---

The sound of a festival continued on unabated as the crisis came to an end. An impressive display of pyrotechnics lined the sky, the golden lights of the festival lanterns illuminated the streets. The people knowing nothing of the battle that had transpired that night, continued the seemingly whimsical festival that was held that night, and just as quickly as the festival appeared, it was gone the next morning, cleaned up to such an impeccable degree that it felt like a dream.



Standing before the young Maki as she was laid upon the soil of Nijo Castle, was Kuzunoha, Kuuto, and Motsumine. The three having worked in unison to take down the beast, and held within the fox yokai's hand was the Sessho-Seki. She moved her arm to her side, opening it up, handing it over to Motsumine, who accepted it with little question.

The battle that had ensued consisted of just them three, Motsumine's skill with powerful exorcism spells, Kuzunoha and her illusions and rapid casting, and Kuuto and his peerless skill with a blade. It took them some time, the pure and unbridled power of Tamamo no Mae, even if it was only a fraction, was truly something to be feared.

"And so the curtain falls, and all that remains is this pitiful young girl? Hmmmmm... What I wonder, could have pushed her to do such a thing? Without that wretched blessing, she has become but a glorified doll", the cutting words of Kuzunoha were the first to comment.

"Given my research, I have some theories as to why... But how that relates to what she did, I do not know. We may not ever know until she miraculously awakes", Kuuto crossed his arms in thought. His words were quickly followed by the fox yet again.

"Which she never will, under these circumstances at the very least...",

"In any case, I was surprised to see you appear Lady Kuzunoha, had you not appeared... Rather, I had gone forward assuming you would not, given how you turned down my offer. I fear what may have happened without your assistance",

"Speak no further. When you came to me for aid you petitioned for the aid of Eiseikato. Tonight, it was I in my capacity as an individual, that I had extended my help", Motsumine seemed a little surprised, but bowed slightly as he said his thanks.

"Hm, it seems even a silver-tongued man like you can still be surprised in such ways... But I must also say my thanks. Your massive illusion had ensured the events of tonight remained a secret, something I think could not have been achieved otherwise". Motsumine stepped forward towards the young girl Maki, and knelt down to her, inspecting her.

"The poor girl... We had searched for her for many months, and the sorrow she must have experienced to push her to this besides... I am sure the young Seirin would be most saddened by this development. For now, we shall take her into custody, and see what we can do", the tone of his voice seemed rather sincere about the matter. Kuzunoha turned her back and began walking away from the scene.

"Do what you wish, though I extended aid as a friend tonight, I expect this debt to be repaid sometime in the future. Perhaps we can strike some agreements with yokai visitors in this city? I am of the knowledge that there are some clans that are still repellent to the idea of letting yokai enjoy their own lives here... Which is such a shame. Yokai are rather picturesque to a city like this wouldn't you agree?", with this lighthearted remark, she smiled, before disappearing in a vortex of gray and purple smoke. As she disappeared, so too did Kuuto begin to walk away.

"And I have my job as a teacher at Silver Gate, I'm afraid the aftermath of this mess will have to be handled by you. The students have been put under interesting ordeals thanks to this. Well, you can handle it here anyways can't you?",

"Hmph. To leave me behind to take care of a mess as always. You never change do you", Motsumine closed his eyes in a slight smile.

"Nor do you, always cleaning up after other people... I am expected back at Seidoujima immediately after this school trip, but it will be the summer holidays for the remaining month. Do call on me if you are free for a drink".

"I will"

The world was full of miracles, impossibilities made possible at the whim of the Gods.

But watching night turn to day with the flash of a muzzle, Otis looked at this and promised that he'd outdo both the Archvolt's design and Seirin's blessing one day. Holstering his own gun, the Strigidae supported her as she jolted back from the strange light that reentered her, before in the same moment slipping his phone into her pocket. They weren't friends, not yet. You didn't become close just because you helped someone. But Seirin was a teenager who didn't know what social media was, and Otis was a Strigidae who would have known nothing of the world beyond the forest if a stranger hadn't humored him. He patted the pocket once, just to surreptitiously inform her of the gift, before saying, voice still cold, neutral, and very aware that Shinzou could still be lurking somewhere in the shadows, "You'll be alright."

Distancing himself from Seirin once more, Otis was about to turn back to Utsumi, when he felt a strange weight settle on his hand. In the destruction of the aberrant mythos and in its return to Seirin, a strange bell laid in his palm, glowing gold and emanating an inextricably comforting sensation. A fragment of a miracle, the last piece that remained after the obliteration of the whole. A smile began to crest his features, but he clamped down on those bubbling emotions. Such a black box of knowledge could be studied at another time; for now, he had an ally to attend to.

It was funny, after all, that even with all this combat, only Lorelai came out of it injured, and only because she let herself get shot by him. "Hey," Otis called out, tossing the bell at her. "I'm lending you this. Heal up." In just as alert a fashion, his neck snapped two hundred and ten degrees to meet Koyuki's eyes again. "And an illusion please. Make Seirin over there look like..." A quick cycle of names and faces, before settling onto one. "...Asta."

