BGM: Log Horizon OST 13 - Sono Te ni Tsukamitore
watch?v=VCuPR9scGRk

In a bustling city like New York, most of the residents didn't notice the paradigm shift that happened overnight.

However, to assume that New York was a city with a small population of the supernatural was wrong.

A man who transformed once a month noticed a group of deceptively human-looking figures of ethereal women walking towards that hotel. The susceptible would see graceful women with willowy figures, but upon further inspection, the veins in their eyes were not red. They were green. "Those're the dryads from Central Park," he whispered.

The rabble started to arrive in groups, right before the city was truly awake.

"Hey, look!" A hotel staff whispered to a coworker as another group of people entered their establishment. It was led by a man with scars present in almost all of his exposed skin. He gave off a tough vibe with his strong build that seemed to be bursting out from his tight clothes. "That's the [Alpha] of the city's werewolves."

"You mean to say, even the [Silver Fang]'s here?"

"Look! Look!" Following the crowning ceremony made by the vampires, other groups within the city began to move. "That's his rival, Martin, from the [Crimson Bane]."

"Should we call for security? I don't want another incident."

"No, look." The [Alpha] and the werewolf Martin gave a passing glance before moving on their own way.

Knowing that a community composed of various beings with different and (usually) conflicting goals is not a peaceful community, more than one person felt something bad was stirring.

"Do you smell that?" Someone from the mundane asked as another group of females, unseen to them, walked passed. "It's like sewage water."

"Even the water nymphs are here." Centuries old of stories did not lie that they too possessed unearthly but beautiful qualities, but most naiads from urban areas smelt like the water they lived in, which left a lot to be desired if you're from New York.

The morning shift's attendants also wondered why a lot of people were also arriving today. Prominent-looking people in suits and elaborate dresses emerged from cars one after another.

"Hey, that's the head of the [Moonlit Cabal]. What's he doing here?" Magical groups and institutions made themselves known, appearing out of the woodwork like moths to a flame.

"Isn't she from the [Hellfire Club]? This is bad. What's going on?"

These people weren't unruly, per se; in fact, they acted civilly towards each other. But these people had so much notoriety attached to their name that just to see them together getting along was just nerve-wracking.

Their number's gotten to the point where the hotel lobby was also getting packed.

One attendant dared to ask one of the groups what they were doing here which was met with a glare before saying, "We're here to see this elusive king of ours."

Of course, it would not go unnoticed by everybody else. People aware of the supernatural saw it.

S.H.I.E.L.D. had different division. If a certain organization was too big of a threat, they'd get their own division. But certain divisions were unheard of, even to veterans. So when an unknown man entered the hangar of S.H.I.E.L.D.'s Helicarrier, most of the people there pointed their weapons at this intruder.

This agent had a thinning hairline that made his otherwise youthful face look old. His eyes were also completely white, glowing in the way Ororo Munroe does whenever she used her powers.

He was dressed in the standard S.H.I.E.L.D. uniform, but his clothes suggested that he was head of a division. But every person in this room knew who the heads were and this was a new person. What's odd was how the man, who couldn't be a division head, didn't even appear hostile – he acted like he was a part of their own. He looked like every other S.H.I.E.L.D. agent, except for that intricate amulet that he wore around his neck.

Natasha Romanoff was finishing her report to the director when she noticed the man. Like her colleagues, she also went defensive and pulled out her gun.

"Agent Crimson." Nick Fury's voice was laced with disappointment. "I didn't think the day would come when your division would visit the hangar." Because if he was here, there was a problem in this supposed magical community.

"It's New York."

"It's always in New York." The man with an eye patch said.

Mirajane may have slept late, but she's had years of experience partying with her guildmates until the sun rose. On working weekdays.

By the time Bob and Ted were up, Mirajane's already cooked breakfast, showered and dressed for her day.

