Yet another venture into a chaotic world is approaching. The blue-haired seal-turned-human dips into the crowd. The anxiety she feels is only visible by the way she crosses her arms, nails poking into her skin. The man that’s not a man is where she felt he would be. She only gives him a bow of the head in greeting then awaits who else may arrive from the crowd. Why she came despite the danger, even she isn’t sure. She just needs to see this through to its conclusion. Premonition? Intuition? The specific feeling doesn’t have a clear word for her.

As expected, Jessica Praise was running by, exploring the mall when she catches sigh of Prima and the creepy old mission dude. Tot's got her wicked new white guitar and a bunch of attitude as she peels off from the crowd and towards the shop "Aw man, looks like ya beat me. Ready for another round gang?" Tot nudges Prim with her elbow, carrying her usual optimistic flair as she waits for the rest of the group to join. The flower shop seems a little sad, but that's all the more reason for her to try keeping everyone's morale up.

Ene seperated from the crowd to join the small group of familiar faces. She had come to buy a pair of headphones to replace a beaten down pair in her possession. They died suffered from overuse. However, along the way she heard the call and reluctantly decided to heed it. Better to come on her own volition then somehow be dragged and involved in this later. This guy again ... Ene grumbles. She tries not to acknowledge the man and instead gives a slight smile to Tot and Prim.

Unknown to the Spell Punk its ventures into the odd world were all set. The small hooded figure zip through the crowd while distracting itself with the sights of the mall. It wasn't to long as the sight of a peculiar man brings it to a standstill and eventually draws it closer to said man. "Well this was not on the list. I guess we are venturing again into that place, I hope we get our blessings cause the last visits were far from bearable." A disappointment face was written all over the small thing but it gathered together with the others knowing that this had to be done and it could only pray to not get the wind beat out of it.

{The same little girl makes her way through the same little mall, as told by her father once again. With the same little attitude and the same little bear she had before, Penny and Mr. Bear go forth to see...a peculiar man?} "Ah. Penny didn't expect you. I think? Don't know. Penny hopes it'll be fun again!" {She jumps up, almost at a high level were she not so short. At the very least, she still has her spirits with her. Despite not even looking at Tot and the others she found familiar, good morale still seems to be in her system.}

Prima smiles slightly at the musician’s enthusiasm. For a young-looking human, this girl’s been keeping a positive outlook. Prima both respects and is thankful for that. She gives a bow to Ene when the fellow blue-haired girl approaches. She agrees with Ene: Melbourne is always a damper on anyone’s mood. “I see we are all gathering here without much trouble. How is everyone today?”

"Totally rockin' dude!" Tot gives a whole-hearted and cheerful reply before flashing Ene a peace sign. Now that their squad was assembled they were gonna be totally ready for the world. It was just the matter of whether the mascot dude and that other lady were gonna show up. While they wait she might as well keep on talkin' "I came here to pick up some merch, get an extra pick for my instrument for a special occasion and just happened to meet up with all you guys. Life sure is cool isn't it?"

A familiar tall young girl joins the gathering, letting out a low grumble as she saw the peculiar man and knew exactly what she was getting herself into. "Oh good! This shit again..." Yoshiko was certainly not wearing the same skittish expression she had the last time she'd been drawn into this twisted 'game', her complexion now much more focused. She took notice of Penny however, offering her a friendly wave. "Hey kid! Nice to see you again."

He was here again. Of course, Quintus wasn't even sure if that should refer to the strange man before him or himself. Why did he come back? Perhaps the promise for power was too tempting to turn down or maybe he felt that world possessed an answer for him. It didn't matter regardless. Too many people around him had died already. He already was accepting his role in all this. He was the survivor and what was a survivor without a crisis to live through. "The least you could do is offer me a ride here. It's annoying always having to come back here, you know?" The lighter made him uncomfortable but there wasn't any point in feeding into this man. He was probably doing this on purpose at this point.

All things considered, Raidou was fairly used to feeling like a piece on a much larger game board. The world was full of conniving demons, and his role made him a rather easy opponent to predict at times. Still, Melbourne was a special case. The lives that had been lost, along with the investigator's own personal convictions made him certain that playing along with that bastard's game was the only way forward. Gouto's own feelings were repressed a bit, the old cat allowing his student to decide for himself what must be done. The pair approached the group with nothing more than a resolute stride, Raidou offering a slight wave towards Prim. They were the only two left from the previous excursion, a feeling only accentuated by Melbourne's playing with that lighter. Raidou felt the pit in his stomach grow a bit larger, but decided to just swallow that feeling for now. He felt a responsibility on his shoulders, he had to see this through. "With us here, suppose that means we're ready. Don't keep us waiting, Melbourne." Gouto spoke as Raidou caught himself staring wistfully upwards at the sad looking flower shop. He snapped out of it as quickly as he had fallen into it, now was no time to space out.

"Indeed, it is good to see you." [Melbourne would slowly and mechanically move his neck in order to get everyone's current expression. The man was clearly enjoying it, seemingly excited for once in his lifetime. The skin around the mouth area would begin to melt slowly, and a vacant interior is revealed alongside sharp teeth pointing in every direction. By all means, Melbourne was happy, smiling.] "You all speak of friendship and getting along, but for how long? Quintus has the right idea." [The tone of his voice seemed off, much more strange than it usually was. It had a higher pitch, he was all giddy.] "I've been looking forward for today. I hope you all enjoyed your time in this world as much as you could possibly have. Who knows for how long you will be away? Take these words however you want, it may not matter soon." [As soon as Raidou and Gouto arrive however, after a quick look on their faces... Melbourne laughed before speaking again, the abyss he had for a mouth now completely visible.] "There is no need to wait, that is right. Indeed, we will all have fun today!" [The world around them would stop; the people would remain static and lack facial features, and then would become but spirits standing on a large white stone platform suspended in the infinite nothingness. In the distance, once their eyes got used to it all, then they would see similar platforms above, below, and beyond, like a complete copy extending itself into infinity. They were back inside the Akarana Corridor, as well as with their previous forms. As expected, their powers severely change and their equipment from before is all back.]

Primarina -Equipment: Tundra Seal gun. [Effect: Bullets are created by magic and adopt the element used.] -Skills: Bufula, Kouga, Makouha, Masukukaja, Media. -Normal resistances. Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV -Equipment: Murakumo sword. [Effect: Adds "Almighty" to all Physical attacks]; Python Magnum. [Effect: None.]; 2 Summoning Tubes [Demon: Raiho, Tsuchigumo.] -Skills: "Kuzunoha Lineage" (Summoning.), "Kusanagi" (Weak Almighty + Physical to one.), "Boogie-Woogie" (Weak Physical + Ice[Raiho]/Electric[Tsuchigumo]), "Looks like we're in sync!" (Medium Physical + Almighty + Ice/Electric to one.). -Resists Light. -Raiho Kuzunoha the XIV -Skills: Bufu, Dia, "I'll protect you, master Raidou!" (Nulls Ice for 2 turns.) -Tsuchigumo -Skills: Mazio, Venom Strike (Weak Physical + Poison. Pierce.), Bolt Terror (Medium Electric + Physical to one.) Tot Pop/Jessica Praise -Equipment: Battle Ax-Electric Guitar hybrid "Blanco Gitarre". [Effect: Modifies element of Tot's spells. Has 3 modes. 1) "Blanco Gitarre": Almighty. 2) "Psycho Social Gitarre": Psychokinesis. 3) "Radio Active Gitarre": Nuclear.]; Kabuki Pendant [Effect: Unknown. Given by Stephen.] -Skills: Dore (Weak Almighty to one.), Dorela (Medium Almighty x0-3 to one.), Doresido (Minuscule Almighty + Confuse to all.), Madore (Weak Almighty to all.), Doresol (Medium Almighty x1-2. Random.) -Resists Light. Quintus Geminus -Equipment: Twin Blades. [Effect: None.]; Ragnarok Magatama [Effect: Unknown. Small cracks have appeared on it.] -Skills: Garutera (Weak Wind + Earth to one.), Matera (Weak Earth to all.), Evil Smile (Fear to all.), Diarama. -Resists Wind/Light. Nulls Gun. Weak to Fire. Ene -Equipment: Matriarch Knife. [Effect: None]; Mumler's Photography. [Effect: Unknown. It emanates a strange aura.] -Skills: Zio, Mazio, Sanraigeki (Medium Electric to all. Shock. 50% Chance Overcharge.), Charming Bolt (Heavy Electric + Charm to one. 50% Overcharge.), Raikouzan (Weak Physical + Electric to one.) Overcharge: No magic for 1 turn. -Resists Wind. Nulls Electric. Weak to Physical/Psychokinesis. Penny -Equipment: Old Laptop w/ Demon Summoning Program. [Demon (3/6): Bugsbear, Pyro Jack, Jack Ripper]; Espada rapier. [Effect: Adds "Pierce" to all Physical attacks.]; Revolver [Effect: None.] -Skills: Summon Ally, Blizzard (Defense -2 to all for 2 turns.), Sandstorm (Attack -2 to all for 2 turns.), Downpour (Agility -2 to all for 2 turns.) *Only one debuff may be used at once. -Resists Gun. Nulls Psychokinesis/Dark. Weak to Physical/Fire/Light. -Bugsbear -Masukunda, Psio, Triple Down (Weak Gun to all x3.) -Resists Psychokinesis. Nulls Dark. Weak to Nuclear. -Pyro Jack -Agilao, Maragi, Tarukaja. -Resists Gun. Absorbs Fire. Nulls Dark. Weak to Ice. -Jack Ripper -Tetanus Cut (Medium Physical + Poison to one), Sukunda, Maeiha. -Resists Physical/Dark. Weak to Light. Spell Punk -Equipment: Warlock's Gauntlet. [Effect: Upon use, next magical attack will deal twice the damage.] -Skills: Megido, Mediarama, Masukukaja, Marakukaja, Crystal Dust (Medium Ice to all. Freeze.), Extreme Wilder (Confuse to all.), Makajamaon (Forget to all.), Gryva (Medium Gravity to one.) -Resists All Magic. Weak to Physical/Gun. Yoshiko Takenomi -Equipment: Katana. [Effect: None.]; Pistol. [Effect: None.]; Black Replica COMP ver.1995. [Demon (0/3): - ] -Skills: Zio, Lunge, Snap (Weak Gun to one.), Tarukaja, Zeta Slash (Weak Physical x2-3 to one. High Critical Rate.) -Resists Electric/Light. Weak to Wind. Everyone but Penny & Spell Punk have a total of 6 slots for skills. Upon successfully winning a battle, the victors will have the chance to: 1) Upgrade a skill to a higher tier. Ex: Zio becomes Zionga. 2) Learn a new skill. If all 6 slots are used, then one can be replaced. It can an existing one in the games, or a unique skill could be created instead; this is up to the player. 3)Do nothing.

[Right in front of them, a new path is open, but what they would see, would depend on their own spirit's nature. Suddenly, they would all be covered in different auras. Ene and Prima would have one of "Light blue", gentle and peaceful. A "Dark green" would cover both Raidou and Punk, giving off a vibe of mystery, like it could go either way. Quintus would be covered in "Crimson", quite intense. Penny would follow with "Grey", quite empty, and devoid of anything. Tot Pop's own aura is a simple "Green", easy on the eyes. Finally, Yoshiko's would be of color "Red", certainly strong, but not too dangerous.] [Raidou, Punk, Penny and Tot would see a series of three paths all leading to different directions. The left path is a series of stairs leading to the very top of the Akarana Corridor, or so it would seem; looking down this road, would bring up the word "Shinagawa" to the onlooker's mind. The middle path would be a straight line towards a light, with no particular feature to it, merely an extension to the platform they stand on, beckoning them towards their destination, "Shinjuku". Finally, the right path, in stark contrast to the left one, leads straight down into the vast abyss that is the Akarana Corridor, with no apparent end in sight, besides the promise of a certain "Ueno". However, Prima and Ene could only see the left path, while Quintus and Yoshiko can only see the right one. Those who see all three then, may have the agency to choose.]

The aura colors are still confusing, but the auras themselves give off a feeling of what they represent, so Prima only needs a little while to sort them out. More importantly, there’s the path in front of her. “Let’s move forward, then. Does anyone know this ‘Shinagawa’?” One hand on the Tundra Seal, Prima goes down the left corridor - the only one visible to her, of course. She walks at a leisurely pace. She’s still within earshot of the others and easy enough to catch up to.

She recognized the aura colors from previously, but they still didn't quite make sense. She noticed Quintus shared a similar color and shrugged. She knew she could count on him for now. "How pleasant, we're still color coded. I'm gonna guess this means we're working together again. Looking forward to it!" She naturally stepped towards the right path given that she could only see that path to begin with, walking towards the path with a saunter.

Raidou placed a hand on his hip as he looked at the three options before him. Gouto wagged his tail from his perch on the summoner's shoulder, swaying it back and forth like a pendulum. "Guess this still makes us more neutral-aligned. Suppose we must be doing something right." Raidou nodded in response, and decided to wait on everyone else to choose. He was a bit more experienced here, and keeping the others alive had slowly become his top priority. During previous outings, grief and a desire for revenge overtook his sense of duty, and he's loathe to make that mistake again. "We seem to be allowed a choice as to where we go, so we'll accompany whichever group seems either short on manpower or would like the help." The cat spoke again, leaving Raidou to simply wait patiently.

Working with the same person again. It was better than being stuck with one of those blue coded people. He already think he knew what the colors might mean. Things would get complicated... Not that it mattered as much to him. "Well, I at least know you won't stab me in the back or anything." That was all he could really think to say for now. He still didn't know her that well, aside from the fact that they shared the same color.

The Spell Punk would take not of the auras of the others, it looked similar to what happened last time which didn't sit quite well with it. It then draw attention onto the branching paths before it and went straight to pondering on this matter first. "It seems were getting dispersed again as per usual. I think I can make out a light beyond so I'm gonna keeping moving out forward unless anyone wishes to object before I take off." It would squint back at the line forward with the oddest feeling that feels like it drawing it forward. But the Punk just kept to itself and waited with the patience it had.

{Penny looks at everyone's color, and is kind of sad that she doesn't have one. Then again, that was also the case whenever her father had let her control the soldiers in wartime. Maybe not having a color is a way of saying she's unique...again.} "Oooo, more colors! Penny likes colors! If only I had one...but, maybe I should play with Mr. Bear and wait to see who's going where...yeah, that's what Penny will do! Hey Mr. Bear, how are you doing today?" {The girl sits down and plays with her stuffed bear, just like she said she would. Due to the general consensus of the others who could also most likely see every other path like she can, she waits in order to find out what teams they might have in the end.}

Ene feigns interest in her hands as she studies everyone else out of the corner of her eye. She keeps the different hues in mind and checks her own. It's light blue. She would like to think this is a play on her style of dress. Alas it's more likely to be an indicator of worse. Looks like we are toge- Ene realizes that Prima went ahead. Wait for me! She hurriedly follows Prima.

Tot looks around at the auras, but doesn't think anything of it. They looked kinda cool, and it was great how most of them were different. While Tot's distracted, Prim and Ene run on ahead, causing the girl to chase after her two friends. "Don't forget me! Gal squad here to rock it together!" before completely running off, Tot slows down, looking back at Raidou with a grin "I'll make sure to keep my girls safe, you worry about the others ok? You guys got this!" Tot pumps her fist in the air with this final declaration before sprinting to catch up with Prim and Ene.

"Hmmm, Penny wants to go with her friends, but 3...yeah, 3 seems like a good enough number. And Miss Take and the Mister are both very reliable, Penny thinks they're really strong..." {She looks at every single path, now noticing that the Spell Punk is deciding to take the route of Shinjuku. The little girl has a feeling that both her and Spell Punk are not supposed to be the ones taking hits, and her friends might only be able to block only one of them. Due to this, Penny tugs on Raidou's sleeve and looks up at him with Mr. Bear in her arm.} "Hey Mister, do you mind if you come with me to where that person's going? I have a feeling that we'll need someone to be on the frontlines, right? I think so! Penny's going with that person, yay!" {The girl clutches the sword she got earlier, her COMP, and Mr. Bear, laughing with joy as she follows Spell Punk down the middle path to Shinjuku, probably hoping that Raidou joins them.}

Raidou scratched his cheek sheepishly at Tot's enthusiasm, but nodded all the same. In a way, her energetic nature was comforting. Glancing over the groups, he knew the girls going left could handle themselves, they'd been fine so far. He hadn't had a chance to properly assess two of them, but Prima was more than capable. Meanwhile, Yoshiko and Qunitus heading off on their own wasn't necessarily shocking either. Still, he'd seen them in the field, they'd be alright. His thoughts were interrupted by a tug at his sleeve, and he glanced downwards to see the little girl with eyes the size of saucers looking up at him. He watched her run off, following that other odd fellow, and Raidou sighed as he adjusted the brim of his cap. She had a point, with his demons he could feasibly manage frontline fighting reasonably well. Besides, something about the girl clutching a bear asking for his help just made him feel a little mushy. "Looks like it's decided, stay safe everyone." Gouto spoke as Raidou flashed the other groups each a two-fingered salute, before walking down the middle path following Penny and the Spell Punk.

LAW [Those who have chosen this road; they would have a rather easy time traversing it without a single bit of fear or even losing any kind of energy they had going in. As they go up, the dark below slowly becomes but a shadow to the bright light they are approaching. It is warm, full of love, almost literally making them feel like, whatever it was they desired deep inside their heart, they could attain without any place for doubts, for this light would follow them wherever, and would burn away the darkness. For a moment, before fully reaching their destination, they would see the figure of a woman standing on a small hill, from the which she looks down at everyone with motherly eyes; all the children, elders and warriors, in turn, look at her equal devotion.] "Do not fear, this path is righteous." [Her voice reaches their very spirit.] "You know it too. This world is full of suffering and death. Friends turn against each other by the whispers of terrible demons, who speak nothing but lies, and the destruction and terror brought by their agents. If you believe in unity, in peace and prosperity for all; for the sake of the less fortunate, the elderly who have given us so much, and our children..." [Light completely envelops the group before it goes away, revealing them to be inside a clean, well-lit and spacious area full of people going from one place to another, most are, in fact, but civilians, using white and simple clothes, while others wear clothes more reminiscent of priests with blue crosses on their capes, which protect their swords, guns and armor. They would realize the voice is coming from a screen. The woman is wearing a very clean garb with the same blue as the guards use. Her skin was pale white, her eyes blue and sharp, covered by her straight, ashen hair, reaching slightly under her shoulders.] ???: "...Help me, and everyone around you. Let us pray for our fallen, who are without a doubt, watching over us all from heaven..." [The woman holds her hands together, and so do most people watching the screen now, starting their prayer.][i] [i][Right behind, is a sealed door guarded by two men, leading towards a series of stairs going up. To the right is a series of stores and corridors through the which the people calmly come and go, some with supplies, others with weapons as they speak to the guards one after another; it was clear that most people lived there. Finally, ahead is a larger corridor from the which the same people who were talking to the guards move towards. In that area, other guards and soldiers sit around, chatting with one another and looking into the screen the gadget attached to their left or right arm had.]

CHAOS [Those who have chosen this road; it may prove to be frightful to descend into the very bottom of the abyss, to be surrounded by enemies and allis who they cannot put their trust it, for it lies in nothing or anyone but themselves after all is said and done. The light from before would disappear, and so he dark would envelop them and their own footsteps, with not clear indication as to where they would have to go from now on. They didn't even know if they were in the right path at all.] "You've noticed as well, right? If you aren't strong enough to hold your own, you will be eaten, and then become forgotten like yesterday's trash." [A distance flame speaks, like a torch being held by a warrior who decided by their own will to face the darkest winter night without any help. The flame would reveal the shape of a man.] "But maybe, you are trash now. Just maybe, you are worthless. That may be the case... but even if that were the truth, you are not without a will to become more. You yearn for something with all your heart, even if you don't know it. So why not cut through it all, and become powerful enough to take it?" [Whether they knew their desire or not, their spirits would immediately become the light that helps them reach their own destination. Their colors would illuminate the darkness, and even become one with it. If they knew their goal, then it would be the first thing to pop up in their mind, never to leave it. The stronger it became, the stronger their own light would also become. Soon enough, they would reach the origin of the first flame they saw; that which was once held was now in the ground, a familiar blade covered in flames that tried to reach them.] "Don't doubt. Hold on to your own goals, even against me, because this is..." [The flames would become intense and momentarily feel as if it was about to consume them, and even managed to blind them... for a moment. Next thing they knew, they were part of a great crowd cheering as the look down into an arena, were similar flames that were before covering them, were nothing but the leftovers of the magical attack of one of the warriors below.] "...A BATTLE TO THE DEATH! WHO WILL WIN IN THIS INCREDIBLE CLASH OF POWERS!? WHO WILL EARN THE TITLE OF CAPTAIN OF THE POLICE FORCE!? WHO IS WORTHY ENOUGH TO SERVE UNDER THE ONE AND ONLY LORD YAMA!?" [On the arena, two young men were furiously clashing swords and throwing powerful fire magic against one another, almost completely, and entirely evenly matched.] "WILL IT BE THE RED HAWK, HARUKO!? NO MESSIAN BASTARD OR DEMON CAN SURVIVE THE IMPACT OF HIS PISTOL THE DUNE COYOTE, NOR THE INTENSE FIRE OF HIS BLADE, THE GLAAAAAAAAAAAM!" [The young warrior known as Haruko would immediately ignite an all too familiar sword, which he would use to deflect his opponent's incoming blow. His hair was brown and long enough to cover his ears, but spiky at the ends of it. He wore an intense red long coat to cover the rest of his body, a black jumpsuit with light pieces of armor. On his right hand, he would have a COMP in the shape of a simple gauntlet, connected directly to an eye piece covering his left eye. He wore a pair of long riding boots, colored brown, with clear black stains, oil.] "OR WILL IT BE OUR NEWCOMMER, THE META HUMAN! THE WARRIOR CLAD IN RED ARMOR WHO WIELDS THE POWER OF A DEMON! TAKEEEEEEEEEEEEEESHI!!" [The opponent had all but his intense yellow eyes covered. His mouth and nose were covered by black, skintight cloth, emanating directly from his dark blue haori and hakama, all tuck under pieces of red armor that would cover his shins, feet, forearms, hands, and shoulders and then his hips. Finally, he had a red kabuto helmet with what looked like hors aimed to the back. The back of Takeshi's neck had strange veins going into his body, of the same material as the armor.]

NEUTRAL [Those who have chosen this road; they would decidedly or, maybe reluctantly walk through the bridge that leads them towards the exit of the Akarana Corridor, and their true destination. Nothing changes around them, and the many spirits traveling from different times into new eras become like flies in the grand, bizarre dimension. Even some demons pass them by, some from the Abyss, others returning to it. In the end, nothing happened, no one saw them, and they could not speak to any of them as they reach into the light. At the end of the road, past the white, the would find themselves in an empty plane, so empty there was nothing they could possibly be standing on, and yet they were.] ???: "Those who live by the sword..." [The voice of a young woman rings in their ears, as the void becomes the familiar sight of the Shinjuku Underground Mall reveals itself to them, right by the entrance of it. However, the entire floor was full of broken artifacts and abandoned belongings. Plushies, clothes, ruined backpacks, as far as the eye can see. And among all of them, sitting by the wall, is Tatsuya, quietly gazing at the flame of his lighter before everything around them collapses the moment the sound of a deafening powerful blast reaches their ears. Soon enough, the area rearranges itself; they fall through a hole and see a pair of demons standing under the very same hole, Fallen Eligor, and Night Incubus. At the other end of the room, there was a badly injured Rowan, barely standing up, defiantly glaring back at the pair.] ???: "...Will also die by it." [The voice of a young man finishes the sentence. Eligor rushes at Rowan, before impaling him one final time with its long spear, taking the Hunter's life instantly. As soon as his body collapses, so does the image.] Both voices: "In this era of turmoil, life's only meaning is death, while death has no point to it. The cycle of reincarnation is unbroken, and those who still rest are returned into this world to play their role. You've seen them fall, your friends and comrades, and so have I. By the hands of demons, but also by the hands of humans. Did they all die for nothing...?" [Quick images flash through their eyes. A young girl, short black hair and glasses, is murdered by cloaked men in the middle of a park while crying her heart out in terror for the failed summoning of a demon; a man, leader of the resistance is forcefully taken by Oni and terribly skinned alive while his companions are similarly ravaged by demons; the bombs dropping all over Tokyo; the countless wars after, and finally, the slowly but steady decline of numbers in those saved by the Resistance, all trapped in the cross fire of angels and devils, and their summoners on opposite sides.] Both voices: "Is that the way things will end? Against the hands of fate, there is nothing to be done. Do people wish for the Order of God? The Freedom of demons? Or…?" [Slowly, the images all converge into one, and the group is back in front of the flower shop, inside the Underground Mall. The store in front of them is still the flower shop, however, it has been clearly given a new use to it. There is a sign glued to the metal door protecting the insides that reads "Natsuki", with plenty of cute drawings painted around it; it was someone's home. To their right, they would find most people are covered in some kind of protection or armor, a lot of them with a weird sense of fashion, or none at all, quickly moving supplies deeper underground, while taking others take them to the left side of the group; only a handful of them seemed to have Arm Terminals. At the corners, some young-looking men and women keep their guards up. Finally, towards their left, they would find a long corridor leading to a set of stairs leading up, towards the surface. As noted, some people are moving boxes of supplies there.]

This place brings back familiar feelings. These humans in prayer join their wishes into one like her pod bringing their voices together in song. Yet, Prima feels one step away from being part of these humans. Who they worship is a human concept she doesn’t fully grasp. What is this god? A being like the island guardians? A being like Arceus themself? She has to think on it more, think back to that time. Still, like last time, learning more and helping others is their first priority. “Where shall we go? That corridor ahead seems promising.” Slightly overwhelmed by this change in scenery, Prima lets her companions take initiative. She’ll follow them wherever they choose to go.

"Lookin' pretty cool." She liked what the lady was talking about at least, which was a plus over the demons she'd met before. But the place seemed waaay too.. Tidy and uniform for her. It was hard to believe everyone just agreed, as cool as that would be. Back to the matter at hand, Prima seemed a bot confused for now, so Tot looks down the paths "This place looks pretty safe. Way better than my last few gigs. Imma ask around, but you're probably good to search your own places. If ya end up needin' help just yell, ok?" Tot heads towards the right area with all the shops and crowds. She much preferred being in crowds, even if she stood out a bit. And with her more grungy, punk-style outfit in a bunch of white and blue it was pretty likely she'd stand out a bit.

Maybe we should get some info first. The right corridor looks like a good place to gather some explanation for all of this. Ene waves her arms around to refer to the visible group prayer. She is unnerved by the display of worship. By now she knows that any worship or piety to some higher power is a sign of something shady going on. There is no way this many people can be unified without some motive. The worshippers also remind her of the heat haze. With the mention of a "righteous path" and the nature of humanity. It's like they all took a page or two from the snake. Do you think their worship is real? Ene has to ask. She could be onto something or acting completly paranoid and Prim is the only other person that could tell her which it is.

"Tatsuy- No, Haruko, I guess. I wonder if this is another way Melbourne is messing with me. Regardless, that's the sword Tatsuya used, isn't it?" Quintus wouldn't have much interest in the spectators. He was wary of the flames as he knew he didn't have much defense against them, especially with his current power. He'd attempt to move closer to the arena for now, curious as to what this fight even was in the first place. Of course, he'd mostly leave Take to her own devices. There didn't seem to be any danger here anyway.

“That sounds reasonable. Be careful.” Prima waves to Tot as she walks away, then considers the area Ene mentioned. Since Tot has the shop area covered, and it wouldn’t hurt to split up and search for now... “Let us go there, then.” She begins walking towards the right corridor, but Ene’s question makes her pause. She has to take a few moments to ponder an answer. “I do think they worship for real, yes. Who they worship, I know too little to judge. I think it gives them comfort either way.”

Comfort could easily be stagnation. Ene huffs out. She follows Prima again not wanting to split up just yet. She doesn't trust this new area like that.

"You know I thought Melbourne was supposed to be a jerk, but this place is definitely my style! Whoah! That is Tatsuya's sword! You'd probably know better than me, but it doesn't take more than five minutes in a room with the guy to know no one else would carry something like that." She'd try to squeeze through the crowd to get a little closer to the actual arena while her eyes glimmered with excitement, taking in all the atmosphere of the stadium like she was getting a high off of the adrenaline of the fighters. She was sure to stay within a reasonable distance of Quintus though, not wont to run off on her own in the middle of what's likely an illegal fighting ring, if not worse. "If we could get our hands on that sword we'd probably be set for whatever gets thrown at us! Maybe if we can find the room where all the fighters wait we can take it!