Witnessing a miracle was one thing. Riding the creature obliterated by the miracle was another, leaving Lorelai breathless and stiff long after the energy beam and the fox it cored from snout to tail had evaporated into the ether. Her landing to the asphalt and concrete below was markedly less graceful then her normal footwork would have found acceptable, but with her heart thundering loud enough to defean her to the celebrations, she was willing to temporarily forgive a laxity in standards.

Death by laser was definately going to be something she put extra emphasis in avoiding in the future, of that she could be certain, though she wasn't going to attach that aversion to the two who had fired it. Already her eyes sparkled seeing Seirin, victorious and emancipated from her own inability to choose. Even if for but a moment alone and never again, she alone pulled the trigger, and the corona of golden energy pulled to her couldn't have looked more fitting.

What surprised her more was the one who had given her the choice, a student she hadn't considered to have such depths, yet as her eyes saw the new bulge in Seirin's garments he patted for emphasis, it appeared to her he was a more righteous soul then his clipped exterior would entail. Still riding the high of adrenaline her hand reacted without consideration and caught the bell thrown her way from the Strigidea, rolling the golden orb along her palm as it's chime carried a subtle sense of wellness to her ears.

"Caring, brave, understanding, and now generous even with hard fought spoils. I never took you to be so fitting a Samurai. Perhaps with your keen eyes you'll have a career as an art critique between adventures." Lorelai laughed airilly, holding the bell to her chest as she drew in the cooling air of night and relished in its embrace, feet drawing her forwards till she was close enough to clap her other hand to Otis' shoulder, her Yari resting upon her shoulder idly. That his head was turned excessively away didn't perturb her in the least. "We should practise more often together. You're bullets are potent, but I feel I can endure far more powerful effects if we find ourselves battling larger prey then a Kyuubi!"

The bright ray of light shot through the rampaging monster marked the end of their fight, before the glowing essence that remained from the beast was absorbed by the one called Seirin. Koyuki stared at the space where their foe stood for a moment, making sure it wasn't some sort of fake death or the like, before jumping and throwing her arms into the air with a joyous expression. "YEAH! We did it!"

Feeling the rush of accomplishment and there being the need for celebration was in order, the white fox girl pointed her finger up at the sky in a playful manner and shouted, "Tamayaaaa~!!!" Guren no Hibana, the other incantation based pyrotechnic spell that she created, was casted as she uttered the word. An enormous lotus bud made from sparking flames appeared in the sky, before the petals unraveled in a full bloom and exploded, decorating the Kyoto night sky with illumination of flashing glitters.

As Koyuki grinned up at her colorful handiwork with tails swishing behind her in excitement, Otis called out to Lorelai, then creepily snapped his head towards the fox spirit in the same manner as earlier. "Asta...?" Her unsure voice was barely audible as she tried to recall which one of her classmates, that she had yet to properly interact with, was with that name. Koyuki paused and looked at the classmates who happened to be in the vicinity before something clicked in her head when the raven haired female entered her view. "Ah! That would be an easy task for me, hold on for a moment."

The fox spirit squinted and stared intently at the other female student to possibly an uncomfortable extent, taking in every details of her facial features, body proportions and the clothes that adorned her currently. With a nod of her head, she turned towards Seirin and snapped her fingers. POOF. After the puff of cartoony smoke cleared, a doppelganger of their classmate, Asta stood where Seirin was. "Hehe, all of you may have improved since the last I saw of you but I am not one to be left behind by the dust, as they say!"

---

The sound of chirping cicadas pervaded the summer heat of Japan, the garden outside lit by the bright golden sun sitting high above as two men dressed in traditional Japanese attire drank tea. The table before them beset with the expected implements of teatime such as Japanese sweets and a kettle, but also some documents neatly piled on the side. One of the faces seated here was Motsumine no Fujiwara, and the other... A gruff man with sharp eyes, a face structure like a chiselled rock, and a body as large and built to match. He had a few scars that were hidden underneath his black kimono and despite these features, he appeared to be smiling lightly.

"So... That is the way of it", he began, taking a sip of his green tea.

"Indeed, despite the... Ordeal she faced last night, I had already been handed the papers for it. It seems she had made her decision", the rough man looked down over the papers. It was an enrollment form, and the name read none other than Seirin herself.

"Of course, as her father Kyoryu Kaganomiya, you still have to give the final consent", Kyoryu, head of the Kaganomiya branch of the Imperial Family. Unlike his main branch counterpart, he did not enjoy any measure of peace, doubling as one of the heads of the Yatagarasu, which was a rare distinction among the family to take part in combat so directly.

"It was only fortune that you have the chance to do this. To think that both my daughters would be the reason I had to come to Kyoto on short notice...", his face bent down in sullen thought. It was a strange situation to be in, given that one daughter was now comatose after going missing for months, while the other was seeking to fly the nest.

"Seidoujima... Was the island yes? I am a busy man, but perhaps having somewhere to travel where no business is, may do me some good... Very well. I trust you will ensure she is protected? In fact, you have told me your good friend the head of the Kirizanto house, is a teacher there too?", his voice maintained the hard exterior but it was clear he was seeking confirmation for his decision. Motsumine simply nodded.

"Very well. She will be in good hands then...".

