Prodigal Son

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

"A numerical code, huh?" Felix puzzled aa he examined the data recordings, "did you specifically encode a numeric data reading into your scryer? I'm only asking because I want to know if the code is the result of your spell or something more intrinsic in nature to the energy you captured."

---

Raiya and Nemo returned to the manor. Raiya began to pack a few sets of her everyday outfits as well as some sleepwear and extra sets of underwear. After she got everything packed up in duffel bags, she placed them into her manainventory. Then she headed out to the living room. She sat down on the couch and summoned her new 1911. She began to disassemble it for cleaning but she also had a few mandatory enchantment runes she was ready to inscribed inside the parts as well. Her runes would not alter the appearance of the gun in any way, they would only emboldened the durability of the gun to withstand her "special" ammo.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Felix gave a sorrowful smile. "Well. We didn't learn a whole lot. To be honest, I first I thought the energy your curse gave off was of a demonic origin. However, the more I think about the more that it can't be the case. I've seen demonic energy. I've tussled with demons first hand. And while they have an aspect of darkness to their mana, there is a border of light that surrounds it. Demons are fallen angels, so they still have an angelic aspect to their aura. It's a profoundly sad beauty to behold a demon's aura. However, the aura of your curse is like nothing I have ever seen before. It is violent, beastly, almost instinctual, with no regard for anything but survival. But, to call it a curse might be getting a bit ahead of ourselves. I don't really know how to say this lightly. But I think that your curse energy might be an innate trait within you. When we were trying to cleanse your curse, it began to kill you. Mages have two mana wells, a innate mana well that everyone, even normal people have, and a talent mana well. If someone's innate mana well is drained, they die. It is the very life essence that holds them together. What we learned through clearing away just a bit of the curse was that the energy has completely taken over your innate mana well. Which means, if we cleanse it, you would die. The only thing holding that energy at bay is your talent mana well. It almost looks like a seal was placed to have your talent mana well be the energy source that holds your innate mana well back. I'm not sure what this means. It could mean that you were actually cursed, and the curse fused with your being to the point where it reached your innate mana source. It could also be that your true self, the person that you have always been, is that ravenous, beastly energy we witnessed and the you we are seeing now is nothing but a byproduct of a seal placed upon you. We don't know. But it doesn't matter. I believe you can control your energy and use it for good. We just need more time to study it."

Felix finished the explaination and stood up, patting Zuri on the head before turning away. "Don't worry, we'll figure it out, I promise." After that, he left for the lab.

---

Raiya took a moment to collect herself before coming up with an idea for their next task. "Well, we do have some chores we have to do before we leave for the mission. We have to do maintenance on our weapons and pack everything up that we need. We might as well do that right away. Then we can think of something to cook for dinner." Raiya suggested.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Raiya had not had very much experience with physical contact. In the past, she'd utilized her feminine wiles to trick enemies into a false sense of security before she assassinated them. But other than that, she'd never so much as hugged anyone besides a family member. The closeness of Nemo's body combined with the warmth exuded from another human in such close proximity left Raiya flustered. She blushed briefly, but it was only long enough for Raiya to recompose herself. After what seemed like an hour, but was in reality only 25 seconds, Raiya herself broke the contact of the hug, slowly tugging herself away from the embrace.

"W-well. You always have a place in the Crux gang if you want some work. We could still be teammates. You'd be a high ranking member right away, too." Raiya wasn't sure why she offered. Mostly, though, she assumed that she offered this position because Nemo was a valuable and strong asset to have around.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Raiya raised her right eyebrow, "I mean, it's not too much to ask. It's a bit weird, though." Raiya replied. She stood up and stretched out her arms indicating the offering of a hug.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Raiya picked up the dagger and the headband and stored them back in her inventory. Standing up, she gave an uncaring smile and shrugged. "Remember what I said, though. The favor has to be within reason. If it's too out there I still have the right to refuse." Raiya answered.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Raiya's jaw dropped open as she witnessed the quick speed and accuracy of the shots fired by Nemo. After a moment of silence she bowed her head and held out her hand, spawning a white headband with an imperial japanese red rising sun in the center. She tied the headband around her forehead and knelt down on the ground, sitting down on her legs. She then held out her hand and spawned a traditional wakazashi short knife and pointed it towards her abdomen. "I should have known this would be the result... Well, Nemo, it has been a fun time. Saiyonara." She said as she began inching the blade closer to her abdomen.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Felix nodded, "I don't expect an instant miracle. Just do what you can before tomorrow's mission. I'll join you in the lab in a bit." Felix patted Travis on the shoulder before walking past him and stopping at the couch where Zuri was laying.

