Lila imagined going out on her first patrol with Yang. Of fighting side by side through a Yokai-infested town to purify it from their corruption. The people coming out to cheer them as heroes. Lila restrained the smile that wanted to erupt onto her face.
But a doubtful, fearful voice whispered 'what if you fail because of your inexperience?'
She banished the doubt, but the question lingered and with a calm mind, Lila pondered it. She was indeed inexperienced, barely a Miracle of three days now. Yang and her friend would have to go the extra mile to accommodate her. Make sure she doesn't screw up things or misjudge how dangerous a Yokai truly is. Even ones that were killed in the dozens could become dangerous if a Miracle underestimated them such as the canine-like Inugami, who could grow in size after each kill.
Lila wanted nothing more in the world than to go out on patrol with her nee-san right now. But the more she thought about it, the more her doubt was proven right. Perhaps it would be better to hold off going out on patrols and fighting Yokai. Not until she felt confident in her abilities.
"Thanks Yang, but I feel like I would only be a burden."
"I understand." Yang smiled, though Lila saw the corners of her lips twitch."Better go get ready then."
Lila nodded before rushing off into her room. She maintained her calm as she put on her dark school uniform and slung her bag over her shoulder. It was nothing fancy, just a tattered leather bag with long-faded English on it. And apparently her Companion decided it was its bag now because it immediately snuggled into it much to Lila's dismay.
The few attempts at coaxing it out only resulted in the cat batting her hands away. No scratches, thankfully, but the feline made it clear the bag was its now. Thus Lila walked out with homework under her arm, an umbrella in one hand, and heaving a bag full of cat.
Yang was waiting by the door when Lila entered the living room. Huh, weird, she should've left by now.
"I see your cat is being a cat." Yang gestured at the purring feline to which Lila huffed."Hold still for a moment, I'm gonna give you some yen for a bus ride."
"Uh, you don't have to. I can just-"
"Shush you, I can give money to my imouto if I want and free of charge!" Yang smiled and slipped a handful of yen into Lila's bag. Or would have if the cat didn't nab the yen with its mouth and placed the money underneath its body. It then meowed as if saying the cash was safe with it.
"Well, that solves that. Anyways, have a good day at school." Yang said and exited the house, walking in the direction of the abandoned shrine.
Lila waved her nee-san goodbye before opening her umbrella and walked in the opposite direction.
Her walk took her through the worn down neighborhood. Few were out at this time as they relaxed on chairs and enjoyed the rain or struggled to patch leaky roofs and walls. Lila picked up the pace when two men with cameo bandanas and skins covered in tattoos watched her with narrowed eyes from a porch. Her Companion glared at them, even going as far as hoisting itself up to show its purple fur and stars. The two men shuddered as Lila seized the opportunity and stuffed her homework underneath her cat.
The feline yowled at her for the betrayal, but otherwise nestled back into the bag and Lila continued on as normal.
Lila would reach the edge of her neighborhood. The cracked and overgrown road leading into it would connect with another road that, while cracked, was free of any vegetation. Lila waited by a bench for the bus to arrive. It took a few minutes before one did and she climbed aboard with her cat digging out the yen.
However, when the driver noticed Lila's cat, he asked if she was a Miracle to which she nodded. He told Lila she didn't need to pay and turned to ask if someone from the front could give up their seat. One young man was quick to rise up and offer his own seat to which Lila smiled and sat down, thanking him for his kindness. After all, it would be impolite to deny such generosity.
Lila sat down, placing her bag in an empty spot next to the window. Her Companion glared at her with its mouth still clamped onto the yen and Lila got the distinct feeling of disappointment from it. Though it would die down once the bus started moving into the city proper.
The ride was uneventful aside from people bugging Lila to show them her Companion and pestering her with questions about her powers.
Lila basked in all of the attention she was receiving. Normally no one paid any attention to her or outright insulted her and told her to get out of Japan. But since she was a Miracle now, no one would insult her! W-well, not the average person at least. Some had dense skulls so they'll still mock her anyways. Nothing a little, uh, show of force wouldn't resolve.
And so Lila tried to show off her Companion when asked, only to be batted away or clawed every time and she'd be forced to apologize. Embarrassing to be treated like a scratch post in public, but people were understanding and excused it. She answered questions to the best of her abilities. Though some of them put her on the spot like what was her most dangerous battle. Lila cut down any assumptions by stating she was only recently bonded. They would nod and wish her luck(heh) in her upcoming battles.
However, Lila began to notice a trend among all of the questioning. Few bothered to ask her name. Instead the most common questions were if they could see her Companion and what her powers were like. When she failed to answer their questions, she heard the restrained frustration from several as they wore smiling masks and exaggerated their movements like awful actors.
But dealing with those people was still much easier than the nationalists.
Lila maintained her calmness when she dealt with those people. The people who narrowed their eyes at her brown skin, the men who praised her yet clenched their fists tight, the women who gave beaming smiles, but pulled their children in close as if shielding them from some horrible Yokai, and the people with the Japan Unity armband or pins who greeted her in manufactured pleasantries.
A part of Lila wanted nothing more than to punch them in the face. They always went on and on about how Japan did not need foreigners, how it could be strong so long as the Japanese people remained pure and strong of heart. Bah to them all. But why did it feel like so many others didn't care about her, but her Companion and powers? Was she just another Miracle to them?
Maybe that's why. Most people were just trying to survive day-to-day so they didn't have the time and energy to get to know a Miracle well, not unless they really proved themselves. Well, she would just have to prove herself then! She would prove to those stinking nationalists she was Japanese, a Defender of Japan. Maybe then the jerks will rethink their whole 'Japan strong alone' thing.
So as the bus rolled to a stop near her school and she stepped off, Lila looked at the sky with determination.
Lila's face turned into one of terror when a bell tolled in the distance. Oh no, that was the warning bell!
She rushed like her life depended on it. And to be honest, it did. Teachers didn't take kindly to late students no matter the reason. Her status as a Miracle could cushion the blows, but it wouldn't stop them from coming.
Lila weaved through the sparse crowds, her muscle memory alerting her to old cracks and potholes in the street. Lila moved around or hopped over them so she didn't trip over them. She absent-mindedly wondered if any of her blood was still caked on the asphalt from the last time she tripped over a pothole.
… Uh, focus on getting to school!
The young girl ran faster. Her Companion yowled in protest from being jostled around so much. Lila was too absorbed in getting to school so its protests went through one ear and out the other. The cat's yowls grew in intensity at the malicious negligence of its bonded. It empowered her superhuman status and this was what it got in return? The audacity!
But the Companion did nothing other than yowl its discomfort. It ceased as Lila slowed to a stop in front of her school.
Hanami Junior High is an ancient school, having been built before the Eve of Blood. Its walls had long weathered into a faded grey. Only specks of the original russet clung onto the bricks. Sickly brown plants crept out of every crack and crevice, spreading across the school as if nature sought to break down the school with diseased vegetation. The windows of the east wing were encrusted in such grime that only the glint of glass allowed Lila to know they were windows and not bricks.
Lila gently pressed her Companion down into her bag as she walked into the courtyard. A trio of masked students glared at her from under the solitary tree in front of the school. Two of them looked the exact same with dark hair and a piercing glare. The third, however, clutched a leather-bound book. Glyphs were inscribed into the cover and crackled with thunderous energy. Their unkempt uniforms remained dry in spite of the water dripping down from the leaves.
She wasn't sure how Soda Keitaro would react to a Miracle walking so brazenly into his 'turf'. He and his jerks wouldn't bully her, but Soda was rather aggressive for a Miracle and kept trying to wrangle others into spars to prove who was the strongest. She really didn't want his sights on her right now. Not when she narrowly won her own spar through a spur of the moment decision.
Unfortunately, one of the jerks catcalled her and she shot a glare back at the catcaller. Though, much to her amusement, Soda slapped the catcaller alongside the head and threatened to do so again if they harassed another girl. They may be trouble-makers, but at least the leader had some lines he wouldn't cross.
She reached the front doors and had to pry one open with all of her strength, careful not to activate her powers so she didn't break off the handle. The school would forgive her, but her parents would make her work it off. That would only add to her ever-growing debt. And Lila didn't want to be paying damage-induced debt till she was in her nineties!
The door opened with a creaky groan yet remained opened when Lila retracted her hand from the handle. She huffed when she tried to close it behind her, but it didn't close. Darn door always refused to budge whenever it wasn't oiled. Well, uh, she wasn't the last person to enter since the delinquents were still out there. They or another late student could close it!
