The sky was a vast expanse of dark looming clouds that had long since passed threatening to rain as drops slammed against the windows, roofs, and cement of the city below. It was easy to say that no one would be starting their day without an umbrella if they should venture outside for any reason. It was a bit of surprise to see rain happening on the last few days of freedom before the start of school for many but who ever said nature made sense. The downpour of noise didn't reach the ears of one person, no matter how much she usually loved the sound and enjoyed watching it. Shizuka didn't move from her spot on the bed, her chocolate eyes staring up at the ceiling as her mind drifted through memories for she didn't know how long. She hated thinking about it day in and out but with her brother gone, the silence and loneliness of the house was like a prison. She sighed, turning on her side and looking around the darkness of her bedroom with only a small source of light coming from the Neuro Linker that had been yet to be turned off. The small piece of technology had been the lead in to the biggest mistake of her life and yet it use to bring her so much joy. Could she ever get back into the game? Could she enjoy Brain Burst again? Had someone taken her spot as King? No, Mamorimasu would have said something but what if her Legion disbanded or people joined other Legions..... what would she do then? A King with no one? Would she just be doomed to be alone no matter what world she was in?

All this and more swirled in her mind that she was about ready to pick the thing up and chuck it where it could not be seen. Shizuka pushed off the bed, swiping the thing up off the desk and raised it about her head for but a second before pausing to bring it back down slowly. She twirled it in her hands gently before placing it on, her eyesight correcting itself and seeing everything else pop up. Her home network was the only one she ever connected to and even then it was never for very long since it was usually just to check the frustrating and disappointing messages from her parents telling her what to do or what they excepted for a certain date.

One Unread Message

She looked at those three words with dread before opening it up and frowned. Even now, it binged up on the screen with a brief and pathetic message that sounded more like business than family, not that she expected more at this point. Shizuka, after all, had been taking care of herself as far as she could remember and her parents really had never been her parents or at least not what anyone would look to as parents.

Shizuka,

There is a press meeting tomorrow and we expect you to be there as well as looking presentable for the occasion. As always, you will be compensated for your time. The limo will pick you up at 10 o'clock sharp, don't make them wait.

- Mr.Katashi Kobayashi and Mrs.Jun Kobayashi

Shizuka knew there was no reason to respond so she just deleted it, not wanting to look at it a second longer. She hated playing happy perfect family when it was all a fat lie. As it was, they had needed to make lies on why she hadn't lived with them since her waking in the hospital. That had been a complete joke to watch as they made pathetic excuses and at that point in time they didn't even want to see her but the more the media pointed fingers was when they contacted her. They would pay for her time and in return, she would play their happy daughter. Silent and pretty. She shook her head, not letting her parents get to her as she moved to the kitchen and started to scrounge around for something to make lunch wise.

~Sarai Katsuba~

---

Indeed, it truly was easy to say that most people would not dare to venture outside today. Not with this haphazard weather taking place. But for better or worse, Sarai Katsuba was not like most people. With the advent and return of school looming near, he had hoped to spend his last few days of freedom goofing off and playing video games.

He had done enough catching up in his studies during the actual semester and so he figured he deserved a little rest. Of course, that was before he had met her. The Blonde Devil that had turned his life upside down, near ruining it with a little program called Brain Burst. And well, the rest was history, the majority of his break spent training under his newfound Guardian. Fun.

“Who the hell tells people to meet up on the wettest day of the year? That Rabbit is seriously going to get me killed,” he grumbled to himself. He was full on sprinting in the rain because the Blonde Devil had requested his presence last moment. Because of this he had rushed, paying for his mistake by forgetting his umbrella. So not only was he annoyed, he was soaked to the core and probably due to slipping on a puddle at some point. Another school uniform was in need soon…

But at long last, through trial tribulation, he made it to the base of operations that housed his Legon’s territory. Event Horizon had did much to earn this place, and even he had to admire the work put into it. Rushing inside to keep dry, Sarai entered the Dangeki Café and took his seat at a random table.

Well, this wasn’t all too bad. Because although he was sopping and in a sullen mood, the chance to see his beloved Blue King in the flesh was much too great to pass up. Already a pleasured grin spread on his features as he hoped to be served by Eins herself. Hopefully that Rabbit would take a few extra minutes to get lost so he could oogle Eins for himself.

“Ah, Miss Eins. Truly the embodiment of divine beauty and cute facial features. Please grace me with your holy presence…oh, and smite that demonic bunny too.”

---

One Unread Message.

Message sent by: User17059777
Message Subject: ?

"Hey Hiraku-chaaan! I know you're in one of your slumps again, so I'm just checking in. Have you been eating? Did you sleep well? Let me know if you need anything, alright?"

Delete/Save/Reply/Mark As Unread

Hikaru Akiyama read the message displayed before him with a mild disinterest, pushing the "Reply" button once he had finished glancing over his guardian's words. It had been a while since they'd talked, so seeing that they still cared enough to check in was nice. He thought a bit about what to say. He didn't really need anything from them, he had been eating (though only once a day. He probably lost a few pounds, but he'd have to check) and sleeping well, and, truth be told, he wasn't really in a slump at the moment. He was just taking a break from everything. Plus, it was still summer break and it was pouring outside. Soon enough, he had a good enough reply drafted on paper, and began to type it, his fingers "tapping" on the virtual keyboard in front of him.

Message to: User17059777
Message Subject: RE: ?

"Yes, hello "Guardian-sama". Do I really still have to call you that? Sure, you may be my senpai and all, but it's a silly nickname.

