Miracles at World's End

Slaps down a new update. Less than a month this time! Enjoy.

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"Ididntdoit!" Lila shook her head with eyes closed.

"Meet me in the living room. Love youuuu~"

Lila whimpered, dread of what's to come creeping up her spine. Yet she straightened herself and shifted her fear to calm. Lila exited the practice area with a puffed up chest. She may have broken a couple of things, but she learned more about her power so she had nothing to fear!

The specter of Yang looming over her with a raised fist trailed behind her as Lila walked down the hall and into the living room.

The living room was ordinary for the most part. A wooden table and scruffed sofa was in the middle of the room. A worn radio sat on top of the table, its surface marred by specks of rust. It was completed by a small shrine dedicated to the current Tennō, though his name was crossed out and the name of the former Emperor was written below it. Dad's work, no doubt. Neither Lila nor the rest of her family cared for the informal/unofficial rule of having a shrine to the reigning Tennō. Her only concern was wiping it clean before any police came by and saw it.

Lila's greater concern, though, was the opened door leading to the front yard. There, leaning against the frame with arms crossed, was Yang dressed in a t-shirt with a flaming dragon sewn into it. She flashed Lila a toothy smile despite her twitching eyebrows.

"Your first paycheck will go straight to me to pay for that dummy." Yang waggled a finger at Lila as though she was scolding a naughty dog.

"W-well it couldn't have gone far!"

"It exploded into a thousand pieces. I could only recognize it because of a handle I burnt my name into."

Lila stood there with mouth agape while her feline Companion trotted past her. It stared up at the dragonfly nestling in Yang's dark hair and meowed at it. The dragonfly buzzed its wings at the feline in greetings with a fellow Companion.

"How strong am I?" Lila finally muttered.

"Pretty freaking strong apparently. What power did you even get?"

"Um, emotional control. And I think different emotions might give different boasts."

"Wow, guess you really are Luck-y."

Though Yang couldn't see it through Lila's stone-faced expression, her younger sister was screaming internally at why her parents picked their surname Luck.

"Please stop using me as your stress ball."

Yang curled a finger around her chin, eyes moving left to right as though she was debating it. After a second, she gave her answer.

"Nah."

"Then I request payment."

"You get payment in me training you."

"B-b-but-"

"Ah, no buts. Now transform, we're heading out."

"Uh, shouldn't we tell mom and dad where we're going?"

"Already taken care of."

"Do they know I'm a Miracle now?" Lila hoped Yang hadn't told them yet. I-it was fine if her nee-san told them already, but Lila wanted to do something special with them before making the announcement. Mom and dad worked themselves to the bone to put a roof over their heads and ensure they all had enough to eat. Yet it seems that hard work no longer pays off these days as taxes keep getting raised. Even with Yang being Miracle wasn't enough, especially since she had been one for only three years and her going solo recently only worsened her income.

"Told them they should make something special for our Lila-chan, especially since your birthday is coming up."

Oh yeah! She was going to be 15 years of age on the 15th of June. Funny, if she was born six or seven years earlier then she would have been born before the Eve of Blood, yet knew little about the pre-Yokai world. It would be odd to think that she was born in a time of peace, but grew up in a world where, um, bad things were happening everywhere all the time.

"Good, I want to tell them. Also for my present, I want you to stop teasing me. Forever!"

"How about no. Now get transformed, we're burning daylight here."

Lila grumbled at the blunt answer as she transformed. She still found it difficult to focus properly, especially with Yang staring at her, but Lila transformed in the end. The teenager found herself clad in gold-red armor with a red cape draped over her right shoulder. Lila spun around, the cape flourishing about.

She giggled when she brought up her wand. Much like her outfit, her weapon was gold and red. It was topped off by a star, two shides roped around the base of the star. Her weapon and outfit didn't exactly match, but hey, she'd seen weirder combinations like one Miracle dressed in traditional miko attire and wielding an M32 rotary grenade launcher. How she pulled that one off was beyond Lila, but if that Miracle could do it then she could do it too!

"Nice." Yang clicked her tongue." The wand makes it off somewhat, but knowing you, you could pull it off."

Lila glanced at Yang to see her nee-san was dressed in a fiery-orange, fur-lined jacket and a skirt that reached down to her ankles. She adjusted her aviator glasses before firing off a finger gun with a gloved hand. Her dragonfly Companion nestled itself in the collar, its enormous eyes narrowing as if daring Lila to question its fashion sense.

"I can and I will!" Lila placed her gauntleted hands on her hips and smiled widely. She could still feel her own body warmth under the armor, but being able to feel touch regardless of what one wore was a well-known phenomena among Miracles so Lila didn't pay it any further attention.

"I'm sure you will. Probably get a lotta fans, though do let me know if you find any unwholesome drawings of you. I'll be sure to beat up the artist." Yang cracked a grin and her knuckles.

It took a moment for Lila to process what Yang said. When it dawned upon her that some artists would indeed draw such things concerning her, Lila gagged. She, uh, much preferred giving them a stern warning than let Yang beat them up, though. Nonetheless, if it comes down to it, she'll regretfully unleash Yang upon them.

"Ugh, let's just go."

"Sure, sure. Lady knights out first." Yang said with a wink before stepping to the side and bowing before Lila.

Lila rolled her eyes as she walked past Yang and out into the neighborhood.

She trembled when she took her first steps out into the twilight for the first time in years. The curfew had been drilled into her head and every fiber of her being quivered, either out of fear of arrest or excitement at breaking a taboo. Lila distracted herself by looking around the neighborhood.

Few people were out at this time, most retreating into their rusted, worn down homes as the light faded below the horizon. The shadows deepened with each passing minute until the street lamps flickered on to chase away the darkness. Small critters swarmed around the lamps, not evening scattering when people walked past them out of the fear that if they ran into the darkness, then something might spirit them away. After all, the Yokai didn't discriminate between humans and other animals.

The roar of jet engines broke the dead silence. Most flinched at the loud and sudden noise, but otherwise resumed their activity. Dead silence returned to reign once more. Not even the critters gathered around the street lamps made any noise as their eyes closed and breathing slowed.

The silence and emptiness of the neighborhood made Lila uncomfortable. She was so used to the hustle and bustle of the house and of the outside that silence was foreign.

"So, uh, where are we going?" Lila asked, her mind sighing in relief at the sound of her own voice.

"Old shrine I found several months back. It's pretty much collapsed so I've used it as a practice area from time to time. It's a little far out, about thirty minutes from the neighborhood outskirts. A Cleric made the place its home. Got rid of it and typical accessories those things like to make. But uh, tell me if I missed anything. I'll be sure to burn it right quick."

Lila shuddered at the thought of finding a polished skull wrapped in human skin and laden with gold. Neither she nor Yang put much stock into religion or spirituality, but they respected another's traditions and beliefs. Clerics… didn't do that. They always turned whatever hallowed place they inhabited into a parody of itself, defiling its purity and sanctity until nothing was left, but a mere husk. Be it a shrine, church, or even the Emperor's former palace, nothing scared was safe.

And to take her mind off of the thought of finding horrible things, Lila thought up of a couple questions. By her estimate, she could only squeeze in a couple of questions before they reached their destination.

---

Pick 2. What is not picked may be chosen in the future, but most options chosen now will confer minor bonuses for several turns.

[ ] Confront Yang about why she sounded worried earlier.

[ ] Ask Yang for tips on combat and fighting against the Yokai.

[ ] Yang had a rival herself when she became a Miracle so maybe she knows how to deal with your own rival, that jerk Uyemura Maiko.

[ ] Tell Yang about the masked person you saw shortly after you bonded with your Companion. She might know who, or what, they are.

[ ] The inner workings and politics of Miracles are admittedly difficult for you to understand, but Yang's been a Miracle for three years now. So as much as you might hate it, discuss politics with Yang for any advice.

Voting period is 24 hours

---

Lila considered the questions she wanted to ask, from confronting Yang about earlier to asking for tips on combat. She was still concerned about why Yang sounded worried when she told her nee-san she was a Miracle now and there was also that masked person she caught a glimpse of when she bonded with her Companion. But Yang would likely try to distract her and the masked person could have been just a normal person. Right now, the questions that pressed her the most were fighting against the Yokai. Besides, she could always ask more questions later!

"Hey, I still have questions."

"Sure, shoot. Especially if it's for advice on dating." Yang lowered her shades and winked.

Lila gave a deadpan stare at Yang. She was never going to let that one go was she? Oh well, might as well ask the questions and disappoint Yang. It was the only retribution Lila was going to get from Yang's teasing.

