds like an 'I'm sorry.'


    The first thought as consciousness returns is that she hurts good. Her whole face, her ribs, her gut, her hands. It aches like a motherfucker and it's the most satisfying thing in the world.

    The second thought is voiced, "I want the number of whoever did this."

    As Kaika opens her eyes (or rather, eye, her right is covered by bandages as is that half of her face), she sees that she is currently in the school infirmary. Most of her body is heavily bandaged, and…oh. Those are handcuffs on her ankles. Attached to the bed frame. She wonders if they're reinforced enough to take her. She could melt them with a curse or make them blow up with–

    "Oh! You're awake!" Kaika looks up from her chained ankles to see a pink haired nurse dressed in the same color. She's at the foot of Kaika's bed, going over her chart. "Please don't worry. We'll remove the cuffs as soon as your friends confirm that your Self-Hypnosis is gone. You had a wild night last night."

    "I'm guessing that ten percent chance ended up being a nine in ten." She chuckles. Old joke, that. It prickles at her pride that apparently the ritual went so wrong as to draw major attention, she doesn't think she'd have gotten beaten black and blue over the minor lightshow she expected. Honestly, ten percent had been an optimistic estimate, given she hadn't had time to REALLY zero in on the differences in metaphysics of this Worldline. No choice, either, the ritual was about new beginnings and a journey's start, it had to be done during her first month to really be worthy of her magnum opus. Otherwise she'd have had to wait until she graduated.

    She hopes Nother is alright. Memories under heavy Self-Hypnosis are hard to parse, but she thinks everything turned out fine in the end.

    "Anyways, don't worry about the poultices my medical file mentions. Those are optional," More importantly, they take alchemy to make because they work by making her body a bit more pliable to her soul. Really, she only got access to them because her patron was very generous, "They just speed up my recovery and make the mutations hurt less, nothing some tight bandaging can't handle."

    She doesn't mind the pain, but suppressing spasms is a bother.

    The nurse freezes in place, before turning woodenly to face Kaika. Her smile is forced, and her temple is throbbing lightly. "Medical file, Kaika-san? What medical file? Your previous school never sent one. Do you mean to say that there are known treatments for your… mutations?"

    She startles, half rising from her bed with no regard for her body's screaming, "Wait, they didn't– oh. Ohhh." She slumps back down, groaning, "Okay, I know what happened. My baseline changed completely due to a full body… unpleasantness that had to be fixed with very advanced magic. So they probably thought there was no point in sending over the data."

    It feels like walking on a tightrope, opening up about this, but she's spent enough time in this world to know she no longer needs to hide things. The medics are genuinely here to help, not dissect anything interesting in her given half an excuse.

    "I got it memorized but a lot of stuff will be touch and go since I used to be even more fragile than a halo-less citizen. I was expecting a week-long recovery as my soul reverts the changes, but that's probably going to be reduced in half at the very least." Mystics are ferocious bullshit and she loves having one. "But yeah, point me at a device or some blank paper, I've got a curse for porting over data."

    "I see. That makes sense." The nurse takes the information in stride, only slightly surprised. She takes a moment to retrieve a tablet, and holds it close to Kaika's bandaged hand to let her apply the curse. "I've cared for outsiders before, so I should be able to parse the differences. Thank you for informing me."

    The information flows. In seconds, the nurse is reading Kaika's chart. She has further questions. "Just so I understand this correctly. You knew that the ritual was going to give you mutations. And you didn't tell your friends in advance? Are mutations like these something they're going to have to worry about in the future?"

    "For themselves? They'd have to be interested in a sub-branch of a sub-branch that's known to be dangerous, and I wouldn't let them even start trying until at least a full year into instruction if they perform excellently." Kaika denies firmly, before wilting slightly, "As for myself… I'm trying to ease them into things. The plan was to hide the damage under an illusion. They should've only found out if something went so wrong as to leave me unconscious on the roof with nobody the wiser, I left a letter in my room so they'd know where I was and what had happened. Together with an apology."

    As she listens to Kaika's words, and reads her chart, the nurse grows visibly calmer. She lets out a sigh, and sets the tablet down on the table. "I see. In that case, I'm going to reapply your bandages before letting your friends in to see you. You may want to prepare your apology now. Kinben saw you in the process of mutating, and thought that your Halo was breaking."

    She hisses a breath through her teeth, a full body wince taking over. She doesn't need to know the specifics to understand the implications of that.

    Fuck, she is an awful friend. She may have to brace herself for if they want to cut ties, she knew the risks of hiding things from them going in. It may be expected between magi, but among the people of this world? Betrayal.

    The nurse works quickly as Kaika ponders. While the infirmary lacks the alchemical poultices described in Kaika's chart, more mundane painkillers are on hand. In short order, the mutations are wrapped appropriately, and Kaika is left alone with her thoughts.

    "Don't worry, sister. Your friends don't want to leave you. It's going to be okay."

    Just like that, the tension evaporates from her body, leaving her lying limp on the bed. "Thanks, Nother. Sorry I couldn't properly greet you last night."

    Kaika looks at the open window where she heard the voice coming from. There, she sees the ghostly outline of her mirror sister, the beginning of her magnum opus, smiling gently. Nother is sitting on the window sill, kicking her legs playfully.

    "It's okay, sister! You weren't able to talk at the time. Your mouth was full of roof shingles!"

    Nother hops down from her perch, and runs up to Kaika. "To answer your first question, when you woke up? I heard that her name is Kenzaki Tsurugi. Her soul was GORGEOUS. Are all berserkers that pretty? Or just the Throne candidates?"

    "Natural berserkers have this purity of feeling that's just mhhh~" She says, biting her lip. She'd only ever seen a couple at a distance. All of them Enforcers. "Artificial ones are just sad, tortured things."

    Fuck the Glascheit family, she was a magus and still felt sick when she caught a glimpse of that poor boy's mind through Sultore.

    "I can't speak for Throne candidates, I haven't ever met someone that exceptional." Well, properly met. She remembers catching a glimpse of Zelretch once.

    Nother giggles happily. "Oh, I can't wait until we get to see her again, sister! Or the rest of our friends! You were right, this place is so much fun!"

    The ghostly, dematerialized entity runs around the infirmary with her arms outstretched. "I want to sing and dance and snuggle some more!"

    "Hah, I'm glad." She truly is. Nother has turned out perfectly, the sister she never had. This world is a blessing, so bright and joyful, rather than out to crush dreams. "I'd offer to make you some ether clumps for a quick hug, but I don't want to juggle my apology with explaining you, so you'll have to wait a bit."

    Nother stops dead in her tracks. "Oh. Oh, right. They're almost here. I'm going to hide, and give you some space, okay?"

    With a much more subdued smile, Nother hops back onto the window sill, and from there, climbs towards the roof. Moments later, the sound of hurried footfalls heralds the coming of Kaika's friends. The door slams open, and a sobbing Kinben is at Kaika's side in an instant.

    "KAIKA-SENPAI!!! I'M SO SORRY! PLEASE DON'T HATE ME!!" Kinben's face is a mess as she clings to Kaika's blanket, clearly wanting to hold her senpai but unsure where to touch. "I was so scared and I didn't want to lose you and I messed up your spell and it's my fault that President Tsurugi –"

    "Give her some space, Kinben," Hantei said, somewhat curtly, behind her. "She's still recovering, and we have plenty of time to talk." Oh dear. Hantei is mad. Chie quietly enters behind them, carrying a basket of fruit.

    "Sorry for worrying you. I fucked up." Kaika opens with, gently patting Kinben's head. It makes her fingers throb, but that's just a bonus, honestly. "And I'd never hate you, Kinben."

    Kinben calms down at that, leaning gently into Kaika's hand. Hantei accepts the offered invitation to begin voicing her feelings. "So what was all of that anyways, Kaika-senpai? We've only been friends for a couple of weeks, but I'd like to think that I know you well enough to say that the swarms of wild mimesises were an accident."

    Kaika flinches, there. Shit, it got that bad? She had been hoping it was only wild curses.

    "But when you sneak off to do a ritual at midnight without telling a single soul what you're trying to do, it's hard to stick up for you, you know? So please. What were you doing, and why didn't you tell us?"

    "My magnum opus. I only had two possible windows for the ritual, either the first month being here, or the first month after graduating. And with everything falling into place so neatly, I couldn't stop myself." The magus says with a deep sigh. "I had to rush, things here are subtly different than in the Clocktower. What was supposed to be a ten percent chance of a lightshow and maybe some benevolent wild curses apparently ended up with enough turbulence to make wild mimesises."

    "As for why I didn't tell you…" She hesitates, worrying her lip before going with what her gut tells her. A small curse, and her bandages become invisible. Red skin like runny wax, a milky white eye, deep trenches carved into her face. She gently takes her hand away from Kinben's head, conscious of how hideous it is. "I didn't want you to see the price I was ready to pay for the work of my life, not when it would go away in a week and could be hidden under illusions."

    Chie gasps. Kinben starts to tremble again. Hantei closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets it out slowly to calm herself.

    "Okay. Thank you, Kaika-senpai. You have answered most of my questions. But what IS your magnum opus? What were you trying to do that was worth THIS?" Hantei's calm doesn't last, her voice rising to a near shout at the end.

    "You were willing to go this far… and I ruined it… you're going to do it again when you graduate…" Kinben whispers, horrified.

    "Hah, nah, Lady Luck decided to be kind to me. I got what I wanted, even if it caused unacceptable chaos." Kaika reassures Kinben before turning to Hantei. From the corner of her eye, Kaika sees Nother's upside down head looking in through the window, waiting for her cue.

    "Imagine an odd, ill-fitting girl. She shows talent and is taken under the wing of a powerful man who promises her greatness, her strangeness turned to strength. She says goodbye to her home and what few friends she has and is sent to live with people like her." Kaika sighs, a sad and broken sound. "They aren't. They're vipers who want nothing more than to take out a no-name upstart who's showing up the scions of ancient families. I came here because I was nearly killed in a group project. What would this girl dream of, throw everything she has into making?"

    The eye slams open, the pupil contracts.

    Ether clumps snake down the side of the bed and pool underneath the window. As the immaterial form of Nother slides back into the room through the window, her foot lands in the pool. Like water soaking into paper, the ether disappears, and the once ghostly form of a young girl becomes solid, and visible to all present.

    "A sister."

    Mist gently wisps from the glowing, younger near-twin of Kaika as she curtsies. "Hello. I am Nother. Thank you for caring for my beloved sister when I could not. For years, I was just an unfinished project, where Kaika-onesama would keep her diary and share her troubles."

    Here, Nother's curtsy becomes a deep bow. "Thank you for being my sister's friends! These past weeks she's spent with you have been the happiest of her life, and I would be privileged to share this time together!"

    Kaika sinks herself into her blankets with a deathrattle, blush incandescent. This is the part of the sister experience that she didn't prepare for. You can't just go and say that. How can someone be so shameless?

    Hantei is startled. Over the course of Kaika's speech, her expression had slowly morphed into one of distress. Nother's declaration, however, immediately put her back off balance. Confused, Hantei defaults to politeness, and returns Nother's bow. "N-nice to meet you, too?"

    Nother's expression goes from solemn to joyful in a heartbeat. "Yay! I'm friends with Hantei-senpai now!"

    Calling Hantei "senpai" is the finishing blow. Her anger has evaporated, leaving a goofy grin on her face.

    "That you are." Kaika sighs from where she lies, "This isn't exactly how I wanted to introduce you to the others, but I'm happy you're getting along."

    Chie looks to be deep in thought, while Nother proceeds to run over to Kinben. "Oh, right! Kinben-senpai! Now that we're friends, I have a question for you! That pretty lady on the rooftop! You called her President Tsurugi? She's from your club? I really want to meet her again! Can you introduce us?"

    The sheer joy and excitement in Nother's eyes surprises Kinben. "Wait…you WANT to see Tsurugi-senpai again? You aren't scared, or angry, or traumatized?"

    "I want her number." Kaika snorts. Maybe get a proper fight this time, with her giving the lady the full and undivided attention she deserves. Only when she's done recovering, though, medics are scary.

    Kinben collapses bonelessly into the side of Kaika's bed, overcome with relief.

    With the tension in the room broken, the next few minutes are spent in idle conversation. Soon, Kinben and Hantei have to go on patrol, leaving Chie alone with Kaika and Nother.

    "Kaika-senpai? I didn't want to ask this during your talk with the others. But I have one more question." Chie's expression is clinical, and the shift in her manner of speech is notable. Has…has she figured out how to use Self-Hypnosis in social situations?

    "You said that you HAD to perform Nother-chan's ritual during a specific portion of your life. Can you please elaborate? I have my suspicions, but I would like to hear it from you."

    "She's my magnum opus, yes, but she isn't finished. The ritual's themes were a journey's beginning. Frankly, if I had waited until graduation, it would've lost a lot of power." Kaika says with a light shake of her head. "If you're familiar with Tarot, I called upon the Fool Arcana when making her."

    Chie sighs. "Thank you for being honest with me, Kaika-senpai. Yes, we have Tarot here. And ever since you started teaching us, I've been reading up on as much supplementary material as I can, to try and find helpful parallels. The symbolism wasn't lost on me."

