The Fellowship of the Misfits

Lore archive sideblog of @neo-misfits

[loreofthemisfits]

Welcome to the Lore of the Misfits wherein all lore posts and drabbles for the main blog @neo-misfits will be posted and/or archived here.

Disclaimer: As the canon muses are mostly canon-divergent or AU, some details here can be different from canon.

Also, the names, characters, locations, events, incidents and all other stuff written here are purely a work of fiction and are byproduct of mun's creative thoughts. Any resemblance to real life aspects are coincidental.

Neovana Main Drabbles

The World of Overflowing Fantasies

Storyline: Fontaine

What Remains from the Flow of Justice

Storyline: Retrograd

Unfantastic Dreamer Didn't Wish Upon a Star

Where Wolf? In The City?

One Who Shared the Memory

Take Him Home... City Roads?

Neovana Chronicles: Across Worlds

From Remnant, Break Through the Shadows

To Succor the Lost Rose

Records of Neovana

Lichromia, the Prismatic Land

The Lunar Septet

Other Drabbles

From Lost Ties, Forge a New Path?

Misaligned Stars in the Distant Past

Connected by Blood, Divided by Conflict

[neo-misfits]

Meanwhile, somewhere in Retrograd outskirt...

"Mreow! Feels like I've been falling for 30 minutes. I can't recall such height in Mementos."

"Wait a minute. Did I get sent back to the real world? Although this doesn't even seems like I'm in the real world of Shibuya. How did I even get separated from the team?"

Just a moment ago, he was with the team while lurking in Mementos. What surprised him more was that he's in his normal cat form while he ended up in a completely unfamiliar place.

[neo-misfits]

Toko Agatsuma

Blooming Voice, Burning Soul

Nicknames/Titles: Little Toko, Tako, Sugar Rose (virtual) Age: 18 Birthdate: March 27 Gender: Female Race: Human Height: 5'0" Weight: 99 lbs

In a futuristic city of Retrograd, she had a fairly simple life. Yet she had dreams of a strange boy who called her his sister. Perhaps a memory of her previous incarnation?

What might truly have changed her fate was meeting another boy from a different world.

Personality

While seemingly an ordinary girl, Toko has a feisty personality and is confident in herself. One who can't be easily stopped when she sets her mind to something.

As Sugar Rose, she projects a sweet persona that appeals to the public.

Abilities

Toko's hand-to-hand combat skills were a mix of several combat styles. However, she isn't proficient with them as she only based it on the action movies she watched.

Outside of battle, she's a great singer and vocal performer, which she often uses when streaming as Sugar Rose.

Backstory

She initially had a normal life in her hometown. However, due to having disagreements with her family, their quarrel soon led to her leaving the town and going to Retrograd on her own, pursuing her goals to acquire a fair amount of fame.

All to be on par with her best friend, who left earlier to follow their dream.

Her arrival in the city wasn't easy. As she needed a shelter to stay, she decided to visit her uncle, who lived in that city, and stayed with him for the meantime.

Getting fame was a competition, and it even made it more difficult to know where to start. But after seeing a couple of virtual streamers across the net, who dared Toko to make a virtual avatar of herself. Or more like using a fictional character that she and her distant friend once made.

Soon, the virtual idol Sugar Rose was born, with Toko being her voice as she announced herself to the public. While she had a slow start, she later gained popularity in the virtual world while Toko hid herself behind her avatar.

Outside her streaming hours, she had a fairly normal life while still residing in her uncle's abode. That was until she had a dream that kept appearing in her sleep.

In an unknown place filled with mist, there was a boy with a strange mark on his forehead who wore hanafuda earrings. He kept referring to her as Nezuko, his sister. Seemingly innocent at first, the closer she approached, the same boy soon bared fangs and threatened her to be with him.

It wasn't the only strange phenomenon she experienced. One time, when she took a shortcut through the alleyway, she was chased by a small mob of thugs who were about to cause her harm. Ended up in an abandoned building, she thought it was a dead end for her.

But then, a shooting star was seen in the midday sky, falling where she and those men stood. While it landed in front of her, she was in shock upon finding out what or who it was.

A young man, notably with long silver hair, not only managed to survive that fall. As he saw Toko in distress and those men appeared to have ill intent, he was able to take those thugs down with his fists and the ability to control lightning. While he won after the brawl, he lost consciousness afterwards. Not wanting to leave him behind, Toko tried to carry him and looked for help.

After that unexpected meeting, she found out that Razor, the boy who fell from the sky, was from a different world. In reluctant agreement with her uncle, they allowed him to stay in their home for the meantime.

[MORE TO BE REVEALED SOON]

Additional Information

Toko was a reincarnation of Nezuko, who is also one of her ancestors. She wasn't aware of this.

She and Rice Shower are best friends. The latter had to leave upon enrolling at Tracen Academy.

She likes bunnies and handsome guys. For the latter, she gets easily infatuated by them.

[neo-misfits]

Razor

Legend of Wolvendom

(Image Source)

Nicknames/Titles: Raz, Wolf Boy Age: 19 Birthdate: September 9 Gender: Male Race: Human (biologically) Height: 5'5" Weight: 132 lbs

A young man raised by the wolves in his world. As he slowly accustomed himself to the human norms, to be sent to a futuristic city sets a huge change of his fate.

Personality

While often seen as abrasive, bad-mouthed, and short-tempered, he can be overprotective to those who are close to him.

Abilities

Nimble and has an enhanced sense of smell. While more proficient in using a greatsword, he is also capable in hand-to-hand combat.

As he wields an Electro Vision, it grants him electric abilities that are often shifted to lightning claws and shockwaves. He can also create an Electro wolf-like entity that aids him in battles.

He also acquired the ability Overburst, allowing him to use his Vision even outside of Teyvat. It also allows him to exert more Electro output, which changes its hue from purple to red.

Backstory

Many, many years ago, a man who hailed from a distant land outside of Teyvat found himself in one of the mysterious forests of Mondstadt. He met a female adventurer who was from the said nation and went on an adventure together. While he wasn't able to return to his homeland, he considered Mondstadt his new home. The same woman he met became his wife and started their own family.

However, he faced a cruel fate when they were returning to the city. In the path they took, he and his family were ambushed by the Abyss Order. His wife was slaughtered in front of him. Enraged, he attempted to fight back, yet he was fatally wounded. Not wanting to lose another loved one, he took their offspring and ran to the woods, seeking a safer place and away from the Order's sight.