"So, uh, how does one fight?"

"Ouuuh, wanna impress people don't cha?"

"For climbing the Ratings, yes."

"Pft, Lila-chan, that thing is over-rated."

"I-I don't think that's a pun."

Yang replied by giving Lila a wide smile, as though she was profoundly proud of her horrible wordplay. An awkward silence settled between the two until Yang spoke again.

"But in all seriousness, there's no correct way to 'fight'. Lotta folk think that one style is the best out of all of them, but it just isn't true. Still, I think I can sprinkle a little bit of Yangly wisdom on you."

"Please don't."

"Ok, I won't give any combat advice."

"W-wait, no! I want to learn about combat!"

"Sure, sure. Anyways, a piece of advice is never stand still. I've seen newly bonded Miracles think they're invincible for whatever stupid reason. Tough as Miracles are, we can still die if we take enough damage. And dying's a bitch. Even besides that, it's going to take time to heal any wounds you get, especially from Yokai. Ichor can slow down the healing process and Yokai tend to bleed the stuff all over the place."

"Any way I can avoid the Ichor?"

"Heheh, no. Always expect to get splattered with blood and other bodily fluids when you fight. Best you can do is cover up and deep clean your non-Miracle clothes. Deforming will clean your outfit so don't worry about that."

Lila made a sound of disgust when the image of herself being drenched in bodily fluids flashed before her eyes.

"Another piece of advice I can give is expect injuries when you fight. It won't always be the case, especially with normal humans, but you can still get wounded if they have a gun. You can keep moving like I said, but some idiots will spray and pray and sometimes you can't do anything other than just eat the bullets."

"But aren't Miracles immune to bullets?"

"Eh, kinda?" Yang waved a hand side to side."Bullets by themselves won't damage most areas, but you know what will?"

Lila shook her head.

"Muzzle energy. The more energy concentrated into a small area, the more damage they will do. Smaller bullets mean less energy and therefore less damage. Reverse for larger bullets. And if a big bullet hits your eyes?" Yang made a popping sound as she snapped her fingers.

Lila stared off into space as she imagined her eyeballs popping. That was, uh, not pleasant to think about so she'll just keep the advice in the back of her mind.

"I get the picture. Always be on the move and avoid big bullets."

"You're getting the idea. We'll turn you into a bonafide badass yet! But I suppose that's where the problem truly arises. Just because you're a Miracle now doesn't mean you're an actual badass."

"Hey!"

"I mean it, Lila-chan. It's a slow process of becoming a true fighter. Train all day, every day, but it still takes a loooong time. Which is why you have me! Having someone to spar with and point out what you're doing wrong as well as give you pointers can speed up the process."

"So what you're saying is don't expect to become a good fighter overnight."

"Yep, no training montage or that other crap."

"Does that mean you're not that great of a fighter?" Lila grinned as Yang sputtered out words.

"W-wel, I, uh, eh? I still have enough experience to whoop your butt, girl!"

Lila simply chuckled. Personally she did believe Yang was one of the best brawlers there were among the Miracles. Perhaps not one of the best fighters, but a good fighter nonetheless. And she was glad her nee-san was taking the time to train her so she wasn't floundering all over the place, even if it meant putting up with her teasing.

"Now I'm reconsidering giving you my most important piece of advice." Yang crossed her arms and glanced off to the side.

"And what would that be?"

"Fighting as a Miracle instead of as a normie. The advice I've given so far is more of a general thing, but Miracles aren't normal anymore. We're superhumans!"

"I know that. And I know that Miracles have to develop their own styles according to their power. But, uh, are there any tips you can give?"

Yang heaved a dramatic sigh and looked Lila in the eye, tilting her head down slightly.

"I suppose I can give you a little help on developing your own style since you're my adorable imouto. What power do you have?"

"I can change my emotions and it seems like different emotions might, um, give me different boosts? I'm still exploring that, actually, so I'm not really sure."

"Wow, you really are a Luck-y Charm."

"Please stop."

"Over my dead body."

All Lila could do was groan while Yang smirked.

"Anyways," Yang said," being able to change your emotions on demand is more than simply useful. I dare say it's rather powerful. All too often Miracles get blindsided by their own emotions and they end up making mistakes. Add to that the boosts and you might just become one of the best Miracles in Nagoya."

"Really?!" Lila exclaimed with stars in her eyes. To think, she could become among the best! That wouldn't just secure her family's wellbeing, but ensure they were respected. No one would ever threaten them again! W-well, besides the Yokai of course, but that's why she was a Miracle now.

"Yeeep."

Lila squealed.

"Aw, how adorable. She thinks she can overcome the Dancing Dragon."

"I will beat you!"

"And I look forward to that day." Yang said with sincerity." But until then, you're going to have to train hard and long, which is tip number one. You are the expert in your own power. Don't take anyone's pestering that you should stop doing a thing, take their criticism, but not their demands."

"Ugh, I hate those people." Lila rolled her eyes. Some people thought they were experts in all things Miracle and magical related. They constantly hounded their favorite Miracles with 'advice' on how they can be better. And when a Miracle dares bite back, those people cry they were only trying to 'help'. Or more disgusting, some would start spreading rumors. Awful, bad rumors. The nerve of some people, hmph. Even she, as much of a fangirl of Miracles and magic as she was, didn't know everything about them as much as it shamed her to admit it.

"I know, but that's a discussion for another time. Now, another tip. Since you can change your emotions, I'd suggest numbing yourself when you're fighting, especially against Yokai."

"What, why?"

"Cause fighting against Yokai wears you down. And the smarter ones know they can't kill Miracles, so they instead try to throw them off-balance in order to capture them to do who knows what. I… don't want you to get captured" Yang shuddered and wrapped her arms around herself.

"Don't worry, I won't let that happen." Lila said with a determined glint in her eye.

"And I'll be there to make sure they won't either." Yang grinned and ruffled the hair of Lila, much to her annoyance."Speaking of Yokai, I need to teach you how to fight them, but that requires like a whole course. So I'll just settle on this for now. Yokai, as you already know, come in various forms, but there are subtypes as well. These subtypes seem adapted to common hazards in whatever regions they inhabit. For example, there's generic ones like the cold-resistant ones and there are the odder ones such as the one where the more damage you deal to it, the faster it heals. There are a few ways to tell these subtypes, thankfully as well as ways around it. Cold-resistant ones tend to be much weaker to fire. And for the latter one, its healing can work against it. If you can do enough damage to it, it'll heal so quickly it will boil alive from the sheer heat."

Lila nodded along with rapt attention. Some of it such as the subtypes she already knew as a result of osmosis from learning about magic and the years of instructors drilling it into her head, but there was such variety to the Yokai she didn't know about. Thankfully there were weaknesses and her power should hopefully overcome most forms of Yokai, even their subtypes. Unless one had the ability to nullify her emotions which could render her power useless.

Actually, wasn't there a Yokai that caused people to lose their fear so they became more reckless? Eeeh, Lila wrote a reminder to test if her power still worked even if she lost her emotions somehow. She was sure she could find something to test it. Or she could ask Yang. Yea, she could ask Yang.

"So are there any Yokai that can eat emotion?"

"Yeah, like several, but I wouldn't worry about your power- oh yours relies on emotion. I, uh, don't know if losing your emotions means losing your power. But if that does happen, just tap out and let me or another Miracle handle it. Military if they have heavy weapons."

Lila jotted that down. She tried drawing up any other questions she might've had for combat, but found the well ran dry. So she asked Yang if she had any other tips for combat. Her nee-san hummed and scratched her cheek, before letting out an ah and lifting up a finger.

"You already know about Battle Sense so I'm just going to say this. When you feel a little voice talking inside your head during battle, rattling off about your chances of victory, listen to it."

Lila nodded.

"That's everything off the top of my head for now, but I'm sure I'll have more tips and you more questions. Besides, I'm gonna call in a few friends to help me set up some lessons on Miracle 101. Don't worry about actual lectures, it'll just be notes that you can read when you want."

Lila still groaned at the fact she had to do even more homework. At least she could do it on her own time.

They continued walking down the streets, the worn and rusted houses deteriorating into broken houses wild with vegetation the further they walked. The few lamps that still worked flickered on and off as the bulb struggled to keep the lights on. Lila walked under one such working lamp.

Lila froze when darkness obscured her vision for a split-second before everything became clear once more. She glanced about, confused why her vision went dark until she looked up and saw the lamp above her no longer shone. The teenager gave a oh as her mind recalled some trivia that Miracles' visions could readjust within seconds, their magic amplifying any collected light in nanoseconds.

