Tatsuya POV
Minato has brought Aigis to FLT for an "emissions test." In short she must be upgraded to meet the current standards of robots or in this specific case HAR's. Normal HARs use methanol fuel cells, but a quick inspection revealed that the fuel cell would be inferior to the current one she processes. In fact she would barely be able to run. Her processes take minimal amounts of energy, but she has so many that the methanol cell would be drained in a few days. Her current fuel cell also releases minimal emissions, so there is no need to change it. Her armor is superior to most titanium alloys and frankly puts some of the current military armor to shame. The only upgrade she needs is an updated memory, switching out outdated bulky chips for sleeker and smaller memory units. This will increase her capacity by a couple exa-bytes. The other 'upgrade' is small amount of armor plating to hide her more mechanical joints. Aigis was worried that the extra plating would cause her to overheat, but we assured her that the plates would dissipate the heat effectively. With the extra armor she will look like a normal HAR.
Aside from her 'problems', Aigis is a machine of miracles. If I was honest, I would be taking apart Aigis to see what other secrets she has. The fuel cell alone would be worth billions and her emotions are priceless. Minato has forbidden such actions however, promising a painful death to whoever tries.
"You don't take apart a person just to see how they tick." That phrase alone causes a majority of scientist to drop the subject of taking Aigis apart. In the end, FLT will keep silent about the origins of Aigis, both her location and her Kirijo relation. The only thing left is the weapons test. Miyuki, Minato, and a majority of the staff including myself watch from the command room above.
"Aigis, you are open to fire." Ushiyama announces from the safety of the command room. Aigis nods and points her fingers at the targets we set up for her.
"Firing!" I watch Aigis with grim fascination as she completely obliterates the dummies. Steam rises from her finger tips as she faces the command room. "Targets annihilated."
"Well done Aigis," Minato says over the microphone. I am sure he would be smiling if not for the mask covering his face. "Your modifications and the tests are complete. I will meet you in the hall." Aigis nods and leaves the test chamber as Minato thanks the FLT staff for their hard work. Minato, Miyuki and I exit the command room to meet Aigis as she makes her way down the hallway.
"Did you find my performance satisfactory?" Aigis intones looking to Minato for praise.
"You did perfect Aigis. I couldn't expect any better," Minato responds without missing a beat.
"Then may I attend school as a student?" Aigis's question is met with a sigh.
"For the last time Aigis, it's impossible. The First High only accepts two hundred students a year. It would be unreasonable to expect them to allow another student. Too many questions would be raised. Furthermore if people found out you were a machine it would be disastrous. There would be no end to people trying to capture you. You will have to make due with you position as Byran's personal assistant." Minato explains once more.
"Negative, my highest priority is being with you at all times." Aigis declares grabbing Minato's arm securely. Honestly, it bizarre seeing this from the outside, is this what it looks like between Miyuki and me? I will need to talk with Miyuki later. Eventually Minato is able to release himself from Aigis's grip and attempts to bid us farewell.
"I will see you tomorrow for training." Minato says, giving Miyuki and I a final wave.
"Wait, I need to speak with you." To my surprise, Miyuki steps forward. "I received a message from…my aunt." The tension doubles and I even spot Minato's hand slightly twitch. I seems even he has heard about Maya. Miyuki takes a calming breath and continues. "She requests to meet you by the end of the month at the Yotsuba estate. Will you be able to come?" Minato face is unreadable because of his mask, but his tense shoulders are a giveaway.
"I don't know about my timing. I will contact you later today whether or not I will be able to attend or if we will need to reschedule." Minato responds in a surprisingly calm voice. I feel pity for the boy, no one has "rescheduled" on Maya for years. Her summons are almost absolute.
"Alright, I will give you the specifics for the meeting when I hear your reply." Miyuki gives a small bow in farewell.
"Good luck," I say as they depart. If this is Maya we are talking about, Minato will need all the luck he can get.
-Ω-
Aigis POV
"Maya wants to meet with you?!" Kyouko screams and I turn down my hearing receptors to avoid the shout. Her outburst occurred when Minato told her Miyuki's message as we returned to the car.
"Kyouko, why is this such a major concern?" I ask trying to comprehend the situation. Kyouko shakes her head as she begins to dial on the car's video phone. Soon Retsu appears on screen and is updated on the situation.
"She is the most powerful magician in the known world." Retsu says with concern in his voice. "What did you do that would require you to be summoned?"
"I honestly don't know," Minato taps his chin as he runs through his memories. "I am good friends with both Tatsuya and Miyuki, but I doubt that is what I am being called in for."
