>>1739575

It's easy to forget, this is Kasumi's first time visiting the Necropolis, and what waits beneath it. The rest of you have seen it all before, every eerie corner and ancient corridor, but it still casts an uncanny shadow over your mood. Seeing it all for the first time, Kasumi is left very silent indeed. She never strays too far from your side, even placing a delicate hand on your shoulder at points, like a child worried about being lost in a labyrinth.

Then you emerge into that strangely nostalgic city of dreams, the memory of a purged civilisation, and she gasps aloud.

“I can't believe this!” she breathes, gazing up into the milky sky in wonder, “We came... forgive me, but we came down here, yet...”

“Don't think too hard about it,” you suggest, “It's... not really something that makes sense. I don't think all those finicky little laws of physics or nature apply here.”

“That certainly seems to be the case!” she remarks, her composure quickly returning, “Oh, the others!” Brushing past you, the rest of the group has already made a start on moving ahead through the streets, “Shouldn't we all stick together here?” Kasumi asks, “For the sake of safety, if nothing else. I shouldn't need to remind you, we ARE in enemy territory, and-”

“I'm not so sure about that,” you murmur, “Not here, at least. The last time we were here, it was safe. More than safe, almost... comforting, in a way. I'm not sure if I'd come here on holiday, but I don't think we need to be on full alert at all times. Just... call it a hunch.” Shaking your head slowly, you cast an eye over the dusty city that stretches out before you. “You see that tower there?” you point it out, “That's our destination. It's a good landmark, so we'll be able to meet up easily enough.”

“And until then, we can take a little stroll, see the sights!” Kasumi agrees, nodding to herself, “Although I dare say, we won't get many opportunities for any window shopping here. Perhaps when we're finished here, we might take a little jaunt together?”

“Seriously?” you ask, smiling faintly at the suggestion, “Now, of all times?”

“And why not?” Kasumi retorts, returning your smile, “We all need to enjoy ourselves now and again, and this is how I choose to unwind. After everything we've been through, I think we deserve a little time off, don't you?”

“Didn't we have some time off, like... two or three days ago?” you remind her, “Y'know, movie night?”

“And now we deserve some more,” Kasumi shrugs, as if it was the most simple thing in the world, and then she begins her slow stroll down into the otherworldly city. Shaking your head in disbelief, you hurry after her.

>For now, let's find the others
>Kurosawa's offer... were you tempted to walk away?
>That last Tyrant was something. You feeling okay?
>Let's talk a little... (Write in)
>Other

>>1739576
>Kurosawa's offer...were you tempted to walk away?

>>1739576
>That last Tyrant was something. You feeling okay?

>>1739576
>That last Tyrant was something. You feeling okay?
>Kurosawa's offer... were you tempted to walk away?

>>1739575
>The change was a slow and insidious one, like a corpse being silently bled dry.
>a lighter tone

>That last Tyrant was something. You feeling okay?
>wow, it's really only been two or three days.

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“I don't mean to sound arrogant, but I consider myself quite well educated. I read quite widely, and I study in my free time,” Kasumi mentions as you catch up with her, “But I can't claim to recognise anything about this place. The architectural style...”

“You wouldn't recognise it,” you explain, “This whole place was... erased. From human memory, as well as from the world itself. The people were scattered, and the whole thing became... a dream.” Even as you say it, your explanation stutters and falters. The gods did this, and now they might be ruling over mankind once more. If they did this once, what's to stop them from doing such a thing again?

“Fascinating...” Kasumi murmurs to herself, ignorant of your dark thoughts, “This whole place, I should say. It really is.”

“Uh, yeah,” you agree weakly, “Hey, uh, can I ask you something? It's kind of a personal question, so you don't have to answer if you don't want to.” Pausing to see if she'll stop you, you wait a moment before continuing. “So Kurosawa's offer. This chance to walk away,” you ask, “Were you tempted to take it?”

Kasumi is silent for a while, for long enough that you almost give up any hope of getting an answer, but then she speaks. “Was I tempted? I suppose I was a little,” she admits, her voice low and cautious, “Not out of any cowardice, you understand. From a purely practical standpoint, I don't think any of us could just leave this life behind. But at the same time, you must concede that people like us are... valuable. If I had chosen to walk away, I could have gone to the Sentinels and named my price – they'd pay it, however much I asked.”

“Oh,” another pause, “But you didn't. Can I ask-”

“Why? Well, I had my reasons. If you want to be sentimental, you could say that what we have here is more valuable than simple money,” tilting her head to the side, Kasumi gives you a brilliant smile, “But to be more honest, I felt... If I chose to join them, I'd be selling myself. I would be their pet, their prize, and nothing more than that. I found that unacceptable.” Her smile never falters as she says this, but something very dark steals into Kasumi's voice. It leaves you speechless, a cold silence taking the place of your answer.

“But let's not worry about that now,” she concludes, light and free once more, “This working relationship we have suits me quite nicely. Let's hope it continues without any unnecessary complications.”

The mention of your “working relationship” with the Sentinels snaps you back to reality – as much as “reality” applies here – and encourages you to change the subject. “That last Tyrant was really something, huh?” you ask, “You feeling okay?”

“I feel good, actually,” Kasumi answers, sounding faintly surprised at her own answer, “I feel... empowered. Emotionally, I should say. I feel altogether more confident about our collective abilities.”

[1/2]

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>>1739611

“Yeah, I kinda think we all felt that way after the first one. That was Emi's first time in the field, you know? Talk about diving in at the deep end...” smiling a wan smile, you think back to the battle at Mizuhashi Reserve, “Strange to imagine how recent it was. Things feel like they're happening to fast these days.”

“Like they're running out of control?” Kasumi asks pointedly, a question that you find yourself nodding to. “We can't control the entire world, Miho. Even the Sentinels can't do that much,” she continues, “All we can do is hold on tight and support each other. Like...”

“Like drunks stumbling home at night,” you finish, chuckling a little at the thought.

“Quite so!” Kasumi nods, apparently pleased with your answer.

-

Having deemed the conversation over, Kasumi breezes off ahead of you, leaving you to consider her words in peace. It's strange, knowing so little about her, especially when she acts as though she knows so much about everyone else. Her powers are a part of that, of course, her gift to see into the secrets people hold within their hearts – or, in your case, the hollow space left there.

A chill runs through you.

“Hey,” you murmur aloud, “Did you tell me to “seek strength”, Kurosawa? Well, I'm not finding anything.”

“I wanted to catch you on your own,” Kurosawa answers, his voice coming from behind you, “Do not be alarmed, this may seem... uncomfortable. It will pass.” A peaceful note, almost soothing, enters his voice. A split second later, you feel a jolt of energy – not quite electricity – running through your entire body. Stumbling forwards, you feel yourself transforming as you fall. By the time you've caught yourself, the Collapsed Star Knuckles have formed around your lower arms.

Your vision doubles for a moment, but when it clears your weapons are... different. Bulkier, but no heavier, with thicker plates of armour rising up to surround your arms. Turning your hand over, you see the palm set with a glossy disk, discordant power playing about it like lightning in a glass sphere. The new power feels good, but also... dangerous. Something barely kept under control. Deep within you, and perhaps this is just your imagination, you feel something else change – a change that is even less describable.

“Now then,” Kurosawa adds, his voice pulling you back to the present moment, “The next seal.”

“Right,” you mutter as you rise to your feet, slowly clenching and unclenching your fists as you walk.

-

Everyone has gathered at the tower, the great bird mural flaking away like ancient paint. The keyhole stands ready, and Kurosawa watches from nearby. Visible as a flicker of light on a distant building, Sakura – an outsider – keeps up a solemn watch of her own.

>I'm opening it now. Be ready for anything
>Before we move on... (Write in)
>Other

>>1739622
>>I'm opening it now. Be ready for anything

>>1739622
>I'm opening it now. Be ready for anything
New skills are pretty useful.

>>1739622
>I'm opening it now. Be ready for anything.

>>1739622
something something, keyblade pose

“I'm opening the seal now,” you warn everyone, the silver key appearing within your closed fist, “Be ready for anything.” The others don their costumes and ready their weapons as you reach out and touch the mural, soon finding a convenient keyhole. Perfectly placed for you to open it, without having to reach up or stoop down at all. Scowling a little, you move they key into position and-

“The lower level may not be so harmless,” Kurosawa warns, his voice jolting you from your thoughts, “I cannot advise lingering there without good reason.”

“Yes, thank you,” you snap back, “I wasn't about to buy a holiday home or anything like... ugh.” Shaking your head, you turn back to the mural and unceremoniously shove the key into its slot. No sooner have you put it then a force yanks the key out of your hands, pulling it into the door and absorbing it. Once the key is out of sight, a great rumble seems to grip the entire world as the door unfolds. Like the petals of some great and blasphemous flower, the stonework yawns open to reveal the inside of the tower.

“Yeah, uh, not exactly a promising-” Ayane begins, but a violent fit of coughing cuts off her words. From somewhere deep beneath you, a rush of stagnant air boils out to surround you, actually visible as a greasy sheen to the air. Even pulling your scarf up over your nose and mouth, you still feel the urge to gag as the reek of decay assaults you.

“Smells like something died down there,” Emi groans, between hacking coughs.

“More than one thing, I suspect,” Kasumi corrects her, waving a hand delicately in front of her nose, “But waiting up here and complaining won't do us any good, now will it? Look at it this way, we have an excellent motivation to do what we need to do and leave quickly.”

How very... optimistic of her.

-

For the sake of being thorough, you check the inside of the tower before doing anything else – it's not a long job. With no upwards stairs, the tower seems more like a hollow funnel than anything else, with a downward set of spiral stairs as the only feature of note. Even the walls are blank, with no decorations to draw the eye. Overall, it leaves you with just one option – descend deeper down into the guts of this place.

You lead the way, taking your time and choosing your footing with care. That same greasiness that hangs in the air also clings to the stone steps, leaving them slick and treacherous. The thought of trying to run up these stairs in a hurry...

An untold length of time later, and you arrive at the foot of the stairs. An archway greets you, a curtain of rotting silk hanging in place of a door. Shuddering at the feel of the clammy material, you brush through and emerge into the next layer.

[1/2]

>>1739653
maybe we should check what fire does to this stuff. Burns it away, makes an even worse smog, EXPLODES....

you know. Before we find something to fight.

>>1739653

This is no ancient city of dream and memory. This is YOUR city – a version of it, at least.

The familiar towers and buildings of Ark City rise out of the mire at crooked angles, their windows empty bar a few tenacious daggers of glass clinging to the frames. Above you, the sky is as dark as squid ink, thick clouds rolling and boiling as they spit down their oily rain. When the drops touch your skin, they tingle and burn like dilute acid. Here and there, the concrete splits so that fat vegetation can push up into view, flowers yawning grotesquely and vines giving up their crop of rotting fruit.

Taking a step forwards, you feel liquid splashing underfoot. The streets have become rivers, a thin stream of filth and effluence bubbling and sloshing in no natural current. That same stink of decay hangs heavy in the air here, fouling your lungs with every breath you are forced to draw. If there is one solitary consolation here, it is that there are no bodies – no human remains.

“I'm done,” Emi states simply, gazing around in undisguised revulsion, “I am so fucking done.”

“I... I...” Ayane stammers, the sight stealing away her words and stilling her thoughts. Seeing her speechless is what really hits you, what really hammers home how wrong this whole place is. Kurosawa was right – better not to linger here, as if you could ever want to.

“We should... we should locate the next seal,” Maika offers at long last, “Then next time, we'll be able to head straight for the target.”

“Okay, fine, whatever,” practically choking out the words, Emi spreads her hands wide, “So where do we even start? We've got a whole garbage fire of a city down there, you wanna go door to fucking door?”

“I can scout ahead a little...” Maika suggests, patting her bag to indicate the drone, “But if we assume that this area is an accurate recreation of Ark City – barring the obvious differences – that still leaves us with a lot of ground to cover.”

A lot of ground to cover, and this is definitely enemy territory. With Maika's drone scouting ahead, you can potentially check two targets at once, but...

“Okay guys, follow me,” you announce, “I've got an idea of where to check first.”

>Your apartment
>The school
>The Kanzaki compound
>The memorial site
>Somewhere else... (Write in)
>Other

>>1739688
>>The memorial site

>>1739688
>The memorial site

>>1739688
>>Somewhere else... (Write in)
Center of the pyramid, whatever it was called.

>The memorial site

>>1739688
>The memorial site

>>1739688
>The memorial site
>Where the AI locked up tight in security would physically be.
>We should also check out that mirror mansion place where the Sentinel ritual happens. There might be Intruders vaguely called in that direction.

>>1739688
>>The memorial site

Project Looking Glass is not a means of prediction, it created this realm for the Intruders to live in to make it easier to track where they are through 1:1 correlated portals. Like making a dungeon for monsters to hide in so you can kill them.

>>1739725
I don't think crucifixion forest was part of our reality or Arc City.

“We're going to the memorial site,” you tell the group, the words dropping from your lips like cold stones, “I've a feeling in my gut. If there's something here that we need to find, it'll be there.”

“Shit...” Ayane mutters, running a hand through her hair, “I don't want to see it like this. I just... I mean, I reckon you're right, but it's just-”

“It feels like we're about to unearth a grave,” Maika finishes, “Or bear witness to someone doing the same.” Turning away from you, she busies herself with speedily assembling her familiar. It takes her a little longer to fit some of the smaller pieces together – her hands, you notice, are trembling. Even with the delay, she soon has the little machine assembled and in the air. “Seems a little sluggish. Could be the air here...” she mutters to herself, “I don't see any Intruders in the immediate area. I think we're safe to move out.”

“For now...” Emi mutters darkly.

-

Trudging sullenly towards the memorial site, you feel your mood slipping towards the morose. It's hard not to feel the weight of this place pressing down on you, the desolation and decrepitude forming an oppressive shroud. Every so often you spot phantoms, embryonic Intruders, rising up out of the filth, but they pass you by without even noticing your presence. You let them pass - destroying them seems like too much of an effort, even for Emi.

Nobody speaks. The only sounds are those of your footsteps splashing through the filth and the scrape of Emi's sword dragging behind her. All of you seem to share the same thought, the same dread about what you might find ahead of you.

“I feel something,” Ayane whispers, so quietly that only you can overhear her, “Like... someone else's emotions, their feelings. It's like an imprint, I guess. I felt the same thing up above, only that was more like a... a pleasant nostalgia.” Hesitating, she raises her head and looks around the decimated city. “When I see this, I just feel... ambition. Desire,” she murmurs, “Above us, it was like looking into the past. Here, it's closer to the future. A version of it, at least.”

“Whose vision of the future?” you ask in response, “No, don't answer that. I can guess. The source.”

“Probably,” Ayane agrees, “Whatever it is, it can think.”

To that, you just grimace. By your estimation, you're almost to the memorial site. Pausing to check your bearings, you glance towards the centre of the city – to the arcology, the great pyramid that stands at the heart of Ark City. It's seen better days, that's for sure.

“Maika, you're not picking up any enemies nearby, right?” you ask, “Then I want you to do a little scouting. See if there's anything up with the arcology.”

“Understood,” Maika confirms, flipping down her visor and sending her drone on its way, “Anything you're expecting to find?”

“I'm not sure,” you answer with a shrug, “Call it a hunch.”

[1/2]

>>1739740

This is not the memorial you know. The memorial you know is a sombre thing, a simple slab with the names of the dead engraved into it. Humble, in a way, and strangely calming to behold. This blasphemy is altogether quite different. More like a war memorial than anything else, it depicts figures, girls, standing victoriously atop a pile of their fallen kin. You don't want to look, but you find yourself studying the statue. One of those victors... it bears your face. The fallen are depicted in almost no detail at all, as if they barely mattered.

“This is got to be some kind of sick joke,” Ayane snarls as she studies it, “This is just... this is too far. This is over the line.” Turning around with a sudden burst of furious energy, she looks about for any sign of the Intruders. “Do you hear me, you son of a bitch?” she yells at the gloom, “You crossed a line here, you crossed the fucking line!”

