Raid is nowhere to be found. My powers continue to dwindle due to the missing pages of the Akashic Grimoire. I am not powerless even in my current state but if I was to get into an extended fight without Raid by my side, I’m sure I wouldn’t last very long. I have to find her because she’s my protector and, most of all, my close friend.

“Raid.” I mumble her name under my breath as I scan the skyline above.

“Itonami-chan, are you okay?” Arika bends over to check my condition.

“Perfectly fine.”

“Just making sure.” she walks on ahead to continue her conversation with Nina. Well, allow me to correct that. It’s much less a conversation and Nina growing annoyed each passing second.

I don’t take enough interest in it to listen in. I have current matters to attend to.

>I will continue to help Arika find her mother. The sooner this gets done, the sooner I can get back to looking for Raid myself.
>I know I made a promise but I have to find Raid. I’ll stay with Arika for just a little bit longer but as soon as I find some lead, I’m taking it.
>Maybe I should listen in on their conversation. I could catch something interesting.

>>26940890
>I will continue to help Arika find her mother. The sooner this gets done, the sooner I can get back to looking for Raid myself.

>>26940890
>Maybe I should listen in on their conversation. I could catch something interesting.

>>26940890

>Maybe I should listen in on their conversation. I could catch something interesting.

>>26940890
>>I know I made a promise but I have to find Raid. I’ll stay with Arika for just a little bit longer but as soon as I find some lead, I’m taking it.

>>26940890
>Maybe I should listen in on their conversation. I could catch something interesting.

Maybe I should listen in on their conversation. I could catch something interesting. It’s much better than just walking forward without saying a single word.

“Hey, what’s that!”

“A TV.” Nina pulls her shoulder away from Arika as she attempts to grab it. “A lot of technology from the Earth Era is still here in Wind Bloom.”

Wait, Earth Era?

“Hey, is that the Princess?!” Arika points at a television that looks down upon us from overhead. I turn my head up to look at the display. I see a girl wearing a pink uniform with gold lining upon the breast and elaborate designs on the shoulders. A broad, white neck-line that makes room for a head of dirty blonde hair and red eyes.

“Certainly looks like one.”

“No,” Nina looks at me then to Arika. “She’s an Otome. Meister Shizuru.”

“Whoaaa.” Arika looks on in admiration. I turn to look at Nina.

>I’ll ask about the Earth Era she just spoke about. That’s the name of my home planet. Why would it be called ‘era’ here?
>Time to bring Arika back to the world of the sane.
>This world is pretty strange. From what I can gather, this world doesn't seem to have magic. If it did, I’d be feeling it all over the place. I’ll ask about that.

>>26942144
>I’ll ask about the Earth Era she just spoke about. That’s the name of my home planet. Why would it be called ‘era’ here?

>>26942144
>>I’ll ask about the Earth Era she just spoke about. That’s the name of my home planet. Why would it be called ‘era’ here?

I’ll ask about the Earth Era she just spoke about. That’s the name of the planet that I grew up on. Why would it be called ‘era’ here?

“Hey, Nina.”

“What is it?” she looks at me with disdain. I would tell her to deal with my presence for the time being but I am not looking to start a fight.

“I wanted to ask when you said ‘Earth Era’, what exactly did you mean by that?”

“I was right. You really don’t know anything.” she lets out a sigh, “Even if you’re from some far off place, I’m pretty sure you should know what I’m talking about.”
“Sorry, I don’t.”

“Earth Era. It’s technology that is still around from a few centuries ago.”

A few centuries ago? That means that Raid and I were flung into the future.

“... Into the future?”

The portal that opened to summon that dragon beast Kagutsuchi must have come from here. It was pulled from here to fight against Raid and I in the ‘present’, or if we’re talking from the perspective from this time, the past.

“Are you alright?” Nina waves a hand in front of me to see if I’m still paying attention.

>I’m perfectly fine. Perfectly fine. Now I want to ask about magic. Is it still around?
>If I’m in the future… maybe that means my Atelier is in this town somewhere. I’m positive it can withstand a few hundred years of rot.
>... The truth is, I’m from the past. I’m not from this time. That’s why I’m so clueless about it.

>>26942144
>>This world is pretty strange. From what I can gather, this world doesn't seem to have magic. If it did, I’d be feeling it all over the place. I’ll ask about that.

>>26942399
>>If I’m in the future… maybe that means my Atelier is in this town somewhere. I’m positive it can withstand a few hundred years of rot.

>>26942399
>If I’m in the future… maybe that means my Atelier is in this town somewhere. I’m positive it can withstand a few hundred years of rot.

>>26942399
>If I’m in the future… maybe that means my Atelier is in this town somewhere. I’m positive it can withstand a few hundred years of rot.

File: 1377990793385.jpg-(107 KB, 960x720, image7.jpg)

107 KB JPG

If I was flung into the future, that should mean that my Atelier withstood the test of time. Even if a hundred or so years have passed it should still be standing. “Good luck, finally.”