Unfortunately, they managed to catch up and struck the injured man to his death. Just when he thought he had failed to save his child, the wolves arrived on the scene and managed to take down those minions of the Abyss Order. While the wolves acted only because those entities trespassed on their territory, the cry of the human infant caught their attention, and they felt pity and brought the child to their pack.

In the deep forest of Wolvendom, the child became part of the pack, learned and behaved like a wolf in his early years before his rare encounters with a few humans from the city.

Meanwhile, in one of the tragic events that befell him, he acquired Electro Vision. It was the time when an Abyss Mage took him away from the pack and his wolven family attempted to save him. While the wolves were taken down as the mage was too strong for them, it was the moment he got the Vision that gave him enough strength to defeat the Abyss Mage.

As many years passed, he met more humans whom he'd refer to as his lupical. Even had human teachers: one who taught him basic etiquette and language to speak and write, and another who taught him how to lift a sword and fight. The latter also gave him the name Razor.

He still had more to learn. More to improve himself... and become stronger to protect those who are important to him.

Then he also met someone who appeared mostly human, with the exception of having claws. A human-beast hybrid, if one would call it. Not only was he in awe of that stranger, but he somehow managed to learn more fighting and survival skills from that beastman.

But one night, when everything seemed peaceful even in Wolvendom, chaos suddenly emerged. Strange beasts, different from the Abyss Order, attempted to invade the forest. As the wolves fought back to keep their land, so did Razor, who joined the battle. While they were able to defeat most of their foes, another entity appeared before them. One who was referred to as the Grimm Witch.

Amidst the battle against the Witch, the wolves had difficulty defeating her. In fear of the same incident happening again, Razor went head-on to fight her on his own. However, as his opponent was too strong, he didn't stand a chance and was knocked down.

Was it his end? Did he fail to save his lupical like the last time?

Just when the Witch was about to cast a spell on him, a portal suddenly appeared underneath him, which he fell into. At that moment, he didn't know what was happening. Not even about what happened to his wolf family.

For a moment, he found himself in a place that surrounded him with bright light. Before him stood a woman whose face was mysteriously blurred. With her voice so gentle and with genuine sympathy, she vaguely spoke about lending him a hand.

After that encounter, he was seen falling from the sky, landing in a building that seemed abandoned from the outside. While he miraculously survived, he found himself in a situation wherein a defenseless girl was being surrounded by suspicious men. With the assumption that those men were bad guys, he didn't hesitate to fight them, despite his weakened state. While he was able to knock them down, he lost consciousness after the fight.

Upon regaining consciousness, he later found out that he was in a different world. A futuristic city they call Retrograd. He later stayed in the same abode with Toko, the girl whom he had saved back in that strange building, while still finding out how he got to the city and how he'll return to his home nation.

Additional Information

Razor has a habit of collecting empty boxes and containers, which he also did back in Mondstadt with empty treasure chests.

He despises eating greens. Meanwhile, he likes meat and potatoes (which he didn't consider as greens).

[neo-misfits]

Take Him Home... City Roads?

(Previous Chapter: One Who Shared the Memory)

"An explosion occurred from the abandoned warehouse at Echo Street, and it is now engulfed in fire. 7 dead bodies were found inside, and the authorities are still determining their identities while also investigating the cause of the explosion."

Location: Hao's Life Restaurant Time: 20:32

"Man, danger keeps getting closer and closer to my restaurant. But that warehouse though. For something that's abandoned, who would even go there?" He remarked while he and the girl were watching the news.

"Wait. That was where we got surrounded by those guys!"

"I'm guessing that's also where your boy drops in. And those bodies... well, shit. Your boy didn't actually kill them, did he?"

"I-I don't think so. As far as how I see it, they were only knocked out."

"You better be right. Otherwise, he'll be charged for murder—"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"GAH!" The moment he opened his eyes, the boy quickly sat up while still in bed. It was as if he had a bad dream. "Where are those fuckers?! I'm gonna... what?" As he looked around, he realized he wasn't at the place he thought he was in. "Where the fuck am I?"

"Well, hallelujah. He has risen." While surprised for a moment, Hao managed to joke a bit.

"Oh my god! You scared me!" On the other hand, Toko stepped back, shocked. "B-But at least you're awake."

"Yeah. Your girlfriend even brought you here to my restaurant, out of all places." Again, the owner was making a little humor out of it.

"My what?" The boy gave a puzzled look at Hao, then at Toko. Then it struck him. "That smell. You're that girl from before..."

"Mr. Hao, he's not my boyfriend! You're giving him the wrong impression!" she panicked from that joke before looking back at the confused boy. "Ah, sorry about that. You were terribly hurt, so I had to bring you here. You did save me back there so I think I owe you a lot."

"Fine, fine. Not 'boyfie'. So..." Hao had his attention shifted to the boy. "How are you feeling right now? Got enough strength to give us a little introduction, like telling your name and where you came from?"

The boy went silent for a while, looking at his arms, which had more bandages than usual. Heck, he wasn't even used to lying on the bed, but it was comfortable, to say the least. Overall, everything around him was completely new to him, overwhelming him with confusion. All that aside...

"I'm Razor. I live in Wolvendom with my lupical and— why the fuck is that picture moving?!" Amid his attempt at an introduction, he was quickly distracted by the TV that was still on.

"Uh... That's a TV. You watch a lot of shows and news there."

"Now, little Toko. He may not be familiar with a lot of tech stuff. Let's not overwhelm him." And he looked back at the boy again. "Razor, isn't it? I'm guessing it ain't just a codename you picked for yourself. Either way, you can call me Hao, and this girl's name is Toko. Now, how about I cook you some food? You are in my restaurant after all."

"FOOD?! You have a lot of meat here?" That sure had him excited. Perhaps even starved from just hearing it.

"Yeah. Lots of it. Now, how about I leave you and Toko here? Get to know each other and all that while I prepare you a meal. Oh, Toko will get some, too."

And just when he was about to head to the kitchen...

.

.

.

.

.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

"Hao, is Toko in there? Toko?" called a familiar male voice. Of course, it was none other than...

.

.

.

.

.

"Uncle?! How did he know I was here?"

"Oh, right. I had to tell Dan that you're here. I ain't gonna hide you here from him and expect he won't find out about your boy."

"Well, I was just about to—"

"WHO THE FUCK IS THAT? SHOULD I FIST HIM TOO?!" Having an assumption that it's another bad guy, Razor was about to get off the bed, only to be stopped by Hao.

