COI C156
Door after door, the administrator of the private server, It3ch, able to reach out every user who used the site. Specific people he needs to check after a while living without using the internet. He finds the old man again taken care the little girl.
“Sir, did you find her yet?”
“I didn’t see her, today. How about you? Do you read the news?”
“Besides something happened in Taiyou Industries”
“Other than that, Fuku City is sending those guys out again. Something bad had happened there and they ordering the entire guild to go there and help”
The old man shows a surprising reaction, this is the first in a while for him to be this happy. They look around as there are no people acting strange around the park. Most people always eyeing to people to another, and now, it looks empty. So empty that the actual community finally bring out their families to walk around the park. Northern area of Fuku City is acting lively again. It3ch is just glad they are coming together more than last week. Last week however, it was a feeling like gangs are intimidating to each day and night. Sure, they didn’t cause any problems, but their presence is too disturbing to ignore.
It3ch receives a chat message from the private server, he checks his device where Wheatley is spamming blank message for pings. He checks the beginning of the chat and sees the actual message.
“Ok, we have some problem here. Some loonies were dumb enough to reveal some crazy things. You should read this privately. This rescue operations are going to come sooner than we all thought”
. . .
“Why didn’t you tell me that they all left?!”
. . .
“Hey! Hello! I am not clingy or anything, we have clearly serious problems”
. . . a video posted . . .
“Fine, ignore me then. This will convince you to notice me”
. . .
“Please . . .”
This doesn’t look good, “Ok, I’ll be going now”
He disappears using his teleport magic. The girl sees him leave and plays along as she teleports to the old man.
“Hey there, don’t use it carelessly you might get hurt”
“I’m sorry, but this is the magic those nice people help me get away from bad people”
“Aw, I’m sure they are safe”
It3ch teleports where the video shows sighting of strange activities. He appeared in front of the store, the same store where Junko worked. He looks around and see nothing its there. He goes in as there is a powerful bright light coming from the inside.
Junko sees someone actually goes in and able to go through the illusion. Her eyes were watering and run towards him
“It’s you, I need your help. One of the people who helped us got caught”
“Who?”
She shows him the bead. From what he heard about it from C is that is from an Enders
“A guy, not from this city. What is called again?”
“An Enders”
“. . . Yeah, that’s him. He was taken away after exiting the store. I have been sending the message through the private website, and none of them respond. I don’t know what to do?”
“What about C – I mean Hito?”
“He is out from the city. He will be back in the late afternoon”
The store is being protected. The customers see the hologram magic of the clerk, while Junko is panicking and trying to calm down from what she saw. She uses her magic with the bead, because of that she can do limited amount of magic. Her body is cursed by the man from the upper floor. It3ch sees it and she really care for that Enders.
“Alright, you should stop using your magic. The curse on you will get you hurt”
“It’s fine, the bead was given to me by the same Enders. I can use my magic and it protect me to the best it can”
The store soon returned back to normal, It3ch left the store and is reaching out to Wheatley.
“Wheatley! You should’ve call me when she gets back”
“I told you I cannot do anything alone. I need my buddy to face her partner”
“Again, with your suspicion, where is she now?”
“According to the security cameras, she just got in”
“Good, I’ll be heading . . .”
“No, no, no wait. Oh, it was delayed. The two heading down south, I’ll bet that the person is what she is looking for”
“South? You mean the southern part of Fuku City?”
“I’m saying south because the security cameras over there went dark. This is the same incident from last week”
“Damn it!”
“Whoa! Excuse you”
In the southern part of Fuku City, which driven out from Chojima residences’s gaze. The two borders where sealed since the rebuilding of their city back from the start. It is clear that the two communities don’t like each other, now walled off from the two either side. The residences still hear the dangers. Azin is becoming a part of the incident. An illegal action took place, where the hookers and the pimps are having quarrel between them. The magic they cast, lock him place faced against the wall. He cannot push out from the hold, and still endure the intense pressure of their magic.
“For being weak, you sure hold yourself”
“. . .”
“You push him too strong there, he can’t even speak”
“Serves him right, I thought they brought him for a beating, but they just disappear. Only him lying on the ground”
“Hey bitch, stop talking proudly because you are in the gang now. We are here because those big guys are one of us”
“Tch* I am here because my gang went out from the city. Going to Mihayara district, Hmph. What else is something good with that shithole mess?”
Azin bears the pain of their spells. The item on him still placing judgement. It lies waits to see who are the true sinner. It wasn’t that long where two people arrived in the alleyway.
The pimps turned around. “Who’s there?”