"Excellent, once those documents have your stamp, I'll have them processed", as the two continued their tea, he stamped the document, then motioning to one of the guards to take it and one can only safely assume, to be taken to the school and it's officials. Motsumine then rested his cup, looking out towards the garden.

"A fine day isn't it...? I do believe she should be out with her new friends today"

---

@Amaterasu

Insanely enough, considering the events of the night before, Seirin wasn’t forced to return to her estate and be locked under seventy layers of security. It was insane enough that Otis almost felt like he should’ve protested such arrangements, until he remembered what Utsumi had shown.

With the ability to replicate any mythological weapon, and with an S-class swordsman who could instantaneously slay something as improbably powerful as that aberrant youkai, perhaps the safest place for Seirin to be was between two of Silver Gate Academy’s teachers…which would certainly be safe, if she hadn’t been sleeping with the girls, rather than between the adults!

Needless to say, with his own expectations of Shinzou plotting to snatch Seirin out of the proverbial cradle, the young Strigidae, regardless of what promises or reassurances the teachers made, stayed on watch the entire night, his nocturnal senses sharpened to a needle point. Right now, he was essentially two losses, one win against Shinzou. He wasn’t gonna to accumulate another loss and make his ratio any worse, just because the ‘professionals’ didn’t have plans of whisking Seirin away to a proper safehouse. And with that, the hours passed, the sun gradually rising again to the sight of a tawny-haired owlboy with a nasty squint and a pile of empty cans all around him.

“Shinzou…” he muttered, rocking back and forth, his gun clutched to his chest…

…

By the time breakfast was had and a nice hot shower was experienced, Otis was in a much better place mentally. And by the time he was properly dressed with all his classmates + one non-classmate ready to go, he was basically in perfect condition. Sunlight did much to rouse him from his paranoid stupor, and more importantly, after a good few days of hard work and stratagems, it looked like the Kyoto field trip was finally going to offer up some quality leisure time.

Which meant that the promise made all those days ago could finally be followed up again.

With force of will and perhaps a twitchy finger, Otis led the others through perhaps the straightest and least legal path towards Aeon Mall in southern Kyoto, where the vaunted grail that was NAMCO rested within. Climbing over fences, hopping down slopes, walking brazenly through elementary school grounds, and evading the gaze of the police once concerned bystanders began ringing up calls regarding suspicious tourists, the Strigidae brought them to brightly-lit arcade, where everything from that Love Live rhythm game to the classic scam claw machine game were. Loud pop music cascaded from the speakers, while other holiday-enjoyers finagled about blindly with VR headsets on. Photo sticker machines lined the walls, ready to capture memories and souls for the price of a single coin, and pro gamer otaku hunched over their vice of choice, whether it be Street Fighter or Uma Musume.

Standing at the glittering threshold, Otis slapped the arcade’s glass window while looking at the others with an almost manic energy (definitely caused only by his two all-nighters and the caffeine that had replaced his blood), before saying, “This is Namco. This baby can fit so many games. All the games actually. So we’re going to play all the games. 100%. Completion even. I’ve been preparing to kick Shinzou’s ass to bits this whole trip, which means that I’ve had no respite too. This is the same for y’all too. Let’s go blow this joint to smithereens and empty out the tickets and the prizes.”

There was a fire in his eyes, a passion that few had ever truly seen, even in the heat of battle.

“Seirin, Lorelai, Lady, Ultana, Koyuki, Aurelius. Claw machines first. We shall show these conmen the might of Silver Gate.”

And then, in a blink-it-or-miss-it moment, the corner of Otis's lip twitched.

As light from the morning sun shone through the paper sliding doors, ears of the white fox twitched and eyelids squeezed into a squint. "Mmmm... Just a few more minutes..." Koyuki mumbled half awake, uttering what she used to say while getting up for early morning duties at the inn in Eiseikato. A minute had passed before the sleepyhead realized that she was in fact, not in Eiseikato anymore and not going to work in a few minutes. The days of being forced to awake early to prepare for morning duties at the inn had certainly been ingrained into her body clock, for it was barely just sun rise and she was ready to get up.

A yawn. Rub at eyes. Stretch. Just her usual wake up routine. Hm? After becoming more than just half awake, Koyuki felt something was different. She blinked. Then blinked once more. Blue orbs scanned over herself in her sleeping wear until they caught sight of an extra fluff. Is... that a new tail??? The fox spirit counted, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5! 5 tails! Making sure she did not just miscount, she counted again while holding each. 1, 2, 3, 4,... 5! The conversation the young fox had with her mentor came back into mind, was this the physical evidence of her accomplishment the past week in training? With a toothy grin, the fluff behind her swished excitedly, the fruits of the student's effort was visible for all to see.

“Shinzou…”

The mumble from her fellow roommate startled the fox. Just a brief look at him and the cans around the boy... Koyuki decided not to ask.

---

"Ughhh, according to my calculations, that claw should have been able to lift the doll towards the hole, but why?" The frustration in the high pitched voice was evident and even moreso upon the fox girl's features. It took a good 10 minutes for the yokai to understand the mechanics of a "c-law ma-chi-ne" but understanding how to play was not even half the battle. A couple of 100 yen coins later, Koyuki gave up on the idea of scoring a 'mini me' small fox plush for herself and eyes wandered towards the other games. A certain neon light flashing machine caught her eye.