"Whoa whoa whoa! You don't get to do... that! That's a friend of mine and Toko's uncle. So he's good."

"Yeah! Uncle's a good man! He's not like those guys who—" She looked back at the TV, which still broadcasts news.

"Oh, right. The news. Let me just get the door, cook some food for you, then we'll talk about that with Dan joining us." And he left the room and might take some time to prep everything.

Time: 21:43

Various dishes were served on the table, as if it were a buffet. One might think that the cook puts passion into their work, evident from the aroma and the taste.

Speaking of... taste.

"NOM NOM NOM..." The boy was rapidly consuming the food served to him, as if he hadn't eaten for days before his arrival. Such a sight might have stunned the others for a moment.

"Never thought you were that hungry, kid. A good sight that you're enjoying my cooking, at least."

"Riiiiight..." Meanwhile, Dan was shocked overall as he looked at the boy, then at his friend. "So, let me get this straight..."

"Those dead guys in the news were chasing Toko a while ago. Then this... kid flew in and beat them down, probably used some kind of power or something, then fainted, and Toko had to carry him all the way here?"

"Y-Yeah. Sorry for not telling you about it sooner, Uncle. It all happened too fast, and I don't know what else to do. Also, he saved my life from them, so I can't leave him behind like that." Toko was staring down at the bowl of noodles served to her.

"I'm relieved that you're safe at least. But why were you there though? You do know how dangerous those areas are, right?"

"I know this might sound stupid, but... I was just about to buy a new mic and thought I had to take a shortcut there."

"All that trouble while you were searching for a mic?! You sure took a lot of wild turns—" Hao would continue to humor, but had to hold back upon meeting Dan's glare. "I mean, damn. That was tough."

"The fuksh a mic?" With his mouth still full while eating, Razor couldn't help the curiosity that had him interrupt the conversation.

"And here, I thought I was the only one who isn't a techy person." He let out a sigh as he gave his attention to the boy. "I'm... grateful that you saved Toko's life back there. However, I can't say I can fully trust you yet. Not until we confirm things with you."

"Eh?" he darted a confused look at Dan upon finishing his food. "What things?"

"Those guys you took down. The building you landed on. I'm not sure how exactly you did all that, but there are 2 things I need to know. Did you kill those men and burn that building? I ask you this because I can't guarantee ever trusting a criminal."

"Uncle, he didn't—"

"I know you already said he didn't do them. But I also need to hear the answer from him."

"WHAAAAAT?!" That sudden suspicion perplexed him more. He tried to recall what happened during that fight. While he couldn't remember all of it...

"They died?! I only beat the shit out of those fuckers. I didn't burn anything. I only fisted them and used lightning claws."

"Lightning... claws?" That had him speechless for a moment. "Not the kind of answer I was expecting to hear. Is that even like... your power or something?"

"About that, kid's a Vision holder. Kinda like those with elemental powers given by the gods. Something like that. Which reminds me..." He pulled out something from his pocket and tossed it at Razor, who managed to catch it. "Giving it back to you. We just had to check if it's real. It's not like any of us can use it anyway."

"So that gem is what you call a Vision? I'm not sure how that even—"

"Fuck yeah! I got my lightning claws back!" Exclaimed the boy as he raised both hands that were engulfed by electric purple energy, taking the form of claws. Though he might've unintentionally scared the others in the room.

"EEEEKKK!"

"Whoa, Razor boy! I get you wanna do a bit of show-and-tell here. But you better not use those to destroy anything in my restaurant. Otherwise, Dan will pay for the damage."

"Okay, I get what you mean by those lightning— wait, what?"

"Oh, shit. Sorry." And the 'claws' disappeared. No damage was done... thankfully.

"Please don't do that again. At least not without warning..."

"Well, I've seen enough strange things today. How about we call it a day and go home now, Toko? We'll continue this discussion tomorrow."

"Oh, right. It's getting late. Well, I hope you three get home safely."

"Thanks, Hao— hold on. Three?"

"Yeah. You, Toko, and this Razor kid. I can't keep my eye on him while I'm managing my restaurant."

"Eh? So I go with them?" He gave Hao a confused look. Of course, he wasn't the only one confused by it.

"W-What?! He goes with us?"

"Wait, Hao." He dragged the other guy to the corner as he whispered... "Do you seriously want me to watch over him instead? I still don't even know him besides that... Vision thing."

"Well, I'm not paid to be a full-time caretaker. That, and I believe you'd do it better than I do. There's even your niece to help you out."

"You're... unbelievable." And he sighed in defeat before walking back to the other two. "Fine. He comes with us, Toko. Now let's get back home."

.

.

.

.

.

[neo-misfits]

One Who Shared the Memory

(Previous Chapter: Where Wolf? In The City?)

.

Location: Apartment complex on Hopper Street - Retrograd Time: 14:15

"I'm back." Dan has returned, carrying a couple of shopping bags. "I recall you needed a new microphone so... Toko?" As he searched for a bit, he realized that his niece wasn't home.

"Huh? I thought she just locked herself. Now, where did she go off anyway?" There goes hoping she didn't go too far and should be able to get home before sunset.

At the same time, in Hao's Life Restaurant

As the establishment was closed in the meantime, Toko and the restaurant owner checked on the young stranger, who was currently bedridden.

"This kid sure looks beat. I'm not one who usually criticizes appearance, but he also looks out of place here. Where'd you find him anyway?"

"Well, he... fell into the building where I was surrounded by creeps."

"Whoa, whoa. Building? Creeps?! Did you get yourself in trouble before seeing him?"

"I-I was about to buy something and went on a shortcut! I tried to avoid them, but—"

"Fine, fine. We'll get back to that later. Now, back to this guy, you said he fell in the building. Like, did someone throw him inside, or did he do it to himself?"

"I'm not sure! As far as I know, he dropped in like a meteor from the sky. Like, at first, I thought it was a shooting star. But when it landed, it was actually a person."

"From the sky, you say? He doesn't look like a skydiver to me. Did someone throw him off a plane?"

"I don't know! I didn't see any plane, and those creeps surrounded me back then."

"Huh. That's some odd story there. If that's true, it's a miracle he didn't end up with broken bones when he landed. Anyway, you got away from those creepy guys after that?"

"Honestly, he was still able to get and beat them on his own. He even has this lightning power or something. And also a big beast came out from him—"

"Whoa! That's some wild imagination there. You sure you're still okay, little Toko?"

"I know what I saw back there! I'm not making it up out of the blue!"