"Come on, we're burning daylight here!" Yang shouted, her voice muffled by distance and the whistling of the wind.

Lila shouted after her sister, surging forward without needing to take a breath. Even when she caught up to Yang, she didn't gasp for air like she normally did. Lila simply filed that away as another perk of being a Miracle.

As the two continued their journey, Lila's mind began to drift back to her homework and how she was going to wiggle her way out of getting punished for it being incomplete. Playing up the fact she was a Miracle was out of her deck of excuses. A student who went to her school became a Miracle and didn't hand in his homework and was still punished for it. One would think that becoming a stalwart defender of Japan would excuse some poor behavior, but nope, it did not.

Though, on the bright side, it did mean that jerk would have to leave her alone now. Lila felt a grin spread across her face when she wouldn't have to get harassed every morning by Uyemura Maiko. As much as the jerk would seethe, she would have to abide by social convention lest she'd become a pariah. Even her father, leader of the Japan Unity party, would have to disavow her actions. Still, Lila wouldn't put it past Uyemura to do something stupid. That jerk just couldn't bear to admit defeat. Which meant there was a chance she would indeed do something stupid. And goodness forbid if Uyemura somehow became a Miracle, that wouldn't just ruin Lila's day, it would make her believe there were indeed higher powers and they hated her.

The thought of her rival becoming a Miracle sent a chill up Lila's spine. Their rivalry would spiral out of control, with that jerk trying to prove herself better at every single turn. And Lila herself couldn't bear the thought of letting Uyemura win so she too would start driving herself to be better than her rival. It would escalate faster than the Ainu Revolt and probably explode in less epic fashion.

There was also the fact she might yet get another rival at some point. Rivalries between Miracles happened all the time. Most were friendly and Lila hoped that would be the case, but it was not unheard of for personalities to clash until one or both actually try to kill one another, resulting in their Companions severing their magic from the offender(s). Regardless if Uyemura would remain her rival or if another would emerge, Lila needed guidance.

And what better guide than Yang? She has a rival, well, boyfriend turned rival, but they still remain cordial with one another. So Yang could've some advice about dealing with rivals.

"Hey, uh, Yang, I'm worried that Uyemura won't like the fact I'm a Miracle now. How would I deal with her?"

"Forget that bitch, even if she bothers you, she'll get her just deserts."

"S-still, what if she becomes a Miracle? Or what if I meet someone like her?"

"Don't worry about the bitch becoming a Miracle, there might be like several thousand Miracles in Japan alone, but the chances are still low. But I see why you're worried. Even if the average Miracle is fighting to protect humanity, some of them are beyond arrogant. So I can see why you're asking this, especially from your oh-so wise nee-san."

Lila rolled her eyes, but otherwise didn't say anything. Having to endure her sister's teasing was her payment to Yang, after all. And because wiggling out of it was impossible anyways.

"First tip I'll give is that you shouldn't invest too much into it emotionally."

"And I can control my emotions!" Lila puffed out her chest, confident she could just switch her emotions on demand.

"True, true, but can you control your emotions all the time?"

"I-" Lila pressed her lips together, reflecting on the few times she used her power. Now that she thought about it, her emotions fluctuated when she wasn't actively concentrating. Lila deflated when faced with that facet of her power.

"I'm gonna guess that's a no going by the sound of you deflating." Yang said." But worry not, you just realized a weakness of your power. Brought on by what?"

"You asking a question?" Lila raised an eyebrow-oh wait she saw where this was going. Before Yang could speak, Lila held up a finger and asked."You're going to round this back to rivals aren't you?"

"Yep, which leads to tip number two! Use your rivalry to check for strength and weaknesses. After all, people don't kill their rivals, usually, so when they're competing they can realize where their strengths lie and learn their weaknesses if they don't have their heads high in the clouds."

"But what if I can't figure out my own strengths and weaknesses? What if Uyemura decides to escalate our rivalry because I'm a Miracle?!"

"Again, don't worry about the bitch. Speaking of which, don't worry too much about what your rival is doing nor their fans. If they insult you, brush it off. If their fans spread lies about it, counter it with the truth and move on. Focus on what truly matters, which is improving yourself by working on those strengths and weaknesses! And if you happen to can't figure them out? Well, it takes time, a lotta reflection, and talking with someone. Someone like me!"

"That actually does sound pretty wise coming from you."

"Pft, no wiseman ever spontaneously came into existence. I will eat my aviators the day that happened.

Lila chuckled. She'll be sure to hold Yang to her word should a wiseman did indeed spontaneously came into existence. But the issue of Uyemura lingered on her mind. Yang kept saying that she shouldn't spend any attention on her rival more than she has too. Yet the haughty laugh of Uyemura lashed her mind, mocking that if Lila allowed Uyemura to prove herself better then she truly was a failure, perhaps even a waste of a human.

The teeanger clenched her teeth before she could change her emotions to one of calm. But the phantom of Uyemura had left its scar, the ache of doubt. Though it did not bite, it did ask Lila if she ever considered the fact that Uyemura was indeed better than her. Lila burned it like the worthless, loaded question it was.

"Lila-chan, you alright?"

Lila glanced over to a concerned Yang.

"Just… self-doubt is all. Took care of it with my power. Don't worry about it." Lila hoped Yang wouldn't press for more. Her nee-san did enough, more than enough, with helping her with questions and advice. Burdening Yang with her self-doubt would just cause unneeded concern. Besides, she needn't worry about doubt anymore either, not when she can just switch it out for a positive emotion!

"Wanna talk about it?"

Darn it.

"Just a little self-doubt is all! Not a problem at allll-!"

It was then and there that Lila's feline Companion thought her right shoulder was a good perch. It leapt onto her, making her squeak in surprise from the sudden passenger hitching a ride on her free of charge. Lila narrowed her eyes at her Companion, wondering why it decided it got tired of walking besides her when it was just fine while she walked to Yang. She would have thought it was just tired… had it been a normal cat, but Companions weren't normal animals or toys for that matter. Her Companion answered her question by giving a deadpan stare and glancing at Yang before staring her dead in the eye.

"Even your cat is calling you out. So you wanna talk about it?"

"Well, I don't want to…"

"That's alright, but I've found talking about it with ones you love and trust helps sort through things. Get your mind organized."

Lila considered those words. Sometimes her mind became buried underneath doubts and biting thoughts. And more than a few times she couldn't dig herself out no matter how much she reminded herself she was loved and that she was worth something. The phantoms of her bullies would just drag her back under the doubts and uncertainty.

Yet these issues were her own, something she had to deal with and not burden her family with. Not when they already had to deal with so much. After all, she dealt with Uyemura just fine. That jerk placed that flower on her desk during school, but she got her vengeance perfectly when she gave Uyemura a freesia while pretending she didn't know what she was doing. The face her bully made was forever immortalized in her memory. Served Uyemura right for what she did!

Still, what Yang said stuck with Lila. To organize her mind by talking with a trusted loved one. It was… maybe worth a try, even if she didn't fully trust her nee-san. She makes awful jokes and ruthlessly teased her own loved ones to the point that Lila sometimes felt it was better off being deaf than suffer through it. But Yang never did with a mean-spirit, simply to annoy the family. So she would share if only to organize her mind so she could resolve her issues on her own.

"I can try…" Lila thought of how to put this without worrying Yang. But the more she thought about it, the more she realized there was no way to say it without worrying Yang and the more doubt made her hesitate.

"Is this self-doubt related to Uyemura in any way?"

"I… think?"

"Well, let me give some advice on her. She's not better than you in every way. Everyone has their strengths and their place and are worth something, no matter what some dirtbags claim. So if you ever have a rival like that bitch, then know this. You are worth something. And there's something that no one will ever beat you at. Do you know what that is?"

Lila tried to think of what she was truly good at, something that no one could beat her at. Yet, even when she maintained a calm state, she couldn't figure out what it was. Lila shrugged in the end.

"Your enthusiasm and talent with magic."

"O-oh, I, uh, well, thanks!"

"Seriously, you've helped me figure out a lot of magic and Companion stuff when I first started out. Some of the stuff I would have never figured out without your help, though I would never admit it."

"But you just admitted it."

"Your shoe is untied by the way."

Inner Lila screamed she was wearing metallic boots that held no laces yet her instincts gagged her and forced her to look down just to check. And behold, she wore not shoes nor boots with ties and laces, but metallic sabatons that snugly fitted her feet. Then she heard the sound of shoes slamming on asphalt and Lila looked up to see Yang rushing away, her gleeful laughter becoming more distant with each step. A bright flush lit up Lila's face from sheer embarrassment.