I'm not in a slump or anything right now, believe it or not. I'm just staying inside instead of going out into the pouring rain. I've been on the network a few times, actually! You should've stopped by and said hello.

I've also been spending time at the Neutral Zone. I've been getting attacked more lately, which is a bit concerning, but I don't really mind it. Free Burst Points, lol.

Drop by my place on the network if you have the time."

SEND

After pressing the send button, Hikaru sank further into his bed, letting out a tired "Link Start" before slipping into the virtual world, his normal body discarded in favor of the megalomaniac avian by the name of "Jon Warbles". He liked his avatar a lot. It had a sort of feeling to it that made him feel even more important than he did during his time spent online as the Yellow King. More powerful, even. Once inside, he began wandering around, taking a drag from his cigar made of leaves, his large sword hefted onto his shoulder. Perhaps he'd stop by the shops and buy some more games to play, or maybe he'd re-enter the Neutral Zone.

Matsushima Momiji

As expected of the day, Matsushima Momiji woke up at her usual 12:00 pm during the days she was not forced to school. After all, the purpose of “getting up” tended towards “effort”, and though Momiji believed herself to be a rather spry young lady, if there was little purpose in an instance of effort, then the effort was wasted, and frugality is an idea that people should live by.

“Meh.”

Momiji thought to herself if she should really get up. After all, she was dulling from the break, and the weather outside was definitely less than optimal for any activities she would want to accomplish. Though not a very outgoing person, Momiji did dislike staying in the same place for too long.

Of course, while considering this option, she had both heard and felt the rumbling that seemed to shake the foundation of her apartment. A bestial roar of a monster that would have made the heart of the greatest slayers coward themselves.

“Oh, I’m hungry.”

A simple observation. Momiji had not eaten her standard breakfast, the most important meal of the day. Cause and effect in action. Sleep in and you get hungry due to inactivity. Thus, Momiji figured the best use of her time would be to make some lunch.

Getting out of her bed, Momiji entered the living room-cum-kitchen of her apartment. Though a bit tidy and clean, it seemed almost overly quiet, besides the petite steps of Momiji. It was as if no one else lived here. A single bedroom, living room, kitchen, and bathroom were all that existed within this flat. However, Momiji was but a girl. Though she did not tend to appear her age, she was genuinely 17 years old, and there was no way that a 17 year old going through school would be able to afford such a ritzy apartment.

Though she tended to prefer the silence over what her life used to be. Her family was once peaceful, but a series of unfortunate events caused Momiji to desire peace from her former chains. Thus, her father paid for her lifestyle under the condition that she would continue schooling.

“No food…” Momiji commented after opening both her pantry and refrigerator. Nothing. Just an expansive emptiness like the distance between atoms and their valence.

“Sigh. I really don’t want to go out and get food today.”

Of course, she would have to. After all, there had to be a way to satiate her hunger. And that was the money her father gave her every month to her bank account, much more than she would ever be able to spend in a single month. Of course, she understood that her father loved her, as all fathers do, but never really felt her was able to feel his love. After all, money was one thing, but affection from a father is worth more than gold to the psyche of a child.

A certain game was something she believed would have allowed her this ability to meet other "Players" and form bonds through this means. Perhaps she was being a bit optimistic in this regard. Perhaps she simply wanted an excuse to continue on her rather "cold" streak toward her classmates. She was merely a facade of a person. One could not consider how she carried herself to be truly "living", but rather "existing". Perhaps, as her mother had put it oh-so delicately not too long ago: "perhaps it would have been better if you were never born". Parent of the year.

Momiji was used to this sort of treatment. Her family came from money, and her father had cheated on her mother, filing for divorce and remarrying. Her mother had always resented her after this, needing someone to blame over her father's infidelity. Of course, Momiji had nothing to do with this incident, however, when one is in emotional distress one is not able to think correctly, as Momiji would latter get an apology from her mother regarding to this sentence. Perhaps it would have been better to keep the sentience that Momiji's mother did not wish for her, as it was more painful to see her mother, a shell of the woman she had remembered from childhood, than the words spoken. Thus, Momiji chose to live alone in an apartment. At least, her father was kind enough to support this pursuit.

“I did really want to try out that one cafe that opened up. I think I have a flier somewhere around here.”

After a short while of rummaging through her drawers, she eventually came across what she was looking for. A simple piece of paper that had a menu and a few marginalia on the of the paper. Of course, it held the address and a bit of information regarding the store itself like the menu.

“Angel Mort,” Momiji read aloud.

Well, that is where she would spend her lunchtime, it seems. So she dressed in a rain jacket and took an umbrella to protect against the torrent-like weather.

Arriving at the address, she entered the cafe to be greeted by a most pleasing sight. A line of maids ready to serve. Well, one could say that Momiji was an individual of “interesting tastes”, to say the least. Someone who enjoyed the idea of something “cute”. After all, the world ran on cute itself! And Momiji was a cute girl in her prime, thus she should admire the cute maids at the Maid Cafe Angel Mort!

Being seated, Momiji scanned the menu for anything she would like to order as she appeared to be out of place in such an establishment.

However, a prevalent thought ran through the forefront of Momiji’s mind. After all, “Matsushima Momiji” was not simply who she appeared to be. Known within the exclusive MMO “Brain Burst” as “Purple Progenitor”, she was a King that held the utmost authority over the purple legion. And as the leader of the Purple Legion, Crepusculi , and as its leader she was obligated to her Legion’s problems

---

The day had began in a less than perfect way for the staff of the Dangeki Café, a quaint establishment entrenched deep within the Mecca of otaku culture, Akihabara, on the Chiyoda Ward of Tokyo, Japan. The reason for such a depressingly low enthusiasm laid right outside, pouring from the leaden skies in heavy ticks of cold water.