Lila stepped into the genkan and deposited her umbrella onto one of the bins. She hurried towards a row of dull lockers, her eyes searching for a dented locker speckled with rust. It was one of the topmost ones in the middle of the row. Whenever she looked over a similar enough one, Lila would glance at the number so she opened up the correct one. After a couple of seconds of searching, she found her number and honed in on the lock.
She turned the dial to the correct series of numbers and tugged to open the locker. Yet it did not budge much like the door.
Wha-
Silly Lila, you must've dialed the wrong combination!
So she tried to unlock it again, but it remained locked. And she tried again to the same result. Lila yanked on the locker because it was clearly busted! She entered the password correctly so why was this happening?! Walking around inside school while wearing her shoes would subject her to stern lectures and the gloating of the jerk. And the image of Uyemura sneering at her made Lila grind her teeth.
She throttled her locker in an attempt to force it open, but all she got was the locker clanking in protest. Lila pulled and yanked even as the ringing of the final bell barely registered in her mind.
Then a cat's little paw darted into her vision and Lila stopped throttling the locker. The paw tapped the locker and it opened shortly after.
Lila glanced up to see her Companion staring down at her, a smirk on its face and purring in smug radiance. She shook her head before taking off her shoes to put on the school slippers. Questions of why her locker refused to open despite entering the password at least a dozen times were pushed aside. She was already late enough and besides, she'll just report the issue and tell that her Companion helped her out.
When Lila finished putting on the slippers, she looked up to see her Companion was gone. A glance at her bag revealed that her cat was back in her bag without her noticing.
A sobering thought entered her mind as she walked into the school proper.
This is going to become a regular thing isn't it?
She passed by faded and peeling posters that warned of suspicious activity, stopped briefly by the water fountain to see if it was finally fixed after all these weeks(no it was not), and endured stern stares from cranky teachers looking to vent some of their stress onto her.
While she walked, Lila thought up of how she would explain to the homeroom teacher why she was late. Of course she'd be truthful and abuse her status as a Miracle, but how to put it all together into a proper excuse?
Hm, the spar did leave her rattled despite winning. Weaving a tale about how Yang hit her hard could gain a bit of sympathy. No, no, that was dependent on the good will of her fellow students. Most had a low amount that was already burnt through by the time they got to class.
How about putting extra emphasis on being humble and apologetic? Throw in a little bow while asking for patience as she learns how to be a Miracle. Uyemura would be grinning ear to ear seeing her in such a humiliated state, but it'd also shut her up since the jerk would be too high on her sadism.
Yea, that'll work!
But she froze when she neared the door of her classroom and saw a man straightening his tie. His eyes snapped to Lila, looking her over with nary a change in his stony expression. She felt a chill run up her spine like she'd been caught out after curfew. Her bag rustled and her Companion popped out to see what had frightened its human so.
The Companion's and man's eyes met, holding each other's gaze as if testing who had the greater will. After a moment, the man spoke without breaking eye contact with the feline.
"You're a Miracle?"
"Uh, yes. Recently bonded, actually!"
"Have you informed the school yet?"
…
Drat, she forgot to inform the school! There was a whole process she had to go through so the staff could accommodate her, but it slipped away in the excitement and subsequent events. W-what lie could she come up with on the spot that was believable?
Duh, the spar with Yang! Just twist it a little and it'll work… hopefully…
"N-no. My nee-san is also a Miracle and she's been training me. She's a rather strict teacher when it comes down to the basics of being a Miracle."
"Then she clearly failed in the more important basics." The man stated without regard.
Lila smiled and kept her calm lidded over the boiling pot of rage at the low fucking blow at Yang. As much as she wanted to argue or fight over it, all it would do was waste their time. Ergh, such was the price of lies, Lila supposed.
"I'm Luck Lila and my class is right through this door."
"Oh? I'm Takaki Shoko, I will be stepping in for Iwasaki-san from now on since he's no longer with Hanami Junior High."
"Ah, I see." Oh yes, she did see. Iwasaki was never shy about making his opinions about the Emperor and his Generals known. Guess he finally said something that earned him a visit from Public Security…
"Then I apologize for being late, Takaki-san. I'm still settling in as a Miracle and getting used to the behaviors of a Companion." Lila said through clenched teeth as she bowed slightly.
"No need, I understand how Companions behave, but improve on your attendance, otherwise there will be repercussions."
"Of course!" Lila let slip a little cheer into her voice. Takaki-san was already opening up the door so the creaking and chattering of the class covered her slipup.
Nonetheless, Lila stepped into the classroom with a ghost of a smile. Only for it to be wiped away when she saw a certain brown-haired girl with a green-feathered bird sitting on her shoulder.
A/N: Welp, this took longer than it should have. Thank you for your patience and sorry for how short this update was. Originally this was going to be longer, but I began losing interest in writing this update. Not the story itself, just that I kept getting stuck at several points in writing this and figure out how a Japanese school might adapt to murderous monsters and magical-empowered heroes. This is not helped at all by me having only experienced American schools so despite my research into the Japanese school system so if I got anything wrong, let me know and what is the correct info so I can edit that in.
Uyemura Maiko soaked up the adoration and praise she received from her fellow students. She humbly thanked them for their kind words and offered her own kind words in return, even if some weren't Japanese. Like the Chinese girl pretending to read in the back of class. That girl was a friend of that black-faced Lila, but so long as the communist kept to herself, Uyemura would tolerate the girl. If not, then that was an issue for the future. Because right now, Uyemura was high in the clouds where all those under her sang her praises!
Then the stern voice of her father chided her for allowing herself to have such thoughts. She shook herself out of it. It was improper to think so arrogantly for one of her station. Especially now since she was a Miracle, a Defender of Japan.
She glanced at the green-feathered bird nestled in the crook of her neck. Its beady eyes stared back at her and Uyemura smiled. She didn't know why Tori bonded with her. All she did was punch that thug in the neck when he was pestering a group of girls. Her nose scrunched up at the phantom acidic odor from the thug. Really, why do people drink so much?
Regardless, the next thing she knew, Tori had landed right on her shoulder, the same one where it nestled on now, and a-how best to describe it? Like your inner self asking permission to think a thought, she supposed. And Uyemura knew what it all meant and accepted on the spot. Now here she was, a magical girl! Just like in her favorite animes.
The school bell rang its final warning and all students scrambled to get into their desks before Iwasaki-san stepped in. But the teacher did not step in. There wasn't even a shadow over the glass panel of the door.
As the minutes passed, Students started murmuring. Iwasaki must've been late again. He would talk the ear off of anyone who would listen to his rants about how 'unfairly' strict Japan had become, especially against the non-Japanese.
Yes, Iwasaki could be late at times because he'd often shared his rather controversial opinions. Not the most noble thing, but Uyemura was one not to argue. She was simply a student and he was a teacher, after all. Yet even a teacher had superiors he must answer to. A letter from a concerned student informed them about Iwasaki encouraging the more… free-spirited students to express their distaste for the curfews imposed upon all of Japan.
Uyemura never understood why people hated the curfews and sought their removal. Thieves, murderers, and other ne'er-do-wells prowled the streets in search of their next victim. Yokai became more active when it was dark out as well. No one quite knew why and theories were abound as to why, from there being fewer people keeping watch to the night empowering them or other such nonsense. Regardless, many of her friends and family made the mistake of going out at night. At best, they were robbed and at worst, were never seen again…
Which was why curfews were important and people who complained about them should really ponder why they were there in the first place. It's just that some needed a gentle reminder at times.
But enough about that, with Iwasaki most likely busy for today, the class will be missing its teacher. Thus the student leaders needed to step up. If they did not-
The door creaked open and the students became silent. A man stepped in, his stern stare falling upon the class. His gaze lingered on each student for a second with Uyemura freezing up completely when his eyes loomed over her. She pushed up her glasses when they moved onto the next hapless student.
Jez, what was with this guy? She felt like some criminal in a lineup. And how had Iwasaki been replaced so quickly?! Wasn't there a teacher shortage in Nagoya?
Her musings were stopped when a certain dark-skinned girl stepped into class. But Uyemura did not focus on Lila, but on the purple-furred cat resting inside her bag. Its bright eyes snapped to Tori, the two chirping and meowing respectively. Yet Uyemura and Lila stared wide-eyed at one another, a maelstrom of emotions raging inside of them.
