EmperorCeph: Thank you for the compliment and yes I am aware that I publish chapter daily. Yes, I am ok. I am getting enough breaks than you could ever imagine since were were still in a home quarantine so I currently can't go out freely. Nonetheless, I am planning to have a break after the Diva arc.

EDIT: There's a chance that I might not publish the next chapter/s for emergency reasons. Expect some delays tomorrow and until next week. Stay tune.

Chapter 47: The Diva

Tobiichi Origami was one of the Wizards of the AST and she shared some sentiment with Captain Ryoko due to how the DEM just sends their Wizards without any fair warning. Ryoko found out degrading, especially when Jessica Bailey, the leader of the Wizards sent by DEM, said that the no matter how the Japan just became a hotspot for emerging Spirits, they didn't even catch a single Spirit.

Origami was aware of that fact and Jessica doesn't need to rub that fact right into the AST's face and definitely it is not a sole reason to replace them. Origami has this feeling that Jessica was trying to beat a hornet's nest and to find some challenge on it. Origami didn't bite into to Jessica's bait though.

Origami could peer into Jessica's personality as someone who's arrogant, bossy and warmonger in one glance. She could tell the others as well, except for one of Jessica's subordinate.

Mable Mcintosh, that's her full name. In everyone's perspective, she's the friendliest out of the group, easygoing and positive. Origami could feel it the same way too, except her guts was saying something else unexpected. She couldn't even tell how she can describe her aside from the usual expectations she got from her same peers.

It was lucky that Origami managed to spot Mable in the training room and there were few people here. It seemed that she was also separated from her DEM peers. Origami thought it was a perfect time to have a nice conversation with her.

The rumors turned out to be true because once Mable has caught a glance of Origami, she just waved at her. Origami, awkwardly waved back as she approached her intently. Mable, however, wasn't, even though everyone was aware that she came from the DEM.

… and yet she's the sweetest of the group, as what the others would say. Origami wasn't fooled however, and she was sure of it. The group might have an ulterior motive and that motive is connected to Shidou of some sort after the incident on that island.

"Hello there, I'm Mable and I'm one of the Wizards of DEM. Nice to meet you." Mable then offered her hands as she fixed her glasses.

Origami was stunned by her introduction. She has never has meet someone that came from DEM as this friendly. Something is weird going on. Nevertheless, Origami accepted her hand and shake it briefly.

"Are you alright?" Mable tilted her head in curiousity as she voiced her concern. Origami blinked twice before she realized she just froze completely. Origami released her hands once more.

"Are you searching for me, I believe?" Mable guessed what was in Origami's mind right now.

Origami just nodded and Mable chuckled.

"So what do you want…"

"Origami. Tobiichi Origami."

"Origami, right? So what do you want, Origami?"

"I want to fight you." Origami said without any hesitating. Mable just tilted her head again.

"Pardon? You want to fight me right now?" Mable blinked her eyes twice as if she couldn't believe it.

Origami nodded.

Both Origami and Mable were now facing each other inside a stage. In each fighter's hand were energy blade. The rules are very simple: Whoever managed to wound first wins the fight and no lethal striked allowed. Origami just wanted to gauge Mable's skills as well as the rest of DEM Wizard inside the headquarters. Crowds were slowly gathering around them. They were really expecting a good fight.

Origami was now in a fighting stance and her energy sword burred into life. Mable was just there, standing nonchalantly while fixing her glasses. Origami knitted her eyebrows as it was obvious that Mable wasn't even prepared for this: her stance was awkward enough and her grip on her energy blade's handle was to lax. Is Mable the weakest of their group? Is she really this pathetic or is she was trying to lower Origami's guard?

Either way, it was obvious that Mable was giving Origami the initiative and Origami will make sure she'll give her the most efficient strike. A skid and Origami was rushing toward Mable to the other side of the stage. She had already raised her energy blade upward to give herself a leverage.

*ZZZITTT!!!*

Origami was surprised for Mable easily parried her blade with ease. It was just to fast for the naked eyes to see. The next moment Origami just see Mable's figure blurring out and with instincts Origami guarded her sides.

*KZZZTRTTT!!*

Origami found herself being pushed back. She just gritted her teeth in frustration. It seemed that she underestimated Mable a little bit and it cost her almost her defeat. At this point, Origami deduced that Mable wasn't an easy opponent by now but they need to conclude this fight one way or another.

Mable this time was the one who assaulted first, using a series of perfectly executed full swings. She was as elegant as a swan while Origami here was busy evading Mable's energy blade.

Thinking that Mable revealed her vulnerable moment, Origami eyed the opportunity and went all in, thrusting her energy blade through Mable's shoulder.

*ZZZITTT!!!*

Mable feinted that her weakness and blocked it perfectly. Mable pushed Origami away before she could recover her balance and rolled away from Mable. Mable caught up with her and aimed for Origami's abdomen before Origami could stand up.