-Shinagawa [Tot, Prima and Ene move towards the right and into the area full of shops and people. Packed like a subway on prime time, the people quietly move from one end to another within the corridor, while others stay glued to the wall, either buying from the many different stores, or waiting for their turn. There are many of these stores offering different valuable items, and they all look differently based on their offer. For example, the item shop is more a stand selling quick snacks, if snacks were Beads and Medicine to tend wounds; and the Armor shop being larger, with an ampler area in order to showcase the wildly different types of protection offered, from mere capes with the same white color and blue details including an emblem with a cross inside, to anti-riot gear... if the riot was one for giants rather than humans. All the price tags have a weird symbol, however, rather than the "¥" for Yen, it had a "ћ" symbol followed by the value. Further back down the corridor would lead to a larger area difficult to see from the current position, and right before it, another corridor leading to a "Hospital".]

-Ueno [The pair approaches the arena without much issue. With the closer look into the battlegrounds, they can see that there are two tunnels on opposite ends, without a doubt the entrance point for both contestants clashing blades without mercy. One final clash between Haruko's "Glam" and Takeshi's Katana would send sparks flying all over the place. After this, both would take a quick step back to gain distance, clearly exhausted after fighting for who knows how long. They have given each other but a moment to catch their breaths.] Haruko: "Tch! Isn't it sad? You had to go to the Cathedral of Shadows and fuse with some low-level demon just to get this strong. Meanwhile, all the rest are puking blood just to stand a chance." [Haruko keeps his furious eyes locked on Takeshi, paying attention to the smallest move. He would then smirk, preparing to move once more.] Haruko: "Heh. Your luck must be crap though, you had to end up running into me. If you give up now, I won't have to kill you." Takeshi: "The source of power doesn't matter; power itself is enough. Most people don't fuse with demons, because their will is too weak to take control of it. You're a summoner, right? Man, maybe you should be using them now 'cuz you're being embarrassing right now." [Haruko's smirk disappears as he makes a terrible scowl, igniting the blade in his hand and rushing ahead. Takeshi would, in that moment, return his Katana back inside its sheathe, and prepare his hands. Haruko would grow confident and, instead of slashing at him, he would fake the move and move towards Takeshi's left, dropping a flash grenade to blind him.] Haruko: "You screwed up! Gotcha!" [The flashbang would quickly go off and blind everyone in the arena as the battle ends. It all falls into complete silence while the audience's collective sight returns. Once it's back, they see nothing but Haruko's limp, unconscious body on the floor while Takeshi, still looking forward, has his right hand closed in a fist, the arm still pointed towards his back. In that brief moment of confusion, the man in the red armor had K.O.'d Haruko with next to no effort. The crowd goes wild and so does the announcer; the noise is loud enough to make the loser try and stand up, in shame.] Takeshi: "If you really want to become stronger, you need to become more than a human. Keep on being one, and the demons will no doubt eat you whole soon. That's what happens to everyone. Go protect some merchant, you can leave the war to me." [Without even looking at him, Takeshi makes his way towards the left tunnel while the audience jumps on the arena, trying to remain close to their new champion. Instead, Haruko silently stands up, grabbing on to the sword and going towards his own side of the arena, leaving as quickly as he could. No one is paying attention to the pair at the moment, even if there didn't seem to be any kind of security force to control the people.]

"Steal the sword, huh? I doubt you'd be as strong as Tatsuya just from that. Certainly didn't help that guy just now." Quintus would look for a way to get over to Haruko's side of the arena. It was much easier to approach the loser then the winner in a tournament like this. Aside from that, his similarities to Tatsuya were...something. It was something he didn't know how to react to. At very least, it seemed that this was the easiest path towards gathering information anyway.

Prima sticks close to Ene as they wander through the crowd. Even in these post-apocalyptic times, humans are numerous. She takes that as a good sign. Did they choose another currency, too? She’s never seen that symbol. And those shops, and all these strange armors, and the heat of all the passerby... it’s fascinating yet suffocating. Prima gently nudges Ene with her elbow. “Where do we start? Maybe we should go to that more open area in the back of this place? It’s hard to keep up a conversation here, but you know human city life better than I, so your call.”

The Spell Punk would be caught a bit confused as everything flashes beyond its ability to process but once settling down it was able to observe the surroundings with a bit more thought. “We seem to be back in the underground mall. Or what at least feels like it cause I can already notice changes here and there, this isn’t just us getting sent back.” The many groups of people caught the punk’s attention first as they transported whatever they were carrying. It gave an odd feeling of deja vu that may just have been it misremembering events. Those same feelings seemed to apply to the metal door that stand near them that seemed to be a house of sorts. It walked up the metal door and started to knock on it and waited there patiently to see if there was any response back. “I guess rather then being bewildered we should try looking through this place, usually helps my mind wrap about this. I’ll try this house but maybe also ask some of these other people that seem to be doing some mass transporting it’s rather unusual.”

As the victor was declared she couldn't help but cheer alongside the crowd, hopping in place and clapping. "Well, I doubt there's any way that power gap could be closed within a single day, but I bet we'll make better use of it than that guy." She followed Quintus to see if there was an entrance to the arena, her eyes darting around warily. "Hey, I don't think we're gonna be getting down there very easily. If they catch us they might throw us into the ring next. Let's see what kind of security they have around here." She tried her best to see any security guards around the arena through the huge crowds.

Raidou kept his face stoic as the flashes came by back-to-back. The people he'd lost along the way, just looking at their faces made his stomach churn a bit. If he didn't know any better, he'd accuse Melbourne of attempting to provoke him, but he knew that idea was a foolish one. Still, he was the most experienced here, it was on him to keep up appearances. He glanced downwards at the floral bracelet on his wrist, and nodded to himself before turning his attention forward again and proceeding. Order, Freedom, or... Raidou steeled himself as the voice trailed off, making a silent promise to himself to put a stop to the question at its root. After his vision returned, he quickly began looking around to assess the way things were. This feeling of suddenly being somewhere new wasn't necessarily new to him, especially now. He glanced at the Spell Punk, and nodded as Gouto spoke. "Mm, sounds good. We'll stick by you then, better to remain in a group, after all. Once we're done here, we should head up to the surface and see what we can gather."

"Penny saw that...did anybody else see it too?" {Her voice was not really joyous as she had to think back on those flashbacks. She slightly knew them, yet didn't feel too much. Were the point of those to feel bad? Penny didn't understand it, so she could only ask. Penny also didn't understand what this place was at first until Spell Punk mentioned the mall, so she smiled and went back to her jolly tone in a heartbeat.} "Wow, I didn't even notice it last time! Penny thinks you're smart, Mister." {Being in another place full of adults that know better, Penny thinks to try and hold her stuff properly this time. The sword that she has would have loved to be in a sheath like her revolver, but maybe Mr. Bear doesn't want to be held all the time...sighing, Penny lets go of Mr. Bear and holds the sword beside her in her left hand, agreeing to Raidou's words.} "Penny will follow too, yay!"

Ene awkwardly bumps and collides through the crowd. The sheer number of people makes her stick a little closer to Prima. Too many people. She appreciated that Prima came with her. Crowds put her one edge and if she had to this alone she would have probably turned back. Yeah let's go to the open area. Ene fidgets with her hands. Never know when a enemy could be hiding in the crowd.

-Shinagawa [Tot would check her wallet and notice all her money had been changed into the new currency. Singular small golden coins with the new symbol and small holes on the rightmost and leftmost ends of it; her bills too had changed. The total amount was possibly enough to buy one set of armor. As the group spends more time amongst the crowd, they may notice that of the people moving from one place to another, most are men in their late to middle age, a large part of them with bandages, scars and burn marks, although nothing major. All are coming out of the corridor leading to the Hospital, while in turn, most of the people focused on buying medicine, new tools or merely resting are young women with children accompanying them. It didn’t seem like anyone over the age of 50 was even around.] “Thanks God you are alive!”, “If we keep going like this, the Gaean heretics will be gone soon!”, “There’s so much food to choose from now…”, “Blessed Temple Knights, now we can treat more people.”, “Lady Higashi’s operation was a resounding success. I wish she could lead our Knights for longer.” [These are some of the things they hear from the people passing by, all around them.] -Ueno [Most people had already left to celebrate with the winner of the fight, while some had actually stayed to punch the crap out of each other for whatever reason, without a single figure getting close to stop it or even try to do anything about it. In fact, the large majority of people were wearing armor and had some kind of weapon on them, but no security in sight, no one maintaining order; at least, not at the arena.] -Shinjuku [Punk would knock on the metal door and would receive no reply. They would be forced to wait for a while... and nothing came from the wait. Instead, the waiting around caught the attention of a young woman with brown hair and a ponytail who had passed them by a couple of times already with supplies towards the surface.] Young woman: "What are you guys doing slacking like this? Hurry up and help move the boxes!" [She would turn toward Penny and focus on her "Mister Bear". It was hard to tell, as her eyes were covered by a strange vizor.] Young woman: "You should return your demon, kid. You're wasting Magnetite and no one is going to give you theirs." [She takes the box she was carrying before walking towards the surface again.] Young woman: "By the way, Edogawa just went to Shibuya with the guys, she isn't home right now. Get on with it!"

Take crouched and weaved through the remaining audience members who decided to turn the place into an even bigger mosh pit. "Well if nothing else these folks are quite unorthodox, aren't they? There's enough chaos here to do whatever we want!" Seeing a much simpler opportunity to get into the arena, she tried to avoid as much of the conflict as possible while searching for a way down to the main area.

"...we had jobs? Penny's sorry, miss!" {Penny would normally be annoyed at the lady if she knew even the basics of what was going on in the place, though she can at least pretend to roll her eyes like Tabitha does when she's annoyed, even if she doesn't actually know how. As a child, she wouldn't really understand much of what the woman said to them.} {She looked at Mr. Bear, who shrugged with indifference before shaking himself like a dog after it took a bath. With nothing else to go off of, the girl has to sigh before tugging at Raidou's sleeve again, looking at him with another beady-eyed gaze. Whatever they'd have to do, Penny would follow along and do it after she gets the answer to this question.} "Mister, what's a magnetite? Penny and Mr. Bear doesn't know what that is."

"Hehe.. Guess this'd make a cooler souvenir than some old guitar stuff." Tot whispers to herself with a grin before heading to the armor shop to browse their selection. It'd be good to see what kinda upgrade she can get... Preferably not in blue. As she moves by she'd notice a large crowd coming from the hospital. There was probably a battle or something recently. At least that's what she'd gathered from the passing gossip. Would probably come in handy soon, but that's not what they're focused on right now.

As the two move towards a thinner part of the crowd, Prima tries to make sense of the noise swirling around. By the time they pass the corridor leading to the hospital, she’s got it sorted out more or less. “So that woman is ‘Lady Higashi,’ and the Temple Knights protect this place. And... Gaean... I’ve heard that word before. Are they a faction taking after Gotou’s ideals?” She’s got the two opposing sides of this trip in her mind. She frowns and stares out at the area past the hospital corridor. “If that’s so, could this god be...? Since-“ She suddenly stops in her tracks and smiles sheepishly at Ene. “Sorry, I’m probably confusing you with all this. Let’s get to that place on the far side of this corridor first.”

"Wasting Magnetite? Edogawa? Do any of those words ring a bell to you two cause it seems like it blew right past me like the wind." The Spell Punk would turn to the others rather confused and stare at the floor wanting something to connect but it ended up dry on ways to explain this. Perhaps this Edogawa person could explain such matters but it would be almost impossible to find a person with only a name, this at least gave an idea on where to draw its attention next. "Well I guess there is no point waiting here the person is probably not returning here soon. I did notice a group of people standing by over yonder in that corner but they seem rather...how do I say alerted and panicked? The people here may help clarify but we should stick together no?" It would start walking over to the those over in the corner with a concern in the back of its head with how they feel so alert, perhaps its rubbing off on it. Though it would turn back and wait a bit to see if the others follow along since the punk would rather not want to converse on its own.

Ene was nodding along to whatever Prima said. She understood almost none of it though. Good thing that Prima noticed the possibility, because Ene didn't want to admit that she knew next to nothing. How can all these men be injured and still smile like they just had a huge victory? Ene openly wonders. There is another pressing question on her mind on the lack of woman, but maybe that would be answered if they continued forward. She walks further down the corridor right next to Prima.

-Shinagawa [Tot would enter the Armor Shop and would find herself a massive selection of all types of protection, even attire that didn't seem very protective, but gave off the feeling like it would help her all the same; it was all very clean and new, shiny even, it was clear it had all been made very recently. There is an old man behind the counter, curiously looking at Tot.] Shop Owner: "I've never seen you here before, little missy! If your plan is to go out, then you came to the right place! Demons are an awful thing, so these should keep you safe against whatever they try...! As long as you have the Macca, that is." [Given the amount of "Macca" Tot currently had, she could buy one set out of a total of three. The Temple Knight set (Resists Ice/Dark. Weak to Gun), the Shinagawa Security set (Resists Nuclear. Nulls Gun. Weak to Psychokinesis/Dark) and the Traditional set (Resists Ice/Electric. Weak to Wind.). The first set is composed of a blue beret hat, a long white cape with a blue shield emblem with a cross on the inside, meant to cover the black light armor protecting the chest, legs and arms, the same one as the warriors from before use; the second lacks the previous' beret hat and cape, but instead shows a black armor meant for riots, notoriously heavier than the last, the same gear as the ones guarding the doors to the outside; the last one is simply the tactical gear for the now defunct JSDF, prepared for urban situations.] [Prima and Ene approach the ample area at the end of the corridor, and after moving between all the people, they come into more of the same underground atmosphere, with the small difference that not only did it have a great fountain at the middle of it, not only was there a pair of restaurants, a singular arcade and a settlements area, all of it also extended a miles ahead, with a slight descent by the end of it, leading towards a massive tunnel currently closed and guarded by Security. It was like standing at the top of a hill. In stark contrast to before, most of the people in this area were young men and women, even more so children. Anyone past their teens had some kind of job, it seemed. Some corners even had trees and flowers growing, but the sterile, perfect white color that prevailed over everything else was almost blinding. There was a massive screen near one of the electronic stores currently playing the news and with a decent enough crowd; there was also a digital bulletin board with information regarding the Temple Knights, the Order of the Messiah and currently vacant rooms and houses for anyone interested who may need them. .] -Ueno [The only thing standing between them and the arena was a rather crude and weak-looking metal fence, there more so to separate both areas than to protect anyone at all. It wasn't very high, so it was easy to jump down into the arena, which is but a few inches deeper compared to their current position. Alternatively, there was a broken part further to the right, allowing access without having to jump over the thing. The arena itself wasn't all that different from where they previously were in, made out of concrete and full of cracks in different areas, created by the impact of something or someone nearby, evident by all the blood around, both fresh and dry. It was clear at least that the arena was used frequently. Now in front of the tunnel, they see the moment Haruko slams both doors leading to the next room, the window pane on top showing the man to be on his back currently, taking off his coat and dropping it somewhere before moving towards the left, disappearing from sight. The lights in the room are on, but no shadow is being cast.]

Raidou's eyes widened at that name. He glanced up at the building, the same flower shop that had caught his attention before. He thought to himself for a moment, wondering if this might be a different reality than the one they'd been in before. It might be possible, but the visions they'd received earlier at least seemed to imply this was the very same timeline where the girl had perished. He was snapped out of his daze by another tug at his sleeve. The summoner shook his head, trying to focus on the task at hand before getting distracted again. "She's gone, even if she isn't, she doesn't know you." Raidou repeated the phrase to himself mentally a few times, trying to convince himself. "Err, yeah we have some idea. Edogawa is the family name of someone we're familiar with, the flower shop also might be evidence there's some connection to her, but I'm a bit dubious as to that being hard proof or not. As for Magnetite, it's a lot to explain, but in short demons run on the stuff, people in this time use it as a resource to summon their demonic allies. If you don't know about it, you probably don't need to sweat it too much. Different summoning methods may or may not augment the need for it. Raidou for example doesn't need to worry about it." At that, Gouto would tap Raidou's face with his tail, as-if trying to catch his attention. The man nodded in response, eliciting a head-tilt from Gouto. The cat saw through his pupil, but decided to leave it alone for the time being. Instead, he simply continued his thought. "Anyway, yeah, let's try and gather some information. Stay close, little lady." The cat looked down at Penny with the most cheerful look his feline face could muster as Raidou followed Spell Punk.

“Oh yeah, I’m a traveler, just got here today. Looks like there was a big fight recently.” Tot smiles at the armor shop owner while keeping up what small talk she can. There were a lot of injured people so it seemed like a good guess at the time. As Tot speaks she looks over the armor selection... Thd blue one would help her fit in, but it also totally ruins her aesthetic, which is arguably more important than surviving. The heavier piece didn’t have the offending accessories, but would probably slow their movement somewhat, so the obvious choice is the old-fashioned tactical gear. It’s not perfect, but the darker colors make it the most visually appealing option.

“Perhaps the reward of the battle was worth the pain. Whatever they did warranted a hero’s welcome.” This new area gives her room to think. Could the tunnel be an exit? Prima twirls some of her hair around her finger and stares out at this eerily sterile place. She decides on checking out the monitor playing the news. If it’s nothing interesting, she’ll attempt to read the bulletin board to the best of her... sub-amateur reading ability.

-Shinagawa Shop Owner: "Ah, so you like the classics, don't you? It's true that the old military is as good as gone, but they had a nice sense of fashion on top of it being practical. That camouflage though, I doubt it'll help much with demons." [The price tag reads 50.000ћ] Shop Owner: "Will you take it? You can change into it on the back. Man... everyone's taking Missions now. I'm glad." [The Owner points to a series of doors past the counter, from the which people come and go.] [Prima approaches the screen to watch the news, currently being presented by a woman wearing a heavy tunic, impossible not to realize this was a priest in charge of information; on the top left corner, it says " Tokyo Tower"; the lower right corner says “13:03. December 7th”. The headline reads "Dangerous A.I. neutralized. Dangerous machines shut down".] Newscaster: "The good news don't end there. Yesterday, the group of dangerous abandoned machines controlled by a rogue A.I. was finally deactivated. It was discovered the A.I., activated by a now deceased heretic, was located inside the Chuo Police Department. Soon after, it was raided by the previous leader of our Church in Shibuya, Aoi Yuka and the Demon Buster, Yasuo Kazuya." [The newscaster is replaced by the security footage of the event. Both Yuka and Kazuya are in sync as the girl unleashes electric magic against the strange bipedal and quadrupedal machines, equipped with machine guns of various caliber. Kazuya himself would command a small party of demons, use his sword and guns to fend them off.] Newscaster: "Thanks to their actions, traversing the outside world has become just a bit safer for our Knights. Truly, this must be a blessing of God himself, for him to give us two victories in the same day." [The Yuka on the screen looked almost exactly like the one Prima had met, minus some strange differences: Her family name was Aoi, and not Takahara; she looked Kazuya’s age, rather than slightly older; and seemed to have more powerful magic. Meanwhile, Kazuya didn't look much older from their previous experience in 1992, the one difference was notorious. The eyes of the young man were almost completely empty, but it was hard to tell based on the quality of the video alone.] "Lady Aoi is so strong.", "The way he commands those demons...I cannot agree with his methods, but if we had someone like that on our side...", "Lady Aoi and him are always together, there is no way he isn't a Temple Knight too!" [Are some of the things they can hear near the screen. Finally, the bulletin board was currently most on recently opened up rooms and small rooms to stay in for a price, but that those who aid the Church's Temple Knights would be allowed in for free. It seemed like people before geared up to get a place of their own.] -Shinjuku [Punk, forced into the shape of a human by Melbourne's meddling, easily approaches the group of people keeping their guards up by the corner. The turn to him, revealing their wildly different styles of armor and weaponry. One would have a shotgun and heavy armor bordering on impractical, while another has but a knife and a long cloak over a jacket similar to a high school uniform. The only thing that they had in common was the COMP around their forearm, and the band they had on their right arm, to show off a specific circular symbol; green borders with a black background, a green hexagram and the silhouette of the same color of a fairy sitting at the middle of it. The words "Community Self-Defense Special Force - Demon Buster Control Organization" are written around the green border in black. The intimidating looking man with the massive armor would turn to talk to Punk.] Demon Buster: "What is it? Don't tell me you found a rogue demon somewhere." [Soon after, Raidou himself would follow and approach the group, who does not change their reaction or behavior in the slightest.]

Prima stares in awe and excitement at the video. This world’s Yuka and Kazuya were still alright. Maybe she’ll be lucky enough to run into them. Takeshi and Yuji, though... are they out there too? Watching this broadcast makes her want to go out and search but it’s foolish to go on a trip without a destination. The part of the bulletin board about the Temple Knights catches her eye. “Perhaps we could assist this place’s Temple Knights if there are no other leads. It may lead to some more clues as to our purpose here.”

"Yeah, I'll totally buy it. Fits totally well with my urban aesthetic without slowin' me down." Tot brings out her money 50,000 was pretty much all of it, but getting a full outfit was still a pretty good deal all things considered. Though its not until after she's paid that she realizes it might not come back with her. No need to worry for now, Tot would wave to the shopkeep before running towards the back to change.

Spell Punk would catch itself before talking trying to speak with this man. Something about rogue demons instill a small moment that froze it. Luckily there would be no way they can identify itself as one of those "rogue demons". Though perhaps it could press on that matter to learn more. "Well good sir we happen to visiting by and notice that you are quite at work shipping around these supplies all throughout. We were wondering if you could catch us up to speed on what's happening here." It was playing it safe but the phrasing was maybe not the best delivery. The way this man looked was partial dread but also a feeling that maybe it spoke wrong. It looked back at Raidou and Penny to maybe say something else to follow up but ended up just adding onto his own words. "You mentioned rogue demons correct? They can be quite a nasty issue so if you fill us in perhaps we can identify if we come across those said demon and even help out if needed seems only fair? Right?"

Raidou remained silent as per usual, simply nodding in along with Spell Punk's speech. Assuming these guys wouldn't be too bothered by a talking cat, Gouto chimed in as well. "Yeah, we could use a bit of a status update, we've been a bit further out on the boonies for a while, so the happenings here in Shinjuku are relatively foreign to us." He took a quick glance at Raidou before adding one last statement on. "...Additionally, we think we might've known that Edogawa person from an old mission. What's she getting up to in Shibuya, if you don't mind us asking."

"There's really not much space between the audience and the fighters if all that's stopping them is some trashy fence. On top of that, the security is pretty lackluster if we can sneak in like this. There's gotta be a catch right...?" Opting to slip under the broken portion of the fence, she takes notice of the fact that one of the previous fighters seems busy and jogs to the door, opening it very slightly as not to make any sound that might alert someone. "Either not much betting goes on in this place or whoever runs the arena is very confident in how much control they have over the fights. I used to see underground arenas like this all the time, lemme tell you, the folks who run them hate losing control."

{Penny wouldn't want to try and add on to much other than voicing her approval. Giving the best kid smile she could muster, the girl giggled in the background before raising her hand without the sword slightly.} "Yeah, we'd love to know. Penny likes learning." {Mr. Bear looked at Penny, and then everyone else present. In order not to interrupt anything, the bugbear hid behind Penny's legs, only peeking out to see if the strangers would try anything, which they won't since this is friendly territory. They better not.}

"One of the fighters mentioned a war or something before. I wonder if this is just how their society is rather than being something underground. The people here are too open about everything too. It strikes me as something more natural to this place rather than anything else. Honestly, it's not all that bad. Though, I have mixed feelings on the winner over there..." Of course, Quintus would just follow Take's lead for now. There didn't seem to be too many reasons to interject right now with what she was doing. Caution was a good start to any investigation. He'd simply keep watch for anyone who might be observing them...or possibly worse.

Ene is vehemently unnerved by the sterile white environment. The more she sees and hears the more uncomfortable she is by the intense deference. This place is way too much like the snake's womb. There must be something going on behind the scenes. Erm no thanks. I think more info could be gathered if we check out the tunnel. She wasn't about to fight any battles until she knew what exactly she would be fighting for. You can go ahead and help them if you want. Ene flippantly states. She goes toward the tunnel not awaiting Prima's response.

Shinagawa [Tot obtained the Traditional set, changing her resistances all around.] Prev. -Resistant to Light. Now. -Resistant to Ice/Electricity/Light. Weak to Wind. [Having payed and looking like a proper military member, the way to go remained unchanged. She could go towards the ample are where Prima and Ene are currently in, go towards the Hospital area, or go back towards the Entrance area.] [Ene decides to head directly towards the tunnel at the end of the area, going down the few steps every few feet. As she goes down, the small buildings don't change much, all uniform, all equal and fair for anyone that had them. No one in the area seemed to have any special privileges, and the children seemed to be doing just fine as they play carelessly, their parents and older siblings watching over. As she approaches the tunnel, she catches the massive metal door stopping anyone from getting past it. Parked by the side are construction machines and strange tools. There is a map for the tunnel ahead to the right, leading to different places. Various storage areas, an emergency exit, and the main exit towards the pier of Tokyo Bay. The map itself is titled "To the Cathedral."] Ueno [As Yoshiko slowly opens the door, the layout of the room is also revealed. The red coat is left on top of a concrete bench in front of the gym lockers, most of the open, more so because they all seemed to have been forced open or directly damaged by some attack. There are no signs of Haruko anywhere from this position. The is a series of steps leading up on each end of the room, on the left and right, towards some area that should be above the tunnel they just went through. Finally, there is dark corridor at the corner, leading to a half open door. As Quintus tries to pay attention to his surroundings, he gets a strange sort of sensation. He could feel it clearly, even though it wasn’t his own. His magatama, wherever it was that he had it, would resonate with him, trying to tell him something. It could be encouragement to act, or perhaps a warning to stop. It wasn’t too clear currently.] Shinjuku [The group of Demon Busters would look at each other as soon as Gouto came into view, only for him to speak. They took a moment to speak, the first one being the one with the massive armor.] Demon Buster Tank: "Sorry about that, we were surprised to see you. There aren't any cats around anymore and we thought you were one. Sucks you a demon though. Still cute, better than in the pictures!" [In order to answer Punk's inquiry, the short girl with hair covering her entire face and a cloak covering her entire equipment clears her throat.] DB Assassin: "If you are new around here, then we can't expect you to know. We are currently hiding our most important supplies deep underground while we take whatever we can use and won't miss. The reason is because we believe Shinjuku is going to be attacked soon." [The other male continues, the one with a very simple gear.] DB Soldier: "Pale Rider was spotted nearby, gathering demons. We believe that he is doing so only to unleash them when the Full Moon comes tomorrow night. We evacuated the people who could not fight or decided not to. In short, we are getting weapons and materials to help stop the demons when they come and hopefully bring the bastard down if the chance appears." [Assassin would turn towards Raidou and Gouto.] DB Assassin: "Edogawa left towards Shibuya with her group to scavenge whatever they could get, nothing much to it." DB Tank: "If you want to help, you could either join the rest of people moving the supplies from one place to another...or you can go ask Captain Tsukasa on the surface. He's organizing everyone right now. No one else but him would know exactly what we need right about now."

“Huh...? Wait, Ene!” Prima doesn’t understand what exactly she said wrong, but she’s worried about Ene running off on her own. Should she find Tot first? This hesitation only lets Ene get further away. Prima jogs to catch up to the girl. She sets aside her frustration and confusion to give this tunnel entrance a good look. This appears to be the exit to this place. “Getting past is impossible without someone opening the way, it seems...”

Ene notices Prima's efforts to catch up and guilt hits her. She looks at the map to ignore the feeling. Maybe one of us can open the way? The cathedral could give insight on what is going on. It sounds important enough. Also it's away from the prying eyes of others. Two factors that make the possiblity of trouble worth it. I could try to pry it open with my electricty. Ene walks over to the metal door. Stand back Prima! Once Prima stands back, she would cast a quick zio from her hands to the door. If Prima does not stand back she would hold off on any tricks.

“Be careful.” Prima nods and backs away, letting Ene do her little lightning trick. Prima’s warning’s not about the electricity itself; she trusts Ene’s prowess in that magic. It’s moreso a worry of something being messed up and them getting in trouble. Hopefully it doesn’t come to that.

“An invasion by the full moon huh. Well it certainly helped give context to what’s happening here so I must thank you for the assistance. We will discuss and see how we can help in any way since it seems time is dwindling.” The Spell Punk would move over closer to Penny and Raidou and just bounc its sights between the paths leading further under or above ground. “Well I think I got an idea of what’s going on here and from the sounds of it we may not have to much time left. Still I get a feeling that we should either help out and I’m more in favour of going above ground to this Captain Tsukasa. Though I’ll leave the final choice to you two since I’d also rather we stick together while we’re still inside this oddity world.”

"Yep, lookin' good hehe. Thanks for your help dude." Tot says with a grin before waving to the shopkeeper and running out the door. Back on the street, it doesn't take long for Tot to realize she's totally lost her group. Well, they've done pretty well so far, so they'll probably be just fine. Though they probably should have set a rendezvous point. It was much too late to worry about that for now. Instead, she'd go ahead and visit the hospital where all the injured people had been coming from. It seemed like a good place to figure out what was happening, at least as far as the injuries were concerned.