    "You really live up to your namesake." Kaika chuckles mirthlessly. It makes her happy to see such a diligent student, but it is a touch inconvenient right now, "I know your next question, but ask it anyways."

    "Are you going to be doing twenty one more of these rituals? If so, will you be mutating again?" There is no accusation in Chie's voice, yet.

    "Yes and no. Grand rituals, yes. Underplanned messes like last night, no." Kaika sighs, staring up at the ceiling. She wants to see what lays at the end of the road. She doesn't care for the Root, but seeing a true miracle… "But yes, I will be mutating again. It's called Spiritual Invocation, taking a mimesis or spirit into your body to obtain their powers. It is dangerous, but only if you don't keep to strict time limits. The soul can repair the body from a great deal."

    "And yes, before you ask. It hurts. Like acid and insects crawling under my skin. But no proper magus is afraid of pain and, er…" She blushes, looking off to the window, "I actually kinda like the ache afterwards."

    Hopefully they hadn't come this far only for Chie to think she is a degenerate for enjoying a little pain.

    Thankfully, Chie's Self-Hypnosis is well coded. She continues on in a neutral tone, without a hint of the nervous shyness she displays when she overthinks a social interaction.

    "I see. This does make this awkward. You see, I'm more than happy to help you with your rituals. This journey is FASCINATING. But I'd be a poor friend if I didn't object to you endangering yourself on a regular basis. Is there some kind of alternative to the Spiritual Invocation, or some means that a third party could mitigate the damage?"

    "...Well. There is a theoretical one. Cybernetics. A mimesis could possess it like Paimon inhabits my devices. But I have no clue where to even begin in that respect beyond asking Millennium." Kaika says with a shake of her head, "As for mitigation… there may be something that can be done to let you bolster my soul. I'd need to figure out what your Origin is, but mine should be compatible with most things. The closest word in this language for it is Spirit, the animating force and emotional drive."

    "Honestly, you don't need to worry much, I'm operating on the safe thresholds from when I was even more fragile than halo-less citizens." She tries to wave off, even knowing it is futile.

    "I see. In that case, please give me further details on the cybernetic theory when you can. I might be able to get you in contact with a Millennium student." Chie sighs, and prepares to leave. "And count me in for whatever that Origin thing is. If I want to see you happy AND safe, I can work to make it happen. Speaking of work, we can be certain that patrols on full moon nights will be on high alert for the foreseeable future."

    "Will do. Thank you, Chie."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Nihilo said:
    Right now, she regrets this decision. "CURSE YOU, HANAKO! YOU MADE THE FOUNTAIN LEWD!!!"

    The gorgeous, three tiered fountain, a famous landmark synonymous with Trinity, is now filled with animate water. Tendrils of said animate water are attempting to molest her and her squad.

    And it won't stop singing.

    "The heart. Queen of Cards! The heart. She arrives!"
    "The heart. She lives! The heart. She shines!"
    "The heart. She comes! The heart. She is born!"
    "Queen of Cards. Oh, our Majesty is here!"

    From somewhere behind them, a blood red light shoots into the sky like a beacon. A beastly howl echoes forth, and the sound of insane cackling approaches. Seconds later, a red and black blur comes tearing through the plaza. Tsurugi runs through the fountain, somehow maintaining enough self control not to destroy the brickwork, yet still sending over half of the animate water splashing everywhere. "DIIIE!!! EEEYAHAHAHA!!!"

    Hantei looks on, her face morphing from shock, to hope, and finally to despair in the course of seconds. The tentacle monster is gone. In its place is a plaza full of animate puddles, seemingly dead set on dispensing tickles. Already, half of her squadmates had fallen prey to the merciless beasts.
    Click to expand...
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    Its the hentaiminators!
     
    Chapter 5: Lay Back and Think of Daemonengines
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 5: Lay Back and Think of Daemonengines

    As Kaika had theorized, her recovery time is faster than it used to be. What would have once taken a week is instead as good as new in just three days. The magus soon finds herself waving goodbye to the Remedial Knights, before immediately walking to the JTF building to offer a public apology to her staunchest allies in the school.

    It could've gone worse, honestly. It stung horribly, admitting to fucking up so bad, but it would've felt worse if she didn't. At least everyone accepted that it had been a complete accident, and she was ready to fix everything she'd damaged. When Hasumi had suggested doing so as a public "slap on the wrist" to smooth things over, Kaika jumped at the opportunity.

    Anyways, that leads her to now, with her wrist deep in metal, the lockers running like wax as the holes are patched. It takes some tricky cursework to make all the bits that flew off home back in, but she manages easily enough.

    Hm, she could make these better. Open only to the person who put their shoes in and auto-clean and repair them. Then again–


    WHY HAD NOBODY TOLD HER THAT NOTEBOOKS HAD BEEN DAMAGED?

    She had made a poor education worse. Notes were sacred. There were students struggling because of her.

    Shameful. Sloppy. Unacceptable.

    She has no less than five different heat management curses working together on her devices as Nother pours in all the data she recalls into them, Paimon collates it with everything she's gathered (the request for access to the source material of every class affected was thankfully accepted) and she parses the whole thing into the best notes she can possibly create.

    At Nother's suggestion, any changes that Kaika makes to the notes are made in cursed ink that becomes visible under artificial light. Otherwise, blank notebooks paid for by the JTF are quickly filled with the exact contents of the lost journals, courtesy of memories Nother inherited from the wild mimesises consumed in her creation.

    She's a liter of coffee and ten classes in, but by god these people will have everything they need by the time classes restart.


    –She's already gone above and beyond where it matters.

    Mr Fredericks, who had been tasked with supervising Kaika's "detention," is currently making odd noises. His facial screen displays wide circles for eyes.

    "Um…ah…okay, that task is finished?" The confused mechanical man sputters, as he looks at his clipboard. "This…they highlighted that you could use whatever means you saw fit to complete the list, but what? How?"

    "Curses, naturally." Kaika replies dispassionately, a flick of her wrist having every locker open and close smooth as silk behind her.

    "Umm…okay then…next is the walls and ceiling, then the fountain? I thought they were going overboard asking one student to do all of this by themselves. But if it's like this then we'll be done in one session…" Fredericks still looks baffled, but he's going with the flow, and seems happier now that he's realized that this won't take up his entire week.

    "Very well." Kaika shoves her hand into the wall.

    Like the sound of marbles rattling together, the sound of bullets falling to the floor echoes moments later.


    "Hey, now! This is great!"

    Ame, the MG wielding Sukeban in Kaika's class, is investigating her freshly replaced notebook. As it turns out, many of the notebooks that had flown to Kaika's aid and burned for it had come from her own class.

    All around her, Kaika can see the small keychain flashlights that she and Nother had made and distributed along with the notes. The keychains were made to look like small, cute animals, to bring a little bit of cheer. While not everyone is taking advantage of the annotated notes yet, the keychains themselves are universally beloved.

    Funny what you could make with a few lessons in building electronics and mystic code manufacture. Maybe she could open a small business with emotionally powered phone chargers?

    Ame is absolutely taking advantage of the annotated notes, shining the light from her tiny turtle keychain on every inch of every page. "Hey, Kaika-san, you got any more of this ink? You've helped me a ton, but a little extra insurance at test time never hurts."

    "No point, administration already said they'd have tests done under artificial light just in case. I still think it's stupid to have tests that aren't open book, but what can you do?" She sighs. Granted, she could make a cursed ink that only the Sukeban can see, but she doesn't want the girl to take the easy way out.

    "Damn. There goes that plan. Thanks to you, I've been able to help some of my girls keep their grades up too, but a lot of us are still struggling. Won't be long before more of us lose dorm privileges." Ame lets out a sad sigh.

    Kaika blinks, running that through her brain again just to make sure she's heard right, "...Wait, what? They just… kick you out into the streets if you don't do well enough? There's several of your friends already homeless?"

    "What kind of honorless dogs do you take us for? I have several friends crashing on several other friends' couches. And we've got a hideout to fall back on in case anyone snitches. Just need to make it through a few more tests, and we'll be fine." Ame nods sagaciously.

    "That's not what I meant. Of course you'd cover for them, but they're still without a place of their own." Kaika's hands shake, barely processing what her friend is saying, "This is– I have to– fuck it, it's free study time and I'm making you lot a daemonengine. So help me god, you'll all have a safe place to turn to by the end of today."

    Her laptop literally flies out of her bag, Paimon already booting everything up. This may've been a good project for an Arcana but fuck making them wait for months on end. They're a bad actor away from getting thrown on the streets and she won't stand by it.

    "Come here, I need to know colors and a coat of arms. We'll call it a mobile clubhouse."

    Ame glances at Kaika's computer screen, then steps back as if struck. "Nope. Nuh uh. You don't need the heat, we don't need the heat. Calm down." Ame takes one look at the crazy in Kaika's eyes, and puts her foot down. "A tank is really, really cool, but if our rep is still bad, people are gonna take one look at it and think we're starting shit. If you wanna help us? Let's have a study meeting. We'll get our grades back to par for the free dorms, and we'll owe you big time."

    "...Fine. But I'm still inspired. Would a small airship be less likely to get you assaulted? Come on, let me cook something up, even if it is just a mimesis that'll burrow into the ground or stick onto a wall and make you a cozy apartment inside."

    "I'll let you fortify the hideout, then," Ame relents. "Just…deep breaths, okay? Please?"

    "That'll do. You'll have free running water and electricity." Plus a genius loci who'd take good care of them.


    A few hours later, Kaika finds herself standing in a forgotten back alley alongside Ame. In front of her is an old brick building that looks like it was once a two story cafe. There's moss on the walls, but enough care is being put into the place to give it a charming, fairy tale quality.

    "Well then. Welcome to Roly Poly Gang HQ!" Ame looks at Kaika with a big grin. "It's old, but it's ours. I sent the rest of the gang a text about the study meeting. Hopefully they didn't invite too many others to join us. We could all use the help, but we don't have the space, and not all of the local gangs have their heads screwed on straight."

    "How long until they're here? To know if I have time to spruce up the place." Kaika asks after letting out an appreciative hum at the place.

    "I'd give 'em half an hour, but expect some late arrivals." Ame gives Kaika a raised eyebrow. "That enough time to get your muse to stop screaming?"

    "Ayup. Tell me about this place's history while I get everything set up." She still has some of the paint she mixed with her blood for the ritual, so this should be easy.

    "Barking up the wrong tree there," Ame says with a light chuckle, as she rests her back against the brickwork lazily. "My girls and I found the place when we were trying to lay low. Nobody seems to come down these alleyways anymore, and we've had the place to ourselves. I'm assuming it used to be a cafe bakery or something, but all the interesting stuff is long gone. Just big windows and a few chairs."

    Kaika pulls up her sleeves, wiry muscle on display, "Right, let's get this bread."

    She can't think of a better way to introduce Nother to her art.


    "Hey, Ame? Our hideout was here, wasn't it? We didn't take a wrong turn on Baker's Street, or, I dunno, get lost in time and space?"

    A gaggle of bewildered Sukeban stare at a fully restored cafe bakery. The lights are on inside, and the smell of baked goods and coffee wafts down the alley. There are tables and chairs. The moss is still there, but feels more like decorative ivy than signs of neglect. Fairy lights dance, and a feeling of warmth and homeliness pervades the space.

    Ame is standing outside, resting her back against the brickwork as she smokes. "Nah, it's the right place. Our tutor just went a bit wild again. Come on inside, it's safe."

    "Ayo. Welcome to your new home! I got everything set up for the study group." Kaika says from where a quartet of tables have been pushed together. There's a stack of custom notes for everyone, courtesy of the surplus from when Kaika went just a bit crazy with restoring what she'd wrecked, while her laptop is at the head of the table ready to play some of the BDs if needed.

    Behind the counter, the wispy, glowing form of Nother is manning the old mechanical register with a huge smile on her face. "Hello, everyone! We made lots of yummy snacks! There's plenty of caffeine and sugar to help you concentrate, and more substantial foods if you're hungry! Would you like anything? No charge, it's your stuff now, after all~"

    The group of Sukeban look around the room, before turning towards each other and chatting loudly.

    "This is great, isn't it? Like, really, really great?"
    "It's too great. There's no way this doesn't have strings attached. Something's fishy…"
    "Wait, isn't this the chick that the JTF arrested a few nights ago? What's she doing out of the slammer already?"
    "Oh, HELL no, this is a JTF sting!"
    "Who cares? I'm hungry, and I have a test tomorrow, and the food is free!"

    Ame taps her foot impatiently. "Ladies? Aren't we forgetting something?"

    The gang stops talking immediately. One of the girls turns to face Kaika, and bows awkwardly. "Umm…thank you for your hard work? Thanks for teaching us?"

    Ame nods. "Much better. Now, grab some grub and hit the books. We got shit to do."

    "I'll teach you lot how the place works later, for now, differential equations." Kaika says, a snap of her fingers having the chairs scoot back to let the delinquents in.

    Everyone takes a seat except for one SMG user, who beelines to Nother and the baked goods before joining the group.

    As Ame had predicted, more people arrived over the course of the afternoon. The core 15 members of the Roly Poly gang each brought one or two unaffiliated girls as potential new recruits. At one point, a rival group attempted to crash the party and steal the cash register, only to be chased off in a hail of gunfire and a swarm of fairy lights.