"NEE-SAAAAAAAN!" Lila shouted as she chased after Yang while waving her wand around and her Companion screeched in terror from the sudden pickup in speed.

---

Gained Yang's Combat Advice: +5 to certain combat rolls until end of School arc. Unlocked certain combat options.

Gained Yang's Rival Advice: +10 to certain interactions with Uyemura until end of School arc.

Emotional Equation info updated:

• Your emotions can grant different bonuses on command, though you've yet to discover what each emotion grants aside from anger increasing your strength.
• Yang recommends numbing yourself during combat which will help you focus during battle, but you aren't aware of any weaknesses of this approach yet.
• You can change your emotions, but it requires focus in order to maintain it and distractions can cause you to lose temporary control. Training your focus should hopefully resolve this. If not, maybe there's something out there that can help?

A/N: Voteless update this time for various reasons. Next update you folk get to vote how you plan on getting your butt whooped by Yang. But if you do defeat Yang, I will give Lila a bonus for a little while.

Oh, and how do you all like Lila and Yang so far? I'm aiming for a loving yet grounded relationship between the two in this setting. Am I portraying that alright or is there anywhere I can improve?

I also believe I stated there were going to be a few changes to a couple of things so here's the list of things that changed thus far.

• Emotional Control no longer reduces stress by half, but is now an auto-action that Lila will do to suspend stress gain for a short time against a roll whose DC will reflect several factors. This is still subject to change as QM is trying to find a way to incorporate this without rendering the stress mechanic defunct.
• Changed DC reduction bonuses to flat modifiers
• Removed invistext at the end of Japan, Land of the Setting Sun because it's no longer story relevant.

Try as she might, Lila could not whack Yang alongside the head with her wand in the end. Yang proved more adept with her speed and dodging while Lila simply channeled all of her might into swinging her wand wildly. There were a few times where she almost landed a hit only for her sister to redirect the wand with deft hands all the while grinning. Lila gave up after the odd-something attempt, crossing her arms and pouting. Her feline Companion was slumped over her shoulder with eyes wide and breathing quickly.

How could she fall for that trick so easily? Yang used that before to bully her and one would think Lila would've seen through the trick after so many times. But Yang made sure to sprinkle in just enough times where her shoes were actually untied to leave room for doubt. Still, she should have seen it coming and now she was left feeling like the world's biggest fool.

And to make it worse, Yang walked backwards with a wide grin on her face. Well, clearly someone was pleased at ruining a moment Lila thought was genuine. Really, she thought Yang was praising her, actually praising her this. Goes to show how much Yang truly cared about her, that cold hearted bully.

"You could trip over something." Lila stated, more out of sisterly obligation than true worry.

"Don't worry, I know where I'm goi-NNNNG!" Yang tripped on a root that had devoured its way through the long-decayed asphalt and fell onto her rear.

Lila held out a hand to help her sister up, but made sure to extend it as slowly out as possible just so she could enjoy being right. Besides, Yang could do with a little pain as recompense for her sins against her sister.

"Yea, yea, I tripped, so what? We all do that."

"Yes." Lila agreed, a grin spreading across her face.

Yang simply huffed as she was hoisted up onto her feet. She looked around this area of the neighborhood and Lila noted the few houses around them were little more than collapsed heaps overgrown with vegetation.

"I think we're here. Just up this little hill." Yang said and pointed to the right.

Lila turned around to see a grassy slope leading to tall trees. The darkness thickened the deeper the woods went, becoming so thick that she couldn't distinguish tree from shadow. Two cracked and moss-ridden stone platforms marked the start of a gravel path. It didn't take long for Lila to realize this had once been a stone path meant to provide guidance for the devoted on their way to pay their respects to the local kami. But now the path laid abandoned and left forgotten except for the corroding touch of time and now remembered by two girls.

"The shrine is in the woods. Nothing much left other than a half broken Torii gate and a clearing. Should be big and private enough for me to whoop your butt." Yang said as she climbed up the path.

"We'll see about that!" Lila exclaimed as she followed Yang.

Both Yang and Lila entered the woods where the light from both the still-raising moon and the far-reaching lights of the city became consumed by the darkness of the forest. Yang clapped her hands together and a flame burst to life in her palms. The shadows parted before the light to reveal the path. And the path became more and more overgrown with grass as the sisters walked down it.

But overgrown as it was, they and their Companions swept through it without difficulty as though the grass deemed them worthy of passage. The trees that towered above them swayed in welcoming the sisters. Their branches and leaves creaked and groaned from excitement of hosting the sisters at the shrine, or whatever was left of it.

A fungus-ridden, rotten brown hashira emerged from the darkness when the sisters finally drew close to the shrine grounds. Its pockmarked wood still remained upright all these years to welcome any remaining worshippers. Or perhaps it did so to spite the world that had left it to rot.

"Well, looks like we're here." Yang said as she crossed the threshold of the gate. She took a few steps into the shrine before stopping and lifting her fire above her. The flames licked the air, strands of fire tasting where their wielder desired them to be. It did not take them long to pinpoint the locations and they leapt from her hand onto standing torches. Each torch ignited into a fiery sun, illuminating the shrine in an orange light.

Lila crossed the gate shortly after. She scanned the shrine and grimaced at how devoid it was. Most of the shrine itself was just gone, leaving behind only the stone foundation and stairs leading up to where the main hall would've been. An old offering box remained on top of the stairs, but its side had been cracked open and its inside filled up with chewed grass.

She came before the stairs. Lila clasped her hands together, not truly praying, but nonetheless offering respects to whatever kami formerly enshrined here. It was… sad to see this shrine reduced to nothing more than an empty space in the middle of the woods. This shrine may have been a beautiful place once, like the other shrines she had visited before. It was soothing to stand and bask in the simplicity of the sacred and let one's troubles fade away into the back of one's mind, even if it only lasted for a time.

When she was done, Lila turned around to a waiting Yang.

"You ready?" Yang crossed her arms and gave Lila a smirk. Fly buzzed out of its nestling spot and flew off near the offering box. Lila's own feline Companion leapt off her shoulder and trotted up the stairs to the offering box as well, its eye half-lidded and a smirk growing on its face.

Lila pouted when she got the sensation of smugness from it. Apparently it thought she was going to lose too. One would think her own Companion would be cheering her on, but nope. Even the cat proclaimed she was going to be defeated. Just… why was everyone against her in this?

"Ready then, got it."Yang ignored the huff Lila gave as she continued on." Since you're new to the whole Miracle thing, I'm gonna lay a few ground rules before we start. This is a spar so powers and weapons are strictly forbidden. While I trust you not to hurt me intentionally, accidents can still happen and I prefer if both of us can have fun and learn at the same time without losing limbs. Second, first to get pushed to the ground and held there, taps out, or says surrender and any of its variations loses the spar. Third, don't feel too bad when I win, ok? Your move, Lila-chan."

Before Lila could react, a voice that sounded like her own began to state her chances of victory. It stated that Yang was a straight up brawler, striking hard and fast against whomever incurred her wrath like a rampaging dragon. So if Lila got within an arm's reach of Yang it was sure to end in her defeat. But Yang lacked any ranged options. Thus scooping up the rubble that laid around the shrine and throwing it would give her an advantage over her sister. Regardless, it informed Lila that she had a low chance of victory since Yang was more experienced and stronger than her. Despite the low chance of success, there was nothing to lose since this was simply a spar, other than bruised pride.

Lila almost tossed it into the bin where all of her horrible or unwanted thoughts were dumped in, but she remembered Yang's advice about keeping ear out for the Battle Sense.

Oh, so that's what Battle-Sense sounded like. It was weird hearing her own voice proclaiming that she had a low chance of winning against her own nee-san-

…

Come on! Even a voice that sounded like her was predicting her own defeat. Who else was going to say that she couldn't win? Were the kami themselves going to descend from the heavens and decree her defeat? And even if throwing rocks at Yang would give her an advantage, she wasn't going to do that! Miracle Yang may be, the rocks might actually cause an injury worse than a bruise or a scrape if it hit the wrong place. Besides, this was just a spar, no reason to hurt one another or play dirty like that.

Maybe she could rush Yang fast enough that her nee-san wouldn't be able to react. Or Yang could be expecting that so perhaps caution was warranted? Like don't throw all of your energy and might right out of the gate, but converse it and wait until an opportune moment like how Hope described while answering a question on fighting. But, uh, trying to be cautious around Yang was like trying to stop a hurricane. Both were a force of nature that would destroy everything in its path.

