Hub World, Earth, Japan, Tokyo.
"What's the matter little kunoichi?"
While running around the area near Tatsuo's exam venue trying to find her sister's tracks again, Ayane heard that question, causing her to co to a sudden stop. She then turned around to see who called out to her. When she did, she saw a tall, white-haired woman with grey eyes smirking at her wearing a white bodysuit with red patterns on her right leg and black boots. There was also a belt holding several knives around her waist.
"One of Donavan's dogs, huh?" Ayane growled after seeing Christie. "You were the one who worked with the other traitor. What do you want? Are you here to try and temp or capture ?"
"Neither, actually." Christie replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "I was actually here to give you a hand."
What was more interesting about this eting between Christie and Ayane, though, was the fact that Tatsuo had not noticed Christie's presence, despite the fact that she was not too far away from his current location. And the reason for that was the bodysuit she was wearing.
After Christie's last run in with Tatsuo, and her subsequent eting with Sumire, DOATEC began developing material that could obscure her presence from Sumire's senses. And as it would turn out, they were moving in the right direction with their research, as Tatsuo was unable to sense her. However, they were far from being able to hide anything from Sumire, for obvious reasons.
A mont later, Christie slowly raised her hand. Then, she reached for the zipper at her neck and slowly lowered it in a sensual manner while smiling playfully at Ayane. Then, once her cleavage was exposed, she reached into her cleavage with the sa hand and pulled a photograph and a piece of paper from between her breasts.
"Here, take these." Christie said as she flicked both the photo and the paper in Ayane's direction.
With ease, Ayane snatched the two items out of the air. She then stared at Christie, asking for an explanation with her gaze, without so much as glancing at what she held in her hand.
"That's soone rather important to your sister ever since she started her new life." Christie said, her smile vanishing from her face. "If you were to take him hostage, you should be able to force Kasumi to face you alone."
After saying that, Christie turned around. Then, she started walking towards the edge of the rooftop.
"What you decide to do with that information is up to you." Christie said. "But since Raidou was working with us before he t his end at your sister's hands, I was instructed to deliver those to you. Maybe you can fulfill both of our desires to see her pay for her cris if you use that."
'Before you can land a finishing blow, however, I'll be there to wrap things up quite nicely.' Christie thought as she continued to walk away. 'And since I'm not targeting any of Subject 47's so-called friends, that monster won't have a reason to interfere.'
After that thought, Christie reached the edge of the rooftop. Then, she hopped over it, disappearing from Ayane's field of view.
anwhile, Ayane watched Christie until she could no longer see her. Then, after waiting for a few monts to make sure that Christie would not co back, Ayane finally looked down at the photograph she was holding.
In the photo, Kasumi could be seen walking on one of the streets of Sasazuka Ayane had gotten familiar with during her search for Kasumi. And walking alongside Kasumi was an extraordinarily handso, brown-skinned young man with long midnight-purple hair.
Then, after looking at the photo for a few monts with anger, Ayane turned her attention to the small piece of paper she caught along with the photo. On the paper, there was the na of the boy in the photo as well as the address to his middle school and the information that he was Kasumi's adopted brother.
"Soramoto Tatsuo." Ayane said as she read the na of the young man in the photo. "And she's his adopted brother, huh? If this information is true, then it might be a good way to make Kasumi face alone."
After reaching this conclusion, Ayane stored the photo and the piece of paper away. Then, she seemingly vanished from where she stood. Though, to anyone with high enough [Perception], they would notice that it was just a trick that involved the cadence of her footsteps, causing her to vanish from the perception of anyone who might be watching her at that mont.
Several hours later, Tatsuo was stretching his arms over his head, glad that all the tests had finally ended. Then, he waited until the invigilator gathered all the test papers and packed up his belongings before standing up and filing out of the room with the rest of the test takers.
"*Sigh* I'm glad it's finally over." Tatsuo murmured as he followed the line of high school hopefuls out of the room. "I wonder what Mom and the others did while I was stuck in this boring test venue?"
With that thought, Tatsuo reached into his pocket and pulled out his smartphone. Then, he scrolled through the contact list until he found his mother's na before clicking the call button.
*Ring!*
{"Hello, Tatsu-Chan, we're outside the school's gate."} Sumire's cheerful voice sounded from the phone. {"When you get out, we'll go to a restaurant to celebrate, okay?"}
"Sure, I'm on my way out now." Tatsuo replied with a smile. "I'll see you when I get outside."
{"Okay~, don't take too long."} Sumire replied.
After that, Sumire hung up, clearly excited about going out to dinner. anwhile, Tatsuo put his phone away and made his way outside.
When Tatsuo eventually reached Sumire, Mai, Kasumi, and Tio, they started walking towards the restaurant Sumire had chosen for dinner while everyone asked Tatsuo about the rests. Like that, they went about their business happily, and the rest of the evening passed peacefully.
{[Dinsional Chat]
Jas: So, when will the scores be posted?