They throw their magic as someone catches it as he juggles.
“!!? What?”
“Is that man is one of the gangs?”
The one of the hookers look at him, the face is covered a mask with LED lights showing an expression of a serous face.
“Who is the fuck actually wear something like that here?”
“Must be a cosplayer”
“Cosplayer? They are actually cosplayers?”
The hooker is confused, her eyes were widen given away some secrets. The other hooker backs her up
“Oh, shut up, we have companies”
The two strangers found him, hanging on the wall. The woman plays her cards as the magic spread on the ground. The spell reaches to them but was disrupted by unknown presence. The two keep calm and the man said to them.
“Where’s the others? Wait a minute, you are from here. What happened to those idiots?”
The tone shook them, the pimps never heard someone this scary. Neither with the woman using magic like that. The hookers were shaken a bit and the one who is part of the gang couldn’t recognize those two.
“Those two must be the boss’s”
“Boss’s? That’s it!?”
“I am a gang member, not a big timer”
“They have hierarchy?”
“You dumb fucks. Hey! We are just responding what happened here”
The two stood still and remained quiet. They expect something for them to say. It was not long that the pimps are starting to feel something familiar.
“Shit! Let’s cooperate for now. You there! You are gang a member, right? You’ll be mention about them after this”
“What?!” She looks at the two and the man still juggles their magic casts.
“Alright, I don’t want to get hurt over this”
They disappeared leaving Azin sticking on the wall. The floating object appeared at the absence of the citizens. He breaks the magic so easily leaving his wounds to cleanly wipe off like a dream. He then takes his seat on the floor against the wall waiting for them to come closer.
“Well now, we meet again. I see someone is now capable to fight against their own magic”
Tabitha confronted him as she had gained the information about this city. The Dexter Guild have provided her enough, a bit too much as she now knows about Azin’s activities. She has options now.
“If you really want to help them, why not help me first?”
“You? Spreading the message is enough for me, but taken action without knowing the law of this city will be our problem”
“I am not asking you to help me. I am just saying you should be helping me”
Azin’s eyes raised, confused by her statement as he keeps quiet.
“. . . You’re from the Not Worthy Guild, right? Why not set an example of a missionary you are and let your preaching to act?”
“I’m inspired, but not convinced. Since the end goal is to convert, I have nothing to save except them to accept”
“Then you let the sinner manifests”
“We do not hate the sinners but the sin itself. We are all sinners before facing the faith. Coming to us is personal, that’s how it is easier to become one”
Tabitha had her chances to speak with him, but she clearly no expert of this kind of conversation. She tries to use this city’s opinion on religion.
“Then how about your religion? Is there any no different to same as yours?”
“The differences are simple, it is personal. Too simple I might ask. You can question me all you want with complicated means. In the end, our answers always been simple. Because this is how your people think”
Archivist couldn’t agree to this, but after experiencing it in this city. Comparing to Enders Bridge, they are many but not enough to question fate in simple directory. This place is simple minded, cleverly enough to be baited by luxurious lifestyle. The gains they have here is too swift. Only thing he can respond to Azin’s answers in as simple as he said.
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“Then you will help us anyway. Because evil is acting”
Tabitha had thought to use her information to persuade him through his actions here, and Archivist said to him directly without a reason. Azin bows his head as he sits
“Very well, let’s go first to someone who did this to me”
The floating object opens a rift and let it out the people mugged him earlier. Without a single harm on them, except they themselves were unconscious. The people who left, sees them returned again, hidden somewhere above the roof looking down at them. They only see what happened. The hooker nods with amazement, while the others lose their doubts for a moment. One of them is calling out to the organization
“Hello . . . Yeah, there are this two here . . . What? Those guys are not even part of the gangs. So . . . Ah, I see”
The pimp said to them “We should not be bothered face those guys. They are not part of our business”
The hooker was a bit skeptic “Then how did those two is acting one of those guys. They have their intimidating presence and everything”
“Don’t bother, you remember that scary story that one of the gang leaders was easily abducted inside the internet café?”
“But that missionary guy is different”
“Yeah, then explained why he brings the wrong people here”
The other pimp thinks its suspicious too, but
“Yeah well, he holds off against our magic and the other guy is juggling our spells. I don’t want to waste my time on this”
Azin takes care of them and uses their mana to trace back to their homes, then teleport them there. They need to get out of here before someone shows up. Tabitha needs his help and his floating object is what she drawn her interest from. Through the research of Dexter Guild, this is mostly common or to the very rare item when the Not Worthy guild sends a missionary. It has references to all the historical magic interaction among all the strongest to the most wits. It also known how to go against the absolute magic, in her city terms; ultimate.