"You should've woken me up, I could've cooked breakfast." Ted said as the four of them settled down for breakfast

"It's no problem. Besides, I like cooking."

"It must've been tough, cooking for four." Baekho said, eyeing the sizable amount of food in the table. "It's like a buffet."

"It's no big deal. I'm used to cooking a lot of food. My siblings even tell me that I'm a good cook."

"You have siblings, Mirajane?" Bob asked, scooping a few strips of bacon into his plate.

She smiled. "A brother and a sister."

Ted looked at her solemnly, 'Another reason why she wants to go home. Her family's there.'

The homey ambiance was cut short when the landline rang.

It's a circus down there. The only time he let his guard down, the whole building ended up becoming a melting pot of the city's most powerful factions. He managed to recognize a few of the people downstairs, and just from them alone, you'd better be in your best behavior.

On the plus side, this was Mirajane's chance to prove herself. This was a chance for her to prove her claim of the city.

When the hotel manager said that people were looking for her downstairs, Mirajane spared no time to go to the elevator.

That's when Baekho put a stop to it. "You can't go out looking like that."

"What's wrong with what I'm wearing?" Mirajane looked at her jeans and t-shirt. It's the acceptable mode of clothing for normal everyday people. "Oh." I'm not normal anymore. She now had a huge responsibility thrusted upon her. "But I don't have anything appropriate to wear."

The vampire cursed inwardly. In a way, he stood in the middle of opposing sides: he'd been tasked by his king to help Mirajane in any way he can, but at the same time, he was also testing her on how she conducted herself against such a mob.

Mirajane looked at herself in the mirror first before shrugging. "You know what, it doesn't matter."

"Huh?" Baekho should try to anticipate this in the future. Since the people around Mirajane were men who had no clue in female fashion and presentation, their group should start to look for one who'd manage that.

Mirajane turned to him, "Well, we just have to give a good lasting impression."

"I'm nervous." Bob said as the doors of the elevator slid closed. If this was a battle, they've been ambushed with no weapons and no back-up.

"We'll be fine," said Mirajane soothingly.

Baekho snorted. The elevator walls were lined with mirrors, even the doors were reflective. The sight before him didn't look like the king who overthrew the previous ruler. The others didn't look good either.

Ted wore a grey shirt with a simple print paired with dark jeans and used trainers. Bob had a fuzzy black jumper, slim jeans and sandals on. Comfortable, functional and utterly dismissive. They contrasted with Baekho who was dressed sharply in dress slacks, a nice button up and a sleek blazer.

Mirajane did not fare better: she was dressed in a white shirt and a pair of acid-washed jeans. Despite this, Baekho thought Mirajane looked acceptable given that it was what they were working with. "Here." He took off his blazer and handed it to her. Sure it was tailored with a man's build in mind but Mirajane needed to look at least corporate.

This was a meeting with a lot of beings. Mirajane cannot afford to make a bad first impression.

At Mirajane's reluctance, Baekho grabbed her shoulder and made her face him. "Just wear it." He draped his blazer on her. "You need to look presentable."

Bob didn't like what he saw, "Hey, what're you doing?" No one gets to force Mirajane to do their bidding, even if he was supposedly here to help her.

Ding!

"We're here." Baekho ignored the annoyed stares of Bob and Ted and stepped out of the elevator.

It's just as he sensed it. The whole lobby was packed, and he barely recognized the people around here. This is bad. Such a big group shouldn't be this big of a problem if he knew who they were but there were beings here even he was having trouble deciphering their intentions.

"Hey, I know you." The vampire turned to the voice and saw a man with curly blonde hair.

"Danny?" Mirajane stepped out of the elevator, with Bob and Ted behind her.

"It's a mess here." The current Iron Fist said eyeing everyone in the room. "I don't even recognize any of the people here but they're all strong."

Mirajane turned to the rabble and sighed. "This is way too much nonsense for one morning."

Let it be known that the day after the crowning of the city's new king, the day that followed was just as memorable as the previous one.

