So, finally picked a title. Seems appropriate, even if the ending of the last bit was a fakeout, at least in part.

[x] Speak with…
-[x] Shinki, privately, about this "special touch" that was needed
Then:
-[x] Ko, about what happened

[x] Speak with…
-[x] Shinki, privately, about this "special touch" that was needed
Then:
-[x] Ko, about what happened

[x] Speak with…
-[x] Shinki, privately, about this "special touch" that was needed
Then:
-[x] Ko, about what happened

x] Speak with…
-[x] Shinki,privately,about this "special touch" that was needed

[x] Speak with…
-[x] Shinki, privately, about this "special touch" that was needed
Then:
-[x] Ko, about what happened

Do I really have the choice? No, too curious.

[x] Speak with...
-[x] Shinki, privately, about this "special touch" that was needed.
Then:
-[x] Ko, about what happened.
[x] Relax and think about things while...
-[x] Sewing up Luminita’s clothes.

Just caught up to this, and it's very good. Keep up the great work!

I wanted to speak with my adopted family. Logic was screaming at me, “Nobody should be alright. You saw them torn to shreds!” As much as I wanted to remain blissfully ignorant as to what truly happened, I couldn’t do it. It would have been flagrantly irresponsible to move on without understanding the situation.

“Can you tell me where Shinki and Ko are?”

“As you wish.” The maid pulled out the paper and pen she kept on her, deftly sketching a map towards the rooms the two were located in. Along with the mental floor plan of Pandemonium provided to me, the chances of getting lost on my way were slim.

“Thank you, Yumeko. Bye!” The maid bowed and walked away.

After the maid left, I took a few minutes to dress. Changing out of the soft pajamas I had on wasn’t appealing, but it was inappropriate to roam around in them. But if Pandemonium is my home now, wouldn’t it be alright? My mind quarreled with itself before giving in to propriety; if there were guests in my new home, it would be disastrous to meet them in pajamas.

Rifling through my wardrobe, I decided to put on a simple white sundress. It was light, proper, and didn’t stress my injuries in any way. After tying back my hair with a ribbon and twirling in front of a mirror, I felt ready to head off. I floated over to where Luminita was sitting and picked her up. The doll nuzzled my hand as I lifted her. “I’m glad you’re okay too, Luminita.”

I paused when my gaze drifted past the item that was lying next to Luminita. The memories of an unsettling image were fresh in my mind. I gulped and hesitantly grabbed the magical hand mirror that had been given to me. If I was going to go visit Ko, I decided I could return the mirror, too.

I floated down Pandemonium’s hallways at an easy pace. It would be best to reach the goddess after she had finished speaking with everybody else; a private conversation would be more comfortable.

The room the goddess was supposed to be in was located at the end of a hallway. The door opened as soon as I laid eyes on it, black hair and bright eyes filling the empty frame. Maria looked directly at me and smiled. The religious demon stepped into the hall and knelt down in front of me. “It heartens me to see you well.” The demon stared at me for a moment before offering a hand to shake.

“I’m glad to see you too, Maria.” The black haired demon’s hand was soft. I could easily imagine those gentle arms cradling me back to Pandemonium. “Thank you for your help.”

“It was no problem. It would be remiss of me to ignore my duties and my word. Aiding members of the flock is my prevailing purpose, one such as you perhaps more so.” The nun-like demon rubbed my head before stepping to the side, making room for Iris, who was exiting the room backwards.

“You have my word, Goddess. I am but your humble servant~” The pale demon spun around when she finished her farewell. Iris’ fae-like beauty had returned; her pure flesh was unmarred by missing skin or tainted scars. She had changed her outfit as well. The sleek black dress had been replaced by a fluffy white coat, the winter clothing out of place but very stylish.

Iris’ grin became cat-like when she caught sight of me. “If it isn’t Alice~. How do you do, Dear?”

“I-I’m well. How are you?”

“Never been better. Today has been so exciting~” I tried not to shake when the demon stalked over to me. My mind couldn’t help but imagine her covered in blood, skin barely clinging to her body as she grinned and laughed.

Iris knelt down and carefully brought her hands up, gently stroking the sides of my face. Her motherly aura reasserted itself over her bloodthirsty one. The smile on her face wasn’t crazed, but soft and understanding. “It must have been rather tough for you~”

“…Everything is okay now.” That was what I told myself, trusting in Yumeko’s words.

“Is it? I wonder. Tell me, Alice, were you scared?”

“Y-Yeah.”

“Can you tell me why, Little One?”

Iris wasn’t joking even if the answer to her question seemed obvious. “I thought I might die.”

After thinking about that simple, selfish answer I realized it wasn’t quite the whole truth. “I was scared of being alone again, of losing my family.”

“You would have liked to intervene, no? You would have stopped us if you could.”

“Of course I would have!” Seeing a friend shaking like a leaf, visibly in shock and pain, was horrible. “I tried to help Ko, but I didn’t even know what was wrong, let alone how to fix her.”

“It’s a terrible thing to rely on others, isn’t it?”

“Huh?” The demon stood up and patted me on the head before starting to walk away. Maria trailed after her, silently waving goodbye. “Wait!” I cried out, “What do you mean?”

“You can’t save others if you can’t save yourself, Little One~” Iris yelled back to me with a wave over her shoulder.

Weak. I stood in front of the open door, staring at the crystal walls in thought. A child can’t do anything. Iris, for all of her creepy inflection and queasy mannerisms, was not malicious in intent. All I can do is ask for help and run. Her words weren’t meant to hurt, even if they did. Useless. It was an accurate criticism of who I was.

“Alice?” Shinki’s voice brought me out of my contemplation. “Come in, come in!”

The goddess was wandering around the room when I stepped in. It was another sitting room, centered on a simple wooden table with four chairs. There was a longer table to the side of the room that had a tray of tea and snacks on it. Shinki was transferring refreshments to the center table.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Alice.” The goddess put down what she was carrying and walked over to me. Her arms swept outward to envelop me in a grand hug.

Crushing, tightening until I couldn’t breathe- Shinki stopped mid-motion and dropped her arms, instead choosing to pat me on the head. I had whimpered as she approached, however involuntary, yet her smile was as radiant as always.

“Me too,” I agreed.

The goddess laughed and continued to rub my head. “Anyway, go ahead and sit. Eat up! You must be hungry, right? Have you rested enough? You probably need to sleep, Alice. Are your injuries okay? Oh my, I hope this doesn’t hurt. I know my children took care of you, but if you’re still feeling un-”

“I’m okay. You can stop fussing.” I set the mirror and Luminita down on the table and tried to swat away the goddess’ hands. Her care was appreciated, but the goddess went overboard more often than not.

“If you insist.” Shinki gave my head one last pat before taking a seat at the table. She poured out tea for the two of us and bit into what must have been Yumeko’s baked snacks. “How are you doing Alice?”

“I’m fine.” I wasn’t exactly hungry for more sweets but I nibbled on a mini-cake all the same. “Are you okay?”

“Me? Of course. I wasn’t the one flying around outside.” The goddess sighed. “I didn’t exactly enjoy seeing my children in such a state, but it wasn’t unexpected.”

“…You expected Iris to come back like that?” I felt the heat rising in my voice, “For Ko to be kil-” Shinki moved to my side from across the table in an instant. The goddess pulled a chair closer and rested a hand on my shoulder.

“No, Dear. Those were the wrong words. If I thought a tragedy would occur I would have acted differently. Ko was confident in her preparations and I believed she was justified; I still do, in fact.” The goddess’ apologetic eyes looked down at me. “It isn’t easy to balance my children’s safety with their freedom. I wish the best for them and only want their lives to be led well.”

The goddess paused before addressing a different concern. “Please don’t hate her, Alice. She had fretted so much over this trip of yours. She asked for my advice on everything, but I was sure her preparations were more than enough. I never would have-”

I laughed.

Shinki’s puppy dog look was tinged with confusion while I gripped my sides. Laughing made my body ache, but I couldn’t stop. I wasn’t even sure why I found Shinki’s concerns funny in the slightest.

My laughter subsided eventually. “I believe you. She had prepared a whole bunch of stuff to keep me safe. Some of it didn’t work, but a lot of things weren’t going her way.”

The goddess rubbed my back slowly. “I’m glad you think that way, Alice. I was worried that this incident might tear you two apart. I wouldn’t be able to handle that happening again.”

I shook off the goddess’ worries. “I mean, I want to talk to Ko about it, but I think it will be all okay.”

“What’s the world coming to?” Shinki rested a hand on her head, throwing on a forlorn expression. “I’m having my cute little daughter console me.”

It was hard to think of the playful woman as a goddess. Her bubbly personality was pervasive. Yet, Shinki prepared for everything, no matter how subtle she tried to make it seem. She had helped Ko get ready and had Maria out and about for some reason. Perhaps she brought Cosette to Pandemonium as well. How much was coincidence and how much was the goddess’ supervision? I didn’t know.

The goddess was more than happy to stay on light topics. Innocent discussion about what I had been learning and what I thought could be better was calming. After I enjoyed chatting with Shinki for a few minutes, I managed to ask about more serious things. “Hey, Shinki?”

“Yes?”

“What was wrong with Ko?” Nobody had given me a concrete answer.

It looked like Shinki was contemplating how much to tell me before she began. “She was possessed. I’m not quite sure how it happened; my children are a part of me, after all. Those unfortunate souls shouldn’t have been able to grab a hold of my daughter.” Shinki surprised me when she clenched her fist in frustration. She didn’t sound overly angry, but any emotion that wasn’t outright happy or comically sad was uncommon.

“They’re a part of you? That’s because you created them, right? Does that mean you can’t be possessed?”

“My, so many questions. Yes. I molded their bodies and brought the spark of life to them, using pieces of myself to help them grow powerful in their own right. Unlike a human who develops from nothing all of my children had a head start, so to speak, and can reach greater heights as well. That is why my children are not easily swayed.” The goddess rubbed my cheek. “This is a bit unrelated, but I can feel each one of my children like I do my own heart; except for you, Dear. That’s why you need to be extra careful, okay?”

Extra careful. The goddess’ warning was playful but ominous. She can’t fix everything…

“What was that?” Shinki asked. I must have been murmuring while I thought.

“Did Ko d-die?” I asked what had been on my mind since awakening. My memories were at odds with what Yumeko told me. I wasn’t sure what was true.

The goddess barely paused before she answered me. “That’s right. Ko’s body was broken beyond repair. At first, my daughters thought they could simply separate the spirit from Ko’s body and patch her back together, but it wasn’t that simple. The injuries that my older daughter inflicted on Ko weren’t life-threatening, but many of her organs had already ceased to function. Her body was already breaking down before she died.”

“W-what? Was Ko sick beforehand?” Even I knew that it took a few hours for a body to start decomposing. If she had been growing weaker even while alive, something must have been seriously wrong.

“We aren’t sure. We don’t generally worry about disease or sickness down here, but it isn’t impossible for us to fall ill. In the end, regenerating multiple organs and trying to reconnect all of them into a functioning system while identifying what was wrong and fixing the problem would take too much time and effort. It was better for me to handle it.”

Serra and Cosette’s medical efforts would have been cost inefficient, but not ineffective. What was the goddess’ ‘special touch’ then? “What did you do?”

“I created a new body and moved Ko’s soul into it.”

My mouth opened slightly as if to speak but it shut before words came out. My brows furrowed while I forced my mind to think for a moment. Eventually, I opened my mouth again. “…Huh?”

“What?”

“You…did what?”

“Alice, Honey, I can’t answer your question if I don’t understand it.”

I don’t even…“Creating an entirely new body is easier than fixing a damaged one?”

“It is for me.” It was a statement of fact, as if Shinki was talking about what she ate for breakfast.

“I…okay.”

“What’s wrong, Alice? You looked confused.”

“No, it’s nothing important.” There was no point in arguing the absurdity of what the goddess said. It was just another quirk of the inhabitants of Makai.

“Does it sound weird to you? Simply moving a person from one body to another? It is strange, I suppose, but I can manage it with my children. It would be much tougher if the person in question didn’t come from me, though.”

”Okay, so Ko was alright after that?”

“I believe so. Her new body is nearly identical to her old one. I don’t think she has had any problems adjusting so far.”

Just as Yumeko said, it seemed that everything was okay. No matter how terrifying or sudden everything was, the demons of Makai seemed to shrug the incident off as something minor. My perspective as a human couldn’t comprehend the thoughts of a demon. “Thank you for talking with me.”

“Of course, Dear.” The goddess smiled at me and stood up. “Is this all you wanted? I can get you something, if you like.”

The thought of asking for a pair of shoes crossed my mind, but I didn’t bring it up. My toes liked their freedom. “No, that’s okay. Is Ko awake?”

“She isn’t supposed to be, but if I know her, then she’ll be up and about. Let’s see,” the goddess closed her eyes and tapped a finger to her chin. She opened them a second later and spoke. “Yes, she’s wandering around in the hall outside the room I left her in.”

I hopped out of my seat and grabbed both my doll and Ko’s mirror. “Thank you.”

“It isn’t a problem, Alice. If you ever need anything…”

“I’ll make sure to ask you.” I fidgeted awkwardly for a second before floating upwards and pecking Shinki on the cheek. “Thanks, M-Mom.”

I could hear the goddess giggle as I quickly fled into the hall, Luminita and the creepy mirror in hand.

The featureless crystal hallways sped by as I flew through the castle. The guest room that Ko had been interred in was relatively close to the sitting room the goddess was using.

I reached it in a minute, arriving just in time to find Ko standing on her hands.

Then she fell over. “Oh fuck!” She crashed into the ground without grace.

“Ko! Are you alright?” I floated over to my friend who was sprawled out on her back.

She looked exactly the same as she did before. The demon was clad in her usual black ensemble, her head wings still prominently flapping.

A quick tug on her hand and Ko was sitting up and scratching her head. “Yeah, yeah, just a little discombobul- Alice!”

“Hi- wah!” The redhead jumped to her feet and wrapped her arms around me. My body ached in her grip. A demented grin, the constriction of her arms crushing my- “H-Hey, Ko, that h-hurts.”

The demon recoiled away from me as if I had slapped her. “What? Ah! Sorry! Damn it, I didn’t mean to do that. Holy fuck, I really-”

“Breathe, Ko, breathe.” Although I was talking to Ko, I found myself taking my own advice. Hugs were going to be problematic.

“Ugh, sorry for getting panicky there, Alice.” Ko fidgeted in place and played with her hair. “I didn’t expect to see you so soon.”

I coughed lightly while Ko watched me out of the corner of her eyes. We stood in that hallway silently, the seconds dragging on for what felt like forever. After my mind and body had calmed, I mustered the courage to break the silence.

“So, uhm-”

“Listen I-”

I blushed when the two of spoke at once. “I’m sorry, that was rude.”

Ko waved off the incident. “No, no, go ahead.”

“I interrupted you.”

“No, I cut you off first. You can speak, Alice.”

Stuck with Ko’s full attention, I felt my confidence draining away. As much as I wanted to have a serious discussion, I didn’t have the heart. “W-Well, uh, here’s your mirror back.”

“What?” The redhead took the mirror from me and stared at it. “Oh, that. Right, thanks. I’m surprised to see it in one piece. It’s a good thing this one worked correctly.”

Ko twirled the mirror around, inspecting it for damage. The grinning demon I saw reflected in the glass made my heart race. “It’s a creepy mirror.”

“I know, right? I guess you looked at your dark reflection. A lot of the goddess’ stuff isn’t sunshine and rainbows.”

“That wasn’t my reflection.” What I had seen in the glass was not ordinary; there was some sort of magic at work that I didn’t understand. Whatever image was shown in the glass was most definitely not a reflection.

“It was, Alice, but maybe not how you might expect. The mirror reflects the wielder’s soul and twists it, projecting that darker persona around them like a skintight shroud.”

“So it makes someone look evil?” As far as magic went, the mirror’s power didn’t sound as ridiculous as I might have thought. The absurd was reasonable in Makai, and I was learning to adjust. “I don’t see anything different about you.”

“Normal human eyes don’t look at souls, Alice. However, what a spirit sees is a tad bit different.”

“Keep a tight hold on that and they won’t even notice you.” With Ko’s own warnings, I reasoned out what the magic item actually did. “The mirror hid me from the swarm of evil spirits because they thought I was one of them?”

Ko nodded at my description. “Pretty much; the perfect camouflage, as it goes.”

Doubt plagued my thoughts. I remembered what I saw in that mirror’s reflection and wondered how much of Ko’s explanation was accurate and what was missing.

Mulling over arcane mysterious could wait, though. “Now it’s your turn,” I prompted the demon.

“My turn? No way, you cheated!” Ko’s characteristic outburst brought a smile to my face. “This mirror was totally not what you wanted to talk about!”

“Nyeh,” I stuck my tongue out and waited for Ko to broach the painful subject first.

“Fine, you tricky minx. Okay.” The redhead raised her head and stared into my eyes. She held my gaze for a second before squeezing her eyes shut and shaking her head.

The girl took three deep breaths before looking at me again. Her eyes were steady and her mouth set in a slight frown. “I don’t think sorry covers it, but I’ll apologize anyway. I told you I’d protect you but wound up trying to kill you – there’s nothing I can do that would make it right. I’m so sorry, Alice. I thought I did everything I could to prepare for our trip, but I failed in that. I hadn’t even considered my own weaknesses and how they might harm you. I was stupid and negligent. There’s no reason for you to feel a shred of forgiveness towards me, and I’m not conceited enough to expect any. So much of what I did was unforgivable.”

I interrupted the girl’s apology. “Are you going to make a Magician’s Contract too? I’d like to have two slaves.”

Ko’s eyebrows furrowed. “Say again?”

I raised my hand into the air, parallel to the ground. “Well, I think Erk already set a high bar for the ‘could have killed me’ group. It’ll be tough for you to make-it up to me better than he did.”

“You’re joking about something like this?” Ko’s suddenly even voice was at odds with her despondent or rage-filled tones.

“One of us needs to.”

“This is serious, Alice! Erk and I can’t be compared. Mr. Responsible accidentally caught you in the crossfire; I tried to murder you!” I listened to Ko with my head tilted. After she finished her explosive outburst, I floated forwards and grabbed her hand. “Wha-?”

I had been thinking about my feelings through Ko’s spiel. “No you didn’t. The girl right here didn’t try to kill me. My friend kept me safe from miasma and hellhounds. It was the spirits that tried to hurt me. Not you.”

“If I didn’t let them take over-”

“You couldn’t help that; you gave me the mirror.”

“I went and asked for that thing because of you, Alice.” Ko gently pushed against my shoulder and separated us. “I, we demons, shouldn’t need a magic item like that for those low-powered spirits. It’s usually easy to shrug them off. Ignore the screams, crush the temptations, and you can fly out scot-free.”

Ko found the magic mirror just for me, too? “Then why didn’t you?”

“I don’t know. It…wasn’t like usual. They weren’t whispering in my head or creating weak inclinations. It felt like they were driving a sledgehammer into the back of my skull. I couldn’t ignore them, and once they got in I couldn’t take control back.”

For some reason, Ko laughed. “I don’t suppose you know what it’s like to be possessed? It’s the worst feeling in the world. All of my freedom, my choice, my decisions, usurped by cackling dead guys who couldn’t get their act together. I can fight a mental war with the damn spirits but that would mean fighting a losing battle. They do that psychic stuff naturally; without serious practice, I would never be able to compete with them. The best choice is to retreat, to huddle up in my own brain and to not let the evil fuckers further into my head.”

Once those bastards get inside, they can shove me around like it’s nothing. The greedy ones try and tear up everything that is me, whereas the more sane ones focus on the outside. They fight me for my body. Trying to contest their control just means I would spread myself too thin. If I focus my mind somewhere, it just gives them the opportunity to obliterate me wherever I’m not paying attention. Retreating allows me to keep myself intact, but I lose my body in compensation.”

I can feel the maliciousness oozing out of those spirits. To have that kind of intent violating my body is disgusting. All I can do is curl up and watch through my unresponsive eyes as my body tries to carve you into pieces. Every scream or spurt of blood throws me into a frenzy. I can try to take back control, to do something to help, but it never sticks. I can take control of a single arm for a quarter second before the spirit boots me away and tries to crush me. Then its back to the waiting game if I don’t want completely lose myself.”

I listened to Ko’s explanation quietly. The demon girl spoke with a clenched fist and gritted teeth. For a person who valued freedom so highly, it must be terrifying to lose control of her own body.

Questions bubbled in my head. The thought of being possessed was an alien concept to me. “So, when you’re possessed you can still move your body a little bit. Does that mean when you d-died…?”

“Yeah. That was me. That piece of shit – I just wanted to stop the spirit from hurling more crystal at you. That asshole must have thought ending its fun was the best way to cause more pain.” Ko described something wholly malicious, an entire existence centered around causing pain to others.

With all the description Ko had given me, I could still only focus on one major fact. “You really died, then?”

The redheaded nodded with a grim smile. “Most of our bodies aren’t that strong, Alice. Flesh and blood only gets you so far. It’s a good thing the most important stuff for a demon isn’t reliant on a body.”

“You mean your soul?”

“Yup, or whatever else you want to call it; consciousness, self, awareness. As long as I can stay myself, the goddess can stick me back in a new body. Sometimes we lose a few things in translation and it’s a fucking pain trying to rebuild all of my muscle memory, but I can live with the trade-off.”

“…Just put their souls back into a body?” The goddess spoke as if it was nothing. Ko spoke as if it was common occurrence. I closed my eyes in contemplation. Momma…daddy…

“H-Hold on, Alice. Don’t start jumping to conclusions; I mean sure, a human’s soul also holds on to most of the important stuff, but that doesn’t mean you can just go r-reviving people, or something. W-Wait, that’s not what I mean! Damn, that sounds cruel. What I meant to say is-” She knows. When Ko was in the right mind, she was perceptive. She watched and listened and learnt whatever she could. She dealt in information. Yet, she could let her emotions get the better of her and let a few things slip. I wondered how much of my past she reasoned on her own, how much she found out, and how much was told to her. In the short time I had been in Makai, I hadn’t exactly talked about what had happened on the surface.

“It’s okay Ko, I understand. Shinki worried about that too. The dead have an afterlife to go to, after all. I was just thinking that it would be nice...to have all of my family together.”

“Alice…”

I shoved my memories and hopes to the side. At that moment, they weren’t important. “I forgive you, Ko. You tried very hard for me, and I made it out rather safely.”

“…Thanks Alice, even if I think I don’t deserve it.”

“So! Are you going to make that contract?” I asked with a large grin, banishing the negative thoughts to the recesses of my mind. The heart-pounding flight for my life felt very far away. Looking around, it was easy enough to imagine that nothing had happened. After clearing the air with Ko, I was ready to return to a happier routine.

“No way! I already have your best interest in mind; I don’t need some ancient magic telling me how to do that. I’ll just have to step up my game, is all…”

“Pooh.” I made the best funny face I could to try and stop Ko from sliding back into a pit of melancholy.

Ko chuckled and planted a hand on her hip. “Anyway, shouldn’t you be resting instead of extorting me, Kid? You’ve had a tough day.”

“Hey, I’m not the one that was put in a new body.” I pointed my finger at the girl in question. “You should be the one resting!”

“Resting? There’s no time for that, I have to get all my old skills back together. Besides, this body is fresh.” Ko ignored my rebuttal with a flick of her hair. ”Get back to bed, Kid. You need the sleep, especially if you plan on upholding your honor student status.”

How unfair. It was such a heavy-handed response that I would expect out of an adult. Technically, Ko was some ninety years older than me, but she didn’t seem much older. I didn’t feel the need to obey every one of her orders.

Ultimately, I felt that...

[ ] Ko was right and I needed to rest in bed.
[ ] The little devil needed rest far more than me!
[ ] I should watch Ko’s practice and make sure she didn’t hurt herself.
[ ] A decent compromise was for us to…
-[ ] Read <some books> in the library.
-[ ] Calmly wander around.
[ ] I still wanted to talk to <someone> about <something>
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Ugh, sorry for the sluggish update speed. I predict that things will remain slow through the Olympics, but I could always be wrong. I would love to throw all my work out the window and stick to my preferred update schedule; I feel like writing bits at a time lowers the coherence of my work.

>>10063
Curiosity killed the cat.

>>10134
Hey, thanks for stopping by. Here at Shitty Writers Inc. we will continue to pump out lumps of words for your enjoyment for the low, easy price of your soul a single vote!

[x] Ko was right and I needed to rest in bed.

>>10167
But satisfaction brought it back.

[x] Both of you go to sleep.

Because why the fuck not.

If
>A demented grin, the constriction of her arms crushing my-
is a hint and not just a random flashback,
[x] I still wanted to talk to <someone> about <I think I might still have an evil spirit haunting me (outside my body)>.
Otherwise,
[x] Ko was right and I needed to rest in bed.
-[x] But so did she.

Otherwise,


I also offer proofreading help.

>For some reason, Ko laughed. “I [...] further into my head.”

>Once those bastards get inside, they [...] lose my body in compensation.”

>I can feel the maliciousness [...] want completely lose myself.”

If you have a quote that spans several paragraphs, you put quote marks at the beginning of each paragraph, but only at the end of the entire quote. (You seem to have it reversed here.) Also, you're missing "to" in the third paragraph.

[x] Both of you go to sleep.

Because hell yeah.

[x] Both of you go to sleep.

>is a hint and not just a random flashback,
Why can't it be both, or maybe neither? What if it's a red herring or simply a mistake? Perhaps its the start of an insidious takeover by aliens!

Anyway, thanks for pointing out that bit on grammar. I'll try to remember the rule properly next time.

[x] Ko was right and I needed to rest in bed.
Bet Alice's gonna sleep through class period.

>for the low, easy price of your soul
So, gingers can't vote then?

I felt that we both needed our rest. Whether physically or mentally, we were both fatigued from the spirit incident.

“Fine, I’ll go to sleep,” I conceded.

The redhead grinned victoriously, patting me on the head and turning me towards my room. “Great! You’re such a responsible kid, Alice.”

I took a few steps and allowed Ko her minor exultation before whirling around. “But you need your sleep too!”

“What? I already told you I don’t need any sleep. Besides, I have practice to do.”

I crossed my arms. “No way. You’re tired. You need sleep.”

“I think you might need to get your head checked again, Alice,” Ko commented. “I don’t understand how you came to that conclusion.”

“You are tired; it’s just in your mind. That’s why you need to go to bed.”

“Pfh, tired in my mind? Okay, sure, but my mind won’t be doing much while I swing a knife around. Now shoo, off to bed with you.”

“No! I’m not going to bed until you do.”

“Sheesh you’re stubborn. Fine, fine.” Ko sighed and opened the wooden door to the room she had been resting in.

It was a child’s room. That was the only way I could describe the bedroom when I peered in. The walls were covered in pink and blue striped wallpaper, the double bed was made with polka dot sheets, and the wardrobes were decorated with dozens of stuffed animals. I laughed at design; it didn’t match Ko’s personality at all.

“Hey, don’t giggle. I didn’t make this ridiculous room.” Ko grumbled while she crawled underneath her blanket.

I floated over to her bedside and watched as she settled in. While Ko took her sweet time, my gaze drifted to the elegant vase filled with bright and cheery flowers sitting on the nightstand next to her bed. A plain white card was lying next to the vase. I picked it up and examined it.

The front of the card was decorated with a simple smiley face. Inside, a message was scrawled out rather messily, “Get well soon ~M&D.”

“Are you just gonna float there and watch me sleep? I have to admit, that’s kind of creepy, Kid. At least shut the door if you do.” Ko griped at me from underneath her blanket.

I waved the get well card through the air. “Ko, the goddess didn’t give you these, did she?”

“What, the flowers? Nah, apparently my parents left them when they came to visit me. Those dunces; they should’ve just waited a bit until I woke up.”

“Parents?” I vaguely remembered Ko ranting about them once, but after spending more time in Makai I didn’t understand what the term meant. “Isn’t Shinki your mother?”

“Well, yeah, if you believe the whole ‘I created you so call me mother’ shtick the goddess has going on.”

I stared at the demon for a second. She rolled her eyes and started to speak again. “Okay, I see the problem. You see, for most kids, when a man and a woman love each other a whooooooole bunch-”

“No! Ko, stop joking around! You know that’s not what I meant.”

“Hah, maybe you should’ve asked a better question then. Seriously though, some of the people the goddess created got involved with each other and wanted kids. My ‘parents’ were one such pair. They asked, and the goddess provided. You can say I have two mothers.”

Recognizing more than one mother figure was something I could relate to. However, parts of Ko’s explanation didn’t make much sense. “Why did your parents need Shinki, though? Can demons not have their own children?”

“That’s a tough question. I guess the answer is technically yes and no, because- wait,” Ko stopped and narrowed her eyes. “Alice, how much do you know about this kind of thing?”

“What thing?

“Babies.”

I couldn’t keep the blush from my face. “U-Uh…well…uhm…when a man and a woman-”

“H’okay, we’ll stop this conversation right here. Ask again in a few years, Kid. Off to bed with you!”

“Ko, I’m not stupid! I know t-things…l-like, w-well…”

“Enough! I already ended this conversation. Stop trying to revive the dead elephant and go to bed already.”

“Fine!” I stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut on the way. Ko made it sound like I was completely clueless. I might not have known everything, but I definitely knew something; I wasn’t a baby!

I flew several more meters through the hall before remembering what my intuition had told me. Ko had flustered me to the point where I nearly floated all the way back to my room!

I turned around again and headed back towards the guest room. I waited silently in front of the door, idly brushing Luminita’s hair to pass the time.

Sure enough, five minutes later, the door opened.

“Sleep!” I screamed.

Ko jumped and let go of the door handle. “W-Wha- Damn it, Kid! You’re supposed to be in your room. Wasn’t that the bargain?”

I crossed my arms and glared at the girl. “It looks like you’re not sleeping.”

“Hey, don’t ignore my question.”

“Then stop trying to weasel out of our deal.”

The redhead scratched her head. “Aren’t you supposed to be a naïve little kid? I don’t understand why you’re floating out here.”

“It was fishy when you just gave up all of a sudden; I didn’t think you would break a deal like this.”

“Hey, don’t try to ruin my reputation, Kid.” Ko wagged a finger at me, her face looking rather displeased. “I followed our deal to the letter. It’s you who’s breaking it.”

“What? That’s not true.”

“It is. I went to bed; why didn’t you?”

My friend could be utterly frustrating. “You only slipped underneath the covers!”

“Isn’t that the bed?” Ko asked with an eyebrow raised.

“That…” I wasn’t sure how much more I could glare at the girl. “That wasn’t what I meant!”

“Maybe you should have been a bit more specific, hm? Now, go back to your bed, Alice.”

“Not until you do! Go to sleep, I mean!”

“Why are you so stubborn?”

“Why are you?” We bared our teeth at each other and entered into a stare down. Yet, like before, Ko was the first one to capitulate.

“This isn’t worth it. You really do need your sleep, Alice. I’ll go and rest up, so you can go to sleep in your room.” Once more, the redhead padded over to her bed. I floated after her again, shutting the door on the way in.

Ko slipped underneath the covers and closed her eyes.

She kept them close for several minutes and then opened them. “Alice, why are you still floating there?”

I looked down at the demon. “I’m making sure you fall asleep.”

“I can’t exactly sleep with you hovering over me like that. I give you my word that I’ll go to sleep. Head back to your room, Alice, and grab some decent shuteye.”

I paused a moment before answering. “No.”

“No? What do you mean, no?”

“I’m not leaving until you fall asleep.”

“That’s idiotic; I just told you that I intend to go to sleep. Why would you waste time by floating there?”

“Maybe you left something out again.” Luminita nodded in my arms, understanding my concerns.

“Left out? How do you expect me to get out of a promise this blatant?”

“I don’t know, but you’re smart enough to think of a way. I’m staying.”

“Fine.” Ko practically hissed at me out of frustration. “What if I fall asleep and then wake up after you leave, huh? What then, Miss Genius?”

“W-Well…I’ll have to stay here for a few hours!”

The redhead rocketed upwards into a sitting position. “Wait? What? No! That’s not at all what I- damn it. I deserved that one.” Ko flipped over and buried her face in a pillow. “Annoying kid, nobody is going to get any sleep this way.” Ko managed to mix an exasperated groan with a tired sigh in one noise. “Come here, Alice.”

“W-Wait, w-what are you doing?” The redhead lightly tugged on my hand, pulling me towards her. She scooted over and set me down on one-half of the bed.

“Tucking you in, Kiddo. Now go to sleep,” Ko told me, throwing her blanket over my shoulders to highlight the point.

“I c-can’t sleep here.”

“I swear Alice, you’re driving me crazy here. I’m going to go to sleep to satisfy your silly inclination, just so that you can get the decent rest that you actually need. Yet you won’t go back to your room, and you won’t sleep here. What am I supposed to do?”

The guilt crept up on me. Acting like a spoiled brat was never something I wanted. “…I haven’t washed up or anything.”

“It’s fine – you didn’t do much before visiting me anyway, right? I’m sure you have other clothes to change into when you wake up, too. Now go to sleep.” Ko rolled onto her back and closed her eyes while I laid on my side.

I fidgeted in the quiet darkness, constantly rearranging my grip on Luminita. My heart was beating so loudly, it was a wonder that the whole world couldn’t hear it. Lying next to Ko caused all sorts of emotions to grip me; they were confusing feelings, nearly indistinguishable. Trepidation, fear, apprehension, and more assailed me, no matter how illogical they were.

Ten minutes or so later, I realized that Ko had truly fallen asleep. Her chest was rising and falling steadily, and she didn’t respond when I whispered her name. Knowing that the demon was sleeping calmed my beating heart.

“Let’s go, Luminita,” I whispered to my doll companion.

Just before I slipped out from underneath the covers, an arm landed across my chest and a hand gripped the side of my blouse.

Adrenaline shot through my body, riding atop a wave of fear. I bit my lip to stop myself from screaming.

Twisting my neck, I found that Ko had turned over. She was facing me and had sprawled out across the bed. Other than her arm lying on top of my chest, I felt Ko’s knees and toes also brushing against my legs.

When nothing else happened for a few minutes, the tension in my muscles dissipated. She’s just sleeping, nothing else. I slipped an arm out from my side and rubbed my eyes.

Now, how do I get out? It was quite the conundrum. Brushing off Ko’s arm and legs would probably wake her. Other than being just plain rude, I was sure that the demon would also mock me for bowing out on my declaration.

If I couldn’t escape then the only other option was staying put.

The thought of sleeping in the guest room made my heart beat faster. W-Why is this bothering me?

I sighed and wiggled in place, trying to find a comfortable position. If nothing else, it was true that I needed sleep. Talking had been low energy and adrenaline carried me through our argument, but my tired body was shutting down once all the excitement ended. I would have to ignore whatever strange emotions were tugging at my heart.

Well, this isn’t so bad, I thought while I snuggled down into the warmth of the bed.

---

“Alice! Come down, now!”

The girl awoke to the shouts of panic and the call of her own name. She peeled the sweaty sheets off and clambered out of bed, pulling open the drapes of her window.

The world was on fire.

The starry night sky had disappeared amongst the blazing buildings of the village. The bars and sheds on the edge of the village couldn’t be seen. The houses around the girl were in various states of destruction. Roofs were caving in and side walls were completely burnt down. The neighbor’s house was a bonfire, heating the air to unbearable levels.

The girl stumbled away from the window and exited the room, rushing down the stairs of the house in haste.

Boots were immediately shoved into the girl’s arms. “Put your shoes on, Sweetie, we have to leave.”

“What’s happening, Daddy?”

“Something bad. Let’s go find your momma, okay?” The girl held the man’s hand and left the house, entering the insane world.

The pair ran through the village’s plaza, headed straight towards the village’s nominal shrine. The tiny building, no more than a glorified gazebo, had managed to avoid the flames but was still covered in soot and ash.

It was chaos in the village; humans running in every direction, some alone and some with others. Monsters were out and about as well, tearing into the defenseless villagers with tooth and claw. Farmers and wives were torn to ribbons. Children the girl had played with were disemboweled, hewed apart by savage blows.

Smoke filled the girl’s lungs when she tried to scream. A monster had dropped down in front of them, leering at the two humans running directly toward it.

The man raised an arm and shouted. Two ear-splitting cracks caused the girl to flinch. The monster fell to one knee, its face destroyed by two bullets of lead. When the pair ran by the grasping monster, the man delivered unto it a swift kick, sending the monster sprawling to the ground.

The closer to the shrine the pair drew, the more bodies littered the ground. Pieces of human and monster alike mixed in the killing ground around the building. On top of their fallen comrades, iron-clad humans and vicious monsters fought to the bloody death.

The man cleared a way through the crowd of fighters; loud gunshots resounded over the uproar of battle.

Blue light stood contrast to the flickering red haze. The shining orb of clouds was spun through the air, an extension of the dancer whirling amidst the chaos. The woman spun and jumped, blue energy striking out with the sound of thunder at the monsters around her.

“Lorina, we have to go!” The man cried out, even as he turned to smash aside an adversary with his forearm.

The woman’s answer was resolute, surprisingly calm despite the madness surrounding her. “I cannot run – my duty is here.”

“Your duty is to your daughter! Have you seen the rest of the village? There’s no saving it.” The girl watched and listened to the events around her in a daze. Her head was spinning; she couldn’t understand what was going on. The screams and blood all mixed together with the events of the past, conjoining into a surreal experience.

“As long as they struggle, it is my place to bolster them.”

“Trust me; they won’t be struggling for long. The guard was already half-staffed with all the deaths. Do you see who is still standing?” The man waved his arm out at the remaining humans. Only a handful of the iron-clad fighters were still upright, swinging sword and spear to take as many foes down as they could before they succumbed to the horde.

The woman’s dance was interrupted as she looked out at the burning village. She glanced around at the red haze, carefully watching the false sky that was hanging above the village, before nodding. The woman decisively cut a course through the tide towards the edge of the village.

The man tossed his weapon, nailing a monster in the head before following after the woman. The girl trailed alongside him, glancing at the shrinking view of her home. Buildings burned and fellow villagers died. Monsters followed the directions of the false sky. They jumped and killed, some stooping to feast and enjoy while others scampered off. She could see them dragging people and materials out of homes, laughing at the suffering and destruction around them.

The girl, even in her confusion, knew that the village was not long to be. When the false crescent moon angled towards her, when the monsters took off in pursuit, the girl felt her normal life shattering into pieces.

---

“What the fuck?”

My eyes blearily opened at the profanity. It wasn’t as heated or loud as usual; I could hear Ko’s speech tinged with grogginess.

I lifted my head slightly, enough to be able to see Ko’s face. The demon was staring at me with an incredulous look.

Twitching my limbs and craning my neck, I tried to figure out what was going on.

My feet felt trapped underneath warmth. One of my hands was lightly grasping soft strands, while my entire other arm was pinned underneath a weight. I wasn’t holding my cherished doll and there was no blanket covering my back.

I didn’t feel like dealing with it. I dropped my head to go back to sleep.

Muffled outrage tried to make it through my hair. Sighing, I lifted my head again so I could hear Ko speak.

“Get off of me!” The body I was laying atop of shook back and forth.

I yawned. “Why? It’s comfy.”

Ko looked like she had awoken fully. “You sleepy little runt, do you know how heavy you are? Off!”

“It’s not a problem.” I waved away her concerns and tried to go back to sleep.

The demon’s shaking head prevented me from nodding off; a head wing was insolently tickling my nose. “Of course it’s a problem! You should be sleeping to my side, Kid.”

The half of the bed I had departed sometime during my sleep looked cold and unloved. “You don’t like me being on top of you?”

The demon’s face turned a shade of red. “No! I most definitely do not. Now, move!”

I blinked a few times before lazily disentangling myself and rolling off of Ko. It seemed that most of my former injuries weren’t hurting as much. I felt only the dullest of aching throughout my body. The pain in my feet wasn’t unbearable.

Ko sat up next to me, before jumping out of bed and brushing off her clothes. “Sheesh. I’m never sleeping with you again; you move too damn much.” The girl paused before whirling to face me. “Wait, I didn’t me- oh, never mind. You don’t get it anyway.”

“Huh?”

“Yeah. Go ahead and sleep more if you want to, Kid. Catch you later; I have to go practice.” Ko opened the door to the guest room, letting the light from the hallway in to shine on my face.

Hold on… My mind churned as fast as it could in my drowsy state. Sleep…shouldn’t. Ko… I jolted upright and tumbled out of the bed.

I…

[ ] Followed Ko and…
-[ ] Stopped her from practicing.
-[ ] Supervised her practice.
[ ] Let Ko go do what she wanted and went…
-[ ] On a flight through town.
-[ ] To read <some books> in the library.
-[ ] Back to sleep.
-[ ] To find <someone> to speak with.
[ ] <Write-in>

---

In case anybody cares about my vote counting procedure, giving in to demands would have won the tie-breaker, but I counted >>10170 as one vote for the write-in, so there wasn’t actually a tie to break.

Hopefully I’ll get back to faster updates during the weekend and power through this story until the twenty-fifth. At that point…well, I’ll try to be responsible and update frequently, but no promises.

[x] Let Ko go do what she wanted and went…
-[x] Back to sleep.
Considering all that's happened, I wouldn't be surpised if we slept for a week.

Also, time for Anon's random tired-mind induced insane theory.

>“Does it sound weird to you? Simply moving a person from one body to another? It is strange, I suppose, but I can manage it with my children. It would be much tougher if the person in question didn’t come from me, though.”
Notice how Shinki said it wasn't impossible to pull off a body swap with a random person. Considering Alice's sudden growth spurt between MS and PCB, and if we keep ZUN's 'game release date = time the game takes place' thing, I'm thinking that Alice was killed in the MS Extra stage, Shinki tried to move her soul into a new body, but wasn't able to do an exact replica, resulting in Windows Alice.

Or it could just be that my mind is desperate for sleep, and is throwing random theories into my head, feel free to ignore all this.

[x] Let Ko go do what she wanted and went…
-[x] Back to sleep.
More sleep is fine too.

[x] Let Ko go do what she wanted and went…
-[x] Back to sleep.

I don't really see the point in voting since it's already decided, but apparently some writers are happy when they have more votes, so have my useless vote, and may you be happy.