They stop at the corner of the street where there is a guard standing there. Azin greets him and secretly swipe beneath their view as the guard sense the magic appeared beneath his feet. He moves away letting Azin goes in, they followed him where he goes. The door opened. When closed, they are teleported somewhere. They appeared in the empty room with nothing there except lights to help them see. Azin raises his object in place and materialize it into a magic orb.
The magic orb recreates the room to be comfortable. The three sits on the magic furniture appearing before them. Azin listens to Tabitha’s request
“I will ask of you for help, but for now. I think Archivist is the one who convince you to cooperate. So, it will be clear that we need to help you first”
“Quite respectful to initiate mine, and I assure you. You’ll be not involved for today but to observe”
Archivist joins in “Let’s make this quick, we don’t know when will they will be coming back”
“Oh, you mean them, the people from the east coast”
He paused for a moment “You’re right, I don’t think you two won’t be helping much there. We should act on this one first”
The room changes the view into something they were been before. Somewhere in the park, when Tabitha finds the old man there. The suspect wasn’t any of the adults but one kid. He explains to them
“This would become easy for you, but not so much when it happens later. This boy is not acting well . . .”
Tabitha focuses on the boy, observing why he aims him. Azin leans to Archivist the to tell him the real reason
“. . . About that child, do you term of life size dolls”
Archivist is committed as the message is send to the bind. Tabitha listens to the strong detail that she can’t believe what she heard from him. This is no longer and act of respect, it becomes an urgent action. She remains firmed as Azin explains less detailed.
“Like most people thought religious people are hunting children”
Tabitha loses it because he deliberately references their world scandals. Azin is a guild member under Lady Constantine, she had done so much as she can’t help herself to react
“Oh, come on! We are helping you, stop making up like we are criminals”
Azin laughs as he never been laughing for quite a while “My apologies, being alone really did messed up my mind. Even waiting, I see your people holding a device to entertain themselves”
Tabitha quickly regrets made her feel bad. No one clearly knows what he is doing with limited resources, and putting her thought where he had been.
“How . . . I mean why are you helping people like this. Alone and people hate you when you tried”
“It is simple that even you wanted to ask yourself. Why come back and help your people?”
Tabitha stops for a moment and made her realize herself too. She is not going to lose more people than she had before. Azin was not finished and added a bit more.
“. . . If you don’t believe me, then believe the word of our city state leaders. The most caring among the five is only two, our leader slash Lord has respected the decision of the Ehan’Ra. While the dwarf and the goblin want your people dead. I don’t know that this is the simplicity you people want to hear. It doesn’t mean people going insane will definitely come back home. Or at least, all of you can live peacefully instead of this”
The guard outside sees It3ch is coming this way. The man is eyeing on him directly showing him the picture of Azin “Have you seen him yet?”
“He’s inside, did he make a mess again? He has visitors, and they are probably Enders”
“Enders? You mean Dexter Guild”
“Dexter Guild? I didn’t think about it. Why not wait here and see it for yourself . . .?”
The door opens and Azin walks out first. The two sees each other and the user asks him
“I’ve been tracking you. Junko saw you’ve been taken away”
“It happens to me a lot, but not in the convenience store. I guess they find out what I saw. Sorry, but I’m in the hurry”
It3ch and the guard watch him run, still not using his magic to fast travel as he said he is in a hurry. The guard checks the room where they used
“Strange, there were two people behind him”
Tabitha and Archivist were immediately teleported to where the boy is. The artificial magic sun raying down on them as beyond the sky where the clouds continue to rain on. The city barrier shows an impressive view as if the sky is frozen solid. Its dim light transparency shows special effects where this part of the barrier is emitting light to disguise as an ordinary sky.
They look around, the park is peaceful. There are no signs of trouble. Tabitha uses her card and tracked the boy. They found the traces as numerous actions were taken place here. The two uses their bind as they will investigate without being caught. Archivist bends his magic while she uses her card to give him enough mana to make it. The familiar is form as a puppet. Filling the mana inside under her senses while he controls the body, the familiar is a roll of fluff as its body being continue to put a strong detail. It becomes a furball with tiny legs with glowing eyes, its big mouth and its static magic lines curling up with its purplish fur.
The familiar holds itself still until it attracts many people around it, the familiar runs away from them, and like any over looker to watch in the distance. The children follow it and using their spells to grab it. Archivist controls the familiar and able to dodge everything they throw. One child imprisons it, but the familiar took a bite of their magic left a hole and gives them the look with its mouth patting. The familiar begins to pick the track and begin investigating. Tabitha senses the past interaction as she understands why Azin wants that kid.