"Maybe it was his performance in the Nine School's Competition that caught her attention?" I speculate and Kyouko nods her head thoughtfully.
"Although I erased the film of Minato major abilities, he still performed several spells of persona magic. But would those spells be enough to catch Maya's attention? We grow quiet considering the possibilities.
"We can worry about speculation later," Minato begins by breaking the silence. "Retsu, what do you recommend I do?" The old man gives a defeated sigh before speaking.
"As much as I want to, denying Maya's summons would be the worst course of action. It would only delay the problem or multiply it. Our best course of action would be to prepare counter measures for any possible actions she could take."
"Such as?" I ask quietly waiting for Retsu to continue.
"Such as leaking Minato's identity," Retsu states solemnly. "Only a few people outside the Kudou clan know who Minato really is. If that information were to leak, he would receive unwanted attention and, in the worst case, another attempt at kidnapping him." The occupants in the car grow still thinking of the fallout. "With that sort of threat she could keep Minato under her thumb," Retsu continues.
"What do you suggest then?" Minato asks calmly.
"We should reveal you identity to the public." Retsu quickly receives three identical looks, all of which are questioning his sanity.
"But you just said-" Kyouko begins, but Retsu cuts her.
"I said that if his identity was leaked, it would cause problems."
"What's the difference?" I ask unable to decide whether Retsu is sane or has 'lost his marbles.'
"It has to do with politics and the images the clan presents." Retsu elaborates. "If the info was leaked, it would reflect that we wanted to keep Minato safe and hidden. That would show that we feel Minato is too weak and entice others to make an attempt. On the other hand if we openly present Minato to the public, it would have the opposite effect. We would produce the image that Minato could stand by himself and of the clan's confidence in him. It would still bring in attention, but it would be a much safer move. It is unfortunate that we will have to reveal your identity after so long, but I suppose there is no other choice." I take a look at Minato to gauge his reaction. He seems to be deep in thought about the positives and negatives of the plan. Finally he speaks.
"Where would I make my big reveal? I doubt we are just going to make a small announcement."
"Of course not," Retsu smiles. "You would make your appearance at the Saegusa summer party. Everyone will be there. I wouldn't be surprised if your face was across the net by the end of the night."
"I suppose I will temper my expectations then."
-Ω-
Mayumi POV
I scan the invite list for our family's summer party for any names I know. While I will be greeting for a majority of the evening and serving as the 'daughter' of the Saegusa family I will have some time to mingle with the guests. I see several representatives from the hundred clans and even a few from the ten master clans. Most are businessmen and politicians however and not many people catch my eye, until a specific guest catches my attention. The innocent name, Minato Arisato, has been added at the bottom. I blink once then a smile overcomes me. Maybe this party won't be so boring after all.
"What are you smiling about?" My younger sister, Izumi, asks surprising me from behind. I was so engrossed in my thoughts; I missed the appearance of my two twin sisters, Kasumi and Izumi. Before I can recover, Izumi quickly snatches the sheet from my hand and give it a once over. "Isn't this the sign in sheet for the party?"
"She's happy that Hirofumi isn't attending." Kasumi tells her twin off handedly as she joins the conversation. "Father is always hoping for them to get together."
"That's not true," I scold. "I was only rechecking the guest list."
"Then why were you smiling?" Izumi sweetly asks a smile on her face.
"It's not a boy, is it?" Kasumi asks quickly, eyes widening. "Is it Juumonji?" I quickly put her fears to rest.
"It is not Juumonji and I was smiling because I saw one of my classmates on the list." I quickly point to Minato's name. "You know how boring these parties can get so I was happy that I saw someone I could talk to." Unfortunately, my sisters ignore my reasoning and zone in on Minato's name.
"Izumi, have you heard the name Arisato before? Is that part of the one-hundred clans?"
"No Kasumi, but he must be pretty impressive to have caught our sister's interest."
"We will need to do a background check then. If he is not up to our sister's standard we will need to find Mayumi someone else." Their conversation continues as if I am non-existent. I shake my head in dread, just what have I gotten myself into?
-Ω-
Minato POV
I nervously sip the drink in my hand. The hall where the party is being held is packed with people talking and laughing. I am situated in the corner away from the majority of the people. I arrived separately from Retsu to avoid revealing the 'surprise.' Aside from sharing a private smile with Mayumi, I have not seen anyone I know. Apparently Juumonji is within the crowd, but I make no effort to find him. Our conversation would be purely professional at best and would end after a few exchanges.