[X] Let Ko go do what she wanted and went…
-[X] On a flight through town.
Tide schmide.

>>10240
But Mystic Square had endings for its Extra Stage, and Alice is alive in all of them.

I yawned, grabbed Luminita off of the floor, and floated back onto the bed.

Ko was responsible enough; she didn’t need a human child watching her every move. In my heart, I wasn’t confident in my ability to help her if something went wrong, either.

More instinctively, I was still tired. Once the adrenaline from my momentary panic subsided, I was already curling up underneath the warm blanket.

Waking up in the morning had always been the toughest part of the day. Probably…things…important…do…not…sleep…

---

Men and women worked the fields, sweating under the glaring sun. It was dull, required work they managed to do day in and day out without complaint. The farmers of the village were honest and hard working people, content with a solid day’s work and a warm meal. They held no ambitions other than ensuring a bountiful harvest and watching their children grow old.

The girl watched them while she hung laundry. They were happy with their lot in life, no matter how droll it was. They held on to their traditions and their values like a lifeline, refusing to budge on the tiniest of matters.

It pained her. The girl wanted to learn, to experience life, but the voices always turned against her. She was a woman, expected to find a husband and care for the family. She was at the mercy of the majority’s opinions. Acting in a rash manner only invited scorn and rumor-mongering, toughening the lives of her parents. Bowing her head and carrying out her duties was the surest course for her.

Yet, not all felt that the old ways were best. Her parents were encouraging, often spending the surplus riches they had on helping her grow in ways the village would condemn. Reading, writing, dancing, geography, mathematics – all the knowledge of the world was slowly fed to her. They taught her what they could, and found her the rest.

The wandering troupes of actor and traveling merchants were her saviors in disguise. They brought with them knowledge and skills to expand the girl’s horizons. A handful of coins was more than enough for an impromptu lesson, a cup of sake able to encourage a rousing tale.

In those travelers, the girl saw her future. She did not wish to be bogged down by the customs of the village. She was not prepared for her entire life to be charted out by the whims of mundane farmers.

The girl wanted to grow into something more, to be something different. She had dreams and aspirations far beyond the small plot of life she occupied.

All she needed was an opportunity.

---

“Hey, quiet down, you’ll wake her!”

“Me? You’re the one that’s yelling!”

“I thought you were supposed to be some sort of martial arts master? Why can’t you walk quieter?”

“Aren’t you the self-proclaimed strongest witch in Makai? Don’t you have a silence spell or something that you can use?”

“Hello Alice. Did you have a nice rest?” Shinki asked me with a cheerful smile on her face. The goddess was sitting at the foot of the bed.

“Yup!” I was feeling even better than before. I sat up and stretched, frowning at the sound of Yuki and Sara arguing. Makai’s boisterous witch and dutiful gatekeeper were yelling at each other while standing in the open doorway. “Is something wrong?”

Shinki opened her mouth to speak, but I lost sight of her. Yuki and Sara interposed themselves between us.

“Alice! How you doing?”

“Hey Sis, long time no see!”

The two demons spoke simultaneously and glared at each other when they finished. I tuned out their bickering as background noise. Rising up into the air, I maneuvered around the demons and floated next to Shinki.

“Have you checked the time, Alice?” The goddess asked me.

I frowned and fished the gem clock out of Luminita’s pocket. Despite the number of holes in Luminita’s clothes, the gem was unscathed. After a moment of staring at the hands of the clock, I realized the problem. “I missed class!”

“You sure did,” Yuki was drawn over by my shout. “Mai was in such a big huff that I had to come and check things out for her; we didn’t know your trip had turned into such a big adventure, though. I’m upset I missed it.”

“Are you feeling better, Yuki?” I asked. The witch didn’t sound sick, but I still remembered what Iris had told me.

“Eh? Yeah, yeah; that little cold wasn’t bothering me when I woke up.” The blonde witch laughed and jumped on the bed. “I thought a responsible student like you would’ve dragged yourself to school no matter what.”

“Congratulations Sis!” Sara walked over and patted me on the head, “You’re just like everybody else now.”

“Sara!” Shinki gasped, “Why would you praise my dearest daughter for following you in the path of a delinquent?”

The change in Sara’s demeanor was instantaneous, her smile turned upside down. “M-Mother, I’m not…if I was around, I would go to...uh, if things were more interesting…”

“I didn’t mean to skip class,” I spoke up with my eyes downcast. If I hadn’t gone back to sleep…

“Oh, it’s alright, Alice. I’m just teasing.” The goddess tried to alleviate my shame. “I don’t mind if you miss some classes here or there. Although, I suppose some of my children aren’t so relaxed.”

“What do you mean?” I asked.

The goddess scrunched her face and pretended to gag while she held up a folder of papers. “It seems Mai put together a grammar lesson for you; homework, as it goes.”

“Wait?” Yuki floated over to huddle around me. “That’s what I was carrying? Shucks, sorry Alice. If I had known that then I would’ve burned the thing.”

“I think that’s why she told you not to peek,” the goddess pointed out.

“Hmph, that witch. I’ll have to get her back soon. Anyway, Alice, let’s go!” Yuki snapped her fingers and grabbed my hand.

I lurched through the air before putting up some resistance to Yuki’s movement. “Wait, where are we going?”

“To learn some magic, duh?”

“I don’t think that’s what Mai wants.”

“Of course it isn’t, because what Mai wants is boring!” I couldn’t disagree with the blonde witch’s assessment. “Wouldn’t you rather practice magic with me? It’s a shame to have all that talent and never hone it!”

I was set to head off with Yuki to avoid any repetitive language exercises, but Sara spoke up to protest. “Wait a second!”

Yuki’s lips curled in distaste. “What do you want now?”

“My Sis! She doesn’t need your magic.”

“I don’t?” It was news to me.

“No! What you need is some exercise, Sis. Nothing beats being in shape!”

“Physical exercise?” Yuki scoffed. “What a terrible idea; it’s good enough to walk around the city.”

“Not at all! Don’t listen to her, Sis, working your muscles is the best feeling there is.” What Sara claimed was certainly possible; it felt like I had accomplished more with my day whenever I helped tend to the fields or carried something for daddy.

“What a nut, right Alice? Working out a bit wouldn’t get you out of a sticky situation like a well-crafted spell.”

“Don’t mind her; she’s still sore that Yumeko can wipe the floor with her, even without magic.”

“Hey, that maid cheats, okay? Those crazy stunts she pulls might as well be magic.”

“Girls, girls, can’t you two try to get along?” Shinki tried to interrupt the two demons’ bickering before it escalated again.

“O-Of course Mother.”

“Chance! Let’s go, Alice!”

“Hold it!” Yuki stopped dragging me through the air and turned to face Sara again. “Why should Sis even go with you? I think Mother could teach her magic just fine.”

The witch and the goddess looked at each other. “She,” Yuki began, “can’t teach Alice properly.”

How harsh, I thought.

“Hey! Don’t insult Mother right to her-”

“Aw, my sweet daughter leaps right to my defense! I’m touched, absolutely touched.” The goddess practically jumped on Sara, wrapping her arms around the gatekeeper. “However, I’m afraid Yuki is right. I would be a terrible teacher.”

“What? Why? Didn’t you create us and uh, stuff, Mother?”

“She did, but the old lady doesn’t have the formal knowledge to help Alice. Our goddess can use magical items like a pro, pump out magical energy like a geyser, and throw around a few specialized spells that wouldn’t help a beginner.” Yuki counted off on her fingers as she spoke, looking just like a teacher pointing out the flaws in her pupil.

“I thought you would make me sound a bit better…” Shinki looked slightly dejected, her droopy frown reminiscent of a dog denied a tasty treat.

“Didn’t I? Don’t get me wrong you two, the goddess is still ridiculously strong. If she wants to turn you into a chicken, you’ll probably become a chicken in an instant. On the other hand, little ol’ me would need to set up a fancy ritual to pull off any long-term polymorph.”

The witch and the goddess nodded in unison, happily comparing their differences.

I, meanwhile, had been pulled halfway out the door by Sara. I wasn’t even sure how the gatekeeper had slipped away from Shinki’s embrace.

It didn’t take long for Yuki to notice. “Stop! Don’t go with that pink-haired fiend!”

“Come on, Sis!”

I glanced back and forth between the two demons before turning to look at Shinki. The goddess simply shrugged and raised the folder she held in her hands.

With the two demons starting their shouting match anew, vying for my attention, I closed my eyes and considered my options. It was best for me to…

[ ] Learn formal spell casting from Yuki
[ ] Have Shinki teach me as much magic as she could
[ ] Exercise and train my physical abilities with Sara
[ ] <Write-in>

---

>>10240
We need to dig deeper! Obviously, the real twist is that Alice is actually a demon-spawn; her father had wandered into Makai at the age of three and had an illicit affair with a certain lustful succubus, and as such Alice is able to possess her killer at the moment of her death. Shinki, in her distress, asks for aid from the aliens visiting Earth and uses their cloning facilities to…wait, I like the sound of this…

>>10252
You could have been the difference! Oh well; my inner writer appreciates the sentiments.

>>10253
And Reimu blows up in every ending I get. Why is vidya so difficult? I’m partial to meido-Alice myself, but you just can’t rely on a finicky author’s ability to follow what may or may not be canon to try and predict the future…or can you?

[x] Go with who ever is closest.

[x] Exercise and train my physical abilities with Sara
This way we can hold physical fitness over Patchy's head in the future.

[x] Have Shinki teach me as much magic as she could

[X] Learn formal spell casting from Yuki

Because they just explained why Shinki would be a bad idea

[X] Learn formal spell casting from Yuki

>>10287
then why is it a choice? Considering how Alice is using a Shinki made doll, perhaps her lessons are more compatible.

Calling the vote here, just in case.

>>10283
This one goes to Sara, and wins the tie as well.

I guess I'll say this every thread; in the event of a tied vote, whichever option was voted for first, wins.

It was best for me to go with Sara. Magic lessons were tempting, but making sure my body was in top condition took priority. Only old people and babies sat around all day and let their bodies waste away.

“Sorry Yuki. Exercise sounds nice after sleeping so much.” I gave my sincerest apologies to the blonde witch. I heard Sara whoop in victory before hauling me out of the room.

“W-Wait! My lessons would be plenty act-” Sara slammed the door to the guest room shut with a happy grin on her face.

“Good choice, Sis!” The pink-haired gatekeeper applauded me. “You can’t trust that crazy girl anyway; she would probably blow you up during her lessons or something.”

I followed Sara once she started to walk down the halls of Pandemonium. I figured she had a destination in mind. “Do you not like Yuki, Sara?” I asked. The two demons didn’t sound like they hated each other, but they certainly didn’t get along peacefully.

“She’s okay, I guess,” Sara admitted. “She’s a pest, though. She’ll fly all the way up to Makai’s entrances out of the blue and start blasting the walls apart. It’s frustrating for me and the other gatekeepers because we’re the ones that have to haul the rubble away or map out the new tunnels after a cave-in.”

It saddened me that I could easily imagine Yuki doing such a thing. She was an all-or-nothing type of personality. “Is there a reason she does that? Or is it just for fun?”

Sara shrugged. “You would have to ask her. Something about magic at low levels, but I don’t really pay attention to what she screams when I’m beating her.” The way Sara grinned and punched her knuckles together made me leery about the relationship the two demons shared.

“That doesn’t sound pleasant…”

“Oh, don’t worry, Sis. She’s usually okay afterwards; besides, she deserves it for all the times she lights me on fire.”

There was nothing else for me to say on the matter. I already knew that the demons of Makai were crazy. “So Sara, how come you’re back here so soon? I thought you didn’t visit often.”

“Mm, I don’t. I guess I really should…mother would be happier too…” The pink-haired girl lost herself in thought for a few moments before snapping back to attention. “Oh, whoops, your question! Right, right. Let’s see…what am I doing here again? Ah, I remember! I was giving mother my report.”

I didn’t want to call Sara simple-minded, but she could probably try harder to be more attentive. “Report?”

“Yeah, you know, like, how things are at the moment and, uhm, things?” I stared at the girl until she started to make more sense. “Remember, that big thing with the Hakurei girl? We’ve been watching her to make sure everything is okay and stuff. Mother and Yumeko wanted us to make sure Gensokyo was settling down.”

“ I see.” It made sense, that the gatekeepers to Makai would keep track of the events in Gensokyo. They were working at the border between worlds, after all. “Hey, Sara?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know about…never mind.” I stopped myself from asking the question that was rampaging around in my head. The village wasn’t exactly within eyesight of the entrance to Makai I had entered. Besides, if Sara did know something, I wasn’t sure if could handle the information; I could always ask again later.

I could imagine question marks bouncing around Sara’s head. “Sure Sis, whatever you need, don’t be afraid to ask me!”

We continued walking for another ten minutes before Sara started grumbling quietly to herself. With the way she was constantly looking around, I felt like I knew what the problem was. “Are you lost?”

The gatekeeper fell to her knees and grabbed my hand, holding it under her chin. “You’ve been living here for a bit, right Sis? You know how to get around, don’t you?”

“If you didn’t know where you were going, you could have asked for directions first.”

“I thought I knew! It’s just, all these crystal walls are so confusing. At least with the caves, you can look at the differences in the rock to figure out where you are. All the walls look the same here! And, and, the hallways loop back around and they’re all connected and…”

After consoling Sara for a minute and figuring out where she wanted to go, I took the lead and tracked down a kitchen for our use.

Once we step foot in the kitchen, the gatekeeper attacked the ingredients laying around, working with a fury to produce a ridiculous assortment of food. I was pulled into the whirlwind of cooking by accident and ended up doing my best to assist Sara. The pink-haired girl had been enthusiastic that I was helping her cook; she talked through every step of every dish she made. I felt like I learned a lot by watching and helping to prep.

“Whew, I’m famished! Here, you should have some of this, Sis. Oh, and try this. And this one too.” The girl pulled bits and pieces from several different bowls, filling my plate with a wide variety of noodles, vegetables, and other foodstuffs.

“Sara, I don’t think we can work out after eating all this,” I commented between slurping down clumps of noodles.

“Naw, Sis, it’ll be great. This stuff is pretty healthy. Besides, I wasn’t going to take you through anything strenuous; no cramps, I guarantee it!” Sara threw me a thumbs up before swallowing a whole roll of bread.

“What about you? You’re, um, kind of eating a lot?”

“No problem, no problem. This amount of food is nothing! Every meal time is a battle. You have to grab as much as food as you can and eat it all before somebody else takes it!” Assuming Sara ate with the rest of Makai’s gatekeepers, I wasn’t sure if I would ever visit such a rowdy-sounding bunch.

We polished off the food and cleaned up as best we could. I couldn’t imagine Yuki stopping to wash up all the dishes that we had used, but Sara proved to be much more responsible. After throwing a few bottles into a carrying bag, Sara shouted, “Let’s go!”

I waited by the kitchen table when Sara dashed into the hall. “Where are you going?”

“Wah...” The gatekeeper glanced left and right before walking back over to me. “Can you take us to one of the practice rooms, Sis?”

The walk to one of Pandemonium’s practice rooms was quick. The room itself was large and wide open, the floor covered with packed dirt instead. There was more than enough room to run and fly around in as well; it was a large, empty room.

After leaving our things at the door, we jumped straight to work.

“And streeeeetch…hold it…good! Now back, two, three, four! Alright, let’s go! Keep up if you can, Sis.” Sara directed my stretching, having me bend my legs and arms around in loops. From there she pulled me into a jog, crunches, jumps, and all sorts of other activities. It was never brutally difficult, but the combined exercises whittled away at my stamina.

“Fweh, hah…do you do this everyday, Sara?” I panted and leaned against the wall. I was in reasonable shape, as fit as some of the boys from the village, but Sara was working muscles I didn’t know I had. Lifting bundles and packages for daddy and running around couldn’t prepare me for Sara’s highly specific regime.

“And more! This is usually just a warm up for me.”

“I don’t think I can, hah, run anymore.”

“That’s fine; it’s break time anyway. Don’t you feel great?”

“I feel sore…”

“Shake it off, Sis! Here you go.” The gatekeeper handed me a glass and poured out the water she had brought from the kitchen. I started to guzzle it before Sara grabbed the end of the glass and tilted it downward, moderating my drinking.

“Thank you.” The two of us sat down near the entrance to the training room, sipping water and relaxing.

“So,” Sara began, “you want to tell me about this adventure you had?”

“Okay.” I slowly informed Sara about what had happened since I first saw. After talking about my daily life, I slowly worked up towards the spirit incident. I was surprised to find how easily I could speak of it. I was waxing about the beauty of Makai, the shock and fear I had felt but also the lighter emotions of comfort and protection. I was describing the intricacy of the fights, the smooth motions and slick jumps of Ko and the dazzling magecraft displayed by Iris. The bloody dismemberments and Ko’s death were a footnote in my retelling; glossing over the gory details allowed me to maintain my composure.

“That’s pretty crazy, Sis. You’re one tough girl.” Sara raised her fist in salute.

Sara’s words were nice, but I couldn’t believe them. You can’t save others if you can’t save yourself. “Thanks, but I’m really not…”

“Aw, don’t sell yourself short! No other kid could keep it together like you did.”

“I wish I could have done more.” I knew that without a doubt I would not have been able to escape on my own; in my mind, Sara’s praise was empty.

An awkward silence crept up after I finished speaking. Sara stared at me intensely enough that I had to avert my own gaze.

“Let’s go.” My hands were pulled out of my lap when Sara dragged me up and onto my feet.

“Are we running more?”

“Nah, that isn’t very helpful. I have something else in mind.” The gatekeeper drew a small circle in the dirt with her foot. “Stand here.”
Once I stepped on the marked spot and looked at Sara, she poked me in the chest. It was forceful enough to throw me off balance; I had to take a step back or risk tumbling over. “Hey, what was that for?”

“Balance, Sis. First step for everything is balance.” Two more circles were drawn in the dirt, a shoulder’s width apart. “One foot on each circle, please.”

I placed my feet where she told me to. Then I was instructed to bend my knees and straighten my back. I frowned when Sara poked my chest again and it proved trivial to remain unmoving. When she flattened her palm and gave me a light shove, I still didn’t fall backwards.

Sara laughed. “See, Sis? Balance. It’s all in the legs. Next step!”

The pink-haired demon continued her strange lesson. Sara directed my arms, having me follow a strange motion with a few concrete steps. She had me repeat it again and again, until I was sick of the movement. Still, I endured. I didn’t know what she was teaching me, but it somehow felt important. I committed the steps to memory and did my best to execute them perfectly each repetition.

“Does it feel kind of instinctive?”

The question was random, and I didn’t really understand what Sara was trying to get at. “I guess.”

“Okay! Here I come!” Sara flipped through the air, somersaulting backwards a meter. She landed softly and sprung towards me, arm outstretched.

“W-Wha?” Her hand was clenched around something, an object pointing straight at me. My mind identified the shape immediately. A knife.

I could feel everything slowing down, my thoughts locking up. Bloodthirsty smiles. Memories resurfaced in a roaring cascade. Glinting metal, flashing through the air, blood spraying. My mind completely froze. No. No no non no-

I screamed, and moved.

Pink passed by me in a blur.

I stopped screaming and crouched down, practically curling up into a ball with my hands covering my ears. No, no, no, no pain, no…no pain? The feeling of wellness, of my body not burning in pain from a grievous injury, helped calm me down.

What just happened? I thought, replaying the events in my head. Sara had charged at me suddenly and I screamed. I was confused and panicky, but my body moved how Sara showed me. Deflect, grab, pull, shove; exactly as practiced. The demon had tumbled away from me fell to the ground in a heap.

“Woah, you did it Sis!” The pink-haired girl rolled to her feet and jumped into the air in celebration.

“I…did it? What did I do?”

“You saved yourself from this.” Sara tossed her ‘knife’ in the air. The metal clattered on the floor. When I picked it up, I noticed that the blade didn’t even have a point, let alone an edge. It was barely better than an oval of metal attached to a handle.

“I…saved myself…” I repeated the words quietly to myself.

I couldn’t help but grin. A warm feeling swelled from my toes to my forehead, emboldening me. “I did it!”

Sara laughed with me. I barreled into the pink-haired girl who considered me a sister and grabbed onto her hands. We spun around and around in elation.

“I told you Sis, nobody else can keep it together like you! We barely spent any time working on this move and you used it like a master.” Although Sara didn’t state it, I knew that this small victory she had given me wasn’t nearly enough. The clumsy, half-hearted attack Sara had staged would never occur in real life. I wasn’t strong or fast enough to deal with the ridiculous speed and poise I had seen Ko display. It would take a ton of effort to bring me on par with the little devil, perhaps years more than I had to live, but at least I felt like I had a starting place.

“Uhm, Sara?”

“Yeah?” The demon released my hands.

It wasn’t embarrassing, but I struggled to pull my gaze from the ground. “Can you teach me more?”

Sara grinned. “Sure, Sis, no problem.”

“Has something good happened?” A stoic voice asked from the door to the training room. Yumeko was standing in the doorway, watching my and Sara’s celebration. The maid mustn’t have been standing there for long.

I giggled. “Not particularly…”

“Just helping my sis learn a bit.” Sara slung an arm around my shoulder and rubbed my head.

“So you are busy then?” Pandemonium’s maid asked

Yumeko was being rather inquisitive; it was a curious behavior I hadn’t seen much of. “Did you need something?”

“No, it is definitely of lesser importance than your business, Milday.”

Sara’s loud voice jumped into the conversation. “Don’t be like that Yumeko, tell us!”

The maid smirked, slightly shaking her head. “I was going to ask if you wished to spar with me while you were here.”

Sara’s eyes lit up. However, she curbed her enthusiasm when she looked down at me. It was obvious that as much as she wanted to spend time with her ‘Sis,’ having actual competition from the maid was enticing.

It didn’t look like the gatekeeper was going to come to a decision on her own considering the way she glanced back and forth between me and Yumeko.

I wanted to…

[ ] Continue exercising with Sara
[ ] Ask Yumeko to help Sara train me
[ ] Watch Yumeko and Sara spar
[ ] Leave the practice area and…
-[ ] Do <something> else
[ ] <Write-in>

[x] Watch Yumeko and Sara spar
This will be interesting.

[x] Watch Yumeko and Sara spar

[x] Watch Yumeko and Sara spar.
-[x] Perhaps Yumeko would also have some interesting techniques that I'd like to see, and perhaps she too could teach me?

[x] Watch Yumeko and Sara spar

I wanted to let Sara enjoy herself with Yumeko. The spunky pink-haired girl probably enjoyed working me to the bone, but there wasn’t any difficulty in running laps at the pace a human child could handle. I was sure that the sword slinging maid would provide Sara with the challenge she wanted.

The chance to watch more of Makai’s demons fight wasn’t a small factor in my decision either. Yuki’s battle royale, Iris’ and Ko’s duel; each were magnificent in their own ways, stunning clashes straight out of the stories that momma and I loved. If Yumeko was as powerful as I believed and Sara as talented as she appeared, then a fight between them would be no alleyway brawl.

“I’m exhausted. I’ll just be sitting over by the door,” I proclaimed, quickly sweeping Luminita up and plopping onto the ground next to the glasses of water.

“Didn’t you want to learn how to defend yourself and stuff, Sis?”

“Yes! We can do that later though, right? It doesn’t have to be now. If you wanted to do something else, then I wouldn’t mind.”

Sara watched me for a moment before beaming. “Okay, Sis. Thanks!” Her simple thoughts and straightforward emotions were childish but sincere.

“Thank you for graciously providing this opportunity,” Yumeko whispered as she passed by me.

The two demons moved to the center of the room. The bright-red maid outfit and sleeved dress the two were wearing did not seem like combat attire, but they didn’t stop to change.

Pandemonium’s maid raised an open hand into the air. I blinked, and a sword had appeared. It was a silver long sword, the same type Yumeko had always materialized. How does she do that? Is it like the goddess’ creation magic?

The maid handed the gleaming blade to Sara and created another one. They stood a meter apart and crossed their swords, each combatant fully extending their sword arm.

“First blood?” Yumeko asked in her usual calm fashion.

“Works for me!”

Despite deciding on the rules of their match, the two demons did not uncross their swords or move in any appreciable way. My anticipation for watching the fight slowly waned to the point where I decided to take a sip from my cup of water.

When I put the glass back on the ground, the demons had vanished.

The shriek of metal meeting metal drew my gaze to my right. A line had been dragged through the dirt, barely a centimeter wide, all the way to the far side of the practice room. There, I could barely see Sara pinned against the wall.

I jumped to my feet to try and get a better view, but all I saw well was Yumeko’s backside. Luminita beat on my arm and stretched out her hands. I took her suggestion and rose up and over to watch the fight.

Silver blades were held perpendicular, scraping and sliding against each other. Sara’s arms were shaking, holding her blade aloft to block Yumeko’s overhead strike.

The aching screech of metal ended when Sara’s foot shot out. The low kick swiped through empty space; the maid had already jumped. Yumeko immediately pressed her advantage, using gravity to drive her sword downwards at Sara, but the gatekeeper was moving too. The pink-haired demon followed her foot out, sliding down and under Yumeko, avoiding the silver sword and escaping her sticky situation.

A flip and twirl brought Sara back to her feet. Her silver blade flashed as she spun, the wide arc of the blade parrying a swing from Yumeko. The maid had wasted no time in following Sara, her attack landing within a fourth of a second of Sara regaining her feet.

The duelists entered into a series of furious exchanges. Their swords spun around and flicked in and out, swinging and stabbing in rapid succession. Metallic clangs merged together into a single, continuous noise that only slightly fluctuated in pitch.

I couldn’t keep track of each individual sword stroke; the paths of the blades were indistinct. Every one of Sara’s spins and flips were discernible, but whatever attack she was trying to avoid was practically invisible.

After watching their exchanges for a minute, the similarity between Sara’s style of combat and Ko’s was noticeable. Acrobatic flourishes and dance-like maneuvers littered their fighting style. Sara never stood in one place; she was always drifting around the practice room, evading blows as much as she parried, and never standing around to go toe-to-toe with her opponent.

Yumeko’s fighting style was completely different. The maid retained her poise, if that was possible, but in truth the blonde demon wasn’t far off from an implacable berserker. She swung and swung, never letting up on her attack. The few times she left her feet only gave her a stronger position to strike downwards from the air, landing cataclysmic blows that rent small craters in the dirt. I barely saw her arms draw back to form a defense, and she never side stepped an attack. Yet despite the brutish offensive, the maid’s elegance showed through. Her constant advance wasn’t a heavy march, but dainty steps that flowed together. Sword swings did not follow wild, jagged rends through the air but rather perfectly crescent arcs. No wasted movements there; every action brought her closer to victory.

Storytellers that describe a pair of fencers as dancers are not wrong, but could not truly understand that description without having watched the demons of Makai fight. Silver swords flashed everywhere, filling the void between the two with whirling, clashing death.

Yet, the equilibrium the two developed could not last. Even an untrained child could tell that Sara was struggling to keep up. Every hard parry shook the gatekeeper’s frame, throwing her dance off. Evading more than attacking, and then blocking more than evading; Sara was fighting a losing battle against the maid.

Thus, it wasn’t unexpected when Sara broke the code of conduct of their sword duel. A backwards somersault suddenly reversed directions midair, a heavy boot falling towards Yumeko’s head.

The maid blocked the offending with her freehand and jabbed with her sword, but Sara stayed in motion. She twisted in midair, lashing out with her other foot while parrying the maid’s sword with her own. The gatekeeper fought horizontally for a second, attacking with a flurry of kicks and using her free arms to keep Yumeko’s blade in check.

As far as I was concerned, the close quarters combat became more impossible to follow. Sara threw her entire body into the fighting effort, trying to catch Yumeko with knees, elbows, forearms, fingers, and every other part of her body. The gatekeeper’s evasive sword dance changed into an all-out assault. She would swing her right leg out to trip up Yumeko’s footing, strike forward with the opposite knee, jerk her hip, bring around an elbow, initiate a head butt, and parry Yumeko’s sword all in one motion. It was the maid that was put on the back foot, dodging and weaving slightly, warding off Sara’s blows as best she could. One of Sara’s body parts would connect with a solid blow, but the attacks that Yumeko let connect were never strong enough to draw blood; the gatekeeper was fighting a war of attrition, intent on bludgeoning Yumeko’s strength away.

The concept of personal flight changed everything about close quarters combat. The drunken brawls and pitched battles of humans assumed both combatants would need to keep their feet firmly on the ground. Magical demons that could fly on will had no such compulsion. Sara stopped touching the ground as she used every contact against Yumeko to spin around and bring more force to her blows, her magic keeping gravity from bringing her crashing to the ground.

The gatekeeper stuck to the maid like glue, never allowing Yumeko the distance she needed to swing her sword properly. Sara always had some limb in contact with Yumeko, grabbing, smashing, and finding more leverage to continue. Fighting in that extremely close quarter fashion, sword use became impossible.

A smirk. It was the only subtle warning I saw that foretold the end of Sara’s ephemeral upper hand. One minute, Sara was a whirling fury of punches and kicks in the face of her opponent, and the next she was shooting off and away from the maid.

A hail of blades followed her.

Dozens of silver swords were standing tip down in the dirt of the practice room, skewering the ground in a line from the maid on one side of the room to the gatekeeper on the other.

With a single sword, Yumeko had no hope of dislodging the grappling, spidery gatekeeper. Swords appearing in midair and fired as a targeted projectile with painstaking precision? It was more effective of a tactic.

I was surprised when no more silver swords rained down form the sky. The maid had launched enough blades to create distance, but nothing more. I was positive that she could continue to fire them, to put up a rain of swords that would definitely draw blood, but she did not.

Instead, Yumeko raised her sword in hand in a fencer’s salute. Then she disappeared, a crater of dirt left where she stood.

The best way to figure out what was going on was to watch the fighters, I had learned. Snapping my gaze to Sara, I then followed her eyes up towards the ceiling of the room. The maid was crouched against the top of ceiling, upside down. Then she disappeared again.

I heard the crash of steel before I could turn my head to see what had happened. By the time my eyes laid on a staggering Sara, Yumeko was nowhere near.

Far side of the room, ceiling, other side, top far corner, bottom near corner – the maid appeared, disappeared, and reappeared in each of these locations, each time accompanied by the wail of sword kissing sword and a gatekeeper that looked more exhausted and ragged than before.

Watching a single spot, where dirt met crystal wall, allowed me to see it. To see Yumeko shooting around the room, pressing her legs against the point of impact and springing from wall to wall, floor to ceiling and back again.

I could only presume that every screech of metal was Sara managing to parry Yumeko’s attacks. The pink-haired fighter was tracking a speeding maid zipping around the room fast enough that I barely saw her even when I was concentrating.

The tension grew. Without seeing the maid, I felt the attacks grow faster and faster. Larger and larger craters formed in the sand, the sound of hard leather shoes slamming into crystalline walls reverberated throughout the room. With my back to the wall, I could feel the tremors and shaking that Yumeko’s impacts caused.

The tide was massive, flipping the flow of battle on its head. The odds of Sara’s victory were fleeing in terror. Without an answer, the gatekeeper would be blown away by the hurricane.

Sara must have realized this. While she was jerked from side to side by the force of a hurtling maid, her hands began to glow red. Magical energy pooled around Sara, swirling and forming into an amazing- nothing.

“I yield.”

The spar came to an abrupt end. Yumeko was kneeling on the floor next to Sara, her silver swords fading from existence.

Sara was shocked. She stood frozen mid-movement, her glowing red hands raised above her head. “You what?”

“I yield,” Yumeko repeated herself, rising to her feet and dusting off her outfit.

“Y-Yield? How can you yield? I was just about to try something!”

“My apologies,” the maid’s tone was cool as usual, “but I am not in a fit condition to continue. It would be remiss of me to fight as I currently am.”

“Fine.” Sara lowered her hands and shook them, the furnace red glow disappearing. The gatekeeper drowned her disappointment in water.

The maid strode past me without as much as a water break. “Yumeko, are you sure you’re all right?”

She stopped, but didn’t turn to look at me. She keeper her back ramrod straight and eyes dead set ahead of her. “I believe so, but I must investigate this…unexpected and highly improbable condition of mine. Please excuse me, and do not worry. Enjoy your day.”

I shivered when I watched Yumeko leave. Something was off, that was true. The straight-laced maid was less professional in her demeanor, colder than usual. There was a hint of something in her countenance, an emotion that Yumeko was trying to cover up. It was a feeling that I had become intimately aware of after watching Ko and Iris fight. I knew it as bloodlust.

“That was kind of disappointing. Yumeko tries too hard to be perfect, you know? I’m sure she could’ve easily continued. Then I would’ve had her!” Sara complained and then fell over. She wasn’t bothered by the very slight change in her opponent. Perhaps she was too tired to care.

I pointed out how exhausted she looked. Sara protested, but not being able to sit up was a good indication that she didn’t have the energy for more exercise. The pink-haired girl wanted nothing more than to teach me how to defend myself, but I put the lessons off in favor of getting something to eat. Our pre-activity meal had been hours before.

We passed by the kitchen and took off towards the city. When I asked Sara if she wanted to cook something, the girl had walked in and started to stab a steak with a spoon. I was glad that she could at least fly straight.

I led the slightly loopy pink-haired girl through the streets of the city, trying my best to avoid crashing her into any of the other demons.

Eventually, after plenty of apologies and mishaps, we plopped down in a booth in some café. It was a place I had wandered into during my first trip into the city; the owner had gifted me with a delicious chocolate-ish cookie. Luckily for us, they served food other than desserts as well.

“Hey, this is great! Thanks for bringing me here, Sis.” Sara had mostly recovered after she devoured half a dozen sandwiches and downed several cups of iced tea.

“I’m happy this place worked out.” The waitress walked by and purred at my compliment.

With drinks refilled and food consumed our conversation shifted from complimenting the café. “So, what’d you think of the fight, Sis? I’m sorry it didn’t last too long.”

‘Too long’ seemed like an understatement. I snuck a peek at the clock and worked out timing in my head. “You were fighting for over twenty minutes.”

“I wasn’t beat by a long shot. I could’ve kept up with her for another two hours, at least.”

Skepticism tinged my thoughts. I was no fighter, but even I felt like the situation was impossible for Sara to sustain. Besides, the demons of Makai loved to boast. “Really?”

“Well, no. Not really.” I knew it. “Her control is too good; she can turn a lethal attack into something that would barely knick you. Unless I started fighting to kill or something, I could never match her. If she ramped up her efforts too…”

“It was really scary sitting there with all the walls shaking,” I admitted, “but could she do even more? Was that enough to fight with Yuki?”

“More than enough I’d say. That witch might disagree, but she’d be wrong. Once Yumeko gets next to that frilly magician it’d be lights out, pow!” Sara slammed her cup of tea down on the table and punched a fist into the air.

“Could she get close enough?” Barrages of fire and other elements were still fresh in my mind. “Some of the spells Yuki can throw out look like you can’t get around them.”

“I’m not sure if you noticed, but Yumeko is a juggernaut.”

“A what?”

“A brute. A hulking destroyer. An unstoppable moving force of carnage!” When the gatekeeper slammed her hands on to the table again, the waitress came by and scolded her. She quieted down, but not much. “She, uh, isn’t affected by a lot. Her body is tougher than ours, and she’s trained herself to ignore a lot of pain. Walking through a wall of fire wouldn’t exactly slow her down.”

“I…see…” The mental image of Yumeko’s face plastered on a massive ogre my imagination conjured wasn’t realistic in the slightest.

“Do you? I admit, what Yumeko can do doesn’t seem all that impressive to bright explosions, but single-minded dedication is pretty scary on its own; especially if that dedication turns into obsessed aggression.”

I thought I understood what Sara was getting at. “Yeah, everybody would hide from momma if she wasn’t having a nice day, and she couldn’t even fly or poof swords into existence.”

“Nah, you don’t understand, Sis. Trust me; you wouldn’t want to see Yumeko when she gets angry.”

“I’ve seen her angry before.”

“I don’t think you have. Are you talking about the little incident with the shrine maiden? She wasn’t angry then, just a bit annoyed.”

“There was a time when she was yelling at Yuki, too, for creating this dragon made out of fire.”

“If she was yelling then she probably wasn’t angry, just frustrated with that witch’s antics.”

I puffed my cheeks out. People yelled when they got angry, it only made sense. “Hmph, have you seen her angry then?”

“I’ve seen a lot of sides of Yumeko, the entire spectrum of humble and embarrassed. But angry?” Sara suddenly stopped talking. Her eyes wandered away from me, staring off at the wall like she was lost in memories. When she started talking, she had become truly quiet; her voice was soft and uneager. “One time. There was one time when I saw her honestly, truly angry. I’m sure they regretted their ploy immediately; I know we did.”

“Sara, what are you talking about? What happened?”

“Ooops.” Sara’s hands shot up to her mouth. She stared at me wide-eyed for a few seconds and then started to furiously shake her head. “Nothing, nothing. Just some memories, is all. It doesn’t matter!”

“I don’t get-”

“So Alice, I’ve been thinking that I’m probably not the best person to teach you magic to defend yourself with. Sure, I can definitely shoot a few lasers or enhance myself, but that isn’t much to brag about.”

The change in topic was as unsubtle as Sara could make it. If she was that desperate to avoid whatever it was she remembered, then I had zero chance of inquiring further. Sighing, I followed up on the new subject. “Weren’t you the one that said I didn’t need magic? That physical abilities would be all I need?”

“Eh-heh, I did, but, uhm, that was really just to get you away from Yuki. I didn’t want to lose to her.”

I knew it. I was just the prize.

“Considering they keep saying how talented you are, magic is probably your best bet to get on par with the rest of us. I don’t think years of physical training would let you trade punches with me. Magic would, and if you’re better at it than most, then you could definitely fight fair and square.” Sara’s thoughts were reasonable and quite similar to what had already run through my mind.

The fact that it was the physical activity nut suggesting I find someone else was depressing. “Does that mean you won’t work with me?” I had enjoyed exercising with Sara, no matter how tired I was afterwards.

“Oh, no, I wasn’t implying that! I’ll come play with you and show you all the cool stuff I know, no sweat! It’s just, I don’t want to cripple you by throwing the idea magic out the window. I mean, we all use it to some extent around here.”

Sara’s suggestions and words confused me as she seemed to jump back and forth from one opinion to another. “Are you suggesting I go learn from Yuki?”

“What? No! I mean, it’s your choice. Whoever you feel is best for you. Yuki is definitely a strong option for a teacher in some respects, but not others.”

“What do you mean? I think she knows what she’s doing.”

“She does, but maybe not in the ways you expect. She might have the technical knowledge, but a lot of her spells are…flashy. When she’s blowing things up, she goes for style.”

“I don’t get it; you’re mocking her for style when you flip around everywhere?”

“Hey, my flips are- uh, I’m trying to help you here, Sis, don’t turn it around on me!” I laughed at Sara’s indignant outcries; it was cute.

“Seriously though, Sis. Nobody around here knows every single thing about magic. Whoever you ask to teach you the basics would probably stick with what they think is best.”

The pink-haired girl was trying to act mature, I decided. She was trying to be objective with me, instead of biased like when she was arguing before. “Wow, you’re being careful.”

She clutched a hand over her heart. “You’re being so mean to me Sis; I’m just trying to help. Like you pointed out with all my flips, I know that your first teacher leaves a lot of habits with you, good or bad. Obviously, you don’t know exactly how a teacher will work out, but I think you can take a pretty good guess based on what you know. Mother encourages us to be rather open with our personalities.

“So, anybody you have in mind, Alice? I figured we could go ask them once we finish up here; private lessons would probably take up a good chunk of their time, but I’m sure most of the family would love to help you out. Even if they don’t want to, I think I can be pretty persuasive myself!” The gatekeeper was pushing the idea of a magic teacher onto me as much as she could. I was sure she would keep it up until I found somebody to learn form. Something had invigorated the girl; whether it was the story of my time in Makai or her own memories, I wasn’t sure.

Sara said practically anybody in Makai could be a decent enough magic teacher, depending on what I wanted to learn. It made sense that each person I could potentially ask had their pros and cons. Perhaps they were more theoretical instead of practical, or specialized in certain styles of magic over others. It wasn’t like the choice was the end all of everything, either. With all the books in Shinki’s possession, I was sure that I could learn almost whatever I wanted given enough time.

After giving it careful thought, the person most suited to teaching me magic was…

[ ] <Write-in>

---

I didn’t take the time to list out every single demon you’ve met or heard of for obvious reasons; maybe I should have. Either way, every demon could theoretically teach what they know about magic, but you can assume that those without a specific talent for it would turn you down.

If you want to ask for opinions on suggestions on something from Sara Why you would ever want to do this is beyond me, write out a question and it’ll be answered before I count votes. Then I’ll give you a day to change votes or whatever.

[x] Mai
If Yuki is flashy, Mai is mostly likely a very practical magician. We can learn flashy magic after we can actually fight.

>>10369
Ah damn it.
*most

[X] Erk
Doesn't he have a contract with us? Why not use it? He seems more level headed that Yuki at least. (No offense meant to her.)

[X] Erk
>>10372
I acutally agree with his idea about him. Plus his magic fits better than Yuki in my opinion.

[x] Erk

Because really, why not? Mai's good and all, But I think Erk would be more 'balanced' I guess. Like, A Red Mage.

[x] Shinki

It calls out to me no matter how futile it is.

The person most suited to teach me magic was levelheaded and well-rounded. What I needed was a teacher that could help me with the basics; running around wishing for things to happen wasn’t the most consistent way of casting magic. My mind eventually settled on one of the magicians I knew.

“Sara, do you know Erk?”

The gatekeeper frowned and drummed her fingers against the table. “He’s a magic guy, right? Let me think...” I waited patiently. “Oh, I think I remember Yuki whining about him. Does he have purple hair?”

“Yup. I think he would make a good teacher.”

“Really? Okay, whatever you say, Sis. Let’s go ask!” Sara helped me out of my seat, scratching the waitress behind the ears before leading me outside. I asked the café owner how I could repay him, but he waved me off and told me to have fun instead.

The gatekeeper dragged me along before slowing to a halt. When she looked at me, I sighed and took a guess. “You don’t know where he lives either?”