"Our guy isn't in here, we can make a move!" Yoshiko would take a moment to look around the rest of the arena, making note of any points of interest that may be worth investigating either before or after entering the fighter's chambers. "You might be right about this place not necessarily being underground. If that's the case then infiltrating might be a bit easier than I thought. After all, people are at their most alert when they've got a guilty conscience!" She slowly opens the door, sneaking into the room and taking cover behind one of the lockers cautiously, waiting to see what Quintus does before proceeding any further.

Quintus would, simply enter the room without sneaking around. He'd then speak outloud after making sure the door behind them was closed. "Yo, red-jacket? You still in here?" He didn't seem to have much worry for not alerting them to their presence. No, it was more of being worried about being noticed while sneaking around by someone who reminded him of a certain paranoid flame thrower. He'd more casually reply to Take though. "People do tend to be alert to those sneaking around though. I'd rather not be baked alive today."

"Tsukasa"... Raidou remembered the name, he was one of the men he fought alongside in a previous outing. That must've been... for him, at least over a decade prior. The thought brought a smile to the summoner's face, and helped to distract him from the Edogawa matter. "Agreed. If this is the same Tsukasa we know, then we'd like to help him however we can. If you guys are down, then let's head topside for now. Better than sitting around here, it seems like they've got the heavy lifting handled." Tsukasa, Edogawa, but most of all... Pale Rider. The Fiend, the one that had a hand in taking down Tatsuya, the one he stood up against despite impossible odds. For some reason, Raidou's hand balled into a fist.

{As always, the girl decided to keep to herself as the adults handled negotiation. Raidou in particular seems to take the information a bit more personally, since her and Punk seem not to know this much. Even so, most of these conflicts felt like they've passed long ago, yet it's still going down.} "Penny will follow along, hooray!" {Not in her place to talk about it though, being a child. Penny would just be on her merry way, following along with the gang like she said she would. After all, there's nowhere else to go. Mr. Bear would do the same thing as well, acting like her little pet dog walking on all fours like nothing's wrong.}

Shinagawa [Tot would quickly exit the Armor Shop and get back to the busy corridor, quickly doing her best to move towards the Hospital. None of the design leading there ever changes, being just as straightforward as the previous path, with the difference that people are quieter, keeping to themselves and their own space unless they looked like family, friends, or lovers. Those injured but fine enough to walk around and wait outside had superficial cuts and punctures, perhaps from claws and fangs who barely missed them. Tot would soon reach a reception with people walking in and out from a double door to the left, with a small group of young women on the front desk. They enter with fear and worry; they leave at the verge of tears, some praying. Very much a normal Hospital, even if seemingly packed and busy.] [Ene's electric attack would not do anything at all; the sparks disappearing way before even touching the gate. Without losing a single beat, they find themselves quickly surrounded by Temple Knights pointing lances at them, coming from seemingly nowhere. One who looks already past his prime speaks up.] Chief Temple Knight: "Halt! You shall explain what your goals is! Are you with the Cult of Gaea!? Do you not know that to open this gate in the advent of a Full Moon is punishable by immediate death!?" [The seem to have but one chance to speak up, the man showing some semblance of kindness despite his rough exterior, almost used to this happening in the past.] Ueno [Yoshiko's looking around doesn't lead to anything. Indeed, the arena was a disaster that was barely being taken care off, full of blood all over the place, both fresh and dried up. Burnt concrete, cold, with a weird static and even one or two fingers could be found at random, next to shards of bone. The claw marks around were of different sizes, and other strange substances were left at random. Those who fought in this arena didn't necessarily have to be humans. Finally, Yoshiko sneaks in while Quintus makes it clear they are around.] Haruko: "I was wondering when you were going to come inside. I've been waiting up here for like two minutes or something." [The voice was coming from above the door. If they were to turn around, they would notice the stairs to each side of the room was leading towards a second floor above the tunnel before the door. He had his Desert Eagle, the "Dune Coyote" on his right hand while he keeps Tatsuya's Gram, now called "The Glam" being casually held by his left hand. He was looking down at them while squatting with a side smile, clearly impressed with the guy’s courage.] Haruko: "What do you assholes want? You don't look like Messians. After all, you girl, are wearing that COMP thingie; the Temple Knights don't use that model, if at all. Now, you..." [Haruko would sniff in silence, trying to figure out the strange feeling. At that time, Yoshiko's red aura would return, as well as Quintus' crimson. Seemingly unaware of these, Haruko himself is covered by the very same crimson Quintus had. At the same time, Quintus' Magatama would crack once more, the object seemingly pleased with its owner.] Haruko: "I can just tell you aren't like those guys. Your reek, which means you have no faith in that bastard above." [Upon closer inspection, he clearly had a COMP connected to an eye piece covering his left eye, which has large scar going all the way from this eyebrow to his jaw. Finally, around his chest was a strange black holster, the which held three different tubes. The same ones Raidou had.] Haruko: "Go ahead, I'm curious. What do you want? Just remember, I have the high ground and bullets move faster than legs." [He awaits for them to speak, casually moving around his gun, playing with the trigger.]

Shinjuku [The group’s mind made up, they decide to aid Shinjuku and reach Captain Tsukasa, who is waiting on the surface.] DB Soldier: “Stay safe out there. If you die, make sure it’s nearby so we can use your stuff.” [Now having nowhere to go but up, the trio can easily go towards the end of the path and walk up the stairs towards the light at the end of them. At first, it would be bright, even harsh to their eyes, as they see grey, dull clouds covering all. One step at a time, they would approach the sound of vehicles moving out, massive beast-type demons roaring and people talking.] Old man’s voice: “…rry up! If we keep this pace, we’ll have enough prep time! Hang in there!” [At the end of the stairs, they are welcomed into the true appearance of this world. The boundless empty sky would not show any signs of movement or changing, the sun barely shining through. There is no hint of blue. The area around them wasn’t much better. Shinjuku was a popular area in Japan, full of buildings, busy or bored men and women; cars parked by the side or rushing through the streets. It was easy to get lost with every new store hidden in the alleyways that make up the area; a true artificial forest, you couldn’t see how many apartments and locals were with so much in the way. That was the Shinjuku they know and saw not long ago. For this one, the first thing they see is an entire group of buildings totally collapsed, now nothing but rubble if any part of what they used to be even remained intact. Some of those constructions were missing entire parts of it. The streets were a ruined mess, as a result of battle and time passing them by. The pavement was brown, covered in dirt and dust; the black spots were easy to see, thanks to the tints of crimson red splattered. One of the only buildings still seemingly working was the Shinjuku ALTA, with its screen playing the news of the day. Around them were but two trucks loaded with supplies, and more smaller vehicles waiting to go and escort them. On another side, beast-type demons such as Chimera and Stonka are waiting with their summoners, soon to carry more of the same supplies. More importantly, the old man they clearly heard before was looking over everyone’s action. He had black hair, but the sides of it were turning white, a very clear five o clock shadow, and a few scars on his hands and face, albeit none too major. His gear may be familiar, as he was wearing a heavy tactical military gear with camo on, covered by a white cloak; the same one as the Resistance used to have.]

Prima expected some kind of response from security, but the promptness and intensity stuns her into silence momentarily. Where did they come from? How’d Ene’s magic get stopped? While she’s trying to make sense of things the Temple Knight that seems to be the leader reminds her they really don’t have time to be confused. Those lances look sharp. Despite the creeping fear in her chest, she bows and attempts to keep her voice calm. “I apologize, it was foolish of us to attempt to do something so rash without knowing the rules of this place. We are not with the Cult of Gaea. Just travelers that were looking for an exit after getting lost.” She considers asking why a full moon specifically, but the answer is probably something about demons. “Should you not believe us right now, that is fine. We have plenty of time to talk if you wish to ease your worries.”

Ene stops trying to open the gate and lets Prima do most of the talking. She puts on her most innocent face to add to the credibility of the story.

“I thought my home islands were demolished but this place seems to always find a new way to crumble apart. Well the view isn’t as bad as at home but I can see why they are in such a rush if this is before the invading forces claims what is left of here.” With so many sights the Spell Punk would darts its sights from one group of people to another, the news screen catches its attention momentarily but then wanders back away. There seem to be so much at hand in preparation for what’s to come but it tried to focus on what they came for “Well this is quite a crowded group so it may be hard to pick out the captain...though I think I’ll bank on my spirit and say the man drilling into everyone’s head. At the very least he seems to have some kind of authority around here right?”

Raidou nodded, making sure Penny stayed close as he looked out at the destruction. He had averted his gaze from the actual fall of the ICBM's previously, but this devastation more than put it all into perspective. He gulped, adjusting his hat before stepping towards the intimidating man. ...Tsukasa?

Yoshiko freezes up having been caught, raising her hands up in surrender. "Shit! Well this is quite the pickle, huh? W-We're umm..." She looks to Quintus with her lips pursed, contemplating whether or not she wanted to be truthful. She decided to go halfway on the matter. "Well we're not here to hurt you. Actually, we wanted to get a look at your sword. It's very similar to an old friend of ours who's no longer with us. I-If you'd humor us... could you tell us how you found it? We'll be on our way if you do! Honest!" Her eyes were focused on Haruko, hopefully cluing him into the fact that she wasn't going to try and pull any tricks up her sleeve.

"Mhmm, Penny thinks you're right Mister!" {Penny looked around at the state Tokyo was currently in. It was almost too familiar to her, as this form of destruction was something that her father taught her to strive for. Now that she has a disdain for her father, the girl starts to feel less joyful out of the destruction that came forth, instead trying to analyze the people that do their best to make the most out of their situation. Or at the very least, aim to make their environment better in order for that to happen. Her bugbear followed along, walking on all fours like a dog, eyeing every sight to behold. Penny would stick close to Raidou and stay quiet, reminiscing back on what little memories she had of her older sister Isabella.}

Tot doesn’t seem to pay much attention to the hospital’s overall gloomy atmosphere, at the very least it wouldn’t do to contribute towards it. She sees all the injured, which is a pretty clear sign that there was a fight at this point, but where and against who are still two questions. Questions that were only going to get solved if she asks, so Tot simply walks up to one of the receptionists and asks “Hey, this place is looking a little rough. Ya know what did all this?”

"Actually..." Of course, he'd be oddly calm as usual. He didn't like the idea of being burned alive but the gun didn't scare him in the least bit. The return of their aura was also something of note. Some kind of power to tell friend from foe perhaps. "I don't care about the sword nearly as much. W'e're new to town and this place seems odd. If I were to take a guess I take it the bastard above doesn't have any influence here. Of course kist a guess. That being said, would you mind telling us what Messians are?"

Shinagawa [The receptionist would lazily lift her head so her gaze meets with Tot's] Receptionist: "You live under a rock or something, girl?" [It seemed like the woman was waiting for a reaction, but continued anyways, seemingly not caring either way. Boredom does things.] Receptionist: "Last night, the Temple Knights raided this old storehouse the Gaeans were protecting. Turns out they had all these medical supplies guarded by assassins and demons they contracted, so... they just rushed in, fought and took them." [She looks down to her notepad.] Receptionist: "They won but they kept asking for reinforcements 'cuz "Heretics" fight a little too good. All this is the result... not that I'm complaining, we were running short on medical supplies anyways. The grandpas were dying and so were the kids." - [The Chief remains quiet as the other Temple Knights slowly approach the pair, their lances ready to pierce with a simple movement. He was thinking, considering his options. Right before the lances go close enough that any movement would result in a cut, he would raise his hand, stopping them.] Chief: "Your words mean little after witnessing your actions, even more so if the perpetrator remains quiet as she does now. Even so..." [He would wave his hand, and the other Temple Knights would move behind the girls, ready to strike if they tried anything funny.] Chief: "I can offer you a chance to properly clear your names through interrogation. If you fail to comply, you will be executed in this very place, in this very moment. Of course, if you fail the interrogation, you will be executed as well." [He nods his head as two of the group behind them immediately grab their arms from behind and cuff them with a heavy metal, covering the entirety of their hand.] Chief: "If you agree to these terms, follow me. If you fail to do so, then goodbye it is." [The Temple Knights behind them watch their every move quietly as the Chief goes back his way up. If they were going to follow him, this was their chance. However, there was not much forcing them into doing so. The risks have been put very clearly.] Ueno [Haruko raises an eyebrow, trying not to laugh as the girl puts her hands up, like that would stop anyone from using a magical attack. He would then wave his sword around like nothing.] Haruko: "You mean my The Glam? There's not much of a story, but if you cared enough to come here, assuming you did." [He would effortlessly light the flame of the sword, heating up the room in the blink of an eye.] Haruko: "A while ago I was protecting this asshole, so he got to Roppongi from Ikebukuro safely, right? On my way back, I met this group of Hunters on the way, bunch of Shinjuku losers. Anyways, we got into a fight because I wouldn't tell them what I was doing. I mean, I was clearly putting gas on my motorcycle, couldn't they see?" [He shrugs without a care while having a glint in his eye, proud of it all.] Haruko: "I killed them all with my demons. It just so happened that the leader had this cool sword, I figured I might as well sell it, but then... I touched it, and it was covered in flames. Even better, I realized I had full control of it all." [To prove his point, the flames of the sword take different shapes and even move around the room without touching anything.] Haruko: "So I kept it." [The flames would go out, but the gun would remain locked on Yoshiko as the man turns to Quintus.] Haruko: "Yeah, you do look awfully clueless about things. Otherwise, you would not speak of all this like it's new. In case you weren't aware, this place is Ueno, part of the Cult of Gaea's territory within Tokyo. You may call this place our "capital city", even. The angels, the Temple Knights, "Him" and any other of his sympathizers are not allowed here. The Messians are just that, all of it. Their "capital" is Shinagawa."

Shinjuku Captain: "Hm? Who calls me?" [The old man calmly looks behind him to find a man with a weird outfit, hat and a cat. A young girl carrying around a bear, and a weird guy who didn't seem to be human despite appearances. He would stay like that, shocked, not exactly sure of how to take what just happened. His eyes are the biggest teller. Raidou may remember Tsukasa as a young high school boy who mustered all his courage to stay behind and help the rest of the people leave Shinjuku before a demon assault lead by Pale Rider hit them, right before the ICBMs dropped. Now, he looked more like the kind of man that would be the father of such boy.] Captain Tsukasa: "...Raidou...? That cat too, cats are extinct by now so... it couldn't be other than Gouto. The girl with the weird demon bear, I remember her too from the meetings, even the odd-looking fellow... I-My... this is...!" [The man felt joyful, it was clear to see. But at the same time, he was keeping to himself.] Cpt. Tsukasa: "But... it's been 30 years. That should be impossible...?" [He maintained his composure, as even some of the people around them who had been working stopped to see, curious. They pace got slower for a moment. They had never seen their leader act as such.] Cpt. Tsukasa: "If this is you, then those two are the same. It cannot be impossible if it IS you. Tell me, boy. Is your name... nay, your title... are you the one known as Raidou Kuzunoha the XIV?" [Tsukasa awaits for an answer, perhaps even a confirmation of it all. Punk stays close to the group regardless, but in the moment he gazes at ALTA's giant screen, he sees for a moment the image of a boy with brown hair, accompanied by a girl his age with similar features, fighting off strange, mechanical beings. Soon enough, the image returns to a female priest. From there, he learns the time is past 1 pm, that it is transmitting from Tokyo Tower by a group called "Order of the Messiah", and that it is, indeed, the news.]

This man’s words leave little reason to not comply. Well, she asked for this chance anyway. She should consider herself lucky, if this counts as lucky. The metal cuffs on her hands limit her other options further. Can’t grab the Tundra Seal, can’t move anywhere else with the Temple Knights on guard... She bows her head and follows the chief in silence. When did it get so cold? No, that’s not it. The pressure on Prima is the chill, not the air. She can’t show fear, though, or they’ll get more suspicious. Dammit, thinking about that just makes it worse. She just has to keep moving. She’s too out of it to think of any kind of plan for the interrogation. She’ll have to wing it. Tot... Right, Prima and Ene aren’t alone. There’s one person they can use if things are shaky. She just hopes it doesn’t come to that.

The Spell Punk would give a blank stare at the giant screen and keep the time noted in its head. It return its attention back to what it only presumed to be Captain Tsukasa questioning Raidou, though that didn't stop it from awkwardly butting in for a moment to talk with the captain. "Well it seems you two are familiar with each other so i'd assume you're the Captain Tsukasa we were looking for? We were told to report to you since you would have the best idea on how we can help out with this situation you're in."

"Oh, no, though I am pretty into Rock. Too bad most of my bands are gone. Hehe." Tot takes the chance to crack a quick joke, though she doubts it'll be enough to lighten the mood here of all places. The nurse seemed too tired to actually react much... So the fight must have been pretty bad. "A.. Anyways, I'm a traveler, pretty much just arrived in town. I'm glad you were able to get the supplies ya need, though I'm not sure..." looking around at the absolutely packed Hospital, Tot taps her foot against the ground in contemplation before asking "Ya look a little low on hands. Is there anything I might be able ta volunteer for?"

Shinagawa [The receptionist slowly lifts her head up to meet Tot's gaze again, all because of the girl's joke. She is not amused, to say the least, but at the same time, it didn't seem like she got what she meant by "Being in to Rock". She shrugs before getting back to work.] Receptionist: "Lucky for you, we ARE understaffed. You look capable enough with that JSDF suit. If you feel like volunteering, you can put on his white band around your left arm and pass through the door to my right... your left. A lot of wounds are still dirty, pretty sure you may need to drag out the deceased ones or even amputate limbs." [She looks under her desk and places a white band in front of her. It has a red cross on it, with a small blue shield at the center.] Receptionist: "With that, the medics will know you're working and will ask for your help. Or, you could instead go help, join, whatever... the Temple Knights and complete their missions. It's up to you. Their base in right by the entrance, you probably saw it when you got here." - [Both girls would follow the Chief back the way they just went through. The people would, for the most part, ignore them and stay away just to not get in trouble by mistake; simple human nature. However, some of the people would give them extremely ugly looks, like sickened to the stomach. They would speak amongst themselves and be quick to smile in victory. This repeats through the Main Area, through the packed corridor, and through the Entrance Area up until they reach the place where they came to it not so long ago, in front of the exit to the exterior.] Chief: "I'm glad you chose to cooperate. It will make things easier for us all." [The Chief would continue towards the Temple Knight Area, where everyone would keep an eye on them. They would pass by their weapon, armor, and item storage, descend lower and lower within the base of the Temple Knights, unsure of exactly where they were even standing in relation to the rest of the world. The pure white replaced by dark concrete, light itself disappears. For the longest time, it feels like they are in some void, until the Chief turns the lights on, a singular weak light bulb illuminating the nothingness around them, and the Chief, whose face cannot be discerned. Finally, their cuffs are connected to the back of the wall to further limit their movement.] Chief: "I'll be the one interrogating you. It should be quick; an Archangel is coming down to deal with you both in case you fail." [The man would cross his arms and remain quiet for a few moments.] Chief: "First, give me your full names and tell me from where you are. Then you will tell me why you are in Shinagawa."

An Archangel... so the god of those angels is the one these people worship. Prima doesn’t have the time to mull over this information though. Should she tell the truth? Make up some story? A web of lies will only get them tangled, but the full truth is unbelievable. She’ll have to make do with the facts she has, then. It’s time to take the stage once more despite the heavy threats. “I am Primarina. No last name. If you are asking my origin, it is from a land outside Japan, but if you are asking where we came from, I have no solid answer simply because we’re wanderers. As for why we are in Shinagawa, we were told about this place through an acquaintance of ours - I’d call him an acquaintance at best, but my dislike isn’t the point here - and decided it would be best to rest and ponder our next move here. That’s all I have to say... ah, we did come with another person, right?” She looks over at Ene, encouraging her to add onto that. I’d give the younger girl some information of worth to contribute.

"Messians, huh? In other words more people in the way of killing the one who calls themselves a god. How annoying but at least we ended up here. At very least this seems like a good place to prepare." Quintus would look at Haruko. The resemblance really was uncanny in more than one way. "I actually knew the original owner of that sword. This girl here did too, in case you wondering about the interest. He was a crazy bastard in red who would answer any challenge with a torrent of fire. Above all else though I think he valued his freedom to act as such. In a lot of ways that blade is his legacy I guess. I don't particularly care that much but I suppose it's good to see that it ended up with someone similar at least rather than in the hands of a low-life thug." Quintus would turn away for now, moving for the exit. "Well, that's all I needed. I want to go out there and see if I can find something to make me stronger out there."

"I trust that you know his legacy pretty well. I only really met the guy once or twice." Yoshiko bowed her head at Haruko and started slowly moving towards the exit with Quintus, offering the hunter a finger waggle in departure should he let the two leave safely. "Good luck on your future fights! You put on one hell of a show, that's for sure!!" She turned to Quintus as they were leaving, speaking under her breath. "I don't like the sound of most of these folks, but I've heard of these Cult of Gaea people. A woman named Yuriko told me about them. I don't think they sound completely right in the head, but they may be the closest thing we've got to an ally out here. What do you think?"

A warm smile came to Raidou's face at being recognized. He tipped his hat as a response, as Gouto began to speak almost as-if to confirm their friend's suspicions. "In the flesh, good to see you're still kickin'. Seems like you've done well for yourself too, as best as you can anyway. Still, you look like you've aged a lot more than I thought you would." Gouto's sarcastic jab aside, he felt a bit of difficulty in explaining the odd circumstances of their reunion. "...Er, still, this is probably pretty strange for ya, right? Well, rest assured this is definitely Raidou, and the girl here, Penny, is the same one you saw back then too. I know it might be difficult to grasp, but probably better to accept things as they are. We need some help if you can offer it, and we're willing to pitch in with whatever you need as well. Just like old times, right?" At that, Raidou gestured to Spell Punk, affirming both its and his own partner's statements.

It is further cemented in Ene's mind that these people are probably not the good guys given the way they treat "suspicious" people. The ugly stares. The handcuffs. The guards. All irk Ene deep down and make her not want to cooperate. But she isn't that much of a fool ... yet. She glances at the guard with a neutral look before answering. I'm Ene. No last name either. I'm from Japan, but my city was destroyed a while ago so i'm pretty much homeless now. Prima answered everything else adequately so Ene doesn't say much else.

"Ok, cool. Yeah I can do that pretty easy then. I've got no problem with injuries and stuff." Tot's already here, so she may as well help out around the hospital. The girl accepts the white band, putting it on around her left arm before heading through the right door as instructed. She's seen a lot of bloody messes before, even caused a few of them herself, so she doesn't really mind the idea of being around injured patients, even though she doesn't know that much about treatment. Just being able to do something to help the doctors working here would be nice for now.

{Penny would try to think to herself as the captain remembers her of all people. Even so, the girl would immediately brighten up in response to her name being called, her voice taking on a jovial tone in order to disregard the environment that she's having trouble understanding.} "Yay, I'm Penny! Thank you for remembering, Penny usually has trouble remembering stuff herself!" {Though that was in the past, she feels as though that still needs to be said. It helps with remembering who she was like at least, even if it isn't how she is now.}

Shinagawa [Tot decides to go through the door as instructed. The room would extend as far as the eye could see, with multiple rows of beds with little space from one another, not counting the path in the middle, directly in front of the door the girl just went through. Near the entrance, most of the ones resting were being visited by family and friends, albeit in small groups. They were quietly sobbing, praying, glad their loved one was recovering, as their body was bandaged, with casts and some even connected to breathing machines. However, further down the path, the atmosphere becomes oppressive. There were no families, just medics and nurses, even priests trying to help people. Many were missing a limb or two; their eyes severely damaged by fire and bullet wounds; claws, blades, maces, axes, knives, fangs, even human teeth were marked all over their bodies. It wouldn't take long to find entire bodies hidden by black covers, and beds being moved to a different room. Soon enough, a woman approaches Tot.] Woman: "Perfect, I was looking for a volunteer." [She didn't seem to be older than 23. Pale white skin; sharp blue eyes; straight, ashen hair. She was the very same woman she saw on the screen before, as soon as they arrived. Her voice was the same one that called them into this world, soothing.] Woman: "Please. This man has been inflicted with a terrible poison. It keeps going into his system through his open wounds. No amount of Posumudi will help him like this." [The woman slowly points with her hand at a nearby bed with a man being kept alive by a priest kneeling by his side, casting healing magic onto him. Half of his left foot was missing, the flesh still painfully hanging and the bone irregularly broken; the lost remains having been forcefully ripped by tremendous force. Across his chest, there was a large laceration across his chest, and another on his right shoulder. His face was being covered, but it was easy to see as well, his neck and cheeks were full of bruises. Not only something tried to cut him down, but it also tried to choke him. Over the open wounds, there was a strange, bubbling purple fluid, almost glued to the wounds, and secreting a pink fluid on the floor, mere drops from time to time; the smell was comparable to sewage. Right next to the bed is a large bucket filled with water, and various gauze pads.] - [The Chief calmly makes note of what they say, carefully considering his next question.] Chief: "...Who is this acquaintance you mention? How did you two meet? And... is there others with you?" [A distant sound can be heard, like that of an elevator, slowly approaching them.] Chief: "Don't dare lie because we will know if you do so. Trust me." [The man is not exaggerating. They can feel that he is being very honest about this fact. The elevator descends further. Whoever or whatever is coming, will be here soon.]

Ueno [Haruko's smirk would not disappear, now knowing the origin of this sword. He didn't seem impressed in the least bit.] Haruko: "This sword is in better hands anyways. If he were that great then he wouldn't have lost it, let alone die. Some guy he was." [He would lower his gun but keep his sword in his hand, looking down on them for a moment, actually allowing them to leave.] Haruko: "The way you speak, I like it. I'm almost glad I didn't just kill you the moment you showed up. You're free to do as you please, as long as you don't get in my way." [Letting them pass the door at the end, Haruko would jump down, holster his gun and even return The Glam inside its scabbard. He would let the pair past the doors.] [They come in the living, spitting image of a red light district. Cans of beer and food remains are all over the place near the garbage disposal. Stands selling weapons, armor, items, COMPs are all over the place, full of costumers at that. Everyone was ready to battle with wildly different armor and protection, as well as weapons and even COMP designs. Young, energetic, rebellious. That was the best way to describe the people living in Ueno. To their left, they would see a long, dark tunnel leading to "Shinobazu Pond". To their right are the stores, people and more, although it's hard to make out from their position. Haruko would shove them out of the way to pass.] Haruko: "You want to be strong, right? I suggest you head over to Kether's Bar. It's right next to the exit to the surface, in front of the Arena's main entrance. You shouldn't be able to miss it. There, you'll get some old fart asking for protection, or go out and gather supplies, maybe head out and kill some Temple Knights... That kinda thing. These "Contracts" pay really well, and fights are at an all-time high." [He turns around and is lost in the crowd, waving back at them.] Haruko: "I'm off to the brothel for now, see you on the field."

Shinjuku Cpt. Tsukasa: "The talking cat! There it is! It is you, Raidou! I have no idea how you do it, but if age has shown me anything is that it never is normal with the Devil Summoners!" [The old man laughs loudly, patting Raidou on the back as he does so. A little too hard maybe. After this, the rest of the people would return to their positions, working hard yet again, realizing their captain was doing just fine. A collective sigh of relief follows.] Cpt. Tsukasa: "What's important is that you're all here. It's impossible to forget any of you. You were all so odd compared to the rest of us, like there was a weird, unique will to each one. Uh... ignore what I said." [He would finally pick up on what Punk said, deciding that they should get into business quickly.] Cpt. Tsukasa: "Indeed, we need all the help we could possibly get. Tomorrow night during the Full Moon, the Fiend, Pale Rider will attack us with a swarm of demons from the north, just like 30 years ago, and last year. I got out alive by sheer luck, but not so those who stayed behind that day." [He rubs the back of his head, almost embarrassed by the fact that he didn't die. He gestures the trio to follow him to a nearby table with various computers and a large map of the Tokyo area; most of the north and east was red in color, while most of the south and west was blue. A green line cuts through both colors through the center.] Cpt. Tsukasa: "I have no doubts he's coming to finish the job. He probably thinks nothing will get in his way now that those kids killed Ozawa not too long ago. But... I absolutely disagree." [He would direct them towards one of the screens, a map of the general Shinjuku area, showing the different barricades, traps and teams assigned to each one.] Cpt. Tsukasa: "There's not much time to properly explain the plan, daylight doesn't last forever after all. But, for this operation to succeed and reduce our casualties, we need all the help we can get. Because of this, we have a couple of assignments that will be rewarded if completed. Please, listen to these Requests." REQUESTS 1) Powered-up Explosive: The Chuo Police Department used to be crawling with deadly machines controlled by a dangerous A.I., but no longer thanks to the actions of a pair of Demon Busters (DBs) recently. At the top of the station, it's guaranteed a particularly powerful "Energy Core" was left behind. Go and retrieve it to make all the hi-tech explosives function. 2) The Aftermath: Not so long ago, Roppongi was a sealed off utopia, but no longer. It was revealed to be but a town crawling with undead, controlled by two powerful demons who recently met their end at the hands of DBs. It is guaranteed to be plethora of supplies at the bottom of it. Go with other DBs and protect them as they take all they can get. 3) A True Master: Future Temple Knights are trained at Shibuya by Raidou Kuzunoha the 25th, while it also has plenty of elite warriors, experienced at fighting off demons. Quite simply, go and convince the 25th to send help. 4) Stalemate: Ginza is the largest human settlement in Tokyo currently, and also the current base for the Demon Busters Control Organization. Soon, a man who goes by the name "Snakeman" will have a meeting with high ranking officers of both the Cult of Gaea and the Order of the Messiah to discuss terms of how much freedom DBs will have to enter and fight in the different areas of the city. A chance like this is rare. Someone must go to Ginza and strike a deal with the Cult of Gaea or the Order of the Messiah to get assistance during the assault. Getting both is wishful thinking. Note: You may team up or split up to complete these "Requests" and even have time to complete them all. However, there is a chance some may become unavailable depending on the decisions of other players.