DC: 40/60/80
Rolling… 44 + 10(Social Rank E) - 20(Rival!) = 34
No. No. No.
Oh boy, was Uyemura fun to write. I never got a chance to write about a school rival before so being able to flex my creative muscles on this while coloring her thoughts with the usual nationalism crap some folks are eating up was a good exercise. Hopefully I did ok with Uyemura, especially on her thoughts without it coming across as too cartoonish since this Quest, while being about Magical Heroes, is intended at being more grounded.
Also, this was intended to be a part of the next update proper rather than an interlude, but the POV switch back to Lila broke the flow of things, but I also wanted to show Uyemura and her inner workings so I just opted for an interlude.
Next update will involve the government's favorite form of torture for teenagers. Standardized testing!
Edit 1: I reread the Interlude after Eternal_0observer commented Uyemura came off as a little strange and decided that some parts needed to be edited to better fit with the character I have in my head vs the character that is written. Nothing was rewritten or added beyond simple additions so hopefully Uyemura comes off as less strange. Of course, I'll need to rethink some parts of the character and do more research into Japanese nationalism in the future since I'm only familiar with the basics.
A fire raged within Lila, fed by her smoldering thoughts. It bellowed with each shovelful and the fire grew ever more rageful. To see her tormentor with her own Companion, one that was chirping so merrily with hers burnt Lila. All the years of torment, the name-calling, and mudslinging from her torturer. Yet that-that bitch had a Companion to call her own when she deserved none of the joy that came with it?
A concerned meow dragged her out of the fire and back to reality. Lila took a breath and doused the flame. She nodded ever so slightly towards her Companion, thankful for the ability to calm herself with a focused thought. Uyemura, though, did not have such an ability nor the restraint.
"HOW?!" Uyemura rocketed out of her seat, her desk shuddering from the blast. Students around her shrank back and even those in the back made themselves small yet Lila remained calm under Uyemura's glare.
Uyemura choked on whatever words she was going to say when Takaki loomed large over the class. He stood by the teacher's desk, but his shadow enveloped all. Lila's focus slipped from how suffocating his presence became and her heart fluttered in fright. It was as if a Yokai had entrapped them, savoring their terror as the seconds ticked down until it attacked.
Takaki attacked not with bloody claws or eldritch chants, but with scolding words.
"Sit back down, now." Takaki's command was final and with the promise that if Uyemura did not obey, the consequences would be dire.
"I-I apologize, that was out of turn." Uyemura bowed her head, but her glances at Lila signaled that this was not the end.
Yet a ghost of a smile crept onto Lila's face. It brightened her day up like nothing else to see the jerk humbled in such a manner. Oh sure, Uyemura wasn't going to let this go anytime soon, but at this moment, Lila was pleased. Then her cat nipped her and she threw that feeling away.
But as her mind became clear, an idea came to her. Uyemura humiliated herself in front of the new teacher and the class by reacting with explosive anger. Such rage was unbecoming of a Miracle. They were the defenders of Japan, after all. People empowered beyond human limits who could handle any situation with stoicism and grace. Yet Uyemura was neither graceful nor stoic at the moment. Why not pounce on this opportunity?
"I know we disagree on many things, Uyemura-chan, but I hope our past grievances with one another does not hurt our ability to cooperate with each other should the situation call for it."
The class held their breaths. Was Lila extending an olive branch to Uyemura even after the flower incident? Uyemura basically wished her rival dead. So no one would have blamed Lila for not wanting to let her grudge go. Yet here she was trying to, if not make amends, then at least offering to end their rivalry with one another.
"Yes, indeed." Uyemura's response was hollow. She kept her glare squarely on Lila as if to melt her into goo. It did not and everyone saw through the smiling mask Uyemura wore upon her twitching face.
"If that is settled then, go to your seats and do not disrupt the class. This goes for everyone." Takaki said. He watched over the class while Lila made her way over to her desk.
Lila hooked her bag onto her desk and plopped into her chair. The tension leftover from the rush bleed out, her muscles relaxing. Honestly, she wasn't expecting Uyemura of all people to be a Miracle. It was like finding out the person you hated the most won the exact same lottery alongside you and now you had to split the money.
She was thankful once again for the ability to control her emotions, otherwise she might've been seething all throughout the class. Something Uyemura apparently lacked given how the jerk kept giving her the stink eye. Lila met it with a polite smile each time.
A tap on her shoulder startled Lila. She glanced over to see Qin Mei who gave her a smile. Qin was much like her, a girl born to foreign parents fleeing from the hellscape that is China.
"Way to put Uyemura in her place." Qin's smile twisted into a sneer.
"I aim to please, but we should keep quiet, otherwise Takaki-san might notice."
Qin simply nodded and brought her book back up. Lila took note of it being yet another textbook on pre-Eve economies. She never got the appeal of studying such things, especially since the Yokai razed all economic foundations down to the ground, but hey, if Qin was interested in that stuff then who was she to judge? She certainly wasn't Uyemura.
Lila turned her attention back to Takaki explaining the new situation. Though, it was more out of a desire not to blunder into an avoidable mistake and then get chewed out for it. Takaki explained that he was the new teacher and that Iwasaki was no longer working with Hanami Junior High. One boy asked if Iwasaki had been arrested. Takaki's glare silenced the boy and made it clear that no one should ask such questions.
The class remained quiet as Takaki went on about his qualifications. Apparently he graduated from some pre-Eve university that no longer existed. Some broke their silence to protest the new rules Takaki would impose, effectively immediately. The threat of additional homework ended their protests. The rest of the class meekly accepted the new changes as Takaki went on.
But he made one announcement that united the class. They let their displeasure be known in a collective groan.
"I know tests are stressful, but it is necessary for gauging your level of knowledge and understanding of materials. Now, the sessions will be scheduled throughout the day with meal and rest periods between them."
Lila groaned alongside the rest of her classmates. Helpful as her power may be, the might of the standardized test overcame any magical ability. Though, she might be able to get some practice for maintaining her focus. Who knows, maybe it'll help her mind remain clear of any distractions throughout the day.
Nonetheless, dread grasped its cold claws around her heart and squeezed when the tests were handed out.
History of Japan DC: 50/70/90
Rolling…Rolling… 57 +25(Lucky Charm) + 15(High Spirits)= 97
+15 XP to History Proficiency
Yokai and Their Types DC: 30/60/80
Rolling… 63 + 40 = 103
+15 XP to Yokai Proficiency
Duties and Responsibilities DC: 60/80/100
Rolling… 100 + 40 = 140
+20 XP to Law Proficiency
The first test that befell the class was about the history of Japan. Some students breathed a sigh of relief that they would start on something simple. Others, though, slumped into their chairs as their very souls left their bodies. Lila neither breathed a sigh of relief or slumped into her chair. History was a mix bag for her. All too often Uyemura and her fellows mocked the non-Japanese so Lila studied history just to shoot back with some obscure fact and then lord over them for not knowing it.
Now it was time to put all of that trivia to the test. And after an hour of digging out memories, Lila completed it. The questions were simple enough, even though all of them were open ended. Just jot down dates and names and describe the event a little. What could be hard about that? W-well, besides that some events were shrouded in vagueness, like how the Emperor and the Four Generals disposed of the corrupt National Diet before replacing it with a more honorable system. A whole bunch of reasons ping ponged between people, from the Diet embezzling much needed resources to it simply being too divided and slow. Some even suggested the whole thing was just a power grab by the Generals. Lila didn't dig too deep into that otherwise she might wind up a conspiracy nut.
Lila vibrated with excitement when the next test was passed out. The students around her pulled away from her, knowing how excitable she became whenever something even tangentially related to Miracles and Magic was taught. Oh sure, the test was about the Yokai and their types, but they had their own system of magic. And she was a Miracle now so knowing what the Yokai were and their abilities were all the more important. She was the first one done among the class, having drawn upon her knowledge of all things magic.
But she did wonder about the magic of the Yokai. Unlike Miracles who draw magic from their bonded Companions, Yokai used something else. Some suggested that they used souls, but Lila and just about the whole scientific community disagreed. No, no, the source of the Yokai's magic was… unknown. One would have thought that twenty years of research would have given humanity an idea, but to this day, Lila could not find a single scrap that confirmed the source of Yokai magic. It was frustrating, especially since she was a Miracle now! How was she supposed to fight Yokai without knowing all there was about them?!