We stumbled around the city for the next hour or so. Unfortunately for us, Erk was the studious type that didn’t seem to let the world know where he lived. Plenty of demons knew him, but none could tell us which house was his. Worse, the vendors he usually met with hadn’t seen him in the past few days, making waiting around for the purple-haired mage to show himself a non-option.

“Wouldn’t it be faster to ask Shinki where Erk is?” The two of us were resting on a bench along one of the streets of the city. It looked like a clothing district; dozens of outfits were on display in the windows of the stores.

“Probably, but mother doesn’t spend all of her time at home. Sometimes she heads out for days at a time; there’s no telling where she is.” We slumped in our seats and deliberated.

Heading back to Pandemonium would have been our surest best if Serra didn’t walk by. The healer was striding along the street, a colorful lunchbox in hand. She had on her pure white gown and was twirling her scepter around.

“Serra!” I shouted, jumping to my feet and waving my arms.

“Yes? Oh, hello Alice!” I shied away from the girl’s hug but let her pat me on the head without a problem. “How are you doing, Cutie? It was too cruel of you to worry us so much.”

“I’m sorry.” The apology was a reflex. “Uhm, I’m doing a lot better. Thank you for helping me.”

“Aw, it’s fine. It is my sworn oath to help any injured soul!” Blue sparkles glittered around Serra’s scepter when she waved it through the air. “One as gifted and talented as I has a divine duty to aid the less fortunate.”

“We’re all grateful for it, especially if you lay off the self-praise,” a cheery voice vocalized from behind me.

“Self-praise? Who would think that I- Sara! What are you doing just sitting there?”

“Hey, hey, it’s been awhile.” Both of the pink-haired girls laughed, jumping forward into a quick embrace.

“I hope you aren’t getting into more scrapes up over on the outskirts.” Serra wagged her finger at the gatekeeper as if speaking to a long-time friend.

“Nah, we’ve been pretty careful recently. By the way, Kojirou’s really grateful you managed to put his arm back together.”

“It wasn’t a problem – anything for our valiant defenders!” Serra tossed her hair and chuckled. “Anyway, not that I wouldn’t love to chat with you two, but did you have something specific you needed me for?”

I nodded and asked, “Do you know where Erk lives?”

“Erky-poo? Of course I do. I’m going to visit him now, but why would you want to go see that grump?” Her words weren’t complimentary in the slightest yet she spoke warmly of the mage.

Sara’s hand rested on my shoulder. “We were hoping he would teach sis some magic to defend herself.”

“Truly?” The healer contemplated our intentions before shrugging. “Well, if we can get to him, I’m sure he would love the chance to help.”

“What do you mean, ‘if we can get to him?’” Sara and I asked at the same time.

“You’ll see.”

It was a relatively fast walk to Erk’s home. Unlike the two witches I knew, his house wasn’t found on the outskirts of the city. The building Serra stopped in front of was small, sandwiched between the larger structures of the city, located off of the main thoroughfares. It was taller than it was wide, but that wasn’t saying much. The home was only two stories tall.

“Erk! Open up, you recluse! I swear, if you aren’t eating my lovely meals again, I’ll shove them down your throat!” Serra’s voice echoed up and down the street. One of the neighbors poked their head out of a window, but then shook their head and disappeared.

The wooden door to the house opened wide. “Hello.”

“Uh…”

“What?”

“Is she…”

A girl was standing in the doorway, looking at us with bright brown eyes. Her long brown hair framed her face and fell down to her lower back. Her skin was brown too, although it looked slick and runny, if that was possible. “How may I be of service, Miss Serra?”

“Who are you? What, are you?” Heavy emphasis was placed on the second question.

“I am a spirit given a composite body to inhabit by Master Erk. You can call me Aht!” The girl had spoken the first sentence in a monotone, professional voice, as if she had practiced the line over and over again. Her voice became giggly and bubbly when she told us her name, like a very young child.

“You weren’t around before. Did Erk actually stop burying himself in books to, uh, c-create you? And he doesn’t have enough time to answer the door himself?” Serra interrogated the girl with a fury.

“Um, Master Erk was a bit mad when you broke down the door so he made- uh, I mean, Master Erk created me to assist him in all aspects of his research. It is within my official capacity to aid him in all matters, magical or mundane.” The child in front of us struggled to maintain her serious and composed speech.

Based on physical looks alone, it was not appropriate to call Aht a child. The girl was womanly, with all the extremely generous curves and proportions that were larger than I would normally expect to see. Further, she was muscular in a female way; her abs were compact and her arms, although slender, were firm with strength.

“That lout! He made something just to keep me away? Erk! Come up here, now! Y-You’re…creation isn’t enough! You have a special guest, and I don’t mean me!” Serra screamed at the top of her lungs.

While Serra focused on making Erk appear, I decided to ask Aht the question that had been bothering all three of us. “Why are you naked?”

The woman-like girl looked down and poked her stomach, dragging a finger along her side. When her skin smeared along the path of her finger, I realized that ‘composite body’ was fancy wording for something involving mud. “Clothes are so restrictive...”

“What is it now, Serra?” Erk’s exasperated voice accompanied the thumping of feet walking up stairs.

“Wah, Master’s coming up? I need to find some clothes!” I giggled at the childish mud girl when she ran off to somewhere in the house.

Sara watched the servant run off and then turned to me. “You sure this is the guy you want to teach you magic, Sis?”

“I think so.”

With Aht no longer blocking the doorway, I could see further inside the home. A single hallway ran straight back, leading to two stairwells up and down. There were a few rooms along the hall, one of which included some manner of clothing if the sound Aht’s struggles were any indication.

“Serra, if you’ve pulled me away from my research for a shopping trip or some other farce, I will not-” the purple-haired magician froze when he crested the top of the stairs. His eyes settled on me immediately and then flicked back and forth between all of us. “Alice. Please, all of you, come in. Aht, where are you? Bring us tea for four.”

We thanked Erk for the invitation and entered the house, following him into one of the side rooms. It was a small dining room, the square table fit for four people to sit. Erk was kind enough to pull out a seat of us three before sitting himself. It gave me a chance to analyze the magician closely since our last meeting. He looked well enough. Even though I was two heads shorter, I saw that his eyes were slightly bloodshot. Other than that, he was immaculately groomed, his blue tunic looking freshly laundered and his purple hair fluffy-clean.

“How may I be of assistance today?” Our host asked us amicably.

It looked like Sara was going to bring up our business but Serra cut in, dropping her bag on the tabletop. “First things first Erky, eat this.”

“I don’t think-”

“Eat it, you frumpy magician. When was your last meal?”

“…I believe Aht brought me a cake twelve hours ago.” Erk sighed and grabbed the box, placing it under the table. “Thank you, Serra, I’ll eat later.”

“No, eat it now! Eating and talking is rude, but I’ll forgive it in favor of your health.” Makai’s magical doctor kept up the pressure in the name of health. However, Erk steadfastly ignored her. Serra grunted in frustrated and then turned to me. “Alice, tell him to eat it. Mr. Grumpy never listens to me when he should.”

I understood the magician’s distaste for constant nagging as only a child could, but Serra had a point. “Erk, can you eat it now? I don’t want you to starve.”

The boy glanced between the two of us before giving in. “Very well.” Inside the lunchbox was a tasty looking bowl of rice with a variety of fruits and vegetables.

“Hmph, now why can’t you be that responsive when I tell you to do something?” After everybody calmed down, Aht walked into the room a few seconds later, setting down a tray of tea on the table. The mud girl had donned a poorly fitting blouse and long green skirt. After pouring our drinks, she stood behind her master quietly, an imitation of a demure servant.

We girls chatted mindlessly while we waited for Erk to finish his meal. Fashion and gossip were at the top of the list. Even Aht took part after it became apparent that her master didn’t care if she kept a professional appearance in front of us.

The magician finished quickly enough, letting us move on to business. “Alice, didn’t you say you wanted Erk for something?” Serra asked.

“That’s right,” I replied. With everybody’s attention on me, I decided to just go ahead and ask point blank. “Erk, would you please teach me magic?”

The magician squinted his eyes. “Me?”

“Mhm.”

“I don’t...” he began, his voice raising slightly before he controlled it. “…are you sure? Perhaps you might consider others? Are you not close to Yuki?”

It was never good if somebody answered your question with a question. “Does this mean you don’t want to?”

Erk rested his elbows on the table and steepled his fingers, closing his eyes as he looked down. “I believe there might be better candidates for such an esteemed position.”

Silence loomed after Erk’s confession. He…doesn’t want to help me. Rejection was always a possibility, but I didn’t expect it. There was a surprising amount of sting involved.

“Hey, you know my Sis chose you specifically. I thought somebody better than me could teach her how to keep safe with magic, and she chose you for a reason. Are you really going to say no?” Sara spoke up from my side. Her voice was passionate, filled with confidence and authority. Her invaluable support made me feel better.

“I-”

“Enough of this hooey!” Serra’s voice bordered on shrill when she screeched from my other side. “Erk, stop moping around. I know that’s what the problem is, so forget it. Our sweet, innocent friend has forgiven you ten times over and thinks you can teach her magic properly. Are you in a position to refuse her just because you’re afraid? Don’t be a wimp; what happened to all that confident bluster from before, huh? I guess a half-rate magician would be too fearful to teach a little girl.”

The prodding words incited a fire in Erk’s eyes. The insults and displays of confidence spurred him into action. “My apologies, Alice, I was being far too hesitant. Yes, I am certainly capable of such a position. I suppose your chances of spontaneously exploding are lower under my tutelage as well, compared to others. If you believe in me, then I would be honored to instruct you in the mystical arts.”

“Sheesh, what an old man.”

“Yay Master Erk!”

“That’s great, Sis!”

The support from my friends, my family, almost brought tears to my eyes again. It was silly, but my expectations from the magician who could have killed me were surprisingly high. Happily for me, the proposal worked out in the end.

After the slightly explosive conversation, the atmosphere calmed down. Erk took to planning immediately, talking with us to outline a proper schedule. My days were going to be busy; Sara wanted to train and exercise with me after I woke up. Then came formal schooling, and after classes ended Erk would whisk me away to cover everything magic related. There might have free time before I went to sleep again, but Erk pointed out that Mai wanted me to learn every other academic subject for my own benefit around then. My day would practically be filled with training in some form or another. I had a little free time, before and after school as well as after Erk finished his magic lessons, but that wasn’t much at all. Serra managed to secure me days-off whenever I felt necessary (although I suspected she just wanted to take me shopping). I was happy with the arrangements, though. Rigorous lessons beat working on chores by a long shot.

Erk took me on a tour of the house next, all the other girls trailing along in interest. Kitchen, dining room, and bathroom – the ground floor wasn’t anything special. The upstairs only held two bedrooms and storage. It was the basement that was incredible.

The stairs leading down were twice as long as one might expect. According to Erk, they stretched down far enough to be a floor underneath the other basements around the house. Magical lights filled the ceiling as we advanced further down.

When we reached the bottom of the stairs we entered into another library. Shelves were tightly packed, leaving barely enough for a single person to walk through the rows. Although there weren’t nearly as many books in Erk’s basement as there were in the single library at Pandemonium I visited, his collection was still impressive.

The basement itself seemed to have as much floor space the rest of the house combined. The bookshelves took up most of the space, but there was empty room at the far back. A desk and chair sat to one side, covered in books and papers. On the floor, an area about three meters squared was completely empty save for a magic circle drawn in chalk, complete with geometric patterns and runic script.

“Aht, would you please try to clean up here? I’ll put away my notes and books.”

“Okay~!”

While Erk quickly directed his assistant, I wandered over to his work table and grabbed the first paper with a title that I could read: ‘Effects of Transmigrational Resistance on Prevailing Animus.’ Serra and Sara both peeked over my shoulder.

“You really have been worrying about this since then, haven’t you, Erk?” The healer asked. I assumed she understood more of what the words meant than I did.

“Between conflicting accounts and the rampant misinformation or concurrent beliefs, I have made little headway in any meaningful research.”

“Let’s go back upstairs, Sis. Standing around in this stuffy basement isn’t good for you.” Sara dragged me out of the basement and back up the stairs; the rest of the demons followed shortly after. Erk said he would clean up even more to prepare for my first lesson, but he was just being vain. Other than the slight disorganization of his work table, the rest of his house had been practically spotless.

With all of our business finished, the group broke up rather quickly. Serra wandered off, having other appointments to keep. Erk bid me farewell and went back inside his home. Sara kissed me on the forehead before taking off back towards the entrances to Makai; she promised she would be around when I woke up again.

“Well Luminita, it’s just me and you.” Left to my own devices, I decided to wander a bit through the city before returning to Pandemonium. I visited stores and talked to their owners, getting to know more of the general populace. A number of the shopkeepers were pleasant, more than willing to pass time with me. People were interesting. Talking with them was the best way to get to known them and understand others. Momma always made sure to check in with the other villagers, even outside of her work.

After another couple of hours passed, I decided to pack up and return to Pandemonium. A few more free gifts came along with me.

As usual, Yumeko found me after I entered the crystal castle. I had arrived with near perfect timing; the residents and visitors to the castle were sitting down for a meal. The maid helped me quickly wash up and then brought me to the kitchen. After putting the finishing touches on the dishes, Yumeko had me help carry them out to the table.

The dining area Yumeko led me to was what I imagined a noble dinning hall to be. A long rectangular table was placed in the center with twenty chairs positioned around it. The crystal walls had been covered, appearing to look like white stone. Tall glass windows were carved into the wall, light pouring out of them, golden chandeliers hanging from above but unlit. It was all smoke and mirrors, but it felt real enough.

Shinki, Yuki, Mai, and a demon I had never seen before were seated at the table, laughing and joking. Yuki started cheering when she saw Yumeko and I bring in the food. I set down the tableware I had been carrying while the maid set down the two trays full of pots and large dishes. We sat down at the table to eat, making six of us in total.

“I’m pleased to meet you, Alice. My name is Ryouko, and I’ll be working with you on some science later. Is that okay?” The green-haired woman was a scientifically minded demon that Mai had recruited. Ryouko was nice, as I expected from all of Makai’s inhabitants. She was wearing glasses and a lab coat, her black undershirt not concealing her ample chest in the slightest.

We all dug into the food. Casseroles, pasta dishes, and other types of food that could be easily doled out to an individual had been prepared. They were all wonderfully tasty, far and away better than the small variety of food that the village could produce.

The dinner talk was rather light as everybody inquired about little things they had done throughout the day. Yuki complained about the goddess’ magical wards and Mai admonished me for ignoring the work she had put together. Eventually, I spoke at length about my own day, opening a can of trouble.

“What? How could you, Alice? I feel betrayed, heartbroken!” Yuki cried out, covering her face with her forearm. She couldn’t keep the act up long; the allure of food was too great. After taking a large bite of lasagna, she turned her attention back to me. “I really shouldn’t have left you with that girl. She poisoned your mind against me!”

“Enough, you. Alice made a fine decision.” Mai came to my defense and whacked Yuki on the head.

“Indeed. Another reckless witch is the last thing we need,” the sharp words were delivered in a mild tone by Yumeko.

Even Ryouko took a jab at Yuki. “I’ll sleep better knowing the chances of my house exploding at night won’t go up.”

The goddess laughed, watching everybody gang up on Yuki with a smile. I felt bad for my friend, but couldn’t think of a way to help her. It was hard to argue when I thought the same way.

The rest of dinner was uneventful, everybody finishing up and going their own ways. Yumeko went off to clean the dishes, Yuki and Mai left Pandemonium together, and the goddess had her own business to attend to. I returned to my room with Ryouko in tow.

My tutor for the day was a smart woman. She figured out how much I knew and started to teach me a variety of things. Ryouko decided to cover a number of basic concepts at once instead of going in depth on a single subject. It was a bit difficult to follow all the terminology I hadn’t heard before, but my parents had prepared me well enough. Cells, elements atoms, taxonomy, theories and everything else I might need in future lesson were introduced to me in a relatable way. After an hour or so of tutoring, my eyes began to droop. Ryouko took notice and stopped to let me sleep on her lesson.

I thanked the green-haired demon and ran around to prepare myself for bed. After I finished changing and cleaning up, I jumped underneath the covers. Life had been hectic, but the day foretold some sort of stability in my life. Sleep came to me easily.

---

“I said no, and that’s final!”

Tears rolling down her face, the girl rushed out of the house in a fit. Neighbors would speak in hushed tones of her display, but she didn’t care anymore.

The last pillars of support collapsed underneath her. She had thought her parents were behind her, were different from the other superstitious villagers.

They weren’t, not in the way she wanted. The little lessons and favors they gave her wouldn’t extend into the public eye; they weren’t willing to risk the stigma attached to the family name for their daughter’s eccentricities. They indulged her dreams of freedom only when it suited them. To the girl, it was the ultimate betrayal. Her mind could consider it in no other way.

After stomping into the plaza, the defeated girl found her escape.

The head of the caravan refused her immediately. The merchant, proud and haughty despite his occupation, scoffed at the dirty farm girl who looked for a ride.

Yet, the girl was not deterred. Through her puffy red eyes and the sting of rejection, she remembered the bits of advice that travelers had given her.

She walked down the caravan line. The youngest driver, groomed for success, wouldn’t lie to the merchant. The hard-looking adult would more be more than willing to sell her out. The oldest, with children of his own? It was a tossup, between empathy and family. The girl banked on the former.

Sidling up to the wagon, the girl lifted the covering and clambered in, between two barrels.

It was far from a perfect solution, but the girl took the opportunity presented her. Delaying would leave her hopeless, stuck in a rut for the rest of her life.

She wouldn’t let others determine her own life.

---

“Are you comfortable?”

“Yes, I am, but you…?” I sat at the dinner table of Erks’s house. The magician had touched up the place after I left, replacing the blocky wooden chairs with curved, cushioned seats.

I headed into my first magic lesson with Erk in a good mood. I woke up easily, cooked delicious food with Yumeko, exercised with Sara, and went to a comedy class with Ko. The redhead insulted her way through the class yet came out as the funniest student in the room. Life was strange that way.

The magician in question nodded. I wondered because although he was seated across from me, Erk also had a mud girl draped over his shoulders. He raised his hand and flicked it backwards, tapping Aht on the forehead. She groaned before sliding off of her master’s shoulders and slinking away.

Erk’s serious demeanor hadn’t wavered when the mud girl first nuzzled up to him. I expected him to be flustered for one reason or another, but he treated it like a daily occurrence at most - not even annoyance, it was just something that happened.

“Very well then, shall we begin?” I bobbed my head, fidgeting in my chair slightly. Erk smiled slightly and continued. “Before I speak at any length, there is something more important you must answer first, Alice.”

How unfair! Starting a lesson with a question was the worst. Little children dreaded an unknown question, fearing the public shame coming from a wrong answer in front of their peers. I didn’t have to worry about that situation, but the apprehension had become natural.

“What is most important in order to use magic?”

What kind of question is that? I had no clue what the right answer would be, so I went with my gut and said…

[ ] Belief
[ ] Words
[ ] Intent
[ ] Action
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Whoa, I actually pulled myself away from leveling to eighty in order to write? It’s a miracle!

Let’s see, what else? While I knew this was an option when I wrote the last update, I was skeptical that it would be suggested, let alone win. Not quite an unexpected outcome…but close.

>>10393
Don’t worry, I feel you. Keep fighting the good fight.

[X] intent

[x] Belief

[x] Intent

Damn these questions.

I'd say that IC, it'll be:

[x]Intent

Since Alice's best spells didn't come out how she believed they would, but helped her in doing what she intended to do.

OOC I would say love, at least for humans.

[x] Intent.

[x] Belief

[x] Love!

I went with my gut and said, “Intent. What a person means to happen is most important, isn’t it?” Real magic was mostly unknown to me, but that was the conclusion I drew. Shinki taught me to fly by imagining it occurring; spells shot forth from my fingertips almost unconsciously, fitting to my expectations. Even beyond magic, I felt like a person’s intent was important. Bad people wanted to cause harm, good people wanted to help. It was one of the reasons I found it easy to forgive others.

I watched the magician watch me. His gaze was intense, but not in an uncomfortable way. It was more like he was listening to what I said. Other people fidgeted, looked away, or simply let their attention wander. Erk gave his full attention to me while I spoke. When I finished, he nodded and stood up. “Is that how you see it? Interesting.”

Erk’s response made me uneasy. “Was that the wrong answer?”

“Not at all. There was no right or wrong answer. It’s fair to say every answer would have been correct.” The magician started to slowly walk across the room, his hand held out in front of his chest.

“If there is one thing you must understand about magic, it’s that we don’t understand it; not in any significant way. We know how to manipulate it and can theorize about what it is, coming up with explanations for the effects we experience, but it is all ephemeral. Magic is not a science. When it comes to magic, there are no overarching theories and no rules other than what we ourselves set.

“Your answer was perfectly acceptable. Envisioning an effect is one of the strongest forms of spell casting for a natural magic user. Indeed, countless individuals with a knack for magic manipulate it as such without noticing. An athlete wishing to run faster or a child wishing to reach a higher shelf is enough to unconsciously call forth a talent.” A small glow of light appeared in front of Erk while he spoke. It wasn’t natural in the slightest; the small point of space was simply filled with light. The light didn’t shine. It just existed in the air.

“However, this is not the only way to use magic. There are countless methodologies created throughout the ages to cause anomalous effects. Some styles are what you may see as traditional, ancient stories of above average individuals articulating words of power. The user has worked out a cause and effect, as well as a consistent method to achieve them. Brisingr.” In front of Erk’s finger, a candle light flickered into existence. It floated next to the previous light, swaying with the air as fire should.

“In other cases, a user of magic may have developed a style of somatic movement to manipulate their own energy and the energy around them. They define only a cause, the effect being an unintended consequence. ” Erk’s finger poked the air, pressing into empty space and forming a light that shimmered like crystal.

The purple-haired magician continued to walk, circling the table. All around me, different forms of light were created. Erk read lines from a book, chanted wordless babbles, drew imaginary shapes in the air, broke twigs in half, and did a dozen other things, all ultimately creating a light of some form.

Erk sat back down across from me, the lights creating an eerie but fascinating ring around us. “Magic amazes me, Alice. It is a common factor that affects us all, yet no group works with it in exactly the same way. What one witch doctor practices might be completely useless in the hands of an institutional wizard. As your instructor, I plan on helping you find a method which works for you, as well as broaden your knowledge of other systems. Magic is a personal choice more than anything.”

Looking around, observing all of the lights and not-lights that ringed us, I couldn’t help but feel excited. It was a display of talent that was as impressive as bringing down a rain of fire because I could feel the difference in Erk’s spells. There was a subtle hint of something, a twinge of a feeling from each style of magic used that differentiated each other.

The magician smiled and waved a hand. A circular pulse of purple light spread out from his gesture, the lights disappearing as they made contact. “Perhaps we should start with an exercise then? You seem eager enough.”

“Okay!”

Erk smirked and stood up, stopping next to my chair to hold out a hand.

I wiggled my toes and realized I had jumped to my feet, effectively standing on the cushioned chairs. With a slightly red face, I took Erk’s hand and jumped down, following the magician out the door of the house.

Stepping out into the street, Erk held the door open for Aht, who was carrying a wooden board outside. It was just a few planks of wood stuck together, with two legs jutting out to let it stand at an angle. The mud girl dropped it a few meters away from me further down the road.

Erk stood next to me and pointed at the wooden board. “Your first task is to destroy the target, Alice.”

“D-Destroy it?”

“In whatever manner feels most natural to you.”

I stared at the wooden boards for a second, hesitantly raising my hand.

“Oh, wait,” Erk interrupted me. “I will hold your focus for you.”

“My focus? Oh. Um, okay.” Lifting my other hand, I frowned at Luminita’s cheerful smile and gave the doll to Erk.

Concentrating again, I narrowed my gaze at the target. I calmed my breathing and kept my hand steady, palm open and facing towards the wood.

Just destroy it. The task was simple enough. With the fireballs and other things I had already thrown around, it was a trivial task. Easy. There should not have been a problem.

“Alice, are you okay?” My teacher’s voice broke my focus. After seeing the concern etched across both Erk’s and Aht’s faces, the realization that I had been standing still for a minute dawned on me. “If you do not feel up to it, please do not force yourself. We can start with a different task inst-”

“No!” The scream left my mouth. I blinked and shook my head, tapping my knuckles against my forehead. “I’m sorry, but, I can do this.”

I ignored my surroundings and focused. Just destroy it. It wouldn’t be a problem at all. The task was simple. Even without Luminita, I was sure I could manipulate the magical energies in the air enough to complete the task. Just destroy it. Erk had a reason for the task, which made it my responsibility as his student to try my best.

I imagined the target shattered into pieces. Just destroy it. In my mind’s eye, I envisioned the wooden planks split apart and lying broken on the ground. If what I knew about magic held true, then something would happen to destroy the target as long as I willed it. I pictured walls torn to the ground, the wood ripped to shreds by ridiculous strength, trampled into splinters by the feet of monsters that were dragging the screaming family out of their home!

I fell to my knees when the ground suddenly shook. The earthquake-like event persisted only a second, but made a lasting impression on the ground.

In front of me, a pointed mound of metal jutted into the air. It looked like a small mountain, the sides of the formation slopped upwards at a steep angle. The surface was mostly smooth, the dirt at the base of the metal in much worse shape. The spike-like object stood as tall as me. A single piece of wood was speared by the tip. The rest of the target laid in shattered pieces all over the street, flung away from the point of impact.

Erk helped me rise to my feet and handed back my doll. Then he took off towards the formation with me trailing behind. The magician circled it, occasionally poking the metal or swiping at it with some kind of magic. He spoke to himself quietly, seemingly lost in thought.

“Waaaah~ That was scaaary…” the cry came from next to my feet. Aht’s head popped out of the ground, the mud girl looking only slightly inconvenienced. She slowly rose out of the earth, her arms punching through Makai’s red dirt to pull herself upwards. I averted my eyes when I realized she was naked again, the clothes she was previously wearing nowhere in sight.

If the girl’s body was made of mud and other such materials, I supposed it made sense that she could disappear into the eart quickly. “Why were you in the ground, Aht?”

It took a second for the servant to completely crawl out of the dirt, not a single trace left behind as to where she had emerged from. “The ground started shaking like broom broom so I went to see what was happening like Master said I should. Then a bunch of shinies went flying by me! They would have hurt if they hit me…”

Erk walked up behind the mud girl and scratched her head. “I see. Thank you, Aht. You can head back inside.”

The servant sighed in happiness and jiggled her way back into the house, leaving Erk and I out on the street. I started to feel self-conscious when the residents of the street began to look outside to investigate the source of the disturbance, but Erk didn’t seem to care about the other people staring.

“Excellent work, Alice. You did well.” The magician’s praise warded off the uneasy feeling in my stomach. There was no reason for me to worry. Everything had worked out just fine.

“What is this?” I touched the mound of pointed metal I had apparently created to destroy the target. It felt cool to the touch, prickling at my sense in a way that screamed ‘magic.’ It is a difficult the feeling to describe to others if they are not magically aware. For me, it was like déjà vu; I could tell that something was different with the mound of metal, but not what or how.

“A culmination of your natural usage magic. From what I can tell, the inner portion of this attack was constructed from various metals found in the earth. However, the physical metals comprise less than twenty percent of the mound; you must not have drawn from sources deeper or farther than a meter or so. The rest appears to be a magically produced counterfeit.” After poking at the metal for a minute longer, Erk nodded and raised both of his hands. He chanted a few words under his breadth and then slammed his hands down. The mound of metal disintegrated over a few seconds, smoke wafting up into the air.

With the small exercise over, the two of us also headed back inside. Within a few minutes, we were sitting back at the dining table, cups of tea in hand, Luminita sitting on my side of the table and Aht hovering behind Erk. “Why do you think I had you do that?”

“You wanted to see what kind of magic I would use, right?” It was an easy assumption to make after all the emphasis Erk had put on differing styles of magic

“Correct. More specifically, I wished to see if you held any particularly strong affinities. I dare say that metal of some sort is a logical possibility.”

My cheeks puffed out in annoyance at Erk’s teasing; even if I wasn’t sure what he was referring to, his tone gave it away. “What’s an affinity?”

“An affinity in this case refers to, let’s call it a preference a magic user might have. It’s one of the mysteries of magic I mentioned. For some reason, different individuals have easier or tougher times with certain kinds of magic. The most common affinities have often been described as ‘Elements’ by different societies, such as ‘Fire’ and ‘Water’. In other cases, some have stranger affinities such as ‘Sword,’ ‘Emptiness,’ ‘Avoidance,’ or any other kind of concept. There is no hard rule for what may or may not be an affinity.

“In your case, an affinity of ‘Metal’ is most likely. However, based on this one small test alone, it is also possible you have a different affinity or other, lesser ones. It wouldn’t be prudent to rule out ideas such as ‘Movement’ or ‘Creation’ without further testing.”

“Does that mean I can’t do anything else?”

“Not at all. While magic related to your affinity would naturally be easier and stronger, in most cases it would not preclude your usage of other magic. For instance, I myself have an affinity with ‘Thunder’ but naturally use every type of elemental magic in a combat situation. I tend to perform any other type of magic I research adequately enough as well.”

“Oh, okay. That makes sense; fireballs were tough to make work! Do you know spells that would be easy for me to learn?”

“I do, but first we have a few basics to cover.” Erk drew me into a lesson about the manipulation of magical energy. Whatever it might be called, magical energy can be found within many objects. Individuals with magical capability tend to produce this energy in greater quantities than those without it. Some inanimate objects could also produce magical energy. Animals, stones, trees, clouds, and even dirt were all possible sources of energy. Makai was rich in it, as almost every feature from the crystals to the red dirt released some amount of useable energy into the air, where it remained.

A magic user can sense and use this energy, which is where their talents derive from. Erk helped to refine my feeling of magic and taught me how to consciously manipulate the energy without expending it. After a few short practice exercises it became as natural as moving my arm around. When Erk learned that I could already create little flames, he showed me a few other tricks that were useful. A spell that could instantly clean and straighten your clothes seemed like it should be hideously complex based on how useful it was, but it took no more than a snap of the fingers and a few short phrases.

“Amazing, Alice. You certainly have a talent for this.”

“Thank you! It seems so easy, but I never would have thought of this on my own.” I pushed my teacup back and for between my hands, bouncing it through the air without the tea sloshing around.

The magician chuckled and flicked a handful of magical glitter into the air. “I had planned to teach you these small spells over the course of a few days, but you haven’t had any trouble at all. Genius might not be the correct word, but you are certainly adept at learning. Anything else I might teach you would need a direction.”

“A direction? Like what?”

“I mean a particular style of spell casting. Every system of magic has its own intricacies, it is best to focus on one particular methodology. Did you have any particular goals in mind? A particularly interesting spell your imagination fancies?”

I thought about all the stories I had been told, of wizards and witches performing awesome feats. There were tricksters that could befuddle a man’s mind and mystics that transformed into beasts. When every option was interesting, nothing was particularly appealing. “Not really. Something I would be really good at, I guess?”

“A reasonable proposition. Starting with metal-aligned spells would be best, then. Is there a particular flavor of spells you might favor? Perhaps powerful offensive magic such as your previous display? The manipulation of metal in a more elegant manner could be advantageous, working with wards and enchantments to affect physical materials in a constant way. I suppose expanding upon that, even golem-crafting would be an agreeable starting position as any, and metal is a fitting element for such a task.”

The suggestions Erk gave me were intriguing, three possibilities of what was an innumerable pool of ideas. I felt that…

[ ] No matter how worrisome it was, I felt powerful destroying the target.
[ ] I already had experience working with shields and objects; building on my strengths seemed perfect.
[ ] Creating things that moved on their own could be a lot of fun!
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Even a Red Mage specializes somewhere.

[x] Creating things that moved on their own could be a lot of fun!

[x] I already had experience working with shields and objects; building on my strengths seemed perfect.

I cant think up a good write in, so I might change this later today.

[x]Creating things that move on their own sounds fun!

[x] Creating things that moved on their own could be a lot of fun!

The true way!

I felt that creating things that moved on their own could be a lot of fun! Some of the stories involving golems and robots were scary, but there were plenty of cool ones too. “I want to make a golem!”

Erk laughed. “Very well. Luckily enough, I have already refreshed my memory on some such techniques. I can offer you a brief introduction today and then we can continue tomorrow, amongst other topics.”

Upon seeing the mud girl randomly envelop Erk’s head from behind, my curiosity was piqued. “Will I, um, make, some…one, like Aht?”

The magician extracted himself from Aht’s chest and had the mud girl sit down on one of the empty chairs. “Not at first. Although the creation of Aht’s body was similar to what we will be focusing on, her intelligence is a different matter entirely.”

“I’m dead!” Aht chirped helpfully. She smiled as if all was right in the world.

“Don’t let her confuse you, Alice.” Erk pre-empted my question, “What is generally referred to as a golem has no true consciousness. Aht’s life comes from a spirit I contracted to inhabit the artificial body I created.”

“A spirit?” My experience with spirits was not the happiest. “It wasn’t like the evil ones flying around, was it?”

“Nope, I was a good girl!” When Erk scratched Aht’s head after her chipper answers, I couldn’t help but compare the mud girl to an affectionate house cat. She enjoyed simple pleasures, at least.

“Thankfully so. Aht was not of the same variety of spirits you unfortunately encountered. The term spirit itself is rather ambiguous, but Aht was the lingering soul of a deceased human that was subsumed by nature. She was not surrounded by other hateful beings, nor did her personality re-emerge from constant contact with living beings. She became something similar to a nature spirit, but without the power to influence the environment.”

That sounds so sad. I felt my hear tear at the thought of a person becoming nothing, not moving on to the afterlife or living on as a ghost. The evil spirits suffered in their own way, but at least they were active. What Erk described was nothing more than an invisible feature of the landscape, drifting alone and unknown for eternity.

“Mhm~ Master found me and asked if I wanted to help him. I was so happy!”

“Aht’s personality returned surprising quickly after her spirit was transferred. I theorize that she was particularly strong-willed when she was living for her sense of self to survive the length of time she had been a non-entity. She has performed the tasks I set before her admirably.” Erk gave Aht one last pat before standing up. “Shall we begin with your next lesson, Alice?”

“One last question,” I figured the opportunity to ask wouldn’t arrive again. “If you created Aht’s body, then why did you make her a cute girl with big boobs?”

Erk choked.

Aht and I giggled together, the mud girl in the process of helping me out of my seat. We walked past the spluttering magician, the servant leading me toward the basement.

“I- she chose her own form! She started out no more than a lump of mud! She self identified on her… forget it.” The purple-haired demon threw his hands into the air and followed us down the stairs.

The introductory lesson wasn’t extensive. Erk explained the complexity of creating a proper golem alongside the huge variety available. Depending on how much effort the artificer put in and how much magic versus physical components they wanted, a golem could be eerily similar to a fully grown human or a floating lump of rock. Any material could theoretically be thrown together to form a golem, but traditional materials such as various stones, clays, and metals were most common.

After Erk concluded his lesson, the rest of my week passed by in peace. I followed my schedule every day, settling into a comfortable routine. My days were filled with fun and learning and ended with warmly cooked meals in Pandemonium.

I had adjusted to living in the goddess’ strange world quickly. It seemed impossible to be as great as it was. Demons did what they wanted be it farm, research, sing, or explore. Some demons bartered and struck deals, but often enough provided their goods and services for free. The goddess encouraged giving freely within the family, expecting her children to provide for each other.

As I was, I had little to offer others. None of Makai’s demons refused me when I spoke with them, but it was obvious which of them were uncomfortable with my freeloading. I didn’t mind at all because I felt guilty by taking freely from others.

My usual stomping ground kept me at the stores where a child’s delighted smile and well-meaning compliments were the only things the owner wished for.

“Are you okay, Violle? Your hair isn’t very shiny today.” The cat-girl waitress set down our tray of drinks with a smile.

“You noticed? I haven’t been feeling very well, and I guess it shows. I’m delicate, you know? Enjoy your drinks!”

“Thanks!” It was after class on my supposed day off, so I had decided to return to my favorite café for a bit of rest.

Erk had wanted me to relax for a day before attempting to work on a real golem. I had been learning all sorts of things about golem construction such as the materials I might use, transmogrifying spells, and miscellaneous other thing I had been curious about. The magician didn’t me to completely botch my first attempt because my mind had been fried by too much knowledge.

A loud, obnoxious slurp reached my ears. Ko sucked down half of her milkshake in one go. “What a quiet place. I guess it’s more high class than my usual haunts.” My friend had accepted my invitation for a quick snack after class readily enough.

“You should learn from Alice, Ko. It’s not right to spend your time with all those deviants,” Sara commented mid-sip. The gatekeeper had surprised me after our morning exercise when she stuck around to attend class with me; I was sure Shinki’s constant guilt-trips had something to do with it. The pink-haired girl had been delighted to spend more time with me as well as Ko, and ended up following me to the café.

“It’s not like I hang out at those places for the company. Tell me where to find a pretty pink café that has all the latest scoops and I’ll go there.”

“You’re always so difficult, Sis.” It seemed like Sara and Ko knew each other well enough, but it was horribly confusing for me. Sara liked to call both of us ‘Sis,’ and sometimes did so in the same sentence.

“Yeah, yeah, tell me something new.”

“Something new? How about Alice’s fancy new moves? If you want to bully my sis you’re going to have to work for it!”

“Oh really?” Ko turned to me and leered. “You’re training to take care of yourself, huh? I guess I’ll have to check what you’ve learned myself.”

“I’d be happy to, but I haven’t learned much.” Compared to the crazy flips and fighting prowess the demons around me had shown, I was a blind infant. Other than physical conditioning and improving my balance, Sara had been showing me basic martial arts forms which wouldn’t help much in a fight beyond keeping me composed.

“Don’t sell yourself short, Sis! You’ll be great in no time!”

Ko slapped her hand to my back, almost making me choke on my milkshake. She leaned close to me and orated, waving her arm around in grand sweeping gestures. “Listen to our wondrous defender, Kid! Under her amazing tutelage, you’ll grow another meter and run around pummeling the- Ow, damn it!” The red-haired girl’s mocking stopped short when slammed her free hand into the back of the booth seat. When she wrenched it forward and began to shake out the pain, she knocked aside her drink, the glass shattering into pieces on the tabletop.

Sara hooted, “Hah, that’s what you get for poking fun at me, Sis!”

The redhead sat there and scowled. I sighed and reached over, cleaning up Ko’s injury to the best of my abilities. The waitress walked over and cleaned the table up with a strained smile, dropping off a few first aid materials that I could use before she left.

“I swear these little accidents are pissing me off.”

I rolled my eyes at the same time I finished wrapping Ko’s hand up. “Maybe you should try being more careful then.”

“Feh, I’ve never had this problem before. My plans and my actions are all as solid as a rock.”

The gatekeeper leaned across the table and tapped Ko on the forehead. “Solid, Sis? I don’t think wrestling a basilisk is a ‘solid’ plan.”

“You dared me to do it!” I had to duck underneath Ko’s wildly flailing arm. She doesn’t learn. “Besides, I pulled it off, didn’t I?”

“Sure, with half of your body turned to stone. I was proud of you!”

The three of us continued to chat and laugh about meaningless topics for a time. Eventually, our conversation drifted towards more immediate concerns.

“I never would have thought you would stick around down here this long,” Ko mentioned to Sara.

The gatekeeper laughed and nodded. “Yeah, this has been the longest in awhile. I’ll be heading back after this. Did you want to come with me?”

“No way. I’m not ready to deal with all those nuts yet. I’ll be heading off into the forest to work on a few things and relax a bit.”

“What about you Alice? Maybe you want to visit?” Sara propositioned me.

I hadn’t thought out any plans for my day off, but spending time with friends sounded lovely. I…

[ ] Wondered if I could follow Ko into the forest
[ ] Headed off with Sara towards the entrance of Makai
[ ] Felt like finding <someone> to bother
[ ] <Write-in>

[X] Wondered if I could follow Ko into the forest

It might not have gone so well the last couple times, but third time's the charm, right?

[X] Wondered if I could follow Ko into the forest
I like them both, but in the end Ko won out

[x] Headed off with Sara towards the entrance of Makai

Something different and I sort of fear that Alice would get in Koa's way again.

I wondered if I could follow Ko into the forest. “Can I go with you, Ko?”

“Eh? Are you sure that’s the best idea? Wouldn’t you rather go see some leafy greens and all those other those other wonderful surface features you’re used to?” Her suggestion was offered nonchalantly while she picked at her nails as if nothing was wrong, but the question provoked an ache in my chest.

Before I could even ponder if I wanted to return to my old home, or at least the surface, Sara stood up and beamed at the two of us. “It’s wonderful that my two sisters want to spend time together; have fun you two!”

Without missing a beat, the gatekeeper took off in a flash.

I blinked and turned back towards my friend. “Ko?”

The little devil scooted out of the booth and helped me stand. “Yeah, fine, let’s go.”

Ko’s liveliness washed away my worries once we began the trek towards the crystal forest. We stopped briefly in front of Ko’s home. The demon flew up through the window to her room and came out with something in her hand.

She refused to show me what it was and instead flew off towards the forest. I sighed and followed after her, our conversation drifting between different topics. “All you’ve been doing in practicing with your knife?”

“Basically. It takes a lot of work to make this body perform like I expect it to.”

“It’s been a week, Ko. I don’t think it’s very healthy to do that all day everyday.”

“I need to get back in fighting shape as soon as possible. I would hate to be cooped up around here just because I couldn’t handle what’s out there.” Calmly spinning through the air, the redhead slowed to the point where she was flying alongside me. “Besides, I take breaks to eat, to sleep, and to spend time with you. Isn’t that enough?”

S-she’s so embarrassing… By constantly revolving between lewd jokes, insults and purely honest statements, Ko always managed to catch me by surprise. My fluster affected my flying, causing me to wobble in the air. I could only respond to the laughing demon by speeding to catch up to her.

We touched down in front of the imposing crystalline forest. Ko stopped before we walked in, holding out an open hand. “This should be plenty far enough. Put this on, Alice.”

I poked at the object Ko was holding out and gingerly picked the gift up by pinching its pretty red ribbon. “It’s a bell.”