Good thing she didn't weave any lies. Prima can sense he's being truthful about seeing through any deception. She'll keep on telling what she can, then, since whatever she says won't be unbelievable. Hopefully. She tries to calm herself by tackling the questions one at a time. "The acquaintance I speak of is a... man named Melbourne. I do not know what exactly he is, but though I dislike him, his knowledge of the land has not been wrong yet. As for Ene and I, we first met in a friendly duel, but didn't start traveling together until recently. Finally, there is one other that was previously with us, yes. She goes by a few names. Tot Pop and Jessica Praise. We had split up when we got here, and, well... you know the rest." Prima tugs at her cuffs at that last sentence. She's not sure what to add and she doubts she'll be able to coherently pull something together. Her hopes rest on Ene and this Temple Knight now.

Now with Haruko out of ear shot Quintus would be free to talk with his companion. "Anyone who doesn't offer their faith to the lord is better than the alternative. ... Truthfully I've already been told how to get rid of god. I got Melbourne to tell me earlier. Anyone can kill them with enough power but obviously that wouldn't be enough to actually erase them from this world. The only true way is if all humans stop putting their faith in them completely. Obviously, that's unrealistic...unless all the people in that Messian group were to die. Right now, we should just focus on getting on the Cult of Gaea's good side. At very least they might be able to help us subdue the Messian's if worse comes to worse." He'd head towards Kether's Bar. Haruko might've been a bit crude in some ways but he was strong as well. So far he was also the only local they knew and had even until recently been a champion of the arena of sorts.

Tot had seen a lot of injuries before, so the hospital didn't bother her too much. Or at least it didn't make her physically sick. More disgusted with the creatures who would willingly do this to others. It just didn't seem necessary to her. "Yeah, sure no problem." Tot tells the woman. She had seen them before... Was probably real important to the people here, and its not hard to imagine why. There are very few leaders who were willing to go into the aftermath of a warzone. Its the kinda leader Tot had always wanted to be. And now was an excellent time to prove it. Tot takes a deep breath upon being lead to the patient. Of course healing wasn't going to help much when a new source was sitting on top of his wounds. Tot can only hope the patient was on some sort of pain killer, because no matter what this wasn't gonna feel very good. "Ok, yeah I see the problem. I'm not really a professional, but I can do some simple stuff here, just try to keep him alive." Tot takes a deep breath, taking a little bit of gauze and mixing it with the water nearby for a sort of makeshift cleaning option. She starts by seeing how much of the obviously toxic material she'd be able to simply wipe off, the first thing she'd need to do is get these wounds as clean as possible. Meanwhile she'd ask the priest. "So we're obviously not gonna be able to do much about his foot, but do you think the patient himself has a chance?" she'd almost certainly have to cut off that foot later, but if they can't clean his wounds very effectively with what they have then it might be better to end their pain.

"Wait a second, we have to kill every last Messian?! For real?? I suppose no one said killing a god would be simple. Unless of course there's also a way for us to destroy humanity's faith in some other way. Sounds like a dream but... maybe." Yoshiko expressed visible surprise when she saw how common COMPs were in Ueno, especially considering just how rare she'd been lead to believe they are from Nakajima's lab. "I could pass on the booze smell, but the folks who live here look... free. Sure it's a bit messy, but who's gonna tell a guy how to live, eh?" On the way to Kether's Bar she started comparing her own equipment to some of that which she saw in the various shops. "Well, if getting into fights doesn't directly make us stronger I bet we could make good money beating the hell out of Messians. With that, we can buy whatever we want. Sounds like these Temple Knight guys are our first target. Know anything about them from experience?"

"Not a thing. If I had to guess I'd say they summon demons too. Maybe it'd be more accurate to say they summon angels. Though also possible that they just have angels as allies... Guess speculating on that won't help much. I'd like to get my hands on a comp to. I wonder if they're expensive given everyone seems to have one." This place really was different. Everyone here had the means to protect themselves. Perhaps that meant people need not randomly die due to the influence of God. Of course, that probably was just a dream. Fact of the matter was that regardless of how he felt God was still pitting humans against one another. They looked free but did they have true freedom yet?

"What is an angel but another kind of demon? Both try to trick you with blessings too good to be true. This just means we should expect to go up against people who have similar summoning powers. As for getting your hands on a COMP... do you think they take yen? I get the feeling yen might be massively out of date." She stared down at her own COMP, pursing her lips as she examined it. There was a distinct stress in her mind given she hadn't gotten an opportunity to even capture a demon inside the thing. For the time being, it was no more than a lunchbox strapped to her arm.

The Spell Punk would tug on its robe and start weighing the options out in its head. It remember that it was only 1 PM so time was indeed quite limited so it would start trying to figure out the best way to male up for this. “I feel like we don’t really have the room to really split up. The first two task stand out either more resources or some potent explosions could buy some time or even leave a dent on this Pale Rider’s force. Though I should get your inputs I’d rather not get to ahead and waste our time.” It would start tapping the hood of its robe and try to think while waiting to hear what Penny and Raidou’s thoughts. It just hope that it didn’t have to come to a task of negotiating but it would look past that if the others thought it was the better choice.

Shinagawa [The Priest would nod, still doing their best to keep the man's soul within his body. So far, he seemed to be lacking in consciousness. Lucky that, at least.] Priest: "I do believe so. Even if he is missing limbs, I am certain we can replace them with mechanical parts, for as long as he still wishes to fight." [Upon contact with the water, the strange substance would not wipe away, but slowly turn into a gas, like it was completely burning it all away. Although worrying at first, the gas does nothing at all, merely dissipating into the air, and then out through the vents.] Woman: "It's true, as slim as the chances may be, it is our duty to help as many people as we can. Young, old, even those born less fortunate. Life is too precious a thing to give up on it." [Cleaning the wounds by using the gauze pad and water proves to be far simpler than originally thought. Going through the substance, the water itself would help close the injuries enough so the bleeding, previously stopped by the poison, does not continue. The woman smiles at Tot.] Woman: "Holy water is quite the miracle maker, don't you think?" [The foot should be clean by now, leaving now the lacerations on the chest and shoulder.] - [The elevator would stop in the distance, the one coming now having reached their destination. It certainly couldn't be anyone but the one Archangel the Chief had called.] Chief: "Melbourne...? Definitely not Japanese. Not that those designations mean anything anymore." [Footsteps can be heard now.] Chief: "We're almost done. We only need a bit more information." [The footsteps stop. The man ends his own silence.] Chief: "What were you hoping to learn by going through the closed off gate? And finally, have you ever been to Ikebukuro and... or Ueno? How about Tokyo Destinyland or Kinshincho?" Ueno [Passing through all the people, the pair make it a new, cleaner area. The colors haven't changed at all and neither has the atmosphere, but just as some people were freely loitering all around and showing off their weapons, so were others making sure to either pile up the trash or pick it up, throwing it into garbage bins. In such corners, a small group of Slime quietly devour the wasted food and mere garbage. It all slowly dissolved inside of their green, transparent bodies.] "Man! I had it all on Haruko, I'll beat his sorry ass when I see him!" / "Not if he kills your first." / "Does anyone even know from where that Takeshi guy came from?" / "Ahhhh! I really want to fuse with a demon now!" / "Don't. If you aren't strong enough, you'll turn into a Black Ooze or something." [Such are the words repeated all around them, the entire area in something of a party mood, like desperately psyching themselves up for something. Soon enough, the reach the easily accessible steps out of the area and towards the outside world, and right next to it, Kether's Bar.] [Inside of the bar, things are considerably more calm. The entire room keeps the noise from outside away while the warriors talk to the bartender or amongst themselves with a single glass, or an entire bottle for the lonelier ones in the corner. Near the wall, Quintus may recognize the man in the suit with long blonde hair and heterochromatic eyes, quietly drinking while watching over at a group looking at the nearby TV; it was Louis Cypher, the man he met inside Abaddon. The other group was made up of a few unremarkable warriors, surrounding Takeshi, the new champion. He was smiling proud, looking at the TV with his golden, inhuman eyes, short black hair and strange veins coming out of the back of his back. Finally, there are a couple of screens with data scrolling down on top of the bar counter, detailing different Contracts by their title, who is asking for help and the expected reward; from "Macca", to equipment, to a place to stay.]

“I’m... not sure actually. Maybe we were finding some purpose we lacked here by doing so, though in hindsight there were better methods. Or, although wishful thinking, we might be able to find some people we know.” Names, lots of names. She has yet to fully know the geography of Japan. She frowns and recalls her prior adventures in this world. “I have heard of them, but not gone to them. Yongen-Jaya and Shibuya are the only notable places I’ve been.”

"Oh yeah, this stuff is pretty awesome!" The tension Tot hadn't realized she built up kinda vanishes when she sees the water working so well. With "miracles" like this the guy probably wouldn't have any problems. So once again Tot soaks the gauze in the holy water, before using it to clean some of the lacerations on the patient's upper chest, carefully repeating the process in hopes of cleaning the rest of his wounds "For a second I wasn't sure how I was gonna do it, but just a whoosh and all that bad gunk melts away." Tot's tone is back to her usual friendly, jovial self. She actually kinda liked it here, from what she'd heard. After all, what Tot wanted most was for all her friends to be able to just live peacefully. And it seemed like this woman sincerely wished for the same thing, really it would be a shame not to help.

Ene blandly states. Wanted to know what kind of religion you are running here. Also never heard of any of those places so oh well. She shrugs. Her nervousness has settled into a calm complacency with the fact that this may be the end.

"Macca...? That's what seems to be the currency here. Not sure if Yen is completely useless but I think it's safe to say it probably won't get us very far in terms of buying supplies." That being said he'd recognize the familiar face immediately. Should he approach them? Would they even speak to him with others present? He had to take a chance even if it didn't help him in the lest bit. "You can pick what we do. I've never been good with decisions like that anyway. I see someone I recognize so I want to see what they might have to offer." With that he'd walk over towards the blonde man, wondering what he should even say. "Loius, right? Do you remember me? I'm not sure how much time has passed here but you helped me out of an...odd situation a while ago."

"Maybe there's an exchange from Yen to Macca? Oh whatever, we're already pretty well equipped for a low level job at least. A couple of normal weapons can probably get us somewhere." While Quintus reunited with his acquaintance, she took the time to overlook the list of contracts, hoping there was something they could do without much trouble. "A place to stay? Must be valuable around here if people are potentially risking their lives just for somewhere to rest." Yoshiko took a look at Takeshi, more specifically his malformations, and raised a brow. 'Why would a human willingly become one with a demon? Yuriko lamented her existence, what makes these guys think it's a good idea?', she pondered to herself and made sure to look away before anyone noticed she was staring, going back to the contract listings.

Shinagawa [Tot moves quickly towards the laceration on the chest of the poor man, starting to move very weakly, not enough to disrupt any of the treatment at least. As this happens, a singular nurse approaches the man, working on bandaging the damaged foot while he remains mostly static.] Woman: "We have the means to save and treat everyone we can, but we always are lacking in helping hands. I've never seen you around before... I hope I could properly express my gratitude to you. To everyone here, even this man." "The severity of his wounds, he must have fought so hard yesterday, and must still be fighting just to remain in this world. He is amazing, and so were those men who fought valiantly, and now rest besides God, protecting us all from above." [As expected, the substance would return into nothing the moment it came into contact with the holy water, helping close the wound all the same.] Akie: "My name is Akie Higashi, I am Shinagawa's Temple Knights Commanding Officer. May I know your name, miss?" [She smiles, preparing her healing magic. Soon enough, Tot would also finish with the chest wound, leaving only the smaller laceration on the shoulder. Somehow, the man was looking more colorful, life pouring back into his body. The priest too seems more relaxed, having not so much of their mana drained through their healing. It also is because the man was getting better.] Akie: "If I am not intruding with that information, of course. I know many go by aliases. For example... people here choose to call me as "Lady Higashi", even though I tell them they should relax and use my first name." [Seeing the man getting better also raised her spirits, as she ends up giggling, covering her mouth with her left hand.] - [The Chief doesn't react after Prima is done talking. It already seemed like he was trusting Prima, aware that she had been totally honest. Not so with Ene. For whatever reason, she had been honest. But not now. The sound of armor moving around can be heard nearby.] Chief: "That girl Primarina, she's telling the truth. But you, Ene, why would you lie like that? What's so bad about Ikebukuro, Ueno or Kinshincho that you would keep it to yourself?" [For a moment for Ene, it felt like someone was looking directly into her memories, like they could tell she was lying very badly. They couldn't see much more than this one fact, and perhaps recent images of events. A door opens in the dark, a man wearing gear similar to that of those during the middle ages steps in. Additionally, he had a sharp sword on one hand, and a pair of wings. It was easy to see, it wasn't one of the main agents belonging to the Order of the Messiah, but rather, a common Archangel, ready to enact judgement upon the liars and heretics.] Chief: "It is of great importance that we make sure no one from the Cult of Gaea or allies of the Chaotic side gets in here, as they do nothing but destroy and kill anything and all they can. We lost many good men yesterday because of them hoarding on supplies they didn't even need. Our children needed them far more than those barbaric warriors." [Archangel silently looks at Ene, like trying to put one piece with another together, like trying to remember something, needing but a simple push to realize the truth. However, it may just be the terrible darkness of whatever underground lair they were in.] Chief: "Speak girl. What were you doing in Ikebukuro? I suggest not throwing away your life." [Calling out her lie, he focuses exclusively on what Ene was going to say.]

Ueno [Louis takes one sip from his glass before looking at Quintus, not at all surprised to see him there. He gives the young man a smile.] Louis: "It's been quite a while, friend. I'm not one to forget name, let alone a face." [Louis gestures towards the empty seat right in front of him. He would turn around another glass he had with him on the table and pour some liquor for his acquaintance.] Louis: "What do you think of this place? I consider it liberating, and I bet you feel in a similar way. Especially this bar... it's like being at home. Quite the luxurious locale, one you wouldn't expect in this day and age." [He chuckles, curious as to what it was Quintus wanted to begin with.] Louis: "But tell me Quintus. Is there something you wish to learn? I mean no offense, but you don't strike me as the type of guy that would come to a bar in the middle of nowhere to chat with an old pal." - [Yoshiko may notice that the TV is currently playing the news by the Messian Network, learning it's past 1 pm. Additionally, she reads about a "Chuo Police Department" being shut down, as well as the security footage of two brown haired warriors facing against strange machines with weapons on them, a boy and a girl. The boy in particular looked eerily familiar to her. Regardless, Yoshiko would take a close look at the screen to find details on the different contracts; the bartender looking at her from time to time, making sure to be aware is she was to take any.] CONTRACTS 1) For victory's sake: DB Hijikata. Recently, the Chuo Police Department, run by a rogue A.I. was deactivated by a pair of Demon Busters, shutting down the violent robots as well. There is a big chance that some kind of "Energy Core" was left abandoned, which would certainly help at creating new weapons to battle the Messians. Go and take it. (Reward: Room for 1 person.) 2) Shinjuku's Demon Hive: Doctor Jun. The Shinjuku Medical Center is crawling with medical supplies we need soon in order to help the survivors of yesterday's assault, as them coming back at all is a testament to their power. However, the building is also crawling with demons. The more you bring, the more I'll pay. There is a high chance of Messians in the area. (Reward: 9.000ћ x salvaged box.) 3) Incredible Power: Cult of Gaea. Strange readings are coming from within the Imperial Palace, and nobody knows exactly what this is all about. However, there are many reasons to believe these readings are being generated by the presence of an incredibly powerful object, some kind of armor. Go investigate before the Messians catch wind of this. (Reward: 50.000ћ) 4) Kinshincho Recon: Cult of Gaea. For some reason, we've lost all contact with Kinshincho, and we don't know if this has to do with the Messian or a powerful demon attacking the area. The objective is simple, merely go to Kinshincho and report back the findings. However, if the issue is resolved, the reward will be bigger. (Reward: Rider set [Resistant to Fire. Nulls Dark. Weak to Ice.] + 60.000ћ if resolved.) Note: You may team up or split up to complete these "Contracts" and even have time to complete them all. However, there is a chance some may become unavailable depending on the decisions of other players.

Quintus was surprised at the courteous nature of his friend. Friend, not a word he could use often...It almost seemed strange to think of someone as one for him. Regardless, it was time to get to the point of why he had approached them in the first place. "I vastly prefer this place to whatever I imagine the other capital is like but...despite appearances I'd imagine it's still not as free as it could be. I've heard about the Messians and it seems the Cult of Gaea is at war with them. Meaning humanity is still being forced against itself by..."him". Speaking of which, would you be able to tell me how things got to this point exactly? Last I remember of this place the bombs went off while I was brought to another...dimension? How long exactly has passed since then?"

"Oh yeah, its not problem. I'm always glad to help out when I can." with his largest wounds healed, all Tot has left is to repeat once more to clean up the soldier's shoulder. He's looking a lot better already so the girl doesn't have a hard time believing he'll make it alright. "Nah, you're not being intrusive at all. Name's Jessica Praise, but my friends call me Tot. Ya can call me that if ya don't mind me callin' ya Akie." Tot giggles in return, though she doesn't bother covering it. There's nothing wrong with laughing to make things feel a little lighter. At least that's what she taught her crew back home, no need to make anything more depressing. "Anyways, my crew and I just got here today, used to be wander...." Tot pauses, having suddenly remembered something. Oh, right. She didn't come here alone. There were in fact two others she was supposed to be keeping up with and must have lost in the crowd. Tot shakes her head to drive away any bad thoughts before muttering "Ah, I'm sure they're fine. I'm usually the reckless one anyways."

Ene tries to keep her eyes away from the chief and the archangel, but she keeps looking back at the suprenatural warrior near her. Obviously this wasn't the one that helped her. This one was with the jerk chief that really was beginning to get on her last nerves. Though maybe this archangel could be nice too. Fine. I did go to Ikebukuro but all I did was save some old people there. Saw a whole lot of demons killing people too ... Ene nervously bites her lip as a fear races through her body. There was this head and a-nd. I was helped by one you. She flicks her finger at the archangel.

Prima anxiously waits the man and angel’s response. She’s clear of suspicion, it seems, but Ene’s fate is still up in the air. She just hopes Ene’s words will be enough. That... No, she can’t keep thinking like this. Worrying about the possibilities will do nothing. Her throat feels tight and the cuffs feel even colder but she has to trust things will be alright.

Raidou rested a hand on his sword as he looked over their options, pressing a finger to his chin. Gouto sat on his shoulder, swinging his tail like a pendulum. "I disagree, actually. Our time frame is rather limited, and we should leave plenty of time for us to not only rest, but prepare for the situation tomorrow. Whether we retreat or face the Fiend head on, we'll still need as much time as we can get. That in mind, I think dividing and conquering is a good solution here." Raidou thought back to his actions the previous time Pale Rider set its sights on humanity. Tatsuya's last stand, and the lives lost to that horrific demon. His eyes fixated on the third request, and he nodded to himself. "Our successor, huh? We know you two are far from helpless, so if you guys can handle a mission by yourselves, we could go and convince the 25th as best we can. We know firsthand how talented those Templar Knights end up, so their help should be a massive boon for us."

{At the mention of splitting up, Penny would think back on her terrible experience with Destinyland. A fleeting memory that should’ve been forgotten, not recovered. It was horrible that she ever thought that her head was in the right place at that moment, both her and her friend Tot would’ve almost been killed were they not lucky. Yet it’s not luck that wins the war, it’s the allies that help make it possible...right?} “I’m a bit worried, but Penny believes it’ll all work out! After all, Penny’s very decisive even when I’m indecisive! Mister Punk, even though we won’t have Mister Raidou and Mister Gouto, we’ll still have each other!” {The little girl would choose to dispel the wickedness that came from those no good past experiences. Dwelling on them would be redundant, as they just serve as reminders that she’s slightly better now. Even if she has to act otherwise. Though there might be greater rewards, the mistakes would also impact heavily on their survival.} “Well, Mister Raidou, Mister Gouto, you two are going to that one other request without us right? Penny is already going to miss you since she asked for you to come with, but I think it fits you both really well!”

The Spell Punk would sigh and tug its robe again. Raidou did have a point there and Penny’s comment left not much room to object it seems they made up their choice. “Well if you believe so then I guess it will help us cover more ground before time is up. I guess we me and Penny here can go retrieve the core for the other task, just gotta hope we have enough fire power to make the trip and back. Though if that’s decided we should start moving out cause time will slip away quick.”

Skimming through all the different contracts she was surprised to see how little some of the descriptions hold back. At least she had an idea of what she was getting into with each job. She gestured to the bartender, pointing at the 3rd contract. "Hey Boss! Where do I have to go to meet with the contractor for this one?" After the bartender probably informed her of her location she'd jog over to Quintus, briefly tapping his shoulder and mumbling to him. "Don't mean to interrupt but I got a job at the imperial palace. Said there's some kind of powerful object there, it's paying 50k. You want in?"

Shinagawa [Akie giggles yet again, Tot moving on to the last of the man's open wounds. It wouldn't take long for her to be completely finished with it however, as the gunk covering it was less so than the chest, even less than the cut off foot. Being ready, Akie directs her hands filled with a gentle light near the suffering man, using Posumudi to eliminate the remaining toxins within his body. It would take a few minutes at first, as it had extended all over the man's body, barely clinging to life thanks to the healing priest. The absolute focus would then turn into relaxation, taking a step back from the man. The priest would make their healing magic even stronger, not completely revitalizing the man who, were it not for the open wounds, would look like he had been given another chance. Akie takes a seat, exhausted and with her hands shaking. The nurse nearby would focus on bandaging the man now.] Akie: "I'm glad... that was the last one..." Priest: "Thank you so much, Lady Higashi. Healing over a dozen badly injured men is no small feat. You didn't have to... I wished we could repay you." Akie: "It was my duty, there is nothing to thank me for. Instead, celebrate and rejoice with those around you, for the lives saved, and for the sake of those who are no more." [Although other men were still clinging on to life, most were finally receiving their much needed treatment at the hands of priests, volunteers and even angels. It wouldn't take long for any of them to be stabilized. As such, the priest bows at the pair and moves closer to the wall, trying to rest and regaining their energy be they continue. Akie smiles, looking at Tot.] Akie: "I must thank you again, Tot. Working as a volunteer is no easy task... and I see that you have also had your fair share of struggle on the outside." [She keeps her legs together, and rests her hands on her lap.] Akie: "I do my best to welcome any newcomers to Shinagawa, and as such, I would like to meet your companions, to give my greetings and bless your every actions. What is their name? If you don't mind me asking yet again. If you don't know where they are, then with their names, I can find them." [She giggles again, moving a strand of hair behind her ears.] Akie: "Our little capital pales in comparison to the cities of old. We all know each other~" - [The Chief seemed confused, incredibly so. He knew Ene was telling the truth, but it was also that she said something completely impossible.] Chief: "That's impossible. No one reaches the old age in the Gaean territory, they are all dead before they hit 40, if they don't kill themselves past that. Is this some kind of trick? It must-" [His confusion grows as the Archangel raises his free hand.] Archangel: "This child...what was her name again?" Chief: "...Ene, sir." Archangel: "I see. If that's so, then the interrogation has finished." [Before the Chief can object, Archangel himself would walk towards the girls and undo their cuffs, allowing them to move freely. Right after, he would flip a switch, revealing the true image of what looked like a void room. At the middle, there was a desk with one chair for the interrogator to use, and behind them, a large mirror, which no doubt hides a room where all their words are being evaluated.] Archangel: "What she says is correct. I met a young child of blue hair and pigtails who alone made her way towards Ikebukuro, bravely so, in the height of the original demon infestation... 30 years ago, in the very same day the bombs fell upon this land. I do not know how she survived, but the lives she saved that day made even today's victories possible. They were the family of Lady Higashi, after all." [He smiles.] Archangel: "It has been a long time, friend. Although I ignore how you saved your life, I'm glad you did survive. Surely, your return on this day is an omen of fortune and victory. A true miracle."

Ueno [The man crosses one leg over another, pressing his thumb and index on his chin, curious about something, but not yet speaking about it.] Louis: "You're correct about something. For as long as all this conflict exists, for as long as the ideal of Law persists, no one can truly be free, especially if He still lives. Despite that, I find Ueno a relaxing spot." [He reaches to his glass and finishes the drink, pouring some more for himself.] Louis: "I knew you were going to ask about something like that. That's why I offered you a seat and some of this magnificent drink. You may find you'll need it." [One more sip from his glass before he adjusts himself on his seat. He stares at Quintus straight the eye, with a very subtle smile all over his face. His hands are together, his fingers intertwined, his thumbs tapping each other at a constant rhythm.] Louis: "Just in case. This dimension you speak of is a part of the Expanse. It was the Diamond Realm, a place with a spiritual energy so powerful only gods or highly enlightened individuals can ever access. Consider yourself lucky you ever aid your eyes upon it. Now... as to how things go this way..." Louis: "After the bombs fell over Tokyo, ordered by the followers of Law and the button itself pressed by the Americans, peace followed for a short while, the world believing the demons had been eradicated. But soon enough, they began appearing all over the globe, summoned by all types of people in many ways, even through secret government experiments. This sudden flow of incredible power at the hands of anyone that could use it led to a devastating war, of such scale that by the time the 2000s came, civilization as once known had but completely crumbled into pieces." Louis: "Have you seen how the surface looks nowadays? You'll find that most of the world looks like that. It's a miracle some forests and drinkable water still remains." [After each long piece of information, Louis would drink more to maintain his own throat clear.] Louis: "Since the bombs fell, it's been exactly 30 years. And for 30 years, Law and Chaos have battled for dominance in this city. Just yesterday, the Temple Knights raided one of the Gaean warehouses which housed many medical supplies meant for worthy warriors we cannot afford to lose. In the battle, the guards were completely overwhelmed, and almost no one was spared, not even the young ones, not older than 14. I heard the higher ups are cooking up a plan to get back at them in... two days from now. A lot of contracts today are focused on gaining power, after all." [The man chuckles, wondering how he would take this much context to the current state of affairs.] Louis: "Welcome to the year 2022, friend." - Yoshiko has accepted Contract #3. [The bartender would almost flinch at the girl's sudden scream. He would close his eyes and walk closer towards her, slamming the palm of his hand against the counter.] Bartender: "You don't need to yell here!!" [He then picks up a wet glass and dries it up with a small piece of cloth.] Bartender: "...You only need to report back here with proof you completed the contract. The people who make these have to write out very numerous and specific conditions as proof it was the case, so we'll always know if you are telling the truth or if you're bullshitting us. To put it bluntly, tell me you're done, and I'll pay you. It's pretty official." [After that, and the other group staring at her like some kind of weird animal, they would all return to their routines.]

Shinjuku Punk/Penny have accepted Request #1. Raidou has accepted Request #3 [Captain Tsukasa would nod once everyone had made their decisions and move his hand towards a series of vehicles. The first one was a regular car from old, damaged but still working. Next was larger truck, and finally a pair of vans, the first one grey, the second one a pale green. In order, each one would take them to their respective missions and locations, from the first one up to the fourth one.] Cpt. Tsukasa: "If you've decided already, just approach the one that will take you where you wish to go. Additionally, I would suggest checking out the armory and registering yourself at the Terminal if you have a COMP. By registering in different Terminals, you'll be able to reach places in no time, the only problem being of course, you need to do that manually. Some notable places with such Terminals are Shibuya, Ginza and Shinagawa, although there's more too." [The Terminal would be located in the underground, past the flower shop and past the stairs that lead deeper underground, where the supplies are being taken. Additionally, there's an open truck filled with different sets of armor, guns, and melee weapons for them to check out. If they were otherwise ready, they simply needed to approach their respective vehicle.]

Prima rubs her wrists and tries to follow what this archangel is saying. Ene must have done something on her mission back then. Still... 30 years between now and then. A lot has changed in this world. She can find more about it as she goes. She’d rather leave this interrogation behind her as soon as possible. She speaks to the chief quietly as to not interrupt Ene’s chat with the archangel. “Are we free to go, then? Or is there something else you require?”