"Oh! Oh! Is that what my friends called Dance Dance Re-vo-lu-tion? Seirin, come join me!" The reserved girl seemed hesitant at first but could not say no to the other girl with twinkle in her eyes as if begging. A soft "Alright" was all it took for Koyuki to grab Seirin by the arm and rush towards the dance pad machine. Neither of them were familiar with how to operate the machine (both being sheltered kids) but that didn't stop the silverette from pressing buttons and somehow managed to get to the music select screen. Quickly scanning over the list of music, one particular song stood out with the cute banner and music to which Seirin also gave a nod of approval to. One press of the button and the fun was about to begin.

___

The DDR session went pretty decent for a pair of beginners. Koyuki probably could've done better if not for the fact that she quite literally danced on the pads instead of paying full attention to the arrows on the screen. People who spectated the two chuckled at the sight, even managing Seirin to stifle a smile while playing. They had fun and that's all that mattered to the silly fox.

After leaving the DDR machine behind them, a group of giggling teenage girls had just gotten out of the purikura photo booth just close by. This piqued Koyuki's interest, causing her to yell towards the other classmates+Seirin, "Hey! Would you all like to take this pu-ri-ku-ra together? Come, don't be shy! Let's take some as sou-ve-nir!" After gathering her classmates (and dragging hesitant people like Aurelius) into the booth area, the gang took several shots in small groups to fit into the frame.

Koyuki chuckled at the resulting photos, from top to bottom: first shot with all the girls featuring Lorelai, Ultana, Lady, Koyuki and Seirin at the center in all smiles and posing peace signs, second shot with the few boys in the group+their new friend, Seirin, Otis and Aurelius who seemed to be forced into the photo frame with Lady and Koyuki's arms poking in from the side. The other shots were just as silly or casual with mixed group but what really took the cake and made the fox spirit laugh was the last one where everyone tried to all fit into the frame but it was clearly chaos in a picture. The taller ones at the back seemed to have accidentally knocked onto the other, Aurelius barely holding Lady up with Lorelai knocked into her. Ultana on the side laughing at the situation while Seirin with a troubled look. Otis' neck creepily rotated 180 towards the others with exhausted eyes. Finally, Koyuki literally hogged the lower part of the screen with paw-like hands by being too near the camera.

There was enough strips of the purikura photos for everyone and was distributed to each, Koyuki keeping hers in the wallet as a memento.

That Seirin joined the students at their inn was a gift Lorelai wasn't going to question, simply writing it off as those in charge recognizing their achievement in saving Seirin in the first place when their forces could hardly slow down Shinzou before he'd taken their castle from them. And if let her fulfill an age old dream of snuggling a little sister to chest, the warmth of Seirin's form warm and solid against her to persistently affirm their victory that night.

And if Lorelai was between Seirin and the window ensuring any opportunistic assassin had to literally go through her, then all the better. Hopeful and victorious? Yes. Callously disregarding their enemies seemed to be multiplying and escaping? Not a chance.

That didn't keep Lorelai from enjoying a restful night's sleep, a golden bell clutched in hand radiating it's rejuvenating power over the cuddle pile through what remained of the night.

---

Being one who could hardly stand being cooped up inside for classes, Lorelai hadn't any overt attraction to video games. TVs where nice when she'd ground her legs to jelly and hadn't the energy to move nor the inclination to sleep, but spending hours at it? Not likely. Yet the mecha of lights and sounds and energy that was Namco had her wishing her home had such an arcade, her attention caught by a myriad of chimes and whistles as every machine clamored to try and claim her coins.

Otis provided a plan of attack. It lasted longer then five minutes before the clawed bandits had robbed the lot of them and they moved on to more engaging games. Dancing, somehow, had become a game. The reasoning behind that escaped Lorelai considering it seemed odd to dance beside a partner rather then facing them, but she couldn't deny that going head to head against Otis was rather fun.

For someone who looked ready to slip into a coma from a lack of sleep that was likely more then just a single missed night of sleep, he still managed to get ahead of her score with a familiarity and flair to his steps.

The warmth she'd clung to in the night returned ten fold as they had crammed themselves into a photobooth, a crush of elbows and knees and so much hair it was a wonder no wonder sneezed from all the follicle tickling. It was silly, an invigorating rush of simply basking in one another's presence and trying to create the most interesting memories for the strips of photo paper to emblaze on their surface.

And thanks to losing her balance, one of those pictures would be of her face planted in Lady's chest. Her ears burned incandesant for quite some time after that.

After that she'd pointed out an older light gun shooter cabinet, Time Crisis 3 emblazoned amidst bright colors, and nudged the Strigidea and Seirin towards it for some light hearted bonding while she dragged the big lug Aurelious towards some VR experience called Beat Saber. Swords weren't her preferred experience but the flailing amidst a catchy tune alongside the hulking warrior made for an experience she wouldn't soon forget.