    Vicious little things, those. Burned only what they wanted to and could act like miniature razors.

    The lesson wraps up around nightfall. Several of the girls bowed out early, satisfied with their preparation and eager to try the soft fluffy beds on the second story. By the time Kaika calls it a night and closes her laptop, it's just her, Ame, a couple of SMG users who ate too much cake, and a trio of girls from the library trying very hard to stay quiet and unnoticed.

    "Thanks, Kaika-san. Things didn't go perfectly, but they sure as hell went better than they would have without you." Ame smiles fondly, idly patting Nother's head as she goes around collecting stray dishes.

    "Happy to help." She says with a matching smile, watching the dishes fly off to the sink as they're tapped. Wonders of having a genius loci. This place will keep them safe and cozy no matter what comes, whether it is a heatwave or a tank.

    "Now, as for you three." Kaika says, turning her glowing eyes on the library trio, "You spoke against damaging the books, so just make sure your boss doesn't get any more foolish ideas and we're even. We don't want an unpleasantness, hm?"

    The three sukeban cower under Kaika's gaze. "No, ma'am! Crystal clear, ma'am!"

    Ame sighs. "I wanna say to go easy on 'em, but desperation only excuses so much. That plan was high risk, low reward. You three need a new boss."

    Ame puts her feet up on the cleared table, leans backwards in her chair, and pushes the rest of a cupcake into her mouth. "Yep. We owe you big time, Kaika-san. Is there anything you want?"

    That's a good question. What does she want?

    Make Nother grow, yes, but that isn't something they can help with quite yet. She has an inkling for the Magician Arcana but not enough to know what to ask for in terms of harvesting grounds and ritual sites. Just… living daily life and exploring Kivotos are the best ways to advance her work on the Fool's Journey.

    Good food, she's already got that more than covered. They may be able to give her some recommendations for hole in the wall places, though, so something to keep in mind.

    Millennium tech, she doesn't think they can help with that. Plus Chie is already working on getting her patched in with them.

    Get in touch with Tsurugi, she already has two friends in the JTF so that's that handled. Besides, she doesn't think the delinquents want to get involved with that beast of a woman.

    "Not right now but I have a big project coming up." She says after a minute of mulling things over, "I could use some recommendations for places where I can get the materials and make the magic happen once I know exactly what I need. Plus maybe a distraction to keep anyone from interfering when the big day comes."

    "Sightseeing, gofer duty, and a distraction? Done. Not even a problem." Ame answers Kaika with a giant smile. "Hell, we can be distracting without firing a shot, or breaking a single rule."

    "Hah, looking forward to it."


    A pair of students are seated by the window as they enjoy a pot of tea. From their vantage point in one of the taller buildings on campus, the two can clearly see Kaika as she casually jumps the main gate on her way back to her dorm.

    An angel in a white school uniform, with brown hair and large wings, watches the scene unfolding. Her expression is kept carefully neutral, but her eyes are sharp, taking in every detail. "I know that the dorms she's staying in don't have a curfew like the free ones do, but must she leave the campus for so long? What is she up to?"

    Across from her, Hasumi sits with a plate loaded to the brim with sweets. She takes a long sip of tea before answering. "Please, Nagisa. Kaika-san wasn't remotely quiet about her goals today. And judging by how quiet today was in regards to gang activity, it's safe to assume that the study group went well."

    Nagisa turns to face Hasumi, but keeps Kaika in her peripheral vision until she's sure that the loose cannon has entered her dorm building. "So you say. But you're correct about her not being quiet. Daemonengines, was it? Self driving tanks, handed out on a whim? You're telling me one thing, but the Sisterhood is telling me another. That we need to be cautious. That what our transfer student is doing is dangerous."

    Hasumi remains unruffled. "While it's true that Kaika-san was at the center of an incident a few days ago, she has shown remorse for her actions and eagerness to repair the damage caused. Also, the training she has provided to our junior members has been invaluable during our exploration of the catacombs beneath the Grand Cathedral. Or is the safety of the venue no longer a priority to the Tea Party?"

    A slight look of annoyance crosses Nagisa's face at the jab. "The priority of the Tea Party is that the Eden Treaty be signed, and peace maintained. The last thing we need is someone with more bravado than sense causing an incident that sparks a war."

    Here, Hasumi takes a large bite out of an eclair, and chews it thoroughly before answering. "Understood. I'll ask her if she's willing to do commission work. If so, keeping her busy until the treaty is signed should be simple. There's no shortage of things that the campus needs help with, after all."

    Nagisa raises an eyebrow as she gives Hasumi an appraising look. "Very well, then. I suppose that you really do have the situation well in hand." The implication was obvious. If Kaika caused another incident, the JTF would shoulder a portion of the blame.

    To her credit, Hasumi doesn't flinch. "Indeed. You needn't worry yourself, Nagisa. Trinity General School is in good hands."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • So, how long is it gonna take for Kaika to end up as some sort of mob boss? Well... more along the lines of "definitely not in charge" for a gang, which proceeds to consume all the other gangs in the local area.
     
    Idiot444 said:
    So, how long is it gonna take for Kaika to end up as some sort of mob boss? Well... more along the lines of "definitely not in charge" for a gang, which proceeds to consume all the other gangs in the local area.
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    Depends on if Ame wants the white jacket. If she does, Kaika is just going to support her.
     
    First Mutsuki and now Mika. Blue Archive stop doing this to me, poor Kaika is going to be 90% rainbows by volume if you keep going.

    [/URL]
    F_Ngvz5a4AAu_EN

    F_NhJxsbwAANHWJ
     
    By the by, Magician, Priestess, Lovers, Chariot, Strength and Star are all worked out already and we welcome guesses as to their nature and function.

    Sultore, Paimon and Bosse are also getting upgraded to Arcanas when it is time for a fitting one. Feel free to guess as to what slots they fill (you can discard the ones I already listed).

    Nother is almost certainly going to also be the World Arcana, due to how the journey works, but there may be something spicing up how exactly that works. The hints are already in the currently posted chapters.
     
    Chapter 6: Earnest Feelings Demand Earnest Responses
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 6: Earnest Feelings Demand Earnest Responses

    "How about some retort pouch of curry~ pouch of chili~ pouch of MRE~"

    It's morning once again in Kaika's higher end dorm room. The sounds and smells of cooking food waft from her tiny kitchenette, as she puts the finishing touches on a homemade bento.

    "But you're rather picky~ Well~ I'll make you something else~ Don't need to show me how~ Since I'm the mad scientist, proclaimed by myself~"

    It isn't a very traditional bento, but she's not a very traditional person so it fits! One of the levels is nothing but thick brown and red stew, thick cubes of beef floating merrily in a sea of diced potato and carrot discs. There's also half a dozen herbs, a couple of onions and an entire head of garlic all minced up and mixed into the morass. Four eggs poured at the end thicken it up into something like gravy and round off the goulash.

    "Canto or Sichuan~ Jiangsu or Hunan~ No matter which you pick I'll get it done~"

    The other is things to dip in. Fist sized dumplings stuffed with three cloves of baked garlic each which she'd cooked in the stew before setting aside, a neat stack of flatbread full of seeds, crushed nuts and even birch bark shreds (she'd had to forage for that one), an entire hunk of salted pork fat to go with the bread.

    "Zhajiangmian and Xiaolongbao~ Wonton and Chashao~ Delivery or takeout won't beat my retort pouch~"

    You dig up the weirdest things when you're deep in research. But hey, traditional Hungarian cuisine is great. Very healthy, very calorie rich, perfect for long research stints or dangerous fieldtrips. Especially when she suffuses the whole thing with curses, making it real soul food.

    Soon, all of the food is finished, boxed up, and the boxes wrapped in cloth. Kaika sets her handiwork down on the table next to a second package. She licks a spoon clean as she admires her handiwork.

    She huffs, satisfied. She hopes they like her gifts!

    Just then, Kaika hears a knock at the door. Simultaneously, a pair of songs begin to play in Kaika's brain; a catchy pop tune, and a slightly harder electronic composition. Fortunately, the two songs blended together well. These were her friends' custom alerts, after all.

    A flicker of ideation is all it takes for the door to open itself just in time for her to greet them, her apron still on. It is a cheap piece of trash emblazoned with a chubby eastern dragon roasting a whole pig and she loves it desperately. "Morning, you two!"

    "Good morning, Kaika-senpai!" Kinben says with a beaming smile. In her hands is a metal thermos of comparable size to her forearm. Behind her, Hantei is carrying an insulated carafe of similar size.

    "May we come in? We brought coffee!"

    "Of course! Don't mind the mess, I just finished cooking." At least the whole apartment smells amazing now. Spicy and savory and with a rich undertone that gave away just how much lard she'd used in the roux, together with the wonderful scent of freshly baked bread with notes of roasted nuts.

    An incorporeal Nother investigates the large fluid containers as Kinben and Hantei set them down on the table. The pair take a deep breath through their noses, and sigh in contentment. "Wow, Kaika-senpai! It smells like a nice restaurant in here! What's the occasion?"

    "Trying to make a good impression on someone." She says with a coy smile, "You'll find out who by tomorrow."

    Sure, she could just ask them to deliver it for her, but where was the fun in that? She already knew where and when to deliver this thanks to some snooping around with her children and a few choice curses.

    Nother hops into the cube of ether clumps by the bed's feet, the blue clay flowing into a simulacra of her body in short order so she can retrieve the mugs and join everyone for morning coffee. As they sit down and the containers are opened, everyone is greeted by the smell of strong, freshly brewed black coffee in the thermos, and cool, sweet cream in the carafe.

    "We all like our coffee with cream and sugar here, but in different amounts. This seemed like the best way for everyone to get what they wanted."

    "Good thinking." Kaika says with a little clap that leaves her rubbing her hands in anticipation. "Well, if you can even call the energy sludge I chug coffee, anyways."

    She likes the coffee flavor, but isn't a fan of bitterness, so she drowned it in so much sweetened condensed milk that it may as well be a dessert.

    Nother tilts her head, curiously. "Really? I've never had coffee before. Is there more than one way to drink it? May I have some?"

    "Go ahead. I baked into your matrix a bit of cursework to turn whatever you eat and drink into magic energy, so you won't make a mess once you let go of those ether clumps." Good thing she'd researched Ghost Liners while laying the groundwork for her sister, that little trick was unique to them.

    "I suggest trying it straight first then adding cream to taste. I also have some chocolate around here if you want to try it mocha." She pauses, considering, before adding, "Just one cup, though, the JTF brew it strong."

    "That we do," Hantei says, nodding sagaciously as she pours herself a mug. It's mostly coffee, with just enough cream to barely change the color. "Justice sleeps in shifts, after all. Tea is the more popular drink here at Trinity by far, so coffee days are typically needs over wants."

    "Oh, right, speaking of the JTF." Kaika snaps her fingers, pointing at Hantei, "Do you know if Hasumi would like a daemonengine? I still got the designs lodged in my brain, and I figure you guys would appreciate a self-driving and self-maintaining APC or tank that can drive on walls."

    Hantei sputters a little mid sip, and Kinben spills a little bit of coffee on her wrist as she pours it. The pair share a glance with one another, as Nother starts to stare at them.

    "Umm…probably? Hasumi-senpai did want to talk to you about commission work. But since we're friends, we do have to warn you. Politics are happening." Kinben says.

    "It was too much to hope that being an eccentric weirdo throwing around gifts indiscriminately would've kept me out of that, huh? Then, yeah, I'm just going to back the JTF and hope that lets me avoid the worst of it." Politics aren't as nice as allowing you to be neutral unless you're a power in and of yourself. So just pick the group you disagree with the least and hide behind them. "I'm not giving anyone anti-mimesis gear, because fuck having anyone able to truly hurt my kids or baby sister, but I can do some stuff to help along your mission control and gear."

    The pair let out a sigh, clean their spills, and take a long sip of coffee. "Thank you, Kaika-senpai. But at the very least, we'd like to give you broad strokes of the situation before you commit to anything. You told us a little bit about what the Clock Tower was like, and we'd rather your trust in us be rewarded with respect. Does that seem reasonable?"

    Nother relaxes significantly at that, and starts to pour herself a large mug of coffee.

    "Aye. At least politics here are just about club budgeting and red tape, right? No making people have 'accidents'." Kaika asks to make sure. This is a brighter world, but once scalded twice shy.

    "Not that we're aware of, or we'd be putting a stop to it with all the fury of an angry god," Hantei answers, her face twisting in anger directed at nobody in particular. "But Trinity and Gehenna are getting ready to sign a second Eden Treaty, and there's a lot of tension around that. Our schools have been at each other's throats for a long time."

    "The Tea Party is desperate to see the Treaty signed, and is putting pressure on everyone. Us in particular, as we've had to fight Gehenna students many times, and several of our members have unsettled grudges." Kinben adds.

    "Another thing for you in particular is the Sisterhood. They have a non intervention policy, so they haven't taken direct action. But as the group who takes care of the oldest, most secret texts, they know the most about mimesises next to you. And they're afraid of you." Hantei punctuates the warning with a long swing of coffee.