Ko rolled her eyes and chastised me in a haughty tone. “It’s a magic bell. Now put it on.”

“Why can’t you tell me what these things do before you give them to me?” I grumbled at the domineering demon who thought she knew better. “How do I put this on anyway?”

“It’s like a necklace. Just tie the ends together.”

“Tie the- this is a collar!”

“What? No way. What gave you that silly idea, Kid?” Ko’s poker face revealed nothing, but I was positive she meant to make fun of me in some way with her gift.

“It is a collar. Like…like a cat bell! Why would I wear this?”

“I told you, it’s a magic item. Why would I ever want to collar you? You aren’t property, and it’s not like you go anywhere special anyway.” Flipping her hair and tapping her foot, Ko waited impatiently for me to do as she said.

“No, Ko, tell me what this does- ah!”

The demon was on me in an instant.

It was a hopeless struggle. I didn’t have the strength to avoid being manhandled, even if my assailant was practically the same height as me.

“There,” Ko wiped her hands with a proud look on her face, “it looks good on you Alice.”

“That wasn’t fair at all…” I whined and poked at the bell hanging around my neck. It didn’t look or sound any different from a small brass bell, but I could sense the magic in it.

“Life isn’t fair. So, what do you see?”

“I see you.”

“Great, you can- no, not with your eyes. Stop being difficult.” I scrunched up my face and stuck my tongue out. The demon shook her head and approached me. “I meant that metaphorically, like…ugh. Here,” she gently grabbed my shoulders and spun me around. “Now, what can you see?”

“I see the city.”

I could hear the silent scowl from the demon. “You really don’t notice anything different? She said this would work. What a flaky goddess.”

Ko paced back and forth in frustration behind me. “Oh, I saw that! Or, um, felt it? Heard it?” The sudden whine in my ears sounded nothing like the tinkling of a bell, but I could understand the message all the same.

“Use your impressive vocabulary, Kid.”

“I could tell you were moving behind me, even though I didn’t hear your feet move. It was, well, I just kind of knew.” As with all other things magic, it didn’t make much sense. The bell was letting me understand my surroundings in some way, relating to me the movement of nearby objects.

“Good enough! That should keep you a bit safer when you venture around out here.”

We marched along the forest path with no real direction in mind. Beautiful crystal surrounded us, the sound of quiet rustling mixing together with the fall of our feet and our relaxed voices. “Ko, did you ask Shinki for this?”

“Pretty much. After that last incident, I don’t really trust the usual junk I use to work if I need it to.”

I pinched the magical bell and rolled it between my fingers. “The goddess has a lot of useful things.”

“Plenty of useless crap too, but you’re right.”

As we entered a circular clearing, a nexus of pathways within the forest, Ko slowed to a halt. The demon trotted in front of me and bent slightly at the hip, jutting her chest out at a beautiful angle. Her hand slid down her side, curving around her thigh and reaching under her long skirt. Her eyelids drooped slightly, the tip of her tongue slowly brushing across her lips. My face heated up slightly; the display was far from appropriate behavior!

“W-Wha- a-are you…?” The demon grinned at me and straightened her back, yanking her knife out from under her clothes. She grabbed the edge of her skirt and hiked it up even higher, letting me see the angled sheathe strapped to her inner thigh.

Ko was amused by the dumbest things. “Something wrong, Alice?”

“No.”

“You know, that’s the problem with the goddess’ stash,” Ko told me while she danced her knife between her fingers, “her items might be high quality, but they’re all unique. If you lose the things she gives you and it might be awhile before you find something to replace it.”

My hand wrapped around the magic bell at my neck instinctively. “I’ll make extra sure I don’t lose this!”

“Good.” Ko smiled at me before she stepped into the center of the clearing. The redhead slid her legs apart, lowering herself to the ground in a near split. She glanced upwards for a second and then jumped, disappearing from the ground in an instant.

I angled my head to follow her as she bounced around in the air. She skipped between the branches surrounding the clearing, her feet tapping against crystal to propel herself into spinning, somersaulting flips. Her knife flowed with her body, carving elegant arcs through the air and decapitating imaginary foes.

Ko vaulted off of a tree trunk and spiraled back down to the ground, sticking her three point landing and sheathing her knife in one smooth motion. I laughed and clapped, Luminita giving her applause along with me.

“Thank you, thank you, I’ll be here all night.” The redhead bowed and looped her arm around mine, leading us off through the forest once more.

The demon would unsheathe her knife almost randomly while we walked, swinging it around in practiced motions. She cursed multiple times when she accidentally nicked herself with her flashing blade, but the cuts were always razor thin, less grievous than even a paper cut.

Whenever I looked at the gleaming metal, I wondered what was special about the knife. There was the smallest hint of magic radiating from it, but there was nothing that hinted at some sort of mighty power. It could have easily been one of the knives daddy owned.

“This knife? It doesn’t lose its edge.” Ko gave me a no nonsense answer when I asked about it.

“Did you get the knife from the goddess, too?”

“Yeah.”

“And all it does is stay sharp?”

“That’s right.”

“Why did you ask for that?” I imagined that there was plenty of other magical knives that Ko could have received if she inquired further.

“Are you kidding me? Do you know how much of a pain it is to re-sharpen a knife all the time?” I stared through Ko’s usual behavior. When she realized that I wasn’t going to accept her lackluster joke of an answer, she continued. “Seriously, knives that can be sharpened to a razor’s edge, and never lose that edge, will cut practically everything that doesn’t cause the metal to snap. Throw in some ultra-tough steel and you’ve got a winning combination.”

“Oh.” I thought a fire spewing, lighting generating knife would be neat, but upon reflection the idea was rather absurd.

“You have to keep your mind open, Alice. All the knowledge in the world might be interesting, but sometimes it’s the simple things that are most helpful.” Swift fingers pinched my nose in play. “Maybe you can help me with your fancy magic, though. Want to practice?”

The demon roped me into her workout schedule willingly; I thought it would be a smart idea to practice what Erk had taught me before my first large project.

I flew alongside Ko as she danced through the forest. Ancient, foreign words left my lips, mingling with the magic around us to form into sheets of metal. I focused my intent, molding into existence a variety of floating body parts from disembodied hands to faceless heads. The cheap aluminum parts I created were what I planned on using to create a golem, although of substantially less quality.

With real targets to focus on, Ko’s practice took on a surprising voracity. The demon tore through the air and along the ground, neatly bisecting the targets I presented. Once the hollow targets had been cut I let the magic holding them together dissipate, the fake metal vanishing into thin air.

Over the course of a couple of hours our practice intensified. I used all the applicable spells I had been learning from Erk by tossing around sparks of lightning, spraying jets of cold, throwing my distorted voice, and laying down pretty yet useless glyphic wards. None of my added efforts distracted Ko in the slightest. The almost useless magical displays were more for my own benefit.

Ko dodged and weaved, elegantly contorting her body in dozens of different ways. She occasionally faltered in her dance, her feet landing awkwardly and throwing off her balance or her hands not rotating quickly enough and feeling the sting of her knife, but she maintained her beautiful movements. She never failed to bounce between trees and destroy the targets presented to her.

Throughout the exercise I felt surprisingly strong. Although I had slowly practiced spells under Erk as to not make a mistake, rapidly throwing magic around was rather simple. Drawing energy from the air around me and through Luminita to fuel my minor incantations was nowhere near as tiring as running laps around a room.

After another couple of hours we finally slowed to a halt. I didn’t even realize how long we had been moving until after I checked my clock. Having real control over my magic was thrilling. Casting magic was as addicting as reading an engrossing story. Erk would probably have been disappointed in my hasty and careless spell casting but the allure of pouring out magic was irresistible; finessed work could be done indoors.

We stopped because of Ko. The redhead looked like a mess. She had been putting in vast amounts of effort as she jumped around the forest pathways and it showed in her injuries. A dozen accidental cuts and collisions with hard crystal wore the demon down.

“Damn it.” Ko collapsed to her knees and slammed her fist into the ground, the frustration evident in her voice.

“Are you hurt badly?” I kneeled next to my friend and checked her over, but she seemed fine. The minor cuts and scrapes covering her limbs weren’t serious.

“No, I’m fine,” the redhead assured me while I helped her to her feet. “I’m annoyed with myself more than anything. I haven’t done anything different from past times when I had to work a new body into shape, but I can’t seem to get through any set without a slip-up.”

The disappointment Ko had in herself troubled me more than anything. “Is it because I’m here right now?” Perhaps it was because I had been watching her that she couldn’t perform as she expected; Ko didn’t seem like she used her abilities in front of others often.

“Don’t worry about it Alice, the problem lies with me. Something’s off and I’m not compensating properly.” Putting the frustration behind her, Ko slid down with her back to a tree. Flying around, chanting, and swinging my arms for hours on end were tiring enough to make me long for a bath, but I could settle for a quick rest on the ground.

“I’m surprised that you’re already able to do so much, Alice,” Ko praised me with a smile. “All those little tricks of yours are way beyond me.”

“Huh? But aren’t you really old?”

Ko’s eyebrow twitched. “I hate being called a kid, but for some reason being called old by you ticks me off just as much.” The demon shook her head and took a breath, answering me calmly when she spoke again. “Age doesn’t really have much to do with it, Alice. I’m just not very good at the whole magic biz.”

For me, using magic was uncomplicated, practically intuitive. I couldn’t understand how someone nearly a hundred years old might have any difficulties with it. Still, I didn’t push the subject. If Ko couldn’t work with magic then she couldn’t work with magic – it wasn’t a hard fact to accept.

“Do you think that-” I stopped mid-sentence when I felt something. A twinge prickled at my senses, pulling my attention towards whatever was moving; not moving, but falling.

I craned my neck to look upwards, to try and find whatever the bell had alerted me to. When the glint of crystal caught me eye, I screamed, “Look out!”

My friend reacted immediately, eyes snapping upwards before I even finished my warning. Her head hadn’t even stopped turning before the demon dived to the side, reflexes responding inhumanely fast.

Ko was rewarded herself for her efforts with a pained scream. A splintered branch of crystal, half a meter long, had impaled the girl’s leg. It stuck straight out of her calf, the blueness of the crystal becoming stained by scarlet.

I was a human, a slow and imperfect human, the flaw in the chain. My warning was too slow to have helped Ko.

“Geh, what in the goddess’ name is this shitty thing?” Agitated hands prodded the crystal branch. Every time Ko touched the foreign object imbedded in her leg she grunted, stifling a scream whenever she moved it substantially.

“Ko, stop that!” I grabbed her hands and prevented her from disturbing the branch.

“Really, what the fuck is this thing? Some sort of ninja crystal? It didn’t make a single bit of noise as it fell.” The demon sighed and half-heartedly smiled at me. “This is one huge screw-up on my part. Thanks for the warning, Alice. I would’ve hated to be standing upright when this thing hit.”

Don’t thank me, I wanted to yell, I’m the reason you were hurt at all. If Ko had held on to her magic bell, she would have been absolutely fine.

Before I opened my mouth, I thought about it and realized that blaming myself was the last thing I needed to be doing. Instead, I carefully examined Ko’s injury, trying to figure out how serious it was.

“What do you think, Doctor? Do we operate?”

I scowled at the joking demon. Even though her smile was tinged with a pained grimace, Ko’s personality hadn’t changed.

“I don’t know,” I admitted. The situation was beyond me. Cosette’s teaching raced through my mind, but a single cursory lesson was not nearly enough training.

“That’s great, because I don’t either. Should we flip a coin to figure things out?”

“I thought you adventured out in Makai all the time. Don’t you know how to treat injuries like this?”

“Nope, not a clue. If I can’t walk it off, I usually don’t have long to worry about it.”

Ignoring the worrying implications, I considered what we could do. “Can’t you just fly with me back to the city?”

“Seems like a smart plan.” It was a plan that wouldn’t work. Ko unsteadily floated into the air but quickly dropped back to the ground when it became apparent that the branch would sway around and worsen her injury.

I tried to figure what else could be done. I did not have the physical strength to do much of anything, but a bit of magic was most assuredly enough to compensate for my age. Pulling the branch out and wrapping up Ko’s injury seemed practical, but I remembered how that could be an equally terrible idea. Leaving Ko undefended in the supposedly safe forest to find help was always an option. My imagination provided me with a dozen other possible actions I could take. In the end, I…

[ ] Flew back to the city in order to find some help
[ ] Tried to pull the branch out of her leg and treat the injury
[ ] Picked Ko up and carried her with me back to the city
[ ] Used my magic to…
-[ ] Fix my friend
-[ ] Remove the crystal
-[ ] Signal for help
-[ ] Create some help
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Sorry for the late-ish-ness. I wasn’t enthusiastic about starting an update after only one vote, but then I waited too long and got caught up in life. If it’s not one thing then it’s another.

As far as this vote goes, remember that there’s nothing saying you can’t try many different things or even write-in something like “Attempt surgery” if you want to.

[ ] Used my magic to…
-[ ] create golem hands to carry her back to the city.

We are a magical little girl, no problem.

[ ] Used my magic to…
-[ ] create a HUGE golem hand to carry her back to the city.

[X] Used my magic to…
-[X] create a HUGE golem hand to carry her back to the city.

Don't have a stretcher? Make one. And whatever you do, don't remove the crystal before you get her to help. It's keeping her from bleeding out even faster.

[x] Used my magic to…
-[x] Create an improvised stretcher (which might be a huge golem hand, if it's efficient) to carry her back to the city.
-[x] Maybe try putting magically-created material (like that stuff you first used, the wave that solidified) around the wound to prevent it from bleeding and to stop the spike from coming loose.

>>10562
[x] The above

My phone's not letting me copy text, for some reason.

I determined that bringing Ko back to the city was the surest option. I knew enough that trying to treat her injury on my own could only make things worse.

The question then became, how could I bring her back? Maybe I can help her fly? Is it like helping someone walk? I mulled the problem over in my head, throwing out any number of different ideas.

My friend wasn’t suffering much. In between her grunts of pain, the redhead shut down my suggestions. “Just give it up and go find someone. You can’t carry me back with those tiny, girlish hands and I’m not letting you try to yank this crap out of me.”

“Hmph, your hands are just as childish as mine!” Inspiration struck me after the words left my mouth. “That’s it!”

The little brass bell jingled when I knelt down onto the ground. I carried Luminita in one hand and pointed at the ground with the other, shuffling around on my knees. Next to the fallen demon I moved the earth with my intent, drawing two circles in the dirt. They were not fancifully designed or magical in any way; the circles were meant to be visual foci.

“What are you doing, Alice?”

By the time the demon asked I was already concentrating. My brain barely registered her question. I blocked out my physical senses as best as I could, disregarding sound and touch – even the feeling of sitting on the ground was unnoticeable.

Focus of intent was vital. Erk didn’t want me to create a golem for the first time without his supervision because of all the problems that could occur. Ill formed parts might explode or breakdown, falling off at critical times and endangering the well-being of anyone nearby. The automation of the construct was the scariest part, where poorly worded commands or half-baked instructions could create a monstrosity. Maintaining perfect concentration and working out all the intricacies before hand was the surest method of success. Slap dashing a dumb golem together on the spot could be done, perhaps perfectly so by an experienced artificer, but was still a risky procedure.

However, I didn’t need a full golem to help. I didn’t even need most of the parts associated with a moving being. All I needed was a more impressive set of hands.

I followed my training to the letter, working in a two-step process. With the circles as a reference point, I used my magical senses to explore the ground.

Magic was a finicky force that often reacted to more magic. That ambiguous concept was the basis for simple searching spells. A pulse of magical energy propelled outward could be observed and analyzed if something anomalous happened to it.

Presumably because of my magical affinity, I had no trouble identifying metals with my magic as well. Sending energy into the ground, I could feel out all the slivers and veins of ore spread throughout the dirt of Makai. It took more than a mental tug to loosen the metal. The process was more akin to a fisherman hauling at a stubborn line. Erk was planning on teaching me earth manipulation spells to facilitate my attempts, but they weren’t a high priority.

My mind tried to distract itself, throwing out imagined scenarios where everything went wrong. However, at that time I didn’t care much if a small section of the forest collapsed after I left. Driving with my intent, my unconscious worked through Luminita and hauled the metal to the surface. The ground dipped and shook, but the trees around us remained stably rooted. The rocky, unrefined ore wasn’t pretty to look at but was solid enough for my purposes.

Arcane words left my lips, ancient gestures and formulaic phrases stringing together into a beautiful, mysterious ritual. I modified the phrasing myself, tweaking the spells Erk had taught me to better fit my current purpose. A permanent golem was not what I needed.

The small mounds of metal resting in the center of each circle lifted into the air and slammed together, loose rocks falling away or getting trapped inside the ground formations. Ugly hands took form. The palms were roughly the size of my own body, the fingers deformed and far shorter than a human’s, and the wrists non-existent. Yet no matter how inelegant they were, they responded to my mental prodding well enough, floating through the air on my command.

“I don’t like this idea.” Ko tried to veto my plan almost immediately, but she didn’t have any substantial objections to combat me with.

Waving my hand around like a drum major directing her band, the stony hands responded to my will and shifted position, meeting together to form a flat surface. I rubbed my hands across my creations, imagining the rock and metal smoothening flat. Some of the material flowed, creating a thin sheen across parts of the palms. Still not satisfied with the coarse looking platform, I piled soft red dirt of Makai onto the palms of the large hands to form a more comfortable surface to rest on.

With a look of sullen reluctance, Ko grit her teeth and momentarily lifted herself into the air, plopping down onto my creation with barely a sound. The demon glanced down at the pool of blood she had left on the ground and then at her new mode of conveyance.

The hands moved with a slow, experimental start, drifting lazily through the air a few centimeters above the ground. “This isn’t horrible,” Ko murmured.

I did it! I pumped my hands in the air in celebration.

Control was a beautiful thing. Caught up in the formulaic effort of my spell, the dark shadows of my imagination had been completely ignored. All of the doubts that plagued my mind were drowned by the complete success.

“Instead of prancing around like a one-legged baboon, how about you get this lump moving. The sting in my leg isn’t becoming less painful.” I blushed after Ko’s chastisement and willed the rocky hands forward through the forest.

Ko’s chatter continued unabated, her injury not serious enough to impede the flapping of her lips. “Who would’ve thought you could whip something like this together, eh? I give you a ‘B’ for effectiveness but a ‘D’ in aesthetics.”

“This wasn’t that easy. Did you want to wait while I tried something harder?”

“It’s not like I’m traveling in style here. If you could’ve made a carriage fit for a king, I would have been more than willing to wait around.”

“A carriage? How am I supposed to do that when there aren’t any real trees nearby?”

“I’m not the magical girl here; I’m just the poor injured patient.”

Our banter died down by the time we emerged from the forest. My injured friend’s chattiness had diminished with time, until the only noise I heard from her was quickened breathing.

I was having some difficulties speaking as well.

The pressure of the floating hands was bearing down on me. Unlike the multitude of effortless spells I had used before, my attempt to carry Ko to safety was surprisingly taxing. More than the buzzing in my brain coming from intense concentration, my body itself ached. It wasn’t a muscular ache, but a constant prickling throughout every portion of my body.

I considered the possibility that my success wasn’t as complete as I thought it was. Warnings about spell methodology and over-exertion crossed my mind, but only temporarily. I wasn’t going to drop Ko to the dirt after I had brought her as far as I did.

Walking all the way to the city with the heavy stone hands was a slow affair. I had been spoiled by the speed that flight brought about.

Luckily, my handiwork attracted attention from the demons flittering around at the edge of the city. A pair of demons, two clownish-looking fellows, flew out to investigate the curiosity approaching them.

Their words were indistinguishable from the buzzing of a gnat, even when they drew closer. One of them flew off to find medical help and one of them lifted Ko off of my construct and onto the ground, but I barely registered it.

“What happened?” The deep voice washed over me, probably spoken from the hazy white face in front of me. I couldn’t quite tell. He looks funny…

The world spun in place for a moment. Teetering back and forth on wobbly legs, my focus finally snapped. There was no dramatic rumbling or flashy displays; the metal ores and clumped dirt that comprised my make-shift stretcher fell apart, dropping to the ground in an unglamorous fashion. The rocks thumped against each other and tumbled on the ground, free from their magical bindings.

I blinked, and my surroundings had changed. I was sitting upright in a chair, surrounded by all the trappings of a clean, modest bedroom. Ko slept peacefully underneath the white covers of the bed.

“Welcome back,” the cheerful voice greeted me from over my shoulder. Cosette offered me a glass of sweet orange juice which I promptly sucked down. The blonde medical demon smiled and walked past me, idly brushing Ko’s forehead with her hand. “You two gave us another scare. You’re definitely keeping us on our toes!”

“I’m sorry. It was my fault.”

“Now, don’t go and blame yourself all of a sudden. How about you tell me what happened first, okay?” The blonde pulled up a chair and listened to me with a smile while I related the events of the afternoon to her.

Once I finished my story, Cosette rubbed my head affectionately. “You can’t blame yourself for this, Alice. Accidents, even improbable ones, do happen.”

“But if I hadn’t taken the bell-”

“Then Ko would have chucked it to the side. This prideful girl wouldn’t have used it for herself.”

“I guess. I didn’t hurt her more, did I?” I knew that my method of transport was far from a luxurious ride.

Cosette stood up and lifted the blanked covering Ko’s leg, showing me the cleaned and bandaged limb. “Not at all. You did a great job, Alice. It took a bit of work, but my quick examination didn’t show any problems.”

“Thank goodness. Not knowing what to do was so scary…”

“You should be more worried for yourself.” Cosette turned her concern to me, wielding it like a sledgehammer of guilt. “Magical ailments aren’t my area of expertise, but even I can recognize the signs of exhaustion. Collapsing from drawing too much energy out of your body is highly dangerous.”

“I did what?” Collapsing I understood perfectly enough, but the idea of magical exhaustion was more unfamiliar.

“From what I understand, Erk is the one teaching you? I’ll have to have a word with him later about safety.”

Overusing magic…my own energy… I rolled the words around in my mind, trying to remember what Erk might have said. His lessons had definitely included safety concern about moderating my magic usage and not going overboard. There might have been a vague lesson on the differences in magic sources as well. I probably should have paid more attention to his lectures instead of becoming fixated on flicking colored sparks from my fingertips.

“…Alice? Hello?”

My back straightened immediately. “Yes?”

“Don’t worry so much about it. As your goddess-assigned doctor, I advise you rest up. Do you feel well enough to-” Cosette closed her mouth mid-sentence and turned around to hover over Ko. Just before I began to wonder what the demon was doing, the sleeping girl began to stir.

My injured friend turned her head to look around the room, her eyes coming to rest on me. We stared at each other until Ko broke eye contact by rolling onto her side away from me. “Go to sleep, Kid.” I could hear her smirk.

Amusement dances across Cosette’s face while she continued from before the interruption. “Do you feel well enough to fly back to Pandemonium, or do you want to stay here? I only have the one bed, but I believe you two can fit comfortably. It seems like your friend has already made room for you.” Sure enough, whether Ko had done it consciously or not, she was sleeping on the edge of the bed instead of the center.

After another long day, resting was certainly an appealing choice. I chose to…

[ ] Accept Cosette’s hospitality
[ ] Leave for Pandemonium
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Vidya is the bane of all productivity.

>Using a type of gallium as a liquid-metal Band-Aid
Seemed like an interesting plan; I would have loved to use this. Unfortunately, I didn’t write it because almost all forms of treating the injury were basically mutually exclusive with magical medevac.

>Giant hands
This, too, would have been so amazingly wonderful but alas, I took Mr. Corollary’s vote to be less on the huge side and more on the normal size; the overall tone of the vote was unfortunately cautious.

[x] Accept Cosette’s hospitality

Better safe than sorry.

[X] Accept Cosette’s hospitality

Going home is not worth the risk of collapsing again.

[x] Accept Cosette’s hospitality

I chose to accept Cosette’s hospitality and stay for the night. After a full day of strenuous activity, I was not excited about the prospect of a long flight home. Magical flight might have seemed trivial, but I wasn’t sure about how my state of ‘exhaustion’ would change matters.

My kindly host cheered at my decision. “That’s great. Is there anything I can get you?”

“I’m hungry!” My mouth had answered without my brain’s consent. I clapped my hands over my mouth, trying to contain any more rude exclamations. After making sure my words and thought would alight, I asked, “Is a bath too much to ask for?”

“Not at all. I’ll see what I can do about food while you’re taking your bath.” The blonde demon led me through her modest home. Glancing in the rooms we passed by, most of Cosette’s house was ordinary. The anomaly was a room, towards the middle of the hallway, capped by steel doors. We stopped momentarily so that I could peer through the circular windows in the doors. “That’s my operating room,” Cosette explained.

“Operating room? What’s that?”

“It’s similar to the workshops and labs that other people have; I work on all of my research and serious cases in there. I’m afraid that it isn’t on par with other such facilities technology wise, but I’m proud of the innovations I’m creating.” The inside of the room was foreign to me, more so than the alien landscape of Makai. Graphs, charts, screens, glowing boxes, tools, machines of all sizes – I had no idea what to make of the objects. Thanks to my parents’ fanciful tales, I could wrap my mind around the oddities of Makai, but the barely-magical tools Cosette kept were an anomaly.

Luckily, Cosette’s bathtub was similar enough to others found elsewhere in Makai. I took my time cleaning myself, enjoying the warm water and fragrant soaps that were on hand. After leaving me alone for several minutes, Cosette returned with a cute set of flowery clothes for me to wear. The food my host later provided was completely unmemorable, but it filled my stomach all the same.

With all my basic needs fulfilled, we crept back into the bedroom where Ko was sleeping. Cosette tucked me in quietly, my friend not even murmuring from the sudden bouncing of the bed. Snuggling into the soft covers, a worrying thought struck me. “Wait. You said this is your only bed. Won’t you need it?”

“Not at all. I haven’t been awake for too long, yet. If I need a little nap, I can take one on my couch or somewhere else. Sweet dreams, okay?”

“‘Kay. Thank you.”

The dimmed lighting disappeared completely once Cosette left the room and closed the door.

I shifted slightly, but avoided making any drastic movements. Ko seemed to be sleeping peacefully and I didn’t want to wake her. There wasn’t any sign of movement from the bed’s other occupant; the redhead lay perfectly still on her side.

Despite the unfamiliar house, the situation was similar enough that I felt comfortable. I had no trouble drifting off to sleep.

---

“Get out of here!” The girl tumbled out of the shop, crouching low to the ground while she scurried away, stolen scraps clutched against her chest. She ran fast and disappeared into the alleyways of the city, not worth pursuing by any soldier.

Footfalls slowed until the girl stopped against the wall, falling to her knees in exhaustion. The muddy ground chilled her bare skin; the pants the girl wore were falling apart. The clothes she had made herself were not durable enough to withstand the constant scrapes from the narrow escapes the girl made. A combination of luck and cautious planning always left the girl an unappealing thief to chase, but stumbles took their toll on her garments. Sleeping on the rough ground and becoming drenched by the rain only accelerated the decomposition of her clothes. She would need to find more cloth at some point.

The girl took a second longer to catch her breath before tearing into her meal. She had no reservations about devouring the food she had managed to steal. Moral correctness was thrown out the window once she had begun to starve. The gnawing hunger twisting in her gut was worse than any snide comments from back home.

Living in the streets was horrid. The girl, so confident in her capabilities, was truly a child. She had no concept of what living in the city truly meant. A farm girl without money or support had no hope of survival. She did not have the manners or history to work as a servant, nor the connections to approach the well-off merchants or prideful samurai. Smaller businesses would not employ her, and families had no need for a runaway girl off the street.

With no possibility of finding a job that took advantage of her intelligence, the girl scraped by on the streets. It was not the worst living. Although her life at home was positively cushy, the girl adapted well. The tales of brave samurai surviving through the hell of battle inspired her. In her mind, the streets should be positively cushy compared to the crucible of war. She learned to live her new life, of what areas were safe from harassment or authorities. She found overhangs to sleep under and cracks to slip through. Avoiding those that would do her harm was the scariest, yet easiest effort she had to maintain. The roving bands of men looking for cast-offs like her were ridiculously loud.

The thought of what those men wanted terrified the girl. In truth, there was another opportunity she could take to escape the life of a street rat. Certain sections of the city never slept and were always active. Men and women alike poured into the guarded areas, whether drunkenly stumbling in during midday or furtively sneaking in at night. The girl had no doubt that those unscrupulous men would have loved to take her there, to use her for profit.

That was one path she was not yet willing to tread. She wasn’t desperate enough to throw away her personal dignity. Resorting to common thievery gave her a sense of achievement, of determining her worth in the world that selling her body would not.

In that manner, the girl lived. Days turned into weeks and the girl grew more confident. She might have been timid and afraid when she was first unceremoniously dumped into the worst parts of the city by the incensed caravan she had stowed away on, but she endured admirably. She learned to use her words to amazing effect. Pretty theft sustained her for a time, but the girl realized communicating could earn her even more. Sweet, saccharine words might yield a pittance from the many peddlers hawking their wares – a forceful threat dissuaded the cowards skulking in the shadow. The girl charmed, stole, and coerced her way into a poor but sustainable living.

Yet, despite her increasing success, the girl was nowhere near all-powerful. Her honeyed words could not save her from the environment she lived in; the pallid stink of the streets eventually overcame her defenses.

It was a miserable, terror inducing day when the girl finally succumbed to illness. She had ignored the signs, disbelieving the truth until it slammed into her face. Weeks of life were jeopardized in a single day.

The girl’s chest ached and lungs rasped, eyes watered and head throbbed. She was barely able to walk; manipulating any of the city’s residents in her state was out of the question.

Tears threatened to fall, but the girl forced them back. Even lying in the dirt, too exhausted to rise from her hole in the alley, the girl would not give in. She did not need hope, or luck to carry her. The world could conspire against her and she would struggle against it under her own merit. She would not regret her decisions when confronted by the terrifying uncertainty of illness.

---

The sticky feeling of clothes flattened against my skin greeted me when I awoke. I peeled the garments off of my body and kicked the billowing blanket away. It had become uncomfortably warm while I slept, the sheets around me creating a fluffy toaster.

Groggy from awakening, I fumbled around in the darkness and tried to gain some semblance of awareness. After a minute of fruitless groping for my doll, I grunted in annoyance and swished my finger through the air; a trail of glittery sparks appeared and floated downwards, forming a wavy line that glowed on top of the bed. The mage lights illuminated Luminita’s body lying at the foot of the bed.

I crawled over on my knees and grabbed my inanimate companion by the leg. She came to life in my hand, expressing her rage at being kicked to the foot of the bed while I slept. “Sorry, sorry,” I apologized quietly, wondering how to free Luminita. Her lower body was trapped to the bed, stuck underneath Ko’s foot. Moving as stealthily as possible, I grabbed my friend’s limb and pushed it away.

The low moan that responded to my touch sent a chill down my spine. The sound awakened the worst kind of feeling in my gut.

I rolled off the bed and ran over to the door, flinging it open in order to illuminate the room.

The light fell onto Ko and the demon reacted, but what should have been an aggravated grunt sounded more like a labored pant. “Turn off the-” my friend’s raspy voice was cut short by a wet cough.

“Ko! What happened?” I hurried back over to the bed, any sign of my former sleepiness gone.

The redheaded demon lay in bed, drenched in sweat. Worse, Ko looked ridiculously ill. Her eyes were bloodshot with dark bags sagging underneath them. When tshe shakily propped herself up against the headboard to try and answer me, wheezy coughs interrupted after a few barely audible words.

Laying the back of my hand against her forehead, I was shocked at the fire that was burning inside my friend. If my side of the bed felt like a cloudy summer day, Ko must have been laying in a sauna.

The girl was grasping at the edges of the fluffy blanket, but couldn’t even manage to maintain a grip on it. I carefully peeled the blanket away from Ko to try and make her more comfortable. I tossed the covers to the unoccupied portion of the bed and then screamed when I looked down.

Ko glanced down at her body after my shocked display. “That-” the girl spoke between hacking coughs, “doesn’t…look too good.”

The demon’s leg screamed for attention. The bandage wrapped around her injury was still firmly in place, slightly bloody but looking as expected. The blackish skin underneath the bandages was the disturbing part. It looked somewhat similar to a bruise, but spread completely around her calf and stretched almost up to her knee, reddish lines and welts randomly interspersed throughout the blackened skin.

I staggered away from the bed, stepping backwards thrice before turning on my heel and sprinting out the door. I couldn’t bear to look at Ko longer, and even if I could there was no reason to. If treating puncture wound was beyond me, than whatever had happened to Ko while we slept couldn’t even be considered.

The fact that Ko was at coherent enough to comment on her state was only a small mercy for my peace of mind. I rushed out of the bedroom and began to scream louder.

The house wasn’t large; my shouts easily carried throughout the building. “Cosette, help! Cosette!” I imagined the man’s leg disintegrating into a slurry of flesh while his family watched that the medical demon was somewhere in the house, probably her operating room or the bath since I did not see her in any of the other rooms close to the bedroom.

Just as I was pushing the metal doors open, Cosette came hurrying out. “Cosette! Cosette! You said Ko would be okay but she isn’t because her leg is bruised likes it bloody and its just like when they got really really sick and they died afterwards and I don’t want her to die again because that’s actually a bad bad thing and you need to help her because I don’t know-”

The blonde woman cupped my face with her hands, silencing my panicked ramblings. “There’s a problem with Ko, then? Let me go take a look.”

I squeezed the non-existent life out of my doll while I followed the demon. The entire situation bothered me greatly.

When we arrived back at the bedroom, we were greeted by Ko vomiting over the side of the bed. Pinkish vomit mixed with more sanguine colors and decorated the floor.

I stood by the doorway while Cosette rushed towards her ailing patient. The doctor cleaned Ko’s face with the discarded blanket beginning examining her.

Cosette brushed her fingers against Ko’s injury, peered into her eyes, and asked spitfire questions about my friend’s state of health. The usually-lively demon rasped out slow and unfocused answers, complaining about everything she was feeling. During the cursory examination, Cosette pulled out a pen-like object from her shirt pocket and poked Ko with it, waving the magical device around.

The doctor held her pen in the air, staring up at it. “What the…” Cosette’s questions slowed to a painful halt while she stared at her tool. Blue eyes widened, transforming from a calm, professional gaze into worry-inspiring one. “Isn’t that impossible?”

Something must have clicked in Cosette’s mind. The doctor suddenly burst into a frenzy of action, chucking the pen across the room and sweeping Ko up into her arms. My friend looked weightless with how easily Cosette carried her. The doctor rushed past me and down the hall, kicking in the doors to her operating room and setting Ko down on the bluish chair in the center.

Before I could step in after them, Cosette yelled at me, “Stop!”

I froze in place, my hand holding the metal door slightly ajar. The blonde medical demon was running around within the operating room, rolling over different instruments while she spoke to me. “Alice, I need you to do something for me, okay? There’s a…signaler, sitting in the cupboard by the doorway. It looks like a sword handle with colors on it. Can you take that outside, point it upwards, and press the colored buttons in this order: Green, Orange, White, Pink?”

The request took me by surprise, but the directions seemed simple enough. “I-I can. W-why? And is Ko going to be okay?”

“I’ll do my best to make sure she is,” Cosette assured me, her voice slightly muffled from the mask she had put on. “It’s to call some help over. Whoever shows up first, ask them to check you for…for the ever-lingering past. Can you do that?”

“Y-yes…b-but, what does-”

“Please, go now, Alice. I’ll tell you about it later, okay?” Cosette nodded once to me before gently closing the doors to the operating room, leaving me alone with her directions.

What’s going on? Speculation was rampant in my mind, but I tried to keep my imagination in check in order to accomplish what Cosette asked me to do.

I found the ‘signaler’ easily enough. True to Cosette’s description, the device looked like the base of a sword, from pommel to four-pronged hilt. Rectangular buttons in a rainbow of colors were built into the signaler, leaving enough room to hold the device without accidentally pressing one.

Stepping outside, I briefly wondered which end of the device I was supposed to point. Assuming the hilt side, I held it in one hand and raised it above my head, pressing the buttons Cosette had pointed out.

The haunting melody that rang out from the device overcame every other sound from the street. It was a subtle, disturbing sound that overpowered everything else without being obnoxiously loud. It was indescribable, a strange mix of the low tolling of church bells, haunted voices, trumpeting horns and static noise.

More than just the sound, the pillars of light the device launched into the air were distinctive. One second after pressing a button, a laser of the same color stretched high into the air. Any person who bothered to look up would be able to see the pillars of color emitted from the device in my hands.

When I looked around, I noticed that all the activity along the street, perhaps in the entire city, ceased. Unlike the witches who lived on the outskirts or Erk who lived on a less crowded street, Cosette’s house was practically in the center of activity. All around her house were various shops and services. Countless demons had been walking the street or arguing inside the stores.

They all looked up once they heard the sound. The demons so fixated on the pillars of light, not even the return of the Dragon descending from the heavens would attract such attention. None of the demons I could see looked anywhere but the light signal; none of their business was more important.

The otherworldly sounds ended unceremoniously, cutting off mid-tone when the laser show dimmed and disappeared.

It was like somebody had set off a bomb. A hundred voices spoke up at once. Some of the demons standing in the street began to yell at each other, pointing at me and Cosette’s house. A few rushed into their homes and stores while others flew off somewhere else, but nobody returned to what they had been doing.

I stood around awkwardly, watching the burst of activity in confusion. It didn’t take much longer than a minute for familiar faces to come flying into view. The magical healer Serra was the first I recognized, with my science teacher Ryouko flying behind her some distance away. From other directions, different demons sped over. I had seen a few of the apothecaries and alchemists form their stores before, but most of the demons were unknown to me.

Serra dropped to a jarring halt in front of me, the first demon to arrive from far away. Even in the tense situation, her clothing made me blush. She was clad in lacy pink and black lingerie, with her usual white robes wrapped around her hips loosely. She might have been trying on the underwear and didn’t even stop to dress before hurrying over. In her hands were her scepter and a bag of other clothes.

The pink-haired demon glanced down at my hands with a frown before smiling at me in a forced way. “What’s going on, Alice? The whole city is in a fuss, now.”

I gulped, swallowing my anxiousness to try and speak sensibly. “Ko is sick, I think. Cosette was really worried. She asked me to use this.”

“Is that it? Thank you, Alice. I’ll go talk with her.”

“Wait!” Serra stopped and turned on a heel to face me. “She also told me to, um, ask you to check me for the ‘ever-lingering past.’” I didn’t know what the words meant, but everybody else did, apparently.

“She-” The confident demon’s personality crumbled in an instant.

Normally, Serra could strut around in her undergarments and still maintain a sense of dignity. Whenever I saw her, either on the street or in Erk’s home, the healer was a dominating personality.

She stood on two feet, but looked like she had been slugged in the face. Her countenance became etched with fear, much like when I was hurt. “O-Okay. Right, that makes sense…” Serra took a deep breath before scrunching up her face. The pink-haired girl stamped her foot once, trying to clear away any signs of doubt.

Serrs turned her head and yelled at my science teacher who was just landing in front of the house. “Ryouko! Spread the word and then go in and help Cosette; we might be dealing with,” Serra paused and quickly glanced at me before continuing, “a strain of Fabius’ longest.”

The green-haired scientist adjusted her glasses and swore, “Damn it, you’re kidding me. I got it.” She flew back into the air, lab coat billowing behind her.

This isn’t right. Everybody was panicky in one way or another yet I had no idea as to why. “Serra…what’s happening?”

“It’s hopefully nothing, Alice. A fluke, or a misjudgment; we’ll have to check. We’re just here to make sure you and Ko and everybody else stays nice and healthy. So, how about a little check-up?” The cheer in Serra’s voice was forced. It was stupid to think that I couldn’t figure out something was wrong, but perhaps the false happiness was more for her benefit than mine.

With all the commotion rampaging around us, Serra had me sit down in the middle of the street. The pink-haired demon circled her scepter in the air, a blue bubble forming around us. The translucent magical dome did little to block out sound or sight, but it did present an easily seen obstacle for others to avoid.

What followed was a tense wait. Being examined by a normal doctor was never fun; sit still, breathe in, twist that way, feel this, breathe out. Magical doctors used all the boring tests and more. Serra would mutter a few words, wrap her fingers in blue energy, and then rub all around my temples and jaw. She would poke me in the stomach with her scepter and clamp a lump of blue magic around my arm. It was neat to see the healer fill my skin with magical pigments, but achingly boring to wait around for what felt like forever. Eventually the healer got off her knees and sat down, leaning back and propping herself up with her arms.

“Ah, thank the goddess…” Sitting inside the enclosed dome, the two of us had calmed considerably. Serra’s single-minded focus on my examination distracted her from whatever else had been bothering her, and my own anxiousness dissipated with time. “You seem to be in great shape, Alice! I’m amazed at how healthy you are. It looks like your daily exercise is paying off.”

Serra’s compliment sparked a thought in my head. “Oh, that’s right. Sara must be waiting for me right now…” According to my clock, the time was still a bit before I usually awakened, but flying back to Pandemonium at a normal pace would leave me late for my usual wake-up routine.

“Really now? You better get flying then if you don’t want to disappoint our valiant gatekeeper!” The magical dome around us dissipated at Serra’s command. The pink-haired demon helped me to my feet and spun me around in the direction of Pandemonium. “Have fun, Alice!”

The healer gave me a slight nudge forward, but I stopped myself from going anywhere. Her attempt at getting rid of me was beyond blatant. I didn’t like the feeling of being gotten rid off, no matter the reason.

Before I could whirl on Serra and speak my mind, demons interrupted us. They began to approach as soon as Serra had dropped the shield dome.

On one side stood Ryouko and a group of the medical demons, and on the other side stood Yumeko. I didn’t seem Pandemonium’s maid fly in, but I wasn’t exactly watching for all the new arrivals either. The number of demons milling around the street, both on the ground and in the air, had grown far beyond the number of people there when I first used the signaler. The crowds chattered excitedly, but nobody looked happy.

“Serra, report.” Yumeko was the first one to speak. The maid was lacking the usual warmth that she greeted me with. She exuded cold seriousness.