After another fun day filled with fighting more tough phones, Ultana was wiped and even forgot to eat (of all things!) when they finally got back to the inn. Though, even with that she ended up getting up at a 'normal' time....which was her stomach's way of telling her to get off her ass and give it food. Of course, Ultana is more than happy to oblige!

Anyways...with everything that went on in the previous night, they were finally able to come through on their promise to save Seirin and now it looks like they'll be able to be with her more instead of simply saying their goodbyes when they headed back to the Academy. Which is all good and everything, it's just not exactly to be a fun time when she gets into one of those excited little 'rants' of hers. But moving on, it seems like today will be a day of some down time, allowing them to make due on a promise and hit up an arcade.

----

After spending sometime having fun at Koyuki's expense at her failed attempts to 'understand' the claw machine, she wondered around the arcade to find some fighting games while Koyuki and Seirin did their things with DDR. When she was done, they were 'summoned' over by Koyuki to try the 'Purikura' or photo booth machine. She figured 'Why not?' since it's not something she really did at all or ever. She wasn't sure at first but Ultana eventually ended up having a good time. Though, the entire time they were taking photos, she was laughing her ass off at the others expense.

After a good chunk of time spent gaming it up, Ultana was starving. Suffice to say this situation called for some fine dining, Ultana style...I.E. finding a close by Ramen shop and dragging everyone to it! It was time to stuff her face and get herself a jumbo bowl of ramen and just have a good oleee time.

---

The sound of soft, flowing water, the gentle touch of steam coupled with the cool breeze of the night sky was but an atmospheric quality of Japanese outdoor hotsprings. The idyllic stonework and Japanese style gardens lining the high bamboo fences granted a sense of tranquillity to these baths. Just moments ago these young girls had been giggling about as they scrambled to undress and get into the hotsprings, and when things had died down, Seirin found herself looking towards the night sky.

This was not the first time she saw the full moon in such a way, though she had been locked inside and seldom saw it with a window between them, tonight it felt rather different. Perhaps because she was now sharing it with friends... Or maybe, because she didn't feel like any scant time she could have to herself could be ended abruptly. Either way, her heart felt at ease. Of course not everyone she had spent the day with was present, all the boys were not here for obvious reasons. One person she expected to see was missing, throughout the day in fact, Fuuko... But she imagined that the young ninja was not present due to her obligations as a member of the Yatagarasu.

The others were having fun and this time of calm for her was just a moment for her to consider what it all meant, her Blessing of Amaterasu, Tamamo no Mae, and all of that. Somehow to her it all felt like the beginning of something she could not even begin to fathom. The voice in her head from within the egg... She believed it was Amaterasu, but when she thought about it now, and what she remembered, was that Amaterasu? Or someone else? She could scarce believe it would've been Tamamo, but if it was not her either then who was it?

An errant splash would snap her from her train of thought. Perhaps these thoughts would be best left for another time. Yes, for now such worries would not be relevant.

---

The crunch of leaves and twigs steadily and on a step by step basis would dully ring out through the dark forests of Kyoto. A man in a light blue yukata having a leisurely stroll in the moonlight, smiling, almost content with himself. His hand would immediately raise as the blade of a katana would attempt to cleave his head. Appearing form the shadows in front of him like a fog taking form was a robed man with a large straw hat... Or rather it would be more accurate to say, a mess of weapons in the shape of a man, covered in robes.

"Hooh~ I see, so then the fearless leader must not be too far behind you then? Is this any way to greet a comrade?"

"Snivelling half-breed, you lost us the precious Sessho-seki, and failed to summon a completed aspect of Tamamo no Mae. What we witnessed was but a raging shadow, and no more. Release your hand so that I may enact our punishment",

"Enough Benkei", the low baritone voice of a coarse man emerged from the shadows behind him, first appearing his red, glowing eyes, before his red and pale skin in a mixture like a combination of swirling flames and red veins, along with his two horns. This man was a bona fide oni, not like the halves that were more common these days.

"By the looks of his face, it appears he has something worth telling us, is that right Shinzou?", the one identified as Benkei stepped back, pulling his blade away as Shinzou relaxed into his usual casual self.

"Indeed, though the Alliance now holds the Sessho-seki, there is now a... Domain, of sorts. It doesn't appear they've noticed, but that golden egg created a connection to somewhere... I would wager, related to Amatarasu, or one of her chosen",

"How interesting...", from one moment to the next, Shinzou's skin turned the porcelain green of his yokai form as he coughed up blood, now lifted a few feet into the air.

"This information, shall prove valuable, however it does not compare to losing the sessho-seki. The plan had ultimately failed, and so punishment is necessary", the oni's arm lowered, before he pulled it out with force, causing Shinzou to fall to the ground into a kneel.

"Let that be your penalty. In this state you will walk with us, and if you cannot follow us, then you are lost to us", and with that he turned. As Shinzou's eyes craned up at the demon's back he could see the horde of yokai that followed him, their eyes glimmering in the darkness of the forest. His demonic form in full fervour as it tried to repair the damage. The one named Benkei coldly turned away also, though that was not a surprise. The darkness around Shinzou swirled for a moment as the Kurobozu he was with slithered away too. Gritting his teeth, the young half yokai with blood pouring his from his wound, walked forward. A powerful glint of hatred in his eyes as he did. What was he really looking for?