The melody sang by the rain wasn't an unpleasant one and Eins loved to listen to it while staring out of the windows but, when you have four or five waitresses on a small maid café, all waiting for a patron to arrive and earn some extra cash with the fat tips their usual public gave them... things tended to tense. Thus, it was no surprise, when Sarai arrived, that he was pounced by the combined might of the Dangeki Maid Café's crew even though all he wished to was to be served by Eins, who took a place at the back of the other four waitresses, shyly.

Something about the looks of the Dangeki waitresses seemed unusual today, not their impeccable maid outfits and all the apparel that comes with such profession but, the fact that all of them were wearing animal ear tiaras, including Eins. After all it was the Kemonomimi Day, another great chance to get more tips... if only it wasn't for the rain. Sigh, well nobody could win always, anyway. Talking about losing, the other waitresses just had to sigh and give up, in the end Sarai was a regular that had a clear preference, there was nothing much they could do other than give Eins a pat in the back and a gentle nudge. "He's all yours, we can't beat the European beauty in the end. Well, have fun, Eins-san." One of the waitresses whispered to Eins before they got back to the counter and began to chit-chat once more.

"Hi, Sarai-kun. Wh-what can I do for yo today? Also, is Rise late? She told me she was going to arrive a while ago maybe, the rain got her stuck? Hmm..." The faint whirl of electromechanical components was noticeable from this close as Eins extended her hand forth only draw it back, averting Sarai's gaze. It wasn't like she thought that he would think of anything of her because of her prostheses but, a habit like the one she developed was hard to drop, there was reason why defensive walls were so thick, after all. A moment later, Eins' gaze would catch a glimpse of the barista (the only full-time worker/male on the café's crew) who feigned a cough while tapping his scalp with his right index.

Oh yeah, there was something that Eins forgot to do, after all. The Barista remembered her that, even if she was friends with Sarai, this was work and she should behave as such. The waitresses weren't being paid to do a half-assed job just because of shame, his gaze seemed to say. Anyway, Eins turned back to Sarai with her face shining brighter than a red neon sign before opening her mouth soundlessly, trying to vocalize for a couple seconds before the cutest sound ever left her trembling, nervous lips "Me-meowster~!" Eins looked like she would faint (from the sheer excess blood on her going to her face) at any moment as she waited for Sarai's reply.

---

As the day started not everyone got the chance to sleep in late even on days away from school. For Reiqu the day started around 6 am, when severel licks to the cheek woke him up. At first he groaned a bit and when he heard a yip he tried to reach to shut the alarm of only to meet with a quite furry head on the other end. Beside Reiqu's bed sat a easily said gigantic dog, it whimpered slightly as Reiqu started to pay attention to it more and more and when the tired teen finally got up with a groan it barked. It was a bit wolf like dog, and it was brilliant white. Reiqu couldn't help but to smile even if he felt quite tired, he got up and out of bed only to get dressed. A short skirt, 30 cm long exactly and the rest of the quite school uniform like clothing. He didn't really think twice about it, he was too used to wearing them.

His noticed that the hud showed him quite the bad weather, and he didn't really need it to tell him that it was raining quite heavily outside. Yet Fang didn't care about the rain, and when Nature called... one had to go outside, simple as that. Reiqu nodded and called on Fang to follow him to the door, there he would put on his white rain coat with wolf ears attached to it. It was qutie the matching set, and with it red boots with some fluff attached to the top. He smiled to the miror image thinking he did actually look quite cute. Fang agreed with him obviously, and when Reiqu ordered Fang to sit the 'wolf' sat down for him. Reiqu put on Fang his collar, almost thinking about putting on a collar himself for a moment before figuring that he wouldn't really need it at the moment.

He opened the door, grabbed the leash and motioned for Fang to follow him outside, the large canine was quick to leave the building once allowed too and Reiqu locked the door once outside and allowed Fang quite a lot of space to scurry around and do his business. The rain was certainly hammering down, and Reiqu was quite glad that he had this raincoat that keep it out, he knew that Fang would get totally soaked in seconds with his fur and all... but that probably didn't bother the canine so much during the summer. He let fang run as he wanted around him as he led the way down the block, yet Reiqu was careful as to not slip on the wet stones. Reiqu didn't mind walking in the rain, even if it was colder and all than usual he didn't mind as long as he came prepared. It was somewhat kind of fun to walk around like this, it occasionally made him feel like he wanted to relive the children memories of jumping in water puddles to make them splash everywhere. Yet he decided against it and started thinking of what to do with the rest of his day, after all he could only walk the dog so much before he needed to plan some kind of activity... which probably would end up being a indoor one.

While thinking about it, he hoped that no-one would challange him in the middle of the rain, brainburst could be troublesome at times like this as it meant he would be stuck for a bit and while the world almost would freeze around him he also knew that it wouldn't feel very good in a sense. He still hadn't decided yet if he actually wanted to join a legion or if he wanted to continue to play on his own, it was difficult to choose as he could see advantages and disadvantages with both options. However when he came to the cafee down the street he figured he would step in for a bit. He asked if perhaps he could bring Fang inside somewhere so he didn't need to sit alone in the rain, and while they were against it slightly they also felt bad for the dog and couldn't turn a request like that down. Thus Reiqu took Fang inside the back and let him shake off for a bit, he asked Fang to stay there until he had finished and then sat down at a empty table to decide upon something to order.

[[And now, something completely different.]]