“Keep your voice down!” Emi hisses, grabbing Ayane and shaking her, “You wanna pick a fight, fine, but not here! Anywhere but here!”

For a moment it looks as though Ayane is going to lash out at the younger girl, but then all the strength leaves her, causing her to sag down to her knees. As she covers her mouth and trembles with a suppressed sob, you hear a strangely polite sound. Kasumi peers out from behind that hideous memorial, clearing her throat to get your attention. When you meet her eyes, she gestures you closer. Slinking away from the others, you follow her behind the memorial – there, set into the plinth of the statue, is a small wooden door.

“I believe this is what we're looking for,” she murmurs to you, “It looks fragile, but I dare say that we could spend the rest of our lives trying to force it and we wouldn't make a difference.”

“We'll need to do this properly,” you agree, “With a Tyrant and a key.” Touching the door – the wood is faintly warm, like a living thing – you study it for any images or engravings. “Nothing...” you mutter, “No clues as to what we might be dealing with. Then again, the last mural showed us a bird and we got... that thing.”

“A manta ray and a spider,” Kasumi agrees, “Not quite what you'd expect.”

“Ayane seems to have settled down. I think she was just shaken a little,” Maika interrupts, joining you behind the memorial, “I've got something else. An anomaly.”

“Maika,” you point out, “This whole place is an anomaly.”

“Even by the standards of this place, then,” she insists, taking off her helmet and offering it to you, “Take a look. This is footage coming right from the arcology. I think that hunch might have paid off.”

[2/3]

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/tg/ unexpectedly gave us Emi.

>>1739793
Pfft. Nice.

>>1739780

“The front gates were almost completely blown apart,” Maika explains, her voice reaching you through the helmet, “It was easy enough to fly inside. As you can see, the arcology is in rather poor shape, but what really caught my attention was-”

“The big archway thing,” you agree, watching as the drone's camera focuses on a crooked shrine archway, seemingly sprouting out of the ground like a tree. Below it, a hole has been ripped in the tiles. The grand arcology does not – and, to the extent of your knowledge, never has – had an archway like that in the lobby. “It's a new addition,” you murmur, “But why a shrine gateway thing-”

“A torii,” Kasumi reminds you.

“A torii, whatever,” you finish, “Why put one of those in the grand arcology?”

“That, I couldn't say. The hole doesn't seem to extend down very far either,” Maika answers with a shrug, gently taking the helmet from you, “I assume it means something to whatever has created this place, although I must question the logic and rationality of that entity.”

She's slipping into robot speech again, you notice, she really must be rattled by all this. “Well, what else might be here?” you wonder aloud, “The Sentinels have a manor outside Ark City, they perform their rituals there. That seems like it might show up here, considering what goes on there...”

“Outside Ark City, you say?” Maika queries, slipping her helmet back on and making a few curt gestures. “Oh... oh, I see. That IS interesting,” she murmurs, “This place ends before reaching out that far. It dissolves into nothingness before we reach the city limits. I can't help but wonder if our “host” ran out of patience before reaching that far. Either way, there's nothing out there – literally nothing.”

That's something you'll be seeing in your nightmare later, you're sure of that.

“So, Miho, what's our next move?” Kasumi asks, her voice as cool and unflappable as ever.

>We've done what we need to do. Kurosawa? Get us out of here
>I want to see that torii thing for myself
>I want to go somewhere else... (Write in)
>Other

>>1739826
>I want to see that torii thing for myself

>>1739826
>I want to see that torii thing for myself

>>1739826
>>I want to see that torii thing for myself

>>1739826
>I want to go somewhere else

Oracle church
All Sentinel bases we know the location of.

>>1739826
I want to bask in the memorial a little, it's a monument to my mass murder after all!

>>1739826
>May as well check out the other AIs as well

“I want to see that torii thing for myself,” you decide, “A camera feed is one thing, but I want to get a feel for it. I'll need to see it in person for that.”

“I understand,” Maika nods, “Video footage has a certain detachment involved. I'll be happy to come with you.”

“I'd like to see it as well,” Kasumi agrees, “But, ah, might I make a suggestion? I don't think we all need to go, so if Ayane or Emi would rather go back... well, I feel like we should extend the offer.”

“Sure, right,” you nod, looking around to the front of the memorial. Ayane is shifting uneasily, refusing to look at the thing, while Emi stands awkwardly by her side. Tentatively approaching them, you circle around and give Ayane a slight wave. Jolting back to reality, she forces a smile. “Hey, Ayane,” you begin gently, “You okay?”

“Me? Sure, I'm... dealing with it,” she replies weakly, “But man, putting my face on that thing... cheap trick, huh?”

Frowning a little, you glance back to the memorial. The only face you can make out is your own – just like Ayane said, a cheap trick. “We were going to check out some other places,” you tell her, “If you're not feeling up to it, you can head back. I don't want to force anything. Kurosawa can probably pull you out of here.”

“Yeah, I think... I think I'll probably do that,” Ayane nods reluctantly, “I hope I'm not leaving you in the lurch here.”

“I wanna get out of here as well,” Emi adds, “This place is fucking with my guts. That stink...”

You wish she hadn't said that. You were just starting to tune it out, but now it's back in full force.

-

The three of you take extra care as you make your way to the central arcology, but your caution is unnecessary. Other than a few knots of aimless phantoms, you don't see any Intruders. When you arrive at the arcology, however, you stop dead in your tracks. As Maika described, the front of the building is in ruins, but they don't look like they've been blown apart to you. No, to you, they look more like something reached out with a vast claw and ripped the building open.

Which isn't a particularly reassuring sign, you'll admit. Shaking off the unease settling in your gut, you enter the lobby and approach the splintered archway. Your earlier theory was right, the place feels much different in person – a kind of hallowed, solemn air that defies proper description.

“Maika, check out the other Sentinel sites,” you ask, glancing back to her, “Their building, the chapel in the vice district, anything else you can think of.”

“Understood,” she nods, “Anywhere else?”

“The AIs,” you decide, “Anywhere they might be located. Call it another hunch. Keep me informed, as soon as you find anything. I'm going to... take a look around.”

[1/2]

>>1739891

While Maika gestures in the background, you walk a slow circuit of the torii and the hole blasted in the floor. There's not much to look at – the wooden archway is splintered and scarred, while the hole is no more interesting than a crater – so you focus on the less definable. You calm yourself as best as possible, focusing on the impressions you gleam from the sights before you.

“Something broke in here,” you say to yourself, “It didn't break out, it was trying to get in. Then the hole, it tried to dig down before giving up... or being driven off.”

“Is that your professional opinion?” Kasumi asks delicately, “There's still a lot of blanks. What was trying to get in, and what drove it off?”

“Hey, I'm just guessing,” you shrug, “And this might not even relate to anything. We're trying to interpret a fundamentally inhuman mind.”

“No, I'm not so sure about that,” Kasumi thinks to herself, “I think we're trying to interpret a dream – something unconsciously created, reflecting a world that the source has never actually seen. It's projecting biases and fears, just like anyone else might do.”

“Meaning, it might hate and fear something about the arcology,” you muse, “There's a lot of central computer systems here. If Monad has a throne... this might be it.”

-

“Results are in,” Maika announces, raising her visor, “Nothing special to report with the Sentinel building, although it's pretty disorderly looking. The chapel, however, was more interesting.” Flicking a finger at you, she causes an image to flicker into life on your phone. Another torii, smaller this time, nestled in the chapel. “The same applies to all the other AI locations,” Maika explains, “Even at my home. It's rather strange – Father would have a fit if he saw something like this.”

“AI terminals as shrines...” Kasumi murmurs to herself, “It makes a certain degree of sense. I'm not sure how else an Intruder might conceive of an AI.”

A silence falls over the three of you, slowly replaced by a new sound – the distant buzzing of flies. Kasumi pales at the noise, involuntarily stepping a little closer to you. “Something is stirring,” Kurosawa growls, his voice faint in your mind, “I'm pulling you out now, before we get cut off.”

“No arguments here,” you sigh, closing your eyes and bracing yourself for the transition.

-

Your eyes are still closed when you emerge into the real world, and the first thing you feel is the warmth of the sun against your skin. After the hellish ruined city, it feels like an unbelievable luxury. Spreading your hands wide, you soak in as much of the glorious warmth as you can. Basking in it, you have to force yourself to reluctantly return to reality. Opening your eyes, you fill your lungs with fresh air and smile.

It's good to be home.

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>>1739930
We need an expert

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>>1739942
We need some gas-masks for the stench. Or even an outright spacesuit.

Also Sentinels are gonna shit bricks when we tell them something is attacking their "god".

If, I suppose.

I'll be interested to see how Karl reacts if we tell him though.

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>>1739965
Alright, so, Ira with the SEVA suit is what you're asking for?

>>1739965
Maika might be able to fashion some rebreathers.

>>1739930

Forcing yourself to get back to the task at hand, you glance about the shrine. The others are all here, save for Ayane. When you give Emi a questioning look, the young girl just shrugs.

“She wanted to make a phone call, talk to her boyfriend and steady her nerves,” Emi explains, “Hey, I don't mind. I'm no good at this talking stuff, so palming the problem off on somebody else seemed like the best way of dealing with it. She's behind the shrine building if you wanna eavesdrop, but obviously I can't suggest it. Shit's rude, yeah?”

“Of course,” you agree, noticing Ayane emerging from behind the shrine as you glance over, “No need for that, she's back now.”

“Yeah, uh, sorry about that,” Ayane mutters as she returns, her cheeks still slightly flushed, “I just... wanted to hear a friendly voice. Not that you guys aren't friendly, I mean, but... it's a different kind of friendly, yeah?” Clearing her throat, she forces a cocky grin. “You'll understand one day,” she adds, “When you're older.”

“I don't even WANT to know...” Emi mutters to herself.

-

After you share what you learned with Ayane and Emi – what little you learned – the group splits off. Ayane and Emi withdraw to discuss things in low, conspiratorial voices, while Maika gets to work disassembling her drone and cleaning the various pieces. She has a whole of brushes, and there's something strangely hypnotic about watching her work. There's a meditative element to it, as though she was a Buddhist monk.

“So,” Kasumi touches your shoulder, “Back to reality.”

“It doesn't always seem like reality,” you counter, “But... yeah. You still going for that retail therapy?”

“I think so, yes,” she nods mildly, “For some reason, I have a sudden urge to buy a new bottle of perfume. Would you like to come with me?”

>I'm gonna have to pass. I'm not feeling up to it
>Sure, okay. It'll be nice to unwind a little
>Why don't we all go? It could be a group thing!
>Other

>>1739977
>>Why don't we all go? It could be a group thing!

>>1739977
>>Sure, okay. It'll be nice to unwind a little
just the two of them

>>1739977
>Sure, okay. It'll be nice to unwind a little

>>1739977
>>Sure, okay. It'll be nice to unwind a little

>>1739977
>Why don't we all go? It could be a group thing!

>>1739977
>Why don't we all go? It could be a group thing!

>>1739793
That's fuckin' awesome.

>>1739977
>Sure, okay. It'll be nice to unwind a little

File: Ayane Nakamura.jpg (150 KB, 900x900)

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“Sure, okay,” you concede, “It'll be nice to unwind a little.” Nodding to yourself, you glance across to the others. “Why don't we all go?” you suggest, “It can be, like, a group thing!”

“Hmm, really?” Kasumi almost looks... disappointed at this, “Oh, but it seems as though Miss Kanzaki has other ideas.” Nodding towards the exit, she draws your attention to Maika – who is already starting to leave. Frowning a little, you call out Maika's name, causing the heiress to turn and approach you.

“I'm going home,” she explains simply, reading your expression “After seeing that... perverted image of my home, I feel the need to reassure myself that everything is fine. I'd like to hear SAE's voice. Was there anything else you needed from me?”

“Uh, no. I don't think so,” you shake your head, “Oh, no. Wait. Do you know anything about gas masks? That stagnant air down there is nasty, if there's something that can filter it out a little...”

“I see. Let me think about that,” Maika nods slowly, “We may need to experiment a little, but I'll do a little research. It'll be nice to have something to focus on, actually. Well, goodbye you two. Have fun.” Bowing demurely, she turns and strolls off.

“A gas mask? How troublesome...” Kasumi murmurs, smiling to herself, “What if I needed to touch up my lipstick?”

“You've got some pretty weird priorities, Kasumi,” you reply, shaking your head in disbelief, “Hey, Ayane, Emi! We're going out shopping for a bit, you guys wanna come?”

“Not my usual sort of thing, but it might be nice to do something different,” Ayane decides, “Alright, count me in. Emi, you coming?”

“Shopping, sure,” Emi grunts, rolling her eyes, “With my overflowing wallet. Fuck... I guess I can just try stuff on, that might be fun enough. I promise I won't steal anything.”

Taking that as joke, Kasumi laughs delicately. You don't find it nearly so funny.

-

You didn't really expect to relax very well, after everything you've been through, but shopping proves to be a pleasantly mindless activity. All you really have to do is follow as Kasumi picks out specific items and holds them up against you, nodding to herself in apparent satisfaction. Ayane and Emi take it altogether less seriously, trying on an increasingly absurd series of hats.

“What about this?” Kasumi thinks aloud, holding a leather jacket out to you, “That's genuine leather, and it has a certain “troublemaker chic” to it, wouldn't you agree?”

“Yeah!” Emi agrees, “You just need a motorbike and an attitude problem, then you'd be set!”

“Maybe just a motorbike,” Ayane corrects her with a coy smile, ducking back as you pretend to swing a punch at her. “Hey, c'mon!” she protests, “You're just proving me right!”

It's good to see her smiling again. It's good to smile again.

[1/2]

>>1740088
DS London was missing Amelia stumbling on a motorbike that somehow had fuel in it.

>>1740088

Your shopping trip – a poor choice of words, none of you actually bought anything - is almost at an end. Just one last stop to make, according to Kasumi. The perfume counter at a large department store, and maybe a quick drink at the rooftop cafe. It all sounds a little too fancy for your tastes, but you don't want to spoil her fun. Emi, on the other hand, has other ideas. Just looking at the department store is enough to turn her as pale as a sheet.

“Nah, nah fuck this, I'm done,” she says, the words running into each other, “I'm... tired, yeah? Too much walking for these little feet. I'd better get home.”

“Emi?” Kasumi turns, giving the younger girl a curious look, “Is there something wrong?”

Realisation dawns. “She's had a tough day,” you mention with a deliberately casual tone, “And honestly, I'm not sure if trying out different perfumes is how Emi might normally relax. No offence, Emi.”

“None taken,” she mumbles, staring down at her shoes. Almost compulsively, she keeps tugging down her shirt, making absolutely sure that her stomach – and the old scars lacing back and forth over it - is covered. “Seriously, I had more fun than I thought, but I'm at my limit,” she continues, looking up and giving you all an unreadable look, “I'm gonna go home, watch a shitty horror movie, then pass out for a few hours. Tomorrow, I'll be back in action.”

“If you insist,” Kasumi frowns a little, her frown only deepening when Emi turns tail and runs off. “Oh dear,” she murmurs, “I hope Emi isn't coming down with anything...”

“I don't know if we CAN come down with stuff,” you point out, quickly changing the subject, “I mean, Ayane, remember when Shiori was ill?”

“Oh yeah,” as Ayane nods to herself, you stroll into the department store, “I never got a touch of it. Not a little...”

-

By the time Kasumi has finished deliberating over which perfume to buy – she settled on a tiny bottle of something that smelled faintly of lilies – you were all feeling the need for a drink. The view from the rooftop cafe, though, made it all worthwhile. Sitting at one of the few empty tables, you take a sip of some upmarket soda and let the warm sun wash over you.

“Folks like Maika must do this sorta stuff every day,” Ayane sighs, “The luxury lifestyle, y'know?”