This was, according to Mirajane's demons, the way the other factions tested her mettle. She was an official ruler recognized by an organization, yes, but the other groups of the city have yet to acknowledge her.

This was the petty politicking the demons within her hated. Peace was like this; shrouded in appearances and mask-wearing shenanigans. In a way, this annoyed Mirajane. It's too early in the morning for this.

What is the best and fastest way to resolve this problem?

The demons within her answered differently, but Mirajane didn't know who to listen. These demons had their own personalities and way of doing things. On a good note, that made looking for options very easy. The downside was the fact that it was hard to choose the best one.

'At best, they probably came here to see what you're capable of,' said Halphas. 'At worst, this could be their way of seizing your power from you. '

"It's always about power, isn't it?" Mirajane whispered, getting the attention of the males around her.

The hotel lobby was set in a way that the elevator that led to the rooms was elevated by a set of stairs. When Mirajane stepped out into the proverbial spotlight, all eyes turned to her. Being elevated above the others made it easy for the people to see her.

First, they started to whisper. In hushed tones, they pointed at her and muttered 'king'. Then it got louder, their voices swallowing the room whole.

It was all utterly disheartening because they all seemed to look down on her.

But that's okay. Mirajane's spent most of her life proving people like these that they were wrong. Those who cursed at her for 'consorting with demons', to the cruel backstabbing in the modelling world, even the unfriendly treatment from wizards of other guilds, she's faced them all. This was nothing new to her. She waved at them, winked, and for good measure, released her power.

Three of them.

She originally asked for the help of Seilah and Halphas because people have already seen that she could wield their powers, but also because she needed her other trump cards to remain as trump cards.

But when one of the [Princes] within her stirred, and said they wanted to be called, Mirajane heeded the call because she wanted to make a statement.

In front of Mirajane, they formed. Seilah, her graceful stature glided down like petals in the wind. Halphas waved its compact wings, sending a wave of magic, before roosting on her shoulder. Those who were strong found it difficult to maintain standing, but most of them ended up kneeling on the ground to avoid being pushed away by the force.

The third one took the cake. A roar not unlike a lion reverberated around the area. It had the body of a lion but had massive wings furled on its back. It was regal-looking but also dangerous.

Only those with demon backgrounds recognized this form. With Halphas, they knew because the demon made himself known by putting his magical signature all over it. But this…

"My king." A few of the factions were already kneeling in reverence. No one forgot that form. This was the missing [Demon Prince] Sitri.

"What do we do?" One of Martin's men whispered his boss. Martin was the only one of is group who withstood the pulse made by that bird.

The man grinned almost in a way a cat would. "Let's wait and see." The sight before him was imposing. This platinum blonde was a looker, yes, but part of her allure stems from the fact that so much strong people surrounded her and referred to her as their superior. The demons beside her, that vampire, and even the two things behind her were all people you wouldn't mess with. It was surprising that people as strong as them acted respectfully towards that girl.

"What brings you all here?" The sound came from the feline demon that protectively paced around the girl.

The first one to speak was the group of women with willowy figures. "We, of Central Park, come bearing a gift to she who vanquished [The Glutton]." The leader was a female almost as tall as Mirajane, she had pearlescent eyes, hair that reached her waist and lips so pink it looked unnatural. She would've passed for a human, but with an unnatural beauty, if not for the green tint of her skin. On this willowy woman's hands, was a medium-sized package wrapped in an earth-toned cloth.

The dryad walked over to Mirajane's group, as much as the demons permitted, and genuflected as she raised the offering.

Mirajane smiled politely and was about to grab it but Bob beat her to it. The brunet ran forward, accepted the token, nodded at the kneeling woman, and turned to Mirajane.

