Hundred Night Blade (A Magical Girl Quest)
- Thread starter InfiniteDaze
- Start date
- Original Mature
Alexander89
Pet the pretty kitty? Y/N
- Location
- Italy
[X] The Headphones
kinigget
Best Demon
- Location
- People's Republic of Portland
This is fine and good, but do be aware that just because the emblem is headphones, doesn't mean it's going to have anything to do with TWEWY.
Aesthetics are aesthetics and nothing more.
Also: I fear people are getting too caught up in the one influence and failing to realize that this is also very Persona, among other things.
And further, I would discourage voting based purely on the aesthetic anyway, just for personal reasons
- Location
- over there
[X] The Chain
I'm not sure what it is about this option, but it intrigues me
I'm not sure what it is about this option, but it intrigues me
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
[X] The Chain
Seems neat.
Seems neat.
Agh, fine.
Dae tried to throw a knife at me through discord for not voting and I responded by having the Gundam flip him off before explaining myself.
We know shit and all and, like I noted before, without context youkai dialect might as well be actual gibberish.
I said that about 30 seconds ago btw.
When can we start cutting up Youkai Dialect with the Muramasa? It needs some trimming.
I'm not joking btw. One of the swords in canon is used to cut a guy's obsession away.
Dae tried to throw a knife at me through discord for not voting and I responded by having the Gundam flip him off before explaining myself.
We know shit and all and, like I noted before, without context youkai dialect might as well be actual gibberish.
I said that about 30 seconds ago btw.
When can we start cutting up Youkai Dialect with the Muramasa? It needs some trimming.
I'm not joking btw. One of the swords in canon is used to cut a guy's obsession away.
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
Hey now, let me get the record straight.
I am an equal opportunity knife thrower. No one shall escape.
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
As much as I agree that the context of the statement was a bit lacking, I'd prefer to not get a hint on it. There's nothing wrong with going into a situation with incomplete information. Besides, this is an exam. Abe-No-Seimei said pretty directly that the envelopes are to help guide participants in the exam to the examiners. I'd say that we have plenty of information to work with.
No actually. You can go back to my post on the last page and daze's response to that.
The hints are more for the actual test.
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
^^ This is from the last story update, and is said by Ame-No-Seimei.
So, I'm pretty certain that Abe-No-Seimei literally told us that the envelopes contents were to help guide us to the examiners. No Yokai Dialect shenanigans there. As for hints on the exam, well, I'd rather function off what we can deduce from in-character observation.
Edit: If you are referring to what she said about the symbols themselves that were on the envelopes, then I'd still prefer that we not get out of character hints. Certainly, the symbols have meaning. I'd prefer to find out what that meaning is through the story.
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InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
Seimei didn't think this exam thorough did she? The only reason you have more information then just the symbols is because someone actually bothered to ask.
Though I will say, while Kini is a beta reader, I don't think it's really a good idea to label Youkai Dialect under just "Chunni speak". It's a very loose sort of phrasing that implies one shouldn't actually pay attention to the words and the meaning behind it.
BlackHadou
Bunny-Sensei
[X] The Kunai
Vote closed
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
Been working on this for a little bit now with help from the Discord, especially @InfiniteDaze , and here we go. Inspired by TWEWY, and the references to it in the last update... One TWEWY character expy, built as an Omnyouji, one who uses Arts without a Yokai Contract.
- Neku Sekuraba
-
Neku Sakuraba
- Stats
- Weapon
- Pin Arts
- Fusion Arts
- Abilities
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InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
Just for the record, I've kept my lips zipped on the specifics of Omnyouji lore so if you aren't in the discord you haven't missed anything.
- Pronouns
- They/Them/Their
To the point where there might be some things wrong with the Health and Resilience controllers, and/or even how Arts are handled.
HEADPHONES TWILIGHT
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
The decision wasn't exactly an easy one, but it wasn't one that Momohime spent too much time worrying about.
She felt Demon Blade nod her head. "I suppose that's as good a choice as any."
The aspiring exorcist nervously began to walk towards the kitsune at the center of the park. A feeling of dread sinking into her stomach with every step she took. Doubts raced through her head, causing her train of thought to skid to a halt. Was she about to pick the wrong choice? What if she got to the trial and was completely unprepared?
"Calm yourself." The magical girl said softly. "Such thoughts will only serve to rust your blade."
"I get that but…" Her reflection muttered before shaking her head. "No, you're right. I'm going to do this. This Momohime has to do this!"
Her stride picked up pace until she practically ran into the line in front of the kitsune. Her foot tapped nervously against the ground, but it wasn't with impatience. It was more akin to a ritual, something to hype herself up. Getting her body moving and her heart pumping as her fellow examiners received their packets.
Before she even knew it, Momohime's turn approached.
"...Iseko Soushuu..." The purple haired girl in front of her spoke tiredly as she yawned. The aspiring exorcist wasn't really paying attention to her, but she did note that she looked way too young to be taking this exam. "...The Chain."
"Examiner confirmed." The beautiful fox girls announced as they passed her the respective envelope. "We wish you luck and happiness."
"Mmh." Iseko nodded before walking away, leaving the former office lady at the very front.
Alright, it was time to do this! She could do this!
"Um, Momohime Tsukigami!" The former office lady shouted way too loudly as nervous energy filled her body. Horror immediately filled her face as she avoided the other's gazes. Oh this was so not good. With a quieter voice she continued. "T-The Headphones?"
"Momohime Tsukigami…" One of the kitsune giggled as she glanced over at a list in her hand. Her finger trailed down the paper before she blinked. Dread filled the aspiring exorcist as the vixen leaned over and showed the sheet towards the kitsune next to her. Her office worker instincts instantly kicked in, as she recognized a superior co-worker when she saw one.
"Is there something wrong?" The black haired woman hesitantly asked.
"It's nothing. Just a naming mix up." The higher ranking fox girl spoke calmly as she handed her the packet with the headphones on them. "You're the Momohime yes? Examinee confirmed. We wish you luck and happiness."