"Minato?" I see Shizuku emerge from the crowd and head in my direction. I raise my glass in greeting to her confused expression.
"How are you, Shizuku?" It takes her a moment to get over her shock to give a proper response.
"I…I'm fine. I wasn't expecting to see you here." Shizuku says as she finally manages to get over her confusion.
"I wasn't expecting to be here honestly." I reply with a smile.
"Are you a guest or…?" She trails off hoping to get a meaningful response. I toy with the idea of keeping her in the dark, but I suppose it can't hurt to tell her early. She will find out anyway. I gesture for her to move closer and as she does I tell her in a voice above a whisper.
"I am part of the ten master clans." Her only reaction is cocking her head to the side.
"Which one?" She asks curiously as if my revelation completely unfazed her.
"You believe me?" It is my turn to be confused. Even Mayumi and Juumonji showed some disbelief in my words. Shizuku's expression hardly changed.
"No reason to lie." Shizuku explains like it is the simplest thing in the world. "You're too skilled to be some nobody." Technically I am some 'nobody' but I decide to keep that to myself. "Besides I thought it was a little odd for you to be friends with Masaki Ichijou without being part of some well-known family."
"I am part of the Kudou clan," I reveal going back to the main question. "There is going to be a big announcement later tonight, therefore I was dragged to this party." Shizuku nods understanding my thoughts on the matter.
"Why did you hide it from us?" She asks evenly, no resentment or accusation in her voice.
"An incident from my childhood," I dodge the topic and Shizuku takes the cue to drop the topic and move elsewhere.
"Do you think you will enjoy the life in the spot light?" She asks instead. I slowly shake my head. In my old life, I took advantage of being 'normal' to forge my bonds with others. I was athletic enough to bond with Kazushi, but ate enough to impress Nozomi. Young enough to play with Maiko, but understanding enough to talk with Akinari. Under the name of Kudou however, people will have expectations. Before they meet me, they will have made their decisions on how to treat me and act around me.
"People are going to act different around me." I lament. "Plus I will be getting a lot of unwanted attention."
"It could be worse," Shizuku attempts to console me. "At least you're not part of the Yotsuba, you will definitely get looks then." My eyes flicker to hers, looking for any sign she knows of the Shiba's secret. Shizuku is quite intelligent and I wouldn't put it past her. I am relieved to find that she only gives me a curious look back and I cover for myself with a smile.
"I suppose you right."
"Well if it any consolation, I won't treat you any differently," Shizuku declares. "I know Honoka will treat you the same too." I let out a small chuckle.
"Thanks."
To you who has endured the weight of the universe,
We of the Fortune arcana give to you our blessing.
A ringing in my pocket interrupts us and I pull out my phone. The message I receive is from Masaki. 'I heard you were at the party, I am in the second room from the entrance.'
"Looks like I am needed elsewhere." I half-joke showing the text to Shizuku. "Want to come along?" My offer is denied however.
"I have other people to meet," She says blandly. "Have fun." I accept her well wishes and nod.
"I guess I will see you later." Shizuku only waves me goodbye as I slip into the crowd.
-Ω-
Kasumi POV
My eyes have not left the boy named Minato Arisato, since the party began. He seems to be an introvert or a recluse. Since he has come here he has been hiding in the corner instead of speaking with other guests. That's no good for my older sister; she doesn't need anyone dragging her down. To be fair he is quite handsome, and his posture is decent. I even have to grudgingly admit he looks good when he slides his hands into his pockets. At least he looks the part of a gentleman. My research ends there though. I can do nothing more to figure out who he is by simple examination. I need to speak with people who know him or at the very least interact with him. Unfortunately, he came alone and no one else on the guest list had the last name Arisato. My best bet would be Mayumi, but she hasn't said a word about him since we found out about him. The second best source would be a classmate however. Therefore I abandon my examination (spying) and find myself before the intimidating figure of Katsuto Juumonji. He seems confused at my presence, but responds to my greeting regardless.
"Good evening, Kasumi. Did you need something?"
"Mayumi told me about a classmate of yours named Minato Arisato. She spoke very highly of him and I saw him at the party, but I don't know how to approach him. Can you tell me a little about him?" I try to keep the question innocent and naïve.
"Minato is here?" Juumonji looks around scanning the party guests for the blue-haired boy. Unfortunately for him, Minato is in the other room.