So engrossed Lila was in her own thoughts, it took Takaki clearing his throat next to her just to snap her out of it. A light blush spread over her face and she mumbled out an apology, but he did have a ghost of a smile on his face when he looked over her work. Then the teacher handed her the final test.
The light faded from her eyes when she read the title of the test.
The Duties and Responsibilities of a Citizen.
This wasn't like the last two. Failing either history or the Yokai tests just meant receiving a failing grade. But failing the Duties and Responsibilities test? That meant a call home and getting put into remedial classes until she learned how to be a proper citizen. Lila wouldn't fail this, not like how Yang failed hers.
Lila double and triple checked each and every one of her answers. The harder questions were quadruple checked even as her fingers twitched from how tightly she clutched her pencil. Even barely passing was not an option, not with how Uyemura would rub it in her face. The jerk would ridicule her for not being Japanese.
She was born here, damnit. Even if she wasn't ethnic Japanese, she was still one by spirit and Lila wouldn't let anyone, not even the Emperor, tell her otherwise.
Lila finished just before Takaki told the class to put their pencils down. Some of the students despaired at their unfinished tests and their condemnation to the remedial classes. A few just huffed as if they didn't care, but were nonetheless annoyed that their free time would be spent studying.
"Since tempers have cooled down, I would like our two Miracles to talk a little about themselves." Takaki said while the tests were collected.
Lila froze up at the announcement. Her mind had melted from an entire day of questions and her fingers ached. Pretty sure she developed carpal tunnel from all the writing. Now she had to talk about herself? What would she even talk about? Her goals maybe. How she became a Miracle?
While Lila debated, Uyemura seized the opportunity and walked to the front of the class with her head held high.
"Hello everyone, you know me as Uyemura Maiko, daughter of Uyemura Ryuu and the late Asami. My beautiful Companion is named Tori-"
Lila blinked at the name while Uyemura rambled on.
Wait, her Companion is named bird?
Oh sure, Tori had a few different meanings in Japanese, but translate it into English and it was simply bird. So her bird was named bird. Hehehe, oh she was going to have so much fun teasing the jerk with how uncreative it was. A nip from her Companion caused her to drop that idea, though.
"As a Miracle, I aim to protect the people of Japan not just from the Yokai, but from those who would seek to do them harm. Many criminals remain free even in our good city of Nagoya. With backing from the Japan Unity Party, I will help put these scum behind bars and make Japan a safer, better place."
Uyemura received a smattering of half-hearted clapping from the class. It was the same old promise any Miracle or government official would make. Oh, how they made grandiose speeches about making Japan a safer place in due time. Yet criminals remained free to do as they pleased and the Yokai grew in numbers while humanity plummeted towards extinction. Wasn't it just the other day they heard about how the remnants of the People's Republic of China finally collapsed? And not even by the Yokai, but by humans!
Uyemura strained a grin through it all nonetheless. She bowed, muttering her thanks before walking back to her desk.
Now all eyes turned towards Lila. She squirmed in her seat from all of the attention. Normally, whenever she got this amount of eyes on her, it was because the students wanted to cheer on the drama between her and Uyemura. Considering both she and the jerk were Miracles now, no doubt the class expected epic drama.
Ugh, she became a Miracle to protect her family and those she could, not some character from a melodramatic anime! Yet people had to fit her into some stereotype or cliche because of course they would. Now she scrambled to find something to say as she made her way to the front of the class.
Should she fall back on her dream of becoming a Magiologist? The entire class knew her love of magic so it wouldn't surprise them and it was a life-long dream of hers. One could say such a career was fated for her. But could she really share her dream with such an apathetic class? Should she even mention it since the jerk just hound her for it? There were other options.
Aiming to become one of the highest ranked Miracles was vague and popular enough that no one would really care. Well, except Uyemura, but her opinion didn't matter. And making strides to that goal would net her friends and popularity alongside opportunities. Yet people, both well and ill-meaning, would be drawn to her. This wasn't to mention how tough it was to reach a high ranking and maintain it. Popularity was a fickle thing and even misspeaking could see her plummet all the way down to the bottom.
Or she could give a vague and non-committal statement like protecting the people of Japan. She would have to improvise, but it wouldn't be the first time. Worst thing that'll happen is that she'll embarrass herself before the whole class and give Uyemura ammunition…
There was also the choice of investigating the Yokai! They had their own magic system and information on it was scant. That was something she could focus on. Except those who studied the Yokai long enough always had something bad happen. They mishandle a Yokai specimen which ends in them dying or worse, start suffering from emotional and mental issues, or any number of problems. It was as if the Yokai knew they were being studied and hindered research in any way they could. But that implied certain things about their nature and such implications was… horrifying to say the least.
So, as Lila took a breath and smiled before the class, she thought of what she would say.
What would be her goal in the near future?
Pick 1
[ ] Become a Magiologist
Lila sets out towards becoming a Magiologist, a relativity safe though difficult goal.
[ ] Become a high-ranking Miracle
Lila aims high to become a high-ranking Miracle, but the competition is stiff and the path dangerous.
[ ] Give something vague and non-committal
Delays Lila's goals until another time.
[ ] Study the Yokai
Lila treads a path few others are willing and intends on expanding humanity's knowledge of the Yokai, but there is a saying, "Stare into the abyss and the abyss stares back."
[ ] Write-in
There are many goals Lila can set out towards, but do keep in mind of her character and the setting. As such, certain write-ins will be vetoed in keeping with the character of Lila and the spirit of the setting.
Lila can set out to achieve a goal upon a majority vote which can then be worked towards. Every goal has certain requirements that must be met before that goal is reached and doing so will net a special trait, item, or ending. However, some of these goals can be locked depending on Lila's actions or are mutually exclusive with another goal.
Upon reaching an ending, players can vote to either end the Quest on that ending which will create an epilogue detailing the outcomes of peoples and places influenced by various factors. However, players may also continue the Quest beyond the ending which will influence other endings. Most good and bad endings are like this. Do note that continuing beyond a bad ending will cause penalties and maluses, though some can be overcomed or even turned into bonuses with the right choices and patience.
There are a few bad endings that are permanent. Getting captured by the Yokai or hunted down by the special Yokai and failing to resolve Lila's confinement will see Lila's soul consumed. There will be warnings in case of a permanent bad end, though the situation might call for having to deal with the potential of a bad end.
Current achievable endings are:
Renowned Magiologist: Lila becomes a renowned Magiologist, expanding humanity's knowledge on Companions, Yokai, and their respective magic systems greatly.
Famous Miracle: Lila is widely popular and sits high on the Ranking which has secured her position as one of the top Defenders of Japan.
Freed: Lila frees a certain someone from the control of the Yokai and helps them on their journey to investigate what happened to their home as well as the changes that have happened to them.
The Truth of the Yokai: ???
Slain Family: Lila loses all members of her family.
Forever Lost: Lila is captured by the Yokai and has her soul consumed. Permanent Bad End.
Severed Bond: Lila's bond to her Companion is severed, rendering her a normal human once again.
A/N Note: This system is subject to change because I'm still learning how to do Quests. Any feedback on this system is appreciated.
Winning Vote: Tie between Become a Magiologist and Study the Yokai. The two votes will be combined.
Should she really share her life-long dream? Share it with a class of students that, while enthusiastic of Miracles, were apathetic to how wondrous magic and its systems could be? More so with her tormentor. If anything, Uyemura would call her selfish for not prioritizing the safety and well-being of Japan. It would be ignored, of course, but still, to have her dream ridiculed…
Then a lightbulb went off.
Yokai had their own form of magic that was ill understood. There were few researchers that studied the mechanics of their magic yet nothing had been discovered even after two decades. Theories were abound, of course, but all research simply slammed into one dead end after another. And Miracles weren't exactly keen on becoming scientists since there were more glamorous jobs such as the military and idols. Some Miracles did become scientists certainly, but they tended to be ones that shied away from the spotlight. And the last magioloist that studied the magic of the Yokai had been years back, publicly at least. Maybe research was still being carried out, but if so, Lila hadn't found it yet.
Add the natural danger of the Yokai and how scientists studying them tended to meet awful ends and Lila found a tale she could weave. Heheh, Uyemura would never call her selfish when she would be diving right into danger. Though, knowing the jerk, she'd probably find an excuse anyway.
So Lila stood in front of the class and gifted them her best smile. Something to butter them up first. People responded better to those who faked confidence.
"Hello everyone, I am Luck Lila, daughter of Luck Stephan and Hyeong and sister to Luck Yang."
A few Japanese frowned at her mother's name. She ignored them.