The Spell Punk would give a small bow and turn towards Penny. "I don't suppose you need to take a visit to the armory? We could otherwise go quickly register and take off to not waste any more time." It would spin around in the direction to the stairs back underground. It would tap the hood of its robe as if its thinking about something it forgot while waiting for a response so the little punk could move out.

{Penny would nod at Spell Punk, as she has already "forgotten" the directions as to where to find the terminal.} "Mhmm, let's go to the armory! Penny and Mr. Bear thinks it'll be fun!" {The girl would follow along with her equally as little friend, and go with him to the armory. While skipping with a sword in her hand and a Mr. Bear that's walking on all 4's. Maybe she'd find something to sheathe this sword there? That's what the girl hopes at least.}

"Oh, yeah, kinda lost 'em in the crowd hehe." Tot awkwardly scratches the back of her head in response. She really should have been paying more attention, but she gets distracted easily. It would probably be fine, if everyone's as nice as the hospital staff had been. Besides, Akie seemed willing to help. "I had two friends with nice blue hair, kinda like what everyone seems to be wearin' around here. One of 'em's name's Ene, and the other we just call Prim. That's more of a nickname, kinda like Tot. I can't remember the real one." Tot sits down herself, letting out a sigh. She had gotten kinda tired already, but it wouldn't really do to show much. Instead she simply looks back, reminiscing "Yeah, not really as big as back home. A lot cleaner though, New York got to the point where it was impossible to keep track of what went where."

Ene audibly sighs with relief. She twists her wrists to loosen them and wills her heart to slow down. It takes her a few seconds to release the panic from her body. When all of it is gone, she flings herself onto the archangel. Almost tearing up from the stress. You jerk! I thought we were about to die in a really really painful way. I wasn't ready ... She tightens her grip on whatever the archangel is wearing. I'm glad you're here. She mutters. I'm not a child though.

Raidou placed a hand on his hip and nodded. He understood that the grey van would be his ride, and decided he'd hop inside after a quick stop at the armory. Given his lack of a COMP, the terminal was largely useless to him. It was inconvenient, but there was nothing to be done about it. Gouto spoke to the others before Raidou set out for the armory to restock on ammunition and the like. "Sounds like you two are heading into dangerous territory. We trust in your abilities, but be careful still. If you really want, we could send one of our demons along with you. We don't have a COMP, but Raidou's demons can largely act on their own. Food for thought, if you think it'll help." As his companion spoke, Raidou checked around the armory for whatever he could find. He knew his Python was a pretty particular beast, so he was still a bit foreign to the bullets he had at his disposal. If this were his personal revolver, he could even have elemental bullets to allow himself to cover up his demons' shortcomings. He sighed, simply taking what he could get before heading back towards his designated vehicle.

Quintus wasn't sure how long the explanation would be but he'd sit regardless. He was a bit reluctant on the drink but it was being offered to him by a friend so it probably wasn't dangerous. He'd pour himself some though only a small amount. He'd drink a bit as he listened to Louis speak. It was a bit to take in but weirder things had happened as of late as well. "30 years...I suppose it's more than convenient timing that we arrive here on the brink of all out conflict. Still, it's hard to accept how easily people kill and give their own lives for the sake of the ideology of a cruel tyrant. So loyal to their cause they'd even kill children I guess. Though, I suppose 'he' has no actual love for humans." When Yoshiko finally got back he'd start to get up. "Those that don't work don't eat or something like that. Looks like I already to leave you again, Louis. Hopefully I'll see you soon again."

"Ordinarily it'd be very simple to take a train to Ginza and head to the imperial palace from there, but for all I know there could be as much as a giant world hole in the middle of the place." Yoshiko looked around for anything that could vaguely resemble a map to chart their course. "Any potential terrain differences aside, the imperial palace isn't far at all. We could easily walk there and be back in time for lunch. I should also note that the job offering didn't exactly specify what the source of this power was, but they said it was 'some kind of armor." While trying to figure out the navigation route, her mind wandered. The more she thought about Takeshi, the more something seemed familiar about the man. She still couldn't reach the conclusion she wanted however, having to ignore that nagging feeling for now.

Shinagawa Akie: "Oh! You're from America! I hope getting here was not too much of a problem. I heard from survivors that your poor country was of the who had it the hardest during the demon war." [She tries to find the words to comfort the girl, as she would probably need them, but decides to move on instead, beckoning the girl to follow her.] Akie: "Let's haste, time is of the essence these days. We all have our goals and jobs to attend to after all!" [Although she was very tired and it showed by the bags under her eyes, her Mana having been emptied out, she tried to retain her amicable smile as she moves toward the exit, hoping Tot would follow her.] - Chief: "If Archangel believes you are not chaotic, then you may leave. I will escort you all the way back myself. I must add too, that there was no lie in the truths you spoke of, even if unbelievable at first." [The old man seemed to be in disbelief.] Chief: "Truth is, I was a child back then. I only survived because of the help of the Resistance. If you were a part of the same group, then I humbly apologize for it all, but you must understand our worries." Archangel: "Indeed. We had a very harsh encounter with the Cult of Gaea and their demons for very valuable supplies. It is to be expected they will soon retaliate, and we are waiting for them to strike at our people, fueled with vengeance as they have in the past." [The Chief would bow at the pair as a sign of honest apology, while Archangel pats Ene on the back, allowing her to relax first. He understands this kind of fear. He had seen it on other humans before. Without much more wait, once they had gotten back to their calmer selves, the Messian pair would lead the pair of girls back up. Taking an elevator, after a few moments they would be back at a series of corridors leading to a main resting area with a large screen covering an entire wall, listing different missions and the people assigned to them, as well as time of departure. Once there the Chief would excuse himself and walk out, and Archangel would speak up again.] Archangel: "Ene's mere presence should be an impossibility, but a welcome one. I do believe that someone such as her is nothing but a good omen, bringing us certain victory on our final aim. Miss Primarina, I get a similar feeling from you. That weapon you have with yourself; it shares the resonance of another son of man, one of great importance to us. It goes beyond that. It is your very heart which resonates with him, like a bond of some kind." [Archangel would say, slightly confused even by his own words. Regardless, he would continue.] Archangel: "Which is why I want to ask for your help. The people who live with us are in their vast majority but everyday people, trying to live through the hell on Earth that is above. Us Divines and the blessed Temple Knights head outside and gather resources while fending off the demons, as the ones who are old and strong enough work on the Cathedral from the which we will begin anew." Archangel: "Your help will be rewarded, of course. And you will have the freedom to choose however you will help us if you agree. You may agree now to help us or give it some time. I'm not sure if you have yet seen the current state of the world... but I would suggest you should. It may help clear out any of your doubts." [Archangel awaits. You may agree to help Shinagawa or give it some more time to decide. He is also willing to show you the current state of Tokyo.]

Ueno Louis: "Humans are weak individuals. They would rather hold on to a safe, traditional environment equal to slavery than to overcome by their own power of will. There are, however, exceptional people who raise above." Louis: "I'll be here, there aren't many places to go in this day and age. Be safe, friend." [Louis chuckles as he keeps on drinking, completely unaffected by the alcohol, same as Quintus may realize, it truly was nothing but normal alcohol. How it was elaborated, it remains a mystery. Now that he was away, saying goodbye to the peculiar man, the screen with the contracts becomes clearer to him.] CONTRACTS 1) For victory's sake: DB Hijikata. Recently, the Chuo Police Department, run by a rogue A.I. was deactivated by a pair of Demon Busters, shutting down the violent robots as well. There is a big chance that some kind of "Energy Core" was left abandoned, which would certainly help at creating new weapons to battle the Messians. Go and take it. (Reward: Room for 1 person.) 2) Shinjuku's Demon Hive: Doctor Jun. The Shinjuku Medical Center is crawling with medical supplies we need soon in order to help the survivors of yesterday's assault, as them coming back at all is a testament to their power. However, the building is also crawling with demons. The more you bring, the more I'll pay. There is a high chance of Messians in the area. (Reward: 9.000ћ x salvaged box.) 3) Incredible Power: Cult of Gaea. Strange readings are coming from within the Imperial Palace, and nobody knows exactly what this is all about. However, there are many reasons to believe these readings are being generated by the presence of an incredibly powerful object, some kind of armor. Go investigate before the Messians catch wind of this. (Reward: 50.000ћ) ---Taken by Yoshiko Takenomi 4) Kinshincho Recon: Cult of Gaea. For some reason, we've lost all contact with Kinshincho, and we don't know if this has to do with the Messian or a powerful demon attacking the area. The objective is simple, merely go to Kinshincho and report back the findings. However, if the issue is resolved, the reward will be bigger. (Reward: Rider set [Resistant to Fire. Nulls Dark. Weak to Ice.] + 60.000ћ if resolved.) Note: You may join in with a Contract that has been taken and is yet to be initiated or pick another one entirely. You need the permission of the ones who originally took the Contract to join.

Shinjuku [It wouldn't take long for the pair to reach a room labeled as "Terminal", as expected. Going inside, they would find a large room with many, hundreds upon thousands of cables and metal pipes leading to anywhere and everywhere with strange yellow orbs connected to different ends of it all, surrounding the area inside. At the end of the room is a single old-looking computer on, waiting to be initiated.] TERMINAL: "Welcome to the Shinjuku COMP transmission Terminal. Those with valid COMPs may access at their leisure." [So the mechanical voice says once they enter. The Terminal itself has an USB cable around it, ready to be used.] - [Raidou would check the armory and come to find the different bullets and even protection.] Bullets -Nerve Bullets: May inflict Sleep upon target, putting them into sleep until further damage is done. -Plutonium Bullets: Damage done by Gun becomes Heavy. -Sealing Bullets: May inflict Bind on target, sealing their magic away. -Magic Bullets: May inflict Charm on target, stopping damage unto User and with a high chance of helping them instead for 2 turns. Armor Kevlar Set: [Resists Physical/Gun. Weak to Fire/Ice.] A set of extra armor that goes on top of most clothing without occupying too much space or weight, quite simply Kevlar covering the important parts of the body. The modern world's knight set of armor, if those were real. Padded Set: [Resists Physical/Ice/Wind. Weak to Fire/Dark.] Although it looks like regular clothes, they are effective at fending off types of attacks. Conveniently, they seem to be done to fit the person who asks for one, so their normal clothing remains as such if they so wish it to be. It works against dumb and cocky enemies who would assault those seemingly unprotected. Duster Set: [Resists Electricity/Dark. Weak to Light.] Rough looking and closer to what a warrior from the desert would wear plus motorcycle protection armor, this set makes the wearer look like nothing but a scavenger with no sense of fashion, but pure practical survival. [Raidou may choose any or none at all, they are all free for the taking.]

Prima sighs in relief. It’s finally hit her that they’ll be alright. There’s a mess of emotions in her chest right now but she can tell the chief’s apology is sincere. “I-it’s fine, sir. Tensions that high lead to drastic measures.” She’s silent as they all make their way out. She’s distracted by the new scenery until the Archangel mentions her weapon. She pulls it out stares at the images engraved on its metal surface. This weapon from back then, the Tundra Seal, and the man she fought alongside when she obtained it... “Like Ene’s survival, it’s a long story. Regardless, I wish to help you if I am able. Of course, I’d rather reconvene with a friend of ours before deciding for certain, but that is how I feel. By the way, can you tell me about that ‘son of man’ you mentioned? Where is he now?” Her hand moves up to touch the hairclip holding her blue hair in place, but she stops it just centimeters away. “If it’s no trouble, of course.”

Ene lets go of archangel after the moment has passed and takes in what is said in silence. She tries to pay attention, but the need to suppress any residual fear is more pressing. She tunes back in right when Archangel begins speaking. Nodding her head along without much else to add. She speaks once he is finished. Could I see what Tokyo is like right now? Ene recognizes how rude she may sound and quickly amends. It's not like I don't trust you! I just need to see what happened since I was last there ...

"Oh, yeah no. It was pretty alright. I mean the demon stuff sucks but i think we're making pretty good headway. I'm just glad to help out." Tot isn't all that bothered by hearing what happened to America. she was never really attached to a country anyways. And so when it was finally time to go Tot eagerly follows Akie to the place they were supposed to be. It wasn't an overall unpleasant side quest, but it'd be nice to reunite with her friends "Alright, I'm with ya all the way. Just take care to rest yourself too, cool?"

The Spell Punk would approach the COMP Terminla with high curiosity. It paused would stare at it for a long while, then it tilted it’s head and junked something to itself. “Well it certainly ain’t as tacky as Arkyean tech so I’m sure it’s simple to use. Just have to try and log in our task into this thing no problem.” The Punk would approach the Terminal and try to interface with the it as best as it could to log down their task as it was told. Once it somehow figured out how to log in, the Punk would try to reconvene with Penny and make way to their designated vehicle.

"Walking might be good. You just got the comp, right? Then we'll need to fill it up with powerful demons. I can always help you talk to them. I've pretty good at talking to some demons from what I can tell. Not sure why but I guess different people react in different ways." His mind was already set on going together. Fighting by himself was already tiring from what he witnessed before and actually having someone he could count on would be a nice break. Whenever Yoshiko was ready he'd follow along. She seemed to have a better idea of where they were going then he did.

Shinagawa [Akie would nod and lead her back towards the Entrance Area. Through the corridor of the Hospital and by the shops, the people would give her a quick bow as they pass, not finding themselves capable of uttering a single word. In front of their destination, she would speak to the guards.] Akie: "I spoke with that Temple Knight so they know to aid you with whatever you may need. Shinagawa is small, but we still work under various rules. He will spread the word." [Finally, she would take Tot inside, revealing a large area with tables all over the place and a large screen occupying an entire wall at the end of it all. This area was used by the Temple Knights to await their calling, and go towards their duty when it comes.] Archangel: "If you wish to see the outside world, then allow me to show you what demons, Gaea and human weakness has brought." Akie: "Ah! Archangel, are you taking them outside?" [Archangel would turn towards Akie and bow before replying.] Archangel: "Lady Higashi, these girls are of great importance. I was about to show them the sorry state of Tokyo. Their names are Primarina and Ene. This is a clear message from God" Akie: "A message from God...?" [It was clear the young woman didn't get it at first, she was confused, but somehow glad. She didn't have a single reason to doubt the words of this particular Archangel, not that any of them was going to prove to be a liar or a trickster. Her emotions and even thoughts incredibly transparent through her expressions, she would now and then smile at Tot.] Akie: "I can ask about this more later. For now, you should stay with them. Now that we are here, I need to prepare for the Missions of the day, and before then I need to rest myself." [Soon after, Akie would excuse herself and move towards the corridors Prima and Ene had just been to. Archangel begins walking towards the exit of the Temple Knight Waiting Area and towards the exit.] Archangel: "You may come with me." [To follow Archangel means to have a look at the outside world. However, the large screen on the back displays many different assignments ready to be taken at once. If they decide to remain and help that is yet another place to check.] Ueno [The bartender looks at the Quintus and Yoshiko pair, deciding it was best to butt in.] Bartender: "You mean the little miss doesn't even have demons yet? I can only guess that thing's all new. I haven’t seen similar models in years now." [He would gesture his head towards the exit of the bar.] Bartender: "Make sure to register your COMP at the Terminal so you can move along the network. Since you're going to the Imperial Palace on foot, rather than coming back all the way, you could instead use the Ginza Terminal to come back here in the blink of an eye." [He would then turn around and write on a small keyboard of his, updating the Contract Yoshiko had taken before to factor Quintus in as "Gloomy-looking Dude".] Bartender: "It's a door to the right at the end of the stairs leading outside. You do whatever you want though." [Such stairs leading toward the surface are in front of the bar itself, making it easy to come and go. At the end of them to the right is the "Terminal" room. Also, on the opposite end of the underground are the equipment shops and various corridors leading to residences. They may go wherever they please.]

Prima’s wandering thoughts return to the present when she sees Tot and the woman from earlier. Lady Higashi. An important-sounding name. She bows when Archangel makes their introductions. “A pleasure to meet you.” She has a feeling she’ll be seeing more of this woman later. Still, it’s fortunate that they reunited with Tot so soon. She gives the musician a friendly yet tired smile. “I see things have been going well on your end, Tot. We can talk more after this.” She follows the Archangel towards the exit. She has little idea what to expect of the outside world. Widespread ruins? Something worse? A former seal like herself could barely fathom the scale of destruction an ICBM could bring.

{The little girl would approach the COMP terminal with enthusiasm. Mr. Bear couldn't even understand why Penny was excited, but still waited patiently, thinking she'd try to take over for Punk.} "Ooo, machines! Daddy let Penny play with machines a lot!" {She'd wait until the Spell Punk used it, and then tried it for herself, wanting to see what difference it would make. If there was none, she'd window shop in the armory and go back with Punk, going to the corresponding car.}

"ah yeah the gang's back together!" Tot exclaims as she runs to catch up to her friends, not really minding the whole.. Archangel and how uniform and calm the rest of the temple was. Tot gives Akie a thumbs up as they go "Thanks for the help Akie, we'll be sure to do our best!" having rejoined the group, Tot keeps close to Ene and Prim, she puts one arm around each of the other girls, making sure not to lose them while following the archangel to see how the world ended up.

Shinagawa [Going up the stairs would be easy. It's just like leaving the subway after going a packed train, and equally packed station. Whether the actual place looked familiar or not to them, it would be unimportant compared to the sight that reaches them. At first, the gate being opened would make way for a blinding light, one from an actual natural source.] Archangel: "I suggest keeping your eyes shut and slowly open them whenever you reach the exterior. Humans always have their eyes by the light of the Sun. Let it not be permanent damage." [Archangel would stop a few feet away from the main entrance, the Temple Knights keeping their guard up in case of any surprise attacks. Their feet become full of dust as the wind comes from the bay beyond and brushes their hair, passing through the collapsed train lines and bridges. Right through the buildings that once got in the way. There was no sign of life anywhere, and the only sound to keep them company would not be that of cars passing by, but the waves of the sea. Proud buildings reduced to piles of useless rock, and those who still remained up seemed like they had been cut in half; a great impact ruining them. Shinagawa was but a jungle of empty concrete husks. Tokyo was a wasteland, pure ruin.] Archangel: "It is hard to imagine anyone lives here, isn't it? The many you knew are but a fraction today. Look at the constructions humanity put up in decades past. All reduced to naught." [There weren't any trees, no grass, no flowers. There was no life but themselves and whatever demon may be hiding in the rubble. If they looked hard enough, they may find crushed bones. The sky above was full of horrible clouds; the sun was a dull ball of light behind those.] Archangel: "To live outside is to die. To live at all is to fight. Such burden is too much for many. Because of that, the Temple Knight carry that weight They risk their lives in these wastelands filled with the enemy so others may rest easy, working to one day restore this land." [Archangel faces the group.] Archangel: "The ideal of the Order of the Messiah is for us all to work together and create a paradise where we all may live and die in peace. You may know that as Eden, perhaps." Archangel: "You, who saw the world fall into pieces long ago and still remain, are without a doubt sent by the Lord himself. In order to create a better future, we ask for your help." Shinjuku [Punk is not able to find anything about the Terminal. No matter what he did, it would not respond to any input. Instead, it insisted a COMP was to be connected to it before anything happened. That all changes as soon as Penny approaches. It immediately recognizes a COMP. The screen changes to "Stand By", and remains there for a few moments until the screen goes into "Complete".] TERMINAL: "You have been successfully registered into the TOKYO Terminal Network. You may now access the Shinjuku Terminal from any other Terminal." [Without much else to do, they would now have a chance to check out the Armory or go directly into the vehicle, being ready to go.]

It takes longer than it should have for Prima to realize the sorry piles of rock stretched out in front of her were once buildings. That’s not the worst part though. Even uninhabited areas should have some life, some greenery, some birds calling overhead. All that’s here is stone and soil that holds no life. The salty seaside air fills her lungs. She closes her eyes and focuses on that nostalgic feeling. It keeps her grounded, away from the creeping despair over this ruined world. Once her thoughts have stopped spiraling she opens her eyes again. “I apologize. I just needed a moment. I would be more than happy to assist you.” Whatever doubts she had about the angels are pushed aside. It’s impossible to refuse after witnessing that.

"I've negotiated with demons before, but a little help never hurt anyone! The sooner we get demons in this thing the better." At the bartender's comment, she stared at her COMP with a glimmer in her eye before turning to the man and offering him a hearty thumbs up. "We can just go to the imperial palace whenever we want? That's crazy! Thanks for the tip Boss, we'll make good use of this." She started enthusiastically jogging towards the terminal before stopping for a moment and turning to Quintus. "Wait a tick! I might as well still register my COMP, but if I use the network to move you'll be stuck on foot, wouldn't you? Let's just go on foot. It's safer that way, at least until you can get a COMP yourself."

“I...but I did everything I was taught. Blasted this thing is worse then sprint navigation and Arkyean interface.” The Spell Punk would pout and feel dejected for a moment as it stared down. It then pick itself back out with a puff of frustration. “You know what fine it’s all ok. I’ll just report back to our vehicle since I don’t need any weaponry and you can take your time to wrap up here Penny, just make sure to get us down so we can get on our way.” The Spell Punk would grumble and begin ascending back up to its designated vehicle without any further comments. It seem to be mostly stuck to its own inner thoughts and displeasure.

"Yaaay! It worked for Penny!" {The little girl would be delighted that the Terminal had booted up. She may not know exactly what it did after it turned on, but what matters is that it worked it's magic. The little girl would look at Punk, being saddened at his loss.} "Aw, it's fine Mister. Penny's sorry your sad. She'll go to the armory now, Penny hopes you can cheer up soon!" {She waves to him before going in the armory with Mr. Bear accompanying her, taking a quick survery through her options that are most likely the same as what Raidou has. Though it's not like she knew he was there yet.}

Ene is left shell-shocked. The world resembles nothing of the one that she has come to know instead dragging up memories of her decimated town. Only difference is that here she is in the middle of all the ruin while in her town she was at least a hill away. Doesn't help much. Now her mind races as she fits the image of her former home on top of this hell on earth. She can almost see the bomb again. Hear her own sterile voice in her ears. It's way too much for her to take in as the images continue to mesh into one garbled mess. I-I ... She sinks to her knees and cries like she did back then.

Shinagawa [Archangel would walk closer to Ene and would kneel besides her, trying to comfort her with his hand, protected by a gauntlet.] Archangel: "It's not an easy thing to behold. It is horrible for use angels. Saddening for those who live on. Outright depressing for those old enough to know the world of old. This kind of pain lingers... like a scar. Do not lose hope." [He would point towards the bay. A hazy figure can be made out in the distance, similar to a massive oil rig. The massive platform was high enough to rival the buildings of old, and some of the towers on it touched the clouds. They may even go past them.] Archangel: "The Cathedral we are all working to build. It'll be like an Ark to save us from this ruined city. A safe haven as we restore Tokyo to its former glory, and then go even beyond that. To purge the demons, and to purge the ones who brought the demons into this world, triggering this tragedy." [He would look back at Ene.] Archangel: "Hang on to your goodwill and punish spite. Help us fight against the Cult of Gaea and save humanity. I am certain your friends would be glad to have you, at the very least." [He would momentarily turn to Prima, as soon as he was finished with what she said.] Archangel: "I am grateful you decided to help us. Before, you asked about the son of man who I mentioned." Archangel: "I am saddened to tell you that him, Yuji Yoshinaga, has died. Not too long ago, him, alongside a friend of his, a young man named Kazuya Yasuo, and our very own Lady Yuka Aoi passed through Roppongi. They were surprised by this powerful demon, Fallen Nebiros, who tried to attack Kazuya. Yuji, being fast as he was, and equally brave, pushed him out of the way and lost his life instead." Archangel: "God himself was watching him. He knows of his heroic and selfless deeds. I am sure of it." Ueno [Yoshiko would head into the Terminal room in order to register her COMP right away. Immediately she would be greeted by a large room with a very old computer sitting at the end of it, and every wall covered by strange tubes protecting the cables going everywhere, large golden orbs within those same walls, emanating a slight static. Then, comes the voice.] TERMINAL: "Welcome to the Ueno COMP transmission Terminal. Those with valid COMPs may access at their leisure." [It would be a simple process, she would only need to stand inside the room for long enough for the computer to pick up on her device. In less than two minutes, the old-fashioned screen would go from "Stand By" to "Complete". Once it's over, the Ueno Terminal appears as an option, but the rest of the list remains empty.] TERMINAL: "You have been successfully registered into the TOKYO Terminal Network. You may now access the Ueno Terminal from any other Terminal." [Yoshiko having registered herself in the Ueno Terminal, she would find that the only thing standing between the pair and their destination was a large gate waiting to be opened.]

Shinjuku [Heading into the Armory where Raidou seemed to be currently trapped in, she would see a few things of interest.] Bullets -Nerve Bullets: May inflict Sleep upon target, putting them into sleep until further damage is done. -Plutonium Bullets: Damage done by Gun becomes Heavy. -Sealing Bullets: May inflict Bind on target, sealing their magic away. -Magic Bullets: May inflict Charm on target, stopping damage unto User and with a high chance of helping them instead for 2 turns. Armor Kevlar Set: [Resists Physical/Gun. Weak to Fire/Ice.] A set of extra armor that goes on top of most clothing without occupying too much space or weight, quite simply Kevlar covering the important parts of the body. The modern world's knight set of armor, if those were real. Padded Set: [Resists Physical/Ice/Wind. Weak to Fire/Dark.] Although it looks like regular clothes, they are effective at fending off types of attacks. Conveniently, they seem to be done to fit the person who asks for one, so their normal clothing remains as such if they so wish it to be. It works against dumb and cocky enemies who would assault those seemingly unprotected. Duster Set: [Resists Electricity/Dark. Weak to Light.] Rough looking and closer to what a warrior from the desert would wear plus motorcycle protection armor, this set makes the wearer look like nothing but a scavenger with no sense of fashion, but pure practical survival. Additionally, there seemed to be a scabbard perfect for Penny's Espada. [The pair may take anything or nothing at all. On the other end, back in his respective vehicle, Punk would wait for Penny before they moved ahead. Penny and Raidou only needed to move towards their vehicle to confirm they were ready.]

Prima has to take yet another moment to compose herself. Yuji’s dead in this time and place. Dead because of this inhospitable world, but he died a hero’s death. “Always so reckless, and yet... Ahem. Th-thank you for telling me.” She bows to the angel. Some tears glimmer on her face but she wipes them away. There was nothing she could have done for him or any of the humans lost to the demons. She lets the sea’s refreshing air comfort her again and approaches Ene with an outstretched hand. She has few words that could comfort the girl, but she can at least be there for her. “We should go back inside.”

“Not pretty for sure.” Tot adds with a heavy sigh. Looking out over the wastes the girl remembers some of her friends from back home. Probably not around in this timeline, especially since America was hit hard. But they still don’t feel that distant either. The girl slowly brings her guitar off her back, feeling the wicked edge of the Barbarro Guitarre, before slowly starting to strum. The axe form didn’t have any sort of magic to it, and plays deep and strong. Like a bass. And like a baseline, Tot’s music stretches out into the empty wastes, melancholic, but not hopeless. Still, without a melody the music can’t really speak for itself. It’s merely enough to say “we are here”. A message that she hopes might raise the spirits of anyone left out in the wastes who hears it. After getting out a few bars Tot speaks, to herself as much as anyone. “Teach always said a hero’s job is to protect everyone from evil. It’s a little late for everyone, but at least I’d like to save what’s left.” With that, the girl puts her guitar, the weapon earned from David, on her back once more before nodding to the Archangel “Yeah, I think we’re ready to help out.”

"Hooray, an armory! Penny loves armories!" {Penny would skip the window shopping after she got bored of it in a few seconds, heading straight inside to find all sorts of cool stuff. As well as Raidou perusing the sorts of things there...right? Probably. Either way, something that holds her refined sword is always nice. Big Sis Tabitha would love to have something like this for herself, so it's important that she lives through this fun little adventure in hopes she gets to try it out too. Hopefully she can use it to stab father?} "Hmmm...ooo, a scabbard! That's like a holster but for the cool pointy thing! Right Mister Bear? Definitely! And Penny's going to take this set, because it looks nice...yeah, I'm gonna get it!" {The teddy bear would nod to the girl as she decides to take the scabbard for herself. Carrying it around in something other than her hands is very convenient after all. That way it won't get dirty or rusty immediately. Penny would also take the Padded Armor set as the only bad thing it does is double down on the weakness that can be fixed with Mister Pumpkin Jack. Otherwise, a straight upgrade. Mister Bear would inspect everything, pretending to sniff around like a dog usually would, almost attempting to eat the bullets until he was startled by Penny. She was about to take the last choice but hesitated.} "Er, Mister Raidou, how common would it be for the meanies out there to have magic? Penny was going to take those Magic Bullets but this "bind" thing might be more reliable...then again, there's Plutonium..." {She'd think to herself, leaving Mister Bear to do whatever he wants yet again. Instead of trying to float back up to where the bullets were, he sniffs the extra sets of armor that are left unattended.}

"Whatever we do we should do it soon. Maybe it's just paranoia but I feel like the longer we wait the more complicated things might get. I'll try to follow regardless of if you use the COMP or not. Not sure if I'd even be able to go that way with you but it'd probably be more convenient than walking in a morphed Tokyo." With that said he'd simply just ready himself, waiting to follow Yoshiko when they made their decision.