"Yes, he was on the guest list. I saw him walk in a while ago." Katsuto's reaction worries me. It is as if he didn't expect Minato to make an appearance at the party. Is Minato some kind of social outcast?
"I see…" Katsuto clears his throat and returns his eyes to me. "I am not too close to him, but I can tell you some things, what do you want to know?" How he acts at school, how he talks, if he is strong at magic, if he is worth my sister's time. Instead I ask a simpler question.
"What is his personality like?" Katsuto thinks for a minute before responding.
"As I said before, I have not had much time with him so I can't say for certain, but he is the quiet type." I lean forward and nod encouraging him to continue. "Although he is quiet, he has a magnetic personality. I have noticed that people seem drawn to him. He seems to be able to connect with completely different types of people and never seems at a loss of what to do."
"And his magical strength?" I ask only to receive a questioning look from Katsuto. "I just wanted to know," I hastily backpedal. "You don't have to answer or anything." Katsuto looks unconvinced but answers anyway.
"Did you watch the Nine School's Competition?" he asks. I nod, I only watched my sister's competitions and some of the more exciting ones. I didn't bother watching the freshman matches though; they are usually not too interesting. "He took out an entire team in Monolith Code by himself." My eyes widen as Juumonji thinks of anything else to say. "He also beat Masaki Ichijou during the finals of Ice Pillars break." I am quickly mentally re-evaluating Minato. No wonder Mayumi spoke highly of him.
"I see…" I trail off still trying to process what Juumonji has told me.
"You should speak to Masaki for yourself," Katsuto says. "I saw Minato and him hanging out together during the Competition and at the ball at the end. I think Ichijou is somewhere at this party." I quickly thank Katsuto and slip away to find my next target. I am able to locate Masaki in the ballroom, a well-practiced mask on his face. Anyone giving him a passing glance would only notice his small smile and think nothing more. I however realize the utter boredom he is hiding. I would have the same face on myself if I wasn't on a mission of my own.
"Excuse me, Mr. Ichijou," I begin nervously. I have met Katsuto a few times but this is first for me. Thankfully, Masaki takes my hesitance in stride and responds cordially.
"Good evening, Ms. Saegusa. Can I help you?"
"I was wondering what you could tell me about Minato Arisato. I saw him tonight and-" I am cut off as Masaki looks around the room.
"Minato is here?" How strange, both Masaki and Katsuto reacted the same way to my announcement. As if he shouldn't be here.
"Yes, I saw him arrive. As I was saying…" I trail off as Masaki takes out his phone and types a quick message.
"We can talk in the corner; it's rather stuffy in here." Masaki says and with that he makes his way to the corner of the large room. As we arrive and he turns to face me. "What did you want to know about Minato?"
"Uhm…" I hesitate slightly before forging ahead. "Did Minato really beat you in the finals of the Ice Pillars Break?" I expected Masaki to grow disgruntled or angry, but to my surprise he only laughs.
"Yeah, he really got me. I hardly stood a chance." Masaki says wistfully. "I let my guard down and payed for it. Why do you ask?" I am struck silent trying to think up an excuse.
"I would like the answer to that as well." A new voice joins the conversation and I turn to face the blue-haired boy himself. His next words make my blood run cold. "You were staring at me for a large majority of the party. What are you trying to find out about me?" I am a deer caught in the headlights. My mouth opens and closes no sound escaping as Minato and Masaki continue to look at me.
"I think she has learned her lesson you two." I say a silent thank you to the heavens as my older sister, Mayumi, calls out to us as she approaches, with Izumi in tow. "See why you don't dig into other people's business?" She gently chastises me. I hang my head in shame. Mayumi quickly decides to clear the tension, "Nice to see you again Minato, and nice to see you Masaki."
"Nice to see you as well Mayumi, I take it these are your sisters?" Minato asks as he returns her greeting. Mayumi nods.
"Yes, this is Izumi and the one who has been asking questions is Kasumi." Mayumi introduces. "I'm sorry if she caused any trouble. I told them you were a friend at school and they wouldn't stop asking about you. I guess her curiosity got the better of her."
"It's fine, no trouble at all," Minato waves off the apology. "I am curious what she is so interested about though. I am not the most interesting person in the world." He says as he looks at me. His look is joined by the others and I feel like I have been placed under a microscope. The pressure gets to me and I exclaim without thinking.
"What are your intentions with my sister?" I slap my hand over my mouth, but the damage is done. Izumi has a look that is between horrified and curious. Masaki has a slackened jaw and Mayumi is flushed red. Even Minato has a brow raised. We stand in shocked silence until Minato decides to speak.