"Alright." Momohime nodded as she quietly took the envelope out of her hand and scurried away from Shibuya crossing. After that amount of public embarrassment, she needed a quick time to gather her thoughts.
"Then if you need a distraction, I shall assist." Demon Blade chimed in. "Why is it that you picked the Headphones in particular?"
"It wasn't really anything special…" The aspiring exorcist admitted. "It's just that of the three, it was the trial that seemed the least dangerous."
A chain? A kunai?
They were both weapons, signifying something dangerous. Momohime wasn't exactly afraid of fighting and combat, especially not after the previous two youkai incidents she had encountered. Still she wasn't the kind of person who would willingly hurl themselves into chaos if she could help it.
"So you say, but is that not the entire point of this exam?" The magical girl countered. "If you were so truly afraid of danger then you would not be here. Were you not the one who declared that to live life you have to face pain."
The aspiring exorcist sighed. Sahou's face flashed in her mind. Not the muscular adonis she met on the roof, but the withered man she brought out of the building. "That's true. Apologies. It's… Hard to change so easily."
"I wonder if that's truly the case." Her reflection simply said. "Perhaps it was mere curiosity that drove your decision. Or maybe it was just a mere whim. Regardless, I don't believe your choice was out of cowderice."
Momohime blinked. "You really think so?"
"I believe so. What motivates a person is rarely clear, so I suggest you not spend any time needlessly worrying." Demon Blade declared. "Do we not have an exam to take?"
"Oh! Right!" Momohime exclaimed as she hurriedly opened the envelope and pulled out- "A piece of paper?"
It was a simple parchment, the kind that felt rough to the touch. There were no instructions on it, no directions. Instead the only thing there was a simple arrow drawn in ink. It pointed forwards.
"I guess we just follow this?" The aspiring exorcist cautiously said as she began to walk forward. The streets of this 'Weightless Shibuya' still sent a shiver down her spines. Paths that led to nowhere, signs never meant to be read. It was dirty, but more like someone simply put a filter on the place then any true dirt and grime. Momohime glanced down at the paper again. "Ah!"
The arrow, without any warning, had changed the direction it was pointing towards. Demon Blade let out a hum. "So the envelopes serve as a compass, I see. It appears that for this level of examination, they don't expect you to be an expert at navigating weightless space. How fortunate for us."
Momohime's eyes widened as she followed the paper into a back alley. Flashes of textbooks appearing in her head. "Oh I get it! Since the streets are all scrambled, the paper serves as a conduit to guide the mind towards the destination! Wait… Doesn't that mean without it we'd be completely lost?"
"Worse than lost." The verteran dream walker commented. "We'd be unable to reach the trial at all. Forever trapped wandering through ever shifting roads with no destination in mind."
The black haired woman shivered before a thought came to her. "Then on the other hand… Could we simply arrive there if I just focused on the paper? Yeah, like how we escaped the weightless space in the office building!"
Demon Blade didn't even need to say anything. The aspiring exorcist felt positively giddy as her two weeks of craming the basics of the night world kicked in. Holding the paper in the air, Momohime's eyes focused on the arrow. Unlike last time, she didn't know where she was going. But she did know the direction. Common sense dictated that she would need to go through a lot more turns to navigate these backstreets.
Luckily, common sense didn't really apply any more.
"Believe in the path in front of you." Her reflection instructed as the alleyway rippled in front of her. "This realm isn't so weighted that you can't influence where you're heading."
"This paper is guiding me to the end of this path." Momohime declared. It wasn't a statement of fact, it was the creation of fact. It was guiding her forward, so all she needed to do was go forward right? With a confident stride and her head held high, the former office lady made her way through the tainted city. There was no big change, no special effect, as naturally as if the path had always led there, she stepped out onto the main street.
The arrow pointed at a building and Momohime knew it was her destination. Mostly because of what it was. An awkward laugh escaped her lips. "Why am I not surprised?"
The building stood tall above her. Huge yellow pillars were connected to it's entrance, a giant circular disc with the words "No Music No Life" written in cartoony red font placed on top of it. It's name was burning in bright neon that cut into the night. It was, of course, Shibuya's one and only Tower Records.
From the looks of it, Momohime wasn't the only one slapping her forehead. As more and more examines emerged into the main street, the black haired woman observed them rolling their eyes or giving a light groan. After all it was entirely too obvious that the symbol of the headphones would lead to Tower Records of all places.
But of course, Momohime couldn't stand around forever. Nervously, she began to follow everyone inside of the building. The fresh breeze of AC practically slapped her in the face as the aspiring exorcist looked around to find the building… surprisingly normal. The CDs and DvDs being sold were, of course, completely unreasonable but other than that not much had changed in the weightless space.
"Hey, you made it." A man spoke, grabbing her attention. One look and the first thing that came to Momohime's mind was the word 'carefree'. With a slouched back and loose fitting suit, he didn't give the impression that he was taking this seriously at all. One of his hands adjusted the black sunglasses that obscured his eyes while the other caressed his unshaven beard stubble. "There's like, what? One, seven, twelve of you here? Seems like I've pulled the short end of the stick this time."
He paused, waiting to see if any more people would show up. When no one else entered the door, he finally continued talking. "Alright listen up because it'll be a pain to explain this more than once. The name's Odo, Ryuu Odo, and the task I have for you guys is simple: Find me a specific song."
There was a brief mummer of confusion before Odo raised his hand. "Before you all start complaining, shut up. From this floor all the way up the seventh floor there's going to be a bunch of instruments all scattered about. One of them on each floor will have a piece of the song that you need. Bring the song here and play it, and you pass. Easy enough?"
Momohime couldn't help but think that that was… a very poor explanation. Hesitantly, she raised her hand. "E-Excuse me?"
The lackadaisical man instantly glanced over her direction and gave a wave. "Shoot kid."