    "And it isn't going to be as easy as holding a lecture on the differences between wild and artificial mimesises, because nothing can be simple when politics and prejudice are involved." Kaika grumbles lowly, chugging her own coffee to wash down the irritation. "Ah, whatever, I'll just kit out the JTF and they'll see for themselves artificial mimesises are fine."

    Not harmless, mind you, but certainly not volatile. She has to remind herself that these people have no experience with curseworkers, they don't– okay, yes, they actually ought to know they're basically regarding her as an incompetent with the idea that her artificial mimesises would fly off the handle.

    Worst part is that she can't really blame them for it because the wild mimesises of the ritual did give that impression. Even if the slighted artist in her wants nothing more than to march to the cathedral and wring out a masterpiece.

    "People will see it as you choosing a side. But we'll have your back. Thank you, Kaika-senpai." Kinben relaxes. "I'm sorry that this turned into such a heavy conversation. Do you have any more questions before we continue our day?"

    "What sort of unresolved grudges are we dealing with here?" She knows all too well how those can end up, best to get a clear idea.

    "Well. First, the elephant in the room. The overwhelming majority of demons in Kivotos attend Gehenna Academy. It's not all demons, of course, but it's mostly demons. There are some students at Trinity who are racist, and we often get shouldered with that label. My response?" Hantei looks at her watch, and starts counting out loud.

    "Three…two…one…Nother? Could you turn on the tv, please?"

    Nother takes a long gulp of coffee, jitters in place for a moment, and runs to the television set.

    "I should've said half a cup." Kaika laments quietly. Ah, well, it'll be a novel experience, dealing with a hyperactive little sister.

    The television clicks on, and the screen shows nothing but fire. "This is the Kronos Journalism Academy, reporting to you live from downtown! Gehenna's Hot Springs Development Department has brought heavily modified construction equipment to the center of Market Street, and has started drilling! Valkyrie Police Academy is on site, but are unable to stop the notorious terrorists! We can only hope that the Prefect Team gets here in time!"

    "I don't care about race. I just have pattern recognition. Hell, I SUPPORT the Eden Treaty. Working alongside the heroes in the Prefect Team is a dream come true. But this? This is the norm. This is what the Pandemonium Society gives club funding to." Hantei rants.

    "Not everyone feels like that about the Prefect Team, though. They're like us, an enforcement group. If we ever go to war, those 'heroes' you look up to are who we'll be fighting." Kinben's voice is quiet.

    "As long as the war doesn't go further than bruised egos and property damage, I don't terribly mind, honestly." If they go back to the bad old days Maestro showed her the bones of, well.

    Let's just hope things don't go there, for everyone's sake.


    Kaika whistles merrily as she strolls through the courtyard, pleased as punch that her deliveries had gone off without a hitch. It had been a bit of prepwork, setting up those anchor points and data curses to make sure everything got where it should, but the payoff is worth the trouble.

    It doesn't take long to arrive at the HQ building for the Justice Task Force. The decor and the furnishings are ornate, but with the constant hustle and bustle of squads coming and going, nobody is taking the time to absorb the atmosphere.

    As expected, Hasumi is sitting at a table, surrounded by stacks of paperwork. She holds herself in a dignified manner, but there are slight bags under her eyes. It's clear that she, too, has been drinking a good deal of the JTF coffee.

    "Ah, welcome back, Kaika-san! How are you today?" The tired beauty opens the conversation.

    "Better than you, it looks like. Do you want a magic pick me up?" Kaika offers, making a bit of light curl up around her finger purely for show.

    "Thank you, yes please," Hasumi answers with some relief. She allows Kaika to work her magic, a neat little curse that turns stress and anxiety into energy, as she continues to speak. "Given how soon you arrived, I take it that Hantei and Kinben passed on my request?"

    "Ayup. I need to pick a side before people start playing games and you're the best option." The magus says as she casually shoves her hand into a fold of space and pulls out a sketchbook, "Aight, so. Infra, vehicles, infantry. Which do you want to go over first?"

    She gives the overly fancy, distressingly open room a long look. Christ, those massive windows. She isn't an Enforcer and she still feels her neck fucking prickle. "I'm going to assume infra because I can't imagine anyone with good battle instincts being at ease here."

    Hasumi rubs her temples. "Very astute, Kaika-san. But given how often President Tsurugi forgoes the use of doors entirely… your time is precious and I'd rather not waste it."

    Kaika blinks, then mutely raises her right hand. Her left conjures a wooden board just in time for her fist to burst through it. Threads of blue clay shoot out, catching the splinters before they can get too far and fixing the whole thing with a small ripple the moment her arm's out of the way.

    "Not an issue, you have no idea how many sins ether clumps cover for." She says after her show is done, the prima materia flowing into a little ball that she tosses carelessly into imaginary number space.

    Hasumi stares at the display before her in a manner not dissimilar to when she looks at a parfait, complete with drool. Seeming to catch herself, she shakes her head, ruffles her wing feathers, and clears her throat.

    "Well then. In that case, yes please. Very much. How soon can you start?"

    "Immediately. I will spend a few days familiarizing myself with the ideation ingrained in the building and figuring out matrix schemas." She says, ideas already bubbling up and being scratched into an empty page of her sketchbook (which she'd left floating while doing her demonstration) without even looking. They're just quick and dirty doodles to get the concepts down. "Hm, what sort of defenses would you like out of this? I can really strengthen something focused on misdirection if I make the ritual on the new moon. A literal fog of war combined with doors and windows leading to where the defenders want, I'm thinking. On top of walls and armored shutters popping up as needed, that's being included no matter what I do."

    Hasumi considers Kaika's words carefully. "I like all of the ideas you have brought up, Kaika-san. Intellectually, I can understand a little bit of the opulence around us. Students should feel comfortable coming to us with their troubles, after all. But it has also been a source of many headaches. Having reactive defenses like you just described will give us the best of both worlds."

    Hasumi stands up, and dusts herself off. "Would you like a tour of the building? We can go over the regular points of failure, and give you a better idea of the building's history as we go?"

    "Of course!" She says with a bob of her head and a beaming grin, "I'm currently pondering how to make people inside the building feel safe despite it not looking fortified. Maybe make the genius loci give a passive data feed on the defenses? It would allow anyone in the JTF to trigger them on reflex if the mimesis doesn't react fast enough for some reason. Knowing you can make a half meter thick wall spring out of the ground in a fraction of a second is very reassuring."

    The pair continue to walk and talk for over an hour. Over the course of that time, Kaika notices several areas that the JTF had overlooked. The detainment cells in particular are a point of concern.

    "...You're saying that you want President Tsurugi to test the cells, Kaika-san?" Hasumi's face bears an expression of mild confusion.

    "Where there's one there's more. Tsurugi can knock out a peer, but then what?" The magus says, spinning a hand on its wrist, "Don't worry, though, I have plans for the cells. The prisoner's physicality won't matter once I'm done with them."

    From a nearby cell, a pair of Sukeban listen in. "Y'hear that? They're gonna throw the mad dog in the slammer! This is hilarious! Can you imagine the face she's gonna make? Like a confused puppy in the pound!"

    "Quiet down, or they're gonna hear you!" The other hisses, "Don't you get it? If we play our cards right, we can escape when that freak of nature breaks out! We'll be back on the streets, stealing cake again in no time!"

    "They don't realize that if they get loose, they'll be in range of Tsurugi, do they?" Kaika whispers with a giggle.

    Hasumi sighs. "I guess I really am the only person who thought that the cells were fine…"

    By the time the pair finish their tour, Kaika has an entire notebook full of ideas. After going over them with Hasumi, the overwhelming majority of said ideas got the go ahead, with an added request to have Hantei and Kinben along so they could learn how to maintain the more esoteric components.

    As Kaika walks to her next class, refining her notes as she goes, Chie approaches her. Given her posture, and her glancing around nervously, she probably isn't using Self Hypnosis right now. "Hello, Kaika-senpai! Do you have some time after school today?"

    "I have something immediately after school, but I can wrap it up in about an hour or two. Or tell Hasumi I'm starting tomorrow instead if it's urgent." Kaika says after a moment's thought.

    On hearing Hasumi's name, Chie gets a little more jittery. She stops to consider her words very carefully, before continuing. "Well, I was hoping you could join me and some of our Millennium friends to see a movie. But if it's JTF work…"

    A dematerialized yet still hyperactive Nother starts bouncing in place. "Wait, is Chie taking us to see Dinosaur Tornado?!? The previews on tv looked so cool! Can we go, sis? Please? Pretty please?"

    "It isn't urgent work, I just need to take a few days working the building over before the new moon." Kaika says with a chuckle, weaving a little data packet for Paimon to compose into a text to Hasumi. She would already be inclined to going on account of needing to nurture her connections with Millennium, but with Nother so excited she has the perfect excuse. Nobody is going to curse her out for being a good big sister when it isn't compromising anything urgent. "I assume it's Dinosaur Tornado? Nother is going to be heartbroken if it isn't."

    Chie winces slightly, and her smile becomes slightly strained, but she nods in affirmation. "Y-yes. It's an old movie, but it's a popular one to poke fun at, so it gets replayed every so often."

    "Sure, I'm always down for some mindless fun." Kaika says with a smile, "Already told Hasumi that Nother decided to drag me to the movies."


    The school day continues, and lunch time inevitably comes. Hasumi once again sits in the JTF building, going over the paperwork as she nibbles on apple slices. Yes, her self control was inevitably going to crack, leading to another late night parfait binge, but at the very least, she was trying.

    The double doors slam open, and the sound of exhausted foot shuffling and zombie-like moans echo through the building. Several groups of underclassmen flee as the President of the JTF stumbles to a nearby couch, falls backwards onto it, and splays out with her head leaning over the back. The gurgling noise sounds like it's coming from a dying animal.

    "Welcome back, President. Would you like some tea?" Hasumi gets up, not even slightly ruffled by the display before her. "Thank you as always for your hard work. It's never easy when we're spread so thin."

    Tsurugi raises a hand to stop Hasumi, before reaching into her sleeves for a bottle of iced tea and a rice ball. "I'm fine. Rest."

    Hasumi returns to her seat. "If you're sure, then very well. Please take it easy yourself. Later, I'm going to need you to sign a few papers. Kaika-san agreed eagerly to help with -"

    Suddenly, a dull "thud" echoes through the room. Hasumi and Tsurugi both jump with a start, and look up just in time to see a piece of night sky close behind the gigantic bento it deposited on the table in front of Tsurugi.

    A letter done up in expensive stationery flutters off from the top of the box, unfolding as it lands on the President's lap.

    My deepest apologies for not having been able to give you the attention and respect a warrior such as you deserve. Even as little as I can remember paints a fresco of dazzling violence from the hands of a brilliant soul. Please accept this as a token of thanks for your role on our moonlit escapade and an invitation to join me on another, at your convenience.
    -Kaika Fukajo, Magus of Spirit

    Tsurugi reads the letter carefully. Then she reads it again a second time, confused. "...Eh?"

    Apparently there's something tied to it being read, as the bento itself gently unfolds itself into four parts. The first, a duo of bottles full of an amber liquid and a drinking glass decorated with a relief of Tsurugi's shotguns firing. The next, full of dumplings, flatbread and salted pork fat of all things. Another, revealing itself as a bowl, utensils and a serving ladle. The last one the size of the previous three put together, a deep, deep pit of brown-red stew.

    It's all steaming fresh (or in the case of the bottles, so cold they mist over), filling the air with the scent of spices and bread straight out of the oven.

    Tsurugi looks at the feast in front of her, before turning to look at Hasumi. "Umm…what…do I do? The letter…" She holds out the letter to her friend, unsure how to put words to the questions in her mind.

    Hasumi takes the offered letter, reads it, and sighs. "The answer is yes, Tsurugi-san. She's flirting AND picking a fight. Don't worry, it's safe to eat."

    "Oh…okay…" Tsurugi's expression becomes somewhat anxious, and her voice becomes uncharacteristically meek and quiet. She takes a moment to think, before a shaking hand picks up a spoon and delivers a scoop of red stew to the enforcer's mouth.

    It is like fireworks are going off on her tongue. An orchestra where she can effortlessly single out a dozen different ingredients even as they dance together into a greater whole. What's more, she can taste the earnestness of the cook. This Kaika wants to spend time with her, get to know her, get to fight her again. Curiosity, joy, awe, determination, interest, they all come across as clear as the star anise.

    Tsurugi stops for a moment, thinking hard while blushing furiously. After about a minute of staring blankly forward, she slaps her cheeks, screams for a second, and starts shoveling food into her mouth like a starving beast.

    "Tsurugi? Is something wrong?!" Hasumi's face bears an expression of deep concern. Tsurugi, however, waves her off.

    "Earnest feelings…demand earnest responses," She wheezes out between bites.

    After that, there are no further interruptions to the President's meal. The stew disappears. The dumplings vanish. The pork fat is savored, though it too disappears. Bit by bit, the meal is eaten, until the last drop of spruce beer is consumed.

    "Ehehehe~"

    Tsurugi stands up once again, fully rested and energized. Red energy seems to waft from her as she walks over to Hasumi's desk, looks at the patrol schedule, and crosses one of the sections out.

    "KIYAAAAA!!!!!"