When Bob neared her, Mirajane noticed the way how his body moved mechanically, as if…

"Thank you for the wonderful gift." Seilah said in a quiet but polite tone, taking the gift from Bob's hands. It was faint, but Seilah's power was all over Bob. [Macro] was a [Curse] that cannot be easily removed once's it's been cast on a victim. Essentially, once you were a puppet, you're forever a puppet, which was why she seldom used Seilah.

'These desire to be your subjects,' said Seilah telepathically when Mirajane asked why she took the offering. 'Is that your goal?'

That did not sit well with the platinum blonde. "Stand." Mirajane's voice was clear and crisp, cutting through all the noise despite not shouting.

The kneeling female looked up and did what she was told. "Yes, my king?"

"I do not need followers." This sentence made everyone around them mumble.

What did the king meant by that?
Is she saying she's better off without us? How naïve!
This king is incompetent! I knew we shouldn't went here.

"And I am no king." This time, the voices around them were deafening. They were upset because Mirajane presented herself not just as a conceited person, but a person who appears to reject her role. The staff people around them can only watch in agitation as these beings slowly flared their powers.

"Silence!" Seilah's magic enveloped everyone, forcing the weak to heed her words and the strong to break free from her grasp.

"I am no king because I need no followers," Mirajane said, the Demons within her guiding her how to be eloquent with her words. Mirajane also made sure to get rid of Seilah imprint later because using [Macro] on these groups would definitely have repercussions.

"Does that mean you forsake your position?" A voice in the masses shouted.

Mirajane did not look at the voice but shook her head. "New York is my city; that was the decree made by the powers that bequeathed this responsibility to me. I will not run away from that responsibility."

She ran a hand through her hair, adjusting the bangs that at this point were too large to be considered bangs, "My duty to this city is not something I will run away from, but that does not mean that I am taking the city from you, who have been here for way longer than me. It is my city but it is not just mine. It is ours."

The masses rumbled.

What does she mean?
That woman is not making any sense!
Does she mean that she's not ruling over us?

"You may do as you please, because I am not here to dictate what you should and shouldn't do–"

That's when one of them pounced. From the crowd, a shadow leaped and went straight for her head.

The demons hadn't seen the attack but that does not mean they were unprepared. Halphas flew off from his master's shoulders and intercepted the attack. Trilling, the bird created a barrier that prevented the strike from hitting.

All the other groups moved away from the scene. They didn't want to be caught in the crossfire. They also wanted to see the person who had the gall to attack in plain sight.

The first thing they noticed was the fact that the attacker was female. She had long dark hair, amber eyes, and a fair complexion so pale, it looked ghostly. The assailant composed herself and stood up. Her stance was defiant, confidence oozing from her pores.

"I guess that's something you'd expect from the person who took down Camilla." Her voice was surprised but condescending.

"Who are you?" Danny was already in front of her friend, body moving when the assailant launched herself in the air.

The woman looked at the man before sighing, "Oh dear, it appears I'm not famous enough to be noticed by the current Iron Fist."

"Huh?"

Baekho was also near Mirajane, shifted into a protective stance. "That's Selene Gallio."

Mirajane's demons within her told her to be careful. Unlike all of the small fries they've encountered in this dimension, this was a person with a considerable amount of power.

"Why thanks for the compliment, Jeong Baekho. I see that the pathetic Dongfang Long's already sent his little feline pet to snoop around."

"What do you gain from attacking Mirajane?" asked the vampire. Selene Gallio was on a level of power that was similar to his king, and whose skills in the ars magus were rivaled only by the likes of Ayesha and the Ancient One. She was a sorceress with history and power so deep; uprooting her is just a of waste time and resources.

"It's not a matter of me gaining anything from attacking her and more of me controlling the situation at hand." She smiled sweetly.

"Huh?" Something was going on. It was foolish of Selene to talk like this. Talking meant time was being used against you. Something was definitely going on.

The fake preppy aura around her dissolved. "That woman," her voice was icy now, as if a blade was being unsheathed, "is an obstacle to my godhood."