"I'm… Twenty three."
"Yeah that's what I'll tell the cops." He flippantly replied. "You gonna ask your question or not?"
"Right! How do we know which song is the right one?" The mousy woman asked. "You aren't… giving us a lot to go off of?"
"Of course someone asks that." Odo groaned as he threw himself into the chair behind him. "Lemme ask you this, what's your favorite genre of music?"
Momohime paused as her mind drew a blank. "I… don't really listen to music?"
"Really? Not even like jazz? City pop?"
What? "No I… don't know what those are?"
The examiner put a hand to his forehead. "God I should fail you on the spot. Who here knows what city pop is?"
Out of the over a dozen people here, only three of them raised their hand. Momohime swore that Odo's sunglasses were going to pop off. "I swear you guys get worse and worse every year. Well to answer your question miss jailbait-"
"I'm Twenty Three!"
"And I'm in my late thirties. You're a kid either way." The examiner continued without missing a beat. "Just go with your gut. Keep your ears open, and you'll be sure to find it. Ya dig? But ah, make sure not to listen too carefully. Get distracted and pick the wrong instrument… Well, I'm sure It'll be happy."
WIth that, Odo snapped his fingers. The door to the stairs swung wide as the elevators opened simultaneously. "Take your time, I'll be chillin down here. Don't bother me with pointless shit and have fun."
As if to announce that he was completely done with this conversation, he quietly put on a pair of fancy headphones before kicking his feet onto the counter and closing his eyes. Momohime blinked, waiting one second. Then two. By the third, it had utterly apparent that yep, he just didn't care any more.
Some of the other examines began to filter into the elevator. A veteran of awkward rides, the aspiring exorcist instead opted to take the stairs. Fluorescent lights blared into her eyes as she walked upwards, coming to a stop at the first door she saw.
"Floor 1 - Classical." Momohime read as she tried to glance through the door's window, only to find it blacked out. "I guess this is it huh?"
"Be on your guard." Demon Blade warned. "A youkai is a youkai no matter the shape. Benign they may be, but harmless they are not."
The black haired woman nodded. "Should I hand you control then?"
"I'd recommend against it, personally." Her reflection replied. "We don't know how much time going through the trials will take us, and I cannot stay in the weighted world forever. Draw the Blade only when it's necessary and never more than that. Besides, this is your exam Momohime."
With a solemn nod, the aspiring exorcist pushed open the door and stepped inside.
That was a mistake.
What was once a hyper-modern shopping building in the midst of Shibuya had inexplicably been transformed into a gigantic concert building. Chandeliers illuminated the room, hanging from the ceiling that stretched past the limits of Tower Records exterior and seemingly into the sky. The floor was slick and glassy, in any other circumstances it might have been a pleasure to be here. Right now however, the moment Momohime walked inside she instantly had to clutch her head as the most intense migraine she had ever experienced hit her all at once.
The room was filled with many classical instruments, from the grand piano that took center stage to the cellos that stood waiting in the stands. Even the walls were plastered with enough old european instruments to take up nearly the entire room. There was enough here to form an entire orchestra, or on paper at least. In reality, an orchestra was formed by the instruments all combining their sounds together to create one full, melodic piece. However in this concert hall, each and every instrument played their own tune with no care for the others. An orchestra only had room for one soloist at a time, a memo none of them had gotten.
To a listener, well…
"I think I'm going to be sick." Momohime moaned as she tried to pull herself back on her feet. Her ears felt like they had been set on fire. Her brain could only handle so many thoughts from so many notes played in so many ways. With shaky legs, the aspiring exorcist stepped forwards as other examinees entered from the elevator.
"I admit that this is… Ear grating." Demon Blade growled. Her own reflection was drowned out by the solo symphony. Impressive since she was a voice in Momohime's head. "Does that bum really expect us to single out a specific song in this mess?"
"He said to um, keep our ears opened and go with our gut?" The aspiring exorcist closed her eyes and listened closely. The songs blended together into a thorny tidal wave that bashed into her skull. "Euk, nope!"
"I confess, I don't think I'll be able to assist you here."
"It's not your fault." She sighed. "I'll just… walk around a bit. See if I can find anything."
When one listened to good music, time flew by in an instant. When one listened to bad music, time slowed down to a crawl. For Momohime, listening to this cacophony buried time six feet under. She agonizingly made her way through the floor as she tried to get her thoughts in order. There was no physically possible way that she could differentiate one tune from another, so instead she tried to search the room itself for clues. Luckily, she was able to find one thing.
Under each instrument, there was a small plaque and short description of what it was. A hurdy gurdy, once favored by a king who lost his hand and could play no more. A baroque flute, phased out once the more modern flutes were designed. No matter the instrument however, the story was always the same.
"One day, someone put it down and it was never picked up again." Momohime mumbled to herself as she gave a quick glance at the instruments in question. They preened at her attention, playing louder, sharper. Instinctively, she stepped back. "Demon Blade…"
"Forgotten tunes that refuse to go silent with the final note." Her counterpart recited. "That was the phrasing used for this trial, was it not?"
Black eyes narrowed. "So that could only mean that these instruments are Youka-"
"Hey!"
Her instincts kicked in. Before she even realized what she was doing, her feet spun around and her fist slammed into something. No, rather, it was some one. With a groan, he fell to the ground. Momohime looked on in a horror before she quickly knelt down and tried to help him up. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! You just startled me! I-I didn't mean too-!"
"Talk about one hell of a blow!" The young boy, the rude one from Shibuya Crossing Momohime realized, groaned as he dusted himself off. Now that she looked at him closely, despite the dyed peach blonde hair whose black roots were still visible, he didn't exactly give off much of a punk attitude. More a… childish sense of style. Not that Momohime really knew what was stylish. The high school kid quickly readjusted the headphones over his ears (an idea Momohime wished she thought of earlier) before letting out a sigh. "Though I guess it is my fault for suddenly spooking you."