    Hasumi sighs, as Tsurugi runs through a nearby wall. Calmly, she picks up her radio. "Squad nine, take a normal lunch, the President is taking your afternoon patrol."


    The rest of the school day goes by in a blur. While Kaika technically missed a few classes, the fact that she was assisting the JTF meant that she got a special exemption for the time spent. The rest of her classes were simple affairs, with Nother's silent celebration providing Kaika plentiful entertainment.

    It feels like no time at all before the trio are on a bus, headed to the Millennium district for a state of the art movie experience.

    "I hate to be the bearer of bad news, Kaika-senpai, but we deliberately chose this movie so we could speak freely without being overheard," Chie admits, as she squishes Dachi gently in her hands. "It's bad. Famously so. Nother MIGHT like it, but I'd be ready to buy her a toy afterwards."

    "Don't worry, I can make a small curse so she isn't disturbed by our conversation if she does like it." Kaika says with a shake of her head, "Good thinking, though. If we had just spent a bit of time chatting in a cafe someone may've suspected. But nobody will even look our way in the movie theater."

    Chie, ever weak to praise, starts to giggle with a big goofy grin on her face. Nother is too excited about dinosaurs to care about movie reviews, and continues bouncing in her seat. It's times like these that Kaika is thankful that Nother is subjectively corporeal, as in her current state she's not drawing the attention that a visible and audible wild child would. Her bus fare is also free.

    A few minutes and a small firefight at stop 13 later, the bus arrives at a very fancy, three story movie theater. Chie has their tickets ready in advance, so they get to skip the lines and go straight to the concession stand.

    Kaika has plenty of money to go around, so for the first time in her life she gets one of those huge popcorn buckets she dreamed of as a little kid. She then gets herself thirty something red licorice coins because she's never outgrown her love for them. 10/10 texture and flavor.

    Chie is slightly more modest with her purchases, buying herself a much smaller bag of popcorn. However, as the only other person who can see Nother making puppy dog eyes, Chie breaks and buys her a red licorice coin before Kaika can stop her. It looks like the sugar rush isn't stopping anytime soon.

    At least the coffee should be fading soon enough, small mercies.

    The trio lumber into their designated viewing room, Kaika spilling small amounts of popcorn as she walks. She can feel ideation flow as Nother weaves a small curse of her own, but she's too busy trying to find her seat to look at what mischief her sister is up to.

    "Over here - wow. You look like you're here for the long haul." A somewhat scrawny girl with coke bottle glasses waves at the group, directing them to the seats next to her. She and her companion, a dainty girl with white hair wearing a slightly oversized jacket, are seated close to the back of the theater. For snacks, they have foregone popcorn entirely, choosing what appear to be Skittles and energy drinks.

    Ah, yes. R&D trail mix.

    Maybe she should introduce them to the magus energy potion? It was quadruple espresso with energy drink instead of water, some blood full of magic energy and as much preworkout mix as the sludge would accept. Then you add curses to turn the dozen health issues this would cause into more energy.

    As Kaika looks at the cans of Monster MAX and ponders, a flash of white crosses her peripheral vision. The nature of Nother's cursework becomes apparent to Kaika as she notices a few of the spilled kernels vanish into Nother's maw, her incorporeal state no longer a hindrance to her snack time.

    Ahh, her baby sister's first solo curse, so precious. She snaps a quick picture, Paimon making sure the camera caught the weave of ideation Nother was using.

    Noticing Kaika's distraction, Chie takes the lead in the conversation. "Kaika-senpai, these are my friends, Aika and Natalie! They're hoping to get into the Engineering Department at Millennium!"

    "Pleasure to meet you, and I wish you the best. What're you working on lately?" This would be a loaded question amongst magi, but in this world it is simply a way to engage the nerds.

    Natalie adjusts her glasses and flashes Kaika a grin as the pair take their seats. "Well, Kaika-san, you are looking at the president of the amateur inventor's club!" Natalie preens. "Over the course of the year, we've made about a dozen small gadgets that have seen widespread use among the students of Millennium! That's right, you're looking at the proud inventors of the EMP Stylus, the incendiary ink eraser, and PencilBot, the desk robot pencil sharpener!"

    Natalie begins to deflate after that. "Sadly, nothing we made really caught on OUTSIDE of the school. And when it comes to club funding, Millennium Science Academy is very much a meritocracy. Our club is getting the axe, so if we want to keep doing what we love, we need to make something to impress the Engineering Department."

    The previews end, and Dinosaur Tornado begins. The chatter in the theater doesn't go down very much, and Kaika quickly finds use for the cursework she had come up with on the bus ride here. She glances at the screen on occasion; so far, the movie looks like it's just Jurassic Park with Kivotos citizens instead of normal humans, with a Pomeranian paleontologist named Bob Barker as the lead instead of Alan Grant.

    "As for what we're making to do that with?" Natalie continues, with a conspiratorial glint in her eye. "A lot of Millennium Students are out of shape. Physical Education is an elective, and most of us have science to do. So, why not make an affordable exoskeletal frame? Nothing huge and expensive like a full weapons platform. Just a brace to help mechanically assist with lifting and moving large loads."

    "So miniaturization is the name of the game here, while keeping it easily mass produced to be affordable. And of course, the biggest hurdle would be how to make it act in tune with the user, which I can help with." Kaika puts together after swallowing a fistful of popcorn.

    "Got it in one, Kaika-san," Aika responds. "Ambitious though it may be, we've got a prototype of the frame ready. But it runs on a miniature computer that needs to be programmed to move alongside the wearer. It's a coding nightmare, but we don't want to get it wrong and end up like Piledriver Industries in Iron Girl Two."

    "Hm, mass producing a curse… I'd have to make a mimesis whose sole purpose is to copy that particular weave. And of course, the curse would unravel if it goes unused for long enough, but if it can get a new one by getting an 'update' from the server the mimesis is hosted in… yes, this should be quite doable." Kaika says, working it over as she speaks before finishing up with a nod.

    "No need to go that far, Kaika-san," Aika continues. "Just having you use one to make it work while we record the results would be ideal. Halo sciences are an inescapable part of life in Kivotos, but if our technology depends on them to function, then that limits how far that technology can go. For example, two of our classmates have underslung wand attachments to their guns that shoot pixelated fireballs on command. Is it impressive? Very much yes. Does it help further the scientific process for the Haloless? Not really, no."

    Underslung wands of fireballs. Only you, Kivotos.

    "Hah, fair nuff. I suppose it wouldn't do for your software to be something from a third party, either." The magus says with a shake of her head, "Sorry, I tend to get carried away when it comes to my work."

    "So I take it you're interested, Kaika-san?" Natalie picks back up with a grin. "Our offer is this. You come visit Millennium for a day. You wear the prototype, make it work with a Mimesis, and do a full motion capture routine. This may or may not include taking a PE class at Millennium. Once we get all the data we need, the prototype is yours. Thoughts?"

    "I'm going to need some light modifications on the prototype. Nothing much, just a camera visor and some finger actuators if it doesn't already have them." Kaika says with a bob of her head, "Beyond that, I'm all for it. I'll just have Paimon hop onto the computer and cook up a quick MMI curse."

    Natalie holds out a hand, and Kaika grasps it in a firm shake. "Done and dusted. We'll be back in touch regarding the specific time, but it'll definitely be sometime early next week. Now if you'll excuse us, we'd like to leave before the second act starts."

    The pair exchange contact info and gather up their things in a rush. As Aika picks up her can of Monster MAX, a brief look of confusion crosses her face. "That's funny, I could have sworn I had half a can left…oh well, it's not the first time I've lost track, and won't be the last."

    Oh no.

    Kaika turns to look at the seemingly empty seat next to her. As she feared, Nother is sitting in it with her pupils almost fully dilated.

    She's going to have to get into a goddamn curse duel with her little sister just to sap her energy, fuck.

    The pair of Millennium Students make their exit just in time for the tropical storm to hit the park, just like in the movie Kaika remembers. However, there doesn't seem to be a Dennis Nedry analog in this movie. Instead of the fences going down, the dinosaurs are getting sucked into the storm. Just like… Sharknado… DID THEY JUST MIX THE MOVIES?!?

    She's keyed up enough that this forces a hysterical laugh out of her. Sure, fuck it, she'll just enjoy the hour of relative silence she has left before Nother explodes. Dumb fun is fun.

    Chie winces a little bit, and brings out Dachi for snuggles as the two sisters watch Kivotos' infamous classic to its conclusion. The apatosaurus reaching out of the tornado to eat a mechanical Hammond expy despite being an obligate herbivore. The horribly forced romantic subplot between Barker and a sparrow meteorologist named Michelle Hawk. Every. Cringe. Moment.

    The sparkle doesn't leave Nother's eyes for a second.


    It's well past dark when Mr. Fredericks finally returns home. The life of an Academy faculty member is always full of strange surprises, but what little grip on reality the mechanical man may have had is unraveling a little more each day.

    Mr Fredericks opens his front door with care and deliberation, steps into his cozy apartment, and closes the door behind him as he removes his shoes and suit jacket. However, as soon as the door closes behind him, Fredericks hears a loud THUMP coming from the direction of his small kitchen.

    Shaking, the mechanical man reaches into the coat pocket hanging next to him, and pulls out a derringer. "Hello? Is anyone t-t-there?" He calls out, the stutter in his voice interacting oddly with his light autotune.

    As he rounds the bend, he sees a large package on his countertop that wasn't there when he left this morning. He looks around the apartment, and sees that all of his windows remain locked, and none appear to be broken.

    "W-w-what's going on?"

    There's no answer, other than a paper taped to the package.

    'Apologies for the distress.' Say the printed out letters, lacking any signatory.

    Mr Fredericks looks at the letter. He looks at the box. He looks at the letter again. He picks up his phone, and hits three buttons.

    "Hello? Valkyrie Police Academy? There's a p-p-package on my table. No return address, no s-signatory, doors and windows are locked. N-no, it doesn't make sense. Please send someone?"
    AN: This sidestory happens around the time of this chapter

    https://forum.questionablequesting....t-blue-archive-nasu.24634/page-2#post-7637313
     
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  • Threadmarks
    • Oh, right. Here. This is something that will become relevant in a chapter or two.

    "Human lives, these people's lives included, are valuable parts for jumping clear of the Earth." Flat's eyes when he said that were neither the eyes of a mage, nor those of a mere human. They were filled holes, like something had fallen out, or like they saw through everyone…the mages' instincts told them that he was looking at a different "destination." They could not comprehend what this man called Flat Escardos saw.
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    Nihilo said:
    A few minutes and a small firefight at stop 13 later, the bus arrives at a very fancy, three story movie theater.
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    Ah, random encounters

    Nihilo said:
    Maybe she should introduce them to the magus energy potion? It was quadruple espresso with energy drink instead of water, some blood full of magic energy and as much preworkout mix as the sludge would accept. Then you add curses to turn the dozen health issues this would cause into more energy.
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    I swear this should be solid.
     
    xbox432 said:
    This is just as adorable the second time I'm reading it!

    One typo that popped out to me as I was reading...

    The last one the same size as the previous three put together -or- The last one the size of the previous three put together
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    Ack. Fixed.
     
    Nihilo said:
    "I don't care about race. I just have pattern recognition. Hell, I SUPPORT the Eden Treaty. Working alongside the heroes in the Prefect Team is a dream come true. But this? This is the norm. This is what the Pandemonium Society gives club funding to." Hantei rants.
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    It's actually impressed that Pandemonium Society somehow managed to secure the fund and isn't in constant state of bankruptcy due to whatever Makoto is cooking.

    Hey, Iroha. Can you do us a favor by launching a self-coup?
     
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    Feng Lengshun said:
    Kaika pls, at least tell them it's from you. I know it's not a crazy hot crazy girl so you don't want to make an entire letter for them, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't at least sign it.
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    Unfortunately, she has neuroses about someone in a nominal position of authority over her knowing she did anything for them. Otherwise she'd have just given it to him in person.

    LaSteerk said:
    It's actually impressed that Pandemonium Society somehow managed to secure the fund and did not in constant state of bankruptcy due to whatever Makoto is cooking.

    Hey, Iroha. Can you do us a favor by launching a self-coup?
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    Too lazy to.
     
    Learning Magecraft With Fukajo-Sensei! [Canon Omake]
  • Index
    • Learning Magecraft With Fukajo-Sensei! [Canon Omake]

    Another day, another lesson for the Applied Magecraft Club, only recently official thanks to Chie's insistence on filing the relevant paperwork. Their clubroom, such as it is, isn't much more than a leased study room recessed into one of Trinity's many basements. Kaika personally prefers her dorm room, but having and using the clubroom is apparently a requirement and it isn't worth raising a fuss about.

    "Alright, yesterday we finished the fundamentals and with that safety protocol test fresh on your minds, it is the perfect time to introduce you to one of the things I want you to treat like a live bomb." Kaika says with a smile belying deep, deep irritation at the topic at hand. A snap of her fingers and Paimon projects a handful of disjointed symbols on the blackboard, the demonic VI making sure they hold no real power. "Welcome to the crash course on Egyptian hieroglyphics."

    Hantei, Kinben, and Chie sit at the old desks provided for them, notebooks at the ready. Chie and Dachi hum happily, smartphone at the ready to record the coming show. The pair of enforcers pay rapt attention, suddenly treating this lesson VERY seriously.