In their bind,
“Archivist, someone is leaching their mana off. The kid they are using, is an actual doll”
“Azin wasn’t even give a wrong detail here. So where is it now?”
“I don’t know, it was gone for a few days now. No, it is been more than a week”
A stranger comes by looking around the park, along with the other people with him are scattering to every corner of the area. The daring people trying not acting suspicious as the adults already found out about them.
The familiar reacts and quickly attacks Archivist. The two were standing there began to move. The children were moving back as the familiar is acting intimidating. It confronts Archivist as he bends it to make a sound to make it believable. It barks, the sound of cracking thunder burst out to his ears. His expression mask was spoof and Tabitha was startled. They bump into a stranger as he is also been scared by the thunderous bark. The familiar turns away then rolls again. The children were frightened. Then the stranger comes in and concealed it.
It is starting to fade away as the mana line breaks from the powerful concealment. The stranger sees it disappear, and everyone witness it gone. Archivist and Tabitha were relief to see the random monster is gone. They confront the man and said,
“Thanks”
“No problem. I thought it was someone’s else prank. It is not nice for someone to scare the children”
The children walk away relief and disappointed. That incident was so random as they ask their parents who summoned it. They don’t know.
Meanwhile Tabitha had gathered enough information she needs. They left the park, as they follow Azin’s plan. Azin waits away from the park, as he told them that they already know they stay away from him. Something did change, as the people who are still here are now gathering groups. The details before were only a child doll comes in and out. Tabitha reports him quickly, once Azin heard the news. He proceeds to the last place he suspected.
“I thought it much, they seem to exhaust their resources and trying to spread around the city to gather more. I think you’ve done enough, meet me outside when detect me again”
Tabitha already has this kind of information, but not full details. The last data gathering that the Dexter Guild was the same day that they stop doing it. This is a different approach. Now Azin wants it do it alone, she picks out her card as she doesn’t want to know about it
“Then would care to let me use this card”
“Hmm?”
He reads her card and made him realize
“How far do you know about it?”
“Too much, I didn’t think as they grew bigger”
“Let’s be honest here. I focus this incident first because of their reanimation, and it is a forbidden act”
“I understand, if you care to make me help you like this. Then fill this card that benefits you”
Azin picks it up and be on his way. Tabitha says to her partner. “Would you want him to give your help?”
“I’ll just see how far he could take me. Those people back in the park will meet him again”
“I am worried, people like this and the Dexter Guild provided me are the same sick people I sense in my trait”
“I hope so, summon me with your card. I think I’m prepared when you’re in trouble”
“Ok, good luck out there”
Tabitha watches them off, she picks out her device and update what’s going in the private chat.
Tabitha uses her card to build up the information fused with Archivist made familiar. The mana traces throughout the city, then leads to her UI detecting where they are. She was not surprised where they are nor they came from. There is a special realm told by her information. Azin is going there alone. She reads it from the Dexter Guild’s perspective.
“This practice is identical to a known demon. But the use of those dolls is questionable to search for. Acquiring these samples made this people less desirable as they hid in the public. Using the children’s excess mana along with other people passing by fuels something they desire. There is no information among chat recognize the news about it. This is something to be aware”
Hidden somewhere in Fuku City, there is a realm made by them. Azin is able to access it through what the floating object follows him. The powers of their mana are capable interfere other people’s magic. There he sees the people are developing through their own magic craftsmanship. He casts his invisibility and go on his way. He is been here for a bit, he faced them, he confronted them, and left them leaving them to remember what they did. His spells still channel in judgement. It is almost ready, as the magic he will be using is cruel to anyone have to witness.
The realm is rich and lively like any wealthy lifestyle. Gold, ivories, statues, and exotic goods to portray to their own personal desires. All made out of mana, and there is something inside is filled with more than their mana. The mana they are using wasn’t the excess mana but traded from a demonic entity. This entity is not from this region rather from a far place. He recognized the symbol, the emblem drawn under the sandy colors. The demon is from Norvait. He steps deeper to their courtyard, then a magic seal abrupt in their fountain spraying to the air then to the ground with fluids.