The warmth of the hot springs was the straw that broke Otis’s will. After pulling an all-nighter not only to prepare for the grand battle at Nijo Castle, but then another all-nighter to prepare for the possibility of Shinzou’s return in the aftermath of the battle, the Strigidae youth had already been exhausted…and then he had gone on and played to his heart’s content for the entire rest of the day, blasting virtual zombies, dancing to jarringly electronic music, and getting photos taken of him looking his absolute worse. He could’ve survived that, of course. He could have pulled another all-nighter if he needed to.

But of all the places they could’ve eaten, Ultana dragged them to a ramen place, and the warm, greasy broth, the heavy, delicious noodles, sunk deep into his stomach like an anchor that continued to draw him down and down and down.

Thus, when stinky-boi Otis Tan Arillo took to the baths immediately, with efficiency befitting someone who sorely wanted to get cleaned up before crawling under a futon, it took all of five seconds of being submerged in warm waters underneath a starry sky for him to doze off. Within the foggy springs, his ears picked up nothing more than the empty static of the great cosmos, deaf as he was to the giggling of his female classmates undressing. He shook his head up once, abruptly, but already, his amber eyes, dulled by exhaustion and paranoia, closed once more.

Fully naked beyond the handsewn bath towel he draped around his shoulders, Otis fell asleep, unseen and unheard...until he slumped into the waters.

Splash!

...

The gentle lapping of the springs brought a hunched form floating towards Seirin. A swimmer? A prankster? A pervert?

Nay.

A drowned corpse!

The battle with Shinzou had ended almost two full days ago, and yet the young prince couldn't keep his mind off of it. The fight had taught him a lot about himself and what he could improve upon as a swordsman. Despite being unable to defeat him, Aurelius had proven to himself that all his training was paying off. His mind was preoccupied even while Lady tried to drag him out of thought, punching, pushing, and yelling at him did not work; at least none of Lady's attempts to get him to engage with the group activities. For him, playing around was not something he was used to as he had always been forced to fight, learning to survive, and preparing himself to eventually take over a kingdom after his father. Though there was a light at the end of that tunnel, an unexpected reason to engage with everyone.

Suddenly he felt the pull from Lorelai, forcing him to put attention on the on-goings around him. She was not the person that he expected to get him out of his shell. For a second he could only stare at her, the teen's blue eyes shining into his own, mesmerizing him. His mind shook off a peculiar feeling, placing it in the deepest corners for now. As she dragged him to each game, the fun only increased, but he couldn't grasp the fun of a game of shooting, leaving that to Otis. Finally they ended up at Beat Saber, Lorelai engaging his particular love of swords. He played for as long as he could, a smile cracking through and giving him a sense of peace. He was around people that he could call friends, something he had only felt with Lady for so many years. Lorelai had cracked the walls of Aurelius in that moment.

As the night slowed down, and Ultana forced everyone to eat a Ramen shop, a specific taste that Aurelius would never forget. The food enrapturing him, becoming a favorite food in only moments, and everyone could see the joy on his face. Suddenly the feeling reached from the back of his mind, and Aurelius turned his attention back to Lorelai.

"I wanted to say thank you. I probably wouldn't have enjoyed myself if you hadn't pushed." A warm smile contorting Aurelius's stoic look, "I also wanted to praise your spear work from before. I'd love to spar with you when we have the time."

Enveloped in the warmth of a ramen stall, an upswelling of emotion that complimented the weight of starchy noodles sliding down into her gullet. Her eye drifted to Lady, consious that her noisy slurping was a far cry to the noble's elegant mannerisms, and tried idly to mirror it. A fruitless endeavour but it was a little bit of amusement as she ate, till a nudge beside expanded her awareness to Aurelius.

Her eyes widened, doing a better approximation of an owl then Otis was at the moment. Then her lips quirked upwards and her elbow jut out, bumping his arm softly to keep either from spilling amidst their good humor. "You don't need to thank me when we're all friends here. We've fought traitors and monsters alike, so shouldn't we revel together afterwards as well? It seems the thing warriors tend to do."

"You're swordwork is impressive to me as well, and I had a very nice view of it from atop that fox." Lorelai said glibly, hair swaying merrily as she rocked back on her seat. "Yeah, we should spar some more when we get back on campus. I was surprised how well I could work with Mr. Sleepyhead over there, but he's really shown there's a lot more potential for us to work together!"

---

And after a heavy meal came a warm soak, the oddly communal bath doing nothing to dissuade girls and boys alike from enjoying themselves. It didn't even occur to her that the age old anime trope of boys sneaking a peak on bare bodied maidens would occur as she sat near Seirin.

So the floating corpse was spared a slap to the cheek when a lasso of blonde hair in a thick, bouyant braid was swung around his neck. An expert tug brought the corpse rolling gently onto its back, modesty preserved by a sodden towel. The boy floated on the impromptu leash, Lorelai chatting with the other girls blissfully ignorant of any discomfort they might express at the bizarre inclusion of the avian.

If he was so keen to touch her hair, then who was Lorelai to deny him?