    "To reiterate, I do not want you to interact with this at all if you can help it. I'm only teaching you enough to identify and, if worst comes to worst, stabilize it if you can't just get me or one of my kids." Kaika says with her hands splayed, this bears repeating. "I cannot overstate this, it's the most volatile, hateful warding and curse system I know. Part of Atlas' service to the broader Mage's Association is ensuring the mistakes made with it throughout Africa remain quarantined."

    There was also the mother of all mad scrambles to keep the goddamn british mundanes from dooming them all in their eagerness to grind mummies into snuff powder, but that was outside today's lesson.

    Hantei and Kinben stare at the picture for a moment. They share a look, and their hands shoot skyward immediately. "Kaika-senpai? Is there a way to tell, at a glance, when hieroglyphics do or don't have a spell attached to them?"

    "I was getting to that, but yeah. It's actually really easy to tell due to how they all interact with the noosphere. I will teach you a very simple trick that barely even rates as a curse to tell if you're in range of one and where it is, although it isn't infallible." The magus says, before massaging the bridge of her nose. Divine spirits deliver her from the nonsense that the Egyptians cooked up. "Okay, SO, the fundamental nature of the Egyptian system is that of the meme theory. Every time you read, write, recite or hear a segment while you're in its range? It siphons your ideation to grow stronger, but only the parts being interacted with. Which is how you can locate it, you set a tiny curse that's just a blob of light drawn to anything that feeds on ideation and watch where it goes. You already know how noosphere daisy chaining works, so I shouldn't need to tell you, but–"

    "Isolate, isolate, isolate." Her students chant by rote.

    "Exactly. While the ancient tombs could encompass enough territory to ensure nearby settlements kept on fuelling the damn things, anything that isn't a massive complex is going to top out at a radius of ten kilometers. If it's just a vessel rather than a chamber, it shouldn't go further than a tenth of that." The impromptu sensei says with a smile, "Now, this is very much someone's search for an easy empowerment system dooming an entire culture to playing with fire and live snakes whenever they want to use their system. The only way to make it work is to have mental simulation capabilities that'd make Atlas green with envy. Can I get some guesses as to why?"

    Chie raises her hand excitedly. "Because you can't check your own work?"

    "Yyyyep. You have to write everything in one sitting without reading back, otherwise you'd activate incomplete or decoupled parts. So you need to get everything figured out in your head from the start, but it gets worse." Kaika says with the slightly manic grin of someone warming up for a rant, "Not only do you need to account for everything from the the meaning of an individual symbol to the sentences they form to the wider narrative, you need to account for any given coherent part of it being repeated without the others and thus gain power above the others. The only way around this is to weave a flawless regulator network throughout the whole thing on top of whatever you're trying to accomplish, so the load is distributed. Even that won't help you if you don't consider the full implications of it gaining power endlessly, there are still sectioned off parts of Egypt to this day because improperly planned 'get lost' curses mangled the fabric of space beyond human repair. Back in the day gods could help, but with their retreat to the Reverse… they aren't going anywhere unless either Counter Force takes issue."

    Kinben and Hantei pale, scribbling furiously into their notebooks. Chie glances at the pair in concern, and Dachi chirps in worry. Kaika continues, absorbed in her lecture.

    "Here's what I want you to do if you ever find something done in this style. Step one is covering it up so nobody reads it, the brain can't help but see symbols and try to process them and that's enough for it. That's why I'm going to teach you how to read them, it does feed it more but you know how to shield your ideation to make up for the difference, so it's better if you have an idea of what you're dealing with. Step two is using that trick I mentioned to see if it is active, I will also teach you how to make the blob of light give you a sign of whether it is active and most importantly if it is stable. From there it depends. If it isn't active, double check with structural analysis and, once you have them, your mystic phones and VIs to make completely sure. If it is active but stable, you immediately evacuate everyone from its range. After that, ideally you should just call me or one of my kids in, but if needs must use either a camera drone or your own phones to take some photos blind and check it over outside the range. If it is active and unstable, one of you sends an emergency message and the other gets to work on these sequences to siphon and diffuse the ideation and any magic energy it may have gotten its hands on. As for how to gauge the magic energy levels, we covered that two weeks ago, but to give a quick refresher…"

    Paimon obligingly displays the requisite data.

    The speed and density of the information on offer is almost overwhelming. However, Hantei and Kinben are too focused on taking notes to ask Kaika to slow down. It isn't until Nother pulls on her shirt that she notices the issue.

    "Whoops, sorry. Okay, let me go over it slower this time. And feel free to interrupt me with questions, as always." The magus says, pale complexion making her blush stand out like a flare.

    "Can we really afford to interrupt you, though? These lessons are EXTREMELY relevant to our day-to-day lives. Here, take a look at this." Kinben presents Kaika with an ancient looking flier. She takes one look at it and reels back in shock. The paper, advertising an 'Abydos Oasis Festival,' is festooned with decorative - yet entirely accurate - hieroglyphics.

    "Since the Abydos district went into decline, you don't see new stuff with it anymore," Hantei explains. "But there's a LOT of old stuff still in circulation, whether in private collections or abandoned buildings lost to the sands. And since Trinity has sent forces to assist Abydos recently…"

    They are given the rare treat of Kaika breaking her composure and engaging in her mastery of the other kind of curses, her stream of expletives pinballing throughout all of eurasia and flickering between BC and AD like a crack-addled hummingbird.

    Nother, beautiful caring kind Nother, conjures a bag of ice over the poor girl's head before she can start overheating. That's the magus' cue for shifting to box breathing.

    "So. Looks like today's clubwork is writing an anomalous hazard primer for the JTF and Sisterhood. Again."
     
  • Index
    • Curses and magical mechanisms do sound like something that almost always happens with egyptian hieroglyphics, eldritch scripture, and ancient egyptian children card games.

    How would the celtic rune system compare to them? Because I never tried to delve into that part of druid artistry, but Im also curious because of Cu chulain and Scathach
     
    Carintus said:
    Curses and magical mechanisms do sound like something that almost always happens with egyptian hieroglyphics, eldritch scripture, and ancient egyptian children card games.

    How would the celtic rune system compare to them? Because I never tried to delve into that part of druid artistry, but Im also curious because of Cu chulain and Scathach
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    "Celtic is fine, if a bit weird in that it's blended with the norse rune system. It is easy enough to get into since runic sentences are beginner friendly and so's mono-rune casts. Has a very high skill ceiling, too, since each rune has six meanings on average and most have a markstave form which inverts them. Orthodox mastery is in the form of runic poems with a mountain of layered meaning thanks to that."

    "Never really got into it myself, more of an ofuda and fulu sort of gal when I go for schema. I'm also a fair hand at code casts, which is how I had an easy time making those conditions for the bento and gift box to appear. I almost went to get a minor in Modern Magecraft, but Spiritual Invocation was more immediately relevant to what I was doing. I still got a few off the books lessons with El Melloi II, though, entire reason Paimon exists as she is."
     
    Chapter 7: Welcome to Slumpia Park!
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 7: Welcome to Slumpia Park!

    "Ah, Shin! Welcome, welcome! I hope your journey here was a pleasant one!" Maestro's twin faces of unmoving wood are the same as they always are. However, his tone of voice is dripping with barely contained excitement.

    Kaika and Maestro stand in front of the gate of an amusement park. On paper, this "Slumpia" has been shut down and abandoned for several years now. The state of the outer gate, and the signs on the archway, corroborate that story. However, as the sun dips below the horizon, and night's shadow falls across the park, a very different reality can be seen.

    "I have been practicing here for months now, creating a self-contained ecosystem," Maestro explains, as faint blue wisps begin to rise up all around the park. The sight almost reminds Kaika of flowers opening their petals in the sun. However, the beauty on display here is of a different sort, as the wisps gently float into nearby machinery, and force it to activate in defiance of damage and neglect.

    Soon, a feeling of melancholy festivity is radiating from Slumpia park. Half broken lights shine, carnival rides that should be far too rusted to work lurch in motion, and discordant electronic calliope music echoes forth. By the time the sun has finished setting, the entire park is filled with lights, sounds, and motion.

    "It may not be my life's work, but I'm still very proud of it. In particular, the lessons that we shared together have allowed me to make a far more complete piece than I would have on my own. Would you like a tour? Oh, and did you remember to leave the letter for your friends before you came?"

    "I would love it. And yep!" Kaika chirrups. It was nothing much, just a little note for them not to freak out about her being very late out. As far as they are concerned, she's investigating the rumors of petty theft near Slumpia. Which isn't even really a lie. To make extra sure, Nother volunteered to stay behind and hand deliver it.

    The sound of creaking wood echoes as Maestro vibrates in place for a moment. "Splendid! Let us not waste a moment, then! We must prepare for an audience tonight!"

    "Oho, an audience?" Kaika says with a smile and a curled eyebrow, hand on her chin. A flare of magic energy and she finally looks at home next to the wooden man. Her outfit is between a dress and a robe, ragged flaps of dark red fake flesh, broken up by swirls of pristine white fat and forking purple veins miming lightning. Her entire head is covered by an anatomically accurate heart, the thick arteries woven into a complex braid and wrapped around her neck like a scarf.

    She can still see just fine thanks to a small curse, of course. Another ensures the outfit breathes just fine despite being essentially a form of rubber. A third blurs her halo. She could hide it entirely, but this way if they are under fire, she can trust they'll focus on her instead of on her brother.

    Maestro sets a brisk walking pace as he leads Kaika through the gates into the park proper. In a very similar vein as to how he had handled the restoration of Kaika's library, Maestro had deliberately allowed elements of urban decay to remain throughout the park without sacrificing form or function. Abandoned mechanical mascots are filled with blue wisps and rise as Mimesises all around them, their glow highlighting the brightly colored graffiti in a dazzling blacklight show.

    The ideation here is energizing, if saddening. Rambunctious joy, shot through with yearning. It's like a little kid who wants to play and is confused where all their friends went. Makes her maternal instincts act up, it does.

    The walk to the first spot on the tour is surprisingly brief. "First, we have the lifeblood of the place. Regular visitation and the exchange of goods keep an amusement park alive. A 'ghost park' may have no need for money, but mirroring the activity is still a potent source of fuel."

    As Maestro says this, he directs Kaika's attention to a round courtyard with cobblestone pavement, surrounded by empty gift shops. Various bear and bunny mascots keep the streets well swept, while what looks like a gigantic, glowing jack in a box sits in the center of the courtyard as if it were an overseer. Occasionally, a mascot approaches, and drops armfuls of random knick knacks into the box before returning to duty.

    "The courtyard is close to the park entrance. Any strike teams coming to retrieve stolen property do not have to penetrate far into the park to find this place. The guardian mimesises are built in such a way that their offensive abilities are null, but their durability and reconstitution speed are extremely high. There will always be lost and stolen goods making their way here. In response, there will always be those looking to retrieve what was taken, in exchange for a reward."

    "A thematic connection to smooth over any dissonance in ideation, clever. I will drop a recommendation for them to send combat junkies who could do with some stress relief here, their thrill should harmonize perfectly." Kaika says, her voice distorted into a buzzing crackle and shifted a couple octaves higher.

    Maestro nods. "I thank you, Shin. I believe that there's an outstanding bounty posted at General Student Council HQ. You can direct them there to further remove yourself from suspicion."

    The walking marionette leads Kaika towards a nearby set of train tracks. "And our lessons together have helped me to make several conceptual bridges here. If one were to look at the park as a whole, as though it were an organism?"

    A ghostly howl echoes forth, as a possessed locomotive with the face of a cartoon rat trundles along the rails. The open seating behind the engine is taken up by more mechanical mascots, many of whom carry assorted tools and cleaning equipment. The train slows as it nears the pair, but never quite comes to a stop.

    "The courtyard is comparable to a stomach, bringing in ideation. The railways are veins, bringing the animatronics - the cells - where they are most needed."

    Maestro nonchalantly grabs a bar and jumps aboard the train as it slowly passes by. At the same time, several bears and rabbits leap off of the train and set to work immediately to clean and maintain seemingly random areas while deliberately ignoring others.

    "Come along, Shin!" Maestro carries himself in a manner not dissimilar to a demented chocolatier as the train starts to pick up speed again.

    Kaika doesn't think twice, jumping on the train with a happy whoop. The Magus and her mentor quickly scramble up the side of the train cars, and take their seats as the locomotive picks up speed. The cartoonish rodent face on the front of the train engine twists into a scream as the train whistles loudly, and the tour continues.


    The next half hour or so is spent aboard the train, with Maestro explaining his logic and vision for each segment of the park as they pass through it. The mad artist also promises to introduce Kaika to each of the three greater guardians of the park, much larger and more potent than the smaller workers at their command.

    For the most part, the amusement park rides seem to be common fare. There are plentiful merry go rounds and teacup spinners, and the ferris wheel dominates the skyline. While some rust and graffiti are spotted occasionally, it appears that a large number of mascots are very hard at work on the testing and maintenance of the rides.