A notebook is laid upon a small bed, the cover riddled with many writings in kanji, though mostly "[池田 栞]". Inside of the notebook is many things. Workout regiments, daily journal entries, and a couple side notes about Brain Burst and the many opponents the notebook's owner has faced are scattered among the pages, among other things. Next to the notebook is a pair of reading glasses and a pen, the glasses' black frame contrasting with the bright red pen. And aside from those glasses and pen is the sleeping form of their owner, Shiori Ikeda.

Sleeping was something Shiori did often. She did it to refresh her body and mind, she did it when she was done working out and showering, she did it every night before school. Now, however, was not the time to be sleeping. "Blossom Samurai" by tomppabeats plays from Shiori's phone, signaling her that it was time to wake up. And wake up she did, sitting up groggily, rubbing her eyes, muttering something akin to "alright I'm getting up quit yer whining..." before grabbing her phone and lazily turning off her alarm.

She stood up, knocking her glasses and notebook onto the floor, grabbing those and setting them down before standing up and heading to her "bathroom". For a basement, it was a fairly nice bathroom: clean, working toilet, sink and shower, no windows, lockable door, etcetera. It was just so... bland. Walls painted stark white, with a beige shower curtain hanging from the ceiling. Shiori brushed her teeth, showered and used the bathroom, stepping out much more awake and refreshed.

Next up was clothes. After drying herself thoroughly with her towel, she set to her dresser, looking through her drawers to find what she wanted to wear. She wasn't feeling in the mood to wear anything super feminine, so to her foreign clothing drawer she went. Most of these were gifts from her guardian, who currently lives in America, and they were all comfortable and looked nice, so she wore them often. She puts on her underwear (a pair of black boyshorts and a matching bra), then her pants, followed by her shirt, then a sweatshirt. Once she was dressed, she fixed her hair then headed upstairs for breakfast. Or lunch, in this case.

The house was quiet. This would be eerie for some, but by now Shiori was used to it. Her parents were always working or out on business trips, which left her time to herself, time that she could spend with her friends. Time she used to spend with her guardian. She fixes herself a sandwich made of leftovers: chopped up steak, a potato roll, some mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickled jalapenos and some diced onion. Slapping that together and calling it a sandwich by itself wouldn't really be lunch, though, so she rummaged through the cabinets and grabbed a bag of sour cream and onion chips, putting some onto a plate next to her sandwich. Now that lunch was taken care of, she sat down with her plate of food, taking a bite of her sandwich. She could almost hear her guardian screaming at her about how unhealthy her meal was.


One New Message


Speak of the devil.


Message Sent By: User14409672
Subject: Concern


"栞,

You haven't been on the net in a while. I need an update.

亮子."


Delete/Save/Reply/Mark As Unread


Shiori rolled her eyes and tapped the reply button, coming up with it on the fly as she took another bite of her sandwich.


Message To: User 14409672
Subject: RE: Concern


"Ryoko,

I'm alive, don't worry. I just wasn't on last night and I just woke up. "That's unhealthy!" I can hear you shout. I don't really care anymore.

Anyway, I'll be on later. I'm gonna head out for a bit and then I'll be on. Any Brain Burst players over there?

Contact me later,

Shiori."


SEND


Shiori finished off the last of her sandwich and chips, grabbed an umbrella and was soon outside. Once outside, she turned on Brain Burst and began looking for active players, walking as she did so a la "Pokemon GO!". If nobody was around then to the Neutral Zone she'd go.

~Sarai Katsuba~

---

“Hey, Hey watch it! I’m not here to be leeched off like some kind of cheap vampire movie!”

Sarai’s protests would have attracted the attention of the other potential customers…if there were any. This sort of thing only happened when the Dangeki’s staff were near desperate and would manhandle any person who walked through their doors for forceful service. Though Sarai would have liked to point out that this type of business making was contradictive…

Even so, the sight of so many girls was appealing. If he were younger, he might have enjoyed the attention but ever since the Blonde Devil had introduced him to both Brain Burst and this establishment, he had found out quickly that these kind of scenarios never turned out like they did in anime. Instead of feeling ecstatic, he was just lucky these hellions didn’t tear him alive.

At last they seemed to realize that he was waiting for one person in particular as usual. Coughing to try and get some life back into him, he immediately stood rim rod straight at the sight of his Legion Master. The one, the only, Enyo Reinhardt. Or as Sarai knew her, just Eins.

“Aw, Miss Eins. I am regretful to say that the Blonde Devil has neither been seen nor heard from. Though if you would like my honest opinion, we’d be doing well without her,” he said, trying not to nosebleed at how cute her shyness was. Even the way she drew back her hand in fear…so cute! But of course, he hid his excitement with a cough. He was a gentleman after all.

Yes, a gentleman! A refined member of society even! A proud supporter of those in need and cute girls who wanted assistance and all sorts of things! While Sarai was lost in his little world of self-delusion, he failed to notice Eins trading glances with her manager and then facing him before-

“E-Eh?” he said, caught off guard by the sound she had made. He spent a good moment or two just staring at her, brain whirring at top speeds to comprehend the single word uttered from those lips…then his face was met with the table. Had he died and gone to heaven? Was this truth or fiction?

“I think you’ve killed me Miss Eins. Such radiant beauty and cuteness forced into one dosage was enough to put me under,” he mumbled, eyes spinning.

---

"That's a shame, I thought that you two could use a duel. But, we can team up, if you don't care to fight beside your king, that's?" Eins replied to Sarai while holding her service tray with arms crossed over her chest. "I think Rise might have told you already but, a member of a Legion can remain connected to the Global Network without appearing on the matching list while they are inside their Legion's territory, like we. Just open your connection and you'll see, Chiyoda is crawling with activity, despite the rain."