Hmmm, she could also use Yang's own advice against her. Standing still meant death so what if she just kept moving? Try not to be in the same spot as before and keep hitting Yang until her sister finally admits defeat? But her nee-san could be expecting that and always being on the move could tire her out faster than Yang, especially since she was a veteran in combat.

So, what plan should she use to beat Yang?

[ ] Rush her! Going fast enough and bold enough should throw her off, right?

[ ] Be cautious. Throwing a few punches her way and then wait for an opportunity to get a critical hit in.

[ ] Move fast and hit Yang hard. Keep moving while striking her when you can.

[ ] Tap out. You know you can't win against Yang, might as well forfeit now and save yourself the embarrassment of defeat!

---

There is a 24-hour voting period. I do encourage discussion about the options available since each one has its advantages and disadvantages that I hopefully described clearly via Lila through her own thought process. Expect for tap out, I just placed that there for a little bit of variety and to give the chance to skip out on a spar to speed up the story a little. Though, do ask questions if I haven't made the pros and cons of each option clear.

---

Lila settled on never standing still and striking when she could. The irony of using Yang's own advice against her would taste sweet on Lila's tongue. Let it be known this would be the start of her merotic rise as Luck Lila, the Lucky Charms Miracle!

…

Darn it Yang, now she was using that awful title as her Miracle alias. Just for that, Lila would make sure Yang's defeat was extra humiliating!

Lila blurred into motion, with the intent of confusing Yang by moving so quickly and randomly that she couldn't tell where Lila was. And though she never fought in sustained combat before, the magical enchantments more than made up for any physical deficiencies. She zoomed about like lightning, giggling from the rush of excitement at how fast she was going. Lila made it from one end of the clearing to the other in a few skips, leaving behind cracks in the stone.

Oh wow. She never felt so liberated before. To feel the rush of the wind blowing through her hair and for everything to blur on by like driving down a highway yet remain crystal clear. Perks of being a Miracle! But Lila dulled her excitement into one of calm. She could enjoy her powers another day, Yang's butt needed to be kicked!

Lila darted all around Yang, making sure never to land on the same spot twice. Yang merely watched her with a grin and crossed arms as though she was sure of her victory. It miffed Lila that her nee-san thought so lowly of her, but she brushed it aside. Though a part of her wondered why Yang watched her so intently. Eh, it's probably nothing.

When Lila felt confident she had sufficiently confused Yang, she leapt forward. She pulled back a fist as far back as possible for her super awesome opening attack!

Yang reacted when Lila was an arm's length away. One of her arms surged up and blocked the path of Lila's own arm. The sudden resistance forced Lila to halt her attack while she internally panicked.

How did Yang figure out she was going to attack?! She made sure not to land in the same spot twice and kept a fair distance from Yang. Lila's eyes widened when it dawned upon her that her nee-san watched her, almost examining her every move. Darn it, she must have slipped into some pattern! O-or could've it been that she telegraphed her attack? Whatever, she needed to get away now!

Lila scrambled away before Yang could follow up on her attack. She put as much energy into her leap as she could and flew back with a cracking boom. Dust and rocks were sent flying in all directions, some of which smacked into her and Yang. But such small, high-speed objects simply bounced off of them. Save for one jagged-edge pebble that directed all of its fury into Yang's eye.

It bit deep into it and though it could not tear it asunder, the soft tissue screamed from the assault of the energy ripping through it. Nerves were set flame and immune cells flooded into the eye to further inflame the pain. Yang clamped a hand over her eye, but wound up scattering dust into it. The particles sent another wave of pain rippling through the eye.

"Gah!" Yang stumbled backwards, wobbling from an unsteady footing.

"Yang!" Lila ran over to her sister, unheeding of any potential tricks or traps. One look at Yang's eye was enough to dispel any notions of deception. Her right eye had become bloodshot red and would twitch shut whenever she tried to open it.

"I-I'm ok. Not the worst thing, but it's gonna hurt for a bit."

"Uh, do you want to rest a bit? Let it heal?"

"Nah, this is a good experience. But thanks!"

Lila smiled. Said smile turned into a gaping mouth just before Yang's fist slammed into her jaw.

She remained stunned, more out of shock of betrayal than any real pain. Her mind screamed at her for falling for Yang's wounded gambit. But it looked so real! Now her good deed would be punished. M-maybe she can get away in ti-

Both of Yang's hands surged forth like snakes and clamped down on Lila's shoulders. She tried to break free, but the fingers dug into her shoulder blades the more she struggled. Yet Lila remained calm even as Yang pressed down upon her, slowly forcing Lila to the ground. Her mind was frenzied in its search for ways to escape.

Could she headbutt Yang? No, no. Headbutting her would be like headbutting a brickwall. If anything, it would serve to make her angrier. Kneeing her would net the same results. Trying to snatch anything off the ground to pry her sister off would mean splitting her attention in trying to grab it and holding fast against Yang's tightening grip. And right now, Lila felt that if she became distracted for even a second then her defeat was ensured. Gah! How can she get out of this? Whatever idea she came up with seemed useless against Yang's strength and experience.

Lila closed her eyes as she felt her knees buckle under the crushing weight of Yang. Her mind raced through ideas with growing manic. Until, finally, it found an idea and clutched onto it with all of its might. With renewed hope and strength, Lila opened her eyes and threw all of her weight into Yang in the mad hope it might throw her off-balance to allow a precious moment to escape.

What Lila didn't anticipate was for Yang to lose her balance. Her grip remained strong on Lila, dragging the both of them down onto the ground. The impact scattered Lila's thoughts and she laid on top of her sister in a daze. As she recollected herself, Lila realized the opportunity she had just created from her desperate gambit.

Yang's arms were sprawled out on her sides. Her face was one of confusion at what happened. And Lila was on top of Yang. Which meant this could end in her favor if she managed to pin her sister down. But the question was how? If she didn't get a good grip on Yang then she could simply slip an arm out and go on the offensive. Lila needed to hold her nee-san down firmly, otherwise this opportunity would be lost! Or worse, she loses!

Think Lila, think. What technique can she use to restrain Yang? Then she remembered watching Hope demonstrate how to restrain a human so they wouldn't be able to escape or harm anyone. She never tried it before, but it was a do or die moment now!

Lila's heart raced as she scrambled to get up before Yang could recover. Her hands grasped Yang's arms in a firm hold and pressed them down against the ground, locking them in place. Lila then planted a knee on her sister's chest and pushed down with all of her weight. The sudden pressure caused Yang to snap out of her daze, her glare boring into Lila.

For a heart-stopping moment, the two held each other's gazes.

Lila dared not breathe out of fearful anticipation of what Yang would do. She had to maintain her grip lest her sister might be able to wiggle free an arm and strike.

Her heart skipped a beat when Yang chuckled.

"Heh, I tap out." The sound of Yang's hand tapping against stone signaled Lila's victory.

"Eh?!" Lila stared at Yang dumbfounded. She tapped out, just like that? No last minute epic struggle or ploy? Lila remained still as she tried to comprehend everything that had transpired.

"Do you need a moment to process the fact that you just won?"

"I-I won?"

"Yes Lila-chan, you win."

"I. Won."

"Lila, as much as I love you, I would like to sleep on my nice, comfortable bed so would you kindly get off. Or do I need to show you how I can escape from this?"

"N-no need! Getting off, getting off." Lila mumbled as she withdrew her hands and knee off of Yang and shot up to her feet. Lila was unsteady on her feet, overcomed with the exhilaration of victory. Her senses were overrun with the rush of euphoria. She had won despite everyone telling her that she had little hope of victory against Yang. Yet here she was, standing tall over a vanquished dragon. This-this would be the first victory out of many! This was the start of her career as a Miracle! Yes. YES! NOTHING COULD DEF-

Lila let out a yelp when Yang swept her leg, sending her sprawling onto the ground.

"Yes, you won. But I forgot to mention that most people won't play fair. Like what I did just now!" Yang grinned, her hands resting on her hips. Though, given the way one of her eyebrows were twitching, it was clear to Lila that Yang was using that to cover up her being a sore loser.

Well, if Yang was gonna be like that…

"Mind helping me up?" Lila lifted a hand towards Yang in hopes of her grabbing it.

"Nah, you're a big girl, you can help yourself up."

Drat, she got found out. Well, it was worth a shot.

