(a/n: I tried my best to describe the unidolized wedding dress set from LLSIF for the girls' party dresses. also, guess which μ's song Honoka sings part of later in the chapter! The translated lyrics were sourced from the love live wiki incase anyone was wondering)
Hanayo adjusted her forest green skirt and the last of her accessories. Tonight was the eve party for DWMA's eight hundredth anniversary, and she definitely wanted to look her best for the occasion. She put in a pair of little flower-shaped earrings and swapped out her glasses for contacts, before getting a surprise hug from behind. Hanayo looked over her shoulder to see Rin, looking a bit nervous as she usually did when she dressed in super-girlish formal wear. Both she and Hanayo were going for a sort-of-matching-outfits-but-not-quite-matching vibe with primarily greenish dresses (though Rin's was more teal), white short-sleeved jackets, and headbands with bows on them.
"Kayo-chin, you look so cute!" Rin exclaimed.
"Thank you, Rin-chan," Hanayo replied, giving Rin a quick kiss on the cheek. "But you definitely look cuter." Rin-chan always looks super-cute in girly stuff like this, Hanayo thought, grinning from ear to ear.
"No, no, Kayo-chin, you're much cuter, nya," Rin said.
"I'm sure you're cuter, Rin-chan," Hanayo giggled, right as the door to their dorm room flung open to reveal Nico, wearing a layered pink and red dress with a red ribbon across the stomach. And to adorn her signature pigtails, she traded her usual ribbons for sparkly fake roses.
"Both of you are wrong, I'M definitely the cutest," Nico said. She definitely seems back to normal after what happened with the test, Hanayo thought.
"Are you two ready?" Maki asked. She was wearing an off-shoulder red dress with a sparkly translucent piece of fabric draped over her arms. It looked so cool and pretty on her, suiting her elegant image perfectly.
"Yeah, we're ready!" Rin and Hanayo both replied, walking out in the hall. Kotori, Umi and Honoka walked down the hall over to them at nearly the exact same time. Umi wore a simple belted blue dress, Kotori wore a bunchy pink one, and Honoka wore an simple orange dress with a fancier-looking light orange layer above it.
"Now we're just missing Nozomi and Eli," Nico said. (It was at this point Hanayo noticed that Nico was wearing heels to boost her up those last few inches so she could be just slightly taller than everyone else. Hanayo decided not to point this out)
"We're right here, Nicocchi!" Nozomi called out.
Hanayo noticed Eli first, clad in stylish black and white, but when Nozomi caught her eye, she caught everyone's eye. hard. A purple dress that hugged her form, matching fake roses on both her low pigtails and herbangs, a string of pearls, and sparkly translucent fabric draped over her shoulders and tied in front of her chest in the shape of a rose. Nozomi had clearly gone all out tonight, and she was not afraid to show it. The way she looked gave Hanayo a boost of sheer confidence without either of them having to say a word to each other.
"Is everyone ready to go?" Eli asked.
"Yeah!" Honoka immediately exclaimed, the rest of μ's soon echoing in agreement.
And with that, they were off to the anniversary party!
The party was packed, almost like the entirety of DWMA had shown up. The crowd alone was nearly enough to overwhelm Hanayo, so she held on to Rin's hand in hopes not to get lost. There was a jazz band setting up over in a corner, and a very large refreshment table taking up half a wall. Hanayo pondered walking over to it for a second. Should I? I mean, we just got here, I don't want to look like I just came here for the free food...
"Kayo-chin, look!" Rin said. "Lord Death's about to give a speech!"
Hanayo looked over at where Lord Death stood, looking just as impressive yet goofy as usual, with his tall height and oversized gloves. (Or at least Hanayo hoped they were his gloves, as it seems like it would be very unfortunate to actually have hands that size) But his speech was far less impressive and far too brief. Soon his son, Death the Kid, who looked far more human and was dressed in a white suit, took over, giving a far more formal address for the event until he noticed that Black Star boy who always seemed to do so well at the Death Fests. He had apparently climbed the curtains while nobody was looking. Black Star shouted like the partygoers were his audience, demanding their attention to admire his greatness. Kid tried to keep going with his speech until he just couldn't take it anymore. He and Black Star ended up getting into a physical fight over who really interrupted whose speech until Lord Death resumed speaking only to tell everyone to enjoy the party.
"That...sure was something," Umi said, as the jazz band began to play.
"Kotori-chan, do you wanna dance?" Honoka asked.
"Sure!" Kotori replied, blushing a bit. Honoka seemed a bit confused as to why Kotori blushed, but immediately paid no mind to it and led her to dance.