“I don't know, I don't think she has the free time to appreciate these sorts of things,” you point out, “I mean, even without... other stuff, her dad works her pretty hard. Sure, maybe she can afford this stuff on a daily basis, but she sure as hell doesn't have the time for it.”

“No money and all the freedom in the world, or no freedom and all the money in the world,” Kasumi muses, “What an interesting conundrum.”

“Or you could have no money and no freedom,” you laugh, “Can't imagine there's much fun there, huh?”

[2/3]

>>1740137

“Well, whatever. Speaking of money, Kasumi, how can you afford that perfume stuff? That little bottle costs more than, like, anything I'd consider buying,” Ayane chuckles, “I just steal – uh, “borrow”, I mean - bottles of aftershave from guys. I mean, it's all smelly stuff, right?”

“There is a world of difference, Ayane dear,” Kasumi sighs, “I don't think we have enough daylight hours left in the day for me to explain it to you.”

“Yeah? Well, I'm gonna get another drink,” shrugging grandly, Ayane rises from her chair and starts to stroll off, “Don't cause any trouble while I'm gone, you hear? I mean it, Miho, no starting a motorbike gang!”

As Ayane departs, Kasumi heaves a heavy sigh. “What are we to do with her?” she asks herself, leaning forwards to face you, “At least you're not a lost cause, Miho. There's hope for you yet.”

“Uh, thanks?” you reply, “I think...”

“My my, so tentative,” Kasumi giggles, “Tell me, Miho. What do you think of me?”

“Huh? Where did that come from?” you ask, taken off-guard by her query “Are you asking me to grade you? Is this a performance evaluation?”

“I'm serious,” she stresses, smiling at your confusion, “It's not that complicated a question, is it? I'm just curious, give me your immediate response. Don't think too hard about it.”

Your immediate response, without thinking too hard about it...

>You fight pretty well. You're a good part of the team
>You're a good friend. I'm not sure what else to say
>I feel like you're more than just a friend...
>I don't know. I still don't know much about you
>Other

>>1740200
>>You're a good friend. I'm not sure what else to say
"A little mysterious maybe. You tend to keep your cards close to your chest unlike the rest of the girls. Always composed when most of us are rattled."

>Other
"What about me? Immediate response."

I had a feeling when she was disappointed other people came with and she bought that type of perfume.

>>1740200
>You're a good friend.
>You fight pretty well. You're a good part of the team
>You somehow manage to stay composed in any situation. How do you do it?

>>1740200
>I don't know. I still don't know much about you
>I feel like you have my back though.

>>1740200
>>You're a good friend. I'm not sure what else to say
As much as anybody is Miho's friend! The two hang out together a lot it seems.

>>1740200
>>You're a good friend. I'm not sure what else to say
>You fight pretty well.
>You somehow manage to stay composed in any situation. How do you do it?

>>1740200
I have to say, a woman who toys with men's hearts but finds true love in another woman is a cliche even worse than Kaoru seemed.

>>1740200
>You have the best fashion sense ever. Of all time.

>>1740200
>>You're a good friend. I'm not sure what else to say
>>I don't know. I still don't know much about you

“You're a good friend,” you answer simply, “Uh... I'm not sure what else to say. You're a little mysterious, and you like to play your cards close to your chest. When everyone else is getting rattled, you're always the one to keep your cool and stay composed. How do you do it?”

“Well, I have a reputation to uphold!” she confides, “I'm not heartless, Miho, I get scared like anyone else. I just try very hard to keep it from showing. Sometimes, people need an anchor to hold onto, to keep them from being washed away. If I can provide that anchor, I'd be more than happy.”

“Oh, I see. That makes sense,” you nod slowly, “Well, you fight pretty well, and you're a good part of the team. Sometimes... it seems like we need an anchor. I'm glad you're here to provide that for us.”

Leaning back and away from you, Kasumi glances to the side. The moment her eyes leave yours, the spell is broken. The background hum of so many conversations rushes in the fill the absence, taking the edge off the sudden silence between you. “As I say,” she muses, “I'm more than happy to do what I can.”

“But man, I really don't know all that much about you. I know that you've got the best fashion sense of anyone I know, and I definitely consider you a friend, but other than that?” you admit, wincing as you realise how your words might seem, “I'm not doubting you – I mean, I know that you've got my back – but you sure do like your secrets.”

“It's all part of my mystique,” the elegant girl tells you, winking at you, “Keep people guessing, and they'll never be disappointed.”

“Well, I, uh...” faltering a moment, you glance aside to see where Ayane has got to. She's nowhere to be seen, of course. “What about me?” you ask instead, looking back to Kasumi, “Immediate reaction, don't think too much. Same deal, okay?”

“My immediate reaction?” Kasumi taps a finger against her lips, “I treasure your friendship, Miho. In truth, I don't have many people that I'd consider to be “close” friends, but you're definitely among that number. This whole “magical girl” business has plenty of drawbacks, but I'm glad that it brought us all together. All of us, as a group. That is what I think.” Running a finger around the rim of her empty glass, she studies you for a moment more. “Good enough?” she teases, “Or should I get a pen and fill out some of those feedback forms for you?”

“Hey, it's more than enough for me,” you chuckle, “I'm just glad we're friends. We need all the friends we can get, these days.”

“Right!” Ayane agrees loudly, slapping a tray of fresh drinks down in front of you, “So, what are we all talking about?”

“Nothing!” Kasumi yelps, her eyes widening with shock.

So much for her famous composure.

[1/2]

>>1740278

“So anyway, Isamu called me with some dumb question. He wanted me to settle an argument between him and one of his friends. An argument about, can you believe it, this new giant robot show that they watched. He thought that Shiori might watch it, and I might know...” Ayane explains, gesturing wildly as she recounts her story, “I mean, she DOES watch it, and she DOES talk about it, but it's not like I listen! Anyway, I told him that Maika would know, but he doesn't have her number, so...”

The flow of words washes over you like a wave. Kasumi glances across to you, raising an amused eyebrow, but makes no attempt at stemming the flow. Eventually, Ayane runs out of breath and her story trails off.

“So?” you ask as you finally get the chance to get a word in, “Who won the argument?”

“What? Oh right,” Ayane shrugs, “I don't know, they're probably still bickering about it. Now that I think about it, this entire story was basically pointless.”

“You don't say...” Kasumi murmurs to herself.

>I think I'm going to pause things here for today. I'll continue this tomorrow, and if anyone has any questions I'll answer them as best I can
>Thanks to everyone who contributed today!

>>1740278
How long have we known Kasumi, by the way? I lost track of the in-quest time.

>>1740317
Thanks for running!
How long until Sakura offers us a contract?

>>1740317
Thanks for running.

Can Spellbreaker stop a Magical Girl's abilities? For how long?

>>1740319

I'm not precisely sure either, off the top of my head. About two weeks at most, as a very rough estimate, but I'd have to go back through my notes for a more precise figure.

>>1740324

She's not really the type for all that formal stuff, she's more casual about her business relations!

>>1740330

It can shut down most of their more advanced powers. So, Crow could still transform and throw knifes at us, but she couldn't turn invisible or teleport about. As for duration, it lasts until the target can get a free moment to shake it off. It's not something they can do in the heat of combat, so it can shut someone down for the length of a fight.

>>1740354
> two weeks at most
Miho is a proper mahou-shoujo lead. Her power of friendship is strong.

>>1740317
Thanks for running! I wonder what insights about Emi Kasumi got from her power just now.

>>1740391
The ultimate test is going to be BEFRIENDing Crow.

It'll probably involve a fist in a face.

>>1740391

Well, the power of the Heavenly Child is to draw people close, to attract them - in a platonic sense - at a subconscious level. Of course, this isn't always a good thing. There are some people who you might not WANT to get drawn close.

>>1740395

A good girl would never peek!
So yes, Kasumi may have learned a few choice aspects of Emi's past

>>1740431
I'd prefer just a fist to the face, without the befriending. Crow is an enormous asshole.

>>1740461
Beggars can't be choosers when the fate of mankind is at stake sadly. She's one of the last magical girls left and with no more being made we need all the help we can get.

>>1740478
Nah. We're not beggars, we're a team of magical girls with an uneasy alliance with a shadow organization that uses the power of our enemies to also do magic. Sure, we can have missions that involve Crow, but we really don't have to be friends, or even close allies.

>>1740447
>There are some people who you might not WANT to get drawn close.
Crow is a work in progress, okay? We'll befriend her yet!

>>1740478
What if we need one more key to reach the source and Zakuro is the only tyrant left? Do we kill Zakuro or do we feed Crow to an Intruder and then kill it?

>>1740507
In your binary ultimatum I'd say Zakuro. At the end of the day our job is to completely eradicate the Intruders and she is one of them.

>>1740512
Is she though? Is she really? She definitely has the body of an Intruder, but her mind could still be human, and that's what matters.

>>1740525
Like I said, that's my answer to your ultimatum. I'd rather not do either.

>>1740525
It'd be a needs of the many situation.

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>>1740278
>kasumi panics when the truuthseer shows up

>>1743209
shit I totally didnt think of that. was thinking more that "oh cool kasumi seems nice actually maybe we can really trust her". scary.

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>>1743209
...Fug. She got me.

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Home. Your bedroom. Night has drawn in, but you're still awake.

“It's quite amusing, watching people like you interact,” Sakura says, her voice softly creeping through the night, “You have all kinds of rituals, patterns that you so obediently cling to. It gives you a way to dance around what you really wish to talk about. Fascinating, quite fascinating... that girl you were speaking with, she's a master of it.”

You pause, but you don't look away from your the screen of your phone. You were busy researching gas masks – a little idle curiosity of your own – but now your attention is well and truly elsewhere. Looking up, you see the white cat sitting on your windowsill, framed against the moonlight. “That girl?” you ask, “Do you mean Kasumi?”

“Who else?” Sakura replies, amused by your response, “If conversations are an ocean, she would be a quick and diligent fish – entirely within its domain.”

“I can't disagree,” you murmur, “But I fail to see what your point might be. You do have a point, don't you?”

“Not especially,” the cat happily admits, “I'm just amused. Aren't you?”

“I'm more interested in you,” tossing aside your phone, you lie back in bed, “Kurosawa isn't sure what to make of you. He doesn't know what your motivations might be, and I'd have to agree with him on that point. Sure, you want us to finish our original mission – that's what I want as well. But is that ALL you want?” When no answer comes, you sigh and continue. “It sounds pretty paranoid, doesn't it?” you think idly to yourself, “But that's what my life has come to. Everyone has some kind of ulterior motive. I'm curious about yours.”

“Is it really so hard to believe that I might just wish to destroy the Intruders?” Sakura asks in response, “I'm new here – a relative outsider. I've not had the time to set up a sprawling web of schemes and allies. I barely understand the tangled web that you yourself have been caught up in. If anything, I would humbly suggest that I'm the only person you CAN trust!”

“Right,” you mutter, “But then, you would say that, wouldn't you?”

“And I AM saying it,” she agrees cheerfully, “In the absence of any reason to distrust me, why not allow yourself to have an ally? After all, we DO share the same goal.”

“Earlier, I asked if you regretted how things worked out,” rolling over in bed, you look away from the glowing cat, “You didn't answer me. That's as good of a reason to distrust you as any. I think you avoided the question because I wouldn't like any answer you had to give me.”

“Not quite correct. I just didn't have an answer to give you, full stop,” Sakura appears in front of you, her eyes like bottomless black pits, “But I might have an answer now. Whether you like it or not is your business.”

[1/2]

>>1743283

“You see, regret is a strange thing. I regret a lot, but I don't regret a lot more. I can't say that things wouldn't be so much worse if I had chosen to act differently. If the gods had taken a more active hand in your development, as a species, this conversation would likely not be taking place right now. The world would not be one you recognise,” Sakura lectures, in the tone of someone talking to themselves, “Maybe it would be better. Maybe it would be worse.”

“Maybe men would tire of the gods, and rise up to tip them from their thrones,” you muse, “I don't think that would end well for anyone.”

“No, I don't think it would,” Sakura chuckles softly, “So. I regret that things have unfolded in a less than optimal way, but I can't claim that I have any better ideas about what I could have – should have – done.”

“And if any of us should lose our lives because of your decisions,” you ask, “Would you regret that?”

“I regret every life that has been lost in the fight against the Intruders,” Sakura gazes into you with her blank, hollow eyes, “But if I could put an end to them, once and for all, by throwing ten thousand lives into the abyss... I would do it in a heartbeat. I would regret it, but I would do it anyway.”

“Compassion really is a distant cousin to you people, isn't it?” you mutter, turning over to get away from those eyes, “Well, I've got an answer now. You're right, I didn't like it much.”

“I'm glad we had this conversation,” the cat says, with an alarming degree of sincerity. When the air changes, you know that she has left you. Only then do you pick your phone back up and start aimlessly flicking through it. After a spot of idle browsing, you arrive at the picture of you and Chiaki.

“I'll do something to help you,” you promise the picture, “I don't know what, not yet, but I'll do something.”

Sakura might be happy to throw ten thousand lives into the mouth of hell, but you'd be happy if you could save just one of them. The question is... how?

>Meet with the Oracle. Perhaps she can draw out Chiaki's stalker
>Speak with Jun about this. He might be convinced to rule Chiaki out as a possibility
>Visit Zakuro and discuss the issue. Set one Intruder to catch another
>Other

>>1743285
>>Visit Zakuro and discuss the issue. Set one Intruder to catch another

>>1743285
>Visit Zakuro and discuss the issue. Set one Intruder to catch another

Hell yea, best girl

>>1743285
>Visit Zakuro and discuss the issue. Set one Intruder to catch another

>>1743285
>>Visit Zakuro and discuss the issue. Set one Intruder to catch another
I like how the unholy union between an ancient horrorterror and an undead girl is the most trustworthy contact out of these three.

>>1743288
Emi>Zakuro

>>1743285
>Visit Zakuro and discuss the issue. Set one Intruder to catch another

>>1743285
>Visit Zakuro and discuss the issue. Set one Intruder to catch another

File: Zakuro.jpg (713 KB, 1080x1080)

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You could try visiting Zakuro, you consider, and discussing the issue with her. What's that saying, set a thief to catch a thief? Well, this isn't all that different – set an Intruder to catch an Intruder. Besides, it can't hurt to check up on her, make sure she's not getting up to anything she shouldn't. A bit of human conversation every now and again might be good for her, to remind Zakuro of what she's left behind... and to keep her from straying even further from it.

Tossing your phone aside, you lie back in bed and close your eyes. Whatever you end up doing, you won't be doing it tonight. Tonight, you want to get some decent rest for once.

You'd settle for some half-decent rest.

-

The rooftop is warm, waves of sunlight beating down on you and reflecting off the metal pieces surrounding you. Air conditioning units, you'd guess, but their function really doesn't matter. What matters is the reflections gleaming in their surfaces. Tentatively pressing your hand against the metal – and wincing a little at the heat – you close your eyes and focus hard on “finding” Zakuro's realm. The [Umbral coordinates] come easily to mind, and soon you feel your consciousness retreating.

Just before you lose the thread of reality completely, you hear yourself speaking aloud. “Kurosawa? I'm going off the grid for a little bit,” you announce to the empty air, “Don't worry, I'm just asking a few questions. I'll be back soon.” Trusting the cat to overhear and understand, you let the connection reach completion.

Disorientation sweeps up over you as you feel yourself fall forwards, into the portal and deeper down into some lower realm. The sensation is a fleeting one, and soon your senses return to you. The first thing you feel is a firmness supporting your back, a vaguely familiar chair. Opening your eyes, you study the tableaux laid out before you. It seems as though you arrived just in time for afternoon tea. Sitting opposite you, holding a teacup in a careful grip, Zakuro gives you a welcoming smile.

You've got to admit, it's a better puppet this time. You were almost fooled.

“Hello Zakuro,” you begin, “You're looking well.”