---

The inn was in a minor uproar that evening when Seirin spotted the slowly floating 'corpse' of Otis. A panic of staff asking what was the matter followed by putting Otis back in his room and cooling him back down. It had been a rather memorable day for Seirin in particular. They went to eat dinner shortly after, then went back to their rooms to rest.

Unfortunately they would have to say their goodbyes the following morning as Seirin was due back to her household, most likely to take care of outstanding business. Seirin had kept her enrolment to Silver Gate Academy as a secret for the most part, wanting to surprise them when she would inevitably show up at their classroom.

They said their goodbyes and were on their way to the airport for their flight back to Seidoujima Island.

---

---

---

It had been a week since the eventful Kyoto trip, and Summer Holidays had already begun. All students though were asked to attend just one final class on Monday today, the 13th of June. This was communicated in a letter and email, saying there were some important announcements for the class that day. Some students had no idea what that meant while others were happy to theorize what it might be. Well, come that day, it seems there were... A few other announcements before they got to know what that was.

"So, this may be a somewhat strange timing to be announcing this, but it had come on short notice", Utsumi began as some familiar people stood behind him in the classroom. The boys in the class were positively thrilled by the people they were looking at.

"I'd like to introduce three new transfers, they had come from Kyoto and due to various circumstances, have chosen to study here for the time being. I hope you'll all treat them kindly", although he had a feeling that reassurance was no more than a formality.

"Now if you three will please introduce yourselves".

The first to introduce herself was the grinning short haired girl wearing her uniform a little loosely, "yooo~ the name's Sakichi! Nice to meetch'all!"

"I am Seirin Kaganomiya, I had come from Kyoto seeking my own way of life, my interests in history, and my favorite food is Japanese sweets, pleased to meet you", Seirin's introduction was an image of grace.

Then finally was the quiet looking girl, "My name is Fuuko Kirisaki, the only thing you need to know is... If you lay a hand on Seirin you will reg-", Seirin placed a hand on her shoulder.

"P-please", her face was trying desperately to not to break.

"I am Fuuko Kirisaki, nice to meet you", despite the dialed back introduction, her glare seemed to remain.

"W-well... There are a few empty seats around...", the rest of the next few minutes was letting the three new students settle in, with Fuuko and Seirin sitting together while Sakichi sat somewhere behind Lorelai.

---

"Ahem... Anyways, today is fortunately not quite a class. Although, I will give you a little extra if you feel like dabbling in something over the summer. On my desk is a pile of small tomes as you can see. They are for the Remidius School of Alchemy, Volume 1. It has a wide range of potions and mixtures to practice at a basic level, with a few more advanced mixtures within. I hope you'll all take interest in learning it".

[NOTE: Remidius School of Alchemy Volume 1 will cost 2 skill points forever to learn. You can pick it up now, or later]

"Now onto what we all came here for today", he pulled out a small bag, and opened it up, and produced some badges from it. Any student from Arcture would immediately recognize it. These were Adventurer badges from the Adventurer's Guild. It also went by other names, such as the Hunter's Guild, Handymen Guild and sometimes the Odd Jobs Guild as a joke, since they were also known for just helping people out, even though their main fare was tackling monsters that nations had no manpower to handle.

"I see some students recognize what this is, but those who don't, these are badges from the Adventurer's Guild, recently thanks to the efforts of the school and cooperation with Arcture, we are able to provide students with provisional Green badges. If you think you might qualify for a higher rank, you will have to talk with the guild in Arcture for that. The only special part of this is that students do not have to go through a screening process like people normally do when they sign up, so if you perform and abide by the rules of the guild, you can rank up just like anyone else", this was exciting, but there were a few concerns that had not been addressed yet so they kept quiet mostly.

"Furthermore, we have received approval to allow students to come and go through the portal in the University building. Ordinarily only high ranking University students and teachers were allowed to access it without a request, given that their coming and going is recorded. The only condition is that these students be part of this class, there are ways to prove it, but the easiest is of course these provisional badges. So if you wish to go to Arcture, please be wearing one of these so that the staff can identify you", and with that he began to call up names for the students to come up and receive their badges.

Only after a full week had passed did Otis finally decide to lower his Shinzou-ambush-awareness metric to an amount that he recognized as somewhat unlikely, considering the professors that Silver Gate Academy employed and the general distance between Seidoujima and Kyoto. Instead, the Strigidae found himself busy with all the new tools he had in stock. While he still sat in class to fill out attendance and made sure he didn’t miss out on any important announcements, it was clear to both his classmates and his teachers that Otis was only really engaged during lessons on science and mathematics. Beyond that, his natural intelligence meant that he could breeze through most other courses, creating a fort of textbooks around himself while he continued to crack the latest mystery that grabbed his attention: the secret of divine power.

It was good that Seirin had officially transferred to the class.

It was bad that Fuuko had transferred with her.

But of course, he had expected that to be the case, even if the fledging ninja was unreliable in any real confrontation. It just told Otis that if push came to shove, Fuuko wouldn’t be able to stop his machinations in any way beyond ratting him out to the school’s staff. There was no need to act now though, and after staring at the three new transfer students like an owl would to a field mouse, he resumed his studies, only vaguely listening to whatever Utsumi had to say next.