“Excuse me?” Nina is still a bit perturbed.

“Sorry for spacing out like that. I was just in thought. Also, shouldn’t you be running along now?”

“Curfew. That’s right.” she turns on a heel to start running off. Arika, of course, grasps her hand.

“Nina-chan!” she yells, “Aren’t you going to take me to Garderobe?”

“I already told you that-” Nina looks up to notice something far off in the distance.

“Huh?” I follow her eyes to where she’s staring at. A girl with purple hair standing on the edge of a building.

Wait, wait, wait, not again!

>I should try activating these wings of mine. I don’t care, I’ll risk getting attention. I can’t let that girl fall. (1d100 vs. 60)
>Push the other into action. I doubt I’m fast enough to run to the rescue.
>Don’t panic. Remain calm. Analyze the situation...

Rolled 67

>>26942698
>>I should try activating these wings of mine. I don’t care, I’ll risk getting attention. I can’t let that girl fall. (1d100 vs. 60)

>>26942698
>>Don’t panic. Remain calm. Analyze the situation...

>>26942724
>this

I have to get over there no matter what. Even though there is flowing traffic, even though I might get injured trying to get over there - I don’t care. If someone else is in danger, I have to save them. That’s what my power as a Magus lets me do.

Forming the image of spreading wings in my mind, I pour all of the magic energy into my body and isolate it onto a single area of my back. The blue bleeds out to form curled, transparent branches that barely pass as wings. I flap them.

The gasps and awes of the people nearby don’t help me concentrate at all.

“Itonami-chan, you really can do magic!” Arika must still be shocked even though she’s seen it once already.

“Magic?” Nina says the same thing but in more disbelief than excitement.

I don’t pay attention. Instead, I look straight up at the girl who’s… now plummeting to the ground!

I leap off the ground and…

1 Degree of Failure Obtained
Strike Points: 0

… the wings vanish completely. Gravity pushes me back down onto the ground.

>Retry to manifest the magic as fast as possible. Allows for two challenge rolls, take the highest of the two. Uses a single Star Point which will leave you with two remaining for the Session.
>Yell for Nina or Arika to save the girl. The other left over will save you.
>I’ll try to save myself the best I can.

Rolled 23, 52 = 75

>>26943007
>>Retry to manifest the magic as fast as possible. Allows for two challenge rolls, take the highest of the two. Uses a single Star Point which will leave you with two remaining for the Session.

Is a Session is a thread? Cause then might as well use them.

>>26943007
>Yell for Nina or Arika to save the girl. The other left over will save you.

>>26943090

Yeah, a Session is a thread.

>>26943007

Correction, meant to say the 'best' roll which will be the lowest.

>>26943090
Overwhelming success!

Rolled 50, 38 = 88

>>26943007
>Retry to manifest the magic as fast as possible. Allows for two challenge rolls, take the highest of the two. Uses a single Star Point which will leave you with two remaining for the Session.

Itonami. You’re a magus. You’re meant to use magic so use it. Utilize it. Build it up from your very soul.

Reform the fluid that bled from your back. Reshape it into a stepping stone to avoid falling into the traffic below.

Passed Struggle

A blue sigil forms. I stand in mid-air with the cars stopped below me. No time to stand here and dawdle. “I’m coming!” I leap up, forming another on the bottom of my feet. With strength in my injured legs, I push off. I fly straight through the alleyway as if freed from the shackles of gravity. I stretch my hands out to catch the screaming girl.

“Ah-hup!” she grunts as I catch her. “W-what th-”

Next thing we know we’re submerged in water.

It happened so fast but I can remember. I flew forward, caught the girl, maneuvered through some obstacles then ended up falling into dirty water on a right-angle turn at the end of the alley.

That just about sums it up.

File: 1377993815640.jpg-(81 KB, 960x720, Image8.jpg)

81 KB JPG

I grasp the suicidal girl with my right hand to pull her out of the water. I grab the railing that we flew over to pull us out of the water.

“Gghhh.” I strain myself just trying to lift her. This is why I need Raid. Not physically fit to do this kind of thing.

“Itonami-chan!” I hear Arika call for me.

“R-right here!” I do my best to get their attention. Given a bit of time, they make it over and help us over the fence. Next thing I know more disaster strikes.

“Hey, stop right there!” a man in -- no, two men in sunglasses run over. “Don’t move!”

Whoever they are, they look shady. “T-they’re…” the person I saved sneezes. “They’re kidnappers!” she comes to life immediately, pointing at the men who are commanding us to stay still. “W-what?” Arika looks at me, strange girl and Nina then back to the other men. “Are these the Outlaws my Grandma told me about?!”

“Hey- wait!” the man reaches into his side.

Nina more than likely puts two thoughts together. Girl that was running says they’re kidnappers. These guys look shady and now they’re reaching for something in their side. Thinking it was a gun, she leaps forward to quickly disarm him with a powerful punch to the gut. He flops over. A second guy comes over and she performs a roundhouse kick that sends him flying into a pile of crates nearby. He hits the ground with a thud.