"It has been a lifelong dream of mine to study magic in all of its forms, including that of the the Yokai."
Lila's smile widened the tiniest bit when all eyes were now firmly on her.
"There are many mysteries to the Yokai, especially of the mechanisms behind their magic. I intend on investigating these mechanisms to better know the enemy of humanity. With such knowledge, we may finally solve the mystery of the Yokai themselves. But I would need to deepen my understanding of the knowledge we do have about magic. It may take years, decades even, but I promise you, I'll solve this mystery and help humanity in bettering their insight on the Yokai. Maybe with such insights, humankind will finally be free of these monsters."
The students were simply silent. They did not clap or boo. Some glanced at one another, asking if Lila finally cracked under the pressure. Who would want to study the Yokai? Those things were monsters! Others, however, had a ghost of a smile upon their lips. Not because the speech was inspiring per say, but it was hard not to be infected by Lila's passion for magic.
Lila smiled through it all until Takaki dismissed her and she returned to her seat.
Takaki would commend the new Miracles for their speeches and finish the school day with a lecture about some meaningless thing Lila barely paid attention to. Something about how he's honored about teaching, she guessed. The matter of the fact though is that she needed to start jotting down ideas on how to actually reach her goals. Not now, obviously, since Takaki would reprimand her. Or maybe he would praise her for the initiative? She still didn't quite know what to make of him, other than that she would never like or love him for what he said earlier. Yang was many things, but a failure of a mentor was not one of them.
The final bell rang and she stood up and reached for her bag when she was swamped by students. They pelted her with rather generic questions about her being a Miracle. A few interesting questions were among them such as how she was going to use her nature as a Miracle to study the Yokai and their magic.
Lila thought for a moment about how best to go about answering them. She needs to quickly finish this because she has to go to Magic Club. Oh! The classroom wasn't an appropriate place for the topics of Miracles. What was an appropriate place, however, was Magic Club.
So Lila informed them as such and directed them where to go. The students flooded out of the classroom. Some were slower than others, seemingly wanting to ask their own questions, but nonetheless left without issue.
Lila let out a breath. Jez, how did celebrities deal with all of the questions? Maybe they just built up a tolerance to it? Eh, whatever, she gotta head towards the clubroom now.
Qin had been waiting for her by the door and began walking besides Lila as they made their way towards Magic Club.
"Way to humble Uyemura back there." Qin elbowed Lila.
"I would gloat, but then my cat would nip me." Lila gestured towards the feline staring at her with half-lidded eyes.
"Your cat? You haven't picked a name for them yet?"
"W-well, I tried, but it kept rejecting the names I picked."
"You might wanna pick a name soon, otherwise Uyemura's gonna start bullying you over not being a 'proper Miracle'."
"I'm sure her Tori will remind her very gently not to be a bully." Lila smirked at the image of the jerk getting pecked at before dozens of students.
"I'd love to see that."
"Speaking of Uyemura and her Companion, she's a Miracle now. She was already a jerk before, but I think it'll go to her head and start becoming worse." Lila glanced off to the side. The flower incident and Uyemura subsequent humiliation had been where their rivalry truly kicked off. Now both of them were Miracles and that breed competition. A lot of rivalries between Miracles were good natured with some playing it up for the media. Yet there were no shortage of cases where the rivalry between Miracles worsened to the point they clashed against one another. The worst outcomes resulted in the Companions severing their bonds and rendering their Miracles normal humans once more.
How long before Uyemura reached that point? Where she felt the need to start a fight. Lila didn't want to fight another Miracle even if it was the jerk. The Yokai were enough of a problem as is, but infighting would worsen it. She supposed it was just human nature to duke it out when tensions boiled over.
Lila would prepare for that day should it ever come.
"If she does then her Companion will leave her and hopefully Uyemura learns a lesson."
Lila could only shrug at that.
"But what about you, Luck-chan? Are you going to let power go to your head and lord over us normies?" Qin asked with a playful smile on her face.
"Ha! As if. My power actually lets me control my emotions."
"Oh? That sounds quite useful. Lotta Miracles get emotional over something."
Lila sucked in a breath. Yeah, many, many Miracles got emotional for any number of reasons despite how society expects them to be the graceful, stoic Defenders of Japan. She couldn't blame many of them either. Just last week, Crimson Fenghuang broke down after getting news that his mother got caught up in the purges following the coup d'etat against the leader of China. She sympathized with him, but wailing and crying in public did not earn him any kind gestures…
Well, at least her power would help keep her emotions in check so long as she kept focused.
"Yep. I think I can even handle the stresses of the Kyushu Line."
"Hopefully you don't get sent there." Qin said.
The two continued to talk about how things were going as they walked towards the homeroom of Magic Club.
Lila and Qin reached the door of the homeroom. It wasn't unlike other doors of the school, where its paint was chipping off and rust began to spread across its frame. A fresh coat of blue paint glistened on the door and the letters spelling out Magic Club shone like new. Knowing Kirigaya, she probably redid the door again just this morning.
Excited chatter from dozens of students were muffled by the door. Dozens of students waiting for her and Uyemura. Lila took a breath, calmed her nerves, and opened the door.
The homeroom of Magic Club was larger than most clubs since many students joined it and so the club was moved to a pair of abandoned rooms. The wall between them was knocked down, windows cleaned, and the floor replaced. Even with the extra room, however, it was chock full of people. Lila could barely squeeze through the door because so many students had clustered around the door just waiting for her.
Not even three steps in and they were already bombarding her with questions or asking rather personal things she did not want to answer. She'd expected this. After all, she watched many Q&As with Miracles on the TV or radio. Fans asked either the silliest of questions or the most embarrassing ones. It was funny how Miracles bumbled their way through for an answer, now not so much when it was her on the other end.
Nonetheless, Lila answered each and every question with a graceful smile. Her smile did not fade even as Uyemura stepped through the crowd and extended a hand towards her.
"I apologize for my outburst earlier, it was unbecoming of me. You're right that we shouldn't let past grievances hurt our corporation with one another and we should strive to be better than who we were yesterday."
Lila heard Uyemura's facial muscles scream as they twisted her lips into a smile.
For a split-second, Lila hesitated. Should she actually let Uyemura salvage her reputation after her little outburst earlier? But what excuse could she come up with at the moment? Darn it, the jerk just had to do this in front of all the students. Besides, it wasn't like anyone thought Uyemura was genuine.
She swallowed her pride and shook hands with Uyemura. Though she made sure to squeeze the jerk's hand extra tight. Was it wrong? Yep, but oh so worth it to see Uyemura flinch-
Lila smiled through her Companion pawing her side with its claws unsheathed just ever so slightly. It didn't pierce through her clothes, but the prodding hurt nonetheless. So Lila loosened her grip and Uyemura's smile became a little more genuine.
"Well, well, well, I wasn't expecting this! Luck and Uyemura actually putting to bed their rivalry?!" The students parted ways to reveal a girl in her late teens walking towards Lila and Uyemura. She looked over the two of them with a critical eye, thumb under her chin."I was hoping for action, drama-"
"How blunt, Kirigaya-chan." Uyemura rolled her eyes.
"-romance!"
Lila's gut twisted itself into a knot at the thought of ever getting together with Uyemura. But for the shake of appearances, she maintained her graceful smile whilst obliterating the disgust writhing in her gut.
"But alas, there won't be any of those things. Still, having not one, but two new Miracles makes up for it!" Kirigay's eyes lit up." So, seeing as everyone here knows you already, how about we do a little competition? Nothing like fighting, but more like a friendly contest to show off their stuff!"
"Kirigaya-chan, what contest do you have in mind and how will the winner of the contest be determined?" Lila asked.
Kirigaya hummed while she thought of an idea.
"Simple, the both of you show off your powers and outfits! Then the students vote on who's the coolest. Sounds fair?"
"Of course. It is a sound idea." Uyemura smiled.
Lila glanced at a smirking Uyemura. Oh she was not gonna let the jerk get a freak chance. This contest was on.
Yoshino Sadao glared at the black liquid swooshing in the vial. The most primal part of him screamed for him to throw the thing out and get out of the lab. He shut that part up. All diseases were dangerous under the right conditions, but could be rendered harmless under others. And this black liquid, this 'Ichor', was as harmless as it could be right now.