That's when the others attacked. They were spread around, appearing as though the other factions were trying to attack Mirajane. Baekho knew better: this was Selene's doing. These were her people. Her slaves.

Talking meant she bought them time.

BGM: Log Horizon OST 3 - Tatakau Kakugo
watch?v=tuAUAuilk0s

"Guys!" Baekho counted three, not including Selene.

Ted and Bob were already in the heat of things. Ted stepped forward and checked for any threat that tried to pursue his king. Bob tried to intercept a blow of one of the assailants: a raven-haired man in a suit. In his hand was a blade almost a foot long. The brunet managed to tackle the man, but that meant he ended up in a brawl.

Baekho wouldn't do so much as draw his fangs, but his brown eyes turned yellow. Almost the same shade and gloss of gold as the person who turned him. This was a variant of a vampire's heightened state. This was considered different because Baekho might be elevating his other senses and motor functions but at the same time, he was reeling in the bloodlust that accompanied such a state.

In a way, this was a diluted version of a frenzied vampire, but at the expense of retaining self-control. This was the preferred method of veteran vampires because turning berserk was counter-intuitive against strong opponents.

One enemy leaped into the air, launching so unnaturally this person couldn't be human. He had a knife pointed at Mirajane, and if it connected, it would strike her heart.

This was the attacker's first mistake: gravity was one of the most unforgiving forces in battle.

Baekho intercepted the descending enemy by leaping into the air and delivering a solid kick to his enemy's side. Heightened motor function meant that he was able to leap higher than your normal person. Heightened motor function meant he could kick assailants with ease and send them flying.

That's another attacker, Ted noted. Bob and Baekho concentrated against one opponent, leaving Mirajane with two others who were rushing to her side. The demons around Mirajane didn't leave her side, so at least there was that.

There was one enemy left. It was a girl with shoulder-length dark hair that framed her face. Her hand glowed an eerie purple light, and she was running towards at them.

The demons were more prepared this time. Seilah, with much ceremony, exhaled in exasperation. "Stop."

The woman stopped mid-run. [Macro] was a [Curse] that imposed an [Order] on the [World]. This meant that any order will be followed so long as it was within the [World]'s logic. It was a powerful magic because that meant that the world was your oyster, and only people with willpower stronger than [Demons] could overthrow it.

Seilah looked triumphantly at the woman.

But to assume that your enemies are unprepared for your tricks is the worst folly any person could ever commit. The woman started to glow before the visage of Seilah's magic cracking happened. It was like glass breaking, before disintegrating into white light.

This resulted with the woman moving again. She continued her assault.

"Interesting…" Seilah turned to Selene, whose hands glowed a faint pink light.

"Tell me, is that all the magic you command?" taunted Selene.

Seilah didn't reply. She returned her gaze to the woman and commanded, "Leap back."

The woman did what was ordered and jumped back, eliminating the distance she's covered so far. But like before, her [Macro] was quickly wiped away by Selene. Still, at least Mirajane's attacker had to cover more ground to reach her target.

This brought Seilah just enough time to turn to Selene and issue a command. But when she opened her mouth, she noticed that no voice came out from her mouth.

She looked around and saw that there was a tear in reality above her, and the other side of the portal was empty blackness. No, that's wrong. The other side of the portal was space. Literal outer space.

She tried to get away but realized that she was trapped in some sort of prison. Seilah's sensed it too late because she's underestimated her enemy. [Demons] did that often, and it often proved to be their downfall. Not that she let her guard down; it was more on the fact that Seilah undervalued the magic of this woman.

In space, no, in a vacuum, there was no sound because there was no air for it to travel to. [Macro] needed sound to happen. Without sound, [Macro] was useless. The demoness didn't notice the change around her because she didn't need oxygen, or air, to remain alive. In a way, her own invincibility against outer space was used against her. In short, in a space filled only with vacuum, Seilah was helpless.