"Mayumi is not only my classmate but a friend as well." He states calmly and the shocked feeling begins to ebb out from the air. "Were you hoping for something more?"
"You don't deserve Mayumi!" I practically shout. Thankfully we are in a corner or we would be gathering a large amount of attention right now. "You don't even belong to the one hundred clans. You wouldn't be able to date her." A smirk dances across Minato's lips.
"So if I was part of a well-known clan, I would have your permission?" A smirk has formed on Masaki's lips as well, but I ignore it.
"That's right, if you were part of a clan I would recognize you as one of my sister's potential fiancées," I state boldly, knowing full well he would be unable to meet the requirements.
"Kasumi-" Mayumi begins but Minato interrupts her.
"All right then, I will hold you to your promise." Minato responds. "If I am able to become a part of a clan, I have your permission to date your sister."
"Ladies and gentleman, may I please have your attention?" I hear the amplified voice of Chairman Kudou fill the room.
"That's my cue, see you all later. It was nice meeting you, Kasumi and Izumi." With that he strolls away in the direction of the stage where Retsu is still talking, but not before giving a wink at my sister. She gives him an embarrassed smile before he disappears in the crowd.
"Kasumi, you really need to watch what you say," Mayumi gives me a small smile, her cheeks still flushed.
"Why? It's not like he will be able to join one of the one hundred clans," I counter. "You're safe with Izumi and I, Mayumi." My next words catch in my throat as Minato walks onto the stage beside Retsu, who gestures to him with a smile.
"May I introduce to you, Minato Kudou!"
My knees go weak and the frantic call from Mayumi and Izumi sound so far away. I feel me mind fading but with my last second of consciousness I can remember what I thought.
What have I done?
-Ω-
Minato POV
The desired date has come; well maybe it would be more technical to say the undesired date has come. Miyuki and Tatsuya are with me for the car ride to the mansion. I have made my preparations, I can only hope it is enough when I stand before the woman revered as the strongest magician alive.
"You do have a plan right?" Tatsuya asks me seriously as the car coasts down the street.
"Sort of, I don't know what she wants with me." I reply as the my nerves continue to build. I grasp the deck of cards I have stored in my pocket. Hopefully it will be enough.
We come to a stop outside the mansion and Miyuki nervously leads me in. I can tell she feels some guilt in leading me to something akin to what they feel is an execution. I place a calming hand on her shoulder and she nods her head in thanks. The butler, Aoki, greets us.
"It is nice to see you as always Miyuki." Aoki greets. And then he turns to me. "We meet again Mr. Kudou." Odd the only time we met is in FLT when I erased his memory. My grip tightens as I realize what he means. Marin Karin has more likely been dispelled. My reaction goes unnoticed by Aoki who invites us inside. Our small group walks through various halls until we reach a set of large doors. "Maya-sama is waiting inside for you, best of luck Mr. Kudou." Aoki says with a smirk. Tatsuya gives me a nod and Miyuki clasps her hands in a silent prayer. I push open the door and walk into the dark room, the doors quickly shutting behind me with an ominous slam.
"Welcome Minato Kudou." Maya Yotsuba, the Queen of the Night, sits before me on a chair that reminds me of a throne. She speaks calmly with a smirk gracing her flawless features.
"Thank you for inviting me, Ms. Yotsuba." I reply giving a respectful bow. It is best to stay on her good side.
"Do you know why I called you today?" I remain silent, so she decides to continue. "You erased the memory of Aoki with a spell that I never heard of, 'Marin Karin' was it? Normally, I would take action and punish you for this but you've caught my interest." I repress the chill I feel as Maya's smile grows.
"So, what do you want?" I ask bluntly. If she knows what I did, there is no need to act discretely. She looks down on me with her ever present smirk.
"Who are you?" I blink momentarily confused at her question. My reveal was less than a month ago after all.
"Minato Kudou," Maya shakes her head at my answer.
"I know you were found and taken in the by the Kudou's. Who were you before that?" She leans forward expecting a response. She is clearly disappointed by my response.
"If you know that much, you should know I have amnesia. I don't remember anything prior to when I was found."
"For someone who doesn't remember 7 years of their life, you seem oddly calm about it." Maya comments dryly. "Most others would at least make an attempt to learn who they were before their amnesia." She makes a good point. I never attempted to find my past because there is nothing to find. We look at each other in silence before I let out sigh. This conversation is going nowhere.
"Do you believe in fortune telling?" My drastic change in topic causes Maya to tilt her head is slight confusion.