“Don’t snap at me like one of your toy soldiers!” Serra screamed. The sudden ferocity took everyone aback. The pink-haired demon apologized after she rubbed her eyes, “Sorry. My emotions are getting to me. I’m not quite sure. Can someone tell me what has happened?”

“Well…” the other demons shuffled around on their feet, not answering Serra’s inquiry and none too subtlety glancing at me.

Adults of all kinds were the worst. I wanted to scream at them for trying to hide what was happening to my friend from me.

Yumeko walked over to me and rested a hand on my head. “Alice, I believe Sara and the goddess are waiting for you back in Pandemonim.”

I glared at all of the demons who were looking at me. No matter what they thought or didn’t say, I…

[ ] Headed inside and checked on Ko myself
[ ] Returned to Pandemonium and…
-[ ] Let them tell me what went on whenever they were ready
-[ ] Asked Shinki about what was happening
-[ ] Pestered Sara about what might have been occurring
[ ] Listened to what the demons had to say…
-[ ] From right where I was standing
-[ ] Stealthily
[ ] Sought out <someone else> to tell me what was happening
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Well, I plan events out and tell myself to write shorter updates so I can update during the week…and then this happens. Nothing annoys me more than my own writing style.

What else is there to say? Just remember, every effect has a cause.

[X] Told them that I'll go, but only after they told me what exactly was wrong, or I'd march right in there and check on Ko myself.

Assuming it's some kind of magic disease, which means checking in on Ko would probably be bad, but Alice doesn't know that, and it should hopefully work as a threat.

Wait, did I write hilt instead of guard? Well I can just delete it and rep- damn it.

This has no real bearing on the story, and I probably shouldn't have mentioned it so the mistake would go unnoticed, but this annoys me. Greatly. I'm a disgrace to fencers everywhere.

Carry on.

[X] Told them that I'll go, but only after they told me what exactly was wrong, or I'd march right in there and check on Ko myself.

Surprisingly effective.

[X] Told them that I'll go, but only after they told me what exactly was wrong, or I'd march right in there and check on Ko myself.

Looks like a nice write-in.

Side note: We were sleeping with Ko, so we'd already have whatever she had if it was a contagious disease.

[X] Told them that I'll go, but only after they told me what exactly was wrong, or I'd march right in there and check on Ko myself.

Koakuma's got it really rough, eh?

[X] Returned to Pandemonium and…
-[X] Asked Shinki about what was happening

I think Alice is smart enough to read the atmosphere.

[X] Told them that I'll go, but only after they told me what exactly was wrong, or I'd march right in there and check on Ko myself.

Maybe the illness affects magical creatures buut not humans?

>>10627
or perhaps it has something to do with the lightly referenced resistance to Erks spell? Or her appearance in the mirror. Just some small possibilities.

[X] Told them that I'll go, but only after they told me what exactly was wrong, or I'd march right in there and check on Ko myself.
>>10624
You've got a good point there.

I stomped my foot on the ground in annoyance. It was blatantly obvious all of the medical demons were uncomfortable with me standing around. “What’s happening to Ko? I’ll check on her myself if I need to!”

It felt like the demons were displaying every nervous tic they had. My science teacher polished her glasses impassively while other demons shuffled around and rubbed their noses, scratched their elbows and coughed into shirts.

“Well?” I frowned when I realized the utterance wasn’t mine, but Yumeko’s. The maid was still resting a hand on my head, but she had directed her inquiry towards the doctors and healers.

The demons continued to avert their gazes. One of them, the green-haired Ryouko, eventually sighed and spoke up. “Cosette and Fran have already begun to operate. They and several others were in agreement that our youngest has become infected by a lingering strain of Fabius’ masterpiece.” Although the scientist maintained a somewhat bored demeanor, she spoke the last words with a surprising amount of disgust. I watched as all of the medical demons, to some degree or another, flinched at the words.

“How vexing. I’ll begin preparing cleansing sorties immediately. Where did-”

“What do you mean, operate? And what is a Fay-bee-us?” I shouted, rudely interrupting Yumeko. Don’t ignore me! The demons made me want to tear my hair out in frustration.

All of the demons’ attention shifted from the maid back to me.

Ryouko adjusted her glasses again and addressed me in a soft voice. “They are working very hard to preserve Ko’s body; I am positive she will be fine in the end.”

The scientist’s reassurance did little to alleviate my fears – her words were too specific. Ryouko did not offer the standard, empty words that an adult trying to comfort a child usually did. Rationally thinking, I knew that Shinki was available to help Ko, but that kind of solution did not sit well with me. “And what’s a Fabius?”

After I asked again, not even Ryouko answered me. The demons returned to their evasive behavior. What was so hard about looking a child in the eyes? Why are they so uncomfortable? Just before I began to throw a fit, Yumeko tapped my head and drew my attention upwards.

“Ko was infected by a disease we have dealt with in the past. The first epidemic caught us by surprise. The disease is malicious, spreading from the infection point throughout the host’s body. It causes veins and capillaries to rupture as it moves throughout the body and also breaks down tissues, consuming them. The disease was highly fatal, showing symptoms within twelve hours and typically killing the host in a day. What was particularly heinous was the staying power of the disease; magically-enhanced as it was, there were few simple ways to kill it.

“Worse, we discovered that the bacteria causing the disease could survive indefinitely outside of a host, lying dormant until it could begin to multiply once more. After the epidemic ended we thoroughly swept through Makai and scorched the earth to destroy it, but it seems as though we missed some. Where was Ko injured?” Yumeko spoke quickly and clearly.

I had not expected an answer in the slightest. Whatever reticence the medical demons shared seemed not to apply to the maid. With her being so forthright with me, I answered her question without a fuss. “O-out in the forest. A sharp branch landed in her leg.”

“A falling crystal branch? That...is unlikely.”

“What’s unlikely? The branch falling? Ko was jumping between the trees; maybe she loosened a weak one?”

The maid shook her head. “Not that, Alice. At the time of the epidemic, the forest was not in existence. The goddess created it afterwards. If a falling branch had caused the infection, then it would have needed to carry the bacteria from the ground into the air after we missed it during our sweeps. Not impossible, but preposterously improbable.”

One of the doctors nervously rebuffed Yumeko’s assessment. “We didn’t find any other possible source of infection.”

“Ridiculous,” Yumeko’s demeanor did not dip from her professional stoicism. “I’m reluctant to simply level the forest, but…” The maid muttered to herself quietly, mentioning something about preparations, presumably about how to deal with more possible dangers lurking in the forest.

I scratched my neck, feeling rather silly for acting so rudely and demanding. Yet, my stubbornness might have had a place. Despite what I expected, the array of medical demons loitering around us did not calm down after Yumeko explained the situation to me. Rather, they had only grown more uncomfortable. A few of the demons were visibly leaning on each other for support, their nervous tics accompanied by scowling and horrified faces.

Serra was one of the more collected demons, but even she looked upset. She jumped, startled, when I poked her arm to grab her attention. “Ah, sorry.”

“No, that’s okay, Alice. What did you need? Are you not feeling well?”

“I’m fine, but what about you? You still look really sad. You all do.” My voice took on accusatory tone by accident. I only wanted to help the demons who had been impossibly kind to me, but my annoyance at not understanding what was wrong kicked at my mind.

The shuffling game began anew for the umpteenth time. Once more, it was Yumeko who responded for the group. “The past weighs heavily on them, Alice. Their memories make them uncomfortable.”

“Uncomfortable,” Serra repeated the word, staring Yumeko in the eyes. “We’re uncomfortable, then?”

“Of course you are. It’s plain to see. You were not created to remain calm and in control your emotions, after all.”

“Oh, so we’re inferior, now?”

“I did not mean to imply that-”

“Don’t lie to me!” Serra screeched at the top of her lungs, the ear-grating pitch making all the times she yelled at Erk sound like a joke. I flinched and staggered backwards, backing away from the suddenly furious healer. “That is exactly what you mean! Because we can’t act like a psychopath when surrounded by all of the ones we love dying, we’re inferior! Because we’d rather help than kill, we’re less than you! Well, boo-hoo Miss Maid, I’m sorry we can’t be good-little crazed soldiers for you!”

Steam rising from her head, the pink-haired healer stomped away from the group and headed inside Cosette’s house. Almost all of the medical demons follow her; some of their faces were downright murderous when they followed Serra, while others hesitantly look back at Yumeko before moving inside.

Of the twelve or so medical demons that had been with us, only Ryouko stayed behind after Serra’s outburst.

“That escalated far beyond what I expected,” Yumeko gripped the bridge of her nose, the cold professionalism in her voice slipping away and transforming into a weary quietness.

The maid glanced down at me and chuckled. “Perhaps you see why I defer to the goddess in matters of negotiation.”

I didn’t know what to say; my state of mind was only more confused than before. “Why was Serra mad?” I didn’t truly want to ask – I could tell the subject was a can of worms, but there was nothing to lose from inquiring further. I was almost one-hundred percent positive the maid would not storm off in an unreasonable fit.

“Other than my own insensibility? As I tried to mention, the past haunts her. She and the others might have thought they came to terms with it, but being reminded of times of struggle never sits well with anybody.” Yumeko’s words were sound; I knew full well of what she meant.

“Alice,” Ryouko caught my attention. The green-haired, lab coat wearing demon walked over to me and knelt down, pulling a handful of clothes out from somewhere inside her coat. She quickly folded my laundered garments, and then placed the motion-sensing magic bell on top. “Cosette wished for me to hand this to you. She is, naturally, too busy to do so herself.”

“Ah, thank you.” I snatched the bell up and dropped it into the pocket of Luminita’s dress, next to the gem clock. Then I grabbed my cleaned blouse and skirt, holding the clothes in my free arm.

Glancing around, I saw that there was nothing else for me to do. Checking on Ko myself would only make me a hindrance for the fifteen or so doctors scrambling around inside Cosette’s house. It was time for me to stick to my own obligations and head back.

Yumeko and Ryouko began to confer with each after I bid them farewell. The pair of demons was two of many individuals crowding the street when I flew away from the hottest spot in the city.

I made good time back to Pandemonium, feeling fresh despite the early morning panic. Before I even made it inside the crystal castle, Sara intercepted me. The pink-haired gatekeeper wrapped me up in a flying bear hug.

“Sis! Glad you’re back! You’re late, you know? Mother was worried sick, too! What’s going on? Do you know? I wanted to check the signal out immediately but Yumeko ordered me to stick around here, so I sat on my butt, waiting. Nothing happened to you, right?” Sara chattered on in her extroverted fashion. I did my best to keep up with her, telling the gatekeeper what I knew about the situation. We made out way through the castle while we talked, making it to my room so I could change into more appropriate clothes and then on to one of the training rooms.

Sara and I fell into our usual routine of stretching and exercise, but it was lighter than I had become accustomed to. The gatekeeper seemed to be too distracted with talking to work me harder. “…And the guys keep messing with all my stuff whenever I’m visiting you so it gets pretty annoying tracking…” She did not seem much different than usual, but there was a strange undercurrent to our exercise. Usually when Sara guided me through the different martial arts stances she was as solid as a mountain, calm and unflinching. However, even after stopping her chatter in order to focus, she did not feel as stable as normal. I wondered…

[ ] If Sara was bothered by Ko’s ordeal
[ ] What Sara knew about the disease
[ ] About how well Sara got along with Yumeko
[ ] When Sara was going to teach me to fight properly
[ ] If Sara was feeling in top shape
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Vote for whatever you want, excess questions will be pruned; blah blah I probably don’t need to rehash voting procedures all the time.

[X] If Sara was bothered by Ko's ordeal
-[X] What Sara knew about the disease

I don't see that the first two are mutually exclusive. The train of thought could be as simple as: Wow, Sara must be pretty worried about Ko if she's this distracted, huh? Could Ko be in more trouble than they let on earlier? I wonder if Sara could tell me anything more?

That said, at this stage in the story, Alice seems more inclined towards feeling rather than reasoning, so emphasis would be on the first of the two. The second would likely come up in the conversation, if only incidentally, but if we can only pick one, I'd go with the first.

The other three options seem irrelevant or just out of character to me.

[X] If Sara was bothered by Ko's ordeal
-[X] What Sara knew about the disease


>>10642
sums it up pretty well.

[X] If Sara was bothered by Ko's ordeal
-[X] What Sara knew about the disease

[x] bandwagon.

I wondered if Sara was bothered by Ko’s ordeal. The gatekeeper had seemed slightly droopy ever since I had informed her about the biggest news in the city. On a regular day, the excitable girl managed to remain hyper-focused whenever she walked me through different martial arts movements; she would adjust the position of my arms and legs by fractions of a centimeter if she noticed they were off. I thought that maybe the fate of her other ‘Sis’ was distracting her more than she let on.

“The doctors said Ko would be okay.”

Sara stopped mid-movement, her arms taut and extended away from her body. “What was that, Sis?”

“Cosette was busy helping Ko, and Ryouko said they would fix her right up! So you don’t need to worry, okay?” I ignored the nagging of my conscious that rudely asserted I was twisting the truth and completed the flourish we were practicing.

“Thanks, Sis. I guess the news has been bugging me. My mind has been making me imagine all sorts of distracting things. Being more tired than usual doesn’t help either.” The pink-haired fighter shook her head quickly and crouched low, throwing out a dozen punches with a scream. “Hah! I gotta stay focused. Alright! Hey Alice, not like that – you should’ve stepped this way.” As if not to lose face in front of me, Sara threw all of her energy into my training.

We finished the rest of our exercises with a fury, the gatekeeper fueling the atmosphere with vigor. Afterwards, the two of us grabbed drinks from a kitchen and then headed off to a washroom together, cleansing our bodies of sweat and relaxing in a warm tub.

With our physical activity over for the day, my mind wandered back towards our conversations during training. “Hey Sara, what were you imagining?” I hadn’t asked my question before in fear of derailing the gatekeeper from our exercises.

“I did what now?”

I couldn’t tell if the smiling gatekeeper was genuinely forgetful or trying to avoid the subject. “You said your mind was imaging things that could distract you. About Ko?”

Sara tilted her head to the side. “My mind was what now?”

“You said the news bugged you!”

“Who said what bugg-”

Sara fell backwards into the tub after my doll connected directly with her face. The gatekeeper emerged from the depths of the water spluttering. I quickly glided over to extract Luminita from her clutches and began to dry my doll off with fire-tipped fingers. The doll shook her fist at me the entire time.

“Sheesh, Sis, you sure are violent sometimes.” The pink-haired demon splashed a bit of water in my direction, the drops of liquid evaporating when I blocked them with my hand.

“If you don’t want to answer my question why can’t you just say so?”

“It’s fun to tease you, Sis! Let me think,” Sara’s eyes rolled around in all directions while she searched her memory. “Oh, right. It wasn’t anything too important; just some worst case scenarios and stuff.”

“Worst case? Is it really that bad?” Despite the history that Yumeko had told me, none of the demons had seemed pessimistic about Ko’s condition. They barely talked about her…

“Maybe, maybe not. I didn’t see her, but,” the pink-haired cheer floundered, her words taking on an air of wistfulness, “I can’t say I have many good memories of that poison.”

Trepidation plagued my thoughts. “Then…Ko isn’t going to get better?”

“We don’t need to let it bother us, Sis. Mother will take care of everything, no matter what.”

That isn’t right… Sara’s answer was spoken with conviction, but it only made me doubt the situation even more. The events that led to Shinki taking care of everything last time were not enjoyable, to say the least. “Do…don’t you all care?”

“What was that, Sis?”

“Isn’t it painful? Doesn’t it worry you?”

“Alice?” Small waves rippled against my body when Sara moved closer. The older demon slid right up to me, lightly tapping her shoulder against mine.

“Highly fatal…” I murmured. Yumeko had answered me in such objective, distant fashion that it was all too easy for me to slip into a state of willful ignorance, to blithely gloss over information and pretend everything was fine.

“Hey, Sis? Can you hear me? ”

Sweating on the ground, bile pustules spreading over the arms and- “Is it that unimportant here? Does nobody care because a bit of magic can give you as many chances as you want?”

“Alice, what are you-”

“Isn’t it awful?” -body wracked with convulsions, limbs pounding against- “Doesn’t it hurt? Doesn’t it pain you to watch it, to see your family and friends suffering? W-why…w-why don’t you all care?”

“Hey, hey, just calm down, Sis.”

I would have crushed Luminita in my arms if I was stronger. “No! It doesn’t mean anything here! Somebody dies and the goddess fixes it, so you all don’t think anything of it! You don’t lose anybody forever and ever and have to miss them! You can just look away from their pain and wait for everything to get better!”

“Sis, isn’t that a bit unfair?”

“It’s not!” I screamed, the fire wreathing my fingertips flaring hotly. “They don’t care at all! Ko makes light of it! The others ignore it! They fight and quibble about everything that isn’t my friend!” Why don’t they understand the pain of family leaving? Yelling at each other, arguing, finding any reason to-

Arms clamped around me in a reassuring hug.

I lost it.

My eyes bulged, vision blurred. I felt my limbs thrash, beat against the body that was holding me. My body ran off of instincts -the sensation of being crushed became more and- while it convulsed, the air around me alighting with flame and wind. The water churned, metallic spikes forming and spinning wildly.

Gone and gone and pain and hurt- I couldn’t think. Emotions and memories fed each other, driving the craze higher and higher. Lightning arced across my skin, rainbow lights exploded, and bath tiles launched into the air. Energy rushed into my body, filling my limbs with vivacity.

“Relax, Sis. I care. We care,” Sara spoke to me. The fear that gripped my heart tried to strangle my thoughts and my mind, but Sara’s words reached me. The gatekeeper did not tighten her embrace, but she refused to let go of me. “We all have our own problems and memories, but we care, Sis.”

Swirls of color began to cloud my vision, splotching out what my eyes thought they saw and twisting my perceptions. The smells of death and ocean breezes, of sterile rooms and farm fertilizer drifted out of nowhere. My ears began to ring and twinkle, the pops of explosions dimming from hearing. Headaches blossomed throughout my brain and my gut was plagued with dizziness and nausea, but the ill effects were unnoticeable while my mind was high with exhilaration. My head pounded to an arcane beat, the pain forming a rhythm with the sights and sounds around me, playing to the conductor in my emotions.

As suddenly as it began, it ended. The waves of energy coursing through my body were cut-off with a jolt. The storm of chaotic magic ended abruptly, my will suddenly unable to manipulate the energy saturating the air. The effects died off quickly, the bathroom returning to its normal state, slightly damaged.

The sudden removal of spell-casting induced euphoria left my body in shock. My limbs hung like a doll cut from its strings. When my ability to move slowly returned, my self-control was in complete command. Sara’s arms wrapped around my back still caused my body to tingle, but I repressed the panic that sprung from the feeling.

After a minute of remaining calm, Sara let go of me. I immediately dipped below the surface of the water, tears becoming indistinguishable from the bath, and remerged a short distance away from the gatekeeper. Remaining in such close proximity made me queasy.

“You back with me, Sis?” The pink-haired demon asked me with a smile.

I hesitated before nodding. “Mhm…I’m sorry. I…that was horrible of me.”

“Don’t beat yourself up over it, Sis.” Sara waded closer to me again and I did my best not to shrink away. The gatekeeper outstretched her hand but didn’t touch me, her voice quiet and unthreatening. “I think I might understand you better than the others. Helplessness, guilt, death? We have to learn to cope, you know?”

I nodded again, shame and regret preventing me from saying more.

The two of us sat quietly in the bath, allowing the intensity of the situation to fade. I closed my eyes and focused on my breathing, regulating my body in the manner Sara taught me. The gatekeeper did not chastise me, or rush away to tell someone else what had occurred. She waited next to me, letting her presence soothe my beating heart.

When I heard Sara rise from the bath I waited a minute before following after her. I nearly lost my calm once more when I saw the gatekeeper sitting on the floor, her skin red all over.

“Hey, Sis, help me spread some of this cream on my back, would you?” Sara asked jovially, squirting a pinkish concoction onto her hands from a bottle she pulled from the racks on the walls.

“I-” The burn marks and abrasions littering Sara’s skin were easily distinguishable, with only one cause for the appearance coming to mind.

Before I could profusely apologize or lose control of my emotions, Sara laughed. “You need to practice more, Sis. Your magic barely did anything to me, you know? How do you expect to show everyone else how strong you are with skills on that level?”

With an uneasy smile on my face, I glumly trotted over to the gatekeeper and dropped to my knees. Sara didn’t complain about any stinging pain when I rubbed the lotion-like material over her back.

“Seriously though, Alice, don’t punish yourself over the past. Terrible memories are a part of you, after all. We have to learn to live with them and continue on; don’t let them control how you want to lead your life.” With her slightly melancholic words of advice delivered, Sara giggled and started to chatter away once more, relating to me a funny story about one of the other gatekeeper’s fears of pillows.

Sara’s attempts to brighten the mood worked. I stayed mostly silent while I thought about myself and the words Sara had given me, but the good cheer the pink-haired demon exuded kept my contemplation positive.

After we had dried off and redressed ourselves, Sara asked, “Whatcha want to do now, Sis?”

I quickly met the gatekeeper’s shining eyes before lowering my gaze and shrugging.

“Don’t be like that; tell your sister what you want!” The pink-haired girl pestered me incessantly. With my mind still fatigued from my panic attack, it was easiest to latch onto the routine. Sara and I flew away from Pandemonium and towards the city.

Since we started our workout late, I didn’t have the time to visit all of my usual haunts before class. However, that fact didn’t bother me; considering Ko was not around to hang out with me, there was no great loss. Besides, I thought I had seen a number of the store owners loitering around Cosette’s house.

“You’re so responsible, Sis, a role model for demons everywhere!” Sara teased me while we flew.

The gatekeeper had decided to accompany me to school, citing that “With all the craziness happening, I can’t just leave you alone, Sis!” I appreciated her company. The prospect of wandering around alone was not appealing.

“I’m just going to school. It isn’t a big deal.”

“It is for me,” Sara pouted. “Besides, I think you’ll be the only one.”

My mouth quirked upwards. “Not everybody skips class like you do.”

“Sis, you know I don’t mean to!” It was a blatantly false, but Sara could believe what she wanted to.

However, when we landed at Makai’s schoolhouse, it turned out that Sara’s prediction proved true. After loitering around outside until a minute before classes should have begun, we did not see a single soul enter or exit the building. A few demons had flown by overhead, but they didn’t even slow down near the school.

Even though the area seemed deserted, I thought I heard sounds coming from inside the school building. With classes set to start, I walked over to the doors of the school and slowly opened one. It sounded like two people were standing in the lobby, chatting away.

“Come on, let’s go play or something. I’ll show you my new moves!”

“Not all of us are as care free as you; I have duties to attend here.”

“Duties? Nobody’s coming to school today with all the commotion. There’s no reason to stick around here!”

“Even so, my place is here. Perhaps someone would mean to find me? They know to check the school, first.”

“I wonder what that says about you, huh?”

“Quiet.”

“Hey, don’t whack me with that!”

“You deserved it. Go enjoy yourself if you want, but the goddess and others expect to find me here.”

“Stop being so dedicated. I want us to enjoy ourselves together! They aren’t going to need you for anything.”

“Do you know that for a fact? We hardly know all the details.”

“Everybody is saying it’s just a fluke. The medical-nuts are agreeing with that.”

“They stick with the ridiculous explanation as the truth? We were thorough in our scourge – I can’t believe that we missed any.”

“It’s still possible. If we use your pessimistic line of thinking, Miss Ice Queen, where does that leave us? You can’t believe that one of our holier-than-thou doctors would mess around with that stuff, or that someone crossed over without alerting anybody? All of those ideas are even more absurd!”

“I’m not convinced.”

“Enlighten me then. What do you think happened?”

The school’s door slammed against the stopper. I stumbled forward, the wood I was leaning slightly against whisked away from me.

“Hey Yuki, Mai! How are you two doing?” Sara barged passed me, shaking hands and exchanging hugs with the two witches. I glared at the gatekeeper for ruining my eavesdropping; nothing stung worse than when your partner-in-crime turned out to be a double agent, the fact that Sara hadn’t stopped chatting while I skulked near the door notwithstanding.

The two witches greeted me happily when I stepped forward; Yuki’s exuberant shouts contrasted sharply with Mai’s reserved salutations. The three of us quickly caught up, talking about all the silly little things that had happened in our lives. Although I regularly ran into Mai around class time, and by extension Yuki, we never stopped to spend much time together.

“I can’t believe you would come to school, Alice, it’s practically a day off!” Yuki cried.

Mai shook her head. “She’s the best student Makai has; her sense of responsibility is much greater than yours.”

“That hurts; you’re always putting me down.”

“Perhaps you deserve it?”

“Whatever, you ice witch. Let’s go, Alice!” In her usual style, Yuki grabbed my hand and tried to walk off.

I smiled at how predictable the fiery witch was. “Where did you want to take me, Yuki?”

“Somewhere fun that isn’t here! I’m sure you agree with me, Sara?”

The pink-haired demon snatched Yuki’s other hand and raised it in the air. “Right, let’s scramble!” It was odd, watching the two boisterous demons get along. The two didn’t hate each other, but loved to compete over the tiniest of matters. Finding something they agreed on was rare.

When I glanced over my shoulder, Mai’s eyes met mine. The blue-haired witch sighed. “Delinquents and irresponsible miscreants everywhere, corrupting the youth.”

With Yuki and Sara urging me out the door, I…

[ ] Stopped them…
-[ ] So I could ask Mai to join us!
-[ ] Because there was class to attend!
--[ ] <Ask for a specific lesson?>
[ ] Suggested we go <do something>
[ ] Let the duo drag me off to wherever their whims took them
[ ] <Write-in>

---

>Irrelevance
Certainly not my best batch of options last time. I’m a bit dissatisfied after re-reading them, but they still work with what I had in mind, if unclearly. I think one could see how they were all touching upon different aspects of the same situation (or ignoring it completely).

Slight changes in phrasing and intentions can cause highly divergent events to take place. Clarifying your thoughts is beautiful (I thank you for that) and always makes things better! Better, of course, being highly subjective...

[x] Stopped them…
-[x] So I could ask Mai to join us!

She needs to loosen up some.

[x] Stopped them…
-[x] So I could ask Mai to join us!

Is it wrong that I want to Burn the forest to slag?

[X] Stopped them...
-[X] So I could ask Mai to join us!

This choice is acceptable.

[x] Stopped them…
-[x] So I could ask Mai to join us!

This is awesome I don't know why I didnt pay attention to it before. I also have a great idea or stupid idea depending how the GM runs with it once we get traumatized by something again and have time to ourselves afterwords.

I stopped walking. Surprisingly, both demons stopped pulling.

Sara looked at me over her shoulder. “What’s wrong, Sis?”

Yuki let go of my hand and turned to face me as well. With both of the demons staring curiously at me, my urge to speak up fled.

“A-ah…u-uhm…”

“Don’t be so timid, Alice! Shyness doesn’t suit you.” The flashy witch’s advice was punctuated with obnoxiously loud laughs as always.

I nodded and steeled myself. Moping around wasn’t going to help anybody. After spinning on a heel, I propositioned the stoic blue-haired witch. “Don’t you want to join us, Mai?”

“I’m sorry, Alice, but my duties-”

Yuki appeared behind Mai in a purple flash. The blonde wrapped her arms around Mai’s shoulders and leaned forward to whisper in her friend’s ear. “Are you really going to say no to our dear Alice’s request? How...cold.”

Mai grunted and shook her shoulders, trying to dislodge the dead weight hanging off of her back. “I already told you Yuki, my place is here.”

“But that was me. How can you deny little Alice? She just wants to spend time with you!”

A bust of magic energy was followed by a sudden chill that radiated against my face. Yuki screamed, “Cold!” and leapt away from Mai.

“As I was saying, Alice, I’m sorry. I have a responsibility to remain here. Despite their faults, Yuki and Sara are excellent company.” The blue witch turned my offer down without a shred of hesitance.

The rejection was softened by calm words and reasoning, but it still hurt. I thought Mai would enjoy spending time with us.

Sara stepped past me with a smile. “I didn’t think the calm and analytical Mai would be afraid of hanging out with a few friends.”

“Do you not have your own duties to attend to, Gatekeeper?”

“If a stuffy soldier like me can find time for sis, why can’t you?” The witch and gatekeeper stared each other down, pitting their gazes in a battle of will.

The tense atmosphere continued unabated for a full. Neither demon appeared angry, but both refused to budge on their opinion.

I brushed my doll’s hair out of worry. The last thing I wanted was for my silly desires to become a source of contention. Before I found the courage to speak up and break the deadlock between gatekeeper and witch, Yuki did it for me.

“Can I say, Mai, you’re being pretty frigid over this. Why don’t you want to chill out with us?”

Everybody paused and turned towards Yuki. “What? Don’t look at me with such gelid stares.”

Nobody said anything, disbelieving what the blonde witch was spouting. We waited until Yuki opened her mouth again. “Oh man, the algidity from you guys is too much. Pow! Ahahaha!”

I lowered my head to hide my blush behind Luminita. I could see Sara cradle her face in her palms. Mai seemed must unaffected, still able to speak after the horrid jokes. “Yuki, did you look those words up just to use in a situation such as this?”

“You bet! I guess I’m too crisp for you, huh? Am I leaving you numb and shivering in awe?”

Yuki managed to stop Sara and Mai’s conflict by redirecting everybody’s ire to herself. It was a rather amazing feat, all told. She was rewarded for her efforts with a spray of water, like the chastisement of a cat.

Between Yuki’s annoyed yelling and Mai’s un-amused lecturing, I almost missed the sound of the school’s door opening.

Long black hair contrasted against the whites of the visitor’s clothing. The calmly pious aura that surrounded the woman was instantly recognizable to me. “Hello Maria,” I greeted the demon who had so graciously hosted me in her tower before.

“Greetings, Alice. Do you fare well this day?” Maria asked me in her solemn tone.

“I…I’m doing better, now.” I leaned slightly to my right, resting against the side of Sara’s body.

The gatekeeper used my head as a convenient arm rest. “Hey, Maria, what do you need?”

The black-haired demon looked past us towards the squabbling witches and raised an arm. The shadows along the ground around Maria’s feet distorted, her snake-like familiars slithering forth. Then the black-haired woman re-focused on us. “Can I not enjoy the company of others amongst the flock?”

“Well, no,” Sara admitted, “but you aren’t the type to pal around in your free time, you know? Shucks, you barely mingle at all if it isn’t work related.”

While Sara and Maria spoke, I watched the magical snake-beasts travel along the floor and then jump into the air, landing on the heads of the two witches. Mai simply grabbed the creature and threw it back to the ground, while Yuki was less composed in her reaction. I winced when the light from her exploding fireball reached my eyes. The wall of the school looked slightly blackened, but at least there we no holes in the structure.

“Sic your familiars on us, eh Maria? You’re lucky I missed the slippery monster!” The fiery witch shouted her displeasure. One of the familiars snapped at her and the girl snarled in return.

“It garnered your attention, did it not?” The snake familiars hurried back to their master, slipping back into the shadows around her. “Our gatekeeper’s astute observations are accurate, as always. I have come seeking magical power to use in the goddess’ endeavors.”

The dispute over my suggested plan of action was put on hold. The four of us instead listened to the religious woman quietly. “Upon the recent events that we have been made aware of, the goddess’ hand has summoned all of those who previously assisted in the cleansing of our most sacred ground to assemble at her side in order to safeguard the land once more. From my understanding, as per the general success of the previous endeavor, no methods shall be changed, individual innovations notwithstanding.”

Maria’s loquacious speech went over my head, just as it had before. Luckily, the message wasn’t directed at me. Mai walked over and stood in front of Maria, her gaze frosty. “Very well. My other given duties are not currently pressing and most likely will not be for some time.”

Yuki leapt forward, the blonde grabbing onto Mai’s shoulder before the blue-haired witch could leave. “Hold on, Mai. Were you expecting this?”

“The possibility of this happening crossed my mind; we cannot leave alone such a threat, no matter how miniscule of a risk it might present. Besides, as you have said, it’s obvious no one will be coming in for lessons today.” Mai brushed Yuki’s hand off of her shoulder.

It was a strange sight to see Yuki genuinely frowning. “Well…I’ll come too, then!”

“Denied.”

“What? No way! I’ve already been pretty useless, letting you shoulder all of our burdens. I need to help now to try and make up for it.”

“Hardly. We’ve gone over this before. Stop trying to overcompensate.” Before Yuki could raise her voice in argument, Mai stopped her dead in her tracks. The blue-haired girl reached forward and rested her hand against the side of Yuki’s face.

My face started to burn in embarrassment, but I couldn’t tell why. The gesture wasn’t special – Mai’s fingers were barely touching Yuki, and plenty of other people did things with much more contact. Perhaps it was Mai’s tiny smile and Yuki’s forlorn gaze that made the moment intimate. The two held their pose for only a second.

“Besides, have you not already obligated yourself to an activity?” Mai glanced at me and I couldn’t help but feel important.

“I guess. You sure you don’t want to trade positions or something then?”

Mai scoffed and turned around. “I’m sure. I know that you’re more enjoyable to be around. Enjoy yourselves.”

Maria and mai left after the rest of us said our quick goodbyes. It felt like a smash and grab; the business-like demons had organized themselves and marched away in an instant.

The three of us, Yuki, Sara, and I stood around lamely. Eventually, by mutual, unspoken consensus, we left the school building and began to walk the streets.

Despite the bravado they had first tried to drag me out with, the two demons did not have a plan in mind. Perhaps it was their failed attempt to recruit Mai, or it was their natural exuberances canceling each other out, but the two demons were listless.

“How strange,” I muttered.

“What was that Sis?”

I made random motions with my hand, trying to grasp at the right ideas. “You two aren’t as…excitable, as you usually are.”

“Excitable?” Yuki forcefully inserted herself between Sara and I. “Hah, I’m trying to be considerate of the dumb gatekeeper by letting her lead.”

“Dumb? That’s what I get for letting this wimpy witch speak her mind.” A minor struggle blossomed between the two demons as they jockeyed for the position of walking to my left.

“I’ll show you wimpy,” the fighting words were accompanied by swift movement. Yuki jinked around her counterpart and grasped my wrist. “Let’s go Alice, we can leave this demon in the dust!” Yuki pulled me along, accelerating rapidly and leaving the ground. We soared through the air, faster and faster.

Sara followed right behind us, red dress flapping like a tail. “What? Just because I can’t chant in a dozen languages mean I fly slower than you!”

Taunting her opponent, Yuki flew backwards and stuck her tongue out at Sara. “We’ll see about that. Keep up with me Alice. Show the superiority of magicians everywhere!”

We began to accelerate even more, our pace increasing rapidly. We began to hit the upper edge of my limit as well as Sara’s; the speedy witch in front of me drew away from us. “Yuki, I don’t think I can-”

“Of course you can! The trick is not in making yourself move faster, but getting everything else to move out of your way!” Yuki shouted her advice without slowing down.

Her statement, what might sound like stupid advice to most people, made a good amount of sense. Even with only a week or so of magic use, I understood what Yuki meant.

Sticking my arms out like a bird to help me focus, I willed myself to move faster. I imagined not just my body rocketing through the air, but the air itself yielding to my passage. Nothing, from gravity to wind resistance, would slow me down.

“Whoa, good for you, Sis!” Sara’s shout came from several meters behind me, the distance only growing as I picked up speed. When my flight finally leveled out again it was nowhere near the ridiculous, controlled flight Yuki employed, but it was one step closer.

The three of us messed around in the air for an hour, flying and shouting at each other in play. It turned out that even if I figured out techniques to increase my speed, maintaining control at the same time was impossible for me. Sara always managed to bounce me from above, looping dizzying vertical circles around me, no matter how fast I tried to get away.

Naturally, Sara and Yuki turned the playful flying into a full-blown competition. Before I knew it, the two were dog fighting, spraying mostly harmless magical bullets at each other. The two demons looped and spun, maintaining their high velocity maneuvers far above the city.

I floated slightly lower, lying back to watch the action. Their competition was beautiful and hilarious; I found myself consistently dodging globs of water and gooey slime.

In the fast paced action it seemed like Sara could not compete. Tight turns and sudden horizontal shifting was not enough to avoid Yuki’s fast-paced dives and massed firepower. A critical slime-ball impacted against her legs, sending the gatekeeper into a wild tailspin downwards. Yuki’s cheers of success sounded the dirge of Sara’s defeat.

Sara fell further and further towards the ground, not slowing down in the slightest. “Sara? Hey, hey!” I started to scream and race downwards myself – the gatekeeper had done nothing to stall her fall or stop her spin. Sara landed face first on the street, shooting up a plume of red dirt.

I threw myself into a dive back towards the ground. Yuki caught up to me quickly, the two of us landing at the same time.

Not again not again not…again? The horrible sense of déjà vu, of anxiety gripping my heart, disappeared. I knelt next to Sara and touched her neck, feeling life flow through her.

The gatekeeper was, against all odds, sleeping.

“What...?” I tried to wrap my head around the drop Sara had suffered.

“Whew, I didn’t see that coming. How does soldier girl here wake up in the morning?” A black-shoed foot inched into my vision and nudge Sara’s body, rolling the gatekeeper over onto her back. Her arms stayed in position, lying across her chest without care. I didn’t see any blood or damage to the girl’s body; she seemed to be breathing perfectly, without pain or difficulty.

“Yuki!” My eyes pleaded toward the witch, “What happened to Sara? Is she really okay?”

“She’s fine. This thick-headed muscle-bound idiot is made of sterner stuff than the rest of us, you know?” As if to emphasize her point, Yuki kicked Sara in the side again. The gatekeeper let out a pleasant sounding sigh and rolled onto her side.

“Sterner stuff? Her body is like Yumeko’s, then?”

“Oh? Exactly; where’d you hear about that Alice?”

“Sara mentioned it to me once when she was explaining how Yumeko would wipe the floor with you.”

“All of the crazies are built like that. Feh, cheaters, the lot of them.”

“Why doesn’t Shinki make everybody stronger? Wouldn’t that prevent accidents?”

“I make sure all of my spells are at one-hundred percent so they don’t explode in my face. Just imagine if I didn’t have to worry about it!” The roaring laughter that accompanied Yuki’s statement was almost maniacal.

I guess it’s a good thing. If demons like Yuki became more resilient than they should, I could easily imagine the chaos that would pervade everyday life. It was probably better for everyone that the majority of demons had human-like bodies.

“I didn’t think the stuff you were launching could put people to sleep, though. That’s a bit tricky, coming from you.”

The witch raised her hands in the air. “Hey, don’t blame me, Alice. You’re right, spells in spells like that aren’t my style. I stuck her with an honest adhesive sludge ball.”

Poking Sara in the face, the gatekeeper unconsciously batted my hand away before nestling back into the ground. Did she really fall asleep midair?

Yuki and I pondered over the strange occurrence before coming to the conclusion that we had no idea what happened. The situation didn’t bother me; unlike other times, I didn’t feel a horrible sense of foreboding. It was possible that the gatekeeper was just dreadfully tired.

“Well, I’ll haul our butch princess off to get checked, just in case. Don’t worry your cute head so much, Alice.” My magic senses alerted me to the slight red haze that Yuki’s arms became covered in. With amplified strength, Yuki tossed Sara over her shoulders in a fireman’s carry.

I stepped forward with the intent of traveling with Yuki, but a tiny doll hand beat on my arm. Luminita foraged around in her pockets and yanked out my clock, pushing it into my other hand. I stared at it for a moment before frowning and trying to put the clock back, but the doll fought me. “Luminita, just let me put it- come on, what’s so important about the…time?”

The never-changing smile of the silver-haired doll looked smug when I turned back to Yuki. “Sorry, I can’t go with you and Sara. My magic lessons are soon, and this is an important lesson, I think.” To tell the truth, I was rather excited, but it wouldn’t be proper to care about a friend less than an experiment.

“Sure, sure, don’t let us stop you. We’ll be fine! But man, you pink-haired menace, why couldn’t you have fallen asleep later? I wanted to go see Alice’s first big spell- damn, where are you grabbing girl? You better be asleep…” I waved goodbye to Yuki, the witch’s voice quickly fading into the distance.

I nodded to myself and patted Luminita on the head. The doll saluted me, after which I rose into the air and flew off towards Erk’s home.

The thought that the magician would not be home crossed my mind. Even if he was more of a shut-in, I imagined that he would be as interested in the commotion as every other demon seemed to be.

When I knocked on the door to my magic teacher’s home, a cheerful voice rang out. “Heeeeeeellooooooo!” The door opened mid-shout, revealing Erk’s assistant mud girl, thankfully clad in plain working clothes.

“Hi Aht, how are you? Is Erk home?”

“I’m good! There was a scaaaary noise earlier, but it went away. Uhm, Master said he would be back soon; please, come in.” Interacting with the mud-encased spirit had become part of my enjoyable routine. The mud girl was sweet and good-natured, always trying her best to make me comfortable.

Aht and I spoke over a cup of tea while we waited for Erk. The mud girl was not particularly knowledgeable about Makai and reacted with squeaks and squeals when I told her about what had been happening. Aht’s reactions were simple-minded, but endearing. “Wah, she should get it rubbed better by someone nice,” and other well-intentioned suggestions made me giggle.

A knock on the door brought our conversation to an end. Erk hung up his cloak by the door and walked into the dining room.

“Alice, I’m glad to see you. Pardon my lateness.”

“No, that’s okay. Today’s been pretty busy.”

Erk snorted. “Indeed. From what I have been told, I understand that you have had it particularly rough. Are you feeling well now?”

“I guess.” There had been more than enough time for my mind to relax and push away the panic-stricken feelings affecting me before. Even when I thought about what could happen or had happened to me and my friends, I didn’t feel much. “Have you been meeting with everybody else?”

“Among other things.” The magician took a seat at the table, his servant pouring out tea for him. “Procuring materials for your project was my primary concern, but I also checked on the commotion.”

“Do you know if Ko is doing better?”

“Serra told me that spirited girl has been complaining about the itchiness is her leg from the regenerative treatments; I wouldn’t be surprised to find her running around in a day. Perhaps she will learn to take more care?”

Even if Ko herself felt that she should take greater care, it seemed impossible for the redhead to prepare for the strange and ridiculous accidents she suffered.