Origami already blocked it before it could touch her armor. Then before they could have a battle of strength, Origami kicked the floor and skidded away from Mable.

Origami quickly stood up but when she faced Mable again, she found an energy blade pointed to her neck and she swear she could feel the heat. Mable was fast than Origami has anticipated.

"Yield." Mable offered as Origami has no more moves to commit.

"*tsk, I yield." Origami conceded and finally the fight has been concluded. She immediately dropped due to exhaustion and her muscles were now aching. Did she just overwork herself?

A round of applause can be heard and both of them realized there's so much people who have already witnessed their awesome fight and gave them cheers and yollers.

Origami huffed from her own spot, trying to recover from weariness and shortness of breath. Sweats were already running on her body and she was feeling hot.

Eventually, a hand was offered to her and Origami just looked up. It was Mable with a warm smile; Origami could see that she wasn't even sweating a little bit. Her pair of glasses weren't even foggy from emanating heat. Origami realized that they seemed to be leagues better than the ordinary AST Wizard.

"Are you alright?" Mable was concern about Origami's minute unresponsiveness. Origami then just grabbed her hand and Mable immediately pulled her to stand up.

"That was a good fight, Origami-san." Mable praised her, even though Origami just muted herself. It is seemed that Mable was understandable too.

When Mable spied that Jessica Bailey and her group were already in the training room and must have been witnessed the fight. Mable hurriedly went to them on the whim.

"I hope I can see you again." Mable exclaimed before she completely left Origami on her own. Origami just stood there dumbfounded.

It was Ten-oh Festival in Shidou's campus and during their main gathering, Shidou was reluctantly chosen as the organizer of the said festival, much to his chagrin. To be honest, no one wanted to be an organizer of a huge festival but it seemed that he has no choice but to prepare for it.

Afterwards, library assistant Ritsuka congraluate him for this responsibility. Shidou and the rest of his class has a brief meeting in their library where Ritsuka was a witness. Shidou has moderate skills in leading others.

After school, Shidou was accompanied by Yoshino for buying supplies for the following festival and it was damn tiring.

"Thanks for coming by." Shidou said as he looked fondly on Yoshino, who was glad she joined him.

"It's okay. Tohka-san was starving back home." Yoshino said back. Yoshinon puppet on her left hand.

Shidou couldn't help but think of Tohka nibbling a bread pillow while on the sofa. Arms and legs latched onto it as she kept on raising up the pressure, to the point she fell down from the sofa. Shidou sweatdropped instead. Why did it so accurate as it seemed?

Then the spacequake alarmed and Shidou looked trouble. Yoshino better need to steer into the safe place.

"Spacequake alarm." Rider warned Ritsuka, who was beside her while they were walking together. The Master of Chaldea just looked around as the sirens were blaring.

"Geeh, killjoy." Ritsuka remarked at the sounds of a blaring horn. Ritsuka wanted to spend some moments with Rider since she felt it was Drake's turn to be a company with Ritsuka and she felt this is just so coincidental. The Master of Chaldea really wanted to show Drake some cool stuff around here at the market, not just liquors.

Drake was glad that Ritsuka just wanted for her Servants what's good for them, even though she doesn't need to. This just showed how wonderful Master Ritsuka is to the point she was willing to lay down her life in order to protect her.

"No worries, Master." Drake assured her and gave her a big smile. She looked around and the entire street was just abandoned after the first horn. The people were really afraid so and all of the stores they could see are immediately closed and somewhat descended into the ground and eventually reinforced with the strongest steel. That was just so cool. Ritsuka knew that the people of this world were well-prepared against the spacequake but she never thought this how they prepare for the spacequakes.

"You know I have this perfect idea." Rider caressed her chin mischievously.

Ritsuka just tilted her head in curiosity. She could somewhat tell what Drake was trying to do and it does not embodies her well. For Ritsuka, it doesn't matter anymore. She was damn curious too.

Drake just sneered. It seemed that they have the same thought: spy the new Spirit in town.

Then Drake raised her index finger. "But first…" She gave Ritsuka a jacket with a hood. Ritsuka just gave her a questionable stare. She looked at the jacket then at Drake.

"How did you— why are you prepared for this?"

Drake just scratched the back of her head. "Maybe, its because I somehow felt it would naturally happen right now so I brought you some disguise you can get rid of later on."

"Damn Luck EX…" Ritsuka just sputtering nonsense as she put on the coat.

"Hey, Master." Drake just nudged her and Ritsuka looked at her again, confused. "You have learned about runes and magecraft stuffs and whatnots, right?"

"A little, why?" Ritsuka wondered what she was trying to point out. OF course, she learned a lot from Circe sensei and Scathach sensei, especially if the latter is trying to kill you for real if you can't use a rune on real time. Just thinking of it made her shudder.

"Then that's great… you know about hiding your appearance, your smell and your muffle your mana signature?"