I sit there speechless. “Uh.”

The sound of hurried footsteps comes from around the corner. More men are coming. Just great.

“Come on, Itonami-chan, Nina-chan!” Arika wastes no time dragging along the ‘kidnappee’ down the alleyway. She runs as fast as she can without stopping to wait for us. Nina looks at me, to the ground then chases after those two.

>I’ll follow them for now. Better than sticking around to see what happens to me.
>I need to go my own way while I can. Raid has to be close by because I feel that ‘something’ from before.
>I should stay to see what those guys were exactly up to by chasing that girl.

>>26943559
>I’ll follow them for now. Better than sticking around to see what happens to me.

>>26943559
>>I should stay to see what those guys were exactly up to by chasing that girl.

Act like you are a tourist and gaze wonderingly down in a differently alley with a look of surprise. If the men become hostile, prepare to scream for help (i.e. Raid) in a dramatic fashion.

>>26943559

>I’ll follow them for now. Better than sticking around to see what happens to me.

The four of us got away from the alleyway and somehow ended up in an abandoned airport. Arika continues to voice her excitement as predicted with “Amazing!” and a few “Whoa”s sprinkled in.

“What is this place?!”

“An airpor-achoo!” I sneeze.

“Ah, Itonami-chan, are you alright?”

“Y-yeah, I’ll be fine. Thanks for the concern.” I sniffle.

“This feels so gross. I’m soaking wet! Get me some dry clothes!” the girl I saved sneezes just as much as me.

“Oh, then here!” Arika quickly offers her sand cloak to the complaining girl.

“No way! That’s dirty!”

“That wasn’t nice! I was just trying to help. Grandma told me if you don’t show gratitude, you get punished!”

This is going to snowball. I just know it.

>I should calm the two of them down the best I can.
>Side with Arika. The other girl really is being unreasonable.
>Side with the complainer. Where are the DRY CLOTHES? I need some now!

>>26944013
>>Side with Arika. The other girl really is being unreasonable.
Take the cloak instead, say thanks.

>>26944013
>Side with Arika. The other girl really is being unreasonable.

I’ll side with Arika. The girl is being really unreasonable. We have no other clothes available plus the temperature isn’t that bad out. In fact, it’s accommodating. “If she won’t take it, then I will.” I reach out for the cloak.

“A-alright, I’ll take it!” the other girl pilfers the dirty cloak from Arika to place it around herself.

“Hey, Itonami-chan was going to take it! You really have no manners at all, do you?”

“Hmph.” other girl doesn’t answer. Just writes her off.

“Alright, it’s time I got going.” the silent Nina starts to walk away.

“W-what?” the thief walks over to Nina before she can get a good distance away.

“I’ve helped you enough. Handle the rest on your own.”

"Wait! Wait a moment! Are you abandoning me?!"

"I need to get back before curfew."

"Then take a look at this!" the girl displays a red ring with a 'star' design on it. Looks pretty extravagent.

"Why, you're..."

"You people are so-called floral ornaments who serve royalty, right? Then you better serve me!"

"Please, forgive my rudeness." Nina immediately gets down on a single knee as the girl shows off her sparkling ring.

"Nina-chan, there's no reason to apologize to her."

>I’m staying silent this time. I have no idea what’s going on now.
>There is no reason to apologize. This girl is rude to those who saved her. How could someone be so ungrateful?
>Fine, I’ll agree with the thief for now.
>Custom

>>26944274
>There is no reason to apologize. This girl is rude to those who saved her. How could someone be so ungrateful?

>>26944274
>There is no reason to apologize. This girl is rude to those who saved her. "How could someone be so ungrateful?"
Accidentally speak the last part outloud.

There’s no reason to apologize to that girl. This girl is rude to those who saved her. “How could someone be so ungrateful?” I kind of let that one slip.

“Ungrateful?” her royal highness makes her way over to me. “Why would I be grateful to someone who nearly drowned me, who got me wet and gave me a cold? Huh!?”

“Well first of all that was my fault, not Arika’s. Second of all, I saved you from being a red splatter in that alleyway. So I would like to see a LITTLE gratitude.”

“In your dreams.” she scoffs.

“I hope Arika’s right about this ‘punishment’ thing.”

“What was that?” she speaks up in anger.

“I know you heard me, your ROYAL highness. I hope you get punished for being such an ingrate.”

“Now you’re insulting me?”

“Yes, yes I am.” the two of us exchange glances. The royal thief’s brow is twitching. My gaze is calm as I do my best to see right through her.

As we continue to stare, a loud roar sounds off.

It’s familiar… very familiar.

“Kagutsuchi…?” I say the name of the dragon as I turn around to the source of the sound.

To Be Continued
Short thread because I'm becoming tired. Must head to bed now. Good night, everyone.

>>26944839
Sweet dreams, blessed QM.

We might just end up being useful eventually.
>>26944839

Thanks for running.