Lila got up onto her feet and looked over herself for any wounds. She felt pain on her jaw, but when she inspected it, there was not a single wound. Not even a bruise or scratch. Yes, there was a throbbing ache, but nothing aside from that. Hehe, perks of being a Miracle. Now she didn't need to worry about accidentally burning or cutting herself when helping to make food. She was grateful for that and thankful to her Companion that it bonded with her.

A surge of smug pride flooded into her thoughts. Lila glanced over to the side to see her feline Companion sitting upright with a smirk. Apparently it was just sitting on the sidelines just watching her get pummeled by Yang, perhaps even enjoying the last minute reversal of fortunes. Nonetheless, Lila nodded her head in thanks and the feline's smirk only grew.

Ugh, cats.

"Jez, it's nearly ten already."

"Baw?! We need to go to bed. I got school tomorrow!" Lila panicked. She may not like school, what with the bullies and the droning of teachers, but school was mandatory for all children. And her parents would be disappointed if she ended up sleeping in class.

"Don't worry, just use your newfound Miracle status as an excuse to sleep in. I certainly did!"

Lila held in her groan. Yes it was true Miracles could skip out on school or work so long they used their time to benefit Japan as a whole, but Yang kept using it as an excuse to avoid school altogether. Mom and dad already chided her for missing out on a free education to which Yang entirely ignored. Lila would never disappoint her parents like that!

B-but she didn't finish her homework. And her teachers would scold her for it even if she was a Miracle now. Maybe she could excuse herself just this once like Yang suggested. A thought for later, though, because they needed to return home. Mom and dad would start getting worried if they were out for much later.

"We still need to get back home before it gets too late."

"Alright, alright. We'll head back home and you can boast to Okaasan and Otousan that you won. Though, I will tell them it was a very narrow victory."

"I still won though." Lila grinned.

"I can see why your cat picked you."

"H-hey! I'm not like my cat!"

Yang placed a finger under her chin and hummed.

"Hm, so you admit that you have a cat."

"I-I. Yes, my Companion is my cat apparently. Why does that matter?"

"Cause pets are like their owners. Therefore, you are like your cat. And your denial of it is quite… clawful."

Lila spun around to the pathway leading back to the neighborhood and marched out. Yang trailed behind her, making bad cat puns all the while.

---

Lila's Awesome Opening Move!... 38+5(Yang's Combat Advice)+5(Hit and Run) = 48
Yang counters… 46+20 (Combat Proficiency C)-10(Assured of Victory)= 56
Lila is countered

Lila scrambles… 49 +5(Yang's Combat Advice)+5(Hit and Run) = 59
Yang's counterattack… 1+20 (Combat Proficiency C)-10(Assured of Victory)= 11
Lila not only manages to dodge the attack, but accidently sends a piece of rubble flying right into Yang's eye, causing greater pain than usual. Yang suffers a -10 due to pained eye.

Lila roll… 5+5(Yang's Combat Advice)+5(Hit and Run) = 15
Yang tries to punch Lila… 58+20 (Combat Proficiency C)-10(Assured of Victory)-10(Eye Hit) = 58
Yang hits Lila right in the jaw!

Lila puts distances between them… 26+5(Yang's Combat Advice)+5(Hit and Run)= 36
Yang follows up her attack… 63+20 (Combat Proficiency C)-10(Assured of Victory)-10(Eye Hit)= 63
Lila gets grappled by Yang!

Yang ends this…28+20 (Combat Proficiency C)-10(Assured of Victory)-10(Eye Hit) = 28
Lila tries to slip out… 70+5(Yang's Combat Advice)+5(Hit and Run) = 80
Lila tries something desperate to escape the embarrassment of defeat. She throws all of her weight into Yang, which causes the older sister to lose her balance and fall onto the ground with Lila ontop of her. Lila is quick to seize the opportunity and sits upon Yang. Yang, acting in good humor, taps out, giving Lila the win.

Lila wins the spar! Lila receives the High Spirits bonus, granting a +15 to certain rolls. This is a temporary bonus that will decay over time or disappear entirely should Lila suffer a crippling blow to her self-esteem.

A/N: Man, I sure do love dice don't you? This is also my first fight scene written taking into account dice rolls and I haven't written a fight scene for a while so it might be clunky in places. Any feedback on how to improve is appreciated!

Lila waded her way through the forest while Yang trailed behind. She was still miffed about how her nee-san swept her leg after losing. Yang just had to be a sore loser didn't she? Still, she beat the odds despite everything literally telling her that she was going to lose. So take that, um, everything! Luck Lila just took her first steps towards becoming a legendary Miracle!

Lila let out a yelp when her cat decided it didn't want to walk and leapt onto her shoulder. She gave it a glare, but the feline returned it with half-lidded eyes as if it was saying that she should have better alertness. Lila simply rolled her eyes and glanced back to see if her nee-san wasn't trying to sneak up on her.

And sure enough, Yang had closed the distance between the two of them. Her hands were raised over her head as if she was going to spook someone for a quick laugh. Yang gave Lila a sheepish smile like, before furrowing her eyebrows and made a little boo.

"You're still mad you lost, aren't you?"

"N-no!" Yang sputtered, her cheeks becoming flushed with red. Yep, Yang was still mad she lost.

Lila smirked and her eyes closed slightly. Oh how much she was enjoying being the person who was causing her sister embarrassment for once. It was the second greatest feeling she ever felt, the first when she bonded with her Companion like it was, uh, it was yesterday. S-so uh, if these good things could keep on happening, that would be great! Even if it was only for a few more days…

Lila and Yang followed the path out of the forest and back into the ruined neighborhood. Darkness had claimed dominion over it now, slightering and oozing into every crack and crevice it could. The few street lamps that still worked flickered on and off, but it gave the two sisters guidance on the path they should take back home.

"Soooo, how'd I do?" Lila asked as they walked down the street.

"Eh, about four outta ten."

"But I beat you though!"

"True, true, but if it was, but if it wasn't for your last-minute move or it had gone wrong, I would've won." Yang held up a finger before Lila could protest." In a real fight, you do not want to get grappled, especially since you're still new to fighting. Granted, you're a four because you were able to think fast, otherwise you'd be a one at best. Still, I recommend not getting into a position where you have to resort to desperation in a fight. Fate can be cruel though, so you might have to do such things, but if you can help it, avoid those situations ok?"

…As much as Lila hated to admit it, Yang did have a point. Throwing all of her weight into Yang was a decision she made in the heat of the moment. If she hadn't thought of that or if Yang stabilized herself then it would've been Yang's victory. But Lila was still proud of her quick-wit. There was much room for improvement, though…

"So, um, what would you recommend on avoiding that?"

"That's a case by case thing. Best advice I can give is to have a plan. Have a backup plan in case the first plan goes awry. Have a backup plan for backup plan. And have another plan for the backup-backup plan."

"In short, have many backup plans."

"And always be ready to make a plan on the fly! Something you've figured out already."

Lila nodded as she continued to listen to Yang give more advice on fighting. Nothing new, just more confirmation or expansion on knowledge Lila already knew. She still listened nonetheless as every bit of info would help her out no doubt! Eventually Yang would cease talking after she ran out of advice to give.

The two sisters would travel back home in silence. Lila considered everything that had transpired over the last couple of days, starting from the moment she bonded with her Companion. Yesterday started out like any normal day too. She would wake up early and head to school. It remained normal up until the school had to close because of a fire. Everyone thought it had been a terror attack at the time, but as Lila would later find out, it was because some hot-headed idiot wanted to impress a girl by creating a fire.

Regardless, that idiot's mistake wound up leading Lila towards her Companion. She got hungry on the way home and decided to stop by a local convenience shop to nab a snack. When she exited the store with snacks secured in hand, she heard garbage bins clank as if some wild animal was trying to get into it.

Normally she would avoid wild animals whenever she could. No telling if it was infested with Ichor, slowly transforming it into yet another Yokai. But she felt something urging her to it. Not a pull, but more of a tug like whenever Yang tried to get her attention. And now with hindsight, Lila knew now it was likely her Companion calling for help.

So when she found the trash bins, she found her Companion had somehow gotten stuck in a can… besides several other cans that looked like they had been pried open. And out of pity, she helped gently pull the cat out from the can. It looked at her with a confused stare for a few seconds before something tugged at her mind once again. Again, like it was trying to get her attention all the while the feline sat as if it was patiently waiting for food. Or as Lila better understood now, an answer.

Her Companion stood out at the time since stars were literally gliding across its fur and Lila knew at that moment the feline was a Companion. It took some more mental tugging to drag her out of her stupor, but she excitedly began petting the cat's head in the hope it might bond with her. As much as a lover of magic as she was, the mechanisms behind bonding between a Human and a Companion are poorly understood. One thing was clear though, both had to be open to such a relationship. And Lila clung to that nugget of info in the vain hope of becoming a Miracle.