"Apparently, the closest to us is this one... Pyrite Saber, level six. A metal type, maybe?" Eins said as just as Reiqu walked inside the Dangeki and was immediately pounced by the ravenous maids who didn't cared for him bringing a wet dog inside the café though, he was offered a private room in the café's back, as a courtesy to the other patrons. "Hmm... another patron? I just hope the other girls don't get too pushy on him. We don't want the Dangeki getting known for being full of desperate waitresses." Eins sighed, considering the fate of the poor customer, before looking at her wristwatch and bowing to her manager who just sighed and waved shooed her off.

"Either way, it seems I'm on my break now, Sarai-kun. We can do that duel before Rise arrives." Eins sat beside Sarai, before plugging a cable on his Neuro Linker "So-sorry for that, Sarai-kun but, if we are going to challenge them as a team, this is the best way to do it." Eins said through their wired connection, blushing after being so forward but, really that was the best to team up as far as Brain Burst was involved.

"Now, then... Burst Link!" Eins initiated the duel a moment later, Reiqu would be accelerated forcibly as the duel request was issued.


The duel interface loaded before the three of them, while the whole world changed* though, the Duel Avatars weren't face to face yet. Thus, Blue Lancer turned to Stark Zealot, saying, "Ok, Zealot, let's go find this Pyrite Saber. Just stay close to me, ok? After all, we know nothing about our opponent." Blue Lancer beckoned Zealot as they began to scout the terrain, checking the café first, obviously.

---

Slightly relevant OOC stuff:

*: Since that seems to be a GM issue (because of it being random), I'll leave up to @Akayaofthemoon to tell which stage we spawned into.

I'll skip Rise once more, since I was going to have her challenge one of @spiderfucker's characters but, since they are gonna be out for a while. I'll use this chance to ask if they still wanna be challenged, if the answer is yes, then I'll edit Rise in this post, if not I'll wait until de duel against Pyrite Saber is complete to introduce her.

A lady gotta know how to be fashionably late, after all...

Still feeling glad to be out of the rain for a while, Reiqu simply requested a towel and was eagerly brought a bundle to use. He certainly noticed that the staff was pushy today, almost all of them pouncing on him at once for a chance to serve. It was interesting to say the least, a bit too much attention at once maybe but at least one of them said that the wolf ears was cute. Getting a seat in the back Reiqu used the towels to dry off his face and Fang so that the wolf hound wouldn't leave a mess over the entire floor. Then he would look to the staff and blush slightly as he thought about what to order from the Cute Kemono-mimis. "Uhm... you can pick what you want to call me and stick to it I guess... I don't mind. could I get a soda to start perhaps?" he replied as one asked if they should adress him as Master or Mistress.

He haden't really noticed anything odd going on before everything seemed to suddenly change. He recognized these changes, it was the accelerated mode activating and soon he was in that world again. He didn't usually mind a challenge, and yet he was surprised anyone was out in this weather to go around do just that. When the field ahead loaded and the rain started beating down on his battle avatar he glanced to the sky and realized that the wind howled while thunder cracked above. "Oh... Fantastic... even inside the game the weather is terrible... Stormy city, really?" he muttered and sighed, after all he had done everything to get out of the rain and stay that way, but no... he was quickly thrown back into it for some reason.

When the window popped that he had been challenged to a 2v1 battle he frowned, at first he wa unsure if he should accept. But then a moment later figured it would be better to accept and get it over with. He checked the names on the list and was surprised to see that one was level nine and the other was level one. To this he blinked slightly before feeling a slight relief, he guessed that it was a King that he haden't met that wanted to help their newest member and that they only fought two vs one to help gather points or to teach them the game. He shrugged and figured that he would find out soon enough, and that the only way to really do so was to click that 'Yes' button in front of him...

'Click'



The text said, and right after the 1800 seconds timer started ticking down slowly. Then Reiqu looked around where he was standing in what looked like an Alley, yet he didn't stay there for long. He walked upright out of the alley to the biggest open spot he could find close by. There was really no tactic behind this choice of couse, he willingly exposed himself to the open due to wanting a chance to compete fairly, introduce himself and perhaps get a chance to compete fairly against the two of them. Standing there at a large intersection he crossed his arms and simply waited for his opponents to find him. Of course he knew he took a slight risk, but he doubted that King would risk one of their newest members getting hurt, and quite frankly he did not want to be the one who gave them a serious scare about the game so early.

While standing in the rain, Reiqu's avatar would currently have what looked like flat spikes on its back that laid down to preserve power. Yet it hissed slightly as the rain poured down on it and he would quite frankly look alone and abandoned where he stood waiting in a large intersection.

Keiji sighed as he looked outside out of the window. Another rainy day, he thought. He hated rains. It was drab and the sky becomes grey. Plus, he had wanted to go have a nice walk and buy some food for him and his brother when he got home. But it looks like he wouldn't be able to anymore. Seems like the world isn't on their side at the moment. "Kazuo-nii!" he called out to his older brother. "I can't go to the store in this weather." He could hear Kazuo's footsteps as he entered their room. "Uh huh. That's too bad, I guess. Sorry for you then." He shrugged, leaving Keiji glaring at him. "Let's go now. We got that new game and I've been..." Keiji zoned out his voice, thinking about how it was him who wanted snacks in the first place.

He just followed behind him, going downstairs to play a game that they recently bought. He grabbed the few food they had on the cabinets before going inside the room himself. Keiji was also excited to play it because the game had many good reviews. Luckily, they weren't given any homework for the day so he had a lot of free time for himself.