"Fine. Just calm down for now. We'll confirm that once your prince charming wakes up from his beauty sleep~"

"Mr. Hao, I already told you he's not my boyfriend. I don't even know his name, what he is, and where he came from."

"In that case, I'll check his belongings for a bit and— wait a minute." Looking at the items from that boy that were currently set aside on the table, he noticed an ornament with a purple gem on it. It even has an emblem in it. "This is... holy crap!"

"What is it, Mr. Hao? Is there something on that gem?"

"Toko, when you said he has some lightning power, what color was it?"

"Huh? Well, it was purple, I think. Even that beast was purple too. Why did you ask?"

"Oh shit." He looked at the unconscious boy, then back at the ornament. "Your boy is from a really faraway land... and a Vision holder too."

"Vision... holder? What do you mean by that?" That confused the young lass more. "How did you know about that?"

"Well..." he sat down, still gazing at the Vision in hand. "Ever heard of the metacontinent called Teyvat? Has it been mentioned in your textbooks or any articles on the Neo-net?"

"A bit? They only said that the continent locked itself off from the other lands. At least that's what I remembered. There weren't many details about it aside from that."

"It was that secluded, huh? Well, to tell you the truth, I came from that land."

"Wait, you're from Teyvat?! Then how—"

"It was a long story. Or not? Well, that was almost 2 decades ago when I left. I never mentioned about it to Dan. Not that it's something I can simply bring up out of the blue anyway." He then continued inspecting the Vision in hand. "Anyway, this kid's got an Electro Vision. And based on its frame, he's probably from Mondstadt. It's one of Teyvat's nations by the way."

"Electro— you mean that thing gives him lightning powers?"

"You can say that, but this ain't something that can be used by someone else. I recall an old saying that those who have strong desires acquire a Vision. Although I'm more surprised that he can still use this outside Teyvat. This one's still glowing and all."

"So you mean it's supposed to not work here?"

"That's at least based from my experience. Actually, lemme show you something." Hao left the room for a moment. And when he came back, he was holding...

"Mr. Hao, is that also... a Vision?"

"Yup. This is my Vision. Or was. It should've look cooler if it's still active though. My hometown was actually Liyue, another nation neighboring Mondstadt. It's pretty much rural there, but peaceful at least."

"You also have that? But why did you leave? How did you got here?"

"Let's say curiosity got the best of me. That and I was too young back then when I thought life there was too boring. Got out from there by boat. Went through storms and was washed away into another land. That was when my Vision lost its color and realized I'm no longer in Teyvat.

Years passed and I traveled in other lands to find my purpose. Then I heard about how great Retrograd so I went here. As it turns out, I was lead to another false hope. Now, here I am. Running a restaurant that no one goes to."

"Mr. Hao..." That has her more concerned for the owner. It also reminded her of the conflict she had with her parents before leaving her own home and set foot in this mega city.

"Now, now. I didn't tell you my story to make the mood gloomy. Though it did remind how I regret leaving my homeland. Even so, at least I've met some nice people, like you and your uncle Dan. Hopefully, your boyfriend here gets into the list too once he wakes up."

"Geez, Mr. Hao. I already said he's not my boyfriend." And she pouted with arms crossed.

"I was just kidding. I wouldn't want to keep the mood down anyway. Anyway, better call your uncle or you'd get him worried for you."

Back in the abandoned warehouse Time: 19:48

While most of the thugs were still unconscious, footsteps can be heard from the shadows. One of them managed to wake, still in his weakened and wounded state.

"H-Help... There was a monster—"

"Hmph!" This female stranger looked down at him and...

.

.

.

.

.

SLAAAASH

.

.

.

.

.

[neo-misfits]

Where Wolf? In The City?

(Previous Chapter: Unfantastic Dreamer Didn't Wish Upon a Star)

Why can't I smell anything here? Why is everything so bright?

"You've fought hard, not for yourself but for those you call your family. I've seen how you wanted that tragedy not to repeat on them."

Huh? Someone's here, but I can't see her face with these damn lights.

"Where the fuck am I? And who... who're you?"

"You can say I'm a friend of one of your teachers. That being said, as much as I wanted to lend you a hand, this is the least I can provide. With this, I believe you can do what might be impossible."

"What do you mean by that? Hey!"

My eyes! It's too fucking bright!

Location: Abandoned warehouse in Retrograd Time: 12:02

A moment ago, Toko was surrounded by what seemed to be thugs in their intoxicated state. Their approach implies an ulterior motive, making her regret ever taking that shortcut. She just wanted a new mic for her stream later. But this sudden turn of events was too much for her.

Perhaps the worst is that a falling object, which she thought was a shooting star, fell right in front of her. And it wasn't an object at all. Instead...

"O-Oh my god!" From that realization, she panicked. Yet she still dared herself to approach that guy. He's not yet dead, right? The least she wanted to see was a corp—

"Fuuuuck, that hurts..." Oh goodness, he's alive. Although in a terrible state, this young stranger managed to get up on his own. Meanwhile, Toko kept her distance, in shock upon witnessing him being able to stand despite that fall.

"How did you... Where did you even... What..." Her shock was mixed with confusion. This went beyond what she could comprehend. Is he even human, or—wait. Those guys were still around.

"*cough cough* The fucking hell was that?! That better not be a bomb."

"Boss, looks like there's someone else there."

"What?! That better not be a goddamn cop!"

"Oh no! They're still here." Wanting to get away from those thugs, she quickly grabbed the newcomer's arm and attempted to pull him. "I-I don't know how you managed to survive that fall. But let's get out of here!"

"What?! The fuck is going on? Also, who the fuck are— eh?" As the dust faded, he found himself and the girl in front of him surrounded by men armed with weapons. Bats, knives, and crowbars. It appears that they really intend to cause trouble, if not only violence.

"Another kid? Is that your boyfriend, brat? He looks so skinny and shitty!" their leader mocked as they laughed at the young lad's appearance. "You think that drop will scare us off? You just came in time for a beating."

"Hey! He was hurt! Do you really want to do that so badly?!" she yelled, trying to keep a tough act. Not that it was convincing though as she was shivering in fear.

Despite the boy being confused about his surroundings, one thing was made clear to him: those men were the bad guys who deserved a beating or two.

"I can still fight them," he uttered as he shook his head, much like how an animal would. He reached for his weapon on his back and—oh. He doesn't have his greatsword with him. "Shit..."

"No weapon? Boo-hoo, kid. You'll just get knocked out either way." The other thug taunted as he charged at the unarmed lad. His bat was about to land a strike until..