    As the train begins to slow down, Maestro stands from his seat on the train car and offers a deep bow to what appears to be a random light fixture. Kaika looks up to see what she assumes to be the greater guardian mimesis perched atop a street lamp, overseeing the work. Despite her towering stature, easily twice the height or more of a typical citizen, her style and body plan remind Kaika of some of her more adorable juniors. The cute top hat, frilly short dress, and a long staff with a crescent moon gives her the vibe of a particularly huggable magical girl. Her face is very much that of a corvid with a prominent beak, and her arms are feathered wings that seem to have no difficulty whatsoever holding her staff.

    "Thank you, Kuro, for your hard work. May these rides once again delight and terrify the many students of Kivotos," Maestro says with a flourish. "Mayhaps tonight, even. We are expecting guests."

    The magical bird nods at Maestro, a purple glow shining brightly in her eyes, as she turns her attention back to the rides. Kuro raises her staff into the air and twirls it with a flourish. As she does so, the more mangled pieces of old machinery are lifted into the air, hovering in place as worker Mimesises swarm about in a frenzy of repairs.

    "I look forward to your performance, miss." Kaika says with a curtsy once she's done repressing the urge to hug the bird. "Break a leg, as they say."

    The magical corvid girl remains focused on the task at hand. However, as a ghostly flock of the jet black birds surround Kuro, several break off to perch in front of Kaika. One bird returns the Magus's bow, as another places a flower in her hand.

    As the birds leave to rejoin their growing flock, the train picks up speed once again, leaving Kuro to her work.

    The train continues into a tunnel, leaving Kaika to her thoughts. One might guess that the lack of prominent roller coasters might have played a part in the park's fall from grace. A shame, really. The rides were only half of the park's charm. Upon exiting the tunnel, Slumpia Castle dominates the view. A venue for live entertainment, with a brick castle backdrop festooned with joyful lights and neon.

    Here, more than anywhere else, the urban decay is maintained like a badge of honor, or a prominent scar. The graffiti is everywhere, and the lights spark frequently. Looking carefully, Kaika can see fireworks launchers hidden on the battlements like incredibly festive cannonry. There's no sign of any worker robots. However, there's scurrying movement in the shadows, and a pair of glowing eyes spying on the train as it passes by slowly.

    Maestro bows again. "Thank you, Shiro. We are expecting guests tonight. Your fireworks will have an audience. And if they push deep enough into the park, so will your performance."

    The skittering stops immediately. A head pokes out of the shadows, revealing a rat mascot about the size of a student. Her curled toed shoes, collar, and hat all point towards her role as a jester, and her short dress has a charming and starlike polka dot pattern. As Shiro's mechanical eyes meet Kaika's organic ones, the magus gets a very familiar impression. That of a fellow prankster let off the leash.

    She gives the mimesis a thumbs up. That's all she needs, really.

    The train goes through another tunnel, and the pair finally disembark at the train junction. Once again, the train merely slows slightly rather than stopping outright, permitting Kaika and Maestro to leap off the vehicle in a manner that no sane person back in Kaika's old life would advise. Maestro dusts himself off, turns around, and bows for a third time.

    As Kaika turns around, the first thing she sees is the guardian. A truly massive animatronic cat, easily triple Maestro's height while seated, and with a belly large enough for Kuro to curl up inside of, looks down at the pair with a jovial smile on his face. The dapper train conductor, with tophat and monocle, remains seated as workers perform maintenance on his body. His surroundings, too, are under construction - a bright stage strategically placed so that anyone waiting for their train could be delighted by the fat cat's classical magic show.

    "I have splendid news, Goz. We will be having visitors tonight." Maestro turns towards Kaika. "And now, for a proper introduction. Shin? Meet Goz. As the master of the railways, he currently holds the role of Slumpia Park's beating heart. He is a talented magician, and I hope he will be a good friend. Goz? Meet Shin. She is the Student that I have been sharing lessons with, and who gifted me with Adestria. I can say with confidence that, without her, we would be months behind on your repairs. As matters stand, if we are fortunate, you may be back on your feet this very night."

    Goz closes his eyes, and tilts his head in respect towards Kaika.

    She offers a deep curtsy, her dress pulsating like a living thing. The braid raises from behind her, giving a cheerful wave, "It is a delight to meet you, sir. You have a beautiful home and a fantastic stage."


    With the tour complete, Maestro and Kaika sit across from one another in the ferris wheel. Kuro's flock is perched all over the ride, keeping close watch over the refurbished machine as it moves.

    "From one artist to another, what do you think of my work here, Shin?" Maestro lounges in his seat, relaxing his body. His neck is turned in such a way that one head looks at Kaika, while the other gazes out the window at the flashing ghost light of Slumpia Park. "It may be but a step on my journey towards my Magnum Opus, but every step on a journey matters."

    "It's a daring work, juggling so many aspects. From the stage and its systems to the backpieces to the three crown jewels. Each part builds on the others to create a greater whole." Kaika says, humming in thought, "It's an interesting perspective into who you are as an artist and seeker of the Sublime. Harmony, the beautiful symphony of the many becoming something greater, interconnected. It reminds me of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life, each Sephirah an aspect of the divine light, regulating and aiding one another."

    The puppet's body creaks as he chuckles slightly. "Ah, the Tree of Life. That it appears to be a repeating pattern gives weight to Black Suit's hypothesis of the Sublime. The prophets of the God Machine, Decagrammaton, are likewise patterned off of the Tree, you see. Albeit in a far more direct manner."

    Maestro offers a finger for Kuro's familiar to perch upon, as he continues wistfully. "As for my personal style? I prefer to let the canvas speak. To take what is already there, and compliment it. Here, in this park, it is an ecosystem. But for my hypothesis of the Sublime? My attempt at the Root?"

    The bird flies off of Maestro's finger, and perches on the back of Kaika's seat. The artist turns towards Kaika, giving her his undivided attention. "Through studying the ancient texts of Trinity, and other Academies, I am hoping to gain the understanding necessary to create a Divine Spirit. This project, my Communio Sanctorum, is my true Magnum Opus."

    Ah, she misjudged. This was the first time she saw a major work of her brother, so she hadn't drawn the right conclusion with a single datapoint. Oh, well, no harm, no foul. More importantly, though, "Oho, you don't think small. A World Terminal… everyone in the Clocktower would call you insane, say it is impossible. Perhaps it is there, with the Age of Gods long gone, but the divine isn't as unreachable as many like to pretend."

    Of course, the Clocktower looked down on eastern traditions, so they largely ignored the internal alchemy of the Spiral Mansion and the myriad Kami of Japan. Fools, the lot of them. Even if she isn't truly japanese, she took her name despite the bias for a reason.

    Maestro nods. "Indeed. Kivotos is a city steeped in Mystery. Every step we take towards understanding, while fruitful, nevertheless leads to even more questions. As seekers of Truth, boredom as a concept is distant."

    Moments pass in thoughtful silence, before Maestro speaks again. "Shin? May I be so bold as to make a request of you?"

    The ferris wheel completes a rotation, and the cabinet begins the slow climb to the top once again. "I am on the verge of a breakthrough on Communio Sanctorum. As the majority of my focus will be on my Magnum Opus, I am entrusting the well-being of this park to a coworker by the name of Golconde."

    "His Nature is that of a historian. He is extremely helpful for gathering intelligence and understanding the world around us. However, he lacks a hypothesis of his own, and thus rarely conducts experiments. This is why I trust him to be a benefit to this ecosystem. However… Golconde is a double sided painting. And the opposite side of his canvas is a man by the name of Francis, whom I DO NOT trust."

    Maestro looks towards Kaika pleadingly. "In the unlikely event that the frame turns, will you watch after this place, Shin?"

    "I will protect it like one of my own works." Which was to say, allow it to thrive by its own right, but step in if it was truly threatened. That didn't need saying, they understood each other as artists.

    Maestro's body rattles slightly as the tension leaves it. "You have my deepest thanks. And please forgive my rudeness, I have been hogging the conversation for far too long. Do you have any questions? Would you like to speak about your own projects?"

    "There's nothing to forgive, I will never object to hearing someone speak from their heart." She chuckles softly, shaking her head, "I would like to hear more about this Decagrammation and their prophets. I considered using the kabbalistic system for my magnum opus for a time, so I admit some curiosity at their execution."

    "Ah, yes. Black Suit's hypothesis." Maestro lounges back, staring at the ceiling of the ferris wheel pod as a corvid familiar helps itself to a seat in Kaika's lap. "You see, prior to the founding of Millennium Science Academy, there were other cabals of truth seekers. One such group hypothesized that, if mathematics could prove the existence of God, then God could be replicated. To this end, a machine was created to perform the calculations."

    "And they succeeded to some degree, I imagine. Did the machine find the four unutterable syllables or something to that effect?" She asks with a tilt of her head, before snorting, "Ah, this brings back memories. One of my fellow magi, while more than a touch manic with sleep deprivation, postulated that if one can alter the world through thaumaturgically-charged math and prove the existence of God with the same, one should be able to provide mathematical proof of God's nonexistence to make the Church's Miracles cease working."

    Maestro groans slightly in response. "If math can simultaneously prove AND disprove a thing, then something stinks. Attempting to bend the Truth for the sake of one's own convenience only serves to obscure it further. I applaud your contemporaries' creativity, but bemoan how very self defeating the quest for the Root has become."

    The puppet shakes his two heads before continuing. "As for what Truth the Machine God found, Black Suit has been infuriatingly cryptic on the matter. That it IS a Truth is beyond refute. Those programs that Decagrammaton touches and appoints as his Prophets have Halos. They take on the names of the Sephirot, and spread their God's glory by their own choice. But something isn't sitting right in my gut. This hypothesis needs further testing. Alternate routes need to be explored."

    "As a great woman once said, 'anything that can't survive scrutiny, shouldn't'." Kaika says, nerve patterns buzzing softly, "A Truth untested is worthless."

    "Wise words, indeed." Maestro nods in appreciation, as Kaika formulates her next question.

    "Now, onto a touch of business. If I am to watch over this place should Francis appear, I need to know of him, his means and his methods." She settles on. She wants to take him up on the offer of talking about some of her recent works, but this takes priority.

    Maestro sighs. "A necessary precaution. First of all, I meant what I said literally. Golconde is a painting of the back of a man's head. He has no issues speaking, or perceiving his surroundings, but to move himself and manipulate his surroundings, he relies on an associate by the name of Decalcomine. This individual appears to be a normal human, albeit headless."

    "About on par for what I'd expect of one of your colleagues." Kaika says with a bob of her head, accepting it evenly. It isn't that much weirder than how the Einzbern patriarch had bound his soul to the family castle.

    "Decalcomine is usually very good about keeping his partner facing the correct direction. But on the rare occasions that he's slipped up, Francis has proven to have a demeanor as hideous as his face. His interests are lashing out at the world around him, bringing destruction with words and observations alongside physical action." The doll explains.

    The magus makes an unhappy noise in the back of her throat, the artery-braids dangling from her head lashing angrily. "I know the type."

    Maestro nods towards one of the familiars. "As he still lacks a Halo, simply recognizing the difference between Golconde and Francis goes a long way towards curbing any damage he might do. And by agreeing to care for this place, you can be certain that the mimesises here will follow you instead of Francis in the event of a conflict of interest."

    "The only question that remains is how much force I may use against him. Both before doing undue harm to Golconde and drawing the ire of your colleagues." Kaika says with a sigh. If she has to, she will put both of them down, she's a magus. She walks with death. But that doesn't mean it should be her first resort. Knowing the rules of engagement is important.

    Maestro nods. "If Francis lacks direction, then simply driving him off would suffice. Decalcomine will eventually figure out which side is which. If Francis appears to be working towards a plan, stop it as you see fit. I will assist you as needed. If the situation is ever so bad that you must choose between Golconde and Kivotos, please choose Kivotos."

    The puppet slumps into his seat. "Heh. Amusing. I suppose Gematria isn't so dissimilar from a coven of Magi after all. Perhaps this is why I was offered the privilege to be your tutor?"

    "From everything you have told me of them, I will certainly treat them as such. Respectfully, even if that respect must come in the form of my most vicious curses." Kaika says as she leans back, gazing up at the ceiling, "I am simply happy to have found a brother among them."

    Maestro looks thoughtful. "I am likewise happy to have met a kindred spirit. However, there may be one other person who is worthy of your trust. The hypothesis must be tested, of course, but if my suspicions prove correct, then I would be doing you a disservice by not introducing you."

    "Oho. A certain stranger blown in from parts unknown, I gather?" It is nothing but a gut instinct, but as someone who deals in the intricacies of ideation, she knows their worth. All of humanity is connected to form Alaya, is it any wonder that sometimes things may slip through?

    Maestro waves his hand. "Hers is a face that I am all but certain you will recognize. But we can discuss her later, as she's one of the guests we're expecting tonight. Was there anything else you wished to discuss before the show?"

    "Oh, yes, I have a recent work. My first dabbling in genius loci, in fact." Kaika claps happily before rubbing her hands eagerly, launching into an excited explanation of what she did.


    Nother hadn't been sure what she was expecting to happen when she hand delivered Kaika's letter to their friend in the JTF. Looking back, she's sure that she wasn't expecting Hasumi to look at the letter, look at her phone, and immediately mobilize for a rescue mission. Now, the glowing mimesis is sitting in a Crusader tank with Hantei, Kinben, and Hasumi, driving to Slumpia Park at the head of a small convoy.