Jas: Not that you probably have anything to worry about there
Jas: But after that, you'll have to go through that boring interview, too
Akatsuki: I think that was even more nerve racking than the actual test
Akatsuki: Having five people examining your every word while asking you questions for nearly half an hour
Tatsuo (Admin): I don't think it will be that bad
Tatsuo (Admin): It will definitely be boring, though
Violet: I didn't think it was that bad either when I did it
Violet: The tests were definitely much harder
Akatsuki: That's probably because you didn't have to worry about everyone thinking you were a child
Akatsuki: The five interviewers looked at for a long ti before the interview actually started
Akatsuki: I could tell they couldn't believe that I was really entering high school
Alfonzo: Well, can you bla them?
Alfonzo: You definitely don't look your age
Lici: But look at it on the bright side
Lici: You'll probably still look young even when you're middle-aged
Lici: So, you win in the long run, right?
Akatsuki: But how long will I be mistaken for a middle or elentary schooler?
Lici: Beats
Alfonzo: Anyway
Alfonzo: Tatsuo, what do you plan to do until the interview?
Tatsuo (Admin): Mostly training and recording
Tatsuo (Admin): That's really all there is to do
Alfonzo: You can't go wrong with training or making money
Jas: I second that
Jas: Other than taking classes at Kyoto U, all I do is train and draw manga
Jas: Oh, actually, there's sothing coming up in my world
Jas: You guys might be interested
Lici: Really?
Lici: What is it?
Jas: A world-wide Rating Ga tournant
Jas: Sothing about fostering peace between all the pantheons
Jas: But personally, I think it will lead to even more trouble
Jas: Especially since Indra got an invite
Jas: And he still kinda hates for killing his little boy toy, Cao Cao
Alfonzo: Seriously?
Alfonzo: Are you joining?
Jas: Sort of
Akatsuki: What does that an?
Akatsuki: Either you are, or you aren't
Jas: It's a little more complicated than that
Jas: I'll be kinda like the final boss of the tournant
Jas: Like Heihachi in the first Tekken Tournant
Alfonzo: Or like Geese Howard in Fatal Fury
Jas: Exactly
Jas: But we already have six mbers other than
Jas: So, maybe you guys might be able to put together a team and enter
Tatsuo (Admin): Is there a prize?
Jas: If you can beat , there definitely will be
Jas: but that won't be easy
Jas: I actually suggested that you join to gain battle experience
Lici: And will everyone be assigned a role as a chess piece
Lici: Like the Rating Gas in the Underworld
Jas: Yup
Jas: Ajuka is working on that now
Jas: And knowing him, he'll have sothing worked out in a few weeks
Jas: And with Azazel helping him, it might be even faster
Jas: But I doubt it will happen for at least half a year
Jas: We'll need to iron out all the details with the other pantheons, after all
Alfonzo: And I bet there will be a bunch of them who want to start trouble
Akatsuki: Of course, there will
Akatsuki: Gettig that many gods and people who think they are the strongest in one place wont' end any other way
Lici: Akatsuki's right
Lici: But will we even stand a chance
Lici: I an, Jas said that Fonzie and I were at Ultimate-Rank
Lici: But that wouldn't be enough to stand against the stronger teams
Jas: And that's why I said that it would be for battle experience
Tatsuo (Admin): Plus, we'll definitely get stronger
Tatsuo (Admin): Don't forget, we'll definitely be going on more missions
Tatsuo (Admin): And the rewards from those missions will definitely make us stronger
Akatsuki: I still haven't even been on a mission
Akatsuki: But from what I can tell, there's an elent of danger there
Alfonzo: If it were too easy, it wouldn't be worth it
Violet: Alfonzo-San is right
Violet: Gaining sothing without hard work won't make you treasure it
Akatsuki: I know
Akatsuki: Still... I'd rather not see anyone get hurt if it could be avoided
Aletia: I'd do anything for Tatsuo
Jas: Yes, we know
Tatsuo (Admin): Anyway, it's been a while since our last mission
Tatsuo (Admin): I wonder where the next one will send us
Jas: Soone's tempting Murphy
Alfonzo: Well, I'm looking forward to a mission
Alfonzo: I haven't been on one yet
Lici: neither
Lici: And I wanna go on one, too
Tatsuo (Admin): Well, I'm sure we'll have another one soon enough}
This conversation took place while Tatsuo was back in class, the Monday after his entrance exams. However, Tatsuo's focus was taken away from the conversation when he felt a certain purple-haired kunoichi approaching his school.
"Hmm... I wonder what she's doing here?" Tatsuo muttered under his breath as he looked out the window.
Tatsuo then strengthened his vision by flowing a bit of his [Energy] into his eyes. And sure enough, he could see Ayane approaching the school from beyond the schools' wall. Though, from what he could tell, Ayane was not aware that she was being watched... Yet.
'I'm certain she'll feel my gaze if I watch her for too long.' Tatsuo thought to himself as he looked away. 'But I wonder, is she here for a reason? Or is it just a coincidence. Either way, I guess I'll find out sooner or later.'