“Yes,” the puppet answers, her words neat and carefully pronounced, “I've been practising. I'm glad that you noticed.”

Looking down at the table, you pick up an empty teacup and study it. It looks like fine porcelain, but it feels more like bone. Not bone china, but actual bone. Hurriedly putting it back down again, you unconsciously wipe your hands on your trousers. Instead, you pick up the teapot and take an experimental sniff of the contents. It smells more like broth, a rich and meaty smell.

“I won't recommend trying it,” Zakuro explains, “I'm still experimenting. I don't think I've got the flavour quite right yet.”

[1/2]

Lets be encouraging and try it!

>>1743325
Probably shouldn't

>>1743326
Don't be a pussy anon, it's free broth

>>1743320

For a moment you both lapse into an almost embarrassed silence, but then you clear your throat. “I came here to ask you something,” you begin, “I wondered if you might be able to help me with something...”

“I'm listening,” Zakuro replies, taking a sip of the... tea substitute. A drop runs from one corner of her mouth, but she quickly mops it away with a handkerchief. “Tell me, have you come seeking the wisdom of the abyss?” she adds, “Secrets have a way of bubbling up from the depths of this great lake of mud. When they do, I have ears to hear them.”

You'd like to think she's being poetic, but you have the sneaking suspicion that she's speaking literally. “I'm trying to find an Intruder,” you tell her plainly, “A specific Intruder. It's stalking a friend of mine, because it, uh... it used to be her sister. Or at least, it absorbed some part of her. What I'm trying to ask is, do you know of any way to conjure it up?”

“Hmm,” Zakuro places her teacup down and taps a flawless finger against her lips as she thinks, “I wonder...”

“And what would you do if you could call it up?” she asks then, in her “other” voice. The thick, wet gurgle comes from deeper in the gloom surrounding you. Peering towards the source of it, you see a looming shape shift a little.

“I would destroy it,” you answer calmly, “I want her to be free from it... and free from those who would profit from it. That's not going to be a problem, is it?”

“Worry not, I have no familial loyalty to these things,” Zakuro laughs, her puppet shaking along with the coarse, rumbling mirth that comes from the distance. “It may be possible to invite it here,” she continues, “But if it has sufficient will, it may not answer. It may hide itself away out of simple caution. Those with minds are given to using them.”

“So what you're saying is, it might not work?” pushing your chair back from the table, you circle around and glance at the puppet's back. As before, a fleshy cord runs from the small of its back and leads off into the gloom. “We might call out to it, and it might refuse to come,” you continue, “Right?”

“It is a possibility,” Zakuro admits, “But perhaps it WILL come, as obediently as any hound. I am willing to try – it will be an experiment, a learning experience for both of us.”

“So, uh, how does this work?” you ask then, “Do we need to bring her here? I mean, I don't want to be rude, but she might not like all the... meat.”

“This girl, you know her well?” the Tyrant asks, emerging from her hiding place in all her terrible glory, “Your thoughts of her may serve as the conduit, the... bait. Shall we begin?”

>Yes. Where do we start?
>No, I have other options I'd rather try
>I'd like to ask something first... (Write in)
>Other

>>1743333
>Yes. Where do we start?
Surely nothing will go wrong.

>>1743333

>Yes. Where do we start?

Nice quads Zakuro. Checked.

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“Yes, okay,” you nod firmly, “So, uh, where do we start?”

“Follow,” Zakuro commands, turning and striding away into her city. You hasten to follow her, taking care not to tread on any of the fleshy tendrils trailing in her wake. One of them, the cord connecting her to her puppet, slips free and falls to the ground, twitching like a fresh corpse. Glancing back, you see the inert body slouching in its seat. Shuddering, you look away and focus on following Zakuro.

The giant takes corners more or less at random – at least, according to your sense of direction – until you emerge in a clearing. The buildings part to reveal a bubbling stretch of swamp, thick mud bubbling and heaving. Standing on the shore, you hear something vague and indistinct tugging at your senses – whispers, but nothing that you can focus on. Whenever you try, the voices trail off with a fading giggle.

“In time, you may grow more acquainted with this mirror,” Zakuro tells you, certainty in her voice, “But for now, it will serve our purposes.” Crouching, she trails her inhuman fingers through the mire, cutting furrows that linger a moment before filling in once again.

“This doesn't look much like a mirror to me,” you point out.

“To you,” the Tyrant agrees, “Now go – walk its surface and think of your friend. I will do my part, and you will do yours. If this specimen wishes to reveal itself, it will do so. Begin.”

“You...” grimacing, you look away from Zakuro and take a single step forwards. Leaving the solid ground of the shore behind you, you fully expect to sink into the mud. When your foot falls on seemingly firm ground, you take another few steps. Just as she said, you can walk on the surface without leaving so much as a footprint. “Okay, so I'm walking on it,” you tell her, “Now what? Just... walk wherever I feel like walking?”

“Yes, and think of your friend as you do so,” Zakuro instructs, “Begin.”

“Jeez...” muttering this to yourself, you pick a direction and start to walk. As you picture Chiaki in your mind – her bright smiles, her rapid fire conversations, even her habit of taking pictures of things – you feel the air stirring in response. From the shore, Zakuro begins to sing – a single keening note, wailing and undulating as she sways. The sound gets in your head, twisting your thoughts around and clouding them over. Blinking rapidly, you try to clear your vision as it doubles and splits.

When your vision clears, Chiaki is standing before you, a faint glow clinging to her skin. Laughing merrily, she turns away from you and strolls towards the centre of the lake, carelessly dancing across the surface of the mud.

“Chiaki, wait!” you blurt out. Even knowing that what you see is an illusion – it must be an illusion – you rush to follow her.

Behind you, Zakuro's song reaches a new intensity.

[1/2]

>>1743356

Still laughing to herself, Chiaki spins around to face you. With her arms spread wide – a kind of “the saint was crucified” pose – she allows herself to fall backwards. Upon hitting the lake's surface, she crashes straight through and vanishes from sight, an otherworldly change running through the mud upon her impact. Flashing a brilliant white, the mud transforms to clear water in an instant.

Running across the surface of the water, you drop to your knees where Chiaki had vanished, peering desperately down into the surface of the water. There's nothing there, nothing except your reflection.

And then a handprint, as black as ink, slaps against the underside of the lake's surface. Soon joined by another, then more and more, the prints form a veil of greasy blackness in the water. Jolting back and falling away, you watch as the surface of the water is broken by a row of irregular spikes. Antlers, you realise, horns that reach up to challenge the heavens. Your thoughts reel as the Intruder emerges, antlers trailing down into a hairless scalp that is as black as polished ebony. The face is human, with enough of a family resemblance for you to recognise Chiaki's sister, but utterly devoid of expression. No recognition, no hostility, nothing.

It continues to emerge, revealing the top half of a body that is emaciated but otherwise human. Its eyes flick open, the orbs as black as the rest of it. You've never seen an Intruder quite as human as this one – at least, to look at. What thoughts lie behind those colourless eyes?

>Attack before it emerges completely
>Attempt to communicate with the Intruder
>Wait and observe
>Other

>>1743366
>Attempt to communicate with the Intruder
This'll be a learning experience. We can always kill it afterwards.

>>1743366
>>Wait and observe
Lets see if it communicates or sth.

>>1743366
>>Wait and observe

>>1743366
>Wait and observe

>>1743366
>>Attack before it emerges completely

>>1743366
>Wait and observe

Holding your breath, you watch in silence as the Intruder rises silently from the lake. It moves slower and slower as more of it emerges, finally pausing when the entire torso has broken emerged into sight. Its body is sexless, too emaciated for any femininity to remain, while the arms are little more than glossy skin drawn over bone. With a terrible dignity, it lifts one arm out of the lake and studies it, turning it hand this way and that. As if it had all the time in the world, it lifts its second arm and repeats the process.

It almost seems confused by its own existence, you think to yourself, although not a flicker of emotion shows on the wooden face. Logically, you feel like you should fight it, destroy it while you have the chance, but curiosity stops you. Destroying it can come later, after you've expended all other options.

“I exist,” a voice murmurs, dancing around the edges of your consciousness. It feels more like overhearing a distant remark, something not meant for anyone's ears, but you feel compelled to reply. If it can speak, in some form or another, maybe you can communicate with it...

“Uh, hello?” you begin lamely, “Can you hear me? Can you understand me?”

The Intruder slowly tilts its head, examining you for what seems like the first time. Finally, at long last, a trace of expression flits across its face – a tiny frown of thought.

“Sister?” the voice whispers into your mind, “Is that you?”

“Not... exactly,” you admit, “But you remember her, right? You remember Chiaki?”

“I remember my sister,” the voice agrees, while the Intruder nods ponderously, “You are not Chiaki.”

A bad feeling begins to form in your gut. “That's correct,” you tell it carefully, “I'm not Chiaki. I'm a friend of hers, I guess you'd say, and-”

“BRING HER TO ME,” the voice screeches, hammering against your mind with enough force to leave you stunned, “WE MUST BE WHOLE, WE MUST BE ONE!” Still screeching like a banshee, the Intruder lunges forwards with those spindly arms, their long fingers closing around your throat before you can shake off the disorientating scream and transform. Launching itself forwards, the Intruder bears you down through the surface of the lake.

Ice cold water crashes in on you as you plunge deeper into the water, all sound – save for Zakuro's inhuman singing – becoming muffled in an instant. The fingers tighten around your throat, their strength surpassing anything you'd expect from such a skeletal form, and darkness begins to sneak in from the edges of your vision. The Intruder – its lower half ending in a foetal mess, almost a mermaid's tail – thrashes above you.

But it made a mistake. That terrible scream has halted, and the ice cold water has shocked you back to your senses.

[1/2]

>>1743395
Tension rises

>>1743395

Transforming in an instant, you feel the familiar, reassuring strength rushing back into your body. Grabbing those emaciated arms, you feel bones grinding together for a brief moment before your grip snaps them like dried twigs. Wrenching them back from your throat, you watch as the arms flop sluggishly through the water. The expression on that wooden face – or rather, the lack of one – doesn't change, but you sense a new alarm at the edge of your mind. Beating at the water with its half-formed tail, the Intruder begins its retreat.

Too slow. Lunging through the water, you grab the Intruder by one of the antlers and yank it back into your grasp. Kicking clumsily at the water, you drag the Intruder back towards the surface. Lungs burning, eyes stinging, you pound your empty hand against the solid surface of the lake. The Intruder dragged you right through it, but now it has returned to being as solid as toughened glass. Panic rises up to choke you, all manner of hideous ideas swirling through your mind. Can you drown, you wonder madly, how would your Emotional Barrier defend against a crushing weight of water?

Weak blows slap against your legs, the Intruder flailing limply with its shattered arms. The blows do little more than remind you of the Intruder's presence... and then it gives you an idea. Throwing all your strength into this last gambit, you drag the Intruder up and slam it, face first, into the underside of the lake. The first blow slams it against solid glass and the second is no more effective, but the third blow, mercifully, breaks the surface of the lake in a spray of crystal clear water. Seizing your chance, you kick upwards and thrust your head up into the air, drawing in a great gasp of air.

Strength returns to you, the blackness wiped away from your vision in an instant. Treading water, you wrap an arm around the Intruder's neck – still stunned by the blows, all it can do is struggle weakly – and twist hard. Something snaps inside it, and those pathetic struggles cease. The limp body slithers from your grasp, already losing cohesive form and reverting back to mud and filth. Grimacing at the mess, you heave yourself up out of the lake and flop back, rolling onto your back and staring up at the roof of the cavern.

Zakuro's singing comes to an end, trailing off to nothing as the lake darkens like clotting blood. The mud beneath you is warm, and sickeningly comfortable. You could almost fall asleep, allowing yourself to sink down into it.

But that, you sense, would be very bad idea. Forcing yourself to rise, you lurch back towards the shore.

[2/3]

>>1743427

“It seems as though the invitation was answered,” Zakuro says gravely, as you trudge up to meet her, “But perhaps you were not who our guest had been expecting.”

“You, uh, you knew that was going to happen, didn't you?” you ask, unable to keep a note of accusation from your voice, “You knew, and you didn't think to tell me?”

“A theory, nothing more,” the Tyrant shrugs her massive shoulders, “As I said, this was a learning experience for both of us. Take heart in this – a truly powerful being, one that you could not best, would not have come when beckoned. It would choose when to reveal itself. You were in no real danger, I am certain of this.” Reaching down, Zakuro puts a grotesquely maternal hand on your head – a hand that could enclose your entire head in a vice, if she chose to close her fist. “Regardless, the matter is concluded,” she decides, “I have done this favour for you.”

“A favour,” you repeat slowly, “That kinda sounds like you're going to ask for something in return...”

“Tell me of the human world. I hear whispers, but I would value a human viewpoint,” Zakuro asks, “I hear word of the gods descending to earth once more. Is there any truth to this?”

“I guess so. Sakura – Sacrifice, I mean – has shown her face,” you explain, “But I don't know about the others. That's kind of a work in progress. Actually, I thought you might know more about it – you were the one who first warned us about the gods, after all. If anyone was able to learn what was really going on here, I thought it might have been you...”

“There are some things that exist beyond my remit,” the inhuman creature admits, “The abyss gives up many of its secrets, but it holds many more closer still. Shall I return you to your world, then? Perhaps there, you will find answers of your own.”

>Okay, send me back. I'm finished here
>Any words of wisdom before I go?
>There's something else I wanted... (Write in)
>Other

>>1743467
>Your body-dall was really good this time. I hope to have some tea with you next time.
Encourage her to cling to her humanity basically.
>Okay, send me back.

>>1743467
>Other
"Apparently most of the gods have returned to the Godhead. My best guess is that they are this new god Monad, the god of those symbiotic humans we were talking about."

>Any words of wisdom before I go? Prophecies that'll give me headache?

>There's something else I wanted... (Write in)
"Is it possible to remove the Intruder from the Sentinel safely? Or is it too intertwined?"

>Other
Maybe explain what we saw in the latest trek in the Umbra. See if she has any insights on the Source and how it seems sentient with it's own biases, ect.

>>1743467
>Any words of wisdom before I go?

>>1743467
Backing >>1743477

“Well, I don't know about answers, but I have a few theories of my own already,” you tell her, “Sakura might be sticking around, but apparently the other gods had a different idea. They've returned to the Godhead, or so I'm told, and they might have been reborn as Monad – the god of the Sentinels, those who have joined themselves with the Intruders.” Pausing a moment, you consider just how insane it all sounds when you put it like that. “That's what I hear, at least,” you finish lamely, “Maybe I'll get a completely different version of events by tomorrow morning. Things are moving quickly these days.”

“Yes they are,” Zakuro nods, “I sense as much. We are approaching a crucial moment – or perhaps we have already passed it. Choices have been made. Some of them, I suspect, can no longer be changed.”

“No going back, huh?” you murmur, “Wait, do you mean... is it possible to remove an Intruder from someone who has joined with one? Safely, I mean. Is it possible, or are they too closely entwined?”

“I fear that those who have become one cannot return to their divided form. To force them apart would be disastrous,” shaking her inhuman head, Zakuro looks away from you. She is silent for a moment, and you find yourself wondering about the thoughts circling her mind. Regret perhaps, or maybe just idle speculation on what could have been. Whatever she is thinking, Zakuro keeps it to herself. “I cannot help in this matter,” she concludes, “Those who have chosen symbiosis must live with the weight of their blasphemy.”

A blasphemy that you have saved Chiaki from, you remind yourself, even if you couldn't stop Pietr from falling into its jaws. Grimacing darkly despite your best efforts, you look Zakuro in the eye and change the subject. “We've delved deeper into the Umbra,” you tell her, “Beneath the Necropolis, beneath the first civilisation, we found... our city. A terrible version of it, ruined and desecrated. One of my friends thinks that the source has dreamed it up, twisting it according to its own biases.”