Still, never had he seen anything like it in his thirty years as a pathologist. Yet again it wasn't like the last year saw the upending of human society as a whole. What, with monsters appearing out of nowhere to slaughter humanity with seemingly no reason or goal, actual heroes empowered by magic, and Japan somehow not collapsing despite the world falling apart. That last part baffled him the most. Regardless, he still had a job to do.
He stilled his trembling gloved hands and uncorked the vial. Yoshino lowered a micropipette into the vial, its tip plunging into the liquid. Immediately the liquid ceased swooshing and began rippling inwards towards the tip. An odd effect to be sure, but it came to be something Yoshino ignored throughout the hundreds of times he'd done this. Still, never before had he seen a fluid act this way. Were it not for the weakness of the flesh, then he would have spent all of his hours towards discovering the mechanisms behind it. But he needed sleep and food as well as a deadline to meet.
So Yoshino gently squeezed the pipette a couple of times. It filled up with the Ichor until it met a line a few centimeters up. He corked the vial and returned it to the tray.
The pathologist prepared the slide and the microscope. Every side was examined for any leakage of the liquid. There were some dripples to which a quick wipe and dap from a cloth was enough to take care of it. Yoshino disposed of it into a bin.
He placed the slide under the microscope and peered through the eyepiece, adjusting it until he could see the components that made up the Ichor.
Yoshino saw the aurora borealis dance in a myriad of lights under the lens of the microscope. Or, well, that was the closest descriptor he could think of. He'd seen the Northern Lights once so long ago when visiting family. It was like the Heavens themselves held a grand festival and the sky was lit up in joy. Yet the one in the Ichor was not lit up in joy. No, Yoshino had to look away from the microscope because his temples throbbed. From what, he did not know.
It never ceased to amaze him at how utterly bizarre the Ichor was. Blood was made up of plasma and cells yet Ichor wasn't made up of either of these. The only thing either shared was that they were both liquids. That's where the similarities ended and, unfortunately, the extent of his knowledge concerning Ichor. Even a year of study revealed next to nothing.
The reasons were myriad, from the same old excuse of not having enough funding to the actual danger of becoming infected by it.. Thankfully it could be prevented by not drinking the stuff, but a colleague went and drank a full vial for whatever inane reason.
Observing how the symptoms presented themselves was captivating. The skin flaked off so easily as though it were dead. The eyes sunk into the skull. Bony protrusions erupted through flesh and wrapped around his colleague's head. Such rapid, invasive changes would've killed any organism by the amount of heat produced. Yet his colleague remained standing through it all… until the soldiers came in with flamethrowers at the ready.
Now why did his colleague go mad and drink the Ichor? The question never left Yoshino, having nestled in his mind for months on end. He always shoved it aside since it only distracted him from his work. But in recent weeks, more and more of his colleagues have gone missing or turned up dead. He ignored it of course. Ever since the monsters began their war against humanity, the number of people missing or dead went up drastically. And his missing or dead colleagues were all scientists studying the Ichor. No doubt they became contaminated and so the government decided to make them disappear.
He wondered why they wouldn't tell him the obvious answer, though. Were it not for their secrecy, he would've helped them in studying the pathology of the Ichor.
Regardless of their reasoning, Yoshino had to be content with what was given to him. So he resumed his examination of the Ichor.
Yoshino spent the next hours examining the Ichor and writing down anything that stood out. From a yellow light becoming a dark red to something that looked like a RBC moving about. However, the longer he studied the fluid, the more he began to notice a… a shape? It was hard to describe, but something was there. In the hundreds of specimens he examined, this had never happened before.
The pathologist's hand scrambled for the records while his eyes remained transfixed on the shape. New colors he'd never seen before in his whole life seeped into it and filled its outline. Funny, he was colorblind to greens and reds yet he saw them with perfect clarity. How then was he able to see these new shades? His mind wandered for an answer and found only a desert of emptiness…
No, not a desert of emptiness, but an ocean of stillborn dreams.
Humanity was marched up altars crafted from long-forgotten memories. Hateful, obsessive knives gorged themselves into screaming matter. Mankind's hopes and dreams oozed out and into the ocean where the stillborn dreams twitched for, but a moment. The hate and obsession continued their duty anointed to them by things older than the first thoughts of the universe. Those same things watched all with apathetic passion.
Yoshino took a breath and their infinite eyes turned towards him. He didn't even have the time to realize that his mind had been ripped away from him. It was only when their ancient thoughts pressing down onto his own, drowning his consciousness under a current of terrible curiosity did he realize it.
His mind screamed and thrashed for any purchase to secure itself upon. But the things tossed his mind to one another, each studying this fleeting soul that had gripped their attention. There was no rest, no respite under their critical eyes which examined every thought, dream, and desire of Yoshino.
Was this how pathogens felt when under the microscope? To be poked and prodded at the leisure of a greater being? To have everything that made him, him, ripped out and put up on display? To be so thoroughly violated that one felt more like a lab specimen pinned under a microscope? Did they pray to a deity that did not exist or was powerless against these things? Did they squirm and scream for anything, even the evilest of Devils, to help them?
Yoshino did not believe in any greater power, be it Buddha, the Kami, or God. But he wanted to. It did not matter what it was. Anything to help him escape these things.
Their wonder soon crumbled into dust, however. Infinite eyes returned to watching all with apathetic passion and his own mind returned to him.
Yoshino stood inside a lab with a dead-still motion. The Ichor under the microscope had long dried up, but its truth had implanted itself into his brain. So much has been revealed to him. The nature of those monsters known to him now in all of its terrible and wondrous glory. He wanted to reject it as a horrid lie, but it was a pure and simple truth. How could humanity stand against them? There was simply no way. The weapons of mankind would fail. Human spirit and determination were, but meaningless words. And Yoshino cried out for a higher power to save him, save all of humanity from those things.
But no one came.
"Yoshino-san, are you alright? You've been in here all day."
Yoshino looked over to see a young woman stepping through the door. He blinked a few times. She mentioned he was in here all day? It was morning when he clocked in so why was she…
A glance at the clock told him it was nearing midnight now. Heh… hehehe…
"No I am not, Hamamoto, I have just discovered the truth."
"T-the truth?" She tilted her head to the side with an eyebrow raised.
"The truth. It told me."
"Yoshino, I think you should go to bed and sleep. You're not looking well. I'll even take over for you tomorrow if you're not feeling up to it."
Go to sleep? Go to sleep?! Oh how innocent she was, unburdened by the truth. Like a child asking what death meant in such a unsure yet pure way. It was funny, honestly.
Heh-hehehehahahaha
A laugh erupted from Yoshino as tears flowed down from his eyes. Hamamoto flinched from how hollow his laugh was.
"W-what's wrong?"
Yoshino did not bother answering her question. Trying to describe the revelation gifted unto him was like trying to describe color to a blind man. One needed to see color to understand the description, otherwise it was simply wasted words. No, no, none understood, but him. Him and the other scientists who became peered too deeply into the abyss.
'If you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back.'
Yoshino withered a little on the inside when that phase crossed his mind. The boundaries of science were meant to be pushed, understood. Not shied away from like a child scared of the dark. And now he knew the truth.
He didn't want to know the truth anymore.
His gaze lingered on the tray of Ichor-filled vials. One of them was open, the liquid inside sloshing about.
Did he leave one of them open? It was an idle, meaningless thought amongst the whirlwind whipping his mind. Yet Yoshino knew he lidded each and every vial, followed protocol to the letter, and ensured each container was secured in their tray. That meant- heh, what did it matter anyways? Why waste time pondering such trivial matters? Not when the Ichor called to him. The liquid in the opened vial illuminated with such a dazzling variety of colors both known and never seen to mankind before. It invited him to drink it, to break the ground for a new home. And every home needed a foundation.
Yoshino ripped the vial from its tray which was sent skidding across the table. He brought it up to his salivating mouth and drank. The most primal, pathetic part of him screamed for him to stop. It inflamed his throat, constricted his neck, and tried to vomit the unwanted thing out. But the Ichor flowed pure and true through him.
He laughed. Laughed and laughed and laughed even as his body broke down. Cells disintegrated into primordial numbers, thoughts took on new forms to better direct the transformation, and bit by bit, Yoshino broke down to build the new foundation. And through it all, through the horrendous agony that racked his body, he laughed. Laughed until the last thought of Yoshino passed through the mind of the newborn thing.
And the first thought of the newborn thing was that Yoshino was indeed a fine foundation.
A/N:
Well, this took longer than it should have. Sorry this isn't an actual update, I got bogged down and decided to work on something a little more cosmic horror themed since I don't write such themes that much, but this still ate up a fair bit of my attention and energy. Still, it's done and I've begun work on the next update.