.

.

.

.

.

"Don't always rely on your blade. Sometimes, you gotta grit those teeth and use those fists."

.

.

.

.

.

In a short second, the boy managed to grab the other end of the bat before it could strike him. It was quickly followed by...

"RAAAAAGHH!" A strong punch was unleashed and struck the thug from the side, inflicting him intense pain and causing him to cough up blood. Then a follow-up punch that threw him towards the other thugs.

"You think you're that tough?!" Another one rushed in with a crowbar at hand. In his first swing from above, the boy managed to evade it. Before the second thug could make another swing, a fist landed directly on his face, knocking him down.

As the brawl continued, Toko could only watch while feeling defenseless and helpless. She wasn't even sure if this guy was fighting on her behalf or just doing so because they ticked him off. What shocked her more was...

Three more of those men charged at the boy, thinking that outnumbering him would knock him down for good. But then...

As he raised his hand, electric energy in purple hues was charged from his palm. "BACK OFF!" Slamming the ground, an electric shockwave was released. Not only did it manage to push them away. They were also immobilized by the shock.

"Now you've really done it!" The leader, who was currently unharmed, threw a knife at the boy as he was aiming for the head. While that was evaded as well in a quick second, a few strands of his hair were trimmed instead.

"The fuck... did you do to my fur?!" For something that didn't actually wound him, he was infuriated that an electric aura surrounded him for a moment. He then lets out a loud howl, much like a wolf, as a large wolf-like spirit of the aforementioned aura was unleashed behind him.

"What the hell?! M-M-Monster!" The leader fell down in fright and attempted to run away. However, the wolf spirit used its claws to strike him, electrocuting him while his shirt was torn from the slash. At least he wasn't straight-up killed, right?

"W-W-What is that?!" Toko seemed to have witnessed the worst in this brawl. Or at least she believed so. Regardless, those purple lightnings were too real to be considered some kind of special effects. Too much has happened in that fight overall.

At least all those thugs were knocked down... for now.

.

.

.

.

.

"That's what you fucking get for... ughh..." As he might've exerted too much energy in the fight, the wolf spirit behind him disappeared before he lost consciousness. That had Toko rush at him to catch him. Darn, he was heavy. Even so, she couldn't just leave him like that.

"H-Hey! No, don't die here! Geez..." Checking on him, oh goodness. He's still alive, at least. She checked on her phone again, and damn, still no signal. That leaves her no other choice but to carry him to... a safer place, hopefully.

Location: Hao's Life Restaurant in Retrograd Time: 13:19

No customers at this hour, as usual. Despite the slow business, the owner wasn't bothered as he was preoccupied with cleaning the tables.

🎶 "Oh, baby, baby. How was I supposed to know... that something wasn't right—" 🎶

"Mr. Hao... I need your help!" the girl barges in, catching her breath while holding the unconscious boy on her side.

"Whoa, Toko?! What happened? Doesn't seem like your uncle's with you. Also... who's that guy? Your boy—"

"He's not my boyfriend! It's a long story. But right now..." she took a deep breath. "He needs to be treated."

"You do know this is a restaurant and not a hospital, right?" He looked around for a bit before letting out a sigh. "Well, fine. Let's take him inside. Let me just lock the restaurant real quick, then we can check on him. I'm having a feeling Dan doesn't know about this yet."

[neo-misfits]

Unfantastic Dreamer Didn't Wish Upon a Star

Ugh, my head. It's all hazy around here. Where am I again? All this mist makes it hard for me to—

"Nezuko? Is that you?"

I heard a boy calling out to someone. I can somehow see his silhouette from here. Though the person he was looking for...

"Brother!"

Wait, why did I call him that? That's not even my brother at all. Why did I even respond to that name? It's not even mine.

Even so, I approached that boy to see him closer amidst the fog. Temptation, I guess? Maybe he knows how to get out of here, at least.

"Brothe—"

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

"T̵͙̺͋͌́̊͆̄ͅh̵̨̛͉̭͍̟̫̼̮͙̹̫͎͊̕ẽ̴̲̺̫̙͈r̴̡̦͓̖͓͎̥͙̳̻̦͚͊́e̷̡̡̧̛̺͚͔̩͔̯͐͜ͅ ̸̢̻̻̦͓̹͈͛̿͆̽̓y̴͚̤̬̙̩̍͒̚ợ̵̼̃̿̽͌̓́̅͑̚u̸̬̠͓͓̗̅͋̎̈̇͐̍ ̴̼̽͂̈́͊̕͝a̸̧̓ŗ̵̰͍̝͈͓̗͚̘̠̊̈̐̉̏̏́̎̉͝e̸̱̪̹̭͑,̵͈͈̻̞̯͕̻̬̭̼̟̅̐ ̵͕͎̳̩͆̚͜͝m̷̞͍͉͉̬̦͍̾̐̋̇̌̌͜ŷ̸̧̼̻̦͍̖̰̥̤̙̓̂͒̃̂͜ ̷̢̛̯̮̼̫̰͓̗͍͉̤͍̒̈̏y̴̢̮͚̟͓͆̑̒͌̍o̸͈̙̩͖̠̞̟̲̻̫̘̅͂͐̑̃̎́̀̒̌͝u̶̖̬͐͌͒̃͑̿͗̐͝͝ͅṉ̴̨̗͇͉͂̂̂̉͐̆͑̒̈́́͘͜͝g̶̬̪͇͆͗̾̎̍̈́͘ẹ̷̄̎̽̕͝r̶̨̧̬̜͊̐̊̋͑̄̆̃̊̇̾̕ ̵͈̲̮̎͊̍̆͐͝ş̵̡̞͎͖̣̙̙͕͖̲̂̿͌͐͗̈́͜͝i̴̙̕͝s̷̳̲̤̩̠̺̥̙̮̖̖͂̓̉̆̅t̶̮̭͕̯͉͙̭̉ͅẻ̵̬̹̅̊̒̒͐̈́ŕ̶̫̼̟̮̗̠̖̣̼̳̄̑̅̈̒̽̿͜.̸̛͚̯̦̣̩̩̈̓̿̃̓̾̾̀͜͜͜͝ͅ"

.

Time: 20:48

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!"

"Toko, what happened?!" Her uncle barged into her room, in a panic upon hearing her scream.

Panting, she tried to call down, recalling the nightmare she had. "I keep seeing that boy in my dreams. I don't know why, but whenever we meet, I keep calling him brother. He doesn't even look like Yoshiteru at all."