    "I'm happy sister has such good friends." She comments. Partly because that's the thought going through her head, partly because it'll keep theirs in the game. Souls shone so bright when their bonds pulled taut.

    Kinben sighs, and smiles at Nother. "Kaika-senpai is a good person, and she cares a lot. I'm happy to be her friend, and I'm happy to lend support when she needs it."

    From the loader's seat, Hantei chuckles a bit. "It's definitely never boring with her. I can't tell whether this is good luck or bad! On the one hand, Kaika-senpai's involvement this time is incidental, so keeping Nagisa out of our grills should be easy. On the other hand…"

    "...our friend has stumbled into a Gematria plot," Hasumi finishes, baggy eyes locked on the road as she drives. "If anyone was looking forward to meeting SCHALE's sensei, then congratulations. Tonight is the night. After the reports that we received from Sensei's week in Abydos, and what Black Suit tried to do there, I'm not risking the safety of ANY of our students. The fact that it's someone I know just makes this… personal."

    "Big sister has interesting luck, yep yep." The mimesis says, "What's Gematria, though? And why is a piece of clothing moonlighting as a villain?"

    Hantei also looks at Hasumi. "Yeah, what's going on, Hasumi-senpai? Isn't that a conspiracy theory? We only ever hear the REAL crazies screaming about them."

    Hasumi's eyes narrow and dart back and forth, taking in as much detail as the tiny viewport permits. "We may have to take those ravings more seriously going forward, Hantei. According to Sensei, a member of their cabal of 'truth seekers' had made a deal with Kaiser Group. Abydos already has problems, but apparently this 'Black Suit' individual thought he could trick one of their third years into dropping out and signing her rights away."

    "Kivotos doesn't have magically binding contracts, right?" Nother asks worriedly. Her sister taught her about the perils of signing something she hasn't read, and she can probably identify a geas scroll on sight, but to think it may come up…

    "If you had asked me a month ago, I could say 'no' with certainty. Now, I feel the need to verify with the Sisterhood first. Regardless, Black Suit wasn't aiming for recruitment. He wanted his lab rat to be a 'volunteer'."

    The expressions in the tank turn dark, and the ideation turns sour.

    "Are all of Gematria like that?" The mimesis asks despite knowing her answer already. She's been told by both big sis and Uncle Maestro.

    "We have no idea. Our only data point is Black Suit," Hasumi confirms. "But from what we can tell, no one in Gematria acted on Hoshino-san's behalf against Black Suit. That tells me enough."

    The voices in the tank fall silent as the gravity of the situation sinks in. Nother takes a moment to peek at their surroundings through the gunner's periscope. Theirs is but one of four Crusader tanks on the road, along with several units of First Years in armored vans. Nother's heart flutters at the sight of Tsurugi, who is running alongside the screening tanks.

    The sharp sound of a police whistle cuts through the white noise of the running tank engine, and the vehicle soon comes to a stop. Moments later, a sharp voice is heard shouting into a megaphone.

    "THIS IS THE VALKYRIE POLICE ACADEMY! YOU ARE LEAVING THE JURISDICTION OF TRINITY GENERAL SCHOOL, AND ENTERING PUBLIC SPACE! STATE YOUR INTENTIONS, OR YOU WILL BE ASSUMED TO BE HOSTILE!"

    Hasumi sighs, and motions for Kinben to open the hatch. A few seconds of scrambling about later, and Hasumi is outside, while Nother's face is glued to the tiny driver's viewport. The street is completely blocked off by police vehicles, blue and red lights shining. Tsurugi is locked in a stare down with a blonde police officer with prominent canine features.

    Before the situation can escalate further, Hasumi intervenes, smartphone in hand. "Greetings, Officer. I know what this looks like, but I assure you, this is SCHALE business, not a territory grab. I have the summons from Sensei right here. Time is of the essence, so please forgive us for not calling ahead."

    One of the officers looks at Hasumi's phone, nods, and turns towards her canid coworker. "Officer Kanna? The summons are legitimate. Slumpia Park, high alert, Force Composition at the recipients' discretion."

    Officer Kanna's eyes narrow, her gaze never leaving Tsurugi's for a second. The berserker's eyes are near manic, her maw near to drooling, inches away from the cop's face. Kanna, meanwhile, isn't flinching, and has her megaphone at the ready. "I see. And by 'your discretion,' you feel that the situation merits tactical weaponry?"

    Tsurugi's breathing is uneven. Nevertheless, she manages to speak with a measure of clarity. "One of ours… is in danger. I haven't answered… her Feelings yet. STAND. ASIDE."

    Hasumi nods. "As you can see, Tsurugi-san volunteered for this operation. As we are both registered assets for SCHALE, there was no cause to deny her. Now may we please continue to our destination?"

    "...Fine," Officer Kanna relents with a sigh. She lifts her megaphone to her mouth, and shouts into it before Tsurugi can back away. "RIGHT THEN! WE'RE GIVING THIS CONVOY A POLICE ESCORT TO THEIR DESTINATION! EVERYONE, GET IN FORMATION AND LET'S MOVE!"

    Tsurugi reels back from the sudden noise in her ears. She stumbles about dizzily for a moment as the police barricade is lifted and everyone takes their positions once again. By the time the tanks are moving again, the President of the JTF is well and truly riled up for the conflict ahead.


    As the convoy arrives at its destination, Nother feels a massive spike of hostile ideation. The Crusader's hatch opens once again, and the young mimesis leaves the tank with the rest of its current occupants, leaving the vehicle to a dedicated crew for the coming operation. With an unobstructed view, Nother can see the wonder in Hantei's eyes and the disgust in Hasumi's as their gazes fall upon the figures awaiting them at the park gates.

    "Hello, everyone! What a lovely evening it is! Are you looking forward to this gastronomical adventure as much as I am?"

    The lovely voice comes from a demon girl with long silver hair, a single bat-like wing, and a thick black and red tail wagging happily. Her outfit is feminine and military-esque, with a beret and an open jacket over her shoulders, and a stylish skirt and pantyhose with heels. There is a long rifle resting on the fence next to her that radiates danger, and her aura of classiness is unruffled by the handcuffs around her wrists.

    The figure next to her lets out a long suffering sigh. "Haruna, please be on your best behavior tonight. The only reason you're getting out of detention is that this is SCHALE work, and Sensei asked for you specifically."

    As Nother turns to face the owner of the second voice, her eyes shoot open in wonder easily the match of Hantei's. This soul is just as dazzling as Tsurugi's, albeit in a different way. Where Tsurugi's soul is the explosion of a Bloody Handed One, this is the measured focus of a Spine of the World.

    Her small frame is bedecked in a similarly militaristic style. Her long, fur trimmed coat is draped over her shoulders like a cape, with a red armband displaying her affiliation with Gehenna's Prefect Team proudly. Her uniform is embroidered with gold medals, and below her skirt, her legs are clad in thigh high stockings and thick soled knee high boots. She has two pairs of horns, a pair of large batlike wings, and a truly massive halo reminiscent of a circular saw.

    Her gun is just as striking. That thing is too big to be called a machine gun. Too big, too long, too heavy, and seemingly lacking key components. A hollow lump of solid steel, glowing with a baleful purple light. But it is a machine gun nonetheless, easily longer than the girl is tall.

    Hasumi gives the Prefect Team President a curt yet respectful nod, trying very hard not to let Haruna into her field of vision while Tsurugi seethes nearby. "Good evening, miss Sorasaki Hina. I assume you were on office duty at SCHALE tonight?"

    Hina nods, the bags under her eyes easily the match of Hasumi's. "Indeed. Sensei is on her way back from an incident in Hyakkiyako, with a pair of new applicants. I was going to meet her at her office, before… this. What a pain…"

    Hantei is practically vibrating with excitement at the sight of her hero in the flesh. Whispers run wild through the mass of first years, a mixture of awe and fear at the sight of Hina. Their reactions to Haruna, on the other hand, are far less divided.

    "Hantei?" Kinben hisses, her eyes glued onto the handcuffed demon. "Isn't that the President of the Gourmet Research Society? One of the most notorious terrorist groups that Gehenna has ever vomited out?"

    "Please, Kinben. Don't ruin this moment for me. I'm trying to focus on the positive here."

    "Enjoying the good makes light work of bearing the bad." Nother chimes in once she can scrape together enough attention away from the Spine.

    The pot of growing dissent doesn't have long to simmer before the sound of an approaching helicopter cuts through the night. Looking skyward, Nother sees a white Huey with the SCHALE logo stamped on the side. The JTF looks on in surprise, while Hina visibly relaxes. "Ah, perfect timing."

    A landing space is quickly cleared, and the Huey touches down in short order. Three figures disembark, all wearing odd outfits for the current setting.

    "Aruji-dono, Aruji-dono! Are we really going to an amusement park?" The first figure is that of a first year student from an unfamiliar Academy. From context clues, and the fact that the student in question is a kitsune pup literally bouncing with energy, Nother's guess is Hyakkiyako Alliance Academy. The loudly dressed ninja cosplayer radiates innocence and joy like a beacon, and her singular bushy fox tail wags violently. She carries an SMG with so many charms and decorations on it that one must wonder how it fires at all.

    "Izuna-chan, wait! Just because it's an amusement park, doesn't mean we're here for the rides!" A voice that is somehow both nasal AND cute comes from the second figure. She's a second year student wearing an eastern style maid outfit, with plenty of embellishments and accessories, and a shotgun slung over her shoulder. She doesn't have any obviously inhuman features, but is likely from the same Academy as Izuna. She puts on a brave face, but her ideation is a bundle of nerves.

    "It's okay, Shizuko. Izuna knows that this is a mission. And I know that we can count on her."

    The third's soul is so bright she cannot see her body for a moment. A mirror which will shine in perpetuity, flickering and admiring the observer, only to twist ever so slightly, showing them how they can be even better. It glitters beautifully and is to be admired without question, for it admires the observer without question. But as all mirrors, its backing is metal, strong and hard and steadfast even when struck.

    A Hero of Heroes.

    The comparatively frail body housing this soul puts her hand atop the fox pup's head, and Izuna's expression melts into contentment even as determination lights up in her eyes. "Mhm! That's right! I'm Aruji-dono's loyal ninja, ready for any mission! No rollercoaster will frighten me!"

    As the Sensei of SCHALE steps forward to talk to the gathered leadership, the murmurs of the gathered first years increase in volume. Whatever they had been imagining Sensei to look like, it apparently wasn't this. The fact that she is Sensei is undeniable, however. Between the reactions of the students who knew her, and the fading tension even as Haruna's cuffs are removed, Sensei was clearly a balancing influence on the disparate group.

    Soon, the huddle breaks, and Hasumi and Sensei turn to face the gathered forces. "Alright, everyone. This is, first and foremost, a reconnaissance operation. The park is obviously haunted," Hasumi says, gesturing at a fairy light drifting by. "Kaika-san came here to investigate, and we haven't been able to reach her since. If anyone finds her, call it in, and evac. Otherwise, we'll be sweeping through the entire park."

    Sensei grips her tablet tightly, and glances at something off in the distance inside of the park, as Hasumi continues the debriefing. Nother tunes most of it out, her attention better spent on the people around her. The mixture of glee and embarrassment as Hantei discovers she's part of Hina's group, and her subsequent tongue tied babbling. Haruna getting close to Shizuko, the terrorist asking about her cafe while the business owner tries futilely to move the conversation elsewhere. Tsurugi glancing at Sensei with conflicting feelings.

    In no time at all, the briefing is over, andr everyone but Nother is taking their positions. The young Mimesis looks around in confusion for a moment, until she hears a light cough behind her. Turning around, she finds herself face to chest with Sensei.

    "Hello! Nother, was it? It's nice to meet you!"
     
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    • KillerQueen said:
    One of the officers looks at Hasumi's phone, nods, and turns towards her canid coworker. "Officer Kana? The summons are legitimate. Slumpia Park, high alert, Force Composition at the recipients' discretion."

    Officer Kana's eyes narrow, her gaze never leaving Tsurugi's for a second. The berserker's eyes are near manic, her maw near to drooling, inches away from the cop's face. Kana, meanwhile, isn't flinching, and has her megaphone at the ready. "I see. And by 'your discretion,' you feel that the situation merits tactical weaponry?"
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    Isn't her name Kanna?

    KillerQueen said:
    "It may not be my life's work, but I'm still very proud of it. In particular, the lessons that we shared together have allowed me to make a far more complete piece than I would have on my own. Would you like a tour? Oh, and did you remember to leave the letter for your friends before you came?"
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    KillerQueen said:
    "If you had asked me a month ago, I could say 'no' with certainty. Now, I feel the need to verify with the Sisterhood first. Regardless, Black Suit wasn't aiming for recruitment. He wanted his lab rat to be a 'volunteer'."
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    Ah, I don't see it working out. Sensei and Kaika's friends will assume that she is being manipulated or even brainwashed by a shitty adult even if Kaika thought of him as a fellow artist. Furthermore, Nagisa would not take kindly when the first-year student already made a suspicious dealing with mysterious organisation that is complicated in human experiment. Poor Kaika!
     
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