"No but that doesn't make it okay for me to just attack you!" The mousey woman protested. "I really don't know what came over me!"
"It's fine. I'm fine." He sighed before placing his hands on his hips. "Look, you're the chick who's kitsune was talking with Kouyou right?"
Momohime blinked. "Kouyou?"
"The one who dragged my ass out during the explanation of the exam." The boy let out another groan as he rolled his neck. Now that she was looking closely, Momohime realized she could still see a faded handprint on the kid's cheek. "Holy hells she was pissed. Chewed me out for so long I missed the explanation for the actual exam itself."
"Oh, then um yes." The young woman nodded nervously. "My name's Momohime Tsukigami."
"Mmh. Name's Kei Kagami." The newly identified Kei held out his hand. For some reason, they were completely covered in wrapping, a second layer going up his jacket and seemingly binding the cloth to arm. Momohime tentatively shook it. "You mind telling me what we're actually supposed to be doing? There's this weirdo at the counter downstairs who wouldn't respond to anything I did and everyone else I've seen so far seems to be, well…"
He pointed at the other examine on the floor, who was shuffling across the ground. "Well, they all look like that."
The man's eyes were glassy. Like a puppet being pulled on strings, he shuffled across the concert hall slowly. Making his way through the stands as his head slowly nodded to a beat only he heard. Momohime's head quickly whipped around the floor to glance at the two others who had started here. She was certain that they were all lucid when they exited the elevator but now their presence was only physical.
"When did that-" The aspiring exorcist began, only to be interrupted by a loud note that reverberated through the concert hall. The shambling daydreamer had taken a seat at the grand piano at the center of the concert hall. Slowly, he played a note on the key. And then another. Soon he was haphazardly playing a melody that overpowered the other instruments in the concert hall. It was in the major key, but with a somber darkness to it that lurked underneath.
Momohime couldn't help clenching her fist and taking in a hiss of air. A fact that Kei seemed to agree with as the two slowly pressed their backs against the other's, silently scanning the room around them.
The melody grew faster, hungrier. It's notes and phrasing taking chaotic twists and turns that the song itself couldn't take. Soon enough, the man had degraded to just slamming his fists on to the piano keys. No rhythm at all, and yet it was still somehow building to a crescendo. When the peak finally arrived, the piano decided to add a new instrument.
Crunch.
A sickening sound.
Momohime watched in horror as the lid of the piano flew open, turning into a giant jaw that chomped down upon the poor man's arms. The once harmonious melody had turned into the nightmarish sound of bone and flesh being ground down. Blood dripped down onto the floor the coppery scent filling the air as bile threatened to escape her stomach. It was only when his arms had become no more than stubs did the man's mind return to him. A horrible scream of pain reverberate throughout the concert hall as the instruments came to life, their own music adding to the symphony of nightmares.
The scarring scene lasted for a brief few moments before two girls folded into existence next to the man. No, they weren't girls. Their bodies were flat, made of neatly folded paper that was just shaped to look like a person. They quietly smashed their fists into the piano before grabbing the poor man. For a brief second, Momohime stared into their blank, faceless paper gaze. They pulled out a piece of paper and slapped it onto the armless man's forehead. As if the scene was just a mirage, they vanished.
It wasn't hard to tell what just happened.
He had failed the exam.
And of course, in doing so, had left a very angry piano monster running around the concert hall. The rest of the instruments soon joined in, rising from their places with hollow holes that sharpened into eyes. Broken strings acted like a wild mane as they growled and howled their own forgotten tunes.
Momohime's breath hitched as the piano turned towards them. Drool escaped it's open jaw. It let out a mess of notes similar to a bark as it charged through the concert hall, straight towards them.
Kei clicked his tongue before biting down upon his thumb. "Invoke!"
A spectral hand formed into existence, slamming itself down on to the piano with a loud thud. It squirmed and howled underneath, calling the other instruments to join it's hunt. By this point Momohime realized that she was never standing in a concert hall, with cultured and sophisticated music. No this had always been nothing more than a den of beasts.
"Momohime-"
"Right! Invoke!" The princess called, and the Sword appeared. Demon Blade quickly took control of her hands as she unsheathed it's steel. Wind gently blew against the water of her soul. "I am the one who shall bear the curse. Awaken, Magical Girl Demon Blade."
The youkai let out a cry at the sudden burst of magic, flinching away from the swordsman. Kei however, only wiped the sweat from his brow as he stared at Demon Blade with wide eyes. "Holy crap… What the hell is a magical girl doing here?!"
"Taking the exam." She replied before turning her gaze to the impossible creatures that surrounded them. "I thought that to be obvious."
"Like hell that is!" The high schooler retorted. "Where the hell did the girl I was just talking to go?"
"I'm still here!" Momohime cried as she projected her flame body onto the world. "Demon Blade is just sort of like my… reflection?"
Kei's eyes darted between the flame and the swordsman so fast the aspiring exorcist was worried that he would go cross eyed. Before he could even say anything though, a high pitched laugh interrupted him.
"Kakaka! You're still bound by the laws of the weighted world if mere logic is enough to keep you down big bro." A little girl forced herself into existence, floating behind the high schooler with a leisurely laugh. Her hair was jet black, stylized in an old fashioned bob cut. Pale white skin was contrasted by a bright red skirt, though the thing that grabbed Momohime's attention the most was the absurdly smug grin on her face as she poked at the blonde boy's head. "They're the same person Ob~vi~ous~ly~!"
"Oh shut up!" Kei yelled back, his cheeks dusted red. "They have magic mumbo jumbo going on! You can't blame me!"
"Not taking responsibility ain't cool ya know!" The strange girl grinned before floating in front of Demon Blade, giving an upside down wave. "Still, it's cool to have a magical girl in the Night World! Though you look familiar for some reason… Have you run into a ripple of mine before?"
"...Perhaps." The magical girl sighed. "If you are who I think you are, then the ripples you've caused are quite numerous."