Also, while I prefer working at my own pace, I'm dissatisfied with how slow the updates have been. I'm going to try to get the updates out faster so it doesn't take a month and a half to get an update out. So hopefully the next update comes out before the end of May. Anyways, any feedback and comments are appreciated, always looking to improve my writing.
Ok Lila, you got this in the bag. Just keep your cool and you'll win this! Lila thought as she and Uyemura followed Kirigaya's instructions to make their way to the center of the room.
Still, keeping her cool was one thing, it was another to make a plan on the spot. Kirigaya sprang this whole contest thing on her. Ugh, it's like not paying attention in class then getting called on and scrambling for an answer. Expect the students would forever consider you a loser for the rest of time if it was wrong or unimpressive. Well, it wouldn't be the first time Lila was shoved into this kind of situation of having to improvise. Plenty of experience from Uyemura's 'teasing'.
"Now take a seat, consonants! I'll be the one introducing you both!" Kirigaya smiled as she pulled two seats from a nearby table and placed them before the new Miracles.
Oh good, if Kirigaya was gonna introduce them then Lila had time to put some thought into how she would show off and knock Uyemura down a peg. But where to begin though? Starting off with her outfit is simple enough. A knight in shining armor! With a wand that didn't quite go with the whole thing, but hey, remember the Miracle miko with the grenade launcher and how she pulled it off.
Now her own power wasn't so simple. The boosts could be mistaken for what a Miracle was already capable of and something Uyemura would pounce on as her being emotionally unstable. Yet Yang did say being able to control one's own emotions was invaluable and it already bore her fruit when the jerk threw her tantrum earlier. And it wouldn't matter if she exaggerated her power juuust a little. Like, say, using her anger to strengthen her punches to make a dummy explode!
The plan was set, now all there was left was to smile and wait until Kirigaya finished.
"With introductions out of the way, who would like to go first?"
"I will!" Lila shot up to her feet and waved at the students. A part of her wondered why Uyemura was smirking, though. Knowing the jerk, she was reassured in her victory. How unfortunate it wouldn't be her victory, but Lila's!
"Hello everyone, it's a pleasure to be with you all." Lila flashed a smile at a boy near the front of the crowd. Said boy blushed and rubbed the back of his neck before returning a smile of his own. "And I thank you for your attention. I understand you all have high expectations as well and I shall meet them, but as a new Miracle, I also ask for understanding as well. It's not easy adjusting to the role of a Defender of Japan with the powers, duties, and responsibilities bestowed upon me. So I ask for your patience as I adjust to this honorable role."
Most of the students nodded and clapped, though Lila spotted a few that frowned or sneered. W-well, alright, there would be at least one heckler among any crowd. Ignoring them is the best policy.
"Among these duties and responsibilities is to be a shining light in the darkness that claws at the heart of all Japanese!" Lila pumped her fist as she reached and grasped her magic.
Her Companion rolled its eyes at the whole thing, but deigned to allow its own magic to flow through Lila.
Lila's school uniform changed to a gold-red armor in the blink of an eye. The students felt the invisible hand of the Yokai that was omnipresent throughout their lives be driven back by a radiant knight. Those that still dreaded that hand felt another hand gently grip their shoulders like a friend or beloved one reassuring them everything was going to be alright. That they would make it through whatever life would throw at them.
The students relaxed under that reassurance. A moment of respite from the despair that had settled in their minds since their birth. It was an alien feeling, but a welcomed one.
"But in order to be a shining light, a Miracle must also have the strength and the power to shield the innocent from evil. My Companion has granted me the magic to enhance my own physical abilities based upon the emotion I am feeling and the ability to control my own emotions." Lila smiled as the students cheered. Could she have performed better? Perhaps, but Kirigaya put her on the spot with the whole contest thing. And honestly, she thought she did an excellent job despite the circumstances!
Though, as the cheering died down, dozens of hands shot up and waved with an eagerness only ever reserved for trying to grab the attention of one's heroes. Their voices crashed into one another in a tsunami of demanding voices, each vying to have their own question be answered first.
O-oh, uh, people had questions. It was to be expected, of course. Just, um, more opportunities to showcase how awesome she was now.
"Everyone, everyone! Please calm your tits down." Kirigaya shouted over the students, the nearest ones looking at her.
"Not us guys have tits!" A boy heckled from the crowd.
"You have nipples don't you?" Kirigaya shot back. And stunned by her comeback, the heckler sank into the crowd to seethe as the students booed him. Kirigaya allowed the booing to die down before continuing."How about everyone raises one hand without shouting or talking over each other and Lila picks the person. Same for Uyemura. Fair ain't it?"
"If that is the case, then I do have a question for Luck-chan." Uyemura spoke and everyone's attention went to her. "Can you please tell me how each of these boosts work? After all, I cannot work with you properly if I don't know how your power works."
Lila maintained her smile even though her inner shelf was shrinking into herself in hopes of becoming a turtle. Of course this question would be asked. Why wouldn't it? But coming from the jerk? She knew little of her own power and what each boost did. Lila couldn't delay the answer either, otherwise Uyemura was going to viciously attack the image she was trying to build up. And it needed to be now because everyone looked at her with expectant eyes and bated breath.
All those eyes on her. One misplaced word or wrong statement would hurt her chances of victory. W-what should she say, though?
So Lila grasped at the chaotic, liquid form of magic. Droplets of it slipped from her grip, but she held onto it and formed it into the emotion of calm. Like a calm stream running through a forest, the magic coursed through her body to soothe a mind gripped by anxiety. Lila took a breath to steady herself and found a response.
"I apologize, but my knowledge of my own magic is little at the moment so I can't properly answer your question." Lila bent her torso forward in a bow."I am still practicing and I hope to answer your question properly in due time, but I ask for patience in the meantime."
The humiliation of bowing in apology bit into Lila, but she punted it into the sky with the help of her magic. Besides, she'd never win over Uyemura, but this act of humility may win over the students. Hopefully it wouldn't feed the jerk's ego too much.
"I have only recently bonded as well yet I have a firm grasp over my magic already. But you haven't? My, my, how disappointing."
Never mind, it did.
"I'm sorry I can't yet meet your expectations, Uyemura-chan. All I ask for is time to better my understanding of my own magic." Lila said as she straightened and looked Uyemura right in the eyes. Backing down now would mean the jerk would slice her apart with sharp words.
"Time is a luxury Japan cannot afford when it is beset by threats on all sides." Uyemura's smirk twisted into a sneer."But you darkies think otherwise."
Keep your cool, Lila. She repeated the mantra over and over in her mind.
"I'm perfectly aware of Japan's situation and I shall still strive to defend it despite my inexperience."
"Well, at least you have that over your sister."
"And whatever do you mean by that, Uyemura-chan?" Lila's grip on her magic tightened.
"Really? You're not aware that she's a failure?"
The students oohed and awwwed at the drama unfolding before them. Their ignorance latched onto Lila's hand and tried to pry her finger open to let her magic escape from her grasp. But she struggled with all of her strength to keep them tight as not to let a single drop slip away.
"Yang-nee-san kept Nagoya safe for years from both Yokai and criminals. I'm not sure how she's a failure."
"Yet the criminals haven't been taken care of around this part of Nagoya. Something must be wrong with her. In fact, crime has been on the rise with many criminals being of your kind. I certainly don't feel safe-"
The rest of what Uyemura ranted about went over Lila's head.
Your kind. Those two words were something Lila heard so much over the years from Uyemura and others like her. Always your kind this or your kind that. It shouldn't affect her. It shouldn't bite deeper than the student's ignorant oohing. Yet it did and her grip on her magic loosened. It rushed between her fingers and she found that her boiling anger was rising.
"Stop." That one word silenced the students, but Uyemura scowled as Lila continued on."Is this supposed to be criticism or insults? I thought this was a question on my magic and I was honest. It would, should've, ended at that, but you went about ranting as always with your usual remarks so I don't know if what you're saying is criticism or insults. If it's supposed to be criticism, then it's quite vague on how to improve. So I'm guessing it's just more insults as always with you."
Uyemura's scowl was unchanging throughout Lila's rebuke. It seemed to have simply bounced off of her and left only dents.
"I'm sorry, I was simply trying to get you to understand the situation Japan is in. So let me ask another question."