A few hours later, they stopped playing and took a break. He stretched, feeling slightly stiff from sitting for hours, and rubbed his eyes. "Hah... That was better than I thought it would be," he commented. His brother just smiled smugly at him. He rolled his eyes. A hand suddenly laid on his shoulder and he turned to his brother. "Hmm, let's have a hunt," he suggested to him. He widened his eyes. "That's exactly what I was going to say." Taking that as an affirmative, Keiji smirked at him. "Brain Burst!" they said in unison.

Evelina “Yuuki” Da Luca

Yuuki was definitely an individual who was known for her eccentricity. Whereas the masses might have huddled within their houses and apartments or even near a cafe or something like that within the vicinity, Yuuki braved, as if an excursion into the unknown, the rainy streets of Tokyo.

Not only was the girl running, but she had also been dragging a line of tires along with her as if some sort of cheap sports anime trope to train for some sort of event and with the inspiration of someone with the desire to win said event. But there was no such event. Yuuki only considered this instance of training to ensure the improved state of her physical being and nothing more. To Yuuki, eventual progression and prowess within fields of physical attributes was very important to her.

But even with her constant desire to push forward, she was also an individual who was sentimental about various aspects of her person and of those around her. Someone who’s loyalty is not swayed by the lines of someone’s pockets or the strings at their hands, but to those she has recognized as her “friends”.

A girl full of life and adventure. Someone who could hardly understand the meaning of a bad time from first glance, and seemed to make the most out of any situation with a reassuring smile and a calm, collected brave. .

But even with the strange instance of water torrenting at her tire’s drag by a girl hardly in high school, it could be said that even those with a degree of confidence and desire within themselves, there exists a longing to overcome aspects of the self that one could consider “silly”. But even something silly can hold a degree of reality within someone;s heart. Even the irrationality of a situation can bring forth yearning to overcome, but not everyone is of the strength to press forward within this mental state.

Another thing that seemed to distinguish this high schooler from those around her, besides the obvious tire and rope, and her seemingly happy, almost as if at peace demeanor despite the rather terrible weather, was with the color of her hair, eyes, and shape of her face.

From a glance, one could tell Yuuki was a foreigner. Born Evelina, Yuuki was half Japanese and half European, currently living within Japan while her family travelled for work. However, this made the situation all the more surreal for those spectating on this rainy day, if any at all. But even the harshest of training eventually has to come to a stop, and Yuuki had decided that even if she were to catch a cold in the weather, it would be worth it to ensure her body does not forget the reason for her training.

Of course, such a differentiation of race should tend to not matter as much in a globalized world. However, it was not as if people didn’t tend towards those who were alike themselves. But Yuuki seemed to be accepted by many. After all, only deplorable individuals looked towards those without their own features as true untouchables.

Her parents travelled the world, leaving her daughter in Japan to study. Of course, it was not as if they told her she was unable to join them on their travels. Yuuki simply did not care for travelling anymore Therefore it was not really abandonment by her parents. Yuuki had asked for this.

Living with a relative of her mother for the last several years of her life, Yuuki seemed to have incorporated rather well, in Yuuki’s opinion, into the Japanese culture and her ability to speak Japanese was rather skillful and comparable to a native speaker.

But her attention was brought to the lights of a store. A cute outfit that seemed to call to Yuuki, as if something she needed within her life. But the outfit was a bit girly for what she tended to wear, frilly and above most else white, a color difficult to clean with the actions that Yuuki tended to partake in. Perhaps it was not practical for Yuuki to own such a cute outfit, but that didn’t mean she didn’t wish for the outfit to be applicable to herself.

Staring towards the sky where the sun would normally peek itself from the clouds, Yuuki cannot help but feel a bit melancholic towards the weather. But even if she was a bit upset at the lack of sun, or perhaps at another matter, it would make none the difference towards the confines of her scheduling. It would take more than a little rain to stop Yuuki from her desires. Try more pressing disasters perhaps to stunt this girl’s scheduling.

But there existed something odd that Yuuki adhered to no matter what the situation might present itself. Yuuki never wished to leave the sanctity of Tokyo, as if someone looking for respite for their troubled self. Regardless, she considered herself a resident of Tokyo above all else.

But there was another classification or group that Yuuki also belonged to. A game that allowed for her to be part of a “community”. A Legion of sorts. Legions are, as most who play Brain Burst know, ruled by a King that governs the policies and the like of said Legion. However, the leader of her Legion had been missing for many years, thrown into anarchy. Though some would choose to take this opportunity to leave the legion. But even if her Legion Master was missing Yuuki, or better known as “Prussian Palatine” , only considered the former Black King as her leader. If they would not show up and would be replaced by another, there was a high likelihood that Prussian Palatine would leave the Black Legion.

Perhaps it could be said that she was not part of the legion itself, but rather part of the ideals instilled by she who had believed in her, and her mysterious disappearance. Even if someone were to establish a legion to the color black, it would not interest Prussian Palatine . Rather, her allegiance lived within the person rather than the organization.

But her training was complete, and as such the girl began running back to her home. Perhaps on her way she would be met with someone who would change her fate? Perhaps the sun would peek itself out from the clouds to start the day once more. It didn’t matter to Yuuki in most respects. After all, she was someone who needed to improve herself, if her soaked training attire was anything to say for such a thing.

“Maybe I should log in. It has been a while.”