Of course, the cat refused any pettings whatsoever, opting to instead perch itself on her shoulder as if to claim that she was its pet… come to think of it, she should've taken it as foreshadowing how their relationship was going to be. And like the fangirl she was, she was going to enjoy every second of it.

"Thinking of boys, Lila-chan?" Yang's teasing tone dragged Lila out of her reminiscing.

"No! I was just remembering how I met my Companion."

"And where did you meet your Companion?"

"... by a convenience store."

"Ah, I see. You bribed your cat with food."

This time, both Lila and her Companion glared down upon Yang who shrunk underneath the fury of a woman scorned and the hateful gaze of an eldritch cat.

"Hehehe… heh." Yang rubbed the back of her neck and began walking faster.

The two sisters reached their home without further incident. Once they reached the front of their house, they both deformed back to their normal selves.

Yang held up a finger to her mouth and made a shushing sound to Lila before gesturing to a window whose curtains were unclosed . Lila squinted, trying to make out what Yang was pointing at. It took a split-second for her to recognize the forms of her mom and dad huddling around the main table with a… cake? They actually made a cake? Not one substituted with several subpar ingredients or non-fitting like normal? They shouldn't have, but Lila smiled nonetheless.

Her nee-san nodded at the door, giving Lila expression permission to enter the house first.

Lila took careful steps and caged her excitement so as not to alert her parents she was aware of the surprise. Her Companion rolled its ways at the theatrics, but deigned to keep quiet.

She opened the door and-

"Welcome home!" Her parents shouted. Her father, Stephan, proclaimed his with a big ol grin and outstretched arms in an open invitation for a hug. Her mother, Hyeong, was more reserved. She gave only a gentle smile whose hand gestured to the cake like she wanted Lila to know this was hers. The cake itself was small and round and without any decoration except for her own name in fancy lettering. Fifteen candles sat on top of the cake, waiting to be lit up for a joyous, peaceful moment.

"Okaasan, Otousan! You shouldn't have!"

"But we did, especially since it seems like you're a Miracle now?" Stephan stared at the feline still perched on Lila's shoulders. Its stare was entranced by the beauty of the cake and it licked its lips.

Lila narrowed her eyes in warning to her Companion. She knew what that expression meant. But the feline simply smirked. Well, so long as her cat was kept on her shoulder, she could keep an eye on it.

"Yep, I'm a Miracle now!"

"That is… wonderful indeed Lila-chan…" Hyeong smiled. Though it seemed rather strained. Was okaasan worried about her just like Yang? She knew being a Miracle was dangerous, but really, all this worry was grating on her nerves now! Ugh, but it wasn't right to confront them now, not when okaasan went through all the trouble of making a cake and having to deal with otousan's jokes all the while. Besides, she really wanted to gloat to her parents about how she won the spar!

"I can tell you how I kicked Yang's butt!"

"Oh? Yang, the Dancing Dragon, defeated by her junior?" Stephan grinned and crossed his arms, his eyes glancing over at a fuming Yang.

"Just barely. We can talk about it while we're eating. Should make for good entertainment describing how Lila fumbled about at every step of the way."

"Hey! I did not fumble that much!"

"So you admit that you fumbled?" Yang asked, a grin growing on her face.

"... I am humble enough to admit that as a newly bonded Miracle who has never been in a true fight before, I did indeed fumble." Lila said.

"I am sure that will be a fantastic story to tell when we are eating. Now, shall we have cake?" Hyeong gestured to half of a cake.

It took a few seconds for all of them to realize half of the cake had gone missing. Lila glanced at her shoulder to see that her Companion was suspiciously missing too. Which, uh, meant only one thing.

"I think my cat just stole half of the cake."

Blasted cat and its stupid magic. She would put it on a leash, but knowing Companions, it probably would find a way to slip out before putting pebbles in her shoes as revenge.

"Let us find it then. We will not tolerate such blatant theft." Hyeong frowned, her face twitching if the muscles themselves strained to contain the pressure building up within.

Lila rubbed the back of her neck as her family began their hunt in the living room. She charged herself with keeping her Companion from stealing any portion of the cake yet it managed to not only evade her attention, but ran off with half of the cake like some ghostly bandit. Well, it may not have been her fault for the theft, but the responsibility of finding her Companion fell to her. She would try to discipline the cat, but, uh, well, it was a cat and a Companion. It would be like trying to train a Yokai not to kill people. And trying to find it when it didn't want to be found would be half as difficult.

But maybe she didn't need to physically find it? She had bonded with it and magic was a wondrous, weird thing that could do a lot. So Lila focused on her connection to her Companion, mentally pulling at the tether that tied her to her cat. In a matter of seconds, the tether was yanked back and Lila got an odd sense of someone tugging her in the direction of her room.

Lila told her family she'll search her room in case it retreated there. Hyeong narrowed her eyes, but otherwise nodded. Stephan's head shot up from behind a couch and gave a thumbs up. Yang didn't say anything as she kept ordering Fly to search the room with her, but the Companion refused until it eventually flew off into a crack in the ceiling, leaving behind a half-lidded eye Yang.

With her parents' blessing, Lila dashed off to her room and found her door was ajar. Frosting smeared the door and floor. Paw-prints imprinted into the frosting itself. Lila's eyebrow began twitching as she jerked open the door and scanned her bedroom. The frosting trail led right under her desk. There, she spotted a large and round form pawing its bloated belly.

Her cat gave a meow of contentment as Lila approached. She placed her hands on her hips and shot the feline a disappointed stare, but the companion just kept on patting its belly. A smirk grew on its face, well-aware of its sin and enjoying every second of it.

"Mom is going to have your hide, you know."

The feline snorted, its smirk growing wider as if it considered the threat hollow.

"Okaasan! I found it under my desk!" Lila shouted down the hall.

Though the footfalls came measured and tranquil, the house itself trembled with each step. The figurines on Lila's shelfs quivered as Hyeong's shadow lengthened and the footfalls drew ever closer. The smile of the cat became smaller and smaller the more the realization that its life was in actual danger dawned upon it. Lila huddled in a corner as Hyeong finally entered the room, arms crossed and with a look that expressed nothing, but the utmost disappointment in the Companion.

The Companion shot up to its paws and scrambled to get away. But Hyeong's hands clamped down on the neck of the feline. She dragged the cat to her eye level, the Companion trembling all the while.

"I am well-aware that Companions can understand humans so don't pretend otherwise. And to do so would only greaten my disappointment in you. Companions are supposed to be the hope for humanity to fight against the Yokai, yet here you are fattening yourself on half of a cake which you stole. You would have gotten it if you asked nicely and after we congratulated Lila-chan on becoming a Miracle. And don't think that just because you bonded with my daughter you get pass to do as you please in this house. If anything, my disappointment is greater with such a theft because I believed Companions were kind-hearted creatures so unlike the Yokai."

The Companion snarled at the implication. Its fur bristled and its tail stood up straight-edged. Claws sliced out of its paws, flexing inward as if it was trying to channel its anger into its pads. Indeed, Lila felt an alien rage brimming in the back of her mind yet Hyeong stood steadfast against the display of fury.

"Uh, Okaasan, I don't think we should say things like that." Lila said. This wasn't the first time she'd seen a Companion become enraged like this. And it, uh, never ended well for any normal human that provoked a Companion.

Hyeong narrowed her eyes at the cat and held it for a few seconds before sighing.

"You are right. Nonetheless, that does not absolve you,"Hyeong shook the cat which yowled in terror," from your theft. Your punishment will be decided by Lila-chan."

"Uh." Lila raised a finger.

"The Companion bonded with you, therefore the responsibility of disciplining it falls to you." Hyeong stated as she walked up to Lila and deposited the Companion into her arms.

"O-ok?" Lila shifted the Companion around to adjust her grip to the weight of the cat. Somehow, despite eating an entire half of a cat, it weighed like a pillow. A fluffy, yowling pillow that was trembling like a leaf in a storm.

"Lila-chan, I have to go tell the others. But we'll enjoy what's left of the cake together."

"Of course!"

Hyeong said nothing, but nodded and smiled before leaving.

Lila and her companion both let out a sigh of relief as Hyeong's footfalls faded into the background. But now she'd been left with another problem. Picking a suitable punishment for the little thief. Really though, what would even discipline a Companion? It would take the Kami themselves to carry out the punishment. And even then her Companion might just try to claw them.