From Mirajane's shoulder, Halphas suspected that the barrier surrounding Seilah was that Selene woman's doing. Probably. Seilah was not without other tricks, but he suspected that this was an obvious weakness created by Zeref that Seilah couldn't easily overcome.

He often wondered if Zeref intentionally left exploitable weaknesses on the demons he created.

Lullaby was a demon that could take lives away with [Sound Magic] alone, yes, but only if he was left in pristine condition. He was basically the worst kind of glass canon: the one where a small damage could render his [Sound Magic] unusable.

Deliora was thought to be an unkillable demon, but that Fullbuster boy's master basically siphoning its life force away led to its uneventful demise.

It was as if an Etherious was a demon with strong powers but with an deliberate flaw in their design.

Seilah getting trapped was unprecedented, but nothing too threatening. Halphas might be in his dove form, but that does not mean that he lacked the power to defeat this upstart. Best offense is a good defense, after all.

Preparing to strike the foe, Halphas noticed that another portal appeared above them. This time, instead of space, it was a portal of… the hotel? The woman with the glowing purple hand then appeared from the portal.

She jumped into the portal and headed straight down to Mirajane.

Ted sprang into action and tackled the woman down on the ground. He tried pinning her hands above her head but he did not expect the superhuman strength of the woman. With a kick to the ground and a thrust of her torso, Ted was sent flying.

Mirajane, with all the fighting going on did not move. She was the very image of composure, her gaze never leaving Selene. As much as she wanted to help, the demons within her, especially the [Prince] beside her, told her 'no'. The other factions around her were watching the battle with rapt attention.

She didn't need to get dirty. At least not yet.

The battle was now in a stalemate. Bob and his foe danced around, Bob watching the moves of his enemy, and his enemy looking for any opening to Bob's guard. Baekho and his enemy were trading blows. From the looks of it, the enemy was just as experienced in martial arts as Baekho, so much so that the foe managed to stand toe-to-toe with the vampire. Ted tried to subdue the woman but was finding it difficult with her strength all while avoiding that glowing hand of hers.

Seilah was rendered out of the fight since she's still in that trap. She tried to open a portal of her own, or to retreat back into Mirajane's consciousness, but the magic around her was like the improved version of Minerva Orland's [Territory Magic]. There was a certain finesse to it that made it hard for her to decipher the structure of the spell. Of course, she could just use her brute force to destroy the barrier around her, but that meant that the surroundings would be sucked up by the portal because it's a portal to outer space. It would be no big deal if not for the fact that it could lead to innocents getting hurt and Mirajane did not hurt innocents.

Halphas was on Mirajane's shoulder. He was now busily guarding against anything Selene would do to Mirajane. Their foe's approach was subtlety, and these types of enemies should be taken seriously.

Sitri was quiet, silently observing the surroundings. Not that the battle was beneath him, but he believed that this battle could be a learning experience for the people around Mirajane. Bob needed to learn to use his wits more because strength was not everything. Ted needed to be more ruthless because Mirajane would surely get more enemies similar to his foe, this innocent-looking woman. That vampire needed to relearn humility. He was capable, but an inflated ego led to the downfall of many. Seilah (as strong as she was) needed to learn to overcome her obvious flaw in her conceptual design. Halphas, well, Halphas thought too much.

"I've had enough of this." Mirajane eyes darkened. "If it's me you want..."

Halphas' head turned to his master before flying around her.

At this very moment, Mirajane's debut as the new ruler of the city was forevermore solidified when she manifested her powers. The only human in recorded history who did not just tame [Demons], she also assimilated them into her own powers.

Her form changed. The scales appeared. Her ears morphed. The wings on her back unfurled. Those who knelt earlier solidified their belief that this king was the real deal. Deny all she wants; this woman had every right to be a ruler.

[Satan Soul: Halphas] complete.

"Come," Mirajane taunted. "Show me proof that you deserve the title of goddess."