“No different to how I have dreamed up this realm, according to my desires,” Zakuro nods slowly, “But I am lucid – I control what I dream. When you delve beneath the Necropolis, you delve to the centre of a diseased mind.”

“We've gone past pleasant nostalgia and now we're in spiteful ambition,” you consider, “What comes after that?”

“Base urges, liberated from the burden of thought itself,” the Tyrant gurgles out a hideous laugh, strings of thickened gruel dripping from her jaw, “A true mire, beyond anything you might have seen.”

Emi, you consider bleakly, is not going to like this.

[1/2]

>>1743502

“But that is a matter for later,” Zakuro dismisses the subject with a wave of her massive paw, “It does not do your kind well to dwell on unpleasantness. Savour what joys you can, so that their memories will stay with you once the moment has passed.”

“Like tea, shared with friends,” you decide with a warm smile, “I hope we can have tea together next time, Zakuro. Your doll really was much better this time, I'm glad that you're still practising.”

It's always hard to know when Zakuro is smiling or not, and whether that smile is a genuine one, but the flare of pink light in her eyes does seem... pleased. Not gloating or scheming wickedly, but shining with sincere happiness. She says nothing, though, leaving you to fumble for something else to say. When nothing else springs to mind, you decide that perhaps your time here is reached its natural conclusion.

Looking about the bleak cavern, you shrug aimlessly. “Any other words of wisdom before I go?” you ask, “Any dire predictions to give me a headache with?”

“Nothing, I think, that will be new to you,” Zakuro gurgles, breaking her silence, “Fear the black sun, for you may see it soon enough. Revelations are like the cruel light of the sun – they reveal much, but they may also burn you to the bone. I hope that one day, we will be able to delve deep into the abyss and behold this fire for ourselves.”

“You want me to be afraid of it,” you muse, “but you also want me to see it?”

“There is no paradox. Fear often hides things of great value,” the Tyrant shrugs, “Before this is over, you will need to pierce through the veil of fear. I have confidence that you will prevail.” Kneeling, Zakuro reaches behind you and tears a welt in the air, something that you can feel tugging at you. “Return to your world,” she concludes, “And claim the reward of your labours.”

Gently, she pushes you back through the welt. You don't fight it, allowing yourself to fall back into your world.

-

The chime of your phone is what rouses you back to reality. Narrowing your eyes against the sun – a normal, golden sun – you check your phone. Chiaki's name glares out to you, blasting away the clouds clinging to your thoughts. Forcing back a sudden wave of fear, you answer the call.

“Hello, Miho?” Chiaki begins, her voice vague and uncertain, “Are you... okay?”

“Okay?” you repeat, “I, uh, I feel like I should be asking you that. You sound a little off.”

“Oh, no. I'm fine,” she laughs, “Actually, I don't know why I asked you that. I just... I had a dream about you. When I woke up, I felt like I needed to check. Silly, huh?”

You look up, reminding yourself that the sun is still high overhead. “Strange time to be sleeping,” you reply, “Maybe that's why you're having weird dreams.”

“Maybe!” Chiaki giggles.

[2/3]

>>1743542
>by the way I killed your sister again. Oh, did I not mention that I did it the first time, too?

>>1743550
wait, that's a flub. Miho didn't kill her the first time.

>>1743552
Yeah she got taken by an Intruder before Miho detonated her sword.

>>1743553
>>1743553
>taken
I wish we could have phoned the abyss first. Warn it that we would look for it, and find it, and kill it.

>>1743542

Sitting upright, you touch a hand to your throat. The flesh feels a little tender, still a little bruised from the Intruder's attempt at strangling you, but the pain is already starting to fade. “Tell me about it,” you ask Chiaki, “This dream you had. I'm curious.”

“Ah c'mon, it's embarrassing!” Chiaki laughs, “But... I guess so, since you were in it. It's only fair, right?” Taking a moment to put her thoughts in order, Chiaki launches into her explanation. “So, okay, I wasn't even trying to nap. I was just sitting at my desk, trying to work on that dumb studying stuff, but then I felt super tired. I guess I closed my eyes for a moment, and...” a pause, “And then I was there. We were there, at the lake. It was... beautiful.”

“Wait, this isn't going to get weird, is it?” you ask quickly, “I don't want to make things weird.

“Don't be silly!” laughing again, Chiaki adopts a scolding tone, “It was perfectly decent, I'm not like... that. We were at this beautiful lake, it was night, and I ran right onto it – like it was made of glass! You followed me, and we sorta... ran about. That's, uh, it – but it was fun, y'know? What really struck me though, that was the first “nice” dream I've had in ages. When I woke up, I felt like a whole weight had been lifted off my shoulders.”

“That's good then,” nodding to yourself, you feel a warm glow of satisfaction blooming in your chest, “Hopefully it'll last.”

“I think it will!” she insists, “Although... I don't know why I'm so sure about that. Well, uh, sorry for calling so suddenly, I hope I wasn't, like, interrupting anything. I just felt like I should tell you. Oh damn, I'd better get back to work. See you in school, okay? I'll buy you a drink or something – it's the least I can do!”

“If you insist,” you chuckle, “But don't-”

The call ends abruptly, leaving you holding the dead phone to your ear. Sighing and smiling at the same time, you slip the phone back into your pocket. Whatever else happens today, you've done a good thing. Now, you've got a free day to enjoy – no other plans or pressing needs. You'll have to think of something to do.

>Head to the shrine, see if anyone else is there
>Call Maika, check on those gas mask ideas
>Call someone else... (Write in)
>Other

>>1743588
>Head to the shrine, see if anyone else is there

On second thought, nevermind. We did our stressful thing for the day and it isn't going anywhere.

>>1743588
>Call Isamu and tell him that we'll punch him through a wall if he ever tries to take advantage of his relationship with Ayane for his "job" ever again.

>>1743588
>Head to the arcade and train our gaming skills.

>>1743588
>Head to the shrine, see if anyone else is there

>>1743601
Huh? What are you referring to?

>>1743611
He told Crow we were working in the maid cafe after hearing about that from Ayane.

>>1743634
Isn't that what Miho assumed and was never confirmed? It wasn't the first time Crow found us like at the museum. Let's not jump down the dude's throat based on an assumption on a thing that happened weeks ago.

>>1743634
I don't think this happened. It would be a crazy coincidence for him to happen to see Crow and casually bring it up, considering her nature and the fact that it was a one day job.

File: Emi Miyakawa.jpg (276 KB, 1215x1215)

276 KB JPG

Sitting back on the rooftop, you feel your mind slowly unwinding. Indulging in a little idle speculation, you start to wonder how you would have fared if you'd tried a different approach. If you had turned to the Sentinels for advice, for example, how well would it have gone? You suspect that you would have ended the day by owing them a significant favour, if you had been successful at all. The Sentinels aren't as reliable as they might like you to think.

The Oracle, for example. Scowling at the thought, you consider marching over to the chapel and asking her a few pointed questions, but then... you relent. The Oracle isn't going anywhere – literally – and you'd rather not ruin your good mood. You'll see if anyone is hanging out at the shine, that'll be a good place to start. After that, you'll see where the day takes you. The arcade, perhaps, if you don't end up getting in any trouble before then.

Humming to yourself, you head off towards the shrine, dropping nimbly down to ground level and casually strolling away.

To think, scaling buildings was a novelty once.

-

At first glance, the shrine is empty. Frowning with disappointment, you start to turn away when you notice Emi sitting in a pool of shade, her gaze fixed on the decrepit shrine. Approaching, you sit beside her without a word, waiting to see if she'll make the first move.

“I kinda freaked out yesterday,” she says eventually, “Sorry. You probably guessed, but that store was the one I...”

“Got into a spot of trouble at?” you finish for her.

“Yeah, that,” nodding, Emi glances around, “You covered for me. Thanks. You know, I DID have fun up until that point – more than I'd been expecting to have. I guess things like that really are better with friends.” Sighing, she stretches out like a cat. “Back when I was running with my old gang, we never went into places like that for fun,” she begins, “It was just to see what we could get away with. Seeing what we could steal, or what kind of trouble we could cause. One time, one of the girls – shit, I can't even remember who – brought this straight razor. Slashed the shit out of all these expensive coats.”

You say nothing. Somehow, you get the impression that saying nothing is the best thing you can do for Emi right now.

“I mean, why did we do stuff like that?” the young girl asks suddenly, “Ruining stuff just because we couldn't afford it? I guess I'm older and wiser now, or maybe I've got just... shit, I don't know. Perspective. Hell, I'm no good at this deep thinking stuff – just, looking at this place got me thinking back. I never expected to talk about it with anyone.”

“But here we are,” you point out gently, “Talking about it.”

“Guess so,” Emi shrugs, “But I ain't trying to make a point or anything.”

[1/2]

>>1743645
>>1743652
Even ancient conspiracies don't get information by magic. Crow probably found us at the museum because our father is under constant surveillance as a key worker on Project Alice. Renko Biotech is Sentinel joint.

We know for sure Isamu works for the Sentinels. We know Ayane told him about our maid stint. It's unlikely he just went and told Crow about it, but the ultimate source of that intel was definitely him.

>>1743674
Maybe his phone was tapped? Maybe Crow was just tailing us? Maybe you shouldn't make so many assumptions?

>>1743680
We can actually feel when Crow is tailing us, so no.
Tapped phone is a possibility. But how would Crow get the records? She's pretty low on the totem pole.

>>1743674
Honestly I just assume the Sentinels keep tabs on us constantly. Between all their resources it wouldn't be hard to have a nearly constant GPS signal on Miho.

>>1743691
That's actually inconsistent. We felt her watching us outside the Oracle's church, but not in the museum. So yes.

>>1743658

“Anyway, I wasn't moping about or nothing,” she insists after a moment, “What I mean is, I'm not that person who went about doing dumb shit for no reason. These days, I'm going about doing dumb shit for a good reason, yeah? I like to think that I'm making the world a better place, which is more than my old crew will ever do.” A chuckle stirs her, bringing a smile to Emi's face. “Kinda bitchy, huh?” she remarks, “But I ain't claiming to be perfect, I can still talk a little shit now and then.”

“I think I can forgive that much,” you agree, “But yeah. Next time, we'll avoid that store. There's plenty of other places to visit.”

“Next time?” Emi blurts out, “C'mon...”

“I'm kidding!” you laugh. Then, punching her lightly on the arm, you stand up and offer Emi your hand. Taking it, she heaves herself upright. “Really though, you dodged a bullet. We spent ages while Kasumi picked out her perfume. All that, for this tiny bottle!” you add, “I guess it's a world I don't really understand. The cafe was nice though, it was on the roof. Amazing view.”

“Yeah? Plenty of roofs around here,” gesturing at the buildings surrounding the shrine, Emi smiles to herself, “Give me a picnic blanket and a few cans of soda, we can have our own little cafe wherever we like. A private one, just us lot.”

“True,” you admit, “Less background noise, that's for sure.”

“Well, whatever. I'm done with this,” Emi decides, “Might head home, I dunno. Thanks for, uh... thanks for listening, y'know? I guess I needed to vent more than I thought.”

>Anytime. Have a good one, Emi
>I'm heading to the arcade, and I could use a partner. You in?
>You spoken to Kaoru lately? He say anything about... anything?
>Other

>>1743709
>I'm heading to the arcade, and I could use a partner. You in?
Gotta git gud

>You spoken to Kaoru lately? He say anything about... anything?
After the arcade.

>>1743709
>>I'm heading to the arcade, and I could use a partner. You in?

>>1743709
>>I'm heading to the arcade, and I could use a partner. You in?
>>You spoken to Kaoru lately? He say anything about... anything?

>>1743709
>I'm heading to the arcade, and I could use a partner. You in?
>You spoken to Kaoru lately? He say anything about... anything?

“Hey, I'm heading to the arcade after this. I gotta practise my shooting,” you tell Emi, “I could do with a partner. You in?”

“Are you suggesting that I'd be interested in some completely senseless violence?” Emi retorts, her eyes growing wide, “Miho, I am offended!”

“So... you're in?” you conclude.

“I am SO in,” Emi agrees, giving you a savage grin.

-

The arcade is almost comforting in how riotous it is, with the wall of blaring electronic noise as soothing as a familiar lullaby. Well, perhaps that would be overstating it, but you don't flinch when you enter the building any more. Not at the noise, at least, the smell of so many bodies packed together is still a formidable obstacle to clear.

“Makes me think of that swamp shit!” Emi shouts, raising her voice above a chorus of synthesised explosions, “Y'know, back on the other side.”

“I asked Maika to look into gas masks or something,” you call back, “That might be able to help with the worst of it. Better than nothing, right?” Slapping her on the shoulder to draw her eye, you point to a specific game – Pietr's favourite, as you recall. When he's on his feet again, you'll want to give him a good game. The more practice you can get in, the better. “This one here, I like this one,” you tell Emi, “You ever tried it before?”

“Not this one,” she shakes her head, “But how hard can it be?”

“Ah, a novice!” you laugh, “Finally, someone I can beat!”

-

“Like I said,” Emi gloats, basking in the glow of her victory, “How hard can it be?”

“I... I don't believe this,” you sigh, “I'm cursed, that must be it. I must have offended the designer of this game in a past life, that's the only possible explanation...” Slumping forwards, you let the crushing defeat wash over you for a moment. Then, forcing a smile, you straighten up. “One more game!” you insist, “That was beginner's luck, that's all! I was just getting my eye in. Now that I'm fired up, I'll definitely win!”

“Miho, you could scream until your hair turns yellow, and it still wouldn't be enough,” Emi chuckles, bumping you with her shoulder, “But sure, I'll beat you again. We can do this all night, and you ain't gonna come out on top.”

“Emi,” you scold, “Don't make this weird.”

-

“So, that's twelve games to me, and... one game to you,” Emi concludes, “So, you're definitely getting better!”

“You only lost that game because you sneezed,” you complain, “And I'm still not convinced it was a real sneeze. I'll telling you, it's a curse – what else could it be?”

“The curse of being bad at shooting games,” laughing to herself, Emi gestures for you to follow her upstairs. “I guess it's a good thing you punch stuff,” she adds as you walk towards the cafe, “Maybe we can try one of those punching games later. I gotta get something to drink first, though, I'm sweating like a pig.”

“Nice...” you mutter.

[1/2]

>>1743764

After the sweltering heat of the arcade, your glass of cheap soda bulked out with ice tastes like a gift from the heavens. Neither of you speak until you've cooled off and quenched your thirsts. Neither of you WANTS to speak until you've taken care of those base essentials.

“Man, I'm glad we did this,” Emi says at last, “I had fun kicking your ass, Miho. Let's hope we keep it to virtual fights, though. I don't reckon either of us wants to try it in person.”

Her mention of fights dims the mood somewhat. Not just because of what might happen if the two of you fought, but the other fight that hangs over you like a cloud. You had to mention it sooner or later, and the time has finally come. “You spoken to Kaoru lately?” you ask, “He said anything about... anything?”

“Yeah, I've seen him. We talk,” Emi nods slowly, “I figure you're asking about that whole “stabbing” thing, huh?”

“Technically, it was more of a slashing,” you point out, “But yeah, that's what I was asking about. Did you get the story out of him?”

“Fucking... what story?” Emi snorts, “I mean, I got him to admit that some punk pulled a knife on him. He showed me the cut, gave me the whole “looks worse than it is” story, but he never gave me any details. Just called it a scuffle, said someone tried to rob him. Do I believe him? I don't know, maybe. This ain't exactly the first time he's been in a fight. I just don't know what to do about it.”

“I guess it's his business,” you sigh, “If he doesn't want to ask for help...”

“But I WANT to help!” slapping her palm down on the table, Emi can't help but shout out those words. “I want to help,” she hisses, “I want to BE there for him. I want to be someone he can rely on. I don't want him looking at me like I'm some... kid.” Angrily drumming her fingers on the table, the young girl looks away from you. “One of these days, I'm gonna follow him. He's gonna go off, doing whatever sketchy shit he does, and I'm gonna follow him,” she mutters, just loud enough for you to overhear, “See what kind of trouble he's getting himself involved in...”