"Elicchi, shall we dance as well?" Nozomi asked, holding out her hand.
"Of course," Eli replied, taking Nozomi's hand and walking out to the dance floor with her.
"Rin-chan?" Hanayo asked.
"I know just what you're going to say, nya," Rin replied with a smile. She ran off, still with Hanayo's hand in hers, to the dance floor. Aah, I was going to ask Rin-chan about us going to the refreshment table before the line fills up! Hanayo thought, noticing how it was already becoming too late for that. I guess dancing with her's gonna get bumped up to much earlier than I thought.
Nico, Umi, and Maki went out to the dance floor to join the rest of μ's. They weren't dancing as a couple with a third wheel, (Maki cracking a joke about how that would be unfair to Nico, much to Nico's annoyance) but as a trio. While she and Rin were still finding their spot, Hanyo noticed how Maki was looking at another pretty girl, who had her long black hair tied up in a ponytail that got folded up back at her head, and a seafoam green dress. She was standing by that Black Star boy as he was shoving his face with food. Maki looked away from that girl for a second, blushing a little.
"Kayo-chin, over here!" Rin said. Hanayo looked at her two empty hands, before turning around to look at Rin. When did I let go of her hand? Hanayo thought, as Rin leaned in very close to whisper in her ear. "You know ballroom dance, right, Kayo-chin?"
"Uhh..." Hanayo replied.
"That's okay, we don't have to be all fancy, nya," Rin said.
"Yeah, we'll just wing it," Hanayo added. She and Rin held both each other's hands and began to step side-to-side, spinning around a bit periodically so as not to look monotonous. The atmosphere was casual enough that they could get away with it, but more importantly, dancing like this was really, really fun. With the girl she loved, and without a care in the world.
Suddenly, the door flung open, and in came an injured Sid Barrett, nearly collapsing against the door frame as he struggled to enter the dance hall. People stopped dancing immediately to look at him, Dr. Stein and seven students running up to see if he was okay, including the girl in the seafoam green Maki seemed to be interested in.
"He's hurt!" Kotori gasped.
"Is Sid-sensei gonna die?" Honoka asked. "Again?"
"Shh, he might be saying something important," Umi said.
Sid was urging the students to evacuate, saying he was ambushed by a witch who planned to attack the school during the anniversary party. People began to freeze up in panic. And the nurse, Medusa, ran off the balcony and jumped onto a gigantic flying snake. Wait, is she the witch? Hanayo thought. The dance hall began to shake, as Sid began resonating with his partner, Nygus. People began sensing magic outside, and confused and panicked chatter began through the dance hall. Some people got up to stockpile food from the refreshment table.
"Anyone else feel that?" Nozomi asked.
"Yeah," Eli replied.
"Eli, your Soul Perception's the strongest, how many witches are out there?" Umi asked. Eli closed her eyes in concentration.
"Two right now, from the looks of it, I think I can sense more coming in on the way, five or six of them," Eli replied. "Not to mention a werewolf and a Kishin egg."
"We're so dead, nya," Rin said. Dead? No, Rin-chan, it can't be!
"Don't say we're dead!" Hanayo wailed.
"Look!" Nico exclaimed. Sid plunged Nygus (in weapon form) into the floor. Eight coffin-shaped holes formed underneath Stein and the seven students, and the eight of them fell through the floor. Sid collapsed, still alive, and with Nygus embedded into the tile, everyone else could only watch as the witches' magic fully manifested, a cube appearing around the room.
"Seems like Sid-sensei only had enough energy to let a few escape," Kotori said.
"Damn it," Nico said. "Was the heart-stoppingly adorable Nico-Nii not enough for him?"
"Uh, Nozomi, you know the most about witches out of the nine of us, right?" Maki asked, completely ignoring Nico. "Do you know what spell they casted?"
"Yeah," Nozomi replied. "It appears the witches outside used an Independent Cube. It's a type of high-level spatial magic that cuts off an area from everything in the outside world. It's impenetrable, so we're not gonna be able to leave the room for a while, maybe even an hour."
"An hour?" Hanayo and Maki both shrieked. Being trapped for up to a full hour, Hanayo thought. An hour. An HOUR. AN HOUR.
"Somebody save me!" Hanayo shouted.
"Nobody can, I'm afraid," Maki replied. "This couldn't have come at a worse time."
"Why, you gotta use the bathroom?" Honoka asked. Maki sighed, before giving a slight nod. "Just think about dry stuff, and anything but water or going to the bathroom."
"Wanna place bets on how long Maki-chan can hold it?" Nozomi asked.