"Kakaka! But of course!" The youkai laughed before standing on top of her contractor's shoulders. "I am the Queen of the School Yard after all! The one and only Toilet Bound Hanako-san is here to give her shining debut!"
"Get off!" Kei yelled, trying to shake the child off. "Queen of the School Yard my ass, you're a two-bit creepy pasta at best!"
"Um, not to be rude but…" Momohime nervously glanced at the encroaching instruments from hell. "I think we have other problems to deal with."
"True. We'll put off the pleasantries for later." The swordsman quickly took her stance before glancing at the other contractors. "I trust you two can handle yourself in a fight?"
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" The contractor replied as he raised his fists. "We wouldn't be here if we were just pushovers."
"What big bro said!" Hanako lifted up her hands and Momohime watched as they sharpened into elongated nails. Her eyes twisted into dark voids as trails of blood ran down them. "No matter how many enemies there are, those who hurt my friends will suffer hell."
Momohime tried not to think about how creepy that sounded and instead focused her attention on the nightmares that weren't on her side.
The first act of the infernal cacophony had ended. Now, the fight was on.
[] There's too many. Attempt to Escape the room
[] Focus on destroying all the instruments
[] Write in
AN: We have approached the territory of "Honestly I don't actually have a reference image". If you see any sheets without reference images from this point on, please use your imagination.
She felt Demon Blade nod her head. "I suppose that's as good a choice as any."
The aspiring exorcist nervously began to walk towards the kitsune at the center of the park. A feeling of dread sinking into her stomach with every step she took. Doubts raced through her head, causing her train of thought to skid to a halt. Was she about to pick the wrong choice? What if she got to the trial and was completely unprepared?
"Calm yourself." The magical girl said softly. "Such thoughts will only serve to rust your blade."
"I get that but…" Her reflection muttered before shaking her head. "No, you're right. I'm going to do this. This Momohime has to do this!"
Her stride picked up pace until she practically ran into the line in front of the kitsune. Her foot tapped nervously against the ground, but it wasn't with impatience. It was more akin to a ritual, something to hype herself up. Getting her body moving and her heart pumping as her fellow examiners received their packets.
Before she even knew it, Momohime's turn approached.
"...Iseko Soushuu..." The purple haired girl in front of her spoke tiredly as she yawned. The aspiring exorcist wasn't really paying attention to her, but she did note that she looked way too young to be taking this exam. "...The Chain."
"Examiner confirmed." The beautiful fox girls announced as they passed her the respective envelope. "We wish you luck and happiness."
"Mmh." Iseko nodded before walking away, leaving the former office lady at the very front.
Alright, it was time to do this! She could do this!
"Um, Momohime Tsukigami!" The former office lady shouted way too loudly as nervous energy filled her body. Horror immediately filled her face as she avoided the other's gazes. Oh this was so not good. With a quieter voice she continued. "T-The Headphones?"
"Momohime Tsukigami…" One of the kitsune giggled as she glanced over at a list in her hand. Her finger trailed down the paper before she blinked. Dread filled the aspiring exorcist as the vixen leaned over and showed the sheet towards the kitsune next to her. Her office worker instincts instantly kicked in, as she recognized a superior co-worker when she saw one.
"Is there something wrong?" The black haired woman hesitantly asked.
"It's nothing. Just a naming mix up." The higher ranking fox girl spoke calmly as she handed her the packet with the headphones on them. "You're the Momohime yes? Examinee confirmed. We wish you luck and happiness."
"Alright." Momohime nodded as she quietly took the envelope out of her hand and scurried away from Shibuya crossing. After that amount of public embarrassment, she needed a quick time to gather her thoughts.
"Then if you need a distraction, I shall assist." Demon Blade chimed in. "Why is it that you picked the Headphones in particular?"
"It wasn't really anything special…" The aspiring exorcist admitted. "It's just that of the three, it was the trial that seemed the least dangerous."
A chain? A kunai?
They were both weapons, signifying something dangerous. Momohime wasn't exactly afraid of fighting and combat, especially not after the previous two youkai incidents she had encountered. Still she wasn't the kind of person who would willingly hurl themselves into chaos if she could help it.
"So you say, but is that not the entire point of this exam?" The magical girl countered. "If you were so truly afraid of danger then you would not be here. Were you not the one who declared that to live life you have to face pain."
The aspiring exorcist sighed. Sahou's face flashed in her mind. Not the muscular adonis she met on the roof, but the withered man she brought out of the building. "That's true. Apologies. It's… Hard to change so easily."
"I wonder if that's truly the case." Her reflection simply said. "Perhaps it was mere curiosity that drove your decision. Or maybe it was just a mere whim. Regardless, I don't believe your choice was out of cowderice."
Momohime blinked. "You really think so?"
"I believe so. What motivates a person is rarely clear, so I suggest you not spend any time needlessly worrying." Demon Blade declared. "Do we not have an exam to take?"
"Oh! Right!" Momohime exclaimed as she hurriedly opened the envelope and pulled out- "A piece of paper?"
It was a simple parchment, the kind that felt rough to the touch. There were no instructions on it, no directions. Instead the only thing there was a simple arrow drawn in ink. It pointed forwards.
"I guess we just follow this?" The aspiring exorcist cautiously said as she began to walk forward. The streets of this 'Weightless Shibuya' still sent a shiver down her spines. Paths that led to nowhere, signs never meant to be read. It was dirty, but more like someone simply put a filter on the place then any true dirt and grime. Momohime glanced down at the paper again. "Ah!"
The arrow, without any warning, had changed the direction it was pointing towards. Demon Blade let out a hum. "So the envelopes serve as a compass, I see. It appears that for this level of examination, they don't expect you to be an expert at navigating weightless space. How fortunate for us."
Momohime's eyes widened as she followed the paper into a back alley. Flashes of textbooks appearing in her head. "Oh I get it! Since the streets are all scrambled, the paper serves as a conduit to guide the mind towards the destination! Wait… Doesn't that mean without it we'd be completely lost?"
