"Uh... Thanks. It's my Hebi-kai Oyabun jacket. It's not that every Oyabun has a leader jacket, but I thought the rugged look suited the New York scene a lot better, so it was really my decision and design. Most Oyabun don't walk around with a symbol of their status. In fact, most of them try to keep their Yakuza ties as much of a secret as possible. No tattoos anywhere that would be exposed when wearing a business suit. That kind of thing. But I figured the Japanese business environment was best suited for... well, Japan. To blend in to America I thought it more prudent to be a bit more... liberal." Raiya explained. She offered a real smile for the compliment on her jacket. She genuinely loved her jacket. It was the first taste of wardrobe freedom she had ever really had. At the Arcanocracy she had always had to wear the robes. And after that, at the Yakuza, she was forced to wear a kimono most of the time. Though she did have the opportunity to wear disguises when needing to go undercover to assassinate or gather intel. But those opportunities were few and far between. It was obvious that individuality was reserved only for the higher ranking officers of any military style organization. And she had fantasized many times what she would wear if she had a choice. And the image that she had in her mind became a reality as soon as she was offered the Oyabun position in a new sect.
I wonder how Tsukasa-dono would react if he knew what kind of mess I am in. Would he strip me of my title? Raiya wondered.
Raiya's thoughts were disrupted after Travis suggested they leave.
"I am sure if we could get in contact with Felix, he could extract us. But being around that Paragon, I don't think that's possible. Though I suppose I could run out with biribiri no sokudo and tell Felix we need an extraction and run back. Raiya suggested.
"THAT... won't be necessary!" A voice called out from the passageway.
Raiya spun around to face the passageway just in time to see a lanky androgynous man in Arch-mage attire step from the shadows. Yes, Raiya knew who this was, she knew him all too well, from his snide smirk all the way down to his arch-mage boots.
"THADEUS!" Raiya shouted, as she drew her sword, pointing the tip at the tall dark blonde arch-mage.
"Thadeus Morningstar, in the flesh." Thadeus took an exaggeratedly flamboyant bow, tucking his left arm in and extending his right arm out, palm facing up wards, dipping his left knee down and bending his torso slightly. All the while still smiling the snide smile he always wore, as if he were in on the best joke, but only he knew the punchline. Raiya gritted her teeth and then spat on the ground in disgust at the gaudy sight.
"You have some nerve showing your face in my presence, Thadeus. Especially by yourself. You may have been too powerful for me to attempt to fight you before, but I've grown a lot since then." Raiya spat angrily.
"Ah, little Raiya, is that you?" Thadeus held his hand to his mouth gasping dramatically, "My my my, how you've grown. It's simply been a coon's age since we have last seen each other, darling." Thadeus paused and eyed Nemo, his grin turning into a full blown smile, and almost to laughter on the spot,"And, is that? Could it be? Xero the Devourer!? So you two are on a team together now! Interesting, very interesting indeed. Oh, it's been too long, much too long," His eyes grew dark, his smile still maintained, "So long in fact, that it seems you have forgotten my power." After he finished that statement he raised his arms outwards releasing the full pressure of his aura upon the room. And while it did not hold a candle to the paragon's mana level, the paragon's "aura" if it could be called that, was not pressurized. Those that are experienced in mana manipulation are able to pressurize their aura. It did little more than intimidate most mages, but people like untalents and non-magi would find it hard to move against a powerful well of pressurized mana. Although, the pressure of the Thadeus's aura was great enough to shake the cavern, and even weigh Raiya down.
Raiya gasped at the overwhelming pressure. The aura was dark yellow, like his hair, and had an undeniable sense of malicious intent, blood lust, saturated throughout it.
After about a minute, he allowed the pressure to subside, containing his aura once more.
"Unfortunately, though. I could not visit you all alone. The Arcanocracy forced me to bring a team with me." Thadeus stepped aside and waved his hand, in a presenting manner, at the passageway. Four new faces stepped out into the fray. The first being a 6'4" rugged man, with short black spiky hair, and stubble from a five-o-clock shadow. He wore a set of red-hemmed grand-magi layered robes. The next was 5'9" blonde-haired blue eyed woman, also with red-hemmed grand-magi robes. The last two were almost identical in appearance, they were obviously twins. Both were around 5'5" with short shaggy hair, and blue-hemmed magi robes. The difference was that one had black hair, and one had white hair. Though, through what bodily features that could be made out of the robes, it was clear the one with the white hair was a female, and the one with the black hair was a male.
Thadeus introduced them in the order they arrived in.
"Meet Nevar, Alya Summers, and Dominick and Dawn Fullbright. Since I was forced to bring them I might as well use them. After all, our squad numbers are the s-" Thadeus stopped himself. He then started squinting his eyes, and held his right hand flat up above his eyebrows, as if dramatically searching for someone.
"Tisk tisk tisk. This won't do! It seems you're missing a few squad members. Where's the blue skinned one? And most of all, where's that..." he gritted his teeth and spoke slower, "traitor, Felix!?"
"Felix?" Raiya attempted to sound genuinely ignorant.
Thadeus's tone grew a bit indignant, "Oh, my sweet little rice-ball. Do not try to play dumb with me. We knew Felix would be around here through narrowing down the previous places he visited with his old manadial. Though we couldn't find his hideout, we did stumble across you zipping through the forest, and I just knew we were close to findind Felix. So..." Thadeus sweetened his tone, "I need two things from you, and then you can leave." He held is finger up signifying the number one, "Tell me where Felix is," He then held up his second finger signifying the number two, and then pointed at Travis, "And two, I will need that Untalent to hand over the Paragon slowly and quietly."
"You won't let us just leave. I know your heart. You razed piccola village, incinerating all its inhabitants. Your lies won't work on us. If you want what we have, try and take it from us! " Raiya growled, her eyes beginning to glow a light grey.
Thadeus let out a high pitched chuckle, huddling over as if he had heard a side splitting joke. His laughter subsided, quickly, and he wiped his left eye, flicking an imaginary tear away.
"Oh, very well. But since Felix isn't here, I will refrain from joining the fight, until you have beaten my team. Though, I estimate the chances of that happening are less than 3%. Also, you'll have to fight 3 on 4. We thought there'd be another one of you, and it just wouldn't be fair if we didn't let everyone participate!" Thadeus waved his hands and bowed his head, and walked backwards into the shadows of the passageway. The team of Arcanocracy magi stepped forward.
The one known as Nevar spoke, "We do not care who we fight, so we will leave it up to you. But choose quickly." Nevar's gruff voice broke the silence.
Raiya used manalysis and examined the players on the field. Although the twins were only Magi their mana pools were well above the level of a grand-magi. Nevar had a massive a strong mana well, but less than either one of the twins. His aura felt more analytical, more discerning. That coupled with the fact that he was the point leader of the group, as he was the first to come out of the passageway, It was clear his role was as the tactician of the group. The blonde's aura was blue and had the feeling of serenity, Raiya guessed that her role was the healer. That left the assault roles, and those had to be the twins.
"I'll take the twins on." Raiya said, "If I could make a suggestion, I would suggest that you take the one known as Nevar, Nemo. And Travis, you fight the one known as Alya." Raiya suggested.
The twins, Dominick and Dawn stepped up closer to Raiya, an Nevar moved closer to Nemo.