"From any other terminal? Wait... this isn't even an option right now to begin with! Shit, I'm wasting so much time! Let's head out now, we're going to have to go on foot whether we like it or not. The trip back won't be so bad though." She tapped her COMP with a quick wink and started jogging towards the exit. Once they left the building she examined herself briefly, and then Quintus. "Hey, I just had a thought. Yen is probably still valuable, I mean even people in our timeline pay lots of money for dead currencies. Let's see if we can buy you a COMP too." Before departing from the city, she found the closest shopkeep who seemed to have the kind of wares an average mercenary would need for a day-to-day expedition. "Hey Chief! How much does a COMP cost around here?" As she approached the shop, she scanned through her coin purse, careful to do it nonchalantly enough as to avoid any attention from any unsavory types lurking nearby.

Raidou played with the bill of his hat as he looked over his options. Practically speaking, he was more fit to shore up his demon's weaknesses than he was at taking anything on by himself. That in mind, the first two suits of armor would leave him vulnerable to fire, just like Raiho. Thus, he settled on the duster, taking time to adjust his trademark cloak to sit above the long coat. While examining the options for bullets, Gouto turned to Penny as she spoke. "Hmm, as a blanket statement, demons tend to favor magic. Being prepared for it couldn't hurt. As for the other options, it really depends on how often you plan to use that gun of yours. As for Raidou here..." Raidou snagged himself a handful of Nerve and Plutonium bullets, twirling the intimidating looking Python of his on one finger with a flourish. "That gun is his main lifeline, along with his sword of course. Getting it to be more reliable should help a lot, and the Nerve Bullets should give a good chance for him to either summon a companion or make an escape, if the worst comes to it. Think about it in practical terms, what would help you the most, and what could you reasonably pass up on? You and Spell Punk aren't exactly built for direct fighting, so the Magic or Nerve Bullets could help give you some room to breathe. That's just the opinion of an old cat, though." The summoner nodded, and would recline a bit to wait for Penny to finish up before giving her a clap on the shoulder and exiting the armory, in the direction of his own transport car. He'd flash both her and Spell Punk a two-fingered salute before hopping inside, a confident smile on his face.

{As Gouto tells the little girl of guns, she’s reminded of her sister, Tabitha. Whenever Cyrus wasn’t involved, she was always the best. Even better than Isabella, who was older than her. If only she could know more of her as well...} “Penny’s kind of small. She’ll most likely be using her gun way more than her sword. Unlike my older siblings who have more reach, Penny might miss a crucial hit. Besides, Daddy has taught me more about guns than swords! I guess that means...” {From her world, the most sword thing she could have possibly seen was a bayonet or a dagger. Besides, Caulder was probably too busy going through more experiments on her rather than train. Yet another thing that she can hate her father for. Of course, he at least taught her about tactics whenever she didn’t forget about it. Thinking back on those times would help Penny get more excited for what’s about to come.} “Ah! Penny understands now! So in short, the best type of ammunition to possess are the ones that give us the most options? That’s perfectly doable! Thanks a lot Mister Gouto! Hey Mister Bear, I know what to do! Big Sis Tabitha would be so proud of me looking smart...” {Penny nods to the cat with enthusiasm, deciding to take a handful of Nerve Bullets as well as some Magic Bullets. While she might not be able to predict exactly when the sleep will be most effective, the damage can at least be increased if they get knocked out of it. And the binding bullets would do wonders even with a bit of a weakness to physical hits. With this in mind, Mister Bear follows the girl out of the armory as she takes the things that she bought with her to the car that Spell Punk is waiting at, laughing with joy as both her and Mister Bear wave back at Raidou.}

Ene takes Prima's hand and nods. Yeah let's. Ene is quiet after that. There is a lot that must be considered, but she doesn't have the capacity to do it right now. All she knows at the moment is that she is in for helping archangel in whatever he plans. Out of all of this he seems like the only good left and she needed something to believe in.

Shinagawa Archangel: "Thank you. We are sure to win from now on." [Archangel would take them back down, into the Temple Knight HQ and closer towards the massive screen displaying the missions. Near it, Akie is speaking to someone through a transmitter.] Akie: "...are you certain... ? Two people took the Contract, maybe more. Understood. Thank you, Boss. Stay safe." [Without saying anything else, she would storm off towards the corridors, wanting to not waste any more time.] Archangel: "Because you are not Temple Knight, you may choose whichever, even join Lady Higashi. Merely look into the screen and share what you will do. I shall take care of the rest." MISSIONS 1) Shinjuku Hospital Raid: The abandoned Shinjuku Medical Center has become a nest for demons, guarding the medical supplies just to spite the humans. Although the supplies aren't low, it is impossible to allow Gaea to keep them. These supplies are without owner, let us become it. Act carefully. [Urgency: Low] [Intel: No signs of Gaea going. High demon activity.] 2) Operation Imperio: There is a massive energy reading coming straight from the Imperial Palace, now completely abandoned in the neutral zones surrounding Ginza. What is causing it may be a demon of great power, but it could also be an equally powerful artifact. Chances of the Cult of Gaea going to get it is high. Act quickly. [Urgency: Maximum.] [Intel: It's been confirmed Gaea is on its way.] [Deployed: Akie Higashi.] 3) Roppongi Recovery: It was rumored to be an Utopia for humans who wished to escape demons, but it was a city of zombies ran by Tyrant Belial and Fallen Nebiros, who were brought down by both Lady Aoi and the Demon Buster Kazuya. At the bottom of their main building lies a heavy and large safe which is sure to have supplies and equipment of all kinds. Go take it all. [Urgency: Very low] [Intel: Weak demon activity.] 4) Tokyo Tower Restoration: Flying demons have been attacking the tower and eating the metal at the base of the construction for seemingly no reason. Merely go and guard the area as our workers focus on reinforcing the tower. The demons in question are of the Drake race. [Urgency: None.] [Intel: No demons nearby as of this moment.] Note: You may team up or split up to complete these "Missions" and even have time to complete them all. However, there is a chance some may become unavailable depending on the decisions of other players. Ueno [Yoshiko pushes through all the battle-ready people for the chance of checking out the COMP prices. Right next to the store is also a Gun and Armor shop. As she goes in, she finds the store to be fairly empty, without much of a selection and no actual costumers. The models themselves were peculiar. One model seemed like a more refined version of what she was carrying at the moment; white and lighter with no other piece but the wrist-mounted gadget. The was another, like a heavy, large bangle that anyone would have trouble just moving around. Another was very light, more comparable to wrist-mounted smartphone, more advanced than anything they had back home. Even glasses were branded as "COMP", all of these being the same price.] Owner: "Eh...? You can check by yourself, right...?" [The bored-looking man would point at the nearest model to him, "150.000ћ".] Owner: "Only Macca. We don't take any other currency... It's all worthless anyways..." [In checking her money, Yoshiko would find new coins and bills with the same "ћ" sign. Her Yen were changed into Macca all of a sudden, to the total of 50.000ћ.] Owner: "These are all hard to find, but still new... better than those the dead mercenaries have on them, more reliable... hence the price..."

Shinjuku Both parties ready to go, they enter their respective vehicles. Punk and Penny would take off towards the East. Raidou would instead head South. Win or lose, live or die, it was now entirely up to them and them alone. There is no guarantee they will even succeed at their tasks. Chuo - Police Department. [The car wasn't particularly comfortable as it jumped again and again on their way through old and damaged roads, while also going through ruins, taking one detour, and another, and another one. It was very clear from the get-go how traveling on foot was by far more convenient considering the harsh conditions, especially with a vehicle that is not prepared to deal with rocky terrain. The outside wasn't very exciting all things considered. Wrecked vehicles with all their parts stolen, ruined buildings, demons crawling at random and fighting each other if not just hanging around, almost like some sort of hellish safari. They would even pass by a river that would go around a great building that remained very well maintained, one which Penny may recognize as the Imperial Palace she visited alongside Tot long ago. From there, it wouldn't take long to reach their destination, a singular building still in a decent condition while everything around it was piles of rock.] Driver: "Alright kids, if this is your first time, I'll give you a few pointers." [The driver would keep looking around and so would his partner, making sure demons won't ambush them.] Driver: "Don't throw away your life for the sake of getting what you are told to get, we value more people who can try again than a mangled corpse. If you die, do so near some kind of settlement, that way we can use your stuff again." Driver: "If you go further East, you'll soon find Ginza. Go find the Terminal there and return Shinjuku by using it if you feel like it. Better than taking two hours going back. Gets worse the later it gets. That's all, good luck!" [Without much else to add, the driver would go back the way they came from after making sure the pair got off the car, having more to do. Now they are met with a tall building, rather slim all things considered as well with no other access but the front door. Near it, there are mechanical remains loaded with weapons of some sort, but seemingly inactive. They were straight out of some kind of B-movie.] Shibuya [Raidou would enter the van, with no one but himself, Gouto and the mute driver taking them to their destination. Looking out the window, they don't see much beyond the severe destruction brought upon the land. Warriors with all differing armor make their patrol around the ruined city, especially around a few unique ones. Construction tools and materials remain abandoned in a lot of cases, while most of it is being taken away. Despite the difficult odds, the people of Shinjuku are slowly but surely working on rebuilding and restoring.] [The journey was quick, with nothing more to see. Although he could finally spot trees, like a faraway forest hiding a temple, the rest of Tokyo was ruined. No people, and no demons, not even animals. It was too quiet. Void.] Somewhat Mute Driver: "Lucky we didn't run into any demons. Just worried where they actually are, is all. Later." [Quick and to the point, maybe out of politeness, these are the only words the guy shares, signaling for the pair to leave the vehicle and move on. Once they did, he would leave without looking back, needing to go back to his own duties. Raidou and Gouto would find themselves in front of the entrance to Shibuya's subway. The Shibuya Crossing barely resembled its former self, various hi-tech doors protecting some of the nearby buildings. The wreckage is all over and there are clear signs of battle, very recent too. Magic had been used, blood is spilt and remains of non-human being are scattered, turning back into Magnetite and then nothing.]

“Imperial Palace?” Tot asks, thinking back to her last adventure. That’s where she met up with Masakado and helped him get his power back. He said he was wicked strong, so this is probably something related “I’ll totally help out there. I think I know the guy in question. Helped me out of a jam back in Tokyo so I’m sure he’ll be totally stoked to help us out too!”

The missions are intriguing, yet there’s only three of their little group to go around. Would splitting up even be wise? A memory from the Diamond Realm clicks when she hears Tot’s words. “Are you talking about that odd armor you carried? It may be worth going there then...” She hums and reads over the missions once more. She can tell the second mission is important, but there may be help needed elsewhere... “It’s possible that I could do one of the lower-urgency missions, but I’d worry about leaving you alone. I’ve learned some healing magic in our adventures so it’s probably best I assist you, Tot, especially with the Cult of Gaea aiming to claim the power at the palace.” Prima looks down at Ene, waiting for her input.

The Spell Punk would be fanning and panting quite a bit feeling like it had overheated just from waiting in the vehicle and needing to snap itself back to reality. It was at least pleased to finally reach their destination. "I didn't except the trip to take that long, we should just be mindful to move quickly before night settles in and odds are worse for us, though I rather not imagine demon or spirit will be tailing us." It would turn to Penny and give a thumbs up just to see if they were both on the same page at least before starting to just check around their surroundings. The mechanical remains were the first thing to catch its attention for how unusual it stood out to what the Punk has seen before and tried to see if it could identify any of the parts.

{The long car ride results in the little girl slowly losing some functionality, or at least the non-essential parts of it. She casually looked out the window as her grip on Mister Bear is once again active, slowly getting tighter the more the heat kicks in. Sadly this short curcuiting would lead her to be unable to look at all the fun things in the hellish safari, but the only thing that gets the girl back into focus for a short while would be the Imperial Palace that passed by her, reminding her of her memories with Tot.} "Thanks Mister driver man! Penny and Mister Bear will remember you!" {Penny would wave back to the man as they both get dropped off, and she takes a breath of fresh air in order to look at her surroundings. And also look at whatever might've broke a fuse, hopefully it was a tracking chip. Mister Bear would jump out the car in a hurry, shaking himself. The little girl giggles and nods her head to Spell Punk.} "Mhmm, that's understandable. I think Penny's going to have fun!" {She would proceed to go with Mister Bear, making sure not to stray too far away from her teammate while also trying to get her own look at the machinery if any of it was still useful. Likewise, Mister Bear follows her around, pretending to sniff out the area.}

Raidou stayed silent for the ride, keeping his arms and legs crossed with his head down. Gouto almost thought he was napping, but it was hard to tell. Either way, he hopped out of the car pretty quickly, and waved the driver off before turning around to see his assumed destination. The signs of battle were both alarming and comforting, in their own way. "Eyes up, Raidou. Given this scene, we can hopefully count on these Templars in a fight. Now, all we need to do is convince them." Raidou nodded, adjusting his hat before stepping resolutely towards the subway entrance.

Tot looks back to Prima with a grin. "Oh, yeah. His name's Masakado, really not a fan of demons so I'm sure it'll be great. If ya really wanna come with, I could use a backup." with her approval given, Tot winks at Ene "Whatever ya go for just be careful. If you're flyin' solo ya won't wanna go anywhere too dangerous."

Ene is still shaken up, the last thing she wants to do is split up. She instantly agrees with whatever is decided. I'm staying with you guys.

Yoshiko scanned her purse, only to find she was significantly short on money, clicking her tongue and sighing. "Sorry, Boss, it's just window shopping today. Unless you've got more than I do." She nudged Quintus as she spoke, gesturing to the steep price tag. "I'm gonna check to see if I can get any new weapons or armor. I'm not a genius but something tells me a cheap barely sharp katana is gonna do much for me outside of killing a couple tiny demons." She searched around for an equipment shop nearby that would hopefully have more manageable prices than her previous encounter.

Quintus would be getting a little impatient but he'd quickly get over it. Yoshiko had a point, they should try to be as prepared as they could. The comp's price however was another matter. It wouldn't be easy to afford and he wasn't even sure how much Yen he was carrying right now either. He decided to quickly check just to simply confirm what he probably already knew. That was under the assumption that both their money combined probably wouldn't be enough. "Go ahead, armor would probably slow me down too much and my weapons right now are fine. Though, the only thing I'd want to be able to resist is fire. Doubt they'd have anything too flame retardant here though."

Shinagawa Tot, Prima and Ene have taken Mission #2. Archangel: "You may visit our Armory down that corridor. However, we have nothing to offer but the Temple Knight gear. If you think it'll aid you, feel free to take what you may need." [Such Armory would be at the corridor leading towards the jail and interrogation center below, but through a door indicating where to go, making it a simple task. Leaving through the door, Akie would appear wearing a very similar coat as she was previously, with the common blue and white colors. She had put her hair up in a ponytail and wore a kind of strange visor with a small antenna on the left side. She wore heavy boots, simple military-grade body protection and a gauntlet on her left with a small screen, different to the one on her right which was black. Such gauntlet lit up with a green light, and so then did her visor. She had a completely serious and stoic expression until she looked at Tot and her friends once more, waving at them.] Akie: "Ah~! I see you are going to aid me with this rather dangerous task~! Bless you." [She would bow at the newcomers.] Akie: "The transportation shall depart soon. Come meet me on the outside when you're ready!" [Without much else to say, she bows once more and heads towards the surface. They may check the Armory, but can go towards the surface right away too, ready to go.] Ueno [Quintus has the same amount, 50.000ћ. The owner of the COMP shop would wave at Yoshiko, losing all hope of anyone getting one of these. From the looks of it, most people got their own models by stealing, scavenging, or “asking nicely”. Yeah. Regardless, Yoshiko would move towards the equipment shop and find great variety, such as spell stones, ammunition, guns of all kinds and even weird looking "armor". A lot of it was rather expensive.] Items -Maragi Stone: Single use. By crushing it and throwing it, you can cast Maragi. [100ћ] -Mabufu Stone: Single use. By crushing it and throwing it, you can cast Mabufu. [100ћ] -Maeiga Stone: Single use. By crushing it and throwing it, you can cast Maeiga. [200ћ] Bullets -Medusa Bullets: Can turn target into Stone. Low odds. [15.000ћ] -Uranium Bullets: Forced Gun damage into Medium and all hits gain a "x2" effect.[10.000ћ] -Dark Bullets: Add Heavy Dark damage to shots. [30.000ћ] Guns -Patriot Gun: [3-5 hits.] An old looking model. It's a M16 rifle modified to have a small barrel, a short stock, an ACOG scope and taped mags for quick reload. [25.000ћ] -Pauza P50: [1 hit] An import from the US. This anti-materiel rifle is one of great power and accuracy, but slow. [35.000ћ] -Peacemaker: [0-8 hits.] Although the model of this revolver is very old-fashioned, it's clear it was created during the height of the demon wars. 8 shoots, higher power than a .50 caliber gun but low accuracy. [60.000ћ] Armor Rider Set: [Resists Fire. Nulls Dark. Weak to Ice.] Perfect for riding on a motorcycle. Long riding boots; a heavy, long leather jacket colored red and black which acts as protection for both the torso and arms; a mouth-only gas mask, there is no better set for those who spend a lot of time on the surface. [50.000ћ] General Set: [Nulls Fire/Nuclear. Weak to Gun.] A complete samurai armor set colored crimson. As if the warriors of old suddenly returned, the armor would be effective against the demonic powers, but not so against the weapons created in the west. [50.000ћ] Military Set: [Resists Gun/Fire/Wind. Weak to Electricity/Nuclear] The tactical uniform and gear for special ops. Wearing this will make one stand out during the day, but invisible during the night. [50.000ћ]

Chuo - Police Department [Some time before their arrival, a battle broke out. From the looks of it, the door too had been locked at some point, only be blasted away from the inside. Additionally, the machines themselves were for the most part ruined and severely damaged, and those that weren't were not working, even if power was still coursing through their "bodies". Theirs lights, similar to those of the police but also the headlamps, are still in a decent condition. Interestingly enough, each light had a small battery unique to each set. With this in mind, they could be removed and still work regardless. However, it's easy to get the feeling that each one can be broken easily. All this Punk and Penny are able to figure out. At the very least, none of these machines will rise up and attack them. Probably.] Shibuya [Raidou and Gouto would reach the underground level right away, only to be met with a rather dark area. The floor was in good condition and the walls barely showed any sign of decay, however, they may get the feeling the area isn't cleaned too often with the mud and dust creeping around. Luckily, no blood or signs of battle. Everywhere inside seemed relatively peaceful. People were walking from one side to another and converse in a hushed tone, their faces and gear, or maybe the lack of it, being covered by large white and blue tunics and also raincoats, large capes and even impractical masks and helmets. There was the odd group of children playing around, and a few vendors quietly opening up their shops, for their scavenged goods and what looked like snacks, despite people also getting free food at specific times in certain locales, such as lunch at the moment.] "Lady Aoi was magnificent, I miss her but I understand why she would begin to travel", "Isn't the kid with her a student of Master Kuzunoha?", "I'm glad demons have been on the low recently...", "Hey, this is unfair! How can you ask 500ћ for a single steak!?", "You think hunting those demons is easy, brat?" [Would be some of the conversations he hears from people around. From there, there are three corridors leading to different areas but no indication to where exactly each would lead. One to the far left and two straight ahead, left and right as well. There was no indication of any guards. Compared to the current state of Shinjuku, Shibuya was all about the civilians and the Order of the Messiah.]

Prima could go to the surface right away, but it wouldn’t hurt to check what’s in the armory. Perhaps there will be something of use. She decides to make a quick stop in there and browse what’s available. She has no need for a new weapon, but there may be armor that catches her eye. Humans are squishy without it... or with it. Humans are fragile compared to her kind.

"Nah, I already looked at that stuff and figured this is more my style." Tot casually waves off the the Archangel's offer before heading straight outside with Akie. Tot gives the other girl a friendly grin and answers "Yeah, looked pretty big plus I happen to have been there before so I think I know the palace pretty well. Figured I should come along to keep it runnin' smooth."

“These do seems a bit more tacky then your usual Arkyean warlords or military production machinery from my side of the town. It seems they are gonna stay down though so nothing of the sort to worry on.” The batteries would catch the Spell Punk’s attention before it left and would try to see if it could try and remove even one and hold it in front of itself. While the poor thing struggled it would turn back to Penny and just try to gesture her in a direction. “I’m just gonna try and remove this here component it looks oddly nifty. Could you just check the front entrance this may get a bit noisy and I don’t want to just alert anything.”

"Ooh... big fan of that one in the middle! Definitely my style but we're not exactly looking for fashion out here." She took a few moments to look the samurai armor over, wearing a wide grin as she did. The equipment shop was much more of Yoshiko's element than the other shops. She'd gaze over every model of gun with interest, like a pompous art critic would a painting. "This seems like the safest choice! Hey Boss, I'll be taking this one." She gestures to the Rider Set, taking out her 50,000ћ and paying the shopkeep. It was difficult to turn down some of the gun models on display, but she'd have to swallow her enthusiasm for now in favor of practicality. With her newfound gear she'd find the nearest exit from Ueno and wait there for Quintus.

{Penny would almost try to hover over the Spell Punk as it examined the batteries laying on the ground. Yet that wasn't needed when she was called out, to which she almost lets out a gasp. Instead of expressing her own shock, Mr. Bear would tip over like a ragdoll before getting back up on it's paws.} "Oooo, Penny and Mr. Bear really hope so. But don't worry Mr. Punk, we're on the case! Hooray!" {The little girl would make sure to venture forth towards wherever this entrance was in order to be on the lookout. Yet she couldn't help but look back every few seconds in hopes that her buddy doesn't get ambushed from behind, or something like that. Penny and Mr. Bear took turns looking back, and whenever they reached the entrance they'd stop near it and be on the lookout there instead.}

I think i'm good. Ene follow right behind Toki.

"Well, even if they are hard to find and more reliable, I doubt anyone who actually needs one would have enough money. Only saying because you don't seem to get much business but you might want to rethink your business model if you want to make ends meet. I'd actually consider spending any money I have to get one but what your charging is 3 times the amount I imagine most rookies even have. Well, feel free to ignore me, I'm just some guy from out of town, afterall. Though someone getting up in the years like you probably should consider your options more carefully." With that Quintus would leave if there was nothing else the man had to say. He had someone waiting for him and he'd rather not keep them waiting if there was nothing else for him here.

The pair took in the scenery for a moment, unsure of where exactly to go next. Gouto swung his tail lazily as Raidou pressed onward, perched on his shoulder like usual. "Well, best to start with intel gathering like usual. Hop to it, Raidou." He nodded, and would attempt to ask around presenting himself as a fighter from Shinjuku, seeking aid from the Temple Knights and their master. While finding out where to go would be helpful, he was perfectly willing to listen to anything the people here had to say, be it about his mission or how things were here in Shibuya. As it stood, he was new here, so any information would help.

Shinagawa [Tot and Ene would quickly hurry back to the surface, greeted once again by ruins and a vast wasteland. Akie would be waiting for them, sitting on the driver's seat of an old jeep with no roof. There is no one else with them but a few Temple Knights guarding the general area.] Akie: "Tot, you mean you've been to the Imperial Palace in the past?" [The girl had been very focused up until now, deciding to make conversation now that everything is so silent. She knew Tot, but she also had a weird thought. She would turn towards Ene and keep staring, pouting.] Akie: "You are Ene, correct? Does your mother look just like you, what with your long blue hair? Or do you have any other family member older than you that looks like you?" [Meanwhile, Prima would go ahead and check the Armory, quickly realizing that what they said was true; she saw nothing but everything the Temple Knights were using, nothing like her Tundra Seal, let alone anything like what Tot was wearing for protection.] Bullets -Pierce Bullets: Adds "Pierce" effect to Gun damage. Pierce bypasses most resistances except for Reflect. -Light Bullets: Adds "Light" damage to Gun attacks. Weapons -Sol Knife: Light and easy to hide, this sacred golden weapon with the energy of the Sun can be used to light up the dark at the user's will. [Physical/Light damage, 1-2 hits.] -Brionac Spear A simple spear with a red metal shaft and silver point. Light and with great reach, it would be easy to stab right through people from a safe distance, as well as having the advantage in closed areas. A faint mist escapes the weapon, making it quite cold to the touch. [Physical/Ice damage, 1 hit. Can Freeze.] Armor Temple Knight Set [Resists Ice/Dark. Weak to Gun.] Composed of a blue beret hat, a long white cape with a blue shield emblem with a cross on the inside, meant to cover the black light armor protecting the chest, legs and arms; the standard uniform for Temple Knights. Ueno [The owner of the COMP would look at Quintus with a weird kind of expression, like a chill ran down his spine but decided to let it go, it couldn’t really mean anything. The equipment shop's shopkeeper would indeed receive the Macca from Yoshiko and allow her to take the Rider Set and move towards the exit. She would find the doors leading outside wide open, the people moving from the underground to the surface as it used to be in everyday Tokyo, and soon enough, Quintus would join her. The light from outside may be blinding with how dark it was underground by comparison, and colder, way colder, but no wind passes through. No signs of greenery. The ground was dirt, rubble, and ruined streets. No building remained intact, and what did work were strange, flashy constructions of metal and wires of an almost alien origin. It seemed to be some kind of generator powering up the underground and other more traditionally looking structures from the which people wearing red and black come and go. Large bridges with a thousand lights in the distance leading to greater ruin, as they both stand in the ruins of the old Tokyo, now a city of anarchist and demons. Nearby signs show directions towards important areas. To the north-west is "Tennoji Temple/Ikebukuro"; to the east is "Asakusa Shrine"; to the south-east is "Kinshincho"; to the south is "Akihabara/Chiyoda", where the Imperial Palace is.]

Chuo - Police Department [Punk's careful, even if inexperienced attempt would be rewarded with the still working front lights of the ruined machine, connected to the battery he also took out. Having obtained the improvised flashlight, the darkness will have no power over them. That is, for as long as the battery works, and the light isn't damaged once. Penny and Mr. Bear on the other hand would approach the open doors leading into the building. It is pitch black inside, it's impossible to see anything beyond, and not a single sound comes either. Mr. Bear however, he may feel it, the presence of demons within, many of them, and particularly powerful one somewhere within the building.] Shibuya [The people walking around would stop to Raidou as he approaches, each one giving him a different bit of information.] "You're from Shinjuku? You are a bit too clean...if this is about the Scavengers, they are fine at the Kaifuku." "There are no Temple Knights here today, but if you're looking for Raidou, then your best bet is going to the second floor." "Hmmm? You want to become a Temple Knight too, mister?" "You don't look like you're from around here. If you need news, take the left corridor. If you want to head up, follow the one to the far left; Mido is there too. Take the remaining corridor, the right one, if you need healing." "I don't know where she is. Maybe at the Fairy's Forest? She trains those kids there! I heard there used to be a University there!" "Good luck with that, Raidou never leaves Shibuya." [This is all that Raidou would learn from talking to the people.]

Prima, after a quick examination, decides to take a sol knife and the Temple Knight armor. Once she’s all set, she heads back to the surface to join the girls. The vehicle they’d be using is something she’s seen before. It’s one used for rough terrain, right? They’ll see for themselves once they get moving. She waits patiently for everyone to finish their chat in the meantime.

“Oh yeah, totally! I was there a little bit before the bombs dropped. Woulda been toast if it wasn’t for Masakado.” Tot replies in her usual, friendly tone, not really noticing the hint on suspicion in Akie’s voice. “Whole lotta rude demons had already trashed the place before I got there. So I ended up helping the dude out so he could get back ta protecting the city. If my hunch is right the force is probably him. He wants to help people too so I’m totally sure we’ll get along!”

The small Punk would fumble a bit with the lights but gets a grip on it. Feeling that it would be a bit of a waste to just keep scavenging it would follow to Penny’s side and continue the task they set out for. “I was able to pull apart this front light so we should be able to flashlight our way around the place so that’s one plus as it gets darker. Can you tell if anything or being is close by in here or are we good to walk in.” While saying this the Punk would take a few cautious steps in and aim the lights downwards to the darken floor in front of it to see if they worked out well enough in the pitch black room.

"Penny looked it out, and Penny thinks that there prooobably isn't anything in front? And..." {The little girl looks out at the dark entrance, and prepares to take a step forwards until Mr. Bear who tried to sniff whatever was forward came back with a premonition that other demons lurk inside. He scurries back to Penny's side before she could do anything in particular, making it so that the Punk with the light source would be in front leading the way.} "That Mister Bear senses something. Okay, Penny feel like that means something too..." {Penny and Mister Bear would decide to follow behind the Spell Punk into the building. She gripped her revolver and loaded it while walking forwards, having an urge to hold on the bugbear but ultimately deciding against it.}

"This place looks even worse than that school. I can't tell whether that's an achievement or a tragedy, but there's no use in spending any time lamenting it." She wasted no time in heading South at a brisk pace, adjusting her Rider's leathers that she'd changed into off-screen. As she was walking through the destroyed streets of Tokyo, she'd make sure to be as wary as possible. There was no chance she and Quintus could walk as far as the Imperial Palace without finding at least a singular demon. "Hey Quintus, I've got a question that you don't necessarily have to answer. What's it like where you're from? I know we're from a similar timeline and all but I don't really know much about you. Not that I have to, at least."