"Uh...huh," Sarai said, still confused by all this weird terminology. Damn that Blonde Devil for not explaining jack and just throwing him into the world of Brain Burst. At least his King was happy enough to explain all of this to him, even if he still didn't know the specifics. Still, a chance to fight with Eins didn't come up so often so he nodded to her request. Might as well get some free training in without Rise present to mess things up. His cheeks did flare a little when Eins just shoved the end of her of her wire into Neuro Linker, but he tried to play it cool. Keep it cool for the ladies, especially for Miss Eins.

"Alright, Burst Link!" he said before having his mind transferred out of his body and into the world of Brain Burst. Much like Pyrite Saber, he and his King found themselves in an Alley with a wide expanse laid out before them. Looking down, he could see that his body had changed into that of Stark Zealot. Seriously, it was still going to take some time getting used to this stupid maid dress. At least the knives were cool looking at least. He turned to Blue Lancer and nodded, saying, "Yeah. Though this map doesn't really provide much for a strategy."

"Don't worry, Zealot. Based on her name, I think that our opponent will have as much trouble here as we. Let's go find them." Blue Lancer padded the wet streets along with Stark Zealot before realizing that this would take too long and squander the chances for Zealot learning something out of this duel. "Hold on to me, Zealot, we are going to do this the fast way." Blue Lancer extended her hand to the sky as the typical effect of one summoning their enhanced armaments was played.

"Fast way? What exactly does that mean?" Stark asked, not liking where this was going. "And don't call me that. Call me Stark. At least that sounds less dorky than the other half."

"Summon Enhanced Armament: Valkyrean Lance!"

As she yelled the command, Blue Lancer's weapon descended from the heavens and fell right into her hand, Valkyrian Lance's Fuel Gauge appeared beside Blue Lancer's Health Bar as the satisfying sound of the booster engines whirring to life as they charged up power could be heard by Blue Lancer and Stark Zealot. "Are you ready, Zealot? On the count of three. Three... Two... One... Blastoff!" As Blue Lancer yelled, they got launched forward at an insane speed, right at the wall of a nearby building, right about to crash into oblivion, only for Blue Lancer to kick it and continue ascending the building with assistance of her rockets, until they finally reached the top, a few stories above the street level.

"Eh? What are you-put me down, put me down, put me down, put me down!"

Well it was better than flat out flying. Plus this was a great excuse for him to cling onto his King with no shame or remorse. The unfortunate bit was the fact that he was too busy fearing to be dropped to enjoy the moment. If this was Eins' way of rejecting him then she could have at least let him off on the ground. And speaking of which.

"We can have a better view from here. Let's see if we can find Pyrite Saber like this." Blue Lancer said as she placed Zealot back on the ground and let her Lance recharge for a bit, taking the time to look for Pyrite Saber, or at least hoping that they have been spotted by their foes, Blue Lancer's rockets where exactly stealthy, after all.

"Yeah, you go do that Miss Eins," he muttered, still trembling all over even as he was planted on the ground. Was every chick who played Brain Burst flat out batshit crazy?!?

Pyrite Saber was still waiting at the intersection yet was fully focused and aware as he had no idea yet who he dealt with. However as he heard a Loud noise in the distance he quickly reacted and his first thought was to simply seek cover in case it was a long distance missile or something. He threw himself on all four quickly switched modes and dashed out of the way.

However when he realized it was not an attack he stopped and looked around. He took a moment to locate the origin of the sound then he quickly dashed towards the nearest building and scaled the wall. He was very good at climbing as he could Pierce the wall with his claws and run straight up. The small destruction also charged his special attack bar slightly.

When he reached the top he scanned the area again and then ran to leap from roof to roof to travel faster. And soon enough he heard the voices of his opponents and came to an halt. He glanced down upon them from above and stood quite still while watching. "Fantastic weather today isn't it?... It even rains inside Brain Burst. So is it your new member's first battle? " he asked loudly to get their attention, yet sat like a feline predator ready to pounce it 's prey. After all he was still unsure if he could get a friendly battle here.

"The enemy's already here?!? Attack, attack fight, fight, win!"

The ringing of Saber's voice was clear enough indication for Stark to summoning his Enhanced Armament and begin spamming knives to and fro. An obvious rookie mistake, but then again what did either Lancer or Saber expect from someone who had only started playing the game recently? Therefor, he shot off knife after knife with no hesitation. Though truth be told, it was more because he had been startled by Saber's appearance than actually wanting to throw down.

A somewhat large blue visual sweat drop appeared on the side of Pyrite saber's head (anime style) as he saw what the rookie started doing, chucking daggers literally all over the place and not in the way one would use to do to set anything up, it was a panicky move indeed that made him face-palm. "Really?..."he mumbled to himself before rolling his eyes, this was certainly already turning into a very interesting battle, and he figured that funny rookie move answered his question clearly enough as he avoided any dagger that he needed and then simply sat through the rest that came his way. "I suppose that's a clear enough answer... " he mumbled to himself as he remained where he was figuring it was up to the king to stop their minion from wasting time.

"Sta-Stark, you may think a bit before doing that. Pyrite Saber is being a nice person and playing for sport. You can calm down." Blue Lancer said, resting her hand on Stark Zealot's shoulder to calm him (her?) out. "Well, Pyrite Saber, it's just as you think. I'm just helping Stark get the hang of things, unless you want me to interfere I'll just observe and block any underhanded moves, from both of you. With our combined levels, Stark shouldn't lose any burst points from a defeat and you''ll only lose some if he -or is it she?- wins. But, if you want to face me, I'm more than happy to oblige." Blue Lancer said as she rested her lance over her shoulder and waited for Pyrite Saber's reply.