With that, Tatsuo returned to his conversation in the [Dinsional Chat] while pretending to pay attention to the lesson. And before long, the bell rang, signaling the beginning of the lunch break.
"Tatsuo-Kun." Yakumo said as she turned around just after the bell rang. "Would you like to have lunch together? I have sothing I'd like to talk to you about."
"Sure." Tatsuo replied with a smile, fairly certain he knew what that sothing was. "But what about---"
"Hey, Tatsuo-Kun, Yakumo-Chan!" Chiho's voice sounded over the hustle and bustle of the students preparing to either eat lunch in the classroom or go to the cafeteria to buy sothing. "I'm gonna have lunch with my Mi-Chan and Kimiko-Chan today."
"Never mind." Tatsuo muttered.
'That was convenient.' Tatsuo thought to himself. 'But I'm pretty sure Yakumo had nothing to do with it. And if she did, it was definitely unconscious on her part.'
The reason why Tatsuo changed his line of thought was because he could feel trace amounts of psionic energy in the air. Though, it did not feel as if it had been directed. More than likely, in Tatsuo's opinion, it was sothing Yakumo released without knowing.
'Is being around making her powers manifest past what they would have without ?' Tatsuo thought to himself, curious about what just happened. 'I'll have to ask Mom about it later.'
anwhile, Yakumo nodded her head at Tatsuo's response. Then, both she and Tatsuo stood up and grabbed their lunch boxes before leaving the classroom. From the classroom, the pair made their way towards the rooftop for their conversation. And although there would certainly be students on the roof, they would have comparatively more privacy than if they had the conversation in the classroom or the cafeteria.
Eventually, Tatsuo and Yakumo reached the rooftop. And just as expected, there were only a few people up there. And all of them were couples, which would have made Tatsuo and Yakumo fit right in. Unfortunately, when the other couples saw two of the most popular students coming up to the rooftop, a couple's lunch spot, they began to whisper.
"Hey..." A girl said to the boy sitting next to her. "Aren't they Tsukamoto-San and Soramoto-Kun? Since they're up here, do you think that ans..."
"Shh!" The boy hushed his presud girlfriend. "Be quiet. I wanna see what happens."
"They look so good together." Another girl said, both admiration and jealousy mixed into her tone.
"Hey, why do you sound like that?" The boy sitting next to the second girl asked. "Would you rather be with that Soramoto guy?"
"Tsukamoto-San, actually." The girl replied in a dreamy tone. A mont later, her eyes opened wide as her face reddened. "N-N-Never mind. Forget what you just heard."
anwhile, the girl's boyfriend looked at his thoroughly embarrassed girlfriend in disbelief. A mont later, however, a cunning thought passed through his mind while a perverted smile spread across his face.
"Don't even think about it." The girl said sharply, cutting that thought off before it could be too deeply rooted into her boyfriend's mind. "It would never happen unless it was with Tsukamoto-San."
"Tch!" The boy clicked his tongue before looking away.
"I guess we draw attention no matter where we go, huh?" Tatsuo said, able to overhear all the whispered conversations on the roof.
"I suppose that is true." Yakumo replied while glancing at the thoroughly embarrassed girl with a sharp glint in her eyes while looking at her boyfriend. "But I believe there will be so misunderstandings after today."
"Does it have to be a misunderstanding?" Tatsuo asked casually while smiling at Yakumo.
Yakumo did not respond to Tatsuo's question. In fact, her expression did not change much at all. The only thing that showed that his words got to her at all was the, almost imperceptible, reddening of her cheeks, and the slightly confused and uncertain glint in her eyes.
"Well, we can talk about that later." Tatsuo said after seeing that Yakumo might not quite be ready for a conversation of that nature. "For now, let's take a seat and talk about what we're here for."
In response, Yakumo nodded her head. Then, she and Tatsuo made their way to a more secluded part of the roof.
After picking their spot, the two sat down and opened their lunch boxes. At the sa ti, Tatsuo cast a weak [Wind Magic] spell to stop their words from spreading too far on the wind.
"I'm guessing you've made your decision." Tatsuo said as he used his chopsticks to pick up a piece of his lunch.
With Tatsuo's statent, Yakumo turned and looked him in his eyes. Then, she nodded her head solemnly.
"Yes." Yakumo said in a serious tone. "I'd like to know more about what my abilities are capable of. And I have a feeling that you would be able to help find out."
Hearing that, Tatsuo could not help smiling brightly. However, when the other students on the roof saw that, they all ca to a completely different conclusion.
'Soramoto-Kun asked her out and she said yes!!!" Whispered shouts at getting a first-hand look at the latest gossip rang out across the roof.
Then, before the lunch break ended, most of the school was talking about the new couple, Soramoto Tatsuo and Tsukamoto Yakumo. Though, the two people in question had not even talked about the topic of taking their relationship a step further than just friendship.
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