Felix sat down on the wooden coffee table that was in front of the sofa Zuri was on so that he could level with her. "Well, how are you feeling, Zuri?" Travis asked.

---

Raiya took in a breath, "Alright." She materialized a small firecracker that looked like a miniature stick of dynamite, the size of Raiya's pinky, which was fairly small. The wick, however, was large, about 10 inches. "We used these fireworks at festivals in Japan. I still have a few left over from a few years ago. It will serve as our start signal. I will also use my manadial to record this competition so we can analyze the results" Raiya grabbed the inlay crystal of the manadial and tossed it up in the air, instead of falling back down to the earth, it hovered in place about twelve feet above the ground, glowing blue. Raiya placed the firecracker in a small mound of soil so that it was stuck facing wick up. She snapped her fingers on the tip of the wick casting a small spark spell that ignited the wick. The spark trailed slowly along the wick with a hissing sound. Raiya readied herself, pistol in hand. After about 14 seconds the firework made a loud pop signifying the start of the competition. Immediately Raiya aimed at the target, firing as fast and consistently as possible. She counted each round, dropping the gun at the sixth round, immediately absorbing it into her mana inventory, trading it out for her USP. It took her an extra 1.8 seconds to retrieve her USP and aim it accurately. She unloaded six rounds, the pistol slide stuck open signifying it was empty. After all was said and done all her bullets hit the target within 12.4 seconds.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

"Alright. fair enough." Raiya conceded, "How about this then. 12 rounds, using two guns. I'll use this 1911 and my USP and you use whatever revolvers you want. But they cannot be shot at the same time. We must both use our pistols one after the other. Manainventory is okay to use, but no akimbo." Raiya suggested

---

Felix raised his right eyebrow. "This is good. Very good. You analyze the data you've obtained while I brief Zuri on what we've discovered so far. This is a lot to deal with right before starting a mission. However, it's better we figure this out now rather than risk something catastrophic happening in the future."

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Felix followed Travis as he carried Zuri. After Travis placed her on a couch, Felix pulled Travis aside, speaking in a hallway out of earshot of Zuri.

"Look, I'm sorry it took me so long to warn you. To be frank, I had never seen anything like that before. As I was watching through manalysis, I tried to observe her manawells. But they were shrouded with the same blackness that overcomes her when she goes berserk. It was only as it waned from your spell that I realized that there is little to nothing else inside her manawell besides that sinister blackness. I couldn't be positive until more of the blackness was erased from her manawell as your spell worked on her." Felix looked extremely concerned, his voice frantic. "The thing is, it was almost as if that berserk state was her natural state, and that the Zuri we all know is the byproduct of the curse she had placed on her. What I saw as the darkness faded around her manawell was a white seal placed around her talent well, her latent well was fueling the seals around her talent well. If that seal were to ever fall apart, we'd all be in trouble." Felix finished his explanation as he rested his hand on Travis's shoulder.

Felix let out a deep sigh. This was a serious problem for everyone. The true Zuri might be a demonic presence capable of unimaginably powerful thaumaturgy. Felix was certain that even if he was complete like he was a year ago, he'd still have trouble contending with what he saw. Who is the real Zuri? Is it the quiet and shy girl that we know? Or is that personality simply the effect of the seal that had been placed on her latent well long ago? Felix curled his forefinger on his chin as he thought to himself. Eventually he just shook his head.

"No matter what, we will treat Zuri like we always have. With respect and love. I have to believe that the part of Zuri that we see is intrinsic to her. The good nature she has has to outweigh the destructive potential she poses. In the meantime, I will study sealing magic. If that side to her ever takes over completely, we'll need a way to suppress it again. I also think that we should tell her what I saw. If she knows, perhaps she can learn to control the darkness within her, and harness it for good."

---

Raiya thought about the rules for a bit. She didn't want to tilt the odds too much in her favor, she didn't think it was very honorable to create a game where she was certain to win. "How about this? We'll have a gun race. You can use any pistol that is not automatic. We each stand 15 yards away from the mannequin target. The first one to unload 14 rounds and hit the mannequin with all of them wins. Does that sound fair?" Raiya suggested.

Paragon's End [Modern/Fantasy/Anime/Adventure]

Raiya stopped and thought for a moment, raising her right index finger to her lips before speaking, "How about, the winner gets to ask one favor from the loser and the loser has to do it..." Raiya paused before correcting herself, "within normal reason, of course." Raiya added. Raiya was now done loading the magazine, which she promptly slid back into the mag well, not yet pulling the slide back to charge the firearm.