Ene is blunt. She is not really around for dealing with suspcious people. I forgot what my parents looked like and my hair isn't naturally blue. She smirks. Life isn't an anime kiddo.

Shinagawa to Imperial Palace [Akie pouts at Ene's strange reply, deciding that it would be for the best to get moving. Now with Prima, Ene and Tot in the car, she would look around and make sure the coast was clear enough to start up the car and get on their merry way, aiming to reach the Imperial Palace as soon as possible. As they moved through the ruined buildings and hard to navigate streets, it hits her. That's exactly right, Akie uses the brakes and slowly turns towards Tot.] Akie: "Hah... Hahaha~! Tot, you are such a joker! You needn't say something like Masakado lives in the old palace or that you met him such a long time ago!" [Shocked by this, she keeps the car going through the empty, silent lands. There was no sign of anyone passing through, no broken weapons or rags.] Akie: "If...If that were to be the case, then this situation is far more dangerous than I originally thought. Masakado is the guardian deity of Kanto, and if he gave anyone his blessing then...we need to hurry. Cannot allow the Gaeans to even speak to him." [She picks up the speed, the noise created by the vehicle considerably increased and also the risk of moving around the irregular terrain. At the distance, they can now see Tokyo Tower still standing with strange antenna, the structure patched up at the base and at the top with newer parts that had yet to be painted.] ???: "He...! -elp me!!" [The voice came from somewhere not too far away from them, panicked and wheezy; quite high-pitched as well. Akie didn’t seem to notice but the group certainly did. The street by the left side was flooded in bullet cases, ruined magazines and a single blue beret covered in dirt. ] Akie: "We will be there shortly. If you have any ideas or piece of information of your fighting, I would greatly appreciate it. The most important thing here is that we can trap any enemy with intelligence. Brute force is not always reliable." Ueno to Imperial Palace [As they move towards their destination, nothing at all changes. People were either relaxing alone sitting amongst the rubble or the rare patch of greenery, fighting demons whom they had as their minions and some naked, mangled corpses lay on the side being devoured for their remains and Magnetite. For the most part, they were left alone to their own devices, being looked at with contempt and distrust, too weak and insignificant to consider. Soon enough, they reach the large bridge that acts as the main entrance into Taito from Chiyoda, crossing a large river that should not be there. At the start of it, there is a simple wooden sign that's hard to read, by the rough grammar, shaky calligraphy and wrong use of certain characters.] "U want pass. Resqonb tree ¿? Fiue minute. no wrorg. punishnent." "1.- tis a h0use, u 3nter bllnd, out u go seeing ¿wats is?" "2.- ¿wat reb, hot like flane but no phyre?" "3.- ¿was anlmai who use for legg at morrig, too in day n tree at night?" [So the weirdly placed sign says, asking to pay a toll. Both feel the presence of a powerful demon nearby.]

Chuo - Police Department [The light Punk recovered pierces the dark effortlessly, but in a straight line. As expected, it would be impossible to light the entire room with the light, but at the very least they had the advantage of seeing where they step as they move forward. Because of this, they see the absolutely ruined remains of the machines they had seen at the entrance. Signs of bullets, cuts, burns, and even remains of ice are scattered. Right in front of them is a large wall with signs pointing towards the left and right. To the left, the elevators, and offices. To the right, the emergency stairs. They can't make out anything else, but the faint noise of a metal being dragged around and bubbling muck sliding down, dragging the materials.] Shibuya [Taking the far left corridor, the road would continue further towards a large entrance with ornamented, double doors from the which a strange light that escaped from below it, colored blue; the Cathedral of Shadows. As Raidou decided to skip it, instead he would find himself taking a right into a badly lit hallway to the stairs taking to the second floor, where it was somehow even darker than below with every single window covered or outright replaced by metal as to protect and hide the people.] Young man: "You lost, mister?" [Raidou would find himself in a very ample room with a dozen teenagers wearing the same exact gear but differing Arm Terminals, many of them looking like the prototypes Nakajima had been working on, from light, simple models to heavy ones using an entire arm to glasses. The one who spoke to him had such a COMP model and was wearing an alive green military jumpsuit, black tactical boots, and tactical gloves, just like the rest. By the walls are a series of black full guard bulletproof vests hung, simple katanas in their sheath by the side and multiple Glock handguns still within their holsters.]

"Where I'm from?" He seems to think hard on it for a moment, not giving an immediate answer. When he's finally ready to speak he does so with even less enthusiasm than normal. "It would've been a pretty normal small town. Not exactly out in the middle of nowhere but also not in a big city. That is of course, if a place like that existed for me. I don't really belong anywhere anymore. Maybe that's what makes it so easy for me to focus on what's ahead." He'd cut himself off though as they reached the sign. Immediately he'd become more annoyed. "Riddles with awful spelling. Though the last one's pretty obvious. Humans crawl when they're toddlers, walk on two legs in adulthood, and walk with a cane as elders. So the answer is a human. As for the others two, I'd rather not take educated guesses considering how stupid some of these old riddles are. Especially considering I barely understand that first one and have never even heard of the second. I could take a guess for 2 if you don't have any ideas."

Tot keeps walking with Akie, acting as if she hadn't heard the voice herself. Really she just figures Akie probably heard it and if they weren't gonna do anything then this mission must be more important. Especially seeing how confident Masakado was last time they'd met. The girl takes Akie's hint and doesn't argue about how impossible her situation is. Instead, she just gives quick answers for what she can do. "Aight, so I'm pretty simple. My magic works pretty much normal, but I can bounce it off stuff like a sound wave. So I could probably get the drop on some of those demons by bouncing it around the corner. Got a lot of practice shooting it at weird angles. Normally my magic's pretty plain but thanks to this thing." Tot slings the guitar off her back. Its in its base, "Blanco Gitarre" form right now, a relatively simple mostly white pattern. "I can switch it up to either a psychic strike or a bit of a nuclear one. Only thing to worry about is that bouncing around makes it kinda hard to control. So It'll be best if I'm not involved in any big brawls breakin' out."

Having engaged in the age old passtime of sticking your head out the window like a dog, Prima catches the voice. She squints out at the desolate streets. “Did you hear someone, or am I imagining things?” Two out of three companions are unfazed, so either they didn’t hear or didn’t deem it important. She tries to put aside her worries and introduce her abilities as well. “I have some ice and light magic, but I also have a spell that can improve our agility. In addition, just recently I’ve found myself able to provide healing. Not much else to note besides my gun. Its bullets are normally light-oriented but I can add ice to them if needed. Consider me for a supporting role.”

"Would've? I'd say you're being cryptic but you don't sound so sure yourself. Not that it's any of my business, anyway." The presence of mangled and skinned bodies seemed to subtly unnerve her. Dead bodies were far from strange territory at this point, but seeing people lounge in such a decrepit and twisted version of Tokyo was certainly a concerning thought. Once the two approached the sign she'd visibly tilt her head and let out a mildly annoyed 'eh?' as she struggled to read the print. "You feel that? This must be some kind of game to whatever's watching. I imagine throwing shit at the wall and seeing if it sticks might get us eaten, or worse." At Quintus' deduction she let out a hearty chuckle, offering him an enthusiastic thumbs up. "Wow, you're good! I mean I would've guessed the same myself, but you're real quick on the draw!" She thought about the first and second riddle quite thoroughly, tapping her forehead while she did. "Red, warm, not fire... Blood! At least, if it's from a fresh wound that is." She looked around afterwards, hoping to possibly see the demonic presence that would be lurking nearby. "My first guess for one would be a church, but I doubt anyone in these parts still fears the Lord above. The only other house I can think of that helps you 'see' is... ! At least, if it's from a fresh wound that is." She looked around afterwards, hoping to possibly see the demonic presence that would be lurking nearby. "My first guess for one would be a church, but I doubt anyone in these parts still fears the Lord above. The only other house I can think of that helps you 'see' is... a school! You walk in blind, and you walk out enlightened, or seeing!"

Ene at first thinks that she may have imagined the voice. But, Prima's question makes her uncertain. If the voice isn't imagined then that meant that someone likely needed help as soon as possible. We have to stop. I think someone is in trouble! She says. The mission could wait until the person in need of help was assisted. She considers jumping out of the car instead of wasting time waiting for the other three to agree to her request. Her last impulsive action won them an interrogation though so she waits to hear the other three out. Insisting. The person in need of help might not have much time left.

Shinagawa to Imperial Palace [Akie listens to Tot with attention, keeping a mental note on her exact abilities.] Akie: "Your magic is really unique, I doubt the Gaeans have anything so varied. It should be great for catching them off guard and around closed areas. If battle happens indoors, you merely need to have them follow you into corridors." [She then hears Prima further comment on someone speaking. She remains quiet at that as Prima quickly moves on to explain her abilities. She turns momentarily to look at her and a tinge of conflict and guilt shows in her eyes.] Akie: "Your magic is very in... in line with that of our church. If we get into a fight... you are correct, your best chances are in the back from a safe distance. Gaeans are generally experienced at close quarters, of those who rush at you with their bare hands, and of those who lurk in the shadows as assassins. Be careful." [Then Ene speaks up, throwing her off her concentration and forcing her to slow down the car enough for anyone to jump out safely if they so wished to.] Akie: "But... there is no time...!" [Although the words are hard to make out now, it was clear someone was still calling out for help nearby, from within one of the many abandoned buildings. Akie's expression is filled with guilt as she turns towards the road again, ready to keep moving forward.] Akie: "...Taking care of the Gaeans is the best way to ensure our people are safe. If they get to the Imperial Palace and convince Masakado to side with them then we will all be massacred by their hand and their demons! I can't let that happen again!" [The vehicle slowly picks up speed but leaving it is still safe. The voice was coming from the block they just passed, within an abandoned "Sun Mall".] Ueno to Imperial Palace - Clash on the Big Bridge ???: "I commend you, you two. I was getting annoyed with the locals being unable to respond, and equally unable to read." [The youthful yet deep voice was coming from above, from the hazy silhouette of a tall humanoid watching atop the bridge's tower.] ???: "You have avoided punishment, still, you have yet to pay the toll. We can't this meeting go to waste." [He would take a leap backwards and position himself with a flip to land on his feet, making the entire area nearby rumble as he does so. The man was tall, of pale white skin and long, silky black hair. He wore a beautiful pure white armor with deep blue and black details running through it. On his right hand is a silver spear, emanating a strange energy, a deadly power locked within.] Cu Chulainn: "I am the Hound of Culann, of the Fairy race. My master has ordered me to battle exactly 100 warriors who brave the wilderness of Tokyo within Gaean territory. She knows how powerful the men and women of this land are, and for greatness, the challenges must be great as well." Cu Chulainn: "You have proven to me you are not fools. Now you must show me your vigor...if you still wish to cross this bridge, onward to a place where no one will show any mercy." [The powerful demon they had felt is standing right in front of them, waiting for their next move. The pressure his power creates increases.] Cu Chulainn: "You have earned the first strike. Come!!"

Tot closes her eyes and lets out a deep sigh. In hindsight it was a really good thing there were so many people here. She had become used to directing a squad, and if their objective was to save everyone then the answer was pretty obvious. While the car was slowed down a bit, Tot enters a sort of commander mode and starts talking quickly and clearly "Prim, you go and help the citizen. They'll probably need healing and your abilities are close to Akie's, so we'll still have a niche covered. I need to be able to talk to Masakado again so slowing down isn't really an option. If you'd like to make sure Prim is safe you can split off too Ene. Help them out then make your way to the palace if you can. It would be great to save them too, but our mission is the top priority."

Prima is feeling the same indecision as their driver. If it weren’t for Tot’s calm directions she would have been frozen in place and wasted their precious time. She nods and hops out of the car, only pausing to give a quick reply. “I will make this quick. I’ll be fine on my own. See you soon.” She dashes off in the direction she heard the voice. She doesn’t have much of a plan besides finding the person who called. Find them and go from there. Run if there’s danger. There’s the possibility of a trap so she’ll proceed with as much caution as she can without sacrificing speed.

{Penny looks at the scenery around them, and it all felt familiar to her. But at the same time, there's no way that this much could've been done just because of a war. The demons that lurk around were most likely involved in what they left in their wake. At the sight of some cool options, Penny and Mister Bear stop before walking behind Punk and looking over his figure.} "Ooo, split ends. Hey Mister Punk, where do you think we should go first?" {Penny was almost grabbing onto Punk for extra safety, but decided against it as usual. Mister Bear stopped looking past Punk and instead looked up at his owner and all around them to be on the lookout for any meanies that come their way.}

The Spell Punk would glare at the sign for a bit considering the option before flick the light towards the right to respond to Penny. “Just a hunch and matter of preference but see how we don’t know where anything is and we’re trying to keep under the radar. I’d much take the stairs and play it safe so just follow along and let me know if you sense anything. Besides the elevators are practically suicide especially the last time, was anything but a golden trip...” The Spell Punk shudders as it tries to scrap away the distant memory from its head and started walking right. It flashed the light forward only occasionally flashing back to check on Penny or a knee jerk response to the strange sounds that echoed through the walls of the building.

"Let no one tell you demons have no honor! I like the cut of your jib! I promise we won't disappoint!!" Not one to use her strongest attacks first, despite having an easy opportunity to do so. To tire herself out so quickly would be not only dangerous but ruin the thrill of combat, especially after so long in the city. She dashed forward into a lunging stab, dealing a light amount of physical damage to Cu Chulainn, quickly repositioning after the strike by flipping backwards evasively, opening a decent amount of distance between herself and her opponent in case he decided to counter-attack physically. Actions: Lunge (weak phys to 1)

Ene trusts Prima's judgement and stays in the car. We are good for going to the palace and hey Akie ... Ene thinks carefully about what she is about to say. She doesn't want to make an enemy out of an ally, but this bigger picture mentality going on doesn't sit well with her. It seems a lot like an excuse to write people off. We should never leave anyone in need of help behind. If we start doing that then how are we better then any demon?

Quintus wasn't sure about fighting so suddenly, he felt as if it had already been a while. But given his ally had already begun it seemed inevitable that he'd have to join in. He'd try to keep his distance completely focusing more on his own spells. "Well, guess this could be worse. You did say you wanted to find a demon after all. Garutera!" A small vortex would form beginning to pick up any nearby debris it could before being flung towards his opponent. The intent wasn't only to do damage but to make sure Take could move away if the enemy did strike back at her.

Minato to Imperial Palace [Prima would leave the vehicle as soon as Tot issues her own command, Ene deciding to remain with the group as Akie quickly continues their way towards the Imperial Palace, now in Minato and getting closer to Chiyoda. Akie, not taking her eyes off the road would reply to Ene.] Akie: "I... cannot disagree with that. But is really saving one life wiser than to protect thousands...? We have defenseless children, pregnant women, sick elderly and disabled men. They cannot protect themselves against demons, let alone the Gaea Cult and their mercenaries." [She speaks in a cold and low energy tone, resigned to the reality of things.] Akie: "They have no sense of mercy, no humanity left in their hearts if they still have those. If you saw what they did to us during the Shibuya assault years ago you would understand what we must not ever allow happen again." Akie: "You understand Tot, do you not? That not everyone can be saved, that no singular life is worth more than a group? Why our mission is more important?" [Although her convictions were clear, her pleading tone was hoping for her friend to be on her side with this too.] Minato Sun Mall - Still More Fighting [Prima stays behind, having reached the Minato ward and races towards the Sun Mall from the which she heard someone calling for help, the rest of her groups speeding towards Chiyoda, where the Imperial Palace awaits. Approaching the front entrance of broken glass, she quickly finds the ravaged corpses of multiple Temple Knights scattered around, blood still fresh and some still twitching. Without a closer look, you can only see the harshly open wounds. Loud, distorted laughter like near roaring is heard deeper inside the massive area, possibly from within one of the abandoned stores, all on top of the faint wailing of a very young person.] Ueno to Imperial Palace - Clash on the Big Bridge [Cu Chulainn would stand in place with both arms open and a slight smirk on his face as Yoshiko goes for a luging stab, certainly leaving a scratch on his armor but no more than that, being obvious now he had a resistance to physical damage. Quintus would follow up with his own Garutera, the wind carrying the earth itself alongside it as it strikes the demon's body. At first, the pieces of debris would hit him with as much strength as Yoshiko before, but then they would stop, as the debris falls to the side and the wind had no effect. No resistance to earth at all, but his body completely ignores the force.] Cu Chulainn: "I haven't seen that combination before. Unfortunately for you, Wind will do nothing to me. Allow me to return the favor!" [Cu Chulainn would quickly spin his lane in front of him as a powerful gust of wind is created and is unleashed against the pair. The powerful wind would hit Yoshiko once, and then Quintus would be struck twice while the remaining wave of wind does not damage them. It would be strong enough to push them back a few feet and momentarily take their breath away, showering the area with the sweet scent of flowers.] Cu Chulainn: "How do you like my Floral Gust? It's my signature move, developed after rigorous training. My master is a skilled warrior, hm!" Chuo - Police Department [Going to the right, they would find more of the same machines now destroyed, signs of the same people or demons battling through them to ascend the nearby stairs. Being quick to avoid the larger section of the first floor, the pair (trio?) enter the stairs and the noise of muck becomes strong coming from above. On top of the steps right in front of them, a puddle of black liquid awaits as drops of the same liquid fall from time to time from above, now multiple at once, quicker too since the moment the light of the flashlight. You hear the faint, muffled moaning of something right above you, getting closer.]

All of this sickening imagery is a sign of a savage beast. What could have possibly killed this many Temple Knights with such ease? Who’s the person that survived that rampage until now? She intended to run if it seemed dangerous, but... Prima curses under her breath and moves further in towards what she thinks is the person’s voice. Maybe if she’s quick enough, she can get him out. She won’t be rushing in blindly though. The echoing voice of the beast makes its position uncertain, so she keeps an eye and ear out for them.

Tot closes her eyes with a sigh. She was used to hearing this kinda question. But it wasn't really one she liked. The girl's voice loses much of its usual enthusiasm, but she does support Akie "Ya can't afford to worry about everyone along the way. We'd like ta save everyone, but some casualties are just gonna happen. Its better to keep moving." Tot leans back and closes her eyes, ready for the drive to be over. It wasn't likely to get any better for a while. But as long as we keep moving we're bound to end up somewhere.

Thanks to the gap that Quintus opened for her, she managed to take a little less damage from Cu Chulainn's strike, but the attack was still quite powerful against her, unexpectedly knocking her off balance. She took a moment to regain her composure, resting a hand on her chest and taking a deep breath as her posture returned. She then took on a theatrical voice, her posture like that of an actress giving a monologue. "An impressive display! I love the flower scent, it's a good touch. Whoever your master is, they've got a lot of style!" Yoshiko decided to change her approach. Instead of savagely charging at the demon and embracing the violence, she decided to take things slow. It was clear she was still searching for the thrill of combat, but she decided to adopt a certain elegance to her movements, like she were treating this fight more like a stylish street duel rather than a sudden encounter. "Your dance was quite impressive, let me show you a bit of mine!" She charged forwards once more, her blade raised like she was about to try another brutal physical swing, but halfway through the dash she generated a ball of electricity in her hand, and before she reached Cu Chulainn she'd reverse her momentum and leap backwards, firing the electrical bolt at him. Actions: Zio

The Spell Punk would aim the light upwards at the sound of a muffled moan catches its attention and halt in position. “I don’t think I misheard but it was rather muffled. Hey uh Penny can you maybe sense out if whatever is approach cause every inner and outer sense of me says it’s bad.” Normally the Punk would go check itself but the liquid gave an extra wave of concern that kept it on edge. It was not sure what the liquid could possibly be so it tried to flash the light on it and get a closer look at the substance as well as finding the source it was dropping from.

{Penny had her trigger happiness ready, but the fact that the whatever might be there is holding back makes the little girl apprehensive. Mister Bear would almost try to walk over and sniff the substance but steps back to where his owner is after the substance keeps dropping from up top.} "Ooo, Penny's not sure about that. But Penny and Mister Bear will try their best!" {The little girl and the Bugbear would try to get closer, but they still kept an eye out for anything that could possibly drop on them from above. Penny loaded her revolver with 6 bullets as she lets the Punk shine his light on the liquid, hoping not to get attacked immediately while being curious about what this substance is.}

Ene frowns and leans forward in her seat. Allowing people to die for the sake of the greater good is already a loss for me. Screw this! She takes the initiative, leaping out of the vehicle to chase after Prima. Her arms come up to her face in a bid to come out unscathed from her careless and dumb as bricks action.

Two impacts would strike him. By all means he probably should be taking more damage than Yoshiko. However, both strikes would prove only partially effective in their attempt to damage him. He would still be blown back but his reaction would just be to stare back up at his opponent. "It seems we have similar magic, though I'll admit that your attacks are a lot more appealing to behold." Quintus would begin smiling but their was a certain darkness coming off the expression as he tried to focus in on Cu Chulainn's eyes. "Personally, I believe ferocity is an important factor in a fight too. The first one to flinch is typically the loser, right?" Evil Smile

Minato to Imperial Palace [As Ene jumps out of a car in almost full speed, she at least manages to walk out of it without much actual damage done to her body. She may have a scrape her and there and her body will probably feel the pain during the night though. Akie slows down as she notices Ene pull her stunt.] Akie: "H-Hey! Wait!" [The young woman lets out a sad sigh, realizing this is the current state of events. Rather than saying anything else about it, she accelerates to reach the Imperial Palace in time.] Chiyoda - Imperial Palace [It didn't take long; luckily there wasn't any traffic to get in their way. The area was still the same, the palace was quite literally untouched, the garden had remained in prime condition and the river around it was crystal clean. Akie would make sure to enter the underground parking lot of a nearby abandoned shopping center, dark, but with sunlight passing through the cracks above and the entrance.] Akie: "This place has always remained... untouched. Even when the bombs fell nothing happened to it. The Church tried taking it but never could settle around it and I'm sure the Gaeans tried as well with equal success." [She would check the Arm Terminal on her left arm, looking through a small list.] Akie: "It must be resonating with something somewhere. The readings were too strong." [She would start moving back towards the surface, making sure Tot was following her.] Akie: "We could wait a bit longer; it seems we're like the first ones to arrive... the first pair of humans at least. If you would rather go right away, then there is no turning back anymore." [The decision was up to Tot now. To wait a bit longer, or to go right away.] Minato Sun Mall - Still More Fighting [Prima would quietly approach a large store, now vacant, devoid of all and any product, the name "Nifuru COMP", belonging to the store, would mean little. So then would Ene arrive as well. She had seen the same corpses Prima did going in and would be quick to find her ally. As they meet, the image of a large dragon is revealed, giving its back to the group. It looks like it could barely fit within the massive store; four clawed legs, a long tail and green scales. The floor could barely support its weight. Against the wall, with one of the claws going right his left arm, unable to get away, is a young child, not even past his 13 years with a lighter version of the Temple Knight gear. He was possibly a mere cadet. He couldn't even shed any more tears and his throat was strained; he had been in that situation for too long, and it was still being prolonged.] Dragon demon: "They are all dead, child. My Nidhoggr are keeping any reinforcement busy at that Tower of yours. Do keep crying, season yourself for me. Fill yourself with terror because you're not getting away~" [Still barely alive and the demon distracted, they had a window to act. However, they felt an overwhelming strength coming out of the enemy. Although normally they would be able to take it, it may prove to be far more difficult with their weakened abilities. The exit was not blocked, so they could run away at any time.] Dragon demon: "Hear that...? The car simply kept driving. They didn't even hear~! Using the last of your energy to cry for help didn't amount to anything." [The demon was delighted.]

Ueno to Imperial Palace - Clash on the Big Bridge [Cu Chulainn was bracing himself for the full impact of a frontal attack like the previous one, but did not see coming the bait and switch into a projectile. Worst part of it was that it was Zio, an electric spell. Although the spell itself was weak, it threw the demon off balance. He was weak to Electricity. In that state of literal and metaphorical shock, Quintus' turn would come.] Cu Chulainn: "W-What the...?" [The demon seemed to be affected by something, like the gaze alone of his opponent was tearing him to pieces, piercing right though his very soul and undoing all his hard work. The demon felt an overwhelming force overtake him. But it wasn't enough. Cu Chulainn would power through the terrible sensation and return to his senses; although he resisted the Fear, his Defense was lowered. Quintus would feel his Magatama crack once again.] Cu Chulainn: "Hmm! You, woman! You know now exactly where to hit me, but that alone won't be enough to bring me down! And you, man! You have the viciousness of a demon; I can feel it within you! But let me tell you I did not become the greatest in Ireland for nothing!" [The demon would hold his lance with both hands again as he sprints towards the pair. The lance shines as multiple copies of it materialize, as pure, solid light, all appearing on top of them. First, Cu Chulainn would force them to defend against him as he attacks them both with a wide strike of his lance, but then the solid light copies would fall from above and crash against the pair harshly, all at once. His Javelin Rain unleashed for medium tier physical damage, he would remain close to them.] Cu Chulainn: "One has to be the first to strike with full force! I'm starting to get into it!" Chuo - Police Department [Punk would raise his improvised flashlight in the direction of the bizarre moaning, only to find a strange, elongated substance very clearly moving towards him, aiming to consume him. A black slime which corrodes everything that shines; the demon Foul Black Ooze. However, it isn't one, or two, but a total of three Black Ooze approaching, one about to reach Punk, and another trying to reach Penny. The final Black Ooze falls on top of the puddle it was creating, its body expanding a bit as its eyes and mouth open wide as they are found out.] Black Ooze: "Uuugh... UGHAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!" [It's loud enough to be heard at the top floor. The Black Ooze still try to approach the group and are incredibly slow. They still don't get the chance to attack because of this.]

This culprit... only a vile creature like this could leave the trail of destruction she just saw. Threatening a child, too. Its size is terrifying but for some reason the fear isn't paralyzing her anymore. She hears footsteps behind her - a quick glance reveals it's just Ene - so she has some backup. Fighting the beast head on is a terrible idea. However, her plan wasn't to fight, and stealth is on their side. Prima whispers into Ene's ear. "It's not as mobile as it could be in this store. We could use that to our advantage. Do you think we could do a... what do humans call it... a 'hit and run'? Getting it to let go of the child is the first step." Ice gathers around the barrel of her gun. She aims it at the dragon's head. "Let me know if you've got a better idea. Otherwise, strike on my signal."

Yoshiko would hopefully be in the position to defend against Cu Chulainn's oncoming lance swing, but knowing about the tactic of diversion quite well considering she'd employed it not a minute prior, she was prepared for a much stronger onslaught afterwards. Her suspicions were correct, but there was not much to be done about it, taking the medium physical damage with a loud grunt of agony. "Shit!! Getting excited are we? Well don't expect any mercy from us either!!" For now, her strong suits were mostly useless given she knew she was more of a physical fighter than magical, but there was still an opportunity for her to set up damage for Quintus. There was no way for her to dupe Cu Chulainn into taking another surprise Zio once more, but she knew that would be the best option to allow Quintus to do the most damage, charging the elecrical spell in her hands. Taking advantage of Cu Chulainn's aggressive position, she charged at the demon, this time using the electric ball in her hand more like a physical attack, practically slamming the energy into Cu Chulainn like she were breaking a vase over his head. "You're no small fry yourself, that's for sure! But this is just the beginning of our journey! I'll show you not just all I can do... but all that I will do!!!"

Raidou let his eyes wander around the area a bit as he adjusted to the lighting. The gear they were wearing almost vaguely reminded of Kazuya. He blinked a bit at being approached so directly, and made a small gesture with his hand as Gouto began to speak. "Yeah, sorry for the abrupt entrance. We're here from Shinjuku, we were sent to discuss the situation there and request help from the current Raidou Kuzunoha. There any way we can get an audience with them?"

Great a dragon. This was the monster in any game that would insta kill the party. Ene could tell that they were the party about to be razed by the huge beast. Yet she choose to help this kid and she wasn't about to coward out of this. Running away would be way worse then if she ignored the child's cries in the first place. WIthout any better ideas in mind she agrees to Prima's plan and lets lightning flow into her hands. Awaiting the signal. Nothing better on mind. Let's do this.

Prima nods and narrows her eyes. She waits a few moments, then... “Now.” She pulls the trigger, sending an ice-infused bullet at the dragon’s head. She then swiftly steps to the side of the entrance in case the demon decides to counterattack. She can sense it’s powerful, but she lacks knowledge of its capabilities... well, most knowledge. She can figure out its immense strength from its carnage.