"Nozomi, don't be cruel," Eli replied. Maki took off her heels and sat down on the floor, the rest of μ's joining her one by one. This was going to be the next hour of their lives, give or take a few minutes. Trapped in a room with pretty much the rest of the school save for a number of students that could be counted on two hands. And everyone was agitated in either a panicky way or an angry way, some already even trying to test the barrier with their weapons. Oh, this was definitely not going to be fun.
"So, what are we gonna do for the next hour?" Nico asked.
"Dunno," Honoka replied.
"Figures," Nico said. Honoka took a deep breath, and started to sing to pass the time.
"I feel that we have a chance," she began singing, "yes... let's push forward! I don't want to regret it later, our future lies right ahead."
Honoka seemed stuck there.
"Honoka-chan, you're a really great singer," Hanayo said. "Where'd you get that song from?"
"Oh, it's just something I came up with on the spot," Honoka replied. "That first bit's all I got, though," she said. "Our future lies right ahead..." she repeated, trying to see if the next lyric would come to her. "Our future lies right ahead... darn, I got nothing. "
Lord Death then interrupted everyone to say that there was a Kishin underneath the school and that's what Medusa was most likely after. And then he started going on about a man named Asura, who was apparently this Kishin under the school. Imprisoned in a sack made of his own skin for eight hundred years. Even in Death City, Hanayo was surprised to hear something this macabre. But since Asura had become obsessed with power, consumed the souls of so many innocent humans, and became one of the main sources of madness in the world, it wasn't like there was much for her to sympathize with, not that she was trying to in the first place.
"So the school founded to prevent Kishins from ever arising again, trapped the first one underneath it?" Nozomi asked. "Makes no sense, I tell ya."
"Lord Death probably had his reasons," Umi replied.
"I don't see what reason," Hanayo argued. "A full Kishin, not like the eggs that keep popping up everywhere, is one of the most dangerous things, if not the most dangerous thing on the planet. There are children here! We go to school here! That thing's been underneath us this whole time!"
"Maybe the madness is why everyone gets so antsy at test time," Honoka said.
"Too soon," Nico replied. Wait, too soon since we found out about the Kishin, or too soon since Nico-chan's performance on the Ultimate Written Exam?
"So, what are you girls' plans for once you graduate DWMA?" Honoka asked.
It seemed Honoka had asked that right out of the blue, and it took Hanayo very much by surprise. What were her future plans, anyway? Maybe she'd work for DWMA if she became a Death Scythe, but if she hadn't been born a weapon...
"I want to be a pianist," Maki said, interrupting Hanayo's train of thought. "But my parents want me to be a doctor. I dunno, maybe my next meister once Nico-chan graduates will turn me into a Death Scythe."
"Hey, I could do it!" Nico snapped.
"Nico, you're starting your senior year pretty soon," Maki said. "And so far, we've only gone on one mission and got zero souls. It'll be impossible unless you want to get held back."
"That's quitter's talk," Nico replied. "Anyway, my future plans are to either be recognized as DWMA's number one meister, or return to Japan and become the galaxy's number one idol."
Everyone looked at Nico like she had just told them she saw an elephant lay an egg. Nico-chan an idol? Well, I could definitely see that. I guess if she brought up the subject of idols first...
"If I weren't born a Demon Weapon, I too would become an idol," Hanayo added. "But since idols in Japan can't date, I would have to break up with Rin-chan in order to do it, and I don't really want to do that because I'm much too happy with her. But I could always become a singer here in America, since singers here still get to date people if they want. But I'm going to see if Rin-chan forges me into a Death Scythe first, because if so, I'll pretty much get a guaranteed career with DWMA. But I do really want to be a singer..."
Hanayo just trailed off, so Kotori figured she'd be next to chime in.
"I want to be a professional fashion designer!" Kotori exclaimed. "It's always been a passion of mine, so once I graduate, I'll probably go to design school somewhere."
"I'm going to return to Japan and help out at my family's bakery," Honoka said. "Unless Umi-chan forges me into a Death Scythe, that is."
"Seems all the weapons have said something like 'unless I become a Death Scythe', nya," Rin pointed out. "Wonder what you all would have done had you not gone to DWMA, what school would you have gone to?"
"Otonokizaka High School, back in Tokyo," Eli immediately replied. The rest of μ's replied with "me too"s, prompting them all to look at each other with surprised expressions on their faces.
"All of us thinking about Otonokizaka..." Nozomi said. "Perhaps it really was fate that intended all of us to meet."