After all, in matters of Arcture and Arcanis, Otis was already an expert. While this was a new move for students in Earth, anyone who attended Maxillius Arcture would have had plenty of opportunities to join the Adventurer’s Guild to get some experience on the field. He personally hadn’t, if only because his own focus was much more cerebral back in those days, but now that his stock of commonly available reagents was becoming less and less…interesting to experiment with, Otis decided that it was indeed time to start getting more hands on with his research. So, rather than go through the whole process of waiting for Utsumi to call out names, the Strigidae stood up, strode towards the man, and rifled through the bag in a way that somehow didn’t cause a mess, before pulling his own badge out.

Typical behavior, perhaps, for the results-orientated Otis.

And, on the way back to his seat, he stopped by the seat of another. The only person in the class smarter than himself. The person that was not his rival (Koyuki was that; how does she even find the time to study?), but rather, his current target, both in academics, as well as for his personal desires.

“Safia Reges,” he spoke, voice as exacting and cold as always. “After school, library. Study room 2209e. Be there.”

And without waiting for response (surely she understood his intentions; she was smarter than him, after all), Otis turned to walk back to his own seat.

But as Safia raised her head once more, eyes no longer shut, what greeted her wasn’t the sunset-bathed room of a secluded section of the library, away from prying eyes and romantically lit by an orange glow. No, as the door closed behind her, she found herself in room sealed by blackout curtains and lit up by a sterile, fluorescent brilliance. Upon every available section of the wall were pieces of printer paper stained almost black by the amount of writing upon them, while upon the central table of the room laid a motley collection of tools both for magical study as well as scientific study. One of the chairs had been repurposed as a makeshift shelf for books to be stacked upon, and if Safia took even a slight glimpse, she’d realize with horror that half of the books were about theology, and the other half was about atheists pissing on theology.

But there was a reason why the fusion of piety and blasphemy only warranted an ‘if’.

For, standing in the center of a magic circle drawn from some dark red substance, was a bell that shone with a light most sanctimonious. And, standing behind, dressed in his usual outfit of homespun attire, Otis stood, long shadows turning his face into that of a menace, a madman.

Safia could not have known, not with her packed daily schedule.

Every day since his return to Silver Gate Academy, Otis had reserved this particular room in the library from morning to dusk, slowing creating his own laboratory for arcane-divine experimentation. And with her own entrance into this room, the Strigidae smiled a smile that did not reach his eyes.

“Good. We are friends. Safia, show me your holy magic. Teach me how to summon one of your angels.”

He was now well past the stage of observation. And if he wanted to move onto experimentation, well…

Otis needed disposable test subjects.

A week had passed since the Kyoto trip, Aurelius unable to fully let go of the fight with Shinzou and the Kyuubi. He couldn't get over his lackluster performance during the fights. Something ate at him on the inside, a feeling that he knew all too well; the years of training with his father, each session ending in disappointment toward the Prince's performance. As much as the teen wanted to improve, he always felt he was lagging behind in some way. Even during the training with Akimoto, Aurelius couldn't stop himself from thinking that he wasn't using his abilities to their fullest. He was a spell knight but, his body seemed to never allow him to use it to it's fullest. Luckily for him that he had found a good friend that helped him learn what he was best at.

Ever since Kyoto, Aurelius had gotten a chance to hang out with Lorelai, starting a friendship that he didn't have with the other students. Her kind and outgoing nature contrasted his own introverted personality, helping to bring him out of his shell a bit, even giving him the idea to eventually try to befriend the others especially Otis. Lorelai didn't just help Aurelius open up but, she was also his new saprring partner. They sparred quite a bit, Lorelai and the Prince helping the other learn more about their own abilities. It was these sparring matches that opened up his eyes to try a different way of fighting. He was physically gifted and maybe that was what he needed to focus on. Taking two days to himself, he began to train and learn a new technique or two.

Training wasn't the only thing that Aurelius was interested in. The Adventure Guild sounded like a novel idea to help others and increase his own experience. He took no time in getting his badge, ready to see what the guild would put him through. Maybe if he ranked up high enough, then his father would take notice. It was a stretch but, one he was willing to try. Shaking the idea from his mind, Aurelius made his way over to a specific classmate.

"Hey, Lorelai. I don't know if you to the Adventure Guild, but I'd like to travel with you when you do." Aurelius gave a small smile, "Also your idea to shift my weight during sparring was helpful."

“Palm trees aren’t cedars.” was Otis’s own response to Safia’s words. As she prepared herself and put forth warnings that the Strigidae would take as things he’d definitely have to test, the amber-eyed adolescent worked to prepare his own tools. Through experimentations in isolation with the Scan spell, he had more or less managed a method of detecting whether an object was truly ‘divine’ or not, a wonderful feature that came with having access to an artifact that constantly radiated weak amounts of divine power. So, with a healthy but restrained amount of anticipation, Otis sat back, prepared his systems, and allowed Safia to demonstrate the summoning of an angel.

…

A few minutes later, and with just the smallest hint of disappointment, Otis sighed.

“That’s not divine. That’s just elemental.”