"Worse than lost." The verteran dream walker commented. "We'd be unable to reach the trial at all. Forever trapped wandering through ever shifting roads with no destination in mind."
The black haired woman shivered before a thought came to her. "Then on the other hand… Could we simply arrive there if I just focused on the paper? Yeah, like how we escaped the weightless space in the office building!"
Demon Blade didn't even need to say anything. The aspiring exorcist felt positively giddy as her two weeks of craming the basics of the night world kicked in. Holding the paper in the air, Momohime's eyes focused on the arrow. Unlike last time, she didn't know where she was going. But she did know the direction. Common sense dictated that she would need to go through a lot more turns to navigate these backstreets.
Luckily, common sense didn't really apply any more.
"Believe in the path in front of you." Her reflection instructed as the alleyway rippled in front of her. "This realm isn't so weighted that you can't influence where you're heading."
"This paper is guiding me to the end of this path." Momohime declared. It wasn't a statement of fact, it was the creation of fact. It was guiding her forward, so all she needed to do was go forward right? With a confident stride and her head held high, the former office lady made her way through the tainted city. There was no big change, no special effect, as naturally as if the path had always led there, she stepped out onto the main street.
The arrow pointed at a building and Momohime knew it was her destination. Mostly because of what it was. An awkward laugh escaped her lips. "Why am I not surprised?"
The building stood tall above her. Huge yellow pillars were connected to it's entrance, a giant circular disc with the words "No Music No Life" written in cartoony red font placed on top of it. It's name was burning in bright neon that cut into the night. It was, of course, Shibuya's one and only Tower Records.
From the looks of it, Momohime wasn't the only one slapping her forehead. As more and more examines emerged into the main street, the black haired woman observed them rolling their eyes or giving a light groan. After all it was entirely too obvious that the symbol of the headphones would lead to Tower Records of all places.
But of course, Momohime couldn't stand around forever. Nervously, she began to follow everyone inside of the building. The fresh breeze of AC practically slapped her in the face as the aspiring exorcist looked around to find the building… surprisingly normal. The CDs and DvDs being sold were, of course, completely unreasonable but other than that not much had changed in the weightless space.
"Hey, you made it." A man spoke, grabbing her attention. One look and the first thing that came to Momohime's mind was the word 'carefree'. With a slouched back and loose fitting suit, he didn't give the impression that he was taking this seriously at all. One of his hands adjusted the black sunglasses that obscured his eyes while the other caressed his unshaven beard stubble. "There's like, what? One, seven, twelve of you here? Seems like I've pulled the short end of the stick this time."
He paused, waiting to see if any more people would show up. When no one else entered the door, he finally continued talking. "Alright listen up because it'll be a pain to explain this more than once. The name's Odo, Ryuu Odo, and the task I have for you guys is simple: Find me a specific song."
There was a brief mummer of confusion before Odo raised his hand. "Before you all start complaining, shut up. From this floor all the way up the seventh floor there's going to be a bunch of instruments all scattered about. One of them on each floor will have a piece of the song that you need. Bring the song here and play it, and you pass. Easy enough?"
Momohime couldn't help but think that that was… a very poor explanation. Hesitantly, she raised her hand. "E-Excuse me?"
The lackadaisical man instantly glanced over her direction and gave a wave. "Shoot kid."
"I'm… Twenty three."
"Yeah that's what I'll tell the cops." He flippantly replied. "You gonna ask your question or not?"
"Right! How do we know which song is the right one?" The mousy woman asked. "You aren't… giving us a lot to go off of?"
"Of course someone asks that." Odo groaned as he threw himself into the chair behind him. "Lemme ask you this, what's your favorite genre of music?"
Momohime paused as her mind drew a blank. "I… don't really listen to music?"
"Really? Not even like jazz? City pop?"
What? "No I… don't know what those are?"
The examiner put a hand to his forehead. "God I should fail you on the spot. Who here knows what city pop is?"
Out of the over a dozen people here, only three of them raised their hand. Momohime swore that Odo's sunglasses were going to pop off. "I swear you guys get worse and worse every year. Well to answer your question miss jailbait-"
"I'm Twenty Three!"
"And I'm in my late thirties. You're a kid either way." The examiner continued without missing a beat. "Just go with your gut. Keep your ears open, and you'll be sure to find it. Ya dig? But ah, make sure not to listen too carefully. Get distracted and pick the wrong instrument… Well, I'm sure It'll be happy."
WIth that, Odo snapped his fingers. The door to the stairs swung wide as the elevators opened simultaneously. "Take your time, I'll be chillin down here. Don't bother me with pointless shit and have fun."
As if to announce that he was completely done with this conversation, he quietly put on a pair of fancy headphones before kicking his feet onto the counter and closing his eyes. Momohime blinked, waiting one second. Then two. By the third, it had utterly apparent that yep, he just didn't care any more.
Some of the other examines began to filter into the elevator. A veteran of awkward rides, the aspiring exorcist instead opted to take the stairs. Fluorescent lights blared into her eyes as she walked upwards, coming to a stop at the first door she saw.
"Floor 1 - Classical." Momohime read as she tried to glance through the door's window, only to find it blacked out. "I guess this is it huh?"
"Be on your guard." Demon Blade warned. "A youkai is a youkai no matter the shape. Benign they may be, but harmless they are not."
The black haired woman nodded. "Should I hand you control then?"
"I'd recommend against it, personally." Her reflection replied. "We don't know how much time going through the trials will take us, and I cannot stay in the weighted world forever. Draw the Blade only when it's necessary and never more than that. Besides, this is your exam Momohime."
With a solemn nod, the aspiring exorcist pushed open the door and stepped inside.
That was a mistake.