Leaning back, you rub your aching brow. “That sounds dangerous,” you warn her, “I think it's a bad idea.”

“Of course it's a bad idea!” she snaps, “But hell, I don't know what else I can do!”

“I've got an idea,” you reply, “I know what we can do.”

“Yeah?” Emi raises an eyebrow, “Go on then, let's hear it.”

“Shoot some stuff,” you offer, pushing a small stack of coins across the table, “It's only twelve games to one, I can still catch up.”

Staring at you with disbelieving eyes for a moment, Emi blurts out a crude laugh. “You're on,” she snarls, grabbing the coins in a tight fist.

>I'm going to pause things here. I'll continue this tomorrow, and if anyone has any questions I'll answer them the best I can
>Thanks to everyone who posted today!

>>1743827
Thanks for running!
Will we ever git gud?

>>1743827
Thanks for running!

Where's our beach episode?

>>1743842

It's looking unlikely. It's really going to bite us in the ass when the Source challenges us to a shooting contest!

>>1743858

We had a lake of mud, does that count?
Probably next thread, actually.

We gotta transform and play the punching game at some point, just to weird people out

>>1743827
Since Emi can counter magical girl powers, does that mean she counters Miho's friendship power? Or does she have to consciously be thinking about it to counter it?

>>1744416
wait would Emi be super effective against Tyrants?

>>1743827
normally tailing him would be a bad idea, but Emi is an armored Knight-maid. Just do the following while transformed.

>>1744679
Preferably by rooftops unless she wants to pretend to be a cosplayer in a bad part of town.

>>1744416
We have confirmation Kasumi's powers worked on her.

>>1745844
Even if she didn't, she wouldn't have to pretend she's a stranger. Just say she asked a favor from the rich girl for some bitchin REAL metal armor. Ain't noone want to shank a girl in fullplate.

File: Kurosawa.jpg (52 KB, 724x1103)

52 KB JPG

You offered to walk home with Emi, but she seemed content to go alone. Your second round of shooting games was less of an abject failure, but you found it hard to take any satisfaction from your occasional victories. It was clear that Emi was either unable or unwilling to concentrate on the game, her mind stuck on other things – her brother, of course. So, letting her go her own way, you set off back to your own apartment.

“How did your questions go?” Kurosawa asks, appearing out of the shadows to walk beside you, “Was your source helpful?”

“Very helpful,” you tell him, “It was like I mentioned earlier, I was hoping to find a specific Intruder. She was able to help me, and I destroyed it. Thanks to her, my friend won't run the risk of falling in with the Sentinels. She won't ever join with one of the Intruders. I've done my part to reduce the overall degree of blasphemy that exists in the world today.”

“And all it took was cooperating with a Tyrant,” Kurosawa remarks, “The greatest and most powerful of your enemies.”

“She's not just a Tyrant. She was human once. They all were,” you argue, “Her name was Zakuro. She served Compassion. Compassion, Kurosawa – not Spite or Fury or anything like that. Compassion.”

“Zakuro?” the cat repeats, mulling over the name, “I believe I remember her. Not in perfect detail, but I remember certain things.”

“Tell me about her,” you ask, “What was she like, what was her full name?”

“Kimura. Zakuro Kimura,” Kurosawa answers after a moment, “She was... it would be cruel to say that she was inefficient, but I cannot avoid that fact. She was not a fighter of any real skill, and her temperament strayed towards the timid. Yet, she had little hesitation about accepting the dangers of this life. When the situation truly demanded it, she had more courage than I would have thought. She was a... good person.”

“She IS a good person,” you correct him, “Now she's helping me. She helped my friend, and asked for nothing in return – just to hear about the world, and how things are going.”

“So you say,” he retorts, with what you take to be a token attempt at grumpiness. “Very well,” he sighs after a moment, “I will accept the validity of this... arrangement. As you have said, this has kept a human from falling into a most unwholesome partnership. You have my permission to continue this association, so long as you remember to keep the appropriate boudaries.”

“Jeez, you sound like my mother,” you groan, “I don't want you hanging out with that Kimura girl, you'll pick up bad habits!” When Kurosawa answers this with silence, you glance around. He's nowhere to be seen, having vanished off into the night while you were busy mocking him.

“Well now I just feel foolish,” you mutter to yourself.

[1/2]

>>1746965

The next morning you wake to rather unwelcome tidings. Yui is watching the news with a grave expression, her breakfast sitting uneaten nearby. Still rubbing sleep from your eyes, you sit at the table and watch for a moment, waiting for the rolling news to start over. When it does, you find yourself wishing that you hadn't taken an interest.

It's all very vague, of course, with no concrete details provided. What the news will admit to is simple – early in the morning, a man was arrested for trying to force his way into a “corporate property”, using violence when stopped by the guards. He was subdued, and it was later found that he had been carrying multiple weapons. Included among them was an explosive device, which the newsreader was quick to dismiss as defective and harmless. The full motives are still unknown, but believed to be political in nature.

When the report is finished, you can't help but laugh humourlessly. It doesn't take a genius to guess what was really going on. More troublemakers from Return to the Earth, targeting Renko Biotech for their own farcical reasons. When the news moves on to a dry debate about the availability of improvised weapons, you mute the screen in disgust.

“I feel like we don't talk much these days,” Yui sighs, breaking her silence at last.

“I've been... busy,” you reply weakly, inwardly wincing at your lame answer, “I'm meeting a lot of new people these days, and there's always something going on with school. Uh, I mean... I'm not avoiding you or anything, it's just tough fitting everything in. That's without...” Trailing off here, you glance back at the TV. “That's without all this crime stuff,” you finish, “That's kinda... a thing.”

“Leave that sort of thing to the authorities, it's their job to worry about... civil disobedience,” she murmurs, picking listlessly at her food, “Your job is to study well and stay safe. So... what sort of things do these friends of yours get up to?”

“Just stuff, y'know? Been going to the arcade a lot lately,” pausing, you offer her a vague gesture, “I'm not very good at that sort of thing, but I'm getting a little better. That's... that's almost self-improvement, right?”

“Technically,” she concedes, “Well, I'm not telling you how to spend your free time. If you want to drop all your spare change into those games... that's your business. I just want you to know that you can talk to me if you have any troubles. Even if you just want a little advice...”

She lets the offer hang in the air, the hook baited and ready.

>Thanks, but I'm doing okay
>My friend is worried about her brother. He might be in trouble, and she doesn't know what to do
>I'm worried about a friend. I think her boyfriend is trouble
>I've got a friend. She's trying to connect with her father, but he's so busy...
>Other

>>1746967
>My friend is worried about her brother. He might be in trouble, and she doesn't know what to do
>I'm worried about a friend. I think her boyfriend is trouble
>I've got a friend. She's trying to connect with her father, but he's so busy...
>I'm just surrounded by people with issues, aren't I?

>>1746967
>My friend is worried about her brother. He might be in trouble, and she doesn't know what to do
>I've got a friend. She's trying to connect with her father, but he's so busy...

Eh, Isamu has been fine and Ayane is happy. I'm willing to let the maid thing slide since there wasn't a confirmation and honestly it was just a silly moment with Crow showing up. Nothing insidious. Hell Crow even gave us Sentinel dirt while she was there.

>>1746967
>>My friend is worried about her brother. He might be in trouble, and she doesn't know what to do

Age is said to bring wisdom – or at least experience – and you could probably use some of that experience right now. For an outside perspective, at least, a more objective take on some of the issues haunting your group. “Uh, how long do you have?” you ask Yui, “Because I could use some advice.”

“I've got as long as you need,” setting aside her breakfast dishes, Yui folds her hands and looks you in the eye, “What can I do for you?”

“It's mostly my friends. They've got their own stuff going on, and I'm trying to help them the best I can,” clearing your throat, you think about Emi, “One of my friends is worried about her brother. She thinks he might be in some kind of trouble, and she doesn't know what to do. I'm concerned that she'll do something dangerous.”

“This trouble...” Yui studies you for a moment, “He's been hurt, hasn't he? That puts things in a more serious light.” Tapping a finger against her thin lips, she considers the issue. “If that's the case, she has a duty to inform the police – for his own good, if nothing else,” she decides, “He may not be happy with her, but he'll forgive her in time. Letting something like this fester won't make it any better.”

A stilted pause grips both of you, Hikari's spectre hanging over the conversation. You can almost see Yui debating with herself, wondering what she could have done differently. Knowing nothing about what Hikari had been involved in, she must still have so many unanswered questions...

Clearing your throat, you hastily change the subject. “Well, I can give her that advice. Not sure if she'll take it or not, but... it's something. There's another problem,” you chose your next words carefully, “I'm a little wary about a friend's boyfriend. I can't explain it, but I think he might be trouble. Maybe he's using her, or he doesn't really care for her, or...”

“Wait,” Yui stops you, “Are we talking about Ayane Nakamura?”

“Uh...” you pause, “Maybe?”

“Then I'd just wait a week, the problem will solve itself soon enough,” Yui laughs, “You'd just need to worry about her next boyfriend.”

“C'mon, that's not fair,” you groan, “She seems pretty happy with him, and they seem stable enough. I don't think-”

“She seems happy enough, but you're still willing to meddle in their affairs?” raising an eyebrow, Yui studies you, “I'm assuming you don't have any solid evidence that he's up to no good? Then, I'd suggest leaving them be. Either things will work out, or they won't. Interfering might only sour your own friendship.”

Frowning, you find yourself agreeing with her. It's getting far too easy to feel suspicious of people, you don't need to go looking for more enemies. Ayane and Isamu are happy, things haven't come back to bite you on the ass yet... you're better of staying out of their business. For now, at least.

[1/2]

>>1747010

“You're right, I was getting a little carried away,” you decide, “Maybe I'm just a little overprotective. Got time for one more?”

“By all means,” smiling warmly, Yui gestures for you to continue.

“Okay, so, I've got a friend who's trying to connect with her father a bit more. It's difficult though, he's so busy and I feel like he hides his true feelings from her. He's an important guy, and he spends most of his time in professional mode. I'm not sure how they can get to know one another,” you explain, pausing before adding, “And, uh, I'm not talking about myself here.”

“Really,” Yui murmurs, “The similarities are startling... well, does your friend know how important her father's work is?”

“Absolutely, yeah. That's part of the problem,” you nod, “She puts HIS work ahead of HER feelings.”

“Unfortunately, that's all part of growing up. The decisions that important men make can influence the lives of hundreds of people. At the end of the day, his duty is to the hundreds – if not more – of people who depend on him, above the needs of one person, even if that person is his daughter... or his wife,” sighing, Yui leans on her hand, “It's sad, isn't it? But if he really cares for her, he'll find whatever chances he can to spend time with her.”

Just like how your father called in some heavy favours just to meet you, and for less than an hour at that. “Life isn't really fair,” you murmur, “Isn't it?”

“I'm afraid so,” reaching over, Yui pats you on the shoulder, “And you've got all this to look forwards to when you get older. Was that everything?”

“Yeah, I think so,” you tell her with a nod, “Kinda seems like I'm surrounded by people with issues, doesn't it?”

“Just so long as you're not trying to shoulder all their burdens on your own,” Yui cautions, “I hope they'll be there for you if you ever need someone to back you up. Life's too short to bother with fake friends.” A faint note of acid creeps into her voice as she says this, although it doesn't linger. “But you're a smart girl,” she concludes, “I think you know how to choose your friends well enough. Just remember, I don't want you-”

“Hanging around with the wrong kind of guys,” you finish with a sigh, “I know, I know...”

-

You're still thinking about those various pieces of advice when you arrive at the shrine, the others greeting you with various waves and nods. Not long after you arrive, Maika hurries in after you, a heavy bag – not her usual carrying case – hanging from one shoulder.

“I think I have a solution to our problem,” she announces, pausing a moment before clearing her throat. “Hello everyone,” she adds, bowing stiffly, “Please excuse me. My enthusiasm got the better of me.”

The rest of you trade glances, equally amused and bewildered.

[2/3]

>>1747019

“I was thinking about that gas mask suggestion,” Maika explains, setting down her bag and rummaging inside, “At first, I considered a more conventional mask – something rigid, likely with filters and various other barriers. However, I dismissed the idea. Too bulky and inconvenient for our purposes. I had a better alternative...”

What she brings out of her bag is... unremarkable to look at. Seemingly nothing more than a strip of elastic bandage, one side dyed a deep brown colour. Setting it down on the ground, Maika awaits your reaction.

“Looks like toilet roll,” Emi chuckles, nudging it with her foot, “Used toilet roll. What's with that colour?”

“US Military, flesh tone number seven,” Ayane announces promptly, “They go up to number eight, but I've never actually seen a number eight in real life. That's, like, super black. I'm talking darkest Africa black, y'know?”

A silence follow this excited proclamation, and once again you find yourself trading confused looks with the rest of the group.

“What?” Ayane asks, her face falling.

>How do you know so much about this army stuff, anyway?
>Maika, what exactly am I looking at here?
>Hey, did anyone see the news this morning? We almost had a bombing...
>Other

>>1747037
>How do you know so much about this army stuff, anyway?
>Maika, what exactly am I looking at here?

>>1747037
>How did you know that, Ayane?
>Maika, what exactly am I looking at here?

>>1747037
>How do you know so much about this army stuff, anyway?
>>Maika, what exactly am I looking at here?

File: Maika Kanzaki.jpg (272 KB, 1080x1080)

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“How do you know so much about this army stuff anyway?” you ask her, “First it was Belgian rifles, now it's US Military... flesh tone stuff.”

“Hey, can't a girl have a hobby?” Ayane shrugs, “I kinda hung out with a guy who liked this stuff, he got me interested in it. Actually, I got interested in it so that he'd get interested in me, but... but anyway, that's hardly important now!” Waving away the mention of her past relationships, Ayane hurries her explanation onto safer ground. “I just find it interesting, all this stuff. Like, I can't remember a damn thing about perfume or whatever, but this stuff just sticks in my mind,” laughing nervously, she picks up the bandage thing, “I know the colour, but I don't know what THIS is. Some secret project?”

“Yeah, I got nothing,” you admit, “Maika, what exactly are we looking at here?”

“I wouldn't call it a secret project exactly. The precise name eludes me, it was more of a technical designation than a proper name. Regardless, it's an emergency replacement for a proper gas mask. The fabric is made of a smart material, designed to filter out airborne contaminants with up to ninety eight percent efficiency,” Maika explains, “It comes on rolls, you just cut a section off and trim it to shape. Tie it around your face, and you're safe.”

“Ninety eight percent safe,” Emi points out, “So, do I even want to ask how you got some US Military equipment stuff? Just had it lying around?”

“Bradley gave it to me,” Maika shrugs, “He called it a “souvenir” from his... previous employment. I asked for his advice on this matter, and he came up with a solution straight away.”

“Damn, I guess I owe the big guy some thanks,” Ayane nods to herself, pulling the improvised mask around her mouth and taking a few experimental breaths. “Well, I don't smell anything,” she remarks, “Did he ask why you wanted it?”

“I said that I had a friend interested in such things,” the heiress shrugs, “As it turns out, I was being entirely honest.”

“While I suppose we shouldn't complain about the function, I have my issues with the form,” Kasumi sighs, “It's rather... ugly, isn't it?”

“If it works, that's good enough for me,” Ayane says as she tugs the mask off. As she's handing it to you, her phone chimes. “Ah hell,” she mutters, glancing at the screen, “I gotta take this, it's my mom. If she's calling now, it's gotta be something important.” Muttering something else to herself – whatever it is, it sounds exasperated – she hurries a few paces away and takes the call.

Normally you wouldn't eavesdrop, but it doesn't count when she's talking loud enough for you to naturally overhear.