The man let out a sigh as he then sat beside the frightened Toko. "You know, if that boy is still bothering you in your dreams, I'd give him a punch in the face for scaring you."

"Not sure if that's gotta work, uncle. I just hope he stops showing up in my dreams. Heck, I wish he weren't real either."

"Huh. It reminds me of an old saying. If you get the same dream all the time, it might be a glimpse of your previous life."

"Seriously, uncle? Do you really believe in that kind of stuff?"

"Maybe? Either way, regardless of whether it's true or not, I'd be here to protect you from any harm." He reassured her with a thumbs-up.

"You don't need to do that for me all the time. But... thanks, Uncle Dan." And she gave him a hug before getting herself back to sleep.

The next day Location: Hopper Street - Retrograd Time: 10:22

The street got busier than usual. Meanwhile, Dan was away as he has work for community service, or so he said to her niece. Which then leaves...

"Darn. I need to buy a new mic." Toko sure was in a hurry as she was heading to the electronics store... which isn't really near their residence. While following the GPS on her phone, she decided to take a shortcut.

Going through a narrow alleyway, it was creepy all around. Even so, she mustered enough courage to pass through until...

"What do we have here? We got ourselves a young beauty." A stranger appeared from the shadows at the corner. Actually, there were 3 of them, and they were all in a drunken state. She may have entered an unwelcoming territory.

"Don't give them attention, Toko. They'll ignore you quickly."

She tried to ignore them as she continued on her path. But then, one of them managed to grab her arm.

"Hey! We're talking to you, miss—"

"GET OFF FROM ME!" As a quick reaction, she punched the guy's face as hard as she could. She did manage to knock one down, but it seems that it made them infuriated.

"Why, you little brat!

The moment they attempted to grab her again, Toko immediately ran away from them. She couldn't even check her phone again to check where she was going. All she knew at the moment was that she had to be far away from those men.

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

Time: 11:38

After a long chase, she ended up in what seems to be an abandoned warehouse. What made it worse was that she strayed off from the path she should've taken. She couldn't even tell where exactly she was due to not getting any signal on her phone.

"Shoot! I got lost on the way. But at least I managed to lose those—"

.

.

.

"That brat! She should still be around here."

Oh dear. Looks like those guys are still trying to catch her. Hearing their voices scared that she had to hide behind one of the columns. It didn't take long before those same guys entered the building.

"You sure she went here? There's nobody around here, boss." "I swear she headed here. Once I get my hands on that little bitch, she won't be able to run again."

That warning scared her more, trying not to make any noise while also wishing they won't find her and just leave her for good. Shivering in fear, she wanted to scream for help. But given the situation, that wasn't a safe option.

As her gaze wandered shortly, she happened to look through the window and... what was that?

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Is that... a shooting star? In the middle of the day?

"W-What in the world is that—" As she stepped back, she accidentally stepped on a wood, making a sound that lured those men who were still after her.

"She's right here!" yelled one of them. And before Toko could even attempt to flee, she was already surrounded. Much more to her shock, there were five of them now. Or seven. She couldn't make a quick count right now.

"No, please... I don't want any more trouble..." she begged, terribly scared and teary as she couldn't believe she got into this kind of situation.

"Oh? After punching me in the face? You sure have the guts to do that. Now, how about you come with us, and we'll treat you nicely."

Given what she heard just a moment ago, she knew she wouldn't be treated nicely. Looking around, there was no way for her to escape. Even looking at the window again, it'll lead her to...

Wait, is that "star" heading towards them?

"What's that light outside?" Even those men began to notice. But before any of them could move—

.

.

.

BAAAAAAM!

.

.

.

As the "star" crashed through the window, the strong impact of its landing pushed everyone away. Even Toko who was the nearest, ended up lying on the ground. While she seemed physically fine, she was in shock of how everything all happened in just a short time.

What was that anyway? As she gets up, perhaps with some difficulty, she dared to get closer despite the dust blocking her view. It's not something like a bomb that dropped there, right?

At a closer look, it wasn't an object she found. Instead it was...

.

.

.

.

.

...A PERSON?!

[neo-misfits]

Welcome to the mega city of Retrograd, one of the most technologically advanced places across Neovana. Many had dreamed to set foot in this city and have great lifestyles.

However, it is not the most peaceful nor the safest place ever known.

In the news...

"Another robbery breaks in at Union Bank of Retrograd's eastern branch. Not only did these robbers escaped from the authorities. Their identities are still being investigated according to the police department."

.

.

.

.

.

"So much for the 'dream city'. These crimes just keep getting worse lately."

"Really sucks if you wanna make decent business for a living as well. Heck, I hardly get customers in my own restaurant. Not that I'd blame them though."

"You say I'm not a customer then?"

"A few exceptions from those customers, maybe. I'm more surprised you'd still drop by here, despite what's happening in this city. Which reminds me, you're not letting your daughter go outside on her own, right?"

"Oi, Hao! She's my niece. But yeah, she seldom goes outside these days. While that might be for her safety, I hope that won't make her turn into a shut-in."

"Sure, Uncle Dan. Man, what did her parents say when they found out she was staying in your apartment? I bet you and your sis had an argument from that."

"You're not off with that guess. Kind of a bummer being stuck in their disagreement and all that too. But can't yell at Toko or anything of that sort either. She's at the age where she can make her own decisions anyway."

"Yeah, sure. But based on the steps of parenting 101, you still need to guide the kid to do what's right. Just make sure she doesn't end up becoming a spoiled kid or whatever."

"I know, I know. I'm trying to do that." He then looks back at the screen. "I really hope she and her parents will get along soon."

[neo-misfits]

Sugar Rose's Late Night Stream 081

"Hello again, my sugarlites! I didn't kept you waiting for too long, did I? Aren't we all having a lovely evening tonight? If not, then I'll make it lovely and sweeeeeet for you~ Besides..."