"Um, sorry to bring bad news about Otonokizaka, but my mother's the chairwoman and she says there aren't going to be any new students starting next year," Kotori said. "The school's closing."
"What made you think that was okay to bring up, Kotori-chan? Huh?" Honoka asked. "That's my mother's alma mater, and my grandmother's alma mater... and... it's going to be gone soon."
"When the last group graduates," Kotori replied. "They're all Hanayo-chan, Rin-chan, and Maki-chan's age, first-years, and there's barely even enough of them to fill a single class..."
"Enough with the sad stuff!" Nico said. "Sadness brings tears, tears are water, and Maki-chan can't think about water at all given her current situation."
"Nico-chan," Maki grumbled. "Well, whatever, I'm going to get in line for some food, anyone want to come with?"
Honoka and Hanayo immediately raised their hands. Maki smiled, as if to say "I knew you two would want to."
And the three of them set off for the refreshment table. Hanayo, Honoka, and Maki piled up enough snacks and stuff from what little was left at the table to bring back to all of μ's. Enjoying the food together with μ's was a great way to spend the time trapped in the Independent Cube. Surrounded by friends and her girlfriend, enjoying lukewarm party fare, the only thing that would have made it better for Hanayo was there not being an Independent Cube in the first place.
"I feel that we have a chance," Honoka began singing again in the same tune, "yes... let's push forward! I don't want to regret it later, our future lies right ahead... and I still got nothing."
"That's okay, Honoka, take your time," Umi said.
"Speaking of time, how long has it been, nya?" Rin asked.
"About forty minutes, give or take," Eli replied. "I don't have a watch or anything on me."
"Nozomi-chan, you said we'd have to wait here for an hour, right?" Rin groaned.
"Up to an hour," Nozomi replied. "An hour is the spell's ideal, remember? Not every caster can make it last that long."
The Independent Cube began to vanish, and when it fully dissipated, Maki wasted no opportunity to dash right out the door, among a crowd of several other students who had the same goals as her. Go as fast as you can, Maki-chan, Hanayo thought.
But Maki wasn't the only one to leave the room in a hurry. Lord Death went right out to the balcony, several students following to see what was going on. Hanayo and Rin managed to squeeze their way into front row seats, the other six members of μ's that were in the room not too far behind underneath the now-scarlet sky.
"Kayo-chin, look!" Rin exclaimed.
"Who is that?" Hanayo gasped, looking at an emaciated-looking man covered in scarves made of his own flesh.
"Is that the Kishin Lord Death was talking about?" another student asked. So I guess Medusa was successful in reviving him after all. Somebody save us!
"It is! I think Lord Death's gonna fight him!"
"Yeah, go Lord Death! Kick his ass!"
Lord Death and the Kishin Asura appeared to be talking about something, taunting each other maybe, whatever it was, Hanayo and the other students were out of earshot. Lord Death Reaper Chopped Asura into the street below, but it wasn't enough to defeat him. Asura got up and flung out his flesh scarves at Lord Death, the latter tearing them apart. Asura's wounds healed almost immediately, seeping black blood for only a moment, and he flew up to blast eye-shaped beams at Lord Death. Lord Death deflected them with his hands into the streets of Death City. Buildings exploded and fires tore up the area where the deflected beams hit.
"That better not have been where my apartment was!" a student shrieked.
"Collateral damage is to be expected between a battle of gods," Umi said. Okay, Umi-chan, but how much? Hanayo thought. This isn't going to destroy the whole city, is it?
Lord Death flew back down to the streets, Asura blocking him with his scarves. Lord Death crashed into a building, before forming an energy barrier to knock Asura into the ground. Is the Kishin trying to escape? Asura dispelled the barrier, opening his mouth to reveal... well, something. If only the students were close enough to see. That something blasted some energy beams, enough for Asura to break through Lord Death's barrier once and for all and escape the city, tearing right through the crimson clouds to reveal the night sky behind them. No, it can't be...
"Is Lord Death okay?" Rin asked.
"Here he comes!" Honoka exclaimed. Lod Death descended down to DWMA's entrance, talking to Sid about something. Everyone sighed with relief that he was still alive.
"What happened, why is everyone at the balcony?" Maki asked, re-entering the dance hall.
"Oh, you were in the bathroom this whole time?" Hanayo asked.
"You missed something incredibly amazing, nya!" Rin exclaimed. Maki sighed.
"I bet I did, didn't I? Tell me all about it."
(end note: wow, can't believe I managed to cover almost the entire Kishin revival arc in one chapter. Helps a lot to have the POV character stuck in the Independent Cube. also guess who's gonna make an appearance next chapter!)