[1/2]

>>1747066

“Yeah, where's the fire?” Ayane asks, her voice reaching you loud and clear, “No, no I haven't eaten yet. No, I was gonna be home for dinner... oh? Wait, all of them? I don't think we have enough room...” She groans loudly, causing you to abandon subtlety and stare in confusion. “Mom, c'mon, I have more than one friend!” she protests, “Yes, not including the guys! You're so mean, honestly... this has gotta be abuse. Fine, okay, I'll tell them. It'll be just us girls.”

Red faced, Ayane returns. “So, uh, have you guys got any plans for later?” she asks, “My dear mother just invited you all around for dinner.”

“A home cooked meal!” Kasumi gasps, “How delightful!”

“Don't get your hopes up, it's probably gonna be Chinese takeaway,” Ayane snorts, “I don't even know if she CAN cook... anyway, I guess she's feeling generous today. I kinda expected this, she was due to get the news about her next assignment today. Chances are, she's covering that trade exhibition thing – that means an all expenses paid holiday to a swanky resort island. It's a tough job...”

“But someone has to do it,” you finish, “Well, I'm happy for her. She'll be making a documentary about it, right? I'll have to catch that when it's-”

“And I'm all up for some free food!” Emi butts in, “Sign me up!”

“I'll have to see if I'm free, but I'd enjoy it as well,” Maika nods slowly to herself, “I don't envision many issues, so it's best to assume that I'll be able to attend.”

“Chinese food is so greasy,” Kasumi sighs, “But I suppose I can allow myself this one indulgence. Miho, will you be joining us?”

>Count me in, I wouldn't miss this for the world
>Count me out, it sounds a little too chaotic for my tastes
>Other

>>1747080
>Count me in, I wouldn't miss this for the world

>>1747080
>>Count me in, I wouldn't miss this for the world
Hey, free food.

>>1747080
>>Count me in, I wouldn't miss this for the world

>>1747080
>Count me in, I wouldn't miss this for the world

>>1747080
>Count me in, I wouldn't miss this for the world

>>1747080
>Let's bring the desserts. Cake?

>>1747094
>Greasy Chinese food and cake

I felt my insides twist.

>>1747097
Yep. Better to bring some cookies.

File: Shiori Nakamura.jpg (585 KB, 900x900)

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“Count me in,” you decide, “I wouldn't miss this for the world.”

“Awesome!” Ayane slaps you on the arm, “I bet Shiori would love a chance to see you again. She's kinda taken a shine to you, y'know? I reckon it'll do her some good to meet some new people and all, she doesn't really take the initiative with this sorta thing. You gotta drag her out, or drag people to her.”

“Dragging sounds so... crude,” Kasumi murmurs to herself, “Can't we call it “enthusiastic persuasion” instead?”

“That's... kinda creepy, Kasumi,” you manage after a pause, “Uh... how about we bring dessert? Maybe something light, maybe cookies?”

“Dessert, yeah!” Ayane nods eagerly, “I'm looking forwards to it!”

-

Ayane's fears were soon proven to be inaccurate. Even with the ever-present clutter taking up some space in the apartment, there's still plenty of room for you all to move freely. With Jodi Nakamura yet to arrive – busy preparing for the dinner party, apparently – you follow Ayane's instructions and make yourself at home. The others sprawl out on various chairs, while you pace restlessly.

Ambling through the apartment, you stop in her bedroom. The last time you saw it, she had a large map of the city pinned up, marked with all the locations of every Intruder encounter you had recorded. Now, though, the map has been tidied away. When you point this out to Ayane, she lets out a sad laugh.

“Yeah, I gave up on that. Didn't really see much point in it,” she explains, “I mean, the Sentinels are probably keeping better records than anything I could fumble together. Looking at it was just getting me pissed off, so...”

A light knock at the door cuts her off. Standing in the doorway, Shiori fixes you with a cool stare. “Hello,” she says at last, “You're here for dinner.”

“That's right,” you agree, nodding encouragingly, “Have you said hello to the others yet?” When Shiori answers this with a slow shake of her head, you gesture for her to follow you back into the main room. The others are chatting amongst themselves, glancing up as you return. The introductions go smoothly enough until Shiori meets Maika's eyes, at which point she pauses, narrowing her own eyes in sudden thought.

“K-62 or K-67?” she asks sharply, “This is important.”

“The 67, naturally,” Maika replies smoothly, as if anything Shiori had just said made sense.

“The 62 is a more practical design,” Shiori argues, “More realistic.”

“But I don't watch these shows for realism,” the heiress points out, “The design of the 67 appeals to me on an aesthetic level.”

“Uh...” Emi butts in, “Which one of you nerds is gonna explain what the hell you just said?”

[1/2]

File: Jodi Nakamura.jpg (401 KB, 800x1200)

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>>1747112

“Oh,” Maika hesitates suddenly, as if reminded that there were other people in the room, “It's... nothing.”

“KamiMecha,” Shiori answers, “You haven't seen it? The K-62 and K-67 units were Mobile Suits, part of the KamiMecha Corps, and-” She stops just as suddenly as Maika did. “It's not important,” she concludes, “It's just this dumb TV show. I caught a few episodes once, that's all.”

“That's the one that Isamu likes,” Ayane adds, “Hey, don't you have the box set?”

Pointedly ignoring that remark, Shiori gives Maika a tiny nod of approval. Before anyone can say anything else, the door bursts open and a wave of odours – spice and fragrant sauces – washes over you all. With a veritable feast of boxes and trays held out before her, Jodi Nakamura enters the scene.

-

“So there are a few “formalities” left to finish,” the woman chuckles, stabbing her chopsticks into a steaming dumpling, “But my boss gave me the rest of the day off to pack, so things are basically in the bag. They'll call me when everything is ready, and then we'll be in business!” Popping the tab on a can of beer, Jodi casts an eye around the table. “You've certainly got more popular lately,” she says, winking to Ayane, “I can't ever remember you having so many female friends!”

“Oh come on!” Ayane wails, “Can't we just have a nice dinner for once?”

“We've all been getting along very well,” Maika says smoothly, “I'm glad to meet you, Miss Nakamura. I hope we'll be seeing each other at Neptune Island soon.”

“Hmm...” Jodi gives Maika a probing look, “You're going to be attending?”

“Yes, as a learning experience,” she replies, glancing aside and giving you a faintly apologetic smile, “Father wants me to start getting more involved with the company. Forgive me, I didn't mention it when we were making the introductions. My father is-”

“Eligor Kanzaki,” nodding, Jodi takes a swig of beer and, “I knew you looked familiar. I must have seen your picture.”

“This is the first we're hearing of it,” Emi grumbles, “I guess you're not gonna be here for... our usual stuff, right?”

“Unfortunately so,” Maika agrees, “Father sprung it on me rather suddenly, I only just found out yesterday. I apologise for not letting you know before now. I hope that you'll get along fine without me.”

The mood around the table starts to turn awkward, but then the phone rings out a shrill tone. Standing eagerly upright, Jodi murmurs a vague excuse and hurries off to take it.

“I apologise,” Maika repeats quietly, her words aimed at nobody in particular.

[2/3]

>>1747145

“Man, forget about it,” Emi waves an indifferent hand before returning her attention to the meal in front of her, “This stuff is really good, I bet they use real meat and everything! This is nothing like the takeaway I normally-”

She is cut off by the sound of a phone being slammed down, the harsh sound echoing through the apartment. “Those bastards! Those swine!” Jodi rages, storming through, “They stabbed me right in the back!”

“Uh...” blinking slowly, you try to gather your wits, “Who... stabbed you in the back?”

“My scumbag bosses!” she snaps, “Oh, I've got leave to visit their stupid trade convention, but they've pulled all my staff! My cameraman, my sound team, everyone... how am I supposed to film a documentary when I've got no staff?”

“Wait, they can't do this!” Ayane protests, “That isn't fair!”

“Why did they do it, if you don't mind me asking?” Kasumi says mildly, her composure as unbroken as ever, “I must assume they gave you a reason...”

“It's... ugh. There was a more pressing need. Stevens, that dirty bastard, managed to get a press visa to Russia. Of course HE'D get it, that slime...” scowling darkly, Jodi swigs deeply from her can of beer, “He probably pulled some strings, pulled the rug right out from under me. He's always hated me, ever since that stupid Christmas party...” Muttering grimly to herself, perhaps envisioning dire revenge, she finishes the can of beer.

“Maybe we should... go,” Emi suggests weakly, “I mean...”

“No, stay. It's not your fault,” forcing a smile – it looks more like a grimace – Jodi straightens up, “We've still got plenty of food here, and we've barely spoken. Let's salvage something from this disaster, shall we?”

>Well, if you're sure...
>Did you say Russia? Isn't there, like, nothing there?
>You need replacement staff, right? We could do it. We'd be like... interns
>Who is this Stevens guy, anyway?
>Other

>>1747190
>Did you say Russia? Isn't there, like, nothing there?
>You need replacement staff, right? We could do it. We'd be like... interns
>Who is this Stevens guy, anyway?

My only worry is what if there is an attack while we are away? Maybe we should call Jun and tell him to be on the ball since we'll be indisposed.

>>1747190
>You need replacement staff, right? We could do it. We'd be like... interns

>>1747190
>>You need replacement staff, right? We could do it. We'd be like... interns

>>1747190
>>Did you say Russia? Isn't there, like, nothing there?
>>Who is this Stevens guy, anyway?

>>1747190
>You need replacement staff, right? We could do it. We'd be like... interns

>>1747190
>Who is this Stevens guy, anyway?
>What about drones?

“Uh, sorry if this is a dumb question,” you begin tentatively, “But they just reassigned your staff, right? I mean, you still have permission to attend and all the equipment, yeah?”

“Oh sure, but I don't know what could it could do me,” Jodi grunts, “Cameras these days are simple enough to use, but I still don't have anyone to hold the damn things. Honestly, ArkMedia is a huge corporation, and they can't find a handful of people without prior commitments? This is such a farce...”

“We could do it,” you suggest, “I mean, we'd be like... interns. Trainees. You just said that cameras are easy to use, we could probably fumble something together.”

“You lot?” frowning, Jodi studies you all.

“Us lot?” Ayane adds, “Miho, this is crazy, we can't... oh, I get it, I get it now!” Snapping her fingers, she grins at you, leaning right up to you. “You're a genius!” she whispers in your ear, “Now we're gonna be getting some of that holiday action. Nice!”

Shoving her away, you look back to Jodi. The woman is deep in thought, drumming her fingers on the table and occasionally muttering something to herself. “...Could spin it as a gimmick,” she thinks aloud, “Training the next generation of film makers, passing the torch... Might need to pull a few strings of my own though... One in the eye for all those swine...” Slapping her palm down, causing you all to jolt upright, she grins. “It's crazy enough to work!” she decides, “And if it doesn't... at least it'll be an entertaining disaster!”

“Interns get paid, right?” Emi asks, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Good lord, no!” Jodi laughs, “You'd have your expenses paid, but otherwise you'd be working for free. Welcome to the real work, kid!”

“I mean, it's just an idea,” you caution, “Would your bosses even go for it? Surely you could use, like, drones or something?”

“Hate those things. Hate them,” the director shudders, “Always buzzing around, distracting people. You can't get a natural shoot with them, and anyone who says you can is either a hack or a damn liar. No, I'll find some way of talking my bosses into allowing this. Even if I have to call in every favour I'm due, I won't let Stevens beat me on this one!”

“Who is this Stevens guy, anyway?” you ask, wincing in anticipation of her answer, “Another director, I guess, but I don't think I've ever heard of him.”

“Hah! You have no idea how glad I am to hear that,” Jodi chuckles humourlessly, “Anyone who's never heard of that pig is better off for it. Gabriel Stevens is responsible for some of the dullest, direst political films I've ever had the displeasure of viewing. He's got friends, though, friends in all manner of places. I don't know how he does it either. It must be blackmail, it's certainly not his personal charm...”

[1/2]

>>1747250
Money is on Gabriel being Flauros and Sentinels are pulling strings. Something going on in Russia maybe?

>>1747250

“So, uh, I'm guessing you don't get along,” you hazard, “You're sure that he's involved in all this?”

“Oh, we've clashed before. He think I'm too unorthodox for a place in ArkMedia, he'd rather see people like me struggling to make films on an “independent” budget – meaning, no budget at all!” cracking open a fresh can of beer, Jodi points an angry chopstick at you, “If everyone did things his way, we'd be nothing more than the fawning mouthpiece of the government – or whichever big corporation slipped us the biggest bribe! That's not all-”

“Miho!” Ayane hisses, kicking you under the table, “Change the subject!”

“Russia!” you blurt out, “I mean, uh, why Russia? Isn't there, like, nothing there?”

“What?” put off her stride, Jodi takes a moment to bring her thoughts back to reality, “Well, ah, we don't really know. The whole country has been under lockdown since the war, they hardly ever let anyone in or out. Certainly not journalists. That's why this is such a big deal, they suddenly handed out a stack of visas to whoever wanted them. Maybe they're ready to enter the world stage again...” Shaking her head, she heaves a heavy sigh. “Damn Russians, even now they're making life more difficult for us,” muttering this, she pushes back from the table, “I need to make a few calls. I'll need some details from you – family details, school details, whatever. I can probably swing this as an “alternative educational experience”, or... something.”

“Details...” Kasumi murmurs, a rare flash of nervousness surfacing in her eyes, “I see.”

“Nothing complicated, don't worry about it,” giving Kasumi an encouraging smile, Jodi starts to leave the table, “You guys can finish this, I've lost my appetite. This is starting to get exciting...”

Then she leaves, her anger transformed into a buzzing energy.

-

“I'm finished as well,” Shiori announces, getting up as well, “Thank you for the meal.”

“Oh hell, Shiori,” Ayane groans, “Shit, sorry. We got carried away, and forgot all about you. We'll have to arrange some-”

“No”, the young girl shakes head simply, “I'm coming with you. I can work as well.”

“Child labour, great,” Emi mutters, “Scratch that, unpaid child labour...” After Shiori has retreated into her room, the whole mood changes. Things best left unsaid in polite company can be discussed once again. “So okay, we're doing this,” Emi whispers, “Is this a holiday, or are we on business here?”

“Kinda both, I think,” you admit, “Renko have some stuff going on, and Maika, I bet your father has his own plans. The Intruders might not be directly involved, but I still feel like we might be able to learn a few things. Even if we don't, well... I hear Neptune Island is a pretty nice place, yeah?”

“Father did mention that he'd be meeting some old friends,” Maika admits, “He may want to make... introductions.”

[2/3]

>>1747280

“So we're looking at sun, sand, and corporate intrigue,” Ayane chuckles, rubbing her hands together, “I like two of those, and I guess I can tolerate the latter. There's just one issue...”

“While we're off sunning ourselves, we're leaving the city unguarded,” you agree, nodding slowly, “Well, not entirely unguarded. The Sentinels are here, and there's always Megumi. I'm pretty sure she can cover things for a long weekend.” Leaning back, you laugh quietly to yourself. “This might actually be fun,” you think aloud, “I mean, it's not every day that you get to visit an artificial island and hang out with film directors.”

“We'll need to pack swimsuits, of course,” Kasumi decides, in the tone of a military general planning important manoeuvrers, “Does everyone have something suitable?”

“Huh? What?” you wince, “That's... anyway, you guys think we should tell the Sentinels about this? I mean, they'll probably find out anyway, so they might appreciate the honestly.”

“Ain't none of their business,” Emi grunts, “Right?”

“But as you said, they'll probably catch on as soon as we set one foot outside the city,” Ayane points out, “And did you just dodge that swimsuit thing?”

“Can we NOT get distracted by swimsuits?” groaning, you look to Maika in search of sanity, “Look, Maika, what do you think?”

“Me? I think you'd look good in a-” Maika stops herself, “Excuse me. Yes, I think it would be wise to inform the Sentinels. I feel like I should clarify, though, I will be attending the convention as a representative of Kanzaki Automated Industries. Not as a magical girl, not in connection with the Sentinels, just as a-”

“Maika,” Kasumi murmurs, “Do calm yourself.”