What was once a hyper-modern shopping building in the midst of Shibuya had inexplicably been transformed into a gigantic concert building. Chandeliers illuminated the room, hanging from the ceiling that stretched past the limits of Tower Records exterior and seemingly into the sky. The floor was slick and glassy, in any other circumstances it might have been a pleasure to be here. Right now however, the moment Momohime walked inside she instantly had to clutch her head as the most intense migraine she had ever experienced hit her all at once.
The room was filled with many classical instruments, from the grand piano that took center stage to the cellos that stood waiting in the stands. Even the walls were plastered with enough old european instruments to take up nearly the entire room. There was enough here to form an entire orchestra, or on paper at least. In reality, an orchestra was formed by the instruments all combining their sounds together to create one full, melodic piece. However in this concert hall, each and every instrument played their own tune with no care for the others. An orchestra only had room for one soloist at a time, a memo none of them had gotten.
To a listener, well…
"I think I'm going to be sick." Momohime moaned as she tried to pull herself back on her feet. Her ears felt like they had been set on fire. Her brain could only handle so many thoughts from so many notes played in so many ways. With shaky legs, the aspiring exorcist stepped forwards as other examinees entered from the elevator.
"I admit that this is… Ear grating." Demon Blade growled. Her own reflection was drowned out by the solo symphony. Impressive since she was a voice in Momohime's head. "Does that bum really expect us to single out a specific song in this mess?"
"He said to um, keep our ears opened and go with our gut?" The aspiring exorcist closed her eyes and listened closely. The songs blended together into a thorny tidal wave that bashed into her skull. "Euk, nope!"
"I confess, I don't think I'll be able to assist you here."
"It's not your fault." She sighed. "I'll just… walk around a bit. See if I can find anything."
When one listened to good music, time flew by in an instant. When one listened to bad music, time slowed down to a crawl. For Momohime, listening to this cacophony buried time six feet under. She agonizingly made her way through the floor as she tried to get her thoughts in order. There was no physically possible way that she could differentiate one tune from another, so instead she tried to search the room itself for clues. Luckily, she was able to find one thing.
Under each instrument, there was a small plaque and short description of what it was. A hurdy gurdy, once favored by a king who lost his hand and could play no more. A baroque flute, phased out once the more modern flutes were designed. No matter the instrument however, the story was always the same.
"One day, someone put it down and it was never picked up again." Momohime mumbled to herself as she gave a quick glance at the instruments in question. They preened at her attention, playing louder, sharper. Instinctively, she stepped back. "Demon Blade…"
"Forgotten tunes that refuse to go silent with the final note." Her counterpart recited. "That was the phrasing used for this trial, was it not?"
Black eyes narrowed. "So that could only mean that these instruments are Youka-"
"Hey!"
Her instincts kicked in. Before she even realized what she was doing, her feet spun around and her fist slammed into something. No, rather, it was some one. With a groan, he fell to the ground. Momohime looked on in a horror before she quickly knelt down and tried to help him up. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! You just startled me! I-I didn't mean too-!"
"Talk about one hell of a blow!" The young boy, the rude one from Shibuya Crossing Momohime realized, groaned as he dusted himself off. Now that she looked at him closely, despite the dyed peach blonde hair whose black roots were still visible, he didn't exactly give off much of a punk attitude. More a… childish sense of style. Not that Momohime really knew what was stylish. The high school kid quickly readjusted the headphones over his ears (an idea Momohime wished she thought of earlier) before letting out a sigh. "Though I guess it is my fault for suddenly spooking you."
"No but that doesn't make it okay for me to just attack you!" The mousey woman protested. "I really don't know what came over me!"
"It's fine. I'm fine." He sighed before placing his hands on his hips. "Look, you're the chick who's kitsune was talking with Kouyou right?"
Momohime blinked. "Kouyou?"
"The one who dragged my ass out during the explanation of the exam." The boy let out another groan as he rolled his neck. Now that she was looking closely, Momohime realized she could still see a faded handprint on the kid's cheek. "Holy hells she was pissed. Chewed me out for so long I missed the explanation for the actual exam itself."
"Oh, then um yes." The young woman nodded nervously. "My name's Momohime Tsukigami."
"Mmh. Name's Kei Kagami." The newly identified Kei held out his hand. For some reason, they were completely covered in wrapping, a second layer going up his jacket and seemingly binding the cloth to arm. Momohime tentatively shook it. "You mind telling me what we're actually supposed to be doing? There's this weirdo at the counter downstairs who wouldn't respond to anything I did and everyone else I've seen so far seems to be, well…"
He pointed at the other examine on the floor, who was shuffling across the ground. "Well, they all look like that."
The man's eyes were glassy. Like a puppet being pulled on strings, he shuffled across the concert hall slowly. Making his way through the stands as his head slowly nodded to a beat only he heard. Momohime's head quickly whipped around the floor to glance at the two others who had started here. She was certain that they were all lucid when they exited the elevator but now their presence was only physical.
"When did that-" The aspiring exorcist began, only to be interrupted by a loud note that reverberated through the concert hall. The shambling daydreamer had taken a seat at the grand piano at the center of the concert hall. Slowly, he played a note on the key. And then another. Soon he was haphazardly playing a melody that overpowered the other instruments in the concert hall. It was in the major key, but with a somber darkness to it that lurked underneath.
Momohime couldn't help clenching her fist and taking in a hiss of air. A fact that Kei seemed to agree with as the two slowly pressed their backs against the other's, silently scanning the room around them.
The melody grew faster, hungrier. It's notes and phrasing taking chaotic twists and turns that the song itself couldn't take. Soon enough, the man had degraded to just slamming his fists on to the piano keys. No rhythm at all, and yet it was still somehow building to a crescendo. When the peak finally arrived, the piano decided to add a new instrument.
Crunch.
A sickening sound.
