Category: Chapter 17
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27 — Cain and Abel
The roar of the motorcycle’s engine. The fierce, howling wind. The torrential rain colliding with asphalt and concrete. The blaring of horns as Yui passed each and every car. The thunder, which was ambiguous in origin, whether it came organically, or from Yui’s magic. The absolute silence of a dilapidated wooden stage. The curtains— what…
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26 — Paradise Lost
New Eden was particularly quiet on this late January Sunday morning. Just Yui and her two star pupils, Seia and Ayumi. Yui had, at an abundance of caution for Aoi’s wellbeing, slowed down her training just a bit. Ayumi was outwardly relieved, of course, though she never directly complained about the harsh regimen. Seia, for…
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25 — City of Mirrors (pt. 4)
The morning slowly crawled across Kamihama City, and one rundown house in particular seemed to be the last on its street to bask in the sunrise. Inside, only the twin Birds were active, idly discussing breakfast in Kiwako’s kitchen. Soon, Kiwako herself joined in the breakfast fray, then Hanako. Yuzuki was last at the breakfast…
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24 — Curtain Call
New Eden’s weekly “self-defense” course was proceeding as usual. Well, almost. In the middle of the ring, the two “rising stars” were spent, on their knees and panting quite heavily. Sweat coated their faces. But today, their mentor was equally winded. Yui stayed on her feet, dabbing her forehead with a fresh towel. Yui: Okay……
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23 — Freeze
Sunset. One street or another, they all blur together in the end. Faceless, anonymous citizens who, by all accounts, did not exist half a year or so ago. The Oracle Libretto wanders. Her hood is over her eyes. People stopped looking at her a while ago. She blends in with the crowd, despite her appearance.…
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22 — First Dates (pt. 3)
As Yosuke strolls through the museum’s massive exhibition space, he catches himself looking at Koharu more often than he looks at the art on display. Quick to leave his side when she can’t be bothered to give some pictures more than a cursory look, she scurries from one exhibition piece to another, giving every single…
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21 — The Smile
Energetic rock music is blasting from a portable speaker as Midori is on a stepladder, slowly and carefully moving her paint roller to clad a wall in vibrant purple. Work on the venue to replace The Bends is coming along nicely, thanks to the efforts of co-operators and volunteers alike. When she rolls her shoulders,…
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20 — City of Mirrors (pt. 3)
The past forty minutes or so were in nearly perfect silence. Perfect, and uncomfortable. Only broken by the occasional crunch and nibbling from cookies, only one participant in the room partaking. At one point, Kiwako had stood to make more, a task soon taken over by her twin friends as the host returned to the…
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19 — First Dates (pt. 2)
On a train heading to the very centre of the city, one of the few lines that has returned to being fully operational, Koharu and Yosuke are sitting side by side, their backs to the window. Having made the best of a brief trip to the restroom to straighten out his uniform, properly button up…
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18 — Sweet as Sugar
On a freezing afternoon, Shinju rounds the corner to the front of the New Eden gym. Coming the other way, almost crashing into her, is Ueno. Shinju: Whoa, sorry. Ueno: You’re good! Nobody had any toast in their mouth. Shinju: Heh. I haven’t seen you much since we stopped living at the gym. You forget…
Mitakihara Original 