"What does this have to do with anything?" In response I pull out a deck of Tarot cards. I learned the art from Elizabeth on one of our 'dates.'
"There is a fortune reading called the Celtic Cross. By the end of the reading, you will know the path to answering your question." Maya continues to stare at me judging if I have completely lost my mind or am trying to stall for time. Finally a small laugh escapes her lips.
"Interesting, go ahead. Let's see what your cards can tell us." I nod and begin to shuffle the cards. I make sure to thoroughly shuffle and as I do some cards flip upside down within the deck.
"The first card of the Celtic Cross is the Significator. It represents you in your current position." I flip the first card onto the table. "The Chariot in the upright position. This means control, willpower and victory." Before Maya's smirk can grow larger however, I continue. "Next is the crossing, this card shows what opposes you and your path to the answer." I place down an upside down card of an eye looking at a shining lantern. "The hermit in the reversed position. This represents isolation loneliness and withdrawal."
"What does that mean?" Maya asks suddenly from her chair, but I shake my head to silence her.
"Please let me finish. I will answer your questions at the end. Next is the foundation and the origin of your question." A place down a card showing an upside down tower as it collapses. "The tower in the reverse position signifying fear of change." I quickly move through the rest of the card reading. Recent Past is the reversed Fortune, the crown is upright temperance, the future is death in the upright position. Emotions is Moon in the upright position and external forces is the Star in the reverse position. Hope and desires is Devil in the reverse position and finally the outcome is the World in the upright position. As I finish Maya calls out to me.
"So, what did the cards tell you?" While she has not lost her smile, I feel a hesitance from her, an uncertainty.
"The chariot shows you are confident in yourself, but what holds you back from the answer you seek is the hermit. The isolation you surround yourself with." I point to the next card. "Your reason for the question is because you fear change. Something has made you uncertain. Next is your past, which is the reverse fortune. In your past there was something that affected you, something out of your control." My eyes meet hers and for a moment I see fear swirl in her iris, but she blinks and it disappears. "Next is the crown which determines the near future. The upright Temperance means patience and purpose. For the answer you seek you must wait for it to come to you. The sixth part is the far future which is represented by Death in the upright position. This signifies death but also rebirth and change. You will be reborn in some way if you continue to seek your answer."
Maya is leaning forward in her chair, interest clearly piqued. She urges me to continue with a nod.
"The seventh card represents emotion. The moon in the upright position represents fear and uncertainty.' I look to Maya. "You are afraid." She gazes back face made of stone and I continue on.
"The eighth card is external forces, what influences you. The star reversed means lack of faith, despair and discouragement… I don't think I need to read too deeply into that. The ninth card is your hopes and desires and this is represented by the Devil in the reversed position. This means breaking free, and power reclamation. Maybe reclaim something you have lost?" I look to Maya for answers but she looks back no inflection showing on her face.
"The last card is the outcome of you question. This is the world in the upright position meaning completion and accomplishments.' I look to Maya, a small smile on my lips. "In short you will know the answer to your question, but you must overcome you isolation and have patience." My fortune is met with silence until to my surprise she bursts out laughing.
"You really are quite an interesting character." She finally says after her laughs die down. "Thank you for your fortune telling, it has given me a lot to think about." I give a slight bow and gather the cards into my hand.
"I take it this meeting is over then?" I ask as Maya reclines into her chair.
"Yes, if your reading is true then I will find out my answer in time. You are free to go." I nod and turn on my heel head for the door. "It was a pleasure meeting you Minato, I look forward to meeting you again." With that the world freezes.
To you who has endured the weight of the universe,
We of the Devil arcana give to you our blessing.
-Ω-
A/N: A week late and a dollar short. Not only was this a transitional chapter (aka boring) but my new summer job is chewing up my time. I will try to keep up two week updates but no promises.
Before I get comments on it let me say this. I don't know how to use Tarot cards, so if I messed up the reading I apologize. I spent three days researching and that was the best I could get. Sorry if I messed it up.
A huge thank you to my beta Mingyu, who not only read over the chapter in the middle the night but helped me with a major plot point. Having Aigis attend school as a student would produce huge problems that I couldn't solve. However a majority of the plot still happens at school and having her miss this would be UNACCEPTABLE, in some people's opinion. Therefore having her by Bryan's helper solves both problems. She is at school but is not under suspicion of any organization.
As always thank you to everyone who favorited followed and reviewed. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave a review or send me a private message. I will answer them as soon as I can.