Erk’s tone shifted slightly, the barest hints of accusation slipping in. “More importantly, I also hear you were rather reckless yourself.”

The magician’s stare was not filled with the same portents of doom that mama’s was, but it still heaped guilt onto me. “M-maybe…”

“I am positive I warned you about over-exerting your magical talents, especially your own energies.”

“…Yes?”

The chastising silence kept the pressure on me until Aht began to snicker.

Erk sighed and motioned for me to stand. The magician faced me towards the empty wall and had me hold out a hand. “Some of the fault lies with me, of course. I should not have taught you such an intensive telekinetic spell without checking your reserves first.”

I struggled to remember the boring technical information Erk had tried to relate to me during his lectures. “Didn’t you say a ‘talented young witch’ didn’t need to worry about how much magic I had in me?”

“I did, but I fear I was too assuming. I did not expect you to maintain such a self-intensive spell for extended periods of time. Shall we begin?”

“What are we doing?”

“Checking the amount of magical energy your body stores and produces, albeit in a rough and inaccurate manner. I will cast a spell which is akin to chopping down a tree to get at the apples. For the amount of magical energy the spell uses, the effects are no more than a gust of wind.” Erk demonstrated the simple steps needed to test my reserves of magical energy. After sketching a rune midair, it became a matter of humming pleasantly to evoke it. “Begin when you will, Alice, and stop when you begin to feel faint.”

It took a moment to steady myself, but the spell was simple to maintain. It was as if I held a tiny fan in my hand; the wind generated was barely enough to tickle someone’s nose. Yet, I could feel the powerful draw of the spell. My body tingled as the energy was drained from every limb, until I nearly tripped over.

“Caught you~.” Aht giggled in success, her generous chest bouncing in my face.

“Alice, are you okay? Did you feel something go wrong? Certainly, if you had become weakened by-”

“No, no, nothing’s wrong with me,” I waved away Erk’s worried tittering and separated myself from Aht’s supporting arms. “I was kind of surprised when I started to feel so tired – isn’t that what was supposed to happen, though?”

“Yes, but not nearly in such a quick manner.” My teacher walked over to the wall and began to draw on it, glowing lines forming a chart. He filled the space with charts full of numbers. “Magic is not nearly as standardized as it should be, but I estimate that a human child of your obvious talent should usually be able to maintain the spell for a minute, at minimum. If you could only maintain it for thirty seconds, then…” The magician muttered quietly while he furiously drew formulas and equations across the wall.

It wasn’t the first time Erk had zoned out while calculating. The purple-haired demon could focus eerily well, ignoring everything less than a tornado (or perhaps, a screaming pink-haired associate) while he worked. As far as what he was doing, I knew it was some sort of magical calculation. Magic might be an abstract force, but Erk had related to me that stronger theories could often be unified by mathematics; once I had learned enough math, he would teach me that too.

After a short few minutes Erk stepped away from the wall and clapped, the glowing numbers disappearing in a puff of glitter. “Can you try the spell for me again, Alice? I should be able to draw a well-founded conclusion after it.”

Complying with the simple demand, I repeated the runic drawing. I was prepared for sudden feeling of tiredness the second time and stopped the spell while remaining standing. I had been able to hold it for around the same time as the first.

Erk nodded curtly once. “Very well, then. Shall we move on to the real focus of today’s work?”

“Wait, aren’t you going to tell me what you thought about?”

“Oh,” the magician blinked, as if the thought had not occurred to him, “of course, my apologies. I believe that although your body appears to produce energy at an above average rate, the overall amount of magical energy your body stores is incredibly low. If you were to use it all to create an explosion, for example, you wouldn’t be able to completely destroy this house.”

“Huh?” It took a second for the words to process in my mind, but when they did I stomped the ground. “But I can do a whole bunch of stuff correctly! I’m good at this, aren’t I?”

“Indeed you are. Your control over magical energy itself is at a masterful level. You intuitively grasp the concept of manipulating magic, which I theorize is why you are successful. Put in another way, you unconsciously use the magic that your body has to its fullest effect.” It was the difference between a battery and a power outlet. Sustaining spells from my personal pool of energy would never end well, but drawing energy from outside sources was as easy as pie.

The explanation placated my sense of pride somewhat. “That’s a good thing, then?”

“It is. Your effective source of magic is more limited by your environment than yourself. If you stay in Makai, you might never run out of energy to sling around. In a less magical environment, you would likely need to expend more of your own personal energy in order to catalyze effects.”

“Neat. I’ll become the best witch in Makai and show everybody how grown-up I can be!”

“Hahaha, I certainly expect it from you. Let us take the next step on your path to greatness, then.” Warnings and explanations given, the purple-haired magician led us downstairs.

A large cauldron had been placed in the center of the workshop area of the library. It was almost as tall as I was, my eyes barely reaching above the lip of the container. Grabbing onto the edge of the iron cauldron, I lifted myself up and peered inside to find even more iron. Solid metal filled every cranny of the container’s inside.

“Is this all for me? How’d you even get this down here? It should be really heavy.”

“It is, and it is. I had one of the mining-enthusiasts fill it, and then I teleported the entire unit here.” Erk cleared space on the floor and desk, making enough room for me to work.

“Wow, that’s cool! Can I learn to teleport myself? Nobody would ever be able to lock me out of their hideouts again or keep me from the deserts.”

“One spell at a time, Alice. Today is for what we’ve been preparing you for. Do you remember the processes?”

“Yup, and I’ve practiced a bunch of the spells over and over, too. I’m ready!”

“Excellent. If you are so prepared, then I see no reason to begin immediately. Have you decided on what type of creation you would like to start with?”

A mechanical man that stomped around was only one type of golem. Any magically-automated construct counted as golem under the magical system I had been taught. Erk had me practice creating arms and legs as much as wheels and plates. His suggestion was to keep my first golem rather simple, either in physical form or magical components. The rest of the design was up to me.

Over the week, I had imagined a…

[ ] Happy, slightly bubbly gelatinous form
[ ] Large and imposing humanoid form
[ ] Tough, wheeled, and blocky form
[ ] Smooth and floating spheroid form

---

Imagine two quick scenes, become three sprawling scenes. I think I might be doing this whole ‘planning’ thing wrong. Having a bunch of other essays and shorts to write hasn’t helped the process quicken any either.

>>10731
Welcome to the lands of a horribly slow, lengthy, and shitty writer. I thank you for your compliments and hope you enjoy your-

>GM
What the fuck? Don’t compare me to those inconsiderate assholes that try and wipe your party at every encounter and make the lives of your characters as miserable as possible.

Wait a second…uh…

Ahem. Thank you for your compliments and please enjoy your stay. Check back every two days or so if you can (although the instances where I’ve hit my ideal turnaround time have been disappointingly low). Cheers!

[ ] Shoggoth
Wait, that will only end badly. And I assume write-ins aren't allowed this time. Let's go with...

[X] Smooth and floating spheroid form
Ruminations time! At least with regard to her magic, Alice has probably been considering things with some degree of efficiency and purpose in mind, which the smooth sphere option strikes me as. I was tempted to choose the happy, bubbly option in accordance with Alice's own demeanour, but thought that Alice should see some development magic-wise, particularly with the new revelations on her magic reserves, even if it might only be because she thinks it looks cool.

Though I must confess I might be tempted to change my vote to something out-of-character depending on how the votes swing purely to see Alice riding around Makai in Berser-car.

[X] Smooth and floating spheroid form
I might change this later

[x] Happy, slightly bubbly gelatinous form

[x] Happy, slightly bubbly gelatinous form
Soooo, our first golem is a step up from a Slime?

Dropping in to give someone time to break the tie, if they so choose. I’ll call the vote and begin writing once I wake up or something.

>Berser-car
Who are you? You aren’t my clone, are you?

>Slime
Well you see…

>Write-in
I was considering it since this choice isn’t as important as say, choosing a magical affinity, and I could still derive any of the less obvious characteristics I needed to from a write-in. If anyone had a specific idea in mind you wanted to suggest, go ahead - I might be able to work it in. It’s not like I forgot to include the option and I’m trying to save face or something…

>>10739
...I talk too much, don't I?

Reading back, the whole hand-golem thing was more spur-of-the-moment than I remembered, and that was only a short while ago, so Alice obviously hasn't developed as much as I'd hoped. This being the case, I'll change my vote to:

[X] Happy, slightly bubb-

Wait, this option wins by at least 2-to-1 no matter what I vote for. That means it doesn't matter what I change to! I could vote for anything! Anything at all! AHAHAHA!

[X] A constantly shifting form, ever-ready and adapting to what purpose I might need it for, amorphous, bubbly, almost cheerful - yet firm and steady to lend me whatever support I may need.

On a side note, having replied for some strange reason to that specific comment, OP is now required to write a Berser-car omake.

>>10740
Changing my vote to this write-in.
>>10745

>>10746
NO WAIT SCRATCH THAT I JUST GOT AN IDEA CAN WE MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS

Tie's broken, OP. You can start writing the next update or that omake at your leisure.

I had imagined a simple golem, at least physically. After practicing under Erk’s tutelage and on my own time, I knew I could not create intricate shapes. My boxes were lopsided, my spheres lumpy, and my false limbs looked freakish. It was an experience problem; no two metals reacted the same way to my spells and my control over the new magic Erk was teaching me was tenuous at best.

We began reviewing after I informed Erk of my intentions. We went over everything I had learned in order to ensure nothing went wrong. A week’s worth of lessons compacted into a couple hours of study.

Once we had hashed over the critical knowledge to Erk’s satisfaction, I was allowed to begin working. The purple-haired magician brought me a few different tomes for reference but otherwise observed passively. It was my project to succeed in.

The process of creating the golem was a strange anachronistic mix of arcane rituals and modern metallurgy. In between forming the necessary magical circles with chalk, I bounced magical pulses through the iron cauldron to figure out what type of metal was sitting within.

My work plodded along slowly yet carefully. Ensure the circles’ concentricity. Double-check the translation of block script. Dribble my blood along the four major axes. Record the ratios of materials to be maintained. De-energize the source of disrupting influences. Dozens of steps needed to be prepared methodically and in exacting detail.

After an hour of preparation I took a quick snack break and then continued on to the final stages of execution.

I stood off to the side from my work, in the center of a scrambled array of geometric shapes. Quickly glancing over to where Erk stood next to Aht, the mud girl holding on to my doll, I breathed out and began.

My mind emptied of extraneous thoughts. Gently gripping my magical energy, I fed it into the chalk shapes along the ground. I funneled it around the loops and zigzags until my magic had permeated the ritual area. With the magical instructions primed, I began to chant.

“What mortal dares, upon the earth
To desecrate the holy bounds
To force their will upon the birth
What sacrilege, to honest grounds

What power is there, enforce mine will
To crash against the laws of fate
To transform the source and fulfill
What intentions, I seek to create

What strength I seek, my heart provides
To enforce the bonds I do devise
To flow forever as waters’ tides
What protection I hope, may arise

What support is there, for mortal fear
To try and bind the earth in bond
To find a friend of countenance cheer
What creation, would choose to respond.”

My throat rasped the last line, the magic runes around me glowing brightly and reacting. The words were mostly a formality, meant to drive my intentions forward clearly. The ritual was, in effect, a delusion meant to fool my sensibilities. Schooling and rational thought was a hindrance towards casting magic; the ritual wrapped the effects I wanted in logical mysticism.

The air sizzled with energy. After activating the ritual, my part was finished. The directions I spelled out within the circles and my aria took control.

Heat without fire. Form without shape. Movement without locomotion. The metal inside the cauldron melted and spilled over the sides. Faint multicolored lights reflected off of the glistening metal, highlighting the tumultuous process.

Next to the empty cauldron, the blob of metal sloshed back and forth. It hardened to the point of immobility before melting again, liquefying and congealing over and over. The sound of my quiet breathing nearly obscured the plopping noise generated by the metal.

After a short few minutes the reaction calmed. The blob of metal maintained its semi-solid state without serious fluctuation. Without eyes, my creation stared up at me.

Sitting still, the blob only came up to my shins, its puddle-like form stretched out in a rough circle. It swayed back and forth but did not expand or contract, maintaining its position in front of me.

I took a breath and stepped forward. Using my senses, I could feel the large concentration of magic in my creation. Kneeling down next to the metal blob, I slowly reached a finger forward.

The metal tide surged forwards at me. “Wah!” I cried.

The blob-like golem enveloped my finger and then my arm, looking similar to a large, lopsided flan. My creation continued onward, knocking me off balance and onto my butt. The golem pooled around my body. I became trapped in a strange cocoon of metal, my head the only free part.

Surprising as it was, I didn’t panic. Before the construct had attacked me I had already been probing it with pulses of magic to understand what it was like. The sensations that returned to me, those of nondescript happiness and safety, were nothing to worry about.

Cocooned inside the golem, I realized how hot it could become. The heating enchantments I had worked into the golem did their job admirably, leeching magical energy from the air to regulate the temperature of the golem to a point where the metal could run freely. The inner portions of the golem were consequently blazing hot.

Yet, the other functions I had inscribed seemed to work well. Exposed portions of the golem were subject to cooling enchantments, making the golem rigid enough to maintain a non-puddle form and also safe to touch. If they weren’t working, I supposed that I would have melted instead of being mildly hot.

“This appears to be a success. Excellent work, Alice.”

“Congratulations~!”

The two others in the room stood over me. I giggled in delight, vibrations from my chest reverberating through to the liquid-metal golem around me. The construct giggled along with me, air bubbles popping on the surface of its metal ‘skin’. The sloshing sound from the golem swaying back and forth was reminiscent of a cat’s purring.

“Fascinating,” Erk glanced over my work, “these are not independent behaviors, correct?”

My eyes shifted down and around at the metal golem surrounding me. “I didn’t put anything like that in the spell.” While the golem would be able accomplish simple orders, instilling independent action was beyond a week’s worth of study. At most, the golem was meant to follow me around while waiting for instructions.

“Truly amazing. Your unconscious control over magic is remarkable, Alice, if that is indeed what causes this behavior.” The metal golem snapped out at Erk’s dangled finger, metallic tendrils flailing into the air in play.

“Is it that strange? I just thought it would act this way.” Googly eyes and a bright smile - that was how I imagined the metal golem to look. The featureless metal gave the impression of bubbly cheer, sturdy if needed but otherwise flowing and free.

I brushed my fingers against the inside of the golem and flicked a magically-transmitted mental command to it. The metal flowed away from me with reluctance, the golem pooling back together towards my side. I stood up and dusted myself off, no traces of metal left behind on my clothes.

Hours of near-continuous concentration tolled my energy, but the work wasn’t over. Before I could call the day successful, I needed to test my creation.

“Metabble, spread out.” On my command the golem’s magical compression slackened. The grey puddle flattened to the floor and expanded, spreading outwards like a proper liquid. It almost could reach across the entire workspace at its maximum expansion.

“Squeeze yourself together. Move over there. Sit right here. Bring that table to me.” Speaking commands was for my own benefit. As long as I could send pulses of magic laced with orders to the golem, any voice or semantic command was unnecessary.

Among the simple test orders, my golem performed admirably, but the last command was iffier. “Touch the ceiling!”

The golem tried its best, limbs flailing upwards in an ineffectual attempt to execute my commands. The tendrils of liquid metal could not support themselves. In the end, I needed to imagine a specific way for the golem to touch the ceiling, such as by solidifying itself into a pillar of metal. Actively controlling the golem’s actions like a puppet, similar to wearing the liquid-metal construct like a glove, was the most assured way of achieving my desired goals.

The golem pitifully undulated around my feet after I released it from its task.

“That’s okay. I’m happy with you, Metabble. You’re perfect!” I combed my fingers through the golem’s form to console the unfeeling construct. The liquid metal bubbled in joy and tugged at my hand.

I heard Erk clap behind me, a conclusive tone in the sound. “Metabble? Is that your name for it?”

“Uh-huh. Do you like it? I think it’s silly; perfect for my golem!”

Before Erk answered me, a singsong voice drew our attention. “Babbly babbly waaah~.” On the other side of the metal puddle, Aht was rolling around on top of my creation. The moving puddle of metal obliged the mud girl, the two artificial beings playing together on the floor.

The purple-haired magician was pointedly not looking at the display. He handed me back my silver-haired doll and turned away from his servant. “I believe we are done here.”

We tromped back up the stairs, my metal golem sitting atop Aht’s shoulders. The mud girl walked normally even with Metabble surrounding her like armor. She’s…strong. The alloy Metabble was created with, alongside the levitation enchantments I had applied, helped to reduce the golem’s weight significantly but it was still weighed hundreds of kilograms.

The three of us took a seat at Erk’s dinner table. I sported a fancy, heated metal seat; my golem’s versatility was great.

We munched on more yummy snacks in the umpteenth break of the day. There was always sweet bread or mini cakes sitting around for me to eat whenever I visited Erk’s home.

Erk and I discussed my golem creation spell in detail, covering what he thought I did well and what could be improved. It was a quick summary of the day’s achievements that took no time at all. “This was good work, Alice. We’ll continue your lessons tomorrow. You can learn to work with your golem in the meantime.” My purple-haired teacher dismissed me for the day, his attention refocusing towards the esoteric equations he began to write out on the table.

“Okay. Bye Aht, bye Erk. See you tomorrow!” I waved to the two and ran out the door, my creation sliding along after me. The slick metal golem easily kept pace with me, magically-assisted propulsion able to move faster than I could run.

Metabble followed me as closely as it could, literally moving underneath my feet. Sometimes metal splashed when I ran through its puddle-like form and other times the golem clung slightly to my legs.

“Hey, quit it! Haha, don’t do that, it tickles.” The sensations from metal cooling from hot to cold while wrapped around my ankles were terribly distracting. Of course, even if I tripped slightly there was no problem. The golem would shift and solidify, the artificial surface I stood on changing to keep me upright. I lost my balance the first dozen times Metabble shifted around my feet, but I eventually grew used to the way the golem would disrupt and correct my steps.

We continued through the mostly empty streets of the city. The numbers of demons out and about were greater than before, but nowhere near the levels of activity in a usual day.

A tiny hand beat on my arm. My doll, after obtaining my attention, pointed off to the side. Red haze permeated the air in the direction Luminita pointed. Curious, I floated into the air for a better view.

It was fire. Against the blackness of Makai’s ‘sky,’ the flickering haze of fire was easily distinguishable. Although I was closer to the crystal lake, the great blazes off in the forest on the other side of the city were highly visible. Roaring fires curled around the crystal trees, unnaturally focused. Dozens of gouts of flame danced in the distance, methodically rising up trees and scorching everything they touched. No two fires were alike. Some yellow blazes engulfed an entire tree at once while other blue torches spiraled around a pillar of crystal in deliberate fashion.

“Is that what Mai’s doing?” Luminita had no answers for me and I wasn’t about to fly over to investigate. Shrugging it off as a mystery, I turned back towards home.

I flew several meters towards Pandemonium unconsciously before remembering what I left on the ground. “Whoops! Metabble, are you- huh.”

Dropping lower to the ground, I found my metal golem obediently following me, my creation sliding around underneath me even when I was dozens of meters higher. “I guess I should’ve made it so you could fly.” A small wave of metal rose into the air and splashed back down. I supposed it was a way of telling me that everything was fine.

Flying high enough so I could look down without worry, I watched Metabble keep pace with me. The metal golem stayed underneath me when it could. The urban sprawl obstructed its movement slightly, but it had no problems crawling over small barriers or sliding around other obstructions.

When Metabble crashed through a window I drew my experiment to a halt. “Ah! No, no, no! Bad golem!”

I plummeted back to the ground and guided my golem back onto a street. I decided to walk with Metabble as much as I could, to make sure it didn’t break anything in its dumb attempts to keep pace with me. Luckily, slinking away from the scene of the crime was simple enough when there were no witnesses to be had.

We reached the edge of the lake soon enough. I wondered what to do for a moment. Lifting the entire golem into the air with me wasn’t impossible, but achieving the feat was a different story. Maintaining the focus necessary to keep the golem in the would have limited us to a snail’s pace.

“This is too tough! I’ll find a way to get you flying later, okay?” The droopy splash of liquid metal in response to my question broke my heart. Like a small pet warbling in punishment, Metabble began the long trek towards Pandemonium by ground, the lake thankfully made of crystal instead of water.

My flight across was the lake was quick. It forced me to sit and wait on one Pandemonium’s landing pads. Once I saw my golem approach the castle, I plucked it into the air and slowly lifted it upwards, depositing my creation next to me with a thump. Liquid metal surrounded my body, air bubbles popping noisily. “Hahaha, okay, okay, I’m glad you made it up here, too.”

With a moving puddle of metal at my feet I worked my way through the halls of Pandemonium. I waited around in my room before realizing that I might have to fend for myself. “I guess Yumeko is out there, huh?”

Tummy grumbling, I decisively took off towards one of Pandemonium’s kitchens. Deserts and other snacks, while delicious, were not a proper meal.

After turning a corner, I nearly collided with a body clothed in red.

“Shinki!”

“Hello Alice, how are you?” The pale-haired goddess knelt down to talk with me but became distracted by the pool of liquid-metal swaying around my feet. “Is this a new friend?”

“That’s right, I made it. Say hi to Shinki, Metabble.” The golem expanded and lapped around Shinki, clinging to her sides in greetings.

“Hello to you too. I see my daughter is hard at work.” Goddess and golem mingled for a moment, Shinki scooping up my golem in her hands. The powerful demon stared at my creation, the golem holding mostly still while Shinki examined it. “My,” the goddess declared, “this is such beautiful work, Alice! There’s so much life-likeness to it already.”

I scratched my head in embarrassment. “Well, that part kinda sorta just happened…”

“Truly? That’s doesn’t matter; this is still wonderful work for a first attempt.”

“Thank you!” I beamed at the goddess’ praise of my work.

The pleasant scene was disrupted by my stomach’s rumbling. It hungered for real food.

Shinki giggled. “Let’s get you something to eat.”

We continued in the direction of the nearest kitchen. Even though Metabble flowed underneath both of our feet, the golem didn’t trip Shinki up. The goddess walked with confidence, her steps surefooted.

Entering the kitchen, an ominous feeling tugged at my mind. “You can go sit down Alice. I’ll whip you something up in no time!” Shinki pulled a wand from within her robes, the stick of wood perfectly straight. The magical item glinted dangerously.

“Shinki, what is that? Is it safe?”

“Of course, Alice. I can’t let my dear daughter starve. Two five-star meals coming up!” Currents developed in the magical energy of the room. The goddess’ wand charged up by absorbing energy from the air. Whatever the magical item was supposed to do, I did not trust it in the slightest.

“Um, Shinki? M-Mom? I don’t think this-”

The world exploded in white.

Later, the goddess sat at the dinner table in tears. I walked over and sighed, depositing a bowl of noodles in front of her. My burgeoning culinary schools taught to me by Pandemonium’s maid would have to suffice for dinner.

Shinki sniffled one more time before grinning. “Ah, my kind daughter cooked this delicious meal for me. Thank you, Alice!”

“It was easy. I’m more worried about the kitchen…”

“Don’t worry about that, Silly! Yumeko will clean it up when she gets back!” The thought of the sword-swinging maid staring down the batter-covered, garlic-smelling kitchen frightened me more than it should of. The maid’s ire might not be drawn to me, but I didn’t want to be anywhere near the danger zone if someone was going to be scolded.

Tossing aside future concerns, I dug into my plain self-cooked meal. Shinki and I chatted lightly while we ate, my most recent feat the topic of much of our conversation. “I froze a dozen test pieces trying to get the enchantments to balance out properly, but I finally figured it out! And then there was…” Shinki listened with amused attention while I babbled on and on about everything I had been doing.

After speaking a great deal about my accomplishments and new understanding, we laughed and giggled together, the antics of the other demons in Makai amusing the both of us. Our chat remained light-hearted, the goddess delighted in hearing about her other children and my interactions with them.

The time for our meal rapidly flew away because of all the chatting. “Metabble, place these on the kitchen table, please.” My golem slid away from the table, bowls and utensils floating atop the blob. I hoped nothing would break; the golem’s ability to handle fine operations was questionable.

Shinki clapped her hands together. “What wonderful work, Alice. You’ll be able to take over for me in no time at all!”

Despite the goddess’ cheery tone, her words struck a slight fear into my heart. “You’re not going away, are you?”

The goddess blinked. “Not at all. I don’t plan on leaving or retiring anytime soon. It wouldn’t be simple to fill my position, no matter how much someone thought they could.” Fingers reached across the table to pinch my cheek. “You’ll have to study much harder if you want to become a goddess and replace me.”

“I wood nevah-” my cheek tingled after being released, “I’d never think about replacing you.”

“That’s why you’re such a dear and well-loved girl, Alice,” Shinki said in a voice filled with affection. The goddess walked over to where I sat and rested her arms on my shoulders, leaving my personal bubble intact but expressing her intent.

Cautiously, I stood and scooted forward slightly, bringing my arms up to loosely embrace my mom. Her arms wrapped around me to enclose the hug, spreading warmth throughout my body. I breathed in and out, memories and emotions kept at bay. In mom’s arms, I felt at peace.

“Oh,” Shinki tapped me lightly on the head to draw my attention upwards. “It seems like someone is here to see you, Alice. I hope you learn a lot in your lesson.”

I grunted and swiped Luminita from the table.

“Ah, don’t pout Alice. Enjoy yourself; I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Acknowledging the de facto order for what it was, I said my farewells to the goddess and turned to leave the room. Nearly tripping on my golem which had returned at some point did not make it a dignified exit.

Yet, before I completely left the dining room behind, I paused. My time spent with the goddess was certainly enjoyable, but we did not cover everything there was to talk about. Did she know if Sara was doing well? Was Ko going to be up and about soon? What was happening over at the crystal forest? The activities of the day came to mind, but other questions I held for much longer also flashed through my mind. The doubts and concerns that decided to swarm my mind left me unsure of what to do.

Was there something I wanted to ask?

[ ] Nope. It wouldn’t do to keep my tutor waiting, either.
[ ] <Write-in>

---

>>10763
Indeed, I can and do.

In an on-going effort to stop making baseless claims about writing faster (which I will continue to make every other week or so), I’ll try to put myself on a more defined schedule. I believe that updating every Friday and Sunday (which is more like the next day at 04:00 board time) is feasible, on the assumption that I receive a vote so I can begin writing. One day, after setting these deadlines for myself, I’ll actually follow through!

My problem is mostly stylistic – I tend to over-write, which can drag out my update speed (and length). Having work and other things to write doesn’t help in this regard.

>>/gensokyo/10247
On that note, if you for some reason only ever visit my tiny corner of the board, you should check this out. I encourage everybody to write something if they are so inclined, and to vote once all the stories are in.

Will probably hop on whatever bandwagon rolls by, but I'm throwing out some preliminary thoughts into the ring first to get people thinking:

Given how many things she'd like to ask right now, Alice isn't likely to ask a question like one about Ko, to which she knows she'll only receive empty platitudes. Asking about the forest is possible, but she could just as easily ask someone else later - perhaps one of those who were there to witness it firsthand.
No, Alice is talking to the immensely powerful, hilariously-inept-at-cooking, Koakuma-teasing, ever-supportive goddess who is like a mother to her, and she's likely to ask something that only a mother figure could answer.

Ever since Alice arrived, she's been running around, making friends, but in my opinion, she's been lacking any sort of direction. She's always finding herself out of her depth, whether failing to block stray danmaku shots or being attacked by malevolent spirits. And she constantly witnesses the gap between her own abilities and those of those around her, whether in the spars she's been a spectator to or in somewhat more lethal circumstances. She's been trying to better her abilities, and has succeeded to a degree, but even in this, she has to rely on the help of others. They don't mind helping her, of course, but despite this she hasn't yet been able to solve a problem fully on her own - even while carrying Ko back from the forest, she collapsed on the last stretch.

She understands that if she wants to live here, she has to learn to fend for herself. She also has the how, now that she's taking training from Sara and Erk. But she doesn't have the why. She stays here... then what? What does she do? Makai's people don't need her, they've existed for centuries without her; it's only out of their kindness that she's even living here right now. So what should she do now? And why? Surely her trusted mother should, in her age and infinite wisdom, have an answer for her? Perhaps not the right one, perhaps not even close, but something, something more than "everything will be alright, let the grown-ups take care of everything"?

Far though Alice is from a complete breakdown, she's had more than enough trauma, I think, to have some degree of that existentialist depression that is ordinarily only the purview of teenagers. She's been distracted from truly considering all that has happened to her thus far, but now that she's actually thinking about it...

...it's likely to be the foremost question on her mind, beyond ephemeral issues that will only draw useless reassurances. The question is whether she's deep enough to run off her mouth about it right now even though she has someone waifing on her, or if she's just has that small niggling worry that makes her hesitate leaving the comforting presence of her mother just long enough to ask, hoping for understanding, for guidance, for a meaningful reply to question as vague yet as significant as, "What... what should I do?"
inb4 tl;dr

However, voting for more info on the situation in Makai to feed our nefarious plots is fine too~

>Indeed, I can, and do.
I'm not going to get my hopes up by contemplating the remote possibility that you were talking about the spoiler text.

Metabble must become the Mud-girls suit of valkyrie armor.

>>10779
Or we could ask her now to do that instead. Are we limited to only one question?

Yep, our very own Volumen Hydragyrum! What could possibly go wrong?

Speculation is great, but does not a vote make. If nobody settles on something concrete to ask, I'll be forging ahead with the default option (asking nothing). You've got 'till the end of the week now, no rush.

>Questions
Well sure, you can always try to ask more than one thing. It might even work, too. Or maybe you'll be shooed away after a few. Or maybe somebody will go off on a roaring rampage of destruction after your first question. Who's to say?

[X] Nope. It wouldn’t do to keep my tutor waiting, either.

All those concerns Alice has would be answered better by the people actually involved with them. Shinki may know everything going on, but not the details.

And Alice already knows what she should be doing: learn. Makai isn't some primitive agrarian society where even the children need to work for its continued survival. It was functioning quite well before she even arrived, so she has the chance to develop her talents and determine for herself what she wants to do with her life.

>>10778
>Will probably hop on whatever bandwagon rolls by
>Checks back in
>No wagons to band
Goddammit.

>>10782
>Holy shit you actually read that long ass thing I wrote.
Well, I acknowledge that Alice knows she has to learn and so on. But I suppose where we differ is that I feel she might not be entirely content to slowly determine what she wants to do with her life. Thus, given the opportunity to speak in seriousness to a mother figure, guidance in that regard would be the first thing she would ask for.

>>10781
>Speculation
More of a train of thought that I can't summarize into a write-in I find acceptable. I guess unless someone can come up with something better, for the sake of expedience, I'll go with:
[X] "What- what should I do now?"

>roaring rampage of destruction after first question
inb4 Reimiya 'Kureitsugu busts in and tries to kill Lady Al-Margatroi

[X] "What- what should I do now?"

[X] "What- what should I do now?"

>>10778
While I am hesitant to actually vote for this, I honestly feel it is better than running along. I also cannot think of anything better so I will be joining this bandwagon.

I turned back around and tiptoed into the dining room.

“Oh? Did you forget something, Alice?”

“W-Well…” I brushed my bangs back and forth to delay as long as possible. When it became clear that Shinki would patiently wait for me to speak, I stumbled over my question. “What- what should I do now?”

The goddess blinked at me. “What do you mean?”

I looked away, unsure of where the question came from. I hadn’t thought it out. The words had simply come to me.

I certainly felt nervous, but I didn’t understand why. I might not have had years of experience living in Makai like I did in my village, but I had already adjusted to the goddess’ domain. In my short, active time in Makai I learned to recognize the idiosyncrasies of the environment. The benevolent demons were human-like, but held different beliefs than the villagers I had grown up with. The structures were varied, the utilities and activities strange. Even the dirt was different, redder and softer than anything else. Yet, the crystal hallways and sunless sky had become my new home in no-time flat. The beautiful ambient glow of Makai warmed me in ways the sun could not. The massive castle was insane, but far more exciting than the simple two-story house I grew up in.

Shinki and her family had done everything to ensure I felt welcomed, loved, and I held no doubt to the truth of it. Whether they were crazy or not, the demons living in Makai were genuine with their feelings.

Yet, something still bothered me. I couldn’t understand. Everything was provided for me, easily available with a bit of effort. Magic I could never dream of was going to become mine to wield, artifacts and techniques from generators past mine to grasp and learn.

“Alice, Sweetie, why are you crying?”

Shinki knelt down in front of me and brushed my face with her hand.

“I…I’m n-not d-doing anything…”

“Why do you think that? Aren’t you enjoying yourself?”

“Y-Yes, b-but…” My enjoyment? That meant nothing. Doctors healed people, guards defended them. Farmers provided for others, and teachers imparted their knowledge. Daddy introduced Outsider technologies and momma kept the village spiritually pure. Everybody contributed to the running of the village, somehow managing to work around my childish clumsiness and constant distraction. Yet they didn’t get what they worked hard for, what they deserved.

The demons of Makai didn’t need me to drag them down, either. I worried others and forced people to change their schedules because of my silly desires for what reason? My personal enjoyment?

It was worthless. Utterly worthless. I took and took and never gave back. What were the chances I could ever be useful? What would I ever offer to the demons that had been alive for ten times my possible lifespan?

“That’s not true at all, Honey.” Shinki hugged me. My spine tingled in memory, but I didn’t bolt. “You should know that isn’t true.”

I had been babbling, lost in thought and unable to control my voice. “W-What do I d-do, then? Huh? What?”

“You want a goal then, right? You can work towards helping me, then!” The goddess laughed and nuzzled my face with hers.

A sound halfway between sob and giggle left my mouth when the goddess’ silver man tickled my face. “What…do you mean?”

“I can’t do everything and you’re a talented child. I’ll be relying on your knowledge to help me out. All of my children will, too. Another mind to think problems through and another hand to fix them is always welcome.”

She made it sound simple. “I…can’t do that. Everybody has an amazing skill already.”

“That’s right Alice, everybody has a skill to offer, even you. My children keep telling me your magical skills will become top-notch in no time, far better than whatever control I have.”

Stories and personal experiences prevented me from protesting the goddess’ claim. Shinki’s power was certainly strong and controlled in some aspects, but definitely not others. “I guess.”

Shinki smiled and continued on. “If that goal is too far away, you should still be happy now. Don’t you know that it’s a child’s place to be spoiled? Doting on cute people like you is what we enjoy. You’re spreading happiness through the family, Alice. Don’t you think that’s important?”

“I spread happiness?” Making others feel content by acting selfish? It was ridiculous. It was…more likely than not. Taking care of others felt right.

“Still not convinced? Then how about this one – you’re human. Whenever we look at a problem in Makai, we look at it from a demon’s perspective, because that’s what we are. In a land full of demons, isn’t a human’s perspective unique?”

“That’s…true.” The silver-haired goddess cheered in success at my acquiescence.

“There you go, Alice. Live and enjoy yourself in the now and work towards the future. We’ll be with you every step of the way.” Shinki gazed into my eyes with a serious demeanor. “If you ever feel lost or worried, talk with us. We want to avoid any more grave mistakes. If anything ever bothers you, communicate the problem so we can listen, okay? And make sure to be happy, that’s the most important part!”

Shinki’s pep talk snapped me out of my funk, leaving me with a warm and focused mind. “I can do that!” I felt lighter after airing my concerns.

“Good. Now run along to your lesson.”

The goddess’ words beat back the concerns gripping my heart. They were still there, lurking in the shadows of my mind with other dark thoughts, but I could ignore them. If mom expected me to help her keep the family happy and problem free, I would try my best.

The run to my room was quick enough. There, I sat through an hour-long lesson on confusing decimals before saying goodbye to my eccentric teacher. Afterwards, it was a matter of changing clothes and crawling into bed. Metabble managed to crawl into bed with me, where I kept Luminita snugly tucked in my aems. I thought about kicking the slop of metal off but decided against it, instead tossing my blankets to the edge of the bed and curling up against the heated metal.

I fell asleep without guilt or worry.

---

“D-Damn it…” the girl cursed in between hacking coughs. She lay in the shadows of a bar, the alley filled with detritus and crawling with rats. It was far from her ideal choice of resting place, but her decision was forced; if she ran into any thugs or guards, she wouldn’t be able to handle them while sick.

Her body was aflame. Sweat seeped into every one of her ratty garments. Illness had laid her low, chained her to the gutters like the street rat she had become. The sickened days were worse than even her initial days living the streets, when the environmental shock was still in full effect. Then, at least, she had stumbled around, free to choose which obstacle she might blunder into.

In her disabled position, the girl had no such luck. Whatever fate decided to hand her she would have to accept.

The girl didn’t cry when she thought of her helpless situation. The slightly-educated farm girl she left behind might have, but the vagrant in her calmly dissected her chances. She was definitely running a fever that would kill her if it kept increasing. Yet, she had no way to alleviate it – only chance would save her from the sickness. Her position was just as bad. It amazed the girl that no raging drunkard had beat her to death in the alley, or that a roving press-gang hadn’t whisked her away. The girl was sure that if she wasn’t lying in the dank trash of society she could recover.

She wouldn’t beg for the divine to save her, though. It was not the gods, but her efforts that had provided any kind of life in the city. Any all-powerful forces had been absent in her new life.

Yet, to the girl it seemed as if the gods were finally out to get her. When she dared to defy the prison of a village they had placed her in, they saw fit to throw her to the gutters. When the filth of the city did not break her, they cosigned her to wasting illness. When the fever did not take her spirit, the gods sent in their divine messenger of punishment.

The balding man standing over the girl was the epitome of a pig: Disgusting, slobbering, and lecherous beyond comprehension. The girl had learned to recognize the self-important merchants on sight. The man in front of her was not a well-off trader, raking in the funds to reinvest and gain further capital, nor was he the honest kind of peddler putting in the miles to barely turn a profit. No, he was the worse sort, the merchant that marked up cheap knock-offs and swindled any customer he could. He was the man that scraped together every stolen and illicit coin to enhance his own appearance, aping the high class members of society. He saw himself important even while lauding his tales of finance to the disgruntled off-duty workers who were glad to have the man if only because he paid their drinks.


On any other day, the girl would have spat in his face and ran. His type had no spry guards to chase her, and whatever grudge he might develop could not be acted upon.

Unfortunately, the girl was in no such condition. The most she could do was struggle to her knees and cough in his direction.

“Feh, what a miserable wretch are you, eh?” The man nudged her face with the tip of his shoe. “Bad, bad, but a face you’ve got, don’tcha?”

His pudgy fingers cupped the girl’s chin. Sweaty palms caused her skin to shiver. “Not bad body. Not bad. I’ll pay yah girl. More’n a wretch like you’ll ever get.”

The girl coughed and then grinned. “I’m worth more then you can afford, fat man. Get the hell away from me.”

Drunken rage alighted in this pig’s eyes. “Fucking bitch, yah think yah have a choice?” The man lashed out with his foot, connecting with the girl’s chin and knocking her to the ground.

Overpowering strength pressed against the girl. She thrashed with as much energy as she could muster, dangling like a fish on the line once the man held both her wrists above her head. The girl was kept on her back, legs crushed underneath the man’s weight.

Despite the man grasping at her ragged clothing, the girl felt no fear. Only anger, rage at the indignity and her own inferiority. She hated, more than anything else. Her resentment for losing control, for being forced to suffer a fate she could not affect, incited her and drove her to madness. The girl’s mind lost itself in a spiral of emotion, bitterness increasing until it caused her to explode.

The disgusting feel of the man’s sweaty fingers crawling across her skin brought the girl back to reality with the fury of a dragon.

“STOP IT!”

Her voice took on a life of its own, the force of the shout far beyond what a sickly human could accomplish unaided.

Seconds ticked by before the girl realized that the hand grasping her thigh had indeed stopped.

The two figures in the alley froze in time, the tension of the situation dissipating. The man made no moves, and the girl grew uncomfortable waiting.

Narrowing her eyes at the man holding her down, staring at her body like a piece of meat, the girl spoke again. “Get off me, Creep.”

With unhurried movements, the drunken man rose to his feet and stood impassively over her.

Shakily sitting up, the girl picked up the torn fragments of her clothes before tossing them aside in disgust. Doing her best to cover her modesty, the girl glared at the man. “Step away-” she coughed, struggling to put the power back into her voice, “-from me you freak.”

The man accomplished her orders without fail. Suspicion was rife in the girl’s mind. “What kind of game are you playing? Give me your clothes.”

The girl’s vision darkened as a fine ramie kimono landed atop her head. Slipping the too large garment on, the girl’s mind raced with speculation about what was occurring.

In the end, her practical mind decided to work out the details later. “Help me out of this damn alley.” Surviving took priority above all else. She would capitalize on whatever strange occurrences she could, self-caused or not.

---

Despite the hubbub caused by the re-emergence of a long-thought eradicated disease, Makai quickly returned to regular activity. It surprised me, when I wandered the city in the following days, how the event seemed to such a non-issue for the demons.

“Oh, that incident? Bit of bad luck, I hear. How’s the girl doing, anyway?”

“It was tough using so much of my magic after a long while, but it was good practice I guess.”

“Don’t be scared, Kid, an accident with chances like that isn’t much of a problem to worry about.”

Even the individual who had arguably suffered the most had rebounded without fail. I made a point of visiting Ko as soon as possible, flying over to her house the day after her medical operation. Her parents, two arguably normal demons that looked nothing like the little devil, were delighted to let me in.

“Whoa Alice, pretty cool blobby-slime thing you’ve got here. Aw man, this is so warm; I would’ve killed for a blanket like this when the goddess decided to stir up a snow storm a while back.” My golem decided the best place to wait while I talked with Ko was right next to the girl lying in bed.

“Ko, that’s not important. What about you? Did everything go correctly?”

“Hey, I think the spell you’ve been preparing all week for is pretty important. As for me? Yeah, everything is fine. My leg has been itching like crazy after they cut it off, but I’ll be out of here in a few hours.”

“They cu-cut off your leg?”

“Well, yeah. Not just my leg, but a good section of my hip, too. And they apparently burned large amounts of my skin and flesh to get the rest of the disease out of me.”

Ko’s nonchalant descriptions made me shake my head in disbelief. “How does that even work?”