"I'm a guy you know," Stark complained, crossing his arms and glaring up at their opponent...could one even tell if he was glaring? He had ceased in his mad flailing about to listen to what his King had to say before nodding. Right. Of couse. Obviously he was just getting the enemy warmed up and intimidated. Now the real fun could begin-wait, she wasn't helping? Seriously? He was supposed to fight this Zoid ripoff alone?!?

Pyrite Saber watched his two opponents and felt glad that his bet had paid off, of course being friendly with his opponents was the best and he didn't really mind looking to these two. "Alright, I don't mind sparring a bit with your trainee. We can always fight later eh?... Alright lets see what you got" he said then leaped From above, span around in the air and landed in front of them.

"Right then! Stand back Miss Lancer," Stark said with a brimming fire in his eye; or was it? One could never tell with these robotic Avatars-before launching yet another barrage of knives. While it may have appeared he was attacking without focus again, in reality he was waiting for Saber to make a move. Earlier interaction told him that this guy could tank his blows so he would have to play smarter, not stronger.

Pyrite Saber leaped towards one wall then skipped from it in a wall leap to just get out of the way of the daggers and land slightly closer. Yet he was curious to see if this was all the newb had in mind. But Stark wouldn't let the mecha cat get away that easily and soon sprung forward with a knife in each hand to lash out.

Pyrite Saber smirked slightly out of his avatar, then as the newb sprung forth he planted his feet hard In the ground in a wide stance and swung his hands free in the air. In this moment his spikes on his back folded out, and the rain hissed more towards them as energy started gathering. "My turn..." he said suddenly, then leaped back in a flip, landed on all four and then charged straight ahead towards the newbie.

Behind him a fiery tail emitted and his speed picked up quickly. "Shooting.. . Star!" he roared as he charged, it was a direct impact attack using the force of a meteor, a direct hit would deal heavy damage of course and a miss would probably leave a hole in the Wall.

"H-Hey, isn't that cheating?!?" Stark said before immediately back-pedaling. Because like hell he was going to charge in when the opponent was charging in too. So he skidded to the side, just barely avoiding the attack yet he was not unscathed. Saber's charge grazed his arm and was enough to cause some damage to him, Stark rolling on the ground and landing on his back in a less than graceful manner. At this rate, he would lose no doubt but thankfully the timer was still a factor and only one minute remained on the board. If he could just dish out some damage he might win with more health and let the timer run out.

Pyrite saber rammed straight through the wall that he crashed into, a few moments later the whole building would slowly topple over and turn to rubble. Calmness would then return and the Feline avatar was not to be seen... then suddenly the sound would be broken and rubble was lifted up as the feline emerged and shook it off like it was dust on top of it. He didn't look quite as unharmed as one would think however, his avatar looked like it had taken a light beating and surely enough it had one of Starks daggers jagged in its shoulder. "Tsk... I'm fairly certain near nothing is against the rules here..." he replied as he bent his head slightly to the side to pull the dagger out, when he did his hp bar seemed to drop slightly, but apparently it had dropped three tenth's from full from the impact and building. However... his special gauge was fully loaded... "You might win if you run like hell... and if you wish to intertwine I suggest doing it now... otherwise I might Annihilate you both... " he said calmly, then suddenly a sound rang almost like a machine or something whose full ran out, the fiery aura emitting suddenly stopped and a soft trail of smoke arose from his body. "....Final... Nova" he whispered...

The Sound of a complete ultimate Vacuum rang, the sound of the rain, lightning and all light in the area would get sucked in... then a gigantic explosion occurred with radiation burning so hot it molted the rocks of the buildings around it and dyed everything within the block in a golden Super Nova. The Explosion took a toll on Pyrite saber as well, his hit point bar dropping to about 20% yet that would hardly matter if his opponents was hit by his attack. He was gritting his teeth outside avatar state, the pain was quite real indeed and it was certainly burning him... but he had somewhat gotten used to the pain of it.

"You're still kicking even after all that? Crap, crap, crap-"

"Ok, that's quite enough for this duel." Blue Lancer got back to her feet as she noticed Pyrite Saber charging his final move, it was a good one, however it still didn't accounted for the power of a King of Pure Color, or for something much greater than that, to say the truth. "You've done well, Stark, for your first duel against a an opponent other than Limit, let me handle this while you concentrate on winning."

With those words, Blue Lancer Stepped in front of Stark Zealot, looking like she was going to take the brunt of the damage, to shield him. A stupid tactic, for an avatar without any defensive powers, which you would expect someone like the Green King, since they were supposed to be tanks of Brain Burst, either way she did it, with total confidence. "Blumenschild!" As Blue Lancer yelled, a shield of shinning blue energy, shaped like the petals of a flower, sprang forth, shielding her and Stark Zealot with ease.

Yeah, maybe using Incarnation was a cheap move, but it's not like the Blue Legion had rules on how one should fight, as long as they fought in a fair way and gave their best. Plus, no harm was done and, since the explosion camouflaged her move, Blue Lancer doubted that Pyrite Saber saw what she just did, which only left Zealot to deal with. "It's a secret between us ;3", she seemed to say, as she turned to her underling, putting a finger over where her mouth should be.

"Uh...thanks Miss Eins?" Stark said, not exactly sure of what just happened. "Alright, time to finish this," he said before leaping forward with both knives in hand. No doubt Saber would have to recover from using such a potent move and seeing as he might have taken damage from using it as well, this gave him the perfect opportunity to strike. So without further ado, Stark Zealot went in with flashing eyes, ready for the kill-then the timer ran out. And just as suddenly, the match was over, leaving Stark to trip and skid onto the side. Hurt? Yes. Annoyed? Very much so. Wondering who had ended up winning the match? Oh absolutely.

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