Momohime watched in horror as the lid of the piano flew open, turning into a giant jaw that chomped down upon the poor man's arms. The once harmonious melody had turned into the nightmarish sound of bone and flesh being ground down. Blood dripped down onto the floor the coppery scent filling the air as bile threatened to escape her stomach. It was only when his arms had become no more than stubs did the man's mind return to him. A horrible scream of pain reverberate throughout the concert hall as the instruments came to life, their own music adding to the symphony of nightmares.
The scarring scene lasted for a brief few moments before two girls folded into existence next to the man. No, they weren't girls. Their bodies were flat, made of neatly folded paper that was just shaped to look like a person. They quietly smashed their fists into the piano before grabbing the poor man. For a brief second, Momohime stared into their blank, faceless paper gaze. They pulled out a piece of paper and slapped it onto the armless man's forehead. As if the scene was just a mirage, they vanished.
It wasn't hard to tell what just happened.
He had failed the exam.
And of course, in doing so, had left a very angry piano monster running around the concert hall. The rest of the instruments soon joined in, rising from their places with hollow holes that sharpened into eyes. Broken strings acted like a wild mane as they growled and howled their own forgotten tunes.
Momohime's breath hitched as the piano turned towards them. Drool escaped it's open jaw. It let out a mess of notes similar to a bark as it charged through the concert hall, straight towards them.
Kei clicked his tongue before biting down upon his thumb. "Invoke!"
A spectral hand formed into existence, slamming itself down on to the piano with a loud thud. It squirmed and howled underneath, calling the other instruments to join it's hunt. By this point Momohime realized that she was never standing in a concert hall, with cultured and sophisticated music. No this had always been nothing more than a den of beasts.
"Momohime-"
"Right! Invoke!" The princess called, and the Sword appeared. Demon Blade quickly took control of her hands as she unsheathed it's steel. Wind gently blew against the water of her soul. "I am the one who shall bear the curse. Awaken, Magical Girl Demon Blade."
The youkai let out a cry at the sudden burst of magic, flinching away from the swordsman. Kei however, only wiped the sweat from his brow as he stared at Demon Blade with wide eyes. "Holy crap… What the hell is a magical girl doing here?!"
"Taking the exam." She replied before turning her gaze to the impossible creatures that surrounded them. "I thought that to be obvious."
"Like hell that is!" The high schooler retorted. "Where the hell did the girl I was just talking to go?"
"I'm still here!" Momohime cried as she projected her flame body onto the world. "Demon Blade is just sort of like my… reflection?"
Kei's eyes darted between the flame and the swordsman so fast the aspiring exorcist was worried that he would go cross eyed. Before he could even say anything though, a high pitched laugh interrupted him.
"Kakaka! You're still bound by the laws of the weighted world if mere logic is enough to keep you down big bro." A little girl forced herself into existence, floating behind the high schooler with a leisurely laugh. Her hair was jet black, stylized in an old fashioned bob cut. Pale white skin was contrasted by a bright red skirt, though the thing that grabbed Momohime's attention the most was the absurdly smug grin on her face as she poked at the blonde boy's head. "They're the same person Ob~vi~ous~ly~!"
"Oh shut up!" Kei yelled back, his cheeks dusted red. "They have magic mumbo jumbo going on! You can't blame me!"
"Not taking responsibility ain't cool ya know!" The strange girl grinned before floating in front of Demon Blade, giving an upside down wave. "Still, it's cool to have a magical girl in the Night World! Though you look familiar for some reason… Have you run into a ripple of mine before?"
"...Perhaps." The magical girl sighed. "If you are who I think you are, then the ripples you've caused are quite numerous."
"Kakaka! But of course!" The youkai laughed before standing on top of her contractor's shoulders. "I am the Queen of the School Yard after all! The one and only Toilet Bound Hanako-san is here to give her shining debut!"
"Get off!" Kei yelled, trying to shake the child off. "Queen of the School Yard my ass, you're a two-bit creepy pasta at best!"
"Um, not to be rude but…" Momohime nervously glanced at the encroaching instruments from hell. "I think we have other problems to deal with."
"True. We'll put off the pleasantries for later." The swordsman quickly took her stance before glancing at the other contractors. "I trust you two can handle yourself in a fight?"
"Who the hell do you think you're talking to?" The contractor replied as he raised his fists. "We wouldn't be here if we were just pushovers."
"What big bro said!" Hanako lifted up her hands and Momohime watched as they sharpened into elongated nails. Her eyes twisted into dark voids as trails of blood ran down them. "No matter how many enemies there are, those who hurt my friends will suffer hell."
Momohime tried not to think about how creepy that sounded and instead focused her attention on the nightmares that weren't on her side.
The first act of the infernal cacophony had ended. Now, the fight was on.
[] There's too many. Attempt to Escape the room
[] Focus on destroying all the instruments
[] Write in
AN: We have approached the territory of "Honestly I don't actually have a reference image". If you see any sheets without reference images from this point on, please use your imagination.
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InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay
- Kai Kagami
- Stats
- Weapon
- Spells
- False Arts
- Abilities
- "The Instruments"
- Stats
... So is anyone else lost?
Problem with forums/SV/SB, either we solve it immediately or we never get it.
Anyway, should probably bail. We don't have the stat line (or ApT, group battle is dangerous) to dance with them unless Kei can pin entire sections down and even that's a hard maybe on doing anything meaningful if he can.
Only real damage we can throw around is our Juggernaut art too. We do have a lot of mooks to Drain our Blade back, but ApT, so not really.
Problem with forums/SV/SB, either we solve it immediately or we never get it.
Anyway, should probably bail. We don't have the stat line (or ApT, group battle is dangerous) to dance with them unless Kei can pin entire sections down and even that's a hard maybe on doing anything meaningful if he can.
Only real damage we can throw around is our Juggernaut art too. We do have a lot of mooks to Drain our Blade back, but ApT, so not really.
Solarstream
It's all in the cards
- Location
- Zombie World
- Pronouns
- He/Him
repeated text
[X] There's too many. Attempt to Escape the room
InfiniteDaze
Too lazy to leave the house
- Location
- I wish I could stay