“Beats me, I’m not a doctor, but something they did was effective. As our resident magical prodigy, you should have a better idea than me.” The redheaded demon chuckled and joked around. Any of my fears for my friend were allayed with the visit, and I left with the both of us in good spirits.

Other than Ko, my other friends were in good condition as well. Sara showed up to our daily exercises and training as her usual chipper self. When I asked her what had happened during her aerial duel with Yuki, the pink-haired gatekeeper laughed it off. “Sorry if I worried you. I guess I’m a lot more tired than I used to be? Maybe flying back and forth from the surface in the morning is taking a lot more out of me than I thought.”

“That’s my fault, then? I don’t want to-”

“No, no! Stop that thinking, Alice. I’m the one that wants to help you out. I enjoy spending time with you, and it’s nice to see mother and everybody else more often.”

“Okay,” I sighed in acceptance, knowing that I was being rather silly by blaming myself so often. “Did you really not wake up when you hit the ground like htat?”

“Nope! The only thing that can wake me up is the smell of food!” The gatekeeper suddenly blushed and looked down. “Well, and some other stuff, but you don’t need to know about that.”

Why do they always do that? “No fair! Now I really want to know.”

“Too bad! I’ll tell you another day!”

As simply as that, my life returned to its new routine. A week after the disease incident I wondered about how seamless it was to bounce back after shocking events. Was it a demon thing or an adult thing? Was I already doing it, too?

Despite Ko’s hopeful prediction, she was not allowed out of her home immediately. Magicians erected a magical barrier around her house in order to ensure Ko couldn’t sneak out for a third time. There were cautionary tests that the doctors wanted to run to make sure Ko had healed back into perfect condition and analyze the disease.

With my buddy under extended house-arrest, that left me alone for the time before and after school. I ended up spending more time at my usual haunts as opposed to running around. Luckily, the clothiers, artificers, and other store owners I frequented were delighted with my prolonged visits. All manners of pretty new dresses, silly wind-up toys, and other shiny baubles that the demons thought I would enjoy came into my possession. On some days I needed to return to my room to drop off the goods before continuing my travel. When I told one of the carpenter demons about the problem, he decided to make me a new chest to store the items in my room. It was a nice sentiment, but completely missing the point. At least I found out that Metabble made transporting large items a breeze.

Since I hung out around all my favorite shops throughout the week, it was a complete shock when I showed up at my favorite café one day. The freestanding building, small and unassuming on the side of the busy street, was a wreck. The majority of the structure was intact but the roof had burned away. Looking at the insides through the glass windows, much of the furnishings had been reduced to char.

The proprietor and his daughter were standing around outside the husk of a building talking with a number of other demons.

The purple-haired daughter greeted me when I approached, cat-ears flat against her head and tail wrapped around her body. “Hello there Alice. Sorry we can’t serve you anything today, we ran into a bit of trouble.”

“What happened? You didn’t get hurt, did you?”

“No, thank goodness, the old man and I are okay. It was my fault, really. I’ve been feeling pretty sick, headaches and dizziness and the like, especially around closing. I forgot to turn off one of the fires, and well, this happened.”

“Around closing? But you don’t seem sick when you talk with me.”

“Excellent, my waitressing is still at one-hundred percent!” The cat-girl chuckled before grasping at her forehead. “Ow. It isn’t so difficult to entertain one little girl, right? I think if it were busier I would just keel over right there.”

“You should take some medicine then, it’ll make you feel better. Or maybe some nice tea? Candy makes me feel better!”

“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.” The cat-girl unfurled her tail and used it tickle my nose. “We should be back up and running if you come by tomorrow, okay?”

My reply to the waitress was overwhelmed by a loud pair of shouting.

“It only goes to show how much of a brute you are to resort to such a low tactic!”

“Low tactic? You’re the one who ambushed me! Besides, shouldn’t your vaunted magic save you from some dirt?” Turning my head down the street, I saw Sara and Yuki going at it in their usual fashion while they walked.

“You blended in with the ground, you dirty cheater!”

“And you disguised yourself in the air, what’s the problem? And stop it with the terrible puns!”

“I’m not doing it on purpose! Stop trying to change the subject because you know you’re wrong!”

“I’m wrong? As if! You can ask anybody and they’ll agree with me.”

“That can’t happen because they will agree with me. Look it, there’s Alice. We’ll ask her.”

The arguing duo of demons swiveled from their walk down the street and headed towards me.

“Have fun with those friends of yours.” The waitress quickly tapped me on the back and retreated away from the oncoming storm.

“Alice!” Sara and Yuki shouted in sync.

“Red is better than black, isn’t it?”

“Black is better than red, right?”

The gatekeeper and the witch alternated between staring at each other and glancing towards me to hear my decision.

What? Why me? What in their minds labeled me as the arbitrator of truth? Nonetheless, I doubted I could ignore the problem away. It was a childish argument that I was apparently required to resolve. If I had to choose a color, the better option was…

[ ] Black
[ ] Red
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Never a useless vote around here, no siree. Still, this update…blaraghagh. It’s no fun to write in bits and pieces – feels like everything loses cohesion.

>No wagons to band
Well, ain’t that unfortunate? If I had any money to spend on advertising…probably nothing would change, but still. You are the chosen one, take up your mantle with pride.

>>10787
I honestly hoped that a better write-in would show up, as I was rather unsatisfied with mine. Well, at least my overly-long rambling seems to have helped a little in the writing, and the update went well enough. As for this one, would it be possible to dodge the question if we

[X] Break down into incoherent laughter at how silly they're being?

Otherwise, we're either going to have to make some diplomatic statement that both are just as good (which is boring and would totally ruin everyone's moods) or turn it into a joke by going for something completely different and unexpected. I'd make a reference to whatever colour Alice is normally associated with, but then I recall that she's the Seven-coloured Puppeteer. So for now, until I see what everyone else comes up with, I'll just suggest the obligatory default "suggest a colour" standby (which isn't actually a colour):

[I prefer] Plaid.

noofcourseI'mnotshippingAliceYuukawhateverwouldmakeyouthinkthat
If I actually manage to think of a colour I want to vote for, I'll make another post.

[X]Blue because its our color.

[x] Obviously they are both wrong, blue is better than black or red.

Because it is.

[x] White is better than either of those.

White is just as much current PC-98 Alice's color as blue is. (Her outfit is half white; plus, her title in Mystic Square was "Witch of Death" and white is associated with death.)
And also Yuki and Sara both have white parts of their outfits.

Thankfully Mai isn't here, so white doesn't have to be her.

[X] Break down into incoherent laughter at how silly they're being.
[X] Then kindly explain that they are both wrong, blue is much better than black or red.

[x] There's no color better then the other, they're all great.

More colors = better magic, c'mon read the wiki page.

[x] Rainbow is the best color.

Yes, rainbow is now a color

>>10793
[x] More colors the better!

[x] Do rainbows count? I like rainbows.

The better option was obviously blue.

“Wha-hahaha-” I tried to restrain myself, to maintain some form of decorum. It didn’t work.

“Ahahaha- wha-what- hah- k-ki-ahahaha-” My laughing fit subsided after a minute. “What kind of question is that? Blue is obviously the best color.”

The two demons stared at me like I had fallen into madness. Eventually, Sara was the first one to ask, “Why, Alice? That doesn’t help us here, either!”

I tapped the tips of my fingers together and bobbed up and down on my tiptoes. “Well, all the colors are rather nice. That’s why rainbows are so pretty. But of all-”

“What’s a rainbow?”

My explanation was stopped in its track by Yuki’s question. “You…you don’t know what a rainbow is? It’s all the colors together, uhm, like this.” Clenching my hand, I tossed a lump of magic through the air, a beautiful miniature rainbow arcing behind it.

Yuki watched the artificial rainbow like a hawk before turning back to me. “Huh. That’s neat.”

“Uh-huh, rainbows are the nicest. After the rain stops they appear in the sky and make everybody happy. All the colors of the rainbow are wonderful, but blue is the best one. The blue water of the river running between your toes, the blue sky way up above you…they’re the best.” I reminisced, the happy memories of frolicking around in nature characteristic of my childhood. Shaking my head to clear my mind, I thought about my current situation. “The blue crystals of Makai are very pretty, too. Blue is nice and peaceful. I guess some people think its cold, but blue is a whole lot more than that.”

Yuki and Sara looked at each other, surprisingly calm. My words seemed to have a strange effect on the demons, pacifying them in an unexpected way.

The illusion of peace was shattered within a second. “Hah, she talked about the sky, I win!”

Sara stomped her foot, a tiny crater forming in the ground. “What? I thought you were supposed to be smart – she was talking about the surface’s sky, not ours!”

“Sky is sky, isn’t it? Color doesn’t matter. Get out of here dirt-eater, you lose!” Yuki zipped into the air and flew circles around Sara, eventually shoving the gatekeeper with a gust of wind.

“I…argh! This isn’t worth it. See you tomorrow Alice, enjoy yourself.” My pink-haired friend turned smartly on her heel and walked off.

“Um, bye Sara,” I called out to the girl. She waved a hand through the air but didn’t stop. I hope she isn’t mad at me. “Hey Yuki, why were you fighting with Sara?”

“Huh?” The speedy witch dropped back to the ground next to me. “Oh, that girl was leaving the city and trotted right through my magic circle! I scraped it in the dirt and she just plowed over it so I threw some lightning at her head.”

“And then?”

“Let’s see. She ate it, went down, and ran off. I thought she left like she should have but she actually doubled back and snuck up on me! She threw a huge clump of dirt at me, the muscular freak.”

I giggled, imagining Yuki covered in a fine second-skin of red dirt. “You didn’t stop her?”

“I didn’t see that tricky soldier girl crawling along the ground. After I hit the ground we rolled around a bit yelling at each other before heading back into the city.”

“So you two were fighting, stopped, and then started to argue?”

“That’s right. That gatekeeper wouldn’t agree that she cheated! We went over to the old lady’s place to ask her to settle it, but she wasn’t there.”

“Okay…” I dropped the subject. If the two demons wanted to bicker and compete over absolutely nothing, I hoped the best for them. “So, what are you doing now? Are you going to retry whatever ritual you wanted to do?”

“Nah, I’m not very motivated about it anymore. What’re you doing, Alice?”

“Well,” I stopped to consider the time. I had planned to sit around and snack, but with the café temporarily closed for business I decided to speed up my timetable. “I was going to go to Erk’s house a bit early.”

“For your lesson, right? Great, I’ll tag along! Maybe that prissy magician will have something new to show me.” Yuki grabbed my hand and pulled me along. She nearly landed face first in the dirt when she sneezed and tripped over the metal golem sloshing around her feet. Eventually, the witch settled for floating slightly off the ground to avoid any future entanglements. “Do you know what you’re doing? Maybe improving this guy some?”

“I don’t think so.” I stooped low to run my fingers through the metal undulating around my feet. Metabble’s form reminded me of gooey cheese when I lifted some into the air.
“There isn’t much I can add right now with what I know. I guess we’ll cover something new.” Erk and I were rapidly covering many different spells and basics in order to broaden my knowledge, but none of the new material I learned was applicable to improving my golem. Magical stitching of skin would almost never help the liquid blob, for example.

“That’s a bit boring. I could never be like you studious types that need to read all day.”

“Do you not study, Yuki?”

“Of course I study! Well, it’s practical study.”

I considered the blonde witch’s words in context of her personality. “That means you…just try your spell and see if it works? Over and over again?”

“That’s right! Well, I think a lot about it first, but there’s no better way to figure things out then trying, right?”

So reckless. Yuki’s method had merit, but I much preferred Erk’s tendency to plan and prepare. Spontaneity wasn’t bad, but I would leave it up to the more hyperactive individuals.

With easy talk distracting us, the walk over to Erk’s house felt quick. In addition, having avoided becoming embroiled in a petty argument, I arrived at Erk’s home earlier than expected. I hoped it wouldn’t be a problem for the magician and moved to knock on the door, but Yuki stepped in front of me.

Without a care, the blonde witch turned the handle and opened the door.

“Was…that locked, Yuki?”

“The door? Yeah, why?”

“I…you shouldn’t enter people’s houses without permission.”

“It’s fine. I’m sure he’ll let it slide once he sees you. Let’s go find that recluse!” The witch brazenly entered Erk’s home. I sighed and followed in her wake, making sure to gently close the front door and relock it.

Neither Erk nor Aht could be found in the ground floor rooms along the hallway. I cupped my hands around my mouth and tried to call out for my teacher, but my voice did not travel. I recognized Yuki’s magic surrounding my mouth, forming a spell of silence of some sort.

“Relax, Alice, you’ll ruin the surprise if you do that.” The witch chastised me made but did not remove the spell.

I glared at the demon and did my best to dispel the silence on my own. Without a formal spell to use, I brute-forced my way through the silence and slowly picked it apart, unraveling the magic layer by layer. It wasn’t much different from peeling an apple, if the apple had multiple layers of skin and I was using a blowtorch to peel it. Eventually, I managed to speak, “Yay!”

Yuki grinned and rubbed my head. “Wow, good going. That definitely wasn’t pretty to watch, but you did i-a-a-achoo!” The witch covered her mouth as she sneezed. “Sorry ‘bout that. I guess Sara is cursing me out right now, huh?”

“I don’t think she would do that.” Though, it was true that Sara’s vocabulary tended to include more insults when Yuki was around.

“Yeah, I’m sure the airhead has forgotten all about it. It’s probably just the cold that has been bothering me.” Turning back towards the stairs, Yuki waved her hand through the air. “So, up or down, Alice?”

The stairs leading up to the second floor bedrooms and down to the library basement awaited us. Listening to the silence, I thought I heard a thumping noise, like somebody stomping their foot.

If Erk couldn’t be found on the ground floor, then…

[ ] He was possibly in the basement
[ ] Maybe he was upstairs
[ ] I could just call out again, no matter what Yuki thought
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Partying hard is non-conducive towards writing updates.

[X] Alright gang, it's time to split up and search for clues!
[X] Yuki heads upstairs while you and Metabble search downstairs.

[x] Head upstairs.

>Partying hard is non-conducive towards writing updates.

Don't you mean 'conductive'?

[x] Try to follow the stomping sound.
[x] Stay together. It might not be Erk.

>>10802
Actually, they're two different words.
Something conducive encourages something.
Something conductive carries electricity.

[x] Head upstairs.

[X] Alright gang, it's time to split up and search for clues!
[X] Yuki heads upstairs while you and Metabble search downstairs.

God dammit dont let Alice go upstairs, she doesnt need to see Erk fucking his mudgirl.

[X] Alright gang, it's time to split up and search for clues!
[X] Yuki heads upstairs while you and Metabble search downstairs.

because down is always better.

>>10806
What if it's with Sierra instead?

>>10803
Huh... You learn something new everyday.
[X] Try to follow the stomping sound.

Calling the vote here. Time to stick all the votes in a blender and see what comes out of it. Exercising authorial power for maximum carnage!

>Learning vocabulary
Congratulations! That’s one more useful thing than what I learn in my classes.

I looked upwards, staring at the ceiling in a futile attempt to identify the noise I heard. “I think I’ll go check upstairs, Yuki.”

“Upstairs? Let’s go!”

“Wait!” I grabbed onto the witch’s skirt and pulled her back. “Someone should check downstairs, too. We’ll find Erk faster that way.”

“Ahaha, is that what you think, Alice? Sure, sure, you can go explore the…noise, upstairs. In the bedrooms. Alone. Have fun!” The witch waved goodbye and jumped, flying down the stairs to the basement.

“She’s really weird, don’t you think, Luminita?” My doll nodded her head, twirling her fingers around to call the witch loopy. Metabble gurgled from around my feet. “I’m glad you two agree.”

I climbed the steps and listened. It became obvious that some commotion in the storage room at the end of the hall was the source of the noise. Making my way over, I stopped next to the pair of bedroom doors. While one was close, the other was half-open. A wet cough had attracted my attention, more noticeable than the thumping and crashing from further away.

Curious, I poked my head in.

The bedroom door swung open silently, the hinges kept clean and greased. The sound of my footsteps was muffled as well, an accidental side effect of mixing bare feet with a metal golem that stuck to me like glue.

My near-noiseless movement gave me a second to see. My eyes worked quickly to take in the unusual sight.

The blood-red splotches contrasted sharply with the rest of the white sheets. The slight odor of blood mixed with sweat and vomit. My teacher’s naked form, lying on the bed with glowing arms held tightly at his sides, with throbbing red flesh twisting back together around the stomach. I didn’t blush in the slightest; I barely looked at his body. Erk’s face, contorted in agony, had my full attention.

In the same moment I saw him, he saw me. His mouth moved rapidly, a dozen non-words spoken in an instant. Then he disappeared.

A second later the demon reappeared, standing at the side of his bed geared in his regular blue tunic and red robe. “Alice,” Erk greeted me, “you’re early today; I’m glad to see how eager you are to learn.”

The purple-haired demon standing in front of me was the picture of calm, of normality. If I had met him on the street, I wouldn’t have thought anything the matter. But that isn’t…

I didn’t respond to my teacher. I paid no attention to pleasantries, no matter how rude it might have been. I ignored my five senses entirely, instead focusing towards my sixth.

It was easiest to describe the magic I felt as colors. Having worked closely with Erk for hours at a time, I was able to recognize his unique blend of purple. It pervaded his spells and grew darker when in greater concentration.

Gazing at the light purple cloud swirling in front of me, I dismissed it from my mind. The magical apparition, the deception, was quick and dirty. The wisps of purple that floated around me were meaningless, the message carried they carried true but the source of sound false. The spells meant to deceive were ignored. Instead, I spun slowly and tracked the purple haze wafting through the room; excess energy, spent energy, from an inefficient spell.

The effects of his hastily cast spell were on par with what I could achieved after an hour to prepare. Thanks to Erk’s constant drilling of the fundamentals, I could see through his own rushed attempts at illusion. Using the concepts that Erk had employed to foil my own beginning attempts at invisibility and phantasms was effective enough.

Stopping my spin, I gazed at the darkened blob waiting by the open door. It might have made a move to leave, but instead shook and weaved in the doorway. “Erk, you…”

Frowning, I carefully edged past my invisible teacher and sat down in the hall. What would confronting the man so obviously hiding from me do? Bringing my knees up to my chest, I idly fussed over Luminita and played with Metabble.

Ten seconds later, Aht came thumping down the hallway with a crystal vial in hand. The mud girl slowed momentarily when she passed by me but didn’t stop, instead rushing into the bedroom.

The door closed with a slam, and I waited.

Ten minutes later, the real Erk came striding out of his room, Aht cheerfully following in tow. The pair stopped before me. “I’m sorry about that, Alice. I was…”

Words trailed off into oblivion. Erk lost his voice when he looked at me. I stared up at the demon, resting my head sideways atop my knees.

Blinking twice, I sighed and stood up. Shaking my body once, I smiled at my teacher. “Hi Erk! I hope you’re not mad, but Yuki did something to your door and is downstairs doing-”

“Look what I found, Alice!” The witch jettisoned upwards from the stairs, bouncing against the ceiling before landing gracefully. She had an amulet in hand, a copper skull encircled by twisting snakes.

Yuki quickly lost possession of the magical jewelry when Erk took it from here, a hand covered in flame causing the witch to yelp. “This is not for you to play with. I have not even begun the initial tests of this.”

“It’s just supposed to redirect energy to your core or something, right? What’s there to test?”

“As expected, your inelegant observations missed the mark. Other than the dozens of inaccuracies with your statement, you managed to get something as simple as the direction of energy flow wrong. I’m amazed.”

“It’s not like I need trinkets like that, right?” Shrugging off the insults Yuki bent over and wrapped an arm around my shoulder. “So Alice, did you catch Erk in the act? I never took him for such a perv.”

When her comments incited no response, no reaction, the witch frowned and glanced between us. Erk’s serious demeanor and my own forced-happy face gave the witch pause. “Ooookay, I’ll leave you two to it.” Yuki made an expeditious retreat down the stairs.

Despite her declaration, I knew there was nothing to work out. I followed after the blonde cannonball, Erk and Aht falling into step behind me. “Alice,” the magician paused, unsure of what to say.

With Metabble supporting my legs and essentially carrying me down the stairs, I turned around to face my teacher even as we descended. “Yes?”

“I…”

“Don’t want to tell me anything? Or maybe everything is okay and there isn’t a problem? I shouldn’t worry? It’s not like what I think really matters.” I spat the words out.

Useless, useless, useless. I was frustrated at everything. Even after my talk with the goddess and after listening to the support from all my friends, I was frustrated. I understood Ko’s pain of being treated as a child far too well. I had developed my impressive skills in eavesdropping for a reason.

Slapping my cheeks lightly, I took a deep breath and regained control of my tone. “Sorry. I don’t mind. If it was important you would tell me, right?”

“I…” The demon looked disgusted. I could have punched him in the gut and he would have appeared less conflicted.

No answer was forthcoming until the magician’s hand began to glow red. The light pulsed, the magician wincing with every wave. After five steady beats it stopped and the purple-haired demon answered me. “Yes, of course I would. Secrecy hurts, doesn’t it?”

When we reached the ground floor, Yuki yelled at us from one of the rooms in the house. “Erk, where do you keep the good stuff?”

“Nowhere! Get out of my house! We’ll be leaving momentarily, and I don’t want you rummaging around.”

“What? That’s no way to treat a guest, sheesh.” The witch grumbled and appeared in the hallway, stalking out through the front door.

Once the front door closed, Erk spoke to me. “Now then, Alice, shall I explain?”

“You’ll…explain?” I couldn’t keep the disbelief out of my voice. I was positive that Erk planned to brush the incident off.

“If you wish to hear it.” After I nodded in skeptical confirmation, Erk continued. “Very well. To be frank, then. My body appears to be consistently failing at semi-periodic time intervals. I believe it was my liver that, for a lack of better terminology, exploded. My diagnosis spells were not precise enough to give me a better understanding before I was forced to heal my injury.”

“N-No way!” Erk winced at my shout. “Why aren’t you seeing a doctor? I’ll go find Serra or Cosette or someone right now! You go sit back down!”

The magician raised both of his hands to placate me. “Calm yourself, Alice. Informing one of them is the last option I seek to employ at the moment. I have already imbibed a rather potent elixir that seems to have completely cured the problem.”

My shrill voice made my own ears ring. Even if the demon was looking as healthy as ever, I still remembered the shocking condition I had found him in. “That’s not right at all! You shouldn’t be risky like that. And if this has been happening all the time, why don’t you see someone about it? It’s dumb to wait!”

“Indeed, my health suffers for this. However, these strange medical occurrences are symptoms of a larger problem that I need to understand.”

“A larger problem? Do you know why this is happening to you?”

“Not exactly. I have reason to believe it is related to my current research in some way. Suffering these minor accidents is necessary until I understand the problem.”

I puffed my cheeks out and blew a raspberry and the dumb male. “That’s stupid. Why can’t you ask someone else to help you?”

“If I were to inform others, would they not have the same opinion as you? If they stopped my research, I would be no closer to understanding what is wrong with the procedures I thought safe.”

All the tools in my arsenal would not persuade the magician, I could tell. The demons of Makai were far too resistant to my childish wiles. I hugged Luminita closer to my chest and sighed. “Promise you’ll ask for real help if it gets worse?”

Erk ruffled my hair. “You have my word.”

I nodded in contentment and then sent Metabble surging into Erk’s knee, knocking the magician over. Quickly scrambling out the door, I called back, “That’s for worrying me and acting so sketchy!”

Yuki greeted me when I barged outside. “Get everything sorted out?”

“I guess.”

The purple-haired magician came hobbling out of his home a few seconds later, gingerly supporting himself on Aht’s shoulder. Doing his best to look composed, Erk addressed me in his teacher voice. “I hope you do not mind a bit of travel for today’s lesson, Alice.”

“We’re going somewhere? Cool!” Everybody ignored the excitable witch standing off to the side.

“Where are we going?” I asked.

“A field trip, if you wish to call it that. I’ve arranged a visit in order to help you understand the more physical aspects of your magic.”

“Okay. Is it far?”

“It is not a long flight, out past the forest and into Makai. If you don’t feel comfortable traveling that far yet, then we can-”

“I’ll do it.” I interrupted Erk and hopped into the air. Magic power brimming at my fingertips, I wanted nothing more than to test what I had learnt from weeks of tutelage specifically tailored towards helping me cope with the dangers of Makai.

“That’s the spirit, Alice!” Yuki cheered me on. Whether Erk wanted her there or not, the witch would join us for the trip. In the corner of my mind, I was glad to have another person looking out for us.

“Very well. Aht, if you would please guide Alice’s golem if it veers off course?” Our small group took to the air and followed Erk’s lead. The artificial members of the group were land-bound but managed to follow along well enough, able to run as fast as our leisurely flight took us.

We made quick time flying over the top of the crystal forest. Even after the numerous incidents that occurred in it, the crystalline trees were pristine. Any evidence of magical fires scorching the earth was non-existent.

On the far side of the forest, all damage had also been repaired. The gouge in the trees torn away by Iris was non-existent, having been filled with replacements. The clean, red dirt in front of the forest held no remembrance to the graveyard of blue crystal that had fallen upon it.

Our flight took us past the tall stone tower that Maria had been praying in. I asked about the dozens of strange sights I saw in the distant, from the marsh-like terrain to the giant turtle shell. Eventually, we lowered to the ground near a building, centered on a crater in the ground.

The structure was large enough. Industrial looking with two floors and numerous windows, a single smoke stack stood attached to the building, inert. Tracks led from a steel door and looped around the building and sloped down through a hole in the crater. It was a factory of some sort.

We stood in front of a wide double door for half a second before it slammed open.

A demon stepped outside to greet us. Another blonde…have I seen her before?

“Welcome to Ironside Solutions! We are grateful for your visit today, Ladies and Gentleman.” The demon, dressed primly in a suit, gave us a deep bow.

I stared at her features, working backwards through my memories. The lively, attentive demon standing before us was a stranger, but I could see some similarities in her features. “Thank you…Luize?”

“You’re welcome, Miss Margatroid. It brightens my day to know that you remember me.”

“I do, but it was kind of difficult to figure it out. You aren’t, exactly, um…”

“Luize knows when to maintain the façade of a businesswoman and when she can slack. I presume you have met her when she was in the latter state?” Erk asked me with a smirk.

“I make sure to remain professional when dealing with clients.” Luize almost glared at Erk. “May I ask if you have decided on a course of action for today’s events?”

“Not yet. I was planning on allowing Alice the choice.”

“Choose what?”

Luize used my question to launch into a speech. “Ironside Solutions is Makai’s premier company dealing in metallurgy. Out here at on of our operation centers, we both extract ores from the mines below us with innovative technology and then process the metals in our very own foundry, a facility modeled to the most modern standards availble.”

The sales pitch put Luize’s business in the utmost light, although I wondered how many other demons had wanted to set up mining operations in the first place. “What am I choosing?”

“My most recent and highly valued client contacted me in regards to a tour of the facility. The processes we use in every stage of production are what set us apart from the competition. Informing clientele about our methodology in order to foster greater understanding is a service we are willing to provide.

“As this facility is distinctly separated into mining and refining operations, each with its own intricacies, the choice of which area to explore lies with you. While reviewing the entire facility is not out of the question, I believe that with the addition of the practice your instructor would like to include, an entire tour might turn into a grueling all-day affair, an exercise you may wish to avoid.”

“I see.” With metal as my element, it made sense to try and understand more about it before learning more complex spells.

Given the choice, I thought that it was better to explore the…

[ ] Mines and get a feel for the raw materials and their extraction
[ ] Factory in order to see how metals could be refined and shaped
[ ] <Write-in>

---

I hope I don't lose power. Writing these updates by hand would break me.

To be clear on the votes, four for heading upstairs was a minority majority (two for actually going upstairs and two for following the noise, upstairs).

Then came the Scooby-Doo split, which I used because it held the majority in regards to party management.

I don't see much room for write-ins here, so

[X] Factory

We need to make her constructs more efficient, or she'll never be able to keep them up.

[x] Mines

We need to get a firm hold over the basics before we can move onwards.

[X]Factory/Refinery.
Better understanding of how to make metals metals will be the most helpful, we can investigate mining itself later. Perhaps even make an appointment to receive the tour at a later date and time.

[x] Mines

Blah blah vote now I’ll call it sometime later if there isn’t an insurmountable lead. I’ll try to get the next update out before my house floods or something.

[x] Factory and refining metals

Called. I doubt there would be many more votes than this, but better safe than sorry.

It was better to explore the factory. Learning how metals could be extracted from the earth sounded important, but ultimately unnecessary for me. I didn’t need to pull metal from the ground myself; magically produced substitutes or the blob of metal following me around would work in a pinch.

“Can we see inside this place?”

“An excellent decision, Miss. If you all would follow me then we can begin immediately.” Luize held the door open for our entire group as we entered the building.

The inside of the large structure was entirely unexpected. Compared to the relatively clean and empty exterior, the inside was a mechanical mess. Tracks and rails covered all of the floors, walls, ceilings, and even airspace as lengths were suspended midair. Mining carts were the smallest pieces moving around; large cauldrons and cranes were constantly repositioning themselves. Giant rollers and thumpers spun and clanged, conveyor belts moving all manners of raw material and finished goods to and fro. Jets of flame bellowed next to bath furnaces, yet the heat was surprisingly manageable. The noise of large metal drivers slamming down and high-powered torches welding metal was distinctive but not ear-splitting. The uncomfortable elements of the factory were dampened by magic.

Luize led us around the machines, walking up and down the metal walkways crisscrossing the interior. All of us were quiet, even Yuki, while we listened to our guide talk. “As you can see, the operations we conduct here are extensive. As an all-in-one facility we offer goods from raw materials to finished products or any step in between.”

Our demon guide stopped and raised her hand outward. The professional tour ran like clockwork as a dozen goods rose into the air in front of us. It was a spectrum of products, starting with unidentifiable rocks and ending with a mechanical typewriter.

What was strange was how the items were floating in the air. They were held aloft by Luizes; ethereal, translucent Luizes in sundresses. Their faces ranged from bored to aggravated, their blue hair styled in a dozen different ways.

The obviously magical beings drew the attention of the group more than the mundane products ever could. “Clones? No, not quite,” Yuki reached out and poked one of the floating not-Luizes holding an iron bar. The not-Luize scowled and nearly slapped the witch’s hand, but was stopped mid-movement by the real Luize.

The two Luizes whispered furiously before breaking apart. The doppelganger looked suitably chastised and floated with a frown.

Yuki nodded and rubbed her chin. “Independent reaction, huh? With these levels of energy…semi-corporealized phantasms linked to your unconscious?”

“Similar to my own conclusions, but with the variance in demeanor I would be more inclined to point towards personality fragments.” Erk chimed in with his own opinion, the two sorcerers comparing their thoughts.

The fact that I wasn’t completely lost by their words delighted me.

“Master, I don’t get it~” Some members of our group, however, were not so lucky.

Erk rubbed his servant’s head in pity, the mud girl as content as a cat. “Luize here seems to have split her psyche, her personality, into separate magically-produces bodies. Although for what reason and how it affects her I cannot definitively say.”

“The customer is always right, as they say; although I do not believe they meant it this manner.” The blonde businesswoman waved away her copies, each of the ghost-like figures disappearing in a glare of white, the objects they held plummeting out of sight. With the lack of clattering, I assumed the falling goods had been caught in some way or another.

We started to walk again while Luize explained. “This facility is modeled stringently upon the most modern processes available, specifically upon what we were able to discover of the outside world. Granted, the facility is more compacted than what is possible for most and there were other factors that have been compensated for with magic, but we have remained as faithful as reasonably possible. As such, a workforce to run the machinery became a necessity.”

“And nobody other than you wants to do this kind of stuff. Makes sense.” Yuki’s comment struck Luize in the heart, the businesswoman wincing at the blunt truth.

Erk quested after knowledge, perhaps not tactfully but at least less confrontationally. “Does splitting yourself not weaken you? I cannot imagine how you keep this facility in one piece with such measures.”

“There is no problem with our security. Should a pack of rust monsters or some such decide to bear down upon us then the workers are able to repel any assault. Every loss only increases the strength of our defense.”

“But then everything grinds to a halt until you come out and replace everybody, right?” At the rate Yuki was pounding into Luize, I was afraid our guide would topple over the side of the railing.

Luckily, the words were not enough to defeat Luize. Her strained smile was on the edge of breaking, but the blonde demon continued our tour and brought us down to ground level in order to examine the machinery in depth. I studiously paid attention while the demon explained to me how she went about creating alloyed metals and forming working products. Erk made sure to interject occasionally, drawing comparisons that I could easily follow and jot down for notes. The time flew by as we visited station after station, the miniscule variations in heating and elemental compositions being explained. Even if I couldn’t understand the material at that moment, it would be excellent information to have written down at a later date. Instead of perusing dozens of books in a library, all the pertinent material I might need would be stowed away in a single volume.

“And this concludes the end our tour. Thank you for joining us today. If you would like, we have prepared a complimentary meal for all.”

“Yeah! Food beats boring lectures any day.” The rest of the group followed the speedy witch at our own pace, arriving in the cordoned off area in good time. A cafeteria table had been laden with food and parked in the corner of the facility. The world became quieter and cooler once I crossed over the caution lines painted onto the ground.

The four living members of the group attacked the food. Walking and talking in the heated room had been taxing.

“As nice as this was,” Yuki commented between bites of her sandwich, “if you’re going to talk shop again for another hour I’ll be heading out.”

Fears were allayed with a shake of Erk’s head. “I was planning on magical exercises. I believe this would interest you?”

The witch’s head swayed back and forth like an upside-down pendulum. “What kind? Something boring I bet.”

“Being able to increase the effectiveness of Alice’s golems and magical control at once is hardly boring. Considering the nature of our visit, a lesson in explosions as you would like is hardly pertaining. Creating strengthened articulated parts would be an excellent step towards a more advanced construct.” My purple-haired teacher emphasized his point with a small illusion, a metallic doll appearing and walking stiltedly across the table like a clockwork toy.

“You’re crazy, Erk. I can think of plenty of interesting spells Alice could learn from this trip. That laser thing over there is particularly inspiring.”

Luize broke into the conversation, her professional demeanor strained with every one of Yuki’s comments. “Our carbon dioxide laser is hardly meant for your destructive tendencies.”

“No? I think it’d be pretty neat to super-charge that thing! It looks right up our little Genius’ alley, too. Or she could make her own. Actually, that’s even better!”

“I am unsure if my opinion would hold sway, but I believe Miss Margatroid would be well-off in manufacturing what can be found on these blueprints.” Luize pulled a roll of paper out of her jacket and spread it across the table, a strange device I hadn’t seen before drawn across it. “It would be a safer alternative to whatever destruction you seek to create.”

“How terrible, Luize, trying to force your work on a kid.”

“If this were an order we could easily fulfill it!” The blonde demon took a deep breath and spoke with her eyes closed. “I am sorry if my opinion is unnecessary, but I feel that focusing wholly on mechanical constructs would bolster Alice’s understanding of the material she wishes to work with.”

“Or maybe it will just-”

Erk cleared his throat and interrupted the two other girls. “This is hardly a point of contention. We will not force any unwanted plans.” The magician waited until I finished the croissant in my hand to address me. “What do you think, Alice? How do you wish to use your practice time?”

My learning, my decision; Erk was an excellent mentor in that regard. I thought that…

[ ] Improving my golems in any way possible was important
[ ] Having a few self-made tools on hand would help out in unexpected situations
[ ] Crafting outsider machines would teach me greatly
[ ] <Write-in>

---

Speed, short, fast, goooooo!

Ahem. Hopefully I’ll be working towards the next update in a timely manner instead of sitting in the darkness.

[x] Crafting outsider machines would teach me greatly

I'd like to do the laser beams, But I wanna stay on this path then stray.

Also, something I thought up, Metabble is a part of Alice, right? What if its a representation of her childlike innocence, And it gets lost/dies in Makai later, forming the Alice we know today? Just a random thought.

Hmm, write-in? Alright then - assuming Luize actually knows a thing or two about what she's making rather than just copying wholesale, then perhaps...

[X] Incorporating the architectural theories from the Outsider machines into the designs of my constructs could help reinforce their structures while cutting down on the required material and strain on my magical reserves. (Then, I could cast my spells more quickly, or otherwise put more facets into their designs.)
-[X] However, I'd find some spare time to practice with the blueprints, and possibly return at a later date to seek advice to improve on whatever results I'd have. Assuming Luize didn't mind me taking the blueprints from the premises, of course.

>>10831
Well, regarding that thought, I would think that while Metabble could well be a representation of Alice's innocence, its destruction wouldn't likely be the (direct) cause of her transformation to Windows Alice. After all, a representation is just that; while Metabble may channel Alice's childishness, it probably isn't an actual container for that part of her psyche. Alice demonstrates that she retains plenty of that even past Metabble's creation.

Not to say that she can't modify her constructs some time in the future, of course...

[X] Incorporating the architectural theories from the Outsider machines into the designs of my constructs could help reinforce their structures while cutting down on the required material and strain on my magical reserves. (Then, I could cast my spells more quickly, or otherwise put more facets into their designs.)
-[X] However, I'd find some spare time to practice with the blueprints, and possibly return at a later date to seek advice to improve on whatever results I'd have. Assuming Luize didn't mind me taking the blueprints from the premises, of course.
>>10832
This anon appears to know their stuff. Have a vote.

>>10836
Not really. The idea basically boils down to:
Making physical components to produce energy makes no sense since there'd be energy lost in the process (goddamn laws of thermodynamics); Alice might as well just directly cast a spell to create a beam.
If there are blueprints, working on them now would be a waste since Alice could, with Luize's permission, just keep them and work on them any time.
But while Alice is here, perhaps Luize could give her advice on her constructs?
Then, I just thought their structures would be the most useful and obvious thing to work on.


And we have 3 different people helping, so we could potentially get a hilarious scene boiling down to
>Luize: Triangles! You need triangles and circles everywhere!
>Alice: What.
>Yuki: Hmm, looking at that, those triangles form a regular hexagram, don't they? You could hollow out this profile lengthwise to make runes for a magic circle to strengthen it via ambient magic-
>Erk: No, if you modified the runes like so, you could have each side double up for the edges of two separate hexagrams , forming continuous interlocking circles...
>Alice: Whoa, slow your roll guys, I can only copy so fast.

[X] Incorporating the architectural theories from the Outsider machines into the designs of my constructs could help reinforce their structures while cutting down on the required material and strain on my magical reserves. (Then, I could cast my spells more quickly, or otherwise put more facets into their designs.)
-[X] However, I'd find some spare time to practice with the blueprints, and possibly return at a later date to seek advice to improve on whatever results I'd have. Assuming Luize didn't mind me taking the blueprints from the premises, of course.

A little complex for my tastes but I can deal.

[x] Having a few self-made tools on hand would help out in unexpected situations

wasted vote in the fact of whatever bandwagon is going on.

I thought improving my creations, working on what I excelled at, was the best idea. Luckily, there were new and exciting ideas outside of Erk’s books right in front of me.

Looking at the large blue scroll Luize had provided, I stared intently at the white lines that happened to form shapes and characters. The general design made sense; the idea of a horseless carriage, a car, was not unknown to me. I could understand the concept as a whole, but the specifics were another matter entirely.

“Luize, what’s a…crumple zone?”

“It is a portion of the car that is specifically designed to deform in a controlled manner upon impact in order to reduce the energy of collision and protect the driver inside.”

I rotated the blueprints around in a circle. “So it’s a part that breaks because it’s supposed to?”

The blonde businesswoman nodded. “That’s correct. I suppose that this isn’t exactly helpful to you, is it?”

“But it can be! What if I put this on a really big golem, instead of trying to put on a barrier spell? It might be easy to fix this kind of damage! Oh! Is there a metal that can crumple really easily and straighten out again?”

I saw the endless possibilities of what Luize suggested to me. The discolored fragments of Luize cleared the table for us to plan and work. Erk provided magical expertise, Luize material expertise, and Yuki inane yet inspirational ideas with occasional tidbits of solid magical advice. My hands recorded all of the theories that were explained to me into my diary-notebook. In the air around me and directly on top of the table, magical lights traced into existence the dozens of mental images I held.

“So if I use a really large strengthened spring like this, then the golem could strike like this and then pow! Off with their head!”

“You could do much better than a spring-powered punch, Alice. If I recall correctly, a rocket-powered fist is not unknown to Outsiders.”

“Rocket-powered? Like, explosions and fire? That’s cool! It could fly around and I could guide it with a spell!”

“Perhaps not even guide it, Alice. Providing a target and return point and imbuing those two locations in such a projectile would not be complicated; such a feature could be inscribed into your golem without worry.”

“Why would you even need for it to return? Just have it explode on impact! If it doesn’t take out what you want it to, you can easily throw in a few secondary explosions. Nobody would expect it!”

Our theory crafting took much more time than any actual work. Eventually we reigned in the loony ideas once they grew too wild for my tastes. Causing the entire world to explode via a chain reaction of fiery metallic hands punching towards the center of the Earth was a bit much.

Once I began to practice improving my control, the less interested members of our party wandered off. Yuki, Aht, and the dozen copies of Luize who had finished their work all went outside to mess around.

Without the clanking of machinery the interior of the factory was almost tranquil, causing every one of my slip-ups to take center stage.

Hot liquid metal slopped onto the ground. I squeaked and yanked my feet into the air; manipulating molten material with bare feet wasn’t the smartest idea.

Luize reached down with a pair of tongs and picked up the burned-through metal I had conjured. “Your conjuration was too weak, I suppose. It looks like carving a mold out of real metal is what you’ll have to work with.”

“Perhaps if you try a purely magical mold as opposed to a substitute?” Erk waved his hand and created a rainbow-light vase. “Force walls have a longevity that would not require intense concentration and also should withstand the necessary heat.”

“Oh, that’s pretty! I can do that!” Trial and error work progressed as I experimented with a variety of techniques.

Problems abounded when creating more and more advanced golems. The major problem I ran into was a rather simple one, the shaping of materials. It was not as simple as imagining a hand and creating one; more often than not, the minute details were incorrect and ruined the image of the work. Taking a metallic hand for example, fingers were too pudgy, or the palm was not smooth. Once I began to focus on the mistakes, I would accidentally cause other parts of my golem to run and create an unsightly slur down the side of the wrist.