They welcomed him “It’s you again, I never seen you for a while. It’s been a week”
“I’ve come here because you know I warned you before”
“Oh, we know, and we have been studying your people. You’re the only people to enter this realm uninvited. We should’ve killed if we have the chance”
“I follow your people’s customs. I might do that, but there is more than not appreciate the final moments of your life”
“True, but you’ve been annoying to us since the day you discovered this realm. It wasn’t for you. We might get raided by surprise”
The people here have been succumbed by the influenced. Because of their over-gratification, they were not active enough to shut him down. Now wasting all the mana on their fighting capabilities, their RAPs were dwindled to the point of stagnation. Leaving them any less strong, it should be their time to repent. They didn’t, Azin has to do it soon as they begin to attack him. Alone, and prepared to face the people who mocked him. With the people acknowledged him, they won’t be that easily being targeted. However, they are starting to get stronger closing into the reach of the occults.
The people are already showing their mana is being foiled with demonic presence. The demoness is here had done them greatly. Azin is already surrounded, and more to come as they signal out the others. Back in the park, Archivist senses their magic going to a realm. He tries to follow the link, then immediately stops as he feels his bending is blocked. He traces the magic circle with his fingers like a blind man reading what it says. He lets it go and leaving him behind to question what he is feeling on his hands.
The people all around already sent their magic on to him. He brings out his floating object and absorb their powerful spells. Others unleashed their abilities to counter it, it was impossible as their magic goes through his circle of influence it quickly breaks down. It absorbs further in this realm as it drains out the dream of wealth, power, and desires.
“This fucker, he really does mean he pass judgement on us”
“We can still beat him with numbers. All Horsin dumb fucks have limited mana”
The realm quickly shaken as their domains are becoming torn apart from the judgement. They never stood a chance while Azin seek further to the people who are involved the longest. He abducted them into the air holding on to their dear lives. It wasn’t even their advantage to begin with and the powers lie inside the object is beyond greater than they could imagine.
“The gods, are they really REAL! AH!”
The scream of pain coming from his mouth while the others a being slowly fading out of existence. They feel their death is coming and nothing would affect their failsafe.
Judgement befalls them. The people they brought was caught and all of they have mustered among themselves losing their powers. Their UI is going critical as the forced icon appeared on their own personal screen. ‘RESETTING!’ They tried to fight back against the judgement, others tried to flee from this overwhelming presence. Then something behind them breaks the object immense power. A figure, a lustful woman, no a life size doll, comes before them. Azin expected this much, the judgement was called because of this idol figure.
They turn around in disbelief to see the creation they have longed for, have come to life. The doll grabs the object with her magic as Azin pulls it back, both of their magic tugging away as she orders them
“Everyone! Run away now. Remember that this man and this realm are the reminders you need not judge this man lightly. I’m sorry you made this far to make me. Now go!”
The realm becomes distorted and they were force to leave this place, as their eyes focus on Azin with great wrath, they escaped with regrets.
Everyone left from the realm, the two remains. They look at each other in the eyes as she breaks the doll’s body and reveal the demoness herself. “I’ve never known that judgement day is already coming for me. Will you not realize this misunderstanding become worse because of you?”
The demoness is breaking this realm apart. Azin could not do anything as she tugs the object from his control. This sudden attack made people from Fuku City worried about their own delusional realms. Soon they will be eyeing on him.
“I hope you can see this people from what you done to their worlds, giggle*”
The realms broke out of the blue. Azin did it quickly, letting the first realm be destroyed. He escaped and appeared outside of the Fuku City main entrance. The two of them finds his location tries to follow him there. They see him as he got what he wanted. The suspicious doll, siphoning mana from others. No citizens have that kind magic like mana drain. Everyone can control their mana at will or the strongest willed. The suspicious boy is the doll, then turns out the demoness is cooperating with them secretly.
Tabitha found him as she is confused what he is being up to. “Why are you here all of a sudden?”
Azin didn’t hesitate and gives her the card. It was already written but as usable card but a passive one. She reads the card as it is written in demonic writing. Her translation wasn’t able to read it, but Archivist reads it and shared it in the bind.
“It’s called Demon’s entertainer. it has no meaning but the demon should not intervene the play. Let this character interact the creation of their influences”
They turned back to him and said, Tabitha speaks to him more loudly than her partner
“You mean!”
“Yes, I have proof. Now yours should be saving them while I’ll be facing them. My magic is revealed throughout Fuku city. I’m sorry I cannot be with you”
He moves closer back into the entrance. A curse marks on him activate quickly hurting his hand melting his flesh off. Tabitha sees it as he shows it to her, while the people around them didn’t notice him. The demoness is inside the Fuku City, never know how she got in but she is giving her blessing to the worse of people. Tabitha takes a deep breath and will be more to come as her city is being corrupted from within.