"I̷̪͔͍̞̬̤͗́͋̿̽͌̾͊͋̊̀s̷̛͎͚̝̾̍̏̒̍͘n̷̟̦͖̂̇̌'̸̗̒̒̐́̒̇̔̐̀t̶̢̡̻̞̠̭͕̠̦͔̙̮̬͕̓̅͐̈́͊͋͜͝ ̷̨̡̹̤̭͖̋͋͒̿͐̾͝͝r̷̢̡͍͇̖̯̣̩̫̺̻̈́͛̃͋͒̆̑̊̕ę̸͓͒͘a̶̬͊̓͂̌͑͊̿͆l̸̛̖̺̫̩̾̀̄̀͌í̸̡̻̖̘̻̼̘̫͔̣̬̟̜͍̦͌̾̽̋t̷̛̥̏̌̄y̵̳̼̱̐̌̌̔͛̆̾͂̚͝ ̵̨̼͈̝̻̌̓͜͠t̴̗̟̩̦͎̘͖̩̯̘̗̺͚̔̈́́̎̂͊̃̽̀͝͝ͅͅǫ̴̱̻̯͙̭͔̣̭̥̦̀̄͋̍̉͛̿͌̉̿̈́͝͝ͅͅǫ̴̧̢̜͔̺̘̲͇̣̤̯͈̈́̑̌̒̋̍̈̈́͆͐͐͂̊͝͠ ̸͓̭͉̩͗͌͑̑̃͝͝b̸͇͕̯̼̼̠͚̪̬̘̺̤̻̲͋͆͗͐̒́͘͜ȯ̸͕̙̇͗̕͘͠r̵͓̩̼̯̱̣̼̼̗͔͉̮͌͐̆͗̽͜͝ĩ̴̦͍̼̝̼̇͌̃͊͑̽̀͋̎͊̚ņ̵̜̥̞̙̲̬͉̦̼͍̗̹̼͌͆g̴̛͙̲͙̗̫̳͔̤̻̻̺̬̳͐́̓͌̍̐̊͂͒͠~̷̨̳̲̖͎̠̠̫̟͖̇̀?̷̨̢̘͖̱̙̳̈̉́̇̒́̚̕ ̶̡̲̬͚͕͔̪̄̌"

.

.

.

.

.

"What was that? I didn't say that line. I don't even have that expression in the settings."

She had to make some adjustments to revert the effects back to normal and went on with the stream. It was just a minor glitch anyway, right?

[neo-misfits]

Sugar Rose's Late Night Stream 067

"Good evening, sugarlites! Oh? It's daytime there? Well, timezones sure are a wreck sometimes.

You know, I just remembered my debut a few months ago. A couple of new sugarlites, if I'm counting it right, asked me if I were a witch and I was like 'what'? I thought they meant I was getting old. I was just less than a day old back then, hahahaha!

But for real, I was so slow to realize they meant those witches in the anime. Like wow, the witches nowadays are more like magical girls. Going by that logic, I suppose I'm actually a magical girl?

How about this? As bestowed by the witch slash magical girl, Sugar Rose, you shall all have sweet dreams in your sleep. So for our late night song..."

Inhales.

.

.

.

.

.

🎶"輝きだした季節の小さな予感—"🎶

[neo-misfits]

In one of the streaming channels across Neovana...

Livestream starting in 3... 2... 1...

"Hello, Neovana! It's your favorite virtual sweetie pop, Sugar Rose~ Well, it's been forever since our last stream, hasn't it? Being busy as a bee sure ain't a sweet time and all."

Buuuuuuut since I'm back for you, my sugarlites, I'll sing you all a song to bring the hype back. Oh, not just one. Not two. But TEN songs for all of you! After that, our regular activity resumes."

"Now, to start off with our first song..."

Inhales.

🎶"世界でいちばんおひめさま—"🎶

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

After 3 hours of streaming.

.

.

.

.

.

Location: Mega city of Retrograd Time: 19:27

"Doing livestream during semester break? And here, I was expecting you'd spend your little vacation outdoors."

"Geez, uncle! It's not like I'd stream every day. I'm just doing this for extra money."

"Shouldn't you at least find a part-time job then? Although this whole virtual stuff is a whole new thing to me. That better not become like those kinds of streamers."

"I know, I know. I just sing and play a bit of video games here."

[neo-misfits]

Maya and Nasu

Twin Travelers from the "Outworld"

Maya: Look, bro! We got our own bio together. Nasu: Lu— Maya, why is that my name? Maya: C'mon! Nasu means nice! Nasu: Uh-huh...

The twins, who were believed to hail from a distant world, were fated to become among the heroes in a world of overflowing fantasies. Yet their connection to this world might be closer than they once anticipated.

Personality

Maya is often seen as overconfident, competitive, and can be a bit of a pervert. Meanwhile, Nasu is more cautious and a bit more hotheaded and reckless than his twin sister.

Skills and Abilities

Both of the twins are capable of converting their own spiral energy into elemental magic.

While Maya hasn't fully recovered her powers before being cursed, she was able to control 7 elements based on the elements in Teyvat, and can use more than one element during battle. Aside from using a sword as her main weapon, she is also capable of using bows and spears.

On the other hand, Nasu excels more in swordsmanship and using both light and dark magic. He is also more capable of using sealing and purifying spells.

Backstory

Many eons ago, the twins were born in a once-independent world of Remnant before it was destroyed. As many of the dying planets were merged by the gods to become a new world called Neovana, these twins were among those who were spared and were taken care of by the Celestial entities.

Granted with powers and lengthened lifespan as they grew, the siblings, given the names Lumine and Aether, went independent and travelled in many worlds, offering help to save them. They believe it was their destiny... until they set foot in Neovana.

Five centuries ago, they encountered a Fallen Celestial known as the Warlock of Curses. This entity managed not only to put them into eternal sleep but also gave them false memories.

Maya: So it wasn't the 'Sustainer of Heavenly Principles' that separated us? Nasu: Maya, let's... not interrupt the story.

Nearly four hundred years passed, Aether woke up first in an unknown place. As his sister was nowhere to be found, he went searching for her. All while offering help to those in need, and was once known as Hero from the Outworld.

Yet he soon disappeared after his encounter with another entity known as the Grimm Witch.

[THIS PART OF THE BACKSTORY IS SOON TO BE REVEALED]

Maya: Seriously?! Why hide this part? Nasu: I have a feeling that where 'spoilers' won't be leaked.

Fast-forward to the near present time, Lumine woke up and found herself in a land within a metacontinent known as Teyvat. Her memories were rather fazed that she couldn't recall her own name nor the face of her missing brother. All she knew was that they were separated and had to find him.

Then she met this loud, kinda annoying emergency food floating little being named Paimon upon fishing her out from a lake. And within two months, our traveler was taught about some norms in Teyvat while recalling a bit more of her lost memories. Still can't remember her own name, Paimon thought of giving her one in the meantime... Maya.

[THIS PART OF THE BACKSTORY IS SOON TO BE REVEALED]

Maya: Not another 'no spoilers'! Nasu: At least you got a decent name, while mine is— Maya: Hold it! We're getting to that part.