"Ooo, how interesting." {The little girl would say with joy that forgot to be present in her voice as memories of something that was vaguely like this black ooze had it's arbitray existence implanted in her temporarily. Her and Mister Bear walk backwards, stepping away as the black ooze tries to get close. Penny would spin the chamber of her revolver, closing one eye and aiming for the perfect shot on the slow moving target.} "Mr. Bear, repeat after Penny." {Exactly one nerve bullet would be what is shot out of the revolver, being delivered straight to the black ooze. Likewise, Mr. Bear would jump, flipping himself and start levitating. His blue button eyes would produce a psychic energy that is also shot towards the black ooze.} "Mr. Punk, do you have anything that could hit a weakness? Penny has no idea, so she wants to make sure about what you have...oh and I guess it's easy to say don't let it get close."

"Its probably him then. That spirit strong enough to ward off demons." Tot replies. Masakado had claimed to be able to protect the entire city before. Even as things were now a palace was probably nothing. Tot looks back behind them, where the rest of the group had split off, before shaking her head "Worried about the others? I believe in 'em. We surely have nothing to fear." with those words, Tot follows Akie upwards toward the light. They should be close to the Palace by now. And once they arrived it would be easy for Tot to find and talk to Masakado. It was only these last few minutes of the unknown standing between them and a better world

The Spell Punk would be taken aback and start moving back down the starts in suit with Penny it seems the stairs are a no go options given how unusual and threatening this black ooze seemed to be, but it had to act quick. “Noted, I say we need to go back down this stair case is the worst place to be fighting something that is made of such strange fluid substance. Allow me to buy time you take a head start and run down but keep up that suppressive fire!” The Punk would grasp the light it has firmly in on hand and in his other hand it would try to cast Crystal Dust at the nearest hostile ooze in an attempt to free up and stall the ooze so they can make some distance and move down the stairs.

Quintus wouldn't have many options for the spears raining down on them. He would simply wait it out and hope he wasn't too badly hurt by their impact. At the end of it he'd be covered in gashes from the impact of the attack. Nothing too dead but blood would still be falling from different places across his body. It was likely he would need to heal himself soon but for now he needed to take advantage of Take's attack. "An attack from above and an attack from below. We humans have a saying, 'as above, so below'. You'll soon learn it's meaning... Matera!" It wouldn't exactly be much but in a wide area Cu Chulainn would find sharp and jagged stones rising out of the ground at a fast pace, trying to cut him up as they flung themselves into the air. Quintus would look back to Take after his attack. "Hate to alarm you but my magic mostly won't be of much use here. I still have some energy left but it's a bit of a waste if I can only use this spell to do any damage. It'd be better for me to focus on support here right now."

ZIo! Ene casts that using all the electricity in her hands and then tries to leap back.

Imperial Palace [Tot decided that it would be best to go in right away. Leaving the underground parking and out on the streets, it would be less than a minute to reach the bridge into the garden of the still perfectly maintained palace. The grass was of a dark green and flowers grow at random all over, so do the trees get in the way of the old paths Tot crossed in order to reach the shrine.] Akie: "...I always passed by this place during certain operations but I had... never seen it from so close." [Akie would take a moment to see the trees from up close and the leaves that had fallen by the side every autumn. She allows her own eyes to glitter for a moment before looking back at Tot, remembering they have a duty first and foremost.] Akie: "I hope Tokyo looks more like this one day, it's so beautiful. I'm sure we'll get the time to enjoy this place once we're done." [She smiles as she checks their surroundings. The forest leading towards Masakado's shrine is beyond the now even more difficult to traverse, but still doable. The doors leading towards the interior of the Palace proper too are closed but not locked.] Minato Sun Mall - Still More Fighting [Prima and Ene's combined effort deals critical damage in a singular moment, making the draconic demon thrash around the area as he lets go of the child, still in shock of what was happening, both by the demon feeling pain and the apparent coming of reinforcements. One thing was clear: The demon was weak to Gun and Electricity. However, something happens as the Ice from the previous attack stays on its scales.] Dragon demon: "You bastards...!!! I thought I already killed you all!! Can't you see I was enjoying my meal!!??" [Now completely ignoring the child, who still remained in shock and terrible pain, unable to walk out on his own, the dragon tries to turn around to fully face the blue-haired pair.] Pendragon: "I am the Chief Dragon, Snake Pendragon!! You made a terrible mistake coming here!!" [Now having Pendragon's full attention, the ice around his scales shatters and is shot right back at Prima. Pendragon repels Ice. It doesn't move but it opens its mouth with an awful smirk. Releasing an awful fog all over the area, hot and of a terrible, death-like stench, the pair is unable to avoid the dragon's Acid Breath, making the visibility around the area tougher, and their own protection momentarily weaker.] Ueno to Imperial Palace - Clash on the Big Bridge [Cu Chulainn had seen Yoshiko's sudden attack coming but still had no time to get out of the way, only lowering how much of the electrical damage he received by a minuscule amount. His body being shocked and harder to move makes it impossible to avoid the incoming earth, to the which the warrior has no answer whatsoever. It gets even worse, as the demon completely loses balance and won't have the time to attack immediately.] Cu Chulainn: "Woah! You guys are good! I'm starting to believe I should've taken a rest before all this...!" [On his knees, rather than attacking again, the demon focuses for an attack with Charge.] Cu Chulainn: "I'll seriously go for the kill, I mean it!" [So the demon says with a big smile on his face, not a single hint of malicious intent in his glowing but human eyes.]

Chuo Police Department [Penny shoots at the Black Ooze with her gun, barely doing any damage at all and no sleep being inflicted, however, Psio does an incredible amount of damage, almost entirely forcing the demon into a complete collapse; indeed, Black Ooze resists Gun, but is weak against Psychokinesis. By all means, 1 Black Ooze was on the brink of death. Then follows Punk with his Crystal Dust which would reach out to the entire party of 3 Black Ooze. Although they all resist Ice, the one that Bugsbear previously damaged quickly becomes a black puddle, finally dying as the others are still doing mostly fine, not being frozen.] Black Ooze: Uh...UGAAAAH!!"" [One very smart Foul demon says. One thing to note is that these demons are incredibly slow, unable to even chase, let alone evade any kind of attacks. Because of this, it was both easy to run past them, escape from them and even avoid or land attacks. Only two Black Ooze remain.] Shibuya - A Random Encounter [At first, there is no response, merely three of the strongest recruits looking at each other and the nodding in agreement to something] Recruit A: "Luuuucky for you, Master is not busy at the moment. For as long as we don't go to where Master waits, you should be able to get that audience without issue. We got important training to do after all." [The three recruits who looked at each other get closer while the rest of the group gains some distance.] Recruit C: "Master did give us an order, though. If anyone needed an audience, some nobody from outside asking where they are at the moment..." Recruit B: "It was mandatory we put the one asking to the test." [The three recruits close their fists and prepare to fight, without the intent of using any weapon for as long as their opponent did the same.] Recruit A: "Only those strong enough get their chance, we all had to endure similar tasks to even be accepted as pupils!" Recruit B: "This is your last chance; we won't go easy on you!" Recruit C: "If you beat the three of us, we'll take you. When you lose, we'll take you to the healer instead for free." [Given their advantage in numbers, the three were willing to give Raidou the first move, be it an attack or turning back. It didn't seem like they had much hope for him, or even overconfidence with their own abilities.]

Prima flinches as the ice makes impact, but her new armor mitigates the damage. She mentally thanks whoever designed this thing and takes some quick steps backwards. “My ice won’t be effective, but we can easily damage it from afar. Here, Masukukaja.” A green light surrounds her and Ene like a refreshing breeze. The dragon’s breath is making it harder to see but hopefully that goes both ways. She readies herself to sprint at a moment’s notice.

"Used to be put together better. That's one of the first things we should do. Get the garden in shape again." Tot comments as she walks under one of the trees. It really was like no one had been here in years. With flowers watered by the blood of the family that used to live in the Palace. but enough of that, with the operation started Tot's smile droops a little as she takes a few steps towards the garden area, careful not to tread on any flowers as they go "Treat this place with reverence and keep an eye out for trouble. I might remember the path." Tot didn't remember of course, after all, her eyes were closed the entire time. But the girl does remember Masakado's insistence. Keeping her eyes closed and focused was how she got through the first time, so it was worth looking that way once more.

"Thanks Mister Bear! You're so smart!" {The little girl says, scooping up Mister Bear in a hug in the middle of him showing off his psychic prowess. This in turn makes the stuffed bear both nervous and surprised, immediately hoping to escape from Penny's grasp. After she puts away her revolver, she looks at the remaining Black Ooze with a smile on her face.} "...The toys are broken. Make them go boom." {Mister Bear uses this as an excuse to jump out of her arms, his eyes glowing the same way so that he can do just as Penny says, starting with the Black Ooze that was nearest to the Spell Punk. More of the bugbear's psychic energy goes forward to hit the Black Ooze, aiming to "make it go boom".}

“Oh huh that one broke apart...also they seem to be rather slower then I anticipated, this is defiantly no chompy plastepetals and here I thought it would be the end of us.” The Spell Punk would take a few step back before casting a Gryva spell on the further back Black Ooze oppose to Mr.Bear’s target. It tried to mash together and slam the black ooze against the wall to inflict damage against it.

Ugh of course the dragon has some awful breath. Ene waves a hand in front of her face to try and disperse the awful stench. Couldn't the dragon have eaten a perfume store before terrorizing the child. Her body still is a little numb from jumping out of a moving vehicle, but that does stop her from putting on some more pressure. Shut up and have some more lightning! You nasty lizard! Ene tries to end the dragon right then and there with charming bolt.

"I don't like the look of this! I'll take over the offense for now, you focus on patching yourself up!" She struggled to find a 3rd way to trick Cu Chulainn into taking another Zio head on, but seeing as he was busy charging up, she flung the spell at the demon and readied herself to defend against whatever Cu Chulainn was preparing. "Be careful! I doubt we're in any position to be taking this one head on!!"

He'd simply nod and begin casting a spell on himself. "Diarama!" Healing light would surround his body, hopefully being enough to at least give him a better chance at surviving whatever was to come next. "If we don't go for the kill ourselves things might turn ugly fast..."

Raidou was a bit shocked at the sudden challenge. Either way, he exchanged a quick glance with Gouto before nodding and letting the cat hop off of his shoulder to a comfortable place on the sidelines. "We're a bit short on time, but if this is what it takes then I suppose we don't have a choice. Take it on their terms at least." Raidou took a moment to roll his shoulders, he wasn't necessarily expecting a brawl when he came but deep down he kind of felt like this was going to happen at some point. Gladly taking the initiative, he attempted to assess quickly which of the three seemed to be the weakest link and shoot for him first. Deciding to test his luck with a feint first and foremost, he'd wind up a haymaker on the recruit he chose before sweeping low with one leg in an attempt to trip him.

Imperial Palace [As Tot moves towards the area full of trees, Akie instead decides to reach for her handgun as she checks elsewhere.] Akie: "I'll check this area a bit more and remain on guard. We are bound to have a confrontation. I have no doubts. Be careful there, friend." [Akie gives her companion a quick smile before turning her back, letting Tot do her thing. As she moves forward, the Kabuki Pendant Stephen gave to her a while ago begins to light up. Originally, didn't see anything but the blackness keeping one's eyes brings, but the Pendant gives her sight once more, revealing the correct path to follow in order to reach the hidden shrine. It wouldn't take a long to go through, especially since she doesn't have to carry a heavy set of armor and doesn't feel its magical power burning her. She would reach a familiar choice. Three roads, all of different colors: One of azure, another of dark green and another of crimson.] Minato Sun Mall - Still More Fighting [Prima would use her Masukukaja in order to raise their agility and precision through magical means, nullifying the effect of Acid Breath, but retaining the lower defenses. Then, Ene follows with her Charming Bolt, a Heavy hitting spell that, thanks to their accuracy being kept in the normal levels and Pendragon being so big, hits the demon right on its ugly face, dealing some massive damage as the weakness to the element is exploited. As luck would have it, Ene is not affected by the Overcharge, allowing her to keep using magic just fine.] Pendragon: "This is an INSULT!!! I will eat you, eat you all! EAT YOU WHOLE!!" [Its scales are darker as a result of Ene's powerful attack, but it can still fight. There's something however, like, although it's stronger than them both, the demon is feeling threatened. As an animal with its back against the wall, it finds necessary that he must escape the store he was using. Letting out a strong roar, it thrusts claws into the floor of the store and mall and pushes onwards destroying everything in his path; leaving a terrible mess. He rushes right through Ene and Prima, tackling them both as a side effect of his escape maneuver by using the Heavy damaging Titanomachia; the pair would be unable to evade the attack as it happens so suddenly, but are in no danger of a critical strike. At the very least, they would be pushed back a few feet upon impact. Ueno to Imperial Palace - Clash on the Big Bridge [Cu Chulainn had seen the Zio coming, and as he charged, he allowed it to hit him with a big, dumb smile on his face and defying eyes; he would not be scared by his own weaknesses. Quintus on the other hand focuses on his own healing with Diarama.] Cu Chulainn: "I need to get you out of my sight right away! This is the attack that won't ever miss, passed down from my master onto me!" [Charged up, Cu Chulainn prepares himself as he spins his spear with one hand and points at Yoshiko with his other hand. His feet plant themselves against the ground and in the blink of an eye, he thrusts his weapon with full force. Indeed, he couldn't possibly miss where he was aiming and so his Charge made it twice as strong when he pierces right through Yoshiko's body, like cutting paper. She may feel an agonizing sensation of pain hitting only moments after the movement is finished and Cu Chulainn maintains the weapon in its final position, trying to catch his own breath, sweating as he was near his own limit. Lucky for the girl, despite the horrible wound, her keeping her defenses forced Cu Chulainn into aiming for non-vitals, meaning Yoshiko's damage is critical, but not mortal. Cu Chulainn: "How do you like this? My basic attack. Ready to give up?" [So he says, but still, he doesn't retrieve the spear from her body; her blood would not run as wild as it could because of this, and he still wouldn't move. The demon was wide open.]

Chuo Police Department [Busgbear continues its assault on the Black Ooze, indeed making it go boom with one well-placed Psio right on its ugly mug, leaving but only one Foul demon. This one had a long enough life, as Punk clearly declared by casting Gryva. Given the power of the Gravity spell to the which the target had no defenses against it. Soon enough, the black jelly becomes a black stain on the wall instead. Penny and Punk are victorious in their battle, being allowed to move freely once again, now that no demons remain to stand in their way. The stairs would continue above, leading to a new floor each. Counting their current floor, there is a total of five, and the 5th floor is where the Core they are looking for is located, furthermore, the stairs are still in good condition and there is nothing stopping them from checking each floor or even skipping to the last floor. What they do now, is up to them.] Shibuya - A Random Encounter [The other recruits get on the sidelines and some even in front of the only entrance and exit to the area to better spectate the sudden encounter that was happening right in front of them. Be it curiosity to learn or basic entertainment, they were acting now as the limit to the "ring". One of the recruits may even find himself trying to pet Gouto for the fun of it.] Recruit B: "Gahh!!" [The weakest link is B, who can't react to the quick combo. First, the haymaker punch would throw him off, long enough for the sweeping low kick has him drop on the ground, hitting the back of his head. He stays on the floor, holding his head in pain. For the next moments, he won't be an issue.] Recruit A: "He's a chump anyways." Recruit C: "Heads up!" [C would take the chance and rush at Raidou, going for a push kick that would impact on the young man's stomach with enough force to push him back a bit. Nothing he couldn't take though. Then A rushes in the same way, aiming to grab Raidou by the neck and then follow up by slamming him against the floor. This last one is not a guarantee however, as A seemed strong enough, but not fast.]

"Alright then, I'm counting on you. Hopefully the others will catch up soon." At least, Tot believed in them, whatever they were doing. Odds are they already helped the guy and were just stuck walking the rest of the way. It seemed we got here first, so as long as Tot can find Masakado everything would be great. Tot takes a deep breath, focusing on the paths now. She'd been here before, and remembered the blue path coming painfully, though she managed not to perish. Red would never mean anything good for her... So that meant the green path. With confident strides, Tot heads down the dark green path once more, eager to reunite with her armor friend.

Not expecting such a sudden escape, Prima is flung back and slides across the smooth floor. So that’s what getting hit by a car feels like. Not a pleasant experience. She finally manages to get enough air back into her lungs to get to her feet (albeit unsteadily) and fire a regular shot from the Tundra Seal. The demon is strong, but rather lacking in a level head. She glances around for any location of note that could be helpful. Unlike the lizard, she and Ene can slip in and out of smaller spaces with ease.

“A shame this worlds slime like creatures are not close to what I expected. I’ll take that as a gracious blessing by the spirts that I get to live another day.” The Spell Punk would readjust it’s light and shine it upwards to get a look of what’s ahead as it took a few steps up while gesturing to Penny. “Now the core is all the way up on the 5th floor so we should have a clear path to go up and get it. I do believe our time is dwindling a great bit so we should head right there unless you or your bear has a more grandio idea?” The Punk would walk up a few stairs and hesitantly try to walk around any of the leftover ooze left about by the now deceased foes as it tried to get a better look of what is up ahead with the light.

"Penny's just a lil' scared of what might happen if slimes had speed to go along with their capabilities. But they're dead now so it doesn't matter to Penny, hooray!" {Penny would put her revolver back in the holster, and proceed to follow behind the Spell Punk as they lead the way. They have fun with themselves while skipping up steps, which is a little dangerous but at least they weren't going down. The little girl would stop and look in awe at Punk once he asks her a question.} "Ooo, you might've made a mistake asking Penny that, Mister Punk. I hope I don't go too in depth, buuuutt...considering that there are about 2 or more floors that can be ventured before going to the objective, it might be possible to kill whatever's nearby and reap the benefits such as experience or maybe items. In my case, I'd also have the potential to gain more allies. If you have enough energy, then healing won't actually be a problem but it might bite us back once we stop delaying the end goal. However I feel as if going to the fifth floor immediately can be both the least and most riskiest thing to do as we'd have to go in blind, but we could also risk less battles being ensued..." {The previously joyous and oblivious girl started to mutter to herself at an incomprehensible speed, leaving no room for giggles or emoitons. It seemed like it would go on for many more hours that a time constraint wouldn't normally allow, at least until Mister Bear gets up from his sitting position and lightly nudging Penny's leg.} "...Mr. Bear says to just go up, but at this point Penny doesn't know anymore, tee-hee!~ Hey Mister Punk, do you believe the most fun mission is a finished one?"

With a loud, pained gasp she clutched the spear that was now lodged through her body, blood rushing out of her mouth, sending her onto her knees for the moment. "Now!! N-Now's your chance...! Finish this!!" Despite the crippling pain and critical condition, Yoshiko was still displaying her full fury. With almost all the strength she had left she channeled one more cast of Zio, launching a violent ball of levin at the demon before gesturing to Quintus, hoping he could finish the job since the likelihood of healing her wounds with the spear currently in her would be miniscule. "So long as he doesn't have his spear... you can clobber this bastard into mush!!!"

"Hmm...fun isn't something I throw into the equation of a mission when it usually involves me getting into a warzone but...if you say that perhaps a bit of raiding to tighten up your skills for the objective ain't a bad idea. Well you swayed me over, lets stop at the fourth floor just before the top and see if we can give you a little boost in power without using my magic. That may just be a bit to much to handle and also possibly illegal." The Spell Punk would march up the stairs as it made up its mind and would try to find the doorway to the fourth floor. When it did eventually find someway in it would prepare to shine it's flashlight carefully around its surroundings and keep a better attentive ear this time to not get caught off guard.

What was worse then a nasty, fire-breathing dragon? A nasty, fire-breathing dragon that talked a big talk but couldn't do much else. Ene is nearly plastered by the huge beast and is tossed aside like a rag doll when it tries to escape. She doesn't hit anything with her body yet the dragon's escape attempt is enough to knock the air out of her lungs. Leaving her spluttering on the floor. She greedily gulps air to try and restore her poor injured chest. Your a scared giant lizard. She rasps out to the dragon. She tries to cast another charming bolt one her chest no longer feels as caved in.

Quintus wouldn't waste this opportunity. He'd rush forward with his weapons heald in his hands. His enemy thought he had won so he needed to catch them off guard now while he had the chance. Take was buying him time, time he couldn't waste, especially with their life on the line. He'd jump forward trying to use his opponent as leverage to reach their head, trying to jump just slightly behind them before shouting. "We'll give up alright, just as soon as you give up a portion of your head to us!" He'd try to aim for the back of the enemies head, right around between the neck and the skull where soft tissue could be found, at least for humans. At very least he wanted to try and make this attack count.

Imperial Palace [Although Tot feels confident in her choice, she becomes painfully aware of the facts in the exact moment she tries to walk through the dark green path. Something impossibly powerful was pushing her back, completely, and absolutely rejecting her; her skin would feel like it had suddenly caught on fire and quickly consuming all of her as she remains there. Fortunately, before the pain becomes unbearable to even the most powerful demons, Tot can turn back. She may also continue despite this, because the armor could not be too far away.] Minato Sun Mall - Still More Fighting [Prima aims her gun at the Chief Dragon, hitting one of his eyes, permanently damaging it but still failing to fully destroy it and force blindness; the demon lets out a loud roar as his weakness is hit again. It wouldn't be the last time either, as Ene unleashes another Charming Bolt, hitting the demon's weakness yet again with a power equal to his; too bad for her, Ene's body becomes afflicted with a bizarre feeling of exhaustion, a chill running down her spine as she enters into Overcharge, losing her magic for a short while. Looking around the area Prima notices the entire place has a cross shape. The hallways from the entrance to the other side of the shopping mall is a large, singular open area that intersects with another similar hallway from east to west, a large fountain at the very center of it all. Two floors, and each wall filled with stores of similar size as the one Pendragon had just abandoned. Finally, the food court seems to be on the rooftop. In the end, Pendragon lets out a pained roar, the electricity around his body taking its toll.] Pendragon: "Slooooow! Too slooooow! I'll grab myself a bite now!!" [Pendragon remains in place, seemingly aware that Ene would not be able to shoot electricity at him for yet another moment. His body glows and his glare become savage, as he prepares to attack by using Charge.] Ueno to Imperial Palace - Clash on the Big Bridge [Cu Chulainn would be hit directly on his face by Yoshiko's Zio, unable to react to the sudden attack be it from being tired, or his unwillingness to let go of his spear. Whatever was the case, Cu Chulainn found himself afflicted by a sudden shock, making it impossible to escape any further. Following up is Quintus capitalizing on the chance given, piercing right through with his twin knives without much issue. Cu Chulainn merely sighs, as the shock passes and he retrieves his spear from Yoshiko, letting her wound bleed freely. The demon takes various steps back, weakly and stumbling until finally he falls to his knees, clutching the back of his head that had both knives still.] Cu Chulainn: "If I was a human, this would've killed me just like that. You are scary, boy. You have a splendid thirst for blood." [He laughs loudly as he takes out the knives and throws them back at Quintus, aiming at the dirt in front of him so his opponent could take them back. His spear heats up, turning the girl's blood into vapor.] Cu Chulainn: "It was my mistake to fight you two when I didn't even heal before our clash. This does count; I concede. I cannot fight anymore; you have beaten me! I'll die if I get attacked once again." [He keeps laughing while on his knees. Yoshiko is currently bleeding out, but the wound is still recent enough for it to be healed. Additionally, Cu Chulainn was not only now willing to let the pair go, but it seemed like he was willing to hear them out as well, as if to grant them a request. Finally, you may choose to finish him off right away. Whatever the case, the battle is over.] You feel power grow inside of you. You may upgrade a skill, learn a new one or do nothing for the moment; because the demon defeated was a strong one, you may do this twice.

Chuo Police Department [Their choice in the end was the explore the fourth floor of the Police Department. They would find no further issue going all the way up, temperatures suddenly dropping each new floor they reach. By the time they get to the fourth floor, they could easily notice their breath right in front of them, illuminated by their improvised flashlight. Stepping once again into the offices of the floor right before their final goal, they find that the area has some light coming through the windows that until recently had been covered by pieces of metal, now damaged, allowing the light of day to pass through. It was still hard to see anything in greater detail, but they could easily watch their step without the fear of stumbling. Punk and Penny would not find anything in their immediate area, other than a door leading toward some corridor to their right and a small room to their left, right next to the elevator. Punk, by using his hearing and trying to pay attention, can hear the sound of metal being moved around on their right, in another room.] Shibuya - A Random Encounter [C is unable to react in time as Raidou's fist impacts against his poor stomach, forcing the young man on his knees just to catch his breath.] Recruit C: "You hit like a monster...!" [Just like B, he didn't seem capable of taking that much more, and for the moment he'll be staying out of trouble. A instead watches Raidou carefully as he prepares himself meanwhile B stands up again, annoyed.] Recruit B: "That was a lucky shot! I'm taking you out now!!" [The sudden humiliation triggered the young man's annoyance, and has him blind to considering his next move logically, not that it would help at all; this is what A and C are thinking. Without losing any more time, B covers his face and rushes at Raidou to try and punch his chest as hard as he possibly could, and at the same time, A heavily sprints at Raidou with his right arm extended, prepare to slam it against Raidou's back of the head; his aim was to impact and force him into the ground with a single, powerful and heavy move. ]

Simple layout, she notes. She can work with that. The dragon’s preparing a strong attack... and if that bash from earlier hit hard, then this’ll be painful. “Ene! Get ready to run for cover!” Prima shouts and starts backing away. There’s no way either of them can take that attack head-on. She takes a deep breath and begins to channel her magic. When the beast prepares to strike... “Makouha!” The light spell isn’t concentrated, since she instead chooses to send it out in a wide, blinding flash. The moment it’s cast she darts into the entrance of a nearby store. Whether Pendragon’s resistant to it or not, the light would provide some distraction to let her get to a safer spot.

Tot hardly noticed it at first, but the pain quickly intensified until it was almost impossible to bear. Like her first time through, except much worse. Last time was an accident, but this felt deliberate. Still, Ene and Prima we’re out there somewhere, and she knew Akie was relying on Tot to make contact. This was ultimately why she was here. Prima might have been smarter, Ene braver, and Akie stronger. But if Tot has anything on any of them, she was more stubborn. And if a wannabe rocker is good at anything, it’s being heard. “Come on your stubborn old man! We met like a week ago there’s no way you forgot me!” Tot shouts through the pain, though she knows not if anything can hear her. Before making one final push forward, hoping to stumble onto familiar ground.

Yoshiko struggled to even stand, but she stood proudly when she did eventually get back on her feet. She clutched her now open wound, and though her words were breathy from the pain, she was still able to speak coherently through mostly willpower. "Say, Mister... Hound of Culann. You've got a strong appreciation for battle and a good sense of style, I like that! We're on a mission to topple the Good Lord above from his ivory throne, and I think a proud warrior like you is just the right kind of guy to help us get there. What do you say, are you in?" In case Cu Chulainn wasn't very receptive to her, Yoshiko would do her best to try and signal Quintus to step into the negotiation if necessary.

Quintus would slowly pick the weapons back up before putting them away. He doubted a demon with such honor would attack them while their guard was down. More importantly, he needed to keep his comrade from dying of blood loss now. He had just enough energy right now for one more diarama but it would take him some time to recover after that. He'd move over to Take and begin using the magic on her, hoping it would be enough to close her wound. "Not the first time I've been called scary. I'm sure it won't be the last either. Regardless, I'd welcome more allies. We're on our way to a place that's probably brimming with plenty more warriors so it'd still be in line with your training, right?"

The Spell Punk would shuffle into the room and shivered a bit taking note of how much the temperature has dropped, it was like being dropped in the Glacier Gully which did not bod well for the Punk. The noise it caught wind of was also a cause for concern, there is definitely something in here most likely with a ice grip so it must play this smart. The Punk turned to Penny and started to whisper to her. "Something is defiantly on this floor, most likely in the room to the right of here and the cold dip does not give me a good feeling of finding out what it is. I say it would be we a waste to come here for nothing before the fifth floor so lets check the left side and then get out sound good?" Once relaying its thoughts the Spell Punk would try to move towards the left side to the small room, it tried its best to not make to much of a ruckus and kept up it's attentive nature to just keep a tab on whatever that noise was it heard.

{Penny barely noticed the temperature dropping until she looks to see Punk shivering, to which her body does follow suit. The little girl was also aware of the sounds being made. In response to Punk, she almost shouted out like she always does but stopped herself.} "Fine by m...Penny. Hey Mr. Bear, let's wait for Mr. Punk and see if we can go ice skating." {The little girl follows behind her partner, Mr. Bear close by. While she was less attentive-looking, she still made sure to at least pay attention to what might transpire from the other door if that so happens to be somewhere they can venture towards.}

Ene almost slumps over from the sudden lost of magic. It's like dipping into an unpleasant icy bath. Using that move so much was not a great idea. Oh no! Prima and the dragon's horrid glare spurn her into action. She tries to muster as much physical ability she has to dive into the nearest store and wait out Pendragon's next move. All the while she tries to rapidly rub her arms together to warm herself up.