The solution, as Luize proposed, was mimicking traditional processes of metalworking: casting. In physical terms, that would be preparing a mold and then pouring the desired material into it.

After working out the kinks, I could form relatively blemish-free products all on my own. Metals conjured out of the magic in the air, heated into a liquid, poured into a magic-force mold and then rapidly cooled for a final product. Even with all the additional steps, I still achieved the end result faster than if I levitated an every-morphing hunk of metal in the air.

“And…done.” I sighed and slumped back onto the ground, the constant concentration required to hold all of the components in place mentally exhausting, if not magically. My work completed, I twisted the key to my creation and placed it on the ground.

The tiny automobile trundled rolled forward, the brass key sticking out of the back turning innocently in place.

Applause resounded from my two mentors. “Excellent job.”

“This is high quality work; the detail is astoundingly close to the image I had shown you.”

“Thanks! Your methods really helped me a lot, Luize. It’s a lot easier to worry about the metal and the shape separately.”

“Think nothing of it. We seek to provide only the highest quality services, be it consulting or otherwise,” the blonde demon winked at me, “it helps that you’re adorable.”

“I appreciate your help in this matter as well. I’m afraid knowledge of mundane processes is out of my area of expertise.” Erk shut his own notebook while he thanked Luize.

“It is no problem. Will you be looking for further guidance later?”

“Yes, I believe so. What do you think, Alice?”

“Uh-huh. I’ve learned a whole lot today! There’s still so much more to learn, though. And…learning more about the Outside is nice.”

Luize graced me with a real smile, lazy and emotional instead of proper and business-like. “Then I can easily find more time in my schedule. We have, of course, barely scratched the surface of all the knowledge available to us. I’ll make sure to re-familiarize myself with a variety of topics. Until such a time, would you like to keep these?”

I gathered up all of the written materials Luize had provided, from the construction blueprints to charts relating the properties of metals and alloys. “Is that okay?”

“Cetainly. I can always have more copies-”

The rest of Luize’s statement couldn’t be heard over the ear-throbbing explosion. My vision became tinged with blue as a magic circle sprung into existence around our feet and cast a glow on the rest of the factory.

“What was that?” I jumped to my feet, any trace of exhaustion flushed out by adrenaline.

Luize glanced about warily. “I don’t know, but one of my aspects would be reporting to me if they could.”

“An attack, then?” Erk drew his conclusion while he stood. The magician had been touching up the magic circle he inscribed on the ground. “I imagine the explosion was Yuki; that girl would certainly respond with overwhelming force in any situation. I shall investigate.”

“I’ll go with you. This is my property somebody is destroying after all.”

“Wait,” I spoke, “what about me?”

“You should stay here, Alice. I am unsure of what awaits us outside but there is a chance of danger. Waiting for us to return would be the safest bet; this circle should repel any and all creatures with hostile intent.” Erk delivered his opinion and turned away, striding towards the door outside.

Luize stripped off her suit jacket and laid it on the table. “If you’re worried, Alice, don’t be. Whatever has decided to visit this facility should pose no serious threat – we deal with all of the common wildlife in these parts on a regular basis.”

The businesswoman turned to follow Erk, leaving me behind. Throwing my toy car into a pocket, I watched the two demons pull further away from me. With Luminita held tightly to my chest and Metabble sloshing around my feet, I…

[ ] Stayed inside and…
-[ ] Waited within Erk’s circle
-[ ] Wandered around the factory
-[ ] <Made some other preparation>
[ ] Hurried to join Erk and Luize
[ ] Snuck outside on my own
[ ] <Write-in>

---

>Energy loss
While creating a magic laser gun to shoot lasers is certainly less efficient than doing it yourself, there are other factors to consider, mainly ease of use. No need to strike a match if you have a lighter (or something like that). Everything is situational.

>Metabble
I thought it was obvious? Your lovely metal slime begins to evolve due to the constant flinging of chaotic magic around, eventually growing to the point where the spells maintaining its liquid form can no longer work and it thusly solidifies permanently, forming Windows Alice’s home in Gensokyo.

Finally, blame the hurricane for the shorter/slightly slower update, whether or not that is actually true.

Making some assumptions of Alice's capabilities here:
[X] Stayed inside and...
-[X] Waited within Erk's circle.
--[X] As a human child, I would probably be a liability in combat. It wouldn't do to leave the security of the circle Erk made specifically for me only to get hurt.
---[X] However, waiting here and doing nothing didn't sit well with me either. Clearly, this was a great opportunity to put one of my golems through a field test! There was no way this could possibly go wrong!

That assumption is that Alice can ASSUME DIRECT CONTROL of her constructs; that is, she can remotely control them and perceive through whatever senses she builds into them.

The golem build would be focused primarily on scouting (and self-repair, if possible) with only the weapons she can quickly construct. So no rocket drill punches, sadly.

>Everything is situational
Is Alice's metal affinity so strong that it would be easier for her to take such a circuitous method, that requires the conjuration of many more components, to create a laser rather than directly conjure something of equivalent strength?

>Alice's house is a semi-sentient construct
There are so many ways I can see this going wrong.

>>10862
At teh rate things are going, Alice'd have better luck just manifesting metal spears than messing with lasers, though things are threatening to make a technology gap between now and this story as Alice doesn't get fancy with her dolls, with the most being gunpowder filling.

[X] Stayed inside and...
-[X] Waited within Erk's circle.

I stayed inside and waited within Erk’s circle. What was I supposed to do? If there was a real threat out there, I wouldn’t be able to keep up with Yuki and Erk’s spell flinging. Perhaps after I had more time to practice, but I was only a liability until then.

More explosions could be heard from the outside. If it was only Yuki, she was certainly mixing it up; large, ground shaking explosions were interspaced with tiny ones that crackled like sparklers.

I sat in the center of the warding circle and complained. “This is boring.” My curiosity gnawed at me while I sat around knowing something was happening. “Don’t you think we should do something?” I asked Luminita.

My doll nodded and swung her arms around, gesticulating a dozen different motions. “Freak out?” A tiny doll hand smacked my wrist and then went back to miming. “Hit? Build? Construct? Oh, great idea!”

Scrambling to my feet, I put the adrenaline coursing through my body to use. Erk might not have wanted me to leave his warding circle, but I could easily send things outside of it.

Shape, create, form, fill, finish. A golem made on the fly, with conjured materials and quickly scrawled enchantments would never be high quality. Yet, it would perform well enough in the situation.

The butterfly I created was a wire mesh, light as a feather but large enough to contain the magic I needed to put into it. The intricate manipulation needed to create its physical form was a product of the practice I had put in.

Forming a tablet of metal in front of me, I linked the metal plate with the butterfly and sent my creation on its merry way. The butterfly flapped through the air, slipping outside through an open vent.

Multi-colored lights began to glow on the rectangular metal sheet I held in my hands. I fiddled with the spell until the tablet’s lights dimmed to where I could distinguish between the colors. Cascades of red swept across the tablet, liberally filling the space in waves. Other colors sometimes appeared; quick circles of purple and lances of pink shot across the space on the tablet, sometimes disappearing at random.

The magic sensor I created was ridiculously simple, but was the most I could accomplish quickly. The butterfly I created drew in ambient magic, mixed some of my own in, launched the combination through the air in a sphere, tracking the changes to the pulse and then relating the information back to the sheet of metal in my hands in the form of colored lights.

Whatever the three demons were throwing magic at, there had to be a bunch of them. The more I imagined, the more I wanted to go out and see. “Don’t you think it would be fine to go out and peek? I think it would- Huh?”

Faint hissing gave way to a crash. One of the factory’s walls exploded, a large hole rent in the structure. Stones scattered around the impact point while the metal layering bent inward.

“What is that?” A large, nasty orange bug crawled into the factory. Four spindly legs supported a bulbous and arched back. The creature had two antennae and a tail as long as the rest of its body. The orange-red creature’s head was as lumpy as the rest of its shelled body.

The insect seemed to wander around the factory at random, scampering along the floor from machine to machine. Two more of the creatures crawled through the hole in the wall, acting in the same manner as the first.

“Wait,” I watched more closely, and saw what the three insects weren’t leaving behind. “They’re eating all the metal?”

I watched as the three large insects swarmed over one of the cauldrons lying on the ground. The metal container changed color, from black to orange, whereupon it was consumed in short order. Within two minutes nearly the entire cauldron had been eaten, only the very bottom left alone as the insects moved on to other fixtures.

“Hey, stop that!” I shouted at the monstrous insects to no avail. They continued to scamper around and consume the machinery of the factory.

“I said stop!” Six cannonballs formed in the air and flew at the insects. The projectiles struck the monsters, two of them being knocked off their feet. The insects rose without a problem and turned on my projectiles. My conjured weapons were partially eaten before disappearing in short order, the magic I used to create them light and insubstantial.

My attack served little more than to draw attention to myself. “Whoops…Waaah!”

One of the insects charged at me, putting on a completely unexpected burst of speed. The monster slammed into the invisible barrier around me with a loud thud. It pushed its face up against the barrier, vainly trying to reach me. The other insects likewise approached, surrounding me on all sides.

“Thanks, Erk,” I muttered while turning in place, trying to figure out what to do. The magical barrier felt stable enough, repelling even the physical approach of the insects without a problem.

I was surrounded and needed a solution. I supposed that waiting for the others to return was possible, but hated the idea of relying on them when I could do something. My attackers were, by all accounts, giant bugs. What does one do to bugs? A simple answer presented itself, and I decided to try it.

Metal creaked and groan when I turned my attention upward, forcefully separating part of the walkway above me in order to use the metal as fuel for my plan. I strung my magic around the metal, crumpling it like paper. Making sure to breathe steadily, I maneuvered the material around in the air and placed it in position.

It was, without a doubt, the most inelegant solution I could think of. Yet, without proper planning, I doubted that any golem I could whip up in short time would be effective against the metal-eating insects.

With everything perfectly aligned, I let the heavy mass of steel drop from the air.

The former walkway landed with a crash, driving downward onto the back of one of the insects. The bug crumpled, its shell splitting apart under the force. It exploded in a mess of green ooze, the bug matter splattering everywhere, including past Erk’s barrier and onto me.

“Yuck!”

Crushing the bug sent the other two into a frenzy. The insects thrashed against the magical barrier, screeching in a horrid, deafening tone. I yelled out the words for a noise-canceling spell, throwing on magical earplugs that rendered everything silent.

That hurt. Ugh, this is so icky. Sorry buggies, I kind of feel bad, but you really shouldn’t be eating Luize’s things. Or me. I moved to repeat my prior attack, lining up events to crush another bug.

The falling tangle of metal walkway clattered against the floor, but did not squish any insect. The large rust-colored bug I targeted had scuttled out of the way of the falling metal. The occurrence wasn’t a fluke; the third set of walkways I dropped was also deftly avoided and quickly consumed in short order.

Hmph. Now I’m the one messing up the factory. With the insects chomping at the bit to reach me, there wasn’t much of a threat of them consuming the rest of the factory, but the small battle had become a point of honor. I couldn’t let dumb bugs beat me!

Then one of the monsters lunged at me, drawing terribly close to my face, and I screamed.

I fell to the ground, scrambling on my hands and knees back to my feet. Metabble had knocked me over and moved, carrying me away from my previous situation. “H-Hey! What are you doing? This is dangerous!”

My construct, naturally, did not answer. No matter what had occurred, I had a new problem to deal with in the form of two jumping, lunging monstrous insects.

“Stay away!” I cried out and swiftly cast my spells, throwing up walls of pure magical force to block the insects from reaching me. The bugs collided head on with slightly-visible barriers and then tried to get around them, forcing me to move and recreate the invisible shields around me.

When one insect attacked from the front and one behind I squeaked and shot upwards, flying into the air to try and avoid getting sandwiched. To my dismay, I learned the overly large insects had wings.

Maneuvering around in the air was even worse than on the ground, the two bugs suddenly obtaining a dozen new vectors of attack against me. The first ten seconds of flight were filled with close calls as the bugs whizzed by me. Concentrating on flying worsened my defenses to the point where I was battered around by the insects slamming into my barriers. Every close call only sent me tumbling through the air. As soon as I could, I lashed out with a whip of metal and dived back towards the ground.

Standing amongst Metabble, I threw out my hand and launched a cloud of metal bullets into the air, the projectiles liberally taken from Metabble’s body. It was akin to throwing super-heated sand into the air, straight out towards my attackers.

The bugs screeched with rage when the pellets of metal connected with them and seared their bodies. They broke off from their constant charges to avoid the storm I threw upwards.

The momentary respite provided all the time I needed. Putting in the effort, I intensified my magic usage. Two large iron bars swirled into existence. I threaded wires around the two bars with my magic, levitating my makeshift weapon in front of me.

When the two insects decided to charge me again, I waited for them to close the distance. One bug closed faster than its friend, drawing close enough for my attack. I smirked and snapped my fingers. Lightning arced, the odor of crispy-fried insect filling my nostrils. It was actually disgusting, worst than burnt food, but it smelled like success. The electrified rod I created slammed into the bug and pinned it to the ground, condemning the insect to the shock of its life.

The third and final insect decided it had enough. With a screech the bug zipped off, its legs swiftly taking it back out through the hole in the wall.

It came flying back into the factory, thrown off its legs and into the far wall. On fire. With parts of its body vaporized.

The demons that had been outside poked their heads through the hole in the wall and reentered the factory. Yuki’s arm was still smoking from where she blasted the insect with the force of a cannon.

I waved to the group and walked over to them. On the way, I stopped by Erk’s magical circle and checked it. It had been smudged, mostly by Metabble running across it but there was also a smaller smudge on the other side. Oops. That was probably caused by my foot brushing against it accidentally, voiding the circle’s protective power.

Yuki was the first one to greet me, her mouth moving animatedly while she gestured around with wild arms. I blinked, wondering why I couldn’t hear Yuki, before remembering. A quick mental tug and the magic around my ears dissipated. “-had to be a hundred of the critters crawling around!”

Two of the Luize clones scampered around, grabbing assortments of tools and documents and throwing them into bags and carts. The true Luize stood fixing her hair. “It’s a shame that we’ll have to abandon the facility for a time. The carcasses will likely draw rather unpleasant attention until they are completely consumed.”

“Could you not clean the remains away yourself?”

“It’s a possibility…”

Yuki laughed and slapped the businesswoman on the back. “But Luize is far too lazy for that! She only does work when it’s conveniently easy, after all.”

“Please, do not besmirch my name with such flagrant generalizations.”

I watched my friends laugh and joke with each other, none of them worse for wear. Other than the property damage and the mysterious disappearance of several of Luize’s clones, the attack didn’t harm us.

“What were those things?” I asked aloud. “They were disgusting.”

“Rust monsters, as we call them. A rather large colony was migrating and saw my factory as a good pit stop.” Luize inspected the half-eaten remains of a mechanical thumper and sighed. “They aren’t the most dangerous beasts out here, but they are certainly annoying to my operation here.”

“Are there a lot of things worse than giant bugs that eat metal?”

“Definitely, more than enough to hassle my enterprises. Mandrakes tend to sneak into my fields and disguise themselves. Mammoth worms ambush my free-ranging chattel and drag them away. Dretch roam closer to the border and pick off my seismic equipment for sport. The occasional balor completely dismantles my construction projects more often than not. Of course, those are only the major incidents. Dozens of minor beasts interfere in some way or another.”

“Aren’t…those dangerous?” The fauna of Makai was not on my academic schedule, but a few of the names rang bells from the fantastic and grim stories that Momma would tell.

“They are, which is why they are annoying. I generally have to work around the losses. It’s a necessary risk I take to operate this far out. Excuse me.” Luize was drawn away by one of her facsimiles to help pack up the movable parts of the factory.

Erk gave me a once over. “Are you well, Alice? You appear as if you had a rough time.”

“I’m great! A couple of those bugs got inside but I smushed them; I couldn’t save all of Luize’s things, though.”

“You did an admirable job. I’m impressed you dispatched these foes yourself, given their special conditions.” Erk stepped over to the rust monsters I had taken out and nudged their bodies with his boot. “I see one obviously crushed, but what happened to this one?”

“I zapped it!”

“Yeah! That’s how you do it, Alice!” Yuki cheered me on, pumping her arms with joy.

“It is unfortunate that our trip ended in such a fashion, but it all seemed to work out for the best. Your learning has been effective for this situation, at least. I’m proud of your progress.” Erk’s praise was delivered with a pat on the head, the words making my heart soar.

“Yup! But…”

“Is something wrong?”

I stuck out my tongue and poked the bug-guts covering me. A quick spell removed the offending material, but I couldn’t shake the feeling of dirtiness. “Can we go home and find a bath? This is disgusting.”

We laughed and rounded up the others, all of us heading back to the city. The flight back was calm and relaxing, the refreshing feeling of accomplishment accompanying us.

The Luizes pushed several carts filled with machinery and headed off to a storehouse, while Erk and Aht returned to his home. Yuki waved goodbye and split-off, leaving me to return to Pandemonium on my own.

Yumeko greeted me with a wrinkle of her nose, stripping me quickly of my repugnant clothes and tossing me into the washroom. The maid helped me wash up and brought me over to a dining room where the goddess was waiting.

Just as we did after every day, I excitedly told Shinki about the highlights of my activities.

“That’s great, Alice. I’m glad you could handle yourself out there. Still, I’ll have to have a talk with those children of mine, taking you out so far.”

“They’re not in trouble, are they?”

“No, no, not trouble. I’m just concerned, is all. You’ve seen for yourself how dangerous it can be, Alice, and I just don’t want you to come to any harm.”

“Then why even have such dangerous monsters in the first place? You created them, right?”

“Indeed I did. Nobody wants to get hurt, so they help my children remember to be safe if they want to head out that far.”

“Huh…” The idea didn’t make much sense to me, but I supposed that the goddess knew better than me.

“But enough of that. Did you want to show me some of what you’ve learned before you go to bed?”

“Okay!”

I pulled the goddess along, finding a large empty room to show off what I could create and evoke. Shinki clapped after my displays, sometimes matching me spell for spell with her own spectacular magic. I laughed at the dancing pumpkins and singing brooms, Shinki and I entertaining ourselves with silly fun.

Eventually, Shinki rushed me off to my room for my daily tutoring session and a good night’s rest.

I laid in the darkness of my room, thinking about all that had happened to me. Unlike when I was completely reliant on others to save me from evil spirits, I was able to take my well-being into my own hands. Magic was the great equalizer, and I relished every second my power could help.

Even with the potential for problems, for disastrous accidents to occur, everything ended well. Nobody was grievously injured or seriously inconvenienced. I could fall to sleep imagining a bright future.

---

The girl rested comfortably in the center of the room, lounging about on wonderful pillows. She laid in a swaddle of clothes, snacking away on delicious sweets.

The door slid open, the fat merchant entering the room diligently. He placed a bowl of rice and fish on the floor, generously heaped to the brim and smattered with various vegetables and bits of meat.

“Ah, that’s great. You can go now.” The girl commanded the bald man with her voice, willing him to leave her in peace.

He left without comment.

The girl ate her meal in luxurious silence. Her accommodations were far above her days in the streets and even her own childhood farm. Even if she had worked her entire life she doubted she would ever experience such comfort.

The power available to her was glorious; a reward, perhaps, for her indomitable attitude. In truth, the girl did not understand the influence she could wield. Whatever magic gave her voice domineering power was unknown to her, but she would use it for all it was worth.

She wasn’t stupid about it, though. Dreams of marching into the castle and charming the lord with the sound of her voice were dangerous delusions – she had no such capability. Ignoring the peculiar servant she had acquired herself, the only power the girl found was that her honeyed words had become more appealing.

Still, it was enough. It was enough to give her a chance to not just exist but become something greater. The girl would experiment and learn what she could, and then exploit her newfound ability for all it was worth. It only took a few deals, a few bargains and contracts, to elevate herself far and above her previous stations.

The girl took her time, slowly learning and experimenting. She wasn’t content to stay in a home not her own and leech off of money she didn’t earn. She would expand on everything she could: her power, her knowledge, her influence – and she would become as strong and as important as she could. Nothing would stop her progress.

---

After the events at Luize’s factory, life continued on.

They finally released Ko from her house arrest, allowing the antsy red-head the freedom she desired. My friend quickly settled back into our routine, laughing and joking with me on a daily basis.

Although the date continued to change in my diary, the days all blurred together. Every waking hour was filled with exciting new magic, new knowledge, and new experience. There was never a single moment for me to be bored. I could always practice my spells or my arithmetic, find Ko to wander the city with or Yuki to show me dazzling feats.

There were occasional bumps in the road, but it was similar to everything one might expect from life. Ko might cut herself with her knife or land improperly, injuring her ankle. Yuki would sneeze at an inopportune moment and accidentally tear a chunk out of the rocky ceiling. Erk occasionally wasn’t up to delivering a full lecture, or a store I wanted to visit would be closed because the owner was indisposed, but everything always smoothed out again. It was life, similar to the one I led before, if but with different surroundings.

It was a couple of weeks pass the factory trip. I finished learning about some magical healing techniques and left the school in good spirits.

“I hope you can use that stuff on me, Alice, ‘cause I know I can’t.” Ko stretched and yawned. Despite her demeanor, I knew she had been paying close attention.

“Magic isn’t that hard. You should try asking for lessons.”

“Yeah, sure, I’ll go tell that crazy witch I want to explode a house. That’ll get me quality help.”

“…I never said you should ask Yuki. Although, I think it might be a good option.”

“It’s a shame she’s out, then, huh?”

“Yup, I hope she feels better. Is Mai the one that always takes care of her?”

“Didn’t you notice? The two lovebirds always look out for each other. Yuki was the one taking care of Mai last week, you know?”

“I guess.” I never paid much attention to details like that, but it was interesting to note. It made sense – in my mind, I imagined that the two were simply trading off the sickness.

Ko and I walked away from the school and enjoyed ourselves for a bit. Finding a number of the stores I would have liked to visit closed was frustrating; at least there were plenty of other shops to visit. The red-head demon enjoyed dressing me up and laughing at the ridiculous outfits I consented to wear. I rather liked them, but Ko didn’t need to know that.

When the time came for my daily magic lessons with Erk, Ko decided to tag along. “I don’t want to go practice again today. Raiding a library and reading sounds like a nice change of pace.”

Yet, it was not to be. When I knocked on the door to my teacher’s home, it was neither the purple-haired demon nor his servant that answered. “Hi Serra, what are you doing here?”

The pink-haired healer looked down at me and smiled. It wasn’t spirited; she looked grim and defeated. “Hey there, Alice. Erk can’t teach you today, he’s bedridden.”

“Bedridden? Is he okay?”

The white-robed demon paused before answering me, as if she was debating whether or not to tell me. “Honestly? Not really. Do you know what happened to him?”

“No, he was fine during my lesson yesterday. What’s wrong?”

Serra bit her lip and sighed. “The dumbo broke his legs, but I have no idea how. I started to take a look but he just sent me away.”

Ko scoffed from behind. “Only his legs? Maybe he should exercise some more and put on some muscle.”

“I guess.” The pink-haired girl didn’t retort at all, instead turning to walk back into the house. “You girls can come in if you want, I’m sure Erk wouldn’t mind.”

I…

[ ] Entered the home and…
-[ ] Asked Serra for a magic lesson
-[ ] Tried to visit Erk in his room
[ ] Left the house and…
-[ ] Went to find Luize for some tutoring
-[ ] Checked up on Yuki
-[ ] Returned to Pandemonium to study
[ ] <Write-in>

---

>Situational
Oh no, it will almost always be easier to fire a laser yourself than create a magic laser gun. Distribution of magical abilities to non-magical users would probably be the most useful application of this specific type of magical equipment. Maybe if you want to focus all of you attention on one spell and shoot lasers at no cost greater than twitching a finger, creating such a device in advance could be worth it too.

>Technology Gap
Not necessarily. Just because we know that Alice stuffs her dolls with gunpowder doesn’t mean she isn’t capable of doing more; half-assing things for convenience’s sake is rather common, especially if you can achieve the same effect for less.
You can also consider that any of the canon action we see is Spell Card duels, where dolls seem to be an appropriate level of power – shouldn’t bring that Death Machine into a non-lethal battle, after all.
I can point to some other canon facts and the like for more rationale, but this is the basic gist of what I have thought about.

[X] Entered the home and...
-[X] Tried to check up on Erk in his room.

As if Alice wouldn't want to check how her teacher's doing when both his legs spontaneously decided to break. Presumably, this is related to his periodic organ failures? He did promise us to get help if it got worse, though I can't really say if broken legs are objectively worse than coughing blood.

>achieving effects non-magically
Ah, this is a good point, and one I should probably have considered. I can easily see Alice taking a leaf out of BatmanKo's book and bringing miscellaneous tools along with her whenever she goes out on an adventure, particularly with her limited magical reserves.

We need to learn more electric based magic so we can have a rail-gun with a though.

[x] Entered the home and...
-[x] Tried to visit Erk in his room.

>>10883
Well, that depends on /how/ they're broken. If a bone is just snapped in two in one place, that's not serious at all. What if all the bones have crumbled or melted away, or something like that?

[X] Entered the home and...
-[X] Tried to check up on Erk in his room.

What has Erk been doing?

>>10052
>railgun with a thought
>not going off the rails
>not forging an unlimited number of blades and becoming the bone of her sword
Please.

Seriously though, as we've discussed, generating energy with magic only to change it to another form is horribly ineffective - the railgun would lose power as heat and light and so on - and it's far more efficient to directly propel the with magic. However, as our OP has pointed out, having gadgets on hand is far more useful for arming other less magically-inclined individuals or our own use if we haven't the time or energy to conjure something properly. The railgun would presumably be miniaturized via magical means, of course.

Come to think of it, are there magical foci that Alice can simply blindly channel into which automatically help her in forming most or all of a particular type of spell? Sort of like a Wand of Fireball or some such, except that it uses her spell slots rather than its own charges?

[X] Entered the home and...
-[X] Tried to check up on Erk in his room.

>implying y'all punks still haven't figured it out

Congratulations roleplaying Plaguebearer-chan here. A++ non-symptomatic-carrier sneaking action, bet you got a highscore on infected.

>your village gets struck by a horrible curse-magic-sickness that brings bad luck (those two kids in the abandoned house), conflict (everyone raging at each other) and disgusting flesh-decay of various ways (obvious)
>you are the only survivor, although a child AND constantly in contact with the deceased not infected/dead although weak immune system is a given
>as soon as you are in a different environment itkeepshappening.jpg, only slower because now everyone is a tough-as-nails demon
>slight sneezes and coughs everywhere, weird behaviour (falling asleep midflight wtf), conflict, the weakest of the demons exhibits largest-scale symptoms, bad luck rampant and health-related (see catgirl waitress)
>healer chick scans us for infection, sure as hell nothing turns up, we're just fucking cursed after all

Use your brains, people.

>>10890
I dont think it dates that far back. Remember, Alice got hit with something when Koa suddenly went grimdark, or some time beforehand, I can't remember.

>>10891
Doesn't need to date that far back, she could have gotten infected in the village downfall but turned out a perfect genetic/thaumaturgic match for the curse-virus so she turned carrier.

>>10892
could also have gotten worse from when Erk hit her with that spell.

>>10893
or this infection (if that is indeed what's wrong with Erk now) could be the same ancient terror of Makai that nearly killed Koa which I'm willing to bet was dug up by Alice when making the giant hands to help Koa.

1.The last time this virus struck they cleansed it by "scorching the earth" which implies they only removed it from the surface.

2.This virus doesn't need a host to survive making it perfectly capable of remaining dormant deep below Makai's surface

>>10894
>story is called Girl of Death
>doubts that the Girl causes Death

>>10895
>death follows girl around
>cum hoc ergo propter hoc
>not just wrong place wrong time and tremendously unlucky like most protagonists
>girl of death
>of means causes
While I do not deny the merit of your viewpoint, I must point out how circumstantial most of the evidence is, and question your dismissal of the contrary opinion.

I think he's also mixing up the 2-3 storylines

As we have Alice, girl who lose her parents to demons

We have a girl whose village was affected by disease. Not sure if this is the same as the next.

And we have another that wound up hard on her luck and found herself to have the power to compel people and is actively gathering power

>>10896
Dude, I'm operating on standard storyline logic mixed with trope analysis here, not rational, real-world thinking. Pic related. If x was in spot y when z occured then x was definately affected, most likely involved and many times even the cause or reason for z as long as we are inside of a story (except if we're in a Raymond Chandler book or equivalent and I don't think we are). I mean, what are the odds that our MC's childhood trauma and therefore setup for character development are just a plot hook thown out to cast the story in DARKNESS and make it look DEEP? I trust our writefag more than using it in such a shallow one-purpose way.

On the opposite side, what are the odds that the massive impact this ocurence had on our MC's life will come back around later in the story, when we meet the whatever who caused it and get to deal with it/him/her? Figure out the culprit behind all the things going wrong right now? Have an interesting way to continue? See where I'm going?

If you can see my point then you'll see why I'm cooking with gas now. If I was writing this story, this is what I would use it for, is all I'm saying.

>>10897
There's only two storylines I can see, one is Alice with cruel flashbacks interspersed which show the horrible last days of her village and another of a girl with a much hardier life out on the streets and some random mind control powers thrown in for shiggles.

I stepped inside the house and followed after the pink-haired healer. “Can I check on Erk? I really hope he isn’t really hurting…”

“That’s fine. Let’s go see that stupid guy.”

We tromped up the stairs towards the bedrooms. Ko cursed when she slipped on Metabble and started to tumble back down the stairs – it was a good thing that she could fly.

“Yo, Alice, you should watch that puddle when there isn’t much room to walk.”

“Ah, sorry. I think I can try to enhance the compression spells later on…” I trailed off as we approached the bedroom door. Aht was standing outside of it, the mud girl not as bright and cheery as she usually was.

Serra made to open the door, but the servant stopped her. “Sorry, master doesn’t want any visitors right now.”

“Wow, he really set you out here to keep us out? Let us in, Aht. I can tell that even you don’t like whatever the idiot is doing in there.”

Progress was blocked by the buxom servant once more. “Sorry. Master said nobody enters.”

“This isn’t funny, Aht. Whatever happened, I don’t particularly care. I’m going in to treat that stupid magician.” Serra’s determined words weren’t enough. I winced when the pink-haired demon was manhandled by the muddy servant, forcefully push away from the door and slammed into the wall.

“Sorry.”

“You daft girl!” The healer broke away from the mud girl’s grip and whirled her scepter around, blue light enveloping her arms. Then Serra swung her scepter like a baseball bat, aiming straight at Aht’s stomach. The mud girl stepped into the attack and unhurriedly reached out with her hand.

Ko jerked me backwards, out of the way of the shattering gemstone. Blue shards sprayed everywhere, the head of Serra’s scepter crushed against an immovable object.

Aht’s raised arm wasn’t the same brownish substance as the rest of her body. I described Erk’s servant as a mud girl because of the general runniness of her body, but in the end she wasn’t just made out of mud. Erk had explained Aht’s creation to me in order to help me understand my own potential golems. Fragments of tougher metals and stones were laced throughout Aht’s body. The hundreds of tiny diamond fragments were of particular note. With Aht in full control of her own body, it was a simple matter to adjust her composition and place the magically-enhanced material to the top of her ‘skin’, forming an impenetrable carapace.

“N-No way…Let me in this instant!” With her magical focus rendered irrelevant, Serra resorted to her usual tactic of screaming at the tops of her lungs.

Aht only frowned and shook her head. “Sorry, but master said- Hey, wait!”

“Go, go, go!” I waved back at the other two, not even managing an apology before Ko had fully dragged me inside the room and shut the door. The red-head held a hammer-like object to the doorknob and tapped it once before turning back towards me. “Success! They should put better locks on these- What the fuck?”

I followed Ko’s line of sight to the bed where Erk was sitting hunched over, his legs stretched out across the bed.

Stretched in a literal sense. The white bed sheets were stained with blood once more, Erk’s brown pants cut off at the thighs and thrown to the ground. The magician’s legs were in pieces. His right leg was completely unrecognizable, simply strings of muscle and layers of flesh neatly arranged on the bed. His left leg was still recognizable, but not for very long. The magician was picking it apart with his magic, using his hyper-precise focus to achieve results a scalpel wielding human never could.

Ko closed her eyes and counted to three before looking again. “Damn that’s messed up.”

I knew that I should have been repulsed by the sight. Seeing anybody peel their body apart slice by slice was hardly normal, yet compared to everything else, the almost-clinical procedure before me was hardly traumatizing. “Why are you doing that, Erk?”

The purple-haired magician glanced up at us. “Examination. Figuring out what’s wrong.” His answer was terse, his attention quickly returned to his work.

“What is this nonsense? How can you even watch that, Alice?” Ko shook my shoulder, but I didn’t look back at her.

I couldn’t help but watch Erk tear apart his own leg. It was interesting. My mind raced, running through all the information I had been learning about how I could potentially fix the magician’s leg myself. Different healers had their own methods. The spells I picked up during school could only regenerate single parts at a time; they wouldn’t be enough for the leg unless carefully worked together in tandem. More than physical healing, the analysis spells Erk was using were an entirely different matter. He had layered spells over his eyes and his ears, different enchantments to increase his physical vision as well as filter minute details. Relying only on my remote senses I couldn’t exactly figure out what else the spells were meant to achieve, but-

“I see.” My frenetic thoughts refocused themselves when Erk began to dismiss his enchantments.

“I hope you figured out what you wanted to because this whole scene smells a bit like unhealthy obsession from over here.” My red-headed friend was twirling her knife between her fingers while she waited in a corner of the room.

“What was wrong in the first place? What happened?” I asked, trying to understand the situation.

My magic teacher grabbed a book from the side of his bed and began to write in it, talking to us at the same time. “I have been trying to find evidence of why my body has been deteriorating. Past incidents have been too minor or too drastic for me to accurately study, but this proved to be a fortuitous case.”

“Fortuitous? Damn, Alice, you sure have a crazy one for a teacher. I’ll take the hyper girl with the explosions, please.”

I quickly surveyed the mess Erk had made of his limbs, reconfirming what I had already noticed. “Serra said you broke your legs, but I don’t see…”

“Any bones? Indeed. I can’t say it was fun having my bones shatter into pieces as I walked up the stairs, but this injury was enough for me to work with. I incinerated the majority of the bone fragments in order to analyze their composition and structure – you can still see some of the bone shards right there, if you wanted.”

“Seriously, this is not a healthy work ethic.”

I ignored Ko’s commentary. “Oh. So what did you find out?”

“More inexplicable events, but I believe this lends credence to my theory. Physically speaking, I should be having no problems whatsoever. Even magically, every spell I have at my disposal indicates nothing should be wrong. Yet, some force is causing my body to weaken until it breaks”

“And you don’t know what that is?”

“I have an idea. From what my research has found so far-” Erk’s explanations were interrupted by the door banging into the wall. I jumped out of the way to avoid hurtling projectile. Aht came crashing into the room, coming to a rough halt when she slammed into the bottom of the bed.

Serra came striding into the room, her body aglow with light. The normal blue from her scepter had suffused into her skin. It was some sort of regenerative spell, but it apparently gave Serra enough strength to toss around the heavy mud servant. “I swear Erk, if you set her out there to- In the name of the goddess what are you doing?”

The pink-haired healer rushed the bed even as she screeched. She struck at a blinding speed, her hand snapping into Erk’s forehead like a whip. The magician slumped immediately, his book and pen falling from his hands.

“When you wake up I’m going to beat you senseless you dumb oaf. By all that is right in the world I have absolutely no idea what goes on in your head…” Serra muttered to herself as she climbed onto the bed and straddled Erk’s body. She picked at the carefully sliced flesh and prodded the stumps of Erk’s thighs. With both the magician and his servant out cold, there was nobody to oppose her.

“Idiot. Stupid, dumb, reckless…how were you planning on fixing this?” The healer grunted and began to reposition the scraps of flesh. “Hey Alice, can you help me heal this blockhead?”

“Uhm, sure.” I handed Luminita off to Ko and left Metabble at the side of the room before walking over to the edge of the bed. “What should I do?”

“I just need you to hold any changes I make in place, maybe help fuse a few parts together. First, can you hold these scaffolds right here…”

In a strange turnabout, the hour proceeded with a lesson, of sorts. Aiding Serra in the reconstruction of Erk’s legs was my first hands-on experience with serious medical aid. The few school lessons, pointers from Serra, and bits of anatomy I had learned were barely enough for me to keep pace with the demon’s expertise. My role as an assistant was mostly filled with maintaining a number of different spells at the same time, holding Serra’s previous work together while she focused on something else. The healing process wasn’t as simple and creating new bones, than flesh, than skin. Nerves, veins, arteries, muscles – every part of the body was intertwined and had to be reintroduced together. Simply watching the healer work was more informative than a dozen lectures from a book.

The results of the impromptu procedure were stunning. Two healthy looking legs laid on the bed, attached to the rest of Erk’s body. They looked perfectly natural.

“Whew. Thanks for the help, Alice.” The pink-haired demon cleaned up, liberally applying magic to clean out the stains from working.

“You’re welcome! I think I learned a bunch. But, shouldn’t this hurt Erk a lot?”

“Why don’t you tell me?” Glowing blue fingers reached over and tapped Erk’s forehead twice.

The magician awoke with a scream. He violently trashed upright, curling up into a ball as he wrapped his arms around his legs. The magician began to chant between expletives, but his magical gestures were interrupted by a whack of Serra’s hand. “No you don’t! This is punishment for being ridiculous!”

I backed away from the pair of demons, suddenly conflicted about how much I actually helped. I sat down against the wall next to Ko, waiting for the pained cries of my teacher to end. It took awhile; without an anesthetic, the aftereffects of having your legs reconstructed cell by cell was as painful as tearing them apart.

Nothing was scarier than a doctor.

Once Erk had managed to reassert enough control to reduce his screams to agitated grunts, Serra allowed him to re-numb his legs.

With everybody somewhat calm, Ko and I ended our round of word chain and stood up. We jumped over Aht’s sleeping form on the ground and took a seat at the foot of the bed; Ko perched on the baseboard while I laid out on the mattress.

“So, now that you lovers are done with your little spat, does somebody want to enlighten me as to what is going on here?” Ko didn’t waste any time or courtesy.

“I’d like to know too, Erky-poo. Why would you ever possibly decide to force the lovely little me away, hm?”

“Weren’t you saying something before, Erk?”

The magician paled at the display of female solidarity. With no support forthcoming, Erk took a deep breath and began to explain himself.

“My recent injuries have been caused by something – I refuse to believe that random coincidence has left me in such a state. What has caused the incidents, however, is not readily apparent. As per some rather persistent instructions, I have maintained regular meals, sleep, and exercise. The tests I have run have concluded that something is wrong, but have not identified a cause. As such, I began to think about what has changed about my life recently. The only thought I had was of my most recent research.”

“You mean that purplish crap you threw at us that one time?”

Erk winced before continuing. “That’s right. It is the only source of change in my life that I can see affecting me so. In a way, it makes sense. The more I have read and experimented with this style of magic, the more I questioned what could be done with it. The accounts of those losing their souls, dying in the pursuit of knowledge, are vague. If they died, I wondered how. From other accounts that I know of, the separation of body and soul were distinct – a spirit would be formed while the body lay lifeless, much in the manner of a human who reaches the end of their natural life.

“Yet, this type of occurrence is not what I am experiencing, so I wonder if this is even the correct line of thought to pursue. It is, in the end, only a theory.”

Ko nodded in sage understanding. “So you’re just flailing around in the dark and hoping to find the right ladder out of the hole you’ve dug for yourself?”

“…Yes.”

“Well then, the answer is obvious, Good Sir! Is your soul losing it because of your unsafe and highly incomprehensible magical practices? Just check it, then.”

“…What?”

The red-headed demon leapt from her seat and landed on the floor. “Check it. Compare your soul to a bunch of other ones and see how it looks. Or maybe you can just peek at it and see if it’s being destroyed? I don’t do magic, but isn’t that possible?”

“Perhaps not as simple as you make it seem, but yes. Directly analyzing our intangible souls without causing harm is unlikely, but by forming a communion between mind and soul I would be able to tell how different my soul is from others.”

“Hold it right there,” Serra broke into the conversation. “What’s with this assumption? Your soul is somehow being destroyed by your magic? You’ve told me that your safety precautions are flawless when you experiment.”

“Not flawless, but probably enough to protect me. There’s a chance I was mistaken in my calculations.”

“Or you’re barking up the wrong tree. As much as I hate doing it, I can imagine a number of problems you might not be checking for, considering how we are these days.” There was an inflection in Serra’s voice, some sort of message she was trying to convey.

Erk’s eyes darted between Ko and I before closing. “Improbable. I have included a large majority of known possibilities in my tests. Any obscure problem that might affect me so should have garnered more attention. To think of, perhaps, a new danger is flat out impossible.”

“I’m just saying, maybe there was something insidious left around that we didn’t catch.”

“For hundreds of years, only now to take effect? Even for us, that type of long-term planning is absurd.”

“With what happened the other week? Others are still suspicious.”

The magician sighed and reached for his notebook. “Fine, it is a possibility to consider. Where to begin, then? What do you think, Alice?”

What was wrong with my magic teacher? I thought that…

[ ] Testing for some sort of disease seemed right
[ ] Linking our souls to compare to his sounded good
[ ] Asking others for their opinion might be better
-[ ] <Who?>
[ ] <Write-in>

---

>Trusting the write-fag
>Implying I have any idea of what I’m doing
Hahaha, you guys are hilarious. Isn’t it obvious that I just like to cause suffering? Man, I’d make a horrible parent. How can I make things worse? Let’s hit ‘em with the lightning! Not enough depression? Sending in the dancing, maniacal clowns!

>Magical foci
It’s possible, yes. Automating the spell-casting process and choosing the source of magic to be from the wielder’s reservoir is something you can enchant into an object. You can do a lot better than this if you give up your rationality.

Of course, in poor little Alice’s case, such an item is likely to suck her dry in no time flat. As long as you’re in a magic-rich environment, there aren’t many reasons to avoid powering your tools with all the ambient magical energy.