As she finally reunited with her twin brother, they traveled together while also acting as heroes. Not because it was "fate" that dictated them, but with their own will. Wanting to start anew, Aether also decided to have his name changed to—

Nasu: I wasn't the one who chose Nasu as the name. Maya: But it was nice. Even Paimon thinks so too.

Well, it was his sister who gave him the name Nasu, with Paimon agreeing with it.

[neo-misfits]

"I must say that Neovana have gotten bigger as a world in its entirety. But many eons ago, its so-called metacontinents used to be planets of their own."

"Back then, those planets have their own internal conflicts. Many waged wars against their own people which resulted to those worlds nearly dying.

But then, the gods of those worlds decided to merge those worlds into one. Perhaps as an experiment of sort if their people get along. Something along with that line. Thus, Neovana came to existence."

"How did I know? I was there and was among those those were in favor of the merge."

[neo-misfits]

The havoc continues in the nation of justice. Its city had already been invaded by Grimm, and the Gardemeks were even aiding those creatures. Many of the survivors had to hide in the sewers, locking themselves in so none of those monsters or the machines could get to them.

The Spina di Rosula were trying their best to keep the people in Fleuve Cendre safe. But without their leader, it became difficult for them to organize everything on their own.

Meanwhile, in the city above them…

"These Gardemeks are getting out of hand." Not only was the patrol captain surprised that these machinations were also causing the chaos. As her men were taken down, she was outnumbered and may not be able to hold them off on her own for long. Even so, she kept firing her musket at any of those Gardemeks coming closer to her.

As one of them was about to strike her from behind…

BANG!

The robot from behind seemed to be shot at its weak point, knocked down. As to who struck it down, it was another person in the scene, riding on what seems to be a mechanical horse, and didn't have any resemblance to those Gardemeks or any of Fontaine's machineries.

"Are you alright, miss? It's not safe for you to stay longer here."

"You're telling that to me while I should be fighting for Fontaine? I appreciate your help, but I can still keep up."

Their conversation was then interrupted when more Gardemeks surrounded them.

"Looks like we got more company. I hope you don't mind assisting you then. En garde!"

Still on the mech horse, he rushed through a small crowd of those robots, slashing and shooting them with a gunblade in hand.

Underneath his cape, 2 small mechanical constructs came out and shifted their forms into combat drones, aiding in battle by shooting lasers at the Gardemeks within the perimeter.

On the other hand, Chevreuse was also shooting at the other enemy robots with Pyro-infused bullets from her musket.

[neo-misfits]

Location: Within the walls of the Court of Fontaine Time: 21:20

In a short period of time, the already peaceful nation of justice was suddenly invaded by dark creatures with marked masks, different from the hilichurls or other beings the people was familiar of

What made it worse was that the Gardemeks acted in their own and began attacking the citizens as well, making then flee in an attempt to save their own lives.

Somewhere, outside the city...

"All is going well, just as our highness envisioned." The mysterious entity was watching through a large screen. Of course, he wasn't the only one seeing the chaos.

"Why? Why would you go this far?" Sealed in a barrier was the Iudex, rendered powerless inside the said barrier.

"For someone who is the current face of 'justice', siding with the 'sinners' is quite unlikely. Now, for the experiment to be successful, we'll be needing her to complete the prototype."

"Her? No, I won't allow you to lay a hand on her."

"Why act protective of the one who lied to you for centuries? Not that you can do anything about it. The Anti-Spiral's technology truly is powerful enough that even a Sovereign can't destroy it."

[neo-misfits]

What Remains from the Flow of Justice

Let the curtains open once more for the grand entrance of "her" return.

"Ow… I think I bumped my head on something," uttered the young blonde as she woke up in a place that was all pitch black. Not a single spark of light to see, hinting at her whereabouts. She may not be the only one in that place though.

"Navia?" spoke a familiar voice that seemed to be just beside her. "Is that you?"

"Clorinde?" With her hands, she held on to what she thought was the other's arm. "Goodness. Where are we? I can't see anything with how dark this place is."

"Likewise. It feels like we're inside a—"

Suddenly, the "room" opened as the ceiling was lifted and the walls were tipped down. It didn't take long for them to find themselves on the stage of the Opera Epiclese.

"W-What? How did we end up here?" she tried recalling what happened before she got there, only for both of them to be interrupted by…

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

Location: Opera Epiclese Fontaine, Teyvat Time: [UNKNOWN]

"At last, you two are awake. Be grateful that I gave you some private time in that little house made for you~"

"Who's there?" Clorinde look up, finding out that someone was sitting on that throne above where the former Regina, also the once-acting Hydro Archon, used to sit.

"Who? It seems that you've forgotten already. How disappointing to hear from the Champion Duelist herself. Is that how you greet your archon in her return?"

"Archon?" uttered Navia as she hardly recognized the figure before them. While that woman has some resemblance to Furina, she doubted it was the same person. "You're not her! Who exactly are you?"

"Have you really forgotten? Was the grief for losing your loyal servant blur your memory?" She let out a chuckle and stood up, giving them an intimidating look. "I, Focalors, have returned to take what is rightfully mine. And as the Hydro Archon, I expected a warm welcome, but it seems that I stood corrected."

"Focalors? Impossible…" the duelist uttered before pulling out her pistolet and aiming it at the suspicious figure. "You are not THE Hydro Archon either. Now I suggest you leave that throne and step down before I—"

"We got some company here!"

They were surrounded by the Gardemeks, who were armed and saw the two as threats.

"I suppose it is clear that you are not loyal to your own archon. What a shame." And with a snap of her fingers, mechanical gears could be heard spinning from the enormous weighing scale— wait. As the lights from the same mechanism went on, could it be that…

"The Oratrice? It's suddenly working?"

"But how? Wasn't this used for… no, it can't be."

"Still in doubt? I shall allow you to reflect on yourselves once more before I let the Oratrice Mecanique d'Analyse Cardinale make the judgment of your fate."

"No," Clorinde uttered once more as she raised her guard, prepared to fight those meks. "You are neither Furina nor Focalors."

"Apologies. But posing as an archon ain't gonna convince us." While somewhat surprised she had her equipment with her, she didn't wonder further and pulled out her gunbrella well.

"Is that so? Well then. Instantly executing you would be boring anyway, so I'll make it slow and entertaining for you." With a gesture of her hand, the Gardemeks charged, and the fight began.