“Good lord...” you sigh, sitting back and sighing with mock dismay.

>Call Megumi and warn her about your holiday
>Call Jun and inform the Sentinels
>Call both, cover all your bases
>Call neither
>Other

>>1747314
>Call both, cover all your bases
Just tell Megumi to be careful. If she and the Sentinels respond to the same attack she should let them take care of it instead of exposing her existence to them.

>>1747314
>Call both, cover all your bases

>>1747314
>>Call both, offhandedly mention swi-
>ahem, cover all your bases

>Call both
>Tell Maika we don't swing for sisters

>>1747349
But that would kill all the fun.

File: Karl Dietrich Kaplan.jpg (397 KB, 900x1256)

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You'll call both, just to make sure that things are appropriately covered. Excusing yourself, you rise from the table and take out your phone. First off, you dial Megumi's number and listen as the phone rings away in the background.

“Miho,” Megumi answers, “Something I can do for you?”

“I thought to give you a bit of advance warning,” you reply, “My group is going to be out of town for a bit, so you might need to pick up the slack here. Is that asking too much of you?”

“I think I can manage. Actually, I wouldn't mind a little exercise – it's been so long, I'm worried that I'm out of practice! I'll get Abraham – excuse me, Kurosawa – to help me, he can tell me about anything that requires my skills,” the older girl assures you, “Are you going to be doing anything nice?”

“Hard to say. Sort of a working holiday, I guess you could call it. Real life work, not... anything else,” you shrug, forgetting that she can't see you, “Here's hoping that it'll all be pretty fun. I'll tell you all about it when I get back. Uh, there's just one other thing – you should be extra careful. Intruders aren't the only things you gotta worry about on these streets, yeah?”

“Naturally,” Megumi replies smoothly, “I'll be discrete, stay away from anything that smells like trouble. Was that all?”

“Uh...” you pause, lowering your voice a little more before continuing, “Do you think I'd look good in a swimsuit?”

A pause. “I wouldn't worry about it,” Megumi awkwardly decides, “Goodbye Miho. Do call me when you're back in town.”

Cursing yourself for a fool, you listen to the sound of Megumi hanging up. Still scowling at yourself, you scroll down to Jun's number and dial that next. The phone rings for an unusually long length of time, and then-

“Kaplan,” a curt voice answers, “What's your business?”

“Oh,” you hesitate, “I was expecting Jun.”

“Tsukada, it's you. Jun is currently indisposed,” Karl informs you, “He's... dining.”

“Oh,” you repeat, before lamely adding, “I just finished dinner.”

“Apparently so,” the haughty man remarks, his tone as dry as an old bone, “I'm taking care of business until Jun can get to the phone. I suspect that will be later today, although these things have a way of being... unreliable. Either way, I can take a message for him if you like. Can I ask why you were calling?”

>I was just bored. I'll call him back later
>My group is going to be out of town for a while. I'm leaving the city in your hands
>I was wondering how Pietr was doing
>Have you heard of a man named Gabriel Stevens?
>Other

>>1747355
/u/boats are built for sinking

>>1747364
> How is Pietr?
>Us MGs will be out of town this weekend

>>1747364
>My group is going to be out of town for a while. I'm leaving the city in your hands
>I was wondering how Pietr was doing

>>1747364
>My group is going to be out of town for a while. I'm leaving the city in your hands
>I was wondering how Pietr was doing

If you're glad of one thing, it's that the sound of Karl's blunt voice has crushed the last of your foolish thoughts. Back to the cold light of reality, you hear yourself slipping into the hard, formal tone you usually adopt around him.

“My group is going to be out of town for a while,” you tell him flatly, “The city is going to be in your hands. Try not to drop it, will you?”

“I'm sure things will be fine,” Karl shoots back, “Especially with a few less uncertain elements hanging around to cause trouble.”

“Karl, if I wanted to cause trouble, you'd know about it,” you promise him. On the other end of the phone, you hear a firm, surprisingly hearty laugh. Despite yourself, you feel a smile forming on your lips. “Anyway, you can pass that along to Jun,” you add, “We'll be gone for the weekend, maybe a little more than that.”

“Not quite long enough for us to take over the world,” he laments, “Take the whole week next time. Now then, are you finished wasting my valuable time?”

“Valuable time, my ass...” you grumble, “I was wondering how Pietr was doing. Is he up and about yet?”

“...Not quite yet,” Karl takes on a more solemn tone, “I would give him a few more days. He's awake, mostly, and he can stomach solid food again. The worst of it has passed.” There is a short pause on the other end of the phone. Just when you're about to write the call off as over, Karl speaks up once again. “He said that you visited him. Comforted him,” he mentions, not quite accusing you of anything, “Was that right? He might have been hallucinating.”

“No, I sat with him for a bit,” you confirm, “I couldn't really do much for him, but I think it helped. He was sleeping peacefully when I left him.”

“I see,” Karl clears his throat, “Thank you. The first few hours are always the worst. Nobody should go through them alone.”

Another long pause. “Did you?” you ask eventually, unable to stop yourself from murmuring the simple question.

“Goodbye,” the curt reply growls, “I'll tell Jun that you called.”

A cold click, and then you find yourself holding a silent phone for the second time in one day.

-

“My boss thinks I'm mad,” Jodi tells you, rubbing her hands together with glee as you all return to the table, “He won't say it, but he thinks this is going to sink my career. He's certain of it, the smug prick.”

“If this is such a big risk, maybe we shouldn't do this,” you reply, guilt starting to bubble up from within your gut, “I mean, I don't want you getting fired over this...”

“Hell, these are the kind of stakes I live for!” Jodi shakes her head vigorously, “If there's nothing on the line, there's no point in doing anything!”

“We're all doomed...” Ayane groans.

[1/2]

>>1747424

After this, all that remains is to handle the formalities. Passing around a pad of paper – the sort of archaic approach that you've come to expect from the Nakamura family – Jodi takes a few details from all of you. Contact details mostly, to get the appropriate permissions. Kasumi, again shifting uneasily, scribbles a few details down last of all. When Jodi takes back the pad she has to read Kasumi's details twice, shooting her a curious glance.

“Well, I'll have the forms sent over by courier,” she concludes, shrugging to herself, “Just get a parent or guardian to fill them out and hand them back. You can bring them to the ArkMedia tower, just turn them in at the front desk. Simple, hmm?”

“Simple, yes,” Kasumi agrees, her voice wooden.

“I'd better find someone to cover my shifts,” Emi mutters to herself, “Short notice and all, this is gonna be a pain in the ass...”

You're just wondering how you'll tell your mother about this. Normally, she'd urge you to stay away from someone with Ayane's “record” - now, you're going to be working with her, off on a luxury resort island no less.

It'll be FINE.

>It's a little early, but I'll close things here for this week. Stay tuned for our regularly scheduled bonus episode!

File: Sionann Attwood.jpg (989 KB, 1080x1080)

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Ark City, Independent Territory
Present day, Present time

In the distance, Sionann Attwood could hear machinery grinding away. It was hushed and muffled, more a faint vibration running through the floor, but it was definitely there. She knew all too well what was causing that hum – the Looking Glass. Esoteric mechanisms were shifting into position, tiny adjustments ensuring that everything was JUST right. They were preparing to pass into the Umbra.

A knock at the door caught her attention. “Hey Sionann, I brought you some coffee,” Shaw announces, pushing the door open and sitting opposite Sionann, “Jun wants you ready to move in twenty minutes. You feeling up for some action?”

“Whatever,” Sionann grunted, “This is going to be a walk in the park. What was it, a category four?”

“Three,” Shaw corrected her, “I know, I know. Nothing particularly exciting, but you still need to be careful. Now, drink your coffee and get moving!” Pressing the hot paper cup into Sionann's hands, Shaw rose and started to leave. When Sionann called out her name, though, she stopped in her tracks.

“Shaw,” hesitation tugged at Sionann's voice, “Why are you being so nice to me?”

“Hey, I'm nice to everyone. That's kind of my “thing”, yeah?” laughing softly to herself, Shaw shrugged, “Anyway, gaijin like us have to stick together, look out for each other. You don't have many friends here, you know. If I was in your shoes, I wouldn't turn my nose up at a little human kindness.” Before Shaw could say anything else, her phone chirped out a shrill tone. “Uh oh, that doesn't sound good,” she muttered, “Oh bloody hell...”

“I must be a bad influence on you, if you're using that kind of language,” Sionann joked, before the look on Shaw's face killed any hope of humour, “Something wrong?”

“Tech problems, probably just something minor,” waving away the issue, Shaw pocketed her phone, “But we'd better not take any chances, right? Well, either way, duty calls!” Flashing a last, quick smile, Shaw turned and hurried out, leaving Sionann to sit alone once more. Staring down into her cup of coffee, the assassin let out a quiet, scornful laugh.

-

“Now remember, you're running escort on this,” the bland faced technician warned, “That means no killing. Disarm, disable, immobilise, but...”

“But don't kill,” Sionann finished for him, “Honestly, how many times do you feel the need to tell me? You people, you've got some pretty funny ideas about me!”

“I can't imagine why,” Jun remarked, his voice weary and thin. He approached, leaning heavily on a cane, and gave the assassin a long, unreadable look. He looked pale and drawn, sickly and wasted. Sionann had seen him like this before, but never quite this bad. His... condition was why they were entering the Umbra.

So he could feed.

[1/3]

File: Jun Kiriyama.jpg (171 KB, 850x1203)

171 KB JPG

>>1747464

It felt like standing on stage, this part of the Umbra. A long pathway of light, surrounded on all sides by dense shadow, all it needed was a baying crowd for the impression to be complete. But there was no crowd here, no witnesses or observers – nobody but the two of them, Sionann and her Sentinel master. As that thought crossed her mind, Sionann felt her costume forming around her, a slender knife slipping down into her hand. This wouldn't be the first time that she-

“I wouldn't,” Jun stated simply, “I really, really wouldn't.” Leaning heavily on his cane, he stepped a little closer. “Consider it. If you were to return alone, do you really think my colleagues would let you off the hook?” he continued, “Even if there was a perfectly innocent explanation for it, they wouldn't accept that. It would be negligence at best, malice at worst – neither option would be very good for you.”

Sionann stared at him for a moment, a long moment, before scoffing. “Shouldn't be using those tricks of yours,” she chided, “Unless you're trying to get eat up from the inside?”

“I don't need to use my “tricks” around you,” Jun shot back, “You're just predictable.”

Their argument was ended before it could really begin by the hideous sound of something wet, something bloated and greasy, falling from some untold distance. At the far end of the lit stage, the Intruder landed – first as a shapeless blob of slime, but soon assuming the form of a corpulent toad. Sluggishly ambling towards the pair, it yawned wide to reveal a long, grotesquely dexterous tongue. A category three Intruder – a fat, shambling idiot.

“We'll have to finish this later,” Jun sighed, rolling his sleeves up to reveal fading tattoos of withered flowers, “Take care of this, won't you?”

Glancing back at the foppish man, Sionann barked out a curt laugh. Without another word, she launched into a sprint, charging straight down the length of the stage. Belching out a stream of nonsense words, the Intruder flailed its long tongue down like a mace, slamming the meaty protrusion down towards Sionann. Jinking around, she leapt into the air and hurled her knife down, piercing the tongue and nailing it to the ground. A new knife was already in her hand as she landed nimbly, dragging its edge across the Intruder's back leg and nearly severing the limb. Maimed and impaled, the Intruder collapsed to the ground.

“There,” Sionann spat, looking back to Jun, “Dinner is served.”

“You make it sound as though I enjoy this,” the Sentinel complained as he carefully approached the Intruder, “And let me assure you, I really have no desire to take this... filth into me. If not for the alternative...”

“Yeah, yeah,” the assassin muttered, starting to turn away as Jun studied the Intruder.

She hated this part.

[2/3]

>>1747469

She hated it... and yet she found herself turning back to watch in repulsed fascination.

Staring down the immobilised Intruder, Jun let his cane fall to the ground with an ugly clatter. As if startled by the sudden noise the Intruder tried to pull itself back and away, although the knife kept it pinned in place. As inhuman flesh started to tear, Jun struck with the lightning aggression of a snake. Lunging forwards, he slammed his open palm down into the middle of the Intruder's blunt, shovel-shaped brow.

With a sound like mud being gouged his hand cut through the slimy flesh, sinking deep into the Intruder. Ropes of inky shadow boiled up out of the wound, coiling around Jun's bare arm and worming into his flesh. His faded tattoos began to pulse and darken, stray petals wandering across his skin as he was rejuvenated, empowered by the life draining from the Intruder. As he grew stronger, the Intruder's struggles grew weaker.

One last convulsion ran through the beast, and then it was dust. Sionann watched, with her usual revulsion, as Jun shook out a handkerchief and wiped a few lingering stains from his fingers.

“Well, I've eaten my fill,” he remarked drily, “Shall we be getting back?”

>That concludes today's bonus episode. Tune in next week for another episode of Heavenly Child Quest!
>Thanks to everyone who contributed today - if anyone has any questions, I'll answer them as best I can.

>>1747473
Thanks for running!

When will we find out that to completely destroy Intruders we'd also have to kill all Sentinels?

>>1747473
Thanks for running, Moloch! How long until we abandon our humanity to become god-tyrant rulers of people of intruders alike?

>>1747499

Well, we still have a few bonds tying us to humanity, so our ascent to monstrous rule will have to wait a little longer. Still, we mustn't rule anything out!

>>1747495

It's technically true! I suppose it depends on whether you'd consider the Sentinels to be partnered with "benign" Intruders or not. Plus, the Source is technically the root of much of their powers. I wonder how they'd feel about someone trying to destroy it?

>>1747520
Okay. So will we leave all the "benign" Intruders, then Zakuro becomes the new Source and we forever go down in history as That Stupid Girl Who Fucked Up Everything?

>>1747527

Hm, I hadn't considered that possibility. What an interesting twist of fate that would be!

>>1747520
>I wonder how they'd feel about someone trying to destroy it?

Pretty much my biggest issue with them. Will the Sentinels have the conviction to give up their powers at best, starve or die at worst if it came down to it.

Like I think Karl and Eligor would, but the rest of the Sentinels? No idea and that's scary.

Thanks for running by the way.

>>1747473
Thanks for running!

Is Karl exceptionally strong for a Sentinel, or did we just seriously misread him? I remember when he first showed up he gave us seriously bad vibes, but later on a Tyrant appeared in the Looking Glass and the Sentinels were like "pls help :(".

>>1747605

Karl IS a fairly strong fighter, but perhaps not as strong as we first sensed. Part of that was the unknown element - not understanding exactly what he was - and part of it was him "projecting" his powers. A cheap trick for intimidating the uninitiated, but surprisingly effective.

And, being honest, I didn't have a solid idea of what the Sentinels could "do" at the start of the quest. A lot of their material was built up later on.

>>1747651
So when do we find Miho is an Alice clone and that's why she thinks of her parents as Yui and Akito instead of mom and dad?

>>1747739

Between the gaps in our memory and Kasumi finding us strangely blank, that would explain a few things, wouldn't it? I suppose we'll just have to see what we can learn in the days ahead!

>>1747777
Gee Moloch, why does Kek let you have TWO quad gets?

>>1747789

Well, we DO have two of the native gods more or less on our side, it's only fair!
And it's lucky number seven - maybe things are going to look up for Miho?

>>1747810
Well she is going to beach resort.

I'm looking forward to having get into a fight in our swimsuits but while everyone else has costumes Miho just has her scarf.

>>1747971
>swimsuit bursts from taking fire to the everything
>fight with the scarf barely covering her modesty
>"What happened to your school uniform?"
>"I DONT KNO-Oh, there it is"
>"My apologies, Heavenly Child. It seems that unlocking your powers caused a few instabilities."