"W-what?" Of course, Ritsuka knew what Rider was talking about.

"Trust me." Drake just showed off her beautiful smile. Ritsuka immediately put on the hood seriously until a shade of her head can be seen. Then with a couple of hand signs, the shade inside her hood darkened until there's nothing to peer through. Drake was amazed from what her Master can do but the handsign was just bullshit, welp, not that she would point it either way. She knew that her Master was a weeb of some sort, might have been infected by Blackbeard and Osakabehime.

Either way, it just added to her Master's charm…oops. When the session was finally finished, Drake was sure that she couldn't detect her Master a little.

"Is this ok?" Ritsuka just looked at her outfit and for a normal individual, it was weird looking to Ritsuka wearing a hood tighter and nothing to see on her face and branded her as something out of a horror movie. Drake thought she's just perfect as she is.

"That's great!!!" Drake gave her a thumbs up. It was time to search for the area where the new Spirit has emerged and it was easier because it seemed that the new Spirit was intentionally giving out her position. Drake and Ritsuka was curious how this will proceed.

…Let me sing you a song…

Drake and Ritsuka were on the top of lighting post of a stage where a Spirit was singing on the stage alone. Ritsuka was eating popcorns for some reason and Drake was just beside her grabbing some handfuls for her mouth to chew. The shade reinforced by magecraft covering her face inside the hood does not impede her from eating so she was fine.

…Just like someone naming the millions of stars…

Drake was already garbed in her original battle uniform. Ritsuka and Drake have a good balance while sitting on a lighting tower. Its as if they were watching an opera. They choose this area as it served as a blind spot.

"When do you think Shidou will appear?" Drake questioned Ritsuka and the Master of Chaldea just shrugged it off until she saw a figure among the shadow.

…scattered all across the night sky…

"I think Shidou was already here." Ritsuka said as she pointed him with her right hand while her left hand was dunked into her pocket. Drake just looked at the area where Ritsuka was pointing and there he is, looking directly at the Spirit.

Another handful of popcorns into her mouth. Where the heck Drake get the idea to buy a popcorn before hand? Does Ritsuka needed to know it? Maybe. Does she enjoy it nonetheless? Heck yeah. Luck EX folks and definitely not Clairvoyance.

…Let me sing you a song…

"Hey, Master if I fight her now? Who would win? Me or her?" Drake challenged her Master.

"You. She'll die." Ritsuka answered abruptly.

"Pfft. Killjoy." Not that Drake did not believe Ritsuka, its that she just outright declared the Spirit powerless against the Heroic Spirits. Its actually true but still.

"Hey, I'm spitting out straight facts you know. Besides, who would dare to compare my companions against them, huh?"

"That's my Master." Drake was just relieved. Then she spotted Shidou already on the backstage. "Shidou's is now trying to seduce that Spirit!" Drake reminded Ritsuka.

Ritsuka then just watched. The Spirit and Shidou just stared to each other, Drake and Ritsuka realized that the Spirit stopped singing too. It seemed that they were talking to each other.

After a minute or more, the new Spirit suddenly just released a shock wave out from her mouth and Shidou was thrown away.

"Seen it. Bathory-chan can compete her in singing competition."

"Eh, Master? Don't you have mercy on that Spirit?"

"I just realized that the new Spirit's ability is singing. What do you think is her callsign: [Idol, [Siren] or [Singer]?"

"That's … just sound ridiculous." Drake remarked and it made Ritsuka pouted inside her hood. "Besides, any plans on saving Shidou there?"

Ritsuka double-take on Shidou's situation before she looked back to Drake. "Nope."

"Ok then." Drake completely agreed to her. It is obvious that they have no obligation to be a hero here. Good 'ol Drake. Then she grabbed another handful of popcorns and it seemed that the popcorns are getting few.

Shidou was now hanging by the edge of the stage and the stage was just too high. It was getting intense and Ritsuka leaned forward as she anticipated the next action, Drake instinctively grabbed her back to prevented her fall but Ritsuka wasn't aware of it.

The Spirit was near at the edge while Shidou was still hanging for his life. It was bad that they can't hear them talking. Ritsuka guess that the Spirit might be talking awful to Shidou right now.

*KABOOOM*

Drake and Ritsuka witnessed the stage's roof being destroyed and created a large hole right above the Spirit. This spirit was protected by some kind of a barrier. The AST suddenly appeared by that hole.

"Don't you think this is the time we retreat?" Drake commented. It seemed that they are already have seen everything and it was time for them to go out. Fortunately, Ritsuka readily agreed and at that moment, both of them descended on the floor stealthily and used another exit to escape.

They have seen everything but little did they know that a few of them spotted the duo at instance, including the Spirit. The Spirit known as [Diva] saw them escaping on their own before she could focus on the arrival of the AST wizards.

Whoever they are, [Diva] could sense that she could meet them sooner or later.