She'll, uh, settle on the type of punishment for later. After all, there was still half of the cake left!

Lila set her Companion down on the floor and gave it a stern look to remind it of the trouble it was still in. Unfortunately, given how the cat seemed unimpressed, it appeared her attempt was about as effective as using oil to douse a fire. Regardless, the message was clear.

She exited her room and walked back into the living room where her family was already sitting down and around the cake.

Hyeong was the first to notice Lila and she gestured to her daughter to come over near her. Lila was quick to comply, walking and standing next to Hyeong who gave her a knife.

Lila fumbled with the knife as her Okaasan handed it to her. It felt a little weird for her to cut a cake when it wasn't her birthday yet. She cut cakes before or whatever equivalent they had on her birthdays, but it was still several days away. Yeah, they were celebrating the fact she was a Miracle now yet Lila couldn't help the feeling of awkwardness settling in her stomach. Kinda like going to bed later than one normally does.

Nonetheless, she stilled that awkwardness and began slicing up the cake. It did not take long and plates of cake were slid over to the family.

Yang and Stephan munched theirs with gusto, devouring it in seconds before grabbing another slice. Hyeong rolled her eyes at such blatant disrespect for table manners, but otherwise ate hers slowly to savor the taste of her own home cooked cake. Lila nibbled on her slice and glanced at the hallway in between bites. With how easily her Companion stole half of a cake, she needed to be vigilant against further theft.

She was brought out of her guard when Yang asked if she named her Companion yet.

"Um, not yet. It just gives me this stare whenever I try naming it."

"Oh? Well, Fly just accepted their name without issue, so I can't give any advice."

"Just keep suggesting ones until your cat finds one that is… catisfied with." Stephan grinned and high-fived Yang.

Lila shook her fork at Stephan.

"I will stab you."

"Lila-chan, do not threaten your father. An American he may be, but he remains your father nonetheless and is deserving of respect." Hyeong said.

"Ah, don't worry bout it. My family threatened each other all the time. Even got into a few brawls with one another!"

"I will never understand you Americans."

"Yet you still married me!"

"... I did. But do not mistake my love for you as tolerating your behavior. Now cease corrupting our daughters."

Both Lila and Yang munched on their cakes as two titans glared at one another to see who blinked first. For time eternal the two stood with untiring eyes even as both of theirs began to water from the strain. Yet held firm in their determination. Even the Companions of Yang and Lila awaited the ultimate result. Finally, though, it was Stephan who blinked first.

"Damn, you think a marine would handle a woman half his size." Stephan hung his head in shame.

"Marines may be skilled fighters, but they lack a certain restraint."

"That you're right about." Stephan began wiggling his eyebrows.

"I-yes I am right about." Though Hyeong kept her expression neutral, the faintest amount of red blossomed on her cheeks.

Lila tilted her head to the side as she tried to figure out what Otousan meant by lack of restraint and why Okaasan was blushing. And why was Yang holding a hand over her mouth? She could see her sister's widening grin so why bother even concealing it? Lila racked her brain to the point of it aching, trying to understand what was going on to no avail.

"I don't get it." Lila finally said.

Yang bursted out laughing while Stephan just grinned. Hyeong patted Lila's shoulders, saying that she'll understand should she ever get married. Lila crossed her arms and pouted in response. Why was everyone treating her like a little kid? She was going to be fifteen soon!

"Soooo, I've been meaning to ask this question since you're a Miracle now." Yang raised her fork and pointed it at Lila.

Lila gave Yang a deadpan stare. This was going to be another joke about getting a boyfriend by using her Miracle status, wasn't it?

"What are your goals now? I mean, you're big on Miracles and magic and other related-stuff, but you're one of us now and goals do change when you bond with a Companion. It's… a big responsibility, being a Miracle."

Oh. W-well, Yang was being serious. But her goal hasn't changed now has it? Even as a Miracle, Lila would protect her family from the Yokai or from the gangs demanding 'protection' money. Even from the nationalists ranting and raving about the so-called 'Non-Japanese' needing to be expelled for the safety of Japan. Her family, as annoying as they can be, supported her through thick and thin even when she questioned her place in the world.

"My goal is to help my family. You helped me out and now since I have power, I can help you out in return!"

Yang chuckled.

"That's an obvious one, but what about something more personal?"

Lila scratched her cheeks, a light blush spreading across her face. She always wanted to study magic so becoming a Magiologists was a life-long dream of hers. B-but with being a Miracle and all with the expectations of defending Japan, that dream was stuck in limbo now. Becoming a Magiologists was still a possibility. Several well-known Miracles studied magic and were accomplished scientists, but they expressed frustration at their Miracle duties interfering with their scientific ones. And Lila had other goals as well, ones she thought long out of her reach, but becoming a Miracle had unlocked those shut doors for her. What should she say with so many goals within reach now?

"You don't have to decide anything now, Lila-chan. Becoming a Miracle is a wonderful, but life-changing experience. So you can take your time." Hyeong smiled.

"Yeah, and when you complete one, you can move onto the next. Granted, some of them might take a life-time, but others are sweet and simple to get. And if you ever need help, we're here!" Stephen grinned and fist-bumped the air. Yang also fist-pumped alongside him.

Lila gave her family a smile, her chest squeezing from knowing that her family would help her, no matter what.

Eventually, though, her family would begin to turn in for tonight as it neared midnight. Hyeong and Stephan would be the first to withdraw to their room with a loud snore signaling their slumber. Yang would try to find where Fly had flown off to, search high and low, but in the end shrugged and said her Companion would show up in the morning. She closed her door and a few moments later, orange light crept out from the cracks and Lila heard the crackle of fire.

Lila signed at that. Even after all these years of being a Miracle and facing worse creatures, Yang was still afraid of the dark after the incident.

Lila herself would experiment with her powers in Yang's-well, their practice room for some time. She didn't discover anything else, just confirming what she already knew, but punching the handle off a dummy still felt awesome! And she did it without getting splinters either.

But exhaustion began to take hold and she dragged herself to her bedroom.

She would collapse onto her bed and sinked into its embrace. Lila hugged her pillow, glancing over to her Companion. The feline was sitting on her desk, tail waving side to side as it stared out her window into the world.

It was still hard to believe that she was a Miracle now. A literal superhuman with magical powers. It-it's like being chosen by the Kami or becoming a Budda. Something so fantastical and overwhelming that it shocks the mind. But here she was! A Miracle, a defender of humanity.

The path ahead wouldn't be easy, that was for sure. It would be fraught with danger and injury, but heroes always came up on top.

Lila drifted into sleep, dreaming of a bright world where the vile monsters were beaten by virtuous heroes.

Unbeknownst to Lila, her Companion had shut its eyes. Through the connection that all of its kind shared, it felt the pained cry from one of its siblings as its bond to its human was smashed to bits. The rage and terror as its sibling watched on helplessly as a mask was nailed into the skull of its bonded human and their soul eaten away over the hours till only the body remained. And its disgust as the husk rose up, devoid of their humanity and forever beyond recovery.

The feline opened its eyes and laid down. There was nothing it could do as its connection to its sibling went silent.

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Sneak Roll: Does Lila's Companion get a slice of cake?... 91 + 25(Lucky Charm) = 116
The feline not only gets a slice, but somehow steals half the cake and disappears to who knows where.

Magic Roll: Can Lila find her Companion before it eats its stolen half?... 76 + 15(High Spirits) + 10(Lover of Magic) - 25(Lucky Charm) = 76
Lila finds her Companion, but most of the slice has already been eaten. The Feline gives a meow of contentment as its paws its bloated belly.

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Combat Proficiency: 10(Victorious Spar) + 5(Combat Advice) = 15/100

Magic Proficiency: 15*2(Passed Checks) = 30/400

Social Proficiency: 5(Passed Checks) = 5/200

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A/N: Been awhile, eh? I'm sorry for the delay, but several things occurred and I lost interest for a while, especially since I'm writing another non-quest story. Because of this, a couple of things will need to be addressed.

I'm going to be experimenting on how the dice is shown. Originally I was going to plot them down in the middle of certain sections, but I did that in some of the drafts during the spar and I found it ruined the flow of things when they started to add up. Because of that, I'll be showing the results at the end of each post, but try to make it clear which roll pertains to which section for now. So if you have any questions or comments on the system, I would love to hear it!

Another thing is that there'll be an update schedule I'm currently planning. At the moment, the plan is to switch between stories after an entire arc is completed and posted. This will be starting at the end of the next arc, but in the meantime, I will be focusing on Miracles at Mind's End until then.