Uyemura remained silent for a second. Lila huffed during that time because the jerk was trying to build suspense. But the students were salivating at the building suspense. Because of course they would eat that crap the jerk was going to serve them.
"Why do you think you deserve to be a Miracle?"
A thousand responses stampeded into Lila's head. She stuttered and sputtered out a response, only to restart with another one. Her indecisiveness only made Uyemura's scowl deepen. It ended when Lila yelped when she felt a gust of air lash her face.
Before her, a pen hung suspended in the air by invisible strings. Its tip glistened as if salivating for the chance to rip into her eye. Then it was reeled back to Uyemura who snatched it out of the air and pointed it at Lila with a disappointed frown.
"If you cannot master your magic then why do you deserve to be a Miracle? Your sister, the Dancing Dragon may be a failure, but even she mastered her magic in a short amount of time after bonding with her respective Companion."
"Because she had to and even then-!" Lila's reply was cut by Uyemura standing up to her feet. No, not standing on her feet, but hovering over the floor.
Uyemura's school uniform changed into a knee-length black dress and secured in place by silvery armor pieces encasing her sides. The students were in awe of the power emanating from Uyemura. It felt as if a kami had descended down from the heavens, not to demand worship or gratitude, but to protect and shield them. That, with her awesome power, the Yokai would find no weakness within her domain.
So when Uyemura spoke, all listened.
"Miracles are supposed to be perfect because of the threats that Japan faces. If we aren't, then hope is chipped away at until despair kills Japan instead of the Yokai or the Aniu ingrates. Yet here you are not even knowing the basics of your own magic." Uyemura placed a hand against her cheek and glared down upon Lila with a look of disdain.
"But I do know-"
"Quiet." Uyemura turned to the students."Tell me, fellow classmates, would you rather have a Miracle who doesn't even know her own magic to protect you or a proper Miracle who does?"
Many of the students did not hesitate to voice their answer.
"Of course you, Uyemura-chan!"
"Luck can't hold a candle to you!"
"Why should we have a foreigner protecting us anyways?"
Each endorsement struck Lila in the gut and left her reeling. Didn't she hit all of the marks just right? She tried oh so hard yet it never seemed like it was enough. B-but, Uyemura was well-liked amongst the student body. More so than she ever was. So it wasn't surprising that it looked like the jerk won. Still, this failure, those endorsements, all of it bit deep and Lila couldn't muster up the energy to push it all out of her head.
Yet one voice did speak out.
"I don't want an arrogant Miracle." Qin called out.
"Of course." Uyemura muttered and rolled her eyes.
To Lila, though, it warmed her heart to know Qin always had her back. But then another voice, a boy's, shouted out as well.
"I'll take Luck-chan over you any day!"
Qin's and the boy's courage to speak up encouraged others. A smattering of voices endorsing Lila instead of Uyemura. It was far fewer than the jerk's, but still, it soothed the pain from failure's bite.
But soon enough, the matter of people letting their opinion be known devolved into a bedlam of shouts and cries. It took Kirigaya several minutes wrangling the students and slapping a few to herd them back into good order.
"Ok, since everyone wants to give their say, how about we do a show of hands? Good? Good." Kirigaya grinned, going as far as to hook an arm around a nearby student and bringing them close. Though the student did struggle, a quick squeeze on their neck convinced them to smile and nod along Kirigaya's suggestion.
Kirigaya unhooked her arm from the student and asked for a show of hands for Uyemura. A dozen hands shot up without hesitation, followed by several more rising up more slowly. Then Kirigaya asked for a show of hands for Lila and only a few rose up, making it clear Uyemura won by a clear majority.
"Alright, alright, looks like we have our winner!" Kirigaya gestured towards Uyemura.
Lila took a breath. T-that was ok. Better a few than none at all right? Well, Qin would have voted for her anyway so the more hands the better. It just… kinda sucked all the life out of her that the jerk triumphed.
Now Uyemura looked at Lila with a smirk.
"It shouldn't be surprising that the Japanese picked a proper Miracle."
Lila strained to smile and squeezed her hands tight.
"Congrats on the win, Uyemura-chan." That praise was ash on her tongue, but it pleased the jerk to no end.
Uyemura said nothing, simply giving Lila another smirk before turning around to mingle with the students and leaving Lila to sulk.
All of Lila's energy left her as she watched the jerk chat and laugh with the students. No doubt some would go on to brag about how they were her first fan in the coming years. And no doubt the jerk's ego would balloon to the size of a mountain. Maybe a good-
Lila sucked in a breath and let calm wash her anger away. Negative thoughts won't do her any good. They never did before, they won't now.
"You alright?"
Lila relaxed when Qin placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Wished I could've won."
"Heh, well, you won me and a few others over. That's gotta count for something, right?"
"Yeah, it counts for something." Lila chuckled.
"Come on, I know this place that sells-" Qin's voice was cut off by the wail of the siren.
Everyone went silent while the siren wailed on. Its cry reverberated within their very bones, making them tremble against their will. But all quaked when the announcement cackled through the school's speakers.
"Attention all students, Yokai have been sighted in the distract. Please head to the shelter in an orderly fashion and remain there until the all-clear is given."
Lila's stomach twisted itself into a knot. No, no, why couldn't it be another day? When she had more time to train with Yang? The thought of splitting off from the group and hiding somewhere wiggled into her mind. But that thought was squashed when Lila imposed calm upon her mind.
She observed the situation inside the clubroom with a crystal-clear mind.
Many of the students were already crowding around the door in an attempt to squeeze out and get to the shelter. Yet there were so many people that they clumped into a barricade made up of humans, all of whom squirmed and wiggled against one another in an attempt to get out. Someone was bound to get hurt with so many people struggling to get out.
Kirigaya shouted for them to stop panicking and form an orderly line. But it was drowned out by fearful screams and fretful cries. Well, thankfully there were two Miracles here to save the day! Even if Uyemura was a jerk, it was still better to cooperate with her than pretend as if she didn't exist.
So Lila pushed down her pride and looked for the jerk. She found Uyemura looking out a window, standing at a tilt towards the courtyard.
"Uyemura-chan, I need your help with the students!" Lila called out, but Uyemura's response chilled Lila down to the bone.
"They're here."
Lila tightened her grip on her magic and dared a glance out the window.
Down below, dark shapes blurred through the street beyond the courtyard. S-she felt sick when she caught a glimpse. It was a feeling she felt a hundred times before whenever the Yokai appeared, even on TV or the newspaper. It was as though a parasite burrowed into her skin, crawling and wiggling its way deep inside her. Her body tried to eject it out, but the parasite continued burrowing deeper and deeper. Lila tried to rip the feeling out with her magic. Yet it bit down into her soul and only tightened its grip whenever she tried to pry it out.
Lila clenched her teeth and exhaled. She needed to put up with this then because she was a Miracle now. So come on Lila, tough it out and purge these Yokai from existence!
But first the stu-
Glass shattered from Uyemura's fist. Everyone watched her as she leapt out the window and into the courtyard.
The reactions were varied. Some cheered Uyemura on, others were dismayed there was now one less Miracle to protect them. And Lila herself couldn't fathom why Uyemura would do this.
Just what possessed her to do this? There were still dozens of students plus the people in the school that needed escort to the shelter! Ugrh, freaking jerk, she couldn't just leave the Yokai to Soda. No, instead the jerk had to throw the responsibility onto her. A-and Lila didn't know if she could protect the students all by herself.
It wasn't the only option she had, though. Uyemura may need help in driving off the Yokai and she hadn't heard any noises the Yokai make inside the school… yet.
W-what should she do?
Pick two
[ ] Escort the students to the shelter
[ ] Go after Uyemura
[ ] Protect people outside the school
[ ] Patrol the school to defend it from the Yokai and escort struggling students to the shelter
[ ] Pretend you'll fight the Yokai, but instead find a place to hide until the all-clear is given
[ ] Try and find Soda (DC dependant)
[ ] Call Yang (DC dependant)
A/N: Man, I had to go through five or six drafts of writing and rewriting this because I couldn't find a proper flow on balancing the contest and Uyemura. I've never written a contest before which was made all the more difficult with finding a balance with Uyemura's racism. But I think I got it down? Let me know if I did alright and where I failed.
Oh, also I found this cool Youtube animation(Flash Warning) by Fernanda Dias Artwork of magical transformation where magical animals morph into a hat or a book. While I've thus far shown that Companions don't do this, I quite like the idea and I'm thinking of incorporating it in the form of Companions